I would have fled, but he had me by the cheeks, and actually fighting Spike felt like just a mean thing to do. Besides, I had given permission. I refused to back down on that. My word was my bond, and he wasn't hurting me. I let out an equine snort. "So... you're a dragon."

"Yup."

"So you know fire magic, right?" I lifted an ear, the fur rubbing against the scales of his holding hand. "Want to see the fire spell I know?"

Spike scritched gently at my large cheeks. "I would absolutely love that, but not here. Here is where books sleep, and books are scared of fire, poor things."

I laughed at myself. "Good call. I almost made Twilight mad... again... Let's head outside."

"Sure." He released me and rose to all fours. He emerged into the light and stretched, legs first, then his great wings to either side. "I should... come out more often."

"You should," I agreed teasingly. "Why don't you?"

"Hm?" He inclined his head back at the library. "That's where I live. My den, if you will. I'm a grown dragon, I have a den, and it's a good den, so I don't need to wander." He shrugged softly. "It's a dragon thing."

I tilted my head thoughtfully, considering Spike's odd nesting habits sticking so unwaveringly to the library even after achieving a gargantuan size. Given how fluidly he integrated cooking, watching over library visitors, and things like that compared to classic hoarding, there had to be more involved than species tendencies for isolation.

"Correct me if I'm off-base here..." I began slowly following him towards a clearing not too far from Twilight's library house. A lone squirrel scattered before Spike's imposing footfalls. The birds didn't react, as if used to such things.

"But you don't strike me as the antisocial type content lurking forever in a cramped abode growing mold." I glanced pointedly around the sprawling meadow, lush with life and warmth. "I'd think your protective instincts of Twilight's personal space are pretty well handled. So, why not roam out and about more often?"

I shrugged, aiming for casual. "Just seems an awful shame keeping all you cooped inside without need." I smiled secretively. "Unless...dare I infer certain attachments developed to savor?" I waggled my brows teasingly. "Magical or otherwise?"

Spike chuckled at that, smoke rings puffing lazily skyward. "Nothing escapes yer perceptions does it, Twilight mentioned you could see things." His expression turned thoughtful scanning the area as if seeing anew. "But fair observation it's...complicated. Home is home, but outside ain't so bad with right company either."

He sat up on his haunches, just to keep sliding up until he was properly on his butt in a more human posture. "Alright, let's see this fire magic. As a dragon, I will judge, harshly."

"Go easy on me." I focused on that symbol, but it refused to come, at least not as it had been. The fire symbol I brought up was colored, with black at the center and red along the fringes. It was a nirik flame, the dark counter-presence to Kirin. It was when kirin, in the show, most expressed that fire. It was as fine a symbol as any other, and I latched onto it, focusing.

"There you go." Spike leaned in to see the fire erupt into being. "Bigger. That's barely anything. I know you have more than that."

Puzzling over Spike's intriguing remark about perceiving unseen dimensions, I refocused on the deceptively diminutive flicker dancing across my outstretched palms. Though it burned steadily, enthusiasm seemed to dim feeling those judgmental draconic eyes boring expectantly for far grander displays as meager magical muscle simply sputtered unsatisfactorily.

Was I scared? The last fire had resulted in the painful emergance of my horn. What would playing with fire bring next? Too late, I was devoted to coaxing that fire larger as my hooves wiggled.

The flickering fireball compressed, collapsing into a tiny mote before abruptly ballooning outward with thunderous force into a roaring pillar of darkness and flame. Ghostly afterimages swirled through the conflagration framing my sharp grin towards the enthralled dragon witness.

"Well well, those old human physics texts proved good for something after all..." I intoned letting rich satisfaction color my voice. "All magic's energy in the end, yes? And what is energy but charge yearning release when sparked properly..."

I waved a casual hoof dispersing the unruly inferno with a rush of displaced air briefly leaving us breathless in the following stillness. My smile turned sly, or so I hoped, angling back Spike's way. "Care to show me now how a true dragon handles the literal fire within next?"

Spike clapped gently. "Very nice, but you're getting a big head." He thumped the side of his considerable head against me, almost knocking me right over. "You've seen nothing." He snapped his fingers, fire dancing along them. "I am an extension of Twilight's magic. Her power, is my power. As either of us grows, we both grow. She isn't using her force, so I can..." He smashed his great palms together. "Behold, true flames."

As he spread his hands, a raging inferno swept into the space he created with the movement. "The size of the flame can mean little, but..." He stood up on his hinds and spread his hands wider. He was a lot bigger than I was, so that meant there was a lot more space for the flames to occupy. "It means something." He suddenly swirled his hands and the ball jumped free, becoming a deer of flames that landed gently, looking at him, flickering with heat.

The deer was big enough to look him in the eyes, towering over me. "Holy hell... Damn, that's... impressive." Were there better words to use? None came to me, watching the fiery... um... what was the fancy word for deer? "Can you make it do things?"

"Sure." He waved over me and the deer hopped right over my head. He offered an imagined snack and the deer came up to eat it gently. "You're just starting your little fire journey. You'll learn all kinds of tricks, I bet. But don't think that gets you ahead of the veterans, okay?"

I stared slack-jawed as Spike casually commanded enough kindling to incinerate an entire village into a tame fearn with but an idle thought. My own magical muscle felt like a mere sputtering matchstick set against the miniature sun prancing daintily across the clearing at his whims.

The sheer power difference brought my bruised bravado low in an instant. How arrogant pretending my minor flame spurts were worth noticing in a land where conjured fire could scorch the very skies themselves! Suddenly, human magical fantasy tropes felt charmingly quaint against such awesome realities dragon kind casually commanded.

I shook myself watching Spike lavish gentle affection on a being capable of annihilating Ponyville in a blink. And yet, warmth radiated there where by all mortal constraints One would think only merciless indifference towards tiny little nothings like me. Perhaps in there flickered embers that had some speck of life.

"Well, damn... That... was a fine lesson." I bowed to Spike and deer both. "I have a long way to go."

Spike waved at the deer, who took off in great pronking bounces. "Good to remember that." He sank with a heavy thud onto his bottom and casually gathered me up to pet. "I don't want me new favorite pony doll getting hurt."

"Hey!" I wriggled, but he had me, and fighting any harder felt like breaking my promise. "I'm not a doll."

"Alien cuddle buddy?" ventured Spike with a snicker. "What term do you prefer?" He casually rolled me over onto my back and rubbed my belly. "You seem to like this, even if you won't admit it even to yourself."

"Well..." I kicked at the air. Dang it, it did feel good. I wanted to be pet forever. But ponies were passing by, watching it, and embarassment wasn't a force I had entirely vanquished. "Can we go back inside?"

"And you were asking me why I preferred the indoors." He released me as he stood up himself. "The deer's already gone, by the way. They won't set anything on fire."

Scurrying back towards the treebrary, I could only shoot several stragglers my most regal scowl which sadly failed landing any actual scorch marks in passing. So much for leveraging exotic fire beasts towards some semblance of untouchable status after that unabashed undignified display.

Safely through the doorway I sprawled onto the rug with a grunt. "I looked... silly." I swished my tail over the soft texture of the rug. "Thank you." I turned to look at Spike, but he had already found something new to do.

Glancing over at Spike already immersed in comics and snacks, I huffed wry resignation. "Well, you're not bothered." I laughed at that. "Probably better not to be worked up. They didn't seem angry, just... what... amused?" A small smile crept up.

Spike glanced up, seeming to read lingering wistfulness under forced casualness. "Hey, weird's relative round these parts yaknow. Just keep channelin' that confidence and they'll come around." He smiled back gently. "I mean, ponies love me, after all!"

I chuckled softly, heading towards my room. "Checking in with my friends. If I'm not out by then, let me know when Twi--" I opened the door to see a Twinkle grinning viciously at me. "Nevermind. I forgot another dear friend was right here."

Spike gave a thumbs up at the door closed between us.

"Twinkle, why are you giving me that look?"

"Because I was right," she sang, wings fluttering. "Your use of fire magic has prompted the start of your growth as a kirin, starting with what controls your fire magic." She pointed up at my new horn. "And isn't that a marvelous horn you have there. I imagine you're already using it gracefully."

"So far so good." I went to my bed to sit on it on the edge. "You saw this coming?"

"I guessed." She took a flapping leap to join me on the bed with a thump. "I couldn't know for sure until I'd seen it." She leaned against me. "Or I would have said something."

"Huh." I stroked gently down her back as I settled down, only realizing I was doing it with my magic when I took note of where my hoof was. Magic was odd, like a third arm I was still getting used to even having. "The magic's great, just new."

"You're already, mmm." She closed her eyes. "Surprisingly agile with it. I guess those fingers were good practice... Now what was that?" She stepped back. "With Spike? It sounded like you were getting some heavy petting, and then you ran off."

"Not... wrong?" That only got her looking at me even more oddly. "He wanted to inspect things, and I, um, liked... it? So I let him. Then we compared some fire magic."

"I missed that." She snorted with a little puff of magic. "No fair. Invite me along next time." She wriggled her nose at me. "And for the petting. You left me out. Unless you, just... prefer males? I mean, if that's what you like, not trying to be awkward about that."

"I think I mentioned before?" I ruffled her mane gently. "If it has a heartbeat, it has a chance with me. But I have to know it to even consider things like that. I know Spike, and he was... I sound like I'm making excuses."

"But not for the one that matters." Twinkle raised a brow. "I have sudies to do, and they can't proceed until you cease considering me as a foal."

I chuckled even as I grabbed my keyboard and slid into a comfy spot. "Going to check in and make sure things are alright on the other side. Let Spike know I had a good time today."

"Why don't you tell him?" Still, she fluttered to the door and headed out.

Author's Note

A helpful reminder, Familiar Spike is a grown entity. He gazes on David with an adult's eyes, curious but helpful.

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