The Challenges of Being a Dragon

Chapters

It's Only Just Begun
The Unexpected
The Date

It's Only Just Begun

Chaper #1

The undersized purple dragon walked hastily along the dark cobbled pavement as dusk began to set over the land of Equestria. To Spike, dusk was a formidable opponent. Dusk marked the fall of the day, and it reminded him of his age, and every dusk proclaimed his status as just another day older. For normal ponies, a day was an unimaginably low quantity of time, but for a dragon, a day meant a lot. It was not due to the easily assumable reason of a day closer to death, but to a dragon, another simple day meant the marking of the length of his strenuous life time – nearly 900 years.

Of his 900 years, Spike was only just approaching his eighteenth. While his friends and ‘extended family’ were completely unaware of the lifespan of a dragon (indeed, even Twilight), Spike was perfectly aware – that fact was inaugurated into his head during his Dragon Quest. This information was not publicised in the books that Twilight so loved to follow, or featured in the gossip that Rarity often found herself a participant of, as it was primarily a dragon secret. The reason Spike aided its secrecy is not because he felt that his friends did not have a right to know; he did so because he knew how damaging the fact was. This fact obviously meant that by the time he was only at the half point of his life, it was unlikely that any of his friends would still be around – in fact, it was largely unlikely that anyone in Ponyville would still be around; perhaps even two generation waves may have come and gone since then.

Because of this, it was no mystery to Spike as to why other dragons didn’t associate themselves with animals such as ponies. The often rumoured reasoning of this by ponies is that dragons are heartless and Spike was an exception, but Spike knew himself that this was wrong… The problem is that dragons have too much of a heart, and they couldn’t stand the fate that stood before them - they would gradually lose their friends and relations.
Back in the real world, Spike was nearing Twilight’s Library – he’d lost his concept of time while recalling his issues. Regardless, Twilight once taught him that thinking was the best way to pass time, and he wasn’t going to give up a single chance to do some of it.

Continuing, Spike had a difficult situation on his hands which didn’t look like it would be resolving quickly. Because he was raised in a different environment to that of a normal dragon, he perceived the world differently. Spike had been part of the pursuit of friendship that Twilight led, and as such became very familiar with the concepts. With this, he gained great skill in understanding love and affection for one another, and gradually became almost dependant on it. Reflecting on it now, Spike fit the criteria for an old dragon myth – a dragon’s heart can fuel the life of one other animal, if you will, a partner. In order for this to occur, however, the dragon must feel full appreciation for that animal in question.

As Spike began to enter the small tree house, his thoughts also began to conclude – he had not a doubt in his mind that the one he loved and could fuel the life of was Rarity, and it would make him thrilled to be able to do so. The simple truth of the matter however, was that no matter how much he wants to be with Rarity, he simply doesn’t have the cou-…

“Heya’, Spike!” expressed an energetic voice, obviously Twilight’s.
Spike spun towards the source, startled. “Oh. Hey, Twi’.” He spoke dejectedly.

Twilight looked at Spike inquisitively, “Spike, come sit down next to me. I want to talk to you.” As she spoke, Spike’s eyes widened slightly, concerned that he’d done something wrong. Spike walked hastily over to the small wooden sofa that Twilight was settled on, lowering himself alongside her. Having done so, he looked at her inquisitively while smiling slightly, encouraging her to continue.

Twilight spoke slowly, having waited slightly for him to say something but eventually realising he wasn’t going to. “What’s been wrong with you lately, Spike? You’ve not been yourself at all. Normally you’d come in excited and try to get your claws on some food, but for the past few days you’ve been… different.” She smiled warmly, continuing, “You know you can talk to me about anything, I’ll always be here for you.”

Spike shifted around to face her, looking down and gaining no eye contact with her. “Oh, it’s… nothing. Don’t worry, Twilight. It’s just about, you know…” He shuffled in slightly so as to conceal his words from anyone who could be in earshot. “Rarity.”
An amused look came over Twilight’s face. “Spike, this has been going on for years. Heck, you’re old enough to even go for her now and actually receive a genuine response!” She shuffled right up to him, placing a consoling hoof on his back and rubbing gently, to which he sighed in response. “Spike, I think you can do whatever you want and get away with it – Rarity practically loves you anyway!”

Spike looked at her as though he was about to tear up. “I know, it’s just… it’s hard. I still find it just as difficult to talk to her – if not harder than when I was younger. It would be nice if you could maybe… give me some tips, or something?” Spike looked down at the suggestion, frowning.

In response, Twilight smiled. “Of course I could, Spike. Anything for a friend like you; but I suggest that we get some food and maybe settle down for a film tonight and deal with this tomorrow. How does pizza sound for tonight?” A wide grin spread across Spike’s face, clearly appreciative of the support of his best friend, “Sounds great, Twi’. Thanks for being there for me…” Spike leaned in and hugged her tightly, and she wrapped her hooves around to hug back.

The sky darkened more and more, and Twilight shuffled off to order a delivery from Pizza Barn. The two settled down under a blanket to watch a movie, the miserable thoughts at bay and the two in warmth and comfort.

Author's Note

Dear valued reader,

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for taking your time to read my first fan fiction.

All I ask of you in return is to provide some short feedback, in addition to if you would like to see another chapter. I understand that the concept is rather unusual and the chapter is relatively short; this is due to me pretty much 'experimenting' at this stage with a new writing style. As I said, if you think it could work, do let me know!

Many thanks.

The Unexpected

Chapter #2

The faithful young dragon emerged from his chambers at around 10AM EST (Equestrian Standard Time). He took a few steps outside the ground floor chamber of the tree, slamming the wooden door behind him before descending into an enormous yawn. It should be reminded at this point that Spike had long since moved out of Twilight’s room, obviously growing slightly beyond it. Spike was still unaware of how exactly Twilight managed to add an additional room to a tree, but he wasn’t going to question her magic this late on. Twilight noticed the spectacle from the small kitchenette, giggling in response and muttering something about teenagers before turning back to what she was doing.

Spike began to walk slowly through the library in the direction of the small living area, rubbing his eyes as he did so. As he passed the kitchenette, he slurred a brief “Morning, Twilight…” before continuing on. Twilight responded by smiled warmly and quickly broke into an effervescent trot over to him, using her magic to carry two plates behind her. By the time Spike had crashed onto the sofa in a haze of tiredness, Twilight was already half way across the room. As she came near him, she used her magic to gently place one of the plates onto his lap, startling him slightly and causing him to blink aggressively, looking down to note the contents. As if the smell wasn’t compelling enough, the site certainly woke him up. His favourite breakfast lay infront of him; toast, haycon and some fried gems.

Spike made no attempt to hide the satisfaction on his face, expressing his gratitude to Twilight before diving into the plate.
Twilight laughed slightly. “Spike, after all this time, you’re still the same hungry dragon as you were all that time ago! I guess some things really don’t change.”

In response to this, Spike raised his face from the plate, the light from the windows reflecting off of bits of gems around his mouth, which he rapidly eradicated with his claw, grinning. “So, Twilight, are we going to have another session today?” By this point, the dragon felt a lot more confident after the numerous ‘support sessions’ Twilight had held with him since he asked for her help about a week ago. While there wasn’t much she could teach him which he couldn’t find in a book, he did enjoy the opportunity to spend time with her.

A puzzled look came across Twilight’s face. “Spike, I’m not sure there is much more I can say to you. All we can do is go over what I’ve shown you so far, really. Remember to be confident, strong, and yourself, and I think Rarity will almost feel compelled to go on a date with you.” Twilight smiled again, picking at her less impressive oat-breakfast.

Spike slid the plate to the side of him, slouching down a little. He looked down at his claws, tapping them together gently. “I’m not sure, really. It’s not that I don’t feel ready, it’s just… Oh, I don’t know.”

Twilight merely leant out and rubbed the green spikes that are atop his head warmly. “I’m sure you’ll do great, Spike. I believe in you!”

Spike continued to rub his claws together nervously, clearly slightly more uncertain in his abilities, though regardless, he aimed to amuse Twilight by smiling back at her. Twilight leapt up from her usual seating position and picked up the two plates with her magic, giving Spike a small shock as she did so, not expecting her speed. She hastily ran the plates over to the sink, scrubbing them energetically.

“Uh, Twilight, don’t you want me to at least clean up?” The small dragon piped up.

“Oh no, Spike. You’ve got to get ready, I’ll deal with this.” The mare responded, grinning to herself (although to no real avail, as he could not see it from the angle.)

“Prepare myself? For what, are we going somewhere?”

“No, Spike! You’re obviously going to Rarity’s today, aren’t you?” Twilight spun round to face Spike, with a look on her face that looked as if she was almost confused and betrayed.

“Oh, uh…” Spike rubbed his claws together more aggressively, looking down at them and avoiding all eye contact with Twilight. “I wasn’t intending to but… I guess I can.”

Twilight suddenly perked up to her normal self, grinning widely. “Excellent, I’m glad to hear it,” As she turned her focus back to the dishes. While doing so, a thought crossed Spike’s mind. How did a mare with the intelligence of Celestia sometimes have the stamina of Pinkie Pie? Spike decided that there were bigger things to worry about, so he shrugged the thought off.
But right now, Spike wasn’t sure he really wanted to consider the ‘bigger things’. Instead of thinking about it, maybe it would be easier to just head out to the Carousel Boutique and see where things go from there – one things for certain, he was as ready as he was ever going to be. And before he knew it, he had slipped out the door.

Now in the open world, the morning sun was beaming down on his face. It took a short while for Spike to accustom himself to it, and it always amazed him how well the tree filtered it out. The walk to Carousel Boutique was further than one might have imagined, and was on the other side of the Ponyville Centre.

Walking along the old town, Spike tried to keep thoughts of Rarity at bay, which wasn’t too difficult considering there were so many distractions – he continuously found himself smiling and waving politely to other ponies, including Derpy delivering the morning mail, Pinkie bouncing along for no apparent reason, and many others. Spike could’ve sworn he even saw Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash at one point, though they quickly vanished around the corner of a shop for some reason.

Before Spike knew it, he was closing the gap between himself and the Boutique. Taking a deep breath and avoiding any thought that could come to his mind now, he stood at the doorstep. He extended his claw to knock, though not much happened – he simply found himself standing there idly. Without thinking, he managed to push his small and bony claws gently into the door, producing a frail knocking sound.

Fortunately, Rarity was downstairs to hear it. “Oh, hello! We’re open for business, please do come in!”

Spike began to slowly push himself past the door, looking around slowly in the entrance room of the petite shop. Rarity immediately spotted him, “Oh, Spike, dear! How wonderful to see you, what can I help you with today?”

“Uh…” Spike had already decided that he would begin by browsing the clothes that she had available. “I was looking for something to replace my old suit, hah; I think I’m getting a bit large for it now…” Spike spoke with a tinge of nervousness in his voice, but not overwhelmingly so like he used to.

Rarity beamed, looking over at him carefully. “I’m so glad you’ve taken an interest in fashion, my dear! If you’ll follow me…” The small (but rather curvy, Spike considered naughtily) mare escorted him to a rack.

“If you care to browse here, this is all of my male formal attire. I’ll have to make some adjustments from… well, stallion to dragon, but I’m sure it’ll work fantastically! If there is nothing, I can always make something custom for you!” The purple maned mare said, with ecstatic amounts of enthusiasm.

Spike looked awkwardly, clearly not sharing the same enthusiasm. “Uh, sure. Thanks Rarity.” He began slowly browsing through the array of clothing that was placed sentimentally on the rack, considerately trying not to damage anything. As he did so, he considered what he was to say to Rarity. His consideration wasn’t exactly that, though; he simply couldn’t think of anything. For the first time in perhaps his entire life, his mind was simply blank. He wasn’t particularly nervous, it couldn’t have been that. Something simply didn’t feel right about asking Rarity ‘the question’. Instead, all he could think of were a hundred reasons why he wasn’t ready, but when he thought about the specifics of the situation again, his mind just blanked. It was as if the small chip inside his brain had suddenly made the decision to cease working.

“The selection is great, Rarity. I appreciate the look, though for now I think I’ll… uh… see what Twilight thinks then come back. Thanks again!” Before Rarity had a chance to respond with anything coherent, the dragon was already half way out the door, so all she had the opportunity to do was wave half-heartedly, stunned with confusion.

It was only about twelve paces from the Boutique that Spike was able to consider what exactly had happened. Before even reviewing the situation, he began to feel angry with himself. Why had he done that? What stupidity had taken control of him? As he was walking, he took deep breaths and managed to eventually calm himself down.

Alright, so what happened back there? Things were find, it was the perfect window of opportunity and I blew it. Spike sighed audibly. He knew it wouldn’t be too difficult to sort this out with Rarity, but it was more important to sort this out at the moment.

As Spike was walking home, he began to begin a small trance under his breath. “Stupid dragon. Stupid dragon.” He continuously repeated the phrase. He wasn’t so much annoyed now as disappointed with himself; he knew he’d look the same child he looked before to Rarity, if not worse now. “Stupid dragon. Stupid dra-”

As he was chanting away, he noticed that his path had been blocked. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were back. Spike slowly began to move around them, smiling slightly for the sake of being polite towards them…

“Uh… Spike… hey… uh, have you maybe got a second to talk? Unless you’re busy, in which case that’s fine… in fact, maybe this can wait until tomo-” the shy Pegasus stopped talking as she was jabbed sharply in the thigh by Rainbow Dash. Spike noticed that Fluttershy twisted her head to Rainbow Dash, who responded by purposefully enlarging her eyelids a few times.

“Oh, right…” The Pegasus continued, facing Spike again. “Actually, now would be kinda’ good if you have the time.”

Meanwhile, Spike had a permanent eyebrow cocked, curious as to what exactly was the matter with his shy friend. “Well, yeah, Fluttershy. I think I have time, what’s up?”

“Well, I was wondering if you maybe… you know, want to go out somewhere tomorrow night?” As she spoke, she almost immediately retreated back about three large steps, only to be pushed forward (almost aggressively) by Rainbow Dash.
To this, Spike was dumbfounded. With all the possible outcomes of this day, is this really happening? The single cocked eyebrow stopped, and was replaced with a dangling jaw.

By the time Spike managed to come over the shock of the situation, he spoke slowly and tried to appear calm. “Uh, absolutely, I’d love to?” Spike spoke as though he was inquisitive, not quite sure what he should say or do in this situation. As he did so, Fluttershy’s wings almost shot out, enough to shock Rainbow Dash as well as Spike. A deep shade of red covered her face.

“Uh, that’s… great. Thanks Spike. Well… I’ll see you tomorrow at my house!” The Pegasus flew off so quickly that she nearly fell over, followed by Rainbow Dash, who rolled her eyes and winked at Spike before disappearing after her.

Somehow, Spike gathered the energy to continue down the road. Questions flooded his mind, including where on earth this newly established attraction to Spike came from in Fluttershy. Fortunately, he didn’t need to consider his situation for too long, for he found himself at the front door of the library.

As he lifted the latch and entered, he immediately saw a smiling Twilight, clearly eager to know the news. He said nothing, and immediately made his way straight to the sofa, falling gracefully into its metaphorical arms.

“So, how’d it go? Are you going on a date?” Twilight asked, overly enthusiastic about the situation.

“Yes.”

“So is Rarity excited? How did she respond? Oh my, this is just like the novels I’ve read!”

“No.”

“What do you mean, why isn’t she excited?” Twilight asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.

“She wasn’t excited because it wasn’t her. I’m going on a date with Fluttershy.” Spike sighed loudly for what felt like the millionth time today, rubbing his face aggressively with his claws. This was going to be a long day.

Author's Note

Hi all,

Well, this chapter has taken some effort. I'm still yet to find a good proofreader, though from my efforts to check it, all seems well. I'm really not used to writing long chapters, but I would hope that the length of 2,000 or so words would cut it for you guys - anything more and I think I would be loosing sight of the quality of the story.

I'd like to remind you that this story shall most likely involve some sparity, so for you addicts, don't be upset!

I hope the story so far has created an unusual twist on your perspectives of Spike. I've enjoyed writing this chapter, which is generally the most important factor for me, but I also hope you all enjoy reading it.

Many thanks.

P.S: Don't expect the next chapter for atleast four or five days! I've got some real life stuffs to attend to, unfortunately.

The Date

Chapter #3

It was a quiet Wednesday morning. The light was filtering in through the small windows of the cottage. The only movement in the tranquil room was a yellow Pegasus, pacing back and forth and stomping unusually aggressively against the wooden floorboards. A blue Pegasus was also in the room, though she was quite comfortably settled across a sofa.

“Oh, I don’t know… Maybe this isn’t the right decision. What if I made Spike uncomfortable? What if it goes wrong and we can’t be friends anymore?” Fluttershy continued to worry before falling to the ground and squeaking, retreating into her long pink mane.

The Rainbow Pegasus looked up from the handmade cushions that she so enjoyed being buried into, looking despondent. “Oh, come on, Fluttershy! We’ve been going through this for weeks now. I told you, if things don’t work out – which they will, Spike’ll be the kinda’ guy to just let it go, he won’t want to lose a friend.”

Rainbow Dash dove straight back into the cushions after talking again. The last few days had been torture for her - it’d taken her a considerable period of time to even have Fluttershy ask Spike and now she was regretting it already; it seemed she was never going to hear the end of it. With that in mind though, something in her mind was slightly wary. It wasn’t too troubling; she simply hoped that Spike wouldn’t hurt her friend. After all, she’s looked out for Fluttershy since before she could remember, and she wasn’t going to stop now.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy had fallen atop her haunches, running R.D’s words over in her mind. Maybe she was right. Fluttershy hoped nothing more than things to go well tonight, and some luck would be useful, though preparation would certainly be in order. Spike was coming over this evening at eight, meaning that she had plenty of time to prepare, though she’d need to be sure to look her best.

“Uh. Rainbow Dash…”

Rainbow Dash lifted her head slightly with a consoling smile on her face. “Yeah, Flutts?”

“Can you help me… you know, get ready for tonight?”

There was a moment of complete silence, followed by an extremely exaggerated groan which almost sounded painful. Choosing not to respond with words, Rainbow Dash simply nodded and sunk back into the cushions.

Spike was leaning against a cabinet in the tree’s kitchenette, facing the lively Twilight Sparkle. It had been a long time, he thought, since he had seen Twilight in this state of bewilderment and excitement.

“Spike, today is great! We’ve got to get you ready. Oh, there are so many things that you must know!” As she finished her sentence, her horn sprang into action and dragged an obscure book out of one of the many shelves in the main room, pulling it through the door and into the kitchenette. “Here, this books fantastic. It has all kinds of instructions for the first da-”
“Twilight, I’m not so sure I should go through with this. Do you really think it’s fair on Fluttershy? I’ve never really gotten on with her like… that.” The dragon frowned, looking down at his feet.

Twilight stopped what she was doing and the book fell to the floor. She said nothing for a few moments, then immediately burst into action, stunning Spike slightly. “Look, Spike. Fluttershy is one of the most fantastic ponies – she’s caring, attentive, and sweet. Maybe none of us ever really saw the signs that she wanted anything to do with you, but what do you expect? It’s not like she’s very clear about her feelings, other than fright of course.” A radiant smile spread across the lavender unicorns face.

As Spike opened his mouth to retort, Twilight stole the opportunity and continued. “And besides, something was stopping you from speaking to Rarity properly, and maybe this experience will help you to find what that was if anything. I think this is a great opportunity, and it might end up working out for you!” Twilight’s smile began diminishing slightly, turning into a slightly raised frown. “I just hope one day I get the chance too, I could really use some company.”

Spike kicked off the counter he was against and walked slowly up to Twilight. He gently rapped his claws around her, proceeding to pull tightly. Twilight welcomed the embrace, and it lasted for a few moments. “Twilight, you’ll always have me. You’re my best friend!” Twilight grinned, letting go of the moment and looking out the window, smiling slightly still.

Spike swung the door to his bedroom open with a towel rapped around him. He proceeded to dry himself off quickly; not a difficult procedure for a dragon who can adjust his body temperature within a matter of seconds. The anticipation for the upcoming date was beginning to set in, and thoughts began to flood his mind; regardless, he tried his best to concentrate in order to get there in good time.

Spike found a nice suit which he’d bought in Canterlot for Shining Armour’s wedding (much to Rarity’s disgust, although he was glad that she didn’t remember he had a fitting suit when he visited her shop the day before.) He delicately adorned the suit upon himself, being careful not to ruin the delicate ironing that he had done earlier; warming up an iron using his magical fire was not entirely practical.

Spike tied and straightened a neat red bowtie which he’d had for years. He slipped his feet into a pair of shoes, which he particularly disliked. Shoes weren’t exactly common in Ponyville, and it always took him a while to get used to wearing them.
As Spike felt ready, he stepped outside the door of his bedroom. As soon as he did so, he heard the violent stomping of hooves against the stairs, descending to him. Twilight looked over him, grinning. “Spike, you look fantastic!”

Spike blushed slightly, nervously walking forward while scratching his arm. “Eh, thanks, Twi. I should probably get going if I want to get to Fluttershy on time, though…”

“Oh, time! You need to go now, go go go!”

“Uh, yeah. I’ll see you later!” Before allowing the situation to become any more awkward, Spike proceeded to step outside the house. The sun was beginning to set and it was becoming slightly colder, making him glad that he was wearing a suit jacket.

The walk to Fluttershy’s house was easy, as it was only a short distance. As opposed to having to go into Ponyville centre, all Spike had to do was go around and across the river. He only had scarce time to think to himself.

First of all, he had always known that Fluttershy had been passionately interested in him, but not in the respect that she now revealed. The fact that he was a dragon clearly intrigued her, but it made no difference to the simple fact that he had never noticed her liking. For that matter, though, neither had Twilight – perhaps she only confided in Rainbow Dash all along.

At that point in time, it really made no difference to Spike, for either way – he found himself standing before the door to her cottage. Smoke was ascending from the chimney atop the thatched roof, indicating that somebody was home.

Spike paused for a minute before frigidly knocking against the wooden door. In a matter of moments, it swung open to reveal something that Spike wasn’t prepared for.

Fluttershy stood before him in a dress similar to that which she wore to the Gala. Her hair was curled neatly at the tips, allowing it to gently fall over her face. She wore delicate shoes over her hooves and a necklace representing her cutie mark. Her face was lightly blushed and she looked, as expected, nervous – but most notably, rather beautiful.

“Wow, Fluttershy, you look… Wow.” Spike said, completely dazed by the turn of events.

Fluttershy’s cheeks turned bright rouge as she slipped very subtly deeper into her hair. “You look great, too…”

In the moments that followed, there was an awkward period of silence while the two simply took in each other. Spike decided to be the first to speak out.

“So, should we… get going?”

“Uhm, yes, well, if that’s okay. Where are we going? Not that I mind…” The pony looked as though she was about to pass out from nervousness.

“Well, I thought we’d try ‘The Attic’, you may’ve heard of it. It’s just opened on the other side of town, it’s meant to be really cool!” Spike spoke while trying to display as much enthusiasm as possible, and truth be told – he was doing a pretty good job of it.

Fluttershy smiled and proceeded to walk alongside Spike, who instinctively set course for the restaurant. As Fluttershy shuffled alongside him, he could feel her warmth distinctly over the cold, making him want to move closer, although he didn’t want to make too much of an advance.

As the two walked across the bridge and gradually entered the business district of the town, only a few ponies were about – obviously most of the shops had closed now as the sun was nearly completely invisible. Those who were about, however, looked at the couple perplexedly; clearly curious as to what was going on. Regardless, Spike was contempt that nobody had approached them.

As the two passed the still energetic town fountain, the most unfortunate thing occurred for Spike – Rarity chose this opportunity to walk past. As she came close enough to recognise the two, a look of pure astonishment overcame her.

“Darlings, what is the occasion? Am I due somewhere or is something occurring which I simply have forgotten? I’ve been so very busy lately…”

“Oh, no, Rarity. Spike and I are going on a date.” Fluttershy smiled a smile which was enough to melt even the coldest of hearts.

In response, Rarity was completely silent. Eventually, she gathered the strength to push some words out. “Oh. That’s simply wonderful! How did that come about exactly?”

“Well, Fluttershy asked me out! Kind of untraditional, but who cares? Hah.” Spike felt as though he was caught between two rocks, almost breaking a sweat from the pressure he felt he was under.

With some diligence, Rarity found herself to continue. “Well, that is simply wonderful; I hope you two have the best of time. I, uh, have some things to… attend to, yes. Best of luck!” As soon as Rarity finished her sentence, she broke into a slow trot in order to get away as quickly and discretely as possible.

As Rarity reflected, she felt concerned. What had driven her to react in that way? It couldn’t have possibly been to do with Spike. He had always wanted to be with her secretly and she was fully aware of that, but she never really thought she could feel the same way. Spike didn't even show that he wanted to be with her like he once did anymore, anyway. Shouldn’t a mare of her class be dating gentlecolts? She had never really felt genuine feelings for Spike, what a ludicrous thought.

…Or had she?

Spike was surprised. Main course had already passed, and in his case, a specially prepared gemburger. It wasn’t the gourmet food that surprised him, however – it was actually how great Fluttershy’s company was when she gets used to talking to you.

“-So then Angel came in, dragging mud all over my floor, and pointed straight to Rainbow Dash. She went bright red so quickly!” Both Fluttershy and Spike began laughing together, smiling and looking each other directly in the eye.

Once Fluttershy had finished her meal, she left a hoof on the table. Spike decided to use the opportunity to place his claw around it, smiling amiably. Spike had never really taken time to appreciate the physical appeal that Fluttershy had going; she had long and beautiful hair, with a gentle face and striking eyes, not to mention the adorable wings fluffed behind her back (although at this point, they were obviously concealed).

At this point, the snooty waiter came along. As he picked up the plates, he looked behind. “Is there anything I can get you, sir?” Spike looked towards Fluttershy, though she gently shook her head. “No, I think we’re fine. We’d just like to pay, please.”

Outside, the two began to walk towards Fluttershy’s cottage.

“Wow, it seems to be getting colder. I’ll probably need to move some of the animals inside tomorrow if it continues like this.” Spike looked over at the mare, noticing that she was shivering. He decided to remove his jacket and place it atop her. Fluttershy giggled slightly. “A bit cliché, but thank you…” She blushed, gently advancing on Spike by trying to lower his head against his body. This gesture, much to her relief, went appreciated.

As the two eventually reached the cottage, Fluttershy began to make her way inside. While in the doorway, she turned to face Spike.

“Uhm, goodnight I suppose, Spike…” She said, looking directly into his eyes. Spike slowly approached her, gently placing his arms around her and squeezing tightly. Much to his surprise, as he began to retreat, Fluttershy leant forward and pecked him on the lips, her cheeks immediately turning to a shade of bright rouge.

Fluttershy quickly closed the door, leaving Spike to make his way home. Generally, Spike thought, things went pretty well. If anything, he thought that this could better allow him to understand mares, and it certainly had that effect. Spike sighed contemptuously, remembering how he would be quizzed dramatically as soon as he walked through the front door. Right now, though, he felt like he could just fall onto his bed.

Author's Note

Fans,

I finished this chapter off quite late, so I'm hoping there aren't too many visible mistakes/issues. Enjoy!

Any queries or otherwise issues spotted within the chapter, please drop me a private message.

Thanks