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                      Trusted Scales                       
                       -by RedAllex-                       
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                         Chapter 1                         
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Chapter 1
Many things withstand the test of time. Among those things, there are both positive and negative aspects. Such things are able to affect a being’s mind, body, and actions through their ever-changing influences and concepts. Among these everlasting morals and ideas are happy memories, sad tales, or even life lessons.
But perhaps two of the most prominent things that stand out amongst the crowd are polar opposites. They co-exist only every once in a while, and finding such a working combination takes skill, willpower, and a lot of luck. The first brings about feelings of despair, worry, and total stress. Its name is fear, and it shows little mercy to those that are unable to conquer it either totally, or to the point that they can live with it.
But while this emotion is eternally instilled within a being’s mind as a lesson-dealer, as a moral-builder, and as a hesitance-bringer, there is another feeling that is able to eliminate and nullify such a powerful entity. That feeling, of course, is love. Along with love comes the feeling of enrichment, wholeness, and total joy. It can drive away the darkness that is fear, and release upon the world a method of happiness seldom seen in any other concept.
When one being loves another - no matter their race, ethnicity, or background - something inside of their minds click. They realize that they wish to have something more, and that other being holds precisely what they desire. What they seek is rather simple, but unimaginably complex and complicated. It is the theory of being loved and returning love. No matter how strong the fear of something, someone, or somewhere, the person that is loved and can love is able to tread any ground in order to receive and produce their love.
But no matter how brave, strong, or quick-witted a being is, there is one simple fact that cannot be ignored when dealing with the concept of love. Fear is like a plague upon a person’s mind. Love is not invincible; it can be destroyed, if it is not solidified and protected. Our tale shall follow one who seeks to be loved, and is willing to love. The tragedy of our tale is that the one they shall seek to gain the trust and love of has the ultimate burden upon their mind.
For love can, unfortunately, be conquered. By fear, doubt, and many other aspects combined to create the seed of destruction and tragedy that befalls those unfortunate enough to become its victim. There is an exception, however.
Sometimes, love does not go down so easily. Sometimes, love finds a way - whether those who wish to love or be loved realize it or not - to triumph. Sometimes.. Love conquers over fear.
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Spike sat alone in the library for the third day in a row. Over the past few months, he had been left to his own devices within Golden Oaks Library - the number one source of knowledge and books for Ponyville. The one whom he had shared many memories and experiences with - one Twilight Sparkle - was now gone. Not in the sense of eternal loss, of course, but more of a physical distance that Spike could not easily surmount at any random time he felt lonely.
Twilight was a princess, now. She had her royal duties to attend to, and had embarked upon a journey in which she had to leave his side to pursue her own ambitions. It had taken him a while to adjust, but he found solace in the occasional letters they delivered to one another. She had taken up her rightful residence within Canterlot Castle, and he had willingly opted to stay behind and care for the library and its books.
“Someone has to sweep the dust off of these old things every once in a while,” he had reasoned with her, mustering his best fake-smile as he did so. With tears in both of their eyes, they had departed. It had taken him a little time to adjust, but he took to the solitary lifestyle quite nicely.
It had been around one year since that had happened, and Spike had come to terms with his loss of his mother-figure and long-time friend. After all, they would see each other once again when the time was right. He had decided to focus upon the more positive aspects of this new life of his.
He now had free time to think upon what he wished to accomplish, and what he truly desired in life. He could get the work done when he chose to do it, and he felt truly free. That is not to say he preferred this life of solitude, but he did enjoy the peace that was brought with living by one’s self.
And best of all, he had grown considerably. It had, at first, terrified him to find one morning that he had outgrown his classic bed and was now at least a foot taller. He notified Twilight immediately, to which she had responded with a knowing explanation. It was brief, but she left the promise of researching it further. The only thing she could tell him was that he was “unique” in his birth, and that such changes were most likely not dangerous to him or others.
This thought had comforted him, but the news was a bit less so to those around Spike. Some backed away from him upon his emerging from Golden Oaks Library, and it had taken him at the very least a week to calm down the local populace. They believed he had taken to his old, greedy ways, and was transforming. Upon explaining that he was simply different, many of them gave a laugh and agreed with such a notion.
There was one, however, that Spike knew would react much differently. She was the first pegasus Spike had ever formally met upon arriving in Ponyville. She was the first to ever show him pure kindness outright, and express total interest in his habits. Though shy, she had taken to the - formerly - baby dragon with keen eyes and an open heart.
He referred to none other than Ponyville’s resident caretaker (barring Flummox the veterinarian), Fluttershy. Few knew her just as well as he did, and that was mostly due to her inability to deal with others easily. Completely content to stay with her animals, Fluttershy made herself scarce enough around Ponyville to only be close to a few. Otherwise, residents of Ponyville had only stories or rumors of the pegasus, and they seemed to be content to stay that way. It was a blessing to hold a conversation with her, and she’d go out of her way to comfort someone if they were down, but she personally preferred to stay in solitude.
She was content that way, it seemed, and Spike found her own solitude to be rather different than his own. Her solitude was not total isolation, as his was slowly turning to. She had her animals, and she could cope with the silence quite easily. Spike had only gone to visit her on occasion - mostly because he truly did not wish to disturb the shy pegasus - but he had come to be very fond of her.
There was, however, one major boundary that separated Fluttershy from Spike, and he from Fluttershy. One of her greatest, if not the greatest, fears was of a certain scaled breed of sentient beings. Namely, she was deathly afraid of dragons. What was the initial source of her interest in Spike was also the greatest source of fear in her heart. This could go to prove just how kind she truly can be, forsaking her own fears in order to make someone feel welcome and downright happy.
But it also meant that Spike was running out of time. Fluttershy had once reason with Spike that only elder dragons scared her. They were much more intimidating than what Spike was, and she truly felt at ease around him. But those days were steadily passing - Spike was growing at an enhanced rate, due to his “unique birth”. He was unsure whether or not the pegasus’ kindness could extend towards him permanently, should he be the very thing that struck fear into her heart and mind.
This is why he had been in isolation for three long days. He was lost in thought, and a stack of books laying upon a lone table with several melted candles indicated that he was just as lost in study. He wished to understand this phenomenon that had befallen him, but it was just as elusive as it was rare. No information could be given upon the subject in all of the books he had acquired, and he rationalized that he was very unlikely to have any further luck.
This led him to only one conclusion: he would have to face Fluttershy. Undoubtedly, someone had informed her of his growth. Rainbow Dash was much closer to her than he ever was (with good reason), and she visited her quite frequently. There was no doubt in his mind that Rainbow had spoken of this sudden change.
But this also came to a new problem. Though Fluttershy knew, she now also had time to come up with theories of just how big Spike had gotten. She had ample amounts of time to formulate theories, ideas, and possibly new fears of the dragon she had come to befriend and trust. And Spike knew all too well that fear was the mind-killer. The bonds of friendship could easily be undone with one slip-up, and could just as easily be torn apart by fears that were deeply embedded within the mind.
With this in mind, Spike understood that each minute - no, each second was one that he could not afford to waste. He silently cursed himself for waiting so long to realize this, and headed for the door. He would need to fix this problem, or it would come to break him. Fluttershy was one of his closest friends, and he had recently come to realize just how much she meant to him.
All of the warm smiles, comforting hugs, and easing words she had given him helped to shape him into the gentle and kind dragon he had come to be. She had taught him lessons indirectly, but those lessons would carry on with him through his entire life. He learned to help those weaker than him, even if they have not even a sliver of a chance. He had come to understand that being kind also meant making a few sacrifices, and it did not always even out for himself in the end; but what he would accomplish was the true reward.
These lessons and many more caused a sense of warmth to boil within him - and not due to the need to breathe fire randomly, as some ponies believed all dragons tended to do. He felt truly happy when he thought of Fluttershy, and he simply would not stand to lose a friend so very dear to him.
He pushed his way up onto his feet from the sitting position he had trapped himself in, knocking down a few books in the process. He cringed as the tower of literature beside his seat toppled over, but ultimately gave an accepting sigh. He wouldn't fret over such a simple error; he could just clean it up upon his return.
Taking a few large steps to the front door, Spike exited the library and stepped out into the warm, morning.. Darkness?
Spike looked around him, and to his dismay he realized that he was too late. Another day had passed him by, and he would have to wait another long night before he could act upon his plan. With another sigh - this time caused not by acceptance, but rather by sorrow, - Spike opened the door to Golden Oaks Library and stepped inside.
He inhaled deeply through his nose, then exhaled sharply as he ran his scaly hands down his face in frustration. His eyes grew heavy and his home felt a bit colder than it previously had been. Fatigue was claiming him and his thoughts slowed to a crawl. He debated whether or not he should head straight to bed, or whether he should pick up the books he had knocked over in his rush to get out of the library.
Spike gave a quick chuckle as he recalled something Twilight had always told him. “Get it done now, and it will stay done for later,” she said. That lecture had been repeated so many times that it had become some sort of inspiration for him to get things done sooner, rather than later. With this in mind, Spike stepped over to the pile of books and gathered some of them up to bundle them in his arms.
He moved over to a table and placed them in a few neat stacks, deciding that he could sort them after some rest. He moved quietly over to the rest of the books and bent down to pick them up. Then he watched as his vision went dark and he had the faint sense of falling.
It wasn’t until he awoke with a start two hours later that he realized what had happened. He heard the sharp cry of one of Ponyville’s local roosters outside, and he jolted with a start. He had fallen asleep atop the very books for which he had forsaken sleep to clean up.
Wiping a bit of drool from his mouth, he looked down to find that the book he had used as a pillow was soaked through the cover with his saliva. He gave a shudder of disgust before tossing it aside in order to gather up the other books.
He gave out a loud yawn, and then turned towards the other books on the table. He gave out a quick, “Ah,” and then set to work stacking the books neatly. He was just about to sit down at the table and begin organizing before his mind sent a thought racing through his consciousness. It was all-consuming, and guaranteed that he would have little option to do little else with his time.
The thought was a simple one, but it sent a mixture of emotions coursing through his veins that triggered his adrenalin to activate and get him moving. The thought was “Visit Fluttershy”, and he then remembered just how determined he was to remedy this would-be before it even began.
Immediately, Spike dropped what he was doing (namely, a pile of books he had to organize), and ran out of the library. If he was going to save this friendship, he would have to act fast and think rationally. What Spike did not know, however, was that a little more than friendship was on the line for him. And in the time to come, he would discover just how powerful some emotions can truly be.

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                         Chapter 2                         
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Chapter 2
Upon leaving the library, Spike was greeted to the calm morning air that seemed to always accompany sunrises in Ponyville. No matter what was happening, and no matter how chaotic the mood of its denizens, one thing was assured: mornings were always pleasant. The air was pleasantly chilled, thanks to the fresh dew on the grass and plants that were ever-abundant in the eco-friendly town, and the fragrances given off from the many flowers were almost entrancing to those that caught a whiff of them.
Spike knew better than to waste such a graceful opportunity, and chose to stand completely still and close his eyes. Inhaling sharply through his nostrils, he took in the calming atmosphere that had befallen his home and let it overtake his mind. He was filled with a sudden, vigorous enthusiasm that made him shiver with energy. He shook his head quickly and stretched as he woke from his extremely short nap.
“Right,” he said, turning back to make sure the library door was locked. He gave it a compulsive several turns before nodding to himself and giving a calm smile. No pony in Ponyville would steal, he wagered; and he figured that if they would steal, their target would not be books.
He turned to walk in the opposite direction, only to stumble backwards and yell as he registered what looked like a fluorescent pink blur. Luckily, he had backed against the door and suffered only a minor state of confusion from this little incident.
“Hi!” Pinkie Pie greeted, her signature smile beaming from ear to ear. She had grown taller over the past two years, Spike recalled. Other than that, however, little had changed. She had grown to be a bit more calm about depressing things, fortunately. Otherwise, she was still her cheery, friendly, Pinkie self.
“Pinkie Pie..” Spike said in relief, letting out a sigh as he gathered his wits. He pushed off of the door and stood straight, slightly looking down to meet Pinkie’s forever-alert eyes. Spike was delighted to find that his new height had brought him to be a bit taller than others - after all, ponies the world around said that they found tall stallions attractive. Couldn’t that rule apply to dragons, too?
“Hey, silly! What are you up so early for?” Pinkie said with her impossibly cheery voice. One might have found it annoying if they didn’t know her as he did. Spike, however, found Pinkie’s everlasting joy to be a lovely trait of hers.
“I could ask you the same thing, Pinkie. Shouldn’t you be getting some sleep?” Spike replied, crossing his arms as he asked. He had only just become aware of the grin that had spread across his own face. Pinkie Pie’s infectious happiness had come to him, it seemed.
“Oh no, I wouldn’t dare sleep right now!” Pinkie said, her expression changing to that of surprise at the mere notion of sleeping in. Spike knew she had an overabundance of energy, but he couldn’t quite comprehend why she couldn’t at least get adequate rest.
“And might I ask why that is?” Spike inquired, raising what could be considered an eyebrow for a dragon. It amounted to little more than muscles behind scales, but he raised them nonetheless.
To answer him, Pinkie initially pointed with one hoof towards the sky - specifically, towards the mountains outside of Ponyville’s borders. “The sunrise is going to happen soon,” she proclaimed with a hushed voice, one that was filled with both wonder and subtle excitement. Such an expression left Spike with a hint of curiosity, and it made him inquire further.
“So you like the sunrise, then?” he asked, pointing out the obvious. To Pinkie, however, it seemed that this was precisely what she wanted him to ask, because her face lit up with childish joy as he finished.
“Yep! I haven’t missed a sunrise in over a year. I love them! They’re so bright, and cheery, and happy, and they make the dark go away! That way, I know it’s time to get my party cap on and have some fun!” Pinkie explained in her usual way of making everything seem more exciting.
Pinkie Pie’s enthusiasm for the things many would chalk up to simple and routine never ceased to amaze Spike. It was as if she woke up every day with the mindset of a young filly: always ready to learn, play, and have a generally good time. Where one might see this as a hindrance to maturity, Spike chose to believe it was nothing less than pure joy taking its course within her mind. On some level, he had always envied Pinkie’s way of looking at the world.
“Thinking on it now, the sunrise really is spectacular. But can you really see it all that well, what with all of the buildings in the way?” Spike said, motioning with one claw to the numbers of houses, shops, and other buildings that crowded the residential district of Ponyville. For a small town, Ponyville had its fair share of denizens; it was no surprise that the number of buildings had to match that in order to keep up.
“You got that right, bucko! That’s why I climb those hills right over there -” Pinkie answered, gesturing with one hoof towards a recreational area set aside specifically for such things. It offered many pleasant memories for Spike, and he knew it well.
“Well I suppose you ought to get moving, then. Sun’s coming up pretty soon,” Spike replied, forsaking the peculiar nickname Pinkie had just given him temporarily - or what he hoped was temporarily. It was true, though; he could feel the air warming up ever-so-slightly, and that usually meant that the morning had come.
“Oh yeah! Bye, Spike!” Pinkie said, trotting happily on her way to the nearby hills. He turned to walk towards Fluttershy’s house before being stopped by Pinkie once again. “By the way!” she called back at him, “What are you doing up, anyway?”
“I’m off to see Fluttershy,” he answered casually. This seemed to strike a chord in Pinkie’s mind, as she gasped and galloped in place for a moment, repeating “Oh!” several times.
“She’ll be so happy to see you!” Pinkie said giddily, which caught Spike slightly off-guard. “She’s had asked me whether or not you had turned up, and I told her that you were at the library. After that, she seemed kind of sad. But now she can be happy, now that you’re going see her!”
“Huh. Thanks, Pinkie! Enjoy the sunrise!” Spike said with a final wave of goodbye, to which Pinkie returned the gesture with her hoof. She turned away and bounced around the corner, no doubt off to watch her daily spectacle.
Spike turned away, walking down the path that cut through town and towards Fluttershy’s home. He found himself pondering what Pinkie had said, however. Fluttershy seemed sad at the mention of his absence; that’s what Pinkie had told him.
His pace slowed as he went over it time and time again in his mind. For some reason, he found himself smiling; not the goofy kind of smile that he wore whenever Pinkie was around, but rather one of a subtle joy. One that was accompanied usually by the warmest of memories. There was a warmth spreading through his body that made him feel slightly more confident about this whole ordeal.
It was then, however, that he felt a slight pang of guilt run through his heart. He had caused her to feel that way, but it wasn’t due to his actions. It seemed to him that all of his worrying was actually making others worry - and this would not do.
His resolution was absolute by the time he had passed through Town Square, having tossed a glance towards Town Hall. He gave a slight chuckle as he looked upon the building. It was the site of one of Twilight’s defining moments as a pony, and he remembered it well. He distinctly remembered Applejack hanging around the library for quite some time after that, as well. He had his theories as to what that was about, but never inquired further about it.
For now, however, his mind was mainly focused upon this whole situation he had gotten himself into. Fluttershy, who he considered to be quite possibly one of his closest friends, had now been driven to worrying over him. While this just went to further prove his point of her being close to him, it also meant that she saw him as someone to be worried over.
He had made the mistake, he realized, of not being very social with Fluttershy over the years. She had treated him with the utmost kindness and care, and he had done so in return. What he had not done, however, was spend much time with her. In all of the opportunities to visit or otherwise simply spend time with her, he had simply chose to do other things. Sometimes he even chose to do nothing at all, and stay at the library.
He made the mental decision that if all of this were to turn out positively, he would make sure to spend much more time with her. He believed that someone as kind as her should not go unrewarded; the least he could do was at least talk to her. What was a little spared time for a few years worth of kindness and understanding, after all?
When he reached her cottage, the sun had climbed its way over the trees and had come to cast a brilliantly orange light onto Fluttershy’s home. Spike slowed his pace down bit by bit until finally he came to a standstill on the dirt pathway leading to the cottage. He spun around slowly, taking in all that the nature of the place had to offer him. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt at ease this way.
His urge for sightseeing satiated, he steeled his nerves and made his way up to the cottage. He took one final glance towards the sky and judged that she would most likely be up by this time. She did have her animals to take care of, and he knew she was always one to wake up rather early. With one final nod, Spike shimmied his shoulders and stood tall, raising a balled fist up to knock on the door.
He stood like this for a good five seconds before realizing something very important - he had no idea what he wanted to say. “Sorry that I’m growing, but don’t worry! It’s just a phase!” That wouldn’t cut it. He pulled back his fist and ran it along the fins on his head, letting out a sigh of contemplation.
“Now how can I put this,” Spike pondered to himself aloud. Thus began one of the worst habits that he ever obtained by being around Twilight Sparkle; he began speaking his thoughts. “Yes, I’ve grown. Yes, I know you are scared of dragons. But it’s okay! I’m still the same old - no that sounds condescending.”
He turned away from the door and began going over a mental plan in his head, considering all of the things he wanted to say to Fluttershy, but didn’t quite know how to. He hadn’t quite realized how awkward this situation would be to him when he was panicking at the library, or wondering about Fluttershy on his way here. As a consequence, he was at a loss for words. He took a seat in front of her door and began to ponder what his next step of action should be.
“Should I go back?” he asked himself, scratching the top of his head in confusion. “I mean, what’s one more day, right? I’m sure she could-”
His thought-train was interrupted by something smacking against his head - namely, a carrot. Spike turned around to find an impatient Angel, Fluttershy’s prized companion, staring at him in slight annoyance. He was tapping his foot and had his arms crossed, but his face portrayed little to no anger. It was more along the lines of questioning, from what Spike could tell.
He and Angel had become friends - or at the very least, acquaintances - since that fateful day at the Crystal Empire. Since then, the two had seen each other in a brighter light. This didn’t mean that Angel had completely forsaken his old ways and welcomed Spike with open arms, however. The expression upon his face was evidence enough of that.
“Hey, Angel,” Spike said, raising a hand in greeting. He was going to explain what he was doing here, but chose at the last moment to simply wait for Fluttershy instead. “Is Fluttershy available? I’ve got to talk to her.”
As if she was called, the pegasus that had been on Spike’s mind all this time came walking towards the door. “Who is it, Angel Bunny? Do we have gu- Oh,” she stopped midway, turning to greet Spike with one of her warm smiles. “Spike?”
“Hey, Fluttershy,” Spike managed to say, giving off a nervous laugh as he did so. He observed Fluttershy’s face and found that she had hardly a trace of nervousness in her voice. It was more of an uneasy silence - one that was common around the shy pegasus.
It wasn’t until he stood up and brushed himself off that he noticed Fluttershy’s demeanor slightly shrink back. It was as if she wasn’t looking at him for him, but rather she was looking at the dragon he could be. This discomforted him extremely, and brought back the notion that he was quite possibly too late. Fortunately for Spike and his sanity, the desire to salvage what was looking to be a broken friendship was enough to push such worries aside - if only temporarily.
“Have you got some time? I’d like to talk with you about something that’s..” Spike paused in the midst of his speech, considering the best way to put it. Deciding upon being straightforward, he continued with, “Well, something that’s bothering me. If you’d like, though, I could come back later or-”
“No!” Fluttershy said, albeit a bit too quickly. It took Spike off guard and apparently Angel was surprised as well, as he slightly jumped at the abrupt speech of his owner. A blush came to her face as she gave a sheepish grin and said shakily, “I’ve got time. Come in.”
At this, Angel sighed and opened the door wide, gesturing with one arm for Spike to enter the home. Not wanting to drag the awkward atmosphere along any further, he obliged politely but as quick as he saw fit. He had to duck into the house in order to avoid bumping his head on the door frame, but the inside seemed to accommodate his size rather well.
“Would- Um. Would you like some tea, Spike?” Fluttershy asked timidly, her voice just above a whisper. Spike found this to be a convenient way to start a conversation, and agreed with a simple, “Sure, thanks.”
As he sat at the table and watched Fluttershy pour him some tea, he picked up on the faint noise of the cup clattering against the plate, and took this to mean that she was nervous. This could be a little more difficult than he imagined, it seemed. But if it meant saving their friendship, Spike was entirely willing to suffer through this awkwardness. He only hoped it would end better than it seemed to be starting.
Fluttershy sat down at the table and took a shaky sip of her coffee, then hid half of her face behind her mane. “You said something was, um, bothering you?” she asked carefully, seeming to pause slightly after each word to consider them carefully.
“Right,” Spike said, taking a sip of his tea. He savored the flavor of it for only a moment, and found its calming taste an ironic contrast to the tense atmosphere that had befallen them both. He put the cup back onto the plate and rested his elbows on the table, then began the conversation with, “Where to begin..”

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                         Chapter 3                         
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Chapter 3
"It's.." Spike said, pausing to choose his words. His clawed hands were a blur of gestures, as if trying to whirl around his thoughts in mid-air. "How can I put this?" he said as he sat still, his hand making a gesture that looked like a fast-paced windmill. His mouth was perched open, as if to say something, but nothing would come to his mind to be said.
In the end, he simply sighed and stared Fluttershy in the face, giving off an expression of both embarrassment and amusement at his own confusion. This earned him a bit of a smile, he could see, and it reassured him to know she at least wasn't completely mortified or otherwise simply scared.
She was, however, rather nervous; this much was clear to him. Using her right wing to pick up the cup of tea in front of her, he noticed that the liquid inside of the cup danced about in an erratic fashion. It was as if she was trying to shake up whatever ingredients she had used to make the tea.
"You okay?" he decided to ask, attempting to break both the ice and the unsettling silence that had befallen the room. He gave Fluttershy a small, toothy smile, but quickly came to close his lips when he noticed her eyes darting between his mouth and what he presumed to be his fangs.
"I'm, um.." she replied, somehow coming to look even more nervous as she sunk behind her mane. "I'm fine," she finally settled upon saying, her voice barely above a mumble now. "Ho.. How are you?" she asked, looking rather interesting in her tea with how intently she stared into the cup.
"I'm good," Spike answered, now consciously aware of trying to hide his fangs. He felt something warm on his back, and turned around to find sunlight flooding into Fluttershy's kitchen. It was then that a brilliant idea dawned on him.
"It's a very nice morning," he commented, hoping that she'd take the bait. If all went well, perhaps both of them would be more comfortable. He turned around and took a sip of his now-cooled tea.
"O-Oh yes," Fluttershy agreed, her face visibly brightening at the prospect of a change in conversation. Or rather, for any conversation at all.
"Yeah. I've been cooped up in the library for so long, I'd almost forgotten how nice our mornings look," he said with a relaxed sigh, setting the trap. His thoughts briefly went back to Pinkie Pie's fondness of sunrises, and he silently thanked her for the inspiration.
"Really?" Fluttershy asked, emerging from behind her mane ever-so-slightly. Her expression changed from timidness to slight curiosity, and Spike knew his plan was coming together nicely.
"Mhm. Hadn't gotten much fresh air, either. Kind of miss it, really," Spike said, trying to keep the grin off of his face as he realized just how well he was pulling this off.
"We could - I mean if you don't mind.. We, um," Fluttershy tried to say something. After a moment, she took a deep breath and gathered herself, taking a small sip of her tea.
"We could..?" Spike asked, feigning obliviousness as best he could.
"If you want, we could go out," Fluttershy suggested calmly, but soon took on a shade of red that Spike hadn't quite planned for. "O-Outside!" she blurted out, waving her hooves in front of her in a panic. The display took Spike by surprise, and he jumped in his seat.
"That sounds nice," he said casually, dismissing her previously odd behavior. "Good idea," he said, giving her credit for the idea, and silently praising himself for being so cunning in his plan.
Sure, it was a very simple plan. But that didn't mean it couldn't take pride in it, right?
Standing up from his seat and pushing the chair in, Spike was mindful not to bump his head on the ceiling fan hanging over the table. This led to him craning his neck downwards, and earned an amused giggle from Fluttershy. The mere sound alone sent a familiar sensation of warmth through Spike's blood, and he couldn't help but cherish it.
"What?" he asked, a grin spreading across his face slowly. This only served to make Fluttershy burst into an uproarious laughter, and caused Spike to begin laughing alongside of her. The cacophony of laughter filled the kitchen and broke down whatever awkwardness there was to be left in the room.
This exchange lasted all of ten seconds, but it felt like minutes had passed between the two laughing creatures. Gathering himself, Spike gestured for Fluttershy to take the lead out of the cottage.
"Hold on," she said quickly, darting over and into a small pantry tucked away in the corner of the room. Upon emerging, she carried in her mouth a cloth wrapped around various vegetables and fruits. She looked to be weighed down by all that she had chosen, and it was her turn to crane her neck downward.
The gentledragon that he was, Spike's first reaction was to walk over and hold out his hands in assistance. She looked to Spike with an expression of gratitude, then gave it to him carefully. He effortlessly carried it in one hand, and smiled at Fluttershy.
"Thank you," she said quietly, then moved ahead of him casually and at a slow pace. Spike followed suit, matching her pace foot for hoof. A strange aura of peace overcame him, and he cast a glance down at Fluttershy. To his surprise, she was looking up at him out the corner of her eye. The expression was not of fear, but something.. Different.
For some reason he couldn't explain, Spike darted his eyes away from her gaze, and gave a nervous chuckle. The heat returned, and if he could blush he was sure that he would be doing just that. He shook his head quickly, ridding himself of the peculiar conditions, and focused on the peaceful walk.
A familiar white rabbit came bouncing along, and hopped up onto Fluttershy's back. "Oh, hello Angel Bunny," she said sweetly, greeting her most loyal pet. He gave a smile and nuzzled her as best he could, then turned to nod at Spike with an expression of disdain.
He didn't feel angry at the rabbit, and simply smiled at Angel and gave a nod in return. It didn't take long for the rabbit to settle in and close his eyes, deciding a nap was the appropriate course of action for such a nice stroll.
It didn't take long for Spike to also realize just where Fluttershy was leading him, either. She moved out along the path leading away from her cottage and took a turn onto a dirt path. He had been on this path before, and had to admit it was one of the nicest spots he had ever come across. It led up onto a hill that house three shady trees that was rather convenient for napping - or in Fluttershy's case, bird-watching.
What was truly amazing about this spot, however, was that it overlooked a massive meadow of colorful flowers and green grass. It was unattended to, and was a majorly popular spot among local residents. There were several ponies actually in the meadow now, but none that Spike or Fluttershy took special notice of.
Spike laid out the cloth with all of the food atop it, and Angel magically awoke when he noticed it. He hopped down and made his way over to the pile, picking out a delicious-looking carrot to nibble on. Satisfied with his choice, he hopped over to lean against a nearby tree and feast upon his impromptu meal.
Spike took a seat at the cloth opposite of Fluttershy who was now smiling and looking out over the meadow. He had to admire how the morning light bounced off of her, and only now noticed how nice she looked.
"Beautiful," he thought aloud, shattering the calm silence that had arrived. Fluttershy turned towards him and gave a curious, "Hmm?"
"You look rather nice today," Spike said, not one for withholding compliments. He was rewarded with confusion, and Fluttershy's face took on another shade of crimson, and she thanked him quietly.
Well, there was progress. It was slim, but there was a bit of progress. She could at least look at him without fearing him totally. She still looked pretty nervous, but Spike figured that was just Fluttershy being Fluttershy. He liked her that way, in some odd sense. It was an adorably endearing trait that he'd always liked. It could become a hassle at times, sure, but at other times it was simply nice.
Now that the air was calm and the silence had returned, Spike had ample amounts of time to gather his thoughts. He spent a long while simply sitting there, nibbling on an apple every once in a while. It came down to one final question that he had carefully picked the words for.
Just when he was about to start his discussion, Fluttershy took the words right out of his mouth. "Spike?" she asked, not turning to look him in the face.
"Yes?" was his reply. She was acting strange, and after a few moments he asked, "Something wrong?"
"N-no, that's not it. I have a.. Question," she said simply, her eyes flicking between his face and the ground below her. She had a slight blush on her face, but otherwise she seemed collected and calm.
"Go for it," the dragon encouraged her, happy with the sudden conversation. It seemed like this would be a lot easier than he thought. Who knows? Maybe Fluttershy would even get the ball rolling.
"What.. What do you, um," she asked, hesitating before completing her sentence. After a few moments, she hid behind her mane once more and mumbled, "Nevermind."
"Now come on, Fluttershy. You can ask me anything," Spike reassured her, taking on a visage of careful kindness. She took another deep breath, and Spike couldn't help but wonder if Twilight had taught her that method of calming down that she and Cadance use.
"Whadyuthkfme?" she spat out in a speed that was almost incomprehensible. Spike ran his brain overtime trying to figure out what she said, but to no avail.
"Care to run that by me again? Maybe a little.. Slower?" Spike joked in a reassuring manner. His smile dissipated when he saw she had started to form tears in the corner of her eyes. "Hey, hey.. It's alright. If you don't wanna ask you-" he began, holding out a hand in a gesture to calm her down.
"No, no," she said, closing her eyes. She held them close for a few moments, opening them only when her eyes were dry once again. She steeled her nerves visibly, tensing up on the spot. "Whatdoyouthinkofme?" she said once again, only slightly slower. A blush was beginning to overcome her, and she turned to look at the meadow again calmly.
Had he not spent so much time around Pinkie Pie, Spike probably would have had to make her ask one last time. Fortunately for him, he was used to the pink mare's tendencies to speak at an unbelievably quick pace. He registered what Fluttershy asked and thought it over.
He realized that she had stolen exactly what he wanted to say, and almost laughed at the prospect. The seriousness of her expression prevented him from doing so, but he did feel a bit amused by the notion.
"Hm," Spike said, leaning back onto his arms, "That's a tough one." He thought long and hard about just what she meant by that, and didn't really have any solid answers. At least two or three minutes passed as they sat there in silence; Spike, mulling over the question, and Fluttershy, who sat vigilantly watching the other ponies in the meadow move about.
He couldn't stay lost in thought forever, however. He'd have to answer her eventually. Steeling his own nerves, Spike prepared to deliver what he hoped was an adequate and pleasing answer.

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                         Chapter 4                         
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Chapter 4
Spike realized he had kept the shy pegasus waiting for far too long, and felt a slight bit of guilt as he debated over what to say next in his head. Did she wish to know simply out of curiosity, he wondered? Perhaps she was simply trying to make conversation, and that was the first thing that came to her head.
But if that were the case, then Spike wagered that she'd have said it much more calmly - or whatever could be considered calm for the agitated pegasus. The thought dawned upon him that the reason for her asking had not been because she wished to make simple conversation, but for a much deeper and more significant reason. Something that would have been connected to her very soul, he reasoned.
It must have been fear, Spike believed. He had waited for so long and then rushed over here without a plan. Mentally kicking himself, Spike let out an audible groan; this was met with a look of worry from the yellow pony sitting across from him.
"I hope you aren't bothered by it!" she blurted out suddenly, the redness in her face creeping back ever-so-slightly for a moment. It returned just as quickly when she stated with a voice just above a whisper, "I just wanted to know, is all." Hiding behind her mane, she mumbled in a voice that tugged Spike by the heartstrings. "If you don't want to say it, I'll unde-"
"I think you're fantastic," Spike interrupted her, finally finding the correct words to sum up his opinion of Fluttershy. He had no idea why it had taken so long to think of something so utterly simple, but there it was. He was met with a response that was less than preferable, however; the redness was beginning to return back to Fluttershy's face, and Spike took this to mean he had messed up somewhere.
"You're wonderful, I mean!" he said, trying to cover whatever tracks he had made to lead Fluttershy into being upset. "Nice, pretty, and really smart. An all-around good friend to have" There was a hint of pure, unfiltered joy in Fluttershy's visible eye, and she came out from behind her mane long enough for Spike to see she was actually grinning.
She smiled quite often, Spike found, but hardly did she ever express anything more than a minor feeling of joy. Here she was, however, practically glowing with some sort of happiness. Either that, or she was about to laugh at Spike - but he didn't give such a thought much consideration.
"Um.." she said quietly, looking to Spike's right for a moment, then tilting her head down and gazing up at him, "Thank you, Spike."
Completely relieved he hadn't destroyed whatever shred of comfort Fluttershy had left, Spike breathed an audible sigh of relief. "For the record: I do think those things. I think you're pretty great," he said, tossing her a compliment. She deserved a few compliments for all the kindness she produced.
Fluttershy fidgeted in her place and then stood up suddenly, a little color returning to her face once again. "I-I forgot! I have to.. Uh.." she said, biting her lip and looking around the picnic until her gaze fell upon a napping Angel. ".. Feed the rabbits!" She trotted nervously over to the small, white rabbit and scooped him onto his feet, earning a confused look from the rabbit.
Angel turned to look at Spike with the same confusion as he stretched, and Spike simply gave him a shrug. "If you say so," Spike said, standing up to assist Fluttershy with wrapping up the picnic area.
When everything was packed away and Fluttershy looked as if she was ready to burst at the seams with nervous energy, she spoke, "Sorry to cut this short, but-"
"Nah, it's fine. It was just nice to be able to come out and talk with you," Spike said as he held up a hand to stop her worries. He leaned down to give her a hug and she leaned up to meet him, wrapping her forehooves around his neck. That was one more thing Spike liked: Fluttershy gave exceptional hugs. He'd have to mention that the next time they hung out.
After saying their goodbyes, Spike took a moment to consider just why the yellow pegasus had acted so awkwardly. Sure, she wasn't exactly a master of the social arts or an ambassador of conversation, but she did know how to hold a conversation. He had seen her and Rarity talk for what seemed like hours upon the most simple of topics.
Spike wasn't exactly a tailor, but there was only so much he could come up with in terms of conversation about yarn. Yet she held Rarity's attention and spoke eloquently nonetheless. Which meant that either he had messed up, or there may have actually been something wrong with her that he hadn't quite picked up on.
In fact, Spike wasn't entirely convinced she was not afraid of him. As far as he knew, she had never overcome her innate fear of dragons. Perhaps someone closer to her than Spike would know, however. He could ask Pinkie Pie, as she seemed to know quite a lot, but the very thought of trying to get her to focus on one thing for much too long was not a welcome prospect in the young dragon's mind.
Applejack knew a good bit about Fluttershy, come to think of it. She had had Fluttershy come over a good bit last year when the animals around Sweet Apple Acres began acting peculiarly. In that time, she surely would have learned a thing or two about the shy pegasus.
Even so, there was the chance that the kind farm-pony had learned little to nothing about Fluttershy. What Spike needed was someone who knew almost anything about the shy pegasus. He needed someone that Fluttershy trusted, and felt comfortable with.  Someone she's known most her life, and who's been there through the thick and the thin of it all with her..
Someone like Rainbow Dash.

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                         Chapter 5                         
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Chapter 5
It wasn't very late by the time Spike left Fluttershy's company. In fact, the sun hadn't even reached its apex. Everypony was already up by this time, save ponies like Vinyl Scratch who preferred the night life. This was cause to hope that the one Spike sought out, Rainbow Dash, wasn't working or otherwise still sleeping.
If Spike's judgement of time was correct, today was one of the days that Rainbow Dash got a rare day off. "I only hope she's in a good mood," Spike thought aloud quietly. If she wasn't, that'd mean he would either have to wait a few hours, or find someone new to help him. "Wonder if Twilight would know anything in particular," he pondered.
Finding her house wasn't much of a problem, considering it was a massive form of clouds complete with rainbowfalls on every side. He'd have to cut through town on the way there, but it wouldn't take very long; that is, of course, what he thought until he bumped into a certain white unicorn.
"Well hello, Spike!" Rarity called towards him from across the cobblestone path he'd been walking along. He turned curiously to find her walking alongside a familiar stallion. He couldn't quite remember his name, but with any luck- "Goldie, be a dear and get me some water, if you could?" Rarity requested.
Goldie. That was it. His name was Golden Threads - a threadweaver by trade. He and Rarity had met only a few months ago, and it was only natural that they'd hit it off. He was a gentleman, had a job related to her trade, and best of all - he was of her race. Sure, Spike was a little bitter over the news that the two were a couple, but it wasn't so bad.
"Certainly," Golden said, trotting off to the nearest store in order to procure some beverages. With that, Rarity smiled after him and moved over to greet Spike properly.
"Hello, darling," she said, looking up to him. He had gotten used to ponies looking up at him, and decided it'd be more polite to get down to their level when he spoke. Kneeling down, he was only a little taller than Rarity, which eliminated the need for Rarity to nearly break her neck whilst looking up at him.
"Hey, Rarity," he said, leaning down to give her a gentle hug. "How are you, today?" Spike was bitter, but he wasn't cruel. She had found love, and he didn't feel the need to stand in her way of finding happiness. With any luck, Spike would find the very same thing one day. He only hoped it was soon, because the library can get rather lonely some nights.
"I'm doing just fine, thank you. Though I have gotten dreadfully behind on my dresses, what with having to spend time with Golden," Rarity replied, causing Spike to grimace slightly at the mention of her new romance. She apparently took this as him being confused, because she went on to explain herself further, "It's not that I don't like spending time with him, mind you! I just need to prioritize, is all."
"Oh, don't worry - I understand," Spike said, pushing past the negative feelings that were now threatening to overwhelm both him and the conversation. "Twilight taught me a lesson in prioritizing each and every day she was here. Now I can't help but make a dozen mental checklists every time I have to organize something." He finished it off with a soft chuckle, causing Rarity to let out a giggle.
"Oh, how I miss Twilight. Things around here certainly are a bit more dull since her departure," Rarity said, a longing look in her eyes. "Though, I cannot tell if that is a blessing or a curse," she said, causing both of them to let out a hearty laugh.
"Yeah, spending Twilight can be a bit.. Exciting," Spike said, giving a sly grin. Out of the corner of his eye, Spike noticed a certain Golden Threads trotting towards them. At this, Spike took a literal stand and turned to greet the stallion. "Hello, Golden."
"Oh, hello Spike," he said, as if just taking notice of his presence. Spike had heard of having all eyes for the one you love, but that was sort of peculiar. He pushed past this as well, however, writing it off as him simply over-analyzing the situation at hand.
"Doing well?" Spike asked, giving him only a few words in order to stave off any venom that might flow through his words. He had believed he was long over what had happened, but now he wasn't so sure. Old love dies hard.
"Oh, yeah," Golden replied, "Today's a really nice day to be out and about." With that, he seemed to quiet down considerably. Perhaps Rarity or someone else had told them of Spike's crush, because he almost looked guilty for looking Spike in the eyes.
The dragon felt rather bad for the poor stallion. He really wasn't angry about Rarity not loving him - it simply happened that way. No reason to hate the creatures that love, because that simply creates chaos - and Ponyville is filled with enough chaos without having an angry dragon roaming its streets. Again.
"Well, you two have a nice day. I'm off to see if Rainbow Dash is home," Spike said with finality, smiling down at the two.
"Oh, I do believe she is," Rarity chimed in, "I have not seen her around town at all, so I believe she's opted to simply stay home for now. Might I ask why you're needing to speak with her, however?"
Rarity always one for gossip. He'd have to play it carefully, or else rumors might just get started. By no fault of Rarity's, of course - that was simply how she worked. "Well, Fluttershy's been acting sort of funny today. I figured Rainbow Dash might know a little bit about it."
Rarity's eyes widened for a moment - or maybe Spike was imagining that? - and she gave a nervous laugh, "Well, uh, yes. I do hope you can find something out. Do be sure to let me know if it's anything serious, won't you?" She had a concerned look on her face, but her eyes betrayed that she knew something.
But there was no need to push her to say something she obviously would prefer to keep a secret - whatever that secret might be. But in any case, he now knew Rainbow Dash was home. That was a bit of good news, if anything.
"Will do, Rarity. Have a nice day, you two," he said, regarding both of them with finality before turning and walking back down the path towards the massive cloud-home that Rainbow Dash resided within. As he suspected, he'd be there in a few minutes.
He stretched his arms and let out an audible groan, a small amount of green smoke billowing from his nostrils as he did. He placed his hands behind his head and walked that way, going over in his head just what he would wish to ask Rainbow Dash. Sure, he would want to ask if she had noticed anything off with Fluttershy, but he just might ask her for a little advice.
She, surprisingly enough, was actually quite knowledgeable. He had gone to her for advice before, and he did not see why this situation should be any different. He wondered, on some dark level, if he was slowly turning into something that every pony in Ponyville - and the rest of Equestria, for that matter - would come to fear. This thought was one of his deepest-seated fears, and with his rapidly growing size, it did not help that his mind was burdened with such an unknown foe digging at his very being.
In any case, he had arrived at Rainbow Dash's house - or rather, he was now under it. He hadn't quite considered how in the world he was going to get her down from there, actually; he was stumped. He looked up at the massive, fluffy structure that housed the cyan mare.
That was when he noticed that among all of the fluffy white clouds was a singular, small, grey cloud. A thundercloud, specifically. It was detached from the rest of her home, but it did not move or alter in shape whatsoever. It hovered quietly near the base of her home, and Spike found himself curious as to what it was.
He looked back to the ground and found that a few yards away was a small button on a wooden post. Carved into the post itself was the word "Ring." That was it. Very simple, very elegant, and very vague.
Deciding he had no better options, he tapped the small button and jumped as soon as he heard the thundercloud give off a low rumble. "A doorbell," Spike said as a grin slowly made its way across his face. "That's pretty awesome."
Sure enough, Spike looked up to find someone poking their head over the edge of the clouds. "Hey Spike! I'll be down in a second," he heard Rainbow call down to him, her voice unmistakable.
When she said second, she probably meant it in the most literal way possible, because she launched herself from her home with such force that Spike believed wholeheartedly that she'd crash. Instinctively he rushed forward in an attempt to catch her, but she flapped her wings hard at the last moment, saving her fall with grace and ease.
She rose an eyebrow and then grinned at Spike. "What, ya don't think I can handle a little freefall?" she asked teasingly, and Spike let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the backup, though. Just don't go expecting a kiss on the cheek or somethin'," she added, to which Spike put on his best heartbroken face.
"And here I was, planning it all out," Spike said, giving a nonchalant shrug at Dash's jokes. This elicited a giggle out of the hovering pegasus, and she reached out with one hoof. Knowing the signal, Spike balled up his fist and gently tapped it against her hoof - it was a greeting they'd done for some time now.
"So what's up, Spike?" Rainbow said, giving him an inquisitive look. It was then that Spike went to explaining all that he could; from his initial fears, visiting Fluttershy and seeing the changes, and even touching upon the fact that he feared his rapid changing.
Through all of it, Rainbow Dash stayed attentive and interested. Ponies really didn't give her enough credit when it came to her listening skills. After it had all been said, she didn't suddenly snap out of a daze and stutter, nor did she reply with a simple "Oh." Instead, she went into great detail.
"Well, Spike, it seems to me that you're kinda over-thinking this stuff. I mean, yeah, dragons can be pretty scary - but don't tell anypony I said that, or I'll beat you senseless - but ponies know you," Rainbow Dash explained, now sitting next to Spike as he kneeled down. "You're the best friend and number-one assistant to one of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria, you're obviously not a normal dragon, and on top of all that, you're a gentledragon."
She said that last one with a chuckle, and Spike had to give a smile of his own. "But to put your mind at ease: I'll talk to 'Shy. If she'll tell anyone what's up, it'd be me," Rainbow proclaimed, much to the joy of Spike.
"Really?" he asked, almost not believing such a wonderful thing could occur. It was true; Rainbow Dash knew Fluttershy better than anyone. She'd be sure to get any and all answers out of her, and maybe then Spike would truly find out if he was feared or if their friendship was still safe.
"Definitely. I've got your back, Spike," she said, holding out a hoof once again. Once again, Spike bumped his fist to her hoof, and then stood up alongside Rainbow Dash. She took to the air and hovered next to him, then gave a salute.
"I'll head over there now and see if I can't get some info. But hey," Rainbow said, giving Spike a sly wink, "You're gonna owe me for this one."
He gave a laugh and a nod, saying, "But of course, Ms. Dash. I'm a dragon of my word." He gave a deep bow, which got a laugh out of the cyan mare. The two said their goodbyes afterwards, and Rainbow sped off into the distance.

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                         Chapter 6                         
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Chapter 6
As Rainbow Dash sped off towards Fluttershy's cottage, she tossed one last glance at the purple dragon she had left behind. If his worry was any indication as to how things would go, then it seemed like everything would be okay. He wasn't panicked or stressed out, he was just a little bit concerned.
Keeping this in mind, Rainbow Dash couldn't shake the feeling that there was a little bit more to the story than Spike let on. Either he was hiding something - and that could just be her wild imagination spinning tales - or he was missing just as much information as she was. Whatever the case, she'd get to the bottom of it. Then she could help two friends in one go, and get back to her house among the clouds for a well-earned rest.
Her mind drifted off into a dreamland that consisted mainly of flying, clouds, and napping, which was essentially the normal thing for her to do on a day like this. She wasn't much of a planner; unless, of course, the plan involved something like a dangerous stunt or an important operation. When it came down to business, Rainbow could handle her own in both wit and physical capability.
But this situation, she wagered, really wouldn't require much of either. Fluttershy confided within her with almost anything and everything; all it took, usually, was a little bit of coaxing her out of her shell. Or from behind her mane, in most cases. Rainbow gave a hearty chuckle and a wide grin as she went over the playbook in her head.
Thankfully there wasn't much time for careful, analytical consideration. Rainbow Dash was quickly approaching Fluttershy's cottage, which was no surprise when one considers the speed she had used to get there. She drew out her wings in order to slow herself, then drifted into a careful glide downwards. She was greeted by the perfect opportunity, it seemed, to gain a little information.
Fluttershy was in her garden and by some streak of sheer luck or otherworldly force, she was mumbling to herself. Moving as quietly as possible, Rainbow Dash took refuge upon a nearby cloud and slowly drifted over the garden to catch a better look.
".. But I can't," the soft-spoken pegasus said, speaking to one of her critters. "What if he doesn't like me back? Then I'm both nervous and embarrassing. He might not ever want to talk to me again! What'll I do then?"
Her voice was slowly lowering into little more than a half-hearted mumble. If Rainbow Dash hadn't been attuned over years to hear Fluttershy, she probably would have only heard a few words. Living beside her for all those years had trained her ears to be extra-sensitive to Fluttershy's soft voice.
But what was this? Stallion troubles usually wasn't a problem for Fluttershy. In fact, the only time she had ever mentioned something about a stallion was in Flight Camp, and it was a mere crush. Or it was a bully that she'd take care of.
This could be just another crush, of course. But the way Fluttershy's confidence was going downhill, Rainbow knew she'd have to step in soon. With that thought in mind, she leapt off of her makeshift-camouflage among the skies and hovered down to Fluttershy.
"Hey, Fluttershy," she called out, playing it completely casual. This garnered the expected reaction, which involved Fluttershy leaping into the air out of surprise and letting out a shrill, "Oh!"
"H-hello, Rainbow Dash," she greeted her, the look of panic slowly dissipating from her face. She still looked worried, though, which made Rainbow question her choice of a hiding spot. "Did you hear anything just now?" she asked tentatively.
Rainbow had played this game a great many times, and it had become rather simple for her to come up with an answer on the spot. "What do you mean?" she asked with a tilt of her head and a confused expression painted upon her face.
Fluttershy let out a small sigh of relief, and looked back to her usual self. "It's nothing. I was just singing, and you know how I can get," she answered with a nervous chuckle.
"Yeah I hear you," Rainbow confirmed with a soft chuckle of her own and then put her pseudo-plan to work. "So how've you been, Shy? We haven't had a chat in a few days."
"Oh, I've been fine, Rainbow," she said, but the fact that she was hiding behind her mane and looking up at Rainbow gave away her bluff. "I mean, there's one thing bothering me.. But it's silly."
"As silly as that one time Pinkie thought your butterflies were trying to make a war strategy?" Rainbow joked, but at the same time was completely serious. She still had no idea how Pinkie had come to that conclusion.
The joke had its desired effect, of course, because Fluttershy let out a miniscule giggle, then shook her head and said, "No, I guess not. But it's still a little silly."
"Come on, Shy. You know you can tell me anything, right?" Rainbow asked, leaning a little closer to the shy pegasus.
After a moment's consideration, Fluttershy gave a sigh and nodded. "Yes, I suppose you're right. But you have to promise me you won't tell anypony. I don't know what might happen if this got out."
"I promise," Rainbow said, putting on a confident smile. "In fact - I Pinkie Promise." She then went through the motions then both knew, and then it seemed that the deal was sealed.
"Okay," Fluttershy said with a smile. "But.. Let's go inside. Just in case."
Nodding in consent, Rainbow followed her faithful friend into her cottage, ready to be told just what was wrong. All was going according to Rainbow's hastily formulated plan, and she felt completely confident that she could handle whatever came her way. How hard could it be?

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                         Chapter 7                         
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Chapter 7
Rainbow had been sat down on a couch in Fluttershy's dining room, accompanied by a few birds calmly observing the scene and a curious Angel lazily munching on a carrot that had an impossible shade of orange. Every so often the white rabbit would catch Rainbow's gaze, to which he simply stared at her for a moment before slowly swiveling his view onward and out along the walls of the room.
In terms of decor, it was just what anypony might expect to be decorating a house that was carved into a tree. Various flowers of different species were hanging off of, growing out of, and brightening up otherwise unassuming flowerpots and pseudo-containers for plants. The plants themselves made the room into an organism all its own, and Rainbow couldn't deny that that may be one of the coolest ways to design a room. A living room.
Rainbow chuckled at her own pun, and it was only then that the voice of her companion tore her from her daydreaming. "What?" Fluttershy called, peeking around the corner to see what Rainbow Dash was laughing at.
"Oh, I was just-" Rainbow began, considering in her head just how she would explain the joke. After coming to the conclusion that it'd simply be way too complicated and drawn-out, she finished her statement with a wave of the hoof and, "Nah, nevermind. Just entertaining myself while I wait."
"Oh, I hope I'm not making you wait too long," Fluttershy said, voicing her pressing worries of boring Rainbow Dash. Her expression had suddenly changed from one of a gentle curiosity to that of fretting guilt.
"Not at all," Rainbow said, her wings tensing slightly at having made the yellow mare stress so easily. She was used to such things, of course, but it still wasn't pleasant to be reminded of just how fragile the pegasus' nerves could be. She was a pony-pleaser, no doubt about it - but that sometimes became problematic.
Regardless of that, however, Fluttershy returned - much to Rainbow's relief - to her usually mellow self. Her head disappeared behind the wall concealing the kitchen and called back with, "It will only be a minute more. I promise!"
And a minute more it was. As if she had timed it perfectly, Fluttershy emerged from behind the wall carrying two platters of food, one on each wing, and a pitcher of steaming tea placed daintily upon a saucer atop her head. She moved with the expertise of a cat, and not so much as a drop or a crumb was spilled.
"You know, if I were to do that, we'd be eating off of the floor and licking the furniture for drinks," Rainbow said with her eyebrows raised in amazement. This elicited a laugh out of Fluttershy, and Rainbow went on to say, "I'm serious! Where'd you learn to do that kinda stuff, anyway?"
Fluttershy looked bashful and kicked at the ground gently as she explained, "Well, when you spend so much time on the ground, you have to find creative uses for your wings. After taking care of animals for so long, I just learned to multitask. I'm sure you could do it if you tried."
"Thanks but no thanks, Shy. I'm not looking to break any of that fancy dinnerware of yours," Rainbow jested in all seriousness. While she was quite awesome at what she did, she knew better than to try and be awesome at everything. Some things were better left to the pros.
But they weren't here to discuss Fluttershy's amazing skills when handling dinnerware. There were more pressing issues at hand, and Dash's mind was bouncing thoughts back and forth with the numerous possibilities of what this could be. It seemed she would not have to keep up the guesswork for very long, however, as Fluttershy seemed ready and willing to speak her mind.
"I suppose I should start?" Fluttershy asked, taking her seat across from Dash. It was then that Angel took it upon himself to get into a more comfortable position - namely one that was away from the rising noise level that was two mares speaking.
"Whenever you're ready," Rainbow said, taking a bite of one of the pastries her friend had prepared for her. She noted just how great of a cook Fluttershy was and made a mental note to thank her later, if she remembered.
"Well let me start off by saying I'm not in any danger," Fluttershy began, and this served to make Dash grin with anticipation. "But I am struggling with a more.. Delicate problem."
It was then that Dash's grin began to fade. She didn't exactly do well with delicate problems, so this could actually be a bit of a challenge for her, depending on just how delicate the situation was. Regardless, she nodded and gestured for Fluttershy to continue.
"I.. Um," Fluttershy said, a faintly red hue seeping into her calm yellow fur. "I sort of.. Like somepony. Romantically."
This took Rainbow aback, slightly. She had overheard her speaking of 'liking' somepony, but she figured Fluttershy was referring to an animal or a new friend she was trying to make. Her surprise quickly turned to excitement, however, and she was just as quick to voice her opinion.
"That's awesome! Who is he? Do I know 'em?" The questions came out in a flurry of words rather than a calm, orderly string of them. She stopped for a moment to consider the fact that she could be overloading the pegasus, and let out a nervous chuckle and said, "Sorry 'bout that. But really - who are they?"
"Um.. Well, you do know them. And before I tell you, you should know he isn't a stallion," Fluttershy admitted, speaking slowly and obviously choosing her words very carefully. It put Rainbow on edge, for some reason. Like she didn't know what to expect next.
"Oh, really? Well that's cool, I guess. What is he?" Rainbow asked, but she could feel her brain going to work at the puzzle that was being laid before her. It felt like the answer was right in front of her, but she just couldn't place the final pieces just yet.
"First of all, you can't tell him. I want to tell him I like him face-to-face," Fluttershy said, mustering up a surprising amount of assertiveness. Rainbow promised, and Fluttershy continued, "He's.. He's a dragon."
"A dragon? You know, I wouldn't take you for the dragon-loving kind. Don't you fear dragons?" Rainbow asked, one eyebrow perched up in confusion. Fluttershy suddenly overcoming one of her greatest fears, while a pleasant fantasy, was just that - a fantasy. It would take nothing short of a miracle for that to happen. So either she was under a spell, or this was one very special dragon.
"Yes, but he's different," Fluttershy explained, confirming that it was indeed the latter of Rainbow's suspicions. Well, at least she wouldn't have to call upon Twilight to remove a spell.
Fluttershy began describing the mystery dragon with a mixture of bliss and admiration upon her face. "He's kind, knows what to say even when it's obvious he has no clue about something, he's considerate at all times, he's.." she paused for a moment, looking away from Rainbow to mumble what may have been "handsome".
She shook her head and took a sip of tea, continuing after a few moment's hesitation, "And on top of all that - he's a gentledragon that is very nice to animals. Oh, Rainbow, he's simply perfect."
"He certainly sounds pretty great. Kind, good with animals, and handsome?" Rainbow let out a long whistle and said, "Yep. Sounds like a winner to me! But you mentioned I know him?"
It was at that moment that she gathered up the final pieces of the puzzle. Whether or not she was prepared for the coup de grace that was about to be placed upon her previous notions, she couldn't have known. But as it slowly sank in as to what the identity of this mystery dragon was, Rainbow took a step back mentally to consider it.
"You couldn't possibly mean.." Rainbow began, leaning closer to perhaps comprehend better what was about to be said. "You mean to say that you..?"
"..ve sp.." Fluttershy mumbled, hiding behind her mane. Even from the few strands that were separated, Rainbow Dash could see that Fluttershy's face was more red than one of the apples in Applejack's orchard.
It was obvious to Rainbow what Fluttershy was trying to say, but she still didn't want to jump to conclusions. If she was right - and she believed she was - then this situation was about to get much more complicated than Rainbow had bargained for. But even if that was the case, it was Rainbow's duty as a friend to help. Just who she would be helping was a confusing notion, but she'd help regardless.
"What's that?" Rainbow asked, wanting to make absolutely sure that she was right about this. She didn't want to chance anything being left up to assumption and then turn out to be wrong.
Fluttershy spoke extremely slowly. Pausing after each word, it was as if she wanted to be extra clear in her intentions. "I.. Lo.. Love."
Rainbow prodded her along one last time, saying, "You love..? Who? Who do you love?" Rainbow couldn't help but smile at how adorable Fluttershy could be sometimes. Her innocence was both peculiar and refreshing.
Fluttershy took a very deep breath and then exhaled it all at once. She repeated this multiple times until Angel gave her strange glances between bites of his carrot, and until the blush upon her face dispersed. Once again she spoke slowly as she said, "I love.. Spike."
So she was right. Well, at least that much was clear. But now this had become a matter way beyond Rainbow's level of expertise, and she had already dug in too deep. Walking away was not an option, however, so she'd just have to pull through until the end.
"That's.." Rainbow stammered, looking for the right words to say, "Wow." She decided that this was the perfect word to describe what she thought about it all, but understood that wasn't quite enough of a reaction to the news. "I mean, it's great that you.. Love Spike. It is, really," Rainbow said, beginning to go into a cycle of confusion with her thoughts. "I'm just wondering. When did this start?"
"Well he's always been interesting to me," Fluttershy said, twirling her hooves over one another. "It's just that eventually, as he grew up, I began to realize he wasn't only interesting. Remember that one time Twilight was levitating my animals?"
"Yeah?" Rainbow replied, not quite sure where she was going with this.
"Well everyone was probably too distracted to notice, but Spike didn't hesitate to hold me when I got scared," Fluttershy said with a warm smile on her face. "He kept telling me it'd be okay, and after it was all over he made sure to stay with me until I had calmed down."
"Yeah, Spike certainly has that going for him; he's charming," Rainbow said, Fluttershy's smile starting to grow on her. She began to grow a grin all of her own, and then got curious. "But if you like him, why haven't you said anything? It's not like he's dating somepony."
"Oh, I know but I feel like I wouldn't be up to his.. Standards," Fluttershy admitted sadly, her smile drooping into a small frown. "He liked Rarity so very much, and Rarity and I are so very different. I don't know if he'd feel the same."
"Well he came to check on you, didn't he?" Rainbow asked, having a sudden stroke of brilliance come across her mind. Now she just had to get it out into the playing field. "It seems pretty obvious to me that he cares about you. Why not give it a shot?"
Fluttershy fidgeted in her seat, but the smile returned all the same. "I guess so. But I wouldn't know how to be direct like that." She suddenly gave Rainbow Dash a look that could shatter the soul of the most hardened of criminals. It was a mixture of sadness, affection, and confusion that made Rainbow's head hurt with care for her friend. "What should I do?" she asked simply.
"Well, uh.." Rainbow began, not quite sure of what to do next. She had hoped she could motivate Fluttershy into asking Spike about his feelings, or something along those lines, but that was obviously not going to happen. "I promised not to tell him for you. But.. What if I got him to come here again?"
"Do you think that would work?" Fluttershy said, hope seeping into her voice. "Oh, but what would I say? What would I do?" she was sinking deeper into worry when Rainbow Dash interrupted her.
"Relax, Shy. You just have to.. Be you. You're the nicest pony I know, after all. Why wouldn't he love that? Or love you?" Rainbow said, hoping she wasn't laying it on too thick with her motivation. "Tell you what. I'll go talk to Spike now. I won't say what is up, but I'll tell him you have to talk to him about some important stuff. But you have to promise me something."
"What is it?" Fluttershy asked, her eyes wide with anticipation of what Rainbow could possibly be planning. Her expression reminded Rainbow Dash of their time in Flight Camp. She'd make that face every time Rainbow devised a new stunt or a new game, and it was always a pleasant sight to see.
"You have to tell him. Or at least show him that you like him. This is sort of a one-shot thing, so we can't afford to keep him running around. You think you can do that?" Rainbow laid out her one condition for the plan to work, and it seemed like Fluttershy was okay despite her contemplative gaze and slight fidgeting of the hooves.
"Yes. I'll do it," Fluttershy stated with a nod of finality.
"Alright, then. I'm off to talk to Spike. We'll talk later on to see how it went, alright?" Rainbow asked, standing from her sitting position on the couch. She noticed that the pastries had hardly been touched, and it seemed Fluttershy picked up on her worried gaze.
"Angel and the other animals like them. It's okay," Fluttershy reassured her. Rainbow Dash smiled and gave a nod of her own. "Good luck Rainbow Dash. And thank you!"
"No problem, Shy. Catch you later!" With that, she trotted out of the cottage and onto the pathway leading from Fluttershy's house. With a careful-yet-powerful leap, Rainbow took to the air and spread her wings, darting off in the direction of Golden Oaks Library.
She took the time to gather her thoughts on all of this as she flew, but knew it wouldn't be long. This wasn't a bad situation, but it certainly was a peculiar one. She hadn't expected it, at least. But now that she was in the middle of it, she saw it as something of a pleasant challenge. Why not help if she can?
Her judgement of distance was spot on, because it didn't take her more than a few minutes to reach the library. Doing a corkscrew for flair, Rainbow began her descent towards the entrance and opened her wings to reduce speed.
Looking around to see if anypony saw her trick, she found herself slightly disappointed that the streets were mostly empty. "Oh well," she said simply, and gave the entrance to the library a quick three knocks with her hoof.
As a pleasant surprise, Spike was indeed home. The tall dragon opened the door and gave a friendly smile as he greeted Rainbow with, "Oh hey, Dash. What's up? Talk to Fluttershy yet?"
"Yep," Rainbow replied proudly, sticking out her chest slightly. "But, uh.. I think you oughta head over and talk with her, too. Apparently there's something important she's got to tell you, so you should probably go soon." She hoped she wasn't being awkward, because that was totally uncool, but she figured it'd be alright once this was settled.
"Oh. Is she okay?" Spike asked with a look of worry upon his face. Rainbow took note of how quick he was to care for Fluttershy's well-being, and it made her smile slightly.
"Yeah, she's fine. Just needs to talk to you," Rainbow replied with a wave of her hoof. "But it's important, I think. Urgent."
"Well, alright. I'll head over now, if that's okay," Spike said, stepping out of the library and shutting the door behind him.
"Yeah, that's cool. Imma head home and catch up on some Daring Do," Rainbow said, but in reality she figured she might actually spend the day worrying over Fluttershy rather than casually reading. It wasn't exactly her style, but Fluttershy was an exception when it came to her stress.
"Oh, nice. I'll see you later, then. Bye Rainbow!" Spike said as he went on his way down the road, giving a goodbye wave.
Rainbow returned the wave and called back with, "Yeah! Catch ya later! And good luck!" Then, with only enough volume for herself to hear, she mumbled, "And good luck, Fluttershy."
"She'll be fine," Pinkie Pie said, causing Rainbow to jump into the air and let out a yell. Pinkie giggled and then ran off to what looked like Sugarcube Corner.
"How did she.." Rainbow said, now panting from shock. With a shake of her head, Rainbow flew off towards her home to prepare for later. She'd have to be prepared for the worst, even if she did hope for the best. Twilight had told her to do that, once, and it was some good advice.
So with the wheels in motion, Rainbow was simply left to wait.

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                         Chapter 8                         
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Chapter 8
There was a light rapping on her cottage door, and Fluttershy perked her ears up to the sound. She grabbed a nearby bookmark to keep her place in the book she was reading. A look from Angel confirmed that, yes, she did hear a knock on the door.
"Rainbow Dash must have come back to get some pastries," Fluttershy said with a calm smile, speaking softly to Angel. With a slight bounce in her step, she trotted towards the door and gave out a call of, "Just a second."
When the entity on the other side responded with a deep-voiced "Sure," Fluttershy immediately stopped trotting and began to ever-so-slightly panic in a way that might give Twilight a run for her money. Her knees began to shake, and she had the sudden urge to pretend that she wasn't home.
She flinched at the thought, knowing she had already called out, and was obviously heard. On top of that, Fluttershy promised Rainbow Dash that she'd be brave. Still, she couldn't help but feel a rising urge of futility in her heart.
Fluttershy knew that Spike would be coming. But she had no idea it'd be so soon. She had expected a little bit of a grace period - perhaps a little time to gather her thoughts and steel her nerves. "Mental preparation", as Twilight would put it. But now the very thing she was trying to face was facing her down without consideration for worry or consequence.
She could see no way out of it, so Fluttershy gently unlatched her cottage door and peeked from behind it. She was sort of hoping it might be a mailpony with a voice that just-so-happened to be exactly like Spike's. But lo and behold, there he was; Spike stood tall in her doorway, back turned towards her. His draconic tail swished slightly as he gazed up at the trees in Fluttershy's yard.
"H..Hello," Fluttershy said quietly. It seemed to surprise the dragon, as he turned around with a slightly confused expression on his face. After a moment, however, he smiled widely - but not enough to show his teeth, Fluttershy noticed - down at the pony.
"Hello, Fluttershy," Spike greeted her. Then his expression turned to something of worry when Fluttershy failed to respond within around twenty seconds of him speaking, and he asked, "Something wrong?"
Fluttershy snapped out of her daydreaming and started with an "O-oh! Yes, sorry. I just.. Have a lot on my mind." She blushed slightly, but then realized she was being a little inhospitable. "Sorry," she said sharply, opening her door and stepping back for Spike to enter.
"That's actually why I came to talk to you," Spike said, ducking into the doorway and closing the door behind him. "Rainbow Dash came and said you wanted to talk to me, and I came over right away," he confessed, rubbing his neck and giving a slight chuckle.
Fluttershy perked up at that, but remained rather cautious in her actions. "But you didn't have to come right away. It's getting late, after all," Fluttershy commented, tossing a glance to the windows of her home. The sky had already turned orange to alert her that she was correct. Her mind turned to romantic thoughts of a dinner shared with Spike, but as she began to blush she quickly shook her head to dismiss the thought.
The two walked over and into Fluttershy's living room, both of them taking seats on opposite sides of the table. Spike sat as best he could in a large chair whereas Fluttershy sat curtly on her sofa. The yellow mare's eyes darted everywhere but towards Spike's eyes, and the dragon couldn't help but feel a little wary.
"Yeah, but.." Spike began, but after a few moments' pause he gave a sigh and said, "Well I was worried, is all. When Rainbow told me you needed to talk, I was afraid that maybe it had something to uh.." At this point he looked rather nervous and rubbed the back of his neck again before continuing, "Something to do with you and I, I mean."
Fluttershy sank behind her mane and let out a soft squeak as she saw the scene unfolding before her. To her it sounded like a rejection before she had even gotten a chance to confess her feelings. It began to tear at her mind and she let out a small whimper.
"Hey.. Hey, are you alright? What's wrong?" Spike asked, sounding both confused and concerned. When he noticed the tears beginning to form in the mare's eyes, he carefully got up and sat next to Fluttershy, gently patting her back. "Come on. You can tell me," he whispered sincerely.
He half-expected a certain white rabbit to come flying out of some dark corner at his head, but such an event never came. Instead, Spike simply sat there, gently rubbing Fluttershy's back and trying to coax her into speaking. Eventually he heard her murmur something.
"She promised," Fluttershy said, her voice showing signs of her choking back tears. Spike had no clue what was going on, but he felt compelled to go on.
"You mean Rainbow? What did she promise?" Spike asked, trying to step a little further into the dangerous water that was this situation.
Fluttershy felt a little betrayed, but she also knew that logically, Rainbow would only have said something if she knew it'd help. But now it seemed like Spike had his mind set, and it was set to reject her. But if that were true, then why was Spike acting this way.
Her mind was rattled with so many questions that she hardly noticed that Spike had laid an arm around her. When she came to realize it fully, it only served to confuse her even further. But she also couldn't help but feel.. Warm. Reassured, in some ways.
She gave a sniff and went on to say in a slightly-less shaky voice, "She promised she wouldn't tell you." She waited for the inevitable apology, excuse, or reassurance but the first two never came and when the third one did, it wasn't nearly what was expected.
".. Tell me what?" Spike asked, totally oblivious to whatever Fluttershy was talking about. It was then that Fluttershy knew what actually had happened, and slowly looked over at Spike for a few moments.
Her face slowly heated up as she realized just how wrong she was at this point, and she let out out a small squeak as a response. When she took a moment to consider where she was - in the middle of a pseudo-cuddle session with the one creature in all of Equestria that she had feelings for - her face only heated up even further.
"Sh-she uh.. Well," Fluttershy stammered out. She thought back to her promise to Rainbow that she'd confess her feelings and was suddenly overcome with a sensation of panic. She realized she had no idea how to go about doing that, and stammered even more as she tried to.
"Take a deep breath," Spike said, his face calm and understanding. It came naturally to him, considering he'd had to deal with Twilight's random panic-attacks on an almost bi-daily basis. He had a wide but mellow smile, and his expression was that of a caring friend.
Fluttershy followed his advice by taking a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before slowly exhaling. When her nerves failed to calm down, she tried it once again but this time held the breath in for even longer. She thought about what Rainbow Dash had said, and then what Rainbow Dash would have done in this situation.
Letting her instincts take over, Fluttershy slammed her eyelids shut and let her mind take a rest while her body did the work. She felt herself lean forward - maybe a bit too quickly - and then felt pressure upon her lips. She had no idea if she hit her mark, but she knew on a basic level that she wasn't being pushed away.
When she pulled away and allowed her mind to catch up to what had just happened, her face heat up like the aftermath of Twilight's cooking. Slowly, she opened one eye to peek at the expression of the dragon she had just kissed. To her surprise, and delight, he was not angry. He didn't seem overjoyed or gushing with affection, but he wasn't angry.
The two simply sat very still, staring into each other's eyes for a very long while until Spike decided to break the silence.
"Wow," was all that was needed to say.
And then Fluttershy fainted.

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                         Chapter 9                         
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Chapter 9
Fluttershy woke up somewhere incredibly soft and took a moment to slowly move her limbs around, letting out a small groan of relief as she stretched her muscles about. Her vision was a little blurry but she could make out simple features as it came into focus.
The room was bright, which meant that morning had come. As she looked around the room she realized it was actually her own room, but it felt wonderfully comfortable. Everything was in its place; her bookshelf was tucked away against the wall, her sheets were warm and cuddly, and Spike was sitting in the corner.
As she came to realize that final thought, her eyes opened wide and she let out a shriek. It seems that the dragon was sleeping because he yelled out just before  kicking off the ground and leaning back in his chair. "Woah!" was all he said before he went tumbling backwards and bumping his head against the wall.
Fluttershy let out another shriek, but it was much more quiet. It was more of a "meep!" than an all-out yell. "Are you o-" she began, but before she could finish the dragon had sprung up onto his feet, fully alert.
"What's wrong!? Are we under attack? What is it?" Spike said a little too loudly, his eyes wide and bloodshot. He had all the characteristics of being tired and if his skin could sag, he'd most likely have bags under his eyes.
Fluttershy simply shook her head in both confusion and surprise, and she heard a muffled voice squeaking. She looked to her left to find Angel chattering away whilst shaking a fist at Spike. It seems that even his sleep can be interrupted with enough noise and enough irritation. He picked up a nearby stuffed animal and catapulted it at Spike.
As he reached for another, Fluttershy stopped him and said, "No, no! It's okay. It's my fault, really." Angel gave her a long, hard stare before turning back to Spike and sighing. Dropping the stuffed animal in a manner that still managed to be threatening, he hopped off the bed with a tiny blanket and stormed off to another room in order to sleep some more.
After the noise that was made by all of the commotion, a very calm and equally awkward silence fell over the two in the room. Fluttershy turned to greet Spike more hospitably, but the silence that had gripped both of them gave enough of a pause for the yellow mare to gather her thoughts more clearly. Namely, the thought of what she had done just before blacking out last night was the one that stuck out most prominently.
Fluttershy felt her face warm up in present time and managed to relate it back to how she felt the time Spike had come to visit her a few days back. Except she hadn't gone through with what she had wanted to do on that day, whereas she had done so last night. The very thought of that made her want to pass out once again or at the very least, fly out of her window.
She couldn't bring herself to do either, however, and instinctively knew it'd just cause more problems. As much as she wished that she could just go back and prevent herself from getting into this mess, she knew that wasn't an option. She would have to own up to it eventually, and her opportunity was literally sitting in her room waiting.
Snapping out of her daydream, she noticed that Spike was moving over towards her bed, namely over to her side. She felt her face heat up so badly that she swore it might melt, but fortunately she didn't pass out on the spot. Instead, she opted for letting out a small "eep!" as she lifted up her covers to hide most of her face.
"Hey, it's alright. It's just me," Spike said as he held up both hands as a gesture of peace. He knelt down beside her bed with a groan, laying his elbows on his knees as he got down to meet her eye-level. "I know it was probably quite a shock to you, though, seeing me chilling out in your bedroom." He let out a small chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck before continuing - something that seemed like a habit. "But you passed out, and I got kind of worried. Brought you to your bed, and I stayed up for a while waiting for you to wake up, but I guess I just.. Dozed off."
Fluttershy sat entirely still as she listened to Spike tell his story. Something inside of her jumped as she thought of Spike carrying her to her bed, with her sleeping in his arms, and then having him watch over her protectively. The image of that burned into her mind and she couldn't help but feel a bit joyful at the thought, and she even began to smile despite her worrying.
"I hope you don't mind me crashing here. Not that I could really.. Take it back, but still. I hope I wasn't intruding or something," Spike said, seemingly apologizing for being nice in the first place. Fluttershy was baffled that he didn't seem to remember what happened last night besides her passing out - or more hopefully, he didn't mind.
"N-no, it's fine," she muttered from behind the covers just loud enough for Spike to comprehend it. He gave a sigh of relief and then lifted a hand.
"You mind?" he asked simply. While not sure what he meant, Fluttershy gave a shake of her head to signify it was alright. She trusted he wouldn't do anything odd, and when he reached over to place the back of his hand against her forehead she understood. "Alright, just checking. You seem okay," he concluded, giving a small smile.
"A-are you mad?" Fluttershy blurted out, surprising herself and the dragon beside her.
"About what? The uh.. The kiss, you mean?" Spike asked. When Fluttershy gave a sheepish nod, he answered rather simply with, "Nah. Completely surprised and blown away that it happened, but not mad."
It was something, at least. The yellow pegasus felt a wave of relief rush over her entire body, and she relaxed considerably as her blush faded away. Now that she knew he wasn't mad, she could at least stop worrying about him hating her forever - she had lost a few friends to much less than something of that caliber.
That was when he continued and confused Fluttershy immensely by saying, "Actually, I'm a little happy." When he saw Fluttershy's face turn a light shade of pink once again, he explained with, "It answered a pretty important question of mine, I mean."
"What do you mean?" she asked, feeling both hopeful and worried at the same time. Such a question could virtually be anything, but she didn't know how a kiss would narrow down the possibilities.
"Well you remember when I first came over? The morning that we went and sat under those trees?" Spike began, waiting for Fluttershy to nod in assent before continuing, "Well I had actually come planning to talk about something, but you looked sort of anxious about something. And I was kinda nervous about asking, so it just never happened. You flew off before I got the chance."
Fluttershy flinched slightly at the memory. She did indeed recall flying away abruptly, and she remembered having done it out of anxiety. Nonetheless, there was little point in feeling defeated over that; she decided to simply accept it and move on. "Sorry," she apologized, but thankfully the dragon wasn't intent on sticking to the topic.
"No, no. It's completely fine. It gave me time to gather my thoughts. And if I was going to ask, I guess I don't have to now," Spike said, his smile growing as he looked up and into Fluttershy's eyes, giving her a sideways glance. It gave him a slightly classy look, Fluttershy thought.
"Well.. Can I ask what it was?" Fluttershy requested, genuinely curious as to what could have the nonchalant dragon so flustered in the first place. It was out of his element to be losing his cool over something.
"Uhh, well.." Spike said, his gaze turning away from Fluttershy. He still wasn't exactly comfortable with the question - it seemed pretty silly to him now. But still, he knew he would have to ask. "I was worried that you might not want to be friends any longer."
The statement took Fluttershy by surprise and she dropped the blanket, blurting out, "What? Why?" She caught her own surprise and blushed again, quieting down as she said, "I mean.. What would make you think that?"
In response, Spike stood up at full height, his head nearly hitting the ceiling as he did. Fluttershy had to admit he looked a bit intimidating that way, but she understood the message - he was a dragon, and he was getting rather big. "You were worried about my fear of dragons.." Fluttershy said as she stared up at him, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Exactly. And apparently I'm a special kind of dragon, according to Twilight. She has theories about my birth-parents, my hatching method, special circumstances.." Spike gave a sigh and made a circular motion with his hand, signifying it just kept going. "It's all pretty confusing to me, so I'm waiting on an official answer from her. But I guess I don't need to be worried anymore, huh? Unless my special dragon-blood makes ponies fall in love pretty quickly."
He said the last part with a laugh and Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle despite that rather deep blush that was befalling her. "I don't think it's that," she said as she pulled the blanket back up. "But umm.. You don't have to worry. You're different, I mean."
Fluttershy grew a smile as Spike lowered himself back into a crouching position, getting down to her level. "You're nice, caring, and understanding." She continued, but not before fidgeting a little underneath the blanket and blushing a bit deeper. "And um.. Handsome, too."
Spike rubbed his chin and wiggled his eyebrows jokingly as he said, "Oh? Do go on!" This elicited a laugh from Fluttershy, and he said, "Sorry, but I think you've got the 'looks' part. But thank you, Fluttershy. You're pretty amazing yourself."
It was Spike's turn to become a little nervous, and he rubbed his neck once again - a signature thing for him, it seemed. "I haven't ever really been good with formalities, so uh.. I guess I should just.. Go for it?"
Fluttershy remained confused only for a moment before she noticed him leaning a bit closer - then she understood. Her heart probably skipped a beat and her face heated to a point that might scald even a dragon, but she felt overjoyed nonetheless. It took some willpower, but she managed not to shake or fidget too much as it happened.
Closing her eyes, she leaned forward until she felt the pressure upon her lips, and the cold feeling of scales. For a split second, she opened one eye to make sure that it was actually happening and what she saw made her nearly melt with bliss. It was a simple sight - Spike's face. With that, she closed her eye once again and waited.
Once the act was broken, Spike looked more than a little flustered, but otherwise he looked very happy. Fluttershy could only guess what she looked like at the moment, and she brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face.
"That was nice," Spike said, breaking the silence. Fluttershy let out a nervous giggle as she nodded in agreement. "Phew.. I bet Twilight is gonna want a letter about this, huh?"
"Probably," Fluttershy said, her grin ever-present. As much as she wished she could stay in this moment forever, she knew she'd have to move soon. Her animals needed feeding, her garden needed tending, and her hair was probably a mess. But with how the state of affairs was going, everything looked like it would be okay. Better than okay, even. Everything was going to be great.
Spike offered a hand and Fluttershy took it, gingerly stepping out of bed and onto her wooden floor, making a hollow thud as she did so. "I guess I'll see you soon, then?" Spike asked happily.
"I'd like that," Fluttershy said, and she stood upon her hind hooves in order to reach up and hug Spike. He didn't hesitate for a moment, and the two shared a tender hug for a short while before pulling apart and moving towards the door leading out into the main hallway.
As Spike moved for the door to leave the cottage, he let out a content sigh. "I bet Rainbow Dash would want to hear what happened. I'll leave her to you, though - I'm kinda bad with explaining things," he stated with a smirk. It was true, though; Rainbow was probably very curious about the whole ordeal, and she'd be happy to know it went off without a hitch. Mostly.
"Oh, right! I'll send out a messenger bird to invite her over. Thank you for reminding me," Fluttershy said and let out a tiny whistling sound. Almost immediately, a small bird came down to perch upon Fluttershy's shoulder.
"That's so cool," Spike said with awe in his voice. Some ponies might think that kind of thing to be ordinary around Fluttershy, but he still found it to be really interesting. "But anyway. I'll be heading out, now," he stated with finality.
He quickly leaned down and gave Fluttershy a quick peck on the cheek before opening the door behind him and stepping out. "Bye, Spike," Fluttershy said happily, to which he waved nonchalantly back. With that, she shut the door and let out a sigh.
Then she trotted in place and giggled like a little filly, the bird upon her back taking flight into the air to avoid being thrown off. "Oh, I've got to go tell Rainbow Dash!" she said between giggling, then she quickly moved over to a table to begin writing.
Spike gave a quiet laugh as he moved his head away from the door. She was so excitable when she was alone. Calmly, with a sigh of his own, he began making his way back to the library. "Got a letter of my own to write," he said, placing his hands behind his head.
Dear Princess Twilight,
First off, am I supposed to call you Princess Twilight, or just Twilight? I don't know. Anyway, I've got a bit of news for you! It seems that all that worrying over Fluttershy was all for naught, because it turns out that she had some strong feelings for me.
I don't know if I felt the same before, but I guess I do now. Don't worry - nothing drastic happened. I'll be sure to tell you all about it the next time I head to Canterlot. But I do have one big concern, considering my "special birth".
Do you have any more information on that? Any breakthroughs? I'd love to hear about it, if so. But even if you don't, I'm still happy with what happened. You'll be excited to hear about it, I'm sure.
You should know that I'm still missing your company here, by the way. It gets pretty weird knowing that I won't see you every morning. Anyway, I think my stomach is going to eat itself soon if I don't get some food, so I will be getting some food pretty soon. I'll be awaiting your response patiently.
Your Number One Assistant,
Spike.
With that, he sealed the letter and held it up, staring at it for a moment. With a small chuckle preceding it, he let loose a burst of green flame and sent the letter on its way. Now all that was left was to wait.
With a grumble in his stomach, he was also notified that he still needed to get food. "I think I have some gems in the cupboard. Could make a sandwich or something," he mumbled to himself as he set about the task. If anything, he still had his old mindset.
But all while he worked, he felt a strange emotion of pure satisfaction and joy. This would be the start of something great, he could tell.

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                        Chapter 10                         
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Chapter 10
Dear Spike,
First of all, I should answer your previous inquiry as to whether or not you should address me in a formal manner. Normally I would state that yes, that is the proper way; but for you I do believe I can make an exception. You are my number-one assistant, after all.
Now on to your second inquiry. I'm afraid it's all a bit confusing at the moment, as this is the first time an Element has hatched a dragon from such a young age. It seems that Princess Luna has taken an especially keen interest in this matter, and she has been an enormous help. Our search for answers has not been without success entirely, however. We know a few things for sure so far.
For one, we understand that since I had a sudden burst of magic, I overcharged your birth. According to some texts here in the library, you're classified as a "drake". You'll not grow wings, but your breath is unique to you. Princess Luna seems to think that when I put my magic into your birth, I also altered your breath. This would explain the ability to magically send letters via your fire-breathing.
Secondly, the way you grow is apparently also altered. Though you would still need to keep your greed in check as you grow up naturally, it seems that I may have stunted your growth. This is actually very beneficial, as it seems that you will not need to take many precautions around others. You'll grow to about the size of Ponyville's town hall when you're full-grown. But I say this again; keep your greed in check. Princess Luna also seems to think that if you were to lose control again, but have a more developed ability to breath magical fire, you could accidentally start sending massive objects. I don't need to tell you how dangerous this is.
And finally, I suppose I should address your new relationship. Yes I know you wanted to keep it a surprise, but Rainbow Dash had sent a letter in mere minutes after you sent yours. Apparently Fluttershy had called her over and they had a long talk about it.
I'm very proud of you, Spike. This is a wonderful thing for you to see first-hand, and I'm glad you've finally found somepony that you can love and be loved by. Though I must say I'm very surprised that you somehow overcame Fluttershy's innate fear of dragons. You'll have to tell me your side of the story next time we meet face-to-face.
Also, you should know there is a very high interest with you here in the castle. It seems you're a topic of wonder, now that we're learning about your special traits. You may have to pay a visit to us soon so that we may further study your abilities.
But for now, you need not worry over it. Everything is perfectly fine here in Canterlot, and you should focus on your new partner. Take your time and try not to worry too much; we both know I have that part covered.
Sincerely,
Princess Twilight.
"Well that's that, I suppose," Spike said softly as he read the letter. He laughed a bit at the final parts of it - it seemed Twilight had gained a bit of a sense of humor over in Canterlot. He rolled it back up and laid it next to him, laying back with a sigh.
He stared up through the dark green leaves as he laid on the cool, green grass. The sky had a few clouds for shade, and it was a very lovely day to relax. What was more relaxing was that the sounds of nature were all around him. Birds were chirping, squirrels were clicking, and the occasional bark rang out across the fields.
What topped it all off, however, was who Spike was with. He tilted his head to the left to find a smiling Fluttershy laying on her back beside him. She looked more joyful than he had seen in ages, and she made him crack a toothy grin of his own. He reached over and curled an arm underneath her neck.
In response, she moved in closer and nuzzled up to his chest. The feeling was still a bit foreign to Spike, but he enjoyed it all the same. She let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes, and Spike let out a low chuckle. It really was a nice feeling to have someone like this. All he could hope for was that it would stay this way.
As he gave one final glance down towards Fluttershy, however, any doubts of that quickly faded away. Her loving embrace was only matched by the calm aura she put off. He felt at peace, and he was willing to bet she felt just about the same. It seems that love overcame fear, in this case, and Spike was extremely glad it had happened this way.
All that was left now was to wait for what would happen next. There was so much that could happen between the two, both good and bad, but there wasn't a shred of doubt in Spike's mind that they could overcome it all. And as the young dragon considered all of the possibilities of what that meant, he could only think to do one thing.
He leaned down and kissed Fluttershy atop her head before finally laying his head upon the grass and closing his eyes. With a smile, he contemplated just how this all came to be. Everything had turned out better than he could have possibly hoped for, and now he finally took some time to get a little rest.
The sounds of nature slowly faded around him as he drifted off in his thoughts, but there was one sound he made sure to focus on much more than the others. The soft sounds of Fluttershy's breathing filled Spike with a sense of joy and warmth, and he allowed sleep to overtake him entirely.