The Lion and the Lamb

Story By: CrazyRabidPony

Written By: CrazyRabidPony

Mr. Ben

Chapters 1-17 Edited By: emp_zealoth

Chapter One: The Unexpected Visitor

It was mid-March in the magical land of Equestria. The wintry chill swept through the lands, in some harsh, while in others not so much. The town known as Ponyville, and the surrounding area, had received a fresh blanket of snow on the previous night. Local residents emerged from their homes to behold Mother Nature's gift, as schools were closed and workers were issued a day off from their duties. Ponies of all ages bundled up in an appropriate attire to keep warm as they ventured out to indulge themselves in the winter wonderland. While most enjoyed the spectacle, there were individuals who found it a nuisance. After all, when ponies have had their fill of fun in the snow, they would go inside their toasty homes to curl up around a fireplace, wrap up in a warm blanket or treat themselves to a piping cup of hot chocolate.

Nestled in a large clearing between the outskirts of Ponyville and a vast forest known as the Everfree sat a large cottage. During the flourishing seasons, the cottage and the land around it was teeming with both flora and fauna. Now, however, it was bleak and void of wildlife, as almost all of the creatures have gone into hibernation or moved on looking for warmth and nourishment, to keep themselves alive until spring would arrive. The domesticated animals, such as a flock of chickens who were kept warm in their henhouse or a goat that took refuge in its own little house in the corner of its pen, were the only signs of life.

The cottage stood tall, its roof covered with fresh powder from the recent snowfall, the diameter coated in patches of ice buildups, it's windows frosted, giving it a ghostly appearance. Yet, despite its lifeless impression, there was life inside the cottage. A yellow pegasus with a long and luxurious pink mane and tail named Fluttershy rested comfortably on her green couch, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate she held between her front hooves.

Various birds, mammals, and reptiles that usually resided inside her house were gone or asleep for the season. She was not alone though. A small white rabbit was keeping her company, lounging in his basket betwixt two soft pillows and soaking in the warmth inside the cottage. Sadly, the tranquility was disturbed when the rabbit's elongated ears suddenly perked up at a faint, inaudible to the pony, noise from the outside. The creature stood up abruptly and stared through the window behind Fluttershy, visibly alert.

Noticing her rabbit's behavior, the pegasus raised her brow as curiosity filled her features. "Angel bunny, what's-"

Before the equine could finish her question, much louder noises-ones that could now be heard by her-pierced the still air, startling her and almost causing her to spill her drink. Setting her cup down on the wooden floor, Fluttershy turned around and peeked out the window behind her. The pony couldn't see well through the frost coating it though, she was only able to make out a silhouette of the chicken coop. However, the unmistakable sounds of her chickens clucking in panic, while muffled by the thick icing, were still audible.

Jumping off the couch, she hurried upstairs for her winter wear. Pulling on a wool saddle, scarf and snow boots, she rushed back down and headed out the front door to see what could possibly be bothering her chickens.

When Fluttershy pulled the door open, Angel burrowed himself under one of his pillows trying to avoid the chilling air that poured into the room. He was happy once the door was closed again, sure that his owner would calm the commotion.

Outside, the pegasus tip-toed cautiously into the direction of the chicken coop, snow crunching underneath the soles of her shoes, her breath spouting from her mouth and nostrils turning into spumes of vapor in the chilly air. She was nervous at the thought of some potentially dangerous creature, but the loud and frightened tone in the chickens' clucking drove her on. Her worried teal eyes scanned the pen, looking for any reason why her chickens were running around frantically like their heads were cut off.

Fluttershy didn't notice anything out of the ordinary at first, but it wasn't long until a white bundle caught her eye. Spreading out her wings she fluttered closer to the pen to investigate and landed right next to the fence, where she realized she could make out a figure of a griffon chick no larger than a dwarf rabbit. A delighted smile that appeared on her face due to her discovery turned into a deep frown once she analyzed the creature's condition. The tiny thing was malnourished, it's ribs, spine, and hips were quite visible underneath the snowy coat. Feeling maternal instinct welling up in her she flapped her wings once again and dropped onto the other side of the enclosure intent on taking the chick inside the cottage and nursing it back to health.

"Oh… You poor thing," the pegasus cooed into the griffon's direction and attracted it's attention.

With a startled squawk, the griffon jumped back, alarmed that it had been caught roaming in another creature's territory. The starving chick had hoped to find any source of food laying around and must have stumbled upon the pen. Though the baby was too young to kill for food itself, the chickens didn't know any better and probably assumed the intruder was a predator. Amber eyes wide with fear, the griffon whirled around, slipped underneath the fence via hole it had dug, and made a mad dash off into the direction of the Everfree Forest.

"Oh! Wait!" Taking to the air yet again Fluttershy went after the baby, hoping to stop it before it reached the forest. After all, too many dangerous creatures resided within the Everfree, and a griffon chick would surely make a tasty snack for any forest dwelling beast.

While the clucking of the chickens faded as the griffon drew farther away from the property, it could pick up the flapping of feathery wings. Terrified at the thought of being caught and eaten by the pony that pursued it, the tiny bundle of feathers put on a desperate burst of speed. The feeble creature pumped its legs as hard as it could, adrenaline fueling its frantic escape.

"That griffon sure is fast for such a little baby," Fluttershy mused to herself, quite surprised, as she continued after the mythical animal. In reality, it was the pegasus who simply wasn't a very swift flier.

The chase continued on until the verge of the Everfree Forest was only a few strides away from the griffon's reach. The pegasus put on her breaks and plopped onto the snowy ground below, cloud of crystalline flakes flying up from the impact. After pushing herself up and taking a couple steps back, she looked up at the trees towering over her and crouched low to the snowy ground, ears pinned back in submission as if the forest itself was about to attack her. Tearing her eyes away from the tall trees she gazed between them and saw the griffon disappear into the gloomy shadows.

"W-wait! Please come back!" she pleaded, but it was futile.

She trembled at the thought of what terrible dangers could be waiting in there, but the urge to save the youngling overwhelmed those fears. Gulping down a lump in her throat, the yellow pony willed her legs to move. While she made her first steps into the forest, she took stock of her surroundings and decided that the Everfree was even scarier in the winter. It's vile trees were coated heavily in frost and towered over her with bare branches stretched out like grotesque limbs, giving the entire forest a ghastly and hostile look.

When she felt a slight brush on her leg from a sapling branch trembling in swaying rhythm of the wind's ominous song Fluttershy released a high-pitched squeak and dove behind a fallen tree.

Slowly peeking from her hiding place, she surveyed the area and felt slightly relieved that her eyes were finally adjusting to the darkness. The relief was short lived though, when low creaking of the trees was drowned out by the wind whistling yet another haunting verse. A shiver crawled up her spine, but the equine finally slunk out from behind the uprooted tree and spotted a trail of the baby griffon's tracks embedded in the snow. Glad that she still had a chance to find the child, she quickly followed them.

It wasn't deep into the Everfree before the terrain became nearly impassable. Fluttershy had to fight her way through it, ducking under branches and gliding over boulders or fallen trees. The ordeal lasted for over an hour and a half, before she could see the familiar griffon resting upon a dead tree jutting from the snow, facing away from the pony's direction. On the other side was an opening in the ground stretching out five feet in diameter that led to an underground well.

Hearing the familiar flapping interrupt the still air, the exhausted griffon spun around to see the pegasus gliding towards it. Too tired to run anymore it squawked weakly at the pony, hoping it would somehow scare it away.

Allowing herself to land a couple of yards away from the griffon, Fluttershy began to advance slowly toward it. The baby puffed out its fur and feathers in a futile attempt to appear intimidating to the approaching equine. Only a couple of feet away from the decaying tree the griffin was standing on, she put on a gentle smile and began speaking soothingly to it.

"There, there… It's okay."

The pair didn't realize that the dead tree was the only thing supporting boulders and snow under Fluttershy's hooves. As the pegasus closed in, it strained under the increasing load, ready to break at any moment.

"There, there, little one. I'm not going to hurt-AAAHH!"

The support gave away as the tree's rotting bark snapped, sending both griffon and pony tumbling down into the well in a mess of rocks, snow and bark that landed in a shallow puddle with a huge splash, soaking them. After last of the debris went down the griffon pulled itself up, shaking water from its coat while the other one tried to get her bearings. Groaning and feeling a little light-headed from the fall, Fluttershy attempted to push herself up as well, but she felt a tug on her left front leg. Shaking her head, she noticed her hoof was pinned under a heavy boulder. She tugged harder on her leg, hoping to yank it free, but the only result was sharp pain. Ceasing for the moment, she looked around, spying two of her snow boots beneath the water-covered floor. Both of them were useless now, she noiced, should she put them back on they would certainly make her hooves freeze off. Farther ahead, higher, but still several feet below the ground above was an entrance to a cavern where she guessed the water was trickling from.

The griffon's sudden, frantic squawking caught her attention. The creature was trying to climb up the steep walls of the well, but it was hopeless, as they were about ten feet high. The little thing was terrified, stuck with it's pursuer. In an effort to calm the panicking creature, Fluttershy addressed it in her usual gentle tone.

"Oh, don't worry… We'll get out… I'm sure someone will come by and help us."

More than seven hours had passed and still no one had come by and both unfortunate creatures were growing numb, exhaustion and cold inexorably draining life out of them. However, they were brought back to reality when deep, eerie rumble erupted from the depths of the nearby cavern, making the two tremble with fear of what new horrors would befall them.

"W… what was that?" the pegasus whimpered.

A few minutes passed. Nothing happened-or so she thought. The griffon was the first to realize what was wrong and begin squawking again, louder and more insistently this time. It wasn't long before Fluttershy noticed the change as well.

"Wasn't… the water lower?" Terror gripped the pegasus' heart like a steel vice-the water was rising. Imminent danger made her ignore the tearing pain as she tugged harder and harder at her hoof.

"H-help?"

The water continued to rise slowly, it's temperature chilling both pony and griffon, sapping the remainder of warmth out of their bodies. While the griffon squawked and clawed at the walls of the well, Fluttershy cried out for help in her normal quiet voice, but she was steadily getting louder as the water rose. Her attempts at freeing her hoof were becoming more desperate too-she started off pushing gently at the boulder, then shoving, and eventually ramming her shoulder into it. She even tried kicking, but only managed to hurt her leg in the process. The huge rock didn't even budge, despite all that effort.

With water reaching it's tiny beak the baby griffon decided to choose possible danger over certain death. Flailing over to Fluttershy, it gripped onto her wings and pulled itself up onto her back, then scrambled onto her head, before finally jumping on top of the boulder that had the equine's hoof trapped. It resumed its squawking, not willing to give up on calling out for someone to help it.

Shoulders submerged, she was crying out in distress as loud as her lungs possibly allowed, choked sobs interrupting every call. Fluttershy had never been so frightened in her life, knowing that she was so close to drowning.

With only her head above the surface, she filled her lungs until they felt like they would burst and held her breath. The water kept rising steadily, first reaching her mouth, eyes, then pouring into her ears. She was completely helpless.

Almost half a minute passed and Fluttershy started to squirm uncontrollably, lungs screaming at her to breathe in. She could feel herself fading, darkness seeping into her eyes. Just before last flicker of light disappeared, she saw a red, lizard-like figure plunge into water next to her.

Chapter Two: Gentle Hands

Warmth welcomed Fluttershy like a friendly neighbor as she regained consciousness, noticing that she was laying on her right side cocooned snuggly in a thick sky blue quilt. Lifting her head from a deep crimson pillow propped up by the leg of the couch, she could see that she was resting on it. The slight change in position jostled the sprain in her left foreleg and a sharp pain stung her hoof. The pony nosed aside the fold of blanket covering her left leg, eyes widening in shock at what her curiosity had found. Her hoof was wrapped tightly in gauze soaked in a mixture of blood and a brown liquid she guessed was iodine. A startled squeak leaped from her throat at the sight of it.

"Oh, good. You're awake," a masculine voice interrupted the silence in the room, causing the pegasus to jump a little.

Turning her head to the right where the voice had come from, she found a dragon garbed in an apron covered in bluebirds smiling at her from his position by a red, old-fashion wood burning stove in the corner of the room.

The reptile was almost the height of two average-sized ponies, his body sleek and well built. His thick neck wasn't as long as the adult dragon's she had seen-only at half the length in proportion to the rest of his body. The arms were long, strong muscles visible under his scales. His legs were also toned, slightly bent at the knees with lengthy feet planted flat on the stone floor. Orange serrated spines with the pointed tips curving back trailed from the top of his head and stopped just inches from the tip of his long tail; the three crowning his head were quite sizable compared to the rest. A pair of ear frills, slightly flared, were attached to both sides of his head. While Fluttershy couldn't make out the color of his eyes just yet, she admired how beautifully vibrant his red scales were, and how nicely they complemented his golden underbelly.

Setting the metal ladle upon the granite countertop built into the wall a few feet to the left of the stove and reaching behind his back,-hands sliding under his folded wings just a little bit-, the dragon tugged at the apron's strings to untie it before hanging it up a few feet away from the stove. Turning back to the pegasus, he began walking towards her.

Fluttershy's natural fear of dragons made her nervous at the idea of being in the same room with one, but his friendly smile made him a lot less intimidating. On top of that, this must have been the creature that saved her life. The pony kept her eyes on him as he dropped down onto his knees right in front of her. She met his gaze; the dragon's sea green eyes were soft and gentle, conveying nothing but concern for her, and she felt almost every ounce of fear she had of him melt away.

"There's no need for you to worry, miss. I shall finish tending to that hoof of yours after the iodine soaks in a little longer," he assured her in a calm, comforting voice, reaching a hand to her face and giving her a couple light pats on the cheek before standing straight up again and attending to hot chowder simmering in a silver cooking pot sitting atop the stove.

Fluttershy was fascinated by the winged reptilian, as she always was when meeting a new creature. Soon, the flapping of wings and soft cooing stole her attention from him. To her far left, in a clearing of the room stood a bare wooden table. Gathered upon it were five white doves and a fluffy brown rabbit. The feathered critters were circled around a plastic plate of assorted seeds, pecking at them hungrily. The rabbit had his own plate of chopped vegetables and was working his way through a particularly thick slice of carrot he held between his paws. At the foot of the table, a familiar baby griffon sat on its scrawny haunches, eagerly waiting for something to drop onto the floor. A wave of relief washed over the pony knowing that the griffon, too, had been saved. However, the relief was followed by concern. Hadn't the griffon been fed yet?

The loud tapping of ladle against the rim of the pot gathered the attention of both baby griffon and pegasus. Deciding that enough of the chowder had dripped back into the pot, the dragon set the ladle aside and turned around, bowl filled halfway in one hand and his eyes on the skinny animal.

"All right, little lady. Chow time," the dragon announced, walking over to where the baby griffon was planted. He sat down beside her and blew into the bowl to cool the chowder before presenting it.

The griffon's trust had been bestowed upon the dragon when he had saved her from the brush with death. The scent of warm food was enticing her to come closer as well. The chick chirped at the dragon, telling him to hurry up-she couldn't take the pain of her beyond empty stomach nagging at her anymore-and opened her beak wide in anticipation of the warm food.

"Hold on now, little one. You'll get it." The dragon paused his task of cooling the chowder to chuckle at the hungry creature's impatience. "I was cooling it so you don't burn your little throat."

He tilted the bowl ever so slightly over the griffon's head, allowing the creamy chowder to pour into her awaiting mouth. The chick wolfed down the food, bird head bobbing every time she swallowed.

Fluttershy watched the pair with a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She was happy now that the baby griffon was in the hands of someone who clearly would take good care of her. As the chick finished off what was in the bowl, the pony felt a bubble of laughter at the sight of her, but she managed to suppress it, not wanting to interrupt them.

The griffon's face and chest were soaked with everything that had escaped her beak. Seeing that, the dragon scooped up the tiny creature in one arm and rose to his feet. His eyes met the pegasus' on his way over to a sink built into the mid-section of the counter beside the stove, and he smiled at her. The all too familiar bout of shyness threatened to overcome the yellow pegasus, but she smiled back.

It didn't take long for the dragon to rinse the chowder out of the griffon chick's down. As soon as he was done, the small creature shook her head to get rid of the water that soaked her baby feathers. After setting the child back down onto the floor, the dragon thoughtfully glanced Fluttershy over. Having made the decision that the iodine had soaked the pegasus' wound long enough, he disappeared into a nearby room.

The pony's eyes shifted back to the griffon chick as it toddled over to the room's main source of warmth, a stone fireplace a couple of yards in front of Fluttershy. The griffon curled up between the pony's wet saddle and scarf, as well as the remaining two of her snow boots that were drying off with the help of the warmth radiating from the dancing flames.

Fluttershy took stock of her surroundings-of course, she couldn't see anything behind the couch, but it was obvious that the place was lightly furnished. No decorations were hung up on the walls, nor were there any rugs as far as she could see. It appeared as if it belonged to someone who had just moved in. The only things in her field of vision was the stove, counters and sink, a refrigerator, the table the animals were eating off of, a lamp table beside the couch on her left, a box of books sitting beside it, and a couple of doors that lead to other rooms. Yet, the atmosphere felt welcoming and safe. Safe from the cold, cruel, and merciless desolation that was waiting outside.

After her eyes had finished roaming the room, they went back to the baby griffon; she couldn't help but think how cute she looked curled up into a ball. Just then, her vision was blocked by red and yellow scales. The dragon returned with a roll of fresh gauze, a bottle of iodine in each hand, and a sewing needle between his teeth. He lowered himself onto his knees again, setting the items in his hands down and taking the needle between his fingers.

"Now then, let's fix up that hoof."

The dragon brought his free fingers behind the pony's ears and ran them through her disheveled mane. The physical contact puzzled the mare, nonetheless, she allowed it. Once he removed his hand, two dead strands of her mane were entangled around his index finger. Holding the needle in front of his face, he begun carefully threading one of them. When he was done he smiled down at the pony, scooped her wrapped hoof in his free hand, and pulled it very slowly towards him before proceeding to unwrap it, being sure to be as gentle with every movement of his hands as possible.

Seeing her hoof, Fluttershy jumped again, shocked, further arousing the pain coursing through her leg, the comprehension of how badly wounded she was pressing down on her. She was used to seeing all kinds of injuries on animals, but never on herself. The gash was deep, spreading a little over an inch in length across, with the surrounding tissue inflamed, warm, and throbbing. Nausea overwhelmed and paralyzed her, but the instant she eyed the needle in the dragon's fingers, she instinctively jerked her hoof away from him, the pain in it intensifying at the action. The mare trembled in fear as she held her injured foreleg to her chest. Tearing her eyes away from the hideous laceration, she clenched them shut and whimpered.

The dragon understood the dread of having a needle pierce one's flesh repeatedly, but it had to be done. Bringing a hand to her cheek, he addressed the pony, his voice calm and patient. "Come on now, miss. I need to stitch that up or it won't get any better. I understand how scary this must be, but I promise I will not hurt you."

He begun to tenderly stroke the pegasus' cheek, and her eyes opened in response. The dragon's touch was warm and feathery-light when his fingers slowly slid down her cheek, curling underneath her chin. He lifted her head so their eyes could meet.

"I promise I will not hurt you," he repeated with an assuring smile and eyes that encouraged the equine to let him help. His hand drew away from her chin and he brought it to the top of her head, stroking it for comfort.

The dragon's touch was still as warm and comforting as before. Giving the slightest nod, Fluttershy whimpered as she hesitantly offered him the injured hoof, her eyes never leaving his. "P… P-please… b-be g-gentle…"

At that, she clenched them shut again, preparing for the marathon of pain.

The dragon sympathized with the pegasus, but it was the only way. After dipping the sharp tip of the needle in the iodine, he began stitching the torn flesh back together. It was a demanding task considering how badly Fluttershy was now trembling. Thankfully being an owner of small animals himself, he was accustomed to gentle handling. When he was finally finished with the difficult part, he wrapped her hoof in a fresh gauze. Tying it off, he reached a hand over to the still trembling pony's head, smoothing down her mane in a comforting manner once again.

"It's all right, my dear. It's all over now," he said, running his hand over her head again before pulling it away.

Opening her eyes, she blinked in surprise at her newly dressed wound. She had been expecting excruciating pain, but other than the dull throbbing or slight stings from the gentle tugging while the dragon stitched, she didn't really feel any pain at all. Shifting her attention back to the dragon's face, she gave him a grateful smile

"Um… Thank you so much…um… Mr. Dragon."

"You are quite welcome, miss," he responded, twisting the cap back onto the bottle of iodine. "Now… as soon as I put these away, I'll get you some food."

Gathering up the remaining medical supplies, he pulled himself back up onto his feet and disappeared back into the room from where he had retrieved them.

Chapter Three: Bonding

The dragon returned shortly after putting his medical supplies away, ambling into the kitchenette to wash his hands. As the mixture of warm water and soap coated his hands, splashing away any traces of bodily fluids, he turned his head into the direction of the yellow pegasus, offering her a gregarious grin. The mare half-turned her head away from him shyly. Finding the pony's bashfulness positively adorable, the reptile couldn't help but give a soft chuckle. After drying off his hands, he grabbed a ladle and a bowl from the overhead cabinet-though it wasn't much of an "overhead" cabinet considering the dragon's stature-and proceeded to fill it. After all, the home was built with ponies in mind.

He directed himself towards Fluttershy, taking great care to not spill the chowder as it swished about in the bowl with every movement he made. He slowly knelt in front of her and blew into the bowl just as he had done for the baby griffon.

"Here we are," the dragon finally said after a few minutes of blowing and held it out in front of the pony's nose, enticing smell wafting through the air.

Still, Fluttershy gazed down into the bowl, unsure, then tilted her head back to meet the dragon's eyes. "Um… Thank you… But… you really didn't have to… Um… Maybe you should eat it."

A loud rumble erupted from the equine's stomach and a faint tint of pink tinged her cheeks in embarrassment. Being imprisoned in the well, she had missed lunch, and it was drawing close to dinnertime. She really did want the warm chowder-however, she didn't like being a burden.

"No, no. This is your meal, my dear," he insisted, continuing to hold the bowl under the pony's nose, its tantalizing aroma tempting the equine and aggravating her empty belly further. "Besides, what sort of a host would I be if I didn't feed my honored guests first? Not a very polite one, that is certain. And there is no need to worry, I made more than enough for us all."

"Oh, well… Um, alright." Fluttershy caved in, offering the dragon a grateful smile and lowered her muzzle into the bowl, blowing just a tiny bit before taking that first slurp of its creamy contents.

'Oh my goodness! This is delicious!' she thought, lifting her head back up and licking her lips, her expression clearly showing how pleased she was with the chowder's taste.

The dragon beamed and his tail gave a happy flick. Since he never had any visitors over for a meal before, it was exciting to him to see someone enjoy his cooking. He watched the pony, as she lowered her snout back into the bowl for more of the warm food, and became transfixed by her-by how she slurped up the creamy mixture, softly nibbled at a chunk of potato, or cutely lapped at a slice of carrot. It was all quite charming to him somehow. Between intervals of the pegasus lifting her head to chew and swallow or lick her lips clean, he locked eyes with her, an even wider smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

'How is it possible for someone to be so cute while eating?'

As Fluttershy lapped up the remains of the chowder, the dragon set the bowl down beside him. She tried to lick up as much as she could around the circumference of her mouth, but a little remained on her chin. The large reptile laughed, then balled up his fist in front of him. Burrowing a free finger into the curve of his crooked index finger, he pulled out a rolled up cloth napkin from his fist, leaving the pony completely and utterly bewildered. Letting out another laugh at how her jaw literally dropped, he quickly wiped her chin clean. "I suppose you are wondering how I did that?"

Nodding slowly, the pegasus watched him intently, eyes wide with wonder and anticipation for his answer. The dragon bundled up the used napkin and concealed it into the same fist. Seconds later, he unrolled his hand to reveal the napkin had disappeared.

"Magic," he said, his voice a theatrical whisper, for exaggerated emphasis. "I am a traveling magician."

Awe had descended upon the pegasus and outweighed most of her shyness, as well as lighting her eyes up at such revelation. She had never heard of a dragon magician before, nor had it even crossed her mind the concept of a dragon using magic in this fashion for entertainment purposes. After a brief moment of awed silence, she opened her mouth to voice those thoughts.

"I have never heard of a dragon magician before."

The scaly creature regarded Fluttershy with understanding.

"Well, besides myself, nor have I," he confessed, picking up the empty bowl and pushing himself upon his feet and wandering over to the sink to place it inside. After he had retrieved a clean bowl for himself, he filled it up, and went back over to the pony, seating himself on the other end of the couch. Before taking his first sip, he turned to the pegasus beside him with eyes filled with curiosity. "So, how did you end up in that hole?"

Fluttershy lowered her eyes to the floor as the events replayed in her head.

"Um, well…" she started, attention shifting back to the face of the dragon. "Earlier this morning, I found that tiny griffon with my chickens," she paused, gesturing with her head into the direction of the baby-who was now watching them from her spot in front of the fireplace-,"and I followed her into the Everfree Forest. I was, um, hoping to catch her and take care of her… Like you did."

Ceasing again for another moment, she gave the dragon a warm approving smile. "Um… Then we both fell in the hole."

"I see." The dragon nodded in acknowledgment as his brain processed the story. "No shame in that. I would have done the same thing."

He smiled at the pony once more before digging into his own dinner.

The yellow pegasus remained silent for the duration of the meal.

'Such a nice dragon,' she mused in her thoughts as she watched the winged reptile eat. Now that she had been able to settle down, had her primary questions answered, and needs taken care of, she could observe the dragon in greater detail. She was fascinated by the cunning mechanics of his body at work, she studied the ropes and slabs of flexing muscle as well as the jawbone that glided ever so delicately beneath his scales as he chewed and swallowed. She had read many books and seen a lot of films on dragons, and most of those included their eating habits-but this particular specimen ate more like a pony than a dragon.

He felt the equine's gaze upon him, but he didn't mind. After he had lapped up the last of the chowder in his bowl, he licked his chops satisfied with the meal and headed to the kitchenette to deposit it into the sink. He would wash the dishes later.

The baby griffon had her eyes on Fluttershy while the pony was absorbed with the dragon. The pegasus didn't shown any signs of hostility for the entire time she had been watching her, so she came to the conclusion that she was not the predator she had prejudged her to be. After the scaly creature had gotten up, she cautiously rose to her feet as well. With catlike caution, she slunk over toward Fluttershy. With each slow, hesitant step, she watched for any sudden indications that the pony would spring forth and devour her.

When Fluttershy tore her eyes away from the dragon towards her, she stopped and then took an unsure step back. The pony smiled at her, and spoke in a soothing voice. "Hello there, little griffon."

The voice fell upon the baby griffon's ear holes with sweetness. It was deeply reassuring, and combined with the peaceful vibes radiating from the mare, it became irresistible. She walked the rest of the distance towards Fluttershy with a calm and confident stride. The delighted pony reached out with her good foreleg, gently touching her hoof to the baby griffon's fluffy head. The griffon recoiled a little at the unexpected touch, but then allowed herself to be stroked.

"You're so soft and cute." Fluttershy let out a quiet, yet ecstatic giggle as she delighted in the fluffy texture of the baby griffon's down.

Though strange and new, the little creature found the sensations delivered by the head rubs quite pleasant, so she reveled in those feelings and pressed her head against the touches. Her next action made the pony's heart melt-she opened her tiny black beak and spoke to her in short phrases of baby babbles.

The cuteness was too much for Fluttershy and she simply couldn't contain the squeal that bubbled up in her throat. Startled, the griffon perked and jumped back at the strange noise, but returned to her previous position. Her large amber eyes silently pleaded for more head caresses, which the pony gladly gave.

The dragon watched the pair at a respectful distance, allowing them to bond. He too, found the chick's babbling precious, as well as the pony's squeal of enjoyment. A few minutes had passed and the dragon reluctantly ripped his eyes away from them and headed towards the house's restroom. After rummaging through the medicine cabinet, he withdrew a bottle of painkillers. Popping off the top, he tilted it to let one of the pills fall into his hand before placing the bottle back in its rightful place. Next, he went back into the kitchen for a glass of water. Finally, having the items he needed, he directed himself to the couch, kneeling beside the pony and the baby griffon. Both regarded him, and the objects in his hands with questioning stares.

Turning his head to face the pegasus, he extended the hand holding the white pill to her. "Here's something to help take that pain away."

"Oh, um… Thank you." Fluttershy reached out to take the large capsule into her mouth. The dragon touched the rim of the water glass to her bottom lip, tilted it up ever so slightly and she felt the liquid wash the pill down her throat. Once the reptile took the empty glass away, she smiled up at him. She was grateful for all that he had done for her, and for the baby griffon. They sure had been fortunate that he had come to their rescue. "Thank you so much for… everything."

The dragon grinned, setting the glass aside and he ran his fingers over the downy head of the baby griffon.

"Well, I couldn't allow you two lovely ladies to drown now, could I?" The small head pressed into his hand, encouraging him to continue petting her. He complied, rubbing and massaging the balls of his fingers into the scalp.

Fluttershy's cheeks were tinged with a light shade of pink after receiving such kind words. The pony's shyness returned and she lowered her eyes to the dressing on her hoof. "W-well, I… Um… Thank you… Mr. Dragon…"

The reptilian chuckled softly at her bashfulness. He couldn't help it. It was too adorable. Putting on a positively mischievous smirk, he opened his mouth, intent on flattering her further and indulging himself in the results.

"You are welcome, my dear. You know, I believe an introduction is in order. My name is Smokey." He paused for a moment, taking his hand away from the baby griffon's head to scoop Fluttershy's good hoof. "And what would be the name of this goddess-like beauty, whose eyes are like pools with a hue of the purest sapphires?"

He pressed a quick kiss to the top of pony's hoof and eyed her, awaiting her reaction.

Fluttershy's cheeks burned a bright, flustered pink. This was just too much for her to bear. Ducking her head into her shoulders, she half-turned her head, hiding one side of her face behind a messy forelock. She quietly squeaked her name, but it was incomprehensible to the dragon.

"Hm? What was that, my dear?" Smokey queried, very much pleased with his work. He simply adored the pegasus' behavior. He leaned his head in, ear frills flaring slightly in hopes of catching her name.

She couldn't back away any further from him. Not that she wanted to get away from him-it was simply a natural reaction. She was smiling a little shy smile, and again, she told him her name, this time in a quiet voice instead of a squeak.

Smokey still didn't hear it and he leaned in further, his snout only a foot away from Fluttershy's head. "Once more, please. I didn't quite hear that."

"Flu… Flutter… shy…" she answered. Her voice was still quiet, but the dragon finally heard her.

"Fluttershy, huh? Well, it certainly is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Fluttershy." Smokey released the mare's hoof and pulled his head back to where it should be. He offered her a slightly toothy grin as he continued to enjoy the pony's cute shyness. She returned the gesture with a small nod and shy smile, too flustered for words at the moment.

Now that I have given people diabetes with the cuteness from the last chapter, it's time for some excitement! Disclaim, Disclaimer Dude!

Disclaimer Dude: Jess doesn't own My Little Pony.

The Lion and the Lamb

Chapter Four: The Intruder

Smokey's attention had been stolen from the still flustered pegasus when the baby griffin launched herself into his lap. He tilted his head downward and laughed as the white bundle slid down his kneeling leg. "Aw, am I not giving you enough attention, sweetie?"

The baby griffin batted an eagle foot at the dragon's descending hand in a playful manner. A chuckle escaped his throat and he gently rolled the tiny creature onto her back, scaly fingers scratching and prodding at the soft belly. The tickling sensations caused by the dragon sent the griffin into a fit of adorable high-pitched giggles. A glowing warmth pressed against the hearts of the dragon and the pony at the display.

She eventually escaped the clutches of the dragon's fingers and bounced several feet away, the playful glint still danced in her eyes. Throwing his dignity to the winds, Smokey dropped down on all fours with a wide grin, and the griffin bounced back toward him, landing on his face. Fluttershy, as well as the five doves and rabbit - who deserted the table they had been feasting upon and clustered themselves in front of the fireplace - watched as the dragon allowed himself to look utterly ridiculous in play with the baby griffin. The pair circled one another before the griffin bounced over to him and proceeded to climb all over the scaly beast. She pawed at his sensitive ear frills, pounced on his tail and wrestled with it. As for him, he would occasionally nudge her over gently with his nose and nuzzle into her soft fur, evoking another fit of heart-melting giggles.

Fluttershy sniffled up a pair of rivulets of mucus then wiped at the wetness left behind with her good hoof. With her attention almost constantly absorbed that evening, she hadn't really noticed her running nose all that much. She was really enjoying the playful display before her, thinking to herself how sweet it was that the dragon was already treating the baby griffin like his own child.

The baby griffin grew tired around an hour later, plopping her drained body beside the grouped birds and rabbit, beak wide open and panting. Smokey rose to his hind legs and strode over to the animals, sitting himself down upon his haunches. "Time for bed, little ones," he told them in a soft and gentle voice. He touched his snout to the baby griffin's head for a few moments before pressing a sweet kiss to the forehead. The griffin reacted with an affectionate nip to the spot between his nostrils. His snout then buried itself into the cluster of doves and rabbit. While the doves dragged their beaks over to the snout in attempt to preen the red scales and coo their affection to the dragon, the rabbit retaliated by repeatedly licking the bridge of the muzzle, soft and loving bunny noises following each lick.

In each of their beady black eyes, Fluttershy could see the love the animals held for their dragon caretaker. And in the green eyes of the dragon, she knew the love was returned to them. Just then, another sound, one that came from the throat of the reptilian, was a purr. The purr sounded like a cross between a soft growl and the purr of a kitten. Smokey purred for each of them in response to their displays of love. The sound was so cute to the ears of the pegasus. Right in front of her was a big, strong, carnivorous creature that could easily break the bodies of the little animals he purred to. The fact that he was so gentle, so tender, so sweet, and so loving to them, Fluttershy felt that she would almost burst from the preciousness of it.

Drawing away from the cluster, he rose up on his hind legs and turned around to Fluttershy. Slowly and carefully, he scooped her up in his strong arms. "I have a much more comfortable place for the lovely lady to sleep than this old couch." At that, Smokey carried her off gallantly to his left towards a door that was ajar. The door was nudged wide open, revealing a bedroom that was just as lightly furnished as the living room. All the room contained was a king size bed with sky blue sheets that matched the blanket still wrapped around her, a large chest at the foot of the bed, another fireplace on the far right of the room, and a few boxes stacked on the left.

Upon approaching the bed, Smokey slipped his tail underneath the covers to pull them down and make way for the pony. He gently set Fluttershy down upon the cool sheets and placed the covers over her. "Warm enough, my dear?" he asked as he tucked her in snuggly.

Fluttershy felt a chill shudder through her body despite the layer of covers. She looked up at the dragon and sniffled another strand of mucus. Smokey felt her shiver, and before she could answer, he left her to retrieve a warm wool quilt from the chest located at the end of the bed. He wrapped it around the mare, creating a cocoon of warmth. After that, he snatched the pillow from under her head to fluff it up for her before replacing it again. All of this pleased Fluttershy, and as she met the dragon's eyes, she smiled at him, even more grateful. "Um, thank you… so very much… Um… goodnight."

Smokey returned the smile, running a hand over her head. "You are quite welcome, Miss Fluttershy. Goodnight." After one final stroke over her head, he was gone, shutting the door behind him.

Fluttershy awoke with the sounds of scraping at the window on the room's right wall. Sniffling and rubbing at her moist nostrils, she sat up with her full attention on the mysterious noises. At first, she tried to convince herself that it was merely tree branches scratching against the pane, but soon her ears caught more noises. Growling joined the scratching, chilling the pegasus' insides with terror. The fear became even more pronounced when her eyes saw the shape of a creature's head through the frost-covered window. The creature outside scratched at the window more fiercely, managing to break off some of the frost. Fluttershy whimpered, her muscles paralyzed with fear. Soon the scratching was replaced with pounding. The resulting blow created cracks in the glass. Then all the noises ceased.

Fluttershy waited. She hoped what ever was on the other side of the window had left. Seconds went by, then minutes. Nothing. Just when she finally thought it was safe again, the creature returned, barreling through the glass, sending shards flying in all directions. The equine leaped back, landing on the edge of the bed. The glowing embers from the fireplace revealed the beast's identity. Hunched over on all fours, tatter-eared, silver-faced, with a battle-scared muzzle, stood a werewolf. A very, very hungry werewolf.

The beast was desperate. If there had been game for him to hunt down and kill, he would have no need to break in. Mother Nature was at her cruelest during the winter. When there was no game left for his pack, they would turn upon each other, devouring the weakest first. The smart ones, like him, fled the hungry fangs of their pack members before it was their turn. His body had grown weaker and weaker from hunger. His entire skeleton was visible under his once sheen coat, hairs limp against his flesh as if they were struggling to live. His weak muscles were reduced to strings and knots, all fueled on his will to survive.

The werewolf gazed at the mare, gustatorial sensations were excited within him at the sight of her. She was food. His mouth hung wide open, salivating in hungry anticipation. He slowly stalked forward, the mask of carnivorous malignity made Fluttershy spasm with horror. She finally released a blood-curdling scream that made the behemoth pin his one good ear flat against his head. Once the werewolf was at springing distance, the bedroom's door flew open and a red blur was thrown against him, slamming him against the stone wall.

"Miss Fluttershy! Into the living room!" Smokey directed at the mare even though he had his eyes on the werewolf, who shoved him off with his shoulder.

Fluttershy remained where she was, the terror within her defied any mobility. She could only watch as the battle began to unfold. The werewolf slashed at the dragon with his gleaming fangs, failing to cause any damage due to the durability of dragon scales and his body's drained energy. Smokey's balled fist flew back then administered a powerful blow to the side of the canine's head. The werewolf countered with his fangs then leaped back to avoid any counterattacks from the dragon.

The beast curled his lips back, baring his fangs to the roots in a vicious snarl. He charged in, hitting the dragon in the abdomen with his bony shoulder, knocking him off his feet. In an instant, he leaped for the throat where the softest scales were located. The teeth penetrated the scales, but they were not able to dig down into the thick vein which he sought to break apart. Letting go, the werewolf leaped aside at a safe distance. Trickles of blood escaped the bite wound, but it wasn't enough to effect Smokey. He quickly scrambled to his feet to continue the fight.

The instant the dragon got up, the werewolf closed in, clamping his teeth on his right arm as hard as he could muster. Smokey tried to pull away, but the werewolf held on, jaws clenching harder. The werewolf tasted blood and it encouraged him to hold on. He shook his head, teeth working at the muscle. The dragon cried out in pain and pounded his free fist against the werewolf's muzzle. The werewolf responded with a snarl. The beast's energy was already ebbing away due to his starvation. If the werewolf had been well-fed and fueled, the dragon surely would have lost the battle quickly. Fortune was smiling upon Smokey that night. The dragon turned his body around until he was side-by-side with the werewolf. His lengthy tail constricted itself around the beast's neck, cutting off his air flow. The werewolf floundered, and in seconds, the set of teeth unlocked from Smokey's arm, mouth wide in desperation for air. The dragon held his bleeding arm as he gazed into the panicking eyes of the werewolf. His body grew weak and he ceased struggling. His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth as short wheezes escaped from it.

As Smokey continued to watch the light fade from the werewolf's eyes, sympathy flooded his heart. The werewolf wasn't an enemy out to kill for pleasure, it was starving. Slowly, the dragon uncurled his tail from the werewolf's neck, which baffled the beast. He immediately gathered up Fluttershy and left the bedroom, closing and locking the door behind him with a few movements of his tail. He set the trembling equine back down onto the couch and he clutched his bleeding arm again.

Fluttershy was glad it was all over, but she was still in a state of shock. Her eyes traveled to his bleeding wounds and the need to tend to them swept over her, but the only mobility her body allowed was her fearful shuddering. She watched him closely as he turned his head into the direction of the kitchenette. She realized his eyes were on the pot atop of the stove. He then left her side to inspect it.

The dragon peeked inside of the pot. It was still halfway full. His eyes went back to the bedroom door, then back down at the chowder. He stared for a few moments in thought, then snapped out of it as if he had made a decision. Gripping the pot's handles, he lifted it off the stove. The wounds on his arm stung at this, but he tried to ignore it. Relying on his tail to unlock and open the door, he nudged it open and ventured inside.

The werewolf was breathing normally now, but he still lay limp on the stone floor. His nostrils caught an alien, yet enticing aroma that made him salivate all over again. His glassy eyes peered up at the dragon, the fear of death gripped him, figuring the dragon had returned to finish him off. It had confused him as to why he hadn't when he had won the earlier battle. In the wild, there was no such thing as mercy. It was a kill or be killed world. He watched the dragon's every move. After setting the silver pot onto the floor a couple of feet away from his nose, he kneeled beside his head. His hand loomed above him and he figured this would be when he would receive his ending blow. The dragon's hand came down upon his head gently, smoothing over the fur and ears. It was all strange and confusing to the werewolf.

"You're not a bad fellow. You're just hungry." The words flowed from the dragon's mouth in a tone with such non-hostility. Smokey removed his hand from the werewolf's head and the last thing he did was remove the mattress from its primary position upon the bed and drag it out of the bedroom, closing and locking the door behind him.

Now that some excitement is out of the way, here is another chapter!

Disclaimer Dude: Jess doesn't own My Little Pony.

The Lion and the Lamb

Chapter Five: A Little Tender Loving Care

Smokey ceased dragging the mattress once it was positioned in front of the fireplace - at a safe distance from the flames, of course. He groaned deeply and gripped the fang wound stinging his arm, which was coated in his dark red blood, and it continued to seep the liquid of life. Adrenaline spiked by the need to tend to his wounds, he scurried into the bathroom. He returned with the familiar bottle of iodine held horizontally between his jaws and a white towel pressed against the bottom row of bite marks on his arm.

The section of bottle in Smokey's jaw became lubricated with his saliva, enabling it to easily slip from his slick-surfaced teeth as he plopped down on his bottom several feet away from the bathroom's doorway. "Oh!" the dragon groaned in frustration as the bottle escaped his mouth and rolled away out of his reach.

Fluttershy looked on with worry gracing her features. Her unyielding urge to nurse the dragon rebuked her fear of the werewolf in the bedroom and her body was released from its abeyance. Unfolding her wings, she flapped them as she pushed herself off the couch with her hind legs. She grabbed the astray bottle of iodine with her good hoof, not minding the saliva, and set it down in front of Smokey.

"Where is the rest of the first aid supplies?" she asked hurriedly hovering in front of the large reptile.

"Under the bathroom sink. I'll get-" he started, then Fluttershy pressed her hoof down on his shoulder as his body began to make movements that indicated he was attempting to rise onto his feet.

"Oh no, no, no, no. I'll get them. Don't you move, mister," she commanded in a motherly tone. Precipitating herself into the bathroom and going through the inventory in the aforementioned space under the sink, she gathered up the same items Smokey had used when he had dressed her wound. She deposited them beside the dragon and zipped back into the restroom for more towels before returning to his side to begin tending to his own hurts. Though she had never fixed an injury on a dragon before, she possessed enough experience, knowledge, and good judgment to mend almost any infliction.

Smokey had not been anticipating this shy little pony to shake off her shock and take control of the situation. It was quite admirable in his perception. The first thing she did was press a clean towel to the uncovered section of bite marks on his arm. The dragon stared down at her with grateful eyes. A pair of minutes elapsed before Fluttershy took the blood-stained towel away and set it aside. Reaching for a few squares of gauze, she soaked them with iodine and proceeded to dab and wipe the wounds clean. She used both of her hooves as she worked considering the fact that tending to an injury was a bimanual task. Fortunately, the equine's painkiller was still in effect.

Smokey winced at the stinging pain every now and again. Fluttershy paused for a second to look up at him with sympathy-glazed eyes. As she reached up to pat him on the nose with her dressed hoof, she spoke to him in such a sweet voice.

"You poor baby," she crooned to him. For a moment, the dragon could swear that he felt his heart turn in his chest. "It's okay. It'll be over soon."

His eyes slowly slid shut as the touch lingered on his snout, struck by a wave of calm - even as Fluttershy resumed cleaning his wounds. He was eventually brought out of it once the pony went for the needle. As he watched the pegasus sanitize the threading needle, she plucked a hair from her mane just as he had done. He felt his muscles tense up as she threaded the capillaceous strand through the needle's loop and secured it in a knot.

Tilting her head back to look up at the dragon, she asked if he was ready to be stitched up. He nodded his answer and kept his arm still, trusting himself to her. The realization that the needle wouldn't be able to penetrate dragon scales hit Fluttershy. They would have to be removed if she was going to sew the skin back together. Tentatively, she grasped onto the first scale attached to the edge of the torn flesh, knowing that this was going to hurt Smokey. Yanking it off, the dragon responded with a pained yelp. A quick apology followed and the pony went away with removing more scales.

After what seemed like an excruciatingly long time, every single scale encircling each fang mark on Smokey's body had been removed, revealing a layer of skin underneath. Fluttershy left his wounds alone for a few minutes to allow the burning pain to ebb away from where scales used to be. Fluttershy softly stroked the dragon's upper arm in a comforting manner, her face morphed into an apologetic expression for causing him pain.

"I'm… I'm all right, my dear. Go right ahead." Smokey gestured with a tilt of his head for her to begin stitching his flesh back together.

"Oh… okay…" Threading needle at the ready, Fluttershy started stitching. The big reptile couldn't keep his eyes off of the pony. Her face had contorted into a look of concentration as she sewed wound after wound in smooth, gentle motions. Just by observing her technique, Smokey could plainly see that she was adept in dealing with injuries.

Each pinprick wound didn't require any more than a few stitches each. It didn't take long at all for Fluttershy to finish closing up the bite marks on his arm and neck. After that was accomplished, she snagged one of the towels and fluttered into the kitchen to soak it in warm water and lather it with a little soap. Gliding back over to the dragon, she scrubbed off the traces of blood then went over them again with a dry towel. Scooping up the soiled towels and squares of gauze, she directed herself back into the restroom. Upon depositing the used gauze into the trash bin sitting next to the toilet and tossing the towels into the bath tub for now, she washed her hooves and arms clean at the sink - also helping herself to a square of tissue paper to finally be rid of the globs of mucus within her nostrils and sanitizing her hooves afterward.

Fluttershy wasn't done with Smokey yet. Returning to him, she picked up the roll of gauze to wrap his arm and neck. Smokey offered a heartfelt smile to the mare. Never, in all his life, had he been cared for like this. He was so used to being the caretaker, he hadn't really expected her to tend to him like he had done with her. As Fluttershy tied off the bandages on his neck, the dragon touched his nose to her cheek.

"Thank you, Lady Fluttershy… I really appreciate it. I really do." Smokey rubbed his nose against her fur, finding the softness quite pleasant to the touch. Pulling his head back slightly, he gazed at the pony's face.

Fluttershy blushed softly at the touch. She smiled back at the reptile and reached her hoof to his head to stroke over the lengthy bridge of his snout. "Oh… you're welcome, Smokey… I'm… I'm used to taking care of animals… so… um… it was no trouble."

"Oh, you take care of animals, huh?" Smokey asked, raising a curious brow, wanting to be sure he heard correctly.

"Oh, yes. I love animals and I love taking care of them." Fluttershy ran her hoof over the dragon's muzzle again, more than happy to declare her passion for the creatures of the world.

"Why, aren't you just a perfect angel?" Smokey smirked, slightly teasingly, as admiration descended upon him again.

"O-oh… no… no, I'm not…" Blushing harder, the pegasus withdrew her hoof and settled her haunches upon the floor below.

"I think so, my dear," he insisted with a slight tilt with the head, the corners of his mouth stretching into a wider grin. Lifting his right hand to the side of her head, he slowly dragged an index finger over her cheek. "I think anyone with a big enough heart to care for animals certainly must be a perfect angel."

Ducking her head bashfully at another one of his flattering comments, she opened her mouth to thank him, her voice in a lower volume. "Th-thank you…"

"You are quite welcome, my dear." Eyes settled on the pony's flushing face, the dragon relished in her shy attitude. His hand followed her head to lightly brush his fingers over her cheek, resulting a deeper shade to tinge her cheeks.

Fluttershy didn't mind the dragon's fingers touching her cheek. The jet black talons at the end of his digits may have appeared sharp, but they were actually quite dull. Smiling a shy smile at the dragon, she tilted her head against his fingers, starting to find the physical contact pleasant. Suddenly, sounds of movement coming from the bedroom caused her to practically throw herself into Smokey's torso with a loud and terrified "Eep".

Smokey wrapped his arms around the startled mare in attempt to becalm her. Fluttershy already felt safer in the dragon's embrace. His arms were like an impenetrable fortress that defied all dangers that threatened to befall her. Even as the dragon tried to stand, she remained plastered against him, all four legs wrapped around his shoulders and waist. The reptilian carried her over to the mattress, his eyes fixated on the shivering lump under the thick covers. Lowering himself onto his knees, along with the pony still clinging to him, he pulled the covers off of the shuddering lump to reveal the baby griffin, rabbit, and doves clumped together in one terrified mass. He smiled calmly down at them, signifying that everything would be all right.

He glanced down at Fluttershy and addressed her in a tone that matched his smile. "It's all right, Miss Fluttershy. You can let go now. The big bad wolf won't get you."

Slowly climbing onto the mattress, the pony hesitantly removed her limbs from him and settled down onto the sheets. Smokey dropped onto his belly, pulling the quilt over himself and the equine, as well as the nervous animals. After curling up comfortably, Fluttershy shuffled back over, pressing her trembling body into his side.

"It's all right. I'll protect you," he assured Fluttershy as he lifted his injured arm and furled it protectively around her. Turning his attention to the small bundles that made their way over to his other side, he covered them with one of his wings, "all of you…"

With the dragon shielding them from any possible dangers, Fluttershy, the baby griffin, the rabbit, and the five doves shook off their fear of the werewolf in the bedroom and drifted off into a sound slumber. Smokey kept his ears open for any strange sounds, set in full-on protective mode. It didn't take long before the dragon himself nodded off.

As the dim winter morning fell upon Equestria, Smokey awoke to feel a source of heat concentrated at his right side where Fluttershy was located. Lifting the thick quilt off them both, the equine shivered heavily, reaching a foreleg low on energy to grab the edge of the quilt and cover herself again, still shivering. The animals, save for the griffin who was still sleeping in, congregated themselves around her head. They knew something was wrong with her.

"Fluttershy? Are… you all right, my dear?" he asked her, the worried looks on his animals made him uneasy. He received a long and miserable groan in response. The dragon reached over to touch a curious hand to her forehead. She was burning up. "Oh, dear…" he murmured, realizing that he had a sick pony on his hands.

Hooray! Time for the next chapter! Disclaiming tiiiime!

Disclaimer Dude: Jess doesn't own My Little Pony…

The Lion and the Lamb

Chapter Six: Comfort

Smokey set a towel wrapped around a chunk of snow upon Fluttershy's forehead to help reduce the fever. Even though the pegasus' shuddering body revolted against having anything cold touch her, she knew it was what she needed to fight the fever. Her painkiller had worn off and the dull throbbing in her hoof added to her misery.

The dragon retrieved another pain pill and a glass of water for her. "Here you are, Miss Fluttershy. Another painkiller for your hoof."

Removing the makeshift ice pack from her forehead, Fluttershy slowly sat upright. She accepted the proffered capsule and swallowed it down with the glass of water. Handing it back to the reptile, she snuggled back under the covers and replaced the cold press on her head.

"I'll go out and get you some medicine right away." Smokey brushed Fluttershy's cheek with the backs of his index and middle fingers. He wasn't too fond of the idea of waltzing into Ponyville and making its citizens uneasy with his draconian presence. However, it was inevitable since he would be performing his magic tricks in the local theater within the second week of spring.

Fluttershy found comfort in the dragon's soft touch. His voice also provided an additional source of solace for her. They had only known each other for several hours short of a whole day, and she could see in his emerald green eyes that he already cared deeply for her. She knew she had the ability to coax almost any animal into developing a liking toward her on sight and seeing the look of affection upon their faces never failed to warm her heart. Yet, somehow, for some reason unbeknown to her, she found this scaly beast's companionship more meaningful. As she contemplated on it, she settled for the theory because he was a dragon. A full grown dragon. A beast possessing great strength and catastrophic capabilities. The fact that she had one gentled beside her amazed her.

Rising to his feet, Smokey reused the empty glass, swallowing a painkiller himself. His own injuries weren't feeling so wonderful either. Placing the glass into the sink, he knelt before the presence of his animals. He gave each of them a gentle stroke on the head before moving onto the griffin, who had just awoken from her slumber moments ago.

The griffin opened her tiny beak wide, releasing a drowsy yawn, and greeted the dragon with a nuzzle to his hand as it was placed upon her downy head. "I'm going out for a little while, all right, sweetie?" he said to her, rubbing the balls of his fingers into her scalp before taking his hand away and standing straight up again.

The chick tilted her head, confused by the dragon's words. After he bid his farewell to the pegasus, he strode over into the direction of the door. The baby griffin followed him, now astir and free from her sleepiness. She ceased to a halt once the scaly creature turned on his heel and addressed her kindly. "No, young lady. Stay here."

The baby griffin understood the word "no", but the rest of Smokey's words were foreign to her. Realizing that her source of security was leaving her behind, fear gripped her like a vice. Knowing no other way to express herself, her face scrunched up showing a mixture of terror and sadness and her throat let out her first crying notes. She dropped to her belly and combat crawled over to the dragon, her eagle feet grasping onto his foot.

Smokey frowned at the pathetically heart-wrenching scene at his feet. He bent over to pick up the wailing baby. "It's all right. I'll come back. Please don't cry…" He held the griffin to his chest, trying to calm her. Those words were foreign to her as well, so she continued to wail in hopes of convincing the dragon to stay. He strayed to the recollections within his memory of the mothers he had witnessed in his travels and in films and how they soothed their children. Mentally selecting out of the array of options, he began to rock the little chick.

Naturally, the commotion grasped Fluttershy's full attention. In her sitting position, she watched the dragon pace the floor aback of the couch, his apparent anxiety building with each second. The note in the baby griffin's crying inspired her heart to ache for her. Spreading her tired wings, she flapped lethargically over to the dragon and followed him as he continued to pace.

"Um… Smogey?" she addressed to him quietly, her voice sounding quite strange and she was unable to properly pronounce due to her plugged up nostrils. When she didn't receive his attention, she figured the chick was drowning her out. She fluttered forth and tapped his shoulder.

Smokey turned around to see the sick pony hovering in place, body bobbing up and down slightly with every languid flap of her wings. She extended her forelegs out to him, her eyes gesturing him to give her the screeching chick. The dragon's eyes flashed with surprise. Even in sickness, the pegasus wanted to help him - he was then filled with even more admiration for her.

"Are you sure? You really should be resting. You are sick, after all," he queried unsurely with concern heavy in his voice. The pegasus nodded, still holding her forelegs out to receive the baby. Eyes jumping from the mare to the griffin, then back at the equine, he caved in and handed the little one over.

"Yes, I… I gan wadj 'er bor you." Fluttershy cradled the young griffin in her forelegs and glided back over to the mattress. The chick struggled in the pegasus' hold, jostling the pain in her hoof. The equine let out a soft whimper in pain, but she didn't let the baby griffin go. "Oh my… Id's ogay, liddle gribbin. You're sabe… Smogey will be righ' bag, don' you worry…"

The dragon didn't waste any time. He promptly exited the house, though he was reluctant to leave a crying child. He also felt guilty to be leaving the responsibility of looking after her to the sick pegasus when she clearly needed rest, even though she volunteered to do it.

Fluttershy allowed her nurturing persona to take over. Despite her own discomfort, she continued to speak to the weeping baby in a heartfelt motherly tone. Occasionally between long wails, the mythical creature fitted indistinguishable phrases of baby babbling. Always, the ending syllable would be carried out on a lengthy note until the griffin needed to refill her lungs with a choked gasp. She went on voicing her traumatizing abandonment by her source of security, all the while denying the safety of the equine's embrace. She didn't take Fluttershy as a source of security. Not when she had been tossed into a state of panic when Smokey left, and therefore clouding her mind and preventing rational thinking. The results would be all the same even if the griffin's brain wasn't cloudy, considering she only possessed limited rational thinking due to her young age.

By the time the effects of Fluttershy's painkiller began to kick in, much to her relief, her soothing voice began to break through the walls trapping the tiny animal within her panicked state. The young creature's cries subsided into gasps and moans, her cheeks soaked with tears. She looked up at the face of the equine holding her. The mare offered a reassuring smile, her eyes baggy and droopy and the fur under her nostrils glistening with moisture from mucus.

"You're ogay…" Fluttershy crooned, pulling the baby griffin closer. The pony nuzzled her cheek against the little animal's head in hopes of giving her further comfort.

Feeling a blanket of calm spreading over her from the tender touch, the sounds emanating from the griffin were diminished into occasional soft whimpers. Brick by brick, her wall of terror fell with each nuzzle and every word pronounced in the voice's sweet, reassuring pitch. As fear loosened its grip on the child and her mind began to clear, she studied the eyes of the pegasus. Within the shining blue-green orbs, reflected the same level of affection the dragon's eyes held. Stretching out her short forelegs, the baby griffin touched the mare's face. The baby griffin's curiosity soon drowned out her terror. A small smile found its way upon the tiny black beak, delighting in the softness of Fluttershy's fur.

Wearing a wide grin, Fluttershy felt her chest swell with warmth from the touch of the baby griffin's curious paws. She watched as the little one's eyes widened in wonder as she continued to have her face prodded by the eagle toes. As Fluttershy allowed the child to indulge herself in the texture of her fur, she stole a moment to acknowledge her accomplishment of calming her. Not only that, she was also bonding with her.

Opening her tiny beak, the baby griffin released a squeal that was followed by a giggle that inspired Fluttershy's heart to flood with maternal affection. By the causation of the flow of emotion, the pony leaned her head in to nuzzle the griffin with vehemence. More giggles from the chick followed the equine's action, resulting with even more nuzzles. The fluffy little baby copied the mare, rubbing her head against her cheek with a light chirp and a giggle.

The pair remained that way for a good half hour before Fluttershy finally set the baby griffin down on the mattress and pulled the sky blue quilt over their bodies. The pony slid her forelegs around the griffin, pulling her into a cuddle. The griffin didn't resist. The child snuggled into the warm softness of Fluttershy's coat. Both of them reveled in each other's warmth and comfort, until their eyes slid shut and they fell asleep in their cuddled position. As they slept on, the rabbit joined them at the foot of the mattress, and the birds fluttered over to the fireplace to keep themselves toasty by the heat radiating from the smoldering charred logs.

As an hour passed by, Smokey was greeted by the adorable sight located in the vicinity of the fireplace. One arm furled around a large brown paper bag of items while the other hand held a bluish pink glass vase containing an eye-catching bouquet of pink, purple, and lavender daisy poms, lavender and pink miniature carnations, purple butterfly asters, lavender limonium, and pink and lavender alstroemeria. The price of flowers had skyrocketed ever since winter. The flowers had to be imported from other parts of the planet in flourishing nurseries.

After setting the bag down on the counter, he walked over to where the group was gathered. Kneeling beside the mattress, he placed the vase on the floor above Fluttershy's head. He had to admit, he was quite impressed that the baby griffin was sound asleep, with a peaceful look on her face. All the more to admire of the pony. Silently, he watched the pegasus sleep, her mouth agape since her nostrils were plugged with nasal discharge, her light exhaling stirring the soft down upon the baby griffin's cranium.

'She's just so darling all curled up with the little chick…' Smokey thought to himself with a smile tipping his lips. Seeing the pony and the baby griffin curled up together under the quilt was all too sweet. The scene before him sent a warm sensation through his chest and abdomen.

The dragon spent a few minutes staring at the mare's peacefully sleeping face. Noticing a strand of her forelock had fallen and covered her eyes, he reached a hand over to softly brush it back into place. His fingers lightly traced the frame of her face, developing a sudden fascination for it. The rounded balls of his digits coasted down her cheek and curved under her chin, then the backs of his fingers went back to her cheek again. The pony smiled in her slumber at the touches, causing the dragon's own smile to widen in turn. After giving her cheek one final stroke, he picked up the towel that was now wet from absorbing the small amount of snow that had melted and replaced it on Fluttershy's head. Satisfied that the pony was getting the rest she needed, he rose to his feet and wandered into the kitchen to make soup.

Chapter Seven: Mommy and Daddy

With the largest pot Smokey possessed filled with broth, sliced vegetables, and herbs simmering upon the wood burning stove set on low heat, he prepared meals for his animals. The dragon opened the left cabinet door to the storage space built in under the counter and reached in to retrieve one of two industrial-sized bags. One was filled with bird seed, the other had grass pellets. The clawed hand grasped onto the rolled up top of the seed feed first.

As the crinkling sounds of the bag's material reached the ear holes and registered themselves into the brains of all five doves, they immediately took to the air and gathered at the table, disturbing the rabbit. The leporidae grunted his displeasure at having his nap interrupted-especially since the content of his dream consisted of a massive garden of ripe carrots that exceeded his size multiple times, and a very attractive spotted lop-eared doe.

Ears erecting and rotating into the direction of the kitchenette, they caught the familiar sounds of the crinkling bag of seeds-which made a similar noise to his bag of grass pellets-and triggered his hunger and anticipation for food. The rabbit ditched his nest of warmth and hopped from the wooden chair beside the table and onto the flat surface of said table, joining the feather creatures where they all waited to be fed.

Two of the more impatient doves shoved themselves in front of the others, wanting to be the first to eat. The remaining avian beings with the more placid natures waited for the plate to be set down before taking their places around the pile of seeds-and after the aggressive birds began eating.

The rabbit watched his scaly caretaker go back into the kitchenette to fill up a small bowl with pellets and sliced up bits of half a carrot. Smokey knew a diet with nothing but vegetables wasn't suitable for a rabbit considering the fact that all the water content packed the potential to cause the long-eared mammal urinary problems.

After setting the bowl of grass pellets beside the brown rabbit, Smokey cautiously approached the bedroom door, his ear frills flared and perked forth for any indication that the werewolf might still be inside…

All that reached him was silence…

Pressing an ear frill flat against the wooden door, he listened carefully for any disturbance on the other side…

Still, the silence remained.

For fear that the werewolf may still be lurking inside the room-just waiting quietly-, the nervous dragon reached a hesitant hand to the doorknob, retracting every now and again as if it were a live cobra ready to strike. Starch tension piling itself on top of his muscles, he slowly twisted the knob and pushed the door open just as slowly, hinges creaking in complaint. Leaving the gaping crack at the width of his head, Smokey poked it through, reflexes at the ready in case of any sudden attacks. Eyes swiftly scanning the room, he discovered the werewolf was no longer residing there. As relief washed away the burden of anxiety, the red-scaled reptile entered to recover the silvery pot he'd left last night. It was resting on its side a few feet away from the exact spot he placed it.

Lowering himself onto one knee, his clawed fingers curled around one of the pot's handles in a firm grip and lifted it off the floor to check out the inside. There was not a single remaining drop of chowder within. The werewolf had devoured the creamy dish and licked the pot's interior spotless. Smokey's emerald green eyes swept across the clearing of the room that had served as a battlefield the previous night. Broken pieces of glass from the window were carpeted abroad the stone floor; many of them had been flung around by the affray, along with specks of blood here and there.

Pushing himself up from his kneeling position, Smokey exited the room with his pot in hand and closed the door behind him. He didn't want anyone wandering inside and cutting their feet on the shards of glass. Though he doubted anyone would walk in while he quickly got the broom, but he was compelled by the protective side of his nature. The reptile placed the pot down upon the countertop beside the full sink, then directed himself to the space between the long counter on the right of the stove and the refrigerator where a broom was propped up against the wall. Collecting the broom and the dust pan from inside the counter cabinet, he immediately went back into the bedroom to clean up the mess.

xxx

An hour and a half's time elapsed. The bedroom's floor was swept and scrubbed clean, the towels in the bathtub saturated with Smokey's blood had been thrown out-he would pick up new ones on his next trip to the store-, and the dishes were washed and stored away in their proper places; he checked on the soup and his charges in intervals. The winged beast performed all of these tasks with minimal noise, not wanting to wake up his guests.

Gently swishing the ladle in the concoction of broth and vegetables, Smokey silently meditated on the prior day's events and the present matters at hand. What with having a sick equine and a griffin toddler on his claws; on top of taking care of his own animals and making sure he had his magic act perfected for spring. Learning to perform actual magic had proved to be an exceedingly difficult task for him several years ago. Heck, he still had trouble with the more elaborate tricks. Under an apprenticeship, it had taken a year to even tap into his magical energies and learn his first trick. Not to mention maintaining any living space he acquired over his years of traveling. It was fortunate that his animals were capable of assisting him.

Spurred by hunger, the baby griffon roused from her slumber. Extricating herself from the sleeping pegasus' unconscious embrace in a series of wriggles and twists, the altricial being padded towards the kitchenette and came to a stoppage beside the large reptile with a look of expectancy. She waited at his foot, but he didn't notice her. For Smokey had detached himself from reality to file through his thoughts, most of them concerning the ill pony and the griffon herself.

Growing impatient, the little bundle of white released a loud squawk-but not loud enough to disturb Fluttershy's rest-that reeled the dragon back to the third dimension. The sudden noise sparked a flash of adrenaline in him, but it swiftly died down into miniscule currents as Smokey identified the squawk as the infant when he discovered her at his right foot.

Setting the ladle aside with a gentle smile, he sat down on his hams, hands clasping his knees. "You know, little lady, a nudge would've sufficed." With a soft chuckle, he straightened his body to its full height and directed himself to the almost overflowing brown paper bag he had brought back with him on his trip out to Ponyville.

It was still early in the morning when the inhabitants-sans pony and griffon-within the dragon's cozy abode had awaken; and when the said dragon had left to retrieve medicine as well as other necessities. Not as many ponies were active in the dim gray mornings before the sun even had a chance to burn away the remnants of the night's chilling air. It meant that there were less of them he would scare with his appearance. Full grown dragons lumbering down the streets of pony populated areas wasn't exactly the norm.

Smokey didn't have any problems with finding items he needed or checking out-as equines in line just dropped their things and made a mad dash for the door. It was the general customer service that stalled him. It took quite a while to coax the cashier into allowing him to pay for the merchandise he picked out.

One by one, he pulled out his purchases, setting them down upon the surface of the counter left and right; a set of three fleece bibs-each sporting a different animal in the center-, new towels to replace the ones he thrown out, a soft stuffed panda bear with a squeaker stuffed into its belly, a book on the fundamentals of parenting, and a second book filled with baby names. The bottom of one of the bags happened to have the most important items at the moment: several jars of baby food and Fluttershy's medicine.

Removing one of the jars, Smokey clasped the lid in an iron grip and opened it with an audible pop. The aroma of mushy alfalfa stewed with beets filled the dragon's nostrils. Not bothering with a bib right now, he dropped onto his knees before the awaiting chick, her mouth already wide open in anticipation.

"All right, sweetie, here it is." Lowering the jar within her reach, he proceeded to feed the baby griffon her first bite.

"Bleh!" came the response, apparently not very fond of the combined tastes in the manufactured mixture.

The sight of the baby griffon scrunching up her face in distaste inspired a bemused laugh from the large reptile. "Come here, little darling. Let's finish the rest of-" Jar of baby food inching toward the young chick, the rest of his words died in his throat when she turned tail and fled the kitchenette. Despite the nagging gurgles of hunger, the white bundle was certain she didn't want to taste that again.

Gathering his weight and steadying it on his legs, Smokey pushed himself up off the floor and pursued the infantility. He witnessed the child sheer her course to the mattress where the sleeping pony laid, sparking worry that she might wake up the poor equine. Before he could even get into springing distance from her, the griffon tucked her tiny beak underneath the hem of the sky blue quilt and disappeared.

As Fluttershy slept, she had felt an oddity under the blanket with her. A tickling sensation, not unlike a feather duster, was rustling up against her wing. With a mirthful squeal, the mare stirred while shuffling to lightly push the ticklish thing away from her. The combination of physical contact of the baby's body and vibrations carried by the springs within the mattress extracted by her movements jostled Fluttershy awake. Blue-green eyes springing open, the pony rolled over onto her side with a confused expression.

Her head was still a bit stuffed up from her clogged sinuses because of the cold, and her it was throbbing lightly due to the sudden surprise wake-up call. Her vision was blurry, and she wasn't able to determine what had woken her up. Staring down at the lump in the bed beside her, she watched it wiggle and move around beneath the blanket, making its way towards her flank.

With a panicked gasp, she recoiled to the bottom edge of the mattress, but not before grabbing the hem of the blanket between her teeth with intentions on pulling it over herself to hide. However, it didn't need to come to that. With the baby griffon exposed, a weak smile came to her face relief flooding through her as she realized what was going on. This all happened so fast that Smokey had no time to react and reassure.

"Oh!" Fluttershy chuckled in a motherly tone, reaching over with both forelegs to wrap around the baby. Pulling her up and laying back down on her side again, the pegasus nuzzled the chick in her forelegs. "Hello there, little one. What were you doing under there?"

The sight of the chick curling up in the mare's embrace painted a smile on the dragon's face as he approached the side of the mattress and slowly lowered himself onto his knees. With a warm chuckle, he prepared to answer the pegasus.

"She's attempting to escape from her breakfast." A playful smirk tugged at the corners of his lips with an insisting gesture with his hands to the griffon. "Come on, sweetheart. You need to eat. I'm sorry I grabbed beets and alfalfa. I was looking more at nutrients than flavor."

Providing the healthiest food for his animals has always been Smokey's top priority. However, caring for a child was far more different than an animal, and it was a lesson he was only beginning to scratch the surface of. Being so used to looking at nutrition, he automatically overlooked taste.

Extending the jar, Smokey attempted to coax the baby into accepting the mush. Just as she had done before, the child turned away, scrunching up her face in disdain.

Fluttershy giggled softly at his attempts. "You really should eat it. It's good for you," she said, leaning over to nuzzle the young chick again. "I bet it's not so bad. Here."

Giving Smokey a smile, she leaned forward to lap up a little bit into her mouth to prove her claim to the baby. "Mmmm…"

Though, as soon as the baby food actually reached her taste buds, her eyes bulged out. Her face contorting in a wild mess of revulsion and disgust, the pegasus pursed her lips and rolled her eyes into her head as her cheeks puffed out. Slowly, forcibly, she gulped down the repulsive tasting concoction and stuck her tongue out before nervously giving the dragon and griffon chick a grin.

"Uhm… Yum, yum. Delicious," she weakly stated in a breathless choke that wasn't fooling anyone.

Smokey snorted, his cheeks inflating outward as he struggled to hold in a massive bubble of laughter at the pegasus' reaction. It was just too funny! Inhaling a deep breath through his nostrils and exhaling out of his mouth while still fighting back his laughter in an effort to calm himself, he waited a few moments to quell down.

"She tasted it, so I'm not sure that'll work… I shall have to consort with the parenting book I purchased." he informed. "Since I'll be keeping her, I might as well call her my daughter," he added with a smile directed at the mare and chick.

Of course. Yes, that would have made sense if the child had eaten it first. Fluttershy didn't blame her at all-that baby food tasted pretty terrible!

She opened her mouth to offer a suggestion, when she was suddenly caught off guard by the dragon's words. Eyes widening a bit, she felt a protective surge of jealousy rise up within her breast. Now hold on a minute! He was keeping her? She found her first! Granted, he saved both of their lives, but surely being the one to discover the baby had to account for something, right?

Not to mention, didn't the little one have parents? In fact, that thought paused the pegasus for a bit. What happened to the poor thing's mother and father anyway? There had to be some reason she was alone. Did she get separated from them and was just never found? Or, did something happen…?

Her thoughts turned to the werewolf… and it suddenly dawned on her of the possibility of what could've happened. Giving a small gasp through her semi-plugged nostrils, she instinctively pulled the baby closer as the dark thought ran through her mind. No… no, that couldn't have happened… could it?

"Uhm," she spoke up. "What about her real parents?" she asked "Couldn't they possibly still be out there somewhere? What will you do if they come looking for her?"

She glanced off to the side for a moment. "Besides," she whispered, the tiniest hint of possessiveness lacing her intonation, "…I found her first."

Fluttershy raised a valid point. What if the griffon's parents were still alive and searching for her? The answer was simple. "Well, if they do show up… I'll give her back… After all, it wouldn't be right to keep a child away from its parents."

The red-scaled beast smiled warmly down at the little one as she snuggled into the pony's toasty, soft fur. She certainly had bonded with her in such a short amount of time, and Smokey felt foolish he hadn't even considered the possibility that she may have wanted the baby too. It wouldn't be right to keep her from Fluttershy either, if she was indeed an orphan.

"You know…" he began, lifting his eyes back to Fluttershy's. "She could use someone to call Mama as well. Shouldn't every child have a daddy and a mommy?" he asked, arching a brow with a smirk.

The pink-maned pegasus blinked up at the dragon. Yes, yes, that was the sensible thing. Give the child back to her parents. Of course, she'd have done the same thing...

But, as he mentioned the baby needing both a mommy and a daddy, she suddenly went beet red in the face. Wait, he couldn't possibly have been suggesting…? No, they barely knew each other!

"Oh… my…" she squeaked, her still semi-feverish mind cooking up an odd mental image. No, that was just silly! She… no, he was just being metaphorical… Wasn't he?

'He is certainly nice enough…" she thought. She hadn't met very many dragons, and she had always heard stories about them. Yet, here he was, before her and completely defying every possible bad rumor and horror story she had heard about his race while fully grown. Sure, there was Spike, but he'd been raised among ponies…

It was then Fluttershy realized she didn't really know much about him at all.

Chapter Eight: Let Them Eat Soup

Immediately noticing the sudden blush on Fluttershy's face, a responding pink bloomed upon Smokey's scaly cheeks. Ear frills drooping slightly in flustered embarrassment, he held free hand up in a defensive gesture with a light shake.

"Oh! Uh… I-I didn't mean it like that, Miss Fluttershy. I just, uh, thought that… you know, it's good for a child to have a male figure and a female figure to look up to, a-and since we found her, w-why not it be us? Why can't she call us Mom and Dad? We… we wouldn't be… you know, a couple, or anything-just friends.

"That is… if you are all right with calling me your friend." With a nervous chuckle, the dragon ran his clawed hand over the flexible orange spines jutting from the back of his neck, thinking how awkward the situation had turned out to be. If only he'd chosen his words more carefully in the first place.

The little white bundle of downy feathers and fur chirped lightly to the pegasus holding her, her tiny beak attempting to preen the small hairs on the pony's chest for a few seconds before she grew bored of it. Wriggling her way out of the equine's forelegs, she crawled over to the pillow, her bright eyes wide with childish curiosity as she gazed upon the bouquet Smokey had bought.

Fluttershy nervously gave a small grin, with a soft yet audible "squee" sound as she did so.

"Oh, no, that's… that's fine." She continued to blush as she gazed off in the opposite direction of the chick, rubbing her now free hooves together. "I understand." Bringing her hooves in closer to her chin, her grin shrank into a smaller smile with a brief giggle.

"In fact… I'd love to be your friend Mr. Smokey," she said, returning her eyes to his, her voice growing a bit stronger and more pronounced as she slowly relaxed. He really was a nice dragon, she was beginning to fathom.

The large reptile's smile increased in length at the mare's acceptance, a rising tempo of bliss filling every fiber of his body. He actually had to restrain himself from leaping at her and enveloping her in a tight hug-even more so than a few moments ago due to that adorable noise she emitted. At the very most, he allowed his tail to give a happy swish.

"Thank you, Lady Fluttershy…" His voice was straining to retain control, as he didn't want to sound too excited and possibly cause another awkward moment. "That… really means a lot to me. I mean, being a traveling magician is great because I can travel all over Equestria, but… it can be very lonely."

Smokey paused as he gave a tilt of his head into the direction of the table on the other side of the room where his animals were still eating. "Their company is wonderful. I love them very much, and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world, but it's nice to have someone who I can actually hold a conversation with."

"Oh, that's right." Fluttershy paused and looked around. "I almost forgot about that."

She gazed around his humble abode, the warm and homely environment suggesting to have more of an air of permanence. It suddenly dawned on her that Smokey didn't seem to have much-in fact, it seemed he lived a minimalist lifestyle. "You must've met a lot of ponies during your travels."

Smokey's brows furrowed lightly as his mind scanned the various ponies who had been brave enough to approach him personally. Almost all of those equines had been past employers he worked for before taking up his occupation as traveling entertainment. Fortune hadn't smiled upon him in his early years, as the ponies he had worked for treated him more like a slave than a fellow citizen.

"I have met a few ponies in my life, but usually ponies just stayed away from me outside of work. It comes with being a dragon, I suppose." A frown quickly replaced his smile, sadness descending upon him as images of frightened Equestrians flashed through his mind.

His thoughts were swiftly derailed as his ear frills perked, picking up the sound of glass scraping across the stone floor. Emerald eyes swiveling into the direction of the noise, the dragon realized the baby griffon was uncomfortably close to the vase that held the bouquet. He noticed it was now positioned a few inches away from the exact spot he had planted it. She must've moved it, he concluded.

Just as the baby pawed at it, tipping it over this time, Smokey lunged at it. Landing on his belly with an "Oof!" and extending his arm, the vase landed safely in his cupped hand.

"Oh! Careful!" she called over, moving to scoop up the chick in her forelegs again-at least, long enough to deposit her back onto the mattress next to her and away from the vicinity of the vase. A twang of guilt strummed through her; she had been so focused on the dragon before her, she entirely neglected the poor child.

"Are you okay, Smokey?" she asked, risking a quick glance at the draconian while still keeping an eye on the baby to make sure she didn't try anything like that again.

The chick giggled, batting a foot playfully at Fluttershy's dangling mane before gathering herself to pounce on her hoof, and nuzzled her head against her leg in a show of affection. In return, Fluttershy rubbed the little one's head while she waited for Smokey's reply.

A resounding chuckle emanated from Smokey. Dragging himself back with the vase in a firm grip, he pushed himself into his previous sitting position. "Of course," he replied with a toothy grin.

If he hadn't taken a painkiller earlier, the action he performed surly would've jostled the pain in his wounds. Eyes lowering to the flowers in the vase, he lifted his free hand to reposition them. "I got these for you. I always believed that nothing says 'get well soon' better than flowers."

While this was indeed true, a small part of him also wanted to see her reaction to such a gesture. Maybe he would get another adorable flustered response. Eager to see what the mare would do, his vision returned to her.

"Oh… Um… Thank you," Fluttershy managed to mumble out. She honestly hadn't expected to receive flowers-even if they were for the winged reptile showing his concern for her well being. Slowly and cautiously, she leaned off to the side to take a couple of sniffs, blushing all the while. "They're… lovely. And they smell… nice!"

Smokey was satisfied with the mare's reaction. She was just positively adorable when she blushed! "You're welcome. I'm glad to see your sinuses have cleared up enough to smell. Perhaps I should give you your soup before they clog up again."

Vase still in his grip, his attention traveled back to the jar of baby food he had set down abreast the mattress. "Hm… Maybe it would be considered child abuse to make the child eat something that actually tastes that bad," he added with a chuckle, and tossed a playful grin at Fluttershy. "I suppose she can have soup as well, until I re-check the kinds of baby food I bought."

"Yes, that would be a good idea," she chuckled. "On both accounts."

Settling back down on the mattress, Fluttershy covered herself with the blanket again. While she was beginning to feel a little bit better, she still felt rather tired-and her stomach was rumbling. Soup sounded delicious right now. She wasn't sure if she could ingest anything solid. Gazing down at the baby beside her, she reached out with her good hoof to gently rub her head again.

"Would you like to curl back up with me?" she asked. "Smokey… I mean, Daddy's getting some nummies for us."

"And medicine." Smokey reminded himself of the full bottle he left on the counter among the array of items he had purchased earlier. Rising onto his feet, he strode back into the kitchen, setting the vase onto the counter and retrieved two bowls of vegetable soup-one containing a less amount than the other. He didn't want to give the skinny griffon too much food. He would gradually increase the amount in her meals.

The yellow pegasus smiled into the direction of the kitchenette as she snuggled into the sheets. Feeling a bit sleepy, she waited for Smokey to return as she stroked the baby's down and fur. She was just about to nod off when she heard her caretaker's claws scribbling on the floor.

Returning to the winged equine and their newly adopted child with the hot soup, the dragon slowly lowered himself back onto his knees. His own stomach was nagging at him for sustenance, but he wanted his guests to eat their fill first.

Smelling the tantalizing scent of the soup, the baby griffin lunged at the reptile's lap and squawked her eagerness to devour what ever he had that smelled so good.

"Hold on. Your food needs to cool first," Smokey chuckled with a warm and adoring smile directed at the youngster.

Sitting up with a smile directed at the dragon, she nodded in agreement. "He's right, sweetie. You'll have to wait a little, first."

The baby griffon didn't understand the meaning of waiting, all she knew was she was hungry and wanted food now. As a result, she squawked louder at the dragon, who merely smiled down at her with patient eyes.

"In a few minutes, I promise." Holding out the bowl with the larger quantity of soup out for Fluttershy to take, the book filled with baby names suddenly reminded him of something. "We need to pick out a name for her, don't we, Miss Fluttershy? I got a book of baby names while I was out."

Fluttershy graciously accepted the bowl. Smiling warmly at Smokey, she gave a nod of gratitude before taking a breath and blowing to cool the soup down a little. As the red-scaled creature voiced his suggestion, her ears perked up at the thought.

"That's a wonderful idea," she stated, turning her attention to the griffon chick. "Yes, that's right, she does need a name, doesn't she? I wonder what would be a good name for her?"

"What ever fits her, I suppose," he replied before blowing into the bowl currently in his hands.

After a few minutes elapsed, he finally lowered the bowl to a level where the chick could reach it. The baby griffon chirped, face diving straight into the soup, and slurping it up ravenously. Smokey laughed in bemusement, removing one hand from the bowl to stroke the length of the infant's body. "Careful there, darling. We don't want you to get a bad tummy ache."

Fluttershy giggled again, her giggling growing into an outright laugh as she watched the young baby. Finally tearing her vision from the chick, she raised the bowl to her lips and slowly slurped down the liquid-feeling the hot meal slide down her throat and warm her up from the inside. Lowering the bowl, she blushed lightly as she let out a contented sigh.

"Mmmm…" she hummed, licking her lips. "This is wonderful. Thank you, Smokey." With that, she took another large sip, taking care not to eat too quickly.

The dragon smiled, feeling a swell of gratification at the compliment over his soup. "You're welcome. I am glad you like it. There is plenty, so if you want more, all you have to do is ask."

"Thank you." She smiled again, gazing down at their newly and unofficially adopted daughter.

With another amused chuckle at the baby griffon while she quite noisily slurped up her meal, Smokey ran a clawed finger over her downy head. "She certainly is a beautiful baby… Even if she is a noisy eater."

"Yes, she is," the pegasus agreed, taking another long slurp. Feeling that was enough for now-having consumed over half the contents of the bowl-Fluttershy set it down on the stone floor beside the mattress for the time being.

Reaching over, Smokey took Fluttershy's bowl upon noticing the physical signal that she had enough. His eyes went back to her, his mouth opening to say something when he noticed a tiny trickle of broth on her lower lip. Settling the bowl beside the jar of baby food, he brought his hand to her face, his thumb gently wiping off the rivulet of soup.

"There… You had a little on your face."

The pegasus hadn't even realized that she had left a small mess on her face. She was so content with watching the baby eat that she had not felt the tiny stream on her bottom lip. As he reached her for her, she gazed up at him in wonderment, and finally understood when Smokey made that quick wipe with his thumb. Her heart beat faster, and she subconsciously felt a desire to lean into his touch. Feeling her cheeks flush with blood, she went red in the face for the third time that hour.

"Th… thank you, Smokey." She gave a shy smile, as a lock of her rosy hair fell out of place and covered her left eye.

The winged beast let out a soft laugh, his chest growing warm at the sight of her. "You're welcome, Miss Fluttershy."

He took a moment to look at her, charmed once again by her bashful behavior. Deciding to tease her again, he extended his hand to her head again, the dull tips of his talons gliding across her hot cheek as his fingers pushed the stray lock of mane out of her face. "Are you always this adorably shy, my dear?" he asked in a playful tone, his eyes narrowed a little and his brow arched with a just as playful grin.

Her blush going even deeper, her lips lightly pursed and quivered as she felt a chill tingle down her spine at his caress. She squeaked out lightly, shrinking back and partially away from him as she averted her eyes.

She mumbled out a response, though it was muddled and mostly inaudible and Smokey was unable to hear it.

Smokey drew his hand away from her with another resounding chuckle. "I'm going to guess that was a yes."

The dragon stole another moment to indulge himself in Fluttershy's shyness before he was eventually interrupted by a rather loud belch coming from his lap. Tipping his nose downward, he found that the baby griffon had eaten her fill, a satisfied smile tipping her little black beak as she flopped over with a sigh. Her entire face was soaked with broth, tiny tidbits of carrot and celery clinging to the down in various spots.

The pegasus became oddly thankful that the baby chick diverted his attention. Pulling away from his touch, she glanced down at the small child upon the dragon's lap and gave a little giggle as she observed her.

"Someone needs another bathing." Scooping up the baby griffin in his arms, he lifted himself off of his haunches. As he was about to turn away, Smokey went to Fluttershy with a question apparent on his features. "Miss Fluttershy? Would you like a cup of hot tea to wash down the taste of the medicine after I give it to you?"

Hearing his question, the mare turned her eyes back upon his own, giving a shy nod. She hadn't thought about it at first, but now that he mentioned it, some hot tea would be wonderful to wash down the soup she had just consumed.

"Oh, um… yes. That would be… wonderful. Thank you."

"Alright then. I shall get to it after I give our little bundle of joy a bath." Moving the baby into one arm, Smokey bent over to pick up both bowls, stacking one in the other, and curled the end of his tail around the jar of baby food when he turned around.

Depositing the bowls into one section of the sink and lifting his tail to set the jar upon the counter, the dragon turned on the squeaky tab and proceeded to bathe the griffon.

Chapter Nine: Chenoa

Squeals of bliss leaped from the child, delighting in the warmth of the water and the reaction the griffon received from it as she wriggled around. Splashing was fun! Her adoptive male guardian seemed to enjoy it, too. Why else would he be smiling and snickering every now and again?

The pink-maned pony settled back on the bed, rolling flat on her back and snuggled under the blanket. Closing her eyes lightly, she listened in as the sounds of the baby washing up drifted in from the adjacent room. The precious sounds emitting from the chick plastered a large smile on the equine throughout the duration of bath time.

Pulling the baby griffin out of the sink, Smokey reached underneath the cabinet underneath to acquire a towel. Wrapping her up in a cocoon of soft fabric, his scaly hands rubbed it into the little one's body, absorbing the water from her pelt. Of course, the dragon would also need to dry off the portion of his body that fell victim to her splashing. Not to mention the smooth granite surrounding the sink and the floor beneath his feet. His toes could feel some of the water that had made it onto the floor.

"You were such a good girl," Smokey praised the little chick, his voice at a much higher pitch. "Yes, you were. Yes, you were!"

Cradling the still wrapped up child in one arm, Smokey got to work preparing Fluttershy's tea. Opening up one of the overhead cabinets, he scanned the various types of tea he had. He was an active tea drinker himself and naturally possessed quite a collection to choose from. Stepping away from the shelves, he peered over at the pegasus. He should probably ask her what kind of tea she liked.

"Miss Fluttershy? What kind of tea would you like? I have green, red, black chai, ginger, raspberry, peach, mango, and lemon."

Muffling a squeaking sound as her attention was suddenly called, she rolled over to face into his direction. Eyes fluttering open, she was silent for a few seconds as she considered her options.

"Um… I would like some ginger and lemon, if possible. Though, what ever you think would be nice is… fine," she ultimately decided. She didn't really care, though she knew lemon and ginger-even green tea-were good options to help combat a cold due to their natural effectiveness.

Brain processing the mare's choice, the dragon tossed a playful smirk at her. "Ginger and lemon mixed together? You are quite daring, aren't you?" As he turned away, his mind was hit with another option that could be introduced into Fluttershy's tea. Re-positioning his body into her direction again, he opened his mouth to ask, "Honey?"

Fluttershy blinked once, staring up at the ceiling with some confusion. What did he just say?

"Um…" she began, looking over at the kitchenette with a glance of confusion. He certainly was affectionate, but she didn't expect him to be this affectionate. They hadn't even known each other for two days! "… I'm sorry… What did you call me…?"

As Smokey realized that Fluttershy thought he had called her 'honey', he barked out a laugh and shook his head. Finding the dragon's laughter contagious, the little griffon even emitted a couple strings of giggles. Once his laughter slowed to a few huffs, he shook his head again. "No, no. I meant would you like honey in your tea?"

The mare shrank back, feeling embarrassed and ashamed for jumping to the wrong conclusion. How could she have been so silly? It was obvious!

"Oh. Yes… yes, I would like that." The honey also had some additional properties. Battling a sore throat, for instance. Even though she didn't have one, she knew the sweet, syrupy substance mixed in her tea wouldn't hurt matters at all.

Feeling the young griffon squirming in his arm, Smokey figured he should put her down while he worked. Whirling back around and departing from the kitchenette, the dragon strode back over to Fluttershy and held the infant out to her. "Would you like to take her while I make your tea?"

"Of course." Smiling, the mare extended her forelegs to take the young griffon from him. Pulling her into an embrace, she nuzzled the baby, the fresh scent of clean down and fur tickling her nostrils. "Such a sweet little baby," she mumbled, and nuzzled her again.

Chirping and babbling in an incoherent speech, the griffon snuggled into Fluttershy's forelegs, her little beak attempting to preen her new mother's fur.

Cooing, Fluttershy held the baby close, her chest filling with warmth as she realized what the little one was doing. Closing her eyes partially, she returned the favor, going through the down on top of her head first.

Smokey couldn't leave the pair just yet. Eyelids dropping halfway over his emerald green pools as he smiled down at them in an endeared trance. The sight of them together sparked a pleasant glow in his heart.

"You two are just too sweet together. I just might wake up tomorrow morning with a mouthful of cavities."

Glancing up at the dragon, the pony giggled, ending with an audible squeak.

"I'll leave you two to bond while I make your tea." After receiving an acknowledging nod from the pegasus, the winged reptile reluctantly left his charges and directed himself back into the kitchen. Reaching into the open cabinet, he removed the small boxes of ginger and lemon tea then rummaged through his kitchenware for the tea kettle. Filling the metallic kettle with water, he placed it upon one of the stove's burners.

Now that the water was in the process of heating up, Smokey shifted to the section of counter where he had deserted his groceries. He eyed the bottle of medicine for a few seconds, ultimately deciding he would give Fluttershy a proper dosage once she had something to drink. He didn't want to leave her waiting for her tea with the awful taste of medicine in her mouth.

"You're so cute." Fluttershy sighed, before a thought expression passed over her face. "I can only wonder what happened to your parents…"

The gears in her head began to turn as she contemplated on various possibilities. She may have found the chick on her property, but the trail of footprints made it obvious she came from the Everfree Forest. Though, that didn't make any sense. Wasn't the Griffon Kingdom to the north, past Canterlot? What had a small baby be doing so distanced from there?

It was possible that her parents simply moved into the forest, much like Zecora had. The zebra made her home here in the woods not too far from her cottage, and she hailed from a far-off, exotic location herself. Still, that had left Fluttershy pondering what exactly the child's biological parents were doing here-if they even lived here at all. Perhaps they were just heading home and got lost? Or maybe they had to rest and they were attacked, or possibly…

The yellow-coated mare winced, a hoof rising to her temple as her headache flared up from trying to envision all of the possibilities. There were too many questions and not enough information. She figured, for her sake, it would be best to not think about it.

After he finished going through the jars of baby food, Smokey's attention then went to the stuffed panda, a smile tipping his lips. Grabbing the plush animal, the draconian went back to the pony and griffon, presenting it as he sat down on the floor beside the mattress. "I got our little girl a toy to play with."

Lifting her head up, the mare smiled at the dragon as he sat back down next to them, and then to the toy he held in his claws.

"Oh, it's so cute!" she exclaimed. "Look, sweetie! Look what Daddy has!"

As the pegasus gestured for her to look behind her, the baby griffon glanced back to see the dragon holding something that appeared very cuddly and all around appealing to the eyes. Smiling as she exclaimed a single syllable in her high pitched baby voice, she wriggled out of Fluttershy's hold to inspect the object. The mare's smile couldn't possibly grow any wider at the happiness the chick expressed. She liked it!

"This is a panda, sweetheart. It's one of the cutest creatures in the world. Besides yourself," he said, pausing as he glanced over at his animals, "and bunnies and birdies." He went quiet again, his eyes sliding back to Fluttershy with a teasing smirk spreading across his maw. "And your mommy."

Fluttershy nodded along with Smokey. She loved bunnies and birdies, too! She opened her mouth to begin to explain she had a pet rabbit and had often conducted a bird choir, when she suddenly went rosy in her face all over again. The winged equine remained bashfully silent with the blush staining her cheeks for a moment or two, then was suddenly hit with concern.

"Oh! Bunnies! Bunny! Angel bunny!" She met the dragon with alarmed eyes. "I completely forgot about Angel bunny back at home!" She gasped. "If I'm here, then who's going to take care of him?!"

Smokey blinked for a second before his face contorted to share Fluttershy's concern. "You have a rabbit as well? Do you have any friends near where you live who may notice you are missing and take care of him?"

While he hated the thought of an animal possibly being neglected, the pony wasn't in any condition to just go out into the relentless cold, even if it was to check on any creatures she may have. She might get even worse if she did so. If anything happened to her as a result of that, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for quite a while.

Fluttershy's large, panicked eyes shrank down lightly as she realized that, yes, she did. Her friends-of course they wouldn't let anything happen to her animals, provided she…

Her eyes went wide again. "Yes… yes, I have friends, but I live near the edge of the forest, away from town. I usually have to ask them if they wouldn't mind keeping an eye on my animal friends and my sweet little Angel bunny. And if I haven't… then…" she whimpered, ears pressing flat against her head.

"My friends most likely don't even know I've gone missing! Oh, they're probably worried! I've got to-I need-" Despite her weakened and sick state, she tried climbing off the mattress.

Smokey shook his head, bringing his palm to her shoulder in order to hold her back into bed. There was no way she was well enough to safely traverse through the harsh cold that awaited them outside.

"No, my dear. I'm afraid I won't allow you to leave while you are still sick…" He paused for a moment or two while a thought presented itself in his mind. "Why don't I check on them and tend to them for you after you and our little one's needs are taken care of? I can make a list while you tell me what I'll need to do for your animals."

The pegasus looked up at him with wide, slightly teary eyes. Her panic had grown to a point her motherly instincts had kicked in, and she was mentally screaming at herself how could she have neglected her babies. Hearing she wasn't allowed to leave almost made her start crying… and a tear actually did slip from her eye as he made his proposition.

"You'd… you'd do that for me?" she whispered, settling back onto the mattress and turning her head briefly to check on the baby cuddling her stuffed panda. "Oh, no, I… I don't want to be a burden. You've… done so much for me already… I… I couldn't possibly…"

"You're not going to talk me out of it, my dear. I will not allow your animals to go hungry. We are friends, aren't we? This wouldn't be a burden, just another favor." Smokey offered a gentle, reassuring smile as he brought his hand to her cheek to wipe away the tear that had escaped her eye with a quick brush with the back of his index finger.

The mare was his first official pony friend, and he wanted to do everything he could to make her happy. Cupping her cheek in his palm, helping him keep her head in the same position, he lowered his head the tiniest fraction to lock his eyes with hers. "You will never have to worry about burdening me. If there is anything at all you need, don't be afraid to ask, because I will never turn you down.

"Besides… I'm looking forward to meeting your little friends. How many do you have?"

Fluttershy relaxed, smiling as she teared up a second time. He really was a nice, sweet gentledragon. Letting her head relaxing in his palm, she brought her good hoof up to brush it against his wrist.

"Thank you, Smokey." She closed her eyes for a second, her stress slowly ebbing away. "You're sweet."

Opening her eyes again, she took a deep breath.

"I've already told you about Angel bunny. I like to make sure he's got plenty of food and water. I try to make sure he eats a varied diet, but sometimes he doesn't like to listen to me so I hope he doesn't give you any trouble since he usually doesn't like outsiders very much. I have a lot of birds-most of them have migrated, but I have several chickens that need to also be fed, and their eggs collected from time to time. Make sure the coop is secure, because I've noticed the wiring around the fence might be getting damaged and I don't want any of them getting out. I nearly lost Elizabeak that way. Hummingway also eats nectar which I have a special jar in the kitchen for and Featherdancer only likes nuts and berries, she won't eat the regular birdseed. I'm also late getting the Mousie family their weakly cheeses, and make sure you give them the low-fat non-dairy kind because the father is getting overweight and I believe the children might be lactose intolerant."

Fluttershy ceased for a little bit before speaking again. "But, um, so long as they're all fed is… fine."

"I should probably write all of that down since there is no way I am going to remember it all," the dragon chuckled. Stroking her cheek with his thumb, he pondered over the various cheeses he had stored away in his refrigerator. "I have a few low-fat cheeses, but nothing non-dairy. I can pick some up for your mice the next time after I finish feeding all your pets. Do you have any animals with specific needs?"

Still feeling red and warm in her face, she slowly blinked once.

"I'm sorry," she softly spoke. "I can repeat all of that for you if you want… But… no. I can't think of anything else. Just those."

Ear frills perking at a soft squeak that came from the plush panda as the baby griffon pounced on its belly, Smokey removed his attention from Fluttershy momentarily to bestow it upon her. He smiled warmly and removed his hand from the pony's face. "You like your panda bear?"

The dragon was answered when the infant let out a mirthful squeal, curling her forelegs around the plush's neck and snuggling into the soft texture. She was then pried from her new toy by the shriek of the tea kettle, startling her into making a leap into Fluttershy's lap to hide.

The mare lightly jumped at the squeak, not having expected it. Her eyes sharply cast at its origins, she smiled with a nervous chuckle as she just realized it was the toy. She felt a surge of warmth and happiness build within her at seeing the baby's joy…

Though she, too, let out a gasp and jumped again at the high pitched whistling of the steam. Throwing her forelegs around the baby protectively, she sat there for a second, before laughing.

"Oh, it's just the water," she giggled, rubbing her head. "It just means it's ready. Nothing to worry about… Though I have to admit, I wasn't expecting it either."

"It's all right, sweetheart," the dragon assured gently, reaching to stroke his fingers over the baby griffon's downy head. "Mommy and Daddy won't let anything hurt you."

The infant seemed to have settled down now that she was surrounded by the comfort and security of her guardians. Though, she gave a concerned squawk as Smokey drew away from her and Fluttershy to tend to the kettle and finish making the mare's tea.

"He's right," Fluttershy said, petting her and leaning down to nuzzle her. "We'll protect you no matter what.

She sighed, looking up and towards the door, recalling that the werewolf that had attacked them earlier was still out there.

Was it?

It was behind that door, but that didn't mean that the werewolf was still in there. In her hazy, feverish memory, she hadn't remembered that the beast had effectively smashed its way in from outside and therefore could have left the same way it got in.

"I just hope nothing comes after us…" she mumbled, more to herself than anything. Despite the adventures she had been on with her friends, she didn't particularly consider herself the adventurous type-generally preferring to stay at home with her animal friends.

Pouring the hot water into a tall mug, steam rising profusely from the hot liquid, Smokey dipped the tea bags into the mug. Now, all he needed to do was wait. As he turned back around, his eyes caught the baby names book. Smiling broadly, he snagged it and went right back to his charges.

"While we wait for you tea, why don't we look at some of these names?"

"That sounds like a good idea." Fluttershy smiled, turning back to the chick. "You're going to get a name! Oh, I wonder what would be a good name for you… Brianna? Skye? Aria?"

Gazing up at Smoky, she wondered what suggestions he would extract from the book.

"Let's see." He cracked open the book and thumbed through the pages as his eyes scanned through the various names. Most of them were quite wonderful names, but none of them fit their little bundle of joy. A few minutes passed before he stopped at one specific name.

"'Chenoa… a Native Buffalonian name meaning white dove'." As he finished reading the text on the page, he lifted his eyes to Fluttershy to see what she thought about it.

Fluttershy blinked, gazing down at the small chick. It certainly sounded apt-considering her white as snow coloration. Smiling, she closed her eyes halfway. It didn't take her long to come to a conclusive opinion.

"It's perfect."

Chapter Ten: An Accident

"That settles it! Chenoa, it is!" Closing the book, Smokey set it aside and scooted closer to the mattress, his attention settling on the newly named chick. "What do you think of your name, Chenoa? Do you like it?" he cooed, bringing his hand underneath her face to lightly tickle her chin.

Chenoa giggled and pressed her head into Smokey's palm, being more concerned with a head rub than her new name. Babbling a couple of non-existent words and throwing out a squeak carried out on a lengthy note, she indulged in the feeling of her daddy's scaly fingers rubbing into her scalp.

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes with a motherly smile, stroking the newly christened Chenoa on her back and leaning down to nuzzle her lightly on the other side of her head. Pulling away, she gazed up at Smokey with a wondrous expression."She's so happy..." she murred, before turning her eyes back to the chick. "So cute..."

"We'll make sure she stays happy." Smokey's adoring eyes remained upon the white bundle of youth, his heart melting all over again. He knew he held the habit of getting attached quickly, but never to this extent.

His mind immediately drifted to the scheduled date that marked his departure of Ponyville and the continuation of his travels. The thought of separating himself from Chenoa-or separating her from Fluttershy-spurred an unpleasant pang in his chest. For the sake of sparing the moment, he retained a smile despite his conflicting emotions.

Fluttershy nodded, her eyes closing happily as she leaned in to nuzzle the baby again. She had always felt a motherly bond with her animals, especially to Angel... But a this was a griffon chick.

"Um...Smokey?" She blinked, looking up with realization in her eyes. "I just...remembered I don't...really know all that much about griffons..."

The yellow mare's confession only reminded Smokey that they both shared the same problem.

"Oh? You don't? Well... I'm afraid I'm not that knowledgeable about them either... I know as much about them as my own kind." Smokey felt his cheeks flush a light shade of embarrassed pink. It was true, though. While he was a dragon, he actually didn't know all that much about them.

"You what?" Fluttershy arched her brows. "But...you're a dragon? How can you not know about your own-"

She suddenly cut herself off as she realized something. Her friend Spike was a dragon, and he didn't particularly know much about his own kind. Her eyes went wide as she acknowledged the implication.

"Were you… raised by ponyfolk?" she asked.

Smokey was surprised that Fluttershy managed to come to that specific conclusion so quickly, not having anticipated the answer. Smiling slightly, he nodded. "Yes, I was raised in a pony environment."

The dragon was tempted to tell the equine where he came from, but if he did he knew he would start tearing up. His childhood hadn't been a kind one. Whenever he invested a good amount of time thinking about it, the familiar heartache he suffered then would visit him.

Fluttershy gave a smile, idly stroking a hoof over Chenoa's back. "I know a baby dragon named Spike, who lives with a friend of mine in Ponyville. He was born and raised by ponykind himself his whole life. I just… figured… you might have been the same."

Smokey was even more stunned by this revelation. There was another dragon who was denied the care from his own kind? What were the odds of that?

"I… suppose I'm not alone then… I'd like to meet Spike sometime," he requested as he issued another adorning smile to the little griffon as she picked up the panda by the ear in her beak and dragged it with her as she shuffled closer to the pegasus.

"I'm sure Spike would like to meet you, too! I think it would be nice for him to meet another dragon raised by ponies. Even if you are much older than him."

Fluttershy grinned down at their adopted daughter, going back to wondering where they could find some information about griffons. Her feverish mind had temporarily forgotten Spike-and Twilight Sparkle, whom he lived with-resided in a library, which would be a very likely candidate for such information to be found.

"Sounds like I'll be making another friend," the large reptile said before his memory went back to the mug of tea still residing in the kitchenette. "Oh! Hold on! Allow me to fetch your tea and medicine."

Clamoring to his feet, Smokey hurried into the kitchen where the steaming mug of tea rested upon the counter, the scent of lemon and ginger filling his nostrils as he approached. Removing the tea bags from the darkened liquid, he tossed them into the trash and scoured his pantry for the honey. Once he found the plastic bear-shaped bottle, he half-turned into Fluttershy's direction to ask, "Miss Fluttershy? How much honey would you like in your tea?

Giggling quietly at Chenoa's adorable antics as she waited for Smokey's return, glanced over at him as he questioned her. "Oh, not a whole lot. A little bit will be just fine."

"All right then." Precipitating himself back over to the mug, Smokey flipped open the cap belonging to the bottle of honey in his clawed hand and turned it over, squirting a small amount of the syrupy contents into the mug. Once he decided the beverage had enough, he closed the bottle and set it aside, then pulled open one of the nearby drawers for a tea spoon to stir it in.

Completing Fluttershy's tea, Smokey made a grab for the bottle of medicine and read the directions printed on the back. Measuring out a proper dosage in a small plastic medicine cup, the winged reptile exited the kitchenette, both hands occupied. Settling himself onto the floor with care, he offered the medicine first. "Here you are."

"Thank you so much." Fluttershy smiled, a look of gratitude on her face as she reached out to take it. Opening her mouth, she drank down the medicine before gratefully accepting the cup of hot tea. Washing the medicine down with the warm liquid, she let out a sigh…

The combination of ginger, honey, and lemon tasted exquisite! Her eyes closing a bit, she licked her lips before taking another drink. "This is incredible, Smokey..."

"Thank you, my dear. But, you know, you did pick out the flavors, so it wasn't just me," the dragon pointed out, giving the mare a rather toothy grin with a quick wink. His attention went back to Chenoa as his ear frills caught another squeak from her toy.

"Baba ber bwah," she babbled, pouncing on the panda plush's tummy, resulting in a resounding squeak.

"Oh! She said something!" Fluttershy gushed, her wings unfurling a small degree. Eyes widening, her mouth hung wide open in joy as she watched Chenoa. Though she knew she was just babbling and hadn't actually said anything comprehensible, just the sheer fact she made noise other than what she had been previously making thrilled her.

"That was utterly adorable." Now it was Smokey's turn to fawn over the small child. As he was about to further comment on her preciousness, he was interrupted by hunger gnawing at his empty belly. The complaining grumble was quite audible-even Chenoa paused from her wrestling match with her toy to glance up at him. "I suppose I should eat before I go."

The winged pony gave a soft laugh, nodding. "Yes… That would be a good idea."

After taking another sip of her tea, she moved off the mattress to place her cup on the lamp table beside the couch for now before going back and reaching out to touch the draconian's arm. "Smokey? Thank you. For everything."

With that, the pegasus leaned in to press her lips against his cheek in a small grateful kiss, before laying back down on the sheets and covering herself up with the blanket again. She gave a yawn, her eyelids feeling particularly heavy. The medicine must already be beginning to kick in, she thought, as she was beginning to get drowsy again.

The dragon froze as the mare's lips brushed his scales. The sweet gesture touched him, evoking a soft purr from the depths of his throat. A new smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and his eyelids dropped a tiny fraction. He couldn't remember the last time a pony had kissed him.

After Fluttershy settled down in the warm comfort of the sheets, he craned his upper body, bending over to nuzzle his snout against her cheek in return with another purr. "Don't fall asleep yet. I still need you to help me make that list when I finish eating."

"I'll try not to," She gave him a warm smile, her eyes closing lightly as she struggled to fight off a yawn. Rolling over onto her side, she contented herself with watching Chenoa play. "In fact, if you wouldn't mind providing some paper and something to write with, I'll go ahead and write it down for her while you're eating."

"Of course. I'll be right back." Drawing away from the equine and once again pulling himself onto his feet, the dragon directed himself toward the bedroom door, thrown into a state of caution as he neared it. He didn't know if the werewolf had returned or not, so it was best to be on his guard.

To his fortune, the werewolf hadn't returned. Exhaling on a relieved sigh, Smokey went to one of the boxes inhabiting the room and went through his belongings until he came across a notepad and a pen. Hurrying out the door, still considering the room unsafe, he shut it behind him and delivered the paper and writing utensil to Fluttershy. "Here you are, milady."

"Thank you," she said, staring up at him with half-laden eyes of gratitude. "You're so nice…"

"I try to be," came the large reptile's response before he ventured back into the kitchen to fix himself a large bowl of soup that had been kept warm on the burner set on low heat. He stood by the counter separating the living room from the kitchen to keep his eyes on Chenoa as she pounced and pawed at her panda, her playful antics plastering a smile on his face. Silently, he lowered his muzzle into the bowl to take it's contents into his mouth. Like before when he had eaten, he showed no signs of dragon-like eating habits.

Opening the notepad and flipping to a blank slate, she took the pen in her mouth and began scribbling down the directions and instructions for each of her animals friends from Angel to Elizabeak to Hummingway to everyone in between. She made sure to detail each area of the cottage, where to expect to find where she stored the food for her animal friends, as well as any medicines, bandages, and other first-aid equipment if for whatever reason it was needed.

As the medicine began working its way through her system, Fluttershy found that she could barely keep her eyes open, and as a result her writing became a little sloppy-though she tried to keep her mind clear and her instructions as legible as possible. When she was done, she placed the pad and pen on the floor next to the mattress and laid back down.

Struggling to keep her eyes open-primarily to make sure she was keeping a watch on Chenoa but also to observe Smokey, she smiled as she watched the dragon. She found it amazing that he ate with such refined dignity... Or rather, as much refined dignity as his upbringing brought him. He wasn't loud or messy, like she had expected most dragons to be, and in truth she was still rather surprised to find another pony-raised draconian being. She was curious to where he came from, over another wave of drowsiness washed over her and despite herself, found herself drifting off again.

As the dragon moved onto his second bowl, Chenoa left her toy and bounded into the kitchen to pounce on Smokey's tail. Cheeks puffing out, the reptilian compressed his lips together to prevent him from laughing and ultimately spitting out his soup at the sight of the baby griffon. Rolling on her back, all four of her paws batted at the scaly extremity, squealing and burbling. Gulping down his mouthful, he addressed Fluttershy to take a look at Chenoa as she batted and wrestled with his tail.

Stirring, the pegasus from roused from her weary half-slumber and gazed over. Spotting the snowy-feathered chick with all four of her paws in the air caused a warm smile to grow on her face and a sound of motherly adoration to escape from her.

"Awwww!" She gushed. "That's adorable! She looks like she's really having fun there."

"She certainly does. She's such a sweet wittle cwootie-pie, aren't you?" Smokey crooned as he lifted the bulk his tail a few millimeters and touched the tip to her soft vulnerable belly. Chenoa erupted in a fit of high-pitched baby giggles as she was tickled. The child squirmed in peals of mirthful squeals before rolling over onto her paws and pounced on the dragon's foot.

Smokey's chest was inhabited by the glowing warmth inspired by the heavenly sound of his adopted child's laughter. The very look on his face had contorted to convey his inner emotions. Chuckling, he set down his bowl and bent over to pick up the infant. Holding her to his chest, he nuzzled the top of her downy cranium then touched his lips to her forehead. "You're such a sweet little darling… Yes, you are! Wes, woo awre!"

Despite her drug induced fatigue, Fluttershy couldn't help but burst out in giggles of her own as she heard the baby squeal out due to Smokey's tickling her. Feeling a glowing happiness, she grinned as the dragon picked her up. The two of them looked absolutely precious together.

Suddenly, Smokey felt something warm and wet slide down his torso. Drawing the baby away so he could investigate, his eyes went wide when he realized something very important he forgot to pick up at the store…

Diapers.

A second later, Fluttershy gasped as she realized what happened. But she let out another giggle, her feverish mind finding it kind of funny. Never, under normal circumstances, would she dared to laugh at Smokey's misfortune.

She blamed it on the medicine and fever.

"Oopsie. Did Chenoa have an accident?"

Even though he had just been urinated on, Smokey wasn't upset. No, this was something the baby could control just yet, and it was his own fault for forgetting diapers. Smiling, he let out a brief chuckle. "Indeed she did. It appears I'll have to stop at the store again for diapers. And some shampoo and a brush for you."

He turned his head to the mare, implying that he meant the last two items would be for her.

"Oh?" Fluttershy had figured the diapers... But what would he need shampoo and brush for?

It took a couple of seconds for her to release this, and she suddenly went very pink in her face again, hiding it in her mane lightly while she bashfully looked up at him. Oh. Yes, her mane and fur could use a wash and a brush. It had been a day since she last washed up. She probably looked like a complete wreck, she realized, suddenly wishing for a mirror. She wondered what Rarity would say if she were here and could see her now.

"I should probably get baby shampoo for Chenoa, too, while I'm at it. She will need baths in the future-and not just after eating." Placing the baby griffon back on the floor, Smokey proceeded to clean up the mess she made.

Chapter Eleven: Meeting Angel

Smokey scanned the list Fluttershy had created for him once he arrived at the mare's cottage. He was able to find it quite easily, all really needing to do was follow his footprints back to the well where he had originally found her, then he was led the rest of the way by her hoof prints. Lowering the notepad, his eyes flickered up and down the pony's home. It was quite a charming place, he thought to himself. Not wanting to waste any more time, he approached the door and entered.

The cottage was quaint and cozy as it was enchanting, the humble abode clearly being designed not just for the pegasus but for a multitude of animal guests. It clearly showed to Fluttershy's aspirations as an animal caretaker. Though it was just as obvious that despite her naturalistic treatments and holistic practices she was not, nor was she qualified-to be an outright veterinarian. Despite this, her animal care techniques were just as valid as those as a standard, traditional pet physician. She just went a less mainstream method of doing so, it appeared.

Speculation aside, the cottage, oddly, seemed to be devoid of any life. This was unusual, considering the fact that Fluttershy had listed so many animals that needed care. Even the chicken coup had been eerily silent when Smokey came up. Yet, there was no visibly obvious sign of sabotage around the fencing, and closer inspection would have revealed that everything was indeed intact. The door had even been closed.

Which begged the question… Where was everyone?

"Hello?" Smokey called out, the burden of anxiety beginning to build up from the lack of animal presence.

He decided to get to work in getting out food and water, thinking that might lure them out. Food always drew the attention of his critters. The dragon looked around, and upon spotting the pantries, he immediately precipitated himself over to them. It said on the notepad that there was food for her rabbit-as well some of her other animals-in there.

"Aha! Here we are!" He came upon a stash of carrots and canned cat food first. Removing a couple of the carrots, Smokey got to work cleaning them off with the usage of water from the sink.

After he located the basket that supposedly belonged to Angel, he set the carrots down in it, unable to locate a food bowl for him. He found a ceramic water dish that barely had anything left in it and emptied it out in the sink. Wiping it clean, he refilled it with fresh water then returned it back to the spot where he had found it.

Pausing, his eyes searched again for any animals.

Again, the house remained eerily silent…

Except for the sound of a door hinge from the ceiling creaking with a subsequent slam. Ear frills flaring at the sudden noise, Smokey whipped his vision to its origins. Spying a trapdoor atop of a small animal-sized staircase that lead to the ceiling, he stepped closer to investigate.

"Hello? Anyone up there? I'm not here to hurt anybody."

There was no response at first. The trapdoor opened after a moment, with a white rabbit face and several other small animals poking their various heads out. The rabbit drew and his surrounding comrades drew back and the trapdoor slammed shut a second time-but not before a tiny baby mouse leaped through the crack just as it closed and bounded his way down the steps towards the scarlet beast. Unusually, despite his species being known and associated with timidness, this particular rodent was actually fairly bold.

Smokey's eyes were glued to the mouse as he scurried down the steps and stopped at the foot of the staircase, glad that at least one of the animals was brave enough to come near him. Putting on a warm smile, he slowly knelt to the floor and extended a hand to the creature.

"Hello, little fellow," he began in a gentle intonation. "I'm certain you and your friends are wondering where Miss Fluttershy is. Well… she had an unfortunate accident and I'm taking care of her. There's no need to worry, she'll be just fine."

Almost immediately noticing one of their own was missing, the trapdoor reopened. A couple of the larger mice-presumably the baby mouse's parents-bounded down after the child. Behind them was the Angel, who tailed them intent on keeping his fellow animals safe. As the baby mouse was moving forward to sniff at the draconian being, his parents were at his sides to grasp and haul him back, as Angel landed in front of all three of them on the bottom step.

He glared up at Smokey, brandishing a half-eaten carrot like a weapon. The small leporidae was also wearing a wok as a helmet and carrying a pot lid for a shield, pointing his unassuming weapon in what was supposed to be a rather threatening, but wound up comical, fashion against him.

The dragon was pretty amused, but he decided to humor the rabbit that dared to challenge him. "You must be Angel bunny, Equestria's bravest dragon slayer. My name is Smokey, a friend of Miss Fluttershy. She is currently in my care, but there's no need to worry, she will recover. She just has a fever and some sinus trouble. I came down here to feed you and your friends."

Angel arched an eyebrow, unsure if he should believe this dragon or not. His nose wrinkled, whiskers shaking back and forth lightly as he continued to size him up. A few seconds later, the baby mouse, having been held back by his parents, burst away from them and scurried past even Angel, pausing directly at Smokey's feet and sniffing at him to get an idea of his character.

A tense few seconds passed, and the child turned back to his parents and friend with wide large eyes. The two adult mice looked at each other, then back at Smokey, before seeming to relax.

Angel, upon seeing the mice apparently feeling comfortable with the dragon, lowered his "weapon" and tossed the pot lid away, but declined to remove the wok. His narrowed-eyed expression gave an impression he apparently still didn't personally trust the dragon, but he wouldn't oppose him either.

Smokey held his form still, his downcast eyes watching the baby mouse as he indulged in his curiosity. Once the little one was finished, the dragon rose up from his knelt position. He didn't bother to try to touch any of them, worried that he might frighten them. No, the best approach would be to allow the animals to come to him when they felt comfortable with his presence.

"Well, it certainly was a pleasure meeting you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to work." With that, Smokey turned around to resume where he left off.

Angel's whiskers twitched back and forth again, but didn't do much of anything else except scamper back upstairs to the upper level to inform the other animals that everything was clear. Some of them had smelled the dragon coming from some distance off and had, as a precaution, fled and hid from what they naturally assumed was a predator. Even the chickens had gone quiet, unsure of Smokey's intentions.

As the rabbit went up to inform Fluttershy's other animal friends and patients, a few of them descended down the stairs. One in particular being a small green hummingbird that fluttered down from the upper level. Flittering and fluttering this way and that, he kept a small distance from the dragon, observing him.

Some of the animals on the upper level, which included the outside ones such as the chickens and goat who somehow managed to get out of their pens looked to each other with questioning eyes. The goat slid out from underneath Fluttershy's bed and tip-toed over to the trapdoor which lay ajar, and peeked an eye through to spy on the draconian beast. The view wasn't very reliable at this angle. For the majority of duration he spent watching, the dragon left his sight.

There were other animals who wanted to watch, but a corner of the small doorway was all they were able to get a glimpse of thanks to the goat's head blocking their vision. Shoving their bodies against the farm animal's head and voicing their complaints, the goat took the hint and removed himself from the trap door frame.

Smokey didn't have too much trouble locating the various foods reserved for the animals; Fluttershy's directions weren't completely thorough enough to pinpoint exactly where everything was, but enough to tell him the vicinity of where food was located. He didn't have any more luck in earning any trust from the animals, but he wasn't expecting them to accept him right away, and that was natural. He would just need to come by more often, he thought.

Before he did leave, he made sure the creatures knew they had plenty of food and water to last them throughout the day. He spied a small white kitten sporting an adorable bow tied around a tuft of fur at the top of his cranium-because of this, Smokey pre-assumed the fluffy little thing was female. Boy was he going to receive a surprise once Fluttershy would introduce everyone to him. As he left, he was happy to see the chickens and goat-who had managed to get back into their pens just as enigmatically as when they had gotten out-were munching away at the sustenance he left for them. With a satisfied smile exhibited on his scaly features, he departed and made his way into the heart of Ponyville.

Off into the direction of said town, or rather, coming from it was a beautiful snow white mare. Clad in high boots on all four hooves, a warm fuzzy faux fur coat, and a rather stylish pair of blue earmuffs that matched the color of her cutie mark, Ponyville's prima donna fashionista Rarity was making her way to Fluttershy's cottage.

Unlike Smokey, who was heading to town on the traditional path commonly traveled, Rarity was taking a more scenic route and enjoying the weather that winter day, despite it being rather chilly. Rounding a bend that had rolled around a knoll, the purple-maned unicorn had not seen the otherwise prominent dragon that had recently departed Fluttershy's cottage.

"Oh, Fluttershy!" Rarity called as she crossed over the small bridge leading to pegasus friend's home. "It's me, Rarity! Are you ready for our usual spa appoi-Wah ha ha HA ha!"

Her eyes were wide and her mouth hug agape. The scene before her looked… well, chaotic. Near the chicken coop were feathers strewn about haphazardly. Unbeknownst to Rarity, some of them had fallen off due to the chicken's rush to and from the coop with their encounter with Smokey, however they had blended in to the snow and were very hard-if not impossible-to spot from a glance. The signs from Fluttershy's earlier chase with Chenoa were also present, though the hoof prints that lead away from the cottage had been mostly covered and obscured by others.

Namely, a strange and unusual track, that of a claw-toed creature with surprisingly large feet had apparently emerged from the forest-having covered the ones Fluttershy left beforehand-and were seen around the cottage, namely parts of the chicken coup and the front door. The cottage did not appear disturbed, but the animals seemed just a little perturbed about something.

Or at least it all seemed as such to Rarity. As she scanned the location, she had seen the evidence before her… especially the hard to spot chicken feathers… and had came to the conclusion that a struggle perhaps had taken place. Not wasting any time, Rarity barged in through the door, practically bucking it off its hinges.

"Fluttershy?!" she called out, deeply concerned. "Darling, are you in here?!"

Her voice echoed around the cottage, reverberating through the rooms but not returning any response. Now even more worried, she immediately dashed upstairs to check the bedroom. "Fluttershy?!"

The room was empty… And for some inexplicable reason, stank mostly of animal. Holding her nose, and seeing her friend wasn't present, the unicorn streaked back down the steps, glancing in the kitchen, and even throwing open the cellar door to investigate. There was no sign of Fluttershy there, either.

There was no sign of Fluttershy anywhere, Rarity realized. Now completely terrified, the white unicorn came to the only possible conclusion.

"Dear heavens… Fluttershy's been foalnapped!" Hoof coming up to her head, she felt faint, but steeled herself. "No! I've got to get the others! I've no time to waste!"

Without any further thought, Rarity turned around and galloped right out the door, intent on rushing back to town as quickly as possible to inform her friends.

A few moments after Rarity left, Angel muttered and sighed, getting up from his basket to close the door. He'd been trying to nap, which had been constantly interrupted. He would have gladly informed the snowy white unicorn of the situation, had he been able to properly communicate, but a lack of vocal chords and general apathy, and Rarity's high strung actions essentially led him to figure forget it. So long as his pony was in good hands, he saw nothing to worry about.

Curling back up in his bed, he went right back to sleep.

Chapter Twelve: The Crime Scene

Smokey trudged through the snowy paths of Ponyville, occasionally tossing a friendly toothy grin as a few ponies he passed by. If only he hadn't shown his gleaming white fangs in his grin, maybe he wouldn't have been retaliated by such responding looks of fear. Though he was long used to such responses, a hope that had been long dead-a hope that out there were ponies who would accept him despite his draconic appearance-a hope that had been rekindled by Fluttershy.

Of course there existed ponies who would accept Smokey as a friend in a heartbeat. He had misfortune to thank for following him in his early years to the present. Misfortune guided him to the wrong ponies at the wrong times, crushing all hope of acceptance out of the winged reptile. Now, it didn't matter if any more ponies accepted him. Fluttershy and Chenoa-along with his own animal friends-was all he needed and all the fortune he was going to ask for. And right now, he was intending on making his yellow-pelted friend happy-and healthy again.

Focusing ahead, he spotted the grocery store, his excitement in knowing his tasks would be over soon and he could return to his charges back at the house with everything they needed.

xxx

The town of Ponyville was always peaceful, even though the area had a habit of having odd things and situations occurring in, around, or near it. Nopony had often really gave much thought to the everyday antics of those around them, and the days were generally exciting enough on their own within their own lives, going about their business or hanging out with friends.

Of course, there was the exception every so often. A monster from the Everfree Forest stirring up trouble, or some unspeakable evil being unleashed to threaten Equestria, or even just some large event that happened to take place such as the annual competitions. Heck, even a certain pink, curly-maned pony's parties she held were often a welcoming setting.

However, sometimes it appeared there were more bad times than good times. This just happened to be one of those times as Rarity fled down the street, hoping to enlist the help of her friends.

xxx

Down at the Books and Branches library, a violet-scaled baby dragon smiled as he finished putting the last book away on the shelf in front of him. Stepping back, he admired the main room and living space he and his surrogate sister called home. From the top to the bottom, on every surface laid a gleaming near-reflection of the room. He had reorganized the books, swept the floor, and dusted and polished all of the woodwork from the floors to the bookshelves to even the tables. His chest swelled with pride, knowing Twilight Sparkle would be extra proud of his efforts.

"Spike, old boy, you sure outdid yourself this time!" He grinned, his catlike eyes still scanning the results of his labor. "Now, to go grab my sack of gems and take a well deserved nap!"

Licking his lips at the mental image of his beautiful, delicious gems, he thought to himself that absolutely nothing could bring down his happy mood-

A loud smash caused the treehouse to shake and rumble. Gasping and crying out, Spike lost his balance and fell over-along with all of the books on the shelves, spilling onto the floor. Groaning, he pulled himself up from the floor. Lifting his eyes and seeing his hard work ruined, he scowled, knowing only of one pony who could cause this much damage in such a short amount of time. "Oh, for PETE'S SAKE, Rainbow Dash! I just had this mess-"

He whirled around, and was cut off as he was suddenly knocked back onto his back, his arms and shoulders pinned down. Blinking, he gasped up at the mare on top of him. R-Rarity?!"

"SPIKE!" she gasped, obviously distraught over something. "Spikey, I need your help!"

"Uhhh…" Spike blinked again, blushing. He had dreamed of times where he and Rarity would be in this very same position-sans the books all around them-, but now that it was actually a reality, he didn't know what to do. "Certainly? What's going on?"

"Oh, it was terrible! Absolutely terrible! Fluttershy's been foalnapped!"

Spike breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, is that all? I thought-WAIT WHAT?!"

"Where's Twilight?!" she practically demanded. "Is she here?! I need her and the others!"

"Uh, no, I'm afraid she isn't," Spike said, now feeling mildly uncomfortable as he realized he had a book pressing up into his spine. "She was supposed to meet Applejack and the others at Sweet Apple Ac-"

The unicorn was off of him and galloping out the door in a flash. As he jumped to his feet, he lifted both hands to his mouth and called after. "Rarity! Wait! After that they were suppose to go to…"

Spike rushed to the door, but Rarity was already a speck in the distance. "Go to Sugarcube Corner."

He sighed before shaking his head. Glancing over his shoulder, he grunted in disdain. Messy floor or not, a dear friend was in danger, and he wasn't about to let his precious Rarity go at it alone. Making sure the door was locked and the spare key was underneath the welcome mat, he rushed off as fast as he could after his crush.

Whenever Rarity took a trip to Ponyville's resident apple farm, she often took the time to enjoy the country scenery-like she had done earlier on her visit to Fluttershy's cottage. However, this was not one of those instances. The panicking mare was a blur of white and royal purple as she streaked down the main road that lead out of town and split off at the edge of the outskirts. Having made many stops at the home bearing the Element of Honesty in the past, with machine-like regularity, the equine careened into the dirt road on the left.

The remaining four were toiling away in the apple orchids, blissfully unaware of Rarity's preassumed conclusion of Fluttershy's whereabouts. While the flightless ponies and lavender alicorn were content in the traditional method of removing snow from the trees by kicking the trunks, Rainbow Dash was happier using her wings, shaking the frost from their branches. Also, being the one with eyes in the sky-or, at least, a few feet in the air-was the first to spot Rarity and a speck of purple further behind she guessed was Spike.

Naturally, the winged equine wondered what she would be doing here. Wasn't she supposed to be at the spa with Fluttershy? Turning her body into the direction of her friends, she lifted her hooves to the sides of her mouth and prepared to announce Rarity's arrival.

"Hey, guys! I think I see Rarity coming!"

Applejack lifted her head up at Rainbow Dash's announcement, arching an eyebrow.

"What did she just say?" Twilight Sparkle asked, pushing a basket full of snow away from a now clean tree.

"Ah think mah ears might be deceivin' me, but ah think Rainbow jes' said Rarity wuz comin' this way!"

"GIRLS!" Rarity's voice could be heard, as she appeared by the gate, and was charging up to her friends as quickly as she could. "Girls! Come quickly! It's an emergency!"

The lavender alicorn and the orange earth pony shared a look between them.

"An emergency? Rarity, what happened?"

"Fluttershy's been foalnapped!

"FOALNAPPED?!" the four mares simultaneously exclaimed as they, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle, pulled themselves away from the fruit-bearing trees they were about to kick before Rarity arrived-Rainbow Dash lightly touched to the ground and folded her wings against her sides and Pinkie Pie's head popped out of a full basket of snow seemingly too small to hold her entire body, and hopped out-to gather around the white unicorn with horrified and expectant eyes.

"No way! What happened?" Rainbow Dash demanded with terrified anxiety fueled by fear of what might have happened to the sweet yellow pegasus.

"Well," Rarity began, apprehension and fear in her eyes, "I was on my way to Fluttershy's cottage to pick her up for our usual spa date. Normally she meets me there, but this time she didn't. I didn't think anything of it at first, so I went to go see what was the matter! I thought she might have been feeling a bit under the weather but…

"When I got there-oh, it was horrible! The whole place looked like a mess! Feathers from her chickens, everywhere! The smell of animal all around her house!"

"Eh, pardon me, Rare, but, uh… doesn't Fluttershy's house always smell like animal?" Applejack questioned.

"Yes, but, darling, the smell was everywhere, even in her upstairs room! And there were these strange tracks all over! I think there had to have been some sort of a fight!"

"Then what are we doing standing around here for? Let's go investigate!" With determination sparking in her eyes, the pegasus took to the air again, wings flapping rapidly. In a heartbeat, she sped down the path Rarity took, barreling right past Spike in the process, the built up momentum causing him to start spinning like an out of control top.

The other four mares abandoned what they were doing, galloping off after the prismatic-maned pony. By the time Spike had stopped spinning around and was recovering from nearly tossing his cookies, the others blazed past him, unceremoniously knocking him aside and into a puddle.

xxx

They reached Fluttershy's cottage in record time. As Twilight Sparkle stepped forward to observe the cottage, she arched an eyebrow. Everything didn't seem particularly off, save for the tracks she saw in the snow and the feathers-which she didn't see at first and actually had to squint because they blended in with the snow so well.

Almost right away, their attention was drawn to the back of the cottage where frantic clucking erupted. Was it the perpetrator who abducted Fluttershy?

Mentally preparing themselves for a fight, the four out of the mane six clamored to the back of the property to find Rainbow Dash attempting to interrogate Elizabeak. The poor chicken was flailing wildly in the pegasus' fore hooves, feathers jarring loose from her beating wings and spinning to the snow-coated ground below.

"What the-?!" Twilight Sparkle blinked, her eyes going wide and staring at her friend. Storming up, she gritted her teeth. "Rainbow, what are you doing?!"

"Tryin' at get this chicken to talk," she snapped, turning back to Elizabeak. "Look! I KNOW you saw something, you rat! Don't try and weasel your way out of this one, you turkey! Pony up the information! TALK!"

At this, Twilight Sparkle grunted, slapping a hoof to her face.

Elizabeak replied with a set of frightened clucks and a few desperate flaps of her wings.

"Not talkin', huh?" Brows sinking further, Rainbow Dash snorted before dropping the hen and swinging her head around to view her friends. "Maybe somepony else knows something!"

"Ah don't see who would," Applejack stated. "On the account that Fluttershy lives on th' edge of th' forest an' half a mile away from everypony else in town."

"Said the farmer who lives the same distance from town in the opposite direction," Rarity mumbled.

"Whut wuz that?" the apple farmer asked.

"I don't know if you realize, but I ran all the way there from here! I'm sweating like… like…"

"One of our pigs?" Applejack finished with a smirk.

"YES! Yuck. Such a filthy, disgusting image…"

"Hey now, Ah'll have you know that pigs are some of th' cleanest-"

"GIRLS!" Twilight Sparkle called out. "Would you be quiet?! I think Pinkie found something!"

"She what?" Rarity and Applejack said in unison, looking at each other, then back at Twilight.

"Yep!" Pinkie Pie bounced from Twilight Sparkle's side, grinning. "I was taking a look at some of the tracks that lead to the forest, and I was, like, I didn't recognize these because they don't look like pony tracks or like any tracks from anything I've ever seen in Ponyville! Not dog tracks or cat tracks or goat tracks or rabbit tracks or Chick Tracts or-"

"Get to the point, Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash snapped irritably.

"Oh. Well, what I'm saying is… this don't look like anything Fluttershy keeps."

A small pause. "Well, of course not, Pinkie! That's why I said she was foalnapped!" Rarity said. "What did you think foalnapped her?"

"I don't know!" Pinkie Pie smiled, giving a shrug. "Who would want to foalnap her, anyway? And why? I mean, you said there was a struggle, but that doesn't make sense to me! Fluttershy isn't a fighter! She wouldn't even lift a hoof to defend herself!"

"No… you're right. Fluttershy wouldn't defend herself…" Twilight Sparkle said. "But she would stand up for her animal friends."

Narrowing her eyes and staring at the tracks, imprinting them in her mind, she rubbed her chin. Pinkie Pie's assumption was right-she had never seen anything like it.

"Fluttershy wouldn't keep something that big either. Looks like what ever these belong to have huge claws on their feet." Rainbow Dash pointed out at a set of footprints that were leading away from the property and into Ponyville's direction. "And who knows who might be next?"

"Right! Let's follow them," Applejack suggested.

"What?!" Rarity looked at her in alarm. "Applejack, we don't know what we're up against!"

"An' we don't know if Ponyville itself might be in danger!" Applejack countered. "Ah'm not gonna stand idly by while mah family might be threatened by this thing!"

"I'm with you, AJ!" the cyan pegasus declared, breaking into flight, her eyes glued to the tracks embedded in the snow. She didn't care what this creature was, the Element of Loyalty wasn't going to allow it to foalnap any more of Ponyville's citizens-and possibly get Fluttershy back, too, if they caught it.

Chapter Thirteen: On The Trail

"The grocery store?" Rarity blinked, tilting her head lightly. "… If it was hungry, then why didn't it eat any of the animals…?"

She appeared positively baffled.

"Perhaps its civilized," Twilight Sparkle ventured. Upon receiving blank, almost incredulous stares from her friends, she hastily corrected herself. "Perhaps it's intelligent?"

"Or maybe it wants to eat Fluttershy and the other ponies!" Pinkie Pie gasped, a look of horror on her face.

"Yes, or perhaps…" Twilight Sparkle smiled… then suddenly stared at Pinkie Pie. "… Say what now?"

"Well, think about it!" Pinkie Pie burbled. "This creature from outta nowhere comes up and foalnaps Fluttershy, and we follow its tracks here into town! We haven't seen anypony else thus far, and it's inside a grocery store?! It's probably buying food so it can take it all home and cook her up and eat her!"

"Pinkie… that's… that's just silly," said Twilight Sparkle.

Pinkie Pie, now incensed, threw her foreleg into the direction of the barren marketplace. "DO YOU SEE ANYPONY ELSE OUT HERE?!"

"Well, no, but why would the creature buy gro-"

"To heck with speculation!" Rainbow Dash cried. "I've heard enough! I'm going in!"

"Ah hear you!" Applejack agreed. "On the count of three we bust the door down!"

"Got it!"

"Wait, girls!" Twilight Sparkle cried.

"THREE!" the two mares cried in unison, leaping together to knock the door straight out of its frame. Collapsing forward, they barged in. Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity immediately joined them. All five stood inside, ready to confront what had wandered in.

… Only to find absolutely nothing. Aside from the busted down door, the store was actually surprisingly peaceful. The shelves were still stocked, the lights were on, the potted plant in the corner wasn't even disturbed. There didn't seem to be any sign whatsoever of any disturbance… save for the three mares all sporting flower cutie marks huddled together in each other's forelegs in one corner, and a couple of stallions shivering under a table or two. Confused, the Elements of Harmony looked at each other before returning their gazes to the frightened mares.

"What the… wasn't there… some creature here?" Twilight Sparkle thought aloud.

"The horror! The horror!" one of the mares from nearby, one the five friends recognized as Roseluck, spoke out.

"It was awful!" Lily cried out.

"A disaster! A horrible, horrible disaster!" Daisy finished.

"What happened here?" Twilight Sparkle demanded.

"A huge, ferocious beast!" Roseluck sobbed.

"With long claws, and sharp teeth, and a long tail just stormed in here!" Daisy whimpered.

"It was frightening!"

"Terrifying!"

"Nightmarish!"

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes. The three of them weren't going to be of any help, what with the way they were going on about the situation. Sighing, she shook her head and turned to one of the others, intent on getting some more information, only to find that Rainbow Dash had already beaten her to the punch. The rainbow-hued equine was lifting one of the shop keeps-a pale brown earth pony stallion with white mane and tail and wearing a striped vest over a white shirt with a cash register cutie mark-up on his hind legs.

"It was a dragon, I tells ya," he said. "Six feet tall, red an' yeller! Just walked right on in, gave us all a scare!"

"What did he want?! Did he have Fluttershy with him?!"

"He was carrying nopony, and he just got some baby food, diapers, shampoo, and a brush!" The cashier gulped. "That was all, nothing more!"

"… What?" the cyan pegasus flatly asked.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity, who were closest to Rainbow Dash, stared at him, then at each other, and then over at Twilight Sparkle. Even Applejack, who was checking to see if anyone was hurt, was shocked.

"Where is he now? Is he still here?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"No, Princess Twilight Sparkle!" the shopkeep answered, pointing a hoof at the door. "He jus' went out 'bout five minutes 'fore y'all came in!"

"Dang!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "We missed him! We can't let him get away!"

"Now hold up a second now!" Applejack interrupted. "He wanted some baby food an' diapers? Why would he even…?"

"Uh, because he has a baby, DUH!" Pinkie Pie stated.

Twilight Sparkle was still reeling from the shock. Baby food and diapers? "Perhaps… he has a child?"

"WAIT!" Pinkie exclaimed. "What if he's planning on fattening the baby up and eating it, too?!"

"Now, darling," Rarity began. "Aren't we overthinking this just a little bit?"

"What's to overthink? Pinkie Pie threw her hooves into the air. "It obviously can't be his own baby! And he can't be planning on feeding Fluttershy to it because why would he be buying baby food for the baby if it can't eat solid food yet? He HAS to be planning on eating them both!"

"Wait, I still-" Twilight Sparkle started, unsure of everything now. None of this was making any sense!

"C'mon, girls, we haven't a moment to lose!" Pinkie Pie turned into a random direction and rushed deeper into the store. "TO VICTORY!"

Twilight Sparkle and the rest just stood there, staring.

Pinkie Pie came running back, rushing past them and out the double doors. "VICTORY IS THIS WAY!" Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash weren't too far behind her. Twilight Sparkle just continued to stand there, groaning with closed eyes, before dashing off after them.

xxx

Ignoring the terrified equines he past, Smokey hummed quietly to himself, blissfully scanning the frozen landscape and envisioning what Ponyville would look like after Winter Wrap-Up. The identity of the trees dotted along the path were obscured by their icy masks, rendering it impossible for the dragon to distinguish them. He didn't know much about trees and flowers anyway. He always enjoyed learning about what grew where. Prematurely figuring nopony was bold enough to allow him to ask them questions about the wildlife, he didn't.

'Maybe Fluttershy knew,' he thought… She did say she loves animals and taking care of them, and judging by the natural remedies he saw stocked in her home's inventory, she must know a lot about plants too and other things too. When they finally settled down and the mare was feeling better, he would ask her what she knew.

An aching-burning soreness concentrated at his feet brought Smokey out of his mental musings. Stopping, he bent over a tad and brought up his left foot-he had to be careful as not to accidentally spill any of his goods clustered in the large brown paper bag restrained in his right arm. Every winter he somehow managed to forget that snow buildups between the toes meant sore feet later. Silvery breath exiting from his mouth on a light, disheartened sigh, the dragon took the time to pluck bits of ice from between his toes, unaware of any ponies coming up from behind him.

As the mares scrambled down the road, they kept an eye out for anything unusual or any signs of the dragon that had been supposedly terrorizing Ponyville. That part was actually easy. All they had to do was follow the tracks that were left behind. Twilight Sparkle, in particular, was still a bit cautious-it was a dragon… but the tracks weren't all that big. They were significantly bigger than Spike's, yes, by quite a margin-but nowhere near the size of the dragon prints she had seen when he'd been at his full greed-grown height.

Perhaps they were facing an adolescent dragon? Or perhaps just a young adult? Or maybe, a young-yet frighteningly large-child? That still didn't make a lot of sense, but Twilight Sparkle was willing to hold back if it meant being safe and approach this from a more practical view.

As she and her friends rounded a bend, they paused, coming to a halt. Spotting the winged reptile, they gasped, and quickly took cover around the corner.

"There he his!" Rainbow Dash cried. "I'll get him!"

She reared up and was about to fly off after him when she was suddenly halted by a magical force. Hanging in the air, she turned her head with an incredulous look at Twilight Sparkle.

"Wait!" she said. "Don't! You have no idea what he's capable of!"

"But he's got Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie protested.

"Yes, and if we confront him now we might not be able to rescue her, especially if he mops the floor with us!" Twilight Sparkle said. Taking a quick peek back around the corner to keep an eye on him, she continued. "I suggest we follow him discreetly, so he'll lead us to Fluttershy."

Rainbow Dash was about to object and remind the lavender alicorn when she gave a good kick to the dragon they once removed from the mountains towering beside Ponyville, but her words died in her mouth as she remembered how angry she made him. Flattening her ears and furrowing her brows, she went limp in Twilight Sparkle's levitation spell with a defeated "Fine".

The group hung back, wondering what the beast was doing as he pushed bits of ice from his toes. His back was turned to them and his wings were unfolded the slightest degree, so they could not see. Once he was finished, he continued on, snow crunching underneath his now clean soles and printing his marks behind him.

Twilight Sparkle released Rainbow Dash from her spell, giving her a slightly apologetic look.

"Look, I know you're gung-ho about going after him, and if we knew Fluttershy was safe and wasn't being held hostage I'd tell you to go for it. But, the fact remains she's not with him, so we can only account for the possibility that she's being held captive somewhere, and if we don't know where she is…"

She turned back to the dragon, watching him get up and move on after having done what ever he was doing.

"It just makes more sense to follow him, so we can at least find out where his hideout is. Chances are, he'll be keeping Fluttershy there."

"And, we'll be able at bust in an' rescue her!" Applejack finished. "Ah wuz wonderin' why you wuz holdin' Rainbow back. He didn't seem half as strong as that one back up in th' mountains! We all could've probably taken 'im easily!"

"And he just as probably could have mopped the floor with us. Physical size alone isn't an accurate measure of physical strength, AJ," Twilight Sparkle said as she began leading her friends off to follow the dragon-making sure to keep their distance but to keep him in sight. "Just because he's less than half the size of the grown dragons we've seen doesn't make him any less stronger."

"And give him a kick in the face for foalnapping Fluttershy," the cyan pegasus added, grinding her hoof into the frog of her other hoof. "That'll teach him not to mess with ponies!"

The dragon traversed through his chosen path, new footprints covering up old ones that clearly indicated that he had used it before. It was also a much quicker route to and from his house in addition to the safest. The trip was a quiet one, an eerily quiet one, as was every trip to the Everfree. Ahead, nestled in a clearing that had been created by the removal of trees that were used for firewood, was a single story home constructed entirely out of stone. It was quite primitive in appearance, with a pair of chimneys jutting out of its solid, flat roof. There was a window for every room-the closest one, and the only one in sight from the path coming in, was located at the front by the door.

Smokey hurried to the entrance of the cozy abode, anxious to get back to his two charges and his animals.

The five mares hung back at a safe distance, never once letting the reptile out of their sight, but making sure to remain as hidden as possible if the situation called for it. Thankfully, it didn't seem they had to dive for cover at any point, and they remained mostly silent as not to call attention to themselves.

Back inside, unbeknownst to them, slept Fluttershy. Her foreleg protectively curled around Chenoa, she slumbered peacefully, chest and sides rising and falling with each breath. As she slept, she dreamed about frolicking among the flowers and animals before shifting to laying on the grass in the sunlight with Chenoa and having a picnic with Smokey, and introducing them to her friends…

Her friends. What would they say if they could see her now, she dreamily wondered. The thought, however, was lost in the dream as it shifted once more to her teaching Chenoa how to sing.

Chapter Fourteen: The Misunderstanding

Smokey was quiet as he made his entrance, slowly pulling the door behind him shut to prevent any noise from disrupting Fluttershy and Chenoa's sleep. As he strode across the room, his body directed to the kitchenette, he paused midway to gaze over the couch and took a moment to watch his guests as they slept, their peaceful forms bathed in the pulsating glow orange cast upon them from the fireplace. He then turned his body to face them completely, bringing his free arm to a rest upon the back support of the couch, upper arm working as a prop as the dragon leaned in, his eyes absorbing the scene before him. He was completely unaware of the ponies outside who had intentions on "rescuing" the mare he befriended.

Fluttershy sighed, snuggling into the mattress and subconsciously pulling Chenoa closer. Very softly breathing, her face had a warm, happy smile on it as she slept-feeling both safe and content.

Outside, Twilight Sparkle was pacing back and forth in front of her three present friends, who were lined up in front of the house. Her mind was already trying to formulate a plan. She had attempted to see what was inside the window, though the curtains were drawn and she couldn't see.

"Right… How are we going to do this…?" she muttered.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey!" Pinkie Pie called over, bouncing around the side of the house.

"What is it, Pinkie?"

"There's a broken window on the side of the house! I was able to climb inside, but the door leading to the rest of the house is locked!" She smiled. "I think we might be able to break it down and get in!"

"Really?" Twilight Sparkle grinned. "Pinkie, that's perfect! I just got an idea!"

"We're gonna bust right in and take Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash attempted to clarify for Twilight Sparkle, putting on a determined grin with adrenaline coursing through her body and energizing every fiber of her very being. She was more than ready to break into the dragon's dominion and do what ever it would take to get their friend out safely.

"Exactly," Twilight Sparkle said. "And we're going to do a three-pronged assault."

"A three-pronged… assault?" Rarity inquired.

"Yes. Pinkie Pie, take Rarity and go back to that one room. Smash down the door there. Applejack, you're with me. We're going through the front. Rainbow Dash." She glanced over at the addressed pegasus. "Since you seem to be so proficient in breaking in through my windows, why don't you do that?"

Rubbing her hooves together with a look of pure deviousness, Rainbow Dash prepared herself to crash through the front window. "Alright! Let's do this!"

Rarity trotted and Pinkie Pie bounced around the house until they came upon the broken window. Both mares needed to climb through with extreme caution in order to prevent cutting themselves on the jagged glass remains. Once they were safely inside the room, they tip-toed over to the closed door. Keeping their ears pressed to the wooden surface, they listened diligently for the other three to break in.

Pausing at the front door, Twilight Sparkle turned to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. "You girls ready?"

"Ready!" Applejack and Rainbow Dash replied simultaneously.

"Right!" Twilight Sparkle shouted, turning around. "On three! One!"

"Two!" Applejack followed.

"THREE!" they yelled in unison, bucking backwards at the door.

Right on cue, Rainbow Dash barreled right through the window, shattering the entire pane into pieces.

Detecting the commotion on the other side, Pinkie Pie and Rarity whirled around until their back ends were facing the door. Lifting their rumps and utilizing the power in their flanks, they launched their hooves and sent the door right off its hinges.

The sudden noise startled Smokey and his animals-and obviously pulled Fluttershy and Chenoa out of their slumber. His protective instincts kicked in, and unfolding his wings to lift his body over the couch-after dropping the bag of groceries-, the dragon went straight to his two guests. He fell onto his knees beside them and threw his arms around the mare and baby griffon.

The doves took to the air, flying around in a confused frenzy until they figured out they should go to their caretaker for protection. The same thing happened with the small brown rabbit. As the birds amassed themselves beside the reptilian, the rabbit dove under his tail.

"Alright, you big meanie-mean pants dragon!" Pinkie Pie challenged. "We're not going to let you eat our friend, Fluttershy! Let our friend go! Now!"

"Girls?!" Fluttershy coughed, her eyes spinning in confusion.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy! We're here to rescue you!" Rarity called.

"'Rescue'…?" Fluttershy blinked. "No wait-!

"ATTACK!" Twilight Sparkle cut her off, her horn glowing and charging at the dragon.

"Wha…?" was all Smokey could say in his dumbfounded state. These ponies, who he had taken as some sort of threat, were Fluttershy's friends? And they thought he was going to eat her?

Before he could even do anything, Rainbow Dash lunged at him, her body having gathered enough momentum to knock him over a few feet away. The sight of the intrusion combined with the attack on the dragon was more than enough to send Chenoa clinging to Fluttershy in a fit of frightened wails.

"Yah! Take this!" Pinkie Pie cried out, leaping up and onto the winged reptile. As did Applejack, who was beginning to wish that she had brought her lasso instead of just running of without having nabbed it in the first place.

Ignoring the ear-splitting wails of the baby griffon, Twilight Sparkle precipitated herself to Fluttershy's side. "Quick, come on, while he's distracted"

"What? But, Twilight-"

"Don't worry, darling, we got you! Hurry!" Rarity was at her other side, tossing the blanket off her and moving to help her up. She had noticed-and was wincing from-the baby's crying, but she was determined to rescue her too.

"Girls, wait-" Fluttershy tried pulling away, only to be held back by her friends.

"No time!" Twilight Sparkle snapped, her magical aura lifting her off the mattress.

"Girls?! Girls! Gir-" the yellow pegasus gritted her teeth. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and…

"STOOOOOOP!"

The room instantly went silent-sans the crackling coming from the fireplace. Even Chenoa had ceased her crying and was staring, wide-eyed, at her adoptive mother. Heck, everyone was staring at Fluttershy, including the doves and rabbit, who were trembling in fear and huddled among the baby griffon in a cluster of white and a patch of brown.

After a moment, Smokey decided to break the heavy stillness, addressing the rainbow-maned mare who had wrapped her forelegs around his head in a Half-Nelson. "Excuse me, miss? Would you mind letting me go?"

Though he could've easily pulled her off him-and defended himself throughout the ordeal-, he figured it would be better if he asked politely instead in order to show them he was a peaceful creature.

Rainbow Dash glanced down at the dragon with a hard, mistrusting glare, then back at Fluttershy with a far softer expression. "Fluttershy? What the hay is going on here?!"

Fluttershy heaved a bit, her chest lightly congested and the shock of being very rudely awakened from her induced sleep caused her to be uncharacteristically angry. Shooting a sharp glare over at Rainbow Dash that could freeze a lake over had it the power to do so, she then turned her gaze to everypony present, her anger quickly subsiding.

A few seconds passed, and she spoke, her voice soft-giving a sigh. Cradling the chick in one foreleg, she stroked her head with the other. "What happened was that I found this baby griffon near my house. She ran away, so I ran after her. I chased her onto a dead, fallen tree… over an underground well. I assumed the tree was strong enough to support me. I didn't even think it would break, and… the two of us were sent tumbling into the well. My leg was trapped under a boulder, and I couldn't push it off. So, I couldn't fly out.

"I thought we would be okay at first, that someone would come along and save us… but then the water started rising. I still couldn't get that rock off of me, and I honestly thought I was a goner.

"It was Smokey who saved me… saved us," she explained, looking over at the dragon. "If he hadn't come along when he did, then I'd… I…" She went silent for a moment or two. "I've been here, resting up and recuperating ever since."

The ponies stared at their friend with wide eyes as their minds absorbed what she had just revealed to them. As their brains processed the information, they turned to the dragon. Rainbow Dash's forelegs loosened and let go of his head with an apologetic look. Lifting a hoof to run it over her mane in embarrassment, a slight nervous grin spread across her muzzle.

"Well… This is kinda… awkward."

"Oh… gosh." Applejack sighed. "Ah… wow."

"My. We're so dreadfully, terribly sorry!" Rarity said.

"Yeah! We're really, really, really, REALLY, really, really sorry about all this!" Pinkie Pie said, her eyes wide in apology.

"Yeah, sorry," Rainbow Dash added her own apology.

Twilight Sparkle said nothing, letting Fluttershy go and making her way to Smokey, her head bowed. "I… we… apologize, Mr. Smokey. We acted hastily, and in error. We saw signs at Fluttershy's cottage that suggested there was a fight, and we saw your tracks and we just… assumed the worst had happened. We're really sorry-we just wanted to make sure our friend was safe. Could you ever forgive us?"

Smokey's eyes went from one pony to the next, acknowledging their sincere apologies. Smile tugging on the corners of his mouth, he nodded. "Of course. It was an honest mistake. I possibly might have acted in the same manner had I thought someone abducted dear Fluttershy."

Upon hearing Smokey's forgiveness resulted in a circle of smiles painted on the ponies' faces.

"Whoo-hoo!" Pinkie Pie cheered.

"Pinkie!" Fluttershy shushed the pink pony. "You'll scare Chenoa."

"Huh?" Pinkie Pie turned over. "Oh! Is that the baby! Let me see! Let me see!" Coming closer, she bent her head down slightly and smiled at the griffon chick. "Oh, she's so cute!"

"She's absolutely adorable," Rarity agreed. "Almost reminds me of Pound and Pumpkin."

Twilight Sparkle smiled, before turning around and walking over to the front door.

"Uh, hey, Twi? Where ya goin'?" Applejack asked.

"Nowhere. Just to fix the door we so callously destroyed," Twilight stated. "And I should probably do something about fixing the other door and the window, too."

"Aw, shucks. Lemme help ya with that," the farmer offered, heading over to assist.

"Is Fluttershy okay to travel?" Rarity asked Smokey as she turned to him. "Not that we don't appreciate you taking care of our friend, but… wouldn't it be a better idea to get her to a proper facility.

Mulling over Fluttershy's condition, Smokey rose onto his feet to kneel beside the yellow mare, his scaly hand brushing over the chick's soft head for additional comfort.

"I'm not sure…" Raising his free hand, he brought it to the pink-maned pegasus' forehead, splaying his palm over her hot fur, brows furrowed in thought. "She is still running a fever… And I would hate to expose her to the cold weather only for her to get worse…"

"I suppose we'll just have to keep her here, then."

"Oh, don't worry about me, girls." The pale yellow equine smiled over at Rarity and then up at Smokey. "Smokey's been taking really good care of me."

The baby griffon frowned at the sight of Pinkie Pie, head sinking into her shoulders and burying her face into Fluttershy's chest. The earlier scare proved to be a lousy first impression for the child. Pinkie Pie frowned a bit, her mane drooping as she pondered what she could do to cheer the baby up. While her first instinct was to run and grab a bag of flour to dump on her head, she wasn't entirely sure Smokey would appreciate her doing that. Instead, she continued to smile and tried making funny faces at her. The result only made the infant burst into tears all over again.

"Uh, Pinkie," Fluttershy softly spoke up. "Please don't do that, you'll scare her."

"Aww." She frowned. "I was just trying to make her smile! I'm not a bad pony-I didn't mean to make her cry!" At that, she made another funny face.

Eyes wide with fright and beak turned down in a frown as she watched Pinkie Pie's attempt to cheer her up, Chenoa buried her face into Fluttershy's warm fur again, snuggling into the secure embrace. That, and with the additional touch on her head by her male guardian helped quell her fears.

Chapter Fifteen: A Healing Visit

The large reptile returned the smile at Fluttershy, his fingers leaving her forehead to trace the side of her face and curl underneath her chin. "Well, she has been a wonder to have around. You all are fortunate to have a friend like her."

"We know." Twilight Sparkle smiled over at Fluttershy, having finished reinforcing the front door with assorted boxes placed in front of it with Applejacks help. The latch had broken right off the door frame when she and Applejack stormed in, rendering it unable to stay closed on its own.

"She's a wonderful friend to us all. We don't know what we'd do without her."

"Oooh! Like when we took on Nightmare Moon, or Discord, or that dragon up in the mountains!" Pinkie Pie squealed.

"An' she's a wonderful babysitter for Apple Bloom an' her friends," Applejack said while helping Twilight Sparkle move a large bookcase in front of the window that went down during their heroic assault. It wasn't a pretty solution, but it would at least block the cold air from coming in until they could fashion a replacement .

Smokey's eyes suddenly went wide in pure, unadulterated surprise. Were these mares the ones to defeat both Nightmare Moon and Discord, and bring peace back to the Crystal Kingdom? Now, when everything was settled down, the dragon had a chance to have a good look at the hurriedly assembled rescue party. He stared incredulously at Twilight Sparkle when he realized she was an alicorn, an incredibly rare species of equine. His gaze surveyed ponies that came with her, before going straight back to Fluttershy. Was this little shy pony he rescued from the cold hands of death actually one of the legendary Elements of Harmony?!

"What? Don't believe us?" Rainbow Dash smirked, bemused at the look on the dragon's face.

He turned his attention to the cyan pegasus, a smile tipping his scaly lips. "It's not that. I just never figured I would ever get to meet the Elements of Harmony." His facial features then changed into a playful and teasing expression as his eyes swiveled back to Fluttershy. "I certainly never would have thought this demure lady was an enchantress and a mighty warrior."

"Oh, well, um, I…" Fluttershy's face went into a sweet shade of red and she hid one of her eyes behind a large lock of pink hair.

"Aw, don't be bashful, Fluttershy!" Applejack chuckled. "Show some pride in your ability! After all, if it wasn't fer you, we'd have never caught Dash an' restored her to normal, to beat Discord."

"And you were the one who stopped that manticore's rampage when we first went to the Ancient Castle for the Elements of Harmony in the first place. If you hadn't stopped him, we'd likely still be suffering under eternal night," Rarity tacked on.

"Well, I… erm… don't like to brag," she whispered. "And I really don't like fighting."

Twilight Sparkle blinked. "Really? Because unless my eyes were deceiving me, I saw you beat up a bear!"

"A bear?" Rainbow Dash cocked a brow as disbelief dawned in her eyes. The sheer concept of the Element of Kindness, with her natural empathy and love for animals, dominating a bear by sheer physical strength was impossible for her to fathom. "Fluttershy actually beat up a bear?! When did this happen?"

"Wait, lemme git this straight. Fluttershy, OUR Fluttershy, friend-to-all-livin'-creatures Fluttershy, pummeled a bear," Applejack stated incredulously, as Rarity and Pinkie Pie shared a look.

"Well, it was more like she was wrestling with it…" Twilight Sparkle said. "And snapped his neck."

"You're kidding," Rarity lightly gasped.

"Oh, no, I never did any of that," Fluttershy corrected, appearing shocked. "I was just giving him a massage!"

"A massage…" Twilight Sparkle deadpanned.

"Oh, yes. He had so much tension in his upper back. I see him every other week, except winter, to make sure he's doing all right." The pegasus smiled, before realizing something. "Actually, I think I have a session with him a couple weeks after Winter Wrap-Up."

A massage? Well, that made much more sense. Of course this sweet little pony wouldn't dare harm anyone. Smiling down at the mare, his clawed hand stroked over her head once, thoroughly relieved that Twilight Sparkle's earlier accusations weren't true.

"Then I'll have to work extra hard to make sure you get better by then, so you may attend to him… and I could possibly make a few treats for him," he said with a quick wink.

Fluttershy giggled lightly, blushing slightly. "Well… thank you."

"Hey, wouldja lookit that," Applejack snickered. "She's blushin'!"

"My, my! Got ourselves a possible boyfriend, have we?" Rarity followed up. "I must say, I wouldn't generally think of a dragon as my first choice."

"Says the unicorn who calls our little friend 'her Spikey-Wikey'." Pinkie smirked teasingly at the alabaster unicorn.

Rarity snorted with indignation. "Call the kettle black much, Pot?"

"Silly Rarity, my name isn't Pot!"

Smokey, himself, felt his cheeks flush a light rosy pink at Rarity's offhand little comment, ear frills twitching once when they caught Rainbow Dash laughing. As cute and sweet as Fluttershy was, he didn't think about her as a possible girlfriend. Not yet, anyway, since they just met. Though…even after such a short time he spent tending to her, he did come to think she was quite an admirable pony... but wasn't one supposed to think that way about one's friends, especially if they possessed such qualities?

Twilight Sparkle chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright, girls. Fluttershy's still sick. We should probably leave and let her get some rest." She then turned to Smokey. "We'll be back later, no later than tomorrow, to fix your doors and window. Again, I'm... we... are really sorry about all this."

The blush on the dragon's face faded as his thoughts were brought back to present by Twilight Sparkle. He turned his gaze to her, acknowledging with a single nod and said. "It's all right. Why don't you all come at lunchtime? I could make something for us all."

"Sounds good ta me!" Applejack grinned.

"Oh my! Takes care of animals and cooks," Rarity chuckled, casting a quick glance at the cluster of doves and a rabbit. "A real man."

"Oh! I'll bring some cupcakes!" Pinkie Pie volunteered with a bounce. "Can't have lunch without snacks!"

Smokey had found himself blushing again at Rarity's compliment. This Rarity was quite a charmer, he thought. As Pinkie Pie suggested her own contribution to the newly scheduled lunch, his grin widened. "Sounds good. Do any of you have any preferences?"

"As long as there's no meat, we should be good," Rainbow Dash teased.

The dragon chuckled at that, shifting onto his haunches in order to get more comfortable. He noticed that Chenoa was now far more relaxed in the presence of the new arrivals. She even begun wriggling around, conveying her desire to get down. "There's no need to worry about that. I'm not really into meat myself."

"We're pretty easy," Twilight Sparkle said. "I mean-regarding lunch. We're not picky-I know Pinkie isn't."

"I don't have any preferences!" Pinkie gleefully informed. "I'll eat anything!"

"You would." Rarity rolled her eyes.

"I'll be sure to make something absolutely delicious for you lovely ladies," Smokey offered, before his attention was diverted to Chenoa, as she began babbling random syllables.

The little chick stretched her eagle paws up to touch Fluttershy's cheeks, indulging in the softness of her fur. After a string of continuous "Ba ba ba ba ba's" she tried concentrating more on her next utterance, just to be drown out by Twilight Sparkle.

"Mmm… Mmm… Mmmaaa. Mmaa."

"That'll be great. Thank you, Mr.-"

"Hush!" Pinkie Pie raised a hoof and shoved it in the lavender alicorn's mouth, focusing solely on Chenoa. "The baby's trying to say something!"

"Hmm?" Fluttershy blinked, turning her gaze down at the griffon chick. Listening closely, she smiled to her. "Are you trying to say something, Chenoa? C'mon, you can do it. Say 'Mama'!"

"Mama?" Rainbow Dash questioned doubtfully, only to be shushed by Pinkie Pie as well.

"That's right, sweetheart. Say 'Mama' " It was Smokey's turn to encourage the tiny white bundle nestled in Fluttershy's forelegs.

"Mmmm! Ummm! Mmmmaaa--pbbbbt!" Turning her head off to the side, Chenoa blew a raspberry after she muttered another string of syllables and hums. Bubbles of saliva were born from the tip of her tongue in the process.

Fluttershy started laughing warmly as she shook her head. Hugging the baby, she nuzzled top of her head tenderly.

"It's okay, Chenoa. You'll get it," she reassured.

"That's right." Applejack nodded once. "Hoowee. Like mah Papa used ta say, ya spend th' first year or two teachin' 'em how ta talk, then th' next eighteen how ta be quiet."

Chuckling, Smokey lowered his head to lightly nuzzle Chenoa's head, sneaking a quick one to Fluttershy's cheek too as he drew back. "Please do not remind me that she'll become a teenager someday. I'm already dreading chasing off hormonal colts away from her."

"So… If you two are adopting her, and Fluttershy's the mom… then you're the dad, right?" Rainbow Dash clarified, a suggestive grin inscribing itself upon her face.

Fluttershy blinked, looking surprised. "Oh, um, er…" She flushed once again, giving a nervous, self-aware smile.

"Indeed! How marvelous, darling!" Rarity beamed. "… I suppose I shall start looking into designing some bridal dresses." She laughed, throwing a smirk over at Smokey. "Hmmm. I've never designed a tuxedo for a biped your size. This will certainly be interesting-but fear not! I've never backed down from a challenge yet!"

Twilight Sparkle laughed, before shifting her eyes to each of her friends and jerking her head into the direction of the front door-held shut by a few boxes from the bedroom. "Come on, girls. Let's leave them be. Fluttershy needs her rest."

"Oh, very well." Rarity smiled, her attention directed to the yellow pegasus. "One more thing darling. I've noticed you're missing a couple of your boots," the unicorn added, eying the pair of Fluttershy's boots sitting off to the side of the fireplace.

"Oh… I'm sorry, Rarity. They were lost in the well..." Fluttershy mumbled, a bit ashamed.

"That's perfectly all right. The boots were old and they were… out, anyway. I shall begin making you a new winter outfit immediately and should have it ready in a few days!"

"You don't have to do that-"

"Pish-posh. I insist! Don't bother your pretty head with it and just rest well. I'll let Aloe and Lotus know you can't come by this afternoon, too" She then blinked, with a distressed look on her face. "Oh! I hope they'll be able to fit me in! I completely forgot the appointment!"

"I'm sure they'll be able to squeeze you in," Fluttershy assured. "You're their best customer. I'm sorry I couldn't make it, Rarity…"

"Nonsense, deary. You just recover your strength." She turned, about to walk out the door after levitating the boxes out of the way. "We'll see you later!"

"Yup! Just relax and sleep and drink lots and lots of fluids and you'll be back on your hooves in no time!" Pinkie Pie grinned with a glint in her eyes. "Maybe I should bring some songs, too! That'll cheer you right up!"

"Oh it's fine, but thanks." The yellow equine smiled. "Having you all here cheers me up more than you can imagine."

"Yeah, see ya later, Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash was about to flutter out the door when she noticed the red dragon blushing all over again-this time, an even deeper shade of pink-his ear frills drooping and his head ducking slightly in embarrassment. "Ha-ha! Look who's the one blushing now!"

Smokey knew they were only fooling around, but this was plain awkward, making him a bit uncomfortable. Nonetheless, he offered a generous and warm smile, without saying anything.

The others–sans beet-red Fluttershy-laughed a little more and began to depart.

"See you later, lovebirds!" Pinkie Pie called over her shoulder before erupting into snorting giggles as she bounced off.

Fluttershy sighed, resigned, and laid back down. She rested silently for a good few minutes, but eventually she looked up at the dragon.

"I really wanted to go back to sleep, but after that scare, I don't think I'll be able to…"

The large male was still blushing quite hard from Pinkie Pie's not-so-subtle teasing. Turning to Fluttershy, he run a hand over flexible spines jutting from the back of his neck, in an attempt to mask just how embarrassed he really was. With an uneasy, but honest smile he tried to reassure his guest.

"Well, you should at least try… You… you do need a lot of rest…"

The pegasus returned the smile, giving a nod and a light yawn. She closed her eyes, but continued to hold Chenoa tightly in her embrace. Sighing contentedly, she felt drowsy again, slowly coming down from her adrenaline high.

"Again, thank you for everything." She rolled over on the mattress. "I'm sorry for… my friends… I know they meant well… but they can be a bit too zealous sometimes."

Smokey gave a hearty chuckle, his nervousness quickly ebbing away as his cheeks returning to their normal scarlet.

"It's all right, my dear. What fun would it be if you couldn't tease your friends once in a while?" Emerald pools swiveling over to a mug of tea on his lamp table, he scooted away and reached over to pick it up and offer it to the equine. "Perhaps Miss Pinkie was right. You should drink more fluids before drifting off."

She gave a warm smile and a quick nod, before rolling back and sitting up. Setting Chenoa aside for a second, she reached up to take the mug. Mumbling a quiet "Thank you", she brought it to her lips and took a nice, long swig. Since the tea had cooled over the past hour, she was able to down the rest of it quite quickly. Handing the cup back, she closed her eyes, and the feeling of sleepiness washed over her once again.

Smokey smiled softly, his eyes ajar as he gazed down upon the peaceful face of the pegasus. "I bought you some shampoos and a brush in case you want to take a bath," he told her, stretching his arms out to grasp the blankets and pull them snugly over her and the baby chick, who was beginning to look quite drowsy herself.

Curling up against the winged equine underneath the layer of fabric, Chenoa opened her beak wide and released a squeaky yawn. Closing her mouth, the small child laid her head on Fluttershy's foreleg, nuzzling it a few times.

The pegasus' smile grew even broader as she draped her other foreleg around Chenoa, snuggling closer to her. Gazing up at Smokey, her eyes teared up a little.

"You're wonderful," she stated. "Rarity's right-you're such a gentleman. So sweet and generous… and so kind…" she whispered, closing her eyes. "I can't… possibly thank you enough…"

The dragon couldn't help but tear up himself, a pleasant warmth spreading inside his chest. No pony has ever said such kind words about him so sincerely…

"You already have by accepting my friendship…" he breathed to her. He sat there, watching the pair even after they fell asleep, thinking how lucky he was to have found someone as sweet as her. She really was a perfect angel…

Ear frills twitching at a soft thump that resounded from his rabbit as he jumped up on the couch and flopped over onto his side-the sign of a happy and comfortable rabbit. His doves were clustered on the wooden table, their eyelids sliding closer together with each blink as they prepared to nod off themselves.

With a sigh, Smokey's attention returned to Fluttershy and Chenoa. He had to admit that everyone else's drowsiness was rubbing off onto him. Why not take a nap himself? Deciding to do just that, the dragon crawled underneath the blanket at a steady pace, taking care not to stir the mare nor the griffon awake. Sinking into the mattress, he scooted closer on his side and curled inward to cuddle up to his guests.

Chapter Sixteen: The Intruder Returns

As the cool evening swept in, Fluttershy stretched and yawned, rolling over… and squeaking lightly as she felt a large source of warmth beside her. Turning her head, she giggled softly. She had felt quite cozy as she slept, but she had thought it was thanks to the blanket. Seeing that Smokey had climbed in with her and Chenoa to further keep them safe and warm caused her to feel an even greater sense of gratitude and affection for him.

Her chest rising with warmth and heart beating a bit harder than usual, she leaned in to give him a light kiss on his cheek.

A wide grin spread itself across the sleeping dragon's face at the touch of Fluttershy's lips, a soft purr vibrating in his throat. His free ear frill twitched a couple times before he snuggled in closer with another purr.

Pulled out of her slumber, the baby griffon shifted between them, rolling onto her back with a high-pitched yawn.

Chuckling, the pegasus slipped a foreleg around Chenoa. Snuggling back on her side, she watched the two of them sleep-but did not go back to sleep right away.

The fire had since burned out, leaving a smoldering pile of charred logs, and Fluttershy became aware that it was now significantly colder. Sighing, she cuddled in closer to the dragon, keeping their daughter between them.

She was just about to drift back off to sleep when she heard a howl outside-one that didn't sound too far away. Eyes popping open, she sat upright with a gasp.

The dragon jolted awake, leaning closer to his bedmates protectively. Swinging his head around into the direction of the bedroom where the howl originated from, his eyes grew larger than normal, pupils dilating in terror at what they beheld. Standing approximately ten feet away was a werewolf-the same werewolf that had invaded the dragon's peaceful abode the night before.

Smokey curled his arms around Fluttershy and Chenoa, his gaze locked on the furry beast. He let his eyes leave him only to swiftly search the room for his rabbit and doves.

They were nowhere in sight…

His anxiety skyrocketed, chest clenching in fear for what may have happened to them. Did they find a safe hiding place on time?

Fluttershy squeaked, turning around… and gasped again, louder this time. How did the creature break in?! Her eyes went to the busted door, which hadn't been properly fastened, but merely propped up by a stack of boxes. Apparently the werewolf had summoned the strength to push them and the door back enough to slip in.

"Smokey," she whimpered. "What are we going to do?"

"It's okay, Miss Fluttershy. I won't let him harm you or Chenoa," he said in hopes of reassuring the mare as he pulled her and their daughter closer, shielding them in his arms. His injuries inflicted by the werewolf were now noticeably hurting. Apparently, his painkiller had worn off and his body was due for another.

Chenoa whimpered, her body trembling in sheer terror at the sight of the battle-scarred and grotesquely skinny canine. Her whines tugged at his parental instinct, emboldening the dragon, his gaze steeling as he attempted to pierce into, and obliterate the intruder's will for a fight. However, the werewolf did not seem hostile this time.

Fluttershy clutched Chenoa tightly, pressing into Smokey's strong embrace with wide eyes. The beast was right there, standing before them. Fear gripping her heart, she was convinced that it had come back to finish them off when…

… It suddenly turned around and casually steered himself into the kitchenette. His nose led him to the still half full pot of soup, it's smell enticing his hungry jaws closer. Studying the stove in explicit detail, he felt the searing heat radiating from it. Intending on receiving no burns, he rose up onto his hind legs and using teeth to grasp one of the pot's handles he dragged it to the counter connected to the stove before burying his head into it. The slurping sounds he made as he devoured the food were loud enough to be heard across the room.

Fluttershy blinked once, watching. After a few seconds, upon hearing the slurping sounds, she tilted her head up to Smokey, quite puzzled.

"He's… not going to attack us?"

"I… suppose not." Smokey was just as confused, but he was willing to accept that the werewolf came by just for food that he made and not their flesh. Still, he held Fluttershy close and in turn she kept Chenoa in a safe embrace of her own.

The minutes passed agonizingly slowly, the tension in the air as thick as the soup the werewolf was devouring. Eventually, the canine lapped up the large pot spotless, licking his chops as he withdrew his head and lowered himself back on all fours. Slinking out of the kitchenette in a slow and cautious stride, he pinned his gaze upon the house's visible inhabitants.

Fluttershy just sat there, curled up in Smokey's arms, whimpering as she didn't know whether or not the beast would still come after them, even after having been fed. Upon him reappearing from the kitchenette, her heart leaped into her throat… only for her to swallow it again when he left without any further incident. Sitting there for a moment, she took a deep breath. He was hungry… nothing more.

"That…" she breathed out, finding her voice. "… was the second night he's been by." Her reeling mind came to a conclusion, and she looked up at Smokey. "You don't think he views this place as a viable source of food, don't you?"

Smokey did not relent his hold on Fluttershy and Chenoa, even though the werewolf was long gone. Heart still hammering in his chest, he tilted his head downward to meet the winged pony's eyes. If it weren't for the intensity of the situation, the dragon would have properly processed just how close their faces were.

"I… believe so… But I'll put food out for him so he doesn't hurt any of you or my animals."

Fluttershy, either, didn't realize-nor did she care-that their faces were incredibly close. Blinking a single time, she gave a small nod. "Uh-huh. That… that's a good idea."

She had faced several major dangers before, but anything that was larger than her, with incredibly sharp teeth, and also had actively attempted to eat her? That sounded like something from her nightmares. She didn't feel safe-or even comfortable-around something with a taste for pony meat.

A moment passed, before she realized something. The werewolf just wanted something to eat. That was all it had come for, and that was all it wanted. Maybe… he wasn't a bad creature? She was, after all, friends with a bear-and bears were said to be quite vicious when angered or hungry. That one dragon that used to reside up in the mountains had been aggressive, but he had only resorted to such behavior when Rainbow Dash kicked him in the snout. On top of that, Smokey had allayed some fears she had about dragons.

Of course, this could be due to his pony upbringing, but she didn't want to over-think things now. The fact of the matter was the danger had passed. Chenoa was safe. They were safe. That was all that mattered.

"Are you all right, though?" Smokey asked as he brought a hand to Fluttershy's cheek, his eyes brimming with a mixture of concern for her and Chenoa, and fear for the lives of his animals. He wanted to pull away and search the house from top to bottom for them, but he also wanted to make sure his friend and daughter were okay, too.

Stroking his palm down her cheek, his eyes flickered to the white bundle of fur and down between himself and the pegasus. Her tiny body was shaking from the earlier scare with the werewolf's appearance.

"Oh…You poor little one… It's all right, sweetheart. Daddy won't let anything hurt you," he spoke to her in a soft and soothing voice.

"Y-yes. I'm fine. We're fine. We're both fine," Fluttershy finally answered, cuddling Chenoa and rocking her gently. Giving a quick glance around, she felt something was still off, and noticed none of Smokey's critters were anywhere in sight.

"Where…?" she began, before returning her attention back to him. "I can take care of Chenoa. Go… look for the others. We'll be fine here."

Nodding, Smokey drew away to pull himself to his feet and turned around-only to find all six of his animals poking their heads out from underneath the couch. Letting out a tremendous sigh of relief, all of the starch tension inhabiting the dragon ebbed away, and his chest and stomach were free from a cold vice-like grip.

Dropping back onto the floor, he beckoned them over. They all complied, fluttering and scampering over to their caretaker-birds landing on his legs and shoulders while the rabbit plopped into his lap. Turning around on his haunches to face Fluttershy and Chenoa again, the dragon smirked, deciding to offer a simple pun in order to further ease the atmosphere.

"I suppose I should clean underneath that couch. This is the biggest dust bunny I had ever seen," he said, pointing his snout down at the little brown rabbit in his lap.

The pegasus couldn't help but grin, letting out a chuckle that quickly grew into a laugh. She wasn't really able to stop herself-not that she wanted-the emotional strain having built up so much, she really couldn't do anything but just start laughing in an effort to feel better.

Her laughter was contagious, spreading to both Smokey and Chenoa-especially to the little griffon. Their shared peals of mirth did wonders to break down the tension and return the atmosphere into its original warm and welcoming state. As the laughter died down to light pants, Smokey reached his bird-burdened hand out to the pegasus.

"I haven't introduced you to my little family, haven't I?"

"No, you haven't." She smiled, reaching out with a hoof for the bird to perch on. "Not formally."

Smiling at the small bird, she giggled. "Hello there. My name is Fluttershy." Gazing to the others, she felt warmth build up in her chest. "They're all just… so cute! Do they all live with you, Smokey?"

With a friendly coo, the pudgy white dove hopped off Smokey's finger and landed upon Fluttershy's pastern. All five doves had distinct features. This particular one was the fattest of the bunch.

"Yes, they all have lived with me since they were babies… They were orphans… Just like I was." The dragon's last words brought back unwanted memories of his childhood. In an effort to push them away, he gestured to the bird on Fluttershy's hoof. "That little lady is Pearl."

Fluttershy's ears drooped at that fact from Smokey's past and she pursed her lips. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that…"

Turning her attention back to the dove, she smiled to her. "Hello, Pearl." Bringing her closer to her face, she began to softly nuzzle her. "Such a pretty birdie."

"It's… all right. At least I found them, so I'm not all alone." Smokey grinned, his heart succumbing to the all too familiar pleasant warmth as Pearl cooed and attempted to preen the hairs on the pegasus' face as she was nuzzled. "Aw… She adores you already. Though, I cannot really blame her for that," he said with a playful wink.

Blushing and giggling, Fluttershy allowed the dove to cuddle up and attempt to preen her, feeling the bird's feathers and beak brush across her cheek. "Well, I… I always did have a way with animals." She sighed as she gazed upon the others. "And who are the others? And your bunny is so cute-he reminds me so much of Angel."

"Thank you. I'm sure he appreciates the compliment. Don't you, Ross?" he asked as he lowered his gaze to his rabbit. The small mammal nodded, elongated ears dropping as a bashful smile tipped his furry mouth. "Ross is a little shy sometimes, especially around sweet talkers."

Smirking, Smokey turned his head to one of the more slender doves perched on his left shoulder. "This is Gracie." Then the one on his right shoulder-a dove of a medium build with an untamed tuft of feathers jutting from the top of her cranium. "That is Petals." A smaller one with the most well-groomed feathers. "Her name is Lacy, and finally…" The dragon gestured at a larger bird possessing split ends on her tail feathers. "This is Raindrops."

"It's so very nice to meet all of you." She paused, before turning back to Smokey. "Um… If you don't mind my asking… how… how did you meet all of them? I mean, that is… you… don't have to if… you don't want to tell me."

Chenoa was mesmerized by the feathered creatures and didn't pay any attention to the conversation, her amber eyes wide in childlike wonder as she observed them from her spot in Fluttershy's lap. She was sorely tempted to walk over to one of the doves and play with her, but she was a little unsure of herself at the moment.

"Well… a couple years ago, when I was on the road, en route to another town I was scheduled to perform at-there had been a huge storm that did quite a bit of damage. I came across a tree that had been knocked over and I noticed the remains of a few nests and eggs scattered across the ground. Unfortunately, a couple were cracked and couldn't be saved, but I picked the remaining ones up and found a suitable shelter to make camp and warm them up.

"When I left them at a safe distance from the campfire, to gather some materials for a makeshift mobile nest, I found Ross curled up on the ground, wet and shivering from the cold. He was still a baby then-he hadn't even opened his eyes yet." Smokey halted, smiling down at the rabbit and stroking a hand over his head and ears. "I believe it was no coincidence I found them on the same night. Fate must have decided to bless me with a little family."

The pegasus frowned as her heart went out to the poor creatures. They really were orphans, just like Smokey said.

"Oh my. Poor little things… I'm sorry to hear you weren't able to save all of them… Though at least you were able to rescue whoever you could." She gave the plump dove on her hoof a smile, nuzzling her again. "And you all seem very happy together."

Pearl cooed again, dragging her beak over the fur on Fluttershy's face, resuming her attempt to preen her. She was the friendliest and most openly affectionate of the clutch. Attracted by the gentle and benevolent aura radiating from the winged pony, it was only natural she would take an immediate liking to her.

"Yes, I make sure they are happy. It was a lot of work raising them from babies. Many sleepless nights and long hours of devotion, but they were worth it. More than worth it."

"I feel the same way about my animals," Fluttershy stated. "It's hard work taking care of the little ones, but it feels so rewarding. It all really reminds me of my own little bunny.

"It was about five years ago when I found Angel… or, actually, I should say Angel found me. You wouldn't know it, but when I was a little filly, I was very, very shy… and a very weak flyer. Even as I grew, my skills at flying weren't always the best-I'm… okay, nowadays, but ever since I first got my cutie mark, I've always felt a closer connection with the ground than with the sky."

She paused for a second. "Do you ever think… ever feel that maybe… perhaps… you were born in the wrong body? I sometimes think I should have been born as an earth pony... but I digress. Anyway, as I was saying, five years ago, I was wandering around in the woods, looking for new animal friends… I… always got along better with animals than I did with other ponies, you see.

"Well, during my search, I got lost. I didn't know my way around the woods by the Everfree Forest, and without meaning to, I had actually blundered deep inside. I was so scared… I thought I would be lost forever. I curled up and started crying, when I felt a furry paw on my face. I opened my eyes, and I saw this tiny little white bunny rabbit. He looked concerned… and he wasn't scared of the forest at all!

"I introduced myself, and I told him of my plight… and he showed me a way out. It was like an angel had descended to show me a path. I was so grateful to my little Angel, that I rewarded him with as much food as I could offer. The two of us have been together since."

Smokey listened with intent interest, idly massaging the ball of his index finger into the patch of fur behind Ross' ear. The rabbit melted at the touch, leaning his body into the dragon's hand. When Fluttershy asked if he ever felt he had been born in the wrong body, he nodded, but he didn't speak until she finished her story.

"I feel that way all the time. Since I've been conditioned into pony society from the day I was born, I don't think I'd ever fit in with other dragons… And ponies… tend to stay away from me or treat me badly wherever I went, so… making friends… wasn't really an option."

The pegasus frowned, moving closer to him. "Well, you don't have to feel that way anymore. I'm your friend… and my friends will gladly accept you, too! We have a zebra friend that lives here in the Everfree Forest. She was feared just as badly, up until it was shown she was friendly and meant no harm." A pause. "Say… what if we did the same thing? Maybe if you were seen with us, maybe others wouldn't be so scared of you!"

The reptilian's eyes lit up, the top fringes of his ear frills perking straight at the idea.

"You… really think that will work? I… do admit I've been close to making new friends in the past, but… something bad always happened." His frills dropped in apprehension. "What if it happens again?"

Fluttershy reached out with a wing-since both her forelegs were occupied-and rested it against Smokey's side.

"My friends," she began. "Are the best friends anypony could ever ask for." Closing her eyes and tilting her head off to one side, she giggled. "I'm sure they'll accept you for who you are. They've done so in the past with others… and I see absolutely no reason they wouldn't do it for you."

The touch of Fluttershy's wing was comforting, but the dragon still held his doubts. It wasn't his fault he was the way he was-a large, strong beast with razor sharp teeth, and the ability to breath fire, even though he wasn't really much of a firebreather himself. Sighing, he gazed into her eyes for several moments. Her eyes… They held so much honesty and confidence in her friends… He just couldn't resist… He just had to trust her. After all, she trusted him.

Smiling, he nodded once, deciding to allow himself to believe her. "Alright… I'll try. We are scheduled to have lunch together, so I might as well."

"Thank you, Smokey. You won't regret it. Just give it some time… and before you know it, you'll be considering yourself one of us."

Chapter Seventeen: Peek-A-Boo!

Fluttershy yawned, now feeling tired after everything that happened. "I don't know about you… but I'm getting sleepy again."

Smokey nodded in acknowledgement with a gentle smile. "I think you should eat something and get more fluids in you first." He broke his eye contact to visually scan his animals and Chenoa. "I believe we all should."

Arching his neck to nuzzle one of his birds, he jostled the injury in it, reminding him he needed another painkiller. "How is your hoof? Do you need another pain pill? You should probably take more medicine as well. I don't want that fever to get worse again."

Fluttershy glanced down at her hoof that was currently curled around Chenoa-it was throbbing, but it wasn't as excruciating as it had been.

"It doesn't hurt as badly, but it's quite tender. I think some pain medicine would be nice to help it further… and some of that other medicine and food would be nice," she informed, gazing up at him with one of her cute smiles.

"Alright then. Anything in particular you're craving? If I have the ingredients, I'll make you anything your heart desires."

As Smokey's body shifted in preparation in getting up, his doves fluttered off of him and landed on the stone floor. Ross also moved, leaping out of the dragon's lap. The rabbit stretched his body out, edging closer to Fluttershy. He wasn't afraid of her, just cautious over the bouncing baby in her foreleg.

"Oh, I'm fine," Fluttershy said. "I'm not a picky eater. What ever you have is… fine." She paused as her stomach rumbled. "Anything simple and easy to fix, really. I don't really want to bother you for too much. I mean… you've done so much for me as it is."

"Oh, come on, Miss Fluttershy. There must be something specific you want. Really, it's no bother at all, even if you wanted something fancy," the dragon insisted with an encouraging smile. "Besides, I enjoy making elaborate meals, and it would make it all the more fun to see you enjoy what I make for you."

The mare's stomach rumbled lightly, begging its owner for sustenance.

"Well…" She blushed. "If it's not too much trouble… could I have a daisy sandwich and some clover chips? I… I'm not sure if I should eat anything solid… but I don't feel queasy." The equine looked up at the dragon with adorable wide eyes and a hopeful smile.

Daisies? She wanted daisies? The reptilian's face fell a little bit at this. He didn't have any daisies.

"I'm afraid I don't have any daisies, but I do have clover chips." Smokey actually appeared embarrassed that he didn't have any daisies stocked in his inventory of food. It was winter, and flowers-both sold by grocers and florists-were quite expensive during the cold season, and he had to limit his budget in case he would need extra funds for emergencies. And it just so happened, he did. All of his extra funds went to the mare and Chenoa. "I have a few different kinds of cheeses, greens, condiments, and dressings… Or, is there something else you have in mind?"

The pink-maned pony's smile didn't falter at all. She had a feeling he might be out, and she knew how expensive flowers were during the winter. They wouldn't reach normal market prices until after Winter Wrap-Up, and that was still a couple weeks away.

"That's fine." She smiled. "You said you had a number of cheeses? … How about a fondue? Some more soup with some cheese fondue and clover chips would be absolutely lovely."

Cheese fondue? That actually sounded really good! Perhaps he could make a baked potato soup to go along with it. That would compliment the cheesy appetizer quite nicely.

"That sounds delicious. I should ask for your consent on what we eat more often," he stated in a semi-playful note. "Does baked potato soup sound good?"

"Yes, of course!" A large grin broke out on her face, her mouth already watering. Licking her lips in anticipation, she nodded, hugging Chenoa. "That sounds absolutely scrumptious."

She suddenly turned her head and sneezed. Shaking her head and giving a goofy grin, she giggled. "In fact, if it wasn't for my cold, I'd offer to help make it."

The baby griffon squealed happily in Fluttershy's hug-sparking an affectionate warmth in both the dragon and pegasus' hearts-, pawing at the air and wriggling her legs in an effort to get free. After a long nap, her small recharged and hungry body was brimming with energy and the need to run around and play.

Smokey couldn't help but let out a small laugh at her enthusiasm. She certainly had gotten comfortable her, he noticed. When she had arrived, she was very nervous and shy. Now look at her!

"It's all right, Miss Fluttershy. You just relax and worry about getting better. Would you like more tea or something else to drink?"

"Oh… um… yes. I'd like some more tea, please." Fluttershy smiled, picking up the mug again in one hoof while still holding Chenoa in the other. "I would like some of that black chai you mentioned."

Feeling Chenoa struggle to be let go, she decided to do just that, but made sure to keep a very close eye on her.

Bending over, Smokey reached out to take the empty mug. His eyes lowered to focus his attention on the baby griffon as she was finally freed from Fluttershy's hold. The first thing she did with her newfound freedom was crawl underneath the blanket then roll onto her back and paw repeatedly at the fabric draped over her with all four feet, evoking a laugh from the dragon.

"Okay. I shall get you and our little darling some water, too. Honey again?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, please. Same amount, if you don't mind."

Turning to Chenoa, she smiled with a giggle. Taking a glance over at where the werewolf had come in, she noticed the door was still being held ajar. Biting her lip, she wondered is she should get up and try to right it, but with her illness, it probably would be best if she remained in bed.

"It shall be done… honey." Smokey chuckled, emphasizing his last word in a playful note. Turning on his heel, he drifted off to the kitchen to prepare Fluttershy's tea-before realizing he had temporarily forgotten to retrieve a couple of pain pills. Deciding he would get them after putting the kettle back on the stove burner, and poured a glass of water for Fluttershy and wash out and fill up a sippy cup for Chenoa.

The winged equine blushed, laying down and ducking her head between her shoulders for a moment. Gazing over at the lump that was the baby griffon, she moved to shuffle over to her side… and an idea struck her. Reaching out with her hooves, she slowly grasped the edges of the blanket… and pulled them down to reveal Chenoa.

"Peek-a-boo," she said softly, quickly covering the child up again. She waited a second, before doing it again. "Peek-a-boo."

Freezing her limbs the very instant Fluttershy dragged the blanket off her, she stared at the mare, unsure of how to react. However, after the quilt draped over her body and the pony repeated the antic, the realization that it was a new game dawned upon the chick. Chenoa beamed with a mirthful squeal that was followed by a laugh.

Fluttershy did this a few more times-even throwing in a silly face. Rolling one eye up and the other eye to the side, she stuck out her tongue as she pulled the blanket away one more time.

"Peek-a-boo." Holding the blanket up, she leaned in to give Chenoa a kiss on the forehead. "Mommy loves you!"

While the mare's confession was technically true, she was beginning to tread the surface of the love a parent holds for their child. She did love and care for her animal friends, but this sort of love was different-it was far stronger than any sort of love one could feel, besides romantic love.

The silly faces greatly amused the child-as opposed to the ones given by Pinkie Pie. The baby burst into a mad fit of laughter, her body rendered immobile. She continued cracking up even as her adoptive mother ceased and leaned in to kiss her.

The moment Fluttershy told the baby she loved her, Smokey was kneeling right beside the pegasus. Apparently, he had managed to return to her side with minimal noise, a glass of water in one hand and a painkiller in the other.

Like the winged equine, the dragon, too, was starting to feel the beginnings of a father's love for his child. "Daddy loves you too, sweetheart!"

The pegasus nearly jumped, and turned to him as her heart thumped against her breast. She let out a short laugh in relief upon realizing it was only her red-scaled friend, her mane coming down to cover her face. "Oh! … Smokey. I'm sorry, you startled me. I didn't even hear you come in."

Smokey smirked with a huff of a laugh jumping from his throat. "My apologies, Miss Fluttershy."

Since a thick lock of mane was obscuring the mare's face, he craned his neck as he brought his face closer to hers. Utilizing his snout, he brushed away her forelock, nose and lips briefly brushing her face in the process. The pegasus froze, body locking up at the touch. Her eyes, large and nervous, stared up at him. Meeting his gaze, she felt her heartbeat quicken. Realizing that he may have gone too far, even if his hands were currently occupied, he felt his stomach tie itself into a knot as the tension between them thickened.

In an attempt to break it and ease themselves back to a normal level, Smokey opened his closed fist containing the pain pill and held out the glass of water to her. "Uh… Here…"

Fluttershy extended her hooves to take the glass of water from him and set it down between her legs. She then moved to take the painkiller and fumbled for a second, dropping it onto the mattress. Blushing in silence, she quickly snatched it up and foisted it into her mouth before downing almost the entire glass-and spilling a little on her in her haste. Coughing a bit, she put the glass down and thumped her chest.

"Are you all right?" the winged reptilian asked as concern dawned in him, slightly outweighing his nervousness.

Even Chenoa ceased her romp under the blanket to crawl out from underneath it to investigate the source of the coughing. Seeing that it was Fluttershy, the chick toddled up to her to nudge her side with her downy head.

"Yes," she whispered. "I'm fine. Some water just went down the wrong pipe, that's all." She smiled, offering the empty glass back to the dragon. Gazing down at the baby griffon, she moved a hoof to stroke her feathers. "Don't worry, Chenoa. Mommy's fine. She just drank some water a little too fast."

Accepting the glass, relieved that the mare was okay, Smokey got up and returned to the kitchenette to set it down and retrieve the sippy cup of water he prepared for Chenoa. He made sure he washed it thoroughly before using it. Who knows what it had been exposed to during manufacturing and shipping.

Upon his return, he sat back down and beckoned the chick over to him. "Here you are, Chenoa. Daddy got you some water, too." Noting the look of puzzlement on the child's face, he chuckled, temporarily forgetting the awkward situation he and Fluttershy experienced a few minutes prior. Drawing the chick closer, the winged reptile held the cup near her face and tipped it enough to allow a few drops to expel from the plastic lips. "See? You drink from there."

Chenoa smacked her beak in a sign of thirst. Her golden orange eyes focused on the droplets that fell from the foreign device. Scooting closer, she opened her beak wider and closed it down on the lips, her tiny tongue prodding and tracing the slit, and eventually sucking. To her discovery, sucking coaxed water out! She suckled harder, drawing water into her mouth to quench her thirst.

Laying down once again, this time on her stomach, the mare gazed upon her adopted daughter and the dragon. A smile on her face, she sighed wistfully at the scene.

"I kind of wish I had a camera, now that I think about it," she piped up. "You two are so adorable together."

Smokey chuckled, lowering his head to plant a kiss on Chenoa's fluffy head as she continued to drink with audible sucking noises. "I have a camera. I just haven't unpacked it yet. When I travel, I like to take pictures of some of the flowers and wildlife in the area. Sometimes, I find feathers and pick flowers and stick them in this scrapbook I have."

"You do?" the pegasus smiled, her eyes lighting up. "That's nice. I had originally thought of possibly being a camera pony when I was much younger. At least, before I fell from Cloudsdale and found my love for animals."

She paused as she glanced off. "Looking back, though, I don't know how I would have done that. I mean, I was so… shy… and… Well, after my time with Photo Finish… If I ever see another camera for photo shoots…" She gave a soft huff.

"The pictures I take aren't that good. Most of the time, they are blurry, so I need to readjust the settings and shoot several more times. By the way, who is Photo Finish?"

"She's a photographer from Canterlot," she answered, turning back to him and blowing a lock of mane out of her face. "She was in Ponyville a few years ago, looking for a new fashion model… and found me, of all ponies."

"Well… you are beautiful enough to be a model, but I suppose all beauty queens aren't meant to model." Smokey felt mildly embarrassed after he had said this, thinking that he might possibly rekindle the awkward moment.

Fluttershy went silent for a good moment, just staring at him. There was a small silence between them, before she turned away with a sigh.

"It was one of the most horrible times in my life," she admitted. "I didn't like dressing up. I didn't like the makeup, or the flashes of cameras… I especially didn't like the unwanted fame and attention."

She turned back to him with a smile, and a blush. "… But… I'm glad you think of me as such."

The dragon smiled back and nodded, happy and relieved he didn't cause any more tension between them. "That is understandable. I'm used to being so detached from ponies, that I think large hoards hounding me might make me a little uncomfortable. When I perform, it's usually a small crowd anyway."

Smokey's attention was quickly diverted to the chick in his lap as she removed her beak from the cup and let out a large belch.

"Really?" Fluttershy asked, blinking a couple of times. "I would have thought you'd… like to perform."

Though as she thought about it, it made perfect sense. He was a dragon. While he was a magician, the very fact he was a dragon likely meant he wouldn't draw a very large crowd. Even if he did, it wouldn't last for long.

"How do you support yourself?" she queried. "I mean, if you don't attract big crowds. I know you travel from town to town living minimalist, but… I mean…"

"I travel by foot instead of hiring transportation. That tends to save a lot. It's been getting harder to scrape by, but somehow we manage to pull through." Smokey inspected the sippy cup, noting that half of the amount of water he poured into it was already gone. "She sure was thirsty."

"She certainly was!" She giggled, before looking back up at him silently. "Are you… this place… I mean, is this your real home, or are you just… temporarily staying?"

It was probably a stupid question, she realized, considering Smokey told her he was a traveler.

Smokey stared at Fluttershy, caught a little off guard by the mare's query. He glanced back down at Chenoa, who proceeded to nuzzle into his abdomen and melting his heart. Setting down the sippy cup, he ran his scaly hand over her cheek and shoulder in long strokes. "I… originally intended on this being a temporary home… but… I have found a reason to stay."

Chapter Eighteen: Compliments

A hint of a smile was brought upon Fluttershy's face. "Really? I mean, I had… somewhat wondered. You being a traveling magician, when you were going to wind up traveling."

She lowered her eyes. "You know, I… wouldn't mind seeing a show one day. I'd come to see you."

"I would like that…" Smokey grinned, another spark of warmth flooding his chest. She really was a wonderful pony. He wouldn't be surprised if she ended up becoming his best friend. Heck, she was already qualified for the position now that he thought about it. "I also… couldn't bear to be separated from our little girl. Or, separate her from her mommy."

The pegasus blinked, eyes widening in realization. "Oh… oh…"

She gazed down at Chenoa, disbelieving at the fact she did not even consider that. The mental image of traveling with him came to mind for a brief split second… but then, who would take care of her animals? And her friends… She simply could not abandon them either. Not for anything or anyone.

Her lips pursed a bit. To suddenly give up traveling… She had never really thought about it at all herself, since she never really traveled all that often-at least, not before she met Twilight Sparkle, at any rate. But to someone who's done it almost their whole life? That would probably be if she were asked not to take care of animals anymore.

… Perhaps Smokey could do his shows in Ponyville?

"You know…" she spoke up, an idea crossing her mind. "Ponyville has a lot of foals… I think they would be really impressed with stage magic. They also might like the idea of getting to know a dragon like Spike, once they see you mean them no harm. If they could accept Zecora, they could certainly accept you."

Smokey's emerald green pools lit up. Foals were usually more accepting than adults. In the past, he managed to catch a few little ones asking their parents if they could 'meet the dragon', but always they would be denied out of fear of what he might do to them. Maybe it could happen… Something like that would take a long time, but if he was going to be staying permanently, it was bound to happen eventually, right?

"You… really… believe I'll be accepted as a fellow citizen?"

"Of course!" Fluttershy nodded, her eyes wide and practically sparkling. "It took Ponyville a little time to acclimate to Zecora… but nowadays you see her mingling in with the crowds and nopony bats an eyelash. And they used to flee in terror, hiding in their homes until she went away. If we can just show everypony that you're the same way, I'm sure they'll welcome you with open hooves."

That was what the scaly beast was hoping to hear-though wasn't anticipating the zebra to enter the conversation, but she was a prime example of how the residents of Ponyville took to creatures who were different than their own kind.

"I always wanted to be accepted for what I am… I… suppose that is why I became a traveling magician. To travel all over Equestria to find a place where I would belong."

Fluttershy hadn't really thought of that. Venturing for a place to call one's own? She heard such stories.

"Well," she gave him a warm smile. "… maybe you might have found it." She closed her eyes. "Give Ponyville a chance. When I'm feeling better, we can see Mayor Mare. I'm sure she'd be willing to at least give you a chance to put on a show in the town square."

She would really do that for him? That had just further cemented the dragon's admiration-and affection-for the pegasus. Leaning in, Smokey brushed his snout over her cheek to nuzzle her. A light purr vibrated in his throat to convey his appreciation.

"Thank you. You truly are a perfect angel…" he whispered to her and resumed nuzzling her with another purr.

The feathered pony giggled, nuzzling him back. Blushing lightly, she brought a hoof up to rest against his cheek and draw him into a hug.

"I…" She felt a strong warmth and happiness swell within her at the compliment. "Oh, I'm no angel… I just… I would've done it for anypony. Everypony deserves a chance."

"Oh, you are an angel. A wonderful angel," he insisted with a louder purr. With his free arm, he furled it around her to return the hug. As yet another purr escaped him, he closed his eyes and basked in the attention, his tongue snaking out to lick her cheek once.

"Uhm." She squeaked upon feeling his tongue on her face, blush deepening. "… Thank you." She closed her eyes, bringing her hoof to her face. "That's nice of you to tell me that. Nopony's really… described me as such. Not so often, anyway."

As he drew back, sitting up straight and stroking his hand over Chenoa-who was prodding him for attention-, he indulged in Fluttershy's shyness and her adorable blushing face.

"Is that so? I would have expected you to receive compliments like that all the time," he said with a teasing smirk.

"Oh, no. I generally don't. I mean…" She blushed even deeper, opening her eyes again. "You're the first. Really. Nopony outside of my parents ever called me that before. Not ever!"

"That's rather difficult to believe, my dear. Perhaps others have been blinded by your radiance, rendering them unable to notice what an angel you are." Smokey chuckled, his chest glowing warm at the sight of the mare's red visage.

"Oh, stop!" Fluttershy turned away from him, not able to really believe him. He was so sweet for thinking of her like that. "You'll make me flush!"

"It's a little too late, Lady Fluttershy. You're already flushing. It's quite an endearing sight. Though, I wish you wouldn't turn away. Your face is too beautiful to hide away." To put emphasis on his comment, Smokey reached out to cup the pony's cheek, turning her head to face him.

The pegusus gazed up at him, smiling from ear to ear, her cheek still in his hand. "You're just saying that…"

She was not used to being so complimented, especially so insistently. Did Rarity ever feel this way when Spike did so? She had never seen her friend blush at all. Nor did she ever ask about how she felt because she believed it wasn't any of her business.

… Then again, Spike wasn't near Smokey's age.

"I am saying it because it's the truth. It's a wonder why you aren't being worshiped over the beauty you possess."

Did he just say that, he thought to himself as he fought of the urge to blush himself. He developed a habit out of flattery in hopes of gaining an acquaintance, but this was traversing a little out of his normal range. The dragon just hoped he wasn't embarrassing Fluttershy or making her uncomfortable.

Fluttershy's eyes went wide, and she leaned back out of the large reptile's hand before turning away from him with a rather nervous smile. Her mouth opened partially, but she remained silent for a good couple of moments. She wasn't sure what to say, and was saved from the conversation when her stomach began growling.

"Oh! … Goodness."

Smokey had taken his hand away when the mare turned away, smile fading, thinking he had gone too far. As he was about to dispense an apology, his ear frills perked at the sound of her belly. Almost on cue, the teapot hissed afterwards, causing the griffon chick to jump into the dragon's lap.

"I… I suppose… I should get your tea… and medicine… and start… dinner."

"Uhm… yes. Please." She gave him a small smile then turned her gaze onto the small baby, extending her hooves to her. "Here, Chenoa. Come snuggle with Mommy!"

Scooping up Chenoa in his large hands, Smokey handed her over to Fluttershy. The infant didn't refuse in the least. In fact, she sprang-going over her forelegs-and straight into her chest. The baby slid down the mare's torso, pressing her head into the mare's soft fur with a sweet coo. Now that their child was occupied, the dragon stood straight up and left for the kitchenette to first finish the equine's tea.

Fluttershy felt a little guilty. Smokey had not said anything else, as he dropped the bag of black chai herbs into a mug as it was filled with piping hot water and rummaged through his pantry and refrigerator to gather up ingredients for the cheese fondue and baked potato soup. She was feeling self-conscious. Had she hurt his feelings somehow? She didn't know…

Smiling and hugging her adopted baby, she began softly singing to her-a lyric-less, wordless melody that gently rose from her throat and wafted through the room.

The draconian was feeling quite ashamed of himself for being so forward with Fluttershy. He actually believed that he just made her uncomfortable with his excessive flattery. He didn't mean for it to get out of hand-it just happened. If only he hadn't allowed his mouth to run like that.

Arm full of potatoes, he carried them over to the sink and deposited them into the empty side to clean them right when Fluttershy started singing. His frills flared out to their maximum, her voice ringing through his head. It soothed him into a state of peaceful calm, making him forget his guilt as he proceeded to clean and peel the potatoes.

Smokey was not the only one who enjoyed Fluttershy's singing. Chenoa's eyes were wide, twinkling in awe, a broad grin gracing her features while she focused her full attention on her. Even Ross and the doves moved in closer and gathered around, drawn to her voice like a siren.

Fluttershy herself, often accompanied by her beloved animal friends, enjoyed singing. Lifting her eyelids and noticing the rabbit and doves surrounding her, she sang a little louder, but still adding no particular lyrics at all. She let herself be moved, just stringing together notes in a nameless tune guided by her thoughts, feelings, and memories as she wove a tapestry for her captive audience.

The doves caught on, utilizing their vocal chords, cooing in an attempt to imitate the melody. Even the griffon opened her beak, emitting a few short off-key representations with a joyful smile. They were loud enough to be carried across the room and into Smokey's ear holes. He wanted to tell her how beautiful her voice was, yet at the same time, he wanted to just listen. Fluttershy continued to sing for a few more minutes, raising her tone and pitch to reach some of the higher notes. Hearing the birds and Chenoa join in mad her chest surge forth with pride. The dragon was the tiniest disappointed when the mare's song finally came to an end, but while it lasted he had savored every second of it.

Turning his head around, his hands working on scrubbing a potato, he called out to her. "That was beautiful, dear Fluttershy. I would love to hear you sing more often."

"You think so?" Fluttershy called back, reaching down to rub Chenoa on the chin. The baby squealed at the touch, tilting her head back to grant her mother better access "Well, in that case, I just might. I like singing… but I don't really do so unless I'm in the mood for it…"

"I'm sure we all would enjoy it. Your voice is as beautiful as you. Isn't that right, everyone?" he queried, his eyes swiveling to his rabbit and doves. The animals responded with enthusiastic nods. The top spines of his ear frills dropped as he mentally scolded himself for being so forward again. They, however, lifted right back up again, listening carefully in anticipation, hoping he wouldn't detect any negative intonation in the pony's response.

Hearing his compliment, she was feeling self-conscious again… and smiled when the animals agreed with him. Blushing all over again, she giggled softly. "Um… thank you."

Relieved that Fluttershy didn't sound too uneasy, Smokey breathed a sigh, his muscles loosening the starch tension that built up moments ago. "I am glad to hear that… You'll be getting many more compliments from me in the future. So, you may just have to get used to that."

"Well, alright. You certainly seem to be… quite generous in your dispensing of them. You might want to watch out, though," she said, grinning over into the direction of the kitchenette. "I might just get a swell head from all the praise."

"Shouldn't someone like you deserve all the praise? I think so." Smokey chuckled, leaving the sink, having finished cleaning the potatoes and shifted to one of the drawers for the peeler. "Besides, you do not strike me as the type who would easily succumb to a swell head."

"Oh, no. You're right about that." Fluttershy smirked, before realizing what she just said. "I… I mean the… not having a swell head. I've known ponies who were like that. I'd never be that self-centered."

She went back to scratching Chenoa's chin, hoping what she said was true. She could have easily let such a thing go to her head during her brief modeling career if she had so desired… No, she disliked such attention. She was fairly confident she would remain as humble as she ever was.

Chapter Nineteen: Not Alone

"That just goes to show how perfect you are." Smokey returned to the sink with the peeler in hand, his free claws grasping the first potato. They were all quite large and he was sure he would make plenty of soup for them and the werewolf for when he returned. He was certain the furry canine would-he was practically a walking skeleton covered in a thick coat of fur. As long as the beast had no deadly intentions, the dragon would be more than happy to feed him until game broke out in spring.

It was then he was struck by an undesirably dreadful thought that concerned his funds. What if he would not be able to afford to feed himself and his animals in the future? What if he wouldn't be able to obtain any customers for his magic shows?

The young mare continued to smile, but said nothing as she turned her attention back to Chenoa and her new animal friends. Her thoughts were of them and on getting better. As it were, she actually wanted to be up and helping Smokey in the kitchen. Dinner would get done so much faster with the two of them working together, but at the same time she knew he wouldn't be entirely receptive of it. It was just as well-she didn't want to possibly infect anything and getting him sick, too. Or risk making her condition worse than it currently was.

The reptilian remained silent as he peeled the skin and eyes from the potato clenched in his claws, his worries swimming through his mind like a rampant school of fish. One idle glance at the steaming mug sitting a couple of feet away brought him out of his mental musings. Setting down the objects in his hands, he returned to Fluttershy's tea, removing the bag and stirring in a small amount of honey. Tending to the cup of liquid lead him to the medicine bottle on the counter separating the kitchenette from the living room. Sauntering over to it, he measured out the proper dosage then delivered it and the tea to the peagsus.

The equine looked up at Smokey, still a bit pink in her face as he approached. Noticing the mug and medicine contained in his hands, her smile grew as she reached for them.

"Thank you so much, Smokey. I really appreciate you doing all of this for me. I should do something for you in return when I get better. I don't like just laying around doing nothing… Makes me feel… useless…"

"No, it's okay. You are not being useless at all. Not only are you helping me speed up your recovery by resting, you are also watching our little girl when I'm not able to." His gentle gaze then went to the chick, who had been lulled into a state of tranquility by the combination of Fluttershy's singing and cuddling. The baby appeared like she was ready for another nap. "You have been a wonder with her."

The pegasus smiled, laying Chenoa down and slipping the blanket over her. Leaning down to kiss her once, she sat up and took her medicine before swallowing the warm tea to wash it down.

"It's no bother at all. She's such a good baby… All she needs is a little exercise, a few meals, and lots of sleep. It'll be some time before she'll outgrow the need for naptime."

"Let us not forget love, hugs, and kisses." He chuckled, his heart melting all over again at the sight of the sleepy griffon. Not taking his eyes off the child for a second, he extended his hand to take the empty medicine cup. "The little lady deserves nothing less."

"Of course. Any baby needs that. Especially love…"

Fluttershy sighed lightly, knowing of the horror stories of colts and fillies that were mistreated at home, school, or elsewhere. She herself had been a victim of constant abuse at school and flight camp. If it hadn't been for Rainbow Dash sticking up for her…

And poor Smokey, she mentally mused, glancing up at him. His story had to be a sad one. He appeared sullen every time he mentioned his past. She didn't know the full story, but she didn't want to pressure him into revealing it. Nevertheless, what ever trauma he had suffered, she was determined to make sure Chenoa never received it to the best of her ability.

"She will be getting plenty of that from us." As the red-scaled reptile shifted on his feet, he felt his toes touch something soft and fluffy. Casting an investigative gaze down at what his foot had found, he noticed it was just the stuffed panda. Bending over, he scooped up the plush and set it down beside the child for her to cuddle if she so desired before sitting down in front of the pony.

"True. I want to give her the same amount of love my parents gave me."

She smiled down at the white-pelted chick as she curled her forelegs around the panda's neck, then gasped in sudden realization. Turning to Smokey, she held a hoof to her bottom lip.

"Oh! … Smokey, I'm sorry. I… almost forgot. You…" She went silent for a few seconds. "You never knew yours…"

The dragon felt an unpleasant pang in his chest, the all too familiar pain of his childhood creeping up on him and gripping his heart. His entire frame drooped, a sad frown taking over his scaly features. He said nothing for a good long moment until he found his voice.

"No. I didn't." Truthfully, Smokey wanted to tell Fluttershy of his past… but he felt he just was not ready.

Fluttershy bit her lip lightly and moved closer to him to hug him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again in a whisper, holding him tighter and resting her head against his chest. "I wouldn't know what that feels like, but I can bet the heartache must be… awful. Just awful."

Smokey blinked down at the small mare as she embraced him. Almost instantaneously, he felt half of his pain ebb away. Being denied such physical contact from ponies, and naturally yearning for such attention, he tossed his own arms around her to return the hug.

"It… it is… but, I'll be all right."

"Well, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on… I'll be here," she said, drawing her head back to meet his quivering eyes. "I may not know what happened, or what you've been through, or what it's been like to have gone through it… but if you ever need a friend, don't hesitate to turn to me."

He was thoroughly touched by the pegasus' words. Never before had he felt his heart melt in this manner, a relieving glow sprouting from his chest and filling him up. A soft smile painted across his maw, his eyes pooling with happy tears. He held her tighter, a lengthy purr escaping his mouth as he craned his neck and lowered his head to nuzzle her.

"Th… thank you…"

"It's not a problem, really," she assured him. "I've relied on my friends before, and I know they'll always be there for me if I need them. And I promised myself, no matter what, I'd do the same."

At that moment, she felt the need to sing… So she did just that.

"I… never had that… With the exception of my animals." Overflowing, his eyes finally released a couple of teardrops, simultaneously sliding down both sides of his face. The tears on the cheek facing Fluttershy dissolved into her fur as he continued to nuzzle her. A fresh soothing wave washed over him at the mare's voice, his heart brewing greater affection for her.

For several minutes, Fluttershy sang softly, just attempting to soothe him as she rocked back and forth in his arms. Holding him closely and dearly, she nuzzled him back. Wishing to heal his pain, she tried singing as gently and as lovingly as she could, sounding almost akin to a mother calming her child. She knew he wasn't one-and that, in all possibility, was likely older than her-, but it did not stop her.

Fingers splayed out and kneading his claws in the mare's velvety fur, he nuzzled her more fervently. The swaying motions worked as an additional source of calm in combination with Fluttershy's singing and her warm embrace. This mare was incredible, the dragon thought to himself. Even his own animals have not been able to provide comfort like this-as much as he loved them. This was a different sort of comfort-a higher level of comfort. A reconciliation that had long faded from his memory. His purrs rolled out of his throat at a higher pitch and frequency, blending in with the pony's voice.

As the song diminished into nothing, the pegasus released the dragon and pulled back to smile up at him. "Are you feeling any better now?"

"Oh, yes… Much better, thank you." Smokey sat up straight, his hands sliding off the pony's body to wipe at his eyes then rest them lazily on his folded legs. Emerald green pools glassed over from moisture, he grinned, grateful for the consolation. "You… you are incredible, my dear. I… have never felt comfort like that before… Or, not that I can remember."

"I'm glad you're feeling better. I hate seeing a dear friend cry…" She raised her good hoof to touch one of his arms. "I know… you're carrying a burden, and I know you feel you can't talk about it yet. I'm not going to force you to… but when you're ready, and only when you're ready… I'll listen. I want you to know you're not alone, Smokey."

Another spark of affection ignited within the draconian, a short yet sweet purr vibrating in his throat. Knowing that he finally had found a friend who was devoted to making sure he would never be alone again inspired his eyes to well up again with blissful tears.

"You already consider me a dear friend?" he questioned with legitimate surprise as he brought his hand on Fluttershy's pastern.

"I consider everypony I care about a dear friend," Fluttershy responded. "Besides… you saved my life. And Chenoa's. It doesn't get any dearer than that.

"You're the first dragon I've ever met, outside of Spike, that actually risked himself for a complete stranger… I honestly thought I was done for."

Smokey's eyes shut halfway, dropping his head closer to her face with an adoring purr. This sweet little pony was really growing on him in such a short amount of time.

"I wouldn't be able to let anypony drown-or get hurt in any other way. Especially beautiful ladies like you two." A wide and slightly teasing smirk tugged at his lips, his thumb repeatedly stroking over her hoof.

"… Why… thank you…" She blushed with a tiny giggle. "You know, I'm getting a little concerned. I mean… um… Don't get me wrong… No girl doesn't like getting compliments… but… I'd… almost say you were…"

She blushed harder, unable to finish the rest of her sentence. However, Smokey had gotten the message, as he took his turn to turn pink. Withdrawing his head a little, he removed his claws from her hoof as a small amount of shyness took over his demeanor.

"Oh… My apologies… It's… it's just I find it irresistible to flatter you. I hope I'm not making you uncomfortable."

"Oh, no!" she hastily assured him. "Or… well… maybe? I don't entirely know what to feel, to be honest. You're the only male that's… ever really shown any significant interest in me. Even if it's only words. I've never been flattered by such a… a… big… strong… handsome male…"

Her blush darkened even further, and gave a squeaking grin.

'Significant interest?'

Smokey was only cajoling her… At least, that's what he thought… Wait! Did she just say handsome?

"H-handsome? Me?" he ventured, his blush dying a deeper shade of pink. He wanted to make sure he heard right.

"Yes. Of course." Her nervous smile grew in size. "Look at you… You're… tall. You're powerful. You're no stallion, but, um, you're… you're really… nice. To look at… I like your eyes… They're quite pretty… And your voice… is so gentle…"

Flushing even more intensely from the pony's words, Smokey lowered his eyes to his lap in a bashful manner. How the tables have turned. The dragon was at a loss for words, his mind rendered partially numb.

"I… w-well… Y-you're too kind, really," he finally said, returning his eyes to her. "Y-you're just the… sweetest thing."

The pony turned her head away, pressing her hooves together. "You're… you're sweet too… I don't believe I've ever met anypony like you."

She yawned, suddenly overwhelmed with a desire for sleep. Though as her stomach rumbled, she analyzed that her need for food was greater.

"You must have-Uh… Oh, right. Dinner. Sorry." The dragon mentally kicked himself for forgetting about the meal again. He would need to feed his critters again in a bit, too. Pushing himself onto his feet, he hurried back to the kitchen to resume peeling the potatoes.

Chapter Twenty: In the Eye of the Beholder

Now that Smokey was occupied in the kitchenette, Ross shuffled closer to Fluttershy and touched his twitching nose to her leg to take in her scent. To his delight, the pony smelled wonderful, sensing absolutely no hint of negative vibes on her. Reassured that she was no threat, he moved closer to her with confidence, placing his paws on her leg and gazing up at her with bright eyes.

"Oh! Why, hello there." Fluttershy smiled warmly, moving to pet the bunny on top of his head. "You're… Ross, right? Such a cute bunny…"

Stroking him for a minute, she giggled, closing her eyes. "You know, I wish Angel bunny was here with me. You two would probably get along well."

The small leporidae nodded and pressed his head into the equine's touch with a soft coo, ears erecting and swiveling every now and again as Smokey shifted around the kitchen. He was quite intrigued that she had a rabbit herself and was certain his caretaker would ask if they could meet sometime. Ross knew the draconian liked it when he socialized with other creatures. That was one of the perks of traveling on foot-meeting the local wildlife.

"Angel will be happy to see another bunny. He likes making new friends. All of my animals like making new friends!" She then smiled over at the cluster of doves. "I'm sure you'd like to see my home one day."

She turned her head to cough into her foreleg. "Oh… I hate feeling sick… If I wasn't feeling so weak I'd take you there."

The birds' beady black eyes lit up, cooing their response in short, happy notes. Like Ross, they too, loved making new acquaintances. Ross moved closer to plop and sink into the mare's lap, resting his head on her leg. It would be a while until dinner, so why not get comfortable or even take a little nap until then?

Fluttershy chuckled, stroking his fur. With Chenoa sleeping nearby, she let out a small yawn and nodded her head forward, her eyelids feeling heavy. Within moments, she was softly snoozing away, still sitting upright.

By the time Smokey had the soup put together in one of his large pots and the cheese for the fondue melting, he went for the industrial sized bags of seeds and pellets in the cabinet underneath the counter to quickly feed his animals. They had waited long enough and their patience was rewarded with a little extra food. Meal set upon the table, the critters broke away from the pegasus' vicinity and bolted to it, keen on extinguishing the hunger gnawing at their bellies.

The mare was still sleeping-having not noticed the animals leave her side at all. Chest rising and falling, her hair dangled down the sides of her head and obscured a good portion of her face. Oddly, a tiny bubble from her nose that was inflating and deflating in sync with her breathing.

On his way back to the kitchen, the crimson reptile stopped and watched the equine with a bemused smirk, finding the image of her sleeping sitting up with that bubble of mucus rather humorous-cute even. Tearing away from her, he made a detour into the bedroom to retrieve another quilt from the chest and went back to her in a silent tiptoe as not to arouse her from her slumber. Bringing himself onto his knees, he unfolded the fabric and carefully wrapped it around her body. Locking the edges in front of her, he couldn't help but stare again, absorbing the fine details of the viewable area of her face. Her mane was disheveled and tangled, her fur out of place, hairs underneath her nostrils stuck together with dried mucus, but that didn't deter him from his next words.

"She really is beautiful…" he murmured to himself.

The pegasus wasn't disturbed at all as the blanket was furled around her. Smiling, she released a sigh, curling up… and promptly falling over. Waking with a gasp, she reached out to catch herself. Holding herself up, she looked around in slight shock.

Smokey's eyes went a little wide, his heart picking up into a startled pace. "Oh! Miss Fluttershy, are you all right? I'm sorry, I… I was just wrapping you up in a blanket so you… would stay warm… I didn't mean to wake you."

"Oh… yes. Yes, I'm… fine. I'm all right," she assured him, smiling up at him nervously as she sat back up. "I just… felt really warm and next thing I know I was falling over."

Moving closer, feeling calm now, he reached forth to pull the blanket more snugly around her. But he did feel embarrassed for getting concerned over nothing. "Oh, good. I was worried you might have hurt yourself… Though… the odds of that happening are quite slim since you are on a comfortable mattress."

Straightening out the creases in the quilt, one of his palms smoothed up the side of her face and over her head to stroke her mane. He went silent, staring at her with a soft grin.

"I… thank you, Smokey," she said, leaning into his touch. "For your concern, and for the extra blanket. I'm fine-and not hurt, just… startled. I didn't expect to fall over like that… I didn't even expect to fall asleep."

Gazing into his eyes, she allowed herself to melt more into his caress. "But… I appreciate your concern. Really, I do…"

Chuckling softly, Smokey gave her mane a few more strokes, his other hand moving to cup her cheek. "You and I both weren't expecting you to fall asleep sitting up."

Closing his eyes halfway, thumb kneading the fur on her cheek, the dragon fell silent as he became lost in her eyes… After a few minutes elapsed, he finally broke the silence. "And, nor am I the only one with beautiful eyes…"

The pegasus blushed again, though she didn't turn away or avert her eyes as she leaned into his touch. Feeling herself practically melt in his fingers, she realized she was staring… no… mesmerized by his own sea green pools. Absorbed by them, her heart beat harder and faster as she smiled weakly up at him. Shutting her eyes partially, she sighed, another wave of fatigue spreading over her.

"You're… You're too much…"

The hand coasting over her head sank its fingers into her hair, threading through the pink locks. He fell even deeper into his transfixed state, feeling a desire to lean in and touch his lips to her cheeks, her forehead, her nose… her own lips… Wait, no! They just became friends; he shouldn't be having these thoughts and desires!

He couldn't be blamed though… He was a lonely male… And she was a beautiful female-even sickened, he found her attractive.

Well… maybe just one chaste kiss wouldn't hurt… Biting his lower lip for a short second, he leaned in and delivered a kiss to her cheek, mere millimeters from the corner of her mouth.

Eyes wide as she gazed at him in befuddlement, she locked up at the gesture. Her lips twitched, face beginning to feel hot from the amount of blood rushing to her cheeks. Despite her puzzlement and shock, she did not shy or back away. In fact, she smiled with a look of affection.

As Smokey drew back, petting a small section of her cheek again with his thumb, he matched her expression. Taking in her facial features, the dragon was put at ease he hadn't caused any unwanted feelings or discomfort.

"My apologies, Miss Fluttershy, but like our little girl, you were simply too adorable for me not to dote some form of affection on you."

"It's fine," she squeaked, laying down on her stomach after Smokey backed away, in case she were to fall asleep again and would not fall over.

He was immensely relieved that she had not been put off by his forward antics. Though, a small sliver of doubt lingered. What if she just said that to be polite?

"Are… you sure, my dear? If you're uncomfortable with me lavishing such attention on you, I will not do it again."

"Um… well…" she mumbled, turning away slightly. "It's not that I'm uncomfortable… I'm just… not really used to receiving so much. It… actually reminds me of my time as a model. Kind of."

She returned her vision to him with a grin. "But… you're only one dragon. And you're not constantly snapping my photograph, so…"

Smokey's doubt was snubbed and was replaced by respite. "I'm glad. I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship when it had just started. Should I… not give that kind of attention at all? Like I said-I do not wish to damage our relationship."

"Oh, no." Fluttershy shook her head, before realizing. "Oh! I mean, I don't mind. I… um."

The mare went quiet with the blush still prominent on her face. Looking away, she placed her hooves to her face as she felt her heart beat a little faster.

Her behavior inspired a chuckle from the dragon, an audible purr escaping him as he tilted his head with half-closed lids. He was filled with the urge to cup her face and administer another kiss, but he withheld and settled for staring at her instead. As he opened his mouth to say something else, the scent of soup and cheese wafted into his nostrils. The smell reminded him of the meal he was cooking, snapping out of his entrancement and tossing him into a mild panic. The dragon clamored to his feet and raced into the kitchenette, hoping nothing was burning.

Fluttershy continued smiling at him-until she smelled the same thing, and her stomach rumbled in response. Stretching out her legs, she laid back down. Yawning once again, she rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. This time, however, instead of actually going to sleep, she fought to remain awake as she listened to him shuffling around in the kitchen. Ear twitching once, she sighed in contentment.

As the dragon stirred the contents around in their respective pots, he was happy to see no signs of burning. Now that he had his full attention on the food, he noticed the soup was a little too thick and he remedied this with a little more cream. Turning back to the melting cheese, he spontaneously added just a tiny bit of the white liquid. The burner under the fondue was on its lowest setting to ensure nothing would burn.

Smokey turned the heat up on the soup, poking the potatoes occasionally to make sure they were cooking properly. Throughout the duration it took for everything to cook, he had remained diligently by the stove to watch over dinner. As much as he liked Fluttershy's company, he did not wish to risk getting distracted again.

Getting out a few bowls and filling them with soup-one partially, meaning to give that one to Chenoa. A trio of forks were next, two of them intended to be used to dunk chunks of potato from the soup into the fondue. The third was utilized to mash up the large pieces so the baby griffon wouldn't choke.

The soup for the mare and chick was carried out to the living room first and set down beside the mattress. "Miss Fluttershy, would you mind waking Chenoa once her soup cools?"

"Hmmm?" Sniffing lightly, the realization that food was near drew her out of her drowsiness. Eyes opening wide in excitement, she smiled up at him in appreciation. "Oh! Thank you! Yes, I most certainly will."

Her smile bursting into a grin, she reached forward with her mouth to lap up the soup-only to jump back from the heat. Wincing, she blew softly before blushing up at him. "Forgot it would be hot. I'm just so hungry…"

A smirk was drawn on Smokey's face, his ear frills perking at the sounds emanating from underneath the blanket covering Chenoa. She child stirred, her slumber having been disturbed by Fluttershy's unintentional exclamation. The tiny being rubbed at her eyes and released a deep yawn before curling back up again.

"Let's be a little quieter and allow her to rest while her soup cools down."

The pink-maned pony gave a nervous smile, gazing over at the sleeping baby for a moment. She felt bad for accidentally interrupting her nap, and part of her didn't even want to wake her up at all.

"You know… if it weren't for dinner being made, I probably wouldn't have even thought of waking her at all…"

"Well, if you wouldn't have, then I would've. She needs to eat dinner sometime. Though… I'm certain she would wake up on her own eventually." Getting back up, the dragon returned to the kitchen for his own soup and the pot of fondue, forks jutting out of the cheesy mixture. As he sat back down, the pot was set between them so that the both of them had access to it. "Here we are. I hope you enjoy everything, my dear."

"Oh, I'm sure I will." Fluttershy smiled warmly at the scaly creature then blew on the soup to cool it down. Leaning down to slurp up the liquid, she ate a couple of potato chunks directly from the bowl before she recalled her manners and took a fork from the pot of fondue. Gripping it in her good hoof, she dipped a few of the larger pieces into the cheese and devoured them fondly.

Chapter Twenty-One: Childish Shenanigans

Another dim winter morning fell upon Equestria, its sun taking a slivering peek over the horizon with an almost cheeky deliberation. The interior of the Everfree Forest was as pitch black as the night due to the low quantity of sunlight, but the creatures knew it was time to get up. As the small flock of doves hung back in their open cages, Ross took it upon himself to wake up the dragon sprawled out on the space next to Fluttershy and Chenoa-as he always did. He started by tiptoeing up to his nose, then turned around to tickle it with his cottony tail.

Scrunching up the bridge of his snout with a resounding high-pitched giggle, Smokey pulled his head away and rolled over…

Right off of the mattress.

The feeling of his scaly weight meeting the cold, hard stone floor jostled him out of his slumber. The draconic being couldn't see much considering the dying cinders crackling in the blackened firewood was the only source of light. In fact, there was hardly any illumination at all. If only he had dug out the charred logs and put in new ones before going to bed… But he did not want to disturb anyone. That, and he didn't like making fires… The broken window and the wide cracks in the propped up doors didn't exactly help contain heat. It was a good thing a smoldering fireplace still provided warmth.

Crawling out from underneath the blanket he and his guests shared after his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he went into the kitchen and fumbled through one of the drawers for matches so he could light a few of candles set in different areas of the space. He also needed them since he was not a practiced fire-breather.

As Smokey had left, Fluttershy felt her and Chenoa's major source of heat next to them removed. Whimpering lightly, she reached out with a free hoof to search for him-and though she did not find him, she did feel where he had kept his spot on the mattress warm. With a small smile, she scooted herself and the chick in her other foreleg over and settled into the sheets with an audible, almost blissful sigh. She could still smell his scent, and took comfort from that. She didn't notice that the area had become cooler over the night thanks to the damage to the window and doors.

A healthy breakfast containing sweet fruits and a helping of protein was the dragon's decision-but before even starting that, he would feed his animals. After finding the matches, he searched for the candles and lit them quickly as if he wanted to get the task over and done with as soon as possible. As usual, the crinkling bags stole the attention of the rabbit and doves and they darted to the table to wait for their food to be delivered. Assorted seeds were given to the five white doves while Ross was bestowed with a small bowl of pellets, some mixed vegetables, and even an inch wide slice of gala apple.

Smokey tried his best to keep the noise at a minimum, but even the rolling creak of opening and closing drawers and the metallic scrape of skillets and pans raked his ear holes as he withdrew one from the middle of a stack in one of the cabinets of stored kitchenware. The sounds pulled the pegasus from her slumber. Stretching out with a yawn, she sat up, letting go of Chenoa as she did so. Blinking and rubbing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

She was already beginning to feel significantly better. Her head wasn't pounding so hard, and did not feel as congested as she had yesterday. She wasn't sure what type of medicine she had been taking, but it was certainly doing the trick.

The mare shivered suddenly, now coming to the realization it was quite cold. Flopping back down onto the mattress, she grasped a hoof-full of blanket and wrapped it around herself, snuggling against Chenoa, her motherly instincts compelling her to continue to keep her warm.

The chick voiced a brief and quiet hum in her rest, facial features distinguishing that she was having an enjoyable sleep. She pressed in closer to the yellow-coated mare, body drawn to her warmth.

The large reptile was about to turn on the burners when he realized the firewood in the stove had burned out. Sighing with mild irritation directed towards himself, he went into the living room to retrieve a small soot-covered shovel and bucket blackened on the inside that sat next to the fireplace to scoop up the remnants. As he approached the objects, he noticed Fluttershy had risen from her slumber.

"Good morning, bright eyes. Did you sleep well?" he asked in a hushed voice as he passed her.

Fluttershy lightly jumped at his voice, though she turned to smile at him as he walked past. Thanks to the gentle glow from the candles in the kitchen, she was able to at least make out a little bit of her surroundings and the illuminated outline of the dragon.

"Yes. I slept fine," she responded, her voice sounding a bit clearer and less congested as it had been, but she still appeared peaked.

"Good! Good. I am glad to hear that," he said as his face lit up. Snagging the bucket and miniature shovel, he positioned himself between the mattress and fireplace. He figured he might as well clear out this fire pit before doing the same with the stove. Pail set down in front of him and shovel firmly clasped in the dragon's strong hands, he sank the blade into the pile of charred and smoldering remains.

"I'll get you more medicine and start breakfast after I clean the fireplaces," the winged reptile informed, scooping the inky black pieces out of the pit, his ear frills pinning slightly at the scraping sounds. He never really liked those types of noises. There was just something about them that struck a nerve.

She nodded, offering a small smile. "Um… I'm… feeling better. Is it all right if I can get up and move around?"

The feathered pony shook herself to dispel any traces of somnolence. Slipping the blanket from her body, she draped it over the white-pelted chick before getting to her hooves, making sure to keep the injured one raised. While she wanted to be a little more active, getting tired of just laying down in one place, she wasn't entirely sure whether or not she would be able to keep her balance due to her cold. She didn't even trust herself to fly in her current condition.

If nothing else, she felt positively filthy. A bath or shower would be nice…

Smokey paused in mid-scoop, twisting his neck to gaze back at her with a look of concern.

"Are you sure? If… you are feeling better… I suppose moving around a little won't hurt you any." Smile spreading across his scaly maw, he gave a nod. "Alright. You may move around, if you want."

Fluttershy stretched out her wings, flapping them once before folding them back to her sides… then a call she had not answered in some time struck her.

"Um… Smokey? … Where's the bathroom?" she queried, suddenly feeling the urge she needed to go… NOW. While she had seen the draconic being leave for the bathroom when he had retrieved bandages for her, but the hall had always blocked her view and prevented from seeing which door lead to that particular room.

"Down the hall, first door on the left," Smokey answered hurriedly, having noted the tone of urgency in her voice before returning to his task. Tried as he might to keep the level of volume low, there were some noises that he just couldn't control, such as the repetitive echoing clunk bits of charred log on metal when he deposited them into the bucket. He was met with guilty remorse as he noticed out of the corner of his eye the disturbed movements his child made.

The mare hobbled off and disappeared into the hall, shivering upon finding that the stone floor was quite cold. A desire to hop back on the mattress and burrow underneath the blanket passed through her, but she didn't want Smokey to have to clean up another disgusting-and larger-mess. Slipping into the bathroom, she shut the door and went about her business.

A few minutes later, she found herself much more relieved as she cast her gaze to the large bathtub right next to her. Smiling lightly, she decided a shower was a good idea, and climbed in to start the water. She sighed heavily as the hot water from the shower head rained down on her. Already she felt better, the spray washing through her mane and down her sweat-addled coat…

New bottles of strawberry and cream scented shampoo and feather conditioner were aligned next to a half empty bottle of spring breeze shampoo-since body wash wasn't really available among the furry populace-along the rim of the tub. Considering the fact that both full bottles and conditioner had an image of a mare printed on them gave away that they were intended for Fluttershy's use. Truthfully, Smokey had no idea what kinds of scents appealed to females the most, but the strawberry and cream was quite sweet and intoxicating when he had smelled them before purchasing.

Fluttershy sat there, allowing the warm water and hot steam help clear her sinuses. Feeling a little more revitalized, she opened her eyes and spotted the shampoo and conditioner. Mindful of her throbbing hoof, she utilized her wing as an extra appendage to open the shampoo and applied it to her disheveled mane. And with the help of a loofa on a stick she spied hanging from the shower head, she was able to scrub the rest of her body.

Thirty-two minutes later, now smelling and feeling notably better, the pegasus stepped out of the tub and grabbed a towel off a pile sitting on a rack above the toilet to dry off. Taking a deep breath through her nose-now no longer stuffed-she hung the towel over the curtain bar and opened up the cabinet door below the sink, intent on finding some fresh bandages to replace the wet one on her injured hoof.

Several more minutes passed, and Fluttershy shambled out of the bathroom. She had wrapped her hoof up in a new, dry, tight brace and had even used spare linen to fashion a temporary sling for her foreleg to ensure she wouldn't put pressure on it. She had gotten more used to walking on three legs, though she spread her wings out parallel to the floor for balance.

"It smells really good in here. What are you making?"

"Omelets and fruit salad," Smokey replied, beating the eggs down and mixing them into the melted butter and milk, then half-turned to meet Fluttershy's eyes with a warm smile. "Will that appeal to you, my dear?"

"Oh, yes. Very much. I like fruit salad, and I haven't had an omelet in a while!"

Turning away from the kitchen, she strode over to the mattress to climb on top of it again. She crawled over onto her stomach to Chenoa's side, stretching out her neck and very gently nudging her with her nose before kissing her downy head.

He was very pleased with Fluttershy's response. Reaching for the salt and pepper shakers, he sprinkled in some of its contents and stirred it into the eggs.

"That's good to hear! How do you like your omelet? Would you like some cheese in it?" The dragon then made a mental note to not give too much cheese to his guests, as he did not want to cause any more… issues. "I have mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, mozzarella, and pepper jack."

"Oh… Um… Mild cheddar is fine."

"Alright then!" Setting the wooden spoon aside upon the counter, Smokey pulled open the drawer to his left to retrieve a spatula. Breaking the edges away from the surface of the iron skillet and working it underneath the cooked half of the omelet, he flipped it over in one quick and practiced maneuver. Backpedaling, he turned around to gaze over the far counter at Fluttershy and Chenoa. The familiar glowing warmth bloomed in his chest at the image of them.

The pegasus smiled amiably into the kitchen and at the dragon for a fleeting moment. Slipping her uninjured foreleg around the child, she cuddled her closely and nuzzled her. She could have sworn she felt her heart turn as the young griffon subconsciously shuffled closer, drawn to her body heat and soft fur.

"Are you sleeping well?" she whispered, her breath stirring the fluffy down on the baby's cranium. "I can only wonder what sweet dreams you're having…"

Three minutes elapsed when the griffon's eyes fluttered open. With a squeaky yawn, she rubbed her tired eyes against her adopted mother's leg and lifted her head to meet her teal orbs. With a greeting chirp, she rose to her feet refreshed and energized. A wide beam graced her tiny black beak as she pressed her head into Fluttershy's neck, nuzzling her adoringly. She instinctively ran her beak through the hairs over the delicate hairs in another preening attempt, incomprehensible baby babbles spouting from it throughout. Her high pitched voice warmed the hearts of both pony and dragon further, sparking the maternal and paternal urge to cuddle her. Smokey, himself, yielded the task to Fluttershy for now, knowing he would get plenty of opportunities in the future. Besides, the first omelet was almost done.

"Good morning, little one. Did you sleep well last night?" she giggled as the chick dragged the point of her beak over the tiny section of her coat.

"Aaahhh…" came the tiny creature's reply, shortly following it with a "Aboo-boo-bah" and a squeal at the end.

"You are sorely tempting me to come in there and lavish my attention on you, darling, regardless if breakfast burns," Smokey stated in a voice amplified enough so his charges could hear him.

Reluctantly tearing his attention away from them, he went back to the omelet, scraping it onto a plate. Taking out a block of mild cheddar, he grated some onto one half of the omelet. Folding the other half over onto the cheese to trap the heat inside, the pocket of steam melting it. Obtaining a bowl, he scooped up a good amount of the medley of freshly sliced fruit into it then took them into the living room. There was enough fruit salad for Fluttershy and Chenoa to share, some of the chunks were small and soft so the baby would be able to easily consume them.

Cleaning up after breakfast went smoothly until it was time to clean up a certain white-pelted griffon. Smokey intended on giving her a good bath after all the dishes had been washed since her down and fur was covered with fruit juice and a little bit of egg, but she had other ideas…

Such as leading a chase throughout the house, her bountiful, youthful energy and belly full of food fueling her fleeting body. After trapping her multiple times at the end of the hall and in corners, she would only make an escape by evading his hands when he made a grab for her, or deftly slipping underneath him. For a baby, she certainly was a crafty scamp. Ross and the quintet of doves didn't even bother aiding their draconian caretaker; this was a darn good show! It was one that would be mentally entertaining them for a long while. Fluttershy had-bless her heart-attempted to assist the winged reptile in pursuing the baby. However, due to still being sick and the fact her injury prevented mobility and speed-since she didn't dare to try to fly-, she only tried to give chase once or twice before giving up and just go back to resting. It was quite amusing-and though Fluttershy felt bad for him, she did admire his tenacity and patience.

When Smokey finally did catch her, she made a mess in the vicinity of the sink by flailing her little legs and wings at every opportunity. As tolerant as the dragon was, this behavior was beginning to grate at his nerves, but he retained the image of a loving and caring parent. Drying her off was another difficult task. Chenoa just would not hold still. But once she was dry enough to appease her father's standards, he was challenged with putting a diaper on her for the first time, but he had to remember the baby was too young to understand unacceptable behavior. At least… that's what he had assumed. He would consult the parenting book when he acquired the time to read it.

Once it was on securely, he put the little one down on the floor and got to work wiping up the puddles of water she created with the towel he used to dry her. Chenoa didn't like the diaper. It restricted her ability to move about and found it uncomfortable. As Smokey was busy, she wandered into the living room and rolled onto her back, curling up into a ball to paw at the itchy abomination.

Chapter Twenty-Two: An Early Arrival

"No, no, Chenoa. You must keep that on. It's to keep you from having accidents." Fluttershy plopped down on her haunches beside the baby and pressed lightly at the material with her good hoof. It was plush and certainly soft enough, but she figured the baby just simply was not used to wearing diapers.

The chick was instantaneously distracted by her adoptive mother, and subsequently pouted for a pair of moments that she wasn't permitted to take off the white, fluffy thing enveloping the lower half of her body. While she understood the word "no", she had yet to learn her name. After those moments passed, she began to converse with Fluttershy about how much fun she had with the dragon in a series of babbles, coos, and giggles. During halfway, she laughed more frequently as her mind trailed back to the trouble she caused. Of course, her young mind had not classified her actions as trouble. All she knew was that it had been enjoyable.

Smokey was immensely relieved that the baby was now occupied as he wiped up the puddles on the floor and counter. She already ate out a lot of time he could have spent preparing lunch. A lasagna was a time consuming process, especially when made from scratch. Eyes traveling up at the clock mounted above the stove, he frowned. The draconian didn't have enough time to make it entirely homemade. He would have to use the store bought ribbons of pasta to make up for lost time.

Listening intently to the baby's speech patterns, Fluttershy tried to discern what she was talking about. Nodding away and smiling, the mare pretended to understand what she was saying - though through the child's gestures, she got a vague inkling that the youngster was referencing her time with Smokey.

There was suddenly a knock on the door that divided the pegasus' attention from the little one. Before even getting up, her large teal eyes glided over to the dragon right when he whirled around in a startled jump and created a dent in the boxed pasta clenched in his hand. He appeared rather nervous, so she sent him a reassuring smile and hobbled over to the door. Upon reaching the stack of boxes, she shoved her shoulder against them just enough to open the door a crack while still keeping it propped up.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Fluttershy!" chimed Twilight Sparkle, clad in her scarf and boots and full saddlebags hanging from both sides. "I hope you and Smokey don't mind I came by early."

Smokey was panicking. Fluttershy's friends couldn't be here already! He barely even started gathering the necessary ingredients! Though, his thumping heart slowed and he exhaled on a breath of air he did not know he was holding upon realizing that there was only one visitor…

Only to pick up again once he realized it was the alicorn - the princess! How was he supposed to impress the royal pony if he did not even have everything on schedule? Or the rest of them, for that matter? Sure, he wasn't worried over wowing Fluttershy. She was only one pony - and he had already saved her life and took care of her. His friendship with her was sealed.

"Erm… Hello," Smokey greeted the arrival with a forced toothy grin as the lavender mare levitated the door aside long enough for her to slip inside.

"Oh, hi!" Twilight Sparkle waved at the draconian with a friendly smile.

"Um… This IS a surprise," said Fluttershy. "Lunch isn't even ready."

"That's okay. I had a big breakfast. I'm not hungry. And the others shouldn't be here for a couple of hours. They're taking care of your animals and Spike's doing his chores, so I decided to see how you were holding up. I thought I'd bring some medicine over and additional supplies."

"You didn't have to do that." The pale yellow pony smiled softly in appreciation. "Smokey's got everything covered."

"Really?" The alicorn's horn glowed, levitating a bottle of generic cold medicine out of the left bag. "Well, I don't know all your symptoms, so I brought a multitude! Cough syrup, cough drops, nasal spray, extra tissues, a couple of books you might like…"

"Thank you. That was very thoughtful. We could always have it in case we need it." Smokey offered a grateful - albeit still nervous - grin. Registering the name Spike in his mind, he instantly was reminded of the baby dragon Fluttershy had told him about. He wished he had extended an invite to him as well when Twilight Sparkle was around last time. He made a mental note to spend time with him when they would finally become acquainted. After all, it was not every day he got the opportunity to meet another dragon that was raised by ponies. The winged reptile then snapped back to reality. It was time to focus on his newest guest. "Go right ahead and make yourself comfortable."

"Oh, thank you!" Twilight Sparkle trotted over to the couch to sit down as she telekinetically lifted her saddlebags off her back, her vision stopping at the white griffon who was attempting to get the diaper off again. "So, this is baby… Chenoa, was it?"

"Yes," Fluttershy confirmed as she hobbled towards the child to prevent her from damaging the diaper.

"I was surprised you found a baby in the woods and I thought I would bring some things over. I found some books on griffons, their culture, and how they raise their children. I also brought along a few toys."

The lavender mare opened the right bag and fished out some colorful wooden blocks, a plastic train with two cars behind the engine, and a deflated ball which the mare proceeded to blow up in a series of puffs.

"Again, thank you. I should have known somepony as sweet as Miss Fluttershy would attract such wonderful company," he stated, the effect of the princess' kind gesture throwing off most of his worry over making a good impression.

Chenoa ventured closer to Twilight Sparkle with hesitation in her steps. Her large amber orbs fixated themselves on the vibrant toys she had set on the floor - predominately on the ball as it fell to the cold stone, now at its full spherical shape.

"It's not a problem. I still wanted to make up for causing so much trouble yesterday. I know we agreed to fix the doors and window, but I'm afraid I don't have a lot of personal experience with such craftsmanship. I can look up the information, though, and I have plenty of references, how-to and do-it-yourself guides, so I surmise it shouldn't be that hard. I recall Applejack saying she'd bring the actual materials."

"You'd probably be a better supervisor," Fluttershy piped up, her eyes on the chick as she inspected each of the toys. "Like with Winter Wrap Up."

"Oh! That reminds me!" The winged and horned pony's eyes lit up in realization. "Thank you, Fluttershy. Yes, Winter Wrap Up is just around the corner! I need to make sure to get the checklist ready for that."

"I've done my fair share of fixing things. I can help out," Smokey offered as he resumed gathering up ingredients, including the leftover cheese mixture he intended on blending with a homemade tomato sauce. Though, he hoped he would have the lasagna in the oven by the time the rest of the party came by so he actually could help with the fixing.

The child, now more contented in the presence of the stranger, closed the distance between them and pounced a hind hoof hanging from the couch. Twilight Sparkle smiled as she directed her attention to her. Letting out a short giggle, she stretched out her other leg to nudge the ball right up to her. Chenoa sprang away from the mare's leg and went right for the ball, body bouncing right off the object after landing on it. She tumbled back, described three circles, and ended up on her belly. Her eyes swirled in their sockets before she shook her head to dispel her dizziness. With a mischievous glint in her orange orbs, she headbutted the ball, sending it rolling several feet away.

"She's a cute baby," Twilight Sparkle said, tilting her head up to rest her eyes on the yellow pegasus.

"She certainly is." The pegasus smiled, watching Chenoa the whole time.

"And you just found her… by herself?"

"Mhm…" Fluttershy nodded in affirmation. "We don't know where her real parents are… if they're… well…"

She went silent, pursing her lips as dread descended upon her at what possibly could have happened to the poor chick's mother and father.

The corners of the lavender alicorn's mouth tugged back in a frown. "How long do you think she was alone?"

"I'm not sure," Fluttershy answered. "I only found her two days ago."

"And she came from the forest?"

"I'm pretty certain, but I don't know where else she could've come from. I found her by the chicken coop when I went outside. I never saw her actually leave the forest, but that was where she ran to and where she was most closely situated."

"Well, if that's the case, then her parents shouldn't be that far away from where you found her," Twilight Sparkle explained. "After all, Chenoa's… how old? Less than a year?"

"Sounds right. She's still tiny and she's not able to speak properly," Fluttershy mused unsurely. It made sense. The twins residing at Sugarcube Corner didn't say their first word until they were a month old. However, this one looked like she was at least a few months.

"Then either she's developing hunting skills far earlier than usual or she's just very lucky. Because griffon babies generally aren't capable of taking care of themselves until they're far, far older."

"She must have been lucky considering how skinny she is," the dragon pointed out, having been listening in on the conversation while rinsing off some plump tomatoes for the sauce. He twisted his neck and stood up on his tiptoes to gaze over the counter separating the kitchen from the living room at Chenoa, who was having the time of her life chasing the ball, batting and headbutting it, squealing with mirth.

"You know, I can ask Zecora if she might have seen anything unusual. It's doubtful she might have. Chenoa's parents might be looking for her."

"I suppose we can ask." Fluttershy gave pause. "Though… I don't think they are. If they're still… out there, I find it difficult to imagine they'd have just willingly abandoned her. I don't want to imagine it, but…"

"You're assuming the worst," Twilight Sparkle interjected. "I understand. I guess I'd be doing the same thing."

"You… wouldn't mind asking… if your friend has seen any signs of other griffons?" He was reluctant, but he knew giving Chenoa back to any worried parents who had been separated from her for whatever reason was the right thing to do. The draconian could not help that he was growing more attached to the dear child.

"I certainly can." The purple alicorn's horn glowed a vibrant magenta, pulling out a couple books that regarded how-to guides on fixing up the home from her saddlebag. "Would you mind if I left my things here? I can go over to Zecora's and ask her right now."

"If you wouldn't mind. Lunch won't be done for a while yet and Chenoa seems quite entertained." The pegasus' grin widened, her heart melting along with the dragon's at the squeals and laughter emitted by the chick as she booted the ball around.

"Of course. I'll be back momentarily." With that, Twilight Sparkle slid off the couch, readjusted her scarf, and she headed on out.

After the princess' departure, the only sounds coming from the baby and the kitchen as Smokey got back to work were heard for several minutes - at least until the red-scaled beast decided to open his maw and speak.

"I hope you do not mind me asking," he began as he sliced open the first tomato, depositing the slimy center that contained the seeds into the sink. "What is it like being one of the Elements of Harmony?"

"What do you mean?" she inquired, reaching out with her bandaged hoof as the ball rolled into her direction and took the opportunity to engage in a one-on-one game with her daughter. She really didn't give him a chance to elaborate as she bumped the object back to Chenoa, figuring she knew what he was asking. "It's… nothing special, to be honest. Though we saved Equestria a few times, we're not really given any special recognition or treatment from it. And… well… I don't FEEL any different since I became the Element of Kindness."

"Oh. Alright. I was only curious," he stated with a shrug of his shoulders, satisfied with the answer. He didn't know if she felt a hidden power churning inside of her, or anything significant. What better way to learn than to ask? "Say… Miss Fluttershy? When spring comes around, would you like to go on a picnic with Chenoa and I?"

The mare lifted her eyes to Smokey, rolling the ball back to the baby as it was butted towards her a second time. A warm smile grew on her visage at the idea and she gave a single nod.

"Oh, yes. That sounds lovely."

"It's not a date though!" he informed a little too quickly and anxiously upon realizing how it may have sounded, calming down a second later. Fluttershy didn't look it but he didn't want her to get the wrong idea. "I mean… I suppose, it technically would be… but we… can just call it parental bonding."

At that moment, Smokey wished he had not said anything after the pony had accepted, and just allowed her to think what she wanted. Now he felt awkward.

A little astonished, she blinked twice in succession at the large reptile. Giving him a disarming smile, she lowered her head to nudge the ball with her nose as it was sent at her for a third time.

"I never thought you implied it was."

How the tables have turned. Now Smokey was the one blushing - though not to the extent of Fluttershy when he had flustered her. Coming to the conclusion that he had not embarrassed her, he was becalmed with some belying awkwardness, and more of his playful nature emerged again.

"Does the lady want to call it a date?" he questioned, not actually meaning it.

Fluttershy's smile faltered into a nervous one.

"Um… well… I suppose… that would be… fine?" She squeaked softly, her eyes going wide at the implication. A date, parental bonding, it was still spending time together.

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Worries of Parenthood

Twilight Sparkle ambled back inside of the house looking a bit reserved, the slow and deliberate clopping of hooves on the stone floor sounding almost as reticent as she appeared.

"Oh! You're back. Did you find out anything?" Fluttershy asked as she sent the ball back at Chenoa.

"No…" the alicorn responded with a shake of her head. "I asked Zecora, but she said she hadn't seen anything unusual in the woods-well, anything more unusual than what she's used to. She wasn't even aware a family of griffons may have been in the area, though she did say she would keep a lookout."

"Thank you, Princess Twilight. We really appreciate it," Smokey stated, releasing a disappointed sigh. If Chenoa's parents were still alive and searching for her, he would rather find them and give her back before he-and Fluttershy-got further attached. He felt a pang at the idea of being separated from her, but he didn't wish to find out how much it would hurt if she was more grown onto him and the pegasus.

"It's not a problem at all. I just apologize I couldn't be of any further help."

"You did what you could," the pale yellow pegasus said with a small smile. "That's what matters."

"True," the princess relented, then shifted to another subject. "Did Chenoa like any of the other toys I brought over?"

"She didn't seem interested in the blocks or train, but she's been having so much fun with that ball."

"Ba!" The white-pelted griffon giggled at the globular object as she pounced on it and bounced off of it again with an audible boing. The baby didn't seem to mind, as she rolled back onto her feet and rammed into it with the top of her downy cranium.

"Oh!" Fluttershy perked up, a wide grin spreading itself across her visage. "She said a word! She said a word!"

With a look of uncertainty, Twilight Sparkle arched her eyebrow as she observed the baby.

"… Really? It sounded to me like she only said half a word."

"Oh. Um. She is only a baby. It should be a while until she can properly form words." The pegasus' heart melted all over again at Chenoa as the child attempted to wrestle with the ball. "That certainly sounded close enough to me."

The scarlet dragon tore away from his work to pin himself to the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room, leaning in with ear frills flared and fixated on the baby in anticipation. Right now, he didn't care if he didn't get lunch done on time; he did not want to miss any first words.

"That's right, darling! Ball!" he encouraged.

"Bab-pbbbt!"

"That's it, Chenoa," Fluttershy cooed. "Ball."

"Ball," the lavender equine joined in. It was not often babies made full words at Chenoa's age, but there had been notable exceptions to the rule.

"Baba!" the child burbled and made a running jump at the ball… and bounding right back off of it again and plopping on her back. The thud of soft flesh on the floor sent a charge of parental protectiveness in the dragon watching her.

"Be careful, sweetheart," Smokey warned as the element of worry sprang into his sea green eyes.

"Yes, please be careful." Pinning her ears in reaction to the smack of fluff on stone, the pink-maned pegasus was only beginning to grasp how risky this activity was. How many times had had she done that now? She hadn't even been counting…

Her ears rotated a small degree and drooped, laying flat against the sides of her head as she berated herself. How could she?

The draconian's attention switched to Fluttershy, absorbing and analyzing her body language and expression. Why did she appear so crestfallen all of a sudden? Could it be because she was worried over Chenoa? That had to be the primary reason, but he couldn't help but feel there was something else.

"Maybe… we need to teach her not to pounce on the ball so hard," he offered hesitantly, a little unsure. His suggestion made sense to him; the harder the chick pounced, the harder she fell.

"Maybe. I didn't even realize that what she was doing was so potentially dangerous. She could really get hurt!" She paused for a moment, lifting her eyes to Smokey as another urgent matter thought popped into her head. "And I just realized we need to baby-proof the house!"

"Oh, heavens!" Twilight Sparkle tensed up slightly, bringing a hoof to her chin. "I didn't even think of THAT! Oh, ponyfeathers! If I had remembered that I would have picked up something for that, too!"

The large reptilian bit his lower lip with a nod, ashamed that he had not thought of it either. But… how expensive was it going to be? He heard babies were very pricey to keep. His anxiety climbed to higher levels at the notion of giving up Chenoa for not being able to afford what she needed. How was he going to acquire funds until his first performance if he didn't already have enough to cover baby-proofing requirements?

Wait… Did Twilight Sparkle say she would have picked up some baby-proofing things?

"Princess Twilight? Are… you sure you are willing to contribute in baby-proofing? Isn't it… expensive?"

"Not really," she replied, backpedaling a second later. "Well, yes and no. The various items themselves aren't expensive, but adding them all up in the long run is. Though, so long as you know what you're doing, you can generally avoid some of the high cost stuff. Using a rubber band or a pull tie to keep cabinets shut, for example."

"But wouldn't babies eventually learn how to work those off?" Fluttershy queried.

"Sometimes, though probably not until they're older," the alicorn continued as she, the other pony, and dragon watched Chenoa. "Babies love to explore if given the chance. I'd suggest investing in a mesh gate, and some of those magnetic locks for the doors and drawers. A lid lock for the toilet would also be a good idea."

Smokey never took this into account. He figured supervision was enough to keep the young one out of trouble, but then the insight that the task would be near impossible. One of them couldn't watch her constantly when she'd be spending time at either of their homes. Especially when Fluttershy had all those animals to take care of… And he was not sure if his own animals were able to handle her…

His vision was led to the fireplace, a knot forming in his stomach as unpleasant images flashed through his mind and came to the conclusion that he needed something to keep her away from there.

Fluttershy proffered a grateful smile to her friend, drawing Chenoa into a quick hug as she toddled on over, letting her go a few seconds afterwards. "Oh, gee, Twilight. You know so much about preparing for children. Your books certainly are helpful."

"Never doubt the power of knowledge!" the lavender equine proudly avowed. "Most accidents are the direct result of not properly proofing one's house while taking care of a baby. Did you know the most common ailments for children are burns, head injuries, and choking?"

Both Fluttershy and Smokey found Twilight Sparkle's unintentional chipper attitude towards speaking about such a morbid idea a bit disturbing, but they decided not to call attention to it. The fact that they didn't have either house baby-proofed made them fret over the tiny griffon's safety, and they intended on resolving that matter as soon as possible.

"No… But we do now. Thank you. I… already got a parenting book, so we should be covered," he notified, gesturing with a tilt of his head at the book on the counter sitting among the groceries.

The princess was confused until comprehension presented itself to her after a split second. A wide grin pulled across her facial features, glad the new parents had a reference of their own.

"I suppose that takes care of that! So! What's it like having a small baby around the house? I mean, I've got Spike-but he's old and mature enough to take care of himself…" the light violet mare gave a moment of pause. "Most of the time… And Princess Celestia raised him from birth, so I don't really have much experience taking care of little babies on my own."

"Really?" Fluttershy felt the ball tap against her leg again and subsequently rolled the ball for Chenoa to fetch. "I thought you helped out Pinkie with the Cake babies that one time."

"I was going to. Until she got mad and kicked me out." She tapped her hoof to her chin, eyes rolling up in reflection. "I still don't know what I did to offend her…"

"She's been… exciting," Smokey stated as a answer to Twilight Sparkle's question just as he turned around to resume cutting up the tomatoes. He picked up the pace knowing he already lost too much time.

With both mares occupied, chatting and giggling while keeping Chenoa's attention divided between the two, the dragon worked faster and more diligently. By the time he finished cutting up the tomatoes, a small portion of onion, and moved onto removing a clove of garlic from its husk, the attention of the house's inhabitants were stolen by a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Twilight Sparkle deactivated her levitation spell, allowing the ball to drop to the floor, and pushed herself up onto her hooves. Since Fluttershy needed to rest her hoof as much as she could and Smokey was busy, she took it upon herself to answer the door. "Hello?"

The remaining members of the group were stationed outside, Applejack just having unhitched herself from a cart with doorframes accompanied with the actual doors and a new window secured with bungee cords. She was carrying saddlebags on her back filled with the needed provisions to make the necessary repairs. The other pony who came with a pair of saddlebags was Pinkie Pie-also balancing a plate of chocolate chip cookies on her head-, and they were practically bursting with who knows what.

"Hey, Twilight, how's Fluttershy doing?" Rainbow Dash inquired as she flew in over the alicorn and plopped down on the couch, already making herself at home before even giving her the chance to react. Her magenta eyes went to the snowy white bundle of fur and down on the floor next to Fluttershy with a smirk, observing that the child had quickly become attracted to her colorful tail.

"Fluttershy's doing fine, by the looks of it." Twilight Sparkle stepped aside to allow the rest access into the house. "I brought some medicine and books for her, and a few toys for Chenoa to play with. Though all she's really interested in is the ball."

"Ah got the doors and window out front," Applejack proclaimed, walking in. "Nails an' hammers are in mah bags, an' between the five of us it shouldn't take nothin' to bang these doors an' windows back together again."

"Thank you very much, ladies," Smokey said graciously as he watched Pinkie Pie pronk over to the counter, cookies flying up into the air with each jump only to fall back onto the plate as if they were magnetically drawn to it. As she set the plate down, he whirled back around to dice the garlic clove. "But I believe you mean six. I plan on helping out."

"We got it covered," Rainbow Dash insisted with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "You're kinda busy right now anyway."

"Thanks fer the offer, but we got it taken care of. Twi, could you give me a hoof here? I think it'd be prudent to get this one door here first."

"Sure thing, Applejack." Twilight Sparkle then followed the golden-maned mare back outside while Pinkie Pie dropped onto her stomach before Chenoa.

"Hi there, baby!" she squealed, wrinkling her snout. "She's such a little cutie pie!"

"Well… alright." The dragon didn't bother persisting as he didn't want to start an argument. That wouldn't account for a good impression. He figured he should be more focused on making the impression on finishing lunch. Finishing with the clove, he scraped the tiny bits into the bowl and moved onto the herbs.

Chenoa's amber orbs went wide, stepping back a couple of steps. She looked up at her adoptive mother, very unsure of how to deal with the confrontation. The mare smiled softly, dipping her head to nuzzle the chick reassuringly.

"It's all right. She's a friend. She won't hurt you."

"Yeah! Auntie Pinkie Pie is fun!" Bouncing to her hind hooves, she reached behind her back to summon a folded up piece of white paper and a pair of scissors pretty much out of nowhere. Cutting the paper in several locations, before tucking the scissors back… wherever she had found them and unfolded the paper to reveal cut-out griffons linked together. "Ta-daaa!"

The griffon blinked twice in succession, the cogs in her young mind turning, processing what had just happened. Clicking, she squealed, her eyes flickering with joy. Itching to see more of what the pony could do, she removed herself from Fluttershy's side and ventured closer to Pinkie Pie.

Giggling, Pinkie Pie pulled out a golden coin. Flipping it up once, she caught it in the breakover of her hoof and showed it to Chenoa, then covered it with her other hoof. Removing it a second later, the chick and Fluttershy could plainly see that the bit had vanished! Quickly, she reached around the baby's head… and revealed the coin!

Chenoa's eyes went wider, her mind rendered numb by the coin's enigmatic disappearance and reappearance in an area it never even neared! The child lifted her claws to her head, eagle toes feeling her scalp for any signs of more bits. Of course, she couldn't find any, which baffled her even more.

"Wow, Pinkie. How did you do that?" Fluttershy questioned, the spectacle reminding her of the magic trick Smokey shown her on the day they first met.

"It's a secret!" The rough sounds of a doorframe being torn out filled their ears. Applejack and Twilight Sparkle removed it to carry it off and set it aside to replace it with a new one. The curly-haired equine resumed speaking after the temporary distraction. "That one always confuses Pound and Pumpkin, too! You know, I bet you'd be a great playmate for them!"

"Easy now…" Applejack murmured.

"Careful…" Twilight Sparkle mused, assisting the other mare putting in the new doorframe. "Got it!"

"Great! Now we jus' gotta hammer it in!" The blonde farm pony turned to address Fluttershy and the dragon. "How does Chenoa react to loud sounds? We're gonna be makin' some noise an' we don't wanna bother the baby."

"Oh! Here!" Smokey dropped the last of the herbs he had been rubbing between his hands in order to release the flavor and went to a drawer full of dishtowels. Grabbing a bright yellow one, he delivered it over to the earth pony. "Bundle the hammer up good in this and it shouldn't make such a loud noise."

"Thank ya very kindly!" Accepting the dishtowel in her mouth, she wrapped up the hammer.

"Yes, I didn't even think of that," Twilight said, levitating a nail up to the doorframe. It was a good thing the house wasn't entirely made of stone, otherwise hammering in the nails would've been a difficult task for Applejack. While it made a noise, it was more of a soft thud than the loud WHACK expected.

Chenoa whipped her head into the direction of the foreign sound. It didn't seem to frighten or bother her in the least. All she did was watch for a moment and wandered back over to the ball, breaking into a run halfway there and butting it.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Condolences

Chenoa squealed as Pinkie Pie swung her tail at the ball, lunging forth at the incoming object… and getting hit in the face. The chick halted briefly, but she laughed and batted back at the ball, unfazed from the gentle impact. Had Smokey seen it, it would've provoked his protective instincts. As of now, he was busied crushing the tomatoes and blending the ingredients for the sauce. Fluttershy, however, expressed prominent trepidation.

The equines exhaled on relieved sighs, having expected the baby to burst out crying. Giggling, Pinkie Pie bumped the ball back.

"Excuse me, Fluttershy," Rarity began, her full attention on the addressed mare. "I had been mulling over something. Ever since I saw that sweet little chick yesterday, I as struck with inspiration! Perhaps developing a small line of clothing for little ones."

The yellow pegasus entertained the idea of Chenoa wearing one of Rarity's outfits… at least, until she witnessed the bundle of white cease playing with the ball and attempted to reach back at her diaper.

"It's… a lovely idea, Rarity, but… Chenoa isn't quite used to wearing anything yet. We just got her in the diaper. And…" She recessed, dragging her bandaged hoof across the floor. "I don't want to force her to wear something she isn't comfortable in."

"Yeah," Smokey agreed, lifting the wooden spoon out of the bowl. Scooping everything into a silver saucepan and setting the bowl aside, he tapped the spoon against the rim twice to allow the remnants drop. "Chenoa needs to get used to the diaper first."

"And I had the most endearing idea for a onesie…" she cogitated, looking over the baby. "Then again, I'm not entirely sure how comfortable a onesie would be on her."

"Maybe when she gets older-" Applejack thumped the nail one last time to completely drive it into the doorframe. "-she can wear one o' those outfits Apple Bloom wears durin' Zap Apple harvest! Them bunny costumes sure are sweet."

"Maybe you can convince her to wear one for the Rainbow Egg Festival this spring," Twilight Sparkle giggled.

"Who says it needs to be a holiday for her to wear something so adorable? Perhaps she could wear a brown bunny costume," Smokey suggested, stirring the sauce. "She and Ross can be twins."

"Ross?" Rainbow Dash inquired, turning her curious gaze to Fluttershy. After all, she had been with the dragon, and - for all she knew - , the pale colored pegasus must have known whoever this 'Ross' was.

"Oh, he's Smokey's bunny," Fluttershy filled in, directing her gaze to the spot near the table where the rabbit and five doves were huddled.

"My, he's absolutely adorable. Are those… are those doves?" Rarity asked. While she was sure of herself they were doves, she wanted to know if she was correct.

"Yes, they are. Pure white turtledoves. They are often used at weddings or magic shows." Turning around to allow the sauce to simmer, he squatted by one of the cabinets to retrieve a deep dish pan from the bottom of a pile of similar - but smaller - pans. Ross seemed quiet embarrassed, yet flattered, at the compliment he received from the alabaster unicorn. The small brown leporidae elongated ears dropped as he lowered his gaze to the floor bashfully, a tiny tinge of pink blooming on his cheeks. The dragon couldn't help but chuckle a bit at this. "Aww. Watch out for Ross, he's a sucker for sweet talk."

"'A sucker for sweet talk'?" Rarity recurred. "That cannot be. He's such a cute little bunny-wunny, yes he is."

"He's really sweet and cute" Fluttershy gave an agreeing nod. "He's can be bashful, unlike Angel."

"Completely." The unicorn's smile fading as she fixated her deep blue eyes on her yellow friend. "Darling, I honestly don't know HOW you can stand him at times. Celestia forbid, but I've seen him smack you during our pet play dates!"

"Smacked you?!" The ruby red reptilian almost dropped the pan in his hands. Placing it down on the counter abreast from the stove, he precipitated himself to the kitchenette's perimeter, his sea green eyes wide in shock. "Your rabbit actually hit you?!"

Um, well-"

"He didn't just SMACK her," Rarity interjected, her brows furrowed in displeasure - though it was clear to who her censure was targeting. "He's thrown things at her, made faces at her, and has, overall just been a general… ruffian!"

"He's not a bad bunny," the yellow-pelted pegasus weakly protested. "Besides, it doesn't hurt. He's just a tiny bunny."

"That doesn't matter!" Pinkie Pie spoke up in an inflated manner. "You should be glad he's not from Caerbannog!"

"Caerbannog?" Rainbow Dash parroted in confusion.

"Bunnies from there have a vicious streak a mile wide!" the pink mare clarified, stretching her forelegs wide open for exaggerated emphasis.

"Caerbannog…" the lavender alicorn groaned, pressing her face into her hoof. Removing her hoof from her face and dropping it back to its primary place on the floor, her brows sank in disapproval. "Pinkie, that was just a movie!"

"Miss Fluttershy, I… I'm afraid that rabbit of yours is in need of some serious disciplining," Smokey presumed, stirring the tomato sauce again. "I'm not really sure what kind would be best for him. Maybe just show him who the one in charge is. After all, you feed him, house him, fulfill all of his needs."

"I've been putting my hoof down," Fluttershy said defensively. "He doesn't push me around as often."

"Sweetie, he shouldn't be pushing you around at all," Rarity disputed.

"Yeah, Fluttershy," Applejack called over as she was inserting screws into the holes of the door hinge, attaching it to the frame. "Are you a pet, or the pet master?"

"He's a bunny!" Rainbow Dash snorted, her feathers ruffled with agitation. "You're not gonna be pushed around by a bunny! Lay down the law and show him who's boss!"

Fluttershy was met with the nonverbal gazes of support. Lips curling back into a smile, she nodded.

"Okay. I can do that. If he tries acting out again… Well… I'll give him a stern talking to."

"A stern talkin' to ain't gonna do it." Applejack shook her head and discarded the screwdriver, believing that words were not going to be enough to correct Angel's behavior. "You gotta give 'im the what-for!"

The pale yellow pegasus was absolutely mortified at this. Furrowing her brows, she stamped her hoof into the floor… and winced, the realization that it was her injured one coming to her too late.

"I'm not hitting him."

"Now Ah didn' say y'had to beat the critter. Ah-"

"I'm. Not. Hitting him," Fluttershy repeated with a dose of finality. "Physical violence never solved anything."

"It's not violence," Applejack countered. "It's discipline. Didn't yer parents ever spank you as a filly?"

"I know mine did." Rainbow Dash chuckled, reminiscing on a few occasions where she had caused trouble - the instances where she'd been caught by her parents and subsequently corrected. She had gotten into a lot of mischief as a filly - much more than her parents knew. More than fifty percent of that trouble being influenced by her childhood friend, a certain thrill-seeking and all-around bully of a griffon.

Smokey's face sank even further at the mentioning of parents, a burden of sadness anchoring at his heart. A gooey bubbling drew him back to the pot of sauce. Stirring it, he turned down the heat and lathered the bottom of the pan with a thin layer.

Fluttershy thought she saw something with the dragon, but he had his back turned before she could confirm it. Though, she had an inkling of what was going through his head.

"I can't say mine did," said Twilight Sparkle. "Once, perhaps. I was a pretty well-behaved child."

"Please. My parents NEVER resorted to such… barbaric measures," Rarity sniffed.

"Uh, girls," the rosy-maned equine spoke up quietly.

"C'mon now. Admit it! Ah bet that fancy flank of yers got plenty of welts in yer heyday."

"I most certainly did not!" the royal purple-maned unicorn objected, though her voice was shaky.

"Girls!"

"Yes, Fluttershy?" came the unified response.

"… I don't think we should really talk about parents."

"Why not?" the lavender alicorn asked, the rest wearing similar quizzical expressions.

The yellow pegasus gulped, pointing her injured hoof in Smokey's direction - though, as Chenoa was still playing nearby, it looked as if she was gesturing at her.

"Chenoa?" Applejack arched an eyebrow. "Fluttershy, She's a baby. She probably don't even remember who they ARE."

"It's not her."

"Not…? Wait-" The words died in the farmer pony's mouth the instant realization dawned. "… Oh… Ooh…"

From listening in on the conversation, the winged reptile was growing self-conscious. He could feel all of their eyes pinned to his back, making him feel even more uncomfortable.

"Er… Um… Do… don't worry about me, ladies… Just… Just go back to your… um… your talking."

The ponies went quiet, each of them exchanging glances. A moment elapsed, and Applejack took it upon herself to make the first move, the hallow clopping of hooves piercing the still silence with each step she made towards the kitchen. The sound halted the instant she stopped at Smokey's side, and removed her hat as a sign of respect - and as a sign that she had a relatable situation.

"We're sorry, sugarcube. We didn't know." She paused, pressing her hat into her chest. "… If it's any consolation… Ah lost mah parents, too. Died shortly after mah baby sister was born. She never knew her Ma and Pa."

The dragon was about to assure the earth pony that it was all right, when she revealed the fact that she, too, was parentless. He was filled with sympathy for her and her said sibling. Putting the wooden spoon down in the pot, he turned to Applejack, reaching to place a clawed hand on her shoulder for any sort of comfort he could give.

"I'm sorry," was all he could think of. Comforting his animals was all he was practiced with. He had no experience in dealing with something like this, so he didn't know what else to say.

Applejack smiled lightly, slipping her hat back on and closing in to reach a foreleg around his mid-section.

"It's all right," she reassured. "Ah was still a filly when they died, so… the pain doesn't really hurt as bad. Ah still miss 'em somthin' fierce. … It's really Apple Bloom that's the sad story. She… never knew our parents. Not a day goes by that Ah don't think of 'em… or what our life could've been like if they… y'know…"

Smokey was surprised by the pony's gesture. Accepting the hug, he bent over, sliding the hand on her shoulder around her neck to return it. He held it for a good amount of time before reluctantly drawing aback. He wanted to hold it longer and say something that might lighten up the mood, but lunch wasn't going to make itself - nor did he even know what to say. Forcing a small smile, he nodded once and extended his clawed hand to the boxed ribbons of pasta.

Applejack felt similar, wanting to continue to console him, but noted that he went back to preoccupying himself.

"Ah see yer still busy. Ah'll jus' get back to fixin' the doors an' window. Jus'… know that yer not alone."

Tearing the box open with a dull index claw, he grasped onto the ruffled edge of a slab of pasta and laid it down in the pan. Upon a moment of abeyance, he was silent, gathering up his sorrow and stowing it. Head turning halfway, he produced another feigned smile.

"I know… Thank you, Miss Applejack…"

Chapter Twenty-Five: It's Tool Time!

"Ummm. Mmmmaaaa. Mmmm. Mmmmaaa." The chick sat back, curled up in a cuddle with Fluttershy. Her beak worked to form syllables that swam in her brain, specifically one individual word.

"I think she's trying to say something," Fluttershy declared, excitement brewing within her. "Come on, sweetie. You can do it. Say mama. Say ma-ma."

Smokey's ear frills perked and he instantly removed himself from the oven, having just popped the lasagna into it, and went as far as to scramble over the counter dividing the kitchen and living room instead of going around it. Somersaulting forth onto his back as he climbed over, he gathered himself and made haste to Chenoa and Fluttershy, dropping to his hands and knees.

"Come on, sweetheart! Mama! Say mama!" the dragon encouraged the baby with a large grin plastered upon his face, his earlier gloom abating.

"Mmm… Mmm… Mmmaa… mmmaaa… Mmmaammaaa. Mama!"

The euphoric squeal Fluttershy emitted was sharp enough to pierce the ears of everyone present in the room, especially the rabbit. She clapped her hooves together and shared a cheer among the remaining ponies and dragon, feeling especially giddy.

Smokey's entire face lit up, donning the biggest grin he had ever conceived. Pushing himself up to sit on his rump, he extended his arms to pick up the baby griffon and drew her into an embrace.

"That's a good girl, Chenoa! Good girl!" he gushed, pressing a kiss to her fluffy head.

The yellow equine shuffled closer, reaching to wrap her forelegs around both Chenoa and Smokey as best as she could since the dragon was currently holding the chick. Closing her eyes, she kissed the baby's cheek and nuzzled her, a torrent of jubilance engulfing her.

"Isn't that sweet?" Rarity crooned. "They look like one big, happy family."

The winged reptilian chuckled, his entire being filled with the same elation as the mare felt. His eyes were practically dancing, he - and Fluttershy - were so proud of the tiny griffon's accomplishment. Cradling her in one arm, he pulled his other arm free and furled it around the mare. Due to the fact that Chenoa was trapped between him and the pegasus at the mid-length of his chest, he had to crane his neck in order to nuzzle her, his snout brushing against his sunshine yellow friend's in the process.

Fluttershy squeaked, nearly jumping from the unexpected touch, but she remained where she was, her hooves grasping onto the dragon's strong arms. Her pink mane bristled up against his chest and chin, brushing her cheek against the baby's cranium.

Observing them for a short while, Rarity cleared her throat and rose to her hooves and rotated her body into the direction of the exit.

"As heartwarming as this scene is, I get the feeling I'm trespassing. Pinkie, Dash, would you mind helping me get this window installed? I'm beginning to feel kind of lazy just watching Twilight and Applejack work."

Both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash blinked in bewilderment. Rarity doing physical labor? Preposterous! The pink-pelted mare opened her mouth to say something, but the unicorn was already on her way towards the front window. Glancing over at the prism-maned pegasus, she shrugged, figuring Rarity was just taking the opportunity as an excuse to leave and give Fluttershy, Chenoa, and Smokey some personal space.

A purr vibrated in the dragon's throat, expressing his affection for the little griffon nestled between him and Fluttershy. Smokey rubbed his chin against the mare's head, deciding to bestow some attention on her, too. After all, she is Chenoa's mother figure. Why shouldn't he give her a little affection as well?

Rainbow Dash smirked, bemused at the sound her now perked ears caught.

"Heh. I didn't know dragons could purr."

"Huh! I didn't know that, either! Must be something only an adult dragon can do," Twilight Sparkle theorized, wondering why she had never heard Spike purr.

"Rainbow Dash, aren't you going to help us?" Rarity sweetly called to the cyan pegasus. "This window isn't going to repair itself."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." The winged pony unfolded her wings and kicked off, flapping to remain airborne. Though she could have just walked out of the room, she preferred to fly wherever she went. It was an impulse naturally embedded within her ever since she learned how to fly. While she was curious as to what would happen between the other pegasus and the dragon, she figured it was best to leave them alone with Chenoa… for now.

"Wait… Rarity?" Applejack paused her task of nailing in a hinge to the new door with a rather incredulous expression. "Yer gonna fix the window? Ah thought you were adverse to such physical labor."

"Oh, Applejack." The alabaster unicorn shifted her mane aside with a swing of her head. "I'm not removing the glass and yanking out the frame. I'm going to levitate the new one in and hold it while somepony else secures it."

"Alright. Don't hesitate to call us if you three need any assistance," said Applejack. And with that, she got to work hammering in the second doorframe with the alicorn's aid.

"We got this," Rainbow Dash stated, a confident smirk pulling at her features as she buried her head into the orange earth equine's saddlebag and fished out a screwdriver.

Pinkie Pie, hammer in mouth, rose upon her hind legs and pressed her front hooves against the wall beneath the window to carefully chip away at the broken glass, deliberately knocking the shards outside in order to make sure to leave no hazards inside the house. The pieces were captured in Rarity's magic and transferred to an empty space in the cart and deposited where they would be properly disposed of later.

As Smokey locked his sea green orbs with Fluttershy's, the corners of his lips drew inward to a more relaxed smile rather than one that expressed his earlier bliss, which climbed down significantly. There was just something about her blue-green eyes that calmed him… Soothed him… He absorbed every single detail, finding himself adoring everything about them; the way they sparkled, the mixed shades of blues and greens coating her irises in an aesthetic display, the softness of them that openly conveyed her compassionate and sweet nature… Everything…

"Miss Fluttershy… I… I must say… your… your eyes really are like… the purest… sapphires…" he whispered to the pegasus before him, his cheeks flushing mildly in embarrassment. If the other equines had not joked around about them being more than just friends the day before, he wouldn't have felt such discomfiture.

The pale yellow-pelted pony blushed deeply, not breaking her gaze from his.

"And yours… are like a beautiful glade," she murmured.

His cheeks were tinged with a darker rose, a chuckle - almost a giggle - jumped from his gullet.

"Now, you are just saying that because I complimented you."

Fluttershy shook her head and tilted her head downward at Chenoa, who was lounging quietly, then directed her vision to Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. Once the pink earth pony had knocked out all the glass, the rainbow-maned mare lined her body up with the window still. Whirling around, she launched her hind hooves at the bottom and right side of the frame, knocking it right out in one powerful kick. Catching it with her magic, the unicorn levitated it to the cart and lifted the new one out, transferring over to take the old one's place.

"Oh no. Your eyes remind me so much of the meadows and the parks," said Fluttershy, shyly keeping her gaze away from the dragon before her. "The green grasses in the grove, the garden by the glen…"

The reptilian leaned in, touching his nose to her cheek and nuzzled her once, feeling the warmth radiating from her face and spreading over his scales.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the meadows and parks of Ponyville once spring arrives."

"So am I." The equine giggled at the touch. Her face was still slightly flushed, and the physical contact did nothing to alleviate it. "Chenoa will just love chasing the butterflies and running around in the fields…"

"Aww! But I wanted to help paint!" came the whining protest from Pinkie Pie.

Rarity knitted her brows together in disdain as Rainbow Dash screwed in the window frame, envisioning splatters of mismatched paint all over the shutters, walls, pane, and the class itself.

"Knowing you, you'd get paint on everything."

The sky blue pony paused in mid-turn, holding her screwdriver-wielding hoof still, rolling her eyes and opening her mouth to speak in a vexed intonation. "Just let her paint, Rarity. She'll just keep bugging ya until she gets her way.

"Oh… Very well," Rarity sighed in surrender, peering into the house and eyeing the dull stone-colored walls and lack of décor in a scrutinizing fashion. "Perhaps we could convince Smokey to give this place a remodeling. The color here is so dreary and drab…"

Chenoa cooed softly, her bright amber eyes expressing the same adoration any child held for their parents. Though having spent a short amount of time with the pegasus and draconian, the memory of her birth parents was dimming, like a candle about to burn out.

"We'll have to teach her not to hurt the butterflies, or any other small creatures she finds. I know griffons have a hunting instinct, but… I think dragons do, too… Don't they?" Smokey questioned, his facial features scrunching inward a bit.

"Well… I think so. Twilight?"

"Yes, Fluttershy?" Twilight Sparkle called over, not even turning to look at the other pony as she kept the second doorframe held in place with her magic while Applejack hammered nails into it to secure it.

"Do dragons have a hunting instinct?"

"Not that I know of," the princess replied. "None of the books I had in the library had anything on dragons. And Spike's only real hunting instinct is for gems."

"Gems? What would he need gems for?" Smokey queried, finally removing his arm from Fluttershy. Never have received any education on his own species, of course he would be clueless about his kind's impulse to collect and eat precious stones.

"For eating," the winged and horned pony clarified, twisting her neck to glance at him over her shoulder. "Dragons are naturally inclined to horde and consume gems. Most dragons, anyway. Haven't you ever felt any sort of greed compulsion from time to time?"

"Ah don't think he has, sugarcube," Applejack stated. "Because Ah don't recall readin' about a rampagin' greed-grown dragon in Equestria… Outside of Spike, that is."

"Not really." Blinking with semi-wide eyes, Smokey lifted a hand to idly scratch his head as he wondered why he never felt the urge to horde. Dropping his hand, he shifted his attention back to the baby. "I suppose we'll have to teach Chenoa to control her hunting instincts if she develops them."

"I don't see why it wouldn't be possible," Twilight Sparkle agreed. "After all, if YOU were able to curb your own natural tendencies, I see no reason why Chenoa wouldn't be able too, either."

Fluttershy nodded and lowered her head to nuzzle her beloved child.

"Hmmm… If that's the case. We'll teach her to the best of our ability."

"Yes, we shall teach her to be as compassionate and sweet as Mama," the dragon alleged, smiling down at the giggling griffon and administering a kiss to her cranium once Fluttershy drew back.

"And as mature and kindhearted as her Daddy," the pegasus added with a resigned sigh.

"You really do sound like a family," the alicorn proclaimed.

"Yeah." The farmer nodded, dropping the hammer to the floor, having finished driving in the final nail. "Jes don't ferget to invite us to the weddin'."

"How many times are your friends going to tease us about that?" Smokey asked, following with a nervous chuckle, his blush returning to his face in a prominent shade of pink. He didn't mind a little playful banter, but this was beginning to make him feel uncomfortable.

The pair of mares shared a giggle between them and went right back to work. It was time to attach the hinges to the frame.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Winter Wrap Up

The weeks rolled by and Mother Nature was drawing her winter to a close. The last day of the frosty season arose, luring the equine inhabitants of Ponyville from their homes in the early hour to ready themselves for the long day of work that awaited them. There were many tasks to accomplish on the annular day known as Winter Wrap Up; snow needed to be cleared - shaken from trees, plowed away, and melted in order to make way for tilling and sowing fresh vegetation. The frozen surfaces of waterbeds required breaking up, bird nests needed to be built, birds led back from their designated migration grounds, and the animals in hibernation needed to be roused from their lengthy slumber.

Fluttershy had recuperated from both her injury and her sickness - though she was under the weather for nearly a week, and her hoof took another to heal. She had grown closer to Smokey over the weeks, often being with him after she had completed what ever rounds of chores she had for the day and once the animals were tended to. Despite the fact that the dragon fed the critters before, they were still nervous around him and had to be reassured by their caretaker a few more times that he was harmless. The majority were becalmed after a couple more visits, but there were still those who were apprehensive.

While her life had more or less returned to how it was, save for her new friendship with Smokey and having adopted a daughter, she was eager to introduce her draconic friend to the citizens of Ponyville at large. She and her equine friends had yet to do so, and in the meantime, Fluttershy and Applejack often made deliveries of food and supplies to him, with Twilight Sparkle bringing books - and sometimes Spike tailed along - and Pinkie Pie desserts and entertainment for him and Chenoa that she thought they would like. So far, no other ponies in town mentioned the fact there was another dragon in the woods.

The two dragons immediately hit it off, both of them ecstatic to meet another one of their kind who had been raised by ponies. Spike was eager to tell the older reptile about his entire life - just as he had done with Fluttershy on the first day they met - and Smokey was just as eager to listen. After the first meeting, they spent some time together whenever the larger dragon wasn't busy helping Fluttershy care for Chenoa, her animals, or tending to his own. The two of them even held a couple of sleepovers at Smokey's home.

A cry originating from Fluttershy's room awoke almost all currently residing in the pony's humble abode. Smokey jolted awake and fell off the couch with a heavy thud upon the wooden floor. He spent the night so that he may get up with his pony friend and quickly help with tending to Chenoa and the animals before assisting with Winter Wrap Up.

Upstairs, Fluttershy's eyes snapped open immediately and she fluttered off the bed towards the nearby crib to check on Chenoa. Her maternal instincts have grown such acutely that the slightest utterance of noise drove her to check on her instantly, even to the point to where she didn't even have to.

Not long after the mare precipitated herself beside the wailing baby's home-built crib to tend to her, a red blur zipped into the room to materialize into the dragon as he came to a cessation. In the back of his consciousness, he knew Fluttershy would get to Chenoa first and take care of her, but - like her -, he possessed parental instincts that compelled him to check on the infant.

The red-scaled beast's hands smoothed over the top wooden bar of the crib as he watched the pegasus reach for the baby inside. The crib itself had been crafted out of trees and branches he cut down himself - after making sure he wasn't touching any that served as homes for any hibernating animals. When he discovered building one was going to be harder than he assumed, he enlisted the help of Applejack. The golden orange earth pony had been more than happy to assist him with chiseling the bark off, cutting, hammering, and sanding. By the end of the day, the two of them surprised Fluttershy and Chenoa with the new crib.

As their eyes met, Smokey greeted Fluttershy with a warm smile and a "good morning", but Chenoa's cries drowned out his words.

Greeting his gaze with a kind expression, she mouthed a "good morning" back. Rocking the griffon in her forelegs, she began to gently shush her to calm her down while flapping her wings to keep them aloft.

"There, there, sweetie. Don't worry, Mommy's getting you something to eat now," the mare crooned as she routed herself out the door and downstairs to the kitchen.

Angel leered into their direction with contempt as the baby continued to noisily voice her hunger, rolls of baggy skin sagging underneath his tired eyes. In an effort to block out the sound grating at his nerves and eardrums, the rabbit pinned his ears to the sides of his head with his pillows. Unfortunately, the results held little avail.

The weeks had given both Fluttershy and Smokey some knowledge about what Chenoa would generally eat regarding her appetite - and the pony and winged reptile found it was easier to handle at first than they originally realized. Her more carnivorous instincts likely wouldn't be kicking in until later when she would be ate the age where griffons usually began hunting. By then, the pegasus and her scaly friend figured they would be able to instill a largely vegetarian diet in her.

By this point, Fluttershy still wondered about Chenoa's birth parents, but she had mostly given up hope of finding them or any evidence of if they were still alive. She hadn't found any herself on what little free time she had given herself to look… and to a certain extent, actually found herself hoping on some deep level that she - or her friends - wouldn't find them. She wasn't willing to give the baby up without a fight now.

It did not take long for her to gather everything up and mix a bottle of formula together. Baby cradled in one foreleg, she used her other hoof to bring the bottle to the little one's beak for her to grasp and suckle.

"Here you go. Here's your baba," Fluttershy said in a maternal voice. She felt it a little odd to bottle feed her when she was capable of eating soft food and some perfectly edible hard food such as tiny cereal chips so long as she didn't choke.

She figured she really should have thought ahead and had something already made and readily available; all that needed to be done was to be warmed up slightly before being given to the baby. However, she couldn't berate herself that much. It was just one of the many things that came with raising a child - and the experience itself was nothing short of invaluable. It would prove to be a good base point for if she ever had any more children, adopted or otherwise. Plus, she was still getting used to having a baby around.

As Smokey stepped into the kitchen and noticed Fluttershy was in the middle of feeding Chenoa, he advanced to the cabinets where some of the animals' food was located. He might as well start feeding them while the mare was busy. The large reptile moved about the cottage, quickly dumping appropriate amounts of food into bowls or on the floor in collected piles for animals to munch on. After helping his equine friend with this for the past couple weeks, he had the entire routine embedded in his brain. The animals were willing to accept food laid out by the dragon once he was at a far enough distance - except for Angel. The rabbit resented Smokey's presence; resented the attention Fluttershy gave to him that would've otherwise been lavished onto himself.

Chenoa was okay though. Angel didn't mind Fluttershy busying herself with her. She was a baby after all. He even had taken interest in the small griffon, and even assisted with various tasks in taking care of her once in a while. He didn't think he would ever find himself in such a position, helping his caretaker with a bottle or two here and there, but even he surprised himself on occasion.

By the time the griffon finished her bottle, Smokey was done tending to the animals. The pegasus passed the baby to him to be burped while she prepared a bowl of lettuce and sliced cucumbers and carrots.

"Here you go, Angel bunny. Smokey, Chenoa, and I are going out for Winter Wrap Up today. Would you like to come along and help us wake up the animals?"

Angel gave her a flat look and shook his head to convey his answer. While he wouldn't have minded during warmer seasons, he would much rather stay inside. It was also still too early for him. Yawning, the white rabbit drowsily nibbled on his breakfast.

She just smiled and moved closer to him to press a kiss to his fuzzy little head. She didn't think so, but figured she should've asked. Drawing back to give him his space, she turned around to see how the draconian was doing, right on time to see the baby emit a loud belch.

"What time is it? Do you know?" she asked. "With all we were doing, I completely forgot to check."

The dragon shivered once, still feeling a little bit cold from being outside feeding the chickens and goat, but he was quickly warming up thanks to the fire started assumedly by one - or a collective few - of the animals earlier.

"I actually didn't think of checking the clock either. But, we should probably eat something really quick and get going, shouldn't we?"

"We probably should. I'll go make some toast."

A quick meal of buttered toast was shared between them and the baby. While Smokey washed the plates, Fluttershy took Chenoa back upstairs to get them both dressed. Placing the child in her crib, the winged pony slipped on her team vest, a scarf, earmuffs, and a set of boots Rarity had created for her.

The unicorn, in her generosity, had not only provided for Fluttershy, but had also crafted an outfit for Chenoa; giving her a warm coat, earmuffs, and a matching stocking cap with a tiny bell sewn at the top. Retrieving them, the mare dressed the baby and picked her up to meet Smokey downstairs.

In her foresight, Rarity could not resist making a set for Smokey, including a pair of gloves, a scarf, and boots that were sapphire blue in color. Together with Chenoa's ruby red and Fluttershy's emerald green, they made a complete set - and as the alabaster unicorn fussed, only slightly deviated from the brownish tan of the animal team vest Fluttershy wore.

Smokey left the restroom, having brushed his teeth and taken care of his business, crossed over to the table - or more specifically, one of the chairs at the table where his winter attire was waiting for him. He had neglected to put it on when he went to feed the animals outside. The dragon hadn't owned any winter clothes, so it had been a pleasant surprise when the white-coated unicorn presented him with his. He was very grateful for her kindness, and he still yet had to think of something to repay her. At least, he believed he did. He thought no good deed should go unrewarded.

Accepting Chenoa from Fluttershy after he was garbed in his clothing, the mare took her turn to use the restroom. Once out, she took her back and held her close, nuzzling her cheek.

"Are you warm, Chenoa? I certainly hope you'll be when we're outside. We're going to wrap up winter! And starting tomorrow you'll be able to play outside with all the cute little animals…"

Chenoa chirped in response as she nuzzled her mother back. She didn't understand what she was saying, but the excited note in her voice was impacting her mood.

Craning his neck, the draconic being pressed a kiss to Chenoa's head and drew back slightly to fully analyze her appearance.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get over how adorable she looks in those clothes."

"Oh, yes. Rarity really outdid herself this time!" she gushed, nuzzling her face against the side of Chenoa's head. "I love how she looks in the red. Though I have to say maybe purple would be a better match for her. Rarity seemed to agree, but she said if she went with that then it would completely mess up the color scheme…

"I told her I wouldn't mind wearing the blue, or the red, since red and blue make purple, but she insisted that the green brought out my eyes."

"Believe me - your eyes stand out in anything, Miss Fluttershy," Smokey chuckled with a playful wink.

The mare's cheeks flushed to a noticeable hue of pink and she glanced off shyly.

"You're so nice…"

A wide smirk pulled at the corners of Smokey's mouth as he indulged in the pony's mannerisms.

"I cannot help but point out the truth."

"Still, it's very kind of you," she stated, turning her attention back to the dragon.

She had to admit - though she wouldn't out loud just yet - that she had grown very fond of Smokey. Very fond. He was a gentle, sweet soul, and he did so much for their animals, as well as for her and Chenoa out of the kindness of his heart.

"Thank you."

The dragon in turn, had become attached to Fluttershy with the more time they spent together. Being socially underdeveloped with ponies, he wasn't sure how to classify his attachment. He didn't bother mulling it over for long. He just decided to let everything flow naturally.

"Are we ready to go?" he asked, giving the baby back to his companion as she extended her forelegs to them.

The equine nodded once, hovering over to the door as she held the baby close to her torso. Stopping right when she shifted the griffon to one foreleg and placed a free hoof on the doorknob, she turned her head back to her rabbit.

"We'll be back no later than sundown, Angel. Try to stay warm," she informed, though she knew she would likely check on him and the others by lunchtime and leave them a midday snack. Flapping her wings to boost her out the door, she grinned at the cool breeze. It was chilly, but according to Rainbow Dash - if her memory served correctly - it would be warming up significantly by the end of the afternoon if all went well.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Hesitations and Complications

Though Smokey didn't mind the cold much, he was glad he had a set of winter clothes to wear. His silvery breath drifted skyward as he exhaled on a content sigh before following Fluttershy towards their destination.

"How many ponies usually show up for Winter Wrap Up?"

"Oh, pretty much the entire town gets involved," she replied nonchalantly, hugging Chenoa tighter as the baby pressed her body into the pegasus' torso. "We split the ponies up into three groups - plant, animal, and weather. Only pegusi are on the weather team, and they're responsible for moving the clouds to warm everything up and melt the snow and ice. The plant team gathers up the snow, clearing the fields, and planting the seeds. Finally, we, the animal team, wake up the animals from hibernation, clean out their homes, and provide new nests for the birds migrating back from the south.

"It's a long and complicated task, but with the guidance of Twilight, our all team manager, we'll get everything done in a neat and orderly fashion. The first time she helped us, we barely got things done on time. Before, we were ALWAYS behind schedule."

The dragon nodded as the information was relayed to him, before the realization hit him and he stopped in his tracks, overwhelmed by an apprehensive nervousness. The entire town got involved? And a third would be on the same team as him? He could handle one-on-one interactions and small and large groups, such as Fluttershy's friends and the audiences he performed his magic shows for, but that many ponies? Around him? How would they react? Would they all panic like many individuals normally did on his few visits into town? Would that panic throw everyone off schedule for good and delay Winter Wrap Up?

Right now, he was thinking maybe showing himself in front of that many ponies wasn't such a good idea…

Fluttershy flapped along for about a foot before she noticed her scaly friend had stopped, and whirled around to face him with concerned confusion.

"Smokey? Is something wrong?" she asked, realization dawning a second later. "Oh! I almost forgot… This is your first time meeting this many ponies, isn't it? You wouldn't want to cause a panic, would you…?"

It was really more of a statement than an actual question. She bit her lip, mind reeling for a solution until an idea sprung up.

"Would you like for me to make an announcement to everypony and introduce you before we actually do so?"

It was particularly well known that she had an outstanding fear of dragons - and outside that one instance where she stood up to that one in the mountains for her friends' sake, she would much rather run and hide from them. To proclaim to her team that she was not afraid of one would probably coax others to accept him. At least, that was what she was banking on.

A good deal of other ponies didn't seem to be fond of that Cerebus, she remembered. Even though it was just a really big, cute, and playful puppy.

The large reptile nodded once to signify his answer. He was tempted to just hang back and do what ever he could without being seen by many equines, but… he didn't want to let Fluttershy down… What would she think of him then? He didn't wish to take a risk straining his relationship with her.

So, he said nothing and followed her.

The dragon's hesitation was obvious to the mare, and she rethought her position. Perhaps it would be better if they introduced him to Ponyville pony by pony instead of a third of the population right away? He didn't seem willing to go through with it, and she didn't want to be seen as putting the town in danger by knowingly bringing him along.

Though… She didn't have to worry, right? Her other friends would support her. And if the five could be convinced Smokey was harmless, so could more individuals.

"But… um… whatever you think is best would be… fine," she recanted. Ultimately, she wasn't going to force Smokey to go through something he didn't want to.

He weighed his options carefully in hopes of coming to a decision where he wouldn't send too many ponies running amok and throw everything off balance and still help with Winter Wrap Up.

"Maybe… I should… stay here and… you can return and give me an assignment?" he suggestive tentatively.

She thought this over. It seemed like their best option, but she had already told her team that she would be bringing over a friend from out of town assisting them this year.

"Well… I already mentioned you," she admitted. "That is, I mean, I never told them your name, just… you were a friend from out of town…"

The mare gave pause.

"Maybe that would be a good idea. And to tell everypony if they see a red dragon, not to be worried? That you're a friend?"

Smokey's entire frame perked up at the proposal. Nodding, his mouth stretched into an approving smile.

"Yes, I believe that would be best… At least, for now."

"Alright." The mare felt relieved they came to a solution, yet upset the reptilian wouldn't be coming with her personally. As much as she didn't care for what they had to do, she figured this would be the best course of action. Shifting Chenoa into one foreleg, she fluttered up to her scaly companion to furl the other around his neck in a hug. "I'll be back once everything is assigned."

The red-scaled beast nodded with a small frown, guilt pressing down on him. Disappointing her was the last thing he wanted to do, but… a third of the town's population was just to many ponies. Administering a nuzzle to the mare's cheek and a kiss on top of the baby griffon's downy cranium, he watched them depart.

Town Square was alive with hundreds of conversations blended together into one strident summation. Ponies of countless varieties were collected and split up into their teams, forming a circle around the very center of the area where Twilight Sparkle, wearing her all team coordinator vest, was standing next to Mayor Mare. On her back was Spike, a thick roll of parchment clenched in his claws. The mares allowed this to carry on for a few more moments until they raised their voices to quiet everyone down - though it took a while to do this considering how many were there.

The alicorn scanned the ponies encompassing her to spot out her friends. Smiling, she found Rarity near the middle of the front row of the animal team, nesting materials suspended in a cloud of the unicorn's light blue magic. Nearby, was Pinkie Pie in her blue vest, ice skates dangling from her neck by the laces. Located in the air, above the bulk of the weather team was Rainbow Dash, and stationed in the front of the plant team was Applejack.

Once Fluttershy flew into view and touched to the ground with Chenoa held firmly in one foreleg, the lavender mare opened her mouth to speak. "And Fluttershy is here. Great! Alright, everypony! Head to your team leader and they'll delegate their tasks to you!"

Before the teams were split up into even more groups to take on the duties they were responsible for, the team leaders took a head count to see if anyone was missing. It turned out, a few ponies were missing - for example, a mare commonly referred by the name Derpy Hooves. Sometimes, she was called Ditzy Doo, but the aforementioned aliases seemed to be the more popular.

"Um…" Fluttershy meekly spoke up. "Has anypony seen Derpy?"

As if on cue, a grey-coated blonde pegasus zoomed in from behind a cluster of clouds in the southeast direction and crashed into a freshly made snowpony. A wave of powder was thrown up on impact, blinding everyone in proximity. Miraculously, as the snow settled, there was no evidence of a violently destroyed snowpony. In fact, the snowpony appeared in pristine form… except…

The pegasus was now fitted inside of it, her tail poking out of the backside, her wings out the sides, and her own yellow crossed eyes replacing the pair of coals that had served as eyes before her sudden arrival.

"Well… that answers that question," Fluttershy sighed, stepping forward to accost the mare with a soft smile. "Excuse me, Derpy? We need you on the ground this year. I think somepony with your… unique skills would be better suited to waking up animals. Would you be so kind as to help out with that?"

"Okie-dokey, Fluttershy!" the bubbly pony chimed.

As the yellow-pelted pony turned to the group at large, a nervousness rattled inside of her as she prepared to make her announcement. She was inwardly hoping that her fellow equines would take the fact that there was now a dragon living near town well.

"Oh… before I forget. I want to warn you all about something." There was a brief pause. "Well… not so much as warn… as… to let you know. If you see a… red dragon near the edge of the forest… please d-don't be alarmed."

At the words "red dragon", the snowpony collapsed around Derpy Hooves' hooves as if in reaction. The frost-coated equine's single lazy eye straightened as both bright yellow orbs went wide in shock. The ponies around them who noticed appeared quite stunned at their observation, but it was Fluttershy's revelation that stood out predominately.

"R-red d-dragon?" a light brown stallion quivered.

"Y-yes." Fluttershy almost regretted saying anything. "But he's a very nice dragon! He's not very large. He's only about…" Lifting herself off the ground, she extended her hoof to Smokey's head level. "… yea tall?"

The other ponies didn't seem to be very mollified, so Rarity decided to step forward and speak up.

"He really is a sweetheart. I've met him. So has Twilight, Pinkie, and Applejack."

A smile tugged at Fluttershy's face as she landed on three hooves, thankful that her friend was coming to defend her claim.

"H-how long h-have you known him?" the same stallion asked, his knees trembling beneath him. "How do you know he's not attempting to trick you into thinking he won't hurt us?"

"Oh? Uh, I don't… really remember. A couple." The rosy-maned pegasus had to admit she hadn't kept track. Spending time with Chenoa and Smokey caused her not to even think about the amount of time that had been spent between them.

"At least two," Rarity answered and gestured at the chick in Fluttershy's hold. "Look at Fluttershy's foreleg. Specifically, the baby she's holding. That dragon is helping to raise that chick with her. Now, honestly, ask yourself this - would a creature that's good at heart REALLY endanger a defenseless baby? For two weeks? If he was planning something nefarious, he would have done it by now."

"To fatten her up and eat her!" a mare promptly butted in.

"He could be using you to earn our trust so he could get easy meals!" another exclaimed.

Fluttershy gasped, holding Chenoa tighter.

"No! He wouldn't! Not at all!"

"Do you know where he came from? Who he is?" the first mare questioned.

"He's an orphan," she replied, without any hesitation. With a soft sigh, she lowered her head to the griffon's head to nuzzle her. "Much like Chenoa. He never had anyone but his animals to be there for him."

"How do you know? Where you there?" the other mare challenged with a scowl morphing upon her features. "He could be lying to you!"

"Because nopony can say something like that about their past the way he did and not mean it," Fluttershy stated with a little more force in her voice than she had intended, turning her Stare on the defiant pony. Smokey hadn't told her his entire story, but she knew enough.

The pony had been about to make another retortion when Fluttershy unleashed the dreaded Stare upon her. Ears dropping, her head sunk inward, and her frame drooped as she took a few uneasy steps back.

"H-he… might be a good actor?" a unicorn colt offered hesitantly.

"Have any of you met him?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Er, well, no," one of the stallions spoke up.

"Fluttershy…" Rarity gently pressed as she sidled up to her friend.

"Have you spoken with him?" she queried to another individual.

"No."

"Fluttershy…" Rarity said again in a second attempt to grasp her attention.

"Then how can you judge him?"

"Fluttershy!"

"What?!" she snapped, whirling to face Rarity.

"You're doing it again," the alabaster unicorn informed, completely unfazed.

"I… what?" The pink-haired pegasus blinked in confusion, taking a couple of seconds for her to realize that she had gotten more assertive than she wanted to, her meek disposition quickly returning. "Oh. I'm sorry…"

"Uh… have you ever heard of another friendly dragon besides Spike?" a pony queried, arching a brow.

"To be perfectly honest…" the unicorn began as she shifted her attention to the new voice. "Up until two weeks ago? No. I haven't. But how can you be so sure this dragon of Fluttershy's ISN'T like Spike?"

"He… well… he's a dragon!" one of the stallions from the crowd called out.

"And Spike's a dragon," she pointed out. "And he gets exception because…?"

"He's been raised by ponies!" one of the mares countered.

"And so was he," Fluttershy said.

"You don't know that!"

"She's been with him for two weeks." Now Rarity was really beginning to get irritated. What was it going to take to convince these ponies? "How long do you NEED to be with someone to get a basic understanding of them?"

"A lot longer than that!" a stallion who had spoken earlier piped up. "Long enough to trust them!"

Rarity, however, smiled, seeing an opportunity present itself.

"You trust us, right?" Fluttershy asked, having seen the same thread of hope.

"I… what?"

"Have we ever lied to you? Why would we? You know perfectly well that we're fairly good judges of character." The white equine's mind briefly phased back to a certain zebra. "I'd like to think we are, anyway. Remember how we used to treat Zecora?"

"Because he could be lying to you!" the first mare snorted, digging a hoof into the snow. "There's a reason why ponies just don't go waltzing right up to any random dragon they see!"

Fluttershy opened her mouth for a rebuttal, but was cut off by Rarity.

"I don't think this is going to work," she whispered, a frown gracing her face.

"But-"

"Look at them, I don't think we're going to convince them."

The pegasus stared at the doubtful expressions on the ponies before her. Feeling a creeping sense of sadness that she couldn't convince the citizens that Smokey was harmless, her lips pursed flat and sniffled once. Eyes watering, she sighed heavily and hung her head.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Prickly Situation

Chenoa thoroughly enjoyed the flight home - her large amber eyes alight with bliss and the corners of her beak stretched out in a grin as she let out mirthful squeals every now and again.

Smokey was waiting eagerly - yet patiently - for the return of Fluttershy and the griffon. Seated cross-legged at a "safe" distance from the fireplace, he nervously watched Angel throw a fresh log onto the bed of half-charred wood when the mare and baby entered the cottage. Clamoring to his feet, he gazed at her with, expectant eyes as he awaited for her to fill him in on what the locals thought about a dragon accompanying them. Yet… he was half-dreading it.

"W… well?"

The winged pony sighed as she lowered her eyes to the floor.

"You were right. It… went about as well as I expected." She then lifted her head and steeled her gaze. "But that's okay. I still want you to help. We'll still wake up the cute little animals. We'll just go a different route from everypony else."

The dragon's ear frills immediately dropped the same time his heart sank into his stomach. They didn't want him… But it was to be expected, he mentally told himself.

"A… alright… Which route should we take?"

"I was thinking we begin around here and work our way towards the outer part of the route," she replied, stroking the baby in her foreleg and resting her chin atop her fluffy head. "We'll head near the Everfree Forest and head to the lake. Pinkie should be alone out there, so we shouldn't have to worry about frightening anypony.

"From there, we'll circle around to Sweet Apple Acres. After that, we'll take the path north in the direction of Canterlot and double back across the edge of town this way."

The large reptilian nodded as Fluttershy laid out their reserved route, feeling a little better that no equines had to subject themselves to fear at the sight of him.

"Okay then. Lead the way, Miss Fluttershy."

Smiling lightly and snagging her bell in her mouth, Fluttershy flitted out the door. As the small bell jingled from the mare's movements, Chenoa tilted her head back with an investigative stare at the new item. It made a light, pleasant sound, the baby noticed. The pegasus exhibited how the silvery bell emitted its chime as they stopped at a group of trees and maneuvered her head in a series of short, controlled bobs. As it chimed louder, the child was bewildered to see small, furry creatures emerge from the frost-coated trunks of the trees. In her perception, it was like magic!

The sight of the critters forced a tug at the corners of Smokey's mouth. They certainly were cute, the thought. With an askew glance at the baby griffon, wanting to catch her reaction, he couldn't help but chuckle softly at the look of awe in its purest form.

"Chenoa, see those animals up there? Those are squirrels."

Sticking the bell in her free foreleg while keeping the chick in the other, Fluttershy smiled warmly down at her.

"Aren't they cute, Chenoa? Just like you!" The mare giggled, nuzzling the baby. "But Mommy thinks you're the cutest of all. Yes, she does!"

Nuzzling the happy, burbling baby once more, she lifted her vision to the drowsy rodents in one of the trees.

"Good morning. I hope you all slept well during the winter!"

The bundle of white fur and down followed Fluttershy's example, glancing up at the squirrels and chipmunks in the trees, subsequently resulting in a delighted cry. The tiny mammals chattered their reply, some yawning and rubbing the fatigue that weighed down their eyelids. Due to the lethargy, it took them a little longer than normal for them to fully acknowledge Smokey's presence. When they did, they skittered right back into their dens… except for one chipmunk. He nodded off on his feet.

"Oh!" Fluttering up to one of the trees, she peered inside with a warm, reassuring smile. "It's all right. You don't have to worry. Smokey's a friend. He won't harm you, I promise."

Turning around to the outstretched bough, she leaned in to very gently nudge the sleeping chipmunk with her nose.

"Time to wake up, Mr. Chipmunk. Spring is nearly here! Aren't you hungry at all?"

The dragon had been expecting such a reaction from any animals they would be waking up, so this was no surprise to him. Though, the sight of the chipmunk dozing away on his feet was amusing.

Parting his eyelids, the chipmunk slowly lifted his head his head to gaze up at the pegasus. The thought of food did almost sound more appealing than sleeping in.

Almost.

With a big yawn, the tiny creature drifted off again.

The sunshine yellow pony smiled lightly, nuzzling the rodent's side.

"Alright. I'll let you sleep in just a little longer." Gliding down to her scaly friend, she extended the bell to him. "Here you go, Smokey. Would you like to try?"

"Of course!"

He happily accepted the bell and directed his body to a cluster of burrows. Approaching one and kneeling, he rang the bell and waited in excited anticipation for what creature would emerge.

A couple of minutes passed… Nothing came out, so he tried again.

"Hello?" he called to the animals inside one of the holes as he set the bell down beside him and lowered himself onto his elbows and gloved hands. "Time to get up! Spring is almost here!"

Still, nothing came out.

Fluttershy flapped her wings, keeping her and Chenoa aloft as she waited.

"Hello, little animal friends," she sang. "Please wake up."

More time passed.

"That's funny…" she commented. "I wonder what's going on?"

With intent on finding out what was taking so long, Smokey crawled forward until he was poking his snout inside.

"Hello?" he called, his voice bouncing off the walls of the burrow. When he received no response, he stuck his entire head in. The entrance exceeded the height of his head - not including his spines, which folded back with his ear frills - by a few millimeters, and since he didn't have any trouble getting it in, he figured he wouldn't have any pulling it out.

"Hello?" he tried again, resounding with an irritated chatter deep within the darkness. His still adjusting eyes squinted in the inky abyss, the only source of light assisting him pouring in through the spaces between his spines and ear frills.

"Oh! Uh, Smokey? I… I'm… not sure that's such a good idea," the equine warned, concern heavy in her voice. "Some of those burrows are filled with snakes. Or skunks. Or porcupines. You should probably get your head out of there before anything bad happens!"

Smokey mentally chided himself for his blunder. He shouldn't have stuck his head in the hole when he didn't even know what was lurking inside. As he pulled back, his ear frills were pushed inward and his top spine up, locking him in. The draconian tucked back again and again with no avail, inspiring unease to mount with each tug.

"M-Miss Fluttershy, I can't! I'm stuck!"

Gasping at the muffled expression, Fluttershy swooped down and landed near him. While she didn't understand what he was saying, from the fact he was pulling back and unable to remove his head it didn't take a genius to figure out he was stuck.

"Now, Chenoa," the mare began as she set the baby down. "Stay. Here. Mama needs to help Daddy really fast!"

Spinning around, she gulped nervously.

"Hang on, Smokey! I'm right here! I'll get you out!"

Without any further hesitation, she rose up on her hind legs, she dug away. Underneath the soft powder was snow surrounding the mouth of the burrow that had compacted until it was almost as hard as solid ice. This would definitely be more difficult than she originally thought.

While Smokey continued pulling, he could make out the silhouettes of mammals that appeared rodent-like at first. As they waddled closer, he squinted in the blackness and tried to distinguish what they were. It was until they stood right in front of his nose where the tendrils of light shown on them when the reptile finally recognized the species.

The burrow was housing porcupines.

The dragon swallowed the lump that formed in his throat tautly. While his kind's scales were tough, there were areas around his head that were quite sensitive and vulnerable.

"Erm… So sorry for the rude awakening. Just… please wait until I pull my head out and you may come out." The porcupines didn't seem pleased in the least, and Smokey's nervousness spiked to a panic when the largest one shuffled closer and whirled around and bristled his quills. "W… wait a minute…! P-please don't do what I think you're about to do! W-wait! Stop! Please!"

Fluttershy grunted, thrusting with her forehooves alternatively to try to punch through the hard frozen soil. With it being as tough as ice and her so used to being gentle, it was proving to be a tough task. Panting, she picked up Smokey mumbling as if he was talking to somebody - though shortly, she heard an exclamation… then another… and another.

Seeing his body jolt and twitch with each one, the pegasus gasped as she came to the conclusion that something in there was hurting him.

"Smokey!"

With that, she redoubled her efforts - swinging herself around and beginning to kick at the side lip of the burrow with her hind hooves instead.

Chenoa watched as her mother's hooves smashed the hard snow into small chunks and the body of her father jump every few seconds with a muffled yell in a note that suggested something bad was happening. Smokey's hands dug into the snow below and clenched into tight balls, the knuckles underneath the gloves paling as the porcupine continued to assault him. Of course, he didn't stop attempting to yank his head out while all of this was happening.

"Smokey!" Fluttershy cried out again, smashing her hooves against the burrow again and again. It was too hard - the ground surrounding it was just too tough and frozen to be able to kick through. While part of her wanted to fly off and get help, she simply couldn't leave him…

She gritted her teeth, a glint of determination in her eyes. No. No, she could do this. Lifting her haunches and folding up her hind legs, she took careful aim, and launched back with all her might…

Hearing a powerful crack, the pegasus investigated, seeing that the inflicted area of the frozen mass encircling the hole had broken clean off and revealed the much softer layer of earth beneath it. Without wasting any time, she went right to it - prying off the rest and digging away at the soil. It gave away rather easily, crumbling around Smokey's neck to give him more space to wiggle free.

The combination of harsh scrapes resulting from Fluttershy's hooves as she frantically dug away and the dirt falling wherever gravity pulled it, Smokey was encouraged to pull harder and harder - and not to mention the relentless flogging he was receiving from the quill-wielding tail of the porcupine.

Once enough earth was removed from the mouth of the burrow, Smokey wrenched his head free. The effort he utilized sent him flying aback, landing painfully on his tailbone. But the hurt in his rear was diminutive compared to that in various spots on his head. Several quills jutted out from areas holding thin scales - or no scales at all. His nostrils, lips, the circumference of his eyes, and the worst place - that had no scales - was the leathery skin and fringes of his ear frills.

With a yelp and a gasp at the sight of him, the winged pony's eyes widened. Flaring her wings out and flapping up to his face, she examined him.

"Oh! Oh, Smokey - Oh, you poor thing!"

Fur and down ruffling, Chenoa jumped nearly a foot in the air as she was startled by the appearance of the draconic being. At first, she didn't know what to think, then she burst with laughter, finding it hilarious.

Quickly checking on Chenoa, she hovered closer and placed her hooves on Smokey's shoulders. Leaning in, she grasped onto one of the quills with her teeth to remove it.

"Aa-aa-ah… aa-AAH!" he cried out in agony. A single porcupine quill consisted of layers of multiple tiny barbs at the end in order to embed itself into the victim's flesh. So taking one out was far from a pleasant experience, and removing a bunch of them was even worse.

With each wail, Fluttershy winced, her heart aching for him.

"Sorry," she apologized each time she pulled one out. She knew it hurt badly, and she didn't want to hurt him. Some of them managed to get in between his scales and dig really deep and a few went right through the fringes of his ear frills and protruded through the other side.

After what felt like a few minutes - though it felt like hours, she finally yanked out the last one and spat it out.

"There…" she sighed. "Come on. We should get you back to the cottage.

Nodding and biting his lower lip and whimpering softly once from the burning pain originating from where the quills had previously been inhabiting, the dragon pulled himself to his feet.

"Don't worry, Smokey," Fluttershy crooned in a maternal intonation as she scooped up Chenoa and nudged him into the direction of her home. She had to get those wounds cleaned and disinfected before any further damage could be done. She didn't want him to get sick. "I'll take care of you."

"Thank you…" Despite the pain he was experiencing, he couldn't help but smile at the display of kindness. "I really do appreciate you helping me, Miss Fluttershy."

"It's no trouble, Smokey," she said, pumping her wings as she escorted him back home, adrenaline still coursing through her system. "I know what it's like. Being pricked with porcupine quills isn't fun at all."

Angel was surprised to see his caretaker, the dragon, and their adopted daughter back so soon. He was even more stunned to see the reptile's head covered with bloody rivulets.

Smokey chose a spot in the middle of the living room and sat down, hoping that patching up these wounds wouldn't be another horribly painful experience like the one he had earlier encountered.

This chapter is dedicated to Michael Morones, hoping for a full recovery! Your fellow Bronies cannot wait for you to see the look on your face when you wake up and see everything we've done for you! Get well soon, little man! You're our champ! 3

- Jessica Calmes

Chapter Twenty-Nine: First Encounters of Spring

Placing the baby griffon in Smokey's lap, Fluttershy flitted up to her bathroom and returned with some cotton balls, bandages, antiseptic, and antibiotic cream gathered in her forelegs and a pair of tweezers held between her teeth. Dabbing a cotton ball in the antiseptic with the tweezers, she raised it up to one of the wounds on his lower lip.

"This will sting a bit," she warned through her teeth.

The dragon nodded. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for the worst. As soon as that alcohol-soaked cotton ball touched one of his pinprick wounds, he flinched with a slight whimper, but he permitted the mare to continue dabbing and rubbing at every single infliction on his head. Cleaning them and wiping up the blood, changing cotton balls after each one, she applied the antibiotic cream and covered them with bandages. It was just as bad as his experience with the bite he received from the werewolf. Sure, this didn't hurt as much, but the amount of pricks made up for it.

It was especially excruciating on his sensitive ear frills. The fringes involuntarily twitched as the broken flesh was touched.

"I… never intended on… getting my ears pierced… I suppose this is one way to… do it," he said in an effort to lighten up the mood.

Eyes lighting up with a relieved expression, Fluttershy gave a soft chuckle. Sticking the final bandage, she reached to caress his face lightly.

"I suppose. Though it wouldn't be my preferred choice. I didn't hurt you too badly, did I? does it still hurt a lot?"

"Yeah, it still hurts… But, not as badly. I'll… be all right." The draconian offered an assuring smile despite the lingering pain. "Again… thank you, Miss Fluttershy."

"That's good… I was so worried. You gave me such a scare. You shouldn't ever put your head in any hole. What if there had been snakes in there? Some of those are poisonous! What if you had-? I-!" The pony cut herself off with a sigh, moving in to slide one of her forelegs underneath his arm and the other around Chenoa to draw them both into a hug. "I just… don't want anything bad to happen to you… I'm so glad you're all right."

The scarlet draconian accepted the mild scolding, feeling he deserved it for doing such a foolish thing. What if it had been a venomous serpent instead of a porcupine? Chenoa would've possibly ended up with a very sick daddy. Or worse…

Yet, he was also touched. He was touched so much, he felt the urge to shed tears, but he managed to resist. She really must care for him, he thought as the equine brought him and the baby into an embrace. Responding in kind, he lifted his arms and slid them around the chick and the mare's midsection.

"I… I'm sorry I scared you, my dear. I will be more careful from now on."

Feeling reassured, she settled into his arm and holding him and Chenoa close. She didn't want to think about what could have happened, and frightening images continuously flashed through her mind. She was suddenly very thankful the child was too young to understand what happened - she probably wouldn't even remember.

"Good," she finally said and drew away, letting them go. "Are you going to be okay, Smokey? Do you want to stay here and rest up while I head back out to finish?"

"I think I'll be all right," he stated, his hand idly stroking over the griffon's downy head.

"Alright."

Issuing a nuzzle to the baby, then exchanging one with the draconic reptile, she waited for him to shift the little one into one arm before assisting him to his feet and leading them back outside.

Angel was in a really bad mood. His sleep had not only been unexpectedly disturbed once, but on multiple accounts. Each pained noise Smokey made while his quills were being removed, had ground down on his nerves. Of course, there was still a stroke of sympathy for the dragon, but the rabbit was more concerned with getting more rest. As the door opened, once again, opened by the pegasus, allowing the chilling air to rush in, he made another dive underneath the pillows.

The chilling air that lingered in the winter daytime was steadily burning away. The spring vegetation was well on its way in its growing process and the animals had returned. A plethora of creatures of varying shapes and sizes gathered at Fluttershy's property, anxious to greet their beloved friend; they were shocked to see a dragon there - as well as a baby griffon, but Smokey was the predominate cause of their alarm. Their natural fear of such a predator took control of them and the majority took off while the rest remained rooted, waiting for something to happen.

Smokey stood still, not wishing to frighten the rest of the creatures. He would trust Fluttershy to break the ice for him and their daughter.

"Oh! Wait! Where are you going, my friends?" Fluttershy called out to the fleeing animals, pumping her wings and lifting off the ground. "Come back, please! Smokey won't harm you - he's a nice dragon!"

She frowned, ears falling as she breathed a light sigh. She expected something like this would happen…

The tall reptilian felt his heart sink, his entire demeanor drooping into the epitome of disappointment as he watched the animals run and acknowledge him with terror. A small mob of deer was clustered behind a group of large bushes. A few moments passing after hearing the mare's claim over the dragon, a single stag hesitantly and cautiously crept forth. Ears perked into the direction in front of him, his beady eyes were frozen upon the large winged beast, watching for any indication that he would suddenly spring and attack.

Fluttershy brightened up the instant she realized the stag was being particularly bold. Grinning, she motioned for him to come closer.

"It's all right," she coaxed him in a honey sweet voice. "He's safe. You can come over. I promise he won't hurt you."

The stag's ears twitched, one rotating towards Fluttershy as she spoke. With the combination of her voice's naturally soothing effect and her supportive words, a blanket of calm was draped over the woodland creature. Still… his eyes never left the dragon as he edged closer and closer.

Smokey was amazed one of the animals was actually taking a chance. Though, Fluttershy's voice was so calming - he couldn't blame the buck for giving in. Sporting his friendliest grin - making sure to keep his lips pressed together so as not to accidentally intimidate the deer with the sight of his fangs. He dropped his ear frills a small amount, hung his head with his sight still on the critter, and sagged his shoulders in an overall ruse to appear as less threatening as possible.

Once the buck was a yard away, he bounded over to the yellow pegasus first, still focused upon the draconian. His muscles tensed up, his legs pending on whether or not to run as the scaly beast slowly extended his hand.

"It's okay," Fluttershy attempted to cajole, raising a hoof to stroke the stag's side. "I swear on my honor as a friend Smokey won't harm you."

The deer dared to remove his eyes from Smokey, meeting the mare's honest-to-goodness gaze. He knew she wouldn't lie to him - or any of her other animal friends. Therefore, there was really no reason as to why he shouldn't believe her. With a burst of courage, the buck returned his attention to Smokey and inched closer to him. The instant he felt the gloved hand touch his muzzle, he froze in place and squeezed his eyes shut.

Smokey gently smoothed his hand over the deer's head. The baby griffon stationed in his other arm reached out with both forelegs to touch the critter, but they were much too short. Still, that didn't dissuade her from trying.

The mare kept her hoof on the buck to remind him that she was still there and that he was safe. Glancing up at Chenoa, she couldn't help but giggle at her attempts.

"Do you want to pet the pretty deer, too, Chenoa?" she asked, swiveling her blue-green eyes to the dragon.

Smokey removed his hand from the deer to hold both sides of the baby's body. Parental instincts taking over, he deliberately and vigilantly brought her closer to the stag.

"Remember to use gentle hands, sweetheart."

Over the pair of weeks, both Fluttershy and Smokey have repeatedly instructed the child on how to gently touch an animal. She came to understand near the end of that time period and animals like Angel and Ross could finally trust her to handle him without pulling on his fur, ears, and whiskers.

The tiny eagle paws eagerly ventured forth, landing between the deer's eyes.

"Gentle," Smokey reminded her in a soft intonation.

"That's it. Be gentle." Observing the baby rub her paws against the deer's head, she offered an approving smile. "He needs to be handled with care, even though he's a big boy. He can frighten easily."

Deer have always fascinated Fluttershy. She could empathize with the animals, being quite easy to startle herself. Though she found it intriguing that such a large, noble, majestic creature could be as simple to spook as her.

Chenoa squealed with elation, causing the buck to flinch, but he stayed where he was. The woodland creature tolerated the child's hands as they felt the fur adorning his head in long, irregular strokes.

"You're doing a fantastic job, sir," Smokey praised the stag with a warm smile gestured at him. He then turned back to the baby as she begin babbling to the deer, his and Fluttershy's hearts melting.

The mare even felt the desire to take Chenoa from Smokey to cuddle her. However, doing so would deprive the griffon of petting the deer, and she didn't want to do that. Instead, she followed the draconian's example - giving the buck a very appreciative expression, admiring him for being a trooper through this.

The gratitude on Fluttershy's face was enough thanks the stag needed. He enjoyed seeing his equine friend happy and decided bearing the attention of the baby was worth it.

For five minutes. After that, the deer had enough. Backing up and turning away, he walked back to the small herd and the group subsequently headed off. Chenoa, however, wanted to keep petting him, and cried.

"Oh no." Smokey frowned, biting his lower lip as he drew the infant into a comforting snuggle. "Sweetheart, it's all right. Please don't cry."

He bit his lip again nervously as he switched his attention to Fluttershy, his wide eyes pleading for help.

"Ooooh!" The pony was almost instantly at his side, pumping her wings to raise her to Chenoa's level. "Don't worry. There will be other animals you can pet. Mr. Deer has to go back home with his friends. Besides, he'll come back one day and you can pet him some more then."

She leaned in to nuzzle the small griffon and top her head with a kiss.

"Why don't we find some other animals to play with?"

The baby continued to wail over the deer's departure. Smokey offered a nuzzle of his own, which failed to becalm the little one. Distressed sea green orbs darting across the landscape surrounding them, he desperately searched for something that might catch her attention long enough to make her forget about the buck.

Fortune decided to smile upon the three of them as a monarch butterfly fluttered nearby.

"Oh! Look, honey! A butterfly!"

Following Smokey's line of sight, Fluttershy gasped softly and nudged the baby's head with her nose.

"Lookie, Chenoa! Butterfly!"

Butterflies had always been one of Fluttershy's favorite creatures. After all, a cluster of them had saved her life when she fell from Cloudsdale and her flanks was branded with three of them as a symbol of her serenity and her gentleness on top of her empathetic connection with wildlife. The pony smiled as the monarch butterfly flitted closely to her ear.

Chenoa's cries subsided into occasional sniffles and moans as she was drawn to the winged insect. Her tear-laden eyes went wide, lighting up with wonder and awe.

"Gaba, buh-buh!" she exclaimed, pointing a tiny talon at the butterfly as it circled around her mother's head while glancing up at the dragon to check if he was looking. When she saw that he was, she shifted her attention back to it.

"Yes, Chenoa. That's a butterfly. Butterfly," Smokey repeated in an attempt to implant the word into the child's brain.

Giggling, Fluttershy grinned as the butterfly drew away from her, though it remained flying around them lazily.

"Butterflies are very fragile," she said, turning to her, before realizing Chenoa wouldn't understand. "You need to be very gentle with butterflies, too. You could hurt them if you're not careful."

"Actually, I think it's best if you do not touch them at all," Smokey stated to the little griffon as he observed the butterfly flit about. "At least, until you are old enough to control your strength."

Since it didn't appear very soft like the stag, Chenoa wasn't sure if she wanted to touch it. For now, she just watched.

Chapter Thirty: Making Plans

A large grin pulled itself across Chenoa's beak as the butterfly fluttered a little closer before eventually coming to a rest on Fluttershy's nose. The image of the insect sitting on her mother's face she found rather comical. She laughed uproariously in her high-pitched baby laugh, ultimately causing the dragon holding her to chuckle.

Hearing Chenoa laugh never failed to deliver a warm feeling the hearts of Fluttershy and Smokey. The pegasus smiled kindly, a rosy tint blooming on her cheeks.

"Now what's gotten our baby so tickled?" she giggled softly.

"Your little butterfly friend has landed on your nose, my dear," the dragon chuckled, finding it quite amusing himself.

"I know," the buttercream mare giggled a second time. "I just… didn't expect her to start laughing like that is all."

"I must admit… it is just as endearing as it is amusing," he commented with an additional chortle.

"Oh?" The equine beamed as the butterfly lifted off, fluttering away. She felt a bit depressed the tiny creature wasn't sticking around, but the smile returned to her face as she moved over to nuzzle her baby.

Apparently forgetting about the deer, the child squirmed in the large reptile's strong hands, wanting to get down and play.

"Alright." Caving in, Smokey set the bundle of white fur and feathers on the ground.

"Don't go too far, sweetie," Fluttershy warned, though she and Smokey kept a sharp eye on the baby. Her snowy plumage may have done an excellent job blending in with the remnants of snow, but the vibrant red of her clothes helped her stand out.

"I certainly am looking forward to seeing Ponyville in full bloom," said Smokey, a wide grin stretching at his maw as he watched Chenoa bat at a small puddle of icy water and giggle at the ripples.

The pale yellow pony nodded, settling down on her haunches at her companion's side.

"It's an absolutely incredible sight. You really should see the park during the spring. The view is just breathtaking!"

"Will do!" He beamed, a surge of anticipation brimming at the suggestion. A second later, an idea was presented to him - and without removing his eyes from Chenoa, he opened his mouth to tell Fluttershy. "Say… Miss Fluttershy? Now that spring has arrived, care for that picnic sometime when everything's in bloom?"

She blushed lightly, bringing her hooves up and pressing them together with a bashful expression.

"I was… actually just thinking that when I mentioned seeing the park. That… would be lovely."

Smokey's grin stretched wider, finally turning away from Chenoa to look at the mare at his side. He was quite pleased to hear that she had been thinking the same thing as him.

"Great!" He then directed his vision back to the griffon. "Perhaps… we can do something else, too? In town? Like… go to a movie?"

The blush on Fluttershy's face darkened, her forelock falling out of place to cover an eye.

"Um… sure. That would… that would be… wonderful!" She went quiet for a moment in thought. But… would we be taking Chenoa with us?"

"Of course. It would be a nice outing with her parents." He suddenly blushed, realizing how his proposition may have sounded. "I-I don't mean it as a date! I… I mean… we w-we would just… be spending time with her, that is all!"

"No?" Fluttershy's smile faltered a bit, though she kept grinning nevertheless - fully away and perplexed at the paradoxical emotions that suddenly rose up. On the one hoof, she felt almost upset that she wouldn't be spending time with him personally - yet on the other hoof, she was actually glad that she wouldn't be… alone, with him.

Smokey would have liked to spend one-on-one time with her, but he wasn't sure how to ask without it sounding he was asking her out on a date. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. However, the tone in her voice convinced him that she wouldn't mind doing the same with him, spending time together alone.

"Well… we can always find a babysitter some time in the future and… do something together."

"Really?" She sounded excited - almost hopeful - but recognized this and scaled back, rubbing her hooves together. "I mean, um, that would be… fine. I just… I think I might know who wouldn't mind watching over Chenoa, but…"

A certain pink curly-maned equine popped into Fluttershy's mind.

"I'm not really sure about Pinkie. She… does a good job with Pound and Pumpkin Cake… but… a griffon?"

"She does not act any different from a foal, does she?" Smokey asked, laughing softly as he watched the little griffon bury her face in a pile of snow to leave an embedded print. Over the past week, she developed a habit of leaving various stamps in snow for amusement.

"No… I suppose she doesn't," she finalized as she observed Chenoa, planting her front hooves back onto the ground. "I guess… I'm just worried. Worried she and the Cakes might not get along well, or maybe, just… Pinkie. I love Pinkie as a dear friend, but…

"I suppose it couldn't hurt? I'll talk to Pinkie and ask her."

"Ask me what?" came a bubbly voice from out of nowhere.

"Yaaaiii!" Fluttershy, not having expected that, jumped a few feet into the air. Landing straight into Smokey's awaiting arms, she turned her head to face the pink equine.

"Hi!" the earth pony greeted with a rather wide berth.

"Oh, Pinkie!" the rosy-maned pegasus gasped, heart pounding against her chest. "You startled me!"

"Gave me quite a start as well," the dragon admitted a bit shakily and returned his attention to the baby, clutching onto Fluttershy.

"You said you wanted to ask me something?" she burbled with a single bounce before eyeing the two of them suspiciously. "And are you SURE you two aren't together?"

"Together?" Fluttershy parroted, blinking in confusion. "What do-"

She gave pause, glancing up at Smokey and suddenly realized the compromising position she was in. In unison, patches of hot pink bloomed on their cheeks. The dragon loosened his hold and tore his eyes to Chenoa while the winged mare moved to climb out of his arms, fluttering her wings to hover at his side.

"Er… W-we're sure…"

Right now, Smokey was seriously considering not requesting Pinkie Pie's babysitting services. He didn't want Fluttershy or himself to undergo more teasing, figuring the pink equine might mistake their outing for an actual date. He cast a quick glance over at the pegasus, non-verbally querying if she wanted him to ask. The look of uncertainty gave him his answer.

Pinkie Pie's eyes narrowed, as if scrutinizing them as they exchanged looks. She appeared ready to make some sort of accusation that they were keeping something from her before her entire face brightened up.

"Okie-dokie-lokie!"

"Um… Pinkie? Ahhh… How much of our conversation did you hear?" Fluttershy asked.

"What conversation? I was just walking back from the lake when I heard you say you needed to ask me something. So, I popped up to ask what you wanted to ask me!"

"Oh! … Uh… Ah…" The mare blushed softly. She opened her mouth once, closed it, opened it again, and… "… Lovely day, isn't it?"

The pink-pelted pony's excited demeanor deflated somewhat into one of bafflement, her facial features morphing into an expression that clearly said that's it?

"Yes! Perfect weather for Winter Wrap Up, wouldn't you say?" Smokey followed, taking his eyes off of Chenoa only to flash Pinkie Pie a toothy - albeit nervous - grin.

"Uh, well, yeah, I suppose?" she replied, sounding like she hand been taken off guard. "Rainbow Dash and the weather team are doing a REALLY good job, but… why'd you wanna ask me?"

"Uh… no reason…" Fluttershy put on one of her sweetest smiles. "I mean, you're my friend and I… wanted your opinion because you're my friend and… that's… what… friends… do?"

Ponyville's party pony pondered this, rubbing a hoof to her chin and staring at her fellow pony as if she didn't quite trust her completely. Right when the pegasus and dragon broke into a couple beads of sweat under the heavy judgmental stare, Pinkie Pie's expression changed dramatically, a wide smile painting a cross her face.

"Okie-dokie-lokie!" she chirped, backing off and skipping up to Chenoa to give the happy child a gentle noogie. "I thought you wanted to ask me something, y'know, important. Guess I was wrong!"

"Uh… yeah…" the pastel pink-maned pegasus mumbled, glancing off for a moment.

"I'm heading back to town," Pinkie Pie declared, beginning to bounce off. "I'll catch you later! Bye, guys!"

"Yes, yes, thank you, Miss Pinkie. Goodbye!"

Again, the dragon took his gaze away from the chick to wave off the hyperactive equine. After that, he went back to watching Chenoa frolic in the snow, relieved that Pinkie Pie had believed them.

Once Pinkie Pie was out of sight, Fluttershy let out a sigh…

… Then froze up with a soft gasp, her eyes widening as something dawned upon her.

Ear frills flaring at the gasp, alerting him, Smokey half turned his head to keep his attention on both Fluttershy and Chenoa.

"Hm? What's the matter, Miss Fluttershy?" he queried in a concerned tone.

"Pinkie said she came back from the lake," she began, her voice wavering in confusion… and held more than a little wariness, as she turned her vision entirely on the dragon. "The lake is on the other side of town."

It took a few seconds for Smokey to full comprehend this, but when he did, his eyes sprang wide open in an obvious display of shock.

"How…

"What…

"Uh…"

Since the temperature seemed to be on the rise as the snow and ice melted away, Smokey allowed his animals to wander outside. The excited tweets of an assortment of birds, the chatters of squirrels and chipmunks - along with the rest of the animals - revealed the presence of increasing life, and the draconian figured socializing his small family with the local wildlife would be good for them.

In fact, they made friends almost instantly! He soon learned that his rabbit and birds wished to spend the night with their new comrades. Of course, he was worried about predators - among something else - , but the others were instant.

He checked the burrows and nests they would be staying at and came to the conclusion that they were safe, but there was something else nagging at him. Something he hadn't dealt with in years - his extreme intolerance to long periods of loneliness.

Smokey couldn't bring himself to deny his animals. That would have been selfish on his part. He would get along…

The clock struck eleven o'clock at night and Smokey was repeatedly pacing the length of the living room in a nervous wreck. Every single noise that reached the dragon's ear holes on occasion startled him. He couldn't sleep - he couldn't even stay still longer than three seconds. His phobia weighed down on him, slowly pushing out the will to restrain himself from bursting out the door and running to Fluttershy's cottage.

He couldn't do that to her… If he did… what if she thought he was nothing more than a creepy stalker and no longer wished to associate with him?

No, he could do it… He could retain himself through the night until his animals outside were bright-eyed enough to tackle another day. He could do it…

Right?

Smokey tiptoed across Fluttershy's property, determined not to disturb the sleeping animals. They may not have been his, but anyone's presence was enough to sooth his high-strung nerves. He felt so ashamed for resorting to this, but… the fear, the restlessness… It would not leave him. Sure, he could go a few hours alone, but anything beyond that was too much for him to endure.

Singling out a spot beside the chicken coop, he dropped down onto his knees and curled up on his belly. It was chilly, but he didn't care. Feeling the effects of his isolophobia dwindle away, he found it much easier to drift off into a much needed slumber.

Even though it was late at night, Fluttershy oddly didn't feel sleepy. The events of the day kept replaying through her mind. Her animals, currently sleeping - even Angel was curled up in his bed near the fireplace, which was roaring away. Even though winter was over and the temperature was on the rise, it was still steadily cool outside, and she simply couldn't say no to at least one last night to a toasty heart.

The light illuminating the room was dim, yet still good enough to read by. Her eyes traced the lines on the pages, her mind often wandering off from the adventures written down before her to the misadventures she had spent with her daughter and scaly friend today.

Why couldn't she get him out of her mind, she wondered. It seemed that, ever since he entered her life, she couldn't stop thinking about him at least once a day…

Perhaps it was because he saved her life. Or, perhaps, she mused, as her thoughts drifted to Chenoa - that he agreed to help raise her as their own…

Why HAD he decided to help raise her, she didn't know. Of course, she was just a small baby, but the fact he had readily agreed to such a life changing task when he barely knew the both of them was quite surprising in and of itself.

Maybe it was because he had saved Chenoa alongside herself. If it had been just her, well… they might not have been in a situation like this. It was possible, but…

All she knew about him was that he had been lonely - had grown up without parents and was largely friendless save for his animal companions. She was much the same, she realized. When she was really young, her only real friend in her days at Flight Camp was Rainbow Dash - but outside of her, her true companions she had were her animal buddies… at least up until she met the others.

Then Twilight Sparkle came along and after that, things were never really the same.

Chapter Thirty-One: Smokey's Past

One of the chickens emerged from the coop to get a quick drink from the water trough. With half-closed, sleep-laden eyes, the bird didn't even notice the large dragon nestled beside the pen. Scooping water into her beak until her thirst was quenched, the hen turned right around to return to her nest. Her vision caught the reptile, but the chicken's brain had not yet registered his existence. She didn't realize anything out of the ordinary until she took her first step into the henhouse.

Backpedaling to investigate the foreign lump that appeared outside the pen, the chicken's eyes snapped open wide in astonishment. Leaping into the air, flapping her wings wildly, she let out a string of hysterical clucks.

Smokey's sleep having been disturbed, whispered as soothingly as possible in his anxious note in order to calm her - and hoping Fluttershy wouldn't come out. Unfortunately, that didn't work.

A gasp leaped from Fluttershy as the frightened clucking reached her ears. Letting the book she was holding drop to the wooden floorboards, she jumped off the couch. Her natural protectiveness of her animals superseding her own reasoning and sense of self-preservation, she opened the door and barreled right out into the yard.

There didn't seem to be anything at first, but a compulsory scan of her yard and the chicken coop revealed a large lump near the fencing.

The mare stumbled back, her eyes widening. With it being dark out, and the moon hidden behind a stray cloud a member of the weather team had apparently missed, it was almost impossible to distinguish its identity. Acting swiftly, she flapped her wings to swoop over to the chicken to grasp her in her hooves and rescue her from whatever that lump was - not sure if it was dangerous or not; she just assumed it was.

However, as she picked the hen up, the cloud cover broke off as if on its own accord, moonlight filtering down into the pegasus' yard and illuminating the creature.

The equine's eyes nearly doubled in size at what they beheld.

"… Smokey…?"

The scaly being was frozen in place on his knees, too nervous to move.

"Erm… h… hello…" he squeaked out, ear frills drooping in shame.

"… Hi," she weakly replied. Several questions were running through her head, one of which being why he was scaring her chickens, though she was more concerned with what he was doing here in the first place.

"… Is… something wrong?" she asked. "Did you have a nightmare?"

From the looks of it, he had been laying down - but… why would he have been sleeping in her yard?

His stomach twisted as an even greater amount of tension starched his muscles. Mind rendered numb, he couldn't think of an alternate excuse. There would be no way around this - he would have to tell the truth.

Heaving a great sigh, the dragon plopped down onto his bottom and lowered his eyes to the ground.

"I… well… This… will sound ridiculous… but… I'm… I cannot be alone for no more than a few hours."

This came as an unexpected surprise. Setting down her chicken, Fluttershy ushered her into the henhouse, gazing at the dragon out of the corner of her eye.

"I… see," she said, turning to him fully, not sure how to take this. "Um… Would you like to come in? It's… really cold out here."

Lifting his head, but not meeting Fluttershy's eyes, he nodded pulled himself up onto his feet.

"Y… yes… I would… Th-thank you…" By the intonation of his voice and body language, it was easy to discern that he was heavily embarrassed. Yet, he was grateful he had been invited inside the cottage. She really was a very sweet and kind mare, he mused. He could hardly believe that she was readily doing this for him.

Angel, now awake, blinked blearily, genuinely surprised to find Smokey. Though… he didn't really care at the time; he was too tired to care. With a big yawn, he settled back into the warm comfort of his bed.

Did Smokey really mean what he said that he couldn't stand being left alone, she wondered. And why her?

Technically, she WAS the only pony he knew well enough. There were the others, though, and she got the feeling that her friends might not be so receptive.

… Well, no, even that was a stretch. Possibly, the only one she could imagine being coarse about the issue was Rainbow Dash. Knowing her, she would probably call him some sort of creep for doing this. … Which, in a way, was kind of creepy.

Then again, maybe he was just really lonely.

"What happened to your animal friends?" she finally questioned. "Weren't they with you? Did they run away?"

That must've been what happened. They ran away and he was out looking for them…

"No, no… They… made some new friends and… they're… staying with them tonight," he replied quietly, idly drawing random patterns on the wooden floor with a dull claw. "I'm sorry, Miss Fluttershy… You are the only one who… I really could go to… I didn't want to disturb you, so I remained in the yard with your animals."

A soft smile tugged at the corners of Fluttershy's mouth as she moved closer to touch a hoof to his arm.

"It's okay. I understand. Though… you didn't have to do that. You could have knocked - I was awake. I… couldn't really sleep either. Too much on my mind."

Thinking about him, incidentally, but she wasn't going to tell him that. The situation was already awkward enough as it is.

He said nothing, quietly soaking in the little comfort his friend offered. The draconian was also baffled she was taking to this so well. Was this what having a true pony friend was like?

"… I was lonely frequently as a child…" he confessed after a period of silence. Crossing his arms, clawed hands grasping onto his biceps, he finally summoned the courage to meet the yellow-furred pegasus' blue-green orbs.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she stated, scooting closer to him, her gaze never leaving his. "I know precisely how you feel. I was the same way when I was a filly…"

Did she really know how he felt? The only way to find out was to reveal his background to the mare. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Smokey took a deep breath and began…

From what he had been told, he had been found as an egg in the middle of nowhere and immediately transferred to the nearest orphanage where he was hatched and placed under the care of an elderly unicorn mare named Ragdoll. Smokey imprinted on the mare just as any baby would've done. The equine was a light cream color, the image of a pony rag doll emblazoned on her flank, with a silver tail and mane pulled back into a bun and eyes like honey. The tenderhearted pony was named who often made stuffed toys for the colts and fillies when she wasn't busy.

It was the moments Smokey cherished most being curled up in Ragdoll's lap while she sat in her rocking chair, listening to her talk to him. However, those days didn't last long.

At five years old, the orphanage had received brand new curtains for the playroom. It turned out, Smokey had been allergic to the type of fabric the curtains were crafted from, resulting in a rather large sneeze. Before he knew it, the curtains were up in flames, and next, half of the playroom. The young dragon could only watch in horror as children screamed and everyone panicked to evacuate.

After the incident had passed, a flame retardant room had been arranged for him and he was locked inside. For days, he spent his time pounding on the door apologizing over and over again - crying and screaming that it will never happen again and pleading to be let out, which lead to losing his voice for a short while. But once it returned, he was at it again.

For weeks, this went on… and he was ignored. The only time the door was opened was so he could be given food or a toy. The loneliness was unbearable, consuming him… Almost every night, he cried himself to sleep…

One day, Smokey discovered a couple of mice emerge from a hole in the corner. He had noticed it, but never questioned how it got there. The dragon eventually befriended them by luring them closer with some of his meals. They became his only companions besides the stuffed animals sitting on his bed.

Three years went by and Smokey was heartbroken to find that his only friends had passed away from old age… He cried for days, his only comfort being the toy ponies he held close.

He did find new animal companions though, after baiting squirrels and birds to his window with food.

A surprise came to him on the day of his thirteenth birthday. The door opened and revealed the wrinkly face of Ragdoll. Smokey was confused as to why she was here - she couldn't possibly be allowing him to leave his room. What she did next overjoyed him - she beckoned him over for an embrace, which he gladly gave in to. The draconian practically flung himself at the mare, tears falling freely down his face. Maybe she still cared about him, after all…

Though, after he had thought that, the unicorn's next words broke his heart all over again:

"You don't belong here…"

Smokey stared up at the mare's face in bewilderment… heartbreak… betrayal… and once she levitated a large duffel bag into the room, hovering it in front of him to take, it only accentuated his emotions.

The young dragon was escorted out of the room and out of the building and into the rain. He couldn't believe it was really happening… The one pony who had raised him was casting him out into the world for him to fend for himself. Did she even care what happened to him? Did she care at all?

He got his answer - or at least he think he did - when she closed the door and locked it. Heart tearing once again, he broke down, not even caring if he was getting soaked. He remained that way for a while, forcing himself to leave. She wasn't going to accept him back inside, so he figured he might as well go…

Smokey rubbed the tears from his eyes as memories from his past dissolved and he awoke back in the present, turning to see Fluttershy's reaction.

Throwing her hooves to her mouth, Fluttershy gasped, her eyes tearing up as her heart was repeatedly tugged as the dragon told his story.

"How… how could they?" she whimpered. "That… must've been absolutely horrible…"

Hanging her head, she leaned in to slip her forelegs underneath his arms in a hug.

"I thought my experience would compare, but… that… that's just terrible… Being locked away like some monster… I can't even imagine how you could have coped with that."

The very sight of the mare's eyes made the draconian's stomach clench into a tighter knot. That, combined with the all-too familiar heartache returning to him was enough to evoke more tears from the depths of his sea green pools.

Throwing his arms around the pony, a choked sob escaped his throat as he resumed speaking. "Th-they… w-were… a-afraid… of m-me… Th… the sw-weet old m-mare… wh-who c-cared for m-me… f-from b-birth… I… I-I th-thought… sh-she… l-loved m-me…"

Fluttershy held him, turning her head to lean her cheek against his torso, rocking him back and forth in her forelegs.

"I wasn't… locked up, but… I was an only foal. I didn't have any brothers or sisters, and… I was always very shy. I didn't like being around other foals since I was often picked on… Especially during flight camp. I was a very weak flyer, and… I was continuously teased. I only had Rainbow Dash as my friend, but… for a while I thought that even she didn't want to be around me and was only sticking up for me because nopony else would."

Smokey briefly removed one of his hands from the pegasus to wipe away his tears, using almost all of his self-control to prevent himself from breaking down.

"I-I… w-would have s-stuck u-up f-for you…"

"I know you would have," she whispered. "Had we met long ago."

She tilted her head back to softly smile at the dragon.

"But that happened a long time ago, and it's in the past.

"I made lots of friends since then, and my life has never been the same since. In fact, it's only gotten better. The same can happen to you, too, Smokey. I'm certain that you'll be accepted in town one day, and you'll be just as welcome as anypony else."

"I… I hope so… I… I w-wish most p-ponies w-were… l-like you," he quavered, another wave of heartache spurring more tears to pool at his eyes. It was a long shot, he thought… but, if this pony - as well as six of her friends - could accept him… Maybe… just maybe… more will come to accept him in time.

"It will," Fluttershy assured. "Just give it time."

Much like the wind and rain, over time, even the most miniscule of things would erode the mightiest of foundations. It would be a slow process, one Fluttershy knew wouldn't happen overnight. But, it would happen, some day.

"We just need to appeal to the townsponies and gain their trust."

The question on how to do that, though, was a mystery.

Chapter Thirty-Two: An Emergency

Days passed deeper into the swiftly flourishing spring. Smokey's doves and rabbit adopted the habit of sleeping outside with their new friends - which worried him immensely. He knew there would come a day where they would find partners and wish to leave to produce offspring…

But why did it have to be so soon? It was difficult, but he knew he had to let them go.

Since that was the case, he spent the nights on Fluttershy's couch in order to cope with his isolophobia and the separation anxiety with his animals. Despite his emotional and psychological issues, he was glad to be there to help the mare tend to Chenoa's nightly needs. He would have felt bad if he left the pegasus to do most of the work. After all, this came with helping to raise a child, and he was glad to do it.

On the day the picnic was scheduled, Smokey's animal companions took time away from their new friends to spend with their caretaker, Fluttershy, and Chenoa. Balancing a large basket on her back, the mare lead Smokey and their animal friends to a massive field of flowers over a pair of rolling hills.

"Um… This… won't be a bad spot, will it?" she asked the dragon, moving her head to reach over her shoulder to grasp the basket's handle and lift it off her back and lay it on the ground.

With the baby cradled in his arm, Smokey's amazed sea green eyes scanned the landscape. Being well traveled, he had seen much beautiful scenery, but what his vision beheld far surpassed anything he had ever witnessed. The fact that he was able to share it with his first pony friend and a daughter along with his furry and feathered companions definitely contributed to that.

"Not bad? Miss Fluttershy, it's… perfect!"

A flattered pink tinged her cheeks, feeling relieved that the scaly being approved of the area she had chosen.

"Oh, well. Thank you," she said with a smile gestured up at him.

Looking around, she spotted the ideal place to settle down - a grassy knoll with a large, strong tree growing out of it and leaning towards one side to provide not only some decent shade, but also perfect leverage for a tire swing that someone had put up. The only thing it lacked was a pond to swing into. Though it still being the early spring, it probably wouldn't have been a good idea to go swimming anyway.

It seemed there was no patch of uncovered earth to be found by the draconian's searching eyes as the group hiked up the knoll before setting Chenoa down. The crisp grass was so thick and soft, a blanket wouldn't have been necessary if they didn't need to concern themselves with dirt, dew, or anything that may have come in contact with the emerald blades.

Tearing his eyes from the view, he waited for Fluttershy to pull the blanket out of the basket and subsequently assisted her with spreading it out.

While it was true the blanket wouldn't have been needed, Fluttershy still preferred to feel that soft cloth underneath her hooves. Once the quilt was smoothed out beneath the tree, she set the basket in the middle and began doling out various foods from inside.

"It's such a lovely day," she stated after putting down a wrapped sandwich. "It was a good idea to come out here."

"I never doubted your judgment in the least, my dear. You've chosen a beautiful spot. All of these creatures should keep Chenoa entertained as well." He cast a wandering gaze to the assorted species of fauna grazing and frolicking in the distance before lowering his eyes to the babbling baby. The griffon squealed in delight at a tiny bug perched upon a flower, with her back turned away from the stunning view.

The mare's smile widened as she lowered herself onto her stomach.

"I'm sure they will. Honestly, she reminds me of myself when I was younger. When I first came to the surface, I was so enthralled and enchanted with the animals… I had never seen so many before in my life!"

With a light chuckle, Smokey planted himself into a seating position beside the mare, his rabbit and birds settling down on his opposite side.

"That is a good sign. She's already growing up into the grifforian image of her mother."

"You really think so?" Gazing over at the baby, she allowed her mind to wander. She could imagine a grown Chenoa with her still snow-white plumage, taking care of and handling animals all on her own. Maybe the child would be a caretaker, like her! Or possibly even a veterinarian!

"Of course! I would not have said it if I didn't mean it," he stated with a smirk then turned a protective, parental eye to the young one. He still heard her babbling musings she emanated while observing the insect, but he still felt the need to convince himself she was still there. He didn't need to do the same to his animals since he could feel their bodies against his tail and thigh. "She is an angel, just like you."

The pegasus blushed and she dropped her gaze to her hooves, rubbing the fabric to smooth out a couple of wrinkles.

"Thank you… I hope I can be a good mother to her. It's been… what… two weeks now? I'm still getting over the idea she sees me as a mommy."

"So far, you've been a wonderful mom. I think that will give us an idea on how you'll do," he reassured with another gentle grin. "That also goes for any other children you may have in the future."

Her blush spread, going into a deeper shade of pink. She hadn't often entertained the thought of having any young of her own - not seriously anyway - , even after seeing so many have theirs.

"Still… I never really thought much… even adopting." The mare giggled. "I hardly ever envisioned myself caring for any sort of baby of my own… Outside of a baby animal, anyway."

"Really?" Smokey sounded mildly surprised, shifting his attention back to the little bundle of white.

Fluttershy shook her head.

"No. I… suppose I was always too focused on my little animal friends and caring for them to even consider the possibility of foals… or even… having any sort of a boyfriend." She gave pause for just a moment. "I never imagined I would meet somepony who would love animals as much as I do."

"You know… that comes off as a surprise to me," Smokey admitted, extending his left hand to the patch of vibrantly colored flowers beside the blanket and plucked a bright yellow one. He brought the delicate object to his snout, inhaling its sweet scent. "I would expect a sweet thing like you to have an entire swarm of admirers."

"… I did. Once," she said after a second of silence. "During my brief stint as a model. I couldn't go anywhere without being swarmed by fans. I hated it. I couldn't get any privacy - and they were just interested in me because of my fame anyway. Not for me."

"Oh, right. That…" Idly twirling the flower's stem between his thumb and index finger, he went back to watching Chenoa bat at the flower in front of her. "Still… you are kind, sweet, caring, patient, and ever so adorable. Especially when you blush and squeak."

The pastel yellow equine couldn't be any pinker in the face, and was on the verge of redness.

"… You're too kind." She shyly retreated her gaze back to the blanket to smooth out another wrinkle - or she would have had there been a wrinkle to smooth out.

"I am only telling you the truth, Miss Fluttershy." Relishing in her bashfulness, he transferred the flower to his right hand and casually offered it to the mare - but not before taking a quick check on the baby rolling in the flowers.

Inhaling a small breath, her cheeks bleeding a small amount of red as the flower caught the corner of her eye. Glancing up at the tall male with a smile, she accepted the flower into her mouth and set it down between her hooves.

"Thank you… It's lovely."

"I'm glad I chose to come here. Besides the obvious reasons of meeting you, Chenoa, and your friends." The winged reptile stole another admiring glance at the scenery. "It's… so beautiful out here."

"I know! I love the flora out here. I love living in Ponyville. It's very peaceful. Nothing bad happens here."

As if on cue, a scream cutting from a distance startled the group. Fluttershy looked up at Smokey, having jumped into his arms in terror at the unexpected noise.

"… Well, um, almost nothing bad happens here!" she amended.

Instinctively, just as the mare had pressed against him, Smokey tossed his protective arms around her. Ear frills perked and alert, he twisted his neck to look into the direction of the scream - after checking on Chenoa and his animals, of course. The baby griffon scurried back to her adoptive parents while the rabbit and doves huddled closer to the draconic being.

"That… sound like anypony you know?"

"Uh… no," the pony replied, not moving out of Smokey's arms - or even acknowledging the position she was in. "Should we… check it out…?"

"SWEET TUM?!" the same voice hollered again, this time sounding panicked. A delicate young mare appeared from behind one of the hills, a carnation pink earth pony with silver-white hair, highlighted with a stripe of baby blue in her mane and tail. Her flank was adorned with three hearts of different sizes - two superimposed over one large white one, the medium-sized one being pink and the smallest a ruby red. She was already trotting up the hill, her royal purple eyes searching frantically. "SWEET TUM?!"

"Somepony needs help with something, so I believe we should. Perhaps we can help."

'If I don't end up frightening her off, of course,' Smokey mentally added as he released Fluttershy from his hold.

Only just now realizing that she was in his arms, Fluttershy let go of the dragon and settled back down on her hooves. Nodding once, deciding not to dwell on it, she turned around and fluttered over to the other mare.

"Um… Excuse me… Are… Do you need help?" Fluttershy asked, sounding a bit unsure.

"You haven't seen a baby pegasus nearby, have you?" The pink-pelted equine immediately latched her hooves on Fluttershy's forelegs. "I can't find my son!"

Unwilling himself to leave Fluttershy to handle the situation alone, Smokey scooped up Chenoa and followed, his animals tailing him. Halfway to the ponies, the dragon froze in his steps, remembering how terrible he was at making first impressions because of his visage. Right now, he remained still, hoping he wouldn't scare the other pony away.

"Your son?" Fluttershy repeated. "What happened?"

"I don't know!" The pink mare sniffled, tears streaming down her face. "I was getting ready for our little play date in the park. I set him down and was spreading the blanket out - I only had my eyes off of him for a second and when I turned around he was gone!"

"Uh, uh, calm down. When… Where did you-"

"On the other side of the park, closer towards the town! I've been looking for him for close to an hour now! I just don't know where he could have gone!"

Smokey's expression betrayed a mixture of horror and concern. If the child wasn't in the park… he could be in either of two locations - town or the Everfree Forest.

"D… Did you check… in town, ma'am?" he inquired, hugging Chenoa tighter as she wriggled in his hold.

"No…" The earth pony looked over at Smokey, her eyes snapping open wider and dilating… but seeing that he had a child in his arms and that Fluttershy wasn't freaking out, she only gulped. "Um, no. Not yet."

"We'll help you look," the pastel yellow pegasus offered. "His name is Sweet Tum?"

"Yes. He's a light turquoise pegasus colt. Green mane and tail. Please! He's barely just a year old! He can't fend for himself!"

The draconian was surprised the earth pony hadn't expressed any further terror. If he weren't so fretful over the lost foal, he would've been pleased.

"We better get moving. Oh!" he exclaimed, an idea striking him at the last second. "My animals can assist us! The more eyes we have searching, the faster we should find him!"

"Animals?" the mare tilted her head a small degree.

"Oh! Good idea!" Fluttershy praised, grinning down at the rabbit and five doves, who nodded in acknowledgement. She then turned back to the stressed mother with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, miss… uh?"

"Pure Heart."

"Pure Heart," Fluttershy parroted. "Don't worry. We'll find Sweet Tum really soon."

Chapter Thirty-Three: Pandemonium

They didn't waste a second. As the small group reached the borders of Ponyville, Pure Heart branched off to inform her husband and brother-in-law. Fluttershy, Smokey, and the animals remained together to gather up the rest of their friends. After that, they all split to cover more of town, the dragon unintentionally sending a gaggle of ponies he flew past into a blind panic.

The mild wreckage done by a few panicking ponies only alarmed even more, leading them into running amok and causing a higher amount of damage. Vendors and carts were tipped over - smashing the wooden material they were made from - lampposts were knocked down, food was spilled into the streets and subsequently trampled on… a fire hydrant spontaneously combusted.

There hadn't been this level of pandemonium since the parasprite invasion.

Despite the chaos, there was one grey-coated pegasus with a yellow mane and tail and a lazy eye among the ponies who seemed oblivious to it all. She was hovering in Town Square, balancing a muffin on her head… upside-down.

Trying to get things back under control, Twilight Sparkle yelled out commands and attempted to grasp the attention of the equines around her. Unfortunately, that attributed out to absolutely nothing and ponies continued to flee and hide, causing even more problems.

The purple alicorn groaned as she slapped a hoof to her face before tilting her head back to focus her sight on the blonde mare above her.

"Ditzy, would you mind helping me calm everypony down?" she requested, figuring things at least couldn't get any worse…

"Okay, Princess Twilight!"

Flashing a smile that advertised her willingness to help, she darted off in a random direction, body smashing through the left upper wall on a two story house. The equine's frame tore a shower curtain from its rod, making it apparent that she broke into a bathroom.

The bathtub the shower curtain belonged to just happened to be occupied. The now pale-faced Berry Punch, with eyes the size of dinner plates, made a sad attempt to cover her exposed belly with her loofa as she watched the careless winged pony crash through the opposite wall.

Without stopping, the curtain-covered mare effortlessly demolished every obstacle in her way until she burst right out the other side of the house and disappeared into the crowd.

Twilight Sparkle groaned as she observed the wall-eyed mare do nothing except contribute further to the destruction. Shaking her head with a deep frustrated sigh, she briefly thought of writing to Princess Celestia that, once again, turmoil and lawlessness took reign in Ponyville.

"No!" she resolved with determination. "No. I can do this. I. Can. Do this. I can do this!"

A building was seen being flung into the air, sailing over the other houses as if it were leaping of its own according, smashing itself into pieces by the thankfully unoccupied Town Square.

"I can't do this!" she cried out, determination shattering. "SPIIIIIKE! Write Princess Celestia and tell her you unleashed bedlam again!"

"Me?!" the baby dragon complained incredulously. "But I-"

"There's no time to argue, Spike! Ponyville is out of control!"

In another area of Ponyville, Smokey didn't have a hard time weaving through the crowd since there were no ponies around him. For once, he was glad no one was around him. No one would be getting in his way.

At a distance was a little pegasus foal prancing about, chasing a butterfly that - for some inexplicable reason - was still fluttering on its path in town despite the sheer insanity that was going on.

The winged reptile searched frantically, his anxiety mounting with each passing minute. As he cast his eyes down the cobblestone road ahead, they focused on a turquoise speck. Anticipation spiking, he unfolded his wings and flapped them to propel himself at a faster pace. He didn't want to lose that speck, believing that it could be the lost colt.

As he got closer, his suspicions were confirmed. It was a turquoise pegasus colt, who couldn't be any older than two years, with a green mane and tail - just like Pure Heart had described. Speeding towards the child, Chenoa giggled in his hold, enjoying the fast paced ride.

The foal was gurgling with gleeful giddiness as he tried hopping after the butterfly in an attempt to catch it. His wings fluttered, though he couldn't remain aloft and dropped back down onto the hard earth. Letting out an "oof!", he simply got up again and bounded after the bug.

On the peak of a hill several yards away, a stallion was struggling to pull a large wagon filled with firewood, and unaware that the rope keeping the load secure was fraying. Untwisting itself, the rope snapped, causing the wood to tumble off and roll downhill in a cascading avalanche…

… right towards Sweet Tum as he pranced closer to the hill, not even aware of the mortal peril he was now in!

As a faint rumbling filled Smokey's ear holes, his curiosity pulled his attention into the direction of the noise that was gradually increasing in volume. He was startled at what his eyes beheld - a large amount of logs rolling down a nearby hill. What frightened him was the sight of the colt frolicking into the proximity of that same hill's foot.

Immediately taking action, the draconian being pumped his wings harder in order to lift himself off of the ground. As fast as he could, fueled by the adrenaline coursing through his veins, he sped towards the foal. His free arm extended, ready to snatch the equine once he reached him. Heart pounding against his ribcage and muscles starch with tension, he hoped beyond hope that he would reach the child on time. The avalanche of firewood was drawing awfully close…

The first log reached the bottom, breezing past Sweet Tum as he unwittingly jumped out of the way to continue his pursuit of the butterfly. The second missed him by an inch. The third rolled up a boulder jutting out of the ground and soared into the air where it connected with Smokey's cranium. Finding it hilarious, Chenoa burst into a fit of laughter.

Dazed from the impact, the dragon's flight became sloppy. Feet touching the ground, his body jerked and wobbled half-blindly. With determined effort - as he lost his balance and fell to his knees - he reached out and swept up the foal to draw him to his torso and tipped over onto his side, his back facing the avalanche. He held both children close, bringing a wing to provide as a shield while his body took the barrage of firewood.

The child let out a cry, eyes widening as he was suddenly picked up by a strange and scary-looking individual. He was about to start bawling when he and Chenoa were startled by the loud slams of wood smacking scales. Squeaking, the colt and griffon instinctively clutched onto the dragon and subsequently cried, terrified.

Smokey dared not move until the calamity ceased. His hard scales absorbed most of the blows of what could have done a significant amount of damage, but he didn't get out of it unscathed. The areas where his scales were thinnest, such as his wings and ear frills - the areas where scales were located - and some spots on his back and neck were subjected to heavy bruising. The fringes on his wings and ear frills were inflicted with scrapes as well as bruises.

By the time the last log reached the bottom of the hill, the winged reptile was buried. He listened carefully for a few moments, but no longer did the sound of tumbling firewood reach his ear holes. Certain that it was over, he carefully pulled himself out of the wood pile, cradling both children protectively.

Noticing nothing scary was no longer happening, Chenoa calmed down and stared at the other baby curiously. Sweet Tum swiveled his head to survey his surroundings. He didn't understand what was going on and his simple, underdeveloped brain could only think of one thing to do.

"Mama!" he wailed. "Mamaaaaa! Waaaahaaahaaaa!"

Ignoring the pain in his wings and ear frills - and any other part of his body that got pummeled - , Smokey held the youngsters tightly and lowered his head to nuzzle the foal.

"It's all right, little one. It's all right," he crooned soothingly.

Sweet Tum continued to bawl for a minute before he was becalmed. Blinking up at the draconian through several tears, he shivered and pressed himself close, sniffling.

"See? You're all right… Come on, let's go search for your mommy."

With that, Smokey directed himself back into the heart of town.

Ponies were still running around or hiding. Pure Heart herself was located around Sugarcube Corner, looking in and under literally every nook and cranny she could find or climb to.

"SWEET TUM?!" she shouted, peering into the broken window of a house next to the sweet shop. Getting no response, she stuck her head down the chimney. "SWEET TUM?!"

Pulling her head out, she slid off the roof and yanked open the lid to the home's mailbox at the front.

"SWEET TUM?!"

The foal, recognizing his mother's voice, turned towards it, his legs wiggling as he tried squirming away from Smokey.

"Mama!"

"Sweet Tum?" Pure Heart gasped, thinking she had heard her son call out to her.

The reptilian's ear frills flared, folding forward to focus on the familiar mare's voice. Not wanting to keep the child away from his mother much longer, he extended his wings despite their soreness, and glided down the cobblestone road.

"Sweet Tum?" the mare yelled, louder this time.

"Mama!" the baby exclaimed. "Mama!"

Certain she heard her son, she broke into a gallop, quickly locating Smokey and the colt in his arm.

"My baby!" she cried, rushing to take her little one from the scaly biped. Practically squeezing him in her foreleg, she nuzzled and kissed him, relieved tears pooling in her eyes. Her child also began crying, hugging his mother tightly and shivering. "Oh, my sweet darling little dumpling. Mama's got you. You're safe now…"

Smokey gladly allowed the earth pony to pry the young colt from him. He was supremely glad they were back together again. Giving them their space, he took a few steps back and just observed them from his spot with a wide grin.

Pure Heart planted kisses over her boy's head and ran her muzzle over him again. She had been about to turn around and leave when she suddenly remembered Smokey.

"Oh, thank you so much for finding my little dumpling! He means the world to me. I don't… I don't know what I would have done if I lost him!" Without hesitation, she rose up onto her hind legs and used her free foreleg to draw Smokey into a quick embrace. Drawing back and lowering herself back on three legs, she noticed the dust from the logs on Sweet Tum, Smokey, and the baby griffon. "What happened?"

The dragon's eyes went wide as she unexpectedly hugged him. Tensing up at first, then relaxing a semi-second later, he offered a smile.

"Oh… Yes, he almost ended up underneath a pile of logs… but, he's all right."

"He did?!" she inhaled on a sharp, terrified breath. "I didn't… I…"

Her eyes watered up again upon realizing he didn't just find her baby, but had also potentially saved his life… at least from serious bodily harm. Rising up a second time to hug him again, she jumped up to plant a kiss on his cheek.

At that particular moment, Fluttershy swooped in from above, braking in midair as she saw the other mare kiss her friend.

"Oh, thank you for saving my boy! Thank you!" Letting him go, she allowed herself to drop back down to the ground again and gave the colt another nuzzle. "Oh, my Sweet Tum. Mommy's so sorry she's such a horrible mommy. I'm never letting you out of my sight again!"

Fluttershy blinked twice in succession, a strange sensation of a growling beast in her upper chest struggling to get out. A flash of anger pulsed through her - a deep sense of wretchedness she hadn't felt in a long time.

The emotion passed just as quickly as it came, however, and she swallowed the lump in her throat she hadn't been aware she'd been holding.

A bright pink dusted the dragon's cheeks at the gesture, a goofy smile spreading across his maw and his ear frills drooping bashfully.

"Er… You're… welcome, miss.

"And, really - just because you turned your back for one second, it doesn't mean you're a bad mother. We all make mistakes," he said, dropping his eyes to the griffon chick.

"You really… think so?" Pure Heart questioned.

"Did you find the baby?" Fluttershy asked, coming closer and interrupting, suddenly feeling she could no longer stand to be outside of the conversation.

"Oh, yes!" Pure Heart smiled. "And Smokey saved him, too!"

"He did?" The yellow equine then finally took notice of how dirty the dragon and children were for the first time. "Oh my."

"I'll admit… it was not a very stylish rescue." Smokey turned his back to the mares and extended his wings to show that some of his scales were cracked and the leathery fringes on his wings and ear frills were scuffed and beginning to bruise. If he had been properly cared for in his childhood, his scales would've been as sturdy as any dragon's - but, he didn't know that. Due to the prolonged lack of direct sunshine that would have stimulated his metabolism and calcium and other superficial minerals to his body, his bones and scales were far more frail - but, he didn't know this either.

"Oh, you poor dear!" Fluttershy dropped lower to the ground, smoothing her hooves over his wings tenderly. Biting her lip, she couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, fluttering up to his eye level. "Oh, Smokey. You're just a glutton for punishment, aren't you?"

He let out a laugh and nodded to the small pony.

"I certainly am. Though, it wasn't so bad this time."

"True. At least I won't have to pull out any porcupine quills again."

"Porcupine quills?" Pure Heart tilted her head in confusion.

"It's a… long story," said the rosy-maned mare, before turning back to Smokey. "Come on, let's get you back to the cottage and I'll patch you up again. Some of those look pretty bad."

Almost on an impulse, and actually taking the time to cast a glance at Pure Heart, Fluttershy flapped around the dragon to lay a few quick kisses on a few of the nastier looking injuries.

"… But that should hopefully help with some of the pain until then."

He couldn't help but chuckle as the worst of his inflictions were kissed.

"I… Shouldn't we… go back to our picnic and pack it up first?" he asked, folding up his wings.

"Well… I suppose," she relented, giving her own baby a kiss on the head. Turning around, she began to flutter away.

"Wait," said the pink mare, slipping a foreleg around Smokey's arm, nuzzling it. "I just wanted to thank you again for saving my baby boy."

Letting him go, she whirled around and trotted off.

"I won't forget it!"

Fluttershy watched her leave, a frown gracing her features and her brows sinking and knitting together.

The blush returned to Smokey's face. With his free arm, he waved the mare off with a friendly grin.

"You're welcome, Miss Pure Heart! I hope we see each other again soon!" Once she was out of sight, the dragon dropped his arm and shifted to face Fluttershy. "She's a nice mare."

Fluttershy had waved Pure Heart off as well, but as she waved her hoof, she twitched slightly as her red-scaled friend mentioned seeing her again.

"Yeah… nice."

Chapter Thirty-Four: Downtime

Fluttershy smiled widely, stretching her forelegs out to take Chenoa from Smokey. Kissing her forehead, she nuzzled her muzzle into her fluffy cranium.

"Oh, I'm so happy you're all right."

She lifted her head, beaming at the dragon.

"I'm glad Daddy was able to keep you safe."

The griffon cooed, snuggling into the security of her mother's embrace lovingly. Smokey just watched the pair, a pleasant warmth flooding his chest at the very sight of them. Something like this never failed to do so.

"Well… one of us needed to take her, right?"

"True. Though, had I known something like this was going to happen, I would have held onto her," she said, holding the baby tighter. "… But… I didn't know…"

"It's all right, my dear," Smokey reassured. "At least one of us had her. If we had lost her too… we most likely would've found ourselves in the same predicament as Miss Pure Heart."

The pale yellow pony's feathers bristled at the mention of the other mare's name, though she forced back any negative emotions as she came to the realization how she would've felt similar - and would have been overwhelmed with the same relief upon being reunited with her child if she had been in her place.

"You're right. I don't know what I would have done if we lost Chenoa. I don't know if I would have be able to function at all. I'd be so stressed."

The scarlet reptile's smile faded as the thought passed through his mind. He, too, wasn't sure what he would've done if he lost their precious little girl.

"Yes… Same with me… Let's… just be glad that never happened and move onto another subject, shall we?" He suddenly perked right back up as his brain shifted back to the picnic setup that was waiting for them. "You know… I don't really feel too bad… I think… we can resume our picnic."

"Are you certain?" Fluttershy's eyes went a little round as she took another look at her friend's wings. "I want to make sure you're going to be all right. I'd rather get you patched up as soon as possible, but…

"I mean, if you feel fine, then… that's fine."

He offered an appreciative smile. Truthfully, the dull throbbing he had been experiencing in his wings was going away.

"Thank you, but I'm all right. Just… bruising. And my scales will heal."

"Well… alright."

Fluttershy didn't seem entirely convinced, but decided not to push the matter. After all, one didn't know their own body better than oneself. She did take another quick look at him, which verified his claim. He wasn't bleeding, nor did anything appear broken besides the few cracked scales. Giving him a small smile, and keeping Chenoa firmly held in her forelegs, she fluttered to his side to lead him back towards the park.

As she did, she and the dragon noticed that ponies were still running amok, with chaos still ruling the day. The fire from the marketplace seemed to have spread, though the weather team and firefighting forces were in the process of combating it.

"Oh… my…" she breathed, at a loss to how she could have completely ignored all of this.

Smokey, too, was shocked to the point of being unable to form a complete sentence at first as he surveyed the scene before him. Having been so wrapped up in finding the little colt, he hadn't noticed anything.

"I… wonder… what happened…"

"I'm not sure…" The mare tore her eyes from the disaster and fixated them on her draconic companion. "Should we go and check it out?"

She wondered if trying to step in and help would calm things down, or make them even worse. Turning back to the pandemonium, she could see Twilight Sparkle streak by trying to get everything into a sensible order, though her disheveled mane and tail and the wild panic engraved in her visage suggested her efforts were less than successful.

Smokey definitely wasn't sure. He was worried his appearance would only worsen the situation. As he opened his mouth to reply, the words died in his throat when a mare sporting a lily upon her flank - who had been charging down the main road in blind panic - , spotted the dragon and put on her breaks, sliding to a stoppage several dozen feet from his position.

"THERE IT IS!" she shouted, pointing an accusing hoof into his direction.

The tall male flinched and took a couple of steps back before turning to Fluttershy as if she would provide him with an answer on what he should do.

There was a pause before Fluttershy blinked twice in succession and shifted her attention back to Smokey.

"Maybe we should just go back to the cottage…" she said softly, concern creeping into her voice. As the two mares behind Lily - one with a rose for a cutie mark and the other with a daisy - halted, they clutched onto each other in terror.

"AAAH! It's here! It's gonna eat us!" Roseluck screamed.

"Definitely. Definitely should go back," Fluttershy winced.

"Yes, I think that would be best." He nodded in agreement, spreading his wings and taking to the air with the pegasus en route to the cottage. His doves, who had been searching from a literal bird's eye view, found each other one at a time and remained together throughout the confusion. Ross had wisely chosen to flee town the instant the uproar escalated into full swing in order to avoid being trampled. Both birds and leporidae spotted their caretaker - the latter later once the dragon was closer to the outskirts of Ponyville.

The group took a quick detour to the meadow only long enough to pick up the basket and blanket. Once they landed outside of the mare's home, she ushered them all inside, quickly closing the door behind them.

"I think it's best if we hide out here for a while."

Smokey nodded, chest heaving as he panted heavily. Spending almost all of his time on the ground, he had almost forgotten how much effort it took to use the muscles in his wings that he rarely used. He ended up burning more energy than he thought he would. Not to mention the dull throbbing in his wings returned after a little while of flying.

The pale yellow equine moved to spread the blanket over a clearing in the room. Setting Chenoa down on one end of the blanket, she beamed up at Smokey.

"I'm sorry we couldn't have the picnic outside, but that doesn't mean we still can't enjoy the meal, right?"

She tilted her head a small degree, noting he was breathing hard. Reaching into the basket, she pulled out a bottle of lemonade with her mouth and trotted over to offer it to him with a concerned, inquisitive glint in her blue-green pools.

"It's… it's all… right…" he panted, slowly regaining his breath. "I don't… use my… wing muscles… that much…"

Smiling softly, she fluttered back to the basket to put the lemonade back.

"You poor thing," she crooned, patting the empty space on the blanket. "Come on, lay down on your tummy. Let Mama Fluttershy work her magic on those wings of yours. I'll get all the tension out in no time at all."

"'Mama Fluttershy'? Should I start calling you my mama now?" Smokey teased in a playful tone, complimented with an amused smirk. He complied, laying down on his stomach and unfolding his wings. Personally, he didn't think he needed any medical treatment, but he decided to allow his friend to indulge herself anyway.

"Uh… Well… No. I mean, that is, if you don't want… I just… Um…" She climbed on top of him, her hooves beginning to work down one of his wings. Unsure of how to actually treat dragon wings, she just imagined them belonging to a large bat. "Sometimes, when I'm treating the animals, I think of myself as a sort of… den mother, looking after her babies."

"Well, you-" Tensing up, his wing jerked as the mare's hooves palpitated over the area where the heaviest bruising resided. "Uh… got a baby…"

Taking in a deep breath, he gestured his muzzle over to the baby griffon. The tiny chick felt drained after all of the excitement. Though she was due for a nap. With a yawn, she toddled over to her father, crawling over one of his arms and curling up underneath his neck.

"We both do…"

"Sorry," she whispered, attempting to go softly over his bruises, but at the same time with enough pressure to increase blood flow and reduce swelling. She smiled at the child resting against the dragon's chest and closed her eyes with a calm expression. "Hmmm. I suppose you're right. I guess that really does make me Mama Fluttershy.

"And I guess that makes you Papa Smokey."

An involuntary purr rumbled in Smokey's throat from the little one's physical contact. The warm, living and breathing bundle of plush down and fur balled up against his scales was enough to melt his heart into a helpless sugary puddle, otherwise distracting him from any pain he had been experiencing. Furling the arm closest to her, he held her and relaxed completely.

"I suppose so… But, she has yet to call me Daddy or Dada."

"Give her time. She's still learning how to talk. I'm sure she'll be calling you Dada before you know it." She chuckled, moving to his back. "She recognizes you as such."

Smokey nodded with another purr. Chenoa would get it eventually. It was just she called Fluttershy Mama so soon, and now two weeks later, he never heard any syllables from her that signified an attempt at referring him to his parental name.

Gazing over his shoulder at the sleeping child, the pegasus couldn't help but break off what she was doing for just a second, reaching to plant a kiss on her head before going back to work.

"How's this? Am I going too hard?"

"No, you're doing fine," he replied, impressed with her skilled hooves. She knew just how to handle them. The pressure she utilized with them was hard enough to relieve tension, yet gentle enough not to greatly disturb the broken blood vessels.

It took Fluttershy around twenty minutes, meticulously working from top to bottom of each of his wings and his back in between to make sure they had been properly massaged. The relaxing effects released years of tension and soothed the muscles. Some time during that time period, Smokey actually fell asleep.

"There. All done!" Fluttershy chirped as she finished. "How was that, Sm-"

Her words caught in her throat upon realizing he was asleep. Her gaze softening with a maternal expression, she silently glided upstairs to grab a blanket. Coming back down, she draped it over his body.

After she administered another kiss to Chenoa's cranium, she ran a hoof over the draconian's head. She watched him sleep for a few moments before, with a blush, she leaned down to touch her lips near the base of his ear frill and next to his top spine. Pulling back, the equine turned away to grab a book and sit on the couch.

Apparently, Smokey had felt the kiss in his sleep. The corners of his mouth were stretched back into a wide, serene smile.

As the winged pony sank into the couch, she entertained herself with both reading her book and simply watching her friend and baby sleep. It was indeed an endearing sight, and one that she almost felt jealous of Chenoa for. She had been sorely tempted to slip underneath the blanket and join the two of them, but didn't want to be involved in another awkward situation.

Instead, she contented herself with reading and watching them until she nodded off herself.

Chapter Thirty-Five: It's Not A Date

A couple of days later, Ponyville had finally calmed down from the scare that Smokey had inadvertently caused. Repairs were going nicely, and the residents had more-or-less readjusted back to their mainly humdrum lives. Fluttershy had kept Smokey out of town, not wanting to risk another uproar, but she was unable to come up with a plan of her own.

To that end, she decided to ask for advice from a close friend. While she could have asked any of her friends - with, she mentally amended, the possible exception of Pinkie Pie. She didn't really want to know what inanity she would have to offer - , she felt that going to Rarity was the best option for matters of this caliber. She always seemed to know what to say.

That morning was the day that she had her weekly spa sessions with her. After informing Smokey of her plans, she left Chenoa in his care and cantered over to the spa to meet up with the unicorn.

Passing the entrance, the pale yellow pony nodded to one of the employees behind the counter with a small smile, trying to figure out how she would go about explaining to Rarity about this.

The alabaster mare was already waiting in the lobby, carefully examining one of her hooftips with scrutiny. For a second, she thought she spotted hairline cracks, causing her anxiety level to hit the roof, before realizing it was just her imagination. Her ears perked up at the sound of hooves clopping on the polished floor. Lifting her head, she spotted her good friend and welcomed her with a delicate smile.

"Good afternoon, Fluttershy. How have you been doing?" she questioned as the twins, Lotus and Aloe, escorted them.

"Oh, I've been doing fine." Fluttershy's eyes twinkled with an inner sense of calm. She always loved coming to the spa, even if she didn't express it as much as her snow-coated companion. "I… I've been thinking about something that I wanted to ask your advice about. That is… if you don't mind me asking."

Rarity's facial features betrayed her sudden piqued curiosity, wondering what sort of advice she could possibly need from her.

"I don't mind at all, deary. If it has anything to do with children, I think Pinkie or Applejack would be better suited to ask for advice."

"Uh… Well… No, I don't need help with Chenoa," the pegasus stated. "It… really… has more to do with Smokey."

She blushed, a slight "eep" jumping from her as she did so.

Rarity raised her brows while she held still in order to allow one of the twins to begin wrapping her legs with strands of seaweed.

"What about him, darling?"

As the other twin did the same to Fluttershy, she went a little pinker in her face.

"I… want to spend some time with him. Just us. And Chenoa. And even the critters sometimes. We were going to have a picnic in the meadow, but we met a nice lady who… whose foal went missing. We agreed to help look, and we found him. He was fine, though, but…

"We, um, sort of got caught up in the chaos in town." A brief pause. The memories of what happened were unpleasant, but she was sure a certain draconequus would've had the time of his life if he had been around. "And I want to know what we can do to… to have fun without bothering anypony."

Ah, yes. The day of the pandemonium. Rarity remembered it well. Thanks to a careless pony, she ended up having to replace her front door. Though to hear the appearance of Smokey was the causation of the bedlam was troubling to hear since he was such a nice creature. Showing up again, even if it was just to spend time with Fluttershy and Chenoa might carry the same results.

"I'm not sure… Unless you somehow manage to turn him invisible. Although, seeing you talk to somepony you cannot even see would get others to start talking."

"Yes, I imagine I'd get a few stares," the rosy-maned mare said, going silent for a moment then brightened up with a giggle. "I don't suppose we could ask Twilight if there was a spell that could turn all three of us invisible? Then that way we could…

"No, because then we wouldn't be able to see each other…"

Rarity chortled, stepping into the warm mud bath brewing in front of her. Relaxing in the tub, she exhaled on a long sigh as her body was caressed by the soothing warmth. Suddenly, a thought jumped into her head.

"Fluttershy…? You… wouldn't happened to have been asked out on a date by Smokey, have you?"

"Hmmm?" Fluttershy picked up her head, having sank into the sloppy mud herself. Blinking, she blushed. "Oh! … No. No, I haven't been. This is just… a small get-together. Between friends."

Rarity, being the romantic sort, was skeptical. As the most beautiful mare in Ponyville, she knew she had her share of admirers, and believed she was an expert in the field of males.

"Oh? Has Smokey made suggestions for your… get-togethers?"

"He did suggest going to see a movie. Or maybe just having a day at the park. Or having dinner. I just want everypony to see Smokey isn't a bad dra - erm - pony." She risked a glance at Aloe and Lotus, not wanting to scare them and cause them to panic as they exited the room to give their customers privacy. "If this keeps up… we'll probably be limited to nature walks."

The unicorn heard all of the options, but her ears latched onto 'movie' and 'dinner'.

"Fluttershy, if I know a thing or two about boys - which I do - , is that when they ask somepony out to dinner or a movie, he is definitely interested."

"Oh… You… really think so? Because he didn't… really mention it being a… a date. Just… parental bonding."

"He's just being shy. Men usually are when they ask a lady out," Rarity declared in a confidently knowledgeable tone.

Despite her best efforts, the pale yellow pony's wings popped open slightly, rustling against the seaweed wrap, but settled down almost immediately. This information slightly disturbed her. She had never thought of Smokey in that way… At least, not seriously.

"No. Really? But… it seemed like… such a simple request…"

The unicorn slid deeper into the mud, her muscles loosening further.

"Of course it did. Stallions… boys are simple when it comes to their intentions."

Fluttershy also sank lower, pursing her lips. This didn't really seem like something her red-scaled pal would do. Though, if that actually was the case…

"What should I do, Rarity? I… I don't think I'm ready for something like this. I… I never thought…"

"Not ready? You two get along so well! And you both already have a child!" Rarity chimed as excitement coursed through her nerves. Fluttershy, one of her best friends, has a potential boyfriend! "Go along with it. You don't want to slip up, do you?"

"Oh, but I-" The pale-pelted pony ceased, blushing deeper. "You make it sound as if we didn't adopt her."

She couldn't help but giggle lightly, her wings bristling, but she tried not to make them pop out again.

"Uh… Alright. I… I'll try, I guess. I… don't want anything… bad to happen."

"Of course not. How often do you find a male who loves animals like you do?" Rarity queried rhetorically.

Rarity actually had a valid point. When Smokey wasn't loving on Chenoa or his animals, or being sweet with her and any of her friends who decided to visit when he was around, he was doing so with the other animals - petting, cooing, cuddling, and kissing them when they would allow them to. He even got into a playful wrestling match with the bear.

"I… not often, I suppose… Then again, I don't… really know very many stallions that well."

"Exactly! You mustn't let this one slip through your hooves. Even if he is a little… different. Try going at a late hour when there aren't many ponies around," Rarity suggested.

"A late hour?" It made sense. Being out late at night would likely reduce, if not eliminate, the chance for bedlam to erupt. Eyes opening wide, she beamed. "Oh, Rarity, that's a good idea! I didn't even think of that!

"But… what places would stay open late? I've never really been… out on the town, so to speak."

"You just leave that to me, sweetie." If she didn't have cucumbers over her eyes, the purple-haired mare would've flashed a quick wink to her pegasus friend. A plan was already stewing within her mind. After all, it wasn't often Fluttershy went out with a male. In fact… she never recalled a time where she actually did. "Fluttershy? Is this your first date?"

"It's… not a date," she gently reminded, her ears rotating back and pressing against her skull. She opened her mouth to continue, her voice a little stronger this time. "We're not doing anything special, we're just… spending time together… Getting to know each other better. That sort of thing."

"Now, now. What if Smokey is expecting it to be a date? Spending time together and getting to know each other IS what you do on a date," Rarity reasoned nonchalantly, lifting a hoof out of the mud as if to examine it.

Fluttershy stared down at the sloppy brown substance, sitting back against the edge.

"Well… I suppose you have a point," she sighed, unable to come up with any other counterpoints.

"Don't fret. It's not that difficult. Just remember your manners and play along," the unicorn said, placing her hoof back down. Suddenly, she bolted upright, the slices of cucumber flying right off her eyes. "I know! I shall make you a new dress! Something that will be sure to impress Smokey!"

"Oh! Um… That… won't be necessary, Rarity. I mean, I really appreciate it, but… I just want this to be a simple affair."

"Nonsense! You want to impress him, don't you?" Rarity asked, glancing over at her expectantly.

"Yes, I do, but I mean… it's just a simple get-together. Just a simple film and probably a hayburger and fries. It's… not like we're going to go anywhere fancy."

Again, Rarity sat up. This time, she wasn't expressing any enthusiasm for this idea.

"A hayburger and fries? Oh, no, no, no! You want to go some place nice to wow him!"

"But…" Fluttershy frowned, her eyes a bit wide. She went quiet, uncertain of what to do or say as a rebuttal against Rarity's insistence. She really didn't want to go for somewhere high class - she wasn't sure if she had the bits for it, and she knew Smokey would insist on trying to pay, or at least break even, and he definitely didn't have the money for such a place either.

Rarity was so insistent, and she just couldn't damper her spirits. In fact, it looked like her feelings were beginning to get hurt, and she didn't want to do that.

"Don't worry. Just follow my advice and nothing will go wrong," she assured the winged equine, reclining back again.

"Oh… Well… okay," Fluttershy relented, bowing her head. "If… if you say so."

She didn't want to trust her, but she also didn't want to not trust her. Rarity had experience in this area - and she was really the only one of her friends with any practical knowledge of this particular situation. The only other pony with any semblance of help she might have been able to turn to was probably Twilight Sparkle, and even she wouldn't be of any service outside of whatever she'd prattle off from a book that Fluttershy was capable of reading herself.

Well, no… Applejack might. Might. It was doubtful. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were right out. They would be no help at all with this.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Just Go With It

Feeling she had won, a broad smile painted itself across Rarity's face. She would make sure Fluttershy's first date went perfectly, even if the winged pony herself exhibited some reluctance. Her friend would thank her in the end, she was sure of it.

"Moving right along. How are things going with Chenoa?"

"Things are going fine." Fluttershy allowed herself a smile, a bit of relief washing over her now that the subject had been changed. "She's becoming far more active and curious than I expected! She's just babbling all day - she says Mama a lot, but she's still learning to speak."

"That's nice. She'll be getting herself into mischief sooner than you think. Sweetie Belle was always getting into trouble when she was a foal. She still does from time to time."

Fluttershy giggled.

"That's true. She and her friends are always getting into mischief. Sometimes I wonder about them…" She shook her head, sighing. "It's… actually rather obvious on what they're good at, but they're so… blind to it.

"I wonder if Chenoa might start doing any of that? She's a griffon and… won't get a cutie mark… Do you think that might not stop her from trying?"

"I don't think so. If you explain to her she cannot get a cutie mark, she should refrain from trying to get one," Rarity replied. Truthfully, she didn't know. It seemed logical, but her younger sister didn't always follow logic.

"I think she may understand. I don't know. I…" The pale yellow pegasus gave pause, dropping her eyes to the mud. "I don't want to see her hurt, of course. Just thinking of all the things she might get into makes my heart want to stop. But, at the same time, I… I don't want to. Foals need to experience, learn, and grow. Sometimes letting them see the world for themselves would actually be better than trying to protect and shelter them."

The alabaster unicorn nodded in agreement.

"That might be something Smokey will need to learn. When I see him with Chenoa, he seems awfully protective of her. Not that it's a bad thing. He just comes across as… clingy."

"Really? I… didn't notice that…" She went quiet again, tilting her head back to fixate her eyes on the ceiling and slinking further into her mud bath. As she reminisced, she came to a realization that the other mare's observation had merit. He did, at times. "Now that you mention it, he… he actually does. Though… I can't blame him. If I had been through what he had been through, I would be the same way…"

"Hm?" Turning to her companion, Rarity arched a brow with an inquisitive look in her eyes. "What has he been through?"

The pegasus turned her attention back to the other pony, before her eyes went wide. Smokey had told her, but he never told anyone else. She felt guilty that she almost let something very personal that had been kept between her and the draconian.

"Uhhh…" She hadn't meant to admit that. What would Smokey say? "He's… had a hard life. Being a dragon. You know, with what happened when he was in town."

It wasn't a total lie. As long as she didn't reveal what really happened to him in his youth.

This didn't really sound like an elaborate explanation for Smokey's behavior. Did Fluttershy even know? Or, was it too personal that she felt she should keep between herself and the dragon until he was ready to talk about it to everyone else?

"Is it… personal?"

"It is. I'm sorry, Rarity, but… I really don't want to say anything. I don't want to upset Smokey. If he finds out…" She shook her head. "I'd rather ask him before letting anypony else know."

Nodding in comprehension, Rarity offered a smile.

"I understand. You don't want to ruin your relationship with him before you even get the chance to take it to the next level."

Fluttershy's eyes opened even wider at this statement.

"… N-next… level…?" she sputtered, her mind immediately flooding with images. Her wings unfurled with significant force, tearing through the seaweed bindings and flaring open with an audible FOOMPH!

The snow-pelted mare's own eyes went a little round as she stared for a moment at the now stiff wings. It took the duration of that moment for her to process what had just happened. She had never seen Fluttershy do that before! Eyes returning to their original size, she couldn't help but giggle a tiny bit.

"Goodness! Fluttershy, I've never seen such a reaction from you! I sincerely didn't mean anything like that."

The feathered equine was beet red in her face, her hooves on both cheeks as she tried to mentally command her wings to curl back up.

"Oh, goodness, no! I… I didn't think you meant to imply that…" She was unable to force the image out of her head. Just the thought of her and Smokey nuzzling each other was enough to fluster her.

"Well, maybe something will happen during your date," Rarity said. "Maybe Smokey will want a goodnight kiss."

"A… a k-kiss?" Fluttershy squeaked, her wings still stiff and twitching somewhat. "Like… a… full on… the lips kiss…?"

"Of course! It's the perfect way to let a man know how much you enjoyed the date. The best way to get the message through to them, actually. That's just how they are. If they don't get a kiss at the end of the date, they might get the idea they did something wrong."

"Gee… I never… I never thought of that. I… This is all so sudden! I never knew about any of this!"

"I'm glad you asked for advice, Fluttershy. I would just hate for something to go wrong." Rarity offered another smile. "Of course, he might not ask for a kiss."

"I thank you for the advice." Fluttershy drew her legs closer to her body as she gave a squeeing smile. "I just… never thought about this. This is really the first time something like this ever happened."

"Think nothing of it, darling. Just know, if he doesn't kiss you, he is most likely too nervous. Like I said before, boys tend to be shy when it comes to impressing a lady."

The pegasus calmed down a bit with that information. As it was, Smokey was nervous and jittery at times around her. He seemed… hesitant. Shy, almost, as Rarity put it.

"You know, he…" she ventured. "Acts like that around me already. You don't think…?"

Fluttershy had a point, Rarity mentally mused. The large reptilian sometimes did act shy around her. Whenever he wasn't, he was quite playful with her.

"Yes, he does. I've noticed he can be very playful and affectionate as well."

"He is. He's nice and quite sweet." She stopped to giggle fondly. "And quite the gentle colt. Er, dragon."

"I'm assuming the animals have grown fond of him?" Rarity queried. While she had visited the cottage when Smokey was present on several occasions, she didn't really pay much attention to how Fluttershy's animal friends reacted in the scaly creature's presence.

"They've gotten used to him," Fluttershy relayed, rubbing one hoof over the other. "It took a while to accept him, but even Angel bunny seems to tolerate him!"

"That's wonderful! It's a start, but if your animals can accept Smokey, then I'm sure Ponyville will do the same in time." Rarity was confident in her words, however, animals tended to be more accepting, lacking the judgmental quirks of sentient beings. "When did you two schedule your date?"

Fluttershy's ears flattened against her head a second time.

"We were hoping… sometime in the next week or two."

"Excellent! That'll give me plenty of time to create outfits for the both of you!" Rarity clasped her hooves together with a delighted grin. She could hardly wait to get started.

"Yeah… Great," the pegasus said, trying to hide her unenthusiastic tone and expression. While she was appreciative of her friend and her efforts, she wasn't entirely sure if Smokey would care for this either.

In a way, she wished he was there, since she wasn't certain what else she could say to object that wouldn't offend or upset Rarity.

Some time later saw Fluttershy - refreshed and looking far more groomed than she had earlier - walking out of the spa with Rarity. While she had gone to relax, she hadn't gotten much relaxing done, her mind still focusing on the situation that her royal purple-maned friend had presented. Having broken off with her - sure she wanted to get started on the outfits right away - , she cantered off aimlessly, unsure of what to do or where to go now.

Idly scanning the skies, she noticed that it was a particularly cloudy day. Rainbow Dash would surely be getting around to clear the skies anytime.

That got her thinking. No, Rainbow Dash probably had never been on a date, but she couldn't help but wonder. She possessed a personality that couldn't be any more opposite than Rarity. What would she do?

She resolved to ask her, mainly for no other reason than to satisfy her morbid curiosity. In the meantime, she pondered. Perhaps one of her other friends might be able to tell her. If Rainbow Dash might have some advice, then perhaps the rest of them might have some ideas, too.

Just as luck would have it, the prismatic-maned mare herself emerged from one of the largest clouds, utilizing her body to tear it apart. Breaking and whirling around, she charged at one of the pieces that had broken off. Kicking out with her forelegs, the puffy blob dispersed into nothingness. After that, she moved on to the other pieces, not even noticing Fluttershy below her.

Spotting her fellow pegasi, Fluttershy extended her wings and gently pushed off of the ground, intending on approaching her, but halted and watched her work with a smile. Observing her lithe, sleek body dash from one cloud to the other, she couldn't help but admire her prowess.

Taking a small breath, she called out to cheer Rainbow Dash on. As usual, it came out soft. There was no way the cyan pegasus would be able to hear her meek voice. She paused for a moment, but as the other pony kept going, she tried again. - though, it still couldn't reach her. Inhaling again, she tried again to the best of her ability, flying higher and waving her hoof to flag the mare.

Moving from cloud to cloud, Rainbow Dash kicked and bucked them into oblivion. It wasn't until she was finished when she finally noticed Fluttershy. Speeding toward the sunshine yellow pegasus and coming to a swift stop in front of her, she greeted her with a wide grin.

"Hey, Fluttershy! Ya need something?"

"Uh… yes. I do. Would you mind if I asked you something?" She nervously pressed her front hooves together. "It's a bit… personal."

"Sure thing. What's up?" Rainbow Dash asked, her intonation softening up a little bit in concern.

"Um…" Fluttershy glanced over to a somewhat secluded area between a couple of buildings. Motioning for Rainbow Dash to follow her, she glided over to the small alleyway where they could afford some semblance of privacy. "I was just at the spa with Rarity a short while ago and we… got to talking. Thing is…"

She gulped before explaining what was happening - how Smokey mentioned wanting to spend time together and how she agreed, and also how Rarity took it to mean a date, all of the "advice" she was dispensing, and the lengths she was willing to go.

"… And… I don't want to upset Rarity, but I don't think it's necessary. It's really just a get-together, but I don't know what to DO. I still feel… confused.

"… What do you say? What… should I do, Rainbow? I want your opinion."

Rainbow Dash blinked, her mind processing what the other pony had just relayed for her. Lifting a hoof to rub her chin, she rolled her eyes up in thought. While she didn't have much experience in the subject herself, she felt the need to say something helpful.

"I guess you gotta go through with it if you don't wanna hurt Rarity's feelings."

Fluttershy's ears flopped down.

"That's what I thought… I just thought I'd ask, if you were in my position." A pause. "You've… never been on… a date before, right?"

"Kind of, I guess… It was more like hanging out." The rainbow-maned equine shrugged her shoulders. "Just relax and keep the guy entertained."

"That's what I was thinking of it to be, really. Thanks, Rainbow Dash," said the butter cream mare with an grateful smile.

"No problem!" Rainbow Dash held her head high, proud that she was able to help her friend out. After a few seconds, her expression changed, the element of mischief curiosity entering her magenta eyes. "Do you actually want to date Smokey sometime?"

"Well, I, um…" Fluttershy blushed, not having expected such a sudden question to be asked. "Eep…

"… I… don't… Maybe?" she whispered, looking incredibly unsure.

Smirking, the sky blue pony leaned in, placing a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder.

"Personally… I think he likes you."

"You… you really think so?" the rosy-haired mare questioned, gaze locking with Rainbow Dash's with the blush still prominent.

"Yeah. I think he totally digs you. You guys are raising a kid together. You already look like a couple," she proclaimed.

Fluttershy went quiet, her lips curling slightly as Rainbow Dash confirmed exactly what Rarity had said earlier,

"I guess. Rarity said the same thing. Thanks, Rainbow. It really means a lot to me that you helped me with this."

"Sure thing! Y'know, it might even turn out to be an actual date," Rainbow Dash added with a wink.

Growing uncomfortable and uncertain of what else to say, she turned her body towards the alley's exit.

"I… I gotta get going now. Thanks again, Rainbow."

"Yeah, sure. See ya, Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash's smile faded just a tiny bit, her friend's urgency to leave throwing her off a little. Shrugging, she dismissed the matter and zipped off to another portion of the sky that needed tending to.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Inanities

Just as Fluttershy had expected, Rainbow Dash wasn't much help and she was not sure where to go next. She was curious. Rarity and the cyan pegasus offered their advice and opinions - what would everyone else say? Her eyes coming to rest on the Books and Branches Library, she figured that Twilight Sparkle was the next choice to ask. Wondering what she would think, she made a beeline right for the location. Landing on the ground in front of the entrance, she nudged the door open while knocking softly.

"Hello?" she meekly called inside.

"Oh, hey there, Fluttershy! The lavender alicorn princess lifted her head to remove her gaze from a book she had been reading, positioned on her belly in the middle of the foyer. "What brings you here?"

"I… have a small question. I… um… I'm spending time with Smokey, and we… we want to have a little get-together later on, perhaps in the next week. I was… wondering if you… had some opinions or advice…?"

"Advice? You mean like dating advice?" Twilight Sparkle asked, arching her eyebrow. "That would really be more Rarity's area of expertise, not mine."

"Oh, I already asked her-"

"And you're still coming to me? Wow, I'm surprised! I would have thought Rarity would know all there is to know about dating!"

"It's… really not a date-"

"Hang on!" The winged-and-horned pony leaped to her hooves, heading over to examine the bookshelves. "I can't believe I didn't think of this right away! I'm sure I got a book or two about dating somewhere around here! Spike? Spiiiiike! Where is he?"

"It's okay, Twilight, really, I-"

"Ah! Here it is!" the mare exclaimed, pulling out an alarmingly thick book, about the same size as a standard dictionary. Letting it hit the floor with a profound SLAM! it sprang open to a random point in the middle, she scanned the pages. "10,000 Things You Always Wanted to Know About Dating but Were Afraid to Ask. This will be perfect for you!"

"Uh-"

"What type of date are you two planning on going on? A walk in the park? A simple picnic? Dinner for two? A day at the boardwalk?"

"I'd rather not-"

"That's all right. I completely understand," Twilight Sparkle cut off the pegasus with a smile. "Don't worry. Here, I'll let you borrow this - it'll probably be more use to you alone than me going through it for you!"

Eyeing her, Fluttershy gave her a slight deadpan expression.

"… Thanks?"

"Think nothing of it." The alicorn waved her off. "Besides, what are good friends for?"

"Uh… yeah. I'm just… going to go now. I'll see you around, Twilight.

"Okay! See you later, Fluttershy! Drop by anytime!"

Stumbling outside - the large book on her back far heavier than it appeared - , Fluttershy glanced back at the door after it closed behind her. Of course, it didn't entirely surprise her. Twilight Sparkle knew next to nothing about dating and had, as always, referred to written text as per her standard procedure. Shaking her head, she thought about where to go next.

Her stomach began rumbling, and it was then she realized that she hadn't eaten anything at all since an early breakfast. With that in mind, she cantered off towards Sugarcube Corner.

Wandering into the establishment, bell announcing her arrival, Fluttershy spotted a portly blue earth pony mare. As she trotted up, Mrs. Cake greeted her with a welcoming smile.

"Well, hello, Fluttershy! Is there anything I can get you today?"

"Um, yes. I'll take a half-dozen blueberry muffins and a half-dozen chocolate crème donuts, please," the young mare requested.

"Of course. Anything else?"

"No… Actually, where's Pinkie? I… had something I wanted to ask her."

"Pinkie?" Cup Cake responded as she got out a short box to place the donuts inside. "Last I saw her, she was playing with the twins upstairs. I'll call her down."

"That won't be necessary," said Fluttershy. "In fact, if you don't mind - can I… ask a personal question?"

"Sure, sweetie." The co-owner of the store put in the last donut and paused to playfully narrowed her eyes. "Depends on how personal."

"I'm curious… how did you and Mr. Cake? What did you do together?"

"Hmm?" Cup Cake reached for one of the blueberry muffins on display. "Well, now! That's going back a bit. I met my honeybun back in culinary school close to a decade ago. Though, I must ask - why the sudden interest? Does Ponyville's shrinking violet have a special somepony?"

"I'll say she does!"

Fluttershy whirled around to the stairwell where Pinkie Pie was standing… clad in a costume that, if it weren't for the comically oversized head - the jaws parted to make way for her face - and the fact that she was quadrupedal, would have practically been a dead ringer for Smokey. When the pink pony had woken up that morning, her Pinkie Sense compelled her to speak to Fluttershy and lecture her in better conversation and the costume of their newest friend called to her out of the array she kept.

"Pinkie, what in the world-" the baker began.

"He's a real nice one, too! Didn't I tell you? They've been together for a couple of weeks now! And they're even raising a baby together!"

"Gracious me!" Cup Cake shifted her attention to the pegasus, her eyes wide in surprise. "You never told me you had a foal!"

"It's… not what you think…" Fluttershy squeaked, going red in the face again.

"Naw, silly! Fluttershy didn't actually have a foal! They found the baby out in the woods and decided to keep her since they couldn't find her real parents!"

"Oh, well. That's nice of you. So you were asking-"

"Ooh! Ooh! I know! I know!" Pinkie Pie interjected, bouncing. "You're going to ask him out on a date!"

"No!" the sunshine yellow equine sputtered. "Why does everypony keep thinking that?"

Pinkie Pie's face fell flat as her eyes fixated on the book upon her friend's back.

"You are carrying 10,000 Things You Always Wanted to Know About Dating but Were Afraid to Ask on your back. I mean, that's not something you'd be carrying unless you were looking for dating advice, or unless you were delivering it to somepony who NEEDED dating advice, but I think Rarity would be the one to-"

"Um… um, Pinkie, I already spoke to Rarity."

"-and I would be - wait, you already did?" the curly-maned mare, having continued to speak over Fluttershy, suddenly stopped. "Then, wait, why-"

"I kind of… wanted to get everypony else's advice and opinions."

"That's wonderful news, dear!" Cup Cake beamed, setting the final muffin into the box and closing it. "Who's the lucky stallion?"

"His name's Smokey," Pinkie Pie chirped.

"Smokey?" The blue mare appeared perplexed. "You mean that one always talking about preventing-"

"No, not that Smokey!" The party pony narrowed her eyes in exasperation. "The one who lives in the Everfree Forest! The one I told you about!"

"Oh! You mean that nice young stallion who saved Fluttershy's life?" Cup Cake gasped. "Goodness, I had almost completely forgotten! Dear me, I hope I'm not becoming forgetful in my old age."

"I wouldn't call you-"

"You know, Fluttershy, I'm really glad you two are taking it to the next step! You and Smokey look almost as cute as Mr. and Mrs. Cake when they snuggle together and cuddle and kiss in the kitchen-"

"Now, Pinkie-" Now it was Cup Cake's turn to look flustered.

"-And I an imagine you both doing just that and-" Pinkie Pie cut herself off and gasped in an over-the-top manner, as if she suddenly realized something very important. "Oh! You know what?!"

"Oh no," Fluttershy meeped.

"You know what this calls for?!"

"A party-"

"A PARTY!" The hyperactive pony leaped into the air, streamers and confetti that inexplicably came from out of nowhere flying in all directions. Coming back down, she turned tail into the direction of the doorway. "I really gotta get crackin'! This is gonna be a super-duper-fantabulous party! I can't wait to get everything set up!"

"Please, Pinkie, I-" the pegasus spoke up in a note of near desperation.

"Can't talk right now, Fluttershy!" said Pinkie Pie as she bounded out the door. "I got decorations to get and those invitations won't write themselves!"

"… But I don't want a party…" Fluttershy sighed. "I was hoping for something quiet."

Cup Cake, who had made her way around the counter to stand beside Fluttershy, setting the box of sweets on top of the book and slipped a foreleg around her shoulders.

"Don't worry, deary. I'll talk to her and let her know," she reassured. "You go ahead and take the muffins and donuts. Be sure to pass on my blessings to Smokey and the little one, too. It's about time you found somepony to spend time with. It was such a shame to see you waste away all by yourself."

"Um…"

"Don't worry about the bits, either. No charge, they're on the house."

"… Thank you… I need… I need to go…"

With that, she clopped outside before breaking out into a full gallop - now wanting nothing more than to get out of town before Pinkie Pie spread the news. Knowing her, she would already-

"HEY, EVERYPONY!" Pinkie Pie's voice could be heard booming through a megaphone, from up above her position on the roof of a house.

'Oh, ponyfeathers,' the mare mentally cursed, running as fast as she could to escape town.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Plan

Fluttershy continued to flee, her wings pinned to her sides with both the book and box of pastries balanced unusually steady on her back for the speed she was going. She didn't even notice as she left town, or as the road lead into an orchard of trees, all of which were filled with bright, shining ruby red, succulent green, and golden yellow apples.

The pegasus risked a glance over her shoulder, curious if anyone was following her. It was highly unlikely someone would be tailing her, but she had that nagging paranoia eating at her.

WHAM!

Groaning, the mare opened her eyes, pain lightly coursing through her body as she pulled herself to her hooves. The book and box she had been carrying were now located on the ground - the box having flown open with muffins and donuts dotted along the path, the book, open, crushing one of the muffins underneath its heavy spine. A number of apples laid scattered around as well.

'Goodness. I didn't know I could run that hard into a tree,' she idly thought.

"Well, lan'sakes, Fluttershy! What the hay's gotten into you?" a familiar southern drawl called to her.

Lifting her head, she noticed Applejack, also getting up, with an upturned basket, where the bulk of the apples rested. Gasping, realizing she hadn't crashed into a tree, but into Applejack, she precipitated herself to her friend to help dust her off.

"Ohmygosh, Applejack, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to run into you!" Fluttershy blurted out, removing a patch of dirt from the other pony's shoulder.

"S'all right, sugarcube. Ah've been hit by worse. What in tarnation were you runnin' from, anyway? Y'all looked like y'had the Pony Devil himself chasin' after yeh!"

"It's a long story," she responded, doodling a circle in the ground in front of her.

Applejack upended the basket and proceeded to drop one of the misplaced apples inside.

"Why don't you help me pick up these apples and git 'em, and y'can tell me all about it. Ah'll bake up some fresh treats to replace the ones yew dropped here."

"Oh, that's all right… They were free, anyway," Fluttershy informed as she lowered her head to grasp onto the stem of an apple with her teeth.

"Really? Wow you must be having a bad day if yew were able to finagle free treats out of Mrs. Cake."

The pegasus dropped the apple into the basket, turning her gaze to nothing in particular.

"Uh - um - well-"

"Don't worry yer pretty little head over it, darlin'," Applejack said as she transferred a red delicious into the basket with a flick of her tail. "Ah don't mind none. Besides, you look like yew could use a little pick-me-up. Tell me how yer day's been!"

As the pair gathered up the apples and left the ruined donuts and muffins for the birds to eat, Fluttershy began to recant how her entire day up until that point had gone - from spending time at the spa with Rarity to Rainbow Dash's advice, to Twilight Sparkle giving her the book, and finally Pinkie Pie's enthusiastic proclamation in town, hence the reason why she had been running.

Entering the house, Applejack set the basket on the kitchen countertop and tipped it to dump the apples into the sink.

"Well, shoot. Sounds like yew had a big day!"

"I did." Fluttershy exhaled a heavy sigh. "But… I'm curious. What… what do you think, Applejack?"

"What do Ah think of what?"

"About me and Smokey?"

"Heck, Ah don't think anything of it." The farmer gave a noncommittal shrug. "Ain't my place."

"Really? But… what should I do?"

Applejack turned fully to her friend, lifting a hoof to rest it on her shoulder.

"Ah ain't gonna lie t'ya. Ah don't know what to tell ya. Ah wouldn't even know where to begin. Ah've never felt anything like that for anypony, much less what Ah feel fer you girls and mah family. But what yew and Smokey got goin' on between you… That's… that's different. It could be just a simple crush, it could be the start of something really beautiful. All Ah can say is that you gotta be careful. This is a first, fer both of you, and if y'ain't careful, you might wind up gettin' yerself hurt.

"Havin' said that, though, Ah don't have qualms against it. Ah mean, you and Smokey? Hay, as far as Ah'm concerned, love - true love - knows no boundaries. Be it between two ponies, a pony and a dragon, a donkey and a mule, a bull and a goat… Love is love, Fluttershy."

The embarrassed tinge of red returned to the light yellow mare's face again.

"But we're not-"

"Well, no. Maybe not now, but who's ta say ya both won't?" the orange equine questioned as she returned her attention to the apples in the sink, fiddling with the tabs to rinse them off. "If it was meant ta happen, then it'll happen. If it wasn't, then it won't. But only yer heart will know that when it comes down to the wire."

She twisted her neck to glance back at the rose pink-haired pony.

"And not me, and not Rarity, and certainly not Pinkie nor any other one of us can tell ya otherwise."

Fluttershy was silent for a moment before she opened her mouth to speak, "I… understand. Thanks."

"Not a problem!"

"… But that wasn't really what I was asking."

"Say what now?" the blonde pony ventured, raising her brow.

"I wanted to ask you what suggestions you had for Smokey and I to do… During our time together."

"Well… why didn't yew just ask?"

The pegasus lowered her eyelids, giving off an expression that was both irritated and exasperated.

"Nothing really comes to mind," Applejack said, rotating the fruit around in the sink. "Y'all said you wanted to go to a dinner and a movie, right? What's wrong with that?"

"Because we're afraid we're gonna scare everypony else when we head into town," she reasserted. "We - I just… wondered if there was anything you could think of that… well…"

"Ah'm sorry, Fluttershy. Only thing Ah can think of that Ah like ta do outside of workin' is just spendin' time with my family or you girls, but…"

"… But?"

Applejack paused, placing her hooves on the sink counter as her eyes traveled out the window.

"… Sometimes, Ah just like laying on mah back on the hillside, at night. Ah like ta stare at the stars."

"… The stars? Why's that?" Fluttershy queried.

"Heh," the earth pony chuckled, a sad smile adorning her visage as she met her friend's eyes again. "… This may sound kinda silly, but… when Ah was a filly, Ah heard a story. When somepony moves on from this world, and they cross over - Ah heard that… they become a star in the sky."

Realization of what she had been referring to dawned in Fluttershy's eyes, this time resting a hoof on her back in comfort.

"And Ah'd just lay there, in the fields, or on the grassy hill and Ah'd stare up at the sky for hours. Just… wondering. If they were up there. Lookin' down on me. Watchin'. Trying ta figure out which stars they were up there…"

"Oh, Applejack…" Fluttershy whispered, resting her head on her shoulder.

"… Welp, y'don't need ta hear mah sob story." Applejack's front hooves joined the floor and turned to Fluttershy, tears budding. Wiping her face with a foreleg, she released another chuckle. "Seriously, though. You two do what y'all want. And personally? Ah say buck what anypony else thinks."

A smile tipped the feathered equine's lips.

"Really?"

"Eeyup." Her friend nodded. "Say, you busy? Would ya mind helping me slice these apples up and bake a couple of pies? Ah'll let ya take one back at Smokey and Chenoa."

"Oh, sure," Fluttershy agreed, positioning herself beside at Applejack's side to proceed to assist her.

A couple of hours later saw Fluttershy back home with Chenoa and Smokey joining them, eating the last of her slice of pie that Applejack had baked with her help. Daintily setting the fork on her empty plate, she gazed up at the dragon across from her.

"… And that's been my entire day thus far," she finished, sighing and shaking her head. "It's certainly been… interesting."

Smokey let out a huff of a laugh, his cheeks flushed with a prominent shade of pink. He cast a quick glance over at the griffon seated in her high chair to check on how she was doing on her mashed up portion of pie. She was still working on it, but the expression of joy conveyed she was thoroughly enjoying it.

"So… Miss Rarity thinks we're going to start dating… That's unexpected."

"It's not just Rarity… Nearly everypony thinks we're going to do that. They think… we're an item." She sighed again. "I… tried telling them it wasn't like that, but…"

The mare's words died in her throat as a knock at the door startled her. Collecting her nerves, she slid out of her chair and went to answer it.

"Hello-" she greeted, only to have Rarity shove the door open with a large smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. There was also a tape measure dangling from her neck and a notebook and pencil surrounded by a cloud of light blue magic above her head.

"Fluttershy! I'm so glad you're home. I'm sorry to be so forceful - am I interrupting anything?"

"Um, well-"

"Good! You see, darling, I was going into the details of the finer points of your outfits. I was in the zone as it were, but I was mulling over that small, teensy problem you mentioned to me when I was hit by sudden inspiration! Oh, I was so excited, I just had to come over and tell it to you right away!" She levitated the tape measure from her neck. "Oh, and to get Smokey's measurements. Is he around, by any chance?"

"Yes. I'm right over here, Miss Rarity," the draconian called over to the unicorn with a welcoming grin.

Turning over, the white mare's smile broadened.

"Oh! Hello, Smokey! I'm so incredibly glad you're here. I just came up with the BEST. POSSIBLE! THING!"

Fluttershy blinked at her friend's enthusiasm.

"So… what… exactly is this idea of yours, Rarity?"

"I got to thinking. You remember the story of when I went with Twilight and Rainbow Dash after Spikey-wikey when he went to join the dragon migration?"

"Yes…?"

"Well, I had come to a similar idea! Why don't we go down that route again?" Rarity shifted her attention to Smokey. "Instead of just making you a suit, I'll make you a whole costume! You'll be able to blend right in with the populace! Incognito, if you will. Nopony would ever know!"

As his mind absorbed the idea, Smokey broke out into a grin as an obvious sign that he liked it. No one would have to be frightened by his draconian appearance.

"I must say… that is a clever idea." He turned to Fluttershy, his eyes shimmering with mirth. "We can go anywhere we want and nopony will know what I really am!"

"I… don't quite know about this, Rarity," Fluttershy said with a heavy dosage of uncertainty. "I think your cunning plan might have a few flaws in it."

"Whatever do you mean, darling?"

Fluttershy arched an eyebrow, tilting her head at Rarity, before looking at Smokey and then back to her. As she plodded over to stand directly beside the tall reptilian, it didn't take the unicorn very long to comprehend that the pegasus was accounting for the size difference, as well as the fact he stood in a bipedal stance as opposed to the quadrupeds they were.

"Oh… oh, I… get what you mean." Rarity's expression fell, only to be steeled with determination. "No matter. Mere details. You just let little ol' moi handle that."

"What? What's wrong?" Smokey inquired, not understanding what the mares were hinting at at first until a few moments elapsed. "Oh! I can walk on all fours. That won't be an issue. I just prefer to walk on two."

"Really?" The winged equine gazed up at him. She had never known this.

"Oh, perfect! That'll be splendid then! Sure you might look a little big, but you'll just be an unusually large one. I don't think you'll stand out very much. Alright, then, well, if you don't mind, Smokey, could I get some quick measurements?"

"Certainly."

Sliding out of the chair, he got down on all fours in order to allow Rarity to acquire the proper measurements she needed of his body. As the unicorn worked, he turned his head to Fluttershy, an even wider smile gracing his scaly features.

Fluttershy returned the smile, her tail giving an excited swish.

"Oh, this is wonderful! I never even would've thought of this!"

"Well, I have to admit I didn't think of it myself until just a little while ago," Rarity stated. She didn't take long, measuring Smokey's ear frills, neck, sides, arms, legs, inseams, and even his tail and wings to make sure the costume would be able to accommodate for the bulk. Humming, she stepped back, having written the measurements down on her notepad. "Alright, dear, I'm done!"

"Thank you, Miss Rarity! I really do appreciate you going out of your way to… well, to make me look like a pony! For once… I won't have to worry about scaring anypony."

"Not a problem at all!" the snow-pelted mare gushed. "It's my pleasure. I shall make you into an absolutely splendid stallion! Oh, but… Whatever fabric should I use, though…?"

She shook her head after a moment of contemplation.

"It will come to me, I'm sure. Anyway, I must be off."

"Alright." Fluttershy nodded. "Thanks again, Rarity."

"Yes, I almost forgot. Fluttershy, could you be a dear and stop by tomorrow afternoon? I simply must have you for your dressing."

"Hmm? Oh, alright. Will two o'clock be fine?"

"Smashing! It's settled then. I'll see you at Carousel Boutique around two!" With that, she turned to leave. "Tootle-oo!"

"Goodbye, Miss Rarity." Smokey waved to her after rising back on his feet again as she disappeared out the door. Flashing a quick grin at Fluttershy, he shifted to Chenoa. "Isn't this great, Chenoa? Daddy's going to look like a pony!"

The baby griffon responded with a belch.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Bedtime

Normally, Fluttershy would find such bodily noises quite rude and would have frowned upon it - though, it had been so unexpected, it struck her as mildly funny, and could not help but emit a chuckle.

"Excuse you," she said to the baby, approaching her side and leaning in to nuzzle her cheek.

"We'll teach her proper manners once she's old enough to understand them." Smokey smirked, positioning himself at the child's other side and lifting a hand to run it over her downy head. "You'll be as well-mannered as Mama."

The pegasus shuffled closer, rubbing her hoof underneath the griffon's chin.

"You most certainly will be, won't you? Mama's perfect little princess."

"Such a good widdle girl. Yes, you are, Chenoa. You're our sweet widdle pwincess," the winged reptile cooed to the bundle of white, his heart warming with affection as she squealed and giggled at the attention.

The mare giggled, taking her hoof away to touch it back onto the floor.

"You know… I wonder… if Chenoa really were a princess. Like, perhaps, her original parents were from a royal family of the griffons. Or at least some noble bloodline.

"… No, that's probably just silly thinking on my part. That actually sounds that would be pretty contrived."

"We would probably be seeing griffons everywhere looking for her if she were a princess," he stated with a smirk. "No royal couple would allow their child to go missing for long."

Fluttershy considered this factor and mulled it over, pursing her lips.

"… Very true. Still, it would be nice to pretend she was."

"To us, she is a princess and nopony is going to make us think otherwise."

Nodding, she slid her forelegs around her adopted daughter in an embrace. Upon letting go, she fluttered to the table to gather up the empty plates and forks and brought them over to the sink.

"We still never decided where we're going to go."

"Well… you know the area far better than I do. Any place you want to go is fine with me," he replied as he watched Chenoa consume the final bits of her pie. "A relaxing movie does sound nice. As long as there are child-friendly films playing."

"I'm not sure what films are playing. When we head into town, we'll check. If there aren't, we'll think of something else to do." Fluttershy turned to the dragon. "Or, better yet, I'll check and let you know when I get back from Rarity's."

"Sounds like a good plan." Plucking Chenoa from her high chair, he carried her to the counter space beside the sink and set her down. Snagging a clean dish rag, he wet it underneath the faucet and proceeded to wipe the baby griffon's face clean. "It's a decent sized town. I'm certain there will be something if there aren't any appropriate movies."

"There's always something to do here," the equine chimed. "We have sports, we have restaurants, we've got the library, family events, and games galore every other week it seems… And there's so many other things, too! Bird watching, bug watching, swimming."

Smokey's sea green eyes seemed to light up a little more with each activity Fluttershy listed.

"Those sound like a lot of fun! What sort of family events are there?" he asked, his voice heavy with his apparent excitement.

It was at this point that she gave pause.

"… Well… the only event that comes to mind is the Sister Socialhood we have every year. Sister teams of two form and compete against each other in games such as pie eating, grape crushing, and the relay race. But I believe there's other events like family picnic days, musical nights in the summer where bands get together to play for crowds… and… um… sometimes Zecora comes into town and gathers the colts and fillies around to tell stories to them."

"It sounds like we'll have to adopt a sister for Chenoa if she wants to compete in that someday," Smokey said jokingly as he drew the wet cloth away from the chick's face.

Fluttershy emitted a second giggle before she went silent for a moment.

"You know, do… you actually think that might be a good idea? In case… she ever gets… lonely? Or wants a playmate at home?"

Now it was Smokey's turn to silence himself for a few seconds in thought, surprised that she was even considering it. He was open to taking in more children, but he had been kidding.

"It seems like a good idea to me. But are you sure you are ready to take in another child already?"

"Well… No. No, not right now. Maybe, one day, in the future… but…" She shook her head. "Handling one is enough for the two of us right now. Considering everything else we're facing at this point."

"I suppose it's something to consider further down the line when everything has settled in."

"I suppose." Yawning, the pony floated closer to the baby. "C'mon, sweetie. Let's get you a bath, and then it'll be time to get ready for beddy-bye!"

Wide grin spreading across her beak at the thought of a warm bath, the child squealed and stretched out her forelegs in her mother's direction.

Smokey chuckled lightly, the familiar loving glow spreading over him.

"Why don't you take her and give her a bath while I clean up here?"

"Alright. I shouldn't be long."

"Have fun, you two!" Smokey said in singsong, then directed himself to the sink to begin washing the dishes.

Taking Chenoa into her forelegs, Fluttershy glided upstairs. Once in the bathroom, she moved the griffon to one foreleg to reach for the tab. Checking the running water, she made the proper adjustments until she deemed that it was warm, but not too hot, and stuck in the plug. Deciding the bathtub was filled with enough water, she shut it off and placed the little one inside after removing her diaper.

"There we go!"

Chenoa sighed at the sensation of warm water caressing her body from the mid-section down. The griffon extended her short wings, flapping them with a blissful burble at the splashing she created. It was a normality for her to splash about whenever she was bathed; it was a sign that she had a good day.

Giggling with a wide smile, the mare felt happiness course through her as she watched Chenoa, resolving to introduce her to deeper water when she got older and bigger. Grabbing the shampoo and applying it to the fur, she imagined the two of them and Smokey at the lake giving her swimming lessons.

The little chick chirped, closing her eyes to take pleasure in the feeling of the pony's hooves massaging her coat. A different kind of shampoo was used on her upper body and wings where her down grew. She was ticklish in the patch of skin underneath the area where her wings spouted from her body, and always broke into a fit of laughter when touched.

The pink-maned pegasus let out a laugh as well. She had to admit that while she wasn't a cruel pony, even she had her moments where she indulged a more mischievous side of her. Sometimes, without warning, she would sneak her hooves under her wings to very lightly tickle her, and usually at the times she would least expect it - not that she would expect it often considering she was just a baby.

Hearing Chenoa's laugh was like listening to chimes ringing in the wind. It was such a light sound, and Fluttershy loved to listen to it.

The child could be heard from downstairs where Smokey just finished drying off the last of the dishes. He immediately knew what Fluttershy was doing. Softly chuckling, he concocted the nefarious idea to do the same to her.

Tiptoeing, the dragon made his way upstairs and into the bathroom and waited by the door frame for the opportune moment.

"Oooh! Look out, Chenoa!" Fluttershy snickered, slipping her hooves around the baby's sides and underneath her tiny wings. "The tickle monster is coming after you again! Coochee, coochee, cooo!"

Giggling again, she drew her hooftips against the skin, intending to illicit the appropriate response.

Chenoa laughed harder, her body wriggling and wings twitching from the physical contact. Smokey fought hard to prevent himself from laughing, and the instant Fluttershy lifted her own feathery extremities, he made his move.

Silently stepping closer, he slid his fingertips over the sensitive fur underneath the pegasus' wings.

The instant Fluttershy felt claws on her fur, she released a light shriek. Hooves jerking away from Chenoa's sides, a chill shot up her spine, wings bristling, as she began laughing.

Chuckling, Smokey continued to tickle the mare while keeping an eye on Chenoa. The baby appeared quite amused, her giggles slowing to soft pants. The griffon babbled in encouragement for her adoptive father to keep it up. He needed nothing further. With a mischievous smirk spreading across his maw, he wiggled his fingers over his friend's flesh more vigorously.

"Hahahahaha! Smokey! I'm… I'm ticklish there!" Fluttershy laughed with a sad attempt to feebly swat away the dragon's fingers from her sides, shivering as more tingles went up her spine and across her wings.

"I know," Smokey chortled deviously, tossing a wide grin at Chenoa. The baby griffon was obviously bemused at watching the pony endure the wrath of the tickle monster for once. Leaving of her wings, he furled his now free arm around the pegasus' mid-section to pull her closer, standing up straight and holding her against his torso as he continued his onslaught.

Fluttershy's howling laughter increased in volume and pitch as she tried pulling away from him, squirming around in his grip.

"HAHAHAHAHAPlease!" she cried out in mirth, her eyes squeezing shut. "Mercy! I can't… I can't take it anymore!"

"Alright, alright."

Smokey chuckled once more, removing his hand from her side, but he still didn't let her go. The dragon just stood there, holding her and keeping his watchful eyes on the baby.

Taking a few breaths, relaxing, Fluttershy allowed herself to lean up and rest against him. Subconsciously snuggling closer to him, she smiled as she felt the strength in his arm and chest as he held her…

Such a powerful dragon, she mentally mused. Able to protect her and Chenoa, and all of their animal friends, no matter what was out there, be it beast or something else. … But so gentle all the same.

The large reptile sighed, a jolt of intense warmth originating in his chest. As much as he would've liked to remain in this position with the sweet pony, Chenoa was beginning to make a mess, splashing and babbling, sending water over the edge of the bathtub. Those suds weren't going to rinse themselves off either.

"I… suppose I should let you go and allow you to finish bathing Chenoa."

With that, Smokey released Fluttershy from his hold.

A small frown crept onto the pegasus' face as she was let go. She didn't want to, but she nodded, figuring the same thing.

"Alright. We should be done soon."

Settling back onto her haunches with her front hooves resting on the lip of the bathtub, she reached for a plastic cup sitting near the rounded corner. Dipping it into the water to scoop some up, she very carefully poured it back over Chenoa's head so as not to get it into her eyes or ear holes.

Smokey caught that disappointed note in her voice, feeling another twinge of remorse for letting her go. However, he forced the slight frown upon his face to disappear, replacing it with another impish grin.

"You know… we can always cuddle once she's dried off."

Dropping the cup and turning her head over her shoulder, she blushed rather heavily.

"I… um…" she started, but couldn't find the words to squeak out. After a second of silence, the mare simply returned her attention back to the baby to resume rinsing the soap out of her pelt.

The dragon crossed his arms, arching a brow with a slight tilt of his head.

"No? You don't want to cuddle?" he asked in a playful note. He couldn't help but play with her a little bit. She was just too adorable!

Chenoa shook her head to be rid of the water that soaked her down, her damp baby feathers and fur sticking straight up in tiny, stiff spikes by the time she was done with her bath. The child chirped affectionately to her mother, lifting her forelegs up once the pegasus pulled the plug to drain the tub. Another thing she loved about bath time was being wrapped in a towel and snuggling against Fluttershy or Smokey when she was due to dry off.

"Well, I…" Fluttershy spoke, uncertain of how to respond. Grabbing a towel, she leaned down to pick up Chenoa and wrap her up, drying her off and holding her close as she did so. Turning to Smokey with a blush still on her face, she squeaked out, "I… Okay."

Hadn't been expecting that, Smokey was mildly surprised Fluttershy actually had given him an answer in her flustered state. Sure, she was gradually getting better at responding to his playfulness, but she was still her shy self. He couldn't help but feel a sliver of bashfulness well up.

"Heheh… Alright then. Uh, why don't we read Chenoa a story while we cuddle?" he suggested, a rosy blush blooming upon his cheeks. Whenever he and the pegasus weren't singing her a lullaby, they often read to the griffon before she settled down for the night.

Fluttershy smiled and nodded.

"Sounds… sounds good."

Fluttering her wings, she took to the air to pass the dragon and out the door towards the staircase. Making her way downstairs with her friend following her, she stopped at the bookcase and waited for him.

"I wonder what story we should read to her tonight?"

Coming to a halt beside her, his eyes scanned the letters on the books' spines. He mulled over the options in his head as he jumped from book to book in the section reserved for Chenoa until one in particular grasped his attention.

"How about this one?" Bending over slightly, he reached to grasp the selected book. "The Golden Book of Pony Tales?"

"Ooooh, that's a good one!" Fluttershy said, moving over to the couch and sitting down, waiting for Smokey to join them. "Which tale are we reading tonight?"

Seating himself next to Fluttershy, Smokey cracked open the thick book to view the table of contents.

"Hm… Goldilocks and the Three Bears might be just a little bit scary for her," he stated as he went down the list. "Hansel and Gretel? No, they get captured by a witch who wants to eat them… In Little Red Riding Hood, Red gets eaten by a wolf and the lumberjack gets her out… Definitely too scary for her…"

"Ummm…" The mare blinked, leaning herself against Smokey to read the selection. "Isn't there anything in there that's not so scary for her? Like The Billy Goats Gruff or Mr. Groundhog Turns Around?"

"That sounds fine," he surmised, flipping through the pages. Folding a leg over the other to assist in propping up the book, he leaned back comfortably and wrapped an arm around the pony's shoulders. His eyes slid to the baby griffon wrapped up in the towel in the warm security of the mare's embrace to check if she was paying attention before beginning.

Chenoa focused on Smokey's gentle voice, the steadily growing heaviness in her eyes spreading. By the time the scaly being was halfway through the story, she had succumbed to sleep.

Fluttershy herself listened, her eyes somewhat droopy from tiredness due to the busy day she had. Yawning, she sank further into the tall male's warm hold - opening her eyes only once to gaze down at Chenoa's sleeping form, and then up at Smokey. Closing them a second time, she lost herself in the dragon's storygazing - and by the time he was done, she, too, had drifted off to a peaceful rest.

Taking notice that both Fluttershy and Chenoa - as well as a few of the animals who had inconspicuously listened to the story - were sound asleep, Smokey closed the book and set it down beside him. He took a few moments to watch them, a fluttering warmth brimming within his chest. Softly, he drew the back of his index finger over the baby's cheek in an affectionate gesture, then moved it to the equine's.

'They're both so adorable when they're asleep…' Removing his hand from Fluttershy's face, he coiled it around her forelegs to give their child some additional support. 'Well… they are when they're awake, too…'

Emitting a yawn, he rested his head upon the pony's and nodded off.

Chapter Forty: Choose Your Next Witticism Carefully

The rest of the night went by uneventful - though it DID cause an interesting scene when Fluttershy woke up to find Smokey's arms wrapped around her and Chenoa. She hadn't stopped blushing until after she had nearly reached Carousel Boutique.

As she rose her hoof to knock on the door, she jumped as it flew open.

"Oh, THERE you are!" Pinkie Pie smiled, still clad in the dragon costume. "We've been waiting for you! Come in, come in, come in!"

Before Fluttershy could even say anything, Pinkie Pie grasped her hooves with her own and hauled her inside.

"Hello, Fluttershy! How are you this morning?" Rarity greeted, her dark blue eyes twinkling. She clearly was excited for the pegasus and was eager to fit her into her new dress.

"I'm… doing… fine…" the pegasus replied, staring at the costume-wearing pony. "Um, Pinkie, why are-"

"I'm here to help Rarity fit you into your dress! And to discuss what you and Smokey are doing on your date!"

"Oh!" The buttercream mare blushed. "It's not a - and I didn't - I mean… Why are you still in a costume?"

"What costume?" the curly-maned pony chirped, unaware of the fact she was still dressed up like a dragon resembling Smokey.

"The one you're wearing, darling," Rarity reminded the pink pony before hooking a foreleg around Fluttershy's to drag her over to her mirror, nearly stepping on Opal's tail in the process. "Oh, Fluttershy! You must be so excited about your date! I made sure every detail on your dress was absolutely perfect!"

Letting her go, the alabaster mare whirled into the direction of one of her ponyquinns. Igniting her horn, she levitated a stunning dress off of it. The silky fabric on the body was a vibrant blue-green that matched Fluttershy's eyes. The skirt itself was divided into layers, each a shade lighter than the one on top of it. Around the waist was a ring of deep blue sapphires cut into the shapes of flowers.

"Isn't it gorgeous?"

Fluttershy took a breath, examining it over. To say the dress was beautiful would have been an insult. This was far from beautiful - this… this was a masterpiece! The work of a true artisan!

"It's… very lovely," she said, really unable to express just how incredible it was. "But… Rarity, this is just a get-together. We're not going to the Grand Galloping Gala."

"Well, duuuh!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "Of course you're not, silly filly! You're going to the Mareiot Plaza Restaurant!"

"That's right. I made reservations for the two of you - and Chenoa - this Saturday. Surprise!" the white unicorn squealed, unable to contain her exuberance.

Indeed Fluttershy was surprised - her eyes springing wide open.

"… You made reservations for us at the Mareiot?! Isn't that… one of the most expensive places in all of Equestria? And I thought they were only in Canterlot and Applewood, for very rich tourists?"

"Naw, you're thinking of the hotel," Pinkie Pie informed.

"Fluttershy, I would never book you some place you couldn't afford. Sure, it's a bit pricey, but it's the perfect setup for a romantic evening."

Rarity slipped the dress over her friend's head and draped it over her back, fitting it on and smoothing out any unwanted folds.

"Yeah! And you two might not just have dinner! They got music playing all the time! You might even dance, or watch the night sky, or kiss!"

The rosy-maned pegasus' blushed returned, in a darker shade. She had been hoping the subject of her and Smokey kissing would not be brought up again.

"Oh, no, that's… that's… taking things… a little too fast…"

"Smokey is a sweetheart. I cannot imagine a better man for you!"

Horn glowing a second time, Rarity magicked her pin cushion over and set it down next to her. Readjusting her glasses, she got to work measuring the fabric.

"Yes… but… a kiss?" Fluttershy bit her bottom lip, glancing off and looking very unsure of herself. "We haven't… I don't… Aren't you not supposed to kiss on the first date?"

"AHA! So it IS a date!" Pinkie Pie accused, narrowing her eyes with a smirk playing on her lips.

"What? No!" The winged pony whipped her eyes back to the pink equine, shaking her head in denial.

"But you just said it was!"

Rarity grinned, internally applauding Pinkie Pie's wordplay.

"You can… if you want to, deary. There's no shame in kissing on the first date if you two fall in love."

"But, but, but…" Fluttershy sputtered. She gave a bitter sigh, knowing she wasn't going to get anywhere with them.

"Oooh! This is going to be great! I should throw you two a party afterwards! A congratulations on falling in love party!"

If it were possible, Fluttershy blushed even deeper.

"Pinkie…"

Rarity was about to point out that Pinkie Pie had thrown a congratulations on getting a date party for Fluttershy as soon as she found out about the outing - despite Cup Cake's efforts to prevent her from doing so - , but she had to remember this was Pinkie Pie. Whenever she saw an opportunity to throw a party, she snagged it.

"Best to wait on that until they actually do fall in love."

The pink-pelted mare paused, blinking, then shrugged.

The pegasus sighed again, turning her head to gaze back at the pony behind her.

"… Rarity, I… I have to thank you for this, but, really, you… didn't have to go through all this trouble."

"Well, of course she did!" Pinkie Pie piped up again. "This is Rarity you're talking to. How could she have not?"

"Precisely! I will not allow you to go on your first date without something fabulous to wear."

Drawing a couple more pins from the pin cushion, she stuck them into the fabric, taking care not to accidentally poke her friend.

"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie bounced in place, the fake tail of her costume flapping up and down to smack against the floor. "Nether will I!

"Buuuut… I don't really have any idea what somepony wears on a date."

"One wears nice clothing when going out on a date, just like any other important gathering," the unicorn clarified, sticking in another pin.

Fluttershy rustled a bit, but tried remaining still to avoid being pricked.

"Oooh! Kinda like that one over there?"

Pinkie Pie pointed with over Fluttershy's shoulder. The pegasus, slightly intrigued, turned her head to follow her hoof - and her eyes bulged out when she realized she was pointing at a bridal gown.

"Uhh… Pinkie, I… think… maybe not THAT fancy."

"That's a bridal gown, Pinkie. Fluttershy's not going to be needing anything like that," Rarity said with a smirk as she rechecked her measurements.

"OH! Like what Princess Cadance was wearing at her wedding! Silly me!" She bounced off to Fluttershy's side, next to Rarity. "I can't believe I forgot!"

"Well, it… has been some time since the wedding…"

The purple-maned equine nodded once, checking the inseams and found she didn't need to adjust anything there.

"Mhm. Pinkie, how do you think we should do her hair? I was thinking of pulling it back into a bun and curling the forelock."

"I like that idea! Or… Hmmm… I dunno! Maybe we could go for curls, or - ooh, maybe a braided ponytail!"

"Um… why don't we leave it as it is?" Fluttershy peeped.

"But, Fluttershy! This is your very own super special big date! You GOTTA look nice and stylish or you'll be hiding behind your-" The mare cut herself off to gasp as an idea sprung into mind. "I know! I know! Why don't we cut it short?! You'd totally rock the bob cut!"

"CUT Fluttershy's beautiful mane?!" Rarity exasperated in an overly dramatic fashion, pupils shrinking and jaw dropping in an expression of pure horror. "Do you know how many ponies would die to have such a lavishing mane and tail like this?!"

For emphasis, she reached out to smooth a hoof over the mentioned mare's mane.

"Well, yeah! Really, Fluttershy! You've got a pretty face! You shouldn't be hiding it behind your mane all the time!"

Fluttershy gulped, huddling closer to Rarity.

"Pinkie's right… about one thing. You do have a pretty face. Instead of hiding it, I propose we actually pull back your mane so you can show Smokey how beautiful it is," the fashionista offered.

"Well… Um… Rarity?" The yellow-furred mare addressed the unicorn, feeling the need to thank her again for everything she had done. "… Thank you. Really."

"It's not a problem at all! I was more than happy to make your dress," Rarity assured, lifting the said dress back over to the ponyquinn via magic.

Fluttershy smiled, drawing a hoof over her other.

"I'm curious. Just… how is Smokey's outfit coming along? When do you want me to bring him by for his fitting?"

"I should be ready for him in a couple of days. I'm still making the fabric," she answered. "And I need to design his tuxedo."

"A tuxedo?" Fluttershy arched her eyebrow. "On top of the costume?"

"A costume?" Pinkie Pie perked at this. "What's going on with a costume? Is there a costume party over at the Mareiot? I thought it was dinner!"

"Um… no. Rarity's making Smokey a costume to help blend in to avoid scaring anypony."

"Of course Smokey's wearing a tuxedo over his costume. Fluttershy's wearing a dress. Why shouldn't he wear something nice?" Rarity reasoned as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"If he's wearing the tuxedo over the costume… what if he would want to wear the tuxedo again later? And… um… wouldn't that be a bit too much clothing to wear at once?"

"Why would he want to wear the tuxedo a second time?" Pinkie Pie questioned. "Most are one-wear-only events anyway! Unless he's some sort of super spy like Con Mane!"

"Pinkie…" the unicorn deadpanned, choosing to ignore Fluttershy's attempt to rationalize with her. "Con Mane doesn't exist. You made him up, remember?"

The pink party pony blinked.

"I did? But he's got all those movies and books and video games and-"

"I think you're confusing him for Ian Flemane's Dane Fond," Fluttershy said. "Besides, Con Mane sounds more like a villain."

There was a moment of silence before Pinkie Pie's eyes lit up in realization.

"Oh, yeah! I remember now! I did! I even remember the scene I acted out!"

She suddenly stood on her hind legs, smirking as she directed her attention to the floor.

"Choose your next witticism carefully, Mr. Fond, it may be your last."

She then immediately flopped over flat on her back, her legs spread eagle.

"You expect me to talk?" she snarled up at where she had been standing.

"No, Mr. Fond!" The mare was back on her hind hooves, bending over and smirking deviously at the now empty spot on the floor. "I expect you to die!"

"Pinkie?" Fluttershy pried.

Dropping the act, the curly-haired equine smiled at her friend expectantly.

"Yeah?"

"Are you feeling all right? You've been rather… forgetful today. It… worries me."

"She's… Pinkie," Rarity prompted, arching her brow into the earth pony's direction and shook her head. After all, Pinkie Pie could be thinking about one thing one moment, latch onto something else the next, and completely forget the subject matter she had previously been focused on.

"Yes, I know," Fluttershy relented as she turned back to Pinkie Pie who - true to her form - went right back to her roleplay. "But she's been acting really odd lately. Like… more so than usual."

The unicorn pursed her lips, returning her gaze to the hyperactive pony as she struck several action poses.

"She is just being… super-extra-Pinkie Pie," she resolved.

The pegasus just stood there, watching as Pinkie Pie struck pose after pose, including a few she wasn't sure should be physically be possible to perform.

"I think we're done here," said Rarity, uncertain how to react to this current behavior.

"Yes, I agree." Fluttershy nodded then approached Pinkie Pie's side. "Pinkie? Pinkie, I think it's time we went home."

The pink equine, who was in the middle of what appeared to be a very elaborate dance, paused and spun around to face her friend.

"Okie dokie loki!" she burbled, bouncing off towards the door as if nothing had happened.

With a sigh and another shake of her head, Rarity swiveled her attention back to the feathered mare with a smile.

"I'll see you later, Fluttershy. Remember to send Smokey over in two days."

"Okay, Rarity. I certainly will."

Exiting the building, she began heading to the cottage, with Pinkie Pie hopping ahead of her and acting out her actions and poses from earlier. Observing for a moment, she mumbled to her that she was going home, though the pony in front of her didn't respond. With that, the pegasus broke off from her.

Chapter Forty-One: Getting Ready

"Just a little longer, Fluttershy, and you'll have beautiful curls!" Rarity gushed, pressing her hooves to her cheeks, her face practically glowing.

"Rarity, are you sure she's gonna need makeup?" Rainbow Dash queried. She understood the need for a dress and didn't question fixing up the pale yellow mare's mane, but she was beginning to think makeup was a little too much.

"Of course! Makeup is a must for a night out with a nice stallion… male."

"Ah wouldn't believe it if it wasn't comin' outta mah own mouth, but… Ah agree with Rarity, Dash," Applejack stated, allowing Chenoa to climb onto her back. "Ah mean, they're going to the Mareiot. That's exactly a place you can jus' run a wet comb through yer mane an' call it done. It's like one of them high society fares."

"High society?" Fluttershy whimpered, every single lock of her thick, long mane coiled around hair rollers. "Oh, dear."

"Eh, don't worry yer pretty little head over it, Fluttershy. It's not like yer gonna see anypony famous there, and Ah doubt anypony will recognize ya anyway."

"I guess. But, it just kinda makes Fluttershy look like she's trying too hard to win Smokey's heart. Believe me," she said, placing a hoof over her chest, "I know a thing or two about trying too hard."

The alabaster unicorn was tempted to point out to the cyan pegasus that she always seemed to try too hard. It was a bit of a stretch from the truth, but it was understandable when one could witness how hard she trained herself when performing her flight maneuvers. She brushed it off and applied a layer of mascara to Fluttershy's eyelashes.

"There you are. Now, we just need the powder, the blush, lipstick, perfume, a bit of glitter spray for your mane…"

"Well, hay, if it's anything', Ah wouldn't be gettin' too much on fer this mahself, either. Get mah mane done, a hooficure, and a nice dress and Ah'd be just dandy. No sense in going through all the froo-froo. Though, Ah ain't never been on a date before, so what do Ah know?"

The farmer shrugged as Fluttershy grimaced at the concept of powder. She recalled her brief days as a fashion model, during backstage when she had been all but assaulted by the makeup artists.

"Well, Applejack. If you took the time to… clean up a bit, maybe you'll get noticed more."

Replacing her mascara back into her traveling kit, Rarity took out the powder and a soft brush and proceeded to pat it lightly to Fluttershy's face.

Applejack snorted, indignant.

"What-? Why Ah never! Maybe if you weren't too into those gussy froo-froo-"

"Alright, girls, break it up," Twilight Sparkle interrupted. "We really ought to be focusing on Fluttershy here. It's her big night after all!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie's head burst from the bucket of hair rollers - said bucket being far too small to logically hold her body - and still wearing the dragon costume. "Focus, girls!"

"Well, excuse me all ta Tartarus, but what exactly are we supposed to be doin'?" Applejack countered. "All we really need ta do is get Fluttershy all gussied up and dressed and Rarity's doin' a fine job just handlin' that all on her own!"

"You can tell her how beautiful she looks when I'm done," Rarity answered, finishing with the powder and dropping it back into the bag. Fishing out the blush, she applied a tiny amount to both cheeks. "I'm sure Smokey will be speechless when he gets an eyeful of her!"

"… That sounds a little… unfulfilling, but I suppose we can handle that," said Twilight Sparkle, a smile tipping her lips.

Applejack blinked, taking a small sniff as she turned from Chenoa to the air… then over towards Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie, are you… still wearing that costume?"

"Um, yeah! Can't you see?"

"Haven't you taken it off? Not once?"

"Nope, nope, nope!"

"… That explains the odd stench Ah've been smelling. Ah was beginnin' at think it was the baby."

Rarity paused, to lightly glare at Pinkie Pie, somewhat bewildered over her revelation.

"Really. I thought you would have at least taken it off and washed it! And showered!" she admonished.

"Aww, but I like wearing this!"

Twilight Sparkle, pretty much doing the same thing, ignited her horn and lifted the roller basket, still with Pinkie Pie in it.

"Alright, Pinkie. Let's get you in the tub."

As she exited the room, turning down the hall and disappearing from view, Twilight Sparkle's voice could still be heard.

"How the hay did you get in there, anyway?"

"Sorry, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie giggled. "That's a trade secret!"

While the drama continued on with the gaggle of mares, Smokey was located downstairs with Spike, Angel, Ross, the doves, and several of Fluttershy's animal friends. He was not having much luck getting his costume to look right due to the multiple spines jutting from his head, neck, back, and tail.

"I don't know about this, Spike. Somepony's going to notice my back…" the red-scaled dragon sighed as he shimmied out of the pony costume. The coloration was a simple chestnut made of rich brown minky fabric to give it that furry appearance with long orange-brown faux hair making up the mane and tail. The tail itself was long enough to fit his own, but it was fixed to make it appear as if the hair had been grown that long. The wing covers were layered with feathers, allowing him to at least stretch out his wings when he wanted to.

"At least it's better than the ramshackle dragon costume Rarity made when she, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash followed me during the great dragon migration," Spike stated, taking note of the outfit. "Maybe we can drape something over the back with the tuxedo to help hide the bumps? Like a cape?"

"We could… but that wouldn't fix the back of my neck or head…"

Though the mane could help cover the bumps that would be showing, there was always a chance that the fabric could shift.

"Hmmm," the small lavender dragon hummed. "I don't suppose we could throw a hood over them or - wait! I got it!" He then broke into a run towards the staircase. "I could ask Rarity real fast! Maybe she might have an idea!"

"Hold on!" Smokey held out his hand into the baby draconian's direction as his eyes scanned the animals scattered about the area. "Wasn't Angel here a minute ago?"

The reptilian's own rabbit nodded, lifting a paw to point it where he had seen the missing mammal go. Smokey was about to ask him why Angel was gone - he thought the little guy was going to remain with them - , but he didn't need to. The white leporidae hopped back into the room holding a roll of duct tape between his front paws.

The winged dragon blinked down at the rabbit. Apparently he had an idea…

Spike halted, halfway up the stairs. He had forgotten all about Angel, up until he spotted the snow white bunny.

"Oh! That's brilliant! We can just tape the spines down! At least, that's what I think he's getting at…"

The rabbit nodded in confirmation. He had to give the small dragon some credit - he caught onto his mindset quicker than Fluttershy sometimes…

Smokey grinned, appreciating Angels ingenuity.

"Good thinking, Angel! We'll give it a shot."

Eager to put the bunny's idea to the test, he dropped down on his knees and elbows and lowered his belly to the floor for easy access to his spines. Each one of his spiked extremities were very flexible, so folding them over and taping them down wouldn't be an issue at all.

Heading over, Spike climbed onto Smokey's back to assist Angel with taping his spines down one by one. Between the two of them and Ross joining in, it didn't take long before all of them were pressed against his head and body and firmly secured down.

"There! That ought to take care of it. Though, I'd imagine you'd want to take a good shower to get the residue off after taking off the tape." There was a brief silence. "Gee, Twilight must be rubbing off on me. That sounds like something she'd say."

The larger dragon chuckled, rising up onto his feet.

"That wouldn't surprise me. You do live with her." Another moment of silence passed, a wide grin breaking out on his maw as a thought crossed his mind. "Spike, if it's all right with Miss Twilight, why don't we go out and you can show me how to hunt for gems sometime?"

"Sure! I can ask when I get a chance. Honestly, I actually find it much easier if I go with her or Rarity. Those two have a gem-finding spell that helps them locate exactly where they are. All I have to do is dig 'em up!" Spike beamed, turning his gaze upstairs as he thought of Rarity, before snapping himself out of his trance. "Though, really, it's not that difficult. You just gotta know how to sniff 'em out and they're relatively simple to find."

"Oh, I see. I just thought it would be something for us to do," the taller draconic being said with a shrug. Inwardly, he was disappointed. He was actually looking forward to doing something with Spike that dragons usually do.

"I can still teach you!" Spike reassured, a smile on his face. "You've never been gem hunting before, right? Have you ever gotten a good whiff of gemstones?"

"Not really. Before I met Miss Fluttershy, I did not even know dragons ate gems. What… do they taste like?" he inquired, his eyes widening as curiosity as he stepped into his costume again.

"Incredible! Each gem has its own flavor, too! Like rubies taste kinda like cherries, but fire rubies have this sort of rich, spicy flavor on top of its sweetness! Man, I can't believe you haven't!" Spike gave a chuckle, beginning to slightly salivate at the thought of the mentioned precious stones. "You don't know what you're missing out on!"

"Well, I haven't met another dragon until you, so I think that justifies it. I have no doubt you know more about dragons than I do," Smokey responded with a playful smirk.

"Heh. Tell me about it. I learned a lot from the dragon migration. Maybe more than I ever wanted to know. It… makes me really glad I met you, Smokey. Even though you're far older than me, I feel a lot better knowing I'm not the only dragon who was raised by ponies."

The older dragon smiled warmly as he inserted his arms into the costume one at a time. His luck really had turned around since he met Fluttershy and Chenoa… He made more friends, even though almost the entire population of Ponyville was afraid of him. And one of them was another dragon like him…

"I know how you feel, Spike. I thought I was the only pony-raised dragon in the world before I met you."

"Yeah!" Spike then donned an unsure and contemplative expression. "I'm curious. Since you're older and all, ah… what have you really learned about the world? You've been places, right? Seen a bunch of ponies, did a bunch of things - I mean, I don't really get to go to a lot of places. I've been to Canterlot, lived here in Ponyville, the Crystal Empire, and Manehattan, but most of the time whenever Twilight and the others go anywhere, I get stuck watching the library…"

He lowered his gaze to the floor.

"It's… almost not fair, y'know? I know she needs somepony here, but I'd like to go out more often."

Smokey felt a pang of sympathy for the baby dragon, but he retained his smile.

"Well… Yes and no… I have been to many places, but met far less ponies than you would think." The dragon's smile faltered. "Personally, that is. Since I am… a dragon. Many ponies I've encountered were too afraid to even get near me. Let alone get to know me. Those I have met didn't really treat me like one of their own."

Just as unpleasant memories began to flood his mind, Smokey quickly pushed them away and forced back his smile.

"Anyway! You are young… Miss Twilight possibly keeps you here so you will be safe," he hypothesized. "You're very lucky to have ponies around who care so much about you."

"Yeah, I can understand. You were probably already almost full-grown when you started traveling. I suppose ponies around here can trust me far easier since I'm so young - though…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "But, yeah, I understand why Twilight wants me here. If I were in her position, I'd want to be safe, too. And it's not like I don't take advantage of her not being here. I get to sleep in a lot longer when she's off on her grand epic adventures. It's just…

"I don't know. I have saved the Crystal Empire - not to brag or anything - but, I kind of want to be the hero and save the day more often, y'know?"

"I'm certain you will get plenty of chances to do that. I don't think I've done anything heroic before meeting Miss Fluttershy and Chenoa."

Smokey didn't really count raising Ross and his doves or protecting them from wild animals that wanted to eat them as heroic deeds; he considered them as kind deeds.

Bending over and stretching out his arms, he grasped onto the head of his costume between his covered hands. It wasn't convincing, but Rarity had insisted that he would blend right in. There were eye holes for him to view out of and an opening where his mouth would be located after slipping it over his head.

Spike had to admit Rarity had… well, he wouldn't exactly say she had outdone herself, but she did improve on the design from the dragon costume she had used for herself, Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow Dash since the migration.

Not that it was saying much. The costume was still clearly large and bulky, as if something was inside, and the mane and tail and… well, he wouldn't say it aloud, but if anyone was really fooled by this then either the equines were far easier to dupe than he cared to admit or they were just really that stupid.

He gave the disguised dragon a grin and a thumbs up.

"Lookin' great there, Smokey! Shall we call the girls down and get their reaction?"

"Sure. After I get this tuxedo on," he said, reaching for the light blue button up shirt first, only to drop it, unable to grab it with his hands covered. "I might need a little help…"

Groaning, Angel couldn't help but slap a paw to his face and shake his head.

Chapter Forty-Two: The Mareiot

As Fluttershy descended down the stairs, she felt a little self-conscious for how she was portrayed. She was indeed absolutely stunning, the curled mane styled back in a blossoming bun that fully exposed her face with the exception of two locks dangling next to her cheeks, leaving her unable to naturally hide behind her hair. Her dress also obscured her wings, further leaving her unable to hide her face behind them - a design decision that was likely deliberately implemented by Rarity to prevent her from doing just that.

In a way, it did create a small safety issue in the sense that if she had to spread her wings and immediately take flight, she would need to first remove the garment. Ultimately, even that was circumvented by the material being quite easy to take off just in case such an emergency presented itself. As it was, she figured that the chances of such an event happening were extraordinarily low (though Twilight Sparkle was worried of going into specifics for fear of invoking such an event, mumbling on about someone named Murphy), and Fluttershy simply let the issue lie as she stood there in front of Smokey.

"Um…" she spoke, eying him up and down. Rarity had certainly… outdid herself, though she struggled to find a decent word in her vocabulary that she could use to compliment him. "You look… nice. Really… nice."

A beat.

"… Are you… ready to go?" she asked, her voice soft and barely above that of a whisper, still unsure about this and risked a glance back to the rest of her friends still on the upper level with Chenoa on Applejack's back.

Rainbow Dash offered the other pegasus a smile and a quick wink before motioning with her hooves for her to get going.

Smokey didn't even seem to be in any state of reality whatsoever. The bottom of his costume's muzzle was pushed down as his jaw dropped in awe. Was that pale yellow mare really the same Fluttershy he knew?

Heck, even Chenoa had a hard time recognizing her own adoptive mother.

Feeling a little more emboldened by her friend's gesture, Fluttershy turned back to the dragon with a small smile.

"I'll, um…" the mare began, noticeably louder, yet still shy, "… take your silence as a yes."

"Uh…" was all Smokey was able to utter, still stunned by her appearance.

The bashful pony remained there, trailing the floor with a hoof and staring at the intricate patterns on the floorboards for a few moments, before she found herself moving forward completely out of her own accord. She glanced over her shoulder to find a small magical magenta aura encompassing her backside pushing her forth. A quick glare tossed up at her friends caused Twilight Sparkle to cease her magic with a slightly smug smile, but Fluttershy sighed and forced a smile up at the dragon.

Finally finding the ability to move again, Smokey rapidly shook his head to recollect his mental grip over himself. He was glad the costume was concealing the blush of embarrassment staining his cheeks. Uttering a quick apology and nodding to Fluttershy, he trudged upstairs - nearly tripping in the process - to grab the baby griffon and set her down on his companion's back. Smiling and lowering himself down on all fours, he and the mare left to embark on their walk to the Mareiot.

What the pair plus baby didn't know was that Rarity had already devised a plan to follow them into the restaurant and station themselves nearby in order to make sure nothing went wrong. While she and the others were going, they wished not to actually intervene but mainly observe.

As Fluttershy lead the way into the ritzier part of town, she grinned over at the child on her back.

"You know," she started, moving her vision to her draconic friend. "I've never been to the Mareiot before. I wonder what it's like. Are the ponies there going to be… rude and snobbish and snooty? I don't think I would like Chenoa being around those types of ponies at all…"

"Nor would I. As much as I appreciate Miss Rarity going through the trouble getting reservations to this place, I don't want any bad behavior impressed on Chenoa," Smokey agreed, casting a glance at the snow-pelted chick, who was busy analyzing the new scenery.

The pink-maned pegasus nodded once, turning her attention to other ponies, wondering if they were getting any looks… They were, or at least, she was. Feeling self-conscious again, reminded of the brief time she spent as a model, moved closer to Smokey - as the citizens seemed to just regard him with a gaze and then spend no further attention spare a second or two.

Either Rarity's skills were more than Fluttershy and Smokey gave her credit for… or they figured they really should be worried about the townsponies' obliviousness. He didn't even get so much as a second glance.

Smokey, too, noticed his friend was getting a few stares. He really couldn't blame them for looking; Fluttershy was gorgeous!

"You… look really lovely tonight," he finally said in order to break the awkward silence.

"… Thank you. You… well… you look handsome, too… At least, I think you look handsome, even under that… well…" She paused, lowering her voice so that ponies they passed couldn't hear as they came up to the Mareiot. "I really think it's a shame you have to go… like this. It's too bad you really can't be more… open."

He was rather surprised to hear that - and flattered to boot - , causing him to blush profusely. He honestly didn't of himself as handsome. Of course, being viewed as a fearsome beast could do quite a number on self-image and esteem.

"W-well… since I've been scaring almost everypony I cam across, I'm willing to do anything to prevent that," he answered in a hushed tone. Pacing ahead so he was the first to reach the double doors, he clasped onto one of the ornate handles between his teeth and pulled it open for Fluttershy and Chenoa.

"I know. It's a real shame. You shouldn't have to resort to this."

Thanking him for opening the door for her, she stepped inside and was greeted by a dapper looking grey stallion in a white shirt and red vest and carrying a pack of menus, the strap wrapped around his neck.

"Oh, bonjour, salut, and welcome to the Mareiot restaurant," he greeted with a bow. "Party of… three?"

"Yes. Just us," Fluttershy affirmed.

"I see. Very well! Would mademoiselle and monsieur prefer an indoor table, or a table out on the balcony?"

The disguised dragon looked to the waiter, noting the complete lack of snobbish behavior. He instantly felt a little better about being here, but he still dreaded the other customers and, of course, the prices.

"Actually, sir, we have reservations," he informed the stallion, recalling what Rarity had told him. "Should be under the names Fluttershy and Smoking… Willow," he finished hesitantly while peeking down at the tree shape superimposed over a wisp of black smoke branded on his costumes flank. If he was going under the guise of a pony, he might as well have a pony name.

"Smoking Willow…" The stallion turned to the reservation book, his eyes tracing the names scribbled down on the page. "Ah, yes, here we are! Fluttershy and Smoking Willow, as mentioned. For the… oh, I see a reservation out on the terrace. A most excellent choice."

Turning around, he gestured for the pair to follow.

"If you'll just follow me, si vous plait."

With that, he lead them further into the location, up a flight of stairs onto the second level of the building, and back outside. The terrace was a large outdoors balcony surrounded by shrubbery and all types of potted flora ranging from the local to the exotic. Some of them looked like they were even imported directly from Princess Celestia's personal garden! Leading to a rounded table with a reserved sign resting on the surface, it was laid out in an open view of the night sky, with the full moon shining down - which pegusi were beginning to cover with rain clouds. A candlebra was set in the middle of the table, though it was not yet lit. It was dim, but it wasn't hard to see thanks to the lights coming from inside and the streetlights below.

"I certainly hope that the environs are to your liking," the waiter said.

Smokey was close to tripping as he climbed the staircase, but quickly regained his footing before reaching the top. Focusing through the eye holes, he absorbed the vicinity of the terrace. It was very impressive! He especially found the brightly colored macaws perched on the small potted trees near their table beautiful.

"Very much so! Lovely birds… And the view is… incredible!"

The rosy-maned mare was also quite taken aback at the sight, her features brightening. Cutting back to the host, she nodded.

"Oh, yes! It's… it's very lovely."

"Very good!" The stallion beamed, pulling out menus from the pack slipped around his chest. "There's a children's menu off to the side, though I must say we don't often cater to young ones. Can I get either of you anything to drink as you make yourselves comfortable?"

"Oh, um…" Transferring Chenoa onto the table, she took her seat. "I'll just have a glass of water."

"Water? Certainly, mademoiselle. I'll even bring somepony bring a highchair over for the little one," he added. "And for the gentlecolt?"

"Erm. Water will be fine, sir. Thank you. And for our girl, too," Smokey replied as he slid into the chair across from Fluttershy. He lowered his vision to the menu in front of him, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets at the prices.

There was no way he was going to be able to afford to eat here…

"Very well. Somepony should be here with your drinks momentarily."

He gave a light bow and cantered off. As Fluttershy smiled, stroking a hoof over Chenoa's head, she turned her attention to the menu.

"Well, he was certainly n - holy guacamole," she exclaimed. "Wha… I've never seen anything this expensive…"

Suddenly, she wasn't sure if she should be grateful or incredibly flustered at her unicorn friend. How did she expect to be able to afford to eat here?

"Yes… I'm… Er…"

Smokey couldn't quite bring himself to suggest the option of leaving. Rarity had mentioned that getting reservations to this place were difficult and he didn't want to disappoint her.

"I… um… I suppose we can… work something out."

She compressed her lips, wondering exactly how they were going to explain this to the waiter.

Nearby, unbeknownst to either of them or Chenoa, Pinkie Pie sat - still in her dragon costume (though looking freshly washed, as if she had been forcibly bathed while still in it) - listening in. Gasping softly, she darted out from behind the shrubbery and dove off the balcony, onto the trampoline below, and landed on the ground where, in a display of cunning subtle movements, she silently displayed both front hooves in a brilliant sequence of code to convey the urgent message to her friend and fellow spy, Rarity…

… who was standing directly in front of her.

"Oh, Pinkie, just tell us what's going on," Rarity said, her voice at a controlled volume. She was right in front of her; did the pink mare really think she needed to utilize some sort of secret code the fashionista didn't understand?

"Oh! Fluttershy and Smokey are worried they won't be able to afford the bill! Fluttershy said the prices are extra-super-duper expensive! What are we gonna do?!"

Rarity looked to Rainbow Dash, then to Applejack, then Twilight Sparkle, and finally back to Pinkie Pie. She furrowed her brows in thought before her eyes lit up with resolve.

"We will have to catch the waiter and insist we pay half, but… we cannot have him letting Fluttershy and Smokey know we're here…"

"I can handle that," Twilight Sparkle stated. "I just don't know how we're going to be able to intercept their waiter without us-"

Pinkie Pie grinned, suddenly donning a waitress' uniform over the dragon costume.

"… Okay, no," the lavender alicorn deadpanned, staring at the curly-maned equine.

"I suppose we can always call him over," the alabaster unicorn suggested with uncertainty belying her intonation.

"I… suppose we'll have to," Twilight Sparkle mused, picking up on Rarity's doubt. "Unless anypony has a better idea?"

There was a pause.

"Ah certainly can't think of nuttin'," Applejack said.

Pinkie Pie - now enigmatically free from the uniform - remained silent, shaking her head. Twilight Sparkle gazed up, as she found the waiter through the window having made his way downstairs and was crossing over to the kitchens.

Chapter Forty-Three: We're Just Friends

"That's settled then."

Not wanting to waste any time and lose sight of the waiter, Rarity and the others trotted inside. Luckily, there was no one there to stop them in the front. They must be busy tonight, the unicorn thought as she sped up.

Indeed they were busy. With every single table that came into view occupied, it was no wonder she and her friends couldn't get another reservation. The waiter had disappeared into the kitchen by the time the mares were halfway across the room, so they waited by the entrance for the stallion to come out.

They didn't have to wait long, only a few minutes. As the stallion emerged with a tray on his back with three glasses of water - each of them including a straw with one noticeably thinner than the other two - , he paused as he nearly collided into Rarity.

"Errrm, oui, can I… help you, mademoiselles?" he asked.

"Pardon me, sir, but would you mind accepting half a payment from us for two ponies, Fluttershy and Smoking Willow? In case they don't have enough to pay their bill?" the alabaster unicorn requested.

"But don't tell them we're here," Rainbow Dash tacked on.

"I… well, certainly. I suppose I do not see a problem with it, but, if I may ask, why this… anonymous contribution?" he queried, arching an eyebrow. "Why-"

"Pardon me for interrupting you, sir, I'm sure you're confused," Twilight Sparkle interjected, before glancing at Rarity and then back to him. "But we really want to make sure our friends have a wonderful time tonight with each other. You see, we sort of… set them up for this, and we would feel just awful if they couldn't get out of a situation we put them in."

"Yeah! Fluttershy and Smokey - I mean, Smoking Willow just look so cute together! We really wanna give them a really good time!" Pinkie Pie insisted, leaning in rather disturbingly close to the waiter. "We didn't realize they'd probably wouldn't be able to afford this! Please, sir? Pretty, pretty please could you let us help?"

The stallion stepped back from Pinkie Pie's invasion of personal space.

"I… can't see why we can't work something out."

"Wonderful!"

Rarity beamed before her ears rotated, her attention drawn to a few musicians as they finished playing a piece for a nearby couple.

"And could you get them to play for our friends?" she added, batting her eyelashes in hopes of swaying the waiter.

The stallion gave a wavering smile, beads of sweat sliding down the back of his neck.

"Certainly, mademoiselle. I shall ask them immediately." He turned to the trio, two mares, one stallion, the stallion playing a harp with the two mares playing a horn and a violin. He whispered something in their ears as they headed away from the table, and with a nod from each of them they headed up the staircase. The waiter flashed a smile over to Rarity as he cantered back up to her. "Will there be anything else I can help you with?"

"No, thank you. We'll be outside when you're ready to collect our half of the bill."

As soon as the five mares pushed past the double glass doors of the establishment, Rainbow Dash grinned, resisting the urge to belt out a triumphant laugh. Such a noise would most likely carry itself up to the customers on the upper level - specifically Fluttershy and Smokey. Instead, she settled for a somewhat gentle slap on Rarity's back, which the unicorn let out a light, undignified yelp. She was tempted to reprimand the cyan pegasus, but decided not to. She was in a good mood.

A slightly smug smile tugged at the corners of Twilight Sparkle's lips, and Pinkie Pie thrust both forelegs into the air and released a cheer - or she would have, if Applejack hadn't shoved her hoof into the pink mare's mouth to muffle her, giving her a stern expression.

Back on the terrace, Fluttershy was still going over her menu. She held a grimace on her face - not because there wasn't anything appetizing, but because she still wasn't certain how she and Smokey would be able to afford the bill. In fact, she wasn't even sure if she was in the mood for anything at all.

She jumped with a gasp as music started unexpectedly playing near them. Whirling her head to the source, she saw that a trio of musicians had begun playing. She had been so engrossed in scanning the menu she hadn't even noticed them approach.

As the waiter returned with the glasses of water, he smiled as he slid the tray from his back and onto the table.

"Your drinks. Has monsieur et mademoiselle decided on their meal, or would they like a couple more minutes?"

Smokey dropped his menu to, at first, acknowledge the musicians. Even Chenoa ripped her attention from the colorful display of birds to watch the instrument-wielding equines in awe. As the waiter reappeared, he glanced back at the text and colorful photographs representing the restaurant favorites upon the menu. Holding a talent and interest in food, he naturally admired the pictures of artistic cuisines. Everything appeared so delicious!

Still, everything was pricey…

"Erm… we will need a few more minutes…" he finally said, anxiety over the possible outcome of their bill grating down on him.

"Of course. In the meantime, I'll have some complimentary bread brought to you."

The stallion then left to wait on another table. Sure enough, as promised, a few minutes elapsed and another pony swung by with a plate of a piping hot loaf of bread with a knife jutting out of the middle of it and a small dish of butter.

"Here ya go, hons," she spoke in a surprisingly southern accent, despite her refined, cultured appearance, then took off.

Reaching for the knife to cut off a slice, she met her companion's face.

"Oh, Smokey, what are we going to do? There's no way we're going to be able to afford this!"

Once the knife was passed to him, the dragon proceeded to cut a small slice and tear it up for Chenoa. He had been afraid of this…

"I do not know…"

The yellow pegasus sighed, taking a bite of her bread and wondered what the others would do in this situation. Twilight Sparkle would likely explain everything, and promise to acquire money as soon as possible, or to work in the kitchen. Applejack would offer to work off her meal. Rarity… well, Rarity wouldn't even BE in this situation to begin with, but even if she did Fluttershy had no doubt that her unicorn friend would turn on the charm.

That still left Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash…

Some of the birds were squawking and singing - and unbelievably, a few of them were actually doing so along with the music provided by the musicians. Blending in with the melody, it made for an enchanting - almost haunting - environment.

One bird in particular - a Catalina macaw, brilliantly colored in hues of red, yellow, green, and blue - didn't seem at all interested in joining in with the brethren of its fellow avian. Instead, it appeared more interested in examining everything else, taking to the sky and flying around the outer part of the terrace with a bored expression.

Surveying the ground below it, it paused as its view suddenly caught the most captivating sight it ever saw. A long, glorious, silky rainbow flowing in the breeze attached to a sleek sky blue body. With hearts in its eyes, it folded its wings to dive town towards his target, landing on the head with a series of excited squawks.

Rainbow Dash was oblivious to the large bird until she felt its weight upon her head. Ears pinning against her head at the obnoxious squawking, she rolled her eyes upward to see what was sitting on her. Most of the feathered creature was out of her vision, but she made out the head of a parrot-like bird. The pegasus shook her head, hoping it would fly away, not in the mood to play with it.

As the prism-maned pony swung her head back and forth, the macaw firmly refused to leave - even after being shook off, it circled around her head to land on her back and rub itself against the back of her neck.

"What in tarnation?!" Applejack exclaimed. "The hay is a parrot doing here?"

"Actually, that's a Catalina macaw," Twilight Sparkle relayed. "Also known as a rainbow macaw. It's a breed that comes from crossbreeding a blue-and-gold macaw and a scarlet-"

"Ah can't tell you how much more fulfillin' this situation is now that Ah can refer to our distraction by the proper appellation," the blonde mare sardonically replied. "Rainbow, we're gonna blow our cover if yew don't get rid of that bird!"

"I'm trying!" she snapped, shaking her head more vigorously. The bird squawked louder as she did so, his toes gripping her mane and flapping his wings to help him remain attached. "Get off!"

After succumbing to dizziness, Rainbow Dash ceased shaking her head and plopped down onto her haunches, magenta eyes rolling in their sockets. The bird's frantic screeching ceased, returning to the occasional squawking.

Applejack grunted, moving to wave her hooves at the macaw, swatting at it to drive it off.

"G'wan, git! Shoo!"

Squawking indignantly, the macaw finally flew off… but, by then, it was already too late.

Up on the terrace, Fluttershy lifted her head at the sounds of squawking and screeching. At first, she had tried to ignore it, since she didn't want to leave the table and seem rude - but her inner nature and love for animals drove her to get up and inspect anyway, peeking over the railing to sight the beautiful bird… and her friends on ground level.

As Applejack's eyes followed the rainbow-colored avian up, she paused as she locked eyes with Fluttershy… who didn't look particularly pleased at the revelation.

"Aw, fiddlesticks."

Smokey hadn't felt comfortable with the note in the creature's voice and was tempted to get up to check if it was in any trouble. Before he could, his friend had done so. Noting the macaw soaring back up to the balcony, he realized her attention was fixated on something else entirely.

"What is it, Miss Fluttershy?"

"We have company," she stated, her voice sounding somewhere between irritation and disbelief, narrowing her eyes and not once removing them from the mares. "The girls followed us here, Smokey."

It took a moment for Fluttershy's words to sink in. At first, he could hardly believe it, but the pink-maned equine had no reason to make it up.

"Why… would they even do that?"

She briefly glanced over her shoulder back at the dragon to shake her head in confusion, then returned her attention back to the others.

"Why did you follow us?"

"We wanted to make sure you two had a good time!" Twilight Sparkle called up.

"And ta make sure that everythin' went well," Applejack followed.

"And to cover half your bill 'cuz I overheard you might be broke!" Pinkie Pie contributed.

"Pinkie!" Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash reproved her in unison.

"What?"

Smokey shifted to Chenoa to check how she was doing on her bread. Seeing she was still sitting quietly and working on it, he remained seated.

"Darling, we really wanted to make sure nothing went wrong," Rarity said., taking focus off of Pinkie Pie. "You deserve nothing less than a perfect evening. A first date is important."

Rainbow Dash had been about to supply her thoughts, but the macaw returned and she subsequently attempted to shoo it away.

Fluttershy sighed as she looked down at them. Biting her lip lightly, her eyes went to each of them.

"You girls… I really appreciate what you've done, but… I wish you hadn't."

"What?" the pink party pony sputtered, falling over.

Rarity's eyes went wide, her jaw dropping.

"Fluttershy… why ever not?" she inquired, her and the others completely unaware that Rainbow Dash had just now resorted to running in wide circles in an effort to get the bird to leave her alone.

The feeling of needing to join Fluttershy's side in support mounted with each passing second. Sliding from his seat and plucking Chenoa from the table, he unfolded his wings and awkwardly hovered over to the pegasus. Sitting down while holding the squirming griffon in his arms, he peered over the side and gazed down upon the mares below.

"Don't get me wrong, I like the idea, but," the rosy-haired pony paused. "I really wanted this to be a nice, simple get-together. No fancy get ups, no makeovers, no expensive restaurants, just… me, Smokey, Chenoa, and an open field for a… quiet picnic."

"… Well, why didn't ya say something, sugarcube?" Applejack inquired.

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes again.

"I did. Several times. But…" Her mask of irritation melted away. "I really didn't want to hurt any of your feelings…"

"We appreciate the trouble you all went through for us, but we didn't mean for this to be a date. We're just friends." Smokey turned his head to the mare at his side. "We only wanted to spend time together like Miss Fluttershy does with any of you."

The small child in the draconian's hold chirped lightly, grasping his attention.

"And bond with Chenoa."

"I… we see," the lavender alicorn said. "Fluttershy, Smokey, we're sorry we imposed this on you. We didn't mean to come across as such. It's just…"

"The two of you are so cute together!" Pinkie Pie squealed. "Seriously! Just look at you two!"

Smokey was glad his face was covered up, as he could feel his cheeks glowing hot. He went silent, glancing over at Fluttershy then back at the five ponies.

"… Thank you?" he said in a nervous intonation.

Fluttershy blushed rather heavily herself.

"Oh. Uh…"

"You know, not really wantin' ta complain none, but this cranin' mah neck's beginnin' at make it a bit uncomfortable," Applejack stated. "Can we come up and join you up there? Or do you want ta come down and meet us?"

"We'll come down," Fluttershy responded, whirling back to Smokey. "They can't bill us if we didn't actually order anything, right? The water was free."

"Right. We will just explain the situation to our waiter. He should understand."

Spreading his wings again, the dragon bounced with every flap, the material covering them impeding his ability as he lead the way. Fluttershy followed him down the stairs, the waiter beginning to pass them upon reaching the bottom.

"Oh? Is mademoiselle et monsieur unhappy?" he questioned.

"No, no! Everything is wonderful, sir. We… Well…" Smokey paused to carefully consider his word choice. "We cannot afford to eat here… and we were kind of set up, so we had to come."

"Ah." The waiter blinked, looking surprised at this information. "I see. Yes. Very well then."

"Sorry," Fluttershy mumbled.

"It is no problem. It was a pleasure nevertheless. Regardless, we hope you have a wonderful night."

"Oh… thank you."

"Yes, thank you."

Both Smokey and Fluttershy were grateful the stallion had been so understanding, even if he appeared just the slightest bit annoyed. Placing Chenoa on Fluttershy's back, the dragon brought himself down on all fours to walk the mare out the double doors.

Chapter Forty-Four: A Startling Interruption

Exiting the establishment, Fluttershy and Smokey stepped into the presence of their friends - sans Rainbow Dash, who was still occupied in her attempts to shake the persistent macaw.

"We're so sorry about this," said Rarity, deciding to be the first to speak.

"It's fine." Fluttershy lifted her eyes to lock them with the unicorn's with a soft smile. "We know you were just trying to help us have a good time together. But, really, this…"

"We understand, Fluttershy." Twilight Sparkle stepped closer to place a hoof on her shoulder. "It was wrong of us, and we know that. You can forgive us, can't you?"

The pegasus' smile widened lightly.

"I already have."

"As do I. But, no matter how close Miss Fluttershy and I get, just remember we're only friends," Smokey reminded, grinning underneath the head of his costume.

"We promise not to bother you two about your relationship again," Rarity stated with a guilty frown gracing her features.

The dragon was about to say something else when a rumble erupted from his belly. After all, he was the only one out of himself, Fluttershy, and Chenoa who didn't help himself to the complimentary bread.

"I suppose we should get going," he suggested, turning to Fluttershy.

"Oh, goodness! You didn't get any of the bread?" The pale yellow equine frowned before a smile pulled at her lips as she began to lead him off. "Come on then. Let's go back to the cottage. I'll make us all something quick and light. How do sandwiches sound?"

"Sounds perfectly fine to me."

As the pair dispensed their goodbyes and left, Rainbow Dash finally returned to the scene not looking at all happy. Teeth gritting and left eye twitching with a disheveled mane and tail, her face was scrunched inward to signify her irritation. The mare fluttered past her friends and through the ornate doors of the restaurant with her forelegs outstretched in front of her, clasping the macaw between her hooves. Approaching a waiter, the cyan pegasus deposited the bird onto the empty tray on his back and turned around to exit without a single word.

Despite the late hour, Fluttershy found that the park was just as beautiful and lovely at night as it had been during the day.

In fact, she mentally mused as she stretched out on the blanket, now free of the garment that Rarity had made for her, it was even more gorgeous as the lantern they had brought cast its orange glow upon their surroundings, as the night sky was now covered with thick, black clouds. While the flowers weren't as diverse or as widespread as the flora back at the Mareiot had been, nor were there any colorful birds… or any music… the pink-maned pegasus found this to be far more relaxing.

Tilting her head at the dragon beside her, she gave him a tranquil smile.

"It's such a lovely night…"

"It is…" Smokey breathed, his eyes drinking in what he could see of the scenery. His own body was no longer donning the pony costume and the duct tape that had been holding down his spines had been removed. Thankfully, not much residue was left behind. Feeling the pull of his parental instincts, he lowered his vision to the griffon munching away at her baby food. "I'm glad we did this."

"I am, too. I really wanted to do this for some time… and, it feels good. To be together. The two of us. Alone. Well… with Chenoa, anyway," she giggled, shuffling over to nuzzle the chick and plant a kiss on her head. "And we don't have to worry about any unforeseen events."

The winged reptile smirked down at them, the familiar wash of warmth erupting from his chest at the display of affection. He scooted himself closer to the pegasus' side and reached over to brush his fingers over the child's cheek.

"You are right about that," he said right before a rather loud rumble of thunder reached his ears, startling all three of them. He whipped his attention skyward, the realization of what it was dawning upon him.

Jumping at the noise and immediately leaping behind Smokey, the pony also tenderly turned to the sky.

"Oooh no. No, no, no, no…" she whined. "No, not now. Anytime but now!"

It's all right. It's just a storm brewing," he reassured in a gentle voice as he drew the baby close to his torso. The small child whimpered, burying her face into his scales. "Perhaps we should pack up."

"I… I…" Exhaling a noticeably bitter sigh, Fluttershy walked around Smokey to do just that, reaching for the empty jar of baby food first and dropping it into the basket. "This is the third time something like this has happened…"

Smokey offered a sympathetic smile as he set Chenoa onto the grass and moved the lantern and basket to help Fluttershy fold up the blanket.

"We can still have a nice time inside. Besides, it's not like this will be the only time we'll be doing something together."

"True. We can. I was just hoping we could do something outside, finally." The mare shook her head, placing the folded up blanket into the basket on top of the empty plastic sandwich wraps and bottles. "You're right. There will be other chances…"

"Spring just started a week ago," he prompted in a playful tone. Scooping up the white-pelted griffon as she was about to wander off, he held her in one arm while he gripped the basket's handle with his free hand to carry.

Another clap of thunder - a louder one this time - rolled overhead, accompanied with a flash of lightning that cut across the horizon a mile or so away. The heavy scent of wet earth and vegetation filled the air as the wind picked up. Chenoa shook her head as she felt a single drop touch her cranium, and attempted to paw at the area afterwards. Almost instantly, the rain came down in a sprinkle.

"Okay, let's get going before it gets worse."

"Eeek!" the equine squeaked out as the thunder blasted over the area. Shivering and huddling closer to the dragon, pressing her side up against him. "I know, but… I really, really, really don't like storms. The thunder and lightning scare me."

Not wasting any time, she spread her wings and began to flutter off towards her cottage.

Making sure Chenoa and the basket were secure in his hold, Smokey curled the tip of his tail around the lantern's handle and broke into a run behind the pegasus. The rain gradually came down harder and harder, completely soaking all three of them by the time they reached the shelter of their destination. Closing the door behind him with his tail, he set down the lantern, basket, and griffon, a puddle forming at his feet from the excess water dripping form him, the child, and items.

Shivering, both her mane and tail dripping, Fluttershy turned around to face Smokey with a small smile - before chuckling and reaching down to pick Chenoa up in her hooves.

"Oh, you poor thing, you're completely drenched! Why don't we get some towels." She kissed the chick and spun around to direct herself to the linen closet. "You're probably cold, too. Mama doesn't want her widdle baby to get sick!"

Chenoa chirped, pressing her wet body against her mother's chest. Before Smokey could follow the mare, Ross hopped up to his caretaker, facial muscles contorting to convey his worry. The dragon gave a disarming smile to show the rabbit that he, Fluttershy, and Chenoa were fine. He was glad his animals were spending the night due to the scheduled storm that apparently slipped their minds. Even though he was certain their fellow leporidae and avian friends would've provided shelter for them, he felt far more at ease with them remaining in the cottage for the duration of the storm.

As a satisfied smile tipped the bunny's furry lips, he bounded off to join the rest of the critters. Smokey, however, stayed where he was, preferring not to spread the mess around Fluttershy's floor. He would wait for her to come back with towels.

It did not take her long to return with a few towels - one already wrapped around Chenoa. Handing two more to the dragon, the pegasus settled down on the couch to dry the griffon off.

"Maybe we should get a fire going? It is a little chilly in here…"

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea."

Smokey briskly dried himself off. Mentally noting the running mascara on the equine's face, he fought the urge to chuckle at the sight of it. Wiping his feet and dropping the towels over the puddle beneath him, he strode over to the couch.

"You still have that makeup on your face, my dear," he reminded her with a playful half smirk.

"Oh?" Fluttershy blinked up at him then fluttered over to the nearest mirror, the child in her arms. "Oh! … Oh, my…"

She frowned. It would have to wait until she got a fire started. Placing the baby back down onto the sofa, still keeping her in the towel, she went about getting a fire going. Even though spring had just begun a week ago, it was still coming off the heels of winter. As such, the rains were still quite cold, and if she didn't get them warm soon…

Within minutes, a fire was roaring away, and Fluttershy stepped back to let out a small sigh.

"Smokey, could you watch Chenoa real fast?" she asked her companion as she trotted into the kitchen to wash her face.

"Of course."

Sitting himself down on the floor in front of the couch, he brought his hands to the baby to stroke her soft down and baby fur. His ear frills perked as the whistles of the wind picked up into howls, thunder clapping and lightning flashing. The pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof and windowpanes increased in volume and frequency, some even falling down on the fire through the chimney - but, not enough to put it out.

Another yelp leaped from the kitchen as the thunder roared again. It didn't take long for Fluttershy to wash up, wandering back into the living room with all the makeup that had occupied her face now completely removed. Climbing onto the couch, she settled down near Smokey. Glancing over at him, she smiled softly. As thunder crashed again, she huddled up closer to the dragon, as if to protect herself from the storm.

The reptilian had been about to comment on how much nicer she looked now that her face was free from the makeup, but concern interrupted him. Picking up Chenoa, he rose up onto his feet only to sit down on the couch. He turned on his rump so he was directly facing the mare. Shifting the wriggling child into the arm right next to the back support of the couch, he extended the other to the equine in a gesture for her to come closer.

Fluttershy crawled over to partially climb onto his lap, resting her head against his chest. She let out a sigh, feeling a great warmth from his body through his scales.

"… You're warm. Must be the fire inside your belly."

"I would be surprised if there was still any in there. I… haven't breathed fire since… since the… incident…" he admitted with a tiny blush, though it was hard to distinguish in the dim lighting.

As a louder crack of thunder shook the skies, Smokey allowed Chenoa to leave his arm and press into Fluttershy's torso, body trembling in fear. The draconian furled his now free arm around the both of them, purring gently in reassurance.

"Oh… I'm… sorry. I… didn't mean to… bring up any bad memories."

The winged pony raised her forelegs to wrap them around Chenoa to hold her closely, moving her head in the crook of her reptilian friend's arm, partially resting her head on his chest while sinking into him. Closing her eyes and listening to the crackle of the fire compounded with the heavy downpour of the rain outside was… actually calming.

"It's all right, Miss Fluttershy. You hadn't intended to."

Keeping one arm furled almost protectively around the pegasus and griffon, Smokey touched the other hand to the mare's cheek to lightly stroke it comfortingly.

"You know," he began, tactically changing the subject by deciding to bring up what he was going to say earlier about her appearance. "As stunning as you looked with the makeup on… you don't need it. You have more than enough natural beauty."

She felt her cheeks glowing hot with his compliment. Drawing her forelegs up, she buried her face into Chenoa's down - as she could no longer hide behind her mane in its current style.

"I… Um… Thank you," she murmured, embarrassed and yet touched.

Smokey smirked, indulging in Fluttershy's cuteness as he always did. He decided to keep it up, anticipating a further reaction.

"I also prefer your mane in its natural state," he tacked on, his claws reaching for the tie that held the mare's mane up. Gently pulling it loose, the long silky locks fell. "That's better."

Letting out a soft "eep", she blinked as her mane cascaded back down to its natural style. Gazing back up into Smokey's eyes over Chenoa's head, she smiled. She had actually been getting a bit used to it, though she had to admit she preferred wearing her hair long. She wasn't sure how Rarity had been able to tie it all back to begin with.

He was about to apologize for startling her, if he did so… but he was derailed as his eyes met hers. Her large, expressive blue-green pools shone through the dim atmosphere, the reflected oranges from the fireplace flickering and dancing about like fireflies.

The dragon said nothing, just gazing into her eyes, his own closing halfway as he fell into a trance. All he did was trace his clawed fingers over her soft cheek, a glowing warmth blooming in his breast.

Locking her eyes with his, she gazed back into his own large emeralds… the reds of his scales illuminated by the fire and giving a lovely contrast. Subconsciously leaning into his hand, she felt her face flush with heat while her heartbeat quickened. She felt a sense of… yearning, but she wasn't sure why.

Chapter Forty-Five: Guy Time

A couple of days passed after the incident with the not-quite-disastrous-but-still-awkward "date" and Twilight Sparkle had suggested to the others that they amend the situation by taking Fluttershy to day out on the town. A sort of ladies-day-out, just the six of them.

"… What do you mean I can't come?" Spike whined with wide eyes, having been hoping to further his attempts in wooing Rarity.

"Well, Spike, that's sort of the point of a ladies-day-out," Twilight Sparkle explained, as she and the remaining mares were getting ready to leave the library. "It's generally something that involves only ladies."

"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie giggled. "And you're not a lady, Spike!"

The dragon sighed, eyes downcast.

"Yeah… but… you girls almost always go off and do things together, and I have to stay here and look after the library! I mean, I don't really mind, but… it's not fair!"

"Um… you know…" Fluttershy spoke up. "Smokey's not coming along. He's at the cottage looking after Chenoa. This would be a great time to see him and spend time with him. You two could do a guy's thing together!"

Spike lifted his head, face lighting up. He hadn't even thought of that.

"That's an excellent idea, Fluttershy," said the purple alicorn, grin spreading across her visage. "Why don't you go ahead and take the day off, Spike? And go and see Smokey? I'm sure there's a lot the two of you could talk about!"

"You really mean it?" he asked and received an affirming nod from Twilight Sparkle. Grinning, the young reptile threw his fist into the air and sprinted out. He already had an idea in mind for what he and Smokey could do - assuming the older dragon was even willing to hang out.

Smokey was cut across the living room of Fluttershy's cottage after the small griffon. After Chenoa had figured out how to pull her diaper off, she had made a habit out of doing it almost constantly. Before she would relent and allow her parental figures to put it back on, she always started a chase, giggling and frolicking all the while.

Angel sat in the center of the living room with his paws crossed over his chest, the tiniest of smirks playing at his furry lips. Though he had grown to tolerate the chick, his resentment towards the dragon had grown. At first, he had been fond of the idea of Fluttershy getting out more and leaving him with more personal time. But now, he developed a jealousy over him and the attention his caretaker was lavishing onto him that he believed belonged to him. Seeing the draconic being struggle with Chenoa brought him satisfaction.

Once the sound of knocking rang through the room, both draconian and griffon halted, bringing their attention to the door. This temporary abeyance gave Smokey enough time to scoop up the baby before answering.

"Hey there, Smokey!" Spike smiled up at the much large dragon. "I, uh… hope I wasn't interrupting anything. The girls are having a day out and I was bored and… I was sorta wondering if you wanted to hang out.

"Fluttershy kinda gave me the idea."

The baby parted her beak, dropping her diaper onto the floor only for Smokey to bend over and pick it up with his free hand after shifting her into one arm. He shook his head as his eyes lit up at the idea of spending some quality time with Spike.

"You weren't interrupting anything. I would love to hang out! Chenoa would have to come along though," he said, tilting his head downward at his child. "I hope you don't mind that."

'Oh, no, that's fine. Chenoa won't be a bother at all! Heh."

Spike didn't often get to play with young ones such as himself. He had handled Chenoa a couple of times, but he was still excited to see the little one - possibly out of the sense he was still, technically, a baby.

"I see she's getting into the resisting stage," he mentioned, recalling something he read while helping Twilight Sparkle study about babies when the mare had intended on possibly assisting Pinkie Pie when she was watching the Cake babies for the first time. The alicorn's habits had rubbed off on him slightly. "… I think."

The small dragon shook his head.

"Anyway, I was thinking about finding some gems! Maybe we could make Rarity and Fluttershy a necklace or something!" A brief pause. "And, the… other girls… too… I guess."

Smokey smirked, tempted to call out the smaller dragon's crush on the alabaster unicorn, but decided it wouldn't be very nice to embarrass him. So, he shifted the conversation back to the subject of the child.

"Indeed she is. Since when did you know so much about babies," he questioned, arching a curious brow.

"Eh, Twilight's been rubbing off on me," Spike admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. "Kinda happens when you've been the number one assistant to a studious pony all your life. I was helping Twilight read up about babies when she was preparing to help Pinkie take care of the Cake babies some time ago. 'Course, turns out her help wasn't needed at all, but… y'know. Hey, just in case, right? Who knows, maybe Twilight might have a foal of her own one day. If I'm still living with her by then.'

"Maybe," said the winged draconian as he adeptly slid the diaper back on the griffon. "I am sure the help of Uncle Spike would be invaluable to Miss Twilight."

"Uncle Spike, huh? I like the sound of that! Anyway, as far as I know, she'll grow out of it eventually." The lavender dragon shrugged again. "About my earlier suggestion. How would you like to go gem hunting? A ruby snack sounds really good right about now, and I know Fluttershy doesn't keep many precious stones around here."

"Certainly! That sounds like fun!"

"Awesome! I know a great place where there are piles of 'em all over the place underground!" Spike turned around, but stopped. Remaining still, he lost himself in thought for a second, but then shook it off. "Naw, Rarity drove 'em off. I doubt they'd still be there…"

"Miss Rarity drove who off?" Smokey asked with a hint of concern.

"Oh!" Spike blushed lightly upon realizing what he had just uttered, meaning to only keep his last sentence to himself. "Uh, there was this group of mangy mutts called Diamond Dogs underground below the field where Rarity and I were searching. They kidnapped her and I ran to get help, but by the time I brought the others to rescue her… she… pretty much rescued herself."

Smokey blinked as he shut the door behind him. Hearing a click coming from the lock and assuming Angel had locked the door, he allowed his fellow dragon to lead the way towards their destination.

"Really? Now how did she do that?"

"From what she told us, she used her feminine charm on them. But, Pinkie later told me she just whined at them until they did whatever she wanted them to do." Spike snorted, following it with a laugh. "Seriously. Rarity? Whining? Could you imagine such a thing?"

"Actually…" Smokey grinned, chuckling at the mental image of the fashionista whining her way out of the clutches of shadowy canine figures. "Yes, I can."

Spike was a little irked, but decided to slide it off. Now that he thought about it, Rarity could be vocal about matters at times. It wouldn't surprise him if it tended to work more often than not, as she probably only resorted to it as a last measure. The only occasion that came to mind was when he… wasn't quite feeling like himself.

Smokey became concerned at the silence. Judging by Spike's facial expression, he guessed he wasn't pleased with his response. Did he say something wrong? At that thought, he began to grow anxious.

"Something… wrong, Spike?"

The younger dragon seemed to snap out of it as he shook his head.

"Hmm? Oh! No, I was… just thinking… Have you ever had a day where you… didn't feel like yourself?"

"Well… yes, but… hasn't everypony had a day like that?"

The scarlet reptile's query was more of a knowing statement than a question, but he still felt the need to verbalize it. He knew his animals had off days of their own, and not just himself.

"Yeah, but… It's not everyday something like that happens, but it's also not everyday you… um…" The purple dragon gave pause, kicking at a pebble in the dirt path. "This may sound personal, but have you ever greed-grown? I mean, you got so greedy you literally changed because of it?"

Smokey's eyes grew round for a quick moment, reverting back to their normal size after the aforementioned time lapse and leaving a look of puzzlement on his face.

"Erm… no. I am guessing this is another thing dragons do?"

Spike nodded.

"Yeah, it's supposed to be a rare occasion if not raised properly, from… what little I understand. Apparently, if greed grows in a dragon and is left unchecked, they'll grow up to be really big in a short period of time… and…

"… Bad things happen."

Smokey nodded in acknowledgement. Why was Spike so sensitive about this topic, he wondered.

"Spike… did… you witness this at the dragon migration?"

"No. I lived it."

While he was uncomfortable with it, he steadily admitted that during his last birthday he had gotten a bit more grabby and covetous than he liked. He did grow up big and strong like he always wanted, but he had found as his avarice grew, he became more mindless and bestial… until Rarity, of all ponies, managed to snap him out of it.

Smokey was surprised, to say the least. Spike - this sweet little dragon had actually succumbed to greed? The red-tinged dragon was finding it hard to believe.

By the end of the recollection, he put on an expression of empathy.

"That… must have been difficult to cope with…"

"It was," Spike said. "And it's not something I want to go through again. I'm just really thankful Rarity was able to bring me back to my senses. If I hadn't, I…

"… I don't know what I would've done."

The larger dragon frowned, his heart going out to the child.

"You poor little guy…

"How long did it take for the ponies to accept you again?"

"That's what blew me away! Once everything was explained, they brushed past all that and they forgave me without any problems!" A pause. "Most of them did, anyway. Twilight and the others did. So did Cheerilee. And Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.

"Now that I think about it, it was probably more like a week or two, I think. I don't know, I didn't really go out much after that. It wasn't very long. Even Mayor Mare and Princess Celestia gave me an official pardon. Whatever that is."

"A pardon is letting somepony off the hook," Smokey informed, smile returning to his face. If Spike had been forgiven just like that, then perhaps… he had a chance to fit in with the rest of the town after all!

"Really? Huh. And here I thought it meant something else. But, yeah. I was really sorry, and I did have to apologize to everypony. I made sure to help with the clean up and rebuilding when I could. Or, whenever Twilight tossed me outside to keep me from moping over what I did."

A small chuckle managed to slide out of Smokey.

"I'm glad everything turned out all right."

He wondered what else Spike thought a pardon was, but decided not to ask.

"Yeah, same here," Spike stated, before realizing that, as they conversed, they had arrived at the area he and Rarity had originally been digging at when she had gotten foal napped. "Wouldja look at that! Already here! I was so caught up in talking, I wasn't even paying attention to how far we were!"

"Nor was I! Since we're here, let us get started," the red-scaled dragon recommended as he shifted Chenoa into his other arm, waiting expectantly for Spike to explain how to hunt for gems.

Chapter Forty-Six: Kidnapped!

"Findin' gems is actually pretty easy, even if you don't have a gem finding unicorn with you. Basically, you gotta learn how to detect them by smell, and each one has its own scent! Here, I'll find a few and dig 'em up so you can smell for yourself!" Spike paused, lifting his nose to the air and taking a few whiffs. Wandering around, he found a spot, and using his tail as a shovel, unearthed a small number of gems. Gathering a pile of four, he brought them over to Smokey and handed him a fine looking ruby. "Here ya go! Try it!"

"Alright." Bending over and lowering his snout to the gemstone, Smokey took a couple of sniffs. At first, he didn't get much, but after a few more smells, he was able to detect the ruby's scent. Suddenly, something in him clicked on. He may have been pony raised and lack the many mannerisms dragons possessed, but he still had one thing: the inherited taste for precious stones. The red-scaled draconian could feel his chops begin to salivate a little bit, and pulled back before giving into his newly discovered urge. "I think I got it!"

"Awesome! They might all smell the same, especially being so close together - they kinda do after a while, but you'll learn to tell which one is which." Spike tossed the taller dragon the ruby he used to test his sense of smell with. "Go ahead, have a taste! They're delicious!"

Catching the stone in his free hand, Smokey stared down at it with uncertainty and lifted his eyes back to Spike.

"Are you sure you do not mind me eating the gem you dug up?"

"Not at all!" the lavender dragon assured with a wide grin. "These gems aren't exactly rare. Ponies sometimes give me some. I even gave Rarity the fire ruby I was planning to eat as my birthday dinner."

"Really? I thought rubies were too precious to just be given away… But, if you insist. Thank you, Spike!"

Parting his jaws, Smokey lifted the gemstone to his mouth and bit down. He was surprised how strong his teeth really were. Never, would he have thought they were powerful enough to break and grind up precious stones! Crunching on the bite he had taken, he put his taste buds to work. Just as astonishingly, it was absolutely…

Delectable!

Taking one of the other gems he had dug up, Spike tossed it up into the air with practiced skill, where it flipped a couple of times before it landed right in his mouth. Gulping it down without even chewing it, he sighed happily.

"Ahhh… Exquisite! Yeah, rubies and other gems are precious… but, they're plentiful! And, they help us breathe fire better!"

Smokey ceased chewing, his eyes widening and his pupils narrowing into thin slits. Gulping, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Did… did you say… breathe fire better?"

Spike blinked with an expression of confusion.

"Yeah. Gems act as a natural fuel source for us, powering up our flame breath and giving us the ability to shoot hotter and larger flames for longer periods of time."

The larger draconic being felt an unpleasant shiver crawl up his spine as the haunting memories of the flaming curtains in the orphanage flashed through his mind.

"… I… see…"

This time, it was Spike's turn to look concerned.

"Is something wrong?" he asked his companion. "You're looking a little pale."

The scarlet dragon really didn't want to talk about his bad childhood and ruin the mood, but he didn't want to lie to his friend and state that he was fine. So, he compromised.

"Just… bad memories."

"Ah. Yeah, I understand," Spike said with a nod. "Hey, if anything, flame breath can be hard to control at times. I remember I accidentally set fire to a lot of things when I was younger. Thankfully, Twilight is a good teacher."

"Miss Twilight… knows how to help control a dragon's fire breathing ability?"

Now there was an idea! Maybe he could ask the alicorn if she wouldn't mind giving him a few pointers… if he wasn't so terrified of setting something on fire, that is.

"Yeah! I had to learn the hard way by myself, but Twilight was there to help me learn. And so was Princess Celestia. Mainly more the princess than Twilight, but Twilight certainly learned and we went over things together when I practiced my flame control. It was more of a discovery through the two of us I could use my own body as a way of sending and receiving letters!"

"I still find it difficult to fathom that you know the princesses," Smokey stated with a smile.

"Heh, yeah, it IS amazing when you think about it. Twilight was Princess Celestia's personal student and protégé, and the one who hatched my egg during her entrance exam. And it was Princess Celestia who raised me while teaching Twilight, so…

"I guess," Spike continued after a couple of seconds. "In a way, you could say Princess Celestia's like my mom. I… never knew my actual parents, and Twilight's more of a sister to me than anything."

Smokey's ear frills drooped as a blanket of sorrow descended upon him.

"Oh. That is unfortunate…" He paused, debating on whether or not to inform Spike that, he too, was parentless. After another silent moment, he decided to go for it. "I never knew my parents either."

The baby dragon's eyes went wide in response.

"Wha - really? Whoa, I… didn't know." There was another lapse before he perked up again. "You know, that… actually doesn't surprise me much. When I temporarily joined the dragon migration, I didn't see any baby dragons at all. The youngest I saw were teenagers, and they looked like they were already on their own. Maybe dragons are just… naturally abandoned at birth?"

"Maybe… but…" Smokey smiled, his sadness reducing into belying currents as images of his animals, Chenoa, and Fluttershy popped into his head as if to reassure him. "I do have a family, even if it's not made up of dragons. I… Really, it's hard not to see you as a little brother."

"You mean that?" The young dragon couldn't help but feel a warmth within him from hearing Smokey admit that. "Because I feel like my friends are my family, too! Twilight and Princes Celestia mostly, but even my other friends I can see as sisters!"

"Yes. They have rubbed off on me as well. They are all such wonderful ponies. I couldn't have asked for a better family," Smokey said, setting the wriggling griffon onto the ground so he could begin gem hunting - while keeping an eye on her, of course.

Spike nodded, going back to search as well. Utilizing his nose, he was able to detect several small pockets of gemstones in which he dug up without a problem.

As he and Smokey worked, a dark and foreboding presence nearby observed them digging. Three sets of beady yellow eyes gazed out from the cover of thick bushes.

Spike, Smokey, and Chenoa were all oblivious to the newcomers, dragons digging into the earth for gems, tossing what ever they found into a pile - the larger pausing in intervals to turn an eye to the baby. The child was enraptured by the shiny stones, her tiny eagle paws batting at them curiously.

While the two of them toiled throughout the morning and close to noon, the creatures in hiding growled and murmured among each other.

"Wasn't that the little dragon that was with that pony?" one of them spoke.

"Durr, yeah. Yeah!" a second voiced.

"Shhh! Quiet, they'll hear you!" the first hissed.

"Grah! Those little ponies ruined everything!" the third growled.

"We're not gonna worry about them! We're gonna wait until those dragons get more gems! And then we steal them for ourselves!"

"But… they already got a lot. Why not just steal them now?"

"Because we want them to get MORE!"

"Yes, more is good! Eeeheeheee!"

"Shhh! Quiet!"

"Hmm?" Spike ceased his digging and stood up straight, thinking he heard voices. "… Something there?"

Smokey turned his head to his friend with pricked ear frills.

"I didn't hear anything."

The smaller draconian shrugged and went back to his work.

A pause later, the first voice hissed at the second, "You idiot! You nearly gave us away!", following with an audible smack.

Again, Spike stood up, turning on his heel into the direction of the voices.

"I definitely heard something. I'm gonna check it out real fast, alright?"

As he headed towards the bushes, the first voice growled again.

"Oh, now you done it! He's coming this way!"

"Grah! Fine! We just get 'em now! ATTACK!"

Spike was only a few paces away when the three creatures - mangy, filthy bipedal canines burst out from the bushes. Screaming, the baby dragon fell backwards as one of the dogs, bag in hand, leaped over him to begin scooping gems. The largest of the dogs immediately rushed at Smokey with the intent on distracting him and prevent him from getting to Spike as the third dog - the smallest one - took him on.

Spike didn't take long to recover. Rolling aback, he jumped up onto his feet and stomp on his opponent's foot, before head butting him in the stomach as the canine retaliated with a swipe from his paw.

Smokey's first instinct was to get to Chenoa and protect her, but he found himself face-to-face with the large, muscular canine. Furrowing his brows, he threw all of his weight at his foe in a shove.

The baby didn't seem worried. In fact, she hardly even noticed they were under attack. Possibly due to the fact she had buried herself in the pile of gemstones.

The leader of the trio soon swept up the remaining gems into the back with a couple more scoops. Hoisting it up and slinging it over his shoulder, he called out to his companions.

"I got da gems! Let's scram!"

The largest dog broke away from Smokey and retreated with his leader. The smallest, had smacked Spike to the side and moved in to punch him - only for the dragon to roll out of the way and attempt to release a small stream of flame at him. The mutt had just barely avoided getting burned when the call to retreat was sounded. He needed no further incentive and turned to flee.

"Whew…" Spike breathed, wiping off his brow as he watched the diamond dogs run. "That was close… Hey! Those were the same diamond dogs that attacked me and Rarity!"

Whirling around to Smokey, he ran up to the larger dragon.

"You okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?" Waiting for a response, he glanced over to where their pile of gems used to be, crestfallen. "Awww, man! They stole the gems!"

Smokey was about to reply that he was fine, but his words died in his throat and his blood turned to ice at the news. Spinning around, he found that the stones Chenoa were hiding in were gone! His heart stopped then picked up speed as the panic of a parent who lost their child rushed through him.

"Ch… Chenoa…! NO, THEY HAVE CHENOA!"

Almost instantly, Smokey turned back around to give chase, extending his wings and using them to speed up.

Spike sighed, at first relieved Smokey wasn't hurt - though that relief was short-lived at the realization that the diamond dogs had the baby.

"Say what?!" he exclaimed, before running after his friend. A lack of wings and far shorter legs meant the other dragon was able to very quickly outpace him, and he struggled to keep up with his larger companion.

Chapter Forty-Seven: Rescue Mission

Meanwhile, at the spa, the six mares were being given deep tissue massages, their bodies melted under experienced hooves. After finishing a lengthy conversation about Rarity's upcoming line for the season, the purple-maned unicorn questioned Fluttershy on how things were going with Smokey and Chenoa.

The addressed mare lifted her head, almost half-asleep. Eyes lolling lazily, she smiled at her blissfully.

"Things are going absolutely wonderfully. Smokey is doing splendidly with Chenoa… He's an incredible father."

Spike and Smokey found themselves in a field of filled holes where the diamond dogs had made their escape. Vent out on the verge of delirium, Smokey was on his knees and sobbing over the kidnapping of his child.

"I am the worst father ever!" he wailed.

"Smokey… Hey - hey, Smokey, calm d… SMOKEY. SMOKEY!" Jumping up and extending his arm up to grasp the larger dragon's ear frill, he used his free hand to smack him across the face. "SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Letting go and allowing himself to drop to the ground, he sighed, partially glaring up at his friend.

"You can't blame yourself for what happened. I blamed myself for not being able to save Rarity, but we can't sit here and beat ourselves up about it! We just have to go down there and save Chenoa!"

Ceasing his blubbering, Smokey couldn't decide whether he should be more surprised that he had been acting so pathetic or of the fact that Spike actually struck him. He soon discarded both options and nodded, pulling himself to his feet.

"I'm sorry, Spike. You're right…" With a look of determination, he surveyed the piles of dirt surrounding them. "Let us look for the pile of dirt with the most loose soil. They've most likely gone down that particular hole."

The baby dragon nodded once, seeing the reasoning behind Smokey's words. Examining the loose piles of dirt, he spotted one that looked like the freshest of upturned soil. Hopping up onto it, he twisted his tail around in a corkscrew fashion and span it around.

It appeared unorthodox, especially with it reached a high speed… and yet, somehow it made a particularly effective drill as Spike began to dig straight down.

Smokey stared, blinking, as Spike drilled his way down. It was unusual, yet effective! Either way, he was pleased the small dragon was so useful in their plight. He would make sure to acquire extra gems for him later…

It didn't take long - a few minutes, but soon the dirt had been cleared away to reveal a long tunnel that descended into darkness. Good timing, too, Spike felt. The tail-drill he had utilized proved to be a bit of a strain and he was feeling a little drained.

Grinning from ear frill to ear frill, Smokey jumped in… and accidentally flattened Spike in the process. Sitting on his rear and the smaller dragon, the red-scaled reptile scanned the area blindly as his eyes adjusted.

"Spike? Spiiiiike!" he called out. "Oh, don't tell me you've been captured, too!"

Frantic muffled noises sounded out from directly underneath the significantly bigger draconian. Of all things to find himself buried under, another dragon's bum wasn't exactly what Spike had anticipated.

Feeling the smaller dragon squirming underneath him, Smokey instantly lifted himself up. Helping Spike to his feet, he profusely apologized and dusted his scales off.

Upon looking back, the purple dragonling would be grateful that - at the time - he was at least facing down. Glaring up at his friend, and spitting out a mouthful of dirt, he shook his head to clear it as he dusted his hide.

"Pweh, pweh," Spike spat, ridding his oral cavity of the rest of the dirt. "Warn me next time you're gonna do something like that, will ya?"

"I'm sorry, really. That will not happen again, I assure you," Smokey said, brushing the last bit of soil off the baby dragon's scales. "Let us just find Chenoa and leave."

"Yeah, yeah." Once both pairs of eyes adjusted, the dragons paused, finding that the path branched off in several directions. "So… Uh… Which path do we take?"

Rover, the medium-sized pitbull, grinned, whirling around and falling back against the tunnel wall.

"Heh heh heh… Good work, boys!" he complimented, dropping the bag - and their unknown captive. "Those two dopes didn't even know what hit 'em!"

"Heh." Fido, the brawny mastiff, smirked as he cracked his knuckles. "That big dragon wasn't so tough."

"Nyeh." Spot, the small bulldog, sneered. "That little one put up a decent fight, though. When'd he get skilled?"

"Eh, you're just a wuss," Fido snerked. "Can't even handle a baby dragon."

"H-hey! You take that back! I could've handled him!"

"Chya. Wuss."

"Oooh, you just wait! If I ever see that little puke again - I'll trash him!"

"Calm down," Rover snapped. "We got the gems, didn't we? Another job well done. Let's just relax or something. All that fightin' nearly wore me out."

"Fighting?" Fido repeated, furrowing his thick brows. "You weren't fighting at all!"

"Hey, somedoggy had to carry the bag! And those gems were heavy!"

Fido smirked in a challenging manner and swiped the dirty sack, lifting it up and down to test its weight.

"It doesn't feel heavy."

"That's 'cuz yer a lug! 'Course it wouldn't feel heavy to ya. A boulder wouldn't feel heavy to you!" Rover responded.

"Oh yeah…"

The large canine blinked in realization and dropped the sack… right on Rover's foot. Rover's eyes shot open wide, and he jolted straight up. Face twisted in a grimace, he released a long, loud howl of pain.

"AW - OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!"

Not too far off, Spike and Smokey shifted their attention down the tunnel where the echoing howl originated from.

"Hey! You hear that?! That sounds like them!" Kicking it into high gear, Spike lead the way down the path. "This way!"

"Sorry," the bigger dog apologized, just now noting what he had accidentally done.

"You idiot!" Rover snarled, hopping around on one foot while clutching onto the one that had been crushed underneath the weight of the sack. "You moron! You imbecile! You dope! You could've given us away!"

"We're already several feet underground!" Spot interjected. "Who's gonna hear us?"

"Will youse shut yer mugs?! Do ya's want da cavoin at cave in?" came a high-pitched male voice emanating from the inky blackness several yards deeper into the cavern.

"Aaaah, shut'cher yap!" Rover snipped in indignation. The little runt who addressed them was just an annoyance, as far as he was concerned. The cavern wouldn't fall on them! The structure was sound! "This here's solid as a rock!"

He gave the wall he had been leaning against a hard smack to prove his point.

He then received a small stalactite to the head for his trouble, much to his painful chagrin… and to the remaining dogs' everlasting amusement.

Spot, Fido, and the shrill-voiced diamond dog still cloaked in the shadows laughed for a few short moments. Once the laughter subsided, the hidden dog emerged from the darkness to reveal that he was actually no taller than Spike. His musculature and largeness of the snout that he was of the bull terrier breed. His coat was dyed a very light warm gray, and the spot over his eye was a rich dark chocolate brown.

"Rover, ya numbskull," he chuckled with a smug grin.

While he and the other canids were distracted, the baby griffon stowed away in the sack of gems wriggled her way out and toddled off, completely oblivious of the situation.

"Owww…" Rover groaned, rubbing his head.

"Heh heh… Too funny," said Fido.

"Whatever," the pitbull-like dog snorted, curling up on the ground, his head still smarting. "I'm just gonna lie down here."

"I don't think so. Da boss wants to see youse guys," the tiny canine informed, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Eh? Oh," Rover groaned, getting back up. "What's he want?"

"Dunno, but best not ta keep him waiting," Fido stated, lumbering past the bull terrier. "C'mon, let's go."

"He wants ta know why ya didn't make dis week's quota," the small dog replied as he turned around on his heel to lead the way deeper into the cavern.

"But, Rex, we just made this week's quota! We got it all in that bag back there!" Rover thumbed over his shoulder, not bothering to look behind him and subsequently not noticing the chick wander off. "We were working hard just gathering it for him all day today!"

"Den he wants ta know why ya haven't made it on time," Rex elaborated, his brows sinking as he continued on.

"Oh, uh, yeah, that! We got a good reason. We, uh…" He reached to smack Fido upside the head. "Why are we late with da boss' quota?!"

"Hey, don't look at me!" the brawny dog snapped. "You're the pack leader here! This was YOUR responsibility!"

The bull terrier smirked to himself. This was going to be good.

As they entered the main chamber, they stopped before a massive pile of assorted gemstones. A single canine sat at the very top, clad in a blue denim vest and a few golden necklaces dangling from his neck with the most prominent chain connected to a medallion in the shape of a "T". Judging by the black and brown markings, broad face and muzzle, and thickness of body, he was rottweiler-esque. But the puffs of curly hair on his joints, the ends of his ears, and upon his cranium molded into a mohawk suggested he was part poodle.

Rover gulped, clearing his throat. He tried not to let his nervousness show - and he wasn't entirely successful at it.

"Um… Hey there… Boss."

"Hey, Boss! I got the guys youse wanted!" he called up at the dog atop of the gem mountain.

Attention stolen, he stuffed the pink diamond he had been engrossed in admiring in his breast pocket and slid down the slope of the heap of precious stones. As his feet touched the ground, he stood tall, crossing his arms and glowered at the trio expectantly.

"You turkeys got some explaining to do."

"Um, yes!"

Rover knew the boss wasn't the type of individual one wanted to get on their bad side. Not unless one wanted a serious decking - and he and the others knew well he was quite capable of pulling it off. He had seen him bend iron bars in half, and rumor had it he had punched out a shark!

"Well, you see, we were gathering up your gems, Boss! We had just gotten the amount you wanted when… when… Fido here lost them!" He pointed over at the brutish member of the trio. "Wasn't even looking as the gems tumbled down into a ravine! We tried to save 'em, Boss, really we did, but we couldn't! We got more, but that made us late!"

"Mr. T-Bone don't want excuses. Mr. T-Bone wants gems," the burly canine responded firmly, the intonation in his voice enough to even make his own right paw dog shiver a little bit.

"Er, yes, Mr. T-Bone!" A nervous grin spread itself across Rover's jaws. "Not to worry! We got the gems! They're right-"

He turned to Fido and Spot.

"Where are the gems?"

"Back where we left them!" Spot said.

"Right where we left them!" Rover spun back around to face Mr. T-Bone. "We'll just go back and bring them right over!"

"Youse guys are dumb enough not ta pick up a sack of gems?" Rex asked rhetorically.

Rover, Fido, and spot whirled around to go fetch the bag, deciding it best not to answer.

Chapter Forty-Eight: Unintentional Chaos

"… And he also cooks really, really well," Fluttershy finished, coming off of gushing over Smokey. "And Chenoa! Oh, I haven't even begun on her. She's such a sweet baby, and so adorable. She's Mommy's little angel - oh. I mean, not Angel bunny, but, Chenoa is so well-behaved and so pleasantly mannered! She's such a good girl!"

The aforementioned griffon chick was happily wandering around the tunnel system, exploring to her heart's content while unintentionally slipping underneath the detection of any diamond dogs she passed. While her scent had been detected by a select few, it had been carelessly written off as a mere gopher's.

Turning around a bend and heading deeper, she passed another small group of the canines transporting mine carts. The tiny creature's attention was soon stolen by a bright light originating from a headlamp that had been discarded on the dirt carpeted floor. She was drawn to it like a moth, eyes wide with wonder… and her body casting a large and abstract shadow upon the wall where the beam of light was shining.

Taking notice of the shadow, the dogs abandoned their work as they were overcome with shock and terror, thinking that some beast had found them. Running around, shouting in several keys, one of them eventually crashed into one of the mine carts… and sent it rolling down a steep slope.

Rover, Fido, and Spot paused in mid-step, ears twitching as various screams coming from one of the tunnels reached them.

"What's going on down there?" Rover muttered, mostly to himself.

"Sounds like screaming," Fido answered.

"I can HEAR that!" A short lapse passed and he turned to the other two. "Well? What are you two waiting for? Go check it out!"

Fido and Spot nodded, departing to do just that with Rover bringing up the rear. All three of them were nervous, hearing the tonality in the screams, but they were curious. In case there was anything dangerous, Rover was ready to run, and he was certain his two comrades would slow down any beast and enable him to make a safe getaway.

Spike and Smokey rambled through the winding tunnels, searching vainly for the lost child.

"Did you hear that, Spike? Sounds like somepony's in trouble," Smokey said, his ear frills flaring and perking into the direction of a separate tunnel in another fork.

"Yeah, I hear 'em! … Should we go help?" Spike queried. He knew that their priority was finding Chenoa, but perhaps if they helped whoever was in trouble, they might be helped in return.

"Maybe we should… I would be the right thing to do," the scarlet dragon stated, his intonation giving away that it was evident that he was fully focused on finding his baby. "Maybe they will help us after we help them."

"That's what I was thinking!" Spike proclaimed as he and his friend dashed down the tunnel where they heard the screams echoing from. "And, hey, if we're lucky, we might even find Chenoa there and not have to worry about getting any help!

"… I just hope she's okay…"

"So do I…"

Smokey permitted his anxiety to show on his face, his scaly features scrunching and brows arching to express his worry for his little girl. If something were to happen to her, he didn't know what he would do… What would Fluttershy say? Would she ever forgive him?

As the two of them emerged from the tunnel, they paused at the entrance of the next chamber. Eyes going wide, Spike extended an arm to point.

"Ack! Smokey, look!"

Screaming diamond dogs running around like chickens with their heads chopped off, they were blindly flailing about helter-skelter, knocking into things and colliding into each other. It was complete pandemonium!

"What do you think's got THEM spooked?" he asked his companion.

"I don't know, but we'll find out once they calm down."

They watched idly as the canines continued running amok, going absolutely nowhere and often repeating the same paths. Smokey sighed as he observed a dog scamper past him screaming at the top of his lungs like a girl.

Spike blinked, an expression of bafflement, concern, and yet amusement. The canines not showing any signs of calming down just yet, he considered taking a page from Pinkie Pie's book and relax in a lounge chair with a bag of popcorn. Since he had neither the ability to spontaneously summon such chair or popcorn, he contented himself with merely leaning against the tunnel wall.

While the sight was indeed amusing, they were wasting time. Reaching out to grasp a passing diamond dog by the scruff of the neck, Smokey pulled him back towards him to face him.

"What is going on?"

"Gaaah!" the diamond dog shouted. "Big! Horrible! Ugly! SCARY MONSTER!"

Surprisingly, the canid didn't seem to care that he was being held up by a dragon.

… At first. Gazing into the reptilian's sea green eyes, the realization of WHAT he was being held by dawned upon him, and then started panicking even worse.

"GaAaAaAaAhHhHhHhH! DRAGON! DRAAAGOOOON!"

Not wanting to get hit by the dog's thrashing appendages, Smokey released him from his grip and let him run away. Even these canines were afraid of him. If it weren't for the fact that he was so set on finding Chenoa, he may have been upset.

Wait… Did he say…

"Monster?"

"That's what I heard him say!" the diminutive dragon told his larger counterpart. "You don't think Chenoa's…?"

He gulped, glancing further into the caverns, and the chaos that was running rampant through them. If Chenoa was really in there, AND a monster… Things were going to be far more difficult than they thought!

"No!"

Smokey refused to even think about the possibility that Chenoa could already have been eaten by the said monster. Spurred by an even more prominent desire to find her, the red-scaled dragon disposed of the idea of helping the diamond dogs in favor of finding his child and took off into another fork in the road.

The baby dragon hesitated only for a moment. While part of him did want to help the diamond dogs, a bigger part of him wanted to find Chenoa. It didn't take him long to remember that it was due to the canines that they were down here to begin with, and he was off after Smokey, hoping fervently nothing bad had happened. Even he wasn't sure how Fluttershy would take it if anything happened to the chick.

He certainly didn't want to find out.

Smokey weaved through the tunnels at high speed, but not too fast so that Spike would lose him. By the time he put on the breaks, he was at a crossroad and in the middle of the intersection was a sack of gems. The same sack the trio they encountered above ground possessed.

This time, Spike was actually able to keep up relatively easily. As he spotted the bag in front of the other dragon, he skidded to a halt next to him.

"Hey, isn't that…!" he gasped, but already knew the answer, and was practically on top of the bag to yank it open and peer inside. Within seconds, he lifted his head. "She's not in here!"

This announcement made Smokey's blood run cold all over again. If Chenoa wasn't still in the sack, then she was wandering around all alone with a monster on the loose!

"Do you see any footprints anywhere?" he inquired, already scanning the dirt around the bag.

Spike bent down closer to the ground to examine it.

"There!" he exclaimed, pointing. Sure enough, lightly embedded in the dirt was a set of tiny tracks leading away from the sack. The darkness made it difficult to discern, but they were visible.

The winged reptilian precipitated himself to the row of dirt consisting Chenoa's footprints. Analyzing and acknowledging that they matched the griffon's, he rocketed from his spot to follow them.

Spike was nearly knocked off of his feet when Smokey bolted off again. Stabilizing himself, he rushed after him, arms pumping and praying that Chenoa was safe.

Some distance off, Fido was the first of the trio to turn the corner and yelped as he saw the beast that was terrorizing his fellow canines. The shadow cast upon the wall was large and imposing - frightening even - causing him to jump back. Gazing over and around at Spot, the much smaller dog grunted.

"Yow! Didja see that?! What the heck d'ya suppose THAT is?!" Without really waiting for a response, he poked his head around the corner again. "Hey, wait a minute… Dat's not a monster at all!"

"You're right!" Fido proclaimed, pointing a finger at the source of the shadow, and revealing the creature's identity…

It was a white-pelted griffon chick, chasing after her own little tail while squealing with mirth.

"It's a baby griffon! Wait till Boss sees this!"

The pitbull inserted himself between his two companions, rubbing his hands with a grin.

"Heh, oh, the look on his face will be priceless!" Wandering out from the corner, his previous fear now completely gone, Rover sauntered over to the baby, holding his hands up to ready them to snatch her up. "Ain't you an adorable little brat. You've caused a lot of trouble…"

Ceasing her antics, Chenoa tilted her up at the dog closing in on her. She recognized that pose… It matched the same one Smokey used before catching her when it was time to take a bath. Did he want to chase her?

Since she was too young and innocent to understand his true motives, she decided he did. Letting out a giggle, she kicked it into gear and dove between his legs and out of reach.

Rover was alarmed when the baby just moved right out of the way and between his legs. Bending over to gaze between them, he immediately spun around, eyes snapping open.

"Gah! She's getting away! Stop her! Stop her!"

Fido and Spot joined in the chase, twisting and turning, diving and swiping at the child as they neared her. One dog pile later, she was rendered helpless as she fell over onto her side laughing.

"Quick! Get her!" Rover commanded.

Try as they might, the diamond dogs couldn't catch her. Despite their size and strength, Chenoa was too quick and slippery for them - being able to nimbly duck under and dash between their legs, laughing and squealing the whole time. Though, eventually…

"Gotcha!" Rover hollered as he snatched her by the sides, hoisting her up. "Alright, you little brat, you're really gonna get it now!"

A pause.

"So, what do we DO with her, boys?"

"Ehhh, let's take her to da boss," Fido spoke up. "Maybe he'll know."

"Right, let's go," said Spot as he and Rover waited for Fido to retrieve the sack of gems and quickly left.

Chenoa squeaked and flailed her legs in an attempt to escape, but with no avail. Halting her movements, she just allowed the canine holding her to carry her. She had her fun, and maybe they will let her have more fun later.

The three of them, baby in hand, made their way back to the main chamber. Smirking, Rover raised his arms to hold up the baby out to the top dog's direction to show him what they had found.

"We got yer gems, Boss. And we found THIS little runt sneaking around and causing problems. What should we do wit' it?"

The expression of befuddlement on Mr. T-Bone's face was priceless once he got an eyeful of the child. Where did it come from? Why was it here? How did it even get down here? Before he could open his mouth to voice a reply, another one of his right pawed dogs entered the room from a path behind the massive gemstone pile.

"Oh, my goodness! It's adorable!" he gushed in a rather flamboyant lisp, clasping his paws together. Unlike Rex, he was of normal stature, with wavy golden-yellow fur and flopped over ears, giving him a golden retriever appearance. A long silky blue scarf was wrapped loosely around his neck and was wearing a pair of black framed glasses with rectangular lenses.

Rover suppressed a groan. He never much cared for this pampered poodle of a diamond dog - even though he wasn't a poodle at all.

"We don't know where it came from," Rover said.

"No idea how it got down here, Boss," Spot added. "But, that was the monster everyone was running scared of! One of the headlamps was casting its shadow against the wall, and that was what was freaking everyone out!"

Mr. T-Bone did find that rather amusing. Rex and the dog clad in the scarf especially as they barked out a few laughs and clutched onto their guts. By the time they were done laughing, the taller dog leaned in towards his boss.

"Can I keep it?"

Mr. T-Bone appeared positively surprised at this request, but nodded anyway.

"Just keep the kid outta trouble."

Chapter Forty-Nine: Brothers in Arms

Rover rolled his eyes, sighing lightly. Well, whatever. So long as the griffon wasn't in their hair. He was about to whirl around and head off when…

"UNHAND HER, YOU CREEPS!" a voice hollered out.

The diamond dogs craned their necks, confused - and spotted two angry-looking dragons standing at the entrance of the main chamber, the smaller pointing in a defiant (if somewhat clichéd) manner from his position next to the older.

"PUT HER DOWN!" Smokey commanded in a no-nonsense intonation, his eyes glowering threatening. His usual sweet and gentle nature was all but tossed aside, allowing his parental instincts to take control if it meant getting his daughter back.

First, this baby griffon, and now dragons?! Standing tall, the top dog crossed his arms, his gaze sharp and uncompromising.

"Who are you?"

Spike puffed out his chest in an effort to look intimidating, which he failed.

"Your worst nightmare," he said. "Now hand over the baby, and no one gets hurt."

The muscular dog scrunched up his nose, an amused laugh emanating from his throat. Were they serious? He took out creatures bigger than both of the dragons. Though… did this griffon chick really belong to them?

"You serious? You think you can just barge in and make demands, hotshot?"

"That griffon is my child! I want her back!" Smokey proclaimed, narrowing his eyes a little.

So, the kid did belong to the dragon, Mr. T-Bone surmised. However, the scarf clad canid had other ideas.

"Prove it. Make her call you 'daddy'," he demanded.

Wait! That wasn't fair! Smokey never even heard Chenoa call him by his parental name. How was he going to accomplish that? Well, he might as well try.

"Come on, Chenoa. Say 'daddy'!"

"Baba," the chick replied with a wide grin.

The baby dragon blinked, his own defiant pose deflating at the diamond dog's command. He hadn't expected this at all. Biting his lip, he glanced over at Smokey then at the child.

"C'mon, Chenoa, you can do it!" he encouraged.

"Chenoa, say 'daddy', or 'dada'! Please say it," the scarlet draconian pleaded with desperation in his voice.

Spike gritted his teeth. His eyes were wide, glancing from Chenoa to Smokey and back.

"Please… Please…" he whispered, closing his eyes and crossing his fingers. "C'mon, Chenoa…"

"Ummm… Ummm…" Chenoa hummed before blowing one of her raspberries at the diamond dog holding her, tiny specks of saliva dotting his lenses. The action welled up a current of irritation, despite the amusement of the rest of the canines.

If the situation weren't so stressing, Smokey would've found it funny, too. Instead he continued to plead to Chenoa, his voice sounding more and more desperate.

The canine in charge kept his gaze fixated on the dragons. Judging by their facial expressions, he was beginning to believe that the baby did belong to them. Still, the little one didn't refer to the red winged reptile as her father.

Spike bit his lip again. This wasn't working. This wasn't going to work. Opening his eyes and noticing that he wasn't being watched at the moment - the diamond dogs' eyes on Smokey, the younger dragon formulated a plot in his mind.

It was a huge gamble. He wasn't sure if he should even risk it. But, maybe, if he dove for Chenoa, he might be able to get her out of the dog's arm and make a run for it. Though… No, no, he might hurt her. He couldn't take that chance.

The knot in Smokey's stomach tightened with each minute that passed. After several minutes, the white bundle still hadn't accomplished her given task. In an attempt, he lunged at the diamond dog holding his daughter with intentions on snatching her back.

Two more canines launched themselves at him, holding him back. He struggled against their grip, surprised at how strong they were compared to him.

"Let go of me! I am not leaving without my child!"

"Well, it looks like that settles that," Gregory chuckled as he cradled the chick in one arm with a triumphant smirk.

Smokey wasn't about to give up his child… even if he lost a bet. Clenching his teeth, the dragon utilized his draconian strength to wrench himself from the guard dogs and sprang at Gregory. Almost instantly, he was tackled to the ground by another canine and soon found himself literally underneath a dog pile.

"Smokey!" Spike cried out. Despite his significantly smaller size and his reduced strength compared to his larger companion, he jumped onto one of the dogs to try and pry him off Smokey. Once he found he was unable to even budge him, he decided to go for another method.

It might have been underhanded. It might have been unsavory. It might have been disgusting, but there was no arguing that sinking his teeth into the tail of one of the dogs was surprisingly effective in causing him to jump up and knock a number of his compatriots off of his friend.

The dogs that had been knocked off the pile turned to investigate what had caused the first dog to unintentionally smack them off. Analyzing the beating red on their comrade's tail, they turned their focus onto Spike with maligned growls.

Spike, for his part, didn't back down. He had faced three diamond dogs before by himself for Rarity's sake - and, had it come to it, he would have faced a thousand had he must. Gritting his teeth and balling his fists, he was just as determined to protect his friend and the baby - almost daring the mutts to come at him.

Mr. T-Bone watched in amusement, his body relaxed against the pile of gemstones. Several of the canines around a couple dozen feet away from Spike took up his challenge and lunged at him at once, resulting in another dog pile. Smokey grunted and groaned as he tried to physically overpower the dogs still on top of him, but that didn't work. Their combined strength was too much for them. Pausing and panting from the exertion, the red-scaled dragon resorted to a different tactic. He whipped his free tail around, slapping the canines on him with the pointed tip.

Sounds of a whip cracking and howls of pain reverberated off the walls of the cavern. One-by-one, the diamond dogs hopped off of Smokey, not wishing to receive another stinging whip to their furry hides.

Spike had taken in a breath to try and breathe a blast of flame - though, his cunning plan had been nipped in the bud when a diamond dog tackled him and knocked the breath out of him. It didn't stop the baby dragon from attempting to kick and claw at the dogs that piled onto him.

Pushing himself to his feet, Smokey threw his tail at any diamond dog that dared to tackle him again. Once the canines in his vicinity were down, he went to pile drive the few dogs on top of Spike. However, he wasn't free for long. More canine sentries poured in from the tunnels connected to the chamber. Yelling out, the larger dragon was shoved off his feet again.

As the diamond dogs continued to hold Spike down, the lavender dragon inhaled as deep a breath as possible. Unable to produce a great deal of flame still due to the fact his stomach was still hurting from the earlier tackle, he nevertheless was able to billow out a decent amount of greenish smoke.

The surrounding canids coughed as they inhaled the tiny reptilian's smoke. Backing away and standing in place to cough gave Smokey the distraction he needed. Kicking out, he removed the canines off of him and rolled forward onto his feet to headbutt more canids away from Spike.

The baby dragon crawled out from the rest once Smokey had headbutted a few off, the others still coughing and unable to see through the cloud of smoke.

"Thanks. Now-"

He was cut off as several more encompassed them. Instead of piling on them again, the canines revealed they were armed with long, sharp, and deadly looking spears that they pointed at the two reptiles as they circled them.

Spike gulped, tilting his head up at Smokey now with a hopeless expression.

Eyes growing round at the sight of the pointed spears, Smokey circled his tail around Spike as if to protect him. He vainly searched in every conceivable direction for something… anything that may aid them in their plight. Wings outstretching on their own accord, it finally hit him.

"Spike, hold on tight!"

Spike was a bit confused, though as he glanced up at the bigger dragon and taking note of his extended wings, he understood. With a look of apprehension, he hopped up on his back and held on for dear life.

Smokey took to the air in an attempt to fly over the guard dogs and confront Gregory. His plan wasn't successful. Several of the diamond dogs drop their spears to leap up at the dragons. A couple of them managed to grasp onto the end of the older draconic being's tail and both of them were subsequently pulled back to the ground and surrounded with spear-wielding sentries. Narrowing his eyes as he and Spike rose to their feet, he threw his elbow at one of the dogs gripping his tail.

Eyes wide, Spike jumped forward at the other canid holding his friend's tail, only for Spot to spring in his way. Not to be deterred, he took a swing, catching the small bulldog in the jaw, and proceeding to toss punches at each other.

Though it was a good show, Mr. T-Bone was quickly growing irritable with the fighting. He figured the best option to stop it before someone actually got hurt was to hand over the baby.

"Gregory, just give the kid back."

Right when the addressed dog was about to complain, Chenoa soiled her diaper right on cue. The canine holding her wrinkled his facial features in disgust at the foul smell. Extending his arms at their full length, he turned his head away in a sad attempt to escape the scent.

"Never mind! Take her, please!"

As Spot bashed Spike up against the wall, the dog raised his leg to knee him right in the chest. Spike reached up to slug him in the jaw again, and, elbowing him the stomach, he twisted himself around to flip him over and onto his back. It was about then that the baby dragon gave pause, lifting his head to witness Chenoa mess her diaper.

"Ha! Yes!" Spike cheered, relieved that they were getting her back.

Spot grunted, punching Spike once more, with enough force to send him flying off and clear the distance between them and the second dragon to land beside him.

Seeing Spike endure such punishment inspired heavy concern in the larger dragon. Wrenching himself from the canine pair he had defeated, he knelt down to the ground to check on him.

"Spike! Are you all right?!"

Spike was a bit battered, a few bruises lining his face and upper body where he had been smacked around, but aside from that he was mostly dusty.

"Yeah, I'm fine. We're tougher than we look, don't worry," he answered, though he winced lightly as he picked himself up. "Ow."

"Ya sure don't look tough, chubby-cheeks," Rex stated with a smug smirk.

"You leave him alone," Smokey challenged with a sharp leer.

The stench wafting from Chenoa was becoming more prominent with each passing minute. Finally, breeching the point of toleration, Mr. T-Bone snapped at the scarf-wearing canine.

"Gregory, give them the kid. It stinks!"

Gregory didn't need to be told a third time. Still keeping the griffon at arm's length from him, he approached the dragons and offered her.

"Please take her! I can't stand it anymore!" he begged, his lisp making the situation more comical.

Smokey was bewildered they were just giving his daughter back without any further quarrels. Even the trio they had encountered earlier and any surrounding guards were gagging and pinching their sensitive noses.

"Take the kid and git!" the top dog commanded.

Smokey just stood there, staring at Mr. T-Bone in a stunned silence.

Spike narrowed his eyes, but though he was bruised up, he wasn't actively bleeding. Which was a bit of a surprise, but he wasn't going to say anything about it. Even if tears of pain were pooling in his eyes.

Bleeding or not, it still hurt. He was going to save face. He had to be tough, he believed.

"C'mon, Smokey. Let's just… take her and go. We got what we wanted. Let's get out of here already."

"Take the kid now. I'll throw in some gems and we can forget all this happened," Mr. T-Bone offered, wanting the smelly child to leave his territory as soon as possible.

"Really?" Smokey was quite astonished at the generous offer. In a manner of seconds, his sea green orbs were drawn to the pink diamond nestled in the canine's breast pocket. That would make an excellent present for Fluttershy… "Even that pink diamond?"

Mr. T-Bone was hesitant to let such a valuable treasure go just like that, but he inevitably gave in. Fishing it out, he tossed it over where it landed at the foot of the red draconian. Nodding to Rex, he silently ordered him to fill the sack with gems and give it to the reptiles.

Spike had to admit to himself this wasn't exactly the outcome he had been expecting. Not that he was complaining. He certainly wasn't looking forward to being the one to flatten filthy mutts. It wasn't as if he would have gotten in over his head to the point where he would have been a liability more than an asset.

Eenope. No sir.

Still, as the bag was filled with gemstones, including the pink diamond, he couldn't help feeling the satisfaction of making out like bandits offset his disappointment exponentially. Flashing his best "pleasure doing business with you" smile to the diamond dogs, he gazed up at Smokey as the little guy lifted the bag - visibly struggling to carry it.

Sharing the same satisfaction with Spike, Smokey gladly accepted the little chick. Despite the fact she still didn't smell very good, that didn't stop him from nuzzling and kissing her head.

"I'm sooo glad you're okay, sweetheart! Daddy was worried sick over you!" he crooned to the squealing and babbling infant.

Taking notice of Spike's struggle, he cradled Chenoa in one arm and picked up the sack with the other hand.

"Let us get going. We've been gone for a while."

"Gladly," Spike said, eager to get out of these dark, dank caverns. Making an about face, the young dragon was in such a hurry to leave he had forgotten the way they came. "Hey, uh, I just realized something. I didn't mark the tunnels with anything to tell us where we'd been… Did you?"

"Uh… I did not," Smokey responded, eyes scanning the ground for footprints belonging to them or the diamond dogs they followed. Unfortunately, the ones he sought had been covered up by other prints that appeared identical.

T-Bone sighed with a shake of his head.

"Gregory, show 'em out."

"You got it, Boss," he said tentatively, not too thrilled at the fact he would remain with the baby longer. Striding past the dragons, he proceeded to lead them into one of the exiting tunnels.

"I pity the fool who has to deal with that kid. I pity them."

Chapter Fifty: Worry

Thanks to Gregory, it didn't take long for him to lead the dragons and griffon chick back to the surface. Spike was thankful, as even he was beginning to gag from the pungent odor emanating from Chenoa's diaper.

"Oh, man! That really reeks! She's gonna need a good bath before her diaper change…" Casting his eyes skyward, he noticed the sun had sank much lower, just a short distance above the horizon. "Whoa! It's that late already? Oh, jeez, we'd better get Chenoa back home before Fluttershy gets worried!"

"If she already isn't worried. We've been gone for hours!"

The red dragon was beginning to dread a confrontation with Fluttershy and the others - but predominately Fluttershy. Spike had bruises covering his scaly hide and that was definitely going to raise questions.

His stomach was one big knot by the time the cottage was in view and his anxiety was shooting through the clouds. He could see the pale yellow pegasus tending to her bear friend, giving him one of her massages by pounding her hooves savagely into his back. Swallowing hard, his mind drifted, imagining the bear being replaced with himself… only the mare wouldn't be giving him a massage…

He couldn't bring himself to make up an excuse. Just the thought of making up a reason other than the truth made him feel bad. No, he had to tell her the truth. After that… would Fluttershy even approve of taking Chenoa out with him again?

"Now then." Fluttershy fluttered around to the bear's front after she finished up. "Just continue doing what you've been doing, and make sure to drink plenty of water. Same time next week?"

The bear grunted with a smile and a nod.

"Alright, I'll go get you something to eat."

She turned around, and spotting the three of them, she stopped and gasped.

"THERE you are!" The mare glided up to them. "I was beginning to get worried! Where were you?" Plucking Chenoa from Smokey's arm, she sniffed once and her nose scrunched up. "Oh, phew! You're stinky! You need a diaper change."

"Heh. Yeah, she's been needing one for some time," Spike chuckled.

The mare gazed at them in disapproval.

"Why didn't you take the diaper bag? How - oh, my goodness! Spike! You're HURT!"

"Nah, I'm fine," the baby dragon said, but winced. He was in a bit of pain, but nothing he couldn't handle, he thought - though, Fluttershy was already examining him. "But, well, the reason we didn't take it is because we didn't think we would be out so long."

"What happened?" she questioned, before tilting her head back to meet Smokey's eyes expectantly.

"I, uh… We…" the larger draconian began, his words dying in his throat from the amount of nervousness. Taking in a deep breath to somewhat calm his nerves, he tore his eyes away from her and lowered them to the ground. "W-we… h-had a-a r-run-in w-with some g-gem-hoarding d-dogs…"

He paused for a few seconds, still not meeting Fluttershy's gaze, fearing her reaction.

"Ch-Chenoa w-was p-playing in o-our g-gems a-and th-they m-managed t-to t-take h-her a-along w-with th-them. W-we w-went u-underg-ground t-to g-get h-her b-back."

Fluttershy gasped.

"Oh… oh! Oh my! What-"

"It was my idea, Fluttershy," Spike admitted. "I wanted to take Smokey along to dig up some gems and show him a common ground between us as dragons. We didn't expect the diamond dogs to just appear and steal the gems and kidnap Chenoa! We're sorry, really!"

"It's okay."

"Please don't be mad at - wait, huh?"

Fluttershy gave them both a warm smile, relief glowing upon her features.

"The three of you are back safely, and-" A quick glance at Spike. "Largely unhurt. That's what matters."

Smokey was about to apologize for his self-accused blunder when Fluttershy deemed everything was fine. Eyes growing wide, he whipped his full attention on her with a stunned expression.

"R-really? E… even after a-all that h-happened?" he stammered. "I thought… th-that maybe… y-you w-wouldn't want me t-to take Chenoa o-out again…"

"It wasn't your fault Chenoa was taken. Besides, you were able to rescue her. Though… it would be a good idea she's safely watched, so something like this doesn't happen again."

Frown tipping his maw, the dragon dropped his eyes to the ground a second time.

"I… I suppose… you don't want me watching her alone again, right?"

"No, it's not that," Fluttershy said, shaking her head. "I just don't want her anywhere someplace dangerous. She could have been hurt. YOU could have been hurt. I-"

She paused.

"She's so little. And… well… those diamond dogs aren't like… creatures in the Everfree Forest. They're… um… well…"

"Sapient?" Spike contributed.

"And dangerous, especially in large numbers," the pegasus added softly.

Supremely relieved beyond words, Smokey dropped the sack of gems and lurched forth to wrap his arms around both Fluttershy and Chenoa. He definitely underestimated her kindness. He never anticipated that she would forgive him so quickly like she had just done. Tears of bliss speared from his eyes, nuzzling the pony's cheek with a lengthy purr.

Fluttershy squeaked, giggling as she nuzzled him back.

"Um, Smokey, we… we really need to clean Chenoa up. She's going to get a rash if we don't."

"Yeah, and I'm beginning to feel like a third wheel here," Spike said. "I'm just gonna get goi-"

"Oh, no, you couldn't possibly!" Fluttershy insisted. "Not without at least looking you over, first!"

"I'm fine! Really! I've gotten worse falling down the stairs. Hey, you live with an alicorn specializing in magic, you're bound to get more than a blackened face at some point. I'm just glad these scales are as thick as they are!"

Releasing the equine and griffon from his hold, he cast a quick grin down at her then turned to Spike.

"I think you should let Miss Fluttershy look you over."

"Yeah, all right. At least Twilight will feel better knowing I was looked over." The baby dragon sighed. "Sometimes I think she thinks I can't take care of myself."

"You are a baby dragon. Though, you did a fantastic job back there. It was very heroic of you," stated Smokey with a wide grin directed at him.

Spike couldn't help but blush, running a hand over the back of his head.

"Heh… Aw, shucks. It was nothing. I mean, anypony could've done that. Probably pretty stupid of me to have done it to begin with."

"That does not change what I said," Smokey chuckled with a playful smirk. "Taking on somepony stronger and older than you probably wasn't a good idea, but it was still very brave of you."

"Yeah, I guess. Twilight won't be happy, though."

"You did it to save Chenoa, didn't you?"

The baby reptile turned to Fluttershy, who was now fluttering just above his head.

"What?"

"I said you did because Chenoa was in trouble, right?"

"Yeah! Of course. I'd have done it for anypony."

"Then I'm sure Twilight will understand." With a giggle, she leaned forward to plant a kiss on the head. "I do."

And with that, she whirled around and glided into her cottage to give Chenoa the attention she needed for her diaper issue - but not before pressing a similar kiss on Smokey's cheek.

A shade of blush staining Smokey's cheeks the instant she kissed him, a swell of a glowing warmth spread from his chest. The gesture also sent an energetic charge through him, but he restrained himself.

Sighing, he and Spike followed the pegasus inside, ready to assist with Chenoa.

After Chenoa was thoroughly cleaned and changed, Smokey gazed out the open window where the bear was patiently waiting for his snack. Chucking the dirty diaper into the diaper disposal pail, he turned to Fluttershy with a questioning glance.

"Miss Fluttershy, I was thinking… would you mind teaching me how to massage animals? You have so many and… I would like to help you."

"Oh? Sure, of course!" The mare trotted into the kitchen to grab a bag of treats. "Mr. Bear's already done for the day, but I can certainly teach you. It would be my pleasure!"

Telling him to wait for a second, she flapped outside to give the ursine his treat and sent him off. Returning and putting the treats away, she moved back over smile at Smokey.

"Shall we begin? I'll let you practice on me."

"We can start after we put Chenoa down for her nap, and…" He drifted off, glancing back at the bruised dragon. "Looking over Spike."

"Oh!" Fluttershy blushed. "Spike, I'm sorry-"

"Don't worry about it," the lavender draconian assured.

Still blushing, the yellow pegasus fluttered over to pick Chenoa up from the sofa where she had placed her, and giving her a kiss, went upstairs to lay her down in her crib.

"Poor baby. Had such a big day," she sighed, descending down the staircase and approached Spike. "Right. Let's check you out."

"I'm fine-" Spike began to protest, but Fluttershy was already examining him.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary," she said, gently pressing down on his body in various spots, a few of them causing him to wince. "Aside from minor bruises. Nothing some rest and an ice pack couldn't help. But, I'm… not a dragon expert."

"I think he'll be fine, Miss Fluttershy. You found nothing but bruises, and they don't look too bad. As long as he explains to Miss Twilight what happened," Smokey suggested.

Fluttershy nodded.

"Yes, I think you're right. You'd probably better get home before Twilight gets worried and-"

"Fluttershy?" Twilight Sparkle could be heard from outside. "It's Twilight! Have you seen Spike anywhere? He didn't leave a note and I'm getting worried! Nopony else has seen him today!"

"Yes," Smokey answered, hoping his call wouldn't wake up Chenoa. Fortunately, it didn't. "He's in here."

A slight gasp sounded as Twilight Sparkle ran into the cottage and pushed past Smokey. Coming up to Spike, she gasped again as she acknowledge his current state.

"Spike!" she exclaimed. "What in Equestria happened to you?"

"Long story. Went gem hunting. Ran into some diamond dogs. Nothing serious."

"Nothing serious?! Look at yourself! Bruised up, scraped, scuffed, dirty-"

"Um, Twilight?" Fluttershy spoke up gently. "He's fine. I already checked him out."

Twilight Sparkle calmed down a bit, but she wasn't happy. Sighing, she hung her head.

"Alright. Thanks, Fluttershy." She directed her vision to Smokey. "And thank you, too, Smokey, for looking after him."

"Looking after?" Spike parroted. "Hey, I can take care of myself!"

"He did do a good job fending for himself," Smokey said in Spike's defense, before turning to Spike. "However, you are still very young."

"Right."

"But-"

"No buts! Spike, you really could have gotten seriously hurt! I…" Twilight Sparkle heaved another sigh and pulled him towards her with her magic and furled a foreleg around him. "Spike, I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I'd be devastated!"

Spike was silent for a moment, before returning the hug.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry, Twilight. I didn't mean to worry you."

Smokey smiled down at the pair, finding the sight of the alicorn and baby dragon embracing adorable and sweet.

"Careful, you two. You don't want to cause any cavities."

Chuckling a bit, she crouched to allow Spike to hop up onto her back to give him a ride home.

"We'll be going now. Thank you both."

"Yeah. Thanks. Y'know, for everything."

"It's not a problem! Take care!"

Fluttershy smiled, as Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Smokey exchanged their goodbyes and the princess and baby dragon departed. As the winged pony closed the door behind them, Twilight Sparkle and Spike could still be heard talking each other through the open window.

"Well, hey, I faced those dragons - the one in the Everfree Forest and those teenage ones with you, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash!"

"Spike, we ran from those dragons. We never fought them!"

Chuckling, Fluttershy tore her attention away from Twilight Sparkle and Spike.

"Where were we?"

"We were - Oh! I almost forgot!"

Opening the heavy sack, the dragon dug through the top layer of gems and drew out the pink diamond intended for his friend.

Fluttershy leaned in closer, only to jump back and lift herself into the air. Gasping in amazement, she raised her forehooves to her mouth.

"Smokey! Where did… How?"

That diamond was incredibly large! She didn't think such diamonds - of that size, anyway - could be found around these parts.

"The leader of the diamond dogs gave this - and the full bag of gems - as a peace offering." He extended his arm in a gesture for her to take it. "This is for you."

"Oh, I-" Fluttershy went quiet, unsure of whether or not to take it. Blushing furiously, touched so deeply, she gingerly reached out to accept it. "It's… Thank you so much. It's gorgeous."

She generally wasn't one for gems, or jewelry in particular, but she had never seen a diamond so large! She couldn't help but stare at it, slightly mesmerized… and idly wondering in the back of her mind what Rarity would have to say about it.

"You're welcome, my dear. I thought of you when I first saw it," he said, his heart beating faster at the mare's reaction.

Fluttershy found herself so overcome that, despite her usual reservedness, fluttered closer to the dragon to nuzzle him. Kissing him on the cheek, she blushed furiously.

"… Thank… thank you, Smokey. It's… it's really lovely."

"I…" Smokey's own cheeks flushed and his heart picked up in speed as a rather goofy smile spread itself across his visage. "I'm… glad you like it…"

Chapter Fifty-One: Failure

A few days later saw the town square bustling with colts and fillies situated before a recently constructed mobile stage. The local elementary schoolteacher, Cheerilee, had graciously brought her class on a field trip to Smokey's first magic show on Fluttershy's request. Even a few passing adults invested their interest.

As the dragon in disguise prepared behind the privacy of the purple curtain, he began to have doubts about performing. His magic abilities have been suffering lately.

"I don't know, Ross. Perhaps we should quit before I end up making a fool out of myself…"

The small brown rabbit before the draconian, crossed his arms over his furry chest and shook his head. He certainly wasn't going to allow his caretaker to back down after they worked so hard.

Fluttershy, Spike, and Chenoa, who was sitting on Pinkie Pie's back, were located backstage with them, the two mares having helped set everything up. The pegasus was currently adjusting the bowtie around the dragon's neck. The costume had been modified so that he appeared more like a real pony than the sad wreck he looked like during the disastrous date. With only a few minutes until the show was scheduled to start, Spike took a peek around the curtain at the audience, ready to play his part as the announcer.

"Don't you worry about it," Fluttershy said softly to him. "You'll do great."

Removing her front hooves from the tie, she gently touched to the floorboards of the stage and took a step back.

"There. You look absolutely wonderful."

"Thank you, Miss Fluttershy," he crooned affectionately, lowering his head to administer a quick nuzzle with a blush staining his obscured cheeks. "What would I do without you?"

"Baba buhbeh," gurgled the baby griffon.

"Yes, what would I do without you, too?" The dragon stole a cursory glance at Pinkie Pie, his animals, and Spike. "All of you."

Pinkie Pie beamed, bouncing in place from excitement, but made sure not to cause Chenoa to fall off.

"Not a problem at all!" she squealed. Earlier, she had offered to act as the draconic being's lovely assistant. While she had been raring to go in a tight form fitting stage dancer's dress with frills around the bottom, it had actually been Fluttershy who nixed the idea.

She claimed the dress wasn't exactly appropriate - which probably was considering the fact it emphasized attention to her rear, and that it was a show for young ponies and not a professional David Coppermane performance - , but the irritation and the furrowed brows that immediately followed after Pinkie Pie had offered suggested it might have been an entire different reason.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to handle everything?" the curly-maned pony asked. "You're sure you don't need a lovely assis-"

"He'll be fine," Fluttershy interjected, in an unusually firm tonality.

"One minute, everypony!" Spike announced.

The older draconian gulped and watched as Pinkie Pie pranced off the stage with his precious child. Feeling even more nervous, he turned to Fluttershy for some last minute words of encouragement.

Looking him over and giving him a warm smile, she tilted her head to one side a small degree.

"You're going to do fine. I believe in you," she reassured. "Now, go break a leg."

With that, she jumped down and trotted off after Pinkie Pie.

Break a leg. He certainly hoped that wouldn't happen, even though it was only an expression. Swallowing hard a second time, the dragon pushed passed the curtain and Spike to meet his audience.

"Premiering in Ponyville for the first time! Fillies and gentlecolts, I present to you-" Spike began, though he was cut off as Smokey stepped out, and everyone in the audience began stamping their hooves in applause.

Fluttershy, having taken her seat between Applejack and Pinkie Pie with Rarity positioned at the end, who were sitting in the row behind the farmer pony and fashionista's younger sisters and pegasus friend, flashed him another smile.

The yellow pegasus' sweet smile inspired a spike of confidence. Forgetting to introduce himself, he went right to his first trick. He might as well do the tricks he could do well first. Reaching into the jacket, he pulled out a silk black top hat, even though it was too big to fit in his tuxedo.

A few of the equines seemed to be a bit impressed. Pinkie Pie in particular was enthralled, munching on popcorn from a bucket that she hadn't been in her possession a couple of seconds ago. Fluttershy glanced over at her friends, blinking in bewilderment at the bucket that had seemingly materialized in the pink equine's foreleg.

"Pinkie, where-" Fluttershy started to query, the rest of her words dying as Pinkie Pie popped a kernel into Chenoa's beak.

"Want some?" she proffered with a grin, holding the bucket out to her.

After swallowing, the baby switched her attention to her father on stage as she was passed to Fluttershy. The red-scaled reptilian, held up the hat to show the crowd there was nothing inside before digging his arm into it. He stalled for a few moments to build up suspense. He then withdrew his arm with Ross grasping onto his hand.

Fluttershy extended her foreleg to accept a hoof-full of popcorn. Eyes on stage, she noticed that the hat was empty - but when she saw the bunny appear, she let out a cheer that was about as loud as a gentle breeze while the colts and fillies clamored among themselves.

"That was amazing!" the young white unicorn, Sweetie Belle, exclaimed, her voice cracking in mid-sentence. "How'd he do that?"

"Don't know! A magician never reveals his secrets!" Pinkie Pie said, grinning.

Next, Ross dove back into the hat, then re-emerged with a large carrot between his paws. Setting down the hat, Smokey brought a hand to his rabbit's ear and pulled out a seemingly endless chain of different colored handkerchiefs.

A few of the children appeared quite impressed. Two fillies, however, not so much.

"Booooo!" a pink earth pony filly known as Diamond Tiara howled. "This stinks!"

That voice reached Smokey's ear holes and aggravated his anxiety level. The dragon's nerves halted his performance for a few seconds before he got a hold of himself. Taking in a deep breath, he gathered up the chain of cloth and bundled it all up in his hands. He concentrated, hoping he wouldn't screw this trick up.

Opening up his hands, all five of his doves emerged in a single file line. The birds formed a circle above his head, then disappeared into his hat.

The majority of the equines in the crowd cheered. Diamond Tiara and her companion, Silver Spoon, were clearly still not entertained, and even the unicorn brothers, Snips and Snails, were quickly becoming disenchanted.

"Man, this is boring!" Snips complained. "Where's all the fireworks and explosions and stuff?"

"Quiet, now!" Cheerilee admonished with a glare directed at the portly colt. "Don't distract him!"

'Well, that's the end of the easy tricks,' Smokey thought to himself. Trying to ignore the dissatisfied unit of the crowd, he lowered his front half and reached into the hat… only to shy back as Pinkie Pie's head popped out.

"Hiya!" the mare greeted, then turned her head to beam at the audience.

"What in tarnation?!" Applejack cried, whipping her head to Pinkie Pie - who had her entire head shoved into her bucket of popcorn. Sighing, she removed her Stetson from her head and buried her own face in it in slight exasperation.

The winged reptile appeared too stunned for words. Or, he would have if his face was visible. His anxiety was piling on his nerves as he moved onto one of the more complicated tricks - one he had not yet fully mastered.

Gently pulling Pinkie Pie out of his hat, he set her down on his opposite side. He untied the cape from his neck and draped it over the pony, intending on attempting the disappearing trick. As she had been pulled out of the hat, the rest of her body just as enigmatically could be seen being drawn all the way into the popcorn bucket. Applejack's younger sister, Apple Bloom, who had been constantly shifting her attention back and forth between the stage and the bucket almost immediately leaped over the back support of her seat and pounced on it to stick her head in herself to investigate. Unfortunately for her, she failed to find her way out of the hat.

"Now how did she do that?!" Apple Bloom cried out, withdrawing her head and prodding the bottom with her hoof. Sweetie Belle snatched it from the earth filly to examine it with their winged friend, Scootaloo. The rest of the ponies kept their eyes on Smokey, wondering what he was going to do next.

Narrowing his eyes, he utilized all of the focus he could muster.

"I command you to disappear!" After removing the cape, he and his audience saw that Pinkie Pie was still there. Now sweating, he tossed the cape back over her. "Disappear!"

Again, the trick failed.

Pinkie Pie giggled. Though she wasn't disappearing, she was obviously having fun.

"Boooo!" Diamond Tiara shouted again, reaching behind her to wrench the popcorn bucket from Scootaloo and ignoring the pegasus filly's whine of protest as she hurled it at the magician on stage.

"Hey!" came the dragon's indignant cry as he lifted an arm to shield himself from the barrage of popcorn. Even as Cheerilee attempted to scold Diamond Tiara, that didn't stop Silver Spoon from throwing her hot dog, managing to hit him right in the face and cover the inflicted area with a mixture of ketchup and mustard.

Pinkie Pie, despite herself, immediately fell backwards onto the stage in a fit of laughter. As she did so, everyone in Cheerilee's class followed suit - with the exception of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo only laughed for a second before realization dawned that her friends weren't and promptly quieted down. Applejack looked a bit shocked while Fluttershy was mortified on Smokey's behalf.

Smokey couldn't handle any more of this. All those equines laughing at his inability… Backing away from the audience a couple of steps, he whirled around and retreated behind the curtain.

Applejack and Rarity gaped, gazing at each other, as did their younger sisters and Scootaloo. The other colts and fillies were still laughing, Pinkie Pie rolling around and laughing with them so hard, it escaped her notice when she rolled right off of the stage and onto the ground below.

Gasping, Fluttershy spread her wings, Chenoa in the safety of her forelegs as she fluttered after Smokey.

Rising onto his feet, the dragon pulled the head of his costume off. A teardrop slid down his scaly cheek as he sat down at the edge of the platform, allowing his legs and part of his tail to dangle. All six of his animals were concerned, this having been their owner's worst show yet.

"Smokey? … Smokey!" the yellow-pelted pony called out to him as she slipped through the curtain and touched down onto the wooden surface on three hooves, her right foreleg carrying the chick. Pursing her lips, she frowned deeply and crossed over to his side. The teardrop coming into view, she unfolded a wing to rest it upon his back. Stretching her body and lifting her head, she pressed it up against his neck in a soft, comforting nuzzle.

"I'm sorry," she said, gazing up at him with tears pooling in her own blue-green orbs in an emphatic gesture. She knew all too well about performance anxiety and choking under pressure.

"I admit it…" Smokey began as he clenched his eyes shut, unable to even look at the mare and baby next to him. "I'm not that great of a magician. I haven't been able to go through a single show without messing up. Maybe I should just quit magic."

"No! No, don't say that." Fluttershy reached up with her free hoof to wipe the teardrop away. "You're not a bad magician, you just need some more practice."

"Miss Fluttershy…" He shook his head. "My magic shows have been growing worse, and leaving me more exhausted…"

Sighing, Smokey brought a hand to his forehead as a dull throbbing bloomed from within his cranium.

"I should just stick with what I can do."

The mare gave a sympathetic "awww" before pulling him into a warm, caring hug. Holding him there for a few moments, she let him go.

"Well, then… let's… Why don't we go ahead and go get some ice cream? I know Chenoa would love some soft treats." She directed a motherly smile down at the child. "Wouldn't you, Chenoa?"

"Num-num!" Chenoa squealed, shoving out all of the shame her father was feeling. In fact, it coaxed a laugh from him. Imitating him, she let out a laugh of her own.

Giggling, Fluttershy shifted her attention from the infant to Smokey and slid her foreleg around his arm. With a smile, she motioned with her head towards the cobblestone path that led to the local ice cream parlor.

"Come on. Let's go."

Once the mare removed her foreleg from his arm, the dragon pulled the head of his costume back on.

"Alright!"

Chapter Fifty-Two: An Embarrassing Misunderstanding

Allowing Fluttershy to enter the establishment first, the dragon in disguise followed her inside. Door closing behind him, his eyes wandered around the interior, admiring the building's welcoming atmosphere. The place was quite quaint, though it had an unusual design to it, mixing a malt shop from the 1950's with a feudal teahouse from Japony.

Tearing his eyes off the décor, he trotted up beside Fluttershy and Chenoa to scan the various tubs of ice cream through the sneeze guard.

"What will you be getting, my dear?"

"Oooh, I don't know." Fluttershy surveyed the various flavors then looked up at the menu displayed on the wall behind the counter. "I was hoping for a butterscotch sundae, but I don't see one listed on the menu…"

"Butterscotch sundae?" piped a voice from the back before the owner of the voice burst in, looking incensed and focused with a wild passion. A white-furred unicorn with a thick and coarse mane of green hair that extended all the way down the back of his neck with a matching straight tail. The emerald green hair had a streak of chocolate brown in both the mane and tail. His eyes were a deep seated green and his flank bore an image of what appeared to be a silver bowl with three scoops of sprinkled ice cream and a tower-shaped biscuit. "Did somepony say… butterscotch sundae?!"

"Oh dear," replied a calmer voice from the back room. "Sweet Treat, please don't-"

"Where is she?" The unicorn spun around. "Is she here? I don't see her! Leaf!"

"Come now, brother, why would she-" A second white unicorn, with hair colors inverted from the first emerged and spotted Fluttershy, Chenoa, and Smokey. Smiling, he ignored his elder but physically smaller brother as he came up to the counter. "Well, good afternoon! How are you doing this fine day?"

"Fine, thank you. May we request two butterscotch sundaes, please? I know it's not on the menu, but… I would really like it if my friend gets one," said Smokey, smiling underneath his mask.

"I… uh… Well… soft treats isn't really my thing." The taller unicorn turned to display his cutie mark - a pair of tea leaves and steaming hot tea in a blue ceramic cup. "However, I would be more than happy to try."

There was a crash from the back room, followed by a shout of "BUTTERSCOOOOOTCH", as the smaller stallion had stormed back there after his initial cry. An awkward pause followed.

"… Ignore him. He has a rivalry with a unicorn up in Canterlot - or claims he does. Personally, I highly doubt Miss Butterscotch even knows my brother exists."

Blinking on an awkward lapse, the dragon exchanged a worried look with Fluttershy then returned his vision to the unicorn.

"So… you can make a couple of butterscotch sundaes?"

There was another pause, before the unicorn forced a smile.

"… I'll certainly try my darnedest! Too bad my wife's out at the time. I would love to have her help…"

He turned around, disappearing into the back room again, the doors swinging shut. Fluttershy turned to Smokey, smiling lightly as she moved to take a seat at a nearby table, setting Chenoa down onto the flat surface.

Halting beside the table before sitting down, Smokey allowed his animals to hop up onto it and settle down side-by-side.

"I think I'll treat them with a couple bites of my sundae. After all, they try so hard in my shows. They deserve to be spoiled once in a while."

"Oh, I agree," Fluttershy said, grinning maternally at the animals and reaching across to nuzzle Ross, who was closest to her. "They were incredible on stage with you."

About half an hour later, the larger unicorn stumbled out, balancing a massive bowl of sundae on his back. He gave a sheepish smile to the mare and dragon, arching his brow as he trotted up to them and levitated the bowl onto the table between them.

"I deeply apologize for the extended delay. I had to scrounge up some ingredients to make this, of which I didn't realize we were low on, and, well, I… erm… happened to make far more than I anticipated. And I noticed you had a little one, too, so, ah, as a treat, I decided to make your two sundaes into a large one at no extra charge for you."

"Well… thank you, sir. This certainly looks delicious!" Smokey could feel himself beginning to salivate at the sight of the large sundae. Restraining himself from digging in, he plucked one of the cherries off of his side. About to break it up, he came to the realization that it would stain his costume, he handed it to the rabbit. "Ross? Would you mind dividing this out?"

Nodding, he accepted the cherry and tore it to pieces, feeding one to each dove. Licking his own lips, he popped the remaining piece into his mouth.

"He's such a good boy, isn't he?" the draconic being crooned as he touched his covered hand to the mammal's head to stroke it.

"Oh, he is!" the rosy-maned mare agreed. "A bit more behaved than Angel bunny at times it seems. He'd have just sulked if I asked that - even though he would've done it anyway. Though, Angel IS a good boy."

Taking the second cherry, the mare tore it up and fed the bits to Chenoa one-by-one.

"Num-num!" the griffon hummed in delight as she wolfed down the bits of cherry.

"Hehe. I love seeing our little girl enjoy her food…" Smokey sighed with an affectionate look on his face underneath the costume. Digging his spoon into the ice cream, he invited each of his critters to have a bite.

The pegasus nodded, taking a bite of her own and offering the child a spoonful, which she just as enthusiastically ingested.

"Now, now, sweetie," Fluttershy warned. "Don't eat so fast. You'll get a tummy ache."

Smiling, she leaned in to kiss the baby's head, her eyes closing partially.

"She sure has put on weight fast! She no longer looks like she's starving to death," the dragon brought up, eyeing the baby's newly acquired girth before taking another bite of butterscotch-drizzled ice cream.

"I know!" The pegasus beamed. "I'm so happy! I was so worried she was so emaciated. I wonder how the poor thing was even able to survive as long as she did… She had to have been wandering around for days!"

A pause.

"I still wonder what happened to her," she murmured. "And her parents."

"As do I, my dear… I just hope… nothing horrible happened to them… Yet at the same time…" The dragon exhaled deeply, setting down his spoon. He knew he was being selfish the times he hoped Chenoa's parents wouldn't show up, but… he loved this child. He wanted himself and Fluttershy to keep her. He wanted to care for her, protect her, watch her grow up… "I don't want to give her up."

"I know." Fluttershy nodded. "… I can't believe I'm saying this, but part of me doesn't want to let her go"

Sliding a foreleg around the baby, she drew her closer and nuzzled her.

"I mean, she's so cute and so sweet - I… if the agents from the orphanage came by today, I don't know if I could ever bring myself to give her up. I never even considered even having a baby at all…" The mare blushed. "Who knows? Maybe… we could… possibly get her a sibling one day?"

"That all depends on how often you try!"

Fluttershy went shock still, staring over at their unicorn server, who had returned with glasses of water.

"Sorry," the stallion apologized. "Wasn't really paying much attention to your conversation. Y'all tryin' ta have another baby? Or, rather, a baby, I take it? I see y'all decided to adopt - a noble and heartwarming gesture to be sure, it's always touching to see a happy family such as yourselves, but really you shouldn't give up! I know I thought I'd never be a father myself one day. Me and my wife tried so hard to have a foal of our own before Sweet Tum was finally born…"

Smokey's jaw dropped, his entire face going completely crimson. Slowly, he turned his gaze to the waiter in pure unadulterated befuddlement.

"E-e-excuse me?"

The unicorn silenced himself, glancing between the two of them with a confused expression.

"Err… Did I… say something?"

"… Um… Pardon me, sir, but… we're not… He and I aren't…"

"… You're not?" The unicorn balked and let out a nervous laugh. "OH! Hahaha… ha… Wow, then! That's embarrassing! I'm sorry, I just sort of assumed you two were… I mean… you two look so cute together I automatically thought-"

""Oh, no. No," Fluttershy cut him off, a bright red spread over her visage. "We're not."

"W-we're just friends who happened to have taken a shine to this wonderful child," Smokey corrected the stallion, tilting his head into Chenoa's direction as she burbled at Fluttershy for more ice cream.

"Really now?" The waiter blushed slightly as Fluttershy spoon fed the baby another helping. "Again, I do apologize for the misunderstanding."

"It's quite all right," the winged pony reassured, still a bit pink in the cheeks. "I can… see where somepony could make the mistake. It's… not the first time it's happened to us."

Smokey nodded.

"Even our friends have made that mistake. They tried to set us up with a fancy date." The winged reptile chuckled, his embarrassment slowly ebbing away. "That didn't go very well."

"Really now! Heh. Yeah, I can bet. So long as it didn't involve anypony storming out after a shouting match, I suppose." The stallion rolled his eyes. "I've had a small number of dates end badly in here. Heck, one particularly nasty one involved a good deal of our best dishes getting smashed, but, ah, I'd probably rather not get into that one."

"Oh dear. I'm sorry that had to happen to you, sir," Smokey said gently, a grin pulling at the corners of his maw. It felt so good to finally have a decent conversation with more ponies now that he was under a disguise. He didn't need to worry about scaring anyone.

"Well, things happen." The waiter gave a nonchalant shrug. "I've seen some weird things pass through that door. Not as weird as a bar, mind you, but we've had our customers."

"Hey, Leeeaaaf!" The other owner called from the back. "Coffee machine's on the fritz! Again…"

The unicorn sighed, leaving Fluttershy, Chenoa, and Smokey in a hasty trot.

"Hang on, Treat, I'll be there in a sec!"

"That… was… embarrassing" Smokey chuckled nervously, meeting Fluttershy's eyes after a few seconds of avoiding them.

"… True." Fluttershy smirked, dropping her gaze to the table. "But at least it wasn't like at the restaurant. Pinkie and the others aren't here…"

Following the statement, she checked over her shoulder as if to make sure. Copying the equine, Smokey searched the perimeter of the area to make sure the pink party pony was nowhere around. Over his short time knowing her, he had become increasingly aware of her ability to spontaneously appear in any place, and he wanted to be certain she wasn't around.

They both scanned their surroundings for several more moments before they finally settled.

"I think she's not around. I think we gave her the slip," she assumed, looking back at Smokey. "Don't get me wrong, I love Pinkie Pie, but sometimes I worry about her… She tends to pop up when you least expect it."

"You are not the only one, Miss Fluttershy," the dragon stated, taking another bite of the sundae. "She is the only pony I know who can… do the things she does."

"She's the only pony ANYPONY knows who can do the things she does," she relayed with a surprisingly calm and serious mask. "Even Twilight can't understand her, and she's the foremost expert there is on any and all things magic.

"… I daresay, even Princess Celestia might not even know how Pinkie does things."

"I suppose we'll never figure her out," he said with a dosage of finality, turning his attention back to the ice cream. As he ate, he occasionally stole glances of the mare sitting across from him and the baby griffon, who was constantly begging for more bites.

"Chenoa, you can't always be begging for ice cream. It's not healthy for you." Fluttershy smiled as she said this, but despite herself, she couldn't bring herself to say no to the baby, spoiling her and giving her a little more whenever she chirruped for some.

"Careful not to give her too much," Smokey chimed in, smile widening. "It might spoil her lunch," he tacked on, knowing that the possibility of Chenoa turning down her lunch after eating a lot of ice cream was unlikely. The child was quite a voracious eater.

Fluttershy giggled.

"I don't think I've ever seen such a small baby eat so much!" She nuzzled the chick, making sure to give her, yet, another spoonful. "I suppose it means she'll grow up big and strong… I wonder how quickly griffon children grow? I swear it seems she's already swelled up another centimeter or two…"

"Maybe we should consult Miss Twilight," the reptilian suggested, offering another bite to his rabbit.

"Maybe! I'll ask when I next see her. I'm sure has something to say on the subject…" She turned to Chenoa, drawing a hoof along her down. "I'm going to make sure you grow up as best as you can, to the best of my ability."

"Mama," the little one chirped, eyes wide with affection.

"Mama is not alone in this. You also have Dada to help take care of you," he chortled, allowing his birds to peck at his next spoonful.

"He's right!" Fluttershy beamed, nuzzling her adoptive baby. "And we'll love you, no matter what!"

She felt almost foolish for saying that, but she meant it. ALL of her animals were like children to her, even the ones that already had families of their own. She loved them and she found comfort in the fact that they loved her in return. She had almost always been able to tame any creature she had come across. She had helped to deliver and raise countless baby animals, but she had never raised a baby of a race that - for all intents and purposes - was considered truly sentient under the Equestrian government.

She had never dreamed of actually being a mother… though she was finding she was taking to the role surprisingly well.

Chapter Fifty-Three: A Familiar Face

Chenoa squealed, emitting another "Mama" as she scooted closer to the ice cream dish. Though, she wanted the contents within the bowl, she kept her loving eyes on Fluttershy, amber orbs twinkling with the desire for more.

"She certainly loves that sundae," Smokey commented with a brief chuckle directed at the baby griffon.

Fluttershy released a giggle and nodded.

"She sure does." Pushing the bowl right up to her, she clicked her tongue. "Here you go, have the rest."

Gasping, the small chick performed a face plant into the small amount that was left, causing the dragon to laugh in amusement. For the next few minutes, Chenoa practically inhaled the remnants, getting her face coated like she always did. She tried pawing at her face, but her own legs were too short to allow her to do so.

"Hang on, Chenoa, I'll get that for you."

Laughing as well, Fluttershy snagged a napkin from the stack located in the middle of the table and promptly began wiping her face.

Chuckling a second time as the child wriggled, Smokey shook his head at the sight of them.

"She may need a bath when we get home."

"Oh, she might!" Dropping the napkin into the empty glass dish, the mare furled her forelegs around the chick to pull her into an embrace with a nuzzle to her fluffy cranium. "Doesn't a bath sound nice, Chenoa? You love baths."

The small party's attention was stolen by the bell that announced a new arrival. A pegasus mare trotted in, a small pegasus colt perched on her back, smiled at them as she passed by. Fluttershy smiled back and returned her eyes to the baby - though, as the mare went behind the counter, her head snapped over to get another look at her before she disappeared into the back room with the colt.

She furrowed her brows, believing she looked familiar… then realization dawned. She was the same mare who she and Smokey helped find her son!

"Miss Fluttershy! That was her again! Pure Heart, right?" Smokey inquired in an excited intonation, a broad smile plastering itself to his maw.

"I… believe so."

A couple of minutes later saw Pure Heart emerging from the back room with Sweet Leaf at her side, the baby now on his father's back. The unicorn appeared to be quite happy, reaching back to nuzzle his boy, who giggled and wrapped his small forelegs around his neck as best as he could.

"Oh!" Pure Heart's eyes rested upon the other pegasus, recognizing her. "Hello, I remember you!"

"Yes. You're… Pure Heart, right?" Fluttershy tentatively asked.

"Yes, yes!" the other mare beamed. "Oh! You're Fluttershy!"

"Hmm, friends of yours, dear?" Tea Leaf questioned as he came over to collect the bowl and spoons.

"More than that! She's a hero! Leaf, she's one of the ones who saved Sweet Tum!"

"I knew it!" Smokey exclaimed, reaching up to remove the head of his costume to reveal his true identity. "Recognize me now?"

"Ohh!" Pure Heart gasped, slapping a hoof to her mouth. "Yes! I DO! You're the one! Leaf!"

She turned to Sweet Leaf, the stallion staring with his eyes wide and his jaw agape. He moved his mouth trying to speak, but found he was unable to. Their son, however, seemed to recognize the dragon, and giggled happily at the sight of him.

"Your son recognizes me," the scaly beast chuckled, setting the mask down on the floor. He felt relieved he could sit in a public establishment and show his real face. Soon, his attention was grasped by Chenoa. The chick's eyes were on the other child, burbling. "Want to let the children play together?"

"You're a dra-dra-dra - a duh-drauh-" Sweet Leaf stammered.

"Sure." Flapping her wings and lifting herself off of her hooves, she picked up her son off her husband's back to place him down on the tiled floor while Fluttershy did the same for Chenoa. As Sweet Tum crawled over to the chick, his mother turned back to Smokey.

Tilting her body inward, Chenoa splayed her eagle paws over Sweet Tum's cheeks to feel his fur. Delighting in the softness, she released a squeal then wrapped her short forelegs around the foal in a hug.

"Oh, sir, I forgot." Without any hesitation holding her back, she hovered up to him and threw her forelegs around his neck to press her lips to his cheek. Pulling away, a light blush tinted her cheeks. "That's… another thank you. From me. For saving my son."

Smokey tilted his body back slightly, his own cheeks growing pink at the gesture. While he was flattered, that kind of physical contact was unwanted - especially in front of Fluttershy.

"You're… welcome, ma'am," he said, feeling a bit awkward.

As Pure Heart drew back, she spun around to face her husband, the unicorn apparently was staring at her still completely baffled and unable to figure out what was going on. She then glanced over at Fluttershy…

… and leaned away from the dagger-like glare. Switching back to her husband, she touched back to the floor beside him to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"I'll, uh, go make us some tea."

With that, the pink equine retreated into the back room.

Smokey had caught the icy glare Fluttershy had shot Pure Heart out of the corner of his eye. Worried, he pushed away from his chair to approach her. Sliding his arm around her shoulders, he lowered his head to nuzzle her cheek.

"What's wrong, Miss Fluttershy?"

Almost immediately, the pale yellow equine snapped out of her glare. Blinking, she glanced up at him with a blush, settling against his body.

"Oh… Uh… Nothing. It's nothing, Smokey."

"Are you sure? I never seen that look on your face before…" he stated, his voice heavy with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she assured, reaching up to pat his cheek as Sweet Leaf pulled up a chair next to the table and collapsed onto it.

Purring to the mare, his eyes traveled to the pair of children on the floor. Chenoa giggled harder as the other child palpitated his hooves over her down and fur curiously. Scooting closer, the bundle of white gave him another hug.

"They're so cute, aren't they?" Fluttershy cooed, her soft eyes down on the youngsters.

"Alright… alright, I think I can think without freaking out now," said Sweet Leaf. "So… you… The two of you were the ones who saved my son?"

"Yes, it was painful, but I couldn't let him get crushed by all those logs." Smokey nodded, settling himself on the floor with the children, watching as Chenoa squealed at the attention and nuzzled her cheek against Sweet Tum's. "Those two have already become fast friends it seems."

"… I…" Sweet Leaf breathed, looking down at his boy. "You know, I have to admit, I… Well… I'm still overwhelmed. I mean, you're… you're a DRAGON. I… I never…"

At that particular point, Pure Heart came out carrying a tray of tea, four cups, a small bowl of sugar, and some cream on her back. Sliding it onto the table, she pulled up another chair to sit next to her spouse.

"I'm sorry, but… we only intended on purchasing ice cream," said Smokey, eyeing the tea nervously. He only had enough bits to pay for the sundae, let alone the additional refreshment.

"Don't worry about the tea. It's on the house," Pure Heart insisted. "Least I can do for… uh… saving my son."

She shot an apologetic, yet wary, glance at Fluttershy - who was now returning her gaze with a cautionary stare of her own. As she began pouring the tea and handing it out, Sweet Leaf cleared his throat.

"Yes, I… I have to admit, I'm… surprised. I honestly didn't believe at first - still kind of didn't afterwards." He paused at his wife's shocked and hurtful glare. "I'm sorry, honey, but, no, I didn't! You said a DRAGON saved our baby. A full GROWN dragon. The only dragon I know of is that Spike kid who wanders in here from time to time. And I KNOW he's not strong enough to shield Sweet Tum from an avalanche of logs."

"Which I thank you for," Pure Heart said. "Again… I don't want to sound like I'm hero worshipping or anything, but…

"Please understand. My son is my life. My family is my life. If anything happened to Sweet Tum… I would be… I would be devastated. I don't think I would have any will to live…"

"I believe I understand. Fluttershy and I would be devastated, too, if anything happened to our sweet little Chenoa," Smokey claimed.

"So, really, what's up with this, anyway?" Sweet Leaf spoke up. "You two say you're… raising this child together, but… you're not… together?"

"That's right," Fluttershy said.

"Um…" The waiter glanced at his wife. "Call me an idiot, but… how exactly does that WORK? A pegasus, a dragon, and… a griffon? I understand you adopted her, obviously, I'd hate to think how the two of you would have otherwise-"

"Leaf, let's not dwell on that topic, shall we?" prompted his spouse.

"… Erm, yes, quite."

The stallion dropped the subject, noting Fluttershy and Smokey's mortified blushes.

"Yes, please. We've discussed this enough with our friends. We would appreciate it if we didn't discuss this again," the dragon informed the ponies next to him and his companion. Returning his eyes to the still embracing children, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Your son is a real ladies' man."

"Still, I'm just… Well, whatever," Sweet Leaf said, upon receiving another piercing stare, from Fluttershy this time. Following Smokey's gaze, he blinked. "Erh… I suppose? I think this is the only time Tum-Tum ever had contact with a baby filly - er, chick."

"All they've been doing is hugging," Pure Heart mused, before smirking at her husband. "Are we perhaps looking at a possible future daughter-in-law?"

Fluttershy stared at the other mare in astonishment, nearly spitting out her mouthful of tea.

"… Isn't it a little EARLY for that sort of talk?"

"I don't even want to think about her dating or getting married. Not until she is at least twenty or so years old." Smokey sighed, stroking his fingers over Chenoa's head as she yawned. "It's getting close to lunch and her naptime."

"True." Horn glowing, Sweet Leaf gently lifted his son into the air, rocking him back and forth as the colt began to sniffle and whimper. "Come, little one, time for your nap."

As her new friend was separated from her, Chenoa extended her arms in a vain attempt to grasp onto him. Scrunching up her face, she subsequently began to cry.

"Awww. Don't cry, Chenoa," Smokey crooned, picking up the baby and drawing her into a comforting cuddle.

"It's okay, sweetie." Setting down her cup, Fluttershy slid off of the chair and leaned in on her hooves. "It's nearly sleepytimes, and you'll see your friend again."

"Mommy's right, darling. We'll make sure you get to play with your new friend," the dragon promised, pulling the head of his costume back onto his head with one hand. Turning to the foal's parents, he offered them a gracious nod. "Thank you for the sundae and tea."

"Of course," Sweet Leaf said, still a bit taken aback by the fact there was another dragon in town - and in disguise, no less - and had been among them for some time.

"Please don't tell anypony about this," Fluttershy requested. "If it got out that a full grown dragon was living among us…"

"We won't say a word," Pure Heart cut her off, turning to her husband. "Won't we, dearest?"

"Thank you so much! This means a lot to us. Who knows how the populous would react if they knew I was living nearby?" Smokey inquired, but pushed all possible outcomes out of his mind.

"Uhh…" Sweet Leaf seemed like he wanted to say something, burning with the desire to burst out with what was on his mind, but upon being pinned by the stares of all three of them, he settled down and nodded. "Yes. Nothing at all."

"We appreciate it."

Placing Chenoa on Fluttershy's back, the draconic being lowered himself on all fours.

"Don't worry about the sundae either," Leaf said. "You DID save Sweet Tum. I don't think we can ever thank you enough."

"Are you certain?" Smokey pressed with surprise laced in his tone.

"Absolutely. No amount of bits would ever cover what we would have lost had you not saved our little colt. Some tea and a bowl of ice cream is really nothing - a pittance of a reward you really deserve."

"Well, thank you very much! We'll be certain to come back again!" He turned to Fluttershy again. "We just may have to make a regular visit, if we can afford it."

"I'm sure we could," Fluttershy said with a small smile. "The prices didn't seem unreasonable and it's really very good!"

"That's settled then! How does every Saturday sound?" Smokey asked, lowering his head to the mare's for a quick nuzzle.

Blushing lightly and nuzzling him back on his side rather than his head, the pegasus nodded.

"Every Saturday sounds lovely. We'll get some soft treats, and Chenoa can play with her new friend…"

"It's a date then."

Smokey smirked, administering a playful nudge against her shoulder.

Blushing harder, she arched her eyebrow.

"Do you mean that? Like, an actual, honest-to-goodness date? Or are you just using that as a phrase?"

"Uh… I, uh… s-suppose so," the dragon stuttered, feeling nervousness stirring within him. He hadn't been expecting Fluttershy to think he had actually meant a real date. But, if she wanted one, he would be elated to call their next outing a date.

The equine giggled. It seemed apparent that she was only really just teasing him. In truth, she felt the same way - she would've loved to have gone on an actual date with him outside of taking care of Chenoa and not at the "help" of her friends.

Bless them, they had wanted to make sure they were happy, but… Fluttershy shook her head. No, if she wanted to plan something, she would have to be discreet about it.

Observing that shake of her head, the dragon's ear frills dropped - or they would have if they hadn't been taped down - , thinking that she didn't want to go out on a date with him.

"Oh… Well… if it is still too early for you to go on a date with me, then that's fine," he said in a saddened voice.

"Oh." Fluttershy picked up on the depression in his voice and pressed the side of her body against his for a moment. "I wouldn't mind! I would… certainly agree to one, but… who would watch Chenoa for us? The first pony that comes to mind is-"

"Hiiiii!"

Fluttershy and Smokey didn't even have to turn around to know who that was.

Chapter Fifty-Four: SURPRISE!

A wide grin tugged at the corners of Smokey's mouth upon hearing Fluttershy's acceptance, his heart rate speeding up and his tail swishing, accidentally knocking over the chair behind him.

Both he and Fluttershy whirled around to greet Pinkie Pie with a smile, though the dragon's could not be seen through his mask.

"Hello, Miss Pinkie Pie. How are you?"

"I'm doing super incredible today!" Pinkie Pie chimed. "How are you?"

"Doing well," Fluttershy replied. "So… you heard?"

"Heard what?" the curly-maned mare inquired, her eyes and smile wide. "I was just passing by, saw you and wanted to say hi to my bestest best friends in all of Equestria!"

"How many bestest best friends do you happen to have, Miss Pinkie?"

The dragon smirked, playfully nudging the pink pony in the side of the head with his nose.

"Lots and lots! There's you and Fluttershy, and Twilight, and Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, and Applejack, and Bon Bon, and Lyra, and Big Macintosh, and Vinyl, and Berry, and-"

"I think it would probably be safe to say she's best friends with everypony," the pegasus giggled.

"Heh. Well, that's nice. Miss Pinkie is a wonderful friend."

With a broad grin, the dragon set Chenoa onto Fluttershy's back then pulled the other mare into a tight hug and nuzzled her curly forelock.

"Awwww!" Pinkie Pie grinned, nuzzling him in return. "Thank you! SAY! Are you three heading anywhere today?"

"Uh, no. Smokey, Chenoa, and I were just heading back home. My home, anyway," Fluttershy answered.

Pinkie Pie suddenly seemed slightly anxious upon hearing this.

"Oh. Alright! Well, don't mind me. I need to get back to Sugarcube Corner. Lots of cupcakes to bake! I'll see you both later!"

With that, she pulled away and promptly bounced off.

"See you later, Miss Pinkie!" Smokey waved off the frizzy-haired equine before turning to Fluttershy. "Shall we go?"

"Of course."

A soft smile adorned the young mare's face, nodding once. She wanted to get home, feeling a little drowsy. A nap with Chenoa sounded pleasant…

"Thank you again!"

The dragon waved to the proprietors of the establishment before plodding up to the door to open it for his companion and their adopted daughter. After goodbyes were dispensed, they exited the sweet and tea shop, the mare leading the way through the streets of Ponyville. She kept a good, even pace, though she was stopped a couple of times by ponies. They didn't keep her and Smokey very long - only to ask something innocuous or gush over the baby.

Smokey was proud that their child was being fawned over by other ponies. He even paused a few times to nuzzle the griffon before they reached Fluttershy's cottage. Little did the small group know that a surprise was waiting for them inside.

The door swung open with an audible creeeaak as they wandered inside, the mare and dragon's brows arching in confusion as to why the interior of the cottage was dark.

"Huh. I don't remember drawing the curtains," Fluttershy said, walking into the middle of the dim room. "It's still mid-afternoon, why is it so dark in-"

The entire room was suddenly illuminated as the lights flicked on, and the rest of their friends burst out from their respective hiding places as confetti fell and streamers and a large banner saying "CONGRATS ON YOUR FIRST SHOW!" rolled down from the ceiling.

"SURPRIIIIISE!" they shouted in unison.

Smokey almost jumped out of his costume, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets at the unexpected surprise. Sitting on his haunches and removing his mask, he dropped his jaw at the sight of the banner.

Chenoa clung tightly to Fluttershy, close to bursting into tears in fright. She quickly recovered and gazed in awe at the brightly colored balloons that were tied down in every conceivable direction.

Fluttershy had a far more shocked reaction. She had went straight as a board, her mane and tail standing on end and spiked out and let out a shrill "EEEEEEEEEE!".

"I wasn't expecting this," Smokey breathed, peeling the duct tape from his head.

"That's the point of a surprise!" Pinkie Pie gushed, a wide smile pulling at the corners of her lips. "It wouldn't be a surprise if somepony is EXPECTING it!"

"Oh… Pinkie… Everypony… you scared me," Fluttershy sighed, her heart still racing as she slowly calmed down. "Wha… what's all-?"

"It's a party for Smokey!" Pinkie clarified, lifting a hoof to direct her attention to the banner. "To congratulate him on his first show!"

"Congratulate me on my first show?" the dragon parroted as he reached over to the child on Fluttershy's back to pick her up and hold her close to his torso. "Miss Pinkie, my show was a disaster. Is that really something to celebrate?"

"Well, duh!" The party pony turned her eyes back to Smokey. "Of course we celebrate! It's your first show! And, yeah, it bombed, but that's no reason not to try again, right? It wasn't you or your tricks that went wrong!"

"You were quite good," said Rarity. "It was those awful fillies that started up. You shouldn't let them get to you."

"Y'gotta admit, Pinkie did kinda steal the show…" Applejack mumbled.

"You gotta turn that frown upside down!" Pinkie Pie continued, rotating her head 180 degrees, then back to it's primary position. "And get back on that horse and try again!"

Fluttershy and Smokey went quiet, as did their remaining friends at Pinkie Pie's unusual choice for a phrase.

"You understand what I'm saying!"

"I don't know…" Smokey sighed, stroking a covered hand over Chenoa's head. "My magic has been getting worse, and draining me of my energy more and more. Maybe I should quit and stick to cooking."

"No way! We're not gonna let you give up just like that, aren't we, girls?" Rainbow Dash huffed, turning to her friends expectantly for support.

"Of course not!" Pinkie Pie said.

"No way," Applejack followed.

"Not a chance," Rarity chimed in.

"Never," Fluttershy contributed as she furled a foreleg around his mid-section to give him a hug.

Twilight Sparkle smiled, saying nothing at first. She appeared to be in contemplation of something, before she finally addressed the winged draconian.

"You know, my special talent is magic. I wouldn't mind helping out or providing some assistance with what ever books or pointers you might need," the alicorn offered, folding her wings back. "And, if you need some further help, I know somepony who is REALLY good at stage magic. She's a little… Well… She can be a little full of herself at times, but if I write to her I wonder if she might be willing to show you a few… trade secrets. Magician to magician."

"Really?" Smokey's sea green eyes lit up, a small hopeful smile stretching across his scaly features. "You would do that for me, Princess Twilight?"

"Of course!" Twilight Sparkle beamed. "I'd do anything to help out my friends."

"I appreciate it." Offering the alicorn a small bow, he then gazed at each mare with a wider grin. "Shall we start the party then?"

"ALLLLL-RIGHT!"

Thrusting a hoof into the air, Pinkie Pie proceeded to remove the lampshade from a nearby lamp and placed it on top of her head. As music started up, she and Rainbow Dash immediately began to dance.

Putting down Chenoa, Smokey slipped out of the rest of his costume and draped it over the couch. Before he could get into the music, he spied the baby attempting to imitate the dancing equines.

"Oh, look!" Rarity squealed. "How adorable!"

Fluttershy, who hadn't been paying attention, turned around. Spotting Chenoa, she giggled and walked up to her.

"How sweet!" the mare gushed. "Chenoa, do you want to dance with Mommy and Daddy?"

"Mama!" the chick squeaked, bobbing her body up and down in rhythm to the music playing somewhere in the background.

"I'm guessing that means yes," Smokey laughed.

Laughing lightly, the yellow pegasus slowly and gently swayed and bobbed to an unheard beat - a soft, gentle dance that contrasted the otherwise fast-paced, frantic music.

Chenoa continued bouncing to the music, squeaking and babbling in merriment - much to the amusement of the ponies and dragon.

Bending over, Smokey grasped onto Fluttershy's pasterns and lifted her up onto her hind legs as he stood straight up.

"Care to dance with me, my dear?" he inquired as he drew her closer.

"Oh!" Fluttershy blinked, suddenly blushing. Dispensing a nervous smile, she gazed up at his face with a slight tilt of her head. "Um, well…"

The current track ended, switching over to a song that was far softer and slower.

"… Sure."

Satisfied with her answer, Smokey pulled her even closer, stepping in circles and swaying in rhythm with the new song.

Chenoa had ceased dancing when the previous song ended, and was now sitting quietly, watching her adoptive parents. Even the other mares had stopped - at least most of them had. Pinkie Pie had grabbed onto Rainbow Dash and began to dance with her - or, at least attempted to get the prism-maned pony to dance with her. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were content watching their pegasus friend and her dragon partner as she danced with him.

Fluttershy didn't think it, but she displayed that she was surprisingly graceful on two legs as she was on four. Smokey gazed into her eyes, becoming absolutely mesmerized by the blue-green pools. Heart picking up speed, the dragon realized he could no longer ignore the fact that he held special feelings for her… While he felt this way, he couldn't decide whether he should act upon them or just remain her friend.

Meeting his own green orbs, Fluttershy felt her own heart flutter and thump against her chest. For a dragon, he was so handsome… and so caring, so… wonderful. Smiling warmly, she tipped her head and pressed it against his broad chest, inhaling a deep breath through her nose and taking in his scent…

He was so warm, and so strong… She could feel the power radiating through his muscles, the pure strength that lay deep within, though his touch was so gentle… almost nurturing.

She, too, recognized that she was feeling something alien, something unusual and new for him. Ever since she had been spending more and more time with him, she had begun having dreams about him - simple dreams, mainly. Sometimes with Chenoa, sometimes not, most of them wildly different from one another…

All of them had one thing in them that remained constant: they were always together.

Smokey had a similar experience - dreaming dreams consisting of his small family, mostly Fluttershy and Chenoa. Those two and his animals had become his whole world - the source of his existence.

In the heat of the moment, he lowered his head, shutting his eyes as he kissed her forehead.

Fluttershy's eyes snapped wide open at that very instant. Pulling away slightly, but not out of Smokey's arms entirely, she blinked up at him with a blush and a confused expression.

The scarlet reptilian stared down at her, thinking that he had done something wrong.

"I'm sorry. Was that too… forward?"

"Are you sure you two aren't together?" Rainbow Dash asked with a sly smirk.

"I… Um… I… I… Eep!" Fluttershy squeaked, her lips tugging into a grin, complete with a squee.

"Oh, you are!" Rarity gasped, elated.

"NO!" Fluttershy nearly shouted, going even redder in the face. "I mean… no. No, we aren't. We're friends. Just friends. Only friends."

"Really good friends," Smokey added with a nervous toothy smile. In an effort to save them of even more embarrassment, he changed the subject. "Say, where is Spike?"

"Raggin-fraggin Princess Twilight," Spike grumbled, as he finished sweeping up the floor and picked up a few books to re-shelf them. "Spike, stay here and do this, stay behind and do that. Can't go for the games, can't go on an adventure, can't even go to a party! I never get to go anywhere, I never get to do anything, I never get to have any fun!"

"He's just holding down the fort at home," Twilight Sparkle replied with a smile. "He's so sweet to do that for me all the time. I really should do something nice for him."

"Why didn't you let him come to the party? I bet he would've liked that," Smokey stated, recalling what Spike had told him about staying home nearly all the time and rarely going out with the others. "Why don't you go get him, Princess Twilight?"

"Well, I do need somepony to stay behind and keep the library open, just in case somepony comes by…" the alicorn said, lifting a hoof to her chin. "Though, I suppose a day off couldn't hurt! One second!"

Horn illuminating, the winged and horned equine disappeared in a flash.

Chapter Fifty-Five: The Party

"Awright!" exclaimed a rather jubilant Spike from his spot on Twilight Sparkle's back as she was let into the cottage. "Here I am, let's get this party started!"

"Hello, Spike," Smokey affectionately greeted the younger dragon, his tail swishing in excitement, threatening to knock something over.

"Hey there, Smokey!" Spike grinned, hopping off of the alicorn's back and heading over to him as Fluttershy precipitated herself to the vase that had nearly been knocked over by Smokey's tail to move it. "How ya doin'?"

"Glad to see you here."

Holding Chenoa in one arm, the older draconian bent over and lowered his other hand to curl it into a fist in front of Spike.

"Yeah, same here!" Spike balled his own hand to bump it with Smokey's. "It's not often I get to hang out with another dragon 'round here - I just wish there wasn't such an age difference, but hey! I mean, another dragon! Can only complain so much, right?"

"I feel the same way, little brother," said Smokey, opening his hand to lightly ruffle the spines on the baby dragon's playfully.

"Can we save the sappy talk till after the party," Rainbow Dash asked with a quick roll of her eyes.

"Heh. Yeah, sure. C'mon, let's get down!"

"Yeah, now we're talking!" Pinkie Pie squealed, pumping her hoof in the air. Rising up onto her hind legs, she grabbed Spike's hand to pull him into a spin. The small dragon cried out, but his cry quickly transformed into a laugh as he got into the beat of the music.

"Weren't we going to play pin the tail on the… Oh, never mind!"

Laughing, Smokey placed Chenoa on the floor, grasping her tiny eagle paws between his thumbs and index fingers to move her back and forth to the rhythm. Chuckling, Fluttershy watched her dragon companion and adoptive daughter dance together. Rarity couldn't help but observe Pinkie Pie and Spike continue to cut a rug, looking slightly contemplative, as if considering asking to cut in.

Applejack, seeing the others were distracted, threw a challenging smirk at Rainbow Dash.

"Hey, sugarcube, you wanna go a round or two on the game?" the farmer pony questioned. "Ah'm getting a bit tuckered out from all this dancin'."

"You're on!" the cyan pegasus accepted, crossing her forelegs over her chest with a just as challenging stare.

The orange-pelted mare grinned, her attention shifting to Twilight Sparkle.

"You want to join in, Twi? The more the merrier!"

"Sure. I could probably beat you two with both hooves tied behind my back anyway!" the princess answered with a smirk.

"Oooh, getting cocky, Yer Highness?"

"You should be careful what you say, Princess Twilight," Smokey chuckled, casting an askew glance at the young alicorn. "Either of them might beat you."

"I'm fairly sure I can win."

"Yeah, only if you don't use yer magic ta cheat."

Applejack bumped her flank against Twilight sparkle's with a short laugh.

"Oh, c'mon, Applejack! Would I do such a thing to you and Rainbow?"

After watching the alicorn and earth pony's exchange in amusement, Smokey turned to Fluttershy.

"Do you want to play, my dear?"

Smiling lightly, Fluttershy brushed a strand of pink hair out of her face.

"Ummm… Sure, why not?"

"Then come on!" Rainbow Dash zipped over to the other pegasus, grasping onto her front hooves to drag her to the vicinity of the poster depicting a tailless pony Pinkie Pie had put up. "Blind her, Pinkie!"

Fluttershy squeaked, opening her mouth to protest, but before she could her eyes were covered by the blindfold. She got a "girls" before she felt the tail being placed in her hoof and was promptly spun around several times.

Dazed and disoriented, she felt a shove from behind and she hobbled off, teetering and tottering until she smacked into the wall. Padding it a few times, she reached up and pinned the tail where she thought the pony on the poster's rear would be. Stepping back and removing the blindfold…

… She saw she had pinned the pony right between the eyes.

Turning to allow Chenoa to watch as Fluttershy attempted to pin the tail in the correct spot. The small chick laughed uproariously at the imagery of the pony with the tail dangling from the wrong area. She laughed so hard that tears began spearing from her eyes.

Fluttershy was at first disappointed at this, though as she heard Chenoa laugh, she turned to the baby with a massive smile. She giggled, and her other friends quickly joined in as well, finding the child's laugher infectious. Even as Smokey handed her over to the mare to take a turn playing, she continued laughing.

Allowing himself to be blindfolded and spun around, the red dragon carefully moved forth. Bumping into the wall, he lifted his tail-wielding hand to stick the tail onto the poster. His ear frills perked and flared as he heard Chenoa laugh all over again. Pulling the cloth covering his eyes, he saw that he stuck his tail over one of the pony's eyes.

"Oh, wow! Ah thought Fluttershy was off. At least she didn't blind th' poor thing!" Applejack chuckled.

"You think you can do better?" Rarity inquired.

"Ah know Ah can!" Applejack proclaimed. Complying, Pinkie Pie tied the blindfold around the blonde equine's head before spinning her around. She was a bit dazed, but she confidently ambled forward to slap the tail on the wall. "There! And that's how ya do…"

She whipped off the blindfold, only to find she had missed the poster entirely, and had stuck the tail to the wall beside it.

"My turn!" Rainbow Dash declared, touching to the floor next to Pinkie Pie.

"Let's see if Miss Rainbow Dash can do better," Smokey said, reaching to stroke the still giggling infant's head.

The pink pony giggled as Applejack sat down, grumbling. Taking the blindfold, she wrapped it around Rainbow Dash's head before spinning her around several times. Stumbling around a tiny bit as she succumbed to dizziness, the prism-maned pony directed her body into the direction of the poster, sticking the tail underneath the belly, in front of the hind legs' knees.

Pinkie Pie laughed even harder upon seeing Rainbow Dash's addition.

"Goodness! Blinded and turned into a stallion!" Applejack laughed. "That mare's having one heck of a day!"

"We are the worst doctors ever!" Pinkie Pie snickered.

"Actually, I would like to think medical procedures wouldn't be done in so careless a manner…" Twilight Sparkle mused, clearly not getting the joke.

"You have obviously never seen Canterlot University med students," Spike grumbled, in a wary, almost apprehensive tone that implied he wasn't joking at all.

Smokey tried to hold back a laugh as he turned to Spike with an arched eyebrow.

"And… snerk… you have?"

"Yyyeah. Used to live there with Twilight before we both came to Ponyville. Canterlot University is home to some brilliant minds, but the medical students worry me. Some of them don't seem to care about the profession. Heck, most of them seem to want to party rather than actually focus on their field of study!"

"Sounds like my kind of ponies!" Pinkie Pie piped up.

"Pinkie, university ponies usually party with alcohol and…" Rainbow Dash trailed off, casting a glance at Spike. "Uh… I'll tell ya later."

"And what?" Spike asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Oooh! Sounds even more fun!" Pinkie Pie squealed, turning to Twilight Sparkle. "When's spring break?"

The lavender alicorn narrowed her eyes.

"Pinkie, you can't just wander onto campus for the sole purpose of joining a party! You need identification, and you'd need to apply to the school!"

The curly-maned mare blinked, looking a bit depressed for a second, then rolled her eyes up in thought.

"They only accept unicorns," she deadpanned, knowing exactly what she was thinking.

Pinkie Pie looked even more disappointed, then broke into a smile a second later.

"Aww. Oh well!"

"Eh, they wouldn't be able to handle you, anyways, Pinks," Applejack said. "You'd party 'em all under the table!"

"Yeah, don't worry, Pinkie. Ya still got us to party with," Rainbow Dash reminded.

"You wouldn't want to party with them anyway," Spike stated. "They can be kind of… mean."

Pinkie Pie giggled, pulling Rainbow Dash into a one-forelegged hug.

"I'd rather stay with my friends than a bunch of mean old meaniepants anyway! Who's next?"

"It sounds like either Spike, Miss Rarity, or Princess Twilight," Smokey replied, throwing an arm around Fluttershy's shoulders and drawing her right up to his side.

"Ladies first."

The purple-scaled dragon glanced over at the two remaining mares, though his eyes were, as usual, more focused on Rarity.

"Go ahead, darling." Rarity smiled at Twilight Sparkle. "After all, royalty gets a pass… and you always save the best for last."

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes, chuckling as she allowed herself to be blindfolded and spun around. Stumbling forward, she stamped the tail in her hoof on the poster and was surprised to observe that she wasn't TOO terribly off the mark. While it still wasn't on the pony's rear (it would have been on the cutie mark had the pony on the poster had one), it was closer than anyone thus far.

"Not bad," Rainbow Dash remarked.

Fluttershy, hugging Chenoa close, didn't notice at first that Smokey had wrapped an arm around her. Letting out a squeak upon realization, she gazed up at him with a soft smile tipping her lips.

Smokey grinned down at the yellow pegasus adoringly, his heart beating faster at the sight of her.

"You know what, Miss Fluttershy? You are the cutest pony in town."

The mare went red in the face at the compliment.

"Oh? Uh, um… Well… Um… Th-thank you, Smokey." She fluttered her eyelashes at him with a squeeing grin. "You're… quite handsome yourself…"

"I still cannot believe that you think I'm handsome." He shook his head, cuddling the pony and child closer. "You are just the sweetest."

"You're sweet, too… I don't think I ever met anypony half as kind and thoughtful as you. You're selfless, you're very caring… you're…" she breathed, locking her eyes with his. "… You're wonderful!"

"What about your friends? Surely, they'd have to be as kind as I am," Smokey reasoned with a chuckle, glancing over at the other equines and baby dragon.

"Yeah, Fluttershy, what about us?" the light blue pegasus prompted, sounding a little indignant.

"Well…" Fluttershy appeared a bit mortified, her cheeks saturated with a shade of bright red. "I meant anypony aside from you all! I… oh…"

She lifted Chenoa to hide her face as Twilight Sparkle approached her.

"It's all right, Fluttershy. You were talking about any male pony, right?"

"I… um…?"

The pink-maned pegasus blinked, lowering the chick from her face to meet the princess' gaze.

Oh, please, it's so obvious!" Rarity cut in with a wide grin.

Rainbow Dash sighed, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"It's cool, Fluttershy. We know how much you love your dragon," she said with a teasing wink, causing the mentioned reptilian to blush heavily.

Fluttershy blushed harder, her wings flaring.

"But… I…"

"Ah, relax, sugarcube," Applejack laughed. "We're only teasin' ya, is all! No need ta get all flustered."

"I meant love in the way you love us, Fluttershy," the rainbow-haired mare snickered.

"Oh, I see," Smokey sighed, the blush washing from his visage.

"Really?" Pinkie Pie questioned. "I thought you WERE talking about that kind of love!"

"Pinkie!" Fluttershy squeaked, sounding shocked.

"What?" The pink mare shrugged. "There's nothing wrong with it! I mean, I love Gummy and he's a gator and ponies don't say anything about it."

"Ah don't think that's the same kind of love…" Applejack said, nudging Pinkie Pie with her hoof.

"I meant… the sort of love between good friends," Smokey relayed for the ponies and baby dragon.

"Ohhhhh…"

Pinkie Pie's eyes flickered in sudden understanding… Though, it appeared everyone else was already well aware of the implications. Applejack looked like she wanted to say something, but she merely shook her head.

"Uhh… Rarity, you're up," said Rainbow Dash, in an attempt to break the awkward silence.

Applejack wordlessly moved to collect the blindfold and a tail to cover Rarity's eyes.

"Oh! Watch the mane, Applejack, I just had this permed - whooaahaahaa!"

She yelled out as she was spun around again and again before she was stopped. Appearing ill, she fumbled forth, bumping into a table and landing on the floor with a sharp cry. Spike was almost immediately at her side, practically fawning over his "Lady Rarity".

"Rarity, are you all right? Are you hurt? Let me get an ice pack!"

"Oh, no, thank you, Spike. I just bumped my leg… Did I get the pony?"

Sure enough, during her stumbling, she had unintentionally stuck the tail to the poster right where it should be.

"You certainly did, Miss Rarity! It looks like you won!" said Smokey with a congratulatory smile.

Applejack narrowed her eyes a bit.

"Well, I'll be! Yew did it, Rare!"

"Wowee!" Pinkie Pie beamed. "Talk about lucky!"

"What should we do now?" Smokey asked, his arm releasing Fluttershy in case she wanted to move away from him.

Rainbow Dash smirked in a rather devious manner as she pulled glass bottle of soda seemingly out of nowhere.

"We can play Spin the Bottle."

"Oh, uh… Well…"

Spike looked conflicted. He seemed to be intrigued, looking over at the alabaster unicorn. He wanted to play, simply for the sole chance at kissing her, but on the other hand, he wasn't entirely thrilled with the idea of kissing anyone else. And the odds did not seem to be in his favor.

None of the others seemed partial to the idea, all of them exchanging glances. Aside from Spike, the only male present was Smokey himself.

Barking a laugh at the others' reactions, Rainbow Dash vigorously shook the bottle.

"Relax, guys! I was just joking! Heads up!" she shouted before removing the cap, releasing a stream of foamy root beer at a couple of her friends, starting with Rarity.

Smokey gasped. Before the sky blue pegasus could get to him, he grabbed Fluttershy and turned around, unfolding his wings. The other mares let out a startled scream, Pinkie Pie diving under a table to avoid it, and Twilight Sparkle used her magic to grab the closest thing to use it as an impromptu shield - which, unfortunately for Spike, just happened to be him.

Rarity nearly shrieked as her permed mane got soaked. Drenched and dripping with the sticky, sugary fluid, she gasped… before growling and letting out a bestial snarl.

"Oh… it. Is. ON!"

Chapter Fifty-Six: The Great Soda Pop War

Horn glowing, Rarity levitated two bottles of soda from the table behind Rainbow Dash to shake them up violently, point them both at her, and open them.

"Girls!" Fluttershy cried out from around Smokey. "No, please! Not in the house…!"

Rainbow Dash, as well as the other mares and Spike, unfortunately didn't hear her. Laughing jovially, the rainbow-maned pegasus continued spraying her friends.

"Oh, my goodness… This is going to be quite a mess to clean up…" Smokey mused, surveying the puddles of soda on the floor.

"Ohhh!" Fluttershy moaned. "My posies!… My furniture!"

The remaining equines laughed joyously as they played out their soda war - Pinkie Pie going in for close range hits as often as she could, despite being thoroughly soaked at this point - and poor Spike, who just attempted to get away and get behind Smokey, kept finding himself victimized by either being a direct target or used as a shield.

At least Twilight Sparkle, to her credit, apologized to him once she had realized her purple pillow was anything but soft - cuddly as it was. The other mares, however, did not seem to be so reserved in using him as their sacrificial lamb.

The older dragon was upset at the carelessness of Fluttershy's friends. He really needed to do something…

Taking in a deep breath, he opened his mouth to shout, "STOOOOP!"

The fighting ceased instantaneously, all of the mares staring at him. Blinking, Fluttershy stepped out from behind him with Chenoa held in one foreleg, taking in a breath. She had been about to say how very disappointed she was in all of them when…

"Quick, get him!" Pinkie exclaimed, turning her unopened soda at Smokey to spray him, trying to force him towards the door.

"Oh, no…" he groaned, realizing his error. Turning tail, he ran right out the door in a sad attempt to escape.

Screaming and turning her back so Chenoa wasn't sprayed, Fluttershy bolted out the door with Smokey as the two of them were playfully assaulted and driven out of the cottage, the other mares pursuing them outside.

Smokey heard the chick laughing with mirth a few feet away. Apparently, she didn't mind the soda soaking her mother. In fact, she found Fluttershy's dripping face and mane quite funny. In an attempt to protect the mare and child, he stopped and beckoned the yellow mare over.

Fluttershy bit her lip and closed her eyes. Shaking lightly, both in slight indignation and just generally being upset, she tried to look around Smokey's wings as the other mares continued their war among each other, having now largely ignored the two.

"Well… at least we're outside…" she sighed, before Pinkie Pie whirled around to spray her again.

Smokey gasped, closing his wings around them like a bat to shield his friend and child from the onslaught of soda pop. However, his head was still vulnerable and the pink pony took full advantage of that.

Indeed, the other equines had now decided to include him again - they were down to their last bottles anyway. Grins shared around, they surrounded the red dragon on all sides, shaking their bottles and letting them rip.

He braced himself, willing to take it as long as the pony and chick inside his wings didn't receive it. The sprays to his face made it difficult to breathe, but those didn't last very long and he sucked in as much air as he could before the next blast.

Once every single bottle was empty, Smokey was sopping wet and sticky all over. Slowly, he opened up his wings to release Fluttershy and Chenoa.

Stumbling a couple of steps, Fluttershy turned around to face Smokey with wide eyes.

"Oh! Smokey, are you all right?" she asked, flapping her wings to bring herself up to his eye level.

"Of course. It was only soda," he replied with a small smile. He was going to spend extra time in the shower tonight to get rid of all the stickiness.

"Thank goodness!" Hovering closer, she wrapped her free foreleg around his neck in a hug, pressing the side of her face against his - despite him being covered in soda. Pulling away, she planted a kiss on his cheek. "… For protecting us."

"Oh, come on, Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie giggled. "It was just soda! It'll come off!"

"… Yes… About that…" she began as she turned around to face her friends. She had her eyes narrowed and her lips in a pout. While she was certainly not angry, she very much looked disappointed.

The dragon felt like he was going to melt right there from the kiss. As the yellow winged equine was about to admonish her friends, he interjected.

"Miss Fluttershy, we'll all clean it up."

"That's not just it. It's one thing cleaning it off ourselves, but it's so hard to clean soda off of wood, out of furniture, making sure nothing is sticky. We're going to be cleaning for hours…"

"Now, darling, that's not true. You've got us. We'll certainly help!" Rarity offered. "It was wrong of us to fight indoors anyway…"

"Yeah, sorry, Fluttershy. I wasn't really thinking." Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously, dropping her empty bottle. "We'll help out when the party's over. There's still that cake Pinkie brought."

The corners of Fluttershy's mouth twitched upwards into a smile. She was still somewhat upset, but she couldn't be too angry at her friends. After all, they hadn't MEANT to upset her. If it had all been outside from the beginning, the pink-maned pegasus wouldn't have been so perturbed - she would even have participated.

"It's… fine. You said… Pinkie brought over a cake?"

She hadn't SEEN one anywhere…

"Yep!" Pinkie Pie chirped, spinning around to bounce back into the cottage momentarily and roll out a colossal cake that even made the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness look miniature in comparison.

Eyes nearly popping out of his sockets as he analyzed and acknowledged the sheer size of the cake, Smokey fell back to land on his bottom.

"How… are we going to finish that thing?"

"Indeed!" Rarity gasped. "It had slipped my mind until just now but how exactly did you MAKE that incredible cake? How much did it cost?"

"I didn't use a whole lot." Pinkie Pie promptly explained. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake went on a huge baking spree this week to fill a massive order. I made this from the leftovers."

"You made that from the leftovers?" Applejack parroted, thunderstruck.

"I'm impressed!" Being so into cooking, Smokey could appreciate such a culinary masterpiece. "So… shall we start cutting it?"

"Yeah!" a general chorus came from the ponies and baby dragon as he wandered over from the cottage, deciding that it was now safe to come out. As Pinkie Pie picked up a cake knife, she glanced up at the pinnacle of the cake and noticed she was far too short to reach it and cut it. Blinking, she plopped her haunches on the ground and rubbed her chin, the cogs within her mind turning.

"Allow me!" Twilight Sparkle spoke up, her horn lighting up to levitate the knife out of Pinkie Pie's hoof to begin cutting.

The ponies and dragons each received one generous slice and settled down onto the grass to relax. Several birds even flew near the cake to take bites from it. As they laid down, some of them sweaty, but mainly sticky and hot from both the soda war and their running around, Fluttershy smiled over at Smokey, then down at Chenoa, offering her some of her cake.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" she observed.

"It is…" Smokey sighed contentedly, glad there were no other ponies that came out this way often. He was happy to be outside in the open without needing his costume. Taking bits of the fluffy interior of his slice of cake, he tossed them, landing several feet away for the birds to eat.

Nuzzling Chenoa, Fluttershy closed her eyes as a warm breeze passed by them, tussling her hair a little. Moving her head to toss it over her shoulder and expose her face more, the pegusus' ear twitched as she opened her eyes to watch the birds feast on the cake.

"Days like these are my favorite," Fluttershy said. "Warm, quiet, and surrounded by friends."

"Ah hear ya," Applejack agreed.

"Yep. Days like this you can just relax and take a nap," Rainbow Dash sighed as she stretched out her legs and wings before laying back in the soft grass and placed her plate on her stomach.

"Peh," the farmer snorted. "Yew an' yer naps…

"… Ah agree. Something like that DOES sound nice-"

"Without a shower?" Rarity frowned. "I'm all for cake, but I'm really beginning to feel rather icky with all this stuff in my hair!"

"Ummm… There's a shower upstairs, if you need it, Rarity," Fluttershy offered.

"Do watch out for the animals if you go up, Miss Rarity. There are quite a lot of them upstairs," Smokey informed the white unicorn.

"Of course. The dears had to go somewhere when we were setting up the party."

"Oh!" Fluttershy sat up. "You don't think they'll be coming down since we went out, do you? It's such a mess downstairs…"

"Ah wouldn't worry about it." Finished with her cake, Applejack stretched. "In fact, getting this mess outta mah coat and mane prolly isn't a bad idea."

"Yeah, I guess a nap can wait," said Rainbow Dash as she sat up and polished off her cake.

"We can always bathe Chenoa in the sink."

Smokey gazed down at the chick as she and Fluttershy finished off their slice. While he and the mare had attempted to protect her from the soda attacks, she had gotten a little sticky.

"True." Fluttershy nodded. "Um, so, what should the order be to use… the… um… I'm not that… Erm…"

"I'll go last," Twilight Sparkle said.

"Oooh, I have an idea!" Pinkie Pie declared. "Why don't we just forego the shower and head down to the lake? We can still wash off and have some fun!"

Rarity didn't seem to be thrilled with this plan.

"The lake? It's still much too cold to go swimming. And no shampoo for my hair? Euggh!"

"That sounds like a good idea! We can begin to introduce Chenoa to deeper water!" Smokey exclaimed excitedly as he shifted his attention to the mentioned chick. "I bet you would like that. You love to splash."

"But-" Rarity began to protest.

"Whoowee! That does sound like a great idea!" Applejack agreed.

"I can get my ball!" Spike contributed. "We could play some water volleyball!"

"Aw yeah! Let's go!"

The prism-maned pegasus pumped a hoof into the air as anticipation filled every fiber of her very being.

As Spike ran off, Pinkie Pie bouncing off after him, Twilight Sparkle chuckled and cantered off as well. Rarity still looked somewhat flummoxed, though Fluttershy turned to her.

"It's all right, Rarity. You can still use my shower. I'll just tell the others you'll be right behind us."

"Thank you, Fluttershy. I shouldn't be long!"

The yellow equine smiled, looking up at Smokey.

"Should we get going?"

"Of course! This ought to be fun!" Smokey beamed, his hand gently grasping onto Fluttershy's free hoof. "Come on."

Blushing lightly, and spreading her wings, she flapped lightly to flutter alongside him as they strode off together. Applejack smirked, cantering ahead of them to catch up with Twilight Sparkle further up the path to give the pair and their child some time alone.

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Fun At the Lake

"Isn't this exciting, Miss Fluttershy? Introducing our baby girl to the water… Well, water that expands on a greater scale than the sink and bathtub."

Smokey was really looking forward to teaching Chenoa how to swim. She could flail in the water and stay afloat - she had proved that during her and Fluttershy's near-death experience, but the dragon hadn't been around to see her do it, and had been told by the pegasus herself.

"She's not exactly…" Fluttershy began, wanting to bring that point up, but she wasn't sure whether or not she should. "Come to think of it, I wonder how she will take to it. She's been fine in the sink or tub, but…"

She had wondered if the trauma would have left some fear of water or enclosed spaces. Or, deep water, to be exact. They would find out soon enough.

"But what?" the draconic being prompted, raising his brows.

"… Well… I'm worried," she said, dropping her eyes to the baby griffon in her hold, and then back over at Smokey. "She was able to float and flounder about back in… back in the well, before you saved us. I know Chenoa wasn't scared in the sink or tub, but… do you think she'll take to the lake well?

"I…" Fluttershy paused, staring at the path ahead. "I don't know if she'll even really remember any of this anyway, since she's so young…"

A frown descended upon his scaly face at the thought of his adopted child possibly being frightened of the lake.

"Well… let us hope she doesn't remember that day."

"We'll see. I suppose I should be a little more worried about her developing claustrophobia rather than hydrophobia…" She went silent for a moment, then turned back to her companion. "But… but… we'll both be there… And we'll help with anything that comes up, right?"

"Of course. We're her parents. It's our job to make sure we're there for her," he responded with a wide grin.

"Yes…" Fluttershy glanced down at Chenoa again, fluttering alongside her scaly friend in silence for a moment. "Smokey? Did you… ever really expect this? I mean, parenthood? It's one thing to care for a baby, babysit one, but… to actively raise one? To keep one as your own? Did you ever dream of anything like this?"

"I have dreamed about it, yes." The dragon nodded with an affectionate smile gestured at the griffon. "But I never thought I would since I wouldn't fit in with other dragons… Nor did I fit in with ponies."

"Neither have I, to an extent. I always viewed my animals as my babies. I love them all so very much and I would certainly hate to see any of them hurt or scared or…" She shook her head. She knew she had said something like this before, but it never hurt to say it again. "But… never once did I ever think I would ever truly be… well… a mother. A true mother."

"I feel the same for my animals, but you already know that." Smokey sighed as a veil of sadness descended upon him. "I noticed a couple of my doves have found mates and are already settled in nests. I am happy for them they'll be having chicks, but I wonder if they'll come back to visit me."

"I'm sure they will." The mare leaned in to lightly nuzzle him. "I've had many of my animal friends find mates and come back to me for problems, even after they've had families and the little ones of their own have grown up and started families, too.

"In a way, I suppose, I'm not just a mother, I could be a grandmother." There was a brief lapse as the mare giggled. "Though, I'd really rather not think about THAT right now."

Smokey purred to the mare as she nuzzled him.

"Right. And I won't be ready for that for many years. I just hope my protectiveness won't interfere with Chenoa's life too much."

"I'm sure you'll be just fine," she reassured him. "I've often been protective of my animals, and I worry if I'll be over-protective of Chenoa… but, I have no doubt we'll do fine."

He smiled with a nod, lightly squeezing Fluttershy's hoof.

"As long as we have our friends to help us out. I had no experience with babies before Chenoa, except for Ross and the doves when they were tiny."

"Me neither. Not an actual baby, anyway. Outside of what little experience we have with Chenoa. To be perfectly honest, I think Applejack's had the most experience - but she's had help from Granny Smith and Big Macintosh.

"I know Spike has been with Twilight since birth, but from what she told me he was raised by Princess Celestia. But… even Pinkie's had some experience with babies. Mr. and Mrs. Cake told me she's really good."

"Maybe she can give us good advice," Smokey suggested, thumb stroking the mare's pastern.

A small shiver went up the pony's foreleg and down her spine.

"I'll ask Pinkie how she takes care of the Cake babies. Maybe ask her to take care of Chenoa if she wants to, though, I think griffon babies are different than foals…"

"I wouldn't think they'd be that different at this age…" Smokey shifted his attention to the child curled up in Fluttershy's other foreleg. He was surprised how patient she was being.

As the two of them crossed over a knoll on the path they were taking, as the lake came into view, Fluttershy removed her hoof from Smokey's clawed hand to rub her chin.

"True, I suppose not. At this stage, anyway. And I know we discussed giving Chenoa a herbivorous diet, but… I still kind of wonder slightly." There was another pause as she turned back to Smokey, not noticing Spike run past them with a large plastic beach ball held above his head. "You know, I've often wondered that about YOU. I know we talked about that, too. I suppose it still slightly blows me away thinking about it."

"What about Spike, my dear," Smokey brought up. "Did you forget about him?"

"No, I guess… I never thought about him. I mean, he's a young dragon and, like you, he was raised by ponies, but…" She idly glanced off at nothing in particular, a butterfly soon grasping her attention. "Spike always had SOMEPONY in his life, be it Princess Celestia or Twilight… and…"

Fluttershy was silent another moment, before she turned back to her dragon pal to wrap her foreleg around his shoulders as best as she could to pull him in for a hug and causing them both to halt.

"Hm?" He was confused as to why the equine suddenly hugged him. Lifting his arms, he furled them around her and Chenoa to return the embrace. "You're a sweet mare."

"I recall you telling me your story about when you were young," she whispered into his ear frill. "I know it wasn't my fault, but I'm still sorry to hear all of that. Especially comparing your childhood to Spike's. He's still a baby dragon, but… he still has his own childhood to grow through, and you're… already more-or-less full grown."

One of the dragon's hands left the pegasus' mid-section to coast it gently over her mane in repeated strokes.

"I have you now. And our friends. And, of course, the animals and Chenoa."

The pegasus smiled and blushed, nuzzling him softly. She shivered as his claws went through her hair, and she drew back slightly and gazed into his eyes for a couple of seconds before she realized just how close her face was to his.

"Hey! You guys coming or what?" Spike called out to them from the lakeside

Pulling away, Fluttershy witnessed Pinkie Pie leaping to perform a perfect swan dive into the lake - only to slow down in midair and slip into the water without even creating a splash.

Blushing himself, Smokey stepped away from Fluttershy, his stomach nervously flopping in his abdomen.

"C-coming!" Turning back to the mare, he offered her a shy smile. "So… sh-shall we… m-meet our friends then?"

The pale yellow mare nodded as she turned to flutter towards the lake. Pinkie Pie had attempted to start a new game where she was splashing the other mares, and had targeted Twilight Sparkle at first until the alicorn decided to put her wings to use to rise over the water where she couldn't reach her.

The pink pony indignantly cried out that wasn't fair, but shifted her focus on Applejack when the farm pony had used her distraction to splash her from behind.

Following his friend and taking Chenoa, Smokey slowly stepped into the water, wading in until he was waist deep. Then he lowered the baby in, still keeping a hold on her. The chick didn't seem to remember that first day she and her adoptive mother's close encounter with death. She was smiling, splashing and squealing in merriment.

Fluttershy exhumed a significant sigh of relief, seeing Chenoa was not at all scared of the water. Fluttering down, she dipped into the lake herself and lightly splashed around with her to play.

Twilight Sparkle, still airborne, spun to Rainbow Dash located at her side, to give her a mischievous smirk.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

A sinister glint glimmered in the cyan pegasus' eyes in response.

"I think I am."

Grinning, Twilight Sparkle motioned for her to follow her and climbed higher into the air while Pinkie Pie and Applejack were occupied.

"We'll fly higher and then dive down together! The momentum should cause a huge splash that should drench them both!" she called to her rainbow-maned friend over the rush of the wind.

Chuckling briefly, Rainbow Dash nodded before she and the alicorn bolted into the sky and came back down to create a monstrous splash that not only soaked Applejack and Pinkie Pie, but Fluttershy, Spike, Smokey, and Chenoa as well.

The red-scaled dragon clenched his teeth in worry as he waited for the baby's reaction. Surprisingly, she had enjoyed it, and belted out laughter.

Surfacing, Twilight Sparkle smiled over at Rainbow Dash as she came back up - though, as she heard Chenoa laughing and squealing, she turned over to the others and chuckled nervously.

"Hehe… Whoops?" she said, acknowledging their now thoroughly soaked forms, including Fluttershy who did not look particularly pleased.

"Eh… Sorry about that."

Rainbow Dash issued an apologetic smile before flapping her wings to hover above the water.

"It's all right, I suppose. At least Chenoa's not crying," said Smokey, tilting his head down at the chick as her giggling came to a stoppage. Attention now on Spike, she attempted to wriggle away from her father in order to get closer to him. Chuckling, the larger dragon waded over to the smaller, holding her out. "Somepony wants to see her Uncle Spike."

Sputtering a bit and removing some seaweed from his head - despite the fact this was a freshwater lake - Spike spun around as he heard Smokey speak. Beaming, he stretched out his arms to accept the chick.

"Hey! How's the big girl?" he asked, giving her a very gentle noogie. "You ain't giving Mom and Dad a hard time, are ya?"

Chenoa squealed, wrapping her forelegs around the dragon to the best of her ability before bestowing a big sloppy kiss on his nose.

"Awww… That was utterly adorable," Smokey gushed.

Spike hadn't QUITE been expecting that, and had pulled Chenoa away partially to hold her at arm's length for a couple of seconds. Twilight Sparkle, however, had seen, and had began giggling - as did Fluttershy.

"That was rather sweet. She likes you!" said Fluttershy.

"You might be getting a girlfriend there, Spike," the alicorn teased.

"What? Her? ME?" Spike incredulously exclaimed. "Oh, come on, Twilight! No way! There's too big of an age difference!"

"What if there wasn't any age difference?"

Smokey smirked, deciding to tease the little dragon as well.

"Um, well, I…" Spike began, unsure of what to say.

"I'd say it would be rather darling!"

Spike whirled around to spy Rarity, now having been showered, still had her mane and tell wet and hanging down. She was also sporting - of all things - a fetching two piece bathing suit that caused the baby dragon to stare in an unabashed manner.

"Oh, my," Fluttershy said, scanning Rarity's outfit.

"You like it?" Rarity asked, posing for them and ignoring Spike's slack-jawed expression. "I figured I might as well if I'm joining you at the lake - I was already wet…"

"You mean you're going swimming?" Twilight Sparkle queried, having been splashed by Pinkie Pie and thrusting her forelegs forth to retaliate.

"Oh, heavens, no!" Horn glowing a light blue, Rarity summoned over a lounge chair from out of nowhere and flung herself upon it. "I'm going to lay here and work on my tan!"

Fluttershy blinked, staring at Smokey in confusion. The dragon himself opened his mouth to ask what would be the point of tanning be if she was always white when he felt something clamp on the tip of his tail.

"Something's got my tail," he announced, lifting the lengthy extremity to find a crawdad dangling from it.

The rosy-maned pegasus did not wish to ask that question, though it had been burning on the tip of her tongue nevertheless. As Smokey spoke, she turned her attention to the crustacean hanging from the reptilian's tail. For some reason, she found this funny, and she almost immediately giggled.

"Come on. Let go." As much as he shook his tail, the crawfish would not relent his hold. Feeling another one crawl over his foot, the alarmed dragon lunged aback and disappeared beneath the water with a splash. After he surfaced, more of the small creatures were dangling from his lower lip, one of his nostrils, and a few on the leathery fringes of his ear frills. Face contorting in pain, he swung his head back and forth in an attempt to dislodge them, but he failed to do so. "Why is everything out to get me?"

Rainbow Dash was too busy laughing to help the poor dragon. She didn't get a chance to laugh very long, for a familiar rainbow macaw emerged from a nearby tree and resumed the chase with the cyan pegasus.

Chapter Fifty-Eight: A Steamy Encounter

Fluttering over to the red-scaled reptilian, Fluttershy placed a hoof on his shoulder and scanned the crayfish that were still stubbornly clinging onto him. She hadn't even noticed the macaw chasing after Rainbow Dash again - though, this time Twilight Sparkle was now in pursuit of it as well to try and drive it away.

"Um, excuse me, Mr. Crayfish?" she addressed the largest one. "I don't mean to be a bother, but could you and your friends leave Smokey alone, please? We'll get out of the water if we're bothering you."

The small number of crustaceans didn't seemed to be the least bit vexed. In fact, they appeared to enjoy being swung around by the dragon as he shook his head and tail, but after they were politely asked to leave him be, they complied, dropping into the water simultaneously.

Smokey exhaled a sigh of relief and flashed his yellow-pelted friend a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Miss Fluttershy."

"It's not a problem," she said, her eyes wide with a smile as she proceeded to inspect him where the crawdads had pinched him. "You're not hurt too terribly, are you?"

"It still hurts a little on my ear frills. Are they bleeding?" he queried, lifting his hands to rub his thumbs, index fingers, and middle fingers over the imprints on his frills.

Fluttershy carried herself a little higher to look over his ear frills once he dropped his hands, examining them from a couple of angles.

"No, I don't see any blood," she responded, before she leaned in to plant a few kisses on his ear frills. Backing up, she gave him a maternal smile. "There. Does it hurt anywhere else?"

Cheeks stained with a rosy pink, he slowly shook his head, the pain dying down to tolerable belying currents.

"N-not as much."

"Good."

Drifting down to the water to settle into it, she surveyed the surface of the water to peer into the blue depths below to see if she could spot any more of the wildlife.

"Ah didn't know crawfish were in these waters…" Applejack stated.

"Where did Miss Rainbow and Princess Twilight go?" Smokey wondered, finally realizing they were no longer present.

"Ummm…"

Fluttershy blinked in confusion, looking around.

"There they are! Up there!" Pinkie Pie cried out, pointing a hoof nearly straight up. Following her gaze, Fluttershy gasped as Applejack and Spike now took their turns belly laughing. Twilight Sparkle was desperately attempting to help Rainbow Dash remove the rainbow macaw - which had not only caught up to her, was looking as it were trying to shag the back of her head and neck.

"GET THIS CRAZY BIRD OF ME!" Rainbow Dash bellowed as she shook her head wildly.

Finding everyone else's laughter infectious, Chenoa began laughing just as hard. Even Smokey, eyes on the cyan pegasus, burst with laughter. The sight of the Catalina macaw attempting to mate with the back of her head was just too humorous.

"Oh, dear."

Fluttershy, by this point, was the only one not laughing - aside from Rainbow Dash, that was. Twilight Sparkle was - though she was desperately trying NOT to, however, both her desire to try not to laugh as well as the desire to neither hurt Rainbow Dash nor the bird (especially since Fluttershy was present) prevented her from simply grabbing him with her magic and yanking it off.

To the alicorn's great relief, Fluttershy flew up to meet them. Her hooves extended out to the bird and the back of Rainbow Dash's head, the motherly yellow flyer began to sternly admonish him.

The feathery creature glanced up at Fluttershy, not really seeming to care what it was doing was bad or not. It was only following his basic instincts and had found Rainbow Dash attractive. He clung to the light blue pony's neck, reluctant to let go.

"Now, now. Rainbow Dash may have feathers, and can fly, and has nice hair, but she's not a macaw. Come on, Mr. Macaw, we'll find a nice mate for you. One that will…" She risked a glance at Rainbow Dash. "… more readily accept your advances."

The macaw shook his head and turned it away from Fluttershy in a display of refusal.

"Oh, I was afraid of this," Twilight Sparkle sighed. "But I guess we don't have much of a choice!"

"Wait, what are you saying?" Fluttershy questioned.

"Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, I'm really sorry, to the both of you." Horn glowing, Twilight Sparkle enveloped the avian in a magenta aura. "Dash, you might wanna grit your teeth. This may hurt a bit."

"What? Twilight, no!" Fluttershy protested, though she spoke too late as the princess utilized her magic to yank the bird off of Rainbow Dash.

The macaw squawked in complaint as he was removed from the prism-haired pegasus. Trapped in Twilight Sparkle's magic, he continued to screech, flapping his wings rapidly.

Rainbow Dash had winced when the bird was pulled off. His sharp claws had left three scratches on each side of her neck. They were leaking a tiny amount of blood, but it was nothing a few band-aids couldn't take care of.

"Whew… Thanks, Twilight. Did his claws leave anything?"

Fluttershy threw a sharp glare - one that the alicorn responded to with a nervous smile - but, the yellow pegasus merely sighed and closed in to examine Rainbow Dash's neck.

"Just a few minor scratches. Nothing serious. Some antiseptic and band-aids and you'll be just fine."

"That's it?" Rainbow Dash grinned with a look of relief. "I guess I should go do that. It's about time for a nap anyway. I'll see ya later, guys!"

With that, she zipped off. The remains of the group waited until she was out of sight, then Twilight Sparkle hovered the bird closer.

"Alright, you, what are we going to do with you? We can't have you harassing our friend."

"I'll go get a free bird cage from my cottage. We'll need something to keep that macaw in," said Fluttershy.

"Yes, please hurry - he's feisty!"

"Need any help, Miss Fluttershy?" Smokey called over as he took Chenoa from Spike.

"I should be fine."

The winged mare smiled at him as she fluttered off. She returned several minutes later with a gilded cage that was large enough for the Catalina macaw. Twilight Sparkle encompassed the cage within the field of her magic to shove in the bird and promptly fork it over to the pegasus.

"There we go," Fluttershy cooed. "You'll be nice and safe in there until you calm down."

The macaw let out a shriek, biting and pounding his wings against the bars of the cage. He continued making a ruckus as he remained inside, not used to being contained.

"He looks really unhappy," Smokey pointed out.

"I know." Fluttershy frowned immensely, looking heartbroken as the bird screamed and beat and bit the bars. "But if we let him out, all he will do is fly off after Rainbow Dash again."

"Not unless we let him out indoors," Twilight said. "Assuming we keep him in a closed room with enough space for him to fly around."

"I'll take him back home and let him out indoors," the yellow equine offered. "Hopefully he won't mind being cooped up TOO much. It's just for a short while…"

"It's almost Chenoa's naptime anyway. Perhaps we should go now," the older dragon suggested, smiling down at the chick as she released a squeaky yawn.

"True." The mare nodded and pressed her nose to the bird's cage. "Don't worry, Mr. Macaw. We'll let you out soon. I promise."

Turning to the rest, Smokey offered a smile.

"Thank you all for the party. Promise you'll come by later to help clean up?"

"Sure thing, sugarcube!" Applejack affirmed.

"Okie-dokie-loki!" Pinkie Pie followed.

"But of course!" came Rarity's reply.

"Sure! Me and Spike will certainly be there," Twilight Sparkle confirmed.

"Wha?" Spike turned his attention to his surrogate sister with a look of surprise. "But I was gonna meet Snips and Snails-" He cut himself off as he received a piercing glare. "Alright, alright, I'll be there!"

Fluttershy chuckled, a wide smile pulling at her features.

"Thank you, everypony."

"Chenoa should be done with her nap in a few hours. You all enjoy yourselves until then."

Thanking them one last time, Fluttershy and Smokey, with Chenoa in his arms, departed and traversed back to the cottage.

It did not take long for Fluttershy and Smokey to take Chenoa upstairs and lay her down in her cradle. Making sure she was comfortable, the pair sang to the griffon until she fell asleep. Making sure she was fast asleep, they quietly exited the room, the dragon closing the door behind them.

"I'm going to take a shower," said Fluttershy, then paused as she turned to Smokey. "Unless, you want to take one first."

"You go ahead," he insisted as he headed towards the supply closet. "I will start cleaning up."

"Oh… okay."

The mare clopped into the bathroom and stepped into the shower. She took her time scrubbing her fur, wings, mane, and tail - even after the dip in the lake, she wanted to make sure all of the soda was off her body. After drying off, she trotted out, her wings spread out and her wet mane glistening in the light.

"All yours," she called as she descended down the staircase, in a breathy, almost singsong, voice.

Glancing up from the floor he was scrubbing, Smokey lifted himself off his hands and knees and set the sudsy brush aside.

"Alright."

Striding past her, he gave her a quick smile and headed upstairs. The bathroom was a little warm and stuffy from when his friend showered, but he didn't mind in the least. Stepping into the shower, he fiddled with the tabs to set the water at his desired temperature and promptly washed off his scales with the Spring Rain body wash he kept with Fluttershy's shampoos for days when he spent the night.

Back in the foyer, the Catalina macaw pounded his wings against the cage bars again, demanding to be let out.

Once Fluttershy heard the water running, she turned her attention to the macaw. Frowning lightly, she left momentarily to make sure every window in the cottage was both closed and locked tight, along with the front door. Certain the macaw wouldn't be able to escape her home, she gingerly opened the cage door to free him.

"There you go, you poor thing. I'm sorry for doing this, but we can't have you harassing Rainbow Dash."

Shooting out of the cage, the bird crashed into Fluttershy's face before flying around the room in an outraged frenzy. It was a good thing there was currently nothing breakable in the room, otherwise he would have knocked it over and accidentally destroyed it. Landing on the window still behind the couch after ten minutes, the macaw hammered his wings against the glass, managing to hurt one of them in the process. A few specks of blood dripped from his small wound, and he finally ceased all movement as he realized what he had done.

Fluttershy let out a yelp as the macaw smashed into her. Dazed, stunned, but otherwise unhurt, she sprang back to her hooves and rushed over to the bird as it was desperately trying to leave and pursue his paramour once again.

"Oh, no! Mr. Macaw! Please don't!" she attempted to plead, her usual hesitance towards actual physical action - plus the thrashings of the macaw - preventing her from getting to close. Once the bird had stopped, she got closer, only to notice the blood. "Oh, dear! You're hurt! Hang on, let me get you a bandage."

Turning around, she hurried back upstairs towards the bathroom. She hesitated, only for a moment as Smokey was still inside - it was the only place she kept bandages. Determined to slip in and slip right back out, she pushed the door open.

The very instant Fluttershy entered, Smokey stepped out of the shower, his scaly hide dripping and glistening. His eyes went wide and an embarrassed shade of pink bloomed on his cheeks. For a few moments, he just stood there on the tiled floor, his drippings creating a small puddle.

Just when he took a step forward, he slipped and landed hard on his back with a grunt.

Gasping, she turned away from the medicine cabinet and was immediately at Smokey's side.

"Oh, my goodness! Smokey, are you all right?!"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine."

Pulling himself to his feet, he managed to slip again, this time falling onto Fluttershy. Recovering his bearings, the dragon stared down at the pegasus, and lifted himself off of her. Drawing back to sit on his haunches, he gently grasped onto her hooves to pull her into a comforting hug with a quick apology, thinking that he might have hurt her.

Fluttershy sighed a bit, only to cry out as Smokey landed on top of her. Again, dazed, but unhurt, she laid there on the wet floor, wings extended and staring up into his eyes. Their bodies were pressed together, she realized, and she felt her face go hot with an intense blush. Seconds that felt like hours passed by as he sat up and pulled her up with him.

Feeling his arms wrap around her body, she sank into his embrace, still blushing.

"… I'm… I'm fine," she whispered out. She wasn't hurt, though she was rather stunned and mortified at the entire ordeal.

The winged reptile breathed a sigh, knowing his dear friend wasn't harmed. Inhaling, his nostrils quivered as he detected strawberries and cream wafting from her fur and mane. The smell mixed with her natural scent was intoxicating. Purring softly and nuzzling her cheek, he lifted one hand from her waist to smooth his fingers through her pink locks.

Her face darkened as his claws ran through her hair. Her head partially tilting into his soft caress, her own muzzle quivered from the enticing Spring Rain scent from his scales. It was like he had just stepped in from an April shower, and, scales still shimmering with water, he looked the part.

She idly licked her lips - partially due to nervousness and a quickly drying mouth, and partially due to attraction. She was aware she was feeling warm - and not just because of her face or the fact that the room was steamy.

He purred again to the mare as he nuzzled her, this time a bit harder. Curling and uncurling her locks of mane, his other hand kneaded the fur underneath her wing. His dull claws lightly scratched the soft patch under the feathery extremity with another purr. Right now, he wasn't even aware of his own body rising in temperature. He was lost in a world of his own.

Fluttershy sighed, closing her eyes, especially as she felt his claws scratch her underneath her wing. Leaning in to nuzzle him back, she felt her heartbeat quicken and thump against her chest. Resting against him, she nuzzled him again, running a hoof over his strong torso, softly palpating the muscles as she turned her head to press her cheek against his chest with another sigh.

The dragon's heart melted and fluttered away in his ribcage. Removing his fingers from her hair, he ghosted them down her neck and rested them against her side. He lowered his head to meet hers, rubbing his chin against her cheek more fervently.

Nickering, the pegasus returned the affectionate nuzzle with one of her own. She didn't seem to realize what she was doing, nor did she really seem to care. She was in the strong arms of a dear friend - one of the dearest that she cared for the most. She was safe, she was warm, and she was content.

All was right in the world.

The blush on Smokey's cheeks intensified as his body heat rose even higher, beads of perspiration beginning to dot his scales. As his purr took on a more amorous note, he nuzzled her cheek passionately and pressed his torso against her body while his hands explored her body.

She couldn't help but shiver, her heart thundering as she allowed his hands to roam. Noticing he was still quite gentlepony-like. He hadn't been too eager or forceful and he wasn't crossing any boundaries, remaining on her back, near her wings, and stomach. His fingers not only felt strong, but his touch was… exquisite. Magical. Amazing.

Her eyes slowly opened as she felt a yearning, almost a desire for him TO be a bit more bold. It was then she realized she was feeling an emotion she had never felt before. Confused, frightened, but most of all, curious and unusually willing, she lifted her eyes up to his face.

"Smokey…?" she breathed, as if coming from a dream.

The addressed dragon drew back his head to meet her eyes. Like her, he too, was feeling an alien desire. Wings stiffening and unfurling a small degree, he leaned in to give her cheek a quick lick. He was scared and nervous of what he was feeling for his friend, but that didn't stop him from leaning in once again - this time, aiming to kiss her, his head swimming and disconnected from reality.

Fluttershy had been about to ask something, though upon receiving the lick, her train of thought was derailed. Staring up at him with a distant, almost detached but blissful expression, she was driven to meet him halfway.

Just when they were about to kiss, something pulled back Fluttershy's head by the mane. Snapping out of his transfixed state, Smokey followed the length of the mare's mane and found Angel, his paws firmly grasped onto the end of her hair.

"Angel? What are you…?"

Before he could finish his sentence, the realization of what he and Fluttershy have been doing finally sank in. Blushing heavily, he let her go and slid back, his eyes wide in bewilderment.

Fluttershy gasped, not in pain, but more in surprise. Eyes snapping open fully now, she turned to the rabbit.

"Angel? Wuh…"

In unison with Smokey, she too, came to the exact revelation and nearly jumped back, her entire face now a deep scarlet. A squawking from downstairs reminded her of the reason she came into the bathroom in the first place, and, without a word, quickly fluttered to the medicine cabinet to gather a few bandages and left to focus on applying first aid to the rainbow macaw - now even further embarrassed for having completely forgotten about him.

After Fluttershy left, Smokey glanced down at the rabbit, wondering why he had pulled on her mane like that. Once Angel shot an icy glare at him, pointing two fingers at his eyes then to him, he had an inkling.

Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Interruption

Fluttershy, for her part, didn't even pay any attention to Angel at all, or turn to face the bathroom. Gliding downstairs and over towards the couch where the Catalina macaw was perched, still scarlet red in the face, she focused on his injury and cleaned and bandaged his wing with the utmost care.

"I'm sorry," she apologized to the avian as she finished. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to forget about you. I got distracted."

It took several minutes for Smokey to work up the courage to leave the bathroom after drying himself off. Accosting the mare, he dropped his eyes to the sticky floor and folded his hands in front of him, his stomach flopping around in his abdomen.

"M-Miss Fluttershy…?" he spoke, forcing himself to meet her eyes. "A… about what… h-happened back there…? I'm sorry… I d-don't know what came over me."

Fluttershy sat there on the floor upon her haunches, staring at Smokey… Or rather, through him, as if he wasn't there.

"It's… all right," she said, after what felt like minutes. "I don't know what I was thinking, either."

The mare rose to her hooves.

"I'm going to start cleaning up. Or, I might join Chenoa in taking a nap. I'm feeling a little light-headed."

"If you're feeling light-headed, you should lay down," said Smokey, glad that she had accepted his apology.

"I think I will do just that," Fluttershy said, cantering towards the staircase. Truth be told, she was not actually tired at all, but she was still startled from the ordeal and wished to think in relative peace.

"A nap does sound good…" Smokey mumbled to himself as he watched the mare climb the stairs. Once she was out of sight, he promptly curled up on the couch, mindful of the macaw perched upon the back support. He didn't fall asleep right away, his mind swimming with thoughts on what took place in the bathroom. The passion and desire he felt… Where did it come from? Why did he feel it?

His mind drifted back to the stormy night when he, Fluttershy, and Chenoa spent the night on this very couch. Back then, he wondered if he was beginning to acquire feelings for the yellow equine. Though he and Fluttershy were scheduled to go on an actual date on the coming Saturday, he couldn't help but feel excited. Was it intended for the both of them to just spend time together alone, or was it the first stepping stone in pursuing a deeper relationship?

As an elapse of thirty or so minutes passed by, the red-scaled draconian nodded off.

Once Fluttershy entered her room and climbed onto her bed, she glanced over at the crib. Smiling at the sleeping form of the chick through the wooden bars, the pegasus laid back.

Eyes fixated on the ceiling, she had allowed her mind to wander as well. She had not only felt comfortable, but safe, in the arms of her dragon friend. A sense of her that felt where the two of them belonged, with each other. Even now, in the cool, soft contours of her sheets, she missed being in his arms and her heart yearned to go back downstairs to snuggle with him some more.

Still, as she pondered, she realized she had never, ever felt for somebody this strongly before, and wondered where exactly these feelings came from. Was it perhaps that it was because he was - despite his fierce and intimidating appearance - a very loving, very kind, and gentle soul? Or, was it because that, had it not been for him, she hand Chenoa would have likely met a cold, watery end?

He didn't just save her. He very well could have rescued them and brought them to safety and been on his way, but he had even seen to it that he nursed her back to complete health - putting himself at risk not once, but twice, to make sure the two of them were safe and well taken care of. That werewolf from the Everfree Forest… Smokey could have very easily been injured to a greater extent or worse had he not been able to satiate its own hunger.

And then her friends had come barging in, intent on pulling off a rescue mission. Had she been unconscious, or otherwise unable to stop them, who knew what could have happened?

Even so, once those threats passed, Smokey remained a friend, still not only been in contact, but was willing to spend time with her and be a father figure to Chenoa on the ever increasing chance her parents were no more, or if she had been abandoned.

Then there was the nigh-disastrous first "date", which her friends had been pressing to make certain their night went perfectly, even if it hadn't quite worked out that way. Which, incidentally, she recalled, was the very reason the Catalina macaw downstairs started harassing Rainbow Dash in the first place.

On the night during the blackout, she didn't believe she felt anything more than affection for Smokey, but now she knew what she was feeling was far more than just simple affection. It was definitely different than what she felt for any of her friends, but was it…?

No. Yes. Maybe. She felt torn, but all she knew was that Smokey's hands caressing her body felt nothing short of incredible, and had Angel not stopped them, she would have eagerly met and returned his kiss. She had half a mind to admonish the rabbit, a bubble of irritation she hadn't felt in a while slowly began to rise in her breast.

Taking a deep breath, letting her anger dissipate, she rolled over and told herself it did not matter. She was still running off of a twinge of excitement from the incident. A shred that only reignited into a potential worry as she realized they still had a date that Saturday.

Her eyes closing, her face flushed as she thought of the possibilities. Try as she might, she was not able to sleep for those few hours before her friends were due to arrive to help clean up.

Smokey, clad in his pony costume sans the head, was making his final preparations for his second magic show behind the stage's curtain. Though his friends had encouraged him, he was still nervous over how the show would turn out. A couple of his doves were missing, but that was only because they were nesting.

Taking in a deep breath to calm himself, he turned to the equines and baby dragon gathered before him.

"I hope this goes better than last time."

"It will," Fluttershy assured encouragingly, holding Chenoa close as she turned her head slightly and gave him a wink. After that incident in the bathroom, the mare found herself becoming a bit more open towards Smokey, sending him winks, touching his hand, and nuzzling him a little more the following morning. Though she hadn't been entirely FORWARD, she was still noticeably less shy and reserved around him.

The others nodded, too. Twilight Sparkle had, as she mentioned, wrote to her friend - however, said friend was currently in Las Pegasus putting on a show during her tour and would not be able to swing by to see Smokey. She did express encouragement in her letter from one magician to another (and that though there existed a statement that claimed he would likely never be as amazing as she was, anyway, and if time had permitted she would have been honored to take on an apprentice), a sentiment that actually slightly surprised the alicorn as she knew her friend would have been far more stuck up and full of herself in the past.

The letter had asked why Twilight Sparkle bothered to contact her as opposed to teaching Smokey herself or even offered assistance on illusions, sleight-of-hoof and other stage tricks from what books her library had - though, she gloated perhaps she was greater and more powerful Twilight Sparkle gave her credit for. Twilight Sparkle shook her head upon reminiscing the letter, considering she had indeed done that just before the reply had even arrived.

"I'm sorry Trixie won't be able to come off her tour to help you out," Twilight Sparkle said. "I really would have done more if I knew more about stage magic. I feel her expertise really would've helped you out on this, but I'm sure you'll be all right."

"That's unfortunate, but I suppose it cannot be helped." Smokey was disappointed that he wouldn't be receiving any pointers from the princess' friend, but he couldn't be upset for long. As long as his friends believed in him, he saw no reason why he shouldn't go on. "I appreciate the support from all of you."

"Knock 'em dead, darling," Rarity said with a wide grin.

Gasping softly, Fluttershy whipped her head to the alabaster unicorn in shock.

"Rarity! How could you suggest such a thing?"

The fashionista rolled her eyes.

"Fluttershy, it's just a stage expression! I don't really mean for Smokey to harm the crowd, I'm just wishing him good luck!"

"Thank you for… the sentiment, Miss Rarity," he thanked before turning to Spike. "How much time do I have left?"

"I'd say you got about six minutes," the baby dragon replied. "But, I'd probably go ahead and take your time. There really aren't many more ponies out there than last time."

"I'm so nervous. What if I mess up just like last time?" the red reptilian whimpered, his hands shaking slightly.

Extending her wings and pushing off the wooden floorboards, Rainbow Dash flew right up to Smokey and belted him across the face with her hoof, but she didn't put in enough strength to leave a mark.

"Come on, Smokey! Ya gotta get in the game! Get out there and show 'em what you can do! We'll be in the crowd rootin' for ya!"

"Yeah!" Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Spike agreed in unison. Fluttershy, however, was completely quiet. Digging her hoof into the wooden floor with one of her hind hooves, she then spread her wings to flutter up to Smokey's eye level.

"Well, um, you know all I've really said. I don't think I can really say anything else. But… um…"

She suddenly leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek, which she held for a moment, going red in the face.

"Good luck," she squeaked, before flying off with Chenoa in her forelegs.

That single kiss charged up the dragon with positive energy, the corners of his mouth stretching in a wide grin as his cheeks flushed.

"Th… thank y… you."

As Fluttershy had already flown off and seated herself in the audience, she did not hear his words. Twilight Sparkle giggled, sharing a knowing glance with Rarity.

"I think our shy friend is beginning to develop a crush for Smokey here," Rarity whispered to her fellow mares as they left to take their seats, her voice undetected by both dragons. "Much as she denies it."

Smokey snapped back to reality and pulled on his mask once Spike informed him that it was time for him to go on. Casting his eyes briefly at his animals, he pushed the curtain aside and mentally prepared himself to meet his crowd.

Taking another deep breath, he raised one of his hands to perform his first trick when his attention was diverted to a team of large oxen pulling what appeared to be an engineless train - only instead of traveling on tracks, the wheels were replaced with tractor tires to enable all-terrain travel.

Confused and concerned over the dragon in disguise's hesitance and distraction, the fellowship followed his line of vision to see the all-terrain locomotive pull up in the middle of the town square. As Fluttershy and her friends exchanged expressions of befuddlement, the few guests outside of Smokey's friends immediately got up to investigate this new phenomenon, the magic show completely forgotten.

Pinkie Pie herself bounced over to check it out, leaving the others behind with Smokey and Spike. Fluttershy, giving the older dragon a small frown, turned to the rest of her pony friends.

"Looks like the show's cancelled… Or, at least, temporarily suspended," Twilight Sparkle sighed, unfurling her wings to fly up and over the heads of the equines crowding around the vehicle, and assumed her position of authority as the regal princess she was.

The scarlet colored and gold trimmed train was long, the first half of the total amount of cars being cages holding rare colored animals such as a white lion, a pair of black tigers - a mother and cub - , a golden tiger, a red leopard, a pink-hued leopard, a sepia panda, and several albino creatures. The rest of the train consisted of boxcars where equipment and inventory was held, and carriages where workers resided.

Smokey could hardly believe it! This train had come along and interrupted his show before it even started. He wasn't sure whether to be grateful or angry.

Chapter Sixty: A Problem Arises

Eager ponies gathered around the long line of cages, transfixed by the unusual coloration the animals prominently displayed. Fluttershy herself was quite struck by these creatures, having never seen most of them up close before - or rather, most of them with such pigments (or lack of pigmentation with the albinos).

Gripping the reins controlling the bovines was none other than a middle-aged unicorn stallion of a burnt ochre coloration with a frizzy orange mane and tail and a short beard, with a golden pocket watch on a chain branded on his flanks and dressed in a crimson dress coat with golden trimmings that matched his carriage-train. Pulling the reins, the vehicle came to a stoppage. The unicorn stood upon his seat, overlooking the steadily growing crowd flocking in curiosity.

"Greetin's lassies and gentlecoolts!" he cried out in a thick Shetland accent. "The great Pendulum 'as gathered the rarest creatures in Equestria! Feel free to gaze upoon my coollection to your 'eart's coontent!"

There was a murmur of interest and excitement among the amassed equines.

"Rare animals…?" the yellow-pelted mare breathed, hovering in place next to Smokey. "… Collection?"

"They're amazing," Smokey said.

While the rest of the crowd got an eyeful, the stallion went into detail about genetics, pigments, and color mutations in order to explain how his animals obtained their colors.

Fluttershy frowned, as she wasn't sure they were quite fully taken care of. Her eyes scanning from creature to creature, she acknowledged that they were in fairly good condition, but something seemed… off. It was like…

… They weren't truly happy.

Smokey seemed to catch on that something wasn't right, but not to the extent as Fluttershy. Before he could even say anything to her, the owner's Shetland accent sounded from his opposite side, startling him a little.

"What's the matter, lassie? Noot enjooying my creatures?" he asked, gently pushing Smokey aside to approach the pegasus.

"No," she answered sternly. "I don't like how you're treating your animals."

She raised a hoof to point a hoof at the white lion.

"That lion is not receiving the right dosage of vitamins he needs to maintain his coat's shiny luster." Fluttershy moved her hoof around to the black tigers. "You're clearly not giving the cub the tools he needs to learn how to hunt and the mother's fur looks like she hasn't been properly grooming herself. The panda is obviously constipated, the leopards look like they need sleep, and above all else-"

The mare finally turned to Pendulum.

"They all look a little underfed."

"She's right," the disguised dragon pointed out, feeling vexed that he had been pushed aside. "You can see some ribs on a couple of them."

Those who had heard them were beginning to mutter among each other, looking upon the stallion in disapproval. Stroking his beard, impressed with Fluttershy's intimate knowledge, he pushed the reptilian completely away and tossed a foreleg around her shoulders to pull her close.

"Well… I am oopen to suggestioons. After all, I want my animals 'ealthy."

Fluttershy looked mildly put off that Smokey was shoved aside, but let out a squeak as this unicorn suddenly closed in and wrapped his foreleg around her. Locking up, not at all used to such close proximity of a complete stranger, she gulped.

"Um… W-well," she began. "You could… could start… feeding them more often… and I'd check their nutritional dietary plans to… make sure they're getting… what they need."

"I will be sure to talk to whooever feeds them. And make sure they get the best," he reassured with a look of annoyance. It was true he appointed the feeding of his animals to someone else, he did feel partially responsible. It was then he decided he would personally see to it that his creatures looked their best.

"Ummm. Good," Fluttershy said, slinking out of the stallion's grasp and backing off towards Smokey's side, pressing her flank against his. "I'm… I'm glad. I can't bear to see animals mistreated."

"You can rest easy, lassie. They woon't be mistreated any loonger."

It was then he shifted his attention to the small griffon in her foreleg. He had never heard of a griffon with a pure white pelt before, aside from an albino - and this one wasn't albino, he noticed.

This had to be a rarity.

"Who's the wee oone?"

"Oh?" Fluttershy dropped her eyes to the baby. "Th-this? This is Chenoa… She's… um…"

She felt a little odd saying what she was about to say next - considering that Chenoa wasn't really her baby. Not officially, at any rate, as far as the court of law was concerned when it came to the adoption process.

Still, she felt too close to the chick to deny otherwise. Her maternal instincts towards her had never been stronger. Not to mention the baby identified her as her mother. The mare even doubted the little one would even remember or recognize her true parents at this point.

"She's… my daughter."

"And…" Smokey piped up to gain Pendulum's attention. "I'm her father."

The stallion was confused at first, before the conclusion that she was adopted swiftly dawned on him.

"She's a darlin'."

"Thank you. She is our pride and joy," the draconic being tacked on, then lowered his head to nuzzle the little baby.

Fluttershy smiled, reaching to press her head against Smokey's as she finished nuzzling the child.

"She's such a sweetie. And a true bundle. We've been blessed to have her, even if it's only been a short while."

"That's very sweet." The unicorn nodded once with a warm smile. "Noow, if you'll excuse me, I must be 'avin' a talk with whooever feeds my animals."

Turning around and slipping between cars to disappear behind the carriage-train, he did just that, questioning various workers to refer him to the right pony.

"What do you think of that pony?" Smokey questioned the mare at his side.

Fluttershy rotated her ears and flattened them against her head.

"I don't really get a good feeling from him… I don't know why… Something seems… off."

"He doesn't seem to know much about his own animals. I don't think he should even have them, if that is the case," he surmised at a volume only his friend would hear.

"I would like to think he's got a caretaker for them," Fluttershy whispered back. "Somepony he hired to look after them, but that worries me… If they're in this condition…"

The rosy-maned equine cut trailed off and shook her head.

"I hope he really does give a good talking to whomever takes care of them," he said as he analyzed the animals a second time.

"I'm sure he will," Fluttershy responded with rising agitation, her voice amplifying enough to gain the attention of the approaching Twilight Sparkle. "… He'd better. Or I'll… I'll…"

"Alright, Fluttershy," Twilight Sparkle coaxed, smiling calmly at her to defuse the situation. "Let's calm down."

Fluttershy was normally a very non-violent pony, and she preferred to talk over matters more than anything else. She hated coming to blows if she absolutely had to avoid it, but when the subject came to animals and their well-being, she would not hesitate to get aggressive.

When Twilight Sparkle had practiced levitating animals in choreographed sequences for entertainment, she recalled Fluttershy shaking a hoof at her in case one of them got hurt. While she knew her timid friend would never do anything of the sort under other circumstances, and she didn't put it past her that she would have made good on her implied threat if something did go wrong.

"Yes, let us just see what happens. The animals' conditions may improve," Smokey stated in an effort to further soothe Fluttershy's impending anger. "If they don't, we will report him."

The pegasus trembled lightly and exhumed a sigh.

"Alright. But, if they doesn't, so help me-"

"If they don't we'll deal with him then." The lavender alicorn extended a wing to drape it over the yellow-furred mare's back. "You already pointed everything out to him. He said he would rectify it."

"I know…" Fluttershy relaxed further, her body ceasing its trembling. "I'm sorry… It just burns me up so badly to see such cute critters mistreated in any way… Nothing gets me angrier than that."

"Everything will be all right, Miss Fluttershy. I promise if they don't get better, I will personally see to it that they get the care they need," Smokey reassured as he lifted a hand to place it upon the mare's shoulder.

As Chenoa's vision left one of the leopards, she squealed loudly at the sight of the sepia panda, reminding her of her stuffed toy.

"Baba-ba!"

A smile tipped Fluttershy's lips, feeling a bit more cheered at this promise. Then, Chenoa's squeal lifted her spirits even higher, especially as she attempted to speak.

"Yes, sweetheart." Fluttershy nodded once, slowly enunciating her next words for the baby. "Pan-da bear."

"Baba-brr!" the child tried to pronounce, throwing in another mirthful squeal that melted the hearts of her adoptive parents.

"You almost got it," the dragon chuckled with a burst of pride, grinning from ear frill to ear frill underneath his mask.

Fluttershy giggled and lowered her head to nuzzle the child.

"You're getting better, Chenoa! A little more practice, and you'll be able to say it no problem!"

"She is right, little princess." Leaning in, he delivered another nuzzle to the chick, purring all the while. "Are we done here, Miss Fluttershy, or do you want to look at the animals some more?"

"Is there anything else here aside from the animals?" Fluttershy queried, here eyes wary and surveying their surroundings. "Otherwise, yes, I'd say we should probably go."

As soon as Fluttershy uttered those words, a pair of acrobatic earth ponies burst from one of the cars behind the line of cages, one leaping on top of the other as another worker placed a ramp down. A series of clowns followed, a couple walking out on stilts, a few rolling on unicycles, and one carrying a tiny carriage where five more far to big to fit inside of it piled out.

The yellow winged mare squeaked, shuffling closer to Smokey as her remaining friends joined her side, Pinkie Pie laughing at the clowns - especially as they broke out into a pie and water bottle fight. Not only was the pink party pony laughing, but Chenoa was practically bursting her gut giggling so hard. Smokey chuckled softly at the baby's enjoyment, shaking his head once.

"I suppose this gives us a reason to stay."

Fluttershy was nervous of the clowns surrounding the area. One in particular sprang up near them, having noticed Chenoa laughing and had decided to come over to entertain her. Grinning, emitting a goofy laugh and spinning his bowtie, he honked his red nose.

In reaction, the pale yellow pegasus let out a panicked cry and buried her head in Smokey's side.

With her timorous nature, Smokey half suspected she would respond in such a manner. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders to quickly reassure her, he lifted his eyes to the clown to gently admonish him.

"Sir, please don't do that. She is easy to frighten."

The clown's ears drooped, his brow sagged, and his nose deflated with a dying "HOOOooonnk".

He smiled a second later and beeped his nose twice more before he coddled off to amuse some of the other children nearby who where significantly more open to him than Fluttershy.

"I'm sorry," Fluttershy said as she removed her face from Smokey's side, a frown tugging at her features. "I'm really sorry…"

"Ah, shucks, 'Shy, it was just a clown!" Applejack stated with a wide smile. "T'ain't nothing but a harmless-"

"You don't understand," the pegasus interjected. "I'm… I have coulrophobia."

"Color a what now?" the farmer ventured, arching a brow.

"Coulrophobia," Twilight Sparkle repeated, slower to enunciate the syllables. "It means fear of clowns."

In an effort to make his companion feel better, the dragon leaned in to whisper his thoughts on the clown.

"To tell you the truth, I thought the clown was a little creepy myself."

Fluttershy smiled faintly at him, glad to know that she was not alone in her views.

"Now, lemme get this straight," Applejack started. "Y'all are afraid of CLOWNS?"

"Oh, yes." Fluttershy shivered, her frown returning. "Clowns… creep me out. Those white faces, all that makeup… Ugggh."

"… Why?"

"It happened when I was a small filly," the yellow mare whimpered. "I got scared by a clown at a circus my parents took me to. It scared me so much I couldn't calm down until after we got home. I… never really got over it."

"I just find clowns a little creepy. There is no story behind that." Still holding the pegasus, Smokey turned his attention to the baby in her foreleg, who was laughing to the point of tearing up. "At least she's finding them enjoyable."

Chapter Sixty-One: The Invitation

"Oh, wow! Lookee!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, extending a hoof into the direction of a tall, overtly bulky earth pony colored a light gold with a long, clean mane and tail of a darker gold and brown with a short cut beard. "They've got a strong pony! Look at him go!"

"Whoa, nelly!" Applejack whistled, clearly impressed. "He looks like he could give Big Macintosh and Bulk Biceps a run fer their money!"

"That's pretty cool," said Rainbow Dash as they observed the hulk of a pony heft a two-thousand pound iron weight with their teeth.

"Ooh!" the pink mare squealed, her short attention span leading her to a unicorn as he set up a set of hoops during the proceeding, and set them on fire as a daredevil pegasus promptly performed tight loops and twists through them.

"Oh… my…" Fluttershy squeaked, clearly more concerned for the daredevil's safety than the impressive stunts.

"I could do that," piped the prismatic-maned pegasus.

Smokey's sea green eyes went wide at the sight of the flaming hoops, suddenly growing nervous. The urge to put out those flames mounted with each passing second, but he remained rooted in place.

"That… looks dangerous."

"Y-y-yeah…" Fluttershy stammered, shivering as she pressed her head against Smokey's neck, her large eyes shimmering with anxiety. "Can… can we go? I don't think I want to be here anymore."

Glad that Fluttershy wanted to leave, the dragon nodded with a relieved smile.

"Of course. Why don't we play with Chenoa in the flower field by the cottage? I saw a lot of butterflies there when we passed it."

The mare appeared far more unperturbed. Dispensing their goodbyes, the pair turned and left, not wasting any time in deserting the circus on wheels.

Fluttershy and Smokey - who was now free of the costume - relaxed in the plush comfort of the thick grass and flowers as they watched the baby griffon chase butterflies and stalk through the tall flowers in an almost predatory fashion. As she came particularly close to successfully pouncing one, the dragon gulped as worry graced his visage.

"Be careful, Chenoa. Don't harm the butterflies," he warned the child and stole a quick glance at the pegasus beside him. He took notice that she was currently weaving flower stems together to create a chain, his smile returning. "What are you making, Miss Fluttershy?"

Sitting out in the field had been far more relaxing than Fluttershy expected. Being with Smokey and Chenoa after a few minutes of watching the baby chase the winged insects had becalmed her quickly - even if she herself had to tell her to not hurt the poor creatures as well.

After a few minutes, she had decided to occupy her attention with something a little different while still keeping an eye on the little one. Hearing Smokey, she lifted her eyes up to him.

"Making a daisy chain," she replied, finishing the one she was working on. Fluttering up to his eye level, she reached out to drape it on his head and ear frills before returning to her haunches.

The winged reptile chuckled as the crown of flowers was placed upon his head. Verbally catching the child's attention, eager to witness her reaction, Chenoa laughed just as hard as she had when watching the clowns. Curious, she toddled right up to her father and attempted to climb up his belly.

Laughing a second time, the dragon picked her up and held her to his chest before bestowing a kiss to her cheek.

"Want to make one for Chenoa?"

Fluttershy smiled sweetly, her grin widening and heart melting upon hearing her laugh and squeal. Reaching over to pick a few more flowers, she proceeded to weave them together.

"Sure. That was actually supposed to be a necklace for her, but it fits so well on your head as a crown! You look so cuuute, Smokey!"

Giggling, she finished Chenoa's and placed it on top of the chick's head - it being a perfect fit.

Smokey felt his chest warm and his heart flutter at being dubbed as cute by the pegasus. The sight of the baby donning the flower crown was even more endearing to him.

"Nah. She is the cute one."

"Well, you're right. But, she's a baby. Most babies are already cute from the start, so she's got a natural advantage. Plus, she's a girl." Fluttershy winked at him. "So, that's another point in her favor.

"But you?" The mare snuggled against his side, nuzzling his scales. "You've got flowers on your head."

"So, that makes me cute, or is it not because of my charm?" he questioned, winking back with a wide, knowing grin. Unfolding his wing, he curled it around the pony to draw her in closer. "What ever the reason, the compliment is appreciated."

The pegasus blushed lightly, leaning her head against Smokey's side and raising a foreleg to rest it upon his leg.

"Well… It's actually a little of both," she admitted.

"You're the sweetest, Miss Fluttershy," he sighed as a dreamy expression stole over his face. "I can hardly wait for our date on Saturday…"

Fluttershy's blush deepened, closing her eyes partially and turned her gaze to Chenoa as she sank further into Smokey's side.

"Hmmm… Me neither."

She felt no shame or embarrassment in admitting it, either, truly looking forward to what that day held for them.

Little did the pair know that the owner of the circus was heading their way. He had asked a few of the locals where a yellow-coated and pink-maned pegasus resided. He had become interested in the young mare and her knowledge of animals. Once he spied her, he stopped in his tracks and froze as he acknowledged the presence of the dragon.

It took a few minutes for the image to sink in, and a smile crept onto his face. That dragon would be a perfect addition. Since he had planned on inviting Fluttershy to the party he was throwing that evening, he could also invite the dragon…

Yes… Already a scheme was beginning to pan out in his mind.

Putting on the friendliest grin he could muster, he approached the companions and their baby.

"Good day, you two!"

Not expecting any visitors, the draconic being jumped a little bit and swung his head around to meet the stallion.

"Oh, it's you."

Fluttershy had been blissfully unaware of the ringmaster, having been watching the baby. Her eyes closing, she was nearly asleep in Smokey's arms when his voice shocked her into alertness. Eyes snapping open and lifting herself from the dragon's lap, she turned to him.

"Um… Hi…" she murmured quietly, shying partially behind Smokey.

"I apooloogize foor disturbing you, but I 'aven't goot you're name. I wish to thank you prooperly foor brining the coonditioon oof my animals to my attentioon." It did not fail to escape the stallion's notice that this dragon's voice matched the large pony's that this mare was with earlier… It didn't take long for him to figure out it had been him in disguise. "My name is Pendulum."

The pegasus glanced off, her hair falling over her face.

"This… is Smokey. And I'm…" she attempted to speak her name, but half mumbled it out - the sound trailing off into inaudible nothingness.

"This is Fluttershy," Smokey said for her, not quite over the fact that Pendulum expressed no fear of him at all. He wasn't sure whether to be shocked or happy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you two. Really, it is." Deciding to cut to the reason why he was even there, Pendulum opened his mouth to speak again. "I'm throowing a large party tonight. I would be 'oonoored if you booth came. Bring your friends, too."

"A… party?"

Fluttershy tilted her head to Pendulum, then at Smokey. She looked like she had her misgivings. If the invitation had been sent by Pinkie Pie, she easily would have readily accepted.

However, this particular pony… This Pendulum. She wasn't certain at all.

As if on cue, the aforementioned pink party mare poked her head out from a nearby bush with excited, wide eyes and an exuberant grin.

"Did somepony say PAAARRRTTTTYYYY?"

"Gah!" Smokey gasped, jumping again.

"Eek!"

The yellow pegasus scrambled up the dragon's back, clutching onto him by wrapping her forelegs around his neck and her lower legs around his waist.

"Ack!" the stallion exclaimed, spinning around to meet the new arrival. "Lassie, ya gave us a scare."

"Hihihihi!" Pinkie Pie chirped, leaping out of the bush and bouncing up to Pendulum. "I'm Pinkie Pie! I'm Ponyville's party pony! Parties are my special talent! Say, you look familiar! Where have I seen you? I don't know you, and I know everypony, and I mean EVERYPONY in-"

She suddenly inhaled a tremendous gasp in realization.

"WAIT! You're that ringmaster from earlier! The one with the circus!"

"Aye, I am Pendulum," the stallion introduced himself, his heart still ramming against his chest in startled intervals. "So, you're specialty is parties. I'm 'oolding one tonight. Would you like to 'elp me, lass?"

"Oooh, yes!" the curly-maned equine burbled, hopping up and down. "What kind of party is it? Is it a birthday party? Who's birthday is it? Or is it a celebration? Maybe a wedding? A baby shower?!"

"Um, Pinkie?" Fluttershy softly spoke up, trying to attain her friend's attention. "I don't think it's any of those…"

"Fluttershy is right. It's just a party. We throow oone every time we arrive in a new toown," Pendulum clarified, throwing a foreleg around Pinkie Pie's shoulders.

"Oh! Kind of like a welcome party!" Pinkie Pie said, her features twisting into a confused expression.

"… Only in reverse… … I've never heard of anypony throwing THEMSELVES a welcome party." The mare's expression returned to it's usual excited countenance. "Don't worry! I'll throw you the biggest, bestest welcome bash you ever had!" Pulling herself away from Pendulum, she began springing off. "I need to get ready! So much to do, no time to waste!"

"I like your enthusiasm!" he stated with a wide berth as Pinkie Pie pronked off. Chuckling, he turned back to the pegasus, dragon, and baby griffon. "Noow… will you two coome noow that you're friend is 'elpin' me put this party together?"

"Well…"

Smokey gazed down at the squirming child before turning to Fluttershy for an answer as she slid down his back and positioned herself back on all four hooves.

She still seemed hesitant.

"If it's a PINKIE party…"

She glanced up at Smokey, as if conveying that it was all right. She trusted her friend - nothing truly bad ever happened at one of her parties. Anything remotely unfortunate that had happened was due to outside circumstances they had no control over… but that didn't mean anything bad could happen now, right?

Understanding the look on Fluttershy's face, the reptilian shifted his vision back to Pendulum with a small smile.

"We'll go. What time should we be there?"

"Noo later than eight oo' cloock, in the toown square," the frizzy-maned stallion answered.

"That is awfully late… Perhaps Spike can babysit…"

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind," said Fluttershy. "But, he is rather young, and he needs his sleep, too. I'd hate to ask Pinkie… Maybe the Cakes wouldn't mind looking after her? They've got their own babies to think of…"

"That's a good idea. It'll be a good opportunity to introduce Chenoa to their children. I'm certain she'll have fun playing with them," he agreed, nodding with a grin at the idea of Chenoa receiving the chance to socialize with other little ones.

"That was what I was thinking." Beaming, the mare flapped her wings to lift herself off of the ground and plucked the griffon from Smokey's one-armed hold to draw her into an embrace. "What do you think, sweetie? You want to make a couple of new friends?"

"Mama!" Chenoa chirped, her short forelegs reaching out to the pegasus to grasp her fur.

"Awwww," Fluttershy cooed, giving the baby a nuzzle.

"Let us get going. I'll make us some dinner. How does a hay loaf stuffed with spinach dip and covered in tomato sauce sound?"

Not bothering to say goodbye, Pendulum turned on his hooves and left into the direction from where he came, satisfied that he had convinced Fluttershy and Smokey into attending his party.

"Ooh!" The Pegasus's eyes brightened. "That sounds absolutely scrumptious!"

She, nor Smokey, hadn't even noticed the stallion left, Fluttershy turning her body to flutter off towards the cottage with her scaly friend at her side. She had not realized how hungry she was until he mentioned dinner.

Chapter Sixty-Two: A Problem Rectified

"You really, honestly don't mind?" Fluttershy pressed the portly mare standing before her.

"Of course not, dear!" Mrs. Cake smiled, looking over her shoulder at her own two children sitting on the floor in the middle of the room. "Carrot and I would come, too, but we simply can't leave our own unattended. Besides, I think the twins are a little young for that kind of excitement. It is nearly their bedtime."

"We really appreciate it, Mrs. Cake," said the dragon in disguise as he watched Chenoa toddle over to the twins. Even though he was grateful someone trustworthy was going to watch his child, he still felt his protective side prodding him.

When they had first arrived, the chick's amber eyes lit up at the sight of other youngsters. She didn't waste any time and promptly began interacting with them, burbling. Pound and Pumpkin, in the same instance, were quite excited to meet another baby. Babbling themselves, the three of them proceeded to play.

"We do," said the pegasus, a gracious smile tipping her lips. "You have no idea how much this means to us."

"As a mother of two…" The older mare paused to chuckle. "Yes, I do."

"Still, thank you again. We'll be back in a few hours at the very latest to pick her up," Smokey informed as he stared anxiously at the baby, feeling rather clingy to the point where he had to be dragged out of Sugarcube Corner by Fluttershy.

The pegasus usually wasn't the one doing the dragging - she was normally the one getting dragged. She had her misgivings about leaving Chenoa behind herself, but she trusted Mr. and Mrs. Cake implicitly.

The party was set outdoors, located in the town square where the carriage-train had originally rolled up. The vehicle had been moved closer to the outskirts for however long they were going to be staying, primarily to give more space to the bash Pinkie Pie set up. In true Pinkie Pie fashion, the area immensely festooned with balloons and streamers, long tables were set up with cakes, pies, and other confectioneries, and one table devoted exclusively to a plethora of drinks.

It was an informal party, as was expected of entertainers, though Twilight Sparkle didn't neglect to wear her tiara for the occasion to express her regal air and give Pendulum an official, royal welcome to Ponyville.

"Welcoome, Princess Twilight!" Pendulum cracked a wide grin as he accosted Equestria's newest princess, holding out a hoof to shake. "It's an hoonoor to see you 'ere! Your friend, Pinkie Pie, did a fantastic joob with 'elping me throow this party."

A warm, welcoming smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, Twilight Sparkle accepted the stallion's hoof and gave it a firm shake.

"Thank you, Pendulum. Though, it is I who should be welcoming YOU to Ponyville! Pinkie throws the best parties anywhere!" The mare released his hoof, placing it down on the ground. "Your accent… I can't say I'm familiar with it. Would you mind me asking where you're from?"

"I'm froom Shetland. My family histoory dates back oover two-'undred years there. You're froom Canterloot, yes?" he questioned as he gestured one of the oxen balancing a tray of champagne to bring the young princess a drink.

"I thought your accent sounded familiar! And, yes, Canterlot is where I was born and raised. I moved and have been living in Ponyville for over a year now."

She beamed in appreciation as she enveloped a glass of the liquid from the tray.

"Well, I 'oope you 'ave a good life in Poonyville. It's a charming little toown." Taking a drink himself with his magic, he clinked his glass with the alicorn's. "Enjooy the party."

"Thank you. You the same, sir!"

Nodding to him, Twilight Sparkle turned away to mingle with other equines.

Not too far off were Fluttershy and Smokey, the former holding a small glass of cherry punch and holding a conversation with Pure Heart.

"Really?" Fluttershy said. "I guess I sort of knew there was one around town, but I never had any reason-"

"To use one?" Pure Heart giggled. "Yes, I know. Most parents usually take care of their little ones, mainly because they've got both parents, or at least a trusted family member, but if you want to head out and get some things done, there's really no better caretaker than Mama Jamma. Least, so the advertisements say."

"Yes, but professional caretakers are expensive," the pegasus stated. "I'd rather leave Chenoa with ponies I know and trust. The Cakes, Pinkie, Spike…"

"So would I. We don't know Mama Jamma or the ponies employed there." Though Smokey knew Chenoa was in reliable hooves, he couldn't help but feel a small urge to run back to Sugarcube Corner. "I miss my baby…"

Fluttershy smiled and planted her haunches onto the ground to reach up and touch his arm while keeping a hold onto her glass.

"Chenoa's fine." Leaning in, she nuzzled his shoulder. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake are good parents. Don't worry."

"I know, my dear… I cannot help but worry," he sighed, lowering his head to return the nuzzle to the top of the mare's head.

"I understand."

Fluttershy was slightly worried about Chenoa herself - recalling stories Pinkie Pie had told her about Pound and Pumpkin and how much trouble they nearly got into when she was alone taking care of them one night. Even thought they had only been a month old at the time, their special skills already began to manifest, with Pound being able to hover, fly, and climb across the ceiling and Pumpkin enabled to perform levitation and intangibility spells.

Even though Chenoa was a griffon, Fluttershy highly doubted the chick's wings were strong enough to lift her body.

Smokey was about to say something else when he felt a foreign hoof touch his opposite shoulder. Jolting back at the unexpected contact, the dragon turned to see Pendulum offering a friendly smile. He hadn't even heard the stallion approach him. Considering the multiple conversations going on around them, they had drowned out his hoof beats.

"Enjooying the party?"

Fluttershy, too, had nearly jumped also not having seen or heard Pendulum. Gazing over at him, she dispensed a slightly nervous smile.

"Oh, um, yes. Yes, we are. Thank you for inviting us, Pendulum."

"It's noo problem, lassie. It's a pleasure to 'ave you 'ere!" Giving the dragon a few pats on the shoulder before returning his hoof to the ground, he glanced over at the same ox. "Any oof you want a drink?"

Smokey followed his gaze to the bovine and the alcoholic drinks on his horned head.

"No thank you. I'm not really a drinker."

"Me neither," Fluttershy agreed, dropping her eyes to her cherry punch.

She had never touched alcohol, nor was she willing to start. She heard horror stories and was more than a little distrustful of the substance, especially now with a little one under her care.

"Alright then. We 'ave plenty oof punch. Which I see you 'ave." After eyeing the half full glass of cherry punch in Fluttershy's hoof, he turned to Pure Heart as he lifted a hoof to beckon over the Ayrshire. "'ow about you? Woould you like a drink?"

"Oh? Perhaps. What all do you have?" She seemed to be quite intrigued, sidling up to take a glass from the tray proffered to her and taking a sniff of the bubbly liquid. "Is this… champagne? I don't think I had some since I was married."

"Yes. The finest champagne available in Poonyville!" Pendulum replied as he took a swig of his own drink.

"Oooh!" Pure Heart swilled the drink around in her glass and took a sip. "It is good! Blanc de noirs, too! I wonder if Berry made this - she makes the best stuff…"

"I did get it froom soompoony named Berry Punch," the stallion relayed, taking another sip. "It's marvelous."

"I'm… sure it is."

Smokey scanned the fizzy drinks on the ox's head. While he was thirsty, he didn't want to open his mouth and reveal his sharp teeth and snakelike tongue. He would wait until they got back to the cottage.

Grinning and giving the dragon a couple more pats on the shoulder, Pendulum cut his attention to Fluttershy.

"I must thank you again, Fluttershy. My animals are eating as much as they want and they already look 'appier. My panda isn't coonstipated anymoore."

Fluttershy's features expressed relief.

"Good, I was worried. I love animals. I'm one of the primary caretakers of both wild and domesticated critters all across Ponyville. I own a cottage and sanctuary close to the Everfree Forest."

The unicorn's smile widened, intrigued.

"Would you and your friend like to see 'oow 'appy they are noow?"

Smokey seemed interested in how the animals were doing.

"I would, please."

The yellow-pelted pony beamed, her eyes widening and lighting up.

"Of course!"

"Coome with me then." Spinning around, Pendulum proceeded to lead his guests to the train where his creatures were sitting in their cages, happily eating off piles of their preferred food that exceeded more than they probably needed. "'ere they are! Froom noow oon, they'll live their lives live their eyes fat and 'appy."

"They certainly appear happier," Smokey noted.

Fluttershy was still a bit concerned as she surveyed the line of animals.

"I'm happy they're getting the proper food they need. But, you need to make sure they need to get exercise, too. You shouldn't allow them to get TOO far in their feeding. That's not healthy for them, either."

"Ah, doon't woorry. I took that into coonsideratioon. They all get exercise. Twice a day, every day." His attention suddenly went to the tiger cub, noticing that he was done eating and was getting rather playful with his mother, who was still consuming her ground meat. "Would either oof you like to play with the cub? The moother is used to 'aving 'er baby 'andled by poonies."

Fluttershy was rather surprised - though, more at the offer than the fact it was a tiger cub. Smiling, she nods.

"Oh, yes! That would be wonderful!"

She had handled bears before, and knew they could be fatally dangerous if not treated properly. She didn't see why the mother or baby would be much different. Displaying a bold fearlessness that belied her usual shyness, the pegasus was almost instantly at the door of the cage, climbing inside once Pendulum opened it.

"Be careful, Miss Fluttershy," said Smokey, planting himself protectively behind her, ready to leap into action in case the tiger attacked.

The black tigers were, as they were called, black. The mother was pure black with white stripes while the cub was all black save for the stockings of orange on his legs.

Pendulum's visage was calm and confident as he observed quietly, as the pegasus stole the cub's attention.

"Hello, sweetie," the mare crooned, plopping her rear down on the floor and spreading her forelegs wide open. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."

She clicked her tongue to entice the cub over, grinning affectionately the entire time. The melanistic cub stalked forth a few steps and sprung forth to pounce on her foreleg, his clawless paws grappling onto it as his toothless mouth gummed up and down it playfully. The dragon behind the feathered pony laughed, finding the tiger's antics endearing.

"Awww… You're just a big kitten, aren't you?" she giggled, and raised her head to Pendulum. "Ummm… If you don't mind me asking… what happened to his teeth and claws…?"

The smile faded from Pendulum's face upon the inquiry's deliverance.

"I'm afraid all my cats 'ave been de-clawed and their teeth pulled oout. While I didn't want to do such a thing, it was necessary to prevent injuries to their 'andlers."

Fluttershy could understand the de-clawing process, to an extent - however, she did not like to hear he had been purposefully de-clawed. She was positively sickened when she heard he had been de-toothed as well.

"Poor baby…" she murmured, stroking the cub's head. "I… have a friend with an exotic pet with a similar situation. An alligator, and he has no teeth, too."

A pause elapsed.

"I've always worried about how he ate… What he ate since he's supposed to be a meat eater, but he's in good health. How DO you feed him… and his mother? ALL of them?"

"Their meat is groound up good soo they can prooperly eat it," he replied, pointing a hoof to the pile of ground meat the mother tiger was ingesting. She didn't appear to be having any trouble at all eating.

"… At least they can eat," Smokey muttered, a pang of sympathy for the toothless cats pulling at him.

Fluttershy did not look entirely happy, but witnessing that the tigress was able to eat without any issues and appeared to be content, but nodded slowly in acknowledgement.

"I see… So long as they're getting the proper nutrition they need…" she said with a smidgen of dejection thronging her intonation.

Picking up the note in the mare's tonality, Smokey placed a comforting hand on her back. While he tried to console her with his touch, he watched as the cub flopped onto his side then rolled over onto his back to repeatedly paw at her dangling mane, earning a laugh from the dragon.

The pegasus giggled and reached out with her hooves to tickle his belly. As he grasped onto the end of her forelock, she waited for him to open his mouth to flip her hair back.

"Now, now," she gently chided. "You shouldn't do that. It's not nice."

Hair removed from his mouth, the small tiger rolled back onto his feet and let out a hoarse, high-pitched roar. Releasing a second roar, he sprang at Fluttershy, body colliding with her chest.

Fluttershy laughed, catching the cub in her forelegs. Holding him close, she chuckled and nuzzled his head.

"You're so adorable," she gushed, running her hoof from his head to the base of his tail.

"He is a cute little fellow."

Stretching out his arm, Smokey reached around the mare to pet the cub's cranium.

"Yes, the wee oone is very sweet."

Pendulum nodded as he continued to watch the scene play out before him.

"Do any of them have any names?" she questioned, shifting her gaze to Pendulum.

"Oof coourse they do. That little oone's name is Bishen and the moother is Akanksha," he relayed.

"Those are nice names," said Smokey, smiling down at Bishen.

"Were both of them born in captivity?" Fluttershy wryly asked.

"All my animals were boorn in captivity. I 'ad purchased them froom all oover Equestria. Very few zoos 'ave these kind oof special cooloored creatures."

"They're all so beautiful," Smokey breathed as he slid out of the cage to eye the line of rare colored animals in awe.

Fluttershy bit her lip, uncertain of how to feel about this. Animals like these, she felt, should never have been BOUGHT, but if every single one here had been bred under captivity…

At least it was better than catching them in the wild and taking them from their homes. Attempting to release them from the lives they've come to know would be far more detrimental to their well-being rather than beneficial.

"They are beautiful…" she admitted.

"Thank you. I pride myself in my coollectioon."

Even though Smokey didn't like the stallion referring his animals as a collection, he smiled and nodded anyway, not wishing to antagonize him in any way.

"Well… I'm glad your animals are doing better."

Nuzzling the cub and setting him down, Fluttershy patted him back over towards his mother and turned to Pendulum.

"They're doing much better. If you keep this up, I'm sure they'll be far happier in the long run. The poor dears."

Not needing any further encouragement, the cub waddled over to his mother to play with her tail as she ate her meal.

"Yes. I gave their caretaker a stern talking to and a pay cut. That shoould teach 'im to take better care oof them."

"Looks like it is working so far." Turning to the stallion, Smokey offered a friendly nod. "Thank you for letting us see your animals."

Fluttershy nodded, feeling she could add nothing more to the conversation. Turning back to Smokey, a smile pulled at her lips.

"Well, then, should we get back to the party?"

"Oof coourse. Goo 'ave a good time. Goo see yoour friends."

After the pegasus hopped down from the cage, Pendulum closed and locked the door and escorted her and Smokey back to the party before eventually breaking off from them to tend to other partygoers.

Chapter Sixty-Three: The Secret is Out

Fluttershy and Smokey smiled as they passed by a small stage that had an informal band playing. The pink-maned pegasus took note of the fiddler, the harmonica player, as well as the ponies playing the banjo and piano. The party was just as lively as when she and her dragon companion had left, and it didn't seem like anyone noticed their absence.

Little did the pair know that they were being watched. A chestnut stallion eyed them from his spot within the crowd. The earth pony weaved through several ponies, often stretching his neck to peer over others' heads as he tracked them. As they entered the dense crowd, he waited for them to pass. Making sure no one was looking his way, he made his move, lurching forward and stomping his hoof on the faux hairs sprouting from the end of Smokey's fake tail, tearing it from the base and revealing his red scales. After this was accomplished, he removed himself from the scene.

The first few ponies noticed Smokey's shining scales out of the corners of their eyes and screamed, attracting the attention of more. The dragon himself, unaware that his tail had been exposed, was startled and confused. After pointing it out, a unicorn stepped forth and tore and peeled the rest of the costume off, much to the reptile's bewilderment.

Knowing that his true identity had been revealed, he stood straight up, his ear frills pinning from the piercing screams.

Fluttershy gasped in astonishment upon noticing the tail, befuddled as to how the fake one had been torn off. Had it been an accident?

It did not matter, as shortly thereafter, a couple of rather brave ponies decided to step up.

"Dragon! Get out of here!" one bellowed, tossing the closest thing at hoof at him - which happened to be a large slice of cake. Another yelled out his assertion, throwing another.

"Sneaking in disguise!" Roseluck cried out. "How horrifying!"

"Terrifying!" Lily followed.

"Ghastly!" Daisy contributed.

The yellow-pelted mare's eyes widened, finding herself ducking a particularly wildly aimed piece of pie that sailed a little too close to her head.

"Oh, no… Um… Everypony… please… Please, stop…" she attempted to request, though her soft imploring was drowned out by the frightened screams and outraged shouts of those present. A few even called out for Twilight Sparkle to vanquish the beast.

The dragon opened his mouth to attempt to convince the crowd that he meant no harm to anyone, but was struck in the face with an entire apple pie. Wiping the pastry from his visage, he was pelted several times with slices of cake and pie. While he was trying to clean himself off, an earth pony managed to find a rake and he lunged forth to strike him in the back, knocking him onto his belly where a full barrage of cake and pie rained on him.

Fluttershy cried out as Smokey went down. Reaching out to him, she tried to throw herself on top of him to protect him from the flying pastries. Shutting her eyes, she didn't care that her coat, hair, and feathers were being soiled, and opened her eyes again as she felt hooves grasp her forelegs and sides, prying her off.

"Miss, what are you doing?! That's a dangerous creature! Get away from it!"

The pegasus grit her teeth, struggling against the ponies dragging her away from her friend.

"No… no, let me go! Let me go!"

Recovering from the blow, Smokey slowly rose to his feet and spread his wings to block a good portion of the pastry missiles. Fluttershy's voice rang through his ear holes, alerting him, but he knew she would be fine. He needed to get out of here.

Choosing a direction, he charged through the crowd, pushing ponies out of his way - though, most of them stepped out of the way. Bursting out of the mass of equines, he made a mad dash down the path that led him out of Ponyville.

Even though Smokey had fled, some of the more vociferous ponies demanded he should be hunted down. Twilight Sparkle, rising to a vantage point over the crowd, attempted to calm them.

"Everypony! EVERYPONY! EVERYPONY, PLEASE CALM-" she exclaimed, but was drowned out by the collective voices of the panicked and incensed. Spotting torches being lit and pitchforks being hefted, she realized it was time to make use of her royal position.

"QUIIIIIIEEEEEET!" the lavender mare bellowed, her magically amplified Royal Canterlot Voice reverberating through the town.

Everything instantly went dead silent. All eyes now on Twilight Sparkle, all movement ceased, she heaved a breath and mentally made a note to thank Princess Luna for the private lesson. Fluttershy, now realizing everyone was distracted, took advantage of the moment to yank herself free. Spreading her wings, she jettisoned off after Smokey as fast as she could.

"Leave her!" Twilight Sparkle ordered, as the two stallions previously holding Fluttershy moved to pursue. They halted, obeying. "What in Equestria is the MEANING of this?!"

Fluttershy did not hear Twilight Sparkle lecture the crowd as she searched frantically for the dragon.

Smokey was seated at the edge of the lake, gazing into his cake and pie smeared reflection. Sighing in distraught, fresh tears pooled in his eyes.

'I was a fool to think that I could fit in… Maybe I should just stay in hiding… They will never have to be afraid of me ever again…'

"Smokey?!" Fluttershy called out as she continued her search. "SMOKEY?!"

Coming around the bend, she paused, spotting him at the edge of the lake. Heaving a sigh of relief, she came down for a soft land and cantered over to him.

"Oh… There you are. Smokey, I was so worried…"

The thought of leaving this wonderful, sweet mare, their beautiful, adorable baby, and the friends he made tore at his heart. He had grown so attached to all of them - especially the former two. Holding back a sob, he brought a hand to his eyes to wipe away the tears pooling at the corners, but new ones took their place.

"M-Miss Fluttershy… I… I c-can't fit i-in… They'll n-never a-accept me…" Unable to even meet the mare's eyes, he allowed fresh tears to slide down his cheeks. "I… I should j-just l-leave… Y-you and Chenoa w-will be b-better off w-without m-me…"

The pegasus gasped, an icy shock piercing her chest.

"… Leave? Wha…? Smokey… Smokey, no… No, you don't have to-" She slid her forelegs around his torso, attaching herself to him. "No, you can't… You can't leave!"

The intonation in Fluttershy's voice further tugged at his heartstrings painfully, more tears streaking down his scales. Choking and sniffling, he curled his own arms around her to hug her tightly.

"W-what a-am I s-supposed t-to d-do? E-everyp-pony e-else d-doesn't w-want m-me h-here… Th-they h-hate m-me…"

The mare's lip quivered, and she pressed her head against his chest.

"I don't hate you. I could never hate you! And everypony doesn't hate you! Twilight doesn't, nor Spike, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, or Applejack! And… Pure Heart…" She paused to bite her lower lip. "Pure Heart admires you!"

"Sure… our f-friends d-don't h-hate m-me, b-but e-everypony e-else d-does."

Allowing himself to softly sob once, he lowered his head to touch his chin to the top of his companion's head as he stroked her mane with one hand.

"I won't let you go," she said, holding him tighter. "I won't. I don't - I can't let you. I… Chenoa needs you! What… what will Chenoa do without her Dada?"

"Sh-she h-hasn't e-even c-called ma 'Dada' y-yet…" Nuzzling his chin against her cranium, he gave her a gentle squeeze. While the child in question did look upon him with affection, he was far into a melancholic state. "I… I d-don't think… sh-she l-loves m-me…"

"Of course she does. I've seen her nuzzle you. Hug you. Heard her squeal and laugh when she's around you!"

"That… d-doesn't m-mean sh-she l-loves m-me… Sh-she could j-just l-like m-me," he countered, a few more tears escaping his eyes.

Fluttershy pulled away from him, tilting her head up to meet him in the eyes.

"You can't say that. You can't honestly say that. Not with the way I've seen her snuggle against you, the way she looks so happy being around you. The way she babbles t… t-trying to t-talk to you…"

"Y… you can find somepony e-else sh-she w-will l-love m-more…"

Saying those words turned his insides cold. While he loved his child very much and longed to stay with her and Fluttershy… the rest of the town wanted him gone. A pony had even struck him down with a blunt object. Who's to say that wouldn't happen again? What if a pony decided to do worse?

And Fluttershy… The thought of leaving her broke his heart. He felt such an attachment… Such affection for her… Right now, he couldn't even bear to look her in the eyes. Seeing those blue-green pools so upset churned his stomach and broke his heart all over again.

Not to mention their friends. Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pure Heart, and Spike… his little brother. He didn't want to leave them either.

Tears in her eyes and her lip quivering, Fluttershy flapped her wings to raise herself to his eye level.

"No!" she spoke, her voice shaking and her tears spilling down her face. "No! I won't let you go! I don't want you to leave me!" She pulled him into another and surprisingly strong hug. "I don't want you to leave US!"

That look in her eyes ripped at his heart again. Holding the mare close, listening to her sobbing, he remained silent for several long moments. Was leaving really the right answer? If telling Fluttershy he was leaving evoked such a reaction… It was then he realized how much she cared about him. It made him cry again.

He didn't wish to cause such pain in the mare. She was so special to him. Just thinking about her made him feel emotions he had never felt before. How happy she made him. How comfortable he felt around her. How she made his heart flutter…

The dragon didn't want to let go either, and ultimately decided he wasn't going to. He would endure anything if it meant being with her and Chenoa.

"A-alright… I'll stay…"

Lightly sobbing, she buried her face into his neck, her mane draping over his back. Upon hearing he would stay, she broke out into a smile - her tears now shifting from those of sorrow to those of relief.

"Thank you, Smokey… We'll… we'll figure out something. I know we will," she assured, pulling away. "Why don't we just go back to the cottage and get cleaned up? I'll go get Chenoa from the Cakes."

"Sorry to scare you, my darling." Smokey blushed heavily after uttering that last word. He had never called her that before. In order to distract her from possibly bringing it up, he jumped into the lake. Surfacing, he rolled over to float on his back. "Uh… Care to join me before you pick up our baby?"

Fluttershy paused, sitting on the bank as the scaly being dived into the water.

'Darling,' she thought, blushing. 'Does that mean…?'

She smiled softly, pressing her front hooves together for a moment. Slowly and gingerly, she stepped into the water, shivering at the cool temperature, but pushed forward until she was roughly neck deep.

Positioning himself right-side up again, he observed as the pegasus got in. Putting on an enticing grin, he motioned for her to come closer with a jerk of his head.

"Come here, you."

Blushing a bit a bit, her heart thundering against her breast, the pegasus paddled up to him. A bit of cake and frosting washed off as she did so, falling out of her fur, feathers, and hair in chunks. Swimming to his side, she lifted a hoof to grasp one of his hands, pulling herself closer.

Taking her hooves, the dragon pulled her right up to him and dipped back. Positioning himself onto his back a second time, he lifted her up onto his abdomen and chest. Utilizing his wings and tail, they drifted off into the deeper region of the lake as he let go of her hooves to slip them around her.

Fluttershy sighed and relaxed her muscles, her hair partially submerged as she dipped her forelegs into the water to curl them around the draconian. Lifting her eyes to the sky, she noticed the moon was bright and full, illuminating the lake in a bathing white glow. Feeling the warmth from his body and listening to his heart thump against his chest, she closed her eyes, allowing herself to bask in the safety of his arms like she always did whenever they shared a hug.

It was a wonderful feeling, she thought, just being held by him. It was a sensation she never wanted to give up. She didn't care how the other townsponies felt. She cared for him too much to let them drive him away.

Chapter Sixty-Four: Deception

The dragon gazed upon the moon-kissed mare, silently admiring her beauty. The hundreds of tiny orange glows from the fireflies dancing around them only made her appearance even more appealing. Bringing a hand to stroke her soft cheek, he lifted his head to touch his nose to her forehead.

"You're so beautiful…"

Blushing, Fluttershy tilted her head back to gaze into Smokey's eyes. His sea green pools shone with a deep, almost sorrowful light - one she desperately wished she could ease. Leaning into his caress, she smiled warmly.

"You're so sweet. You've been so sweet to me and Chenoa… I…" Tears began to fill her eyes. "I'm not worthy!"

"Miss Fluttershy, I am not the one who is worthy," he stated, continuing to stroke her cheek tenderly with a loving expression. "You're so amazing… Kind… Sweet… A wonderful mother."

The pegasus' grin grew even wider as she snuggled into his chest.

"You don't give yourself enough credit," she said, sliding closer to his head so that their noses were only a couple of inches apart. "You're handsome, you're strong, you're… the most selfless person I've ever known. I'm… so very lucky to have gotten to know you."

Smokey's heart melted and he gave a sighing purr, pressing his nose to hers to rub them together.

"You are too kind to me…"

Giggling, her heart swelling, Fluttershy closed her eyes halfway as she stared into his own. Feeling light and blissful, the beams from the moon and the fireflies reflecting off the water and illuminating his face brought her such contentment. She felt as she could stay out here and float with him for hours.

Spurned on by a sudden yearning, she closed her eyes completely and tilted her head to bring her lips closer to his…

Feeling that same desire, Smokey shut his own eyes and slowly moved his head forth to meet her…

"HEY! There you are!" came the voice of Rainbow Dash, startling Smokey and snapping him out of his transfixed state.

"Eeeek!" Fluttershy squealed, also snapping out of her stupor. She had been so surprised she had rolled right off of Smokey, splashing into the water. Floundering for a second, she burst through the surface, flailing a little more before coiling her forelegs around his arm.

"Rainbow Dash!" she gasped. "What… You scared me!"

"Sorry, Fluttershy, but everypony's worried. Twilight told me why everypony was freaking out."

The cyan pegasus offered a look of sympathy to the dragon, hovering closer.

"We're okay now," said Smokey, feeling a little irritated that they had been interrupted.

Fluttershy sighed.

"What are we supposed to do, Rainbow Dash? We can't show Smokey in Ponyville, and we can't use the disguise anymore! I don't think we'll be able to get away with that again…"

"No worries! I'm sure we'll think of something." The prism-maned pony beamed. "So, was I interrupting anything?"

"N-no!"

The dragon blushed immensely. While he wanted to say she had indeed bothered them, but he was too polite and embarrassed to do so.

"N… n-no. No, you weren't interrupting anything," Fluttershy stated, then turned to Smokey. "Um… Well… should we… should we go back to the cottage? I can pick up Chenoa from the Cakes on the way…"

"Yes… I will meet you there. I need to get this tape off of me."

Pulling himself forward, he swam to shore with Fluttershy. As she let go of him, he smiled sweetly to her then transferred his attention to Rainbow Dash.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Dash."

"No problem. Say, I'm gonna head back and tell the others you're okay."

The yellow mare extended her wings and flapped them a few times to shake the water from them, and flapped a couple of meters into the air. Nodding at her fellow pegasi, she dispensed her thanks and, with a quick nuzzle to Smokey, fluttered off towards town.

Fluttershy smiled as she reached over to pour Smokey another cup of hot tea. They were located outside her cottage, seated in the comfort of two lounge chairs resting across from each other with a small wooden table between them. It was warm, barely a cloud in the sky and the breeze was just perfect. Though the mare had dropped by Sugarcube Corner to pick up Chenoa the prior evening, the chick simply had too much fun with her new friends to want to leave, so she brought her back to the establishment earlier that morning.

Pinkie Pie had been more than happy to take on a third playmate while watching over Pumpkin and Pound, and when Fluttershy left, the pink pony entertained them with a game of "Where's Pinkie Pie?"

"… It's quite nice, just the two of us here," Fluttershy spoke, breaking the tranquil silence. She hadn't said much of anything - she didn't feel she needed to. Just being with Smokey, spending time with him like this, was enough to make her content. She felt far happier with him present than she ever did when it was just her and her animals.

"Yes… You know… I really, really enjoy being with you," the dragon proclaimed somewhat bashfully, a pink blush saturating his cheeks. Rooting his elbow to the table as he put down his tea, he propped his arm to hold up his head as he stared at the mare across from him with affectionate, half-lidded eyes.

She paused, her eyes closing a fraction. Releasing a soft sigh, a couple of locks of her mane fell over her face and dangled over one of her eyes. Also setting down her tea and propping her head against a hoof, she shyly, yet deliberately, slid her other hoof across the surface of the table to his other hand.

"I really enjoy being with you, too," she said. "I don't think I've ever had so much fun, or just… just…" A lapse. "I don't think I've ever been happier in my life."

She was ecstatic Smokey decided to stay. She didn't know how she would have reacted had he left. Her heart had threatened to break that night…

"I… made you happier? Are you sure that wasn't just from Chenoa?" he inquired, a wide grin adorning his countenance.

Fluttershy nodded.

"Having Chenoa enter into my life was one of the best things to ever happen to me. But, Smokey, if it weren't for you, I'd have drowned at the bottom of that well. You did more than just save my life that day - you've been an incredible, invaluable companion to me and a wonderful father to Chenoa. My… my life just wouldn't be the same without you!"

The winged reptile felt his heart soar at Fluttershy's words. Emitting an adoring purr, he reached over to place his hand on her hoof.

"You've been an invaluable companion to me as well."

Blushing, the pony wrapped her pastern around his hand. Swinging her head lightly to throw her hair out of her face, she sighed when all it did was cause her entire forelock to fall over half of her facial features, obscuring it.

Another pause elapsed, and she stared over the dragon's shoulder, spying someone familiar walking towards them.

Following Fluttershy's line of vision, Smokey swung his head around to see what had caught her eyes. He found Pendulum making his way up the path leading to the property with a guilty expression.

"Good day, you two. 'oow are you doing?" he asked as he approached the dragon from behind and placed a gentle hoof on his shoulder.

"Um… Great, actually," Smokey replied.

"We're doing well," Fluttershy agreed, arching her brows in concern and befuddlement. "What brings you here, Pendulum?"

"I want to apooloogize foor what 'appened at the party," he relayed, withdrawing his hoof from the dragon to readjust the collar of his coat. He then slid it into the coat to pull out a bag of bits. "Buy yourselves soome extra coostumes to replace the oone my guests ruined."

The draconic creature was rather surprised at the stallion's generosity.

"Well… thank you, sir, but… you really didn't have to."

"But I wanted to," he insisted.

"That…" the pegasus began, stunned herself. "Thank you, Pendulum! … Would you care to join us?" she offered, removing herself from her chair. "I'll go grab another chair and make us more tea."

A wide berth spread itself across Pendulum's muzzle and he nodded.

"I would be delighted to! Thank you!"

Fluttershy nodded once, picking up the nearly empty tea kettle by the handle into her mouth and headed inside.

Once the mare was inside, Pendulum took a cursory glance at the area encompassing them to make sure no one else was around. Turning back to the semi-confused dragon, his horn lit up, a stream of dark yellow magic spouting from the tip and streaking to the reptilian's head. The results caused the scaly being's mind to dissolve into a state of stupor, his eyes crossing and his jaw dropping open with a strand of saliva dripping from his mouth.

"Doon't woorry, my friend. You woon't remember a thing," the stallion mused to himself as he reached into the inner pockets of his coat to retrieve a pocket knife. Sitting on his rump, he lifted his other hoof to quickly create rips in the sleeve in the pattern of Smokey's front teeth.

Once that was finished, he put away the pocket knife and fished out three small vials of blood. Spreading the red liquid from two of the vials over his pastern in the vicinity of the rips, he then used the final one on the dragon's jaws. Slipping the empty vials back into his coat, he conjured a golden pocket watch with his magic and swung it back and forth in front of Smokey's face. The dragon's eyes followed the swinging movements, drawing into a hypnotic state.

"This will oonly last a coouple oof minutes," Pendulum began. "Then you will wake up and becoome the savage beast you were meant to be."

Watch disappearing, Smokey awoke from his brain-dead trance, his catlike pupils shifting to paper thin slits and his irises changing into a fierce fiery orange. Snarling and baring his gleaming white fangs at the pony before him, he pounced.

Having the dragon right where he wanted him, Pendulum opened his mouth and shouted as loud as his voice would allow.

"'ELP! SOOMPOONY 'ELP ME!"

In the kitchen, Fluttershy was currently humming to herself. The kettle whistled to signify the hot water's completion to hot temperature, and the mare reached to turn the stove off. Grabbing the handle with her teeth, she picked it up and transferred it to the teapot and tray on her back that held an extra cup, saucer, and tea bags. As she turned around to exit, her ears picked up the screaming.

She jumped, so shocked that she dropped the tray - the tray, the mug, and teapot bursting and spilling scalding water everywhere. Ignoring the flecks of searing water on her coat, she immediately zipped out the front door - gasping in sheer horror at the scene before her.

Pendulum made it look like a struggle, utilizing his hooves to beat off Smokey's striking hands and magic to prevent him from actually biting. After a pair of minutes elapsed, the dragon got off the pony, staggering about dizzily. His eyes reverting to their natural color and shape and his viciousness fading, he touched a hand to his head with a groan.

"Ugh… What happened?"

Fluttershy was absolutely horrified. Could he…? No.

"Smokey?" she gasped, uncertain of what to even think. From a glance, it appeared as if Smokey had taken a significant bite out of Pendulum, but… no, he couldn't have! He would even harm a fly!

Finally detecting a coppery taste in his mouth and something cold and wet slide down his chin, he brought his index finger to the substance in his mouth. Holding it up to eye level to inspect it, his heart began to race once he realized what it was.

"… I-is… that… b-blood?" he whimpered.

"Yes, it is…"

Pendulum nodded, rolling up off his back to sit on his haunches. With his "good" hoof, he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a handkerchief to give to the reptilian.

Not accepting the proffered cloth just yet, the dragon's eyes focused intently on the blood coating the stallion's pastern and the tears on his sleeve. They looked exactly like something his teeth were capable of creating.

"I… I didn't…!"

"I'm afraid you did, Smookey," the orange-maned equine said with solemnity gracing his features.

"N-no! I… I d-don't even remember doing it!" he wavered, suddenly clutching his stomach as he was hit with a wave of nausea. "I feel sick…"

Fluttershy was hyperventilating, too shocked to be able to say anything or move at first. Part of her was still waging a mental war with herself - part of her wanted to check on Smokey, but she knew deep down he couldn't have done this.

Pendulum seemed to be the most in need of assistance, and she was at his side the next moment.

"Are you going to be okay, Pendulum?" she asked, reaching out to inspect his foreleg. "Quick, we should get you inside - I'm not a doctor, but I've got plenty of first-aid…"

"Noonoonoo. I 'ave a dooctoor back at my train."

Pendulum instantly wrenched his foreleg away. Setting the handkerchief between his teeth, he hobbled over to Smokey to offer it again.

Accepting it with a quick "thank you", Smokey wiped the blood off his lower jaw.

Fluttershy looked a bit confused and arched a brow.

"Really, it's no trouble," she insisted, following him. "What if it gets infected? And that wound looks really bad. I'd rather apply SOMETHING until we can get you to a physician…"

She extended her hoof to his foreleg again, managing to touch him right on top of the bloodied tears.

"I'll leave then…" Turning around, Pendulum began limping off into the direction from where he came. After taking a few steps, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder at Fluttershy and Smokey. "You do knoow what 'appens to creatures that attack poonies, right? The authoorities will 'ave to knoow aboout this."

Smokey swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. Clenching the soiled handkerchief in his trembling fist, he felt a heavy dread descend upon him. Almost everyone knew that anything that harms a pony was taken away to be destroyed.

Chapter Sixty-Five: Blind Faith

Normally, full grown dragons weren't even bothered as they were massive and powerful - generally, nothing short of a small army could take them down. Though Smokey was an adult, he wasn't much larger than an adolescent; possibly a dwarf breed. It was likely a small task force wouldn't have much difficulty with someone like him.

Fluttershy turned her large blue-green eyes brimming with dread to her draconian companion.

"… Smokey…"

"W… what am I going to do, Miss Fluttershy? The authorities are sure to take me away… and…" He paused as he dropped the handkerchief and curled up into a ball on the grass, tears spearing. "Ch-Chenoa will be w-without h-her d-daddy…"

The mare bit her lip and hung her head as tears pooled in her eyes.

"Y… you c-can't stay here," she said, trying to keep her voice as calm and steady as possible. "M… maybe… if… if you go now, you… you might be able to get to the mountains-"

She cut herself off with a half-choked sob, shaking her head. What was she saying?! She couldn't tell him to run away!

"Maybe," she began again, "Maybe we can hide you…"

Spreading her wings, she fluttered to his side, placing a hoof on the side of his face.

The weight of the reptilian's guilt finally pushed him to his breaking point, reducing him to sobs. Furling his arms around Fluttershy, he drew her into a tight embrace. He didn't want to leave… He couldn't leave his family and friends behind… But, if he didn't go… he would be destroyed.

"I-I… c-cannot b-believe I-I b-bit s-somep-pony…"

She shook her head in denial, stroking the top of his head with a gentle hoof. Closing her eyes, she pressed her forehead to his head.

"No. No, I don't believe you did, either," she whispered.

"Y-you don't?" Smokey shifted his head to glance up at her. "B-but… the b-blood…"

"I know you didn't," Fluttershy insisted, continuing to pet the frills and scales on the dragon's cranium. "I just know you didn't. Not at your heart. You'd never do anything of the sort!"

"Then… w-were did all of this… b-blood c-come f-from?" he queried, still able to taste the remnants of blood on his lower gums, resulting in another wave of nausea.

That, Fluttershy didn't have an answer to. Merely sighing, she nuzzled her forehead against his head, stroking his cheek.

"I don't know… I don't know…" After several long moments, she gulped and opened her mouth to shatter the still silence. "… C'mon, let's… let's go inside. I'd feel better if we were both inside. Maybe I can find a place to hide you before… before they come."

Sniffling once more, he released the mare and stood up.

"Alright…"

Reaching out, Smokey grasped onto Fluttershy's hoof as she began to lead him inside the cottage.

Just then, Angel emerged from the bushes. After spending a few hours with his woodland friends, he had stopped and remained hidden once he had seen Pendulum approaching. The rabbit had witnessed the entire ordeal between the stallion and Smokey. Eyes pinpointing the blood-soaked handkerchief the dragon dropped, he scrambled over to it to pick it up.

Once inside, Smokey took a seat on the couch, drawing in his legs to wrap his arms around his knees as he balled up again. Even though his feathered friend was certain he did not hurt Pendulum, he wasn't sure himself. The evidence had been right in front of him. He had tasted it.

Fluttershy fluttered into the kitchen, ignoring the mess she made earlier for now. Retrieving a washcloth and a glass of water, she glided back out to offer them to the dragon.

"Here. You can rinse your mouth out."

Biting her lip again as he accepted the items, the pegasus moved to sit down next to him. Leaning against him, she closed her eyes as she rested her head on his upper arm.

The dragon quickly got to work wiping the rest of the blood from his teeth, gums, and lips. Dipping his head back, he allowed the water to pour into his mouth. Swishing it around to get rid of the taste, he spat it back into the glass, nearly gagging during the process. Sighing, he set the water and washcloth down on the floor.

Fluttershy nodded once, remaining by his side for a few more moments. Sliding off of the couch, she quickly surveyed her home for any hiding spots that could accommodate Smokey's size. With a grimace, she came to the realization that everything available was far too small. If Smokey had been approximately Angel's size, then she would have had a far easier time…

"F-find any p-places I c-could h-hide?" he inquired upon Fluttershy's return, though from studying the look on her face, he came to the conclusion that she had not.

"No," she said, meeting his gaze. "… I don't even have a basement or a cellar, and that would've been the first place I would've thought!"

The rosy-maned mare flapped her wings and hovered over to the dragon to close her eyes and press her head to his neck, right underneath his head.

"Oh, Smokey, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do. I can't let them take you away, I can't!"

"But… I d-don't want t-to h-hurt a-anypony a-again. W-what if I am b-becoming w-wild?" he proposed with a scared look in his eyes.

A deep frown pulled at her lips.

"You won't. In fact, if you'd like, I… I could call the rest of our friends over." A smile replaced her frown. "We could all gather together for a late night party. Just the eight of us, and Chenoa! I'm sure the others would agree you're not some dangerous beast!"

Smokey forced a small smile despite the guilt still pressing down on him and gently nuzzled her with a purr.

"I w-would like th-that."

Sliding her forelegs around him and issued him one final nuzzle.

"I'll go get Chenoa from Sugarcube Corner and inform Pinkie. I'll be back with the others shortly, alright?"

"A-alright."

Sighing, he watched the mare exit the cottage. Once she was gone, he broke down into another fit of crying.

It did not take long for Fluttershy to round up her friends. About twenty minutes passed after she had left, the door swung open again to reveal the mare, followed by her friends with Chenoa sitting comfortably on Pinkie Pie's back. With a bright smile, Twilight Sparkle, with Spike seated on her back, cantered over.

"Hello, Smokey!" she greeted warmly. "It's been a-" She gave pause as she analyzed and acknowledged the addressed dragon's appearance. "… Is something wrong? You look like you've been crying!"

"I… have…" the red-scaled reptilian whimpered, rubbing at his eyes to relieve them. They were beginning to hurt from the salty tears coating them. He then went back to whimpering and moaning miserably.

"Gracious!" Applejack exclaimed, heading over with concern deeply etched into her face. "What's wrong with ya?"

"Um," Fluttershy murmured softly, now entirely unsure of what to say. "… Well…"

"Oh, my stars!" Rarity gasped, her horn glowing a brilliant blue to levitate the bloodied washcloth Smokey had used to wipe his mouth clean. "This is completely covered in blood!"

"I… I b-bit s-somepony, b-but I d-don't remember d-doing it!" he sobbed, his body trembling.

There was a collective gasp among the group, save for Fluttershy and Chenoa, the baby blissfully oblivious.

"You… you… what?" Twilight Sparkle pressed, shocked and horrified, and took a step back.

"No, Smokey!" Rarity sounded absolutely scandalized. "How could you?"

"I d-don't know! I c-cannot b-believe it e-either…" Smokey then summoned the courage to meet the gazes of his friends. "P… please d-don't hate m-me… I d-didn't m-mean t-to!"

"We don't hate you!" Fluttershy declared, and turned to the rest of their friends. "… Right? … Girls?"

There was no response. The air suddenly became very tense, and nobody spoke. Nobody would even meet the older dragon in the eyes.

"Spike?" the yellow-pelted pegasus prodded in desperation.

The younger dragon bit his lip, turning away from Fluttershy with an expression of disbelief and fear - not so much of Smokey, but at the concept.

Smokey slowly shook his head a few times, his face scrunching as fresh tears spawned in his eyes. He could hardly believe it. Those wonderful friends he had made through Fluttershy made no indication that they didn't hate him. Feeling his heart tear, he tucked his head into his arms and sobbed all over again.

Fluttershy inhaled a breath, as if calming her nerves, before returning to his side.

"I don't hate you," she reassured, nuzzling his neck. "I could never hate you - I don't care what anypony thinks."

"Are you kidding me, Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash spoke up, snapping somewhat from her shock. "The guy bit somepony! What if he does it again?"

"Because he didn't," Fluttershy stated, a firmness in her intonation that normally wasn't there. "You don't know Smokey like I do. He's too kind, too gentle to do this deliberately. I don't believe he did it! I can't!"

Smokey peeked up from his arms to gaze upon his yellow-feathered friend in admiration. She really believed in him.

"Fluttershy…" he whispered to himself as more tears welled up in his eyes.

"Come on! The evidence is right there!"

The cyan pegasus pointed a hoof at the soiled cloth.

"You do have to admit, it does seem rather suspicious," the alicorn said. "I mean, Fluttershy, did you actually SEE him bite Pendulum?"

"Well, no…" Fluttershy replied.

"Then that should settle the matter, shouldn't it?" Applejack piped up.

"Not necessarily," the princess continued. "Just because she didn't see him, it doesn't mean he didn't do it. Fluttershy, where were you when this happened?"

"I… I was in the kitchen, making some tea…"

"So you only heard what happened and went to investigate?" Twilight Sparkle prompted. "You didn't SEE anything?"

Fluttershy emitted a whimper.

"No…"

"Then we're right back where we started." The lavender alicorn turned to the farmer pony. "She didn't SEE him bite Pendulum, but she didn't NOT see him do it either. For all we know it very well could've happened!"

"Hello! Blood!"

Snatching the cloth from Rarity's magical hold, Rainbow Dash waved it in front of Twilight Sparkle's face. Irritated, the princess shot the prism-maned pegasus a look that said "we know" and took it in her bubble of magic.

"Unfortunately, Fluttershy. THIS is really the only the actual evidence we have! And, despite your feelings to the contrary, I'm afraid gut feelings don't trump physical evidence!"

"I… I'm a-afraid sh-she is r-right, M-Miss F-Fluttershy…" Smokey sniffled, wiping his nose in one swift motion. "Th-the b-blood proves I d-did i-it…"

"No. No, I… I refuse to believe it. I… No!" Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut, stamping her hoof. "No! I won't!"

"Fluttershy…" Twilight Sparkle sighed. "I'm sorry, but… you know what we have to do."

Fluttershy said nothing, merely shifting her attention to the window.

"Fluttershy…" the young alicorn resumed, both exasperated and sympathetic. "Fluttershy, this is-"

"One night." The pegasus whirled around to face her friends, tears streaming down her face. "… One night, please. It's all I ask."

With that, she sat down upon her haunches and took one of Smokey's hands between her hooves. Closing his fingers around a hoof, the dragon stared into her tear-soaked eyes. His broken heart went out to her, knowing that she was feeling his pain. Pulling her closer, he leaned his head in to press a kiss to her forehead. Despite the evidence that showed that he was guilty, his dear friend still refused to believe it. He felt even more admiration for her build up inside of him.

Fluttershy closed her eyes, leaning into the kiss. She didn't blush - didn't feel embarrassed. For the first time since meeting him, she wanted nothing more than to just be held in his arms, to hold him in return, snuggle him, cuddle him…

Wrapping her forelegs around him and pulling herself into a hug, she nuzzled him and buried her face into his chest.

"I trust you. You'd never do anything to harm me."

Chapter Sixty-Six: Love Realized

Smokey sat up, dragging Fluttershy into his lap to cuddle her.

"I d-don't w-want t-to r-risk h-hurting y-you… If… i-if I d-did… I d-don't th-think I c-could e-ever l-live w-with the g-guilt… E-ever…"

The sight before the remaining ponies and young dragon was enough to even sap Rainbow Dash's previous outrage. Touching to the floor and folding her wings against her sides, the cyan pegasus frowned in sympathy.

"You won't," Fluttershy said with the utmost confidence in her words. "I know you won't. I trust you, Smokey."

Spike turned his gaze away, still looking incredibly upset. Noticing this, Twilight Sparkle exhumed a resigned sigh.

"… Okay, Fluttershy, we'll… give you one more night… But I'm staying here, just… just as a precaution. I think we all should."

"Yeah."

Rainbow Dash nodded, looking over her shoulder at the rest and received a murmur of agreement among them.

"Spike?" Smokey choked out, nuzzling his pegasi friend's cheek. "Y-you m-may h-have th-the r-rest of m-my g-gems."

Spike lifted his head, an expression that conveyed that he was touched but worried all the same.

"… Th… thanks, Smokey. I really appreciate it."

"It's n-no p-problem, l-little b-brother."

As the older dragon said this, he forced a small smile for the younger.

The group remained in relative silence for the next few hours, the only one making much noise being the baby and several animals. Smokey practically clung to Chenoa the entire time. While his heart longed to spend time with his animals, too, Fluttershy could not locate them when she went out to search. After a quiet dinner was shared among them and the chick was given a bath, the pale yellow pegasus released a mournful sigh.

"… I suppose we should go to bed for the night. It's getting late." Fluttershy turned to her friends from her spot in Smokey's lap. "Two of you can take the bed, if you don't mind sharing it."

"Ah, no offense, sugarcube, but that room's kinda small. Ah don't think it would hold all six of us," said Applejack. "… And Chenoa and Spike."

"It won't. But that's okay, I'm staying downstairs with Smokey."

"But… Miss Fluttershy, don't you want your bed?"

While Smokey was supremely glad she wanted to stay with him, but he wanted her to be comfortable.

Fluttershy shook her head, handing the drowsy baby over to Pinkie Pie as she cantered over to receive her.

"No. I want to be with you."

The mare rested her head on his chest, blowing a sigh through her nostrils.

"Now, Fluttershy, Ah know you think Smokey's not dangerous," Applejack began, "But, Ah think y'really maybe want to-"

"I want," the yellow-pelted equine stated, in a bold, almost aggressive, yet calm, and very firm intonation that hadn't been heard in a long time. "To stay. With Smokey."

Heart turning in his chest, the red-scaled draconian couldn't help but smile. Purring to the mare in his lap, he ran his hand once over her head and mane and pressed another kiss to her head, this time holding it for several moments.

"Okay… But if he even growls at ya, come get us," Rainbow Dash requested.

Fluttershy figured they would agree with that request, if nothing else. As Smokey kissed her cranium again, the mare melted in his arms. Her heart swelled, her chest flooding with warmth.

She didn't want him to go. If only there was a way for him to stay… She shivered, tears finding their way back to her eyes. She had to accept it… but she didn't want to. She loved him too much.

She blinked in contemplation, before raising her shining eyes to Smokey… Was it true? Did she truly? The thought popped into her head, but, as she stared into his eyes, the more her feelings became clear to her. His kindness, his compassion, his own affection for her, Chenoa, animals, and others, and his selflessness - she had grown to admire and care for all of this, admire and care for him.

She had to, she thought. She wouldn't be so… devastated, otherwise.

This feeling left her both elated… and crushed. The mare knew she had to tell him this, and a powerful desire to tell him this was bursting, yearning forth… but… somehow, there was something holding her back. A force, a crippling shyness, prevented her from speaking her mind. As such, she just sat there, gazing into his eyes…

Smokey gazed back into her beautiful orbs. Just the very sight of them - and her as a whole - sent his heart into a wild flutter. Even now, he couldn't get over how mesmerizing they were. There were several instances where he would be sucked into them. As he brushed his fingers over her cheek fur, he began to reflect on everything they went through together. The day they met, the time they spent caring for their darling baby, those quiet days tending to the animals, their picnics, tea time, even that failed date…

Date… They would never get the chance to go on that date…

Her eyes burning with a yearning, the mare glanced off, seeing that the others had already went upstairs. Both individuals had been so absorbed with each other, they hadn't even heard the sound of their footsteps as they left them.

She had to tell him… but, despite everything, she simply couldn't bring herself to do it. She wasn't sure how to… It was only three little words, but they carried so much weight. So much meaning.

Tomorrow, she decided. In the morning. First thing. She had to sleep on this. Perhaps she would be able to assemble her courage then…

Sighing as their eye contact finally broke off, the dragon touched his nose to her ear and brushed it along the edge until he reached the base. Pressing his snout to the patch of fur behind her ear, he rubbed it into her skin, massaging it. While he did this, his hands started to slowly glide towards her wings, eventually delving underneath them to scratch her there. Purring lovingly as she sank against him and nuzzled his neck in response, he continued to rub her sensitive patch with his nose just to make her feel good. After a few minutes of that, he removed his maw to lick the area once and followed it with a kiss. While one hand kept on scratching under her wing, he brought his other hand around to place it on her warm, soft belly.

Fluttershy whimpered lightly. His hands and muzzle felt so good…

In her reaction, she slid her hooves up his chest, caressing the sides of his face and neck while she nuzzled his chest. Her wings quivered, lifting to give him better access and flicked her tail around his hip to rest upon his own.

The dragon purred louder with more emotion. His heart was hammering against his chest, his entire body filling to the brim with warmth. Hand traveling up her torso, it ghosted over her shoulder, and cupped the back of her neck, the balls of his fingers digging into her tissue and giving her another massage. Lips brushing over her brow, he left a trail of kisses down the side of her head and back up again. Planting kisses all across her forehead, he made his way over to the other side of her face to perform the same thing.

Sighing almost desirably, the mare nuzzled his cheek and brushed her lips along the side and bottom of his chin. Idly tracing her hoof across his chest, she continued to nicker softly while opening her eyes to meet his.

She wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him so badly - but, no matter how much she wanted, she could not.

The touch of the mare's lips left a trail of fire burning in their wake on Smokey's scales. His heart swelled, feeling it might burst. As they locked eyes again, he kissed her velvety nose, an amorous smile playing at his face. The hand underneath her wing left to hold her hip while his other kept up its massage. A spark of desire sharing between them, the dragon brought his lips to her chin and the side of her neck.

Shivering, Fluttershy nearly locked up when Smokey kissed her nose. Now blushing quite bashfully, she brought her forelegs up in front of her with one pastern over the other. Smiling, she tilted her head forward in such a way her mane draped over her face and almost entirely obscured it.

Once he kissed her neck, she let out a deep moan.

Ear frills flaring at the moan, Smokey felt encouraged to kiss her neck again, and again, and again - even sneaking his tongue in on the last one. Removing his hands from her hip and the back of her neck, he curled them around her waist to hold her close, his chest beginning to heave as his breathing picked up the pace.

Fluttershy released a deeper, more sultry moan as she felt a chill race down her spine. Her wings, completely against herself, sprang out and fully stiff at her sides. Her eyes wide, shimmering with tears pooling in her eyes, she let out another whimper.

She was beginning to feel a bit of… was this excitement? Suddenly, she felt even more mortified, simply because all of her friends were upstairs, as she still heard creaking upstairs to signify they were still moving about. Apparently, they hadn't heard her.

Pausing as he heard Fluttershy whimper, he removed his maw from her neck to meet her gaze.

"Are you all right, my dear?" Smokey asked, his voice deeper and more husky.

"We can't continue like this," Fluttershy said. "Not while everypony's upstairs…"

Her voice, too, had sultry undertones. If it weren't for them, nor for Chenoa and Spike, she wasn't entirely sure she would've been able to fight off her carnal desire for him… She wasn't even sure she would be able to fight off her carnal desire for him now. She was so filled with a longing to wrap her forelegs around his neck and just kiss him until the sun rose…

"I suppose you're right," he breathed hotly, a cute blush dusting his ruby red cheeks. Even in the state he was in now, he could hardly believe what he and Fluttershy had just done… What they could've done. Still holding her close, he leaned back against the couch just to cuddle her. A crack of thunder sounded from outside, signifying that it was about to storm. Remembering that she was frightened of thunder, he lifted a hand to stroke her mane.

The mare jumped and squealed, clutching onto Smokey. Blinking up at him, she frowned and nuzzled her face into his chest. Trembling, she sighed… before breaking into soft, near silent sobs as tears trickled down her cheeks.

"It's all right," the dragon spoke soothingly to the pegasus, still stroking her hair. "Nothing is going to hurt you, my dear."

"I know… But… but, who will keep us safe when you're… you're…?" She lifted her head up again. "Smokey, I don't want you to go. I wish you didn't have to go…"

"You can always ask Angel to keep you company. Or Ross. I know he wouldn't mind." The draconic being frowned as depression found its way back into him. "I'm… going to miss him… And the doves… Everypony."

"I'll look after them for you. Now that they have mates and families, I know they'll be happy - but all the same, I know you'd want to make sure they'd be well cared for." She stroked her hoof over his chest. "It's the… l-least I can do. After all you've done f-f-for m-me and Chenoa…"

Smokey felt his eyes fill up with tears again as he was filled with even more depression.

"I… I j-just wish… I c-could w-watch Ch-Chenoa g-grow up…"

"I know…" Fluttershy said, choking. "… I'm sorry this had to happen, Smokey. I'm so, so sorry…"

"I s-suppose… it w-wasn't m-meant t-to b-be…" he cracked. "As usual…"

Fluttershy's lip quivered, and she shuddered, burying her head in Smokey's chest again.

Not meant to be. No. No, that couldn't be. Why? Why? The one night Fluttershy finally figured out her feelings for him had to be the final night they had together. They would never be able to go on their date. Chenoa would never know him as a father…

It was just too much for the poor pegasus, who broke out in muffled sobs again - and could not stop.

The sound of Fluttershy crying tore his heart asunder. Even though he was crying, too, he attempted to console her by nuzzling and stroking her mane.

"It's a-all r-right," he whimpered.

"No!" she cried out. "No, it's not!"

She pulled away from him partially, staring into his eyes.

"You didn't do it, Smokey! I know you didn't! I… don't know what to do…"

With a sob, tears running down his face, he stared down at the mare.

"Y-you w-will… h-have t-to l-let m-me go…"

"I don't want to." With another shiver, and pressing her face to his chest again, she whispered, "… I don't want to.

"… But I know I must…"

"I'm d-dangerous n-now, M-Miss F-Fluttershy… Th-this is th-the only w-way t-to s-set th-things r-right… S-so I d-don't h-hurt a-anypony a-again…"

Holding the mare tighter, he practically buried his snout into her mane.

Fluttershy whimpered.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way…"

She sighed, her eyes closing. She was feeling drained, and the emotional fatigue was taking a toll on her physical body.

"So d-do I… M-more th-than a-anything…" Taking his muzzle away from her hair, he planted yet another kiss to her head. "I… wonder w-what the f-future w-would have h-held f-for u-us."

Fluttershy paused, her eyes widening as she allowed her mind to wander… What would the future have held for them? True, Chenoa would have a father and mother, but how would THEY have been affected?

Various images flashed through her mind. The two of them, together. Foreleg and arm, at the beach, in a field of flowers, on the slopes of the Misty Mountains overlooking Equestria… In the town hall of Ponyville, with her in a long gown and him in a sharp dress suit… Swinging on a bench out back while feeding the chickens on a spring evening…

However, for just as many calm and wondrous thoughts she had, she had another that was just as heartrending. The two of them, hounded and persecuted for their love for another. Being openly scorned and pelted, perhaps even driven out of Ponyville… Out of Equestria.

Fluttershy frowned. Who knew what the future would have held? … It didn't matter now.

"I don't know…" she whispered, giving another sigh.

Smokey, too, imagined their affection for each other being ridiculed by hostile ponies. It would be no different than when he was treated wherever he went, only Fluttershy would be involved. And he didn't want the sensitive little pony to be subject to that.

Yes. It would be for the best.

"J-just kn-know… n-nopony c-could t-take y-your p-place… O-or Ch-Chenoa's. Y-you t-two are t-too s-special t-to m-me."

Fluttershy looked into his eyes once again. Biting her lip, she shuddered.

"Let's run away," she said suddenly. "Just the three of us. You, me, Chenoa, to a place where nopony will ever find us! Let's do it! Let's do it tonight!"

She went silent for a moment, before she moaned, pressing her hooves to her head.

"Oh, what am I saying? I can't leave my friends behind - or any of my animal friends. I'm… I'm not thinking straight." Whimpering, she slumped against the dragon. "I'm tired…"

He had been about to point out her friends and the critters, but he didn't need to. Besides, where would they run away to? Surely, someone would recognize Fluttershy.

"Maybe we should get some sleep," he suggested with one final stroke to her mane.

"Maybe," she mumbled, closing her eyes. Her exhaustion from crying and worrying had finally taken its toll, and she had nearly cried herself to sleep. It didn't take much longer for her to fall asleep, but she mumbled something incoherent as she did so.

Sighing heavily, Smokey gently held the pony in his arms, his hand continuing to pet her hair as if on its own accord. Though he, too, felt drained from crying and the weight of guilt, sleep refused to come to him. As a few hours passed, he still remained wide awake.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Pep Talk With Pinkie Pie

Getting up, Smokey took great care not to wake Fluttershy as he laid her back down on the couch and padded into the kitchen to pace the floor. Hands locked behind his back, his eyes scanned the cabinets, his mind wandering. Maybe after baking something would leave him tired enough to get some sleep, as long as he didn't make too much noise.

That's it! He would make cupcakes for each of his friends… even if most of them thought he was dangerous… Another pang filled his chest as he opened one of the cabinet doors to retrieve several boxes of red velvet cake mix.

A short while passed as Smokey rummaged through Fluttershy's kitchen. While he did so, a creaking came from the floorboards upstairs that trailed down the hall and staircase as someone descended.

The figure of a pink pony could be seen through the dim lighting as she tiptoed past Fluttershy, expressing surprise as she entered the kitchen.

"Smokey?" Pinkie Pie blearily addressed, clearly not expecting him to still be up… and certainly not with cake mix along with the additional ingredients and baking utensils.

Smokey's ear frills perked and flared. Setting down a large mixing bowl and whisk, he stood up right and spoke in a hushed voice.

"Hello, Miss Pinkie Pie. What are you doing up so late?"

"I was thirsty," she replied, her usual high energy not present and appearing abnormally subdued. Even her mane seemed flatter, though it retained its curls and had not gone completely straight. "And I came down for a glass of water."

She fixed her gaze upon the boxes of cake mix on the counter.

"Are you… baking a cake…?"

"I am actually going to make cupcakes for everypony." Smokey surveyed the amount of cake mix, making sure he had enough, before turning to Pinkie Pie. "Would you… like to help me?"

A smile dawned upon the mare's facial features and she nodded, bouncing over to assist the draconic being.

"Sure," she answered, her curls rising ever so slightly. She immediately raided the cabinets for cupcake pans and wrappers.

"Be as quiet as you can," he instructed the equine, pulling open a drawer for a spatula and a set of measuring spoons.

"Don't worry about that," she reassured, setting the pans down beside the bowl and mix and the wrappers on the other side. "I sometimes make cakes and cookies and brownies in the dead of night while the Cakes are sleeping to help prepare for the morning rush."

"And you manage to do that without waking anypony?" he inquired, even though he already knew the answer. Eyes surveying instructions on one of the boxes, he and Pinkie Pie got to work mixing the first batch together. "So… how long have you been working for the Cakes?"

"I've been working as an apprentice baker for the Cakes for years. I've learned so much from them-I even ran the shop by myself while the two of them were out on business!"

"That's nice. They must trust you very much with their store." A tiny pained smile pulled at the corners of his lips as he worked on breaking up the remaining clumps with the whisk. "And with their children."

"Yeah… The Cakes trusted me with a lot lately. I'm proud working at Sugarcube Corner. Mr. and Mrs. Cake even told me they consider me like a daughter to them." The pink mare paused her task of placing wrappers into one of the pans and lifted a hoof to brush away a tear that formed in her eye. With a warm smile, she turned back to Smokey. "I love them like my Mom and Dad. They're REALLY nice ponies."

The winged reptilian exhaled a depressed sigh.

"It's… too bad I will never watch my darling Chenoa grow up… Or hear her call me 'dada' for the first time. Tomorrow, I will be dead."

Pinkie Pie was silent for a long moment as she averted her eyes, then resumed her task. Setting in the last cupcake wrapper, she moved to his side and reached to rest her hoof on his arm.

"Smokey…" she started with a deep frown and gave him a quick hug. "Don't say things like that. You… you should try to be positive! I mean… at least… you'll be in a far better place. Without things like hunger or sadness or sickness… That's gotta be something, right?"

"I suppose so… And… I will at least see you all there someday, but…" He gave pause, clutching onto the whisk's handle until his knuckles paled. "It feels like far too long of a wait… How am I going to last that long until I get to hold Fluttershy or Chenoa or my animals again?"

The equine let him go and placed her hoof on his arm again.

"You're not even going to notice we're gone," she replied, her smile steadily returning. "That's what my Granny Pie always told me. You'll be having so much fun in paradise that the time will seem like a blur! I'm sure the afterlife will keep you busy until you and Flutters and Chenoa and the critters are united again."

"I… just want to be with them… That's all I want… I do not care if the rest of the world hates me…" Smokey turned his eyes to the direction of Fluttershy's sleeping form. "Being with her… With Chenoa… With the animals and the rest of you… That is paradise."

The frown reappeared on Pinkie Pie's visage and she went to the next pan.

"… It's too bad things had to work out this way," she said, her mane going flat again, but not to its straight length. "Fluttershy was very lucky to have you."

"I believe I'm the one who was lucky," stated the dragon as he carefully poured controlled portions of batter into each of the paper chambers. "How is Miss Fluttershy lucky?"

Pinkie Pie smiled again.

"Really? You have to ask? You're really nice to her, Smokey. The few times Fluttershy's been over to drop off and pick up Chenoa she gushes about you. Smokey this, Smokey that, Smokey's so gracious, Smokey's so wonderful." She giggled. "I'm beginning to suspect she likes you."

Smokey paused, clawed hand clasping another box of cake mix. Picking it up to open it, he cast his wide-eyed stare to Pinkie Pie.

"Likes me? I… don't know about that."

It seemed quite obvious she held him in high regard. If she didn't, she wouldn't have engaged in such intimate cuddles, or allowed him to kiss her all over her face.

"I wouldn't know for sure." She shrugged. "She talked a lot about you the last couple of days looking all googley-eyed."

The curly-maned mare opened the preheated oven to slide the full pan inside.

"That doesn't mean she likes me in that manner. She could just see me as a dear friend."

Despite what Pinkie Pie told him, he just couldn't grasp the possibility that the best friend he ever had possessed feelings for him outside of friendship.

"Maybe not."

Pinkie Pie sighed, plopping down in front of the oven to stare at it for a few quiet moments. She supposed it didn't matter, but she wasn't sure of what else to say. She had hoped her insight would bring a smile to his face, and felt upset that her attempt failed.

Then again, she surmised it would be difficult for most individuals to face death with a smile on their face…

Throwing ingredients into the same bowl and stirring, Smokey's eyes trailed back to Fluttershy. Emitting a forlorn sigh, he felt his chest clench painfully.

"It's going to be so hard to let her, Chenoa, and the others go…"

The mare was back at his side, patting his arm with her hoof.

"Don't worry about it. Ol' Auntie Pinkie will make sure nothing bad happens to Fluttershy, or to Chenoa. She's got all of us she can rely on."

The reptile removed his eyes from the pegasus to rest them on the pink pony beside him. Forcing a smile, he nodded in gratitude.

"Thank you, Miss Pinkie. Fluttershy and Chenoa… and the animals… they mean so much to me…"

"I know," she said, sympathy heavy in her tonality. "I know they do. I won't let you down, Smokey. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

He let out a hallow laugh, retaining his foraged smile. Ceasing his act of stirring, he reached to pat the pink mare on the head.

"I know you won't let me down. I trust you completely."

Grinning, Pinkie Pie sprang to her feet.

"Well, then! What are we just standing around for? We've got cupcakes to bake, and the sun will be rising in a few hours! We want this to be a surprise, don't we?"

Smokey nodded, providing a legitimate smile this time.

"Yes, let us get baking."

Scooping the second batch of batter into another cupcake pan, he brought it and placed it down onto one half of the stove top so it would be ready to go straight into the oven once the first batch was done. Once they were done, he pulled out the pan and set it down on a wire rack Pinkie Pie fished out to cool.

"How many are we making?" she asked.

"Seven dozen," the draconic creature relayed, snagging a third box and positioned himself back in front of the mixing bowl. "One dozen for each of you."

"Seven dozen?" Pinkie Pie stared incredulously at the remaining boxes of cake mix. "I didn't think Fluttershy had so much…"

"That is because I gave her some of my money to buy it." While it was true he had been wanting to make cupcakes for all of his friends, it upset him that this would be the only opportunity to do so. "I wish I had time to make all these recipes I collected over the years for you all to try."

"You ARE an amazing chef!" she complimented. "Remember when we bust down your door? The lunch you made after we helped fix your place up was one of the best meals I've had in a long time!"

She paused as a thought popped into her mind.

"If Rarity were awake, she'd say something like 'Darling, the world will weep at the loss of your culinary talents'," she said, emulating the alabaster unicorn down to a near-flawless imitation.

Smokey couldn't help but laugh. The sudden imagery of Fluttershy sleeping on the couch cut his laughter short. Stepping away from the counter, he leaned out of the kitchen to check on her. The yellow mare stirred and mumbled "I don't cook that well, Rarity…", but otherwise remained silent.

Pinkie Pie let out a soft giggle.

"… Fluttershy still sleeping?"

Ear frills expanding, Smokey indulged in Fluttershy's angelic voice. Nodding his answer, he directed himself back into the kitchen.

"Yes, she is still sleeping."

"Good. Fluttershy can be a light sleeper. I'd hate for her to-" She was cut off by a yawn. "Wake up now."

Catching Pinkie Pie's yawn, he turned to her with a concerned frown.

"Miss Pinkie, if you are tired, you don't have to continue assisting me."

"I am feeling sleepy. I just meant to get some water…" Leaning in, she nuzzled against his side. "I'm sorry, Smokey. Now that I'm up, I don't want to go back to bed…"

Smiling a little bit, he twisted his mid-section to hug the mare.

"You will all forget about me one day…"

"No!" Pinkie Pie pouted, pulling out of the dragon's embrace to shoot him a hard stare. "I could never forget any of my friends! Never ever!"

"Miss Pinkie, please keep it down," he shushed her then checked on Fluttershy a second time. Relieved that the pink equine's amplified voice didn't wake her, he returned to the kitchen. "You will forget me eventually. I'm not… that special."

"No!" she repeated, though keeping her voice fairly quiet, jumping onto the counter to reach his eye level. "You ARE special! You saved Fluttershy's life! You've been a friend to her in ways none of us ever could! You've made Fluttershy smile and sing like I've never seen her do before… How can you say you're not special?"

Smokey widened his eyes at this revelation. Did he really do all of that to Fluttershy.

"I… I did? You have never seen Miss Fluttershy do any of that?"

"Not how I've seen her do it in the past couple of days! Ever since the two of you decided you were going on that date, Flutters has been dancing on air!"

"Really?" The dragon's eyes twinkled, only to frown with his ear frills drooping at the sides of his head. "It's too bad we'll never go on that date…"

Pinkie Pie breathed a melancholic sigh.

"… Yeah."

There was another silence between them that was soon broken by a sniffle and a choke from the mare. Bending over, Smokey wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace.

"I… it'll be all right, Miss Pinkie…"

Pinkie Pie sniffled again and returned the hug.

"I know… I don't like seeing the friends I love leave. Even if we'll see each other again. I never liked goodbyes."

The word love echoed within the dragon's brain, and it continued to do so when he turned his head back to Fluttershy. He knew he had developed feelings for her, but… love? It was such a powerful word. Had he really fallen for her? He didn't have much time to ponder this as a gentle ping from the oven alerted him that the batch was ready to be taken out.

After Pinkie Pie removed the second batch from the oven and a third was put in, Smokey got to work mixing the fourth. Did he really love Fluttershy? It made sense to him. Just the thought of her sent his heart aflutter. Her hugs mad him feel warm and comfortable, as if he belonged in the hold of her forelegs. Her eyes… Oh, her eyes… They pulled him into a transfixion and evoked a yearning desire-the desire to nuzzle her, hold her and never let go…

He didn't want to let her, Chenoa, or his friends go, but he had to…

Still feeling drowsy, the mare was unusually quiet as she watched Smokey, unable to think of anything else. What else WAS there to say?

"Thank you for your help, Miss Pinkie," Smokey said after a tense silence. "Um… It's been a blessing to have met you."

A smile tipped the mare's lips.

"It's been a real pleasure, Smokey," she responded with a strange calm, sounding almost sedate. Accepting. "I hope that… wherever you end up, you brighten up the lives-or, afterlives, of those there."

"I… I will certainly try… I… hope they'll like my cooking." Imagining himself in a heavenly atmosphere, surrounded by bountiful ingredients, cooking and serving meals for the departed seemed to make the dragon feel slightly better. "But… I'm not going through those gates in the sky alone. I will wait at the entrance for you all."

Pinkie Pie reverted back to her saddened expression. Getting a glass like she originally intended, she filled it with water. Downing it quickly, she set the glass in the sink and slipped her forelegs around his waist in one last hug. Whispering an apology and a "goodnight", she slunk away and exited the kitchen, looking as if she were trying not to cry again.

"Goodnight, Miss Pinkie," Smokey said, feeling a little cold after the embrace was broken. Once the pony was out of his sight, he got back to work.

Chapter Sixty-Eight: On the Run

The sun was peaking over the horizon, its rays filtering through the windows by the time Smokey was putting the finishing touches on all seven dozen cupcakes. Each batch had different colored cream cheese frosting according to who they were for. Twilight Sparkle's cupcakes were topped with purple icing, Spike's were green, Pinkie Pie's pink, Rarity's white, Rainbow Dash's blue, Applejack's orange, and Fluttershy and Chenoa's yellow and white respectively.

After applying the heart-shaped sprinkles, he took a step back to admire his work. Having been up all night, the dragon still wasn't tired. He was too concerned with what will happen when the authorities will arrive to take him away.

Suddenly, a soft tapping at the door disrupted Smokey's thoughts. Striding over to the door, he pulled it open a crack to see who it was…

It was Pendulum.

Opening the door wide enough for him to slip through, the draconian shut it behind him.

"Pendulum? W-what are-"

"'ush, my booy. We doon't want to alert anypoony," the stallion interrupted, taking stock of their surroundings to make sure no one else was around. "Coome with me."

"What? Come with you? But… I bit you…! Why would you-"

The unicorn cut him off again.

"I 'andle large, beastly creatures all the time, laddie. You woould be noo different. I'm willin' to droop all charges against you, if you coome aloong."

Smokey's eyes slid down to his bandaged foreleg, then lifted them back up to meet the equine's.

"Why would you want me to come with you? What if I bite somepony else?"

"Because, I believe I can tame you're inner beast."

As he said this, Smokey felt a sliver of hope rising within him. Pendulum believed he could actually tame his newfound vicious tendencies? Maybe he wouldn't have to be put down after all!

"When do we leave?" the reptilian asked, his mind racing and his breast aflutter with a flurry of emotions. While he was eager to have this stallion suppress what ever wild animal was inside of him, he was reluctant to leave, his parental instincts and attachment to his friends a heavy anchor.

"Immediately. Quickly gather what you want and we'll be oof."

Smokey pressed his back against the door. They were leaving NOW? That would not even grant him the opportunity to bid everyone farewell…

"A… alright… Just… give me a few minutes."

Turning around, Smokey re-entered the cottage, his eyes searching for anything he might want to take with him… As soon as his vision caught the scrapbook on a table near Fluttershy, he approached it, his sea green pools welling up as they settled upon his dear friend.

Tucking the scrapbook underneath his arm, he bent over to softly kiss the mare on the forehead and whispered a goodbye. Drawing back from her, he quickly fetched a blank sheet of parchment and a quill to scribble a heartfelt message…

Dear Everypony,

I'm sure you will be wondering where I am. To answer that, I'm leaving with Pendulum. He claims he can tame me. I am hoping he can, so I can remain alive. I really wish I didn't have to leave you all. I will deeply miss each and every one of you, especially Miss Fluttershy, Chenoa, and the animals.

Miss Fluttershy, please take good care of Chenoa, Ross, and the others. I only hope that we will be reunited someday.

Love,

Smokey

Dropping the quill and posting the note on the refrigerator, Smokey took one last look at Fluttershy. He would have written a much longer letter, but considering the urgency Pendulum had displayed, he surmised he didn't have much time. Exhaling a melancholic sigh as he exited the cottage, he followed the awaiting unicorn.

Pendulum regarded the misery inscribed upon the dragon's face and felt remorse tug at him. He had considered changing his mind and just leaving the dragon there, but what would he say? What would he do to keep himself out of trouble and prevent suspicion? He rationalized that it was too late now, and led Smokey away.

Fluttershy rolled over and stretched out all four legs, yawning as she parted her droopy eyelids. She noticed it seemed… quieter than normal. When Smokey spent the night, he usually would be located in the kitchen by now, kitchenware rattling and drawers opening and closing while tea would be brewing and the scent of breakfast would permeate the air. Such sounds and smells did not occupy her ears nor waft through the air, and the pink-maned pegasus sat up to blearily blink her eyes a few times.

The kitchen was empty… and though there was a scent of baked goods coming from there, suggesting it had been used recently, there did not seem to be any signs of life. She rolled off the sofa and trotted into the kitchen.

"Smokey?" she called out, turning her head to search for him, and her eyes soon landed upon the cupcakes… and the note on the refrigerator.

"… What's this?" she questioned aloud, to nobody in particular, as she walked over to remove it. Scanning the print, her jaw slowly dropped wider and wider, tears beginning to pool.

By the time the others descended downstairs, Fluttershy was curled up into a ball on the floor, openly and bitterly weeping.

"Fluttershy?" came the voice of Rainbow Dash, her ears perked forth at the sound of crying. Forcing back a yawn, the prism-maned pegasus zipped into the kitchen to investigate.

Fluttershy lifted her head, tears streaming down her face. Sobbing heavily, she thrust the letter to Rainbow Dash as the rest of the mares and baby dragon clamored after the cyan equine. Reading over the letter, the mare's magenta eyes went wide and she whirled around to face the others.

"Smokey ran off with that Pendulum guy!"

"He what?" Twilight Sparkle said, surprise stamping itself upon her face and the faces of the ponies and baby dragon standing at her sides.

"He… ran away?" Rarity parroted.

"Feh," Applejack scoffed, furrowing her brows. "Typical. You realize what we gotta do now, don'tcha?"

"The note says Pendulum might be able to tame Smokey," stated Rainbow Dash as she read over the letter a second time. While she was eager for justice, the sounds of Fluttershy's weeping was holding her back from bursting through the door and tracking him down.

"But…" she continued, turning to the other pegasus. "We have to go after him."

All Fluttershy did was cry. She didn't move or seem to register her words.

"Um, girls, Smokey really can't be ALL bad," Pinkie Pie piped up. "I mean, look! He made us cupcakes! Anypony who bakes cupcakes for somepony else can't be all bad. Right?"

"Pinkie." Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath to keep her voice level. "Smokey is on the run, and he's considered dangerous. He still needs to be found, before he possibly hurts Pendulum-or anypony else, again. A cupcake bribe isn't going to buy us off!

The pink-pelted mare went silent for a moment before speaking again.

"He didn't make the cupcakes because he was looking to buy us off. He made them because we're his friends."

"We're not his friends anymore, Pinkie. Not after what he did." Trotting over to Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash placed a hoof on her hoof and spoke in a softer tone. "Sorry, Fluttershy. We gotta bring him in."

"He's still my friend…" Pinkie Pie mumbled to herself, her ears drooping.

"No," Fluttershy protested, sniffling. "No, please… Leave him alone."

"Fluttershy, he's-"

"He's not dangerous!" she insisted sternly. "Do you girls even know ANYTHING about him? What he's like? What he's been through?"

"How bad could he have had it? He's a dragon! If anypony messed with him, all he had to do was… what ever dragons do!" said Rainbow Dash, removing her hoof from Fluttershy's shoulder to stamp it against the floor in frustration.

"No, he couldn't. Smokey doesn't know HOW to do what ever dragons do. He wasn't RAISED like a dragon."

"Wasn't… raised like a dragon?" Applejack parroted, arching an eyebrow.

"He was raised by ponies," Fluttershy relayed, her voice shaking. "He was found as an egg, and he grew up in an orphanage. Even then, he was shunned. Feared. Hated. All he ever had for company and companionship were his little animal friends… and now, he doesn't even have that!

"Do you have ANY idea… we were his first friends? His ONLY true friends? And you want to just… throw him under the carriage!?"

Rainbow Dash shared a few stunned glances with the others before returning her eyes to Fluttershy.

"But, Fluttershy… He bit somepony! You can't keep denying this!"

"We can't prove he did that. Nopony actually saw him do it-"

"Sugarcube, we've been over this," the farmer pony interjected. "We have that washcloth! Ain't that enough proof?"

The pale yellow pegasus went silent again, before she burst out sobbing all over again. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack just sighed, exchanging looks with each other and Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Spike.

"Ah'm sorry, we all really want to believe you-"

"I'm with Fluttershy on this!" Pinkie Pie forcefully broke in. "I don't believe Smokey bit Pendulum, either!"

"Wha… Pinkie?"

"Think about it!" The party mare stared at the befuddled equine, pointing a hoof at the cupcakes displayed upon the table. "Smokey made us cupcakes and-"

"What does makin' cupcakes have to do with anything?" Applejack interrupted.

"I helped him make them! Last night! I was down here for over an hour, and he could've bit me and he didn't! He was sad the whole time! He didn't want to leave us because he still saw us as his best friends! His only friends! He loves us!"

"Pinkie…" Fluttershy breathed lightly, gratification flowing through her knowing that she wasn't alone.

"And, quite frankly," Pinkie Pie continued, narrowing her eyes. "Something about this whole thing is… funny. Not ha-ha-hee-hee funny, but something's-not-right-here funny."

"That doesn't change anything, Pinkie. We can't ignore the evidence! It's our job to make sure Ponyville-and Equestria-is safe. We can't just let Smokey run away!" Rainbow Dash then shifted her attention back to Fluttershy, her face softening significantly. "Sorry, Fluttershy…"

"NO!" Fluttershy exclaimed, practically throwing herself upon the other pegasus. Her voice was unusually loud for her… And cracking. As if she would break at any moment. "Please. Don't go after him! Please! Let him go!"

"Fluttershy-" Twilight Sparkle began, but was cut off.

"I beg you," she sobbed, collapsing on the floor before the group. "I beg you. Please… Leave my Smokey alone…"

With that, she fell apart into sobs, burying her face into her forelegs. Pinkie Pie sighed, plodding over to her side to nuzzle her comfortingly, draping a foreleg over the mare's back.

Rainbow Dash frowned, the sight before her tearing at the seems of her heart. Not knowing what to do, she turned to Twilight Sparkle.

The alicorn sighed, acknowledging the look in her friend's eyes.

"… Alright. We'll do this democratically. We'll take a vote. All those in favor of pursuit?"

Her hoof, as well as Applejack's immediately raised up. Despite Fluttershy's protests, Rainbow Dash, too, lifted her hoof, believing she couldn't be distracted from her duty of keeping Equestria safe.

"No…" Pinkie Pie said mournfully, keeping her hooves firmly to the floor. "I don't think we should go."

With Rarity also voting to not go, they were at a deadlock. Their eyes, save for Fluttershy's, now turned to Spike-the only one remaining in the room.

"… Well, Spike?" the princess pressed. "You're the deciding vote."

The baby dragon stared at each of his friends. His eyes were large, teary, holding a solemn expression on his countenance. Biting his lower lip, he opened his mouth once, closed it, opened it again, closed it a second time, and shook his head.

"I can't," he stated weakly. "Smokey's… like a brother to me. We went after Chenoa together. He risked his life to save her… AND me. I… I can't believe he'd just up and bite somepony like that… I don't want to believe it."

Applejack exhaled on a sigh.

"Now, Spike-"

"If you're going to have to take Smokey in," Spike cut in, "Then you're going to have to take me, too."

"What?" Twilight Sparkle blinked in bewilderment. "Spike, what are you saying?"

"If Smokey went nuts and bit somepony, then, who's to say I won't, either? You're only saying we should go after him because you don't know him like Fluttershy and I do. How would you feel if me and Smokey's positions were reversed?"

"Spike, that's crazy! You're nothing like Smokey!" Rainbow Dash insisted.

"The two of us were raised by ponies. The fact of the matter is, I HAD a family. He didn't, when he was growing up. He never had one, up until just recently. He had a daughter! He had me! He had us!"

He went silent. Fluttershy raised her head at the mention of daughter, and gasped, climbing to her hooves. The mare pushed past the others and hobbled upstairs to check on her baby.

Spike watched her leave, then returned his attention back to Rainbow Dash.

"Now that family, and any hope he may have ever had of having any sort of a peaceful life with them, is gone," the young reptilian resumed. "Put yourself in his place for once, Dash! How would YOU feel if this happened to you!?"

The rainbow-haired pony lowered her gaze to the floor. While Fluttershy had revealed what happened to Smokey, hearing it a second time from Spike caused it to sink in. While she felt bad that the red dragon never had a loving home growing up, that didn't make the evidence disappear.

One more look at Fluttershy as she ascended the staircase and she finally caved in.

"Fine. We'll let him go…"

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Holding On

The intensity lingered in the atmosphere as a long silence was shared among the group. Deciding to break the silence, Applejack turned to Spike and opened her mouth to speak.

"That still don't answer anything with Smokey and Pendulum. What if Smokey attacks him again?"

"Pendulum owns tons of dangerous animals," the baby dragon pointed out. "And he's got plenty of assistants to help him handle them."

"But-"

"But nothing," Spike cut in. "Smokey would rather leave us forever rather than hurt any of us, whether it be getting put down or not. Exile should be just as good of a punishment! He's… he's no longer any concern anymore at this point anyway, right?"

"I'm not sure," Twilight Sparkle spoke up. "What would Princess Celestia say about this matter? Perhaps… I should write to her about this…"

"You sure, Twilight? What if she sends the Royal Guard after him?" Rainbow Dash questioned. Though she still thought going after the dragon was best, she didn't want to see Fluttershy more heartbroken than she already was.

The baby griffon whimpered and cried out to voice her hunger. That, and she also turned her head in every single direction. Being used to Smokey's presence, she was highly confused as to why she didn't see him.

"Shhh, sweetie."

Fluttershy kissed Chenoa on the head as she glided down the stairs. Fluttering over the others, she got to work preparing breakfast for her, and promptly ignoring her friends. She hadn't arrived on the scene on time to even hear Rainbow Dash's warning.

"Or… we should discuss this elsewhere. Or at another time," the alicorn suggested, shifting her attention to the pink-haired pegasus. "Fluttershy?"

The addressed mare paid no heed, dropping slices of bread into the toaster.

"Um… Fluttershy. I'm really sorry about everything," the young princess stated earnestly. "I'll just… I'll… erm… I think we should be leaving now…"

"Yeah… Let's get outta here…" the cyan pegasus agreed under her breath before directing herself to the table to collect her batch of cupcakes. Flapping her wings to keep herself aloft, she picked up the box in her forelegs and turned back to Fluttershy. "You gonna be okay, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy paused her task of peeling a banana with one hoof and her teeth, Chenoa occupying her other foreleg, but she ultimately said nothing. She didn't even look at Rainbow Dash. Silently, after collecting her and Spike's cupcakes in a cloud of mana, Twilight Sparkle shared a concerned look with the pegasus, then led her and Spike out of the cottage. Pinkie Pie said nothing as well, nor did Rarity as the two of them left with their treats. Applejack stayed only long enough to deliver a sad stare to the miserable mare, then gathered her own cupcakes-albeit hesitantly-and left.

As the last mare departed, Angel left his basket and scampered right up to Fluttershy with concern. Tiny paw tugging at her tail, he asked for his own breakfast with a silent hungry look. Chenoa did nothing to improve his mood. The longer the chick waited for her meal, the louder her cries seemed to become.

Startled, Fluttershy jolted and dropped her gaze to the rabbit.

"Oh… Hello, Angel. Hang on…"

Turning, she fished out a carrot from the refrigerator and gave it to her beloved furry companion before returning to the mashed bananas and pieces of toast she had prepared and fed them to Chenoa. She seemed almost distracted, trying to focus on the baby, and desperately trying not to cry with her.

Accepting the carrot, the leporidae opened his mouth to take a bite, but paused as he watched his caretaker. Though she was trying to hold back, he knew she had plenty more tears to shed. Nibbling on the tip of the carrot, he surmised she would need a few days to mourn before she would start feeling better.

… However, Fluttershy didn't feel better.

Three days had passed since then, and Fluttershy never left her cottage, save for caring for her animals friends. The fact it had been raining almost constantly didn't help matters. To her, it seemed as if the world were crying with her. Shattered, heartbroken, and hurt beyond measure, the pegasus appeared to have lost most of her strength to do anything other than loving on, feeding, or playing with Chenoa.

She had doted on her-and Angel, and the other animals to a lesser extent. She seemed unfocused, almost half-heartedly going through the motions of her normal everyday life. Though, when she wasn't feeding the animals or attempting to entertain Chenoa, the mare spent her time softly and quietly weeping for hours on her couch.

She had refused to see anyone-not even bothering to answer the door.

Chenoa didn't understand what was going on with her mother. Through everything she did, including lavishing her love upon her, didn't par up to when her father was still around. Since the dragon had left, she wondered where he was. Often, she would waddle her way around the accessible parts of the cottage, vainly searching for him.

Today, she was even more dedicated to finding Smokey-looking behind and under objects she had already checked several times before. Ignoring the toys Fluttershy had laid out for her, she passed her and peeked under the couch.

"Dada?" she said for the very first time.

Fluttershy, watching the baby, found her antics slightly amusing. She had tried pointing out to the small griffon where her toys were, but she didn't seem to be very interested in them. She was confused as to why… up until she spoke.

Eyes widening, jaw hanging slightly ajar, the pegasus took a breath and nearly began weeping all over again.

"Daddy's not here, sweetheart…" Fluttershy stated, picking her baby up and nuzzling her. "Daddy won't be coming home. Daddy won't be coming home ever again."

"Dada?" Chenoa chirped again quizzically, unable to understand what Fluttershy was telling her. The chick attempted to pull away to continue her search for the dragon, but her efforts were futile.

"Dada's not here," she explained again, her heart breaking again. "Dada's gone. He left… He… left… us…"

She sniffled, whimpering. Closing her eyes, she curled up on her side, still keeping her hold on Chenoa-not wishing to release her in a primal fear that she, too, would disappear if she dared to let her go.

"Dada!" Chenoa cried out as she squirmed in Fluttershy's forelegs, still feeling the need to continue searching for her lost father. After three days of his absence, she wanted nothing more than to be held by him. To snuggle up against his chest and fall asleep in his strong arms. "Dada!"

Fluttershy's frown deepened, knowing it was fruitless to keep Chenoa still. She knew the baby wouldn't understand, and loosened her hold with the knowledge she wouldn't be able to escape the confines of the cottage or get into anything since the home had long been baby-proofed.

Her eyes rolled to stare out the window, at the raindrops that splattered against the glass. Eyes taking on a glassy appearance themselves, the pegasus continued to limply lay there to idly gaze without really seeing anything, her mind not quite registering what was in her line of vision.

Finally free, the child resumed her search. Peeking back under the couch, she then proceeded to climb the staircase to look around the second story, the nearby animals keeping an eye on her.

Not even watching her go, the pink-maned pony continued to stew in a simmering solemn state, her one pulchritudinous complexion a pathetic pallor of what it once was. After a few more moments, her ears perked as she suddenly heard a faint knocking at the front door.

"Fluttershy?" came the worried voice of Twilight Sparkle. "Fluttershy, are you still in there? Open up, we've been worried sick!"

"We haven't seen you for DAYS, darling!" Rarity could be heard through the door. "Let us in, won't you? We're all out here!"

Pushing past the other mares, Rainbow Dash burst through the door and precipitated herself in front of Fluttershy.

"Hey, Fluttershy. How ya feeling?"

"I didn't know the door was unlocked…" Twilight Sparkle stated.

"Well, neither did I, but you generally don't barge in somepony's house!" Rarity huffed.

Fluttershy lifted her eyes to Rainbow Dash… though, it didn't seem like she was looking AT her so much as she was looking THROUGH her.

"Fluttershy?" The prism-maned equine poked the yellow pony's shoulder, growing even more concerned. "Yo, Fluttershy, are you in there?"

"What do you want, Rainbow Dash?" she muttered in a concern-evoking deadpan fashion. She hadn't said it with a normal infliction-it sounded more like she had made a statement, rather than actually asking a question. Her words rang hollow… Morose. Almost dead.

"We haven't seen ya in three days. We were worried," the cyan pegasus replied. Taking a cursory glance, the mare noticed the chick wasn't around. "So… where's Chenoa?"

"Upstairs," Fluttershy responded in a similarly hollow intonation.

"Darling… are you feeling all right?" Rarity asked, walking closer.

"I feel fine," Fluttershy woodenly answered.

"Are you sure?" Pinkie Pie pressed. "Because your hair looks flat and your coat is pale and your eyes look heavy and you look like you haven't eaten and-"

"Of course she looks fine!" the alabaster unicorn interjected, trying to rescue her friend's image and prevent any offense. "She just looks like-"

"Absolute heck," Applejack grunted, and received a rather nasty glare from Rarity.

"Why don't you come out and have lunch with us? Bring Chenoa, too," Rainbow Dash offered.

Fluttershy tilted her head back to the window, as it was still raining. Following her gaze, Rarity shook her head.

"It's only a little water. It's not going to hurt you," she said, despite the fact she always wore a raincoat and boots and held an umbrella over her head for good measure whenever it rained, and today was no exception. "Besides, you've been cooped up here for three days! Don't you think it's time you got a little fresh air?"

"Yeah, come on! You know how much Chenoa loves water," the pegasus tacked on.

Just then, soft cries originating from the chick echoed from Fluttershy's bedroom and wafted downstairs into the foyer. After having checked every accessible area, Chenoa finally came to the conclusion that Smokey wasn't there…

Fluttershy frowned at this-however, Pinkie Pie was already halfway up the staircase, having grown to care for the baby just as much as she cared for Pumpkin and Pound. Spotting and scooping the griffon up, she proceeded to rock her in her forelegs with a comforting smile.

She hadn't forgotten the promise she made to Smokey, and was quite determined to live up to her self-given title as Auntie Pinkie.

Chenoa tried to wiggle her way out of Pinkie Pie's forelegs. She didn't want Pinkie Pie, she wanted Smokey. Sobbing harder, tears streaking down her cheeks, she screamed "Dada" once more.

"Its okay, Chenoa." Pinkie Pie paused to nuzzle her fluffy head. "Everything's gonna be fine! I'm sorry… Dada… Dada will be coming home soon. Dada will come home one day. Don't cry."

As the baby continued to cry, an idea popped into her head and transferred her to one foreleg.

"Why don't we go downstairs… and… um… look for Dada! Outside! With Mama and Auntie Pinkie?"

"Dadaaa!" Chenoa wailed, tears wetting her fur and feathers. She squirmed harder, wanting to get away to do another sweep of the house.

"My… How long has she been like this?" Rarity questioned, ears pinning at the sound of the child's misery.

"Ever since Smokey left." Fluttershy sighed. "She's been looking around constantly, trying to find him."

"Well… You'll find another guy to replace Smokey someday," said Rainbow Dash, patting her fellow pegasus on the back.

The statement hit Fluttershy hard. Turning slowly to her friend, the yellow mare stared at the rainbow-haired equine as if she had suddenly grown a second head.

"… Replace him?" she repeated, appearing as if she was just asked to rip off one of her own wings. "… REPLACE him?"

"I suspect Chenoa will need a father figure of sorts," Twilight Sparkle mentioned.

"Not to mention you need a stallion of your own," Rarity said.

"A… a… stallion…?" Fluttershy whispered.

"Yeh," Applejack joined in. "Don't you, well, wanna, maybe… see any eligible bachelors?"

Fluttershy looked stunned. Affronted, even.

"Yeah, Smokey's never coming back anyway," Rainbow Dash remarked, nodding in agreement. "Chenoa will forget him someday. She's still just a baby."

"No," Fluttershy answered.

"No?" the farmer ventured. "Fluttershy-"

"No," the normally timid mare averred. "Nopony will ever replace him. Nopony can EVER replace Smokey."

"I know he'll always have a special place in your heart-" Rarity began, before she was cut off.

"You don't understand! I thought you of all ponies would, Rarity!"

Applejack arched her brow with a confused tilt of her head.

"Ah'm afraid Ah don't quite git it…"

"Um, DUUUUUH!" Pinkie Pie called down from the top of the stairs. "It's, like, totally obvious!"

"What's obvious?"

Rainbow Dash furrowed her eyebrows and shared Applejack's puzzlement. Twilight Sparkle and Rarity, too, were confused, until the unicorn emitted a gasp in realization.

"Oh, my. Pinkie, you're right! How could I have not seen the signs?"

"I'm not quite sure I follow," the alicorn said, pursing her lips.

"Oh, you, Twilight? An avid reader of the romance genre? I would've thought you were privy to the telltale signs as well! I admit, I didn't catch them either, but the forlorn, longing expression. The heartbroken pining? The-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Applejack interrupted, holding up a hoof. "Yuh mean yer telling us she was in love or something?"

"… Is… Am," Fluttershy choked, blushing rather heavily.

Realization spawning in Rainbow Dash's eyes, she bit her lower lip and pinned her ears as sympathy bubbled up in her.

"Fluttershy… You gotta get over him. You'll never see him again."

Fluttershy didn't even look at her, refusing to meet her eyes.

"No. I refuse to believe that."

Applejack sighed.

"Sugarcube, are we going to have to go over this AGAIN?"

"He. Did, Not. Bite-"

"For cryin' out loud, girl!" Applejack groaned, her voice amplified in an irritated tone. "Yer more stubborn than a mule! When are you gonna get it through your thick head-"

"Applejack!" Rarity protested, as Fluttershy appeared even more offended.

"My thick head!?"

"Girls, girls," Twilight Sparkle began in an attempt to becalm the incensed mares. "Please, let's calm-"

"Nothin' doin', Twi!" The blonde pony snorted. "Ah ain't stepping down until we convince her once and for all!"

Twilight Sparkle groaned, placing a hoof on her head. It hadn't helped matters Chenoa was still screaming upstairs with a ragged looking Pinkie Pie stumbling down the steps with the child.

Ears erecting, Rainbow Dash turned her attention to her pink friend and the wailing infant in her foreleg. Sighing, she went back to Fluttershy.

"Look… Fluttershy… Just grab your kid and let's go. We gotta get you out of this house."

"We're not going," Fluttershy said.

Twilight Sparkle stared at the pegasus in bewilderment.

"Wait, wuh?"

Fluttershy's eyes never left Applejack's as she continued to speak.

"If you're going to sit here and insult me…"

"Insult-Fluttershy, Ah-"

"Applejack," the young princess stepped in. "Stop. Before you make things any worse."

The farmer looked outraged, but kept silent as Fluttershy turned her back to them.

"I know you all think me silly. Or a fool. Or hopeless," the kindhearted pegasus began. "But… the truth is… I don't care. I love Smokey. And I know we'll be together again one day. I know we will."

"Right, just like you knew Smokey didn't bite-OW!" Applejack cried out, wincing as she turned a glare to Rarity-who had delivered a swift kick in the flank with her right hind leg.

Now Rainbow Dash was growing more irritated. Snorting, she stamped a hoof into the floorboard beneath her.

"Fluttershy. This is crazy! Smokey's gone! Gone! And nothing's gonna bring him back!"

Fluttershy turned to glance over her shoulder, looking even more hurt. Closing her eyes, she dropped onto her haunches and broke into more sobs.

Glaring at Rainbow Dash and muttering something about "uncouth, barbaric manners", Rarity trotted forward to pull Fluttershy into a hug.

"There, there, dear. If it was meant to be, then he'll come back. If he doesn't, then perhaps maybe he wasn't the right one for you. Destiny can be fickle about these things… I thought Prince Blueblood was my fateful paramour! And, well, we all know how THAT turned out."

Rainbow Dash felt bad for making Fluttershy cry, but she rationalized that she had to face the truth. The dragon wasn't coming back…

Angel sighed, having observed the whole ordeal. He disliked Smokey and resented his presence when he had been around, receiving attention from his caretaker that he believed should have been his… He should be happy he was gone, but seeing the yellow-furred pony like this… Seeing Chenoa like this… Despondent, heartbroken, and prone to breaking down. The rabbit glanced at the blood-soaked cloth he had kept hidden underneath the couch with guilt weighing down upon him.

If only there was something he could do… If only he could tell Fluttershy-tell her friends-what he had witnessed. That Smokey was innocent. Suddenly, an idea sprouted in his brain! What if they could extract the blood from the handkerchief and get it tested? That could possibly prove the dragon didn't bite Pendulum!

Scrambling under the couch to retrieve the cloth, he ran up to Fluttershy and tugged on her wing.

Fluttershy jerked a bit upon feeling a tug on her feathers. Glancing down at the rabbit, she frowned.

"What is it, Angel bunny? I just fed you. Are you hungry again?"

Angel shook his head, holding up the soiled handkerchief with one paw and pointed at it with the other before dropping it and making motions with his paws for the ponies to leave.

"What's he got there?" Twilight Sparkle asked, her eyes widening in disgust a second later. "Is that… blood?"

"Isn't that the same bloody cloth from before? What're you still holdin' onto it fer, 'Shy?" Applejack inquired.

"I… I wasn't," Fluttershy replied, riddled with confusion. "I didn't even realize it was still around…"

Angel pounded the floor with a foot, pointing at the handkerchief again and repeating the same motions.

Fluttershy stared at him, then focused on the cloth. Narrowing her eyes in concentration, she tried to figure out what the bunny was attempting to convey…

And then, it struck her. Jaw slacking, she didn't know why she hadn't mentioned it before.

"We can test this," she breathed.

Chapter Seventy: Innocence Proven

There was a collection of mixed reactions, confusion being the most common-which was shared between Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Spike. Exchanging brief glances, before returning their attention to Fluttershy, the blonde farmer opened her mouth to speak.

"Ah'm sorry?"

"We can test this," Fluttershy repeated, a little louder this time as she whirled around to face her friends. "The blood! On this handkerchief! We can test it!"

Twilight Sparkle appeared indecisive.

"Fluttershy, that handkerchief's probably been contaminated! DNA blood tests generally require a sample to be in good condition before it's tested and compared. If it's taken from a volunteer, it's perfect, but samples found elsewhere and preserved are often degraded by heat, wind, or just time!"

"But we can still try, can't we?" the pegasus questioned, her voice dripping with desperation. "Please, Twilight. Can't we? Just… TRY?"

The alicorn was still apprehensive, but she caved in and nodded.

"I… suppose we could…"

Sighing and rolling his eyes, Angel flopped down on his bottom, relieved that Fluttershy caught onto his message far earlier than she does on other occasions when he had attempted to communicate with her.

"I think we should!" said Pinkie Pie.

Twilight Sparkle and the others turned to the pink equine.

"Pinkie?"

"Remember the National Dessert Competition?" she reminded. "The Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness, and what happened to it? Twilight, you taught me not to jump to conclusions. You have to find out all the facts before saying somepony did something! If you don't, you could end up blaming somepony for something they never did!"

"But the handkerchief is covered in blood!" Applejack objected.

"But there's the possibility it might not be Pendulum's!" Pinkie disputed. "Don't we at least owe it to Fluttershy to CHECK?"

Rainbow Dash nodded, then turned to Fluttershy.

"Okay, Fluttershy. But, if it is Pendulum's blood, will you finally accept that Smokey bit him?"

Fluttershy stared at the rainbow-haired pegasus for a moment, then dropped her eyes to the floor. She didn't want to accept it if it was true, but if it was indeed the case…

"I… suppose…"

"Well, then." Twilight Sparkle turned her body towards the door. "Let's head out."

"What about Chenoa? Are we taking her with us?" the cyan pony questioned, eyeing the sleepy and full child yawn and slowly shut her eyes.

Fluttershy shifted her attention to the chick in her foreleg. She looked like she was ready to go back to sleep. So did Spike, so he was out of the question-and the Cakes were likely looking after their own and tending to the morning rush…

"I believe… Chenoa will be fine with Angel for a while," she said, turning to the rabbit on the floor. "… Angel? Would you mind looking after her for a little while?"

Surprised, yet willing, Angel nodded and sat up, extending his short arms to receive the child. The creature was stronger than he looked, able to keep the baby hoisted up. After all, he had been entrusted with holding her on several occasions when Smokey wasn't around and the mare had her hooves full with the other animals.

Smiling at him appreciatively, she lowered her head to nuzzle him and Chenoa.

"I'll only be gone for a short while. Chenoa, be a good girl for Angel," she spoke softly, before turning around to head out with the others.

"I think we can head to the local law enforcement station here," Twilight Sparkle stated. "I'm pretty sure they know where we can get this handkerchief sent off to have it tested."

"Right. Let's get going," Rainbow Dash said. Eager to get the task over with, she flapped her wings to lift her body off the ground as the lavender-coated mare led the way.

Once the mares and baby dragon were gone, Angel set the baby down on the floor by her toys, as she was beginning to weigh down on him. Huffing, relieved, he suddenly felt hungry again. Non-verbally commanding the child to remain where she was, he hopped into the kitchen to get a snack.

The griffon's amber eyes slid to the direction to where her mother left, her sleepiness wearing off. Upon noticing that the door was ajar, she got up and toddled over. Body slipping through the opening, her eyes widened in delight at the sight of multiple puddles.

Pouncing in one, she splashed the browned water in every direction. Once she was bored with that puddle, she went to the next one-a trail of tracks left by Smokey were filled up. One-by-one, she bounced in them, following the line into the Everfree Forest.

When Angel returned to the room, he was shocked to find the griffon wasn't where he left her. In his panic-stricken state, he swiftly searched every nook and cranny downstairs before racing upstairs. After his sweep was completed, he returned to the living room to notice that the door was partially open. Anxiety shooting through the roof, he went outside to search the perimeter of the cottage.

It did not take the mares long to meander from Fluttershy's cottage to town towards the local precinct. Spike, still needing more sleep, headed back home. While he was anticipating the results, he knew for certain that Smokey was innocent. Twilight Sparkle had noticed, to some relief, that the rain had ceased-at least for the time being, as the smoke gray clouds were still lingering above.

It was only then she remembered the weather patrol had called for a temporary break in the rains to check ground moisture levels around town and the reservoirs, and would start up again if not deemed particularly sufficient.

Entering into the office of the local police station, one of the ponies behind the desk looked up.

"Oh, Princess Twilight Sparkle!" the stallion on the left spoke up, in a notable Irish accent. "Wot kin ay do fer ya?"

"Good afternoon, officers," the alicorn greeted. "We've got a handkerchief here with blood we wish to have DNA tested. Do either of you know where we could get this tested at?"

"Oh!" The pony who had spoken blinked, his smile fading only briefly. "Well, then, yer in luck! We've got a stallion in th' back room! He's a natural at that sort of thing! You'll want to see him. Shall ay let 'im know yer comin'?"

"Yes, please," the young princess answered.

"Certainly, Yer Highness!" the pony said, getting to his hooves and trotting off into the back.

As the equine disappeared into the back, he came back minutes later with a warm gray unicorn stallion garbed in a white lab coat, his mane a canary yellow with a colorful strand of DNA embedded on both flanks.

"I understand you need some blood to be tested?"

"Yes, sir." The mare nodded once, levitating the soiled cloth before him. "We had a small… erm… altercation I wish to investigate. We suspect the blood on this handkerchief… may or may not belong to somepony we know. Could you test this and see if it belongs to a pony named Pendulum?"

"Of course, Princess Twilight. Come with me, if you wish."

Accepting the cloth into his own telekinetic grasp, the stallion turned around to lead the six mares down the hall and into a vacant laboratory. Fluttershy, right behind Twilight Sparkle, was apprehensive to see the results for herself.

The unicorn set the cloth down on his desk and took a step back, reaching for his inner mana. A beam of light blue magic shot from the tip of his horn to the prominent patch of blood. Tendrils of magic floated from the handkerchief, swirling above it. After a minute elapsed, the swirls of magic began to take form.

"A trout?" The stallion's eyes inflated, appearing quite incredulous. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Indeed, the shape-shifting magic had twisted and contorted into the shape of a trout. The mares-sans Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie-were swept with bewilderment, their minds rendered almost numb.

"A… trout?" Applejack echoed.

"Fish's blood," said Twilight Sparkle. "Fish's blood! That's… oh!"

"You see!" Pinkie Pie's voice rose up. "It WAS fake! Pendulum wasn't bit at all!"

Fluttershy said nothing, merely turning to Rainbow Dash with an I-told-you-so sort of look. Rainbow Dash didn't even notice her. Right now, she was too stunned at this revelation. Fish blood… It was just fish blood. It wasn't even pony blood at all!

"What is going on?" the stallion prompted. "Why did you ladies bring me fish blood?"

Twilight Sparkle was uncertain of whether or not to discourse her investigation, but decided that it was probably for the best this remained under wraps. Taking the handkerchief in her magic, she flared her wings and gave him a grateful bow.

"Never mind. Thank you so very much for clearing this up for us." Pulling her head back up, she whirled around to leave. "C'mon, girls. We have things to discuss."

"Wait!" the stallion cried out, but the mares paid him no heed as they exited the establishment.

"I can't believe it!" Rainbow Dash snorted as anger boiled within her. "How could Pendulum do something like this to Smokey!? To Fluttershy!?"

"I don't know," Twilight Sparkle replied. "But this is very suspicious. This calls for more investigation. Why did he trick Smokey like this?"

It was at that very moment, Fluttershy pulled up the answer. It had to be the only reason why. There was no other explanation.

"… He wants him."

The others blinked in confusion as they shifted their attention to her.

"He… wants him?" Twilight Sparkle inquired, arching a brow.

"Don't you remember the animals?"

"Oh, yeh!" Applejack piped up as realization dawned upon her. "He had a whole lotta unusual animals. Yew… think he took Smokey… ta-"

"Add to his collection." Fluttershy nodded. "Yes."

Huffing, the cyan pegasus allowed herself to land, digging all four hooves into the ground.

"Then what are we waitin' for!? Let's gather up some supplies and get going!"

"For once, I agree with Rainbow Dash," Rarity stated. "Just standing around here isn't going to get Smokey back any quicker."

"Ah-" Applejack began, her face drooping into an expression of deep-seated guilt and remorse. "Wait. Wait a moment. Ah just got something ta say."

Turning to Fluttershy, the farmer placed a hoof on the pegasus' back.

"Ah'm sorry Ah doubted you, and gave you such a hard time 'bout all this. Could you ever forgive me?"

A smile tipped Fluttershy's lips.

"Of course."

"Yeah… Same here," Rainbow Dash followed, her face bearing a heavy frown.

"It's… fine," she reassured, flapping her wings and taking to the air. "Now, let's go. I want to get Smokey back!"

"We'll meet you in front of the cottage in an hour, and set out as soon as we gather what we need," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Right!" Rainbow Dash nodded, her own usual fiery determination returning as she whirled to Fluttershy. "We'll get him back, Fluttershy! What ever it takes, we'll get him back home!"

Fluttershy's smile returned.

"Thank you, Rainbow. That…" She paused as a tear formed in the corner of her eye, her breast filling to the brim with emotion. "Thank you."

With that, she broke off as she and the others went their separate ways to prepare for the journey ahead.

Chapter Seventy-One: The Journey Begins

Dragging a Chenoa-sized pillow into the chick's crib, Angel pushed it into the center and draped a blanket over it. He prayed that the pegasus would fall for this trick until he could find the baby griffon. With it being so muddy, he assumed he would find tracks, but since she had been hopping from puddle to puddle, any tracks she had left were obscured by muddy water.

As Fluttershy entered her home, she got right to work-her first order of business being to check on Angel and Chenoa.

"Angel? Chenoa?" she called softly, trotting upstairs. Slipping into her room, she spotted the rabbit apparently putting what she presumed to be Chenoa to bed. Smiling warmly, she let out a sigh. "There you are…

"I'm going to be heading out with my friends. We're going to get Smokey back. We hopefully won't be gone for long. Do you think you can watch Chenoa until the Cakes come over?"

Beads of perspiration dotted the rabbit's fur as he whirled around to face the pegasus. Stomach twisting and tiny heart hammering in his ribcage, he nodded and forced a nervous grin.

"I hope we'll be back soon. Hopefully we can catch up to them in the next town," she said, lowering her muzzle to nuzzle Angel. "You're such a good boy, looking after Chenoa."

Pulling away, she leaned over the crib's railing to kiss her baby…

Eyes inflating in size, Angel intercepted. Shaking his head and pushing the mare's face away, he erected his index finger and pressed it to his lips to signify her not to disturb the baby, then made hand signals that she was sleeping.

Pausing, Fluttershy gave a small smile and nodded.

"Ohh. All right. I'll leave her alone," she whispered. "Thank you, Angel. You're such a good bunny."

Turning away, she grabbed her saddlebags and gathered a few things from her room before heading downstairs to assemble more supplies.

Exhaling deeply as the starch tension in his muscles melted away, the rabbit allowed himself to flop back into the crib. He had anticipated Fluttershy to see past his scheme and give him the scolding of a lifetime for losing her baby.

Fluttershy hadn't even stopped to consider anything might be unusual about the situation at all. She was far too concerned about Smokey, and Angel was usually so good about being on top of things and she trusted him implicitly.

Once she thought she had gathered up enough supplies for the trip, she scribbled down a quick note meant for the Cakes. Leaving and quickly stopping at Sugarcube Corner, she saw-like she had predicted-that the couple was out. Stamping the note to the door, she headed back to the cottage to await her friends. However, the Cakes would not be seeing that letter. Wind picking up, the current peeled the parchment off the door and carried it away.

The speedy Rainbow Dash had been the first to arrive, double saddlebags stuffed with food and other supplies. Landing lightly by her fellow pegasus, she couldn't help but exhibit the guilt upon her face.

"Sorry again, Fluttershy. I really thought Smokey bit Pendulum…"

"I understand. If I hadn't known him as well as I do, I would've thought the same… but… when you spend as much time as you do with somepony you really love, you… you just tend to gain a deeper understanding of them."

"How long have you loved him? I thought you two were just friends," the prism-maned pony queried, folding her wings to her sides.

"I only realized I love him the night of… the night right before he left," she answered, chest constricting. "After everything that happened, everything we been through… the shock of it all made me realize I didn't want to lose him-even though I thought for sure we were. I was going to tell him that very morning, but then…"

The mare clenched her eyes shut with a sniffle, then opened them. Rarity and Applejack could be spotted a short distance away, the latter hauling a sizable trunk clearly belonging to the former on wheels.

"Ah really don't see WHY you want to bring ALL this," Applejack grunted in disdain. "It's not like we're going to be on the road fer days at a time!"

It was then Twilight Sparkle came flying in, her own saddlebags packed, followed by Pinkie Pie, who was inexplicably parachuting down from the sky.

"What in tarnation…?" Applejack began as Twilight Sparkle landed, Pinkie Pie touching down beside the princess, the parachute fluttering down behind her.

"Right! Sorry, couldn't decide what to bring." Twilight Sparkle emitted a chuckle, tilting her head at one of her bags. "Wasn't sure what would be more practical, so, I just decided to bring all of it!"

"Same here!" The pink-pelted pony grinned. "Never know when you'll need a parachute!"

"Uh… you got us," Rainbow Dash pointed out, unfolding her wings and gesturing at Fluttershy's wings for emphasis.

"Yeah, but what if you're unconscious?" Pinkie Pie pressed, stuffing her parachute into one of her bags. "Or your wings are broken? Or if we're falling? The two of you can't save us all!"

"Um, hello?" Twilight Sparkle piped up, flapping her own feathery extremities once.

"… Oh. Oh, yeah! I keep forgetting you have wings, too."

Rolling her eyes, Rainbow Dash pumped her wings and lifted herself into the air.

"Are we done here?"

"Yes, let's go," Fluttershy urgently said. "I want Smokey back as soon as possible."

"Sounds good," Rarity affirmed. "But, where should we go? We don't know where they could've gone."

"I'd say these tracks give us a fairly decent clue," Twilight Sparkle stated, her eyes scanning the path below them, as Smokey's footprints left a trail away from the cottage.

A ways into the Everfree Forest, the chick continued to jump from print to print until she was discovered by a cream-colored pegasus who just happened to be employed by Pendulum. The stallion had been ordered to remain behind for a few days to scour the forest for any rare creatures. To his delight at his patience being rewarded, the pony came up to her.

"Aren't you a cute little darling! I'm sure Mr. Pendulum will love you!"

Picking up the stunned child, the equine took to the air and sped off into the direction where the train-carriage had gone.

The six mares started out at a decent pace, though progress quickly slowed mainly due to Rarity's cart being difficult to haul through the mud, which was getting gradually thicker. It had taken Pinkie Pie hitching herself up to it with Applejack and a push from behind from Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to free it on more than one occasion.

Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth in vexation, flapping behind the wagon to push it out of the mud yet again.

"Dang it, Rarity! Why'd ya have to bring all this!?"

"You honestly can't expect me to leave home without my beauty supplies!" Rarity questioned incredulously.

"For Heaven's sakes, girl, you never nearly packed as much stuff with you when we went up to the mountains to face that dragon!" Applejack reasoned.

"Or when we go to Canterlot," Twilight Sparkle added.

"But-"

"Or when we went to look for Applejack," Fluttershy contributed.

"Well, yes, but most of the time we knew how long we were going to be gone. At least we know Smokey is with Pendulum."

"Yes, but we don't know where Pendulum's at," the alicorn said.

"Exactly! We could be out here for days!"

"And your stuff will only slow us down! You gotta get rid of this cart!" Rainbow Dash huffed.

Rarity appeared put off by this suggestion.

"Sugarcube, we just need the essentials," Applejack blatantly said.

"But my-"

"Rarity?" Fluttershy cut in gently.

The addressed mare shifted her attention.

"Hmm?"

"I will buy replacements for everything, if I must," the pegasus urgently offered. "But we really need to get going."

The alabaster unicorn stared for a moment, a small frown pulling at the corners of her lips.

"… Yes, of course. Dreadfully sorry, dear. I'm being selfish." The mare nodded to Pinkie Pie and Applejack as a non-verbal signal to unhitch themselves. "It'll be fine where it is. We're not far from town. I can pick it up later."

"Finally!" Flying away from the cart, the cyan pony returned to her primary place hovering above her friends. "So, what are we gonna do about this Pendulum guy?"

"I'm not sure," Twilight Sparkle answered with a look of contemplation.

"Oooh! Maybe we can arrest him! Bring him to justice," Pinkie Pie excitedly recommended.

"I don't really care what we do to Pendulum," Fluttershy sighed. "I just want my Smokey back…"

"We'll get him back, won't we, girls?" Rainbow Dash knowingly asked, her vision jumping from pony to pony.

"We will," Twilight Sparkle reassured with a nod at Fluttershy, who smiled back. "Don't worry."

Chapter Seventy-Two: Terra Cotta

Within hours, the fast-flying pegasus made his way to his destination: Las Pegasus. The child in his foreleg had been crying in terror through the entire trip, not used to flying at such speed and height. The stallion held no regard for the chick's feelings and did nothing to comfort her, eager to see the look on his boss' face when he saw her.

Soaring into the clearing near the city's entrance, he came upon a giant blue tent that had been erected the day the train-carriage arrived. The vehicle's cars had been disconnected and sorted into rows depending on what were contained in them. The employees were stationed on the left side of the big top and the supplies on the right, with the animals hidden from view in the back. The animals took up the most space and were assorted in categories with the most dangerous animals in the very front where they could be supervised much easier-with the exception of one, which was in the very back, covered with tarp and shadowed by a group of trees.

Ears picking up the sound of bagpipes, he was able to single out Pendulum's car. Holding the unwilling chick in one foreleg, he raised the other to knock on the door and pushed it open without waiting for a response.

The screeching of bagpipes ceasing, the brown and orange unicorn offered a fatherly smile to his employee-and the creature in his hold. He recognized the youngster instantly, but he wondered how he was able to acquire her. Worry of a possible kidnapping began to pull at him.

"Sir! I found this wandering around the Everfree Forest, and I figured you might like it."

The bout of worry was becalmed once he heard that the pegasus hadn't committed abduction, but he was confused as to why the child had been wandering the Everfree Forest on her own. Didn't her mother know it was dangerous? Nodding to the equine before him, he decided he wouldn't allow this child into another hazardous situation again.

"Indeed I do, soon. And here I was aboout to scoold yoou foor barging in," Pendulum said, setting aside his bagpipes and reached out to receive the chick. Cradling her in his forelegs, he rocked her comfortably with a tranquil intonation to soothe her. "Yoou'll be a fine additioon to the family, little lassie…"

Back at the aforementioned cloaked cage, a familiar red dragon was brooding. His arms, legs, and neck were shackled and his chest and mid-section were wrapped in chains in order to prevent him from escaping his prison. He was sitting on a stack of hay that served as a sleeping spot, currently looking through his scrapbook-having been doing so in an endless cycle. His eyes welled up with tears as he stared at the pictures of his family and friends, the effects of heartbreak flaring up and yanking him deeper into the grips of depression.

"YOU LITTLE RAT!" a horrible scratchy voice screeched out from the employee's side, followed by a very loud crash. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT GOING THROUGH MY THINGS!?"

Another loud, shattering CRASH could be heard, as if something was blown apart into a thousand tiny fragments. A couple of seconds later, a small figure made a beeline for Smokey's cage, slipping underneath the tarp and through the bars. It was a filly-a very young filly; younger than Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, but obviously older than Chenoa. The girl's coat was the color of rust and her mane and tail a dirty pink.

She was not in the dragon's vision for long, not seeming to notice him as she dug her way inside the hay pile.

Another second later saw another figure searching the vicinity of the cage. Her figure, as outlined through the tarp, suggested to be that of an adult mare-somewhat tall and slender.

"YOU CAN'T HID FROM ME FOREVER!" she screamed. "You're only making things worse for yourself the longer you hide! When I find you I AM SO GOING TO BEAT YOUR FLANK!"

She heaved, obviously very much enraged.

"TERRA COTTA, GET OUT HERE THIS INSTANT!"

Smokey was startled by the outraged shouting, and was even more surprised by the sudden appearance of the filly. He had been about to address her as she burrowed herself in his makeshift bed, but hearing the wrathful voice kept his mouth shut and he waited for her to stop.

There was a pause in which everything fell silent. Minutes that felt like hours passed by as the figure crossed in front of the tarp several times-noise erupting as she violently upended crates and tossed things aside, apparently looking for the filly.

Releasing a long scream, she stormed off.

The draconian pinned his ear frills at the sheer volume of the mare's voice that threatened to burst his eardrums. Pushing the tarp aside with his tail just enough to take a peek outside, he watched the pony leave. Heaving a sigh and moving his tail back to its primary place, he turned his attention to the portion of hay where the filly was stowed away.

"It's all right, little one. You may come out now. She's gone."

There was a short lapse, before the tiny head poked out from the haystack. She was shivering, and even though there was a slight chill in the air, it was evident she was shaking from terror than the actual temperature.

The filly was an earth pony. Her neck frill, vest, and the bright red and white paint on her face suggested that she was employed as a clown. Tottering out of the haystack, she glanced up at Smokey-and she gasped, slowly backing away in pronounced fear.

Despite the dragon's initial depression, he forced a kind smile and spoke gently.

"It's all right, sweetie. I will not hurt you."

Eyes drawn to the awkwardly placed red on her face, coupled with his sense of smell, he was able to come to the conclusion that it wasn't paint at all!

"You're bleeding!" he gasped. Quickly opening the scrapbook to a pair of blank pages, he ripped them out and soaked them in his bowl of water. "Here… Let me clean you up…"

The small filly was very reluctant. She was terrified. As she realized he wasn't going to harm her, she hesitantly shuffled closer to him.

"That's a good girl…" he crooned, very slowly touching the damp paper to the rivulet of blood. Following it up, the reptilian was shocked to find a deep gash. "My goodness…! Who did this to you?"

She quaked, her eyes tearing up from the combination of pain and terror she was still experiencing. She opened her mouth to try to speak, but all she was able to do was choke out a cry, and pointed a hoof to where the larger figure had disappeared just minutes earlier.

"Her, huh? I had a feeling it was her…" A burning anger seared through him as he continued to gently dab the filly's gash. "Well… you're welcome to come in here anytime she tries to harm you again… Or… anytime, really."

The filly whimpered and huddled closer to Smokey. She didn't seem to want to leave in the first place, let alone continuously come back. The fear in her eyes was palpable. The elder mare, whoever she was, perceptibly terrified her.

Tossing the soiled paper aside, he tore out more of the sturdy pages and soaked them before resuming cleaning the child's wound. Seeing the tiny pony quake in fear inspired sympathy and a need to continue helping her.

"Who was that pony, anyway?"

She winced a bit as her injury was cleaned. Tears sliding down her cheeks, she was silent for a good long moment before she finally calmed down enough to speak.

"S… si… sista," she managed to squeak out.

"Sister? Your sister?" Smokey had a hard time believing that this little filly's own sister would do such a thing to her. "Where are your parents? They shouldn't be allowing your sister to hurt you."

The filly blinked, appearing perplexed.

"Wutur purents?" she mumbled.

Smokey was absolutely shocked to hear this. She didn't know what parents were? How was this even possible? He never had parents and he even knew what they were? Surely, she should have been exposed to many foals and their parents if she was working for the circus. Perhaps she was too young to understand?

"Parents are generally a mare and stallion who made you and take care of you." He paused for a moment, jumping to the realization that this pony was an orphan. "Who takes care of you?"

Just by studying the resulting expression on the child's face, Smokey could tell she didn't understand him.

"Who feeds you? Gives you a place to sleep, comforts you when you're sad or afraid?"

Understanding dawned on the child's face and she gave a soft smile.

"Mista Pendum," she said, almost immediately. "An' Cookie, an' Missus Perl, an' Jambri, an'-"

She rattled off an entire list of names, a number of which may have sounded familiar to him.

"Those aren't exactly parents. Are you saying you don't have a pair of ponies who you call Mom and Dad?" he queried, sounding worried.

The blank expression returned to her visage and she shook her head. The mystification in her eyes suggested she didn't even know what a mom and dad were.

"A mom and dad are the two ponies who gave birth to you," Smokey attempted to explain. "The mom is the mare and the dad is the stallion. Though, ponies can adopt a foal with no parents and call them their son or daughter. A son is the boy and a daughter is the girl."

The red-scaled creature ceased as his mind drifted to Chenoa, tears pooling in his eyes.

"I… adopted a baby griffon with a sweet pegasus and called her my daughter…"

The filly still didn't seem to understand, however she appeared to be getting rather bored with the conversation. Yawning and looking drowsy, she moved to curl up by Smokey's leg. It was a bit warmer in the cage due to the tarp cutting off the wind and with the addition of the straw bedding, but she still shivered lightly.

She turned her gaze to the bars, but she was hesitant to leave. The dragon stared down at the little equine for several moments before speaking again.

"You don't have to go out there. You may stay with me, if you want. What is your name?"

The filly was startled somewhat, and turned her eyes up at the dragon. She bit her lip, then spoke.

"T… Turra… Cotta," she muttered.

"Terra Cotta…" he repeated, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. "That's a beautiful name. My name is Smokey."

"Smo… key," the girl said, testing the name. "Smo-key!"

She giggled, breaking out into a smile.

Grinning down at the child, he dropped the bloody paper aside.

"At least your owie stopped bleeding. If only I had a bandage… You have a doctor here, right?"

"Doktur?" she repeated, puzzled again. A look of recognition painted across her face a few seconds later. She smiled and nodded, but one look at the bars and fear passed over her again.

He took a look at the filly's gash once more.

"It should be fine without stitches." The next thing he noticed was the child was slightly emaciated. Smile dropping, he picked up the full loaf of bread that had been sitting next to his water dish and extended it out to her. "Hungry?"

Terra Cotta stared as if she hadn't seen a loaf of bread before. Gasping, her stomach audibly growled, and she nodded vigorously as her eyes shined with an inner light.

"Eat as much of it as you want. I can always tell Chuckles he is not giving me enough food," he stated, holding out the loaf for her to take.

The filly was incredibly happy, and, tears in her eyes again, leaped at the loaf and tore it apart. She began to swallow large chunks, not even taking the time to chew it.

"Oh! Careful, Terra Cotta! Please chew your food. I don't want you to choke!" he warned, his eyes wide with anxious concern.

The loaf was already halfway eaten when Smokey's exclamation reached her. She frowned, her large, wet, glassy eyes staring up at him with a whimper escaping her. Tenderly, she took small bites, huddling up on herself to prevent another scolding.

"It's all right," he reassured gently, offering her a smile. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Sniffling, she whimpered again, but eventually started taking larger bites-and made sure she took her time to chew. It didn't take much longer before the loaf was fully consumed. Stretching out with a yawn, she curled up near the dragon's leg again and leaned against it as she closed her eyes.

"Awww… Here…" Leaning forward, he picked up Terra Cotta slowly as not to surprise her and set her down on his straw bed. "There… Comfortable?"

She gasped softly upon being picked up, and squirmed, but quickly calmed as she was placed upon the stack. Murmuring something indecipherable, she turned around once and laid down on her stomach. Lowering her head, she closed her eyes a couple seconds later.

Three minutes passed, and the breathing emanating from her told Smokey she was fast asleep. Smiling down at the child as she slept, he curled up on what was left of the bed and unfolded a wing to drape it over her to keep her warm. Sighing through his nostrils, he shut his eyes and drifted off.

Chapter Seventy-Three: The Path to Las Pegasus

Time passed into the somber twilight, and saw the filly fidgeting and squirming on the pile of hay. Whimpering, she cried audibly as she kicked out. After a moment, all four of her legs flailed out, pumping as if she were on the run from something. The sounds emanating from the child soon awoke the dragon beside her. Yawning, he rubbed his eyes, chains clinking from the movement. Once he was more adjusted to the dim lighting, he could make out the frantic figure of Terra Cotta. That, combined with the whimpering she created caused realization to spring upon him.

Bringing a hand to her shoulder, Smokey gently shook her.

"Terra Cotta… Wake up. You're having a bad dream."

"Noooo!" Terra Cotta cried as he touched her. Jumping, she huddled into a ball. Her forelegs covering her head, she sobbed pitifully. "Pleas don' hit me again, St'rmy Skies! Pleas don'! 'M s'rry! 'M s'rry!"

Stormy Skies… So that is what her sister's name was…

"Terra Cotta, it's me, Smokey!" In an effort to comfort her, he scooped up the child and held her against his torso. "It's all right. It's all right. You do not have to worry about her now."

Quaking and sobbing, the small filly trembled and held herself against the draconian's chest. Looking up at his face, she shook her head and closed her eyes again, heaving as she tried to shake off the last vestiges of the nightmare she had been through.

Embracing her in one arm, Smokey stroked her mane with the other hand in order to soothe her.

"It's all right," he repeated softly. "She's not here…"

The little one choked and sniffled a bit, burying her head against his chest and the cold chains keeping him bound.

"Sh' skurs me," she whimpered. "Sh' hates me…"

"Now, how can anypony hate a cute little darling like you?" Smokey questioned, more than a little curious over the filly's older sibling.

"Dunno." She sniffled again. "Sez… sh' hates me. Sh' sez b'd tings. V'ry b'd tings."

She screwed up her face in rage.

"I hate yu!" she spat in a high-pitched, younger, speech impeded, but otherwise rather scarily accurate impression. "I wish you wer nev'r born! Stupid! Usel'ss! Trash!"

Just hearing these words brought forth a pang of sympathy for the filly. Lowering his head, he nuzzled her forehead gently as to not jostle any pain from the gash.

"That's… horrible…" Still stroking her mane, he drew her closer. "Just know, nothing your sister says is true. Everypony is good for something. Everypony has a reason for being alive… I… thought… my existence was taking care of this mare and baby griffon, but… I suppose here is where I belong…"

Terra Cotta glanced up to stare at him for a good moment, remaining silent until she decided to speak up.

"Yur good," she said. "… Yur… nice."

Trying to force back his sadness, he pushed a smile onto his face.

"I try to be…"

"You are." Terra Cotta's frown deepened. "… Wish St'rmy was nice… I hate her, too!"

Her brow sank further, her face contorting into a scowl, and then-as if in emphasis-spat on the floor off to the side.

Smokey couldn't blame her for her feelings towards her sister, but it still disturbed him to see an equine so young feel so much hatred.

"Terra… it's not good for somepony to hate. It only leads to more and more hate. I know it is going to be hard for you, but you need to learn to forgive."

Terra Cotta stared at him in puzzlement, her brain having not yet registered the meaning of the word "forgive". Smokey immediately recognized the look of bafflement upon her face.

"Forgiving is pardoning something somepony had done to you, and you try to put it behind you."

"… Par… do… ning?" she repeated, very slowly and with great difficulty. She didn't understand the meaning, though the expression in her eyes suggested she had a sort of vague comprehension of the term.

Smokey wracked his brain for a better description that a child her age would be able to understand.

"It's… it's… uh… to excuse somepony and not be angry at them anymore."

This explanation seemed to come across to a point where she understood-and she didn't seem to particularly like it one bit.

"She hits me!" she retorted. "All time, she hits me! It… it hurt. I no-no why… Why she alway hit me? Why she hate me? Why? I don' unastan."

"I know it can be hard… I wasn't treated very well my entire life by ponies, and… I've learned that forgiving is better than letting hatred grow inside of you."

"… You wer hit, too?" The corners of her lips drooped. "… Ponies hate you?"

"Oh, yes. Not too long ago, I was hit with a rake and a lot of ponies threw cake and pie at me. Even though ponies may hate me, I don't hate them."

The filly was rather surprised at this revelation, and gave a questioning tilt of her head.

"… Why?"

The dragon struggled for a moment to think of a reason. He didn't quite understand himself. With how he had been brought up, he should abhor the equine race, but… he didn't. Like he said before, it was better to forgive than let hatred stew within him and build.

"I guess… it's just not in me to hate somepony… Not for long, anyway."

The child still seemed befuddled about this, but she tore her eyes away from Smokey, as if in contemplation. Snuggling up against his warm scales, she yawned and began to feel sleepy again-though, struggled to remain awake.

The winged beast smiled down at her, threading his fingers through her mane.

"It's okay to go back to sleep, Terra." He had been about to add 'You're safe as long as you're with me', but the mental imagery of Pendulum's bloodied foreleg prevented him from doing so, and instead said, "… Your sister cannot get to you if you are with me."

This seemed to appease the girl, and she issued a weak, yet notable smile. It did not take much longer for her to fall back asleep. Nightmares that usually plagued her slumber would leave her alone tonight.

"Okay…" Twilight Sparkle said, observing that the tracks left by Smokey had come to a halt. There were a few tracks from the train-carriage, but they were lost in the underbrush and thick grasses of the Everfree Forest. "NOW what?"

Fluttershy whimpered, biting her lower lip. The Everfree Forest had always scared her as she was never certain of the dangers that lurked within its confines-however, she usually had her friends with her when they went into it, and, as she steeled herself, she remembered she was doing it for Smokey.

"Ah have an idea," Applejack proclaimed. "Why don't we ask Zecora? She might've seen somethin'!"

"Good idea, Applejack! Let's go!" As the princess turned off, she spotted a simple wooden carriage that was being drawn by two burly stallions nearby, who were heading towards the road that ran abreast of the forest. They weren't moving fast, cruising along at a leisure pace. "On second thought, why don't we just ask them?"

As the mares trotted into their direction, the lavender alicorn called out to them.

"Sirs! Excuse me, sirs!" Stopping next to them as they came to a cessation, she greeted them with a smile. "Pardon us, but we're looking for another carriage-a very LARGE carriage, several cars in length, looks kind of like a train? Did you see anything like that pass by here?"

Exchanging glances with each other before smiling, the stallions turned their gaze back to the mares and nodded. A chestnut pinto opened his mouth to reply.

"Yeah, we seen it. It went along the path a few days ago."

"Need a lift?" asked the other stallion, a palomino pinto.

Twilight Sparkle had been about to answer when Applejack cut her off.

"You'd do that for us? That's might kind of ya!"

"Such gentlecolts!" Rarity complimented.

Fluttershy was hesitant. She had a bad feeling about this-something seemed off to her.

"I'm… not sure about this girls…" she said in a low voice.

"Not sure? We got plenty o' room," said the palomino, jerking his head into the direction of the cart, which was only partially full of freshly chopped wood. "There's firewood in there, but it's still spacious."

Twilight Sparkle gratefully bowed her head.

"That's really gracious of you, sirs. Thank you!"

She moved to the back of the wagon, as did Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity-who expressed delight at not having to walk. Fluttershy, though, hadn't moved. She glanced over and was partially relieved to see that Applejack hadn't, either, suspicion labeled upon her countenance.

"Applejack, Fluttershy, come on!" Rainbow Dash urged the remaining two of their party. "This'll get us to Smokey faster!"

The two mares looked to each other warily, before they nodded and climbed aboard. The farmer sat next to the pink-haired pegasus to place a comforting foreleg on her back for a second after they were seated. Once the stallions were sure everyone was safely seated, they were on their way.

"So, you want to go where this carriage-train went, right?" queried the chestnut pinto.

"Um, yes." Fluttershy answered with a nod. "We're looking for somepony very important to m-to us."

"Who is this somepony, if I may ask?" inquired the other stallion. "Maybe we can help."

There was a pause among the six, all glancing between one another as if asking if they should relay the full story.

"His name is Smokey," Fluttershy finally said. "He's my boyfriend. Or rather, I was going to ask him… if… he… would… well…" She shook her head, furrowing her brow. "I love him, that's all that matters! I love him and I never got to tell him!"

"What happened to him, miss? What made him leave?" came the question from the other stallion.

"An accident. A horrible, horrible accident. He thought he… severely injured somepony and left before he felt he could hurt anypony else. But it wasn't his fault! That's why I'm heading out to… to find him. To tell him everything's all right. To tell him I love him…" Fluttershy cast her eyes downward. "… And to ask him to come home with me."

"He thought he hurt somepony? That's… unusual. Are you sure you want him back and not convict him to a mental ward?"

"It was an accident," the yellow-furred pegasus stressed. "And it turns out the pony who we thought was injured wasn't injured at all!"

"I don't understand. Why would somepony do that to your boyfriend?"

"We… we really don't know," Fluttershy lied, turning her gaze away. It would've been one thing to admit he was kidnapped. It would've been another thing to entirely admit so he could be shown off.

"Fair 'nough. So you think he ran away to the circus, huh?" the chestnut chuckled.

Fluttershy delivered a glare for making light of the situation, clearly put out by his cavalier attitude.

"As a matter of fact," she began softly, but sternly, "Yes, I do."

"Sounds like a fun trip, doesn't it, brother?"

The palomino nodded.

"We just might have to take you the whole trip. I heard they're on their way to Las Pegasus."

"Las Pegasus," Fluttershy mirrored.

"Oooh! I've always wanted to see Las Pegasus!" Pinkie Pie chimed. "Bright lights, fun games, exotic shows!"

"Pinkie, we're not there for a vacation, we're going to rescue Smokey!" Twilight Sparkle admonished.

"Come on. Can't we have some fun after we spring Smokey?" Rainbow Dash requested, casting a glance over at the alicorn.

The young princess paused.

"Well, I suppose we could relax for a bit. Fluttershy?"

"I just want to be in his arms again, and have him in mine…" Fluttershy sighed.

"You'll get plenty of time to do that after we get him back," Rainbow Dash reminded her fellow pegasus with a reassuring smile.

Twilight Sparkle smiled weakly, as Applejack lightly rubbed the yellow feathered equine's back.

"You truly do miss him, don't you?"

"It feels like part of myself is missing…" Fluttershy sank into Applejack's embrace, before she sighed and forced a smile. "But I'll be all right. Don't worry about me, girls-I know we'll get him back."

Chapter Seventy-Four: An Unforeseen Attack

Half a night of traveling came to an end and the wagon ceased in the middle of the road. The equine brothers stole a cursory glance at their surroundings, searching for any signs of life.

They were all alone…

Unhitching themselves from the harness, they approached the sides of the cart near the front and reared up on their hind legs to dig into the pile of firewood while the mares watched in confusion. That confusion soon shifted into bewilderment as they drew out daggers and clenched them between their teeth.

"All right! Dump all of your valuables!" the chestnut demanded, his, and his brother's, visages tightening into serious and intimidating scowls as they brandished their weapons, the sharp blades glinting in the glow of the moonbeams.

The six mares jumped, having not expected to be suddenly turned on by two ponies who had seemed friendly. Fluttershy gasped, pulling herself behind the protection of Rainbow Dash. Rarity and Pinkie Pie wore shock upon their faces while Applejack and the prism-maned pegasus adopted outrage.

Twilight Sparkle, however, merely held a look of annoyance and exasperation.

"You're kidding," she deadpanned as she raised a hoof to her chest and arched an eyebrow. Didn't they realize who they were? "You're kidding, right?"

"Yeah, you don't wanna mess with us, buddy!" Rainbow Dash snorted angrily.

While the palomino stallion dropped his expression to chuckle calmly, his eyes followed his brother, who transferred his dagger to his hoof. A long and shrill whistled leaped from his lips, and in less than thirty seconds, an entire band of ponies emerged from the trees adjacent to the road to swarm and surround the carriage.

Twilight Sparkle sighed as the wagon was surrounded. A quick count revealed that there were at least a dozen ponies, easily outnumbering them two to one. She wasn't worried though. They had faced and overcame overwhelming odds before.

"You're serious," she said. "Very well, if you want to do this the hard way, we'll do this the hard way!"

"Oh, and to think I just had a hooficure done, too…" Rarity groaned.

"Enough about your hooficure, Rarity! It's time to kick some flank!"

Without missing a beat, Rainbow Dash was the first to tackle a dagger-wielding pony, disarming him. Applejack was also one of the first to launch herself at a nearby stallion, swerving on the spot to buck him right in the chest and send him flying clear across the field. Rarity, grumbling something about how she'll need another afternoon at the spa, practically flew at one of their foes with an amazing kung fu kick. Pinkie Pie whipped out her party cannon seemingly out of nowhere and blasted another with it while Twilight Sparkle fired up her horn.

Fluttershy remained in the carriage, squealing with fear.

"Ya ladies put up a good fight!" said the chestnut stallion, clamping his dagger back between his teeth and lunged at Twilight Sparkle.

The mare narrowed her eyes. While she normally preferred to negotiate matters through diplomatic methods, the fact that weapons had been drawn and Rainbow Dash and Applejack's attack meant there would be no way they could resolve this peacefully now. To this end, she resolved to let her magic do the talking, and she proceeded to counter the stallion's dagger with the business end of her horn, firing a spell at him point blank.

A bulky stallion climbed into the carriage, eyes pinned to Fluttershy. Before he could even do anything, he found himself yanked out of the cart by his tail and was elbow dropped in the back by the rainbow-haired mare. Huddling into a ball, Fluttershy folded her forelegs over her head. She did not like fighting-didn't like violence.

Horn blazing with magic, Twilight Sparkle blasted another pony nearby and turned around to kick another within striking distance of her hooves. Wings unfurling, they pushed her saddlebacks out of the way and slid off her back as she joined Rainbow Dash in the air-looping up to dive bomb another. The cyan pegasus belted out a battle cry as she swooped at another equine. Before too long, the entire group of bandits were sprawled out on the ground, collectively groaning in defeat.

"All right…" the chestnut stallion breathed, slowly rising to his hooves. "You win…"

Huffing and heaving, Twilight Sparkle turned to examine her friends-sans Fluttershy, who was still cowering in the wagon. Aside from scuffs and scrapes, they were mainly unhurt. Still, she thought it was wise to verify this.

"You girls all right?" she questioned. When she received the verification everyone was fine, she turned to Applejack. "Applejack, how much rope do you have?"

"Not nearly enough to tie up all these varmints," she snorted.

"Not a problem," the alicorn proclaimed. Pointing her horn at a group of rocks on the side of the road, she focused her magic and transfigured them into coils of rope. Getting to work, each of them fashioned lassos and looped them around the stallions' necks, then tied the ends together to form a chain of ponies.

"Right. Let's get them loaded up into the carriage."

"What?" Applejack spoke up. "Why can't we jus' leave 'em here?"

"To starve? In the middle of nowhere? No. We take them to Las Pegasus and let the local authorities deal with them."

"Um… not to be arguin' with ya, Princess," the farmer began. "But yer a princess. Yew ARE the local authority!"

"Yeah! You got every right to decide their punishment as much as any officer does!" said Rainbow Dash as she tightened the last lasso around the final stallion's neck… unintentionally a little too tightly. With her attention on her friend, she was oblivious to the fact that the poor male's face was slowly turning blue from the lack of oxygen. The issue was soon rectified when he lifted a hoof to tug on the rope secured around his neck.

Twilight Sparkle took a moment to contemplate. This situation reminded her of when she faced Snips and Snails when they had unwittingly unleashed the Ursa Minor on Ponyville. It had endangered many ponies and caused quite a bit of property damage, but in the end, they were only young colts who hadn't quite known any better… even though they should have.

These stallions, on the other hand, were fully grown and their malicious intent to harm was very much deliberate.

"Well now," she finally said, narrowing her eyes. "Hmph. I'd suppose some time in jail would do them some good-but seeing as how we're out in the middle of nowhere, that's not exactly feasible. Let's load them into the carriage and take them with us until we get to Las Pegasus or some other town. We can take turns in pairs pulling it."

"Excuse me, darling," Rarity piped up. "But I think I might have a better plan. It would serve as punishment and a method of transport all at once."

"Keep talkin'," said Rainbow Dash as she leaned in to listen intently to what the unicorn may have in mind.

"Why, we hitch them all up and force them to pull-or, better yet, carry the carriage with all of us."

Twilight Sparkle sighed.

"Rarity, wasn't that what Trixie forced Snips and Snails to do?"

"Trixie," countered the alabaster unicorn. "Was under the influence of the Alicorn Amulet and not in her right mind. Also, her carriage never had wheels. ALSO, those poor colts were innocent bystanders."

The stallion looked among each other nervously. Clearly, they didn't like idea one bit.

"Oh, come on!" a red stallion complained. "We only did this so we could feed our families!"

"Yeh, well, maybe y'all should've thought of potential consequences when y'all tried to rob us! Rob a princess of Equestria!" Applejack growled, as Twilight Sparkle stepped forward to flare her wings out-the full moon casting a sparkling, illuminating light upon them and her horn.

The alicorn stepped forward, her brow furrowed with an imposing expression.

"Normally, I would think to have you all imprisoned for this. Attacking a royal is considered a felony…" She paused and allowed a smile to form on her face. "… But I'm feeling… lenient today." She turned to the red stallion. "You… said you were doing this to feed your families? … How many of you are out here?"

It was then the stallions finally analyzed the mare and acknowledged that she was a princess. Before, her saddlebags had been obscuring her wings and they had been so absorbed with the battle that they failed to notice before.

"Forty-two of us!" another stallion replied. "And some of our wives are pregnant!"

Twilight Sparkle lowered her head a small degree and tapped her chin.

"I see… And how long have you all been in the Everfree Forest?"

"We have been here for years," said the chestnut stallion. "For the entirety of that time, more and more have joined us when we were small. Now, we're sort of a family."

"Years, huh?" A smile tipped her lips. "I think… I might have an idea."

The others were confused as she approached the chestnut.

"Haven't you ever considered growing your own food? Or searching for wild sustenance? Isn't there a river nearby?"

"We don't know where to get enough seeds. Besides, we wouldn't be able to grow enough to keep us fed. The produce would run out."

"I could help you with that. Proper irrigation, supplying seeds…" Twilight Sparkle offered.

"Excuse me, Twi," Applejack cut in. "Ah'm sure you probably got somethin' in mind here, but, where exactly are you goin' with this?"

"Wait, I know," Fluttershy gasped, sliding out of the carriage. "A small population that's just right for a small village in the middle of a dangerous forest that's teeming with wild animals and peppered with precarious perils… and we have a line that's otherwise a direct shot between Ponyville and Las Pegasus that could be potentially traveled by hoof instead of having to fly over the woods or take the long way around. If we could get food and supplies here. A road and provide protection to passengers… we could possibly build a settlement here."

She turned to Twilight Sparkle.

"Unless… I'm mistaken."

The alicorn looked surprised.

"Got it in one 'Shy."

"I suppose…" said the chestnut. "But still-where are we going to get enough seeds to feed everypony?"

"Back at home in Ponyville," Twilight Sparkle responded, her attention shifting to Applejack. "You, Carrot Top, all the farmers-I'm sure you've got seeds to spare. If we can also maybe get some horsepower out here to help with the irrigation-"

"We might even get some more ponies to help build a population. We might just be able to tame the Everfree Forest after all!" Applejack finished.

"Well," the princess chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far just yet."

"The Everfree is pretty dangerous…" The stallion stole a glance back towards the dense trees. "But it's the best place to hide."

"True… but with your help, we can make it a safer place. What do you say? You take us to Las Pegasus, keep us safe, and we'll help you in return."

"It's a deal." The stallion smiled before turning back to his comrades. "Two of us will pull and the rest of you will surround the cart in case anything comes after us."

Not a single stallion disagreed with him. Not wanting to waste time, they all fell into position after they were relieved of their lassos.

Smiling and nodding in a satisfied manner, the mares climbed back aboard the carriage.

"Are y'all sure this is really wise?" Applejack whispered.

"They don't really have much of a choice, do they?" Fluttershy whispered back. "Besides, they're not… bad ponies. Just a bit misguided. I think we're doing the right thing."

"By the way, my name is Sharpshooter," said the chestnut as he and the palomino hitched themselves back up into the harness. He then nodded to his twin next to him. "This here, is Starshooter."

"Sharpshooter, eh?" Applejack let out a chuckle as she shifted on her haunches. "What were ya doin' with a dagger, then?"

"Eh… I left my crossbow," Sharpshooter responded with belying currents of embarrassment.

Twilight Sparkle shook her head with a soft smile.

"It's… erm… nice to meet you. I'm Twilight Sparkle."

"Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Pinkie Pie interjected.

"Yes. Princess Twilight Sparkle," the alicorn amended. "I'm… still sort of getting used to being royalty. Never thought I'd actually become a princess."

"It's an honor to meet you, Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Starshooter stated with a bow of his head.

"It could've been under better circumstances." Rarity gave a roll of her eyes. "I mean, really."

"We can let bygones be bygones," the young alicorn said.

"Okay. Let's get a move-on!" said Rainbow Dash, turning her attention to the road ahead.

The twins nodded and they were off.

"So, what does this Smokey fella look like?" Starshooter inquired.

"Oh!" Twilight Sparkle shared an awkward glance with her friends. She hadn't quite expected this question to arise now. How were they going to explain this? "He's… um… big."

"He's red," Applejack quickly added.

"With the most impressive wings!" Rarity followed.

"And he's kind of a dragon," Pinkie Pie stated.

Twilight Sparkle slapped a hoof to her face.

"Piiinkiiie…" she groaned.

A darker shade of pink than her fur bled upon the party mare's cheeks.

"… Whoopsie?"

The carriage jerked to a halt, the stallions maintaining it and surrounding it adopting expressions of fear and concern.

"A DRAGON?!" both twins exclaimed in unison.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable being around a dragon," said Sharpshooter, similar murmurs emanating from the rest of the band.

Twilight Sparkle exhaled a sigh.

"We're not asking you to get near a dragon. All we're asking you is to take us to the edges of Las Pegasus. We'll handle the rest once we're there."

The stallions appeared immensely relieved and the carriage started up again.

"Good." Starshooter sighed. "I suppose we'll meet you near the edges of Ponyville after this is all done."

"Of course."

Smile returning to Twilight Sparkle's face, she nodded in affirmation. Fluttershy's attention was fixated on the horizon with a smile playing at her lips as they traveled, feeling a degree of anticipation. At this rate, they would reach the city in no time at all!

'Hang on, Smokey,' she thought to herself. 'I'm coming…'

Chapter Seventy-Five: Child of Pain

It was quiet in Las Pegasus when Princess Celestia pulled the sun over the horizon, casting the first rays of the morning upon the Equestrian inhabitants below… Or, at least, about as quiet as the metropolis could be. The sounds of the city provided a fairly atmospheric effect of a perpetual party, as music from clubs coincided with the noises of the casinos-of ponies gambling away their entire worlds. To a native, it would have sounded relaxing.

Beneath the privacy of the rear of the big top and behind the rows of cages, Pendulum had just finished putting Smokey under another hypnotic spell in preparation for the first show of the day, turning him into a savage beast all over again. Roaring and snarling, the dragon lunged again and again at the equine on the other side of the bars of his cage, but the shackles and chains retained him.

Of course, a dragon like him would have been able to break his restraints, but they had been enchanted by a non-breakable spell by one of the employees.

Pendulum watched the raging reptilian with a mixture of concern and remorse etched upon his face. Several times he considered just letting Smokey go… but what would he tell him? What was done was done. There was no going back, he surmised with a sigh. He was filled with even more concern as his mind trailed back to the late night audiences-or, more specifically, the ponies who didn't seem very impressed with the dragon. He couldn't let that happen again-the survival of his attractions and his employees depended on him. Sure, he was wealthy, but they could only survive on his funds for so long.

His eyes traveled to a stack of crates and the bull whip that laid coiled up on top of them. He bit his lower lip as his horn glowed to magic over the whip. He had never used it to strike anyone before… And he didn't like the idea of it… but he needed Smokey at maximum hostility, he rationalized in his mind.

Unrolling it in his cloud of mana, he sent the length of the object sailing through the bars, the sharp tip making contact with the dragon's nose with a loud crack.

Terra Cotta had evaded her sister for the morning-although she had no choice but to get ready for the first show when one of the other clowns informed her. Flinching, but reluctantly had entered the dressing car where her sister and the other clowns were. She had been terrified-but lucky that Stormy Skies either didn't notice her, or decided to let the issue from yesterday drop, as she didn't start screaming at her again.

Still, she didn't wish to remain around her for any length of time. Once she had gotten ready, she had made a mad dash out of the car to spend a little time with her new friend.

Weaving through the rows of cages, she paused upon hearing a vicious roar. Gasping, she turned around the final cage and hid herself behind the stack of crates-just on time to see Pendulum strike Smokey across the face with the whip.

Enraged, the dragon snapped his fangs at the whip each time it struck him, and missed. The stallion's stomach clenched with every crack when the point of the whip grazed the brilliant red scales. He really didn't want to be doing this, but felt it was the only way for the draconic creature to reach maximum hostility.

Watching, Terra Cotta was absolutely horrified at what her eyes beheld. Pendulum-sweet, caring, nice Mister Pendulum-was whipping… beating her friend! Eyes shining with tears, she took a step forward to cry out, to stop him…

However, she found that she couldn't. She was frozen to the spot with terror, images of what might happen had she attempted to stop him. Would he turn on her? Whip her as well?

Stormy Skies already did that… She could still feel the lashes on her rear. She didn't want to be beaten again. She didn't want to be a bad pony!

Whirling around, she sprinted off-tears streaming down her face and ruining her makeup. The child made her way to a small alcove-one of her other hiding places she often liked to duck into and one of the few constant ones she knew about despite the fact her home and her "family"-as it were-were almost always on the move.

Shivering, she sat upon her haunches and held herself. It couldn't be true! Pendulum had always been a nice pony to her! He had never hurt others! Why now? Had he… done it before, she wondered?

"Hey, kid," voiced one of the clowns as he approached Terra Cotta's hiding spot, cigarette clenched between his teeth. He had been about to accost the filly when she ran off. Having followed her in order to find her safe haven, he peeked into the space, blowing smoke out of his nostrils. "It's almost show time. What're ya doin' here?"

Just because the spot was constant, it didn't mean it was secure. Terra Cotta jumped, more surprised at the fact she'd been found than anything else. Whimpering, her eyes large and wet, she shook her head.

"Skurd," she said, trembling. "Mista' Pendum was hurten mah fren'!"

The red and dark green-haired earth pony inhaled another breath of his cigarette and exhaled a wisp of smoke before speaking again.

"Your friend? Ya mean the new guy? The dragon?"

Terra Cotta let out a whimper, nodding vigorously. She drew back further into her cranny, leaning up against the wall behind her back.

"He's mah fren'!" she squeaked out. "Mista' Pendum wasn't bein' nice! He was hurtin' him! Like Skies does me!"

"He probably just wanted the dragon to look as scary as possible. That's all," he theorized. Ears rotating backwards, he picked up the faint voices of other employees calling to him that the show was due to start soon. "C'mon, kid. It's almost show time."

"Nooo!" she cried out, now appearing angry. Pendulum just wanted him to look MEAN? How could he do something like that?!

No, she wouldn't stand for it. She wouldn't condone it. She remained firmly put, tearing her vision away from the larger equine and turned her back to him.

"You're only gonna make your sister pissed by not comin'," he reminded her.

Terra Cotta growled, lowering her head.

"Don' care. Buck h'r."

She knew she shouldn't use such language-she had been admonished for it a couple of times before, but Stormy Skies used it almost constantly around her… and she didn't seem to be told off for using such words. Only her!

All it did was anger her further, and she turned her head over her shoulder to reveal eyes full of rage.

"Ya shouldn't use such language, kid."

The stallion wasn't a fan of such foul language and often wanted to tell Stormy Skies off for using such words, especially around her younger sister.

"Don'. Care!" the filly repeated, staring down at the ground between her hind hooves. She snorted, pulling herself up from the earth. Knowing she couldn't stay, she sprang up from her spot to head butt the clown in the leg, bouncing back then galloping off as fast as she could.

As the evening fell upon Equestria, Smokey steadily came out of his hypnotic state. Like every other time he had been spellbound, he wasn't able to remember anything, but had been told on several occasions how much he frightened the audiences. Curling up into a ball of scales, he allowed himself to cry.

After a few moments elapsed, Terra Cotta slipped underneath the tarp covering the cage. She hadn't gone to any of the shows held that day, having found another place to hide from her sister and co-workers. Since she was the smallest clown in the entire troupe, a few of the gags that involved her had to be cut, but the group had been able to improvise and the crowd didn't seem to notice-or largely care-she was gone.

She arrived to check if Smokey was all right. She had wanted to see him during the show… but sneaking around to the other cages and watching from a distance had shown her that she wouldn't have been able to get close.

Now that it was over, she finally had her chance, and silently, fitted between the bars. Approaching the weeping dragon, she lowered her head to nuzzle him.

Not expecting anyone to visit him, the dragon jerked in surprise as he lifted his head to acknowledge the filly. His eyes were misty and his cheeks wet with tears.

"H… hello, T-Terra."

"Huhwo, Smokey," she greeted, moving closer to press her head against his side. Snuggling up against him, she revealed herself not wearing her makeup at all, or her uniform that she originally donned that morning. She had been carrying a stick with a bag attached to the top end, and placed it down next to the dragon, resting on her stomach.

"Hiding from your sister again?" he questioned, knowing very well what the answer was. Opening his arms, he drew the small pony against his torso for a comforting cuddle.

"What are you doing with that?" he queried, pointing his nose at the stick and sack. "You're not planning on running away, are you?"

Returning the hug, she appeared surprised when he asked her if she was intending on running away. She shook her head and turned around to dig into her bag, fishing out a book and an assortment of crayons. Laying it out in front of him, she opened the box of coloring utensils.

"No. I dun wan leave. I wannid to makew fil bedda."

Despite Smokey's emotional pain, he couldn't help but smile at the notion.

"You are a sweet little girl… It is too bad you have to stay with your… fellow employees. You deserve to have a real family. One that will take care of you, love you… and… not beat you."

Terra Cotta seemed to be somewhat saddened by this… and slightly confused. Frowning, she leaned forward and flipped open the cover of the drawing pad she had brought…

Inside were drawings that were, surprisingly, rather detailed for a young filly's work. It wasn't professional by any stretch of the imagination-it was still fairly crude, but the level of work laid down in the sketchbook was obviously far beyond the level of a mere child. There were pictures of a bearded muscular pony… A purple mare decked out in glimmering gems and a shawl… A yellow stallion wearing a pair of coveralls and a straw hat and strumming a banjo while kicked back in a wooden chair. Of Pendulum. The trapeze ponies.

Without a word, she chose a few colors-and, gazing up at Smokey, she picked up a red one in her mouth and proceeded to draw.

Chapter Seventy-Six: Attachment

Smokey studied the drawings as Terra Cotta flipped through them. Impressed with the amount of talent the child displayed as he observed her.

"You have some nice pictures."

"Tanku," she mumbled through the crayon between her teeth. Glancing up at him every so often, she went back down to her drawing.

It did not take long for the sketch to take form. Within a minute she had the form of a powerful, majestic creature standing and displaying his strength-a dominating resplendence that awed those around it. Its wings were spread wide, its tail high, muscles rippling with might.

It was Smokey as he had been during the show… though something seemed off. Upon closer inspection, the artistic representation was lacking the chains and shackles that bound him.

The dragon was even more impressed now. Though, the look on his representation's face proved disturbing to him. Those thin slits in the eyes, the wrathful snarl, the position that appeared it was about to jump right off the page and attack…

Biting his lower lip, he wrenched his eyes away from the drawing. Over the next several minutes, the filly drew several more pictures. A melancholy one where he was sitting chained and looking depressed. A second one with him sitting-unchained-and appearing content as the girl drew herself drawing next to the dragon in a third picture.

Sighing, ear frill extending at the crumpling of moving paper, he returned to watching Terra Cotta draw.

"This is what you do in your spare time? You draw? You are very good at it," he complimented again.

"Mmmhmmm. I like culurin'. Dwahing. Is fun!" She turned a smile up at him. "I wuv dwahing."

She gave pause, before nudging the crayon box closer to him.

"… Would you like to dwah, too?"

"Sure."

Scooting closer, he chose the yellow, pink, and black crayons and accepted the drawing pad. Flipping to a clean sheet, he tore it out and began drawing. Unlike Terra Cotta's drawings, Smokey's weren't very good, but they were good enough to see that he was sketching a yellow pegasus with a long pink mane and tail.

Terra Cotta reached for the space where the black crayon usually resided, but soon saw that Smokey had taken it, and didn't complain. She took the midnight blue, which was closer to what she wanted anyway, she discovered, as she drew.

This last picture was not Smokey-or even anybody else. It was, instead, of a dark unicorn mare with flashing red eyes and sharp fangs. She was breathing fire and tentacles of dark matter seemed to be coming out from every orifice. She had dark ratted and shredded leathery wings and appeared to be rising from the inky depths of Tartaurus.

For a simple drawing, it was rather… disturbing. Frightening, even more so than the initial sketch of Smokey had been.

The dragon hadn't been paying attention to what the little girl was drawing, focused on his own. Finishing his work on Fluttershy, he picked up the black crayon to make out the outline of his precious baby. As he drew, he felt his heart break again, fresh tears pooling at his eyes.

"Why did this have to happen…?" he whimpered, his voice cracking.

Terra Cotta paused her nightmarish portrait, glancing up at him.

"Wha' di' wha' hah to happ'n?" she slurred out, tilting her head with a frown.

"I… I bit Pendulum… but… I don't remember doing it…" The draconian held back a sob as his mind trailed back to Fluttershy, Chenoa, his animals, and his friends. "I had to be taken away from my family…"

Terra Cotta blinked at him, eyes wide as she tilted her head to the opposite side. She seemed to regard him for several moments…

"Bull sit. I dun bleeve you. You nice!"

Smokey was stunned to hear such language from a young child.

"You shouldn't say bad words like that, young lady," he admonished gently and slid his hand underneath the haystack to retrieve his scrapbook. "Would you… like to see pictures of my family and friends?"

Terra Cotta appeared to be sorry, as she hung her head. She often heard ponies around this area use such colorful language, but she never understood why she wasn't allowed to use it-or why there were "bad" words.

Lifting her head when he offered to show her his scrapbook, she stared at the book in a confused manner.

"… Sur."

The dragon wanted to give Terra Cotta a lecture about the usage of proper language, but she wasn't his child. Settling the book in his lap, he cracked it open and flipped through the pages. Passing the photographs of the wildlife in places he had traveled to, he pointed to the pictures of doves and a brown rabbit in cute poses before moving onto the prints of a yellow pegasus.

"That… is Fluttershy," he said in a loving, yet distant, intonation. "She… she is the most wonderful pony anypony could ever meet. She's kind… compassionate, sweet, gentle… beautiful…"

Planting both forehooves on his leg, Terra Cotta ducked under Smokey's arm to peer at the pages. She seemed interested in the rabbit and doves, but when her eyes fell upon the pegasus, she stared more intently.

After a second, she lifted her gaze to the dragon.

"… She preddy."

"She is," he breathed longingly. "She is the most beautiful pony in existence… I wish… I was still with her… and Chenoa." As he mentioned the baby griffon, he turned the page to several pictures of her. "That's Chenoa. Isn't she the cutest little baby you've ever seen?"

"Babby?" she uttered. Fixating her eyes upon each photograph of the white chick, she tilted her head to the side with a small smile.

"Yes. She didn't have any parents, so Miss Fluttershy and I decided to take care of her together," the winged beast explained, flipping through more pages with more photographs of Fluttershy and Chenoa, eventually coming upon several of his friends. "And these… are my friends."

Terra Cotta took each photo in view. A violet baby dragon, a blonde orange mare wearing a Stetson hat, a bubbly poofy-maned pink pony, a svelte white unicorn with a flawless mane and tail, a sky-blue rainbow-maned pegasus, Fluttershy, and…

The girl gasped, eyes lighting up in recognition at the final pony.

"Printest Twiwight!" She pointed at the picture of the young alicorn excitedly. "I taw her! She gave me candy. She wuz v'ry nice."

Smokey smiled with a huff of a chuckle.

"Yes, Princess Twilight Sparkle is a very nice pony." The dragon then went on matching names with each individual on the pair of pages. "That's Spike. This one is Applejack. That one is Pinkie Pie. And Rarity. You know that is Fluttershy. The six of them are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. When I first met them, I could hardly believe it was them."

Interested, the filly lifted a hoof to tap her chin.

"Elementu no Haamoni," she spoke. She had a vague understanding, as if remembering something from a dream. However, she shook her head, thinking of it as nothing of great importance. Smiling softly, she leaned against him. "Dey look nice… I wan frens, too."

"They are…" Smokey said, about to turn the page which contained more pictures of Spike but paused when Terra Cotta's last words sank in. "You don't have any friends here?"

"Nu," she replied mournfully, before she corrected herself. "Nu! I… Miss Pearl… Jambree… um…" She was quiet for a moment until she spoke again, her eyes meeting the dragon's. "… You."

Smokey nodded in acknowledgement, bringing up a hand to stroke the girl's head.

"As long as I am here… I'm your friend… When you are with me, your sister will not be able to harm you."

A grateful smile pulled at the filly's lips. Leaning into his hand, she relaxed and closed her eyes.

"Tanku…" she whispered, her smile dispersing. "… Skies skurs me. I dun like be'en wif h'r."

"You're safe as long as I'm not growling. But… if I start snarling, I want you to get out of my cage as fast as you can. I don't want to hurt you."

Terra Cotta was confused at first, then recalled the incident from earlier, when she had witnessed him in his bestial state. Nodding a couple of times, she curled her forelegs around his wrist.

"Okay," she said softly, pressing a kiss to the back of his hand.

Heart turning in his chest, Smokey smoothed his hand over the filly's cheek after she released it. Closing the book, he slid it back underneath the haystack and leaned back against it and gestured for her to hop up on the makeshift bed with him. It was late and he had stayed up too long.

The small filly gave a smile and crawled closer to him. Snuggling up by his side, he released a yawn and rested her head on his arm. It did not take long for her to drift off. As the child slept, Smokey stroked her head gently, silently watching her. It hadn't been long since he met her, and already he was forming an attachment akin to the bond he had formed with Chenoa when he first spent time with her. But… no little one could ever replace the chick in his heart. Feeling a wave of pain, he cried until he fell asleep.

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Arrival

A couple of days later saw the mares and troupe of stallions rolling up towards the outskirts of their destination.

"Well… here we are," said Twilight Sparkle, eyes pinned to the sign that read 'LAS PEGASUS CITY LIMITS: ONE MILE' before it was passed. Transferring her attention to the pair of stallions drawing the cart, she called out. "All right, you can stop and drop us off here!

"Thank you all for bringing us all the way here. That was awful nice of you."

"Yeh, outside'a tryin' to rob us, y'all ain't too bad fer pony folk," stated Applejack with a chuckle. Though she had long since forgiven them, she couldn't help but tease them about it anyway, as if it were some sort of crude joke she would never let them live down.

Starshooter cast his gaze over to the collected buildings that made up the city in the distance.

"No problem, ladies. I just hope you find your friend."

"Yeah, and we'll be waitin' for you to come back someday and show us how to farm," added one of the pintos as the mares hopped off the carriage.

"We shouldn't be very long. Once we get our friend we'll be heading right back to Ponyville," Twilight Sparkle relayed, much to Pinkie Pie's disappointed bewilderment.

"What? But, Las Pega-"

"Right. Back. To Ponyville," the alicorn emphasized, without even looking at the pink mare. The curly-maned mare pouted a bit, joined closely by Rarity, who also appeared to be strangely irked by this snub. Giving both Sharpshooter and Starshooter a quick hug, the princess turned to her friends to nod to them once before cantering off towards town-Fluttershy immediately positioning herself at her heels.

"So, how long do you think we might be lookin' fer Smokey?" Applejack inquired. "Two days? Three?"

"However long it takes," Rainbow Dash answered, flapping her wings to hover above her friends. "If they've packed up, we'll follow them."

"Hopefully, it shouldn't take too long," Fluttershy said, her eyes ground-ward.

"I think it'll take us an hour!" Pinkie Pie spoke up.

"An hour?" the farmer mare mirrored, her and the others fixating their attention to her. "Pinkie, now why in the hoo-ha would you say that?"

"Because of that!" Pinkie Pie replied, pointing a hoof above the treeline, to where the upper arch of a big top could clearly be seen approximately a mile away.

"Well, Ah'll be. Do y'think-"

"It's them!" Fluttershy squeaked with surprising volume. It's got to be!"

Without even waiting for the others, she began to gallop headlong directly towards it, weaving through trees and bushes as she headed from the path to cut through the section of flora to where the traveling circus set up camp.

"Fluttershy, wait up!" Rainbow Dash called after her, but most likely fell upon deaf ears. In a split-second, she was in pursuit of the yellow pegasus with the others following.

They did not stop until they were a few dozen yards away from the big top, Applejack being the first on ground to reach Fluttershy with Pinkie Pie skidding into a close second (with an odd screeching of tires emanating from her hooves as she did so).

"Wowee!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "Is it just me, or did the big top get even bigger since last time?"

"Who cares? We need to find Smokey!" said Rainbow Dash as she touched ground and approached the tent to slide her head underneath it to peek inside. She saw several stands for the audience to sit with a clearing in the middle that was surrounded near the back by exotic animals, but saw no signs of the sought dragon.

Fluttershy positioned herself at Rainbow Dash's side, slipping her head underneath the tent as well. Eyes sliding from side to side, she withdrew her head as Pinkie Pie shoved her head under as well.

"Oooh! What are we looking at?" Pinkie Pie bubbly inquired.

"He's not here," Fluttershy replied, turning to the others. "Let's split up and search the grounds. Give a signal if you find anything, and we'll meet back here in an hour!"

There was a pause, with Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie staring at her in mild bewilderment.

"… Um… that is, if that's… okay with you?"

"Er, that's fine, darling, but, are you feeling all right?" Rarity asked, looking a little more relieved after Fluttershy reverted to her meeker demeanor.

"Yeh, Ah usually expect Twilight to say stuff like that." Applejack gave a tilt of her head. "Not you!"

A short distance off, a particular filly's ears twitched as she heard unfamiliar voices gathered outside of the car she was staying in. Standing on her cot on her hind legs and just barely peering over the rim of the window, she blinked when she thought she recognized the six mares from the photo album Smokey showed her. Gasping and falling aback onto the bed, she turned to jump off and run out the door. Dashing down the small steps, she galloped around the side of the tent to obscure herself from their perspective.

"I'll look over here!" Rainbow Dash volunteered. Sliding underneath the tent, the prism-maned mare careened to the left and near the back where a few cages were set up. Some were behind others and it was impossible to distinguish what was confined in the back.

Pinkie Pie bounced off into the opposite direction, as Fluttershy appeared a little mortified of Twilight Sparkle.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Twilight," Fluttershy apologized. "I-I…"

"It's all right, Fluttershy," Twilight Sparkle said in a disarming intonation, coming forth to hug her. As she drew back, she put on a grin. "I'm proud that you're actually stepping up and showing some courage!"

"It's a marked improvement!" Rarity beamed. "I don't think I've seen you so… bold and confident before! Well, except with that minotaur-but this is a good change! Not like… what HE taught you."

Smile tipping her lips, the yellow pegasus sighed.

"Well, leader?" The alicorn chuckled. "We meet here in an hour, right?"

"Um… yes. That is, if you don't mind-"

"Aye-aye, ma'am!"

The princess issued a salute, spreading her wings. With that, she turned off to follow Pinkie Pie. Rarity and Applejack departed into the direction of Rainbow Dash then branched off.

Emitting another sigh, Fluttershy spun around to meet the face of Terra Cotta, who just sat there, staring up at her.

"Oh! Well, hello, there." She had almost jumped at the sudden appearance of the filly, and was quickly calming as she wondered where the child came from. "Where did you come from? Are you lost?"

Without answering, the child whirled around to run off, turning her gaze over her shoulder as if to non-verbally request the mare to follow her. Confused, the older equine did just that.

Behind the tent, behind rows of cages and tucked underneath the overgrown branches of a tree was Smokey, pulling at his chains and snarling. Once he saw Terra Cotta with Fluttershy in tow, that only aggravated him even further. Lips curled up with fangs bared, he roared and hissed ferociously at the two ponies as they approached.

He didn't even recognize them.

Terra Cotta gazed mournfully up at Fluttershy as she led her past the rows of animals. Once they were in view of the dragon's cage, the pink-haired mare gasped in horror as Smokey fought against his restraints. Tears coming to her eyes, she stepped forward.

"Oh… my… goodness…"

The filly squeaked, jumping onto Fluttershy's back and shaking her head vigorously as if to tell her "no", though the pegasus paused only a couple of steps away from the bars. Tears streaming down the mare's face, she raised a hoof to slide it gently down one of the bars.

"Smokey…" she half-whispered, half-sobbed. "… What has he DONE to you…?"

Crazed eyes focusing on the pegasus leaning against his cage, the winged beast lunged forth with wide open jaws, only for his attack to be cut short by the chains binding him. His teeth snapped several times in the mare's direction, determined to tear into flesh.

Fluttershy bit her lip, her hoof still on the bar. She was just far away enough that if she were to reach her foreleg between bars she would be able to stroke her hoof across his muzzle… if she wasn't at mortal risk of having said foreleg violently ripped off.

Stepping back, she closed her eyes, before turning to the filly as she slid off her back.

"Do… do you live here? Work… here? With the… other performers?" she asked.

Terra Cotta nodded.

"Do you know Pendulum?" Again, Fluttershy received an affirming nod. "Good. Please. Take me to him."

Even as Terra Cotta led Fluttershy away, the draconic being continued to roar and snarl while tugging at his restraints. If a non-breakable spell hadn't been applied to them, he would have broken them the first time he attempted to free himself. The mare pinned her ears as her cherished companion's rage burrowed into head. It tore at her heart seeing the once gentle and kind dragon in such a state. She internally made a vow that she would not leave until she saved him.

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Crimes Against a Mother

Slipping underneath the tent, Fluttershy exhumed a forlorn sigh. Closing her eyes, she made a move to begin her hunt for Pendulum when…

"Wait." She paused in mid-step, her attention shifting to the filly at her side. "I said if we found any sign of Smokey to contact the others…"

She cast a cursory glance at her surroundings, wondering where the others had gone to search. The mare wasn't even sure of what to even use as a signal-and instead decided to head back to where they agreed to meet up in an hour's time.

Having swept through the vicinity of their chosen spots, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash were congregated at their designated meeting place.

"I looked back there ten times, but I didn't find him!" Rainbow Dash complained, crossing her forelegs over her chest as she sulked.

"I looked through all the concessions and I didn't find him either!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed and gobbled down a bag of popcorn in a single gulp.

"Ah didn't see 'im by the freak show," Applejack followed. "And Ah could've sworn he would've been there."

"I tried taking a gander around the employees' section, but I didn't find anything," Rarity contributed with a distained sigh.

"I checked the big top again," Twilight Sparkle spoke up. "I would've thought he'd have been the center of attention right away!"

"… I did find him," Fluttershy barely uttered.

"Whaaa?" Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity said in unison as they, and the remaining mares fixated their attention upon the yellow mare.

"You did?! Where is he?" the lavender alicorn ventured.

"Over with the animals. The 'dangerous' ones," the demure pegasus replied, motioning her wing to the space at her side. "I was helped by this little girl."

"What little girl?" Applejack queried, arching a brow in confusion.

Matching the farmer's befuddlement, Fluttershy dropped her gaze to where she expected Terra Cotta to be-only to find that she wasn't there. Turning her vision behind her, she found the filly slightly poking her head out from underneath the tent. Giving a sigh and a soft smile, she patted the earth next to her with a hoof.

"There, there… It's all right. These are my friends!"

Terra Cotta emerged… however, she was now carrying what appeared to be a sketch pad that Fluttershy hadn't seen her carrying before. The mares watched intently as the child came closer, each wondering what she had with her.

"What's that?" the prism-maned equine inquired.

The filly, gazing up at Rainbow Dash, tossed the sketchbook to the ground and began flipping through the pages-passing over most of the pictures she had drawn and stopped at the ones featuring Smokey. She showed them the first drawing of the dragon looking incredibly upset, bound tightly in chains. Though they were mere drawings, Fluttershy found herself imagining that was truly him-the real Smokey-captured in crayon on the bound parchment, imprisoned, heart rent in twain by grief.

Terra Cotta flipped a page ahead to show a drawing of Pendulum hypnotizing Smokey, the reptilian falling under his mind-altering power. Twilight Sparkle and Rarity found their breaths taken as the dragon's eyes, once shimmering with life and a bright inner light went dull and glassy. The horror of the brainwashing left the group speechless, but the next drawing emitted a gasp from the lavender-pelted princess.

"Is… Oh my. Oh, stars above…" Twilight Sparkle moaned.

Fluttershy scanned the picture, and, upon acknowledging what was on it, found her own grief doubling tenfold and she doubled over as if she were about to lose her lunch. The picture of Pendulum striking… whipping Smokey was too much for her to bear. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were aghast. Twilight Sparkle appeared to be in a state of disbelief.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash, however, were beside themselves in sheer outrage.

"Why that dirty, double-crossing, low-down SNAKE IN THE GRASS!" Applejack hollered, throwing her hat to the earth. "Oooh, when Ah git mah hooves oh him Ah'm gonna BUCK HIS KEISTER UP! Ooooooh, Ah'm just so spittin'-ARGH!"

To emphasize her anger, she reared back to smash a nearby crate into splinters, ultimately causing Terra Cotta to cry out in terror and duck behind Fluttershy. Gritting her teeth, the orange-coated mare turned to the filly.

"Where is he?!" she all but shouted. "Where is that yellow-bellied, lying, cheating, cowardly, no-good son of a bi-"

"Applejack, APPLEJACK!" Twilight cried. "Calm down!"

"C'mon, kid! Show us where he is so we can rough him up!" the rainbow-maned equine snorted, grinding her front hooves together as her bright magenta eyes burned with rage.

Terra Cotta shivered, her eyes wide and filled with fear. Whirling around, she galloped away-wanting to get far away from the raging mares.

"Hey, wait!" Rainbow Dash extended a hoof into the child's direction, but dropped it once she was out of view. "Dang! We gotta go after her if we're gonna find Pendulum!"

"Ah agree!" Applejack said and proceeded to pursue, but paused at a tug on her tail. Turning her gaze over he shoulder, she cocked a brow in surprise to see Fluttershy holding the end of her tail in her mouth.

"Wait!" Fluttershy said, dropping the blonde farmer's tail. "Didn't you see you scared her? Let me go after her."

"I'll come with you, darling!" Rarity volunteered. "The poor dear looked positively terrified!"

"Oooh! Let me come, too! I'm great with kids!" Pinkie Pie squealed, bouncing after the two mares.

As the three of them pursued Terra Cotta, Applejack transferred her attention to Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash.

"Now what?"

"I guess we wait," replied Rainbow Dash, pushing out a heavy sigh.

The pegasus, unicorn, and earth pony chased the child across the grounds towards one of the other tents. There were various artists and entertainers-mainly the trapeze duo, the acrobats, and a burly, bearded equine who appeared to be preparing and warming up for feats of strength and skill. Terra Cotta, sobbing, made a direct line for the closest pony-who just happened to be the muscular strong-pony. Coming to a stoppage, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie surveyed the individual, processing the fact that he was even larger than the elder brothers of Applejack and Twilight Sparkle.

"Oh! Um. Excuse us, sir…" the pegasus meekly addressed the bulky pony.

Eyes narrowing in an offended glare, the muscular pony huffed directly at the yellow pony.

"I'm a mare," she gruffed in a deep, rough, and masculine voice that sounded unfitting for a female.

The sudden shock and bewilderment at this revelation caused all three jaws to drop in unison. Recovering swiftly, Rarity swooped in front of the other two.

"Oh, forgive us, madam! Truly we're very sorry! We didn't mean to offend. We're looking for a young filly who came in here. You haven't seen her, have you?"

"I thought we were looking for Pendulum," Pinkie Pie interjected with a confused note in her voice.

The still offended mare stepped aside to reveal Terra Cotta curled up into a ball. Glancing down at her, then to the three mares, she arched her brow in curiosity.

"What did ya need her for?"

"Well, um… we were hoping… she could lead us to Mr. Pendulum," Fluttershy timidly explained.

"But since you obviously work here as well," Rarity cut in, "There's no real reason to bother the poor sweetheart, is there? We wanted to… talk to Mr. Pendulum, you see. You wouldn't happen to know where he is?"

"All right, c'mon," she instructed as she trotted towards the exit. As soon as Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash came into view, she glanced back at the strangers at her heels. "Friends of yours?"

"Yes," Fluttershy affirmed.

"Whoa, nelly," Applejack spoke up. "Yew look familiar. Is… ain't that th' strong-pony?"

"Yup, yup, yup! She's gonna take us to Pendulum!" Pinkie Pie informed with a wide berth.

Applejack blinked in befuddlement at a certain word the pink mare uttered, staring at the larger pony's hulky build and the rather luxurious beard.

"… She?"

Rainbow Dash, too, was stunned that this largely-built equine was female, but chose to say nothing.

"Yeah, 'she'," the muscular pony snorted. "I ain't the only mare who has facial hair. It's a hormonal imbalance."

"Well, erm, it's not so much the facial hair…" Applejack started-though, was silenced by a kick to her hindquarters by Rarity, who followed it up with a sharp leer.

"Very well. Thank you for your assistance, miss," Twilight Sparkle said graciously, accompanied with a warm smile. "Please, if you wouldn't mind escorting us-we just have some questions for him."

"Hmph… Make it fast, we got a show starting soon," she said, as the other three mares fell into step. Nodding to a few other ponies they passed, acknowledged them with a small smile. Before long, they came to a separate car and the mare ceased several feet from it. "That's where Mr. Pendulum is."

"Thank you, miss." Twilight Sparkle issued a smile as the bearded mare left them. Once she was out of view, she addressed her five friends as she mentally prepared herself to the imminent confrontation. "All right. Now all we need to do is knock politely and-"

"PENDULUM!" Applejack roared. "GIT OUT HERE, YEW TWISTED, BAMBOOZLING SACK OF MANURE!"

"Or we could just do that…" sighed the lavender alicorn.

"YEAH! GET YOUR TAIL OUT HERE SO WE CAN KICK IT!" Rainbow Dash contributed, blowing harshly out of her nostrils.

Seconds later, the door to the car slowly opened to reveal Pendulum holding a familiar baby griffon in a single foreleg.

"May I 'elp you?"

Fluttershy stepped forth.

"Excuse us, but we wanted-" She paused, her eyes fixating themselves upon the child as recognition fell upon her. "… Chenoa? What in Equestria is SHE doing HERE?"

"Oone oof my emplooyees foound 'er in the Everfree Foorest," the stallion answered, gazing down at the calm chick with a warm smile.

"Give her back!" the cyan pegasus demanded.

"Why? You loost 'er. She was 'elplessly wandering in the wild where she could 'ave easily found 'erself in danger."

Flutteshy grit her teeth. Her eyes narrowed, a frighteningly familiar surge of anger she hadn't felt in a long while began to build up in her core. It was one thing to kidnap her friend, it was another thing to beat him, but knowing that he also had her daughter in his slimy hold…

Without fully realizing what she was doing, her anger briefly occluding her judgment, she turned the full power of her Stare directly at him.

"Give. Me. My. Baby," she ordered him.

A wave of discomfiture crashed over Pendulum as he stared into those rage-laden eyes. The fact that such a seemingly demure pony could even possess such inner strength was pushing him closer to caving in and handing over the baby. Before he could, he ripped his vision from her and directed himself further into his car towards a table where a jar of expensive-looking baby food sat.

"I doon't think soo," he waveringly said, trying ever so hard to mask just how much he had been perturbed. "If you'll excuse me… I was aboout to feed the wee oone."

Chenoa was absolutely quiet in Pendulum's foreleg, unafraid of the pony holding her. In fact, she seemed content. This surprised Fluttershy-alarmed her, actually.

"You hypnotized her…" she murmured, almost under her breath. "Just like you hypnotized Smokey…"

The stallion was shocked that Fluttershy found out that he cast a spell upon the dragon. However, she was wrong about Chenoa. He had done nothing to her but feed her, change her diapers, play with her, and show her off to his audiences since she seemed to love the attention.

He chuckled as he turned around to face the mares.

"I 'aven't doone anything to 'er but care foor 'er."

Grinning at the yellow pegasus, the white chick squealed.

"Mama!"

"Chenoa! Sweetie!" Without warning, the pegasus darted into the car, her forelegs stretched out as if to take her. "Come to Mommy, honey!"

Pendulum cocked a brow, half-turning to retain some distance between Fluttershy and Chenoa.

"You call yourself a moom after letting this child get away?"

"And you dare to think you're any better?" Rarity challenged. "At least Fluttershy left Chenoa in the care of a professional babysitter! It wasn't her fault he or she didn't do their job properly!"

This struck Fluttershy hard, causing the rosy-maned mare to shrink back. As the unicorn shifted her attention to her friend, she took notice of this.

"… You… DID… leave Chenoa in the proper care of somepony responsible… didn't you, darling?"

"I… had left her with Angel. She was sleeping when we left… He assured me he had everything handled until the Cakes got there!" Fluttershy defensively replied.

"Well, I fed 'er, gave 'er a place to sleep, changed 'er diapers myself, kept my eye on 'er," he stated as he turned back to the table.

Fluttershy sniffled with a hard stare, mentally berating and questioning herself why she didn't wait for the Cakes… She had been so worried about losing Smokey, that she was certain Chenoa would be fine with Angel until they eventually DID return home and find her note… That, and the rabbit had been showing that he was growing more and more capable, and was convinced that nothing would go wrong.

"He's right… I should have waited for the Cakes. Or brought her with us, or-"

"Don't beat yourself up about it, sugarcube," Applejack cut in. "He's just lying through his teeth! Ah bet he kidnapped yer baby while yew were out and is just playin' ya like a harp!"

"Yeah, you big meanie mean-pants! Give Chenoa back right now!" Pinkie Pie hissed.

"I am noot lying. Just ask any oone oof my employees. They'll tell you the same thing," he assured, setting Chenoa down on the table and reaching for the baby food.

"Grrr…" the farmer growled. "This yellowbellied snake's smarmy attitude is really getting on my nerves. Twilight, can't you do anything about this?!"

Twilight Sparkle snorted, pushing past her friends.

"Regardless of how you got Chenoa into your… temporary custody, we want some answers." Levitating the sketchbook, she opened it in front of Pendulum. "What is all this about?! I demand an explanation at once!"

Pendulum's eyes snapped open wide at the drawing of Smokey, his stomach clenching and his breast brimming with remorse. With every second he remained silent, he realized he was digging himself in deeper. Clearing his throat, he put on his best composed visage.

"Soometimes you 'ave to resoort to… moore roough treatment to tame a wild creature, he replied, masking his shock and regret as he scanned the remaining drawings. He knew they wouldn't buy it, but it was the best he could think of, and likely would be thinking of better explanations he could have used later.

Like Pendulum had predicted, the mares weren't convinced.

"Horse apples," Twilight Sparkle said. Magiking out the handkerchief that had been tested, she also threw it before the stallion. "We had this tested and found the blood on this is from a fish. You were never bitten at all!"

She narrowed her eyes.

"You convinced a docile, completely innocent citizen of biting you, proceeded to imprison him, brainwashed him, and physically abused him! Pendulum, you have better give me one good reason why I shouldn't arrest you right here and now."

A panic shot through Pendulum, but kept his facial expression the same as if he wasn't in the least bit fazed. Without even thinking, he picked up the cloth with his magic… and tossed it right into the built-in fireplace where the hungry flames proceeded to burn it.

"… Y… you 'ave noothing against me."

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Stalemate

Shock pulsing through Twilight Sparkle, she attempted to magik the handkerchief out of the flames-but, as she did, it was already too late. The cloth had already burned up; all that was left was naught but a useless pile of ash.

The rage was loud, and the response was immediate. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were two inches away from Pendulum's face and most certainly would have given him a double black eye had it not been for the alicorn's aura holding them back. Rarity was fuming, Pinkie Pie was complaining and wildly flailing her forelegs in the air, Fluttershy just stood shock still, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash-red in their faces, the latter hovering in the air, were throwing out very colorful phrases that would put any sailor to shame.

Pendulum exhumed a triumphant sigh, magically unscrewing the jar of baby food and levitating a spoon over to feed Chenoa. Sure, he just destroyed evidence in front of a princess, with her friends as witnesses, but he cannot be condemned without physical evidence to actually PROVE anything. Not when he had the best lawyers money could buy. At least, that was his thinking.

"You cannot arrest me if you 'ave noo evidence."

"A'M GOING TO HURT YOU AND HURT YOU AND HURT YOU!" Applejack bellowed while Rainbow Dash spouted out more obscenities.

"Rainbow Dash, Applejack, calm down!" Twilight Sparkle shouted, reeling them both in with her magic. Grunting, she cast a sharp glare at the stallion with an expression that if looks could kill he would've been stone dead before he could fall over. "You're not going to get away with this!"

Pendulum didn't respond at first, being occupied with spoon feeding the small griffon. His smile returned as a thought crossed his mind. The chick really did love the yellow-furred pegasus and it would be cruel to keep them apart. Plus, he valued her knowledge of animals and she possibly could be more effective in controlling Smokey than him. Twisting his neck to gaze back at the mares, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I will give back the baby under oone coonditioon."

"A condition?!" the apple farmer snarled.

"What is it?" Fluttershy almost immediately questioned. "Please, I'll do anything! Just give me my baby back!"

"You, Miss Fluttershy," he addressed the pegasus. "Take my 'oof in marriage and travel Equestria with me."

"WHAT?!" Rainbow Dash exploded, her face scrunching up in outrage as she turned her full attention to her fellow pegasus. "Fluttershy! You can't marry this creep!"

"Yeah!" Applejack and Pinkie Pie agreed.

"Marry?" Rarity sniffed, as if she had stepped in Diamond Dog dung. Her anger at his suggestion for this was quite through the roof, and it was only now that she, like her farmer and rainbow-maned comrades, seemed ready to pound some literal sense into him.

"… Marry you…?" Fluttershy repeated, the shock clenching her heart. "But… that's… that's not fair!"

"Then I suppoose you'll never see little Chenooa again after we leave. She'll foorget you ever existed oover time," he said as he fed the baby another spoonful of the mushy food, which she seemed to really enjoy.

"You wouldn't dare," Fluttershy hissed, whirling to Twilight Sparkle. "Twilight! Can't you do something?! Can't we go to the authorities and report a kidnapping?!"

"I've already goone to the authoorities and reported that this child was loose in the Everfree Foorest. They knoow she's in prooper hooves noow," the stallion cut in.

"We can," Twilight Sparkle replied, choosing not to respond to Pendulum. "If you have the paperwork stating you're the true, legitimate guardian of Chenoa."

Silence was the reply the young princess received from her friend.

"… You… DID… fill out forms… didn't you?"

"I…" Fluttershy began. "I… never submitted any forms. I never applied to actually-"

"Well, what're we waiting for?" Applejack interrupted. "There's gotta be an adoption center 'round here! We can do that right now!"

"I hate to burst your bubble," Rarity interjected. "But doesn't an adoption process take at least six weeks?"

"I've already filled oout foorms," said Pendulum, wiping a little bit of baby food off of Chenoa's beak. "In that time, I'll be her new guardian. Plus, the public woon't take kindly to taking a child froom soomepoony who took 'er in after finding 'er oout in the wild and giving 'er back to the mare who loost 'er."

"Why you…!" Rainbow Dash seethed, making an attempt to pounce at the stallion, only to be intercepted by the magic bubble of Twilight Sparkle.

"This is a travesty of justice," the alicorn growled. "I will be looking into this and I will make sure I do what I can to stop this from-"

"I'll do it," came the voice of Fluttershy.

There was a pause as befuddlement descended upon the mares.

"… What did you say?" Rarity pressed.

"I'll do it," Fluttershy whispered, sounding defeated. Suffering, enraged, but defeated nonetheless. She glared at Pendulum with a deep, shaking anger-an expression that her friends could say that would actually be considered hateful was inscribed upon her visage. "But only on one condition, too."

"And… what would that be?" Pendulum tentatively asked, surprised that she actually gave in.

"You let Smokey go free," she said, tears in her eyes. "You go right down there this minute, you… you… snap him out of what spell you have him under, you get those chains off him and you let him walk free. It's me or him, Pendulum. I won't let you have both of us."

The stallion hesitated. Set him free? Maybe he… No. He shook his head. He couldn't do that. He was the main draw of his circus. Where would the future of his employees be when his rare animals died from old age and his fortune somehow was lost? How would they survive? Would they survive? Dragons lived for many generations. With him as a permanent attraction, he was certain they would be secure for many years to come.

"Noo cann do, darling. 'e's my main attractioon." The stallion shook his head again. "Besides, you're in noo poositioon to be making demands."

Fluttershy trembled with barely suppressed rage.

"You're… an evil… evil pony…" she breathed with contempt.

This struck Pendulum hard. All acts that would be considered evil really began after he met Smokey. At least his employees didn't think of him in such a manner, he mentally reassured himself as he resumed feeding Chenoa.

"Oonce you get to knoow me, you'll think ootherwise. After all, we're getting married. You'll 'ave plenty oof time to get to knoow me."

"This is ridiculous!" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed. "I'm getting SICK of your attitude, Pendulum! You're seriously pushing my buttons here. Do you have ANY idea who you're dealing with?!"

"Equestria's newest princess and oour coountry's herooes. Oof course I knoow," he replied, not even looking back at them.

"Twilight, please!" Fluttershy spoke up, placing a hoof upon her shoulder. "Stop! Think about this! What would Princess Celestia say if she were here?"

Twilight Sparkle opened her mouth to argue with the stallion, but slowly closed it. Without saying anything else, she merely turned around.

"Wait… Twilight, where-Are we givin' up just like that?!" Applejack sputtered.

"No," she responded, directing herself to the doorway. "Not by a long shot."

"But where are you going?" Fluttershy queried.

"To the authorities to do what I do best. To do some research!" The mare spun back around, facing Pendulum. "You and your caravan are to remain here until I say otherwise, that's a royal order!"

"You are oonly wasting your time, Princess Twilight. The poolice already knoow little Chenooa and Smookey are 'ere. I repoorted them."

'And made a generoous doonatioon to the families oof the members oof their staff who 'ad been wounded oor killed oon the joob,' he mentally added.

Twilight Sparkle ignored him, hopped out of the car, and walked off with her friends at her heels.

"Twilight…" Fluttershy piped up. "Twilight, what are we going to do?"

"We'll think of something," she replied. "We'll… Why… why don't we go see this show, anyway? Maybe something will come to us there."

Rainbow Dash pumped her wings faster to speed up enough to position herself above the princess, a devious glint in her eyes.

"Maybe we can spring Smokey later tonight."

Coming to a cessation, Twilight Sparkle turned to the cyan pegasus, narrowing her eyes.

"Rainbow Dash, I'm shocked and appalled at you. What you're suggesting is nothing short of criminalizing. It's dastardly, it's underhooved, and it's absolutely petty." There was a brief elapse. "I know you want to help… and, if circumstances were different, I'd be inclined to agree, but… we can't risk this, without being possibly branded criminals ourselves."

"But yer a princess, ain'tcha?" Applejack butted in. "Couldn't ya just, Ah dunno, give Pendulum a royal order to surrender Smokey over to yer custody for the safety of Equestria?"

"And Chenoa?" Twilight Sparkle countered. "What about her?"

"Can't you order him to give her up, too?" the sky blue pegasus pressed, even more distraught.

"His paperwork is in order. And, well, Fluttershy… I'm sorry, I know you have an affinity with animals and you trust Angel completely… but leaving a defenseless child in the care of a bunny WAS a pretty boneheaded thing to do."

Fluttershy felt, and looked, as if Twilight Sparkle had just punched her in the gut. Her entire world was being torn into shreds…

"I very well could… but to do so would be rather… well, I'm afraid that would react fairly poorly, especially when viewed from a cut-and-dry perspective. He's well within his rights. Legally, there's really nothing I can do without arousing suspicion."

"BUCK suspicion!" Applejack snapped. "We're doing what's RIGHT!"

"No," Fluttershy sighed. "… She's… They're right. I should've put in the forms sooner. And I should've waited for the Cakes to come home. Perhaps… perhaps I don't deserve to have her, but I refuse to let that… that… evil excuse of a pony take my daughter away from me!"

"Darling, you seriously can't be-" Rarity began, but was cut off.

"What would you have me do?!" the pegasus yelled, causing the alabaster unicorn to take a step back in astonishment. "Give up my BABY?! No, I don't want to do that! I don't WANT to marry Pendulum, but at LEAST this way I can make sure Chenoa still has me in her life AND I can still…" Her voice faltered, beginning to crack. "I can still… get to see Smokey…"

"But, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash interjected. "We can't split up!"

Fluttershy heavily exhaled on a forlorn sigh.

"… Would… No, I don't want to do that, either… I really don't have a choice, girls. I… I'm sorry!"

"What if Equestria's in trouble again? We can't save Equestria without you!" the rainbow-haired equine attempted to reason.

"Then what WOULD you HAVE me DO, Rainbow Dash?!" Fluttershy raised her voice again. "I am NOT leaving my CHILD!"

"What's more important? Chenoa or the fate of Equestria?"

Applejack let out a sigh.

"Sugarcube…"

"I agree with Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie spoke up. "You don't know what she feels like!"

"And you do?" Rarity scoffed.

"That baby is her life!" the pink mare protested. "She's acting like Mr. and Mrs. Cake when Pound and Pumpkin got lost one time! I'd feel the same way about Chenoa, I feel the same way about them!" She then turned to Applejack. "YOU'D feel the same way about Apple Bloom!"

"Yeh," Applejack confirmed. "But Apple Bloom's not a baby!"

"And the Cakes aren't YOUR foals," Rarity reminded.

"They're just as good as!" Pinkie Pie retorted, incensed.

"But they're not-" Rarity attempted to protest again, only to be silenced by Pinkie Pie's glare. It was hard enough to argue with her under normal circumstances, and she wasn't going to press her luck… especially if it involved getting physical. That job belonged to Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes.

"Regardless of what Pinkie thinks, that still doesn't solve our issue."

"You can't leave us," Rainbow Dash said, growing even more agitated. "If Equestria falls into chaos again, think how safe it'll be for Chenoa!"

A shudder coursed through Fluttershy, tears beginning to spear from her eyes. Sighing, Rarity sidled up to the mare to slip a foreleg around her shoulders and draw her into a comforting embrace.

"Don't cry, Fluttershy, we'll think of something. Let's… let's go get something to eat," the fashionista recommended.

"Let's catch the show, too!" Pinkie Pie suggested. "We can eat popcorn and watch the acrobats and the trapeze artists-"

"I can see Smokey," Fluttershy realized. "… Yes. Why don't we?"

Applejack was not too certain about this idea.

"Ah… Ah'm… Ah'm not sure that's such a good idea, darlin'… Maybe-"

"I want to see Smokey," the pale yellow mare said firmly, voice breaking. "I don't care what Pendulum did to him, I…"

"Shhh, darling," Rarity crooned, nuzzling the side of Fluttershy's head. "Don't you worry, we'll go see the show."

"Yeah! You look like you seriously need some cheering up!" Pinkie Pie commented, earning her a disapproving stare from Rarity for her bluntness.

Rainbow Dash sighed, her vexation dying down as she fluttered over to the tent to peer underneath it, observing that the stands reserved for the audience were filling up.

"We better get our seats fast. It looks like they can't fit many more ponies."

"All right, let's go then," Twilight Sparkle said, leading the group around the big top and over towards the main entrance. Issuing the ticket master standing at the front her warmest, friendliest smile, she levitated a coin purse from her saddlebag. "Six tickets, please."

As she hovered the coin purse before her to pay, a question burned within her mind. While she could flex her royal authority, she didn't want to overstep her boundaries. She wondered, vaguely, what Pendulum would request if she were to offer to compensate him for his animals…

"You got it!" the ticket master cheerfully chirped, wearing a jovial grin of his own as he retrieved the tickets. "Say… aren't you Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

"Why, yes, I certainly am!" She offered a quick polite bow. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure's all mine! Please, enjoy the show!" he said as he handed over the tickets.

"We certainly will."

Enveloping the tickets in her aura of magic, she bestowed each one to her friends as they made their way inside. Each mare giving the head stallion their ticket respectively, they were allowed inside. Twilight Sparkle took point and led them to empty spaces a few rows away from the front in the middle stands. Fluttershy sat next to the alicorn, with Rainbow Dash to her other side. Applejack seated herself behind her with Rarity to her left, behind Fluttershy, while Pinkie Pie was positioned behind Twilight Sparkle.

The show began with Pendulum in the spotlight, dead center to greet his guests and introduce the performers as they filed in, starting with the clowns.

Putting out his cigarette, the lead clown dubbed Chuckles-though his expression appeared anything but happy until he forced a wide grin-led Stormy Skies and Terra Cotta into the ring to begin their routine

Chapter Eighty: A Bite of Karma

Stormy Skies would rather be anywhere but there, doing anything but this routine-though her paint was bright and cheery, the grin plastered upon her face was obviously forced as she juggled pies while riding a unicycle around Terra Cotta, who stood upright upon her hind hooves. The small filly was wearing on her front hooves gloves with five fingers on each one. She wavered before appearing to notice them for the first time. Looking shocked, she attempted to remove them-only to be nailed in the face with a pie by her elder sibling.

The audience laughed uproariously as the pie hit Terra Cotta in the face, though there were certain individuals who weren't laughing.

"Isn't that the kid from before?" asked Rainbow Dash, squinting as to get a better view of the small filly.

The other five mares narrowed their eyelids as they pinpointed their attention to the filly, before Fluttershy gasped with recognition as Stormy Skies sprayed Terra Cotta in the face with a bouquet of trick roses.

"It… it IS!"

The mares' eyes sprang open wide, staring at the siblings intensely. While their antics were amusing, it became fairly apparent after a while the smaller Terra Cotta seemed to be the victim of every prank, pratfall, and mean-spirited trick-at least, it seemed, whenever she and Stormy Skies shared the spotlight.

Fluttershy almost swore at during what ever skit's the two of them were in together, the older sibling seemed to possess a genuinely gleeful-almost sadistic-expression on her countenance.

Even Chuckles had joined in pelting poor Terra Cotta with pies and any other tricks he performed. Though, unlike Stormy Skies, he did not appear sadistic at all. In fact, he appeared sympathetic at times-but, only allowed it to show for a split-second.

The mares watched in empathy, but Pinkie Pie was amused-up until she realized the little one was taking the brunt of all the physical jokes. Her uproarious laughter and cheers gradually diminished and eventually ceased entirely.

"That's just sick," said Applejack after observing the balancing act involving the sisters, with the younger bumbling and messing up, landing on her head but rolling forward with her forelegs raised, as if she were okay, and proceeded to dance and stumble her way out of the spotlight.

"That fall looked quite nasty," Rarity winced. "I certainly hope she's not hurt!"

Chuckles, too, had winced as Terra Cotta fell and watched worriedly as she hobbled away, wondering the same thing. As she left his vision, he snapped out of his concerned state and jumped right back into character. Fluttershy whimpered, feeling bad for the young filly-then felt even worse as the pegasus in the spotlight found it to be far more amusing than anything she had done to her sister.

As the trapeze artists and acrobats replaced the clowns, the rosy-maned mare felt a brief surge of anxiety at their high-flying, almost daredevil, performance, and that anxiety only grew when she realized neither of them were pegasi and there was no net underneath them in which to catch them if they were to fall. Despite the fact that there was nothing underneath them, the acrobatic equines were fully confident and felt their lives were safe.

Fluttershy emitted a short squeak as one pony narrowly came close to falling, thought it was revealed to be only an act-and it seemed apparent the acrobats were never in any real danger, despite the lack of a net. As the miscellaneous tricks were performed, some of the animals were being brought out-the lion tamers directing the white lions and golden tigers onto the raised platforms, sticking their heads into gaping mouths and commanding them to jump through flaming rings. Focusing on the rings of fire, the mare released an outraged cry, nearly fainting on the spot.

Pendulum's specific instructions were to not use much fire and use only the largest hoops for his felines. The stallion himself didn't even know why he had smaller ones to begin with. After all, he didn't want his precious creatures getting singed. Even so, the pristine white lions and graceful golden tigers leapt through the hoops cleanly without any hint of fear. They were long used to it.

Fluttershy watched the big cats jump through the hoops, bravely and without hesitation. Gasping, she grasped the railing in front of her in both pasterns in apprehension. If these animals were out now… then, surely, it wouldn't be long before… he came out…

Pendulum entered the center ring once again, whip in his magical grasp. With a proud smile, he opened his mouth to address the audience.

"Fillies and gentlecoolts! I will noow present Equestria's moost dangerous creature! The woorld's oonly captive dragoon!"

With that, he stepped aside as a few brave, yet frightened stallions wheeled out the snarling and raging red-scaled dragon. A mournful cry escaped Fluttershy. Her eyes widening and her jaw dropping, she leaned partially over the railing, a hoof extended into the reptilian's direction. Twilight Sparkle furled her arms around her as Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash all laid a hoof on her back in a comforting gesture.

There was a collective gasp from the audience as the beast roared and pulled hard against the chains binding him. What the entire staff didn't know was that the unbreakable spell applied to his restraints were slowly wearing off. The pony responsible had completely forgotten to reapply his magic to Smokey's shackles and chains.

"Smokey…" Fluttershy moaned out. "Smokey…!"

Another sob emerging from her, she latched onto Twilight Sparkle, her remaining friends running their consoling hooves over her back. The alicorn held her close in a comforting embrace as she watched the winged reptile lunge into the direction of the cage door. Whimpering, sobbing, shaking, the pegasus sat there for several long minutes, before she let go of the lavender equine and rose to her hooves.

"Fluttershy?" Twilight Sparkle implored, resting her vision upon her friend.

"I can't stand to watch him like this," she replied. "I just can't stand it!"

Patting the yellow-furred pony's back, Rainbow Dash watched the dragon intently. Spell finally wearing off, the chains' strength gave away and one mighty pull severed the links. Loose chains dangling from his body, Smokey threw his weight at the cage door, sending it flying off its hinges.

He was free…

There were gasps at first, then silence…

Then a scream. Without warning, a massive surge of ponies panicked, a number of them attempting to swarm towards the exit in an amassed herd at once. Fluttershy screamed out, leaping from her seat and almost fell over the railing-only catching herself in the air at the last second.

Roaring wrathfully, Smokey bent over, clawed hands gripping the bottom of his cage and tipping it over before leaping over it to tear apart the cages behind his. Though the animals could leave their cages, they remained inside for their own personal safety.

"SMOKEY!" Fluttershy cried, fluttering into his direction.

"Are you crazy?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she zipped in front of her fellow pegasus to hold her back.

One member of the staff had informed the authorities with haste as a few of the unicorns attempted to use their magic to hold Smokey in place. However, their fear prevented them from doing the job.

"SMOKEY!" Fluttershy cried, practically tackled from behind by Twilight Sparkle. "SMOKEY!"

"Sugarcube, stop! He's berserk!" Applejack shouted as she came up from behind the princess with the others at her heels.

"NO! I can get through to him! I know I can!" Fluttershy hollered. "SMOKEEEEEEEY!"

"Fluttershy, stop! He'll attack us!"

Rainbow Dash turned her head around to locate the exact position of the dragon. Seeing that the yellow mare's shouting had grasped Smokey's attention, she went into protective mode.

Just as he was about to charge into their direction, a whip struck them in the back of the head then came back to coil around his neck. Pendulum gritted his teeth, shifting his attention to the six mares.

"Get oout while ye still can!"

"NO!"

Fluttershy's surge of mixed anger, frustration, fear, and selfless regard for her safety caused her to forcibly shove her friends off of her to fly straight to Smokey. Whirling around to him, she threw her forelegs around his neck, pressing her muzzle against the side of his face.

"Smokey! PLEASE! Calm down!" she sobbed. "Smokey, it's me! Fluttershy! I know you're in there! I know you can hear me! PLEASE!"

Snarling indignantly at having the pony attached to him, he swung his head back and forth to toss her off. Fluttershy tried hanging, crying out to her beloved, but was shaken off and flung a short distance away. Correcting herself in mid-air, she flared her wings and flipped around purely on instance-her emotional drive causing her to react in a way she normally would have never been able to.

It was shortly after then several heavily armed unicorns burst into the tent…

After the pegasus was dislodged, Smokey turned towards the Shetlandish stallion who still had the whip coiled around his neck. Tilting his head to the side to grab part of the object between his teeth, he tugged it out of Pendulum's magical grasp.

Throwing the whip aside, the draconic being dropped down on all fours and charged at the equine to bite him in the left foreleg. As he growled hatefully, he sank his teeth deeper into his flesh.

Yelling in pain, Pendulum attempted to utilize his hoof to hit the dragon in the lower jaw in order to persuade him to let go. This annoyed Smokey and he parted his jaws. As the reptilian rose back up onto his hind legs and towered over the stallion threateningly, the pony began to experience flashbacks, his mind envisioning the imposing beast as his own father with a belt held between his teeth. Whimpering and curling up into a ball, he called out to his deceased father not to beat him, that he promised to be a good boy. This didn't dissuade Smokey, and was about to take another bite out of him before he was surrounded by heavily armed unicorns. Lowering their heads, the gaggle of stallions fired magic from their horns.

"SHOOT TO KILL! FIRE! FIRE!"

Many beams fired through the air, searing across the gap and slicing through the canvas at the far end of the big top, one partially cutting on of the tent supports. One blast in particular came dangerously close to Smokey and hit the stands near Pendulum, where it exploded with a violent detonation. Shrapnel went everywhere, though by some miraculous grace, he wasn't hurt more than he already was.

"FOR FUDGE SAKES, JONES," came the booming voice of the squad's chief. "KILL THE DRAGON NOT THE CIVILIANS!"

Another beam, not as powerful as the first, struck Smokey dead on, cutting through his scales and searing the skin underneath. Roaring in agony, the reptile stepped away from Pendulum and doubled over.

"SMOKEY!" Fluttershy cried, flying through several bolts and dodging a few that nearly sliced through her as well. At his side again, she wrapped her forelegs around his neck.

"Hold your fire!" the chief ordered. "Miss, get out of the way!"

"NO!" the mare defied. "I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIM!"

"Miss, he's a dangerous, wild animal! Get away from-"

"NO!" she wailed again, tightening her hold on him and pressing her body against him. "I LOVE HIM! I love him and I will NOT let you hurt him!"

The officers were stunned at the mare's revelation as they observed her embrace his neck. Groaning on the ground, Smokey was in too much pain to throw her off. Plus, the spell induced on him was beginning to wear off.

Chapter Eighty-One: Citizenship Declared

Having been left behind by her attendant, Chenoa had wandered off, curious of the calamity. She had seen Fluttershy right before she disappeared behind the squadron of officers. Waddling and weaving between their legs to get to her mother, she gave pause the instant Smokey came into her sight, laying on his side and groaning. Eager to get to him too, she bounded right up to his side.

"Dada!" she cried out in elation, oblivious of her father's pain and that his position on the ground was a signal that he was encouraging her to play with him.

"Get that baby away from him!" bellowed one of the police ponies.

Fluttershy snapped her head up, her eyes wide as she heard her child call out to the dragon. As she turned her head, she noticed one of the officers was beginning to make the move to swoop in and scoop her up.

"No, wait, please!" she called out. "That's my daughter!" Huffing, she shifted to Chenoa, stretching her forelegs out. "It's okay, sweetie! Come to Mommy!"

"Hold on! Isn't that the chick that's in custody of Pendulum?" queried one of the officers as he slid a foreleg around the child and stepped away from Fluttershy. The baby tried to resist, wriggling and reaching her little eagle paws out to the yellow and pink mare. Her friends tried to intervene, but were held back by the police.

Flashbacks dispersing, Pendulum shook his head and rose up onto his haunches. Holding his injured leg, he observed the scene before him. He was utterly shocked to see Fluttershy near Smokey, even though he was not in his right frame of mind. Though, he knew his own spell would soon wear off.

Seeing the pegasus and griffon long for each other ignited a deep-seated jealousy within him. His own mother having died when giving birth to him, he had never experienced a mother's love.

"Let 'er 'ave the child," he instructed the stallion holding Chenoa.

The equine in uniform was a bit shocked, but obeyed-albeit reluctantly. As Chenoa toddled up to Fluttershy, the mare sobbed as she gathered up the baby in her forelegs, hugging her tightly.

"Oh, Chenoa, I'm sorry!" she whimpered, kissing her forehead. "I'm so sorry I was such a bad mother! I promise I will never leave you behind again. Never, ever! I love you so much…"

The small griffon squeaked and babbled excitedly as she found herself in the embrace of her mother. Clinging to her, tiny claws digging into her fur, she nuzzled her and attempted to preen her coat as she was kissed again.

Groaning on the ground, Smokey's eyes slowly returned to normal as the spell gradually wore off. Curling up into a ball, he squeezed his eyes shut and compressed his teeth with an agonized wince. He didn't know why he was there and not located in his cage.

Sighing, Fluttershy turned around. Tears spilling down her face, she was at his side, pressing her head against his.

"Smokey? Smokey… can you hear me?"

Still slightly dazed and confused, the draconic being's eyes opened, ear frills perking at the familiar voice.

"F… Fluttershy?" he ventured, lifting his head to see both the pegasus and chick. "Chenoa?"

Bursting into tears anew, the mare nuzzled the side of his face while hugging Chenoa closer.

"Smokey…" Fluttershy murmured. "You're… Oh, you're back to your old self…! I'm so relieved…"

As she continued to nuzzle him, Twilight Sparkle gave a sigh and turned to Pendulum, stepping into his direction with a look that clearly said she had a word she wanted to have with him.

"What are you doing here?" the dragon asked, weakly returning the nuzzle, his eyes misting over. "I… I missed you and Chenoa so much…"

"Dada!" the baby griffon squealed.

Hearing her call him that for the very first time evoked tears from his eyes. Removing one of his hands from his injury, he brought it to the chick's fuzzy head to stroke it.

Before Twilight Sparkle could reach Pendulum, one of the officers approached Fluttershy and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss. We still need to terminate him. So, could you please back away?"

"We came to bring you home," Fluttershy replied, then turned to her friends. "We all came to bring you home."

Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity responded with warm smiles as Pinkie Pie bounced in place.

"As for you…" Fluttershy said to the officer, narrowing her gaze at him. "I will not let you hurt him. If you want him, you're going to have to go through me, first!"

She felt a hoof on her back, and she slightly jumped at the unexpected touch. Turning her attention, she found Twilight Sparkle.

"And if you want to get to her, you're going to have to get through me. Stand down, officer. I assure you Smokey will be no harm to you at this point. You have my word as a princess of Equestria."

Rainbow Dash snorted, zipping in front of Fluttershy with the rest of the mares falling into place at the yellow pegasus' side. They-with the exception of Pinkie Pie-had failed to believe in her and defend her when they had been assured that Smokey never bit Pendulum, and that was a mistake they were going to make up for by standing with her; her and Smokey.

"He bit that stallion," the officer stated, pointing to Pendulum. "By law we have to destroy him."

Despite the searing pain in his pastern, Pendulum was moved by the fact these six mares went through all the trouble of tracking down Smokey. He had assumed they would have replaced him eventually, but he was beginning to see that he was irreplaceable to them-especially to Fluttershy and Chenoa.

Smokey grunted as he returned his free hand to his wound, a bolt of pain shooting through him.

"It hurts…"

"Oh, you poor dear…" Fluttershy crooned, leaning in to inspect his injury. "Here, let me take a look…"

Twilight Sparkle, not taking her gaze off of the officer, narrowed her eyes into a glare.

"You would defy a direct order from a princess of Equestria," she questioned, wings bristling noticeably.

"It dooesn't matter," Pendulum interjected, staring intensely at the officer. He couldn't keep the dragon away from his family. Though he never experienced a loving father, he wasn't going to deny the baby griffon the chance to have one. "I'm drooping all charges. Truthfully, it was my fault. I antagonized 'im. I am willing to let 'im goo."

The entire force was bewildered to hear this. Not knowing what to do, they turned to their chief. The stallion sighed through his nostrils, remaining silent for a few moments.

"Well… we can't disobey a princess…"

Shifting his attention to the one employee who happened to remain behind out of morbid curiosity, Pendulum opened his mouth to address the pony.

"Soora Skies, goo find the dooctoor." He paused and extended his injured hoof to Smokey. "Foor 'im."

"The doctor?" Stormy Skies looked like she had just swallowed something sour. "For that… BEAST?"

She was met with several glares-mainly from the myriad of mares that were congregated around the dragon. Snorting indignantly, she turned around and departed to fetch the doctor.

"Well. Now that's been settled…" the lavender alicorn said, turning to Smokey. "Let's get these chains off of you."

"Do I have to move?" he inquired shakily, obviously still in much agony.

"No. Just stay where you are," Twilight Sparkle replied. Focusing her magic very carefully, the shackles binding his wrists broke apart and, crumbling into several rusted iron pieces.

"Smokey…" Fluttershy shivered, softly crying again-relieved that he was now free. Allowing Pinkie Pie to take Chenoa from her, the pegasus wrapped both of her forelegs around him to hold him close, nuzzling him. "Oh, Smokey, I'm so sorry. I never should have let you go…"

Smokey was glad his wrists were now free of his binds. They had been digging uncomfortably into his scales. Unfolding a wing and bringing it forward to drape it over Fluttershy's back, he nuzzled her in return with a purr.

"I… still don't understand why Mr. Pendulum is letting me go… I bit him…"

"I tricked you, booy. I 'ypnootized you and planted fish blood oon you," Pendulum filled in, even though the police were still present. The response he received from Smokey was nothing short of bewilderment. "Seeing 'oow much these yooung ladies care aboout you… I apooloogize. I shoouldn't 'ave doone it. 'aving as much mooney as I do, noor 'aving a looving family, I never learned there are soome things that cannoot be replaced."

"Darn right, and furthermore-" Applejack started, only to pause as she stared at the stallion. "Wait… wha? You… mean to tell me y'never…?"

Fluttershy brought a hoof to her mouth, stifling a gasp.

The stallion nodded in affirmation.

"My moother died while giving birth to me, and my father blamed me foor it and beat me ooften. Noot oonce do I recall 'im smiling foor me. There was noo winning 'is approval. Oof coourse I inherited everything, but oonly to keep the foortune in the family."

"That's… terrible…" Smokey said, still reeling in from the shock at the fact that he had been manipulated all along. Growing up parentless, he could sympathize.

"That still doesn't give you the right to dragonnap Smokey!" the prism-maned mare declared.

"I have to agree," Twilight Sparkle said. "Abuse or not, there is no excuse for you to have taken our friend and chain him up like he were some… wild animal!"

"Erm, beg your pardon, darling," Rarity cut in. "But… didn't you say that Smokey sort of… is? No paperwork and all?"

"…Yes. Yes, I did say that. And you know what? To Tartarus with it!" The alicorn's wings flared open as she turned to Fluttershy and Smokey. Smiling lightly, she moved closer and raised a hoof to lay it on the dragon's shoulder. "Smokey, you are… probably one of the nicest, most selfless individuals I have ever had the fortune of meeting. You have given so much of yourself for the ones you love, never once taking the risks to your own personal health or safety into account. If I knew nothing else about you, it would be enough, but you have shown me a valor and a quality of character many ponies could never hope to achieve. You may be of wild origins, but for all you have exemplified you may as well have descended from a noble line."

She lifted her head, turning to speak to everyone in the vicinity, from her friends, to Pendulum, to the police force still present.

"From this moment forward, I hereby royally decree Smokey as an Equestrian citizen, with all the rights and privileges hereof! This is my word, and as such, is beyond contestation!"

Smokey was quite surprised, and moved, as Twilight Sparkle gave her monologue and outright declared him an official citizen. Tearing up again, a wide grin pulled at the corners of his maw.

"Th-thank you…"

It was then the doctor entered the big top. About to tend to his boss' bite, Pendulum shook his head and motioned it into Smokey's direction.

"Patch 'im up."

Equestria's youngest princess bit her lip as she watched the medic comply, though confused, as he seemed to want to actually focus on Pendulum more than the dragon.

Fluttershy exhumed a sigh, nuzzling Smokey again.

"You're going to be all right," she reassured in a gentle intonation. "You just have to be. I…" She pressed her forehead against the side of his, caressing his cheek with a hoof. "Smokey, I honestly thought I was going to lose you for real. I wouldn't have been able to bare it. I… Smokey, I…"

She blushed. As she picked up her head, she drew in a breath, glancing over her shoulder at her friends. Upon receiving their encouraging smiles and nods, she turned back to the winged reptile. Tears still in her eyes, she took another deep breath.

"… I…"

Time seemed to slow to a crawl… and she found that, despite herself, she still couldn't bring herself to say three specific words that she had admitted to her friends-and even the officers-to the one she truly felt for. Wings flapping softly, she cursed herself for being unable to utter them.

It was then, she realized, that actions spoke louder than words, anyway. Giving him a loving smile, she just nuzzled him on the side of his face, her face wet with fresh tears.

Chapter Eighty-Two: Welcome to the Family

Despite the affection he was given, Smokey was still oblivious to the message Fluttershy was attempting to convey. It should have been obvious to him, considering he felt the same way, but it just didn't dawn on him. Heart fluttering away, the dragon nuzzled her back with just as much passion. His attention absorbed, he hardly noticed the doctor dabbing away at his wound.

A smile tipped Twilight Sparkle's lips as she observed the scene before her, before turning to Pendulum.

"Don't think this is over, Pendulum… Not by a long shot. I still have many… MANY things I want to say to you… The problem is, I'm not entirely sure where to begin!"

"Yeah! You're in for it, bud!" said Rainbow Dash as she precipitated herself before the stallion with a hateful glare, threateningly bringing a hoof up in front of his face.

"You shouldn't make sooch threats in froont oof the poolice," he commented, nodding towards the confused officers.

"Girls," Fluttershy piped up. "Girls…"

The mares diverted their attention to the yellow-pelted pegasus.

"Can't we just… please, just… We got what we came for. I-we-have Smokey back. He's not going to be killed. Chenoa's safe. That's all that really matters. Can't we… go home now?"

"Go home? Are you loco in the coco?" Pinkie Pie exclaimed incredulously. "This is Las Pegasus, with all the bright lights and the fun games and the casinos and the fountain of chocolaty goodness!"

There was a brief, yet awkward, pause, as Pinkie Pie let out an "ow!" as she was delivered a swift kick in the rear by Rarity's hind leg.

"What she means is." Rarity shot a glare at the pink mare. "Is we have Pendulum right here. He kidnapped Smokey. He hypnotized him and basically tortured him to create a mindless beast of pure rage, AND he was going to force you to MARRY him by essentially dangling Chenoa in front of your face! Don't you want to see him brought to justice?"

"Do you have evidence of this?" the chief inquired, stepping forward.

"Yeah! Where's that kid?" Rainbow Dash queried as she scanned their surroundings.

"Um." Pinkie Pie arched her eyebrow, lifting the baby griffon to display her for the cyan pegasus. "Chenoa's right here."

"Not that kid, Pinkie!" Applejack groaned. "That OTHER one! The one who drew all those pictures!"

Twilight Sparkle shifted her attention to Rainbow Dash, speaking urgently.

"That sketchbook should have evidence. I think we left it in Pendulum's car. Maybe she might be out-? Oh!"

Terra Cotta came into view and approached her side, holding up the very sketchbook she had shown to her and the others. The filly offered it to her, and smiled as she in turn turned it over to the chief with a hint of a sigh.

"I hope this will be enough. We DID have a handkerchief with fish blood that proves Smokey didn't bite Pendulum in the first place… until he." She directed a glare at Pendulum, "Tried to cover up his crimes by destroying it."

"That, we can confirm, officer," Rarity said. "ALL of us saw him do it."

The stallion flipped through the pages with a scrutinizing eye, skimming the pictures of the dragon in chains and being whipped.

"I don't think this qualifies as hard evidence."

"You doon't need evidence if I coonfess," Pendulum said, watching the doctor work away on Smokey.

Now that Fluttershy and the reptile weren't in the act of nuzzling, he was far more aware of his pain, and even winced and whimpered as the charred scales were removed so that the medic could get to the skin underneath.

"But h' DID!" Terra Cotta protested. "I taw h'm!"

As Pendulum's confession sank in, the filly paused, glancing up at him with a bit of shock. She tilted her head a slight degree, as if unable to discern if she should be more surprised or angry at him. Even the mares looked a little taken off guard.

"Is… this true, sir?" a different officer questioned with wide eyes.

Pendulum nodded in affirmation, before his and the attention of the mares and officers were stolen by a loud yelp from Smokey. As another scale was ripped off, the general area began to bleed a tiny amount. While he had taken a werewolf bite, porcupine quills, and a barrage of logs, this was by far the worst physical pain he had experienced. Eyes rolling up to Fluttershy, the draconian reached out to hold her hoof to non-verbally ask for consoling. She gave a whimper in response. Compassion in her eyes, she shifted closer to him, not only taking his hand in one hoof, but resting a foreleg against the side of his face. The expression in her blue-green pools was clear she was deeply concerned about him.

"Dada!" Chenoa squeaked, attempting to wriggle out of Pinkie Pie's hooves.

Giving Fluttershy's foreleg a nuzzle, Smokey glanced over at the pink-coated equine and the baby in her hold.

"Miss Pinkie… Please bring her over. I want to see my baby."

Pinkie Pie bounced over, letting Chenoa out of her embrace and into the dragon's. Fluttershy moved to still keep a foreleg on his arm and the other around his neck as the doctor continued to work on him. He was still feeling a thrill rush through him after having heard the child call him "Dada". Drawing her close, he pressed his lips to her cranium with a loving purr.

"I'm so very happy to see you again, Chenoa. Daddy missed you so much! Daddy loves you, sweetheart-OW!"

"Sorry, sir," the doctor apologized, having plucked the final charred scale.

"She missed you so much…" Fluttershy chuckled, her voice lightly cracking. "You should've seen her… She was looking all around the house for you. She was so upset about not being able to find you… Crying for her Dada almost constantly…"

Hearing this pushed him into sobs. Before, she thought she didn't love him as much as Fluttershy due to the fact he never heard her say "Dada", but now, he was certain she did… A baby wouldn't continue searching, or cry, for someone they didn't adore.

"Dada will never leave you again, honey. I promise…"

"And I'll never let you go again," Fluttershy added, throwing her other foreleg around his neck. "I won't let you go. Either of you…"

"You two seem like a looving pair oof parents." Pendulum smiled at the trio and dropped his eyes to Terra Cotta. "That's soomething you need, little lass."

A blush tinged Fluttershy's cheeks. Confused, Terra Cotta tilted her head up at the stallion. Gesturing for the filly to come to him, he turned back to Fluttershy and Smokey.

"Would you two be willing to find 'er a looving 'oome?"

"Us?"

Smokey was actually shocked Pendulum requested this. Personally, he would've liked to take Terra Cotta in for himself and Fluttershy. After all, they had talked about a possibility of adopting a sibling for Chenoa. Having an older child would prove helpful. Lifting his eyes to meet the yellow pegasus', his own sea green orbs asking if they could take her.

Fluttershy blinked, then glanced down at Terra Cotta. The young filly looked a little bewildered, bringing a hoof to her mouth. As the pegasus met Smokey's gaze, she understood the question swimming in his eyes, and gave a nod and a smile. Turning back to Pendulum, she pressed the side of her head against her scaly companion's.

"We'll do one better… We'll take her in ourselves, and raise her as our own."

Terra Cotta nearly fell over in shock.

Smokey winced once more as the doctor finished applying antiseptic and pressed a large square of gauze on top of his wound, utilizing medical tape to secure it in place.

"Come here, Terra Cotta. We will take care of you from now on."

"You… wuh… ma?" Terra Cotta stammered. "You… take… care… a-me?"

"Yes, sweetie." A warm smile spread across Fluttershy's lips. "We'll be a family, the four of us! You, Chenoa, me, and Smokey. We will be your Mommy and Daddy!"

The filly gasped, tearing up. A sob choking from her, she immediately leaped the mare's awaiting embrace.

Ignoring the insistent stinging in his side, Smokey pushed himself up onto his haunches to hold both children and mare in his strong arms. Nuzzling the top of Terra Cotta's head, he drew back enough to shift Chenoa closer to the filly.

"Chenoa, this is your new sister."

Wide amber eyes focusing upon the rust-colored filly, a wide grin pulled at her beak and she let out a mirthful squeal-even though she was too young to actually understand what her adoptive father said.

Terra Cotta giggled, extending her forelegs to pull the griffon closer to her. A new sister! A little sister, at that! She was beyond happy, hugging the chick. Jumping lightly upon feeling a hoof upon her back, she tilted her head back to see Fluttershy's smiling, affectionate face.

"Welcome to the family, Terra Cotta."

"… Wait, what? Excuse me?"

Fluttershy and Smokey lifted their heads, as did their friends, Pendulum, and the officers, to a surprised, almost exasperated, looking Stormy Skies.

"Am I hearing right? Terra Cotta is MY sister! You're just… TAKING her?" she asked, disbelieving.

Smokey glared softly at the dark-colored mare, holding Terra Cotta tighter.

"Why not? You weren't treating her like a family member should."

"She… what?" Fluttershy shifted her attention to Smokey, expectant for an explanation. "What did she do?"

"Sh' HIT muh!" Terra Cotta cried out. "Sh' HURT muh! Sh' scurim, an' call m' nams! Sh' hates mi!"

"She abuses her…" the dragon relayed for those who didn't understand the youngster. "I… won't allow anypony to harm her again."

Shocked, Rainbow Dash turned her rage upon Stormy Skies.

"You think you're so tough hittin' a little kid?!"

"And what's it to you how I treat my sister?!" Stormy Skies shot back, only to suddenly find herself facing the ire of Applejack and Rarity at Rainbow Dash's sides.

"What's it to her? What's it to US?!" Rarity cried. "For your information, darling, we have younger sisters of our OWN, not much older than little Terra Cotta, and WE'VE never so much as laid a hoof on their hair! We'd-"

The alabaster unicorn was cut off as Applejack raised a hoof to her chest level, stepping forward and pressing her nose against Stormy Sky's to stare at her directly in the eyes.

"You'd best be thankful these fine gentle colts are still around," the farmer stated in a dangerously calm intonation, unlike her earlier shouting. This made her fury all the more terrifying. "Because, sugarcube, it is only because of their presence that I ain't buckin' you clear into next week."

"Same here."

Rainbow Dash tightened her glare, clenching her teeth and pinning her ears back as her magenta eyes glowed hatefully-though, not to the extent as her previous animosity towards Pendulum.

"Girls…" Fluttershy piped up.

"I concur," Rarity said, taking a step forth.

"Girls…" Fluttershy spoke again.

"What?" Applejack pressed, she, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash turning to her.

The usually demure pegasus let herself go from Smokey. Cantering over, and slightly pushing between Rainbow Dash and Applejack, brought the full power of her stare upon Stormy Skies.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself," Fluttershy began in her direct, condescending tone. "How dare you mistreat a child!"

"I… I… ah…" Stormy Skies stuttered, backing away slowly. The full force of the Stare weighed down upon her with an overwhelming vigor, squeezing every ounce of boldness out of her. Swallowing hard, she spun around and fled.

"I've scoolded that yooung lady time and time again, but it never seemed to woork," Pendulum admitted with a sigh.

"Then why do you still keep her employed" Rarity queried. "Why don't you just fire her straight out? Unless…"

"… She has nowhere else to go," Fluttershy finished for her, coming to that same realization. She turned to Smokey and Terra Cotta, frowning. "Is… that right?"

"I think so." Smokey groaned as he felt another wave of pain originating from his wound. "They don't have any parents."

Fluttershy's frown deepened, staring sympathetically down at Terra Cotta. While she knew she would be okay, she turned a guilty gaze towards the flap where Stormy Skies had left.

"I… oh… I should-"

"Let her go," huffed Applejack. "That pegasus was nearly a grown mare herself! She ought ta have known better!"

"She's always goot a place 'ere," said Pendulum.

"That's reassuring," Rainbow Dash sarcastically scoffed.

"Well… that's good, at least," Fluttershy commented. "But, shouldn't she be-I mean…?"

"We'll delve into a more thorough investigation and background check on her a bit later," said Twilight Sparkle. "Right now, I'm focused on you, Pendulum. I can clearly see that you've learned a very valuable lesson here… but that doesn't change the fact that what you did was inexcusable."

"You are right aboout that, Princess Twilight. I will take my punishment… But, I woorry aboout my emplooyees." The stallion cast a gaze at a few ponies under his employment who had gotten over the scare and had returned to see what was going on. "Moost oof them were picked up oon the streets and taken froom brooken hoomes."

Twilight took notice of the equines gathering together who looked both fearful and apprehensive. Sighing, she transferred her eyes back to the stallion.

"I see." Her decision was further compounded. He did have a valid point on what would happen to THEM. Looking contemplative, a small smile crept onto her face. "… I believe we can… come to some sort of compromise."

"All I ask is that you make sure they'll be taken care oof," Pendulum requested. Upon receiving reassurance that his request would be fulfilled, he finally held out his injured foreleg to allow the doctor to tend to him, taking solace in the heavy weight being lifted off his shoulders. He needed the medical attention before he would be arrested and carted off.