“This is not Elusive’s,” Spines said to Eris as they approached the entrance to Sweet Apple Orchard.

Spines was informed by Eris that Elusive had asked for her company for the weekend.

Spines dolled herself up as much as she could, the tomboyish Eris being no help at all. A pair of her spines at the very top was pushed to each side of her face. Her scales were washed and cleaned making them glitter in the sun. She even practiced having a conversation with Elusive; all morning she was thinking of topics that he would like.

She was crushed when she realized that Eris played another trick on her…she honestly should have seen it coming.

“Howdy you two.” Spines looked up and found Applejack smiling at her; her head had been hanging so much that she didn’t even see him there till he spoke up.

“Did you hear that Spines? He can count.” Eris teased.

“My grampa taught me not to buck a mare.” AJ’s smile morphed into a glare. “But you’re not even a pony.”

“Correction,” Eris said with a raised claw. “I'm half pony, one-third dragon, one-fourth everything else, and 100% awesome.”

AJ rolled his eyes but smiled. They have all come to accept Eris as she is; learning that she was no more eccentric than any other member of the group. She sometimes reminded him of Rainbow Blitz or Berry.

AJ noticed Spines looking at her feet; she just stood there like she was waiting for something to happen.

“Hey, haystack, ya ok?” Applejack lifted Spines’ face up with his hoof and got a good look. Her scales sparkled like the gems she loved; she had added a very small amount of makeup to her eyes that accented them very well while still keeping her adorable. “Boy-howdy! Well if ya weren’t a cute little sunflower before.”

Spines put her claws on her cheeks as she blushed; feeling a little better Spines gave him a smile.

“That’s a’better look for ya, sunflower.”

“Bored!” Eris whined. “I'm going now.” She snapped her finger and was gone with a flash of light.

“Come on, sunflower, no sense just standin’ here.”

“So do you want me to carry apples or do you need help in the barn?” Spines ask as the two made their way to the house.

“Well today is an easy day, AJ answered as they walked together. “The apple blossoms are just now opening and all the New Year harvesting is done. So ya gonna haf’ta help in the kitchen.”

“Why!?” Spines went a little rigid and stuck her nose up at him. “Because I'm a girl?”

“Nope,” AJ smiled at her “Because I would like tah have your company while I bake ya a pie.”

“You’re going to bake me a pie?” Spines ask feeling sheepish that she got angry.

The pair made it up the steps to the door and AJ stopped.

“Well ya kinda look like ya need it.” He said as he opened the door for her.

“Wait, then why am I here?” Spines ask as she walked it.

“Grampa took Applebuck camping,” AJ answered. “And mah sister got called away on farm business. So I'm the only one here, if anything happens I'm short hoofed, so ah asked Eris if ah could barrow ya for the weekend.”

“Oh, that makes sense, but why me?” Spines asked as she made her way to a table adjacent to the kitchen. “There are plenty of other stallions you could have hired for the weekend.”

“Cause ah needs someone reliable,” AJ answered. “Be right back, sunflower,” AJ said as he disappeared into the house.

Spine sat down in a huff. She had worked so hard to look good for Elusive, four years she had known him and he hardly hung out with her unless they were working on some project of his. Now that she was more mature, Spines thought she should try to be more out there for him, but nothing changed.

Her moping ended when AJ came back with an apron on.

A pink apron with a heart shaped apple in the middle.

The biggest, brawniness, stallion she ever met is wearing a pink, frilly apron, with a heart shaped apple on it and was about to make her a pie.

Spines started laughing and laughing until she fell out of the chair, and laughed some more.

“Well, a girl is always prettier when she smiles, but you're just being mean.” AJ huffed playfully as he went into the kitchen.

Spines got off the ground and followed him into the kitchen.

“Sorry, AJ,” she apologized. “I just didn't expect it.”

“Have ya ever tried getting flower off ya coat? Ya can't use water,” AJ said defensively.

“Fair enough, but why is it so...” Spines twirled her claw.

AJ gave her a deadpan look. “Girly?”

“Exactly.”

“Well.” AJ Looked down at his apron and smiled. “It was mah moms.”

Spines’ smile faded a little.

“I was a mama's boy.” He said still looking at the apron.

The big ones always are. Spines thought to herself.

“Mah big sis was more like pa. So mama taught me how to cook instead of her. Ah never cooked in this kitchen withou’d her and she always wore this apron. Now every time ah cook ah wear her apron.” He looked at Spines and smiled. “It makes me feel like she’s still helping me cook.”

Spines wiped some tears from her eyes and marched up to their pantry like she was on a mission.

“Well come on you big lug,” she said as she heaved a bunch of ingredients off the top shelf. “Let’s make a pie”

AJ watch as she stretched her body up to reach everything. Over the years her thighs and rump had become more defined, her arms and legs were now a little longer, she was even taller than Dusk; AJ, however, was still much taller. Her overall figure had become a lot more feminine than when he first met her.

“Boy howdy, sunflower, I remember when ya couldn't even reach that pantry,” AJ said as he walked up and started helping. “Ya really grew into those legs too.”

AJ wanted to buck himself as those words left his lips.

Spines looked up at AJ, confused about what he meant by that. The dragoness looked down at her legs and admitted to herself that they have gotten longer and she also never noticed just how much of a curve her thighs had until now. Spines started pivoting her left leg on the ball of her claw, getting a better look for herself. She glanced back up to AJ, hoping for some answers, but found that he was also looking at her legs and was rather red in the face.

Spines, concerned, put a claw to his head. “You feeling ok, AJ?”

AJ reacted to her touch and jerked his body back from her.

“No, no I'm just fine.” He said giving her a sheepish smile. “Um, here, let’s get this started.” AJ said as he grabbed a bowl, desperate to shift her attention from the fact that he was staring at her legs. Lucky for AJ, it worked, and soon they were both engrossed in preparing a pie.

“So is it really so difficult to get flower out of your coat?” Spines asked as she placed the pie in the oven.

“Berry covered me in it once,” AJ answered as took off his apron and started cleaning. “He tried tah give me a bath.” Spines could see him shudder. “I was picking balls of dried flower and mah own fur out of mah coat for a week. I’d let Elusive put me in one of his fancy suits before ah go through that again.”

“Oh, really?” Spines said as she put a bag of flour back into the pantry.

She took a step towards AJ with her claws outstretched and covered in the fine powder.

“Come here, AJ,” She said with a smirk. “I want a hug.”

“Nnnope.” AJ said as he bolted from the kitchen.

AJ ran into the parlor room and waited for her; to his surprise, Spines had chased after him with some impressive speed; smiling as she ran.

She really did grow into those legs. AJ thought to himself as he barley dodged her attack. AJ leaped across the room and ran straight for the door. His size put him at a disadvantage in such a small room; he needed to get outside. He was very thankful as he jumped off the front porch and into the afternoon air.

Spines ran outside just in time to see a cloud of dirt get kicked up as AJ ran down the road.

“Hey! That’s not fair.” There was just no way she could catch up with AJ at full speed.

She started to go back inside and wash up, but to her surprised the dust cloud was coming back.

Spines was able to make out the shape of AJ spinning his rope over his head.

“He wouldn’t,” she said to herself as she took a step back.

“Yee-haw!”

“He would!” Spines yelled as she ran back inside.

AJ’s lasso went straight through the open door and found its mark, wrapping around Spines’ chest, tying her arms down.

AJ gently pulled her back outside.

“Ya’know ah don’t think ah ever wrangled up anything so pretty in mah life.” AJ said enthusiastically as he trotted up to his catch.

Spines didn’t know whether to blush or glare at the stallion; she went with both.

“Don’t know what to make of that face, but let me clean your claws then I’ll untie ya.”

Spines smirked and blew her fire over her shoulder, burning the rope just enough to snap it.

“Buck.” Was the only thing AJ could say before Spines ran up to him and smooshed his face between her flour covered claws.

“You look so handsome,” she teased as she rubbed the flour into his cheeks. “After throwing your lasso at me you deserve this.”

Despite the annoyance that the powder would bring, AJ was very content right now. He loved hanging out with Spines; she was always a lot of fun. He had watched her grow into a very lovely young dragoness, yet she still maintains her innocent nature from when they first met.

Worth it he thought to himself as he looked into her big eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

AJ blinked and realized that he was indeed staring at her. Not only that but she was very close to his face; her claws still grasped the sides of his jaw.

The two awkwardly stayed in that position, staring at each other, unsure of what to do next. Eventually Spines let go of AJ as he inched his face towards her.

Spines spun around, giving AJ her back before anything happened.

“We should, um, we should check on that pie,” she said as she walked back into the house.

AJ let his ears and head drop a little as he followed.

Spines touched the end of her lips with her claw and then looked over her shoulder at AJ, who was very interested in the ground right now. Her thoughts and emotions started swimming in an ocean of confusion.

“Ooouuuch!”

“What are you doing?” Spines asked looking over a book at AJ.

After the two sat down in the parlor room for some pie; a pair of empty plants and used forks sat on the table in front of the couch. AJ took a fine tooth comb out of their bathroom and went to work on his face, while Spines started to enjoy a decent book that was in the house.

Unfortunately for Spines, AJ wasn’t just a big stallion; he was also a big baby.

“Trying tah get this stuff out of mah coat before it absorbs anything and sticks tah mah fur. This stuff is worse than foal powder.”

Spines raised an eyebrow at him. “How do you know that?” she asked.

“Ah have changed my fair share of diapers.” He answered. “Ah raised Applebuck myself. Poor grampa can hardly pick up his cane much less a growing foal.”

“What about your sister?” Spines asked.

“She backed off when Applebuck started calling her mama. Made her cry every time, it was for the best.”

“A farm colt that can cook and change diapers? Where do you hide all the mares?” Spines teased.

AJ was about to answer with his own snarky comment but a sudden roar of thick rain drops slamming against the windows surprised both of them.

“What are those pegasi thinking?” Spines ask as she ran up to the window.

“Ah don’t think they’re doing this, sunflower,” AJ said as he joined her. “Strange weather sneaks over from the Everfree Forest from time to time. It takes a few for the weather team to wrangle them clouds up. We can’t do much right now, but there be some cleaning tomorrow, mark mah words.”

Spines looked up at AJ. “I bet you’re really happy I'm here now,” she commented with a smile.

“Nope,” AJ answered earning him a glare. “Ah was already really happy that you would be keepin me company this weekend. All this means is that we’ll be cleaning muddy equipment all morning.”

The wail of the wind whistled harshly outside the windows. “And doin some fence repairs too,” AJ added as he went back to the couch, picking up the fine tooth comb.

AJ stared at the utensil like it was a hot poker fresh out of the fire.

“Here,” Spines said as she ran up to him. “Let me see that,” she said taking the comb from him and ran off to the bathroom.

After a few moments she came back with a cloth and the comb drenched in some kind of liquid.

“Foal oil,” she told AJ as she came back. “The flour won’t absorb it and it will make combing through your coat a lot easier. Now come here.”

Spines threw the cloth on the table, freeing her claw to grab AJ by his jaw. She pulled him down to her eye level and went to work. True to her words the oil allowed the comb to push out the fine powder without pulling AJ’s face off. Spines then switched to the dry cloth and wiped away any leftover oil off his face. She threw the cloth back on the table and started moving AJ head around making sure she got everything.

After a few moments it wasn’t about the flour any more. Spines had never given AJ’s face this much attention. He was a very rugged stallion whose freckles gave him a kind and playful look. His jaw was very sharp and rough, sporting a chin that she knew some stallions would pay for, and have. His blond messy mane just added to his rough charm while his green eyes had a reliable and trustworthy look to them. Spines already knew all this about AJ; she just never… looked at his features.

A sense of déjà vu came over the pair as they found themselves once again locked into each other’s gaze.

AJ took a brave step towards the dragoness.

“A-AJ?” Spines’ voice became weak as she spoke. “Every time you said I-I was pretty-”

“Ah always say wha ah mean, sunflower.” AJ reassured Spines even before she could finish asking.

AJ got so close to her that she could only see his wonderful green eyes.

Spines felt his breath on hers, the sound of her heart drowning out the storm bearing down on the house.

At the last moment she looked down at the floor; biting her own lip as if to punish herself.

To her surprise, AJ didn’t stop. He continued to lean forward and kissed the top of her head, sending a sprinkle of goosebumps from her head to her shoulders.

“You’re a wonderful dragon, Spines.” AJ whispered to her. “I hope Elusive opens his eyes and realizes how lucky he is.”

Elusive! Spines thought to herself as her eye became very wide.

“I-I have to test something!” Spines yelled as she scrabbled over the table, leaving claw marks in the wood grain. She rushed to the door and flung it open.

As if Spines had opened Pandora’s Box, lightning and thunder greeted the dragoness; a gust of wind blew through the door, snuffing out all sources of light in the parlor room. The storm was far worse than either of them had realized. The sudden change of events left AJ slow to react.

“Spines! Stop!” AJ yelled over the roar of the storm. AJ could just make out her silhouette as she ran into the storm, swallowed up by the darkness.

AJ tried to follow but he could hardly see a few feet in front of him.

A sudden crash of lightning nearly blinded him, but he could tell that Spines wasn’t even on the farm any more.

“She’s heading to Elusive’s,” AJ yelled at the darkness.

He bolted at full speed, making his way through rain and shadow by memory only. He ran down what he believed to be the correct road then turned at the correct corner then past the correct house.

Every instinct told him to slow down, but he ignored it and started moving even faster.

“If she gets hurt because of my dumb mou-” He ran right into a pole, his immense speed catapulted him across the muddy road of Ponyville. His skin and fur of his underbelly was ripped to shreds as he skidded to a halt. His panic and concern for Spines pushed all sense of pain from his mind as he forced himself up on his hooves again.

Another bolt split the sky.

As it illuminated the streets and homes, AJ came to realize that he had become lost and was nowhere near Elusive’s boutique.

AJ didn’t care, he took off again. He knew there was a slim chance to find her now, but stubbornness was a trait he wore with honor.

Elusive was surprise to hear someone at his door. Worried that some poor pony was caught in this weather he dropped everything and ran for the door. A very wet and out of breath Spines was waiting for him.

“Oh my, Spines what are you doing in this horrid weather? Come in come in,” he said practically pulling her through the door.

Elusive horn lit up and a towel came out from under many of the fabrics that adorn the floor. He wasted no time drying her off.

“Please make yourself comfortable, I’ll make us some warm tea,” Elusive said as he trotted off.

He’s still as handsome as ever, Spines thought to herself as he left. She placed a claw on her chest and could feel the fluttering of her heart.

Spines walk up to the pair of chairs that she had been served tea in several times. As she settled into one of the chairs Elusive returned with two steamy tea cups.

“Now tell me my little Spines, whatever motivated you to seek me out in this weather?” Elusive asked he sat down with her.

I don’t know. Spines thought.

Spines was hoping seeing that Elusive would clear up her confusion, however when she looked at him, at his pretty hair, his pretty clothes, his pretty coat, and his pretty eyes. She just felt the same as she did before.

She felt light headed and…and…that was it. She didn’t feel warm or tense. She didn’t feel butterflies in her stomach or a lump in her throat. She felt…she thinks...she finds Elusive…pretty…

Spines started giggling so hard the she put her tea cup down to keep from spilling it.

“Was it something I said, dear? Elusive asked with a confused tone.

“No, no it’s just,” Spines giggled a little bit more. “You’re just so pretty.” Her giggling started up again.

“Thanks, I suppose.” Elusive said as he elegantly stirred his tea.

“Oh Celestia, I'm such an idiot.” Spines said through her laughter as she got out of the chair.

“Well, you certainly are laughing like one,” Elusive teased.

“Elusive, tell me,” Spines said as she walked over to him. “Do you think I'm pretty?”

“Pretty is such a plain word, more like beautiful.”

Spines felt embarrassed… that was it though, it was the little bit of evidence that she needed, and now she wanted to go back to AJ.

AJ! Oh no, he’s probably out there looking for me.

Spines rushed to the door.

“Leaving already, dear?” he asked in a knowing tone as he sipped his tea. “The storm’s not over; please stay awhile. It’s much safer in here.”

Spines stopped at the door. “Sorry Elusive, but there’s this idiot stallion that chased an idiot dragon.”

“Well then you better go get him,” Elusive answered with smile.

Spines was halfways out the door when Elusive called out to her. She looked back as he trotted up to her.

“Spines, I know that idiot well enough to suggest that you should be direct with him.” He said to her giving Spines another knowing smile. “He’s not a subtle stallion and he will put your needs before his. You need to be obvious about what you really want.”

Spines suddenly wrapped her arms around Elusive and kissed his cheek.

Elusive was surprised but returned the embrace.

“You’re a great friend Elusive,” Spines said into his ear.

“Not as great as my little Spines.” After he said that, Elusive shoved Spines out the door into the rain. “Good-luck my dear!” He yelled to her as he shut the door.

“Dramatic as ever,” Spines said to herself as she turned away from the boutique.

Spines put her lips together and blew a steady stream of green fire. Her flame lit up her surroundings just enough to find her way around.

AJ was exhausted.

He was soaked to the bone, covered in mud, sweat, more than likely his own blood, and he was still lost. His line of sight was so short that he nearly ran into a few homes. Pain was radiating from his underside and his head.

Just when he was about ready to collapse, a light in the distance showed up in the corner of his eye.

Like a timber wolf after prey, AJ focused in on it and carefully made his way over.

The little light reminded him of a willow wisp; a fabled little sprite that would lead you to your destiny.

As he got closer he could just make out the color. At the sight of the green flame AJ took off running. Relief and happiness filled his heart at the young dragoness came into his sight.

“Spines!” AJ yelled out her name as he ran up to her. “You're nuttier than a acorn tree, ya’know that?”

“AJ, you're hurt!” Spines cried out as he approached her.

She touched his forehead and tried to show him the blood from his head. AJ, however, could not see as well as Spines in this darkness.

Spines noticed the confused look on AJ’s face and decided to show him later.

The wind picked up violently and without warning. Spines’ dragon eyes allowed her to see just enough to duck under a flying fence post.

“Ok, we need to get somewhere safe! Now!” She yelled over the wind.

Spines pulled AJ close to her and turned his face to hers.

“Do you trust me?” Spines ask her voice barely audible over the howling wind.

“What?” AJ yelled back.

“Do you trust me?!” Spines yelled.

“Yes!” AJ said looking into her eyes.

“Then don’t move!”

Spines took in a deep breath and blew her flames at the ground between them.

Despite having fire licking his hooves, AJ stood his ground. He really did trust Spines, and would not let an ounce of panic set in.

As Spines blew her enchanted fire, it splashed against the ground. Instead of the flames going out they grew from the epicenter. Like a plant, the tendrils of the flames spread out around them, slowly engulfing them. As the fire encircled them in a sphere, AJ noticed that the rain and wind was being cut off from them. After a few moments the pair was surrounded by a green sphere of swirling plasma. AJ started looking around in all direction, he was sure this plasma that surrounded them was only inches from his coat. Yet he was comfortable.

He looked back at Spines and found that she had her eyes closed and stopped spewing fire from her mouth. She looked like she was concentrating hard. Her eyes snapped open and she took in a sharp breath. AJ didn’t even realize that she was holding her breath. As she breathed in and out the sphere melted away to darkness once again.

AJ could tell that they were inside somewhere as he could hear the storm raging outside.

Spines blew a small flame into her claw. The fire clung to her claw as if it was a large wic of a candle. Spines snap her claw causing the fire to blow into the air and dissipate. When her enchanted flame disappeared all the lamps in the room lit up, showing AJ that he back in the parlor room.

AJ whistled as he looked around.

“Where in tarnation did you learn that?”

AJ looked back at Spines and found her staring at him like he said something silly.

“I live in a library with two of the most magically endowed beings in Equestria,” she said with her claws on her hips.

“Stupid question?” AJ asked.

“Stupid question,” Spines confirmed.

AJ heard dipping coming from him and her.

“I'm going to draw ya a bath, here.” AJ grabbed a throw blanket off the couch and draped it over Spines shoulders. “This will keep you warm, don’t worry about it getting wet; ah be right back.”

Spine watched him walk away, leaving muddy hoof prints on the wooden floor.

I think you’re the one that need a bath. Spines thought to herself.

Spines started moving to the couch but her first step reminded her that she had mud caked to her as well.

“Both of us do,” Spines said to herself.

That gave her an idea. Elusive did tell her to be bolder. She stood there waiting and listening to the running water coming from down the hall. After a few moments went by Spines could tell that the bath was almost ready. Heading to the bathroom she dropped the blanket in what she hoped was the Apple’s dirty laundry basket.

“Ya just in time, sunflower,” AJ said when he noticed her coming into the room. “Hop in and ah’ll give you some privacy.”

“Nah, you can stay.” Spines’ tone was sly as she approached AJ’s rear. “In fact, why don’t you join me?”

Spine shoved AJ into the tub splashing water over the tub’s rim. She then grabbed a sponge and jumped in as well. AJ rose up out of the water and gave her an annoyed look. Spines returned his glare with a toothy smile.

“Ya been hanging around Eris a little too much,” AJ commented.

“Oh hush you,” Spines replied as she squeezed the excess water out of the sponge.

AJ had to lie down on his belly to allow the water to reach past his shoulders. His size had always made it difficult to enjoy a bath. This, however, allowed Spine to stand up above him. As she did so she brought the sponge to the top of his head.

“What are ya doing?” Ask AJ as she gently dapped the sponge on his head.

Spine pulled the sponge away from his head and showed him the blood.

“What did you do?” Spines asked.

“Ran into a pole or a mailbox,” he answered as if it was a joke.

Spines went along with it, “With what a rocket on your back?”

“The way I hit the ground I might as well have.”

The joke made Spines a little somber.

“I’m sorry I made you chase after me.” Spines said as went back to cleaning his injury.

AJ plucked her claw from his head and held on to it. “I’m not.”

Spines could feel the heat under her cheeks as she pulled her claw away. Doing so made her drop the sponge into the water. AJ retrieved it and motioned for her to come closer.

However, Spines was too nervous to even speak, knots twisted her stomach as she felt the ends of her clawed feet curl. She also found it increasingly difficult to look directly at AJ. She wanted to adhere to his wish, her body however had a different plan.

Her little ‘initiative’ was backfiring as the shyer side of her started to take over.

As Spines froze up, AJ became concerned.

“I’m sorry, sunflower,” AJ said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Let me get out and ya can enjoy the bath.”

As AJ climbed to his hooves, Spines realized that Elusive was right; AJ was too much of a gentle-stallion. She had to make a move or this could all fizzle away.

Wait, what is this anyways? Spines thought to herself.

Things have been moving so fast she never stopped and thought about any of it. Spines already knew it wasn’t just a simple crush like with Elusive, but she hardly even bothered associate her feelings with anything. Was she falling for AJ, had she always felt this way, was it just lust, or was the attraction much deeper than that? Most important, did he feel the same?

Spines sat there for a few moments feeling stupid that she blindly followed her emotions like that when AJ finished climbing out of the tub. She noticed streaks of red rolling down the porcelain walls of the tub.

“AJ show me your underside,” Spines asked on a hunch.

“What?!” AJ yelled, misunderstanding her.

“Just show me your belly, AJ,” Spines said with a stern voice.

Reluctantly AJ reared up and balanced on his hind legs.

Almost instantly, Spines jumped out of the tub and dived under the sink. After her head disappeared into the under-cabinet she came back with a first aid kit.

“Go lie down on the couch, belly up.” Spine told AJ as she got a towel and dried herself off.

“Spin-“ AJ started to protest.

“Now!” Spines yelled pointing her claw at the door.

Wide eyed, scared, and Spines hot on his tail; AJ grabbed a towel and headed to the parlor room. On the way to the couch AJ dropped the now wet towel in what he hoped was the dirty laundry basket. In a stubborn huff he lied down on his back as Spines started removing items from the kit and setting them on the table in front of the furniture.

Spines turned to AJ and got a good look at his underside. His belly look like somepony was chunking cheese graters at him. Pock marks, cuts, scrapes, and scratches covered him unevenly from the base of his neck to just shy of what could have been a nasty nurturing. The injuries varied greatly. Parts of his coat were shaved off with no injury to his skin. Others were open cuts that were still bleeding. Some of the pockmarks still had gravel in them, but most of the debris was washed away with the hot bath.

Unfortunately the warm water also caused a lot of the cuts to open up.

None of the wounds were anything to worry about, but the sheer number of them would put AJ at a high risk of infection.

Spines picked up a pair of tweezers and went to work picking the rocks out of AJ’s belly. After the first pebble was taken out she froze and stared at the bloody rock. She felt like the wounds on his head and belly were caused by her actions; she felt like if she had let cooler heads prevail and waited for the storm to end before leaving that she wouldn’t be picking pieces of the road out of AJ.

AJ could see Spines’ dismay all over her face; he gently tapped her with his hoof and got her attention.

“Stop it,” AJ said as if he was reading her mind. “Ah chased after ya because ah wanted to, ya ran off when ah made ya feel uncomfortable, and ya here because ah wanted ya tah be here. This,” he said waving his hoof over his injured belly. “Was mah mistake, not yers.”

She still blamed herself but AJ’s words brought comfort to her.

“Now stop moping,” AJ said playfully. “You’re cuter when you smile.”

Spines could only sigh, but she gave AJ a smile before she plucked the rest of him clean. After applying the appropriate solvents to his injuries Spines covered the bigger wounds up. Poor AJ had about twelve white patches of adhesive cloths and bandages attached to him.

Spines would have found it funny if she wasn't still feeling guilty.

“There I think we're don-“ AJ was asleep.

Spines was a little dumbfounded at first then understood that it was a long day.

Somehow seeing AJ asleep made Spines realize how fatigued she was. Her drowsiness overtook her logic and she climb onto the couch next to AJ’s tail. She yawned and rubbed one of her eyes while she brought her knees to her chest.

She leaned back and allowed her thoughts to wander.

That morning felt so long ago to her; almost as if a year had passed. She was so pouty about not seeing Elusive and now she wouldn’t let anything take her away from AJ. She didn’t understand her feelings, didn’t even have a name for it, too scared to call it love or admit that she was falling for him. Too strong to be anything similar to what she felt for Elusive. He just made her feel happy. Why try to make sense of it?

I wonder if this is how Dusk feels with Eris. This might be how he makes it work with her craziness. Spines giggled at the realization.

It must be. Spines thought as she turned and started watching AJ’s body rise and fall in his sleep.

As her body felt heavier and heavier as she slowly slump down on her side and rested her head on AJ.

Author's Notes:

I would love to thank a few bronies out there:
First, my main beta reader who you all should thank for keeping this story from being just a ugly pile or words

My very own fan girl/cheerleader for keeping me in high spirts and not just scraping this project.

My proof reader and editor who puts up with my inability to understand when to use a comma or a simicolon

This will be a 2 part story. Please leave lots of feedback.