Spike knew the trail well enough to avoid any possible dangerous creatures. The last thing Spike wanted on top of his discomfort was a monster jumping him. Although, at the moment his only pest trouble was the abundant amount of insects that found him to be a delightful afternoon treat to feast on. He conjured up a bit of flame and blew them all away in a single breath. “Don’t mess with me.”

He was successful in blocking out his discomfort for a short while, but the burning, itching sensation inevitably returned. Along with the insects. He was really starting to hate this forest.

Stopping at a crossroads, Spike rubbed his chin and frowned. “Okay, Zecora’s hut can’t be much farther. Just gotta figure out which direction it’s in. Now, what did Twilight say?”

Remembering back five minutes prior, he could recall Twilight going on about Zecora being the only one knowledgeable about dragon anatomy and how he should seek her for help. Then she started talking about directions, which was when he started tuning her out so he could scratch a particularly itchy portion of his lower calf. Then she said some more words, wished him luck, and now he was here…

“Well, shuck all kinds of duck,” Spike concluded. Shrugging, he went in the one direction that never let him down before: forward. Where he was going, he didn’t need paths!

As the foliage of the forest grew thicker, Spike never felt more relieved to see the infamous poison joke. He recognized the patch from a few years ago, back when Zecora was believed to be some sort of evil enchantress. That patch mean she couldn’t be too far.

He briefly considered taking a step into the blue petals, in the vain hope whatever cruel joke they played on him would at least fix his itch. However, he thought better of it and decided that type of test was a bit too risky to pull. Considering it was poison joke, his itch would most likely become even worse.

Even the most violent animal would never come near that patch of flowers, so Spike felt comfortable raising his voice. “Yo, Zecora! You out here? I’ve got a bitch of an itch that I need to ditch! Couldja help me out?”

Spike heard a rustle in the brush, and he turned to see a certain face that made him flush with relief. At least, he hoped it was relief, and not… the other thing.

Zecora stepped out of the brush, strutting forward with no lack of confidence or swagger. She had her signature half-lidded eyes and perpetually sly smile. “Without a doubt,” she said.

“Whoa, seriously?” Spike asked. “I thought there’d be more to it than that. Like, a series of tasks to go out in the forest to collect supplies or something else needlessly tedious.”

“Spike, oh child, do you know who I am? I know of the quarrel that makes you say ‘damn.’” Zecora turned, revealing her large hide pouch, which was chock full of canteens, flowers, animal livers and fungi. “I am familiar with draconic adolescence, and I can do away with the itch’s presence.”

Spike fist-pumped. “Sweet! I thought for sure I was going to go mental from this constant itch.” Taking a step forward, he quickly stopped in his tracks when he remembered about the poison joke before him. “Oh yeah… you know a safe route back to your hut?”

“Of course, now let us strut.”

Following close behind Zecora, Spike ducked under low hanging tree branches and tripped over roots, all the while avoiding the dreaded contact with the poison joke. Zecora traversed the forest easily, not a step out of place as she walked calmly forward. It was all second nature for her. Spike couldn’t take two steps without fumbling into a bush or a tangle of vines.

Eventually, the two reached Spike’s salvation, which just so happened to be Zecora’s hut. Spike smelled the incense before he saw it. He was so eager to go inside, he didn’t even take care to notice the hut’s low hanging entrance. Like many a times at the library and various other buildings in Ponyville, he smacked his forehead once more, his growth spurt still not catching up with him mentally.

“Dammit!” Spike cursed, rubbing the sore spot on his noggin. Well, at least it took his mind off his horrible skin condition… for approximately two seconds. “Double dammit!” He reached for his back, but he felt a hoof there before he was able to scratch. “Uh, Zec—”

Whump. Whump.

Zecora’s hoof rammed into the small of Spike’s back. Twice. The dragon keeled over, and moved forward slowly, managing to get inside the hut. He didn’t have time to appreciate the painted woodcut decor of Zecora’s hut. He immediately went for the couch, which was draped with leopard skin. “Sweet orgy with Celestia! What did you do that for?”

“My medicinal techniques are the nervous system’s bane. I ask, do you feel any pain?” Zecora set her pouch down near the doorstep, already sorting through them at an easy-going pace.

“Of course I…” Spike reached for an itch upon his chest, only to realize there was no itch. “Oh!” For the first time since he could remember, that nagging, tingly feeling for him to scratch a part of his body was gone. He felt enlightened, almost like he had been transported to a higher plane of existence that had no itching at all! “That’s… I actually feel pretty great now. What did you do?”

“Zebracean remedies are a physical process. For bodily solutions, there is no contest.”

Spike’s head perked up. “Wait, so you can fix up my itch just by giving me a massage? I’m in!” He felt a little bad for putting down Twilight’s offer, but at the same time, he had a feeling Zecora would be more adept at the practice. “How do we do this?”

Zecora chuckled and shook her head. As Spike’s smile slowly fell, she went over to her cupboard and started searching through several rows of bottles. “Equine bodies are a simple fix, but a dragon’s pain isn’t so easily nixed.”

“So… what? Some sort of potion? A body wash? Is there any lotion involved?” Spike held out his arms in confusion.

“Do not worry, my friend. I will set you free from the itch’s wrath.” Zecora retrieved a few bottles, the contents of each one more unusual than the last. One contained what looked like liquid fire, another made entirely of bubbles. “I provide a solution; a simple bath.” She uncorked one bottle, filling the hut with the scent of brimstone and cedar. She then bent over her alchemy table, grabbed a small bowl, and began mixing the odd things together.

“I don’t need a rubber ducky on me, do I?” Spiked asked jokingly. He shifted his position on the couch, moving his head so he could see what Zecora was doing. However, that interest died when Zecora’s plump flank came into view. It was different than Twilight’s, who was rather pudgy from too many days from being cooped up in the library. Zecora’s was firm, toned from years in the forest foraging for food and staying in top physical condition. The spiral pattern of her glyphs only further accentuated the muscle beneath her smooth coat, which was enticing his new urges like never before. That perfect bum, accompanied with Zecora’s exotic accent, made Spike’s scales rather moist.

Zecora looked over her shoulder at the sound of Spike’s heavy breathing. She smirked. “You seem to be wet. Best clean up that sweat.”

Spike looked over his body, realizing that steam was pouring out of patches of his scratched off skin. “Oh great, another weird side-effect. Zecora, what is happening to me? Is this normal for dragons to just… become a sauna?”

“It doesn’t take a wise sage to know you have attained a certain age. Foals grow into adults over time. Adulthood for dragons is a more difficult climb. Very painful and aggravating, it may make you wish to shout, but there are ways to coax your inner dragon out.”

“Do those ways involve a solution to stop my scales from making my life a living hell?” Spike asked. He winced at the telltale signs of that insufferable itch beginning to rise forward again. “Also, might I add, a fast solution!”

Zecora took notice of Spike’s distress and got back to work, mashing the ingredients together even faster than before. “Patience, my friend. Soon, your pain will end.” She turned, strode over to Spike and presented the bowl to him. “It desires a dragon’s fire.”

Spike peered deeper into the bowl, looked back up to Zecora, then back to the bowl, and then shrugged. Snorting, he spit out a fireball loogie into the bowl. “Hope that’s good enough.”

Much to Zecora’s approval, the mix began to mesh together into a steamy, glowing heap of white ooze. It was like hot lotion. “First, we must let this be.” She set the cup aside, then clapped her hooves together. “Now, if you would kindly follow me.” Zecora turned on a single hoof and strode to the back of the hut. She lifted the tribal patterned drape, beckoning to Spike with an unusually sly ‘come hither’ look on her face. The young dragon couldn’t help but obey.

Following her beyond the drape, he entered the inner sanctity for Zecora’s potion making. Vials and bowls lined the shelves, some spewing out strangely colored smoke onto the floor. In the center of the room there was a large pot, where a boiling green, slimy concoction could be seen brewing under a low flame. There was no light, so the room was dim, the only light coming from the illumination of the flame.

“Wow, um… really nice place you got here,” Spike muttered, gulping when he caught a look at the various malicious looking masks lining the walls. “So, this is where you can kill my itch?”

“Mmmhmm.” Zecora approached the pot, retrieving a large bucket of water beside it. She stood on her hind legs and poured the whole bucket’s worth in, making the room feel a little more humid in the process. “This is the cauldron in which I bathe. I will let you use it for today.”

Spike paused. He found it a little difficult to understand her instructions after the image of her bathing was implanted into his mind. She probably made sure to get every single inch of her coat covered in soap. Then she’d have to wash it all off again, nice and sl—

Blinking repeatedly, Spike glanced back at her and asked, “Wait, come again?”

Zecora gestured to the cauldron. “Step into the water. This won’t take long. Leave the rest to me, and soon your itch will be gone.”

“Um… okay, then.” Spike walked to the cauldron and was instantly relieved when he saw that it was big enough for him. He hadn’t taken a dip in anything close to a hot tub in years. Dipping one foot in, he instantly felt a fresh wave of heat rise up his body and warm his bones. Dragging himself over the top, he quickly dunked his whole body into the strange mixture, forgoing testing the waters. In an instant, his entire body was enwrapped with a field of heat so deep he could actually feel it. This was tough, since even hot lava didn’t affect him too much, but whatever potion Zecora had brewed was making his skin feel like it was boiling. Only momentarily, since soon enough it ebbed to a relaxing, blissful warmth that loosened up his muscles just right.

“Embrace the warmth. The moisture. The smell.”

Spike laid back against the edge of the cauldron and did just as she commanded. He hadn’t felt comfort quite like this in what felt like a lifetime. Aside from temporary bursts of sweat and steam, he had been so dry ever since the itching started. He nearly teared up at the sensation of warm, hot water wrapping him up in its soothing embrace. His insides were sated as well, with the moisture climbing into his nostrils and cooling his inner fire. For once, he welcomed the steam emitting from his scales. It was like his own personal bathhouse. Well, except for the sultrily voiced zebra in the room.

“I owe you for this…” he said to Zecora as she laid a hot towel over his eyes.

“You are correct,” she chimed, “and later, I will collect.”

“Um… well, I have a few bits at home, if you’re interested in that,” Spike said. He smiled, relaxing deeper into the warm void of ecstasy that was the cauldron’s heavenly touch. “Or I could work for you for a while. Do a couple of odd jobs around the hut. A couple of chores as well.”

“The offer is tempting, and I may take it up. I’ll think of something. Now, where did I put that cup?” Zecora left Spike’s side and disappeared behind her curtain. She returned a few seconds later with the mixture in tow, which seemed to have grown in size. “There we are. It seems to be working thus far.”

The mixture had expanded, becoming a marshmallow-like substance. Zecora sniffed it a few times, nodded approvingly, and then poured it into the cauldron.

“So, how long is this supposed to take?” Spike asked, feeling the ends of his scales tingle a bit at the introduction of the new mixture. “I mean, Twilight said I can be back home anytime, so it really isn’t much of a bother to me. In fact, this is pretty sweet.”

“It may take hours, or just a minute or two. And I am most glad to have approval from you.” Zecora stood behind Spike. She got up on her hind legs again, her forelegs getting a grip on Spike’s shoulders. “In the meantime, I can ease your remaining stress. Do you welcome my caress?”

Spike felt a jolt shoot through his body as Zecora’s breath touched his dorsal fin. His lips locked together, making him unable to speak, so he simply nodded.

The moment her hooves touched his shoulders, he transcended his body and was whisked away to paradise. For some reason his skin and muscles were more sensitive than ever, so every movement of Zecora’s hooves sent his body into a blissful tizzle. His tongue rolled out of his mouth and hung out of his jaw, while the rest of him practically melted under Zecora’s amazing touch. Already any memory of the living hell he had been through drifted away, to be replaced with an oasis of good feelings and even better sensations.

Lifting the hot towel from his eyes for a moment, Spike peeked out and saw several of his scales floating to the surface of the mixture. “Hey, I think it’s working!”

He let the towel fall again as Zecora’s hooves touched his biceps. “My, oh my, strong like a boar. Truly your might has won you a paramour?”

It seemed like such a forward question, but Spike was willing to answer. “Paramour? Uh, no, actually. I don’t have any mare. Not at the moment, anyway...” Spike arched his back, the two lumps on his shoulder blades starting to feel sore. Luckily, Zecora’s hooves were over there right away, each touch cutting away at his displeasure like clippers removing weeds in a garden. Each poke and prod was meticulous in nature and made to ensure maximum enjoyment for Spike. Already the soreness died down as Zecora tentatively rubbed the lumps in small circles, fluctuating her movements with tantalizing breaths on his Spike’s dorsal fins. “Oh, dude... This is heaven right here.” Spike sighed, drool hanging from his mouth.

“No mare for you?” Zecora asked, though it didn’t seem like a question; more of an acknowledgement. “Then say with clarity; whatever became of you and Rarity?”

Again, an odd question, but Spike was willing to do anything for the wonderful zebra who brought him such relief. “Nothing, really. Nowadays, I help her out with her dresses and her gem hunting regularly. She actually pays me a small bit of her commission money. Though I usually spend it on more gems, or books for Twilight.” He sighed again. “It’s fantastic, really. I think Rarity is much better as a friend than as my, uh, paramour. I realized a while ago that I fell so far in love with the idea of being with her that I didn’t realize we had a good thing going.”

“I see…” Zecora said. She didn’t even bother to make a rhyme.

“Also, all things considered, I was never gonna get laid if I kept on chasing after her like some sort of puppy. I’m much happier now than I ever was trying to earn her affection.” Spike lifted the towel again. “But enough about me. What about you? I bet it can get pretty lonely out here in the forest.”

Zecora made a one-noted laugh. “The loner of the Everfree, a title I cannot deny. I too have yet to catch somepony’s eye. I’ve been in Ponyville hundreds of times, if I’m not mistaken, but a spritely young fellow’s heart has not yet been taken.”

“That’s a laugh. Who wouldn’t find you gorgeous?” Spike said without thinking.

There was a moment of silence, save for the bubbling of the bath. Zecora tilted her head at Spike’s comment.

The dragon kept talking before his mind could tell him to stop. He suspected he was becoming so relaxed that he couldn’t keep his mouth in check. “Call me a nonconformist, but I’d take a rough-and-tumble exotic forest dweller over any run of the mill beauty queen. You have this sort of… natural beauty to you, you know? Couldn’t find any mare quite like you in Ponyville, heck, in all of Equestria. I tell you something, Zecora, you are gonna make your paramour a very happy stallion. Or mare, whatever you’re into.”

Zecora went a while without blinking, but she finally let her smile return to her. She seemed utterly flabbergasted. “Perhaps... that is true. Thank you.” She craned her neck, removed the hot towel from Spike’s face. He was about to ask what she was doing, but his words were preemptively silenced by her lips on his forehead.

“Oh…”

Spike’s eyes were held in place, looking up at Zecora and her wistful smile. Her eyelids were lowered, as per the norm, but there was something new there. A hint of red along with the black and white, and an expression that looked… longing.

Spike felt a sharp sting shoot up his back. That strange urge from before, it was back, and seemed to be growing stronger the hotter the bath grew. He didn’t know what this would mean for him or Zecora, but it didn’t matter to him at the moment. He couldn’t stop himself. He gave in to his desire, eagerly awaiting Zecora as she lowered her head again. Spike lifted himself up by his elbows, and his lips met Zecora’s halfway.

Spike thought he was warm before, but now he was practically on fire. The warm wetness of Zecora’s mouth was paradise to bask in, and his tongue couldn’t agree more. It slithered inside, wrapping its serpentine form around Zecora’s tongue and squeezing it playfully. Though Zecora didn’t back down either, forcing his tongue along for a ride into his mouth as she wrestled with it with abandoned inhibitions, both trading saliva as their tongues pitted against one another in the embrace of the kiss. A crescendo met Spike’s urges, turning into a deafening roar that filled his mind with white-hot desire, so much so he couldn’t hold back and just sunk deeper into the kiss. He grew sloppier, more forceful, Zecora willing him to do as much as he needed to. He continued to slide his tongue across every inch of her mouth until he finally mustered up the courage to pull away and see her reaction.

She was still smiling.

“Uh…” Spike’s mind floundered to seek the right words to say as reality caught up with him. He just had a steamy make-out session with a zebra, who was much older than him. Extremely hot and sensual, but still older. But still hot. Also, she seemed to be into dragons, so he had that going for him. Also, she was extremely hot. That thought kept pestering his mind. “Wow.”

“You were sublime…” she whispered. Her hooves kneaded Spike’s shoulders. She finally broke eye contact with him as she overlooked the rest of his body. “But it seems it’s time.”

Spike’s skin began to crawl, the tingling sensation from before being kicked up a notch. He shifted in the cauldron, his shoulder blades in pure agony as he bent forward. “Ugh! Fuck, fuck, fuck my life, this hurts!” Spike hissed through gritted teeth, his entire body feeling like it was being dipped into a volcano, which wouldn’t be so bad for him normally, except for now. “Quick, how do you turn it off?!”

Zecora was backing away, although she looked reluctant to do so. “This is the final stage of your evolution, I have no doubt. I am afraid you will have to wait it out.”

“Okay… shit. Okay, I got this.” Spike drew in a large gulp of air, then exhaled slowly. The initial pain had passed now, replaced with what could only be described as a weird building up of pressure inside himself. It was like he was trapped inside a cage and he kept on growing, slowly breaking the prison that was his own skin. The pressure kept on building and building, until he felt like he’d explode. Instead, his skin did. Spike had to squint his eyes as a harsh sting swept over him, and when he opened them, the cauldron was covered in a film of scales and burnt skin shedding.

Breathing heavily, Spike reached behind himself, expecting the rim of the cauldron, but instead he felt something else. His entire back was exposed, no scales or anything. On the sides was his shed skin, which he carefully peeled away. Soon, an exact copy of himself, sans the insides, peeled off in his claws, scales falling off in great abundance. Holding the skin version of himself up in the air, Spike grimaced. “Ugh, is this what I really look like?”

Zecora laughed aloud. “Give it to me, my dear. This will have to be disposed of, I fear.”

“Wait, hold up, this is pretty cool,” Spike said, opening the mouth of the skin shedding and looking inside. “Kinda like a souvenir, except my skin… which isn’t that creepy, actually. It’s like a foal who loses their first tooth. Except skin. Actually, does it sound creepy?”

“Again, I’ll say it: we must do away with it.” Zecora seemed to be in good humor about the situation as she took the dead skin from Spike’s claws. She darted through another patterned flap.

Spike remained in the cauldron, heaving a sigh of relief and basking in the sweet after of all his pain. Relaxing on his back, two things made themselves immediately clear. First, the boiling cauldron was hot, and his new skin found that out the hard way as he instantly felt the sting return. The other thing was that the two lumps from before were still connected to his backside.

“What the…” Spike looked over his shoulder, eyes widening in surprise as two new appendages spread out from his back. Two fresh, brand-spanking new, out of the skin wings were connected to his shoulder blades now. Much like the rest of his new skin, they were a bit paler than his usual scale tone. But they were there, incoherently moving as he struggled to control them. “Holy shit, I got wings!” Spike said in utter shock. A few seconds passed before he added, “Holy shit, I can fly! I never have to walk again!” He crawled out of the cauldron in excitement, but his slightly larger feet caught on the rim of the cauldron and he ended up barreling over onto his stomach. “Ow.” He got back up quickly and started walking. He blinked twice before realizing he was walking on his arms and legs, and he was okay with that.

“Huh… weird,” he said, lifting himself on his hind legs. It was a bit tricky to manage, but once he did he managed to get a look at his newly changed body. Bigger than before, but not so much he couldn’t fit through a doorway. His arms and legs had bulked up in muscle, while his body had become more serpentine in shape. Heck, even his tail was longer. Checking over his shoulder again, he noticed how pathetically small his wings were. He wondered how they would support the rest of him if he tried to fly. “Maybe they’ll grow bigger,” was all he could say, shrugging and settling back down to all fours again. Moving past the flap, Spike called out, “Hey, Zecora, you still here? I think dragon puberty did a number on me!”

Zecora was entering the hut, no longer holding the old skin. She paused at the sight of Spike, sizing him up with a bit of a twinkle in her eye. She undid the pins in her mane. Her mohawk disappeared, with her white mane falling over her face. Spike realized how beautiful it was when she let it all hang down. He was captivated by the splendor of her face, the way her mane shimmered in the light of the fireplace, and those deep pools of eyes that he practically dived right into without a moment’s hesitation. Not even when he first looked upon Rarity had he been this enamored with a mare before.

Gulping, Spike stopped in his tracks while his mouth sputtered, grasping at straws at what to say. “I-I… uh… wow, um, you’re looking… nice.” Spike’s cheeks were a rosy hue, even more noticeable on his freshly shed face. “Beautiful, even.”

Zecora approached Spike with a noticeable sway in her step. Her hoof touched Spike’s cheek, gently yet playfully fondling his dorsal fin. She had the same look on her face from earlier. The part of himself that Spike left behind in the cauldron room flew right back to him, and the words started pouring out of him involuntarily. “I’m sorry about that… what I did. You did that thing with your lips and I got all flustered… The same thing happened this morning. I can’t help it. I look at you and I just go insane for a bit…” Spike flustered, taking in a gulp of air. “I-I just don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve never felt such a large… urging before.”

“You were rather forward, that is true.” Zecora’s hoof stroked Spike’s spines with a comforting touch. He leaned into it, smiling as the tribal mare touched him with great affection. There was no hesitation to be found in the way she touched him, nor in the way she spoke. “I could have stopped you, but I didn’t want to.”

“Oh.” Spike stood there—on all fours, which he was still getting the hang of—trying to muster up anything that could have broken the lingering tension. He was tempted to apologize again, but he felt that would have been redundant. So he desperately searched his mind for something else, anything that would make the situation comprehensible…

Zecora closed her forelegs around Spike and pulled him against her. This time, she put her lips against his. This kiss was less passionate than the first, but just as sweet. They took it more slowly, Zecora’s lips melding onto his as their tongues played with one another in their mouths, slow and steady, made up of long, lust-driven licks.

Spike’s claws flexed as his blood rushed through every inch of his new body. He felt like he was ablaze once again. He dug into Zecora’s back, holding tight to her thick coat, using her stripes as markers for where to rub her. He reached for her flanks as she fell in closer against him, taking her glyphs in each hand. As he did, Zecora’s moan filled Spike’s mouth. Her hoof dragged against Spike’s neck—

“Ah!” Spike broke the kiss and stepped away, slapping his hand to the back of his neck. It stung like a patch of raw skin… That was when he realized, he was raw. Like a peeled fruit, he had no functioning skin protecting him, just a thin outer coating that was still fresh as can be. Instead of an irritating itchiness like before, now his skin felt like he was being dragged on endless tracts of carpet. It was just barely noticeable, but it was still there, and every movement only reminded him how new his skin was. The most painful parts were his new wings, which caused him to wince in pain as they brushed against the wall. “Dammit, why does puberty have to be such a bitch? Well, it does come with bitchin’ wings, but the skin problems aren’t worth it!”

Zecora raised her hoof to comfort Spike, but she retracted it when she took notice of his irritation. She nodded, then strode over to her cupboard. “Another problem that I can sate. I assure you, not much longer we will have to wait…”

“We?” Spike tilted his head. “And wait for what?”

Zecora looked back. Her smile was as sultry as ever but her brow was tilted in mild embarrassment. “Y-your skin is... fresh, like a newborn child’s. Raw and unguarded, the hurt is wild.” Spike realized that he wasn’t the only one who was letting his tongue slip today. He also realized what Zecora meant, but in a strange way, he wasn’t at all offset by the idea. It felt right, like they were both in the right place in the right time.

“This will make your new body strong. Effective as it is, the application takes long.” Zecora now had another bowl in her hooves, this one a translucent goo that looked like it would make for quite the slip if it spilled on the floor. “All will be okay. Come this way.” Zecora swaggered to the curtains on the other side of the room which lead into what Spike assumed to be her… bedroom.

He followed, his heart beating fast but steadily.