The Lion and the Lamb

by CrazyChickenLady

First published 19th of February, 2013

After following a baby griffon into a dangerous situation, Fluttershy finds herself rescued by a kind-hearted dragon and ends up befriending him.

After following a baby griffon into a dangerous situation, Fluttershy finds herself rescued by a kind-hearted dragon and ends up befriending him. Ultimately, they both decide to raise the child. As Fluttershy and her friends spend time with the lonely dragon, the more he learns about friendship and the more he reveals about his tragic past.

Note: Earlier chapters will steadily be going through some edits. Chapters 1-7 have been edited.

Chapter One: The Unexpected Visitor

It was mid-March in the magical land of Equestria. The wintry chill swept through the lands, in some areas harsh, while in others not so much. The town known as Ponyville, and the area around it, 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 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. When ponies have had their fill of fun in the snow, they would go inside their toasty homes to curl up around a fireplace and 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 surrounding land was teeming with flora and fauna. Now, it was bleak and void of wildlife. Almost all of the creatures have gone into hibernation or moved on, looking for warmth and nourishment in order 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 was coated in patches of ice buildups, and windows frosted, giving it a ghostly masque. Yet, despite its lifeless impression, there was life inside. A pale yellow pegasus with a long and luxurious rosy pink mane and tail named Fluttershy rested comfortably on her 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 either 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 of cottage. Unexpectedly, the tranquility was disturbed when the rabbit’s elongated ears suddenly perked up at a faint noise from the outside that was inaudible to the equine. The creature stood up abruptly and stared at 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 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. She couldn’t see well through the frost coating though, and was only able to make out the silhouette of the chicken coop. The unmistakable sounds of her chickens clucking in panic compelled her to check it out.

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 underneath one of his pillows to avoid the chilling air that poured into the room. He was happy once the door was closed again, sealing in the warmth.

Outside, the pegasus tiptoed cautiously into the direction of the chicken coop, snow crunching underneath the soles of her shoes and her breath spouting from her mouth and nostrils into spumes of vapor. 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, searching for any reason why her chickens were running around frantically like… chickens with their heads 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 her wings, she fluttered closer to the pen to investigate and landed right next to the fence. Near the farthest corner, she spotted the figure of a griffon chick no larger than a dwarf rabbit. A delighted smile that appeared on her face turned into a deep frown once she analyzed and acknowledged the creature’s condition. It was malnourished--it's ribs, spine, and hips visible underneath the snowy coat.

Feeling maternal instinct welling up within 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.

With a startled squawk, the griffon jumped back, alarmed that it had been caught roaming in another’s territory. The starving chick had hoped to find any source of food laying around in order to quell the aching in its belly. Though the baby was too young to kill for food itself, the chickens didn’t know any better and had assumed the intruder was a predator. Amber eyes wide with fear, the griffon whirled around, slipped underneath the fencing 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, eager to stop it before it reached the forest. After all, too many dangerous animals 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 mental imagery of being caught and eaten by the pony that pursued it, the tiny child put on a desperate burst of speed. The feeble being 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 it. 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 pony put on her breaks and plopped onto the snowy ground below, a 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 they towered over her with bare branches stretched out like grotesque limbs, giving the entire forest a ghastly and hostile manifestation.

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 there was nothing there, and not to mention her eyes were finally adjusting to the darkness. The relief was short lived though, when the 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 stillness, 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 advanced slowly. The baby puffed out its fur and feathers in a pathetic attempt to appear intimidating to the approaching equine. Only a pair of feet away from the decaying tree the griffin was standing on, she put on a gentle smile and spoke soothingly to it.

“There, there… It’s okay.”

The pair didn't realize that the dead tree was only supported by some loose boulders and snow. 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 splash, soaking them. The last of the debris went down and the griffon pulled itself up, shaking water from its coat while the yellow equine tried to gather 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 right front leg. Shaking her head, she realized 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. Farther ahead, was an entrance to a cavern where she guessed the water flowed 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 it, 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 were growing numb, exhaustion and cold inexorably draining life out of them. However, they were brought back to reality when a deep, eerie rumble erupted from the depths of the nearby cavern, causing 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. Soon, 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 searing pain as she yanked 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 wailing, not willing to give up on calling out for someone to help it.

Shoulders submerged, Fluttershy cried out in distress as loud as her lungs possibly allowed, choked sobs interrupting every call. She 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 vision. 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. Lifting her head from a deep crimson pillow propped up by the arm of the couch, she noticed she was laying on her right side cocooned snuggly in a thick sky blue quilt. The slight shifted of her body as she tried rolling onto her stomach jostled the sharp sear in her right pastern. The pony nosed aside the fold of blanket covering her leg, eyes widening in shock at what her curiosity had found. Half of her lower leg was wrapped tightly in gauze soaked in a mixture of blood and a brown liquid she guessed was iodine, a startled squeak leaping 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 originated 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 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 the 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 pellets 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 child.

"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. Any large chunks had been mashed up in order to prevent any possibility of choking. 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 her, but she smiled back.

It didn't take long for him 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 hallway.

The pony's eyes shifted back to the griffon chick as she toddled over to the room's main source of warmth, a stone fireplace several feet 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 were the stove, counters and sink, a refrigerator, the table the animals were eating off of, a lamp table beside the couch on her left, an open 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 winged reptile returned with a roll of fresh gauze, a bottle of iodine, 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 mare, 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 pulled 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 tenderly stroked the pegasus' cheek, his touch warm and feathery light. Fingers slowly sliding down her cheek and curling underneath her chin, he lifted her head so their eyes could meet.

"I promise I will not hurt you," he repeated with a reassuring 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, smoothing it over her mane for comfort.

His 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 her eyes shut, preparing for the marathon of pain.

The dragon sympathized with the pegasus, but it was to ensure she didn‘t develop a nasty infection and healed properly. Dipping the 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. Finishing with the difficult part, he wrapped her hoof in fresh gauze. Tying it off, he reached a hand over to the still trembling pony's head, petting her again in a soothing manner.

"It's all right, my dear. It's all over now," he said, running his hand over her head once more 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. Drying off his hands, he grabbed the 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 step. 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, tantalizing 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 her nose, its aroma tempting 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 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 somepony 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 descended upon the pegasus and outweighed most of her shyness, as well as lighting up her eyes at the revelation. She had never heard of a dragon magician before, nor had it even crossed her mind the concept of a dragon using magic for entertainment purposes. Passing a brief moment of 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 up onto his feet and wandering over to the sink to place it inside. Retrieving a clean bowl for himself, he filled it, and went back over to the couch to seat himself on the other end. 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.

"… Then we both fell in."

"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 her then dug into his own dinner while 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 heard many stories about 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 show 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 towards 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, she stopped and then took an unsure step back. The mare 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 closed the distance between herself and Fluttershy with a calm and confident stride. The delighted pony reached out with her good foreleg, gently touching her hoof to the griffon's fluffy head. The child recoiled a little at the unexpected contact, but allowed herself to be stroked.

"You're so soft and cute."

Fluttershy let out a quiet, yet ecstatic, giggle as she reveled 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 hoof. 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 pegasus 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.

Chapter Four: The Intruder

Smokey's attention had been stolen from the still flustered pegasus when the baby griffon 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 griffon 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 him sent the griffon 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 Smokey's fingers and bounced several feet away, the playful glint still dancing in her eyes. Throwing his dignity to the winds, The draconian dropped down on all fours with a wide grin, and the griffon sprang back towards 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. The pair circled one another before the griffon jumped over to the scaly beast and proceeded to climb all over the him. She pawed at his sensitive ear frills and 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 enjoying the playful scene before her, thinking to herself how sweet it was that the dragon was already treating the baby griffon like his own child.

The baby griffon 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 only to precipitate himself over to the animals and settle himself down upon his haunches again.

"Time for bed, little ones," he told them in a soft and gentle voice.

He touched his snout to the baby griffon's head for a few moments before pressing a sweet kiss to the forehead. The child 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 maw 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 draconian caretaker. And in the green orbs of the dragon, she knew the love was returned to them. Just then, another noise--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 between his jaws. The fact that he was so gentle, so tender, so sweet, and so loving to them, she felt that she would almost burst from the preciousness of it.

Drawing away from the cluster, he ascended into a standing position again 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 to his left towards a door that was ajar. The door was nudged wide open, revealing a bedroom just as lightly furnished as the living room. All the room contained was a king-sized 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 left of the room, and a few boxes stacked on the right.

Upon approaching the bed, Smokey slipped his tail underneath the covers to pull them down and make way for the pony. Taking great care, he 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 while his hands were still busy tucking in the folds of sheets, and before she could answer, he left her to retrieve a warm wool quilt from the chest. 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 her, 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 at 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. 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. The winged pony whimpered, her muscles paralyzed with terror. Soon the scratching was replaced with pounding, the resulting blow creating 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 across the room illuminated the beast's frame in a glowing orange and exposing its 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.

As the werewolf prostrated himself 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 the battle 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 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 furry creature sprang 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 canine 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've 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 shaggy and scrawny neck, cutting off his air flow. The canine 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, tongue lolled out the side of his mouth as short wheezes escaped from it.

As Smokey continued to watch the light fade from the beast's eyes, sympathy flooded his heart. The werewolf wasn't an enemy out to kill for pleasure, it was starving. Slowly and cautiously, the dragon uncurled his tail from the werewolf's neck, which baffled the beast. Kicking into overdrive, 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 attention went 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 massive canid 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 and the fear of death gripped him, figuring the reptilian had returned to finish him off. It had confused him as to why he hadn't when he 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, Smokey knelt beside his head. The scaly hand loomed above his and the werewolf concluded this would be when he would receive his ending blow. The hand came down upon his head gently, smoothing over the fur and ears. It was all strange and confusing to the beast.

"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 pull the mattress from its primary position upon the bed and dragged it out of the bedroom, closing and locking the door behind him.

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.

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 him 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 dressed her wound. She deposited them beside the dragon and zipped back into the restroom for more towels before returning to his side to tend to his own hurts. Though she 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 winged reptile 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 lacerations 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. The equine 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 she 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. His muscles tensed 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, Fluttershy 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 her. 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. The mare 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 was 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 with the needle and thread.

Each pinprick wound didn't require any more than a few stitches each, so 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. The reptilian offered a heartfelt smile to the mare. He was so used to being the caretaker, he really hadn't expected her to tend to him like he had done with her. As she tied off the bandages on his neck, the dragon touched his nose to her cheek.

"Thank you, Miss Fluttershy… I really appreciate it. I really do."

Smokey rubbed his nose against her fur, finding the softness quite pleasant. Pulling his head back slightly, he gazed at the pony's face.

Fluttershy blushed softly at the touch. She smiled back at him 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."

"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, 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 anypony 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."

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 ends of his digits may have appeared sharp, but they were actually quite dull. Smiling a shy smile at the dragon, she leaned against his fingers, starting to find the physical contact pleasing. Suddenly, sounds of movement coming from the bedroom caused her to practically throw herself into Smokey's torso with a loud and terrified "Eep".

He 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 he 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 pegasus still clinging to him, he pulled the covers off of the shuddering lump to reveal the baby griffon, 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, drawing 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 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 griffon, 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. The animals, save for the griffon who was still sleeping in, congregated themselves around her head. They knew something was wrong with her.

"Miss Fluttershy? Are… you okay?" he asked her, the worried looks on his animals made him uneasy. He received a long and miserable groan in response. The dragon brought a curious hand to her forehead. She was burning up.

"Oh, dear…" he murmured, realizing that he had a sick pony on his hands.

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 the empty cup 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 sea 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 unbeknownst 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. Setting 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 griffon, who had just awoken from her slumber moments ago.

The griffon 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 griffon followed him, now astir and free from her sleepiness. She ceased to a halt once the scaly creature turned on his heel and spoke to her kindly, "No, young lady. Stay here."

The baby griffon 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 griffon 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 griffon'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 griffon, 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 griffon 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 griffon 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 creature fitted indistinguishable phrases of baby babbling. Always, the ending syllable would be carried out on a lengthy note until the griffon 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 griffon'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 child within her panicked state. The young one'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 griffon closer. The pony nuzzled her cheek against the little one'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 griffon 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 griffon 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 griffon'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 the mare 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 griffon 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 griffon 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 griffon down on the mattress and pulled the sky blue quilt over their bodies. The pony slid her forelegs around the griffon, pulling her into a cuddle. The griffon didn't resist. The child snuggled into the warm softness of the equine'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 griffon 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 griffon'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 griffon 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 her 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 sea 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.

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 an amused 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.

“Um… 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?

“Um,” 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.

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.

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.

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’ to 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 Sparkle.

“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 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’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.

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 Applejack's 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 several boxes 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, eyeing 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 here, 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.

“Um.” 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.”

“Um… 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 along 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 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 was 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 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 glass 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.

Author's Notes:

I know this is a short chapter, but... HAPPY HOLIDAYS, GAIZ!!!

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.

Author's Notes:

<3 Happy Valentine's Day/Hearts and Hooves Day/Candy Heart's Day/Arizona's Birthday! <3