Today was like any other day for the girls, all of them being 17 years old, they all had taken living and working like any normal pony would at their ages. Pinkie was working super hard at Sugar Cube Corner, throwing parties for any reason she could find. Rarity had opened a boutique in Ponyville about a year ago and while her sales were just enough to keep the place afloat, her designs were some of the best anyone had ever seen. But the shop had a living loft above it, meaning that Rarity was able to move out of her parents home with Spike. So after it was hers, all of the girls and there as of a month ago, 11 year old son, Spike, who had really grown up in many ways, helped her and him move into the shop. Rainbow had taken up working for the local weather team with her mother, but she was still training to be a Wonderbolt, a goal all the girls and Spike knew she would achieve. Fluttershy was still Fluttershy, she still loved her son, animals, and her family, but she still had some problems, like flying, singing, socializing with others... ok maybe she has the most to still work on, but she was coming around at her pace. AJ is still on the farm with her family, because she's an Apple, and Spike had taken to helping harvesting with her, and so far it was a great way to keep in shape. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Spike, and Diamond had become great friends with Scootaloo, and another filly that moved to town when they were around 9 years old, her name was Silver Spoon, and all they are very destructive. Diamond has grown up into a great filly, and she had asked about her birth mother, Raven and Filthy had told her everything she wanted to know, but once it was all out there, she never wanted to see her, she loved her mom, and was glad to know that she was there for her when Spoiled was gone. As for Spike, something really big happened to him about a week ago. But it all started when he woke up in the Ponyville hospital.
Spike groaned as he cracked his eyes open. "Ugh, what happened to me?" Asked Spike, he didn't know what was going on, where he was, or why the heck his head and back hurt so much. "Mamas?"
There was a small gasp as the sound of someone coming over entered his ear frills. "Hey Sugar Cube, I'm glad to see you come back to us." Said AJ as she was on the verge of tears at seeing her son awake.
"Hi Ma, what's up?" Spike smiled at seeing his Ma.
"Nothing Sugar, why don't you rest for a little longer, I need to get the others from the waiting room." Spike nodded and AJ walked out of the room to get the others.
That answered one question, he was in the hospital. "Ok, so that helps me a little, but why does my back hurt?"
Soon all of the girls, all of their families including Pinkie's, and Celestia came rushing into the room. "SPIKE, thank goodness you're ok!" Cried Fluttershy as she smiled at her son.
"Hey Mommy, why are you crying?" Granted it wasn't an uncommon sight, but it was still weird.
"Wait, you don't remember?" Asked Fluttershy.
Spike shook his head. "No, I woke up with a killer headache. Why am I in the hospital?"
Pinkie walked over to Spike and nuzzled his head. "Sweetie, do you remember my family coming to town during the off season to visit?"
Spike nodded. "Yeah."
One week ago, Spike was staying with AJ that day, but it was Pinkie's day. But her family was visiting, so since AJ's house had an extra room, it was decided that the Pies would stay there. Spike opened his eyes and smiled at the great new day. "Ok, lets head down and make some breakfast." He tossed off his sheets and showed that he was much taller, and thinner than he was a few years ago. In fact he was almost as tall as his Mamas, and just as strong as his uncle Big Mac, but he walked out of his room and headed down stairs to make his family some breakfast. So after making sure to keep quiet around the living room so he didn't wake up his aunts, he made his way into the kitchen and started making some biscuits with hay bacon.
So after cooking, Spike placed all the food on the table, but the moment he did, he all the sudden felt very weak. "What the hay?" Asked Spike as he used the corner of the table to keep from falling down, but a dragon was not the quietest thing in the world, so the moment something was not right, Maud walked into the kitchen to see what was wrong.
"Spike, are you ok?" Asked Maud, not in her usual tone, there was some worry mixed in.
"Yeah, I think, I just don't have any energy all the sudden."
This was a huge red flag in Maud's book. "Come on Spike, you're going back to bed. I'll bring you some food, but today you are resting." The Pies and Apples had an important rule, never let a sickness go untreated, it could do more harm in the long run if they did. So, Maud grabbed Spike's tail and started pulling him up to his room.
"Aunt Maud, I'm fine, let me go." But Maud was not having that, she just kept guiding Spike to his room, not caring that she woke everyone up.
"Maud, what's wrong?" Asked AJ, she was woken up from the sounds.
"Ma, help, Aunt Maud thinks I'm sick, but I feel fine." Said Spike.
AJ looked at Maud and noticed that she was shaking her head, she then looked at Spike and noticed that he was lying. "Spike, what did I tell you about lying."
"That its wrong, and it's better to speak your mind and not to tell others what they want to hear." He really hated that his Ma never fell for his 'oh but I only had one gem tonight' lies.
AJ smiled at seeing that her son still knew her rules. "So why are you lying to me now?"
"Because I want to spend time with my family, and I can't do that if I'm sick."
"Awe, I know you want to spend time with them Sugar cube, but your health comes first, now get your tail back into bed and I'll come check up on you in a little while." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before Maud dragged him in, she came out a few moments later with Applebloom.
"Ok, Hi Maud, Sis, why am I being carried out of my room?" Asked the confused filly.
"Spike is sick, and he's going to be staying in bed." Said AJ, that was all the explanation Applebloom needed to nod. So with that they all walked down to explain what was going on.
After an hour of resting, all the girls were there to check up on him with Fluttershy being his nurse. "Spike, say awww." Said his Mommy as she was taking his temperature and checking his throat.
"AWWWW." Said Spike as he opened his mouth as wide as he could.
Fluttershy smiled as she looked down his throat. "Good, there doesn't seem to be any redness, now keep this in your mouth for a few moments." She shoved a thermometer into his mouth and sat there with him. Once it was done however she was very confused. "Spike, you are only at 186 degrees, why are you cold?" She had learned that dragons while healthy, were around 200 degrees, granted that was from Spike, but that only made her worry grow.
"I don't know, but I feel fine."
Fluttershy hummed, she was worried about her son, but she saw nothing wrong with him. "Ok, I'll go talk to the others, but you better not get out of bed until I get back." She gave her son a kiss on the head and walked out to consult with the others.
She walked down to the living room and smiled at her fellow mothers. "Fluttershy, dear, how is our poor Spikie doing?" Asked Rarity, the moment she heard about Spike, she closed her store to come check on him.
"Yeah, is he ok?" Asked Pinkie, the Cakes had given Pinkie the day off to care for Spike.
"Come on Shy, tell us." Rainbow was on her day off this week, so she informed all the girls of Spike's condition after AJ told her about it.
"Well, he's not running a fever, but he's a little cold, he's only at 186 degrees. I checked his throat, it doesn't seem like he's been coughing, and it was not red."
All the girls hummed. "Well then, I propose that since we have the day off, we all take turns watching Spike, to make sure that nothing happens to him." Suggested Rarity, again all the girls hummed at the idea, it was a good way to make sure that nothing happens, they would be ready to help him if something does, and it gives them a few places to take him if he gets worse.
"I'm in." Said Rainbow.
"Same here." Said AJ.
Pinkie smiled as she nodded her head to the point it was a blur, and Fluttershy gave a simple nod. "Fantastic, now, Pinkie, since your family is here, I suggest that you and Spike head to town and have fun."
Pinkie nodded as she went to go tell her family that they were going to go out. She came back a few moments later and nodded. "Ok, were going to walk around the town, then we'll stop off and go look at a cave system I found."
So with that, the plan was set, and Spike was released from his room. "See, I told you I was fine."
Fluttershy nodded. "I know, but you are our little baby, and we were very worried about you Sweetie." Spike smiled as he wrapped all of his mothers into a loving hug.
"I know and I love you all too."
Once the hug was done, Pinkie, Spike, and all the Pies left the house and started wandering.
While they were walking around town, everyone was watching Spike like a hawk, even Marble was watching her nephew, not caring about the stares she was getting from the rest of the town. But while this was all happening, Spike bumped into a figure in a hooded robe sending them both to the ground. "Oh, sorry, I guess I wasn't looking." Said Spike.
The figure was silent as she looked at the dragon. 'What is a dragon doing here of all places?' She thought as she was sure that was not right. "It is quite all right, nothing worth causing a fight." Spike got up from the ground and helped the figure to her hooves.
"Still I'm sorry, I was just showing my family around town."
"Wait, family?"
Spike nodded, but then he put 2 and 2 together. "Yep, and seeing as you don't know who I am, I'm guessing you are not from here?"
The figure nodded. "Wait, please explain, if more dragons are here, why are the ponies acting mundane?"
"Wow, you really are new. My name is Spike, I live here with my mothers, not dragons."
"Oh, taken away at such an age, must have brought a lot of pain?"
"Not really, I was told that they found me in the Everfree, and I don't know by who, but I'm happy with my life. But, sorry I never caught your name."
"Right, forgive my lack of insight." The figure lowered her hood showing off her mane of black and white, done into a mohawk, her neck had golden rings and hanging on her ears were gold earrings. "I am known as Zecora."
Spike gasped as he looked at her. "Oh, you're a zebra, that's so cool."
Zecora was a little taken aback. "How do you know of my kind, all the towns I stop in, are very quick to mind."
Spike sighed. "Yeah, I got that a lot too, but it helps to have family and friends. But as for me knowing about Zebras, my grandma actually has told me a lot about the other races that are on the world. Did you know that there are a kingdom of yaks up in the frozen north that have been shut off for years, oh, what about the legend of the hippogriffs, Grandma told me that they could change into seaponies with a magic pearl."
"You are quite well learned, tell me, to what end has that candle burned?"
"Well, I'm kinda done with school, but I stop off at the library in town every so often to read."
Pinkie smiled as she nudged Spike's side. "Stop that, you and I both know you only go there for the comics."
"Hey, not true, I do like to read other things."
Soon a thin pegasus colt with a brown mane, and buck teeth, flew to Spike with a comic in his hooves. "Spike, have you read it yet?" Asked the colt.
"Feather not now bud, I'm trying to tell my Mama that I don't only read comics."
"But that's all you read at the library." Said Feather Weight.
"Not helping." Feather Weight shrugged as he flew off from the dragon, ready to read the newest issue of the Power Ponies.
Zecora giggled at the dragon. "I see."
"Yeah, sorry, but the Power Ponies are really cool, and he got me into them."
"It is quite fine, I'm sorry for taking your time."
"No, it was nice to meet someone new." Said Spike as he started to scratch his cheek, but he was scratching it a little too hard and vigorously.
"Sweetie, are you ok?" Asked Pinkie, she was ready to pull her cannon out of her mane and cannonball to the others.
"Yeah, just a little itchy." He started scratching more of his body. "Ok, maybe normal itchy." Then it was cranked up to 11 when he started scratching everything from his spaded tail to his nose. "Ok, this is really itchy."
Pinkie gulped as she wasn't sure if this was what she was thinking or something else. "Spike, let me take a little looksee." Spike stood still for a moment, trying to not scratch, so she could look. Pinkie looked at Spike's cheek and under his scale was a growing red welt. 'Oh this is not good.' Thought Pinkie.
"Mama, do you see anything?"
"Spike, we need to head back right now."
Now it was everyone's turn to look at Pinkie. "Pinkie, what is wrong with Spike?" Asked Cloudy, she was worried about her grandson, and seeing Pinkie this serious meant that something was about to go down.
"Ma, I'm sorry, but Spike is about to have a really bad day." Said Pinkie as she pulled the cannon out of her mane and loaded Gummy into it. "Gummy, you know the plan, Operation Falling Scales is a go." Gummy wrapped his tongue around his muzzle and blinked. "Perfect, I'm sending you to Rainbow first." She stuffed the alligator into the barrel, and launched him to the no doubt napping pegasus.
"Mama, what was that about?" Asked Spike, he had never seen Gummy used as a messenger before.
"I'll explain once it's all over Sweetie, Mama needs to get ready for today." She then gave Spike a letter that she had ready for this moment. "Now send this to Celestia for me, she's going to want to be here for this."
Spike looked at the letter and was sure this was not going to end well. "Ok, one letter to grandma." Spike blew his fire and sent the letter to Celestia. Once the letter was gone, Pinkie started dragging Spike back to the one place she knew he would be safe. "Mama, why are we going to Mommies?"
Pinkie looked at Spike with a corncob pipe in her mouth and sunglasses over her eyes. "Because no two bit creature is going to eat my son."
In Canterlot, Celestia was on her lunch brake from day court, so she decided to go check on her personal student and her students. She had allowed them all to stay in the observatory since they finished school 4 years ago, and they all have become powerful unicorns in their own right. Sunburst was adept with large complex spells, but still had trouble with simple ones. Moondancer was fantastic with modifying spells and creating new ones. Then there was Twilight, she had pretty much taken over her own learning but still sought guidance, granted that didn't help when Celestia was the only pony that was smart enough to teach her anything new, but she loved to see how she has been.
Twilight was levitating 4 books around her as she was trying to cook lunch for her and her friends. "Ok, so this one says that I need to wait until the soup is boiling, but this one says that I should add the ingredients now."
Sunburst was trying to take the books away from the mare. "Twilight, why don't you let me and Moondancer cook?"
"No, you guys cook every meal, I know I'm not the best cook, but I want to at least help you guys." Said Twilight as she tried to add some pepper, but instead she added salt, and not just a little salt, she added a lot.
"But Twilight, I'm not sure if your last attempt is still here or not. I hear things at night."
"Come on Sunburst, have a little faith in Twilight, I'm sure that she can do this if we give her a chance." Said Moondancer, but she had a net ready just in case this one tried to escape into the wild.
Twilight smiled at seeing that one of her friends has some faith in her. "See, why cant you be more like Moondancer." Moondancer used her magic to get another net and Sunburst took it.
"Well, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt my dear student." Said Celestia as she had not been here for the cursed casserole incident.
"Princess." Cheered Twilight as she was not expecting her mentor to arrive until later. "What are you doing here?"
"Well Twilight, I wanted to come and see how you all have been doing?"
"We're just fine, though they refuse to let me cook for them." Celestia looked to the 2, they had upgraded from nets to full body gear.
"I see, well, I would love to see the out come of this." Twilight beamed as she placed the lid on the soup pot, not noticing a pair of evil eyes had formed.
"Why thank you princess. It should be ready in 20 minutes."
Celestia smiled as she was sure that it would be fine. "Great, now how about we just take a seat and talk." But the moment that came out of Celestia's mouth, all four ponies noticed that the letter from Spike came into the room.
"Oh, Spike sent a letter." Cheered Twilight as she was so excited to hear from him. She still had no idea who he was, but the small snip its she saw from the letters, only made her curiosity grow.
"Twilight, I'm sure it's just a report from him." Said Celestia as she used her magic to move the message over to her. "Now lets see what is happening today."
Celestia, it's happening today, the welts have already started, I hope you can come help. From Pinkie.
Celestia looked at the note and she had to be there for this, no two bit creature is going to hurt her granddrake. "Twilight, something has just come up, I need to go right this moment."
They all looked at the princess. "Princess, is Spike ok?"
"Yes, but his life is in danger." Said Celestia as she was preparing for a teleportation spell.
"We're going." Said Twilight, this was a perfect chance to meet Spike.
"Twilight, no, it's not the right time. Come on where is he?" She was searching for her magical signature that was left over when she placed the messenger spell on Spike. "There he is." Said Celestia as she finally pinpointed her magic. But in her hurry she accidently teleported all the rooms occupants.