//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Mail Order Orphan // by kudzuhaiku //------------------------------// The knock on the door was sudden. It startled Fluttershy, causing her to drop her knitting. Ivy stopped squeezing poor Angel for a moment to look at the door, her grey eyes wide. She gently placed the rabbit down on the rug. He scurried away as fast as his legs could take him. “Door!” Ivy exclaimed. “Yes Ivy,” Fluttershy commented, “door.” Fluttershy spilled out of her chair, using her wings to push yarn away from her, trying to avoid a tangle. There was another knock. Ivy wiggle-waddled to the door. Fluttershy made it to the door and paused. “Who is it?” She asked. “Spike!” Said a voice on the other side of the door. Fluttershy pulled open the door and hugged the dragon before he had time to react. “I’m really sorry!” Spike exclaimed. “I wish I could have visited sooner! I had to help Twilight take care of Applejack. And then bad weather happened. Windows broke in the library. The floor flooded. Everything was a mess.” Fluttershy said nothing, but squeezed Spike again. Ivy stared at Spike wide eyed, mouth slightly open, multiple rows of teeth visible. Her ears rose to attention and her wings fluttered slightly. “Hi hi!” Ivy chirped in cheerful tones. Spike stood there in awe, silent, as Fluttershy slowly let him go. “What are you?” He finally asked. “Twilight told me all about you, but actually seeing you, you’re amazing!” Spike extended his claws, opening them, revealing a small red gemstone. “I brought you a treat.” He held the offered treat forward. Ivy moved in with her usual curiousity and sniffed. “You can take it,” Spike announced, “it’s good for you. Dragons need minerals and lots of them. We can’t grow our scales out properly without eating them.” He shook the gemstone gently. Ivy’s tongue darted out and the gemstone vanished. She sucked on it for a moment as though it was a candy, her face scrunching in pleasure, and then she began crunching in earnest. Spike watched her chewing on the gem. “The red ones are delicious,” he commented, “plus, I think the red ones make your scales extra shiny!” Spike looked at Fluttershy with concern. “She looks a little patchy. Has she been shedding scales?” He asked. “Yes,” Fluttershy answered, “she has. She’s been really itchy too.” “She needs more minerals. I don’t think she’s had enough. I’m sure the orphanage did the best job it could, but her scales shouldn’t look or feel rough and scratchy like hers does. Should be smooth and sleek, like mine. She’s starting to grow in some really good looking scales though, so you are doing something right.” Spike looked at Ivy, who was looking at him hopefully. “Sorry, I don’t have any more.” “I love Ivy so much, I want her to be healthy.” Fluttershy hugged Spike with her wings. “Thank you.” “Ivy huh?” Spike said. “You finally have a name?” “Yes,” Fluttershy replied. “Climbing Ivy. You should see how she can climb trees. She can scurry up the trunk like a squirrel.” For a moment, Fluttershy seemed unusually animated and excited, and then, it was gone as she calmed herself into her more usual tranquil state. “Nullfire?” Spike enquired, walking into the center of the room and then flopping down on the rug. “Yes, or so Twilight tells me. I wouldn’t know otherwise.” Fluttershy said as she returned to her chair. Ivy had followed Spike and was sitting on her haunches, gazing at him wide eyed. “I have balefire. Twilight says if I tried hard enough and focused my attention, that I could make almost anything burn. Celestia enchanted me to send the mail. I’ve been doing it for so long that I forget that it isn’t normal.” He paused for a moment. “Maybe Ivy could help send the mail!” Spike giggled. “The letters might smell a little funny.” Spike chortled and covered his mouth with his claw. Fluttershy laughed, paused, and reflected upon the fact that she was now laughing at a fanny burp joke. She felt a brief twinge of inner dismay. One more thing she was just going to have to let go of, due to Ivy’s need. Fluttershy’s inner reflection was interrupted by Ivy suddenly pouncing on Spike. She emitted a small squeak of surprise, which was completely drowned out by Spike’s “Oooof!” Spike struggled to sit up. “She’s got a grip,” he gasped, “she’s strong!” Ivy squeezed. Hugs were her favourite activity, and the purple dragon seemed extra durable, unlike the rabbit, which she had to be careful with, or her mother, who squeaked when squeezed too much. Spike wheezed when Ivy finally let go. She had retreated slightly, and was now sitting on her haunches, looking at him intently, grinning from ear to ear, her tail swishing. A few stray scales dislodged and floated away. She cocked her head slightly and looked and Spike. She pointed to one of her scaly legs, and then at Spike. She then pointed at her tail. Her face grimaced in concentration. “Part Ivy?” She asked, her expression quizzical. Spike nodded slowly. “Yes,” he said slowly, “I’m a dragon. Like you, Ivy.” He stretched out a hind leg and flexed his toes. Ivy did the same, looking at her clawed foot and Spike’s clawed foot. There were some differences she noticed. She pointed at one of her rear facing toes, and then pointed at Spike’s foot. She tried to snatch her own tail, but it eluded her, swishing away from her grasp. She hissed in frustration. Spike chuckled. After a few swipes, she finally caught her own tail. She held it out and pointed to Spike’s tail with her other claw. “I don’t have any wings either,” Spike offered, “we are a little different, can you also see what we have in common?” Ivy nodded and smiled, revealing her teeth. Spike smiled, revealing his own. Every small furry mammal in the room suddenly found a pressing need to be elsewhere. Spike sighed. “I remember how frustrating it can be, being stuck in your current position,” he grumbled. “we dragons are so much smarter than we might look, and I can remember thinking about all sorts of things and not having the words to say them to Twilight. It gets better though Ivy.” Ivy nodded thoughtfully, her smile fading. “I still don’t know what to say sometimes,” Spike continued, “I’m still little and ponies don’t take me seriously sometimes. It can be hard sometimes.” Spike huffed. “The inside grows up faster than the outside I think.” Spike suddenly became aware of a yellow feathered wing wrapping around him. Fluttershy had used her talent of quiet to creep up on him unnoticed, and was pulling him into a hug. He leaned into her. Ivy took to all fours and lumbered forward, and then plowing into her mother and Spike. The three of them sat there in the silence, embracing one another, quietly enjoying the moment.