The First Five

by Epimetheus

Chapter 14: Spike the Hedgehog Part II

Spike awoke on day one of his stay at Fluttershy’s to find himself curled up at the foot of Rachael’s and Megan’s bed. Upon seeing him, the two had expressed deep concern over his wellbeing and doted on him. Spike drank in the attention eagerly and wolfed down the small salad Fluttershy made him before a squeaky yawn escaped through. Upon hearing that, Rachael insisted he go to bed and took him upstairs. He didn’t remember anything after that but he soon registered a small thumping noise coming from the door.

Realizing that it was the small thumping noise that had woken him up, he carefully scaled down the side of the bed, keeping a death grip on the sheets. Once Spike got to the floor, he scampered over to the door and opened the pet flap to see a white rabbit about his size.

“So you’re the dragon.” Angel stated more than asked. Spike gave him a tentative nod. He knew Angel to be a tough customer, that having been made clear when he had to pet sit for everpony when they went to help with the Equestria Games. Things wouldn’t have been near as hard if Angel had been the least bit helpful. He only hoped the respect he’d gained, or pity, would carry over into this new form. It seemed that it did.

“Cool. Now you can finally understand me.” Angel said with a smile. Spike thought he saw a gleam in the bunny’s eye, but he brushed it off.

“Yup.” Spike answered still unsure. The bunny hopped to the stairs and motioned for the hedgehog to follow.

“I’ll give you the grand tour.” He offered. Spike looked back into the room and saw the two humans were sound asleep and crawled through the large flap. Fluttershy had installed a smaller set of stairs for her animals on one side of the normal flight, allowing the pair to walk down casually and easily.

“So, feeding is usually about 6:00,” Angel said, relating the daily timetable. “Fluttershy feeds the birds first as thanks for singing to wake her up, then comes all us small, furry, and vegetarian animals.” He indicated to himself, Spike, and the living room. Spike’s eyes went wide as he looked around the room. There were badgers, ferrets, hares, rabbits, shrews, mice, a rat, chipmunks, squirrels, and another hedgehog sleeping on a small cushion. Spike didn’t know how, but he knew she was a she.

“Wow.” He deadpanned. Angel waved it off.

“Everyone’s here simply because there’s a new guy, you. On any given day only a quarter to a third sleep here.” He explained. Spike nodded in understanding and turned back to his guide.

“What’s next?” He asked politely.

“Well, then Braunbär has a salad with berries.” Spike gave him quizzical look. “Mr. Bear is what she calls him.” Angel responded. The hedgehog nodded. “And she feeds the other animals. By 8:00 she goes out to the burrows and sees how everyone is doing, tends to the sick and helps with carrying for the young kinda thing.” He rattled off. Spike gave the rabbit his full attention as they walked through the house, the latter pointing out things Spike should either use, be cautious of, or leave alone for various reasons.

“Hey Angel, where’s the bathroom for us?” Spike asked once they were back in the living room, realizing that that particular room had been left out of the tour. Angel rolled his eyes.

“Dude, we’re animals. We go outside.” He clarified. “Just don’t graze on the flowers in the garden or go in the road.”

“Oh, ok.” Spike said, mentally slapping himself for not knowing that. It was at that point they heard birds singing from outside the window.

“And that means it’s time to eat!” Angel said with a smirk, hopping back out into the kitchen. Spike followed him as the other animals began to slowly wake. The pair waited patiently by the kitchen table, Angel answering questions fielded by Spike until the door opened. Instead of it being Fluttershy though, they saw the entirety of the living room had woken up and followed Spike’s scent. They formed a line and moved in on the pair. Fluttershy and the two humans, having fed the birds, ignored the behavior and walked around pouring food into bowls.

Spike stood incredibly still, unsure of what he should do as the animals sniffed and investigated him. Angel didn’t seem to be panicking, enjoying the discomfort Spike was experiencing with a smirk. None of the animals stayed for more than a five seconds, learning all they wished to know about the new comer and going over to their respective feeding spots for breakfast. With Rachael and Megan helping her, Fluttershy was able to serve breakfast in a fraction of the time it used to take and went out to the burrows to check on the any animals that hadn’t come in for breakfast. The two humans prepare some eggs and fruit for themselves, setting a salad and an apple aside for the pegasus. They ate quickly and took Fluttershy’s breakfast out to her. Spike picked at his food, not finding it appetizing in the least.

As the humans left the kitchen, Spike felt a heavy thumping shake both him, his food bowl, and the table. Angel didn’t seem to panic, engrossed in his food as Spike looked around wildly for the source. His eyes settled on the massive brown bear as it sleepily walked through the living room and into the kitchen. The bear grabbed a bowl from a cabinet and moved over to the fridge, browsing for whatever would comprise this morning’s breakfast. Once he had decided, the bear lumbered over to the table and took a seat in one of the chairs, which surprisingly bore his weight. Wide eyed, Spike slowly stuck his head out from under the table and took in the sight before him.

The bear was nonchalantly munched away on a salad and stared forward, slowly raising and lowering his fork as was necessary. His brown hair wasn’t brushed and stuck out in certain places, which along with the bags under his eyes showed that he had only just woken up from wherever he had spent the night. He was used to sleeping in the guest bed, but things had changed recently.

Mr. Bear hadn’t been around when the humans arrived, attending to personal matters in the Everfree. Needless to say he, Megan, and Rachael were surprised to find each other in the guest bedroom one night, Mr. Bear having grown used to using it for himself. After the screaming stopped, Fluttershy introduced them and they slowly got to know one another. Rachael was ecstatic to find that he liked tea and the pair would often share a pot on Saturdays. The bear felt a pair of eyes on him and looked down to see Spike.

“Guten morgen little igel.” The massive bear said, nodding to the creature as he ate. Spike felt incredibly small and a little frightened, slightly from the accent.

“Good morning.” He said nervously.

“I’m not going to eat you.” The bear deadpanned, taking another bite of his salad. “I’m a vegetarian. The only exception I make are for moths and fish.” Spike nodded in understanding.

“It’s not that.” He said slowly, craning his neck to see the bears face. “It’s just that you’re so big.” Braunbär smiled.

“I get that a lot.” He said, turning to face Spike. “My names Braunbär. And you are?”

“I’m Spike.” He answered. By this time Angel had finished his breakfast and was drawn into the conversation.

“Oh, hey Braunbär.” He said with a wave. The pair had known each other for years, ever since a young white bunny rabbit had met a cub brown bear on the edge of the Everfree Forest and the pair hit it off. In fact, it was Angel who got Fluttershy to take in Mr. Bear, whose mother had been killed by a hydra while defending him.

“Hey Angel.” The bear greeted with another nod. “Where’d this interesting igel come from?”

“Oh, you know that young dragon the purple unicorn has?” He asked rhetorically. Braunbär raised his eyebrows and turned to Spike with a confused look.

“This is him?” The bear asked, suspicion in his voice. Both nodded.

“Yeah, one of the male humans was messing with magic and turned him into this.” The bunny answered nonchalantly. The bear gave the pair a questioning look before sighing and returning to his food.

“Well that is unfortunate.” He remarked casually. Spike rolled his eyes as Angel smirked at him. Spike picked at his food, not finding it quite as disgusting as he had anticipated. His new taste buds found it to be a little dry, but somewhat tasty none the less. He gave Angel half of it before the pair went into the living room.

“Sorry if Braunbär seemed a little weird.” Angel said to Spike, who looked around the room with a bored expression. “He’s been off since he’s had to sleep in the forest behind the cottage.”

“Where’d he sleep before?” Spike asked curiously.

“Up in the guestroom.” He answered. Spike understood completely how such a change could make someone act a little less friendly in the morning. If he’d had to give up his bed to a bunch of strangers, he’d be more than weird to others. Spike walked on all fours as they meandered around, Angel introducing him some friends. They passed by a small, tightly curled on a small cushion and Spike stopped. He saw slight movement on the cushion and he realized that it was the small hedgehog from earlier. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen her come up and sniff him earlier. She gave a squeaky yawn and slowly opened her eyes. Once she turned towards the pair, she froze in terror.

“Hey.” Spike greeted politely.

“Hi…” The small hedgehog said with a twinge of fear, almost curling up again.

“What’s your name?” Spike asked, trying to make conversation.

“Annabelle.” She whispered, looking at the ground. Both males could tell she was extremely uncomfortable with the situation for some reason or another, but neither could put a paw on why.

“That’s a very pretty name.” Spike complimented, hoping it would help. He could see her blush profusely in response. She squeaked a thank you and quickly scampered away, not looking back at the purple and green hedgehog as she did.

“What was that about?” Spike asked, looking to Angel. Unfortunately, some nearby animals had heard the exchange and made their way over to the pair of males. All of them were females.

“She’s just turned one.” One of the squirrels said.

“So she still has some issues with her eyes.” Another added. There were nods of agreement.

“Hedgehogs are born blind.” Angel whispered in Spike’s ear before he could ask.

“And if you try any funny business mister,” A chipmunk said in a high pitch voice, glaring pointedly at Spike.

“You won’t know what hit you.” A badger finished in a deep tone. The short, one way conversation ended abruptly as all four females turned around and went off in the direction Annabelle had. Spike gave Angel a confused look but the rabbit only shrugged.

“Females dude. What do you expect me to know?” Angel asked with a snort before continuing the introductions.

---

The next few days passed surprisingly quickly. Nothing much happened on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, other than Spike falling into the routine that was Fluttershy’s household. Every morning he would get up at six and enjoy breakfast with Braunbär and Angel before taking a bath with the other male small, furry mammals in the tub. It was a strict rule in Fluttershy’s house that only couples could bathe together, and the females were bathed before the males. Then he would enjoy the sun with the other critters and enjoy their company, learning about the social order of the animals.

Carcajou, the head badger, was a calm sort and one of the top animals at the house. He preferred to sunbathe in the field, enjoying a quiet conversation with Angel, Edward the Eagle, or his mate Eileen. His daughter Blaireau would spend her time with the other females of any species, doing whatever they did. Angel himself would spend most of his days around Fluttershy, only leaving the room she was in for conversations with the other animals. It was quite clear that he carried a lot of weight with everyone, whether that came from his rank as Fluttershy’s pet or not was uncertain. Regardless, others would often go to him about issues that weren’t important enough or were too trivial to warrant Fluttershy’s opinion.

Spike felt himself a quiet observer, taking note of things ponies didn’t seem to realize about animals. From their complex ‘language’ and interesting habits, to their intricate society. Species meant everything and nothing all at once. During the day, it was common for the chipmunks to associate with the squirrels, mice, and even Mr. Bear, but at night each and every one of them would be in a single sleeping pile. To sleep with another species was considered both rude and obscene. It was seen as rejecting your species and family and trying to intrude on another’s.

The odd colored hedgehog also learned that sleeping alone was more of a grey area. Since he and Annabelle were unrelated, it would have been seen as courtship if he tried to sleep on the same cushion as her. Angel was the only one who slept in Fluttershy’s room, especially in the winter, and as the only males of their species he and Angel were somewhat expected to either sleep with their species if courting, or alone if single. As such, Spike slept at the foot of Rachael’s and Megan’s bed each night. The weekend was just as monotonous, with the dragon/hedgehog being visited by Twilight and Rarity both days with promises that he’d be returned to normal soon and lots of gems once he was. It was just after their second visit, that Sunday, when something worth remembering happened to Spike.

Having just finished his lunch, Spike decided to go upstairs and take his afternoon nap. He scampered out of the kitchen and slowly edged his way through the living room so that Annabelle’s protectors wouldn’t think he was making any advances on her. He’d accidently strayed too close to her once and been charged by the chipmunk and squirrel, something he didn’t want to relive. He was able to make it to the stairs without being accosted and quickly made his way up the smaller stairs. Spike was looking forward to his nap when he heard a muffled noise from Rachael’s and Megan’s room. Poking his head through the pet flap, he was surprised to see Megan sitting on the bed and sniffling. He cautiously entered the room, watching her intently as he neared the bed. Once he began climbing up the stairs she spotted him and tried to wipe her eyes.

“Hey Spike.” She said hollowly. He watched her intently and sat up at the foot of the bed, silently asking what was wrong. “I just miss my family.” Megan explained. Spike nodded in understanding, prompting her to continue

“My parents met in a different country. My dad was a Marine and was guarding an embassy where my mom was a diplomat’s aid.” Again Spike nodded, knowing what she meant. His time with Twilight in Canterlot allowed him to learn some things about how diplomacy worked.

He had a specific memory of when a diplomat from the Griffon Empire had come to Canterlot Castle with a retinue of guards. It was one of his earliest, and he was sitting in Celestia’s room while Twilight and the Princess practiced levitation. There was a knock at the door and a Royal Guardspony told Celestia something. Placing him on Twilight’s back with her magic, she led the pair out of the room and through the palace. They met with a group of Griffons, who were stunned at his presence. That’s where it ended, but he did remember Celestia explaining who those Griffons were.

“They fell in love and got married.” Megan continued, wiping tears off her face with a small smile. “I was actually born in a different country than where I lived before coming here. Greece was a great place back then.” Spike listened attentively, not making a sound or straying back down his own memory lane.

“So, my mom was transferred back to the States and raised me there. My dad served his tour and came home a year later. We were really happy from what I remember, and just after I turned fourteen my brother was born.” Spike found the memories to be rather positive and wasn’t sure why she was crying.

“But then just five years later my dad heard that one of his former Marine buddies had died in a war that was going on.” She continued. Spike had an inkling as to where this was going and moved over to her. Megan pulled him into a small hug as she spoke. “My mother had been promoted and was making good money, enough to support us. My dad reenlisted in the military and promised to be back when his tour was up.

“But then my mom was sent overseas on a diplomatic mission and my brother and I were sent to live with our uncle. At first we were doing ok, Max and I. Uncle Roberts was a good guy and he loved us like we were his own kids.” Her eyes were steadily making more tears and she was having trouble wiping them all away. “We spent nine months there, and they were good months. Max made friends in kindergarten and I spent my first year in college. Dad did video calls with us every chance he got and so did mom. She was actually supposed to get back after him.” Megan began to choke up, and pinched her nose, trying to hold back tears.

“And then my father was killed by an IED while we were at our uncles.” Megan forced through, more tears streaming from her eyes. Spike didn’t know what an IED was, but he could tell it was a bad thing. He moved closer to her torso in an effort to comfort her and she gripped him tighter. “And now my family won’t know what’s happened to me.” She cried softly, laying down on the bed and going into a fetal position.

Spike was growing deeply concerned and wiggled out of her grasp. Turning to see her face, his concerns were justified. Her nose was running and her eyes were pouring out tears turning them a bright red alongside her cheeks. All of this made the human look ill to Spike and he quickly climbed off the bed, forgetting the fear that dominated him when he did this in the morning. He bolted through the pet flap and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him towards the stairs. Unfortunately he wasn’t used to four legs enough to run down stairs and tripped. Instinct took over and he curled into a ball, protecting himself from injury.

He felt the impact of each stair bounce off the thick spines on his back as he fell, making him incredibly thankful to have become a hedgehog over a rabbit. Spike hit the floor with a quiet, yet rather hard thud that didn’t cause any damage and he emerged from the ball.

“Fluttershy!” He squeaked loudly, looking around the room for the pegasus. The other animals were startled by his abrupt entrance and shouting, making many move away from him. Annabelle hid behind her friends, terrified of all the ruckus that she could barely see. Angel was the first to emerge from the front yard, a concerned look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked quickly. Spike pointed upstairs as he explained the situation with Megan.

“I need Fluttershy to get Rachael up there.” He finished quickly. Angel nodded in understanding and bolted back out the door to get the pair. There were a few tense moments that followed where Spike could only hear his heart beating rapidly from his tumble down the stairs and his just as quick breathing as he tried to calm himself. Yes Megan was upset, crying about her family. Yes she needed a friend at that moment. But no, she did not need for him to panic and make things seem bigger than they were. Megan was homesick, not experiencing a mental breakdown. Calming down, he saw Fluttershy rush in, a horrified look on her face.

“What’s wrong Spike?” Rachael asked, hot on the pegasi’s heels. “Fluttershy said Angel heard from you that Megan was in trouble.” Spike quickly explained the situation, Fluttershy interpreting for him to Rachael. He did his best to paint Megan in a light that wouldn’t cause either to panic as he described the situation and he seemed to do just that. He saw looks of worry cross their faces, but neither seemed to be overreacting. Rachael quickly ascended the stairs once Spike had finished and they heard her slowly open the door to the guest room.

“We should give them a moment.” Fluttershy said, looking to Angel and Spike. They both nodded in agreement at the same moment they heard a scream of frustration from upstairs and even louder sobs. The three ran up the stairs as soon as the sounds reached their ears, their fears about what was going on reaching new heights. Fluttershy reached the door first and was standing in the open doorway when Spike and Angel got there. They saw Fluttershy’s wide eyes first, then they saw Megan.

She and Rachael were both sitting on the bed, the former doubled over with her head in her hands and both resting on her knees. Rachael was lightly patting her on the back and saying something rendered incomprehensible by her friends sobs. This scene prevailed for the better part of three minutes before Megan sat back up. The hair along the sides of her face was clumped together from her tears, her eyes were a brilliant red, and her cheeks were as well from the tear stains. She seemed to have gotten worse since Spike left to go get the others.

“I NEED TO SEE HIM AGAIN!” She screamed, tears streaming down her face. “I NEED TO SEE MAX!” Rachael tried to pull her into a hug but Megan fought as soon as she felt her touch.

“Megan…” She began but her friend cut her off.

“HE NEEDS ME!” Megan wailed. “I’M THE ONE WHO TUCKS HIM IN! I’M THE ONE WHO MAKES HIS LUNCH!” Spike felt a massive upwelling of pity as he watched the scene continue. He desperately wanted to comfort her or something, but the way Megan was fighting Rachael would only end up with him getting hurt.

“I know you do.” Rachael tried to comfort her. “I know how much you love him” She went back to simply rubbing her friends back in the hopes Megan would stop fighting, but her friend had built up some steam and shied away from the touch.

“I’m the one who comforts him when he’s scared.” She continued, thankfully at a lower volume. “Mom made me promise to take care of him and now I’m not there. Something could happen to him and I won’t be there.” She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Megan buried her face into her knees and muffled sobs were the only sounds she made. Rachael slowly inched closer until she was right next to her friend and put her arm around her. Fluttershy slowly moved forward into the room, but stopped at the end of the bed. Spike entered as well, but stayed a little further back so that the larger creatures didn’t accidently hurt him. He looked back at Angel, still watching from the other side of the doorway, and the pair grimaced at one another, unsure of what they should do.

“It’s ok.” Rachael said, hugging her friend. Megan lifted her head and wrapped her arms around Rachael tightly, her face now buried in her friends shoulder.

“I just miss him so much.” Megan whispered, body still wracked by quiet tears.

“I know.” Rachael cooed, slowly rubbing her friends back to help soothe her. “We all miss our families.” Spike heard rapid, halting breathes come from Megan as she tried to calm herself and he slowly moved back towards the trio. Fluttershy used her wings to fan the upset girl, giving her some air but remaining silent herself. Once Megan slowly lifted her head away from Rachael and wiped her eyes, Spike relaxed. He hadn’t realized how tense he was during the entire incident, but it didn’t surprise him. He dealt with Twilight’s outbursts of frustration or OCD induced panic often enough that he was used to caring for her and her nuances, but all he could do here was step back and let others handle the situation. Something he wasn’t used to.

He watched the trio as Rachael and Fluttershy tried to keep Megan from screaming again. Fluttershy moved closer to the pair, eyes misting over as she did.

“I know some of what you’re going through.” She whispered. Both Rachael and Megan looked up at this, unsure of what she meant.

“I lost my mother in the Royal Guard.” Fluttershy murmured quietly. Megan looked up with a mixture of emotions including empathy and sadness while Rachael gave her a shocked look, eyes going slightly wide. The former pulled the pegasus into a tight hug that surprised her, but she didn’t fight it, instead hugging back just as tightly. Spike turned to look at Angel, who was fidgeting uncomfortably. He walked back over to the rabbit, who turned to leave.

“What’s wrong?” Spike asked, putting a paw on the rabbit’s shoulder to stop him.

“I was given to Fluttershy after her mother died.” He answered before moving out of Spike’s grasp and quickly hoping down the stairs. Spike turned back and looked into the room to check on things before following the rabbit downstairs. By the time he reached the living room Angel had climbed onto the couch and had slightly moved down into the couch, between the edge of a cushion and the armrest. Spike sat next to him, though he had trouble climbing the couch.

“So that was…” Angel began, his tone quiet so the others couldn’t listen in. The shouts and wails had made their way downstairs, but none of the others were brave enough to investigate whatever was making those terrifying noises and had stayed downstairs, giving the stairs a wide berth as they moved about. The arrival of Spike and Angel after the noises had subsided had caused a number of critters to perk up, hoping they were bearing news. Their silence told them to mind their own business. Fluttershy would probably explain later anyways.

“Terrible.” Spike offered. The bunny nodded and looked up the stairs.

“Yeah. Who’s this Max she was wailing about?” He asked. “Her offspring?” Spike shook his head

“I think he’s her brother.” Spike remarked, thinking back on what Megan had said. “She said her mom made her promise to take care of him.” Angel nodded in agreement, remembering the comment.

“I can’t imagine what she’s going through right now.” He said hollowly, shuddering. Spike nodded in agreement.

“Yeah. I mean, she doesn’t even know if she’s in the same universe as her brother now.” He added, referencing the multiverse theory he’d heard Thomas and Twilight discuss. The pair were torn between deciding that the human Earth was in another part of this universe, another one, or whatever a dimension was. A quick explanation of what he could remember brought Angel up to speed on what he meant by universe and the rabbit only felt more pity for the female. The pair shared a short conversation about their own theories before falling into silence. Angel was remembering some of his earliest memories of a young pegasus who couldn’t sleep without him and Spike was focused on remembering to tell Thomas about this later. Maybe there was something he could do.

Rachael came down a few minutes later with a small blanket and looked around the living room for the purple and green hedgehog. She spotted him on the couch with Angel, the two giving her looks of trepidation as she approached.

“Thanks for getting me Spike.” She said, sitting down in the middle of the couch. He nodded, wondering what she was doing with the blanket. “I got this because I know you went up there to take your nap.” She explained, draping it over him. Spike crawled out from under it and relaxed on top of the fuzzy fabric, enjoying the softness. Angel nudged him, a jealous twinkle in his eyes as he looked at the blanket. Spike moved over for him and the pair prepared to drift off.

“You know, for a dragon you make a pretty good hedgehog.” Rachael added with a smile, getting up. As she climbed the stairs, both males fell asleep.

Spike felt some nudges on his lower right paw and slowly opened his eyes. Taking stock of the situation, he wasn’t very upset. He was still reclined on the couch, sleepy from the nap, and Angel was still out, snoring away. Before him was the group of female animals that earlier had warned him against pursuing Annabelle the hedgehog.

“So, you aren’t an actual hedgehog?” Blaireau asked, giving him a curious look, referencing Rachaels comment. Spike nodded, sitting up. He rubbed his eyes as he did, trying to wake himself up.

“Yup. A human named Thomas *yawn* was experimenting with magic and accidently turned me into a hedgehog. And the spell to turn me back can only be performed by an alicorn.” He explained. The females gave him curious looks.

“What’s a spell and an alicorn?” A chipmunk squeaked. It was then that Spike realized that most animals probably didn’t pay too much attention to the nuances of magic or pony society outside of Fluttershy’s friends who would sometimes visit.

“A spell is what unicorns and alicorns use to perform specific feats of magic. Like lifting things without touching them requires a levitation spell. And an alicorn is a pony with both a horn and wings. They’re really powerful and can do things it takes many unicorn’s to do by themselves.” He answered, getting nods of understanding from the group. They turned away from Spike and started mumbling to one another in the stereotypical huddle, one every so often sticking their head up to check on Spike. The purple and green hedgehog himself went back to relaxing on the couch, curled up with the blanket. He felt sleep regaining its holds on his mind as time passed. They mingled amongst themselves for a few more minutes before turning back to him.

“Ok, so since you’re not a real hedgehog, we’ve decided something.” The badger said as the huddle broke up. Spike lifted his head, pretty much confused as to the purpose of all this.

“And that would be?” He asked slowly.

“We don’t want you hanging around Annabelle.” The squirrel answered sharply. He tilted his head in curiosity.

“You’re an older hedgehog.” The chipmunk explained. “She looks to you to see how a hedgehog should act, how to interact with others of her species.”

“And because you aren’t an actual hedgehog…” Blaireau began. The squirrel looked like it was about to finish, but Spike knew where they were going.

“I’ll do things that real hedgehogs won’t and just confuse her.” He interceded. Slightly off put by this interruption, they nodded collectively.

“Exactly.” The chipmunk chirped. “It’s nothing personal though.” Spike stretched and sighed.

“Yeah, you just want what’s best for Annabelle.” He said. Again they nodded, but instead of saying anything more they left Spike to continue his nap. The rest of the afternoon passed without incident, Megan coming downstairs after dinner to grab a quick bite. Most of the diurnal animals were either out of the cottage in their burrows, or already drifting off to sleep and didn’t pay much attention to her. Her friends smiled kindly at her and made small talk, but they didn’t mention the day’s events.

That night Spike crawled up to where Megan was laying, her closed eyes contrasting with the pink streaks still present on her cheeks, and nudged her arm. She opened one eye slowly and looked for what had touched her. When she focused on Spike she opened the other and smiled. She lifted her arm so that he could move closer to her and set it down so that she didn’t cross him. The hedgehog cuddled up to her, shifting as he tried to get comfortable, and once he did she felt him sigh heavily as he prepared to fall asleep.

“Thanks Spike.” Megan said softly as she closed her eyes.

---

The last day of Spike the hedgehog’s stay at Fluttershy’s began with him waking up on Megan’s slowly rising and lowering stomach. With a long drawn out yawn, he stretched his limbs and got to his feet. He couldn’t see her face due to those strange mounds the human females had under their shirts, something Thomas had said were ‘nests’ or something like that in the biology lesson he gave Twilight a few weeks ago. Spike really didn’t know what they were nests for and wasn’t sure he wanted to, so he carefully crawled off Megan as no to wake her. He climbed off the bed and slowly made his way downstairs, stretching and yawning as he did. The morning rituals were performed flawlessly, breakfast being served on time and in order. Megan was better today, although many of the animals gave her reassuring nudges and squeaks, chirps, and barks which she was very appreciative of.

The rest of the morning was spent enjoying the sun in either the front or the back yards of Fluttershy’s cottage as Spike waited anxiously for Twilight to come and get him so that Zecora could administer the antidote to his ‘condition’. Time slowed to a crawl as he waited impatiently in the front room for her to arrive, pacing around and counting the floor boards in an effort to distract himself. On his sixth repetition of this Angel put his foot down and dragged the hedgehog out back with some of the other animals to relax in the warm sun.

“Fluttershy will let you know when the purple one shows up.” He argued as he exercised his surprising strength against the former dragon. “Until then, you need to relax.” Spike sighed in defeat, only after struggling like a maniac to try and stay inside the cottage. He grabbed onto doorframes, tables, chairs, and even Mr. Bear’s paw. The latter was the least successful because the pair were hoisted up to his shoulder level and carried outside, Angel’s ego taking more damage than anything else.

“Geh spielen kleinen.” He said with a chuckle, depositing them in the middle of a small grassy area that bordered the forest behind the cottage. He strolled back inside to the cup of tea the pair had interrupted. Angel harrumphed and hopped towards the other rabbits, having a quick discussion with them. Spike looked around and sighed, deciding that since he was outside he might as well remain outside. He passed the next two hours sunbathing with Angel’s bunny horde, listening silently as they played, groomed, and debated whether carrots or cabbage were better. Then the collective energy spiked as one of the watch, organized in shifts to make sure nothing left the forest, spotted something.

“SNAKES!” A chipmunk shouted in horror, causing a mad rush of animals. Standing, Spike could see at least four snakes slithering their way towards the cottage, trying to get at the animals. The badgers charged forward to meet them head on as many of the smaller animals ran back towards the building for safety. Angel tugged on Spike’s paw, motioning for him to follow and he was about to when he saw a terrified Annabelle frozen in fear only feet from a snake as it tried to fight the female badger from earlier. Spike brushed Angel off and ran as fast as his leg could carry him towards her.

The three badgers were too busy fighting the snakes to help her and none of the smaller animals were brave enough to go get her, leaving the year old female alone. She heard a hiss behind her that snapped her out of her fear induced stupor. Turning around, Annabelle saw another snake preparing to strike. Then she heard a shout and the snake cried out in pain. A distinctive green and purple hedgehog had sunk his teeth right below the head of the snake, making it impossible for it to bite him.

“Annabelle!” One of the other animals called out. She looked up and saw the eagle above her. It dove down and scooped her up, quickly taking away from the fight. Edward deposited her with Angel and returned to the skies, looking out for more snake with the falcon and other sharp eyed birds of prey.

“Damn you!” The snaked snarled, trying desperately to shake off Spike. It twisted and swung its body as best it could to throw him off, but the one and a half pound hedgehog was too heavy for it to completely lift off of the ground. Only when Spike’s jaw struck a sharp rock did he let go, allowing the snake to pull back somewhat, blood streaming down its body.

“I’m going to enjoy eating you.” It hissed, glowing at Spike. Wiping blood from his chin, Spike only snarled in response. The snake prepared to strike and Spike wasn’t sure why, but he felt the overwhelming urge to curl into a ball and show his back to the snake. Spinning around, he allowed instinct to take over and curled into a tight ball. He could feel the snakes as it lashed out, but the thick spines on his back kept it at bay. The snake furiously threw itself against the object of its rage, but its efforts went fruitless as Spike refused to budge from his safe position. He heard the screech of a bird and felt the wind as it dove right next to him in an effort to grab the snake, but it missed as signified by the continued attacks on his spines. Realizing the threat from the air however, the snake stayed close enough to Spike to prevent any other attempts.

“Fight me you coward!” He seethed, trying desperately to get an actual bite on the hedgehog. But Spike heard a little pant, telling him the snake was tiring out. A few more attempts and the snake was breathing heavily. Without a sound, Spike whirled around, and leapt at the snake. He felt his sharp teeth break scales and embed themselves deep in the snake’s muscles. Spike didn’t know it, but he was latched onto the snakes head, just above the eyes and his body was hanging off to the left of the snake, completely robbing it of any advantage.

“AAUGH!” The snake screamed, desperately trying to lift its head up to get him off, but it barely could before and the constant attacks had left it too exhausted to do so. Spike opened his eyes and saw the badgers were winning against the other four snakes, forcing them back into the wood behind Fluttershy’s cottage. As the snake shifted beneath him, Spike was able to look to his far left and see Fluttershy, Twilight, Megan, and Rachael running out of the cottage. Both humans had large sticks in their hands and were wearing thick clothing, leaving only their heads visible.

“Spike!” Fluttershy cried out, seeing him attached to the snake. Twilight mirrored her shock and ignited her horn. As the humans started whacking at the snakes, giving the tired badgers a respite, she shot off stunning spells and kept those that were avoiding the humans strikes from attacking them. This second wave was too much for the reptiles and they fled back into the forest, except for the one Spike was still attached to. He had given up and was crying from the pain of Spike’s razor sharp teeth that were millimeters from his spinal cord.

“Spike, you can let go.” He heard Twilight say as she approached, horn lit. He saw her magical aura envelope the snake and did so, his mouth filled with blood. As he tried to spit the stuff out, it streamed down his fur and turned his green belly a dark scarlet. Twilight lifted the snake into the air and turned to Fluttershy.

“What should I do with him?” She asked the animal caretaker. Fluttershy took one look at the pitiful creature and sighed.

“I’ve got a tank inside he can go in until he’s better.” She said quietly. Megan and Rachael approached, taking a close look at the snake.

“Spike, you certainly did a number on this guy.” Megan whistled, examining the deep tooth marks on its head and upper body. The pegasus, worried about her furry friends, quickly made the rounds to see if anyone had been bitten or hurt and she made sure to profusely thank the badgers for their bravery. Megan went and got the tank Fluttershy had mentioned and used chicken wire to construct a lid for it that would allow air, but not reptiles, in and out. Once Spike had been thoroughly checked out by Fluttershy for puncture wounds, he was turned over to Twilight, who beamed at him.

“I came to let you know Zecora has the potion to turn you back ready.” Twilight explained, lifting Spike’s mood. He quickly said goodbye to his new animal friends, including Mr. Bear who had just woken from a nap, and the humans. Megan gave him a tight hug and a peck on the cheek that made Twilight give the blushing animal a curious look while Rachael gave him a quick belly rub.

“Ready?” She asked and received two quick squeaks. Levitating him onto her back, the pair set off, waving as the residents of the cottage as they did. The journey dragged on for both of them, Twilight excited to be getting her Spike back and Spike excited about returning to normal and being able to eat gems instead of pet food. The pair entered the Everfree and made their way down the path at a quick pace. The rhythmic trot of Twilight’s hooves and the bounce of back as she walked worked magic on Spike it hadn’t used since he was a hatchling.

Spike felt a crash as his adrenaline drained and when combined with Twilight’s movements caused him to fall asleep on unicorn’s back as she carried him through the Everfree. When he woke up, Twilight was still carrying him and she and Zecora were putting the finishing touches on a slime colored potion in the zebra’s cauldron Thankfully it was only about half full, or Spike had a feeling that he would be throwing up. Seeing he was finally awake, Zecora gave Spike a word of warning about the brew.

“Be careful young reptile, especially since this brew looks so vile. To drink any of this will cause a great many things to go amiss.” She said slowly, mixing the cauldron’s contents with a nervous look on her face. He nodded in understanding, the conversation from a week ago coming back to him.

“It could seriously mess up your dragon fire and who knows what else.” Twilight added, pinching her nose immediately after getting a whiff. Spike couldn’t see the look of disgust on her face, but his own nose felt like it was being murdered and he was desperately trying not to gag.

“That should finish this most pungent brew. I’ll get a small bowl for to bathe the shrew.” Zecora said as she finished stirring. Spike focused on the potion as the zebra dug through cabinets to find a bowl of the appropriate size.

“Zecora, do you think I could have some of this potion in case something like this happens again?” Twilight asked, looking to the zebra.

“Yes, with all the magical chaos in the library, such preparations would be necessary.” She said, pulling out a medium sized glass bottle with the bowl. After slowly ladling the thick potion into the bowl first, Zecora set it down near the pair before turning to the bottle.

“Thanks.” Twilight said with a nod, levitating Spike to the edge of the bowl. Pinching his nose, the hedgehog apprehensively prepared himself for the worst smelling bath of his life. Mentally counting to three, he swung a little leg over the edge of the bowl and immersed himself in the pungent ‘liquid’.

“How long is it supposed to take?” Twilight asked. She had been hoping for immediate results but had doubted it would be that quick.

“It will take about a quarter of an hour.” She said, giving Twilight a corked bottle of goo. “And this will take years to go sour.” Twilight thanked the zebra and the two settled down at the kitchen table to anxiously watch Spike. The potion was working, slowly stripping the magical matrix that had ahold of the dragon. His spines were shortening as he slowly grew larger, gem crushing canines were emerging ones designed to bite through snake scales and insect chitin, and his tail began to emerge. He waited patiently as his body morphed back into the one he was born with and Twilight saw a smile spread across his face. Stepping out of the bowl, he accepted a towel from Zecora and wiped off any excess potion that had remained on his scales.

“I am so going to need a bath when we get back.” He said, earning a smirk from both equines. As he dried off Twilight and Zecora poured the remaining amount of potion into two large gourds so the zebra could store them for later use. Spike gladly volunteered to help scour the cauldron and profusely thanked Zecora for helping him as he did. She waved him off with a smile.

“There is no need to thank me young Spike.” She responded. “It’s nothing to help those I like.”

“Well still.” He pressed, popping his head out of the cauldron.

“It is getting late you my friends.” She chuckled, looking out a window. “You should get home before you’re more likely to meet unfortunate ends.” Twilight agreed, seeing that sun light was barely filtering through the foliage of the trees. Spike gladly walked home after giving a certain blushing zebra a tight hug for her trouble. Twilight saw a spring in his step as they made their way back to Ponyville, and she was sure she could hear him humming a jaunty tune. None of the monsters in the forest interfered with their trek and the pair emerged from the forest unharmed just as the sun had set below the horizon.

Spike insisted on making a quick stop at Fluttershy’s, where he visited with Angel and the others. Unfortunately they couldn’t stay long and Spike didn’t get as much time as he wanted. Before he left though, he checked on the snake and Annabelle, both stunned to see the dragon, and found them to be doing well. Annabelle was understandably skittish and the snake had mixed feelings about surviving an attack from a dragon that had been a hedgehog.

The two returned to the library as the moon steadily rose higher and the stars twinkled brighter every few seconds. It was a cloudless, beautiful night and only a slight breeze blew through town. The two found Thomas pacing in the main room of the library, waiting for them to return. He opened his mouth to speak but Spike cut him off.

“Dude, don’t apologize.” He said with sincerity before adding with a laugh. “Let’s just call it even before one of us can’t walk or something.” Thomas smiled at this and nodded in agreement.

Author's Note:

So... sorry for the wait, this chapter was just annoying to connect and get something resembling a flow going.

Thoughts on chapters, characters, and the story as a whole are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

Comments

[Fugly Duckling]

the part where he attacked that snake felt like it went by a little too fast. but it was a good chapter nonetheless.

also, i expect a discussion about boobs soon

[Manual Control]

The whole time is was reading Angel's parts I was trying to give him a tough voice... But the it went into a kid's voice... And I really like how he isn't a complete D*** to spike at the start...