Fluttershy?
Contrary to what some ponies might think, Spike was actually a pretty nimble dragon. After all, he had plenty of practice with all the running and hiding he had to do. Growing up with Twilight was a literal minefield with all the volatile magic and explosive science experiments the former unicorn performed regularly.
Moving to Ponyville only further put his fleeing-for-his-life abilities to the test. From simple misunderstandings that spiraled out of control to dealing with power-hungry villains that threatened the entire world, he and his friends seemed to attract trouble on an almost weekly basis.
However, today was not one of those kinds of days. Spike was running for an entirely different reason. Tucked safely in the backpack strapped to his back was a new comic, and he only had to complete one more errand before he could go home and enjoy his purchase within the comforts of his room.
When Spike made it to Sweet Apple Acres, he quickly found Applejack, the mare he was looking for, hauling a wagon full of apples toward one of the barns.
“Hey, Applejack!” Spike called out, waving his hand and rushing toward the mare.
Applejack turned toward her caller and smiled. “Howdy, Spike. Just you today?”
“Yep, Twilight and Starlight are busy doing some magic stuff.”
“Well, what can Ah do for you?” Applejack’s smile shrunk. “But, um, just to let you know, Ah’m pretty busy today, so Ah can’t really spare the time for any of our sessions.”
Spike chuckled. “Not today, Applejack. I’m just here to grab a few apples to take home.”
Applejack tilted her head at the wagon behind her. “No problem. I got a whole bunch right here. How many you need?”
“Half a dozen, please. That should be enough for the three of us.”
Applejack unhooked herself from the wagon and quickly picked out the requested apples, setting them in a pile in front of the dragon. “There you go, Spike. Ah’ll just put it on your tab.”
“Thanks, Applejack!” Spike took his comic out of his backpack and set it delicately to the side before he began stuffing the apples into his bag.
“What you got there, Spike?” Applejack asked, staring at the comic.
“Oh, nothing.” Spike picked up the comic in one hand and held it triumphantly above his head. “Just the newest issue of the Power Ponies!”
“Power Ponies?” Applejack’s eyes widened, and she slowly backed away. “Isn’t that the same comic that we all got sucked into?”
“Don’t worry. This is just a plain, old comic. Uh, not that I’m saying the Power Ponies are plain or old because they’re not and are totally awesome.” Spike quickly finished packing, placing his comic on top of the apples. Putting on his backpack again, he started walking away and waved goodbye. “Thanks again, Applejack! Say hi to your family for me!”
“Er, wait, Spike,” Applejack said, prompting Spike to turn right back to her. “Just wonderin’, do you have anythin’ else to do today?”
“Other than going home and reading my comic, no,” Spike replied. “What’s up?”
“Well, if it’s not too much trouble, could you do an apple delivery for me? Cider season is comin’ up, and Ah got a bunch of stuff to do. Whole family does actually, otherwise Ah would’ve asked one of them to do it instead.”
“Um…” Spike glanced away and nervously squeezed the straps of his backpack. In all honesty, he really wanted to head home so that he could start reading his comic. He had been waiting all month for the comic to come out. However, he also felt guilty for even thinking of leaving a friend in need, especially since they were asking for a simple favor.
“Who would I be delivering to?” Spike asked.
“Fluttershy,” Applejack answered. “She told me she was going to pick up a bunch of apples today, but one of her bird friends came by with a note from her a little while ago. Turns out that she got to take care of a bunch of injured critters. She still says she really needs those apples, but since Ah’m so busy, it’s gonna be really tough for me to get them to her.”
That settled it for Spike. He would be helping not one, but two of his friends. Surely he could spare a few more minutes, and it was not like his Power Ponies comic was going anywhere.
Taking a small breath, Spike nodded and smiled. “I would be happy to help.”
Applejack replied with an even bigger smile. “Thanks, Spike! Just wait right here for a sec.” She trotted into the farmhouse, and after a moment, she came back with a paper bag almost as big as Spike’s backpack.
“Whoa, Fluttershy usually orders this many apples at once?” Spike asked, peering into the bag. There were probably around two dozen apples inside it.
“Every now and then. Ah think she started doing this not too long ago.” Applejack shrugged. “Ah figure that she probably needs them to feed some hungry animals.”
Spike nodded. “Yeah, that’s probably it.”
With a little help from Applejack, Spike managed to squeeze Fluttershy’s apples into his backpack while making sure his comic was not squished.
“Thanks, Spike, Ah owe ya, and Ah’m sure Fluttershy will feel the same way when you see her!” Applejack called out as Spike walked away.
Spike’s trip to Fluttershy’s place was slow. He was already weighed down by his heavy apple load, but there were further delays as he tried his best to keep his backpack steady to prevent any of the apples from jostling around and possibly damaging his comic in some way. He was thankful that Shining Armor had taught him so many different ways to care for his comics, including buying plastic sleeves to protect them.
When Fluttershy’s place came into view, Spike was exhausted. At least he was almost done with his task, and it would not be long before he can delve into his comic. He walked right up to the door and knocked.
A moment later, he heard Fluttershy quietly ask “H-hello? Who’s there?” from the other side of the door. Her voice was barely audible, but Spike had plenty of practice to tune his ears to Fluttershy-speak.
“Hey, Fluttershy. It’s just Spike. Applejack is busy, so I’m delivering your apples for her.”
“Oh, Spike!” Fluttershy promptly replied, her volume and enthusiasm perking right up. “Thank you so much. I can’t open the door for you at the moment, but it’s unlocked, so please, come right in.”
Receiving permission, Spike opened the door and walked forward.
“But just watch out for—”
“Whoa!”
As soon as Spike stepped inside Fluttershy’s place, he tripped on something that was lying right in front of the door and fell forward. As his face gave a sudden up-close greeting to the wooden floorboards, he felt and heard the apples tumble out of his backpack.
“Oh my goodness, Spike! Are you alright?”
Still facedown, Spike groaned, but he briefly raised one of his hands to give a thumbs up before letting it slump back to the floor. “Just peachy…”
For some reason, a hissing sound began filling the room.
“Now, now, Fluffy, it was just an accident, and you kind of did leave that part of you right in front of the door. I’m sure Spike is sorry for tripping over you. No need to throw a hissy fit.”
Sufficiently recovered from his fall, Spike slowly pushed himself off the floor. “Yeah, I should’ve watched where I was going. Sorry,” He lifted his head to address the animal but froze when he saw what it was. “F-F-Fluffy?”
Fluffy did not live up to his namesake. In fact, Fluffy was not fluffy at all.
“F-Fluttershy, i-is that a king cobra?” Spike asked, pointing a shaky claw at the dark-gray snake. It was glaring right at him as the upper-half of its body rested on a pile of pillows and blankets.
Fluttershy nodded.
“And aren’t they venomous?”
“Well, yes, but Fluffy here is really careful. I’m actually a bit surprised you knew that off the top off your head.”
“Yeah, well, you know how Twilight is scared of snakes. She made me read up on them in a ‘Know thy enemy’ sort of thing.”
“Aww, snakes aren’t enemies. They’re so adorable. Isn’t that right, Fluffy?” Fluttershy gently stroked Fluffy’s head, getting a happy hiss from the snake. “Would you like to pet him, Spike?”
“No thanks,” Spike replied immediately, making sure to keep his distance from the snake.
“There’s no need to be afraid of him. He’s friendly once you get to know him, and he doesn’t bite.” Fluttershy paused. “Well, most of the time…”
“Yeah… I’m good, Fluttershy. Really. Besides, I, um…” Spike’s eyes darted around for an excuse, and he saw the apples that spilled out of his backpack littering the floor. “I need to clean up the mess I made.”
“Oh, uh, right. Let me help.”
Even though the apples were scattered all around the room, the two of them made quick work of picking them all up.
“Thank you so much for delivering the apples for me, Spike,” Fluttershy said as she put away her apples in the kitchen. “I was starting to get worried that they weren’t coming today.”
“Had a hankering for apples?" Spike asked with a teasing grin as he packed the apples he purchased into his backpack.
“Oh, um, yes. Something like that…”
“Still, it is quite a lot of apples for just you. I’m guessing some are for the animals?”
“Uh, yes? Er, I mean, right!” Fluttershy coughed lightly. “Um, anyway, I’m really grateful that you made a special trip just for me. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble. I would’ve picked up the apples myself, but I’ve been busy tending to a bunch of animals that came in today. The good news is that almost all of them have been taken care of and have already gone home. Fluffy here is my last patient.”
Spike sneaked a wary glance at Fluffy, one of many that he cast at the snake while he was here. Fortunately, Fluffy seemed to have drifted off into a nap while they were cleaning up. “Well, glad to hear you got everything under control. And you don’t have to worry. I’m always happy to help out a friend.”
“Well, I do have to check Fluffy’s fangs next. Would you like to hold open his mouth for me?”
Spike’s eyes bulged. “You know, actually, I should really get home,” he hastily blurted out, quickly putting on his backpack and rushing toward the door. “Don’t want Twilight and Starlight to make a mess while I’m gone. I’ll see you some other time, Fluttershy. Bye!”
Spike beat a hasty retreat from Fluttershy’s place, not wanting anymore interactions with Fluffy. While he did not share Twilight’s fear of snakes, being around one of the largest venomous snakes would make anypony nervous. Anypony that was not Fluttershy, that is.
Eager to see what adventures awaited his favorite heroes, Spike was able to run all the way back home. But as he approached the castle, his run slowed down to a stop. He sensed something. Something that he knew full well what it was, and it filled him with dread and despair.
“Here we go again…” he said with a groan before opening the castle’s front doors. He did not even get to step inside before Twilight and Starlight both teleported right in front of him with a burst of light.
“Hi, Spike,” Twilight and Starlight greeted. They both had wide smiles that were the epitome of sweetness and innocence.
Spike merely shot them a flat gaze and looked behind the not-so-innocent ponies.
The castle was in such a huge mess, it would put Discord to shame. Scorch marks were all over the walls, one of the hallway carpets was singed on one end and soaking wet on the other, and some sort of purple goo was leaking out of a nearby room with its doors magically welded shut.
And that was only the stuff he could see as his castlemates tried to move in front of his line of sight.
“So how many spells went wrong?” Spike asked in a deadpan tone.
“Just one,” Starlight replied, along with a nervous chuckle.
An explosion could be heard from somewhere else in the castle, and smoke started to leak into the room.
“Maybe two.”
The welded-shut door suddenly burst open and huge, purple tentacles started flailing out.
“Or ten…”
Resisting the urge to facepalm hard enough to knock himself out, Spike instead let out a sigh. “I’ll go get the broom…”
“Sorry for all of the extra work, Spike,” Twilight apologized as she scrubbed away a burn mark on the wall.
“It’s alright,” said Spike as he mopped up the last of the purple slime left in the room. “All of this is pretty much an occupational hazard for living with you and your craziness.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Har har…”
“Not to mention that you got Starlight now. Seriously, it’s like the messes are twice as big and twice as often with her around.”
“I heard that!” Starlight’s voice came from the hallway.
“I wanted you to!” Spike yelled back before snickering to himself.
“In all seriousness though, thanks for helping us clean up, Spike,” Twilight said with a smile. “I know you’ve been busy with chores all day.”
“No kidding. I’m exhausted,” Spike muttered. It had been a couple of hours since they had banished all of the eldritch abominations and more importantly, started cleaning up the mess and damages to the castle.
Spike yelped when his mop was suddenly ripped from his hands by a magenta glow. He turned to frown at Twilight, who was now holding the mop beside her. “Hey!”
“Why don’t you go ahead and rest?" Twilight suggested. “Starlight and I can finish things up from here.”
Spike blinked. “Really? You sure?”
“Yep! In fact, don’t worry about your chores tomorrow either. You could use a break.”
“Alright! Thanks, Twilight!”
Spike gleefully rushed out of the room, past an amused Starlight, and up the stairs toward his room. Once he was inside his room, he grabbed his backpack that was lying on the floor and plopped himself in bed. After everything that had happened today, he was finally going to get the chance to read his comic.
Spike’s huge smile evaporated when his hand went into the backpack and felt nothing. He had dumped the apples in the kitchen before he started cleaning, so his comic should have been the only thing remaining. When he peered inside the backpack, his fears were confirmed. His Power Ponies comic was missing.
Just barely holding back the dire need to get down on his knees and scream “NOOOOO!” at the top of his lungs, Spike desperately tried to think back to where he might have lost his comic.
He had brought his bag to his room so that it would not get in the way during the castle cleaning, and just before that, he had dumped the apples in the kitchen. Now that he thought about it, he did not check to see if his comic was present, likely due to the fact that he was a little distracted by the mess Twilight and Starlight made.
Spike hurried to the kitchen, hoping that his comic was there. He scanned all the countertops and floor, but found nothing. He proceeded to open every single cabinet, cupboard, drawer, cookie jar, and anything else that opens. Still, his search turned up empty. Well, he did find the secret stash of gems Twilight kept as treats for him, but sneaking a few of them into his mouth did little to make him feel better.
Mentally retracing his steps even further, Spike soon let out a groan when it became obvious that his comic must be at Fluttershy’s. His comic must have spilled out of his backpack, along with the apples, when he tripped, and he had neglected to check his belongings because of his hasty retreat from Fluffy.
Twilight was right. Snakes were evil.
Spike debated if he should run over to Fluttershy’s to try and get his comic back. On the one hoof, he could wait until tomorrow to pick up his comic. On the other hoof, he really wanted to read his comic as soon as possible. He also had a feeling that Twilight would not like him going out so late, but in contrast, he really wanted to read his comic as soon as possible.
It did not take long for Spike to convince himself to go and retrieve his comic. The moon had risen, but most ponies, hopefully including Fluttershy, should still be awake at this hour. Twilight and Starlight were still busy with their mess, so it would be easy to sneak out. He also doubted there was going to be any danger because Twilight and Starlight’s shenanigans likely already filled this week’s quota for craziness. If everything went according to plan, he would be back before anypony even suspected he was gone.
Just as he had hoped, Spike was able to sneak out of the castle without any trouble, and his trip to Fluttershy’s was also unimpeded. However, when he arrived at his destination, he let out a groan of disappointment at what he saw. There were no lights coming from any of Fluttershy’s windows, meaning that the pegasus was likely asleep.
Moving up to the living room window, Spike peered inside, clinging to the faint hope that Fluttershy was still awake. There was just enough moonlight to get a glimpse of the room. Most notably, he saw that the blankets and pillows Fluffy was resting on earlier were now all gone, which hopefully meant that the cobra had been able to go home.
As Spike continued to slowly scan the living room, he gasped when he spotted his comic. It was lying on the coffee table on the opposite side of the room, probably found and placed there by Fluttershy sometime after he had left.
Despite his find, Spike bit his lip. He could see his prize right there, just beyond his grasp, but with Fluttershy already asleep, he was not sure if he wanted to wake his friend for such a seemingly trivial thing.
Glancing at Fluttershy’s door, Spike wondered if he could maybe just go right inside and quickly grab his comic himself. He would not disturb Fluttershy, and he knew that the caretaker usually kept her door unlocked in case an animal in need was looking for her.
As he internally debated with himself, Spike returned his sights to his comic. His eyes grew wide as stare turned into a longing gaze for his precious possession. The moonlight was hitting the comic just right, making it look like one of those shiny treasures mounted on a pedestal in the Daring Do books. It almost felt like it was calling him.
That did it for Spike. Taking a deep breath, he crept over to the door, intent on getting his comic. Going into Fluttershy’s place without permission was an invasion of his friend’s privacy, but he rationalized that he was only here to retrieve his property. He was not going to touch or even look at Fluttershy’s stuff. He would be in and out within a couple of seconds. Nopony would have to know.
The door creaked as Spike opened it, causing him to wince. In reality, the creaking was actually not that loud, but to him, it was louder than Rarity’s screams from when Sweetie Belle accidentally switched all of her maroon cloth for burgundy. He stood still for a moment, ready to bolt in case Fluttershy heard him, but when he did not hear anything, he continued into the living room.
With his sights set on the comic, Spike cautiously made his way toward it. He froze when his foot accidentally kicked something on the floor. Glancing down, his brows furrowed with confusion when he saw an unusual object.
It was an apple, but it had shriveled up into a dry husk, as though all of its juices had been sucked out. Poking at the discarded apple, he turned it around to reveal two small holes.
Spike gasped and then quickly clamped his hands over his mouth when he heard a rustling followed by a moan from somewhere upstairs. In fact, he was pretty sure the noises were coming from Fluttershy’s room. His first instincts were to run, but he stopped himself. Something about that weird apple told him something odd was going on. There was even a possibility that Fluttershy was in some sort of trouble. He knew that he would regret it for the rest of his life if something happened to Fluttershy just because he did not try to at least check to make sure she was okay.
Tiptoeing toward Fluttershy’s room, Spike found a second shriveled apple on the stairs and another one right before Fluttershy’s door.
Hearing more noises from Fluttershy’s room confirmed his suspicions, and Spike held his breath as he nudged open the door ever so slightly. Peeking inside, he quickly located Fluttershy, who was sitting on her bed and with her back turned to the door. She appeared to be eating something from her forehoof.
Spike let out a quiet sigh, relieved to see that his friend was safe. Apparently, Fluttershy was just having a late-night snack, nothing more. However, it also meant that his chances of getting caught had risen, and he knew that he was definitely pushing his luck the longer he stayed. He really needed to grab his comic and get out of here.
But just as he was about to turn around, Spike froze when he saw Fluttershy toss something to the side. What landed on the floor was another apple husk. Before Spike could begin to process what was going on, Fluttershy stretched her wings.
Except they were not exactly her wings. Instead of the feathers of a pegasus, Fluttershy’s wings were of skin and membrane, just like a bat.
Spike then started to notice other differences as he looked over Fluttershy’s features again. Her ears were more pointed and had a tuft of hair on its tip, her mane and tail were slightly unkempt and wild, and her entire body seemed to be a shade darker than usual.
Spike gasped when he finally remembered where he saw this kind of Fluttershy before.
Unfortunately, his gasp must have been a bit too loud because Fluttershy swiftly turned around, glared at him with red eyes that almost glowed, and bared her teeth, showing off two sharp fangs.
Caught in the act, Spike did the only thing he could think of.
“Flutterbat!” Spike screamed at the top of his lungs and bolted for the exit. He barely made it to the stairs before he heard Fluttershy slam her door open.
He let out a yelp and rushed down the stairs. Racing toward the door, he barely noticed a shadow rapidly growing under him in the moonlight. Instinct took over and he ducked. A rush of wind swept over him as Fluttershy flew right where his head had been. Not even sparing a glance, he immediately got up and hurried outside, making sure to slam the door behind him.
“Got to… get to… Twilight,” Spike told himself between huffs, sprinting down the path away from Fluttershy’s place as fast as he can. “She’ll know… how to… fix this…”
“Spike!” came Fluttershy’s cry.
Spike flinched, but kept on running. The normally-demure and gentle voice of Fluttershy was now deeper and rougher. And from the sound of it, Fluttershy was not too far behind.
Spike tried to run even faster, but he only made it a few more steps before hooves wrapped around his waist and immediately lifted him up into the air. He tried to squirm out of Fluttershy’s grasp, but the bat-pegasus’s hold did not budge. With nothing left in his arsenal, he screamed as he was carried toward a nearby tree.
Spike’s screams were cut off when Fluttershy flipped him around and squished him against her chest. While he tried to push away, he felt a sudden sense of vertigo as Fluttershy grasped a tree branch with her tail and swung them around until they hung upside down.
Leathery wings soon enclosed around his back, further cutting off any chances of escape from the feral Fluttershy. Even if he did manage to escape her hold, it was quite a drop to the hard ground.
He was trapped.
Shutting his eyes, Spike could not help but whimper. This was the end for him. Any moment now, Fluttershy was going to bite him and turn him into some sort of vampire dragon. There were so many gems he had yet to try as well as so many comics he wanted to read.
But nothing happened.
After a few moments, Spike’s whimpering quieted down, and he could hear that Fluttershy was humming one of her lullabies. Feeling himself calm down a bit along with some rekindled hope, he slowly opened up one eye. He looked up—or was it down since they were upside down—and saw Fluttershy staring right back at him with a soft smile.
Even though he still felt a bit of fear at Fluttershy’s red eyes, Spike could see nothing but kindness. This was not some monster. This was his friend.
“F-Fluttershy?” Spike uttered.
“Mm-hmm,” Fluttershy replied with a small nod.
“So it’s really you?”
“Mm-hmm,” Fluttershy repeated.
“So you’re in total control?”
“Mm-hmm,” Fluttershy replied once more. This time, she also asked, “Do you promise to not run away again until we at least talk?”
“Oh, uh, sure.”
Fluttershy held Spike tight as her tail released the tree branch. She carried Spike back down to the ground in a slow glide, gently dropping him to his feet.
“Sorry for being rough on you,” Fluttershy apologized as she sat down on her haunches in front of Spike. “I had to stop you from running away and telling everypony about me.”
“It’s alright.” Spike sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. “I guess it was kind of hard to get my attention with all the screaming and panicking…”
“First things first, what were you doing in my house?”
Spike sheepishly chuckled, putting his hands behind his back and grinding his foot into the dirt. “Heh, heh… Yeah, about that… You see, when I dropped off your apples, I accidentally left my Power Ponies comic behind.”
Fluttershy nodded knowingly. “Ah, yes. I found that underneath the blankets and pillows after Fluffy went home. I was going to ask you about it tomorrow.”
“I didn’t realize it was missing until just a little while ago, and, well, I’ve been waiting so long for it. I really wanted to read it, so I rushed back to your place. When I got there, I thought you were asleep since all the lights were out. But when I saw that my comic was left on the table…” Spike nervously cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’ll admit that my priorities were a bit out of place at the time. Going into your house uninvited was very wrong of me, and I’m really, really, really sorry for that.”
“So why did you go upstairs?”
“I was just going to just run in, grab my comic, and then leave. Nothing else, honest! But that changed when I saw one of the apples that you, uh, ate. Between that and hearing some noises from your room, I thought something weird was going on, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. That’s when you saw me and then we did the whole chase thing…”
Spike sighed. “Fluttershy, again, I’m really sorry. Whatever my reasons were, I invaded your privacy, and you have every right to be mad with me. I promise that I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you.” He sighed again and bowed his head in shame. “I just hope that I didn’t betray your trust so much that you don’t want to be friends anymore…”
Unable to look Fluttershy in the eye, Spike awaited his friend’s judgment. There were a few moments of tense silence, and Spike fidgeted uncomfortably, imagining the intense glare Fluttershy must be giving him. When Spike heard hoofsteps come closer to him, he kept his head low, but he was surprised when he was soon enveloped in a full-body hug.
“It’s alright, Spike. I forgive you,” Fluttershy assured. “I know that you would never do anything to intentionally hurt me. We all make mistakes.”
Looking up, Spike saw Fluttershy’s soft smile, void of any trace of anger or annoyance. He could not help but smile back. “Gee, thanks, Fluttershy. And I’m serious about making it up to you. If you need anything, just let me know, and I’ll get right on it.”
“You did deliver my apples.”
Spike scoffed lightly. “Well, yeah, but that’s nothing compared to this. It’s gotta be something big.”
Fluttershy hummed in thought. “I’ll keep that in mind then.”
“So, uh, now that we got that out of the way…” Spike tapped his chin with his finger, searching for the right words to his question. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking…”
“Why am I Flutterbat?” Fluttershy offered with a knowing smile.
“Uh, yeah.”
“Some time after the whole fruit bat incident at Sweet Apple Acres, I felt something within me building up. I didn’t know what was happening and did not know what to do, so it overwhelmed me shortly afterwards. Next thing I knew, I was Flutterbat again, except this time, I was fully aware of everything. I guess Twilight wasn’t able to completely remove my, er, battiness.
“Naturally, I was afraid at first. I was about to go to Twilight for help, but I was stopped by a family of bats who needed my help. Turns out that they felt more comfortable with me since I looked a bit more like them. That’s when I started to see the upside to being Flutterbat.” She spread her wings majestically and glanced at them. “Besides being able to help the nocturnal animals better, my flying has improved, and I even feel stronger and more confident.”
Spike nodded. He did notice that Fluttershy was more forward, and she spoke with more confidence. “So then are you able to switch back and forth? Because you were definitely a pegasus in the afternoon.”
“Not directly.” Fluttershy folded her wings back to her sides and turned her attention back to Spike. “The transformation only lasts one night, and every now and then, I get the same feeling and just go with it. I can resist it if I want to, but I usually just delay it until I have a night free. Oh, and stock up on apples.”
“That explains why you needed a bunch today. So you’re in complete control and totally fine with all of this?”
Fluttershy nodded. “Call it a guilty pleasure that I can indulge in every now and then.”
“Does anypony else know about this?”
“Just Discord, and that’s only because he unexpectedly popped into my home, like he usually does. Speaking of which, Spike, I do enjoy being Flutterbat, and I assure you that I’m not hurting or stealing from anypony. It would mean a lot to me if you kept this a secret. You said you wanted to make it up to me for going into my home uninvited, and I’m calling in that favor.”
Spike smiled, walked up to Fluttershy, and patted her foreleg in a reassuring manner. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. You don’t have to use that favor on this. You might look different now, but you’re still the same, kind friend that I know on the inside. If you want to keep on having some harmless fun, then I’m not going to stop you. Your secret is safe with me.”
Fluttershy promptly glomped Spike, almost knocking him to the ground. “Thank you so much, Spike! I was so worried that you would go tell Twilight who would then try to cure me. I wish there was something that I could do for you.”
Spike chuckled. “It’s alright, Fluttershy. I’m the one who owes you.”
“You do, don’t you…” Fluttershy backed off and grinned at Spike. “Actually, there’s something I really want to try.”
Before Spike could ask what was on the pegasus’s mind, Fluttershy snatched him up and carried him to the tree from before. He soon found himself hanging upside down in Fluttershy’s hooves once again.
“Uh, what’s going on?” Spike asked. He felt a twinge of fear while he looked at the ground above him.
“Oh, I think you’ll figure it out soon enough,” Fluttershy said as all four of her hooves shifted to securely wrap around Spike. Pressing her chin into the top of Spike’s head, she let out a hum of contentment as her wings folded around the both of them.
It did not take long for Spike to realize what was going on. “Wait, you want to cuddle, er, upside down cuddle?”
“Mm-hmm…”
Spike blinked and then grinned. “Sounds good to me!”
Now that he was not scared, he could enjoy the feel of Fluttershy again. He happily sighed and buried his face into the crook of Fluttershy’s neck. Despite her wild appearance, Fluttershy’s hairs were still as soft as ever.
Flutterbat’s cuddling technique was totally different than normal Fluttershy. She was more forward, rubbing and caressing Spike as her hooves moved all over him. She even playfully nipped the frills on the side of his head with her fangs. Spike was enjoying the hooves-on treatment, especially since it sort of doubled as a massage that soothed the weariness he accumulated over the hectic day.
The main difference in their cuddle, beside the whole upside down shtick, were Fluttershy’s wings. Spike was completely wrapped up them, enclosed in a cocoon of warmth. While not as soft as a pegasus’s wings, Spike felt more safe and protected within the enclosure. It felt like the world had been shut away, and there was nothing but the two of them and their cuddles.
It was a whole new experience, and even though Spike knew Fluttershy had a tight hold on him, he felt a bit of a thrill at the unique, precarious cuddling position he was in. Hanging from the branch, they gently swayed back and forth like a pendulum. It was calming, almost hypnotic, and it was not long before Spike was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.
All too soon, Fluttershy slowly unfurled her wings, and Spike groaned in disappointment when she glided them both back down to the ground. He actually shivered as his body adjusted from the confines of Fluttershy’s wings to the cool night air.
“Sorry that we could not cuddle that long,” Fluttershy apologized. “Hanging upside down for too long is not good for you.”
“Well, it was nice while it lasted,” Spike replied. “Gotta say that was a really cool way to cuddle.”
“It was, and I’m glad that I had the chance to try it out.”
“Maybe the next time you feel Flutterbat coming up, we could do something like that again?”
Fluttershy smiled. “I would like that, Spike.”
Given how late it was, Fluttershy insisted that she fly Spike home. With how much he did today, Spike made no objection.
Fortunately, nopony was wandering the streets at this hour, and between the cover of night and her increased flying capabilities, they were able to move across town undetected. Dropping off Spike at the beginning of the path leading up to the castle, Fluttershy gave the dragon one more hug before she flew off into the night.
Despite the hiccups that occurred today, Spike had a great time, and he still had time to finally start reading his Power Ponies comic before he went to sleep.
Spike strode up the path toward the castle, only to freeze right in front of the door. He looked down at his hands. His empty, comicless hands.
“Aw, horseapples…”
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Aww, more fur! And I so wasn't expecting FlutterBAT. But more of Fluttershy is always good. Second cuddliest pony after Twilight. (Resists urge to make "The Fluttershy cuddles has now been doubled!" comment)
Too cute
Spike you have to stop - This could have side effects Leading to more side effects
cuddling leading to more cuddling ? I don't see a down side
Side effect Spike Side effects!
Twilight could this be a side effect?
orig02.deviantart.net/a30d/f/2017/055/2/7/fashionably_resting_by_hillbe-db0abdt.jpg
yes! More cuddles!
I love you so much. Shining armor being a bro to spike is one of my most favored things!
There's one more person he has yet to cuddle with before the series concluded: Ember.
8035363 You said it, bro!
The picture is from Spike at Your Service, right?
New chapter, haven't read, but going to say this is, Chrysalis. Will read later to find out.
8035880
Actually, it's from 'It Ain't Easy Being Breezies'.
That was... unexpected. good job though!
8036599
Cuddling is serious business. There's no holding back!
8035486 " *Gasp! * b-baka! "
8036599 oh my God. Please link if true. I will love you forever.
Flutterbat?! Forgot about her until the "apple" thing came up. My guess was way for. Still, another great cuddle chapter.
Awesome work!
8037071
Sadly, there is no such thing, at least from me. There's plenty of other mature "Spike gets the girls" fics by other authors on the site.
8038136 heh, we'll at least we get cuddling from ya!
...
HEAVY CUDDLING.
8039100
EXTREME CUDDLING!
....sooooo no one's going to cuddle with Discord even though he was the one to come up with the idea in the first place?
8050388
All these bonus chapters depend on if I can come up with an idea to work with. If I think of something good to work with, Discord will get his cuddling.
Them sparkling, vampire cuddles. Most excellent.