Together
The birds sing their songs as the day dies down for the night. The sun slowly mind, it’s decent in the horizon for the rest. The moist dirt ground, wet due a light rainfall earlier that morning with puddles here and there around town.
Several residents of Ponyville made their way to their homes, closing up shops after a successful day of sales with a satisfying profit.
Even the small little shop that only sold sofas and quills met its quota. Actually for the rest of the month in fact, thanks to a certain lavender Alicorn and her assistant. Yeah that’s right the two that seems to keep the shop from bankruptcy ever since they came to Ponyville. Spike The Dragon waddle besides his lavender caretaker, the princess of friendship and most importantly his lifelong friend that he had stood beside since she hatched him.
The young Drake carried tower high boxes of quills keeping in mind that what will happen if it was too fall over. He balanced a small portion on his head wobbling side to side in trying to keep it from tumbling.
“Twilight why do we need this many quills any ways?” The drake complained, “And did you have to buy out the entire shop, again!”
“Spike I told already,” Twilight rolled her eyes. “We need plenty of writing utensils to write down the research we’re conducting later on tonight.” She said to the Drake waddling behind her. While Spike carried near to twenty boxes she only levitated three with her.
“But do we really need to do this every time I shed my skin,” Spike complained. “Besides, I’m really itchy right now.” He wiggled in discomfort trying hard to scratch his a part of his back with his right claw, but couldn’t reach.
Due the missing claw, leaving the left on its own, the tower of quills began to become unstable. Spike wibble-wobbled side to side, desperately trying to keep the stack of quills aloft.
Though the itch on his back made task even harder. To his misfortune a pebble had been place in his path, possible by Discord. Spike couldn’t see the small rock before him and therefore was not prepared for the fall or the puddle that awaited for him at the bottom.
“Waaaaaaaa!” Spike screeched tossing the stacks of quills in the air and met the ground faces first into the mud. Seconds later he sits up with a depressed expression, expecting a mess of quills to be scattered everywhere. To his greatest surprise, the only mess on the ground was him, covered in mud from the spikes on his head to the tip of his tale.
He looked up to discover the stacks of quills were now surrounded by a soft lavender light. Floating just mere inches above his head.
“You got to be more careful with these Spike,” Twilight said holding the boxes close to her head. “There are mud puddles all around here.”
“Yeah, I know that Twilight,” Spike stood up and gestured to his mud covered body, “first claw too.”
Upon hearing this the lavender Alicorn cocked her head towards the drake and gasped, “Spike! You’re all covered in mud. What did you trip on that made you fall anyways?”
“Uh…” Spike eyed back at the pebble behind him, “I don’t know.” He shrugged with a slight tint of embarrassment on his cheeks.
Twilight raised an eyebrow, “Ok, we definitely can’t leave you all filthy like this right before you shed your skin. We might as well give you a bath when we get to the castle, beside you do need to soak the loose scales with warm water anyways for it to peel off for your new set of scales, so might as well.”
“Wait, you're going to take notes while I'm in the bath, AGAIN!” Spike groaned as he waddled besides Twilight towards the castle, past the residents of Ponyville.
In one, known as the Thunderlane residents, a young colt with a gray coat approaches the front door of his brother’s house.
“Bro! I’m home from school!” he called out from the front entrance as he entered through. “Where are you bro?”
“Over here Rumble,” a feminine voice called through from the living room area.
The colt smiled, knowing very well who the voice belonged to, he trotted down the medium size halls, closing and locking the door behind him. He passed many photos hung upon the walls of the home. Many of which had memories of two brother that shared an everlasting bond. A few of which had pictures of friends of the two. Containing two Pegasus sisters that had similar features. Except, aside for their cutie marks, they had different mane styles and color with one with a spiky chose ands with the other had a more kept and wore a pink bow.
The young colt entered the living room and saw his brother's close friend, and occasionally, the mare that watches over him time to time, sitting on the sofa.
“Hey Rumble,” the mare greeted, “how was school?”
“It was fine I guess,” Rumble shrugged putting his school bag against the wall on the opposite side of the room. “We just reviewed some stuff and there isn't any homework today. I'm just going to relax now. How was the weather team for you today Miss Flitter?” the colt asked hopping on the sofa alongside the mare.
“It was ok,” she started rubbing her left hoof on her chest. “I got done early, but some had to work overtime, which is why your brother isn’t here right now.”
“Oh, well ok” he said getting comfortable on the sofa. “What about Miss Cloudchaser is she doing over time too?”
Flitter giggled, “You don’t have to be so formal to us you know.” She rubbed the top of the colt head affectional. “Just call us by our name without the Miss… part in it. Then we just feel old If you do that.”
“Uh…ok,” he awkwardly said under her hoof.
“Oh come on you can do it,” Flitter nudged his forearm, “Out with it.”
Rumble shifts in the cushion a bit, “alright… I’ll give it a shot.” He stares deeply into her eyes and her elegant smile and gulps loudly. “Um… hey mis… I mean. Hey, Flitter how was work…today?”
“There we go I knew you can do it,” Flitter booped the colt nose causing him to blush and burying his muzzle in his hooves. He plunks his down on the cushion of the sofa still covering his blush.
Flitter covered her mouth with her hoof trying to hold back her giggle, ‘he just too cute’
“Well… we're getting there little bud.” Flitter patted the colt head. “And to answer your question about my sister, she had to work overtime as well.”
Rumble lifts his head from his hooves, “so it’s just you and me.”
“That’s right Rum Rum,” Flitter said ruffling his mane with the bottom of her hoof. “Anything you want today cutie,” she grinned.
“I’m not cute!” Rumble said, flapping his wings flushed. “I’m a growing colt, a young stallion.”
“Oh really then,” Flitter grinned. “Would a young stallion like some juice?” She slide a juice box next to the colt.
Rumble smiled, “thanks Flits you’re the best.” He picked up the juice box and happily drank the beverage.
Flitter smirked at the so called young stallion, rubbing her wrist on the bottom of her chin. The colt continued to suck through the straw drinking the rich apple flavored liquid as he wiggled his tale. Pretty soon Flitter couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing with hind legs high in the air, tears leaking from her eyes.
Rumble sat up straight now knowing what he had just done. “Hey, you tricked me!” He flared his wings.
Flitter fails to refrain her laughter and bangs lightly on the sofa with both hooves. “Sorry, I couldn’t take it anymore.” She wipes away a tear from her eye and glazes over to Rumble.
What she saw was the most adorable thing ever. Rumble sat before her a few feet away pouting with the cutest shade of red on his cheeks. Words had failed to describe how she felt as the same shade of red appeared on her face. She tackled the young colt down into a warm embarrass.
“Aww… you’re just too cute,” she snuggled Rumble tightly in her forearms. “I can gobble you up.”
“Hey! Cut that out Flitter,” Rumble protested. Flitter ignored his cries and nuzzled his cheeks with her muzzle and hugged him deeper in her fur. He struggle in her grip desperately trying to get free, “Let me go!”
“No…” she whispered into his ear. “I want to be like this for a little while longer.” She said then sighs deeply closing her eyes.
Rumble opens his mouth to protest, stopped then sighed softly knowing that there was out of this. Unless of course, he gives into gave into the wretched snuggles. This certainly wasn’t first time this has happened, nor will it be last.
He shifts around in Flitter’s embrace knowing very well the routine as he been through it so many times before. He wiggles a bit until he sat comfortably in her arm. Resting his head soundlessly in her furry chest, listening to her steady heartbeat. The sound that he had gotten to know very well as of recent.
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
It kind of hard to tell when exactly she started to get this affectional towards him.
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
Though Rumble knew that it started roughly around his eleventh birthday when her hugging became more consentient. And all the harder to get out of at times.
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
Sure in the past she would give him a noogie from time to time, same with Cloudchaser and his brother. Later though after his birthday the hugs that he received came up at totally random times.
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
Once, when Thunderlane was out town doing some training for the Wonderbolts, Rumble was left with Flitter and Cloudchaser. He was reading the new issues of Iron Stallion in the living room enjoying his evening.
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
Reading page by page of the thrilling trilogy of the heroic icon in trilling battle. Though he couldn’t shake the feeling that somepony was watching him from behind. He glazed away from the page behind him to the sofa, nopony was there. He shrugged it off and continued to read his comic, thinking it was nothing.
Boy was he wrong.
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
The next thing he knew he was tackled by two large overpowering forces to the ground. The oddest part of the dilemma was that object was rather furry? Soft enough that he felt like he can actually take a long nap in it. At first he thought it was a pillow or cushion was thrown at him, until he tried to get up and felt arms wrap around his little body. Since when does a pillow have arms? If that wasn’t the throw off, what got him was that the fact that the soft object was really warm.
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
Rumble squirmed a bit trying to get free, but couldn’t for some reason. He glazes up to see Cloudchaser sitting in front of him with a bright smile on her face. Rumble eyes her curiously, he was about to ask to what was going on, only to be interrupted by a soft hum and the feel of somepony rubbing his back, then the weight of a head was set on top of his. He looks around to see Flitter cuddling him with all her heart.
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
He sighs, once again in Flitter’s embrace. Not quite understanding why she does this to him all the time when they are alone. It’s not that Rumble hated it, he found it nice to be close to her. What bothered him was not knowing why she does this with him.
Was she doing this out of pity, or was there a deeper meaning that he was not seeing.
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
“Hey Flits,” Rumble spoke, breaking the silence.
“Yes Rumble,” Flitter hummed.
“Why do you hug me all the time,” he asked, rubbing Flitter’s arm with a hoof. “It’s not like I hate it. It’s just…”
Flitter opens her eyes, curiously gazing at the young colt. “It’s just what Rumble?”
“…”
“Come on Rumble you can say it.” Flitter sooth, cuddling him a bit tighter.
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
Rumble rubs his hooves together completing on his thoughts, “It’s just…I want to know why. Is there a reason why you do it so much?”
For a moment Flitter didn’t say anything. Instead she rested her chin on top of his head and wrapped her wings around his waist. Rumble tensed his body, the new soft feeling was a surprise to him, but eventually he relaxed into the feather blanket. Soon enough after a few minutes of silence Flitter spoke.
“Cause you’re growing up,” she said softly. “One day you will be too big to hug.”
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
“I won’t be able to embrace you like this anymore when that time comes Rumble you know,” Flitter said, voice deepening, “and that makes me sad.”
The whole room fell into complete silence, neither of the two dared spoke a word. The rays of light dies down as sun slowly sets in the horizon leaving them in semi darkness. Their vision was illuminated by the light of the moon shining onto them through the window seal, just enough for them to see each other. As for the rest of the room it remained in total darkness, faded into reality.
Rumble himself was unsure how to respond to what he just heard. She is saddened that he is growing up and one day she won’t be able to show her affection towards him anymore?
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
After ten minutes of sitting in the dark without saying anything to one another, Rumble knew he had to say something for her sake.
“Would you prefer if I didn’t grow up at all Flitter?” he asked.
Flitter shifts her tail side to side, “It can’t be helped if you’re growing up. Besides, one day you’ll become a great stallion that will make a mare very happy.”
Rumble fiddle with his hooves, “do I make you happy?”
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
“Of course you do Rumble,” she smiled. “You are a very sweet colt and any filly would be lucky to be with you.”
Rumble blushed, “d..d…do you really mean that.”
Flitter giggled then rubbed her cheek with his, increasing his blush, “yes.”
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup
Rumble bit his lower lip, “hey, um Flitter can I ask you something?”
“Yes Rum-rum,” Flitter hummed.
“Isn't there anything else that we can do with each other when I’m bigger?” Rumble asked, cheeks burning. “Can't I hug you or something?”
“Maybe,” Flitter said with a slight blush across her muzzle. Though Rumble couldn't see her blush because he was facing forwards. “We would have to just wait to see.”
“Wait for what?” Rumble asked oblivious.
“Just have to find out for yourself.” She said, resting her chin on his head again.
“Um…Okay,” Rumble said as he continued to be snuggled.
The two continued to stay that way for a while enjoying each other’s warmth. After a while Rumble eyes began to feel heavy and the energy in his body seem to slip away. Her heart beat wasn’t helping him to stay conscious. The smooth rhythm was like beating music of softness to his eyes.
Dup-dup, dup-dup, dup-dup…growl!
“Ah!” Rumble screeched leaping out of Flitter’s grip and fell flat on the floor. “What was that?”
“Sorry about that.” Flitter blushed, rubbing the back of her neck with her hoof. “I guess I’m a little hungry.”
“Oh well do you want to have something to eat?” Rumble got up on all fours and trotted towards the kitchen. “We got some hay burgers if you want.”
“I would like some,” Flitter smiled trotting behind Rumble. “Thank you.”
“No problem Flits,” Rumble replied. “Just being a gentlemen to a fair mare” he goofed.
Flitter giggled, “a small one in fact.”
“Hey!”