Here be too much Dragon.

Chapters

Surprise Solutions
The Basics of Beasts
Roots and Reminders
Worries and Wonders
Family and Fliers
Fire and Fears
Calming Calamities
The Apple's Apologies
Destinations and Desires.
Blooming Bloomberg
Rekindling Kinship
Boarding for the Borders
Honest Hunting
Potential Polluted.
Wrath and Weapons
Fighting Fears
Jagged Justice
Wings and Warriors.
Fighting the Flam brothers.
Consequences of Courage.
Mountains and Monuments
Shocks and Shields
Fights and Friends.
Details and Drakes
Monsters and Morals.
Plans and Pleasantries.
The Dangers of Diplomacy.
Epilogue.
Prologue
Rings and Rumbles
Mind Games and Mysteries

Surprise Solutions

Surprise Solutions

Rarity advanced slowly up the central isle and every eye followed her, everyone's eyes other than Twilight's that is. Her focus was fixed on Spike and she stared at the dragon who was coiled glumly off to one side, a small golden box grasped in his massive claws. Twilight was watching her brother like a hawk in case he did something 'dragonish'

It dawned on Twilight that she wasn't the only pony with their focus away from the approaching bride: She tore her gaze away from Spike as she felt Luna's attention upon herself and locking eyes with her fellow princess Twilight was unnerved by the attention.

Twilight's interested expression morphed to one of confusion at Luna's actions and she tilted her head in a quizzical way. With mounting concern as Luna snuck a fleeting glance towards Spike before looking right back at Twilight and smiling once more.

What was Luna getting at? Did she want Twilight to do something? Was it maybe a warning about Spike? Worries began to well up in Twilight's heart as she feared that her scaly brother would do something else incredibly foalish, but no matter how hard she tried Twilight couldn't see what Luna was trying to tell her.

She refocused on Spike, who was still watching Rarity impassively as she made her steady way up the isle with her bride's maids following behind like vapour trailing a dazzling comet. Still Twilight couldn't see anything wrong, but Luna wanted her to know something and the younger princess mind raced as she tried to work out what Luna was getting at.

It seemed to take forever for Rarity to reach the awaiting participants and all the while Twilight's nerves strained tighter and tighter with every hoof fall. She looked desperately back to Luna, her fellow princess was still smiling, but that smile didn't meet her turquoise eyes, which were now full of concern.

Twilight's heart skipped a beat, there was something wrong and Luna was trying her best to let Twilight know without frightening the other guests. Why hadn't Luna said something earlier? Princess Celestia didn't seem at all concerned; she happily watched Rarity's procession with a warm smile. How could Celestia possibly be oblivious to the mounting peril?

Twilight broke out in a light sweat as she stared around in a mounting panic, she could see nothing wrong, but by Luna's reaction she knew there must be something. Think Twilight think. The panicking pony looked to Luna with pleading only to see her anxiety rising along with Twilight's own.

The little head shake from before became more exaggerated and Luna's lips moved as she mouthed something to Twilight. She strained her eyes as she tried to understand Luna's cryptic message: The dark blue pony tilted her head towards Spike before nodding with another brittle smile.

It must be about Spike, Twilight realised and she turned to study her brother more closely. What had Luna seen that Twilight hadn't? The reptile had gone very still, glaring at Honest Buck just and released a tiny growl as Rarity reached the raised platform where Celestia was standing. The stallion was beaming at his wife to be and her blue eyes sparkled with joy as they met his, but Twilight brushed these details aside: All her own thoughts were on Spike and what he might do.

It was no secret that Spike didn't like Honest Buck and despite his best efforts the dragon had only become more possessive as he had grown up. Twilight's heart quailed, was he truly able to give up Rarity? Spike had reassured Twilight that he was over his baby crush on the white unicorn, but his latest actions had proven he still had deep feelings for her.

As Twilight continued to regard Spike's face she saw a cold resolve there, possibly hate in his eyes for Honest Buck? No he wouldn't would he? The fear that was slowly encompassing Twilight's heart gave a fresh surge. Had she made a terrible mistake in encouraging Spike to come here? What was the dragon thinking? The realisation that Twilight hadn't truly understood Spike for several years now hit her like half the palace falling on her head.

A few hairs of Twilight's mane 'poinged' as Celestia began the wedding proceedings, but it all sounded so far away to Twilight's ears. As her left eye twitched she couldn't help but notice how Spike's focus had never left Honest Buck. Yet again the she couldn't shake the feeling that her 'little' brother planned to reduce groom to a pile of ash.

Celestia continued the proceedings as Twilight's unease steadily built until she was trembling with anxiety, causing several ponies near her to turn with and whisper with looks of concern. Twilight watched as Celestia beamed at Rarity and then to Honest Buck, asking them each a question in turn.

Apparently being pleased with the responses given, Celestia raised her head up to the audience and began to address them in turn, but this was all these details were lost on Twilight as she saw Spike straighten before the dragon took a deep breath.

This was it, she had to do something before it was too late! With a drawn out cry of "Noooo!" Twilight leaped forward and threw herself at the dragon, horn glowing in a desperate effort to prevent him incinerating Honest Buck in a jealous rage.

Everyone present was thrown into startled chaos as the lavender comet which was Twilight flew forward; not least of all Spike who had been merely been getting ready to present the rings on cue. The last thing he registered before a frantic Twilight struck him between the eyes was Luna face hoofing and Rarity giving a mixed scream of confusion and rage.

The dazed dragon blinked a few times as his older sister rapped her hooves tightly around his snout, pinning Spike's mouth shut and glared madly into his eyes with repeated shouts of "Don't do it Spike!" Ponies and other guests cried in alarm before rising from their seats before utter chaos consumed the whole crowd.

The royal guards soon rushed in, vainly attempting to restore order as everything spun out of control. Above it all was the slow sound of clapping as Discord (delayed on important business of his own) had only just entered the pavilion and beheld a scene of total pandemonium. "Well I done Twilight, I couldn't have done that better myself. So sorry I'm late, but at least I didn't miss the entertainment huh?”

As Discord pointed out, the regal and composed ceremony had degenerated into a mad scrum of panicking guests, a manic Twilight grappling with a bemused dragon while Luna and Celestia watched on in utter disbelief.

"Twilight what in the heavens were you thinking darling?" Rarity sat with her friend at a small table set aside from the reception area, delicately sipping a delicate cup of punch and shaking her head sadly. The pair had retired to a small ante room away from the main reception hall to have a talk over what had just occurred.

"I'm so sorry Rarity, I just...I" Twilight buried her head in her hooves and gave an exasperated sigh. Her mane was all tangled and her face was soot blackened. It had taken the combined power of both Celestia and Luna to remove the desperate Twilight from Spike, being totally determined to hang on, all the while yelling for Honest Buck to run for his life.

"Well I think it's Spike you owe the bigger apology to my dear," Rarity stated in levelly as she took a further sip from her cup and skilfully placed it down again before pressing on. "How did you ever come by such an insane idea that Spike was going to attack Honest? I mean I know he's a bit sore about the whole thing, but deep down he's still our little 'Spikey Wikey' and would never hurt a pony on purpose, you know that Twilight."

Twilight gave another defeated sigh as both mares watched another guest being escorted past the window, an ice pack clamped over one eye. Twilight's outburst had just been the start, very soon guests of all shapes and sizes had panicked at the perceived threat of a rampaging dragon.

Twilight tried to smile, "How could I have been so silly? Of course Spike would never voluntarily hurt any pony, even if he really didn't like them." Would he?

The treacherous thought slipped in before Twilight could stop it and the whole notion made her feel ill. "He's just been so moody recently, more so than normal I mean and well you've seen our house; it's a disaster area." Twilight finally got the courage to look Rarity in the eye once again, the previous tears had run lines through the soot coating her normally purple face and saw that to her amazement there was only concern for her in those blue eyes.

"That's a far cry from attacking my husband though," Rarity reminded her friend. Despite the entire ruckus caused by Twilight's break down Rarity had still done everything on the legal front and was now an officially married mare; her new husband Honest Buck was out there now, reassuring the guests that everything was fine while leaving Rarity and Twilight to talk things over.

The food had all been paid for and prepared so Rarity had insisted on holding the reception regardless. There was no point in letting good food to waste and no amount of 'her friends having mental breakdowns' was going to stop her from having a good day. Not to say that she didn't care about Twilight of course, so first chance Rarity had gotten she had come over to see the distressed Twilight and find out what had gone wrong.

As for Spike, the dragon had slunk off without saying a word to any pony after they had finally wrenched Twilight off him, his eyes more full of hurt than anger. Twilight didn't know how she was going to face him after this last run, feeling utterly dreadful for even thinking such a thing of Spike.

"I am just getting to my wits end Rarity, Spike's well...." Twilight didn't know where to start, to her Spike would always be that little purple hatchling she had brought into this world, but he was growing up and in more ways than just his size. His attitudes to things were changing as well. Twilight was seeing less and less of the 'faithful little helper Spike' and more of an independent well, 'dragon'. Twilight tried to express several years of changes and worry as best she could:

The first inklings that Spike continued to mature was when he insisted on having his own room, well nothing odd about that Twilight reasoned: Every pony needs their own space at some point, but Spike took it much further and practically turned the appointed space into his own for want of a better term 'lair'. The dragon guarded it ferociously and no pony had been able to get within ten steps of the door without being challenged by Spike who had grown at least as tall as Twilight by that point.

The next change (along with his ever increasing size) shouldn't have been totally unexpected Twilight had told herself, Spike had begun hoarding again. Nothing like the first time all those years ago where he had terrorised Ponyville, but Twilight had been ready this time and knew how to rein Spike in. Items such as cutlery, picture frames or other 'shiny' decorations would periodically go missing and Twilight would inevitably find them stashed in a small pile in Spike's room.

His mood swings were getting worse as well. It wasn't uncommon for pony's living nearby to hear Twilight and Spike having shouting matches over some trivial thing which often lasted well into the night. The first of these fights had been when Twilight had discovered Spike had been sneaking out of the house to go hunting.

Twilight really should have seen that one coming. Dragons were not herbivores like ponies and complementing their diet with more than just gems was part of them growing up. Spike had been badly I'll at one point until Twilight had discovered that as a dragon got older they needed other nutrients which would normally have been acquired from meat.

Twilight's anger at him disappearing for more than a whole a day chilled to dread when Spike had come home well after sunset, his face covered in... well she didn't dare speculate. The princess had seen something in his eyes that night which made her feel deeply uneasy.

Fortunately Twilight had been able to discover what elements of nutrition a dragon needed from meat and was able to provide other sources, mostly in the forms of supplements. Twilight thanked the heavens that dragon's were omnivores and not pure carnivores, she wasn't sure she could have coped with that alternative, not from her little 'Spikey'. Still the occasional hunt became part of Spikes life from then on, but only on the strict understanding he would release whatever he caught at the end of it unharmed.

The final and most dangerous problem was Spike's possessiveness, when he wanted something it was almost impossible to dissuade him and it seemed the natural action for a dragon to obtain what they wanted was by force.

This coupled with the other tendencies Spike had displayed could work together to be a very dangerous combination. Twilight suspected this was tied in with the hoarding and if she was fair with herself, Spike had been amazing at keeping his nature under control and had channelled it into other areas.

"Like when he counted every blade of grass at Sweet apple Acres?" Rarity put in with a knowing smile on her face. Twilight coughed as she realised she had been rambling on once again.

"Sorry Rarity, 'lecturing' comes with the job I guess," Twilight's sheepish reply caused another grin from Rarity. Twilight had slipped into 'teaching mode' without even noticing.

"Well it all seems perfectly simple to me my dear Twilight, you and Spike need to know more about dragons, so we can understand them better." Rarity reasoned. "Why didn't you come for help sooner? You know we would all want to help, the 'gang' would be there in an instant and I am frankly shocked that you haven't read up on dragons my dear."

Twilight shook her head once more, "That's the problem Rarity: No pony really understands dragons. Everything I have done so far I have had to figure out on my own. Even the royal sisters have been tight lipped about them and I'm still at a loss as to why, they must know lots about dragons."

Rarity cocked an eyebrow at this statement, "Surely not, there must be hundreds of books on dragons and so forth within Canterlot, the 'Northern Fiefdom' or other libraries you have access to?"

Twilight smiled at the formal way Rarity referred to the home of Twilight's sister in law Cadence. The change in title made sense to Twilight, one city no matter how impressive could hardly be called an empire any more. At least some things made sense these days, but yet again Twilight realised she was getting off the subject as Rarity continued to watch Twilight in astonishment.

"Well there are books on how ponies have interacted with dragons: Some on wars, vague hints about their traditions and what ponies think of dragons, but there is nothing covering how to care for a growing dragon and certainly nothing about the dragon's views on all this."

Twilight could kick herself, she had put off this problem for far too long and now it was becoming a crisis, but there was just so much to do these days the princess had never gotten around to fully addressing Spike's maturing nature and simply hoped would all solve its self. "So everything I have learnt so far has been from personal experience if I am to be honest, there certainly isn't a book about how a pony raises a dragon among a whole community of equines."

"Well maybe you should write a book about them yourself huh?" Rarity joked to lighten the mood.

"If I survive this I am sure I will," Twilight assured her.

They both sat without speaking as the muffled sounds of music could be heard, the reception was in full swing and most of the guests were already forgetting the chaos from before. "When Pinkie Pie throws a party then no pony is allowed to be sad during it," Rarity commented and Twilight smiled genuinely for the first time today.

"Well I for one could do with some of that," Twilight replied, feeling better already for having gotten some of her worries off her chest. Rarity agreed and both mares began to make their way out of the small meeting room, "Thank you Rarity and I am terribly sorry I messed up your wedding day."

Rarity waved a dismissive hoof, "Think nothing of it dear, I got married to the best stallion in the land today so I think I can get over a little family tiff causing some disturbance."

Twilight smiled thankfully, it seemed that some changes were for the better. She could see how well Rarity had turned out at least. Where I am still fussing over every little thing Twilight chided herself. "Well best get back to your guests Rarity, I have taken enough of your time today as it is." Twilight hesitated before following her friend.

Sensing Twilight's reluctance Rarity stopped and turned to Twilight with a quizzical expression, “You are of course coming my dear?"

Twilight nodded almost imperceptibly before assuring Rarity she would be along soon. Rarity gave Twilight another suspicious glance before closing the door behind her. Twilight took another calming breath before she studied herself in a mirror on the wall, she really did look a mess.

Twilight was about to apply some corrective magic to her wild appearance when there was a quiet knock on the door. Rarity must have forgotten something. Twilight changed the flow of power and use it to open the door instead, "Oh Rarity did yo...." Her voice trailed off as princess Luna was revealed in the doorway.

"Ah princess Sparkle, we need to talk." Luna's voice was edged with formality and this took Twilight aback, in the years she had supported both Luna and Celestia the three ponies had all become sound friends: For Luna to address her that way meant something important was coming.

"Oh-um of course, please do come in. I'm sure Rarity won't mind us using this room for a little longer," Twilight's voice had taken on a brittle tone once more.

"Thank you Twilight," The reply was short and to the point, that 'something' must very important Luna's mind for her to be acting like this, only then did Twilight noticed that Luna wasn't alone: A looming dark shape stepped up behind the princess and it was forced to duck as it came through the doorway.

"Allow me to introduce my associate, Miss Sparkle this is 'Warden' and we have much to discuss," Luna bowed to the figure who seemed to be no more substantial than a shadow.

The unnatural darkness surrounding the figure receded and Twilight was confronted by a surprisingly small black scaled dragon with a dark purple undertones. Its elongated head was crowned with a pair of swept back horns the colour of pale bone which matched its claws along with a knowing smile that put Twilight on guard instantly.

Twilight instantly was put in mind of Discord by the creature's build and size, however this beast's form was all correct and entirely dragon. The visitor's amethyst eyes regarded the smaller princess with an unreadable expression before bowing itself to Twilight (an impressive act for what was effectively a walking snake with wings). "Charmed Miss Sparkle, I have heard of your exploits and it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

The newcomer's voice was refined, confident and as he straightened once more the dragon held out a clawed hand to Twilight. She extended her own forelimb and was surprised by the gentle way the dragon gripped her hoof. "Pleased to meet you Mr Warden, what is it I can do for you?"

The dragon's face became stony as if he'd swallowed a sour apple, "I am here at my lord's request to help tutor the hatchling called 'Spike'."

Twilight glanced at Luna who nodded enthusiastically, "Um thank you, when did....?"

"This was all arranged years ago, her highness princess Luna saw to it that 'Spike' received training in what it is to be a dragon. It's my honourable position to facilitate this young ones teaching." Warden explained cryptically and Twilight couldn't help but miss the negative inflection in the dragon's reply. Great now I have two unhappy dragons to deal with.

"Why that's wonderful," Twilight smiled at this unexpected assistance from Luna, heaven's knew she was at a loss as to how to help Spike, but this wasn't quite what she had hoped for.

But then again maybe another dragon, one who knew what they were doing and had been around a bit more was just what Spike and Twilight needed. She was certainly curious about the world from which her younger brother had come from and now she had a dragon to ask all the questions should wanted.

"I am so glad you agree Twilight, I honestly didn't know how much stress this whole Spike business was putting you under until now and I'm dreadfully sorry about the mix up earlier. Had I known things had gotten this bad I would have brought a tutor sooner," Luna's cheerful reply caused Twilight to raise an eyebrow questioningly.

"And what was that all about, if you weren't trying to warm me about Spike what were you trying to tell me?" Twilight sat down at the table once again as she awaited Luna's explanation.

"Oh I was simply trying to congratulate you on how well you were doing with Spike. I was so excited that Warden had finally arrived that I just couldn't wait to tell you, sorry," Luna smiled ruefully, "But I guess that sort of proves the value of Warden being here does it not?"

Twilight nodded at this reasoning before smiling at Warden, "So Mr Warden, where do we begin?"

The Basics of Beasts

The Basics of Beasts

"Please do come in, it's a bit of a mess I'm afraid," Twilight pushed open the door to her home and quickly ignited her horn as Warden raised a curious eyebrow at the state of this princess's house. His manner darkened as he took in the soot stains, claw marks and general dilapidation that Twilight was even now doing her best to cover up.

"Spike I'm home and I have a guest I think you will want to meet!" Twilight called out in a distracted way before turning to smile weakly at Warden.

"I see that Spike has been making himself, well, at home here." Warden commented with a disapproving glance.

Twilight's eye twitched and her brittle smile cracked, "Well we have been very busy recently," She quickly ran a cloth over a chair before offering it to the black dragon, who looked at Twilight as if she had suggested he sit in the outhouse.

"That is very kind, but I think I will stand if that's all the same to you 'Princess'," Twilight knew Warden's expression would haunt her nightmares for years to come.

"It's normally much neater than this I assure you....." Twilight began but wilted under her guest's disapproving stare.

"How ponies choose to live is of little concern to me Princess, I am however very concerned that you are trying to raise a dragon in such a... flammable place as this." Warden waved his claw at the general state that Twilight's home had become.

Her voice took on a sing-song quality now, "Well it's only until the new place is built and then everything will be fine." Warden watched as the alicorn gave him another weak smile.

"I see," Was the only response Warden gave and Twilight felt her mane 'poing' again. With her being so busy these days between royal duties and her research, the place had really gotten into a mess. If she was honest Twilight had given up trying to repair the everyday damage done by her marauding brother.

Warden sat on the floor carefully avoiding some scorched timbers and looked Twilight in the eye in a not unkindly manner, "Do you really feel you're up to this Princess? I can see you have a lot on your plate and having a growing dragon is only adding to that burden. I could arrange for him to stay somewhere else for the time being?"

Twilight's eyes filled with horror, "What! No-no-no-no-no-no, I couldn't be without my number one assistant."

Warden raised both eyebrows, "Assistant? I can see Spike is being very helpful right now," Warden waved his taloned hands to indicate their surroundings.

Twilight sank to her hunches and let out a massive sigh, "You're right of course, but I don't want to lose Spike, he's just become so......."

Warden finished the sentence for her, "Dragon like? Or maybe a 'hoof full' as you ponies are fond of saying?" Twilight nodded as she feebly tried to clean another soot stain out of the carpet in a distracted way. "Well the simple reason is that Spike's a dragon, you ponies may have done your best to teach him your ways, but there are some things about dragons you will never understand," Warden had taken on a softer tone as Twilight gave a little sob.

Twilight looked up from her cleaning with huge tears in her eyes, "You're not going to take him away are you?"

Warden was taken by surprise by this question, "A young dragon seeking to make his own space? All that hot headed aggression that comes with the early years? I would have thought you would want rid of him as soon as possible?" Twilight just stared in disbelief at this statement.

The dragon smiled once again, "But here we are with a hatchling raised by ponies, something I have never witnessed before in all my years. There are bound to be some 'differences' in how we handle this situation." Warden paused for a thoughtful moment, "No Princess, I would never try to take Spike away."

Twilight visibly relaxed, but Warden wasn't finished, "But if he chooses to leave then I will not stop him."

She pressed her ears back in confusion, "Why? What would make Spike leave? This is his home and we love him!"

Warden rubbed his temple's in frustration, "Oh Princess how do I even begin to explain," The dragon paused for a moment before taking a deep breath, "When a dragon begins to come of age they feel compelled to make their own way in the world for a time. They need to be out and bout; testing their limits and they certainly don't want any permanent company during that time."

Twilight's eyes began to fill with some measure of understanding, "You mean he has to 'leave the nest' as it were?"

Warden nodded, "I have never heard it put quite like that but yes, it does have the right kind of thinking to it. Surely you have noticed that kind of behaviour from Spike?"

Twilight would have needed to be a blind idiot not to have, "Of course, but I never knew it was so 'instinctual'. He's been so helpful and dedicated before now., but recently..."

Warden smiled again, "Yes, baby dragons are so. We're not known for being the most tolerant of beasts and so to have a 'little helper' around makes up for all the care and attention that hatchlings demand on our time." He chuckled to himself, "We would be a lot rarer otherwise."

Twilight was a little hurt by that, she liked to think she had taught Spike a lot of his good points too, the idea that all her good work was down to natural dragon instinct didn't fit well with Twilight and this displeasure must have shown on her face. Warden cocked his eyebrow again before continuing on in a conciliatory tone:

"Now Miss Sparkle, don't get me wrong I think you have done an amazing job for a pony, most hatchlings when they reach Spike's age practically try to kill their parents. I can see your Spike has massive amounts of self control and cares for you deeply." Twilight couldn't help but feel that Warden didn't think much of ponies from the way he addressed her, "Of course every dragon is different, just as I assume all ponies aren't all simpletons...."

Warden coughed as Twilight felt her hackles rise. "Sorry I miss spoke there, not every pony is as young and naive as we dragons take them for." Twilight's mane had a little bit of smoke curling from it now, and the reptile shook his head while raising a placating claw. "I am deeply sorry Miss Sparkle, most dragons believe we are the oldest and wisest creatures in the land barring Celestia and Luna that is. You must understand that to a dragon a pony is a passing gnat, your lives are so short compared to ours. When a pony is nearing the end of their years a dragon is barely reaching what is to be considered the end of his 'young days'."

Twilight could see a logic to that, but it didn't make her feel much better. To think of herself as being looked down upon by a bunch of grumpy old lizards filled her with indignation. "Well we're more than you take us for," Twilight murmured under her breath.

Warden smiled once again, "Of course you are, ponies achieve so much in such a short time and we haven't forgotten that it is your rulers that raise the sun and moon. Why do you think dragon's have any respect for Equestria at all?"

"Well....." Twilight began, feeling a little foalish at losing her tempter.

"It all comes down to your point of view, we dragons think we are the most important creatures in the world, is that not the same for ponies?" Warden asked in a genuine tone.

If she was being honest Twilight hadn't thought about the world in that way at all, she'd never considered that ponies were more important than any other race in the world and as for Dragons; well they were big scary distant beasts and sure they were powerful while no doubt dangerous, but better than a pony? Twilight shook her head, the thought's feeling utterly alien to her peace loving mind, "Well no, we just try to get along with every pony as best we can."

Warden's confident tone melted a little, "I see it will not just be you and Spike that are learning from this little arrangement, speaking of which where is the hatchling in question?" Twilight suddenly realised that Spike hadn't responded. she had been so wrapped up in Warden's visit that Twilight hadn't even waited for his reply and the frantic pony tore about the house looking for her missing assistant.

"Oh no! What-if-what-no-no-no-no....." Twilight couldn't find Spike anywhere! Fearing she had driven Spike away forever Twilight collapsed onto the floor before sobbing her heart out.

Warden made a very theatrical 'sniff' of the air. "Don't worry Miss Sparkle, I have tracked more able 'students,' we will find your younger sibling in no time.

Twilight raised her tear streaked eyes to the black dragon before her, "You can?” Twilight's demeanour changed instantly as her ears pricked up while a determined expression flowed across her muzzle, “Let's get going then!”

Warden shook his head, "I think all things considered it would be best if I had a talk with your brother, 'dragon to dragon' as it were. Plus the more company he has the more frustrated he will get." He watched Twilight carefully with his amethyst eyes.

"But..." Twilight felt responsible and like she was somehow failing Spike by not going.

Warden bowed once again, "Please Miss Sparkle, trust me on this; I have worked with lots of dragons in my time and even though this is an exceptional circumstance I have every confidence that we can make this situation right."

Twilight agonised over the decision, she so desperately wanted to be there for Spike, but what if Warden was right? She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before deciding, “Okay Warden this is how we're going to do this....”

Spike was angry, hurt and very confused. He couldn't believe Twilight could think of him like that, he would never.... The dragon dared not return home in case the other ponies had believed Twilight and he be greeted by an angry mob. That Twilight doubted him hurt most of all and Spike hung his head as he made his laborious way out of Ponyville.

No pony had tried to stop him as he walked through the Ponyville's streets, a dragon in a foul mood was best avoided and so Spike was unchallenged as he made his way out of town. He didn't pick any direction in particular and just struck out without a plan or intended destination, mulling over the disastrous events of the day.

Thoughts and worries spun around the dragon's head, Spike knew he should be happy for Rarity, more than anything else Spike wanted all his friends to be happy, but part of himself, deep down at his core was feeling trapped. He didn't know any other life than with Twilight in Ponyville, but something in him longed for space of his own.

The jealousy at Honest was not the be all and end all of it either, he wasn't jealous of any pony, just every pony. Honest was just a prime target for his feelings, but any pony near him would conjure a burning desire to chase them away. It was the same with his friends and his family. Spike cared so much about them all and especially Twilight which hurt the most. She had practically raised him from day one, it had been Twilight that had hatched him for Celestia's sake.

This made it all the worse when his anger flared up at her. Spike found himself raging at Twilight for the smallest perceived insult or jibe, most of which turned out to be just his imagination. The mix of emotions wouldn't relent or give Spike a moment's peace as what he 'knew' warred with what he 'felt'.

Cursing himself again, Spike looked around to find he had travelled far further than he realised, his steady path had taken him close to a familiar mountain which now loomed above the drake. Spike would have smiled remembering how his five pony friends and adoptive sister had shooed away the smoke snoring nuisance all those years ago. It had been one of his favourite stories of how Fluttershy had overcome her fears and saved the day from an inconsiderate beast, but now that event felt a little too close to home for Spike's liking.

Looking up at the imposing rock face Spike noted that the day was fast reaching its end and without really knowing why he began to climb. Digging his sharp claws into the stone, Spike hauled his large frame skyward, grunting, wishing more and more that his wings would hurry up and grow. Just as Celestia's sun began to touch the distant horizon he finally drew level with a large cave mouth which he instantly recognized from the descriptions Twilight had told him.

Spike gave another sorrowful look at distant Ponyville and smiled grimly as he noted how the Village had grown along with him over the last few years, Ponies and other sentient creatures were coming from far and wide with hopes of studying at Twilight's new academy. The work on its construction was proceeding apace and the edifice was already taller than any other building in Ponyville, reminding Spike of a huge tree stump among the tall grass.

Magical machines were nothing new in Equestria, construction, medical and many other elements of pony life had some form of technology these days, apart from a few die hard 'classical' ponies, but since Twilight had become a princess she seemed to have leaped from one new invention to the next at a alarming rate. This scared many inhabitants of Equestria, but few could deny the improvements she was implementing were a wonder and of great help to land as a whole.

With a resigned sigh Spike turned his attention away from the progressing town and back to the dark cave mouth before him. At first glance the rocky hole was just as abandoned since the last dragon had left, being cold, dark and as far as the exploring reptile could tell empty of any other creature lager than a bat.

He pressed further into the gloom and after a simple search confirmed his suspicions, he curled his large body around himself and lay looking out to the now shining stars beyond the mouth of his shelter. The confused dragon rested his head on his claws as he struggled to resolve the plight he found himself in.

Now he had a bit of distance from others Spike felt his frustrations and tensions of the past few days begin to cool, but instead of the peace he was hoping to find, all that was left in its place was loneliness. He desperately missed the reassuring smile of Twilight and the good old days of being her number one assistant.

Spike laid there for what felt like hours, mulling over his thoughts and feelings while reminiscing about the good times he and the pony gang had gotten up to. The dragon's thoughts were interrupted by his nose: As the moon climbed high in the sky, Spike's nostrils detected a new smell that was strangely familiar and he felt with cold certainty he wasn't alone.

Spike felt his back spines rise up and a small trail of smoke leaked from his mouth as the dragon's tempter began to rise once again. It seemed even here Spike couldn't find peace and solace and so with a deep growl he sent out a brief flash of flames casting the whole scene in a green glow for a moment before the shadows returned and darkness reclaimed it hold on the cave. Spike had half hoped it was Twilight coming to find him, to bring him home again despite the evidence of his nose, still he could see no other creature in the cave with him.

"I know you're there so you may as well come out," Spike muttered in a menacing way, but under the anger could be heard the slight tremble of unease. He was alone, without his friends and despite his impressive form Spike still felt very small inside.

A voice that didn't seem to come from anywhere floated by with a gentle hiss, "Not bad young one, I had feared living with ponies would have dulled your senses. I'm pleased to be proven wrong," Spike's eyes narrowed as he sought the source, the voice had a similar quality to his own deep rumble.

"I'm not in the mood for games, get to the point and then get out so I can get back to my thoughts," Spike grumbled.

"As much as I would like to leave a fellow drake to his sulking, I can't you see: I have been commanded to oversee your induction into a dragon culture," The voice explained, it's tone easily matching Spike's impatience, "I take my duties very seriously and as such I can't go anywhere until my task is complete."

"Teach me how to be a dragon?" Spike's interest was roused despite his earlier annoyance.

The voice chuckled, "No, you're a dragon there is no doubt in my mind about that now, but I can teach what it means to be a dragon, a true dragon and not some pony's pet."

"I'm no pony's pet!" Spike roared as he pulled himself up and glared about the cave with green eyes aflame with anger.

"Really? Staying in a small wooden building with a princess who thinks of you as her number one slave? Eating food that she deems proper rather than hunting as your blood must be crying out for you to do? Sharing the things that are yours by right of conquest and taking care of those weaker than you rather than dominating them?" That sounds more like a well trained puppy to me rather than a true dragon," The mysterious voice listed full of scorn.

Spike felt his fury rise with every point raised, these were aspects of his life but described in a twisted way, "It's not like that at all! Twilight is family and family takes care of each other!"

"And she's been taking great care of you hasn't she, being at her beck and call. I have seen that flimsy excuse for a dwelling you call home. I have seen the claw and scorch marks covering the surfaces and a pony at her wit's end with what to do with the monster her little 'Spikey Wikey' has become," The taunting was relentless and Spike wanted to lash out at the source, but no matter which way he looked, no target presented its self.

"You're being smothered under a cloud of 'kindness' and not letting yourself be the true free dragon you should. Quite simply, you are pathetic." This was the last straw for Spike, his temper broke like a dam bursting and taking a huge breath he let out a roaring torrent of flame which he swept back and forth. The raging torrent banished the darkness and shrivelled the mosses along with hanging lichens that covered the abandoned cave. Spike vented all his fury into the blast of fire and soon the rock's all around him glowed red with heat before he finally ran out of breath.

The dragon was left standing in a small ring of clear stone while all around him the aftermath of his fury slowly smouldered. Spike was panting heavily, standing on all fours with his wings spread out in a powerful display as his tail whipped back and forth in agitation. "I-am-no-pony's pet." Spike growled once again and to his sudden surprise he heard the sound of slow clapping coming from behind him.

Spike revolved on his axis to confront his tormentor and to his amazement saw a black dragon about two thirds his size perched nonchalantly on a stone outcrop, "Much better, I always find that things get off to a better start once we clear the air somewhat," The smaller beast spread a pair of leathery purple wings as he bowed to the now thoroughly confused Spike.

"You were trying to get me worked up?" Spike asked in mounting suspicion.

"Indeed hatchling, I wanted to see your fire and your temper before we go any further. It's good to know how far I can push you," The smaller reptile held out a claw to Spike which simply glared at in return, "My title is Warden and I have been sent to help you and Princess Sparkle in adjusting you to your 'unusual' situation."

Spike looked down at the claw before gazing back up at Warden's unreadable face and then back to the claw once again. Spike had to admit he felt a lot better and had a much clearer head even if he was still angry at Warden, "Do you really think I'm just a pony's pet?"

Warden cocked his head to one side before answering, "I don't really know what to make of you hatchling, we're all treading on unknown ground here, but I made a promise to my Lord that I would teach you the ways of a dragon and so that's what I intend to do."

Roots and Reminders

Roots and Reminders

Spike watched the other dragon with a curious stare, Warden having jumped down from his rocky perch proceeded to circled Spike while taking in his every detail. Every so often the black dragon would give a disappointed 'tut' or a small shake of his head, "Well I would say you're in reasonable health all things taken into accoun,." Warden even raised his claws up to Spike's mouth and lifted his lips to reveal the gums and fangs underneath.

"Shoo you mind telling whasht you're looking for?" Spike mumbled as Warden knocked his knuckle against Spike's prominent canine fangs and finally gave a small nod.

Warden moved his examination from Spike's mouth by yanking down the larger dragon's head and pulling one of the purple reptile's green eyes wide open. Spike quickly tired of these intrusions and pulled back with a grunt.

"Well I must say you're in better condition than I would have first thought," Warden explained again, but his face fell as he looked at his charge's disproportionately small wings, "But still flightless I see, guess we have some work to do there."

"Okay mister Warden, how did you find me?" Spike's curiosity was caught; he hadn't told any pony where he was going, (Mostly because he didn't know himself) so how hard Warden found him?

"Oh I have been Ash Mountain's 'hunts master' for the last two hundred years; you were no trouble to follow hatchling," Warden replied in a casual way as once again he took to examining the larger dragon with pokes and prods.

Spike felt his temper beginning to simmer once again before what Warden had said sunk in and his eyes went wide with disbelief, "Two-hundred-years?" He asked slowly, taking care pronounce each word clearly to confirm what he had heard was correct. Warden merely nodded before testing the claws on Spike's right hand one after the other, "How old are you?" Spike asked in wonder.

"I’m three hundred and thirty seven by pony reckoning in fact," Warden explained in a causal way and Spike's eyes boggled. He couldn't imagine being thirty, let alone three hundred. He shook his head rejecting the vast difference in ages.

"But how come you're so small?" Spike aksed, his mind still struggling to grasp the age of the drake before him.

Warden paused and his purple eyes took on an angry look, "You're young and don't know anything so I will let that comment pass. It's not becoming for a hatchling to ask his elders such questions so directly." The black scaled dragon took a deep breath before his eyes became impassive once again, "We are really are going to have to start with the basics aren't we."

Warden took a few steps away from Spike and turned his attention to the soot covered stone surrounding the pair which still gently 'plinked' as it cooled after Spike's fire storm. He theatrically extended one claw and began to scratch the blackened rock of the cave floor.

"Dragons are the eldest mortal species; we were before all others save the 'Appointed Ones'." Warden's voice had taken on a story teller’s tone, heavy with solemnity as if reading from a venerated book or scroll. His words carried the dust of ages as he began to tell the history of dragons while his claw traced shapes in the soot.

"We trace our heritage all the way back to 'Whisper' the first and greatest dragon: She, like your first princesses was an 'Appointed Ones', created at the dawn of this world to ensure its proper running." Spike listened in awe as Warden weaved his tale, the young dragon had never heard any of this before and some small part of his mind thought that Twilight would love to hear this.

"The royal alicorns were made to keep the balance and harmony in the world; as such they were the two aspects of celestial order: The sun and moon. There were others created with purposes in the grand scheme of creation, but I will focus on 'Whisper'; guardian of the earth, Silent but supporting and ever reliable." Warden's voice had taken on a reverential tone now and Spike felt his heart moved with the passion in Warden's words.

"Whisper, oh what a dragon. She was said to be the size of mountains and her eyes as wondrous as the starry sky and a heart as hot as the sun's fire. She protected earth with a motherly care and did so without complaint and she never lifted her voice in case her power would shatter the delicate world which had being created."

Spike realised that Warden had drawn a collection of very stylized symbols on the ground. Two were easily seen to be Celestia's and Luna's cutie marks, but the others were totally unknown to the young dragon. As Warden described this 'Whisper' he indicated the picture of an egg.

"While all was new and fresh the Appointed Ones maintained order while assisting in the direction of the world, but soon their main tasks were completed," Warden drew a large circle about the first collection of symbols and then began a new set below: Spike watched attentively as Warden drew what was clearly a dragon.

"With her first tasks done, Whisper wondered what to do and soon found herself lonely. The other Appointed had others that sang to them, Luna her stars, Celestia her sun along with many others, but for Whisper the land was silent as it was steady, dependable but mute and it spoke not to her. Whisper dared not call to the other Appointed for aid as to do so would raise her voice and cause the world to tremble. So she came upon a plan for company and she took of herself and made the first dragons: her children.

Spike found himself totally taken in by the narrative that Warden was weaving and his green eyes studied the markings on the floor with rapt attention. His heart devouring and filling with the knowledge denied him for so long: Who he was. Even as he watched Warden continued to draw further dragons on the soot and the black dragon's expression turned from one of respect to sadness.

"But it was not the roll of the Appointed to fill the world with life, but to care for what was made, so that it would be ready for when creation deemed the time right. As such Whisper's children were not as intended: Sadly, in them Whisper had poured her longing for company and to have all things around her," Warden’s eyes rimmed with tears.

“As such the children of Whisper were covetous and greedy and so instead of guarding the world's wealth along with the precious things of the ground they hoarded them. Instead of protecting the lands as intended, they coveted their territory from all comers with a selfishness born of great desire," Spike felt his heart fill with a sorrow as he recognised such traits in himself.

Warden's face was a mask of regret and sadness, "These first dragons fought each other for what the world offered, their wars causing damage and destruction across the newly formed lands. Whisper was pained and for the first time cried out in sorrow as she saw her children fighting one another. The land was racked with earth quakes along with further disaster until finally the other Appointed saw Whisper's plight," The story teller's eyes suddenly held a glimmer of hope once again.

"The sisters of harmony, examples of balance with their night and day in balance came to our great mother's aid: They taught Whisper the ways of restoring order where once it was lost and with their help Whisper was able to call her children to order. With their help she was able to teach her children better way,” Warden's face shone with pride and Spike could almost see the great dragon nurturing her offspring in the ways of light and truth.

Warden wasn't finished however, “But Whisper knew she had caused creation to become disrupted, the land was ruined by the dragon wars and her own cries. With a heavy heart our great mother rededicated herself to the role as guardian of the earth and laid herself to rest; supporting the world and healing the damage done with her very own body," Warden's purple eyes glistened as a thin rivulet of tears ran down his ebony cheeks.

Spike couldn't help but be moved in kind and felt his heart ache also as Warden continued on his recounting of dragon history. He was eager for Warden to continue his tale, but to Spike's dismay the black dragon had stopped suddenly. Warden lifted his head to sniff the air while Spike followed suit, instantly recognising a familiar scent, one he had known all his life and reminded him of happy days gone by: Twilight.

"This story is not for pony ear's Miss Sparkle and is a private matter: I told you to await our return Princess." Warden spoke in a reproachful tone.

Twilight seeing she was discovered came out from her hiding place at the cave's mouth. "Well you'd been so long and I was starting to worry," Her ears were pressed flat as she made her way to the edge of the ring of blackened stone.

"You should leave, as I said this is a private matter for dragons only Princess," Warden informed, but Twilight stood her ground.

"Spike is family and you informed me it was the plan to teach us both right?" Twilight's voice was firm despite the slight tremble in her legs. Spike could smell her fear and unease, but saw that determined look in her eyes he had come to dread.

"If this is going to work then I need to be here," Twilight assured once again, but Warden's expression didn't change. The older dragon would not be moved it seemed.

Spike yearned to hear the rest of his history, but he also knew that he didn't want to leave Twilight or his other pony family, there had to be some way of resolving this impasse? In a flash of inspiration Spike realised the way to fix this situation. "Warden, anything you tell me I will share with Twilight, she's my sister and I trust her."

Spike couldn't help but notice the pained look Twilight gave him at these words. If Spike knew Twilight at all, she would be still beating herself up about the wedding where her trust in him had been proved lacking.

Warden looked to Spike before gazing back to Twilight his eyes full of annoyance, "I promised to my Lord I would teach you Spike, not give away our treasured history to younger races that are too young to understand. It is not the dragon way." Warden was obviously caught between his 'honour' and what his task now required.

Twilight seemed to catch onto Spike's plan and smiled weakly, "I promise I won't tell another soul what is said here, plus I am sure Celestia and Luna know the tale already, I could always ask them, so you may as well tell it me now." Twilight urged with a sincere look.

Warden drummed his talons on a nearby rock as he considered the proposal before Spike pressed on with his advantage, "If you don't go on I'm going back with Twilight to Ponyville right now and you will have to tell your Lord that you failed."

For a moment Warden looked like he might just do that, but after a moment he shrugged his shoulders in defeat, "I need your solemn promise Miss Twilight that what you hear will not go further than you. There are reasons other races do not know our history and why it is not written down."

Twilight nodded as she settled herself down and gave Spike a little wink, "I promise: Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Warden just stared blankly at Twilight in utter incomprehension before Spike came to his aid, "I'll tell you about it later, but trust me, Twilight won't tell any pony about what she hears here."

"Indeed," Warden replied before picking up his story where he left off, "Whisper became one with the earth and used her own body to repair the damage her cry had caused. She left the dragons with a charge to continue their watch over the land in her stead." Warden paused once again, to see Twilight had produced a small note pad and was busily scribbling down everything he was saying, "Princess you may remain, but your paper may not."

With a small flash of purple fire the note pad was incinerated and Twilight was forced to leap back in alarm. Spike seeing his sister in danger rose with a deep growl in his throat before Warden held up a claw, "Fortunately I have more control over my fire than you hatchling, but I will not be moved on this point. Books and written word cannot be trusted to keep a promise."

Twilight wasn't hurt or even singed, but still stared at Warden in alarm, "But this is amazing, what if I forget something you have told me?"

Warden smiled, "All the better if you do. I'm allowing you hear under sufferance Princess; don't think that means I am happy you will know some of our historical secrets. I'm treading very close to violating a number of our sacred oaths by you even being here and to be frank; if you of all ponies can't remember a simple story then you're not the gifted student I have heard about." Twilight sufficiently chastised nodded and settled down once again, but this time a just little further from Warden.

The ebony dragon cleared his throat once more and began again, “We dragons all have some aspect of our first mother; be it magic, physical strength or mental power. Each one of us typifies some part of Whisper's whole. With this variety we keep the world in balance. We watch the world and each other on behalf of our first mother. Though we may not have been perfect stewards in our time the world still stands. It is the duty of every dragon of good conscience to protect the land. The elders have stated this purpose and so we are to obey," Warden finished his story with a small bow and both Spike and Twilight were moved to applaud.

The dragon despite his previous misgivings smiled at the praise, "So the answer to your question hatchling is that for me knowledge and history is my realm. Not for me the size and power of many other dragons, I keep our histories and legends safe and teach upcoming generations of our legacy. No doubt that was why I was given the task of teaching you."

Spike tore his gaze from Warden to Twilight, "So what does that make me then?"

"That is for each dragon to discover for themselves. But from what I have seen wisdom isn't your area of expertise," Spike let another growling rumble.

"As tact isn't yours." Twilight snipped at Warden.

"No disrespect meant I assure you, it's all part of a dragon's time of isolation and the process of discovering their role in this world. All kinds are needed if the world is to thrive," Warden had taken on a conciliatory tone in the face of Spike and Twilight's anger.

Spike nodded, that kind of made sense and was reminiscent of a pony discovering their cutie mark. He turned to Twilight to say just that when he saw her brow was furrowed.

"That doesn’t sound like any of the dragon's we have met before; they have all seemed to be just big greedy bullies," Twilight coughed at her forthrightness, but to her surprise Warden wasn't angry and just smiled sadly.

"There are those dragons who don't accept the rules of the elders, who never get over their young fiery days and choose a life of hoarding and domination. We of course rein them in where possible, but the dragon flight's rule only stretches so far. "We have no say in Equestria for example and so those who are out cast will inevitably be found in your lands or other distant places."

Warden looked at spike with a curious expression, "Most of the rouge dragons have greed overtake them and grow in to power hungry brutes that were completely out of control without other dragons to keep them in check. I am frankly glad I came before Spike became such: Most hatchlings when they begin to mature show the signs of hoarding and greed growth and I am very surprised to see Spike is comparatively in control of himself."

Both Spike and Twilight coughed in unison and couldn't meet each other’s eyes, "We may have seen some of that if were honest, Spike did have a little episode of what you describe," Twilight replied with an uneasy smile.

"Really? I guess Celestia or Luna brought in another dragon to counter him?" Warden asked in a confident way.

Twilight looked at her adopted brother proudly, "Spike sorted himself out."

Warden looked astonished and stared at Spike with wide purple eyes, his opinion of the purple dragon seeming to be on the increase, "You mastered yourself? I see I miss judged you once again hatchling."

It was Spike's turn to puff up with no small amount of pride before Twilight gave him another 'look', "Well we helped a little but it was mostly Rarity who snapped Spike out of it."

"Really? Well that is a turn up for the tales, a pony pacifying a greed crazed dragon," Warden couldn't hide the amazement in his voice, before he coughed and straightened up once more. His appearance of superiority returning to cover his surprise.

Once again Twilight felt she needed to remind Warden that ponies had a lot more about them than dragons seemed to believe, but before she could Spike spoke up again.

"So that's it, I just need to figure out what kind of dragon I am and then I can go home again?" The note of pleading was back in his voice.

Warden laughed at this, "Of course not Spike, we're only just beginning to start your teaching. You have a long way to go before I think you're ready to be trusted by yourself. Also I believe that you should stay somewhere other than Ponyville for the time being."

Spike's shoulders sank, "You're sending me away?"

Warden smiled and shook his head. "No I promised Princess Sparkle that I would never do that, but you will need your own space for a while and I understand that your current home is not all that 'fireproof' for one thing."

Twilight looked into Spike's sad green eyes and her heart melted, "Well we know this place is big enough for a fully grown dragon, it's not too far from Ponyville and you already seem to have made yourself at home." Little tears began to form in Twilight's eyes, "I will come and visit you every day Spike as it's only a short flight for me and I'm sure the girls will want to come in and check in on you too."

Spike's eyes also filled with tears as he lent forward to hug Twilight in his massive embrace. "Thanks Twilight, I'm so sorry I ever gave you a reason to doubt me."

"Oh Spike you never did, you will always be my brother and we will get through this I promise you," Twilight returned the hug as she threw her hooves tightly around Spike's snout, in a loving rather than fearful embrace.

The tender moment went on for a while before the polite cough of Warden drew the pair's attention back to Spike's new teacher, "Well I am glad that's sorted. It's far into Luna's night now and I think it would be best for us all to get some rest."

Twilight nodded as she pushed herself free of Spike's large claws and wiped a tear away with her hoof, "Is there anything you want me to bring you, your covers or maybe....."

Spike watched Warden who seemed to be smirking behind his outward calm expression, "No Twilight I think I've got this one, I'll be fine honest" He really wished Twilight would stay, but that aggravated feeling of others intruding on his space was creeping back once more and he didn't want to give Warden any other reason to think of him as a baby.

Twilight nodded again before turning to stare at Warden, "I'll not breathe a word of your story to any other pony. Just take care of Spike; I would never forgive myself if any harm comes to him."

Warden paused a moment before replying, "I will not promise that which I cannot assure Miss Sparkle, the world is a dangerous place even for such as us, but I give you my oath that I will do all in my power to teach Spike all he needs to know and steer him away from the many pitfalls of a growing dragon." Warden smiled again and Twilight felt reassured as she gave one last wave to her adopted brother before she spread her wings and soared out of the cave once again.

Spike turned back to look at the other occupant of the cave who watched Twilight fly away, "You know I have never had a proper chance to speak with ponies before, they are quite amusing little creatures and I see my time here will be an informative one. I almost find myself impressed by them." Warden commented, his eyes never leaving the retreating form of Twilight.

"That's my Twilight" Spike said proudly even as the dragon's heart felt lighter for there being one less intruder in his cave.

"She had better be something special, we have a lot to get through hatchling and not all of it will be 'pleasant',” Warden cautioned.

Spike went to growl at Warden, "Twilight is amazing and she will show you....." The other dragon had vanished just as quietly as he had first arrived. Truly alone once more, the young dragon studied his new home for the time being. It was far removed from the warmth and happiness of his old little bed in the Golden Oak's library, but it would just have to do.

Spike drew in a deep breath to confirm that he really was alone and finding the scent of Warden quickly fading busied himself getting comfortable in his new home away from home. There wasn't much to work with and Spike didn't have a great idea about what a dragon in his position would need, but with a fresh determination in his eyes the dragon set to work making a new home for himself.

Worries and Wonders

Worries and Wonders

Twilight released a contented sigh as she surveyed her home, for the first time in months the house shone with order and cleanliness and she tried to ignore the small twang of guilt: It took Spike moving out to achieve Twilight’s dreams of order once again and she reminded herself it was only for a little while. Twilight looked about the ordered shelves with their neat and tidy books before reassuring herself: She had made the right choice in leaving Spike alone with Warden right?

The chiming clock drew Twilight her from these worries, time waited for no pony and so she collected the final elements of Spike's care package and triple checked that everything within was as it should be. Finally satisfied, Twilight threw open the front door with her magic and stepped out into a crisp Ponyville morning.

Equestria's seasons were moving on and the first hints of winter were making themselves felt. Twilight shivered as the brisk wind ruffled her feathers and she felt her gaze drifting to the distant peak which was Spike's new abode. She fervently hoped Spike was keeping himself warm and whispered a quick plea; "Take care of yourself my number one assistant, I'll see you soon."

Shivering as the chill breeze tugged at her mane, Twilight shook herself down and pulled the door shut before setting off at a brisk trot towards the main 'construction site'. The research centre was coming along apace with several of the core sections and lower levels already in use as like minded creatures were drawn to the wonders of progress.

With Celestia and Luna's blessing Twilight had begun to lay the foundations for a new research college of sorts. It wasn't dissimilar to Celestia's school for gifted unicorns but with a much greater focus on blending the natural magic of the world with potential constructs.

The edifice promised to be an impressive glass lined tower which would grace the expanding Ponyville skyline, but for now it more closely resembled a giant jagged tooth rising off in the distance. Twilight smiled as she observed the steady flow of traffic coming and going from the project. It was a start.

Despite being less than a quarter of the planned size, the 'tower be' brought in fresh researchers and workers along with construction materials; hungrily absorbing them into itself as it grew. The research college was drawing in the best and brightest from the world at large and Twilight’s heart sang as she noticed all sorts flocking towards her new centre.

Celestia's school was for unicorns and other 'actively' magical creatures, where Twilight's endeavour was open for all kinds. Inspired technical knowhow was needed along with practical on hoof construction for this new science. Magical theory mixed with down to earth engineering to make something far more impressive than the sum of its parts and any creature with the skills and temperament was needed, weather mage, builder of designer.

The official title for the new place of learning was still up for debate, with a number of potential titles being put forward, but if she was being honest Twilight didn’t mind all that much right now. Names and titles were of far less import in her mind than what was actually being achieved. What really stirred her heart was the number of fascinating inventions which had already been produced.

She had overseen the production of everything from the magic lanterns lining the roads of Ponyville to the rudimentary prosthetics being created for disabled ponies. The princess would be first to admit that the latter were still in very early stages, but all signs were promising and from Twilight could see no reason for the quality of life to continue to improve for everyone.

The ponies of Equestria were still coming to terms with the flood of new ideas resulting from recent discoveries, mixed views ranged from unrestrained enthusiasm to frightened predictions of terrible times to come. Well the future will be bright and happy if I have any say in it Twilight promised herself.

She would also be the first to admit she was still amazed that they had never considered such applications for magic and machines before hoof. Equestria had seen very little progress technologically, having an abundance of arcane powers to solve most problems, but now that Twilight had a 'taste' for what could be achieved, she was totally hooked on the ideas of 'mage-tech'.

Twilight had become magical-technology's fanatical champion and supported its development on every side. Oh Buzz, did you know what your visit would cause? She mused to herself as she remembered the pony-bot's visit. Twilight remembered how Buzzbot had been so tight lipped about what was going to happen, frustrated by the robot pony's determination to keep the future a mystery.

Shaking her head, Twilight grinned as she made her steady way past street vendors, merging with the flow of creatures all drawn to support her big project. Of course Buzz knew, Twilight told herself. It was just like the pony-bot to keep secrets under the pretence of protecting the future. The mechanical pony had been a real mischief despite her noble intentions.

Twilight pulled out of the past to the here and now as a mare's familiar voice called Twilight’s name excitedly, "Twilight! Twilight there you are! The ‘Great and Useful’ Trixie has been looking for you everywhere! Where have you been!" Twilight smiled warmly, the Princess knew of only one unicorn that couldn't help but refer to herself in the third pony and Twilight turned around to see her blue 'Pony Relations Specialist' galloping up behind her. Ah dear Trixie

Trixie had never really forgiven herself for the events all those years ago, despite Twilight's assurances that it was all behind them. The mare had aged along with the rest of the world and now took to wearing a pair of professional looking black glasses while setting her mane in a tight bow. Trixie’s famous cloak and hat had been replaced by a neat grey suit with small a star speckled tie.

"Hi Trix I had some personal matters to attend to, but all sorted now. I trust things are moving along as normal?" She watched as Trixie produced a small clip board with her magic along with a 'pen'. Twilight once again found her mind drifting back to the day Applebloom had shown her the design for ‘quills that carry their ink with them’.

Applebloom had been one of the first of many surprises for Twilight, the young farm filly had shown a great knack for building machines and had soon become an indispensable member of Twilight’s growing crew or arcane mechanics. With determination and insight Applebloom had fully earned the rank of Twilight’s chief engineer and she consulted with her on construction matters frequently.

Twilight suddenly realised she had zoned out yet again and smiled apologetically to Trixie who had been waiting patiently for her 'director' to come out of her latest day dream, "Yes director, test rooms three through six are almost completed, the workshops in the lower levels are running at an estimated sixty four percent along with....."

Twilight nodded indulgently as Trixie rattled off numbers and important figures; all pointing to a general improvement and expansion. Twilight saw a little of herself in the pony next to her, with such a focus on exact facts. Since Trixie had joined Twilight’s research group the unicorn had an almost obsessive in her need to please.

Twilight was once again reminded of a far younger Spike and her gaze drifted to the distant mountain. After a short while Trixie's report trailed off, the unicorn’s eyes filling with concern, "Director are you alright?"

"Hmm?" Twilight shook herself and refocused on the mare next to her, " Oh yes? I'm fine thank you Trixie, thank you for the update. So what's on my appointments list for today?"

Trixie took a moment to adjust her glasses before replying, "Well firstly there is the zebra rep. who requested a meeting; something about potential pollution on the boarders," Trixie levitated her pen down the list as she continued to read, "There's then the visiting Manehattan rep. who is inquiring about the new lamps for his city...."

Again Twilight struggled to keep her concentration and as the day filled with meetings, her mind drifted back to Spike despite Twilight's best efforts. Was he okay, what was Warden teaching him? With a huge effort Twilight managed to refocus on the tasks at hoof and smiled gently, seeing the younger filly Twilight had been emulated by Trixie. Even though of similar age, Twilight’s duties and experiences had now led her down a very different path from your average pony. I’ve had to grow up so much these past few years, the Twilight I remember almost seems like a stranger to me now.

"Thank you Trixie I'll get on these right away, but I need to extend my lunch break. I have to visit Spike sometime today and so I hope you can rework things to let that happen?" Trixie looked at her director with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course director, I'll see what I can do," She failed to hide her anxiety and clearly wanted to say more to Twilight, but settled for chewing the pen with a furrowed brow in a way Twilight had become used to.

"Come on Trix I know that face, what's on your mind?" Twilight smiled back to Trixie reassuringly as the pair were forced into single file as the road ahead narrowed. The pair's gentle pace had brought Twilight and Trixie to the main gates of the research centre and creatures of all sorts lined up waiting to pass onto the growing edifice.

Trixie shuffled her hooves uncomfortably, "Well Trixie 'heard' that Spike went 'berserk' during the wedding and was banished from town. She can't help but wonder how it would look if you were to go visit a dangerous criminal?"

Twilight stopped so suddenly that Trixie nearly walked into her, "Where did you hear such a tale?" Twilight's voice held ice in it and Trixie flinched back at the sudden change in her friend. Every pony knew that Spike was a sensitive subject for the Princess and Trixie's eyes filled with fear as subtle wisps of smoke began to curl from Twilight's mane.

Trixie's ears pressed down as the heat haze began to ripple above Twilight, "I er...I Oh just some idle talk Trixie overheard, but she never believed it for one moment of course." There was almost pleading in her voice, "But you did hire Trixie to keep an ear to the ground about these sorts of things."

The smell of smoke permeated the air as the surrounding ponies took a few steps back from the rising anger of their princess, "Well first of all Spike did no such thing, I want it totally clear that I got a bit over excited that's all, as for him being banished that-is-complete-fabrication. Spike has taken a short holiday and has done so with my support and blessing. Is that understood?"

Trixie shied away as Twilight's mane began to curl and showed hints of turning an angry orange,. "And even if he did do anything of the sort I would never just brush him aside for anything, I hope I have made that all very clear?"

Trixie swallowed before nodding and much to every onlooker's relief, the distortion above Twilight faded. Her eyes filled with sorrow as she bowed her head in shame, "Sorry Trix I know you're only doing your job and yes I would like it known that I still freely go to see Spike while he is on his holiday." Twilight mumbled before Trixie wrote down exactly what she had been instructed. With this little drama coming to a close the line of ponies and other creatures continued their journey into the research centre.

Twilight was greeted by a distracted "Oh howdy Director!" as she pushed open the doors to the lower workshops. The call filtered it way through the spider's web of entwined cables and winches that held an imposing creation suspended a few feet above the room's metallic floor.

Twilight studied the large mixture of canvas and metal framework that dominated the work space; listening as the sounds of hammering resounded from within and caused the prototype airship to tremble. Twilight was suddenly forced to duck as the whole assemblage visibly swayed the yellow earth pony disentangled herself from prototype before landed with clang on the metal floor.

Smiling at her chief engineer, Twilight watched as Applebloom brushed a lock maroon mane out her amber eyes and met Twilight grin with a grin of their own. She took a moment to secure the offending lock under her striking pink sash adorning her head and snapped off a hasty salute before darting forward to give Twilight a sisterly hug.

"'A.B'! Glad to see you still hard at work as ever, how's it going?" Twilight indicated with a glance up at the half built airship before the pair broke apart.

"Well, the basic frame is comin tergether fine, those lighter metals seem ter be holdin okay. The trick is findin stuff that ain't too heavy, but strong enough fer what we need," With the simple pleasantries all done, Applebloom launched right into talking shop and Twilight watched the fellow enthusiast with a knowing smile.

"These here new alloys, are just the ticket Twi, where'd yer find em?" Twilight smile grew wider as she watched the young mare deep in her element. Applebloom was taller than Twilight had been at the same age, but had lost none of the enthusiasm of her foal hood and Twilight couldn't help but be swept up in the eager filly’s excitement.

For a moment she recalled the little yellow pony staring up at her alongside her two friends Scootaloo and Sweetie bell. The three foals proudly showing her the award for best comedy act from all those years ago. Oh how things have changed.

"Well we've got some great minds working on that problem for us from the Crystal fiefdom and coupled with their discoveries in magical power storage I'm certain we're on to a winner," Twilight explained as she slowly trotter about the airship's beginnings. The Princess was deeply proud of their work here, all aimed at making life in Equestria better.

Applebloom hardly waited for the reply before she produced a wrench, gripped it firmly in her teeth and delved under the airship once more. Before long the sounds of metal on metal could be heard and Twilight sat on her haunches watching with keen interest.

"So you see no reason for the planned test launch in two months then?" Twilight addressed Applebloom's back hooves, the half apple and crossed tools cutie mark partially obscured by the grime that covered the young mare.

"Eyup" Applebloom assured the princess in between clangs and squeaks as she continued to tinker.

Twilight dipped her head lower to peer under the airship, "You know we could have things done much faster with some more technicians, we have lots of applicants and....." The princess was cut off mid flow by a clang and muffled curse from within the shady depths of the construction. There was more grumbling and clattering as Applebloom once again extricated herself from the task at hoof. Twilight was greeted by a pair of angry amber eyes glaring at her from the darkness.

"With respect 'Big.D', yer ask me that every time yer come ter see me n every time I give ya the same answer. I work alone, so what in the name of Celestia makes yer think I'd have changed ma mind this time?" The oil stained face of Twilight's chief engineer studied her employer with an impatient expression from the shadowy depths under the airship.

"Well I know Bigmac and....." Twilight tired once again, but Applebloom just snorted. Twilight had a brief sight of her back hooves disappearing as Applebloom hefted herself up into the guts of the air ship.

"Yer know right well what A.J thinks of all this 'techno-mumbojumbo' as she puts it," The muffled voice of Applebloom was punctuated by more aggressive hammering. The frame work and cables shuddered in accordance with Applebloom’s rising temper. "Why....yer...insist on tryin ter rope her in is beyond me," Applebloom almost snarled in response as the sound of shearing metal resounded around the workshop, causing Twilight to wince.

"Well I thought if you could at least talk.." She was shot down a second time. Twilight hated that ponies were becoming so divided over the new advancements being made, the Apple family being a prime example.

"Oh A.J made it right clear the last time, now if yer don't mind Big.D I got some nuts ter replace," Twilight was forced to look up as Applebloom's head poked out of the mass of cabling above her.

The earth pony's expression softened slightly before she went on. "It's mighty fine of yer comin down here to make sure I'm doing okay. I really do appreciate the effort n all Director.”

Twilight wanted to say more, but one look at the sad grease stained face of Applebloom above the alicorn told her that she had pushed it far enough already. “I know yer will have some meetins ter be gettin ter and I don’t wouldn't want ter make yer late Big D." Twilight nodded in defeat before Applebloom dived once more into the air ship and the sounds of industry began anew.

Twilight sighed sadly, with things picking up with Spike she had hoped to help Applebloom work things out with Applejack as well, but it seemed that some problems still needed a gentle hoof and patience. Shaking her head in dismay Twilight caught sight of Trixie waving a hoof frantically through the small windows in the workshop’s doors. Twilight was keenly reminded of her tight schedule and with one last look at the progressing airship, she push open the doors before trotting after the concerned Trixie.

"Spike, are you listening?" The purple dragon pulled his gaze away from the cave mouth and looked at Warden. Spike's new teacher had spent the best part of the morning attempting to drill the linage and history of the dragon flights into the younger drake's head. To Spike's despair the interesting lore of Whisper had given away to hundreds of names, titles and the social standing of main dragon flights. Of course Warden had assured his charge that it was all immensely important to understand how all the dragons interacted with each other, but Spike just didn't see it himself.

He gave a huge sigh, "To be honest Warden I'm not, we've been at this for hours and I don't see how knowing what some great great great dragon Lord decided to have for breakfast has to do with me?" Spike didn't even attempt to hide the boredom in his voice.

The older drake raised a scaly eyebrow, "Korthaplast gave us the proper protocols on which sentient creatures are deemed appropriate to be eaten and under what circumstances they are to be consumed." Warden's tone was deadly serious, "There would be far less ponies in the world for example should it not been deemed they were worthy of preservation."

Spike felt his stomach lurch at the very idea of having to 'eat' a pony. Yes he'd hunted before, but the idea had never entered his head of ponies being remotely edible; it made him feel 'queasy' at the whole concept.

"You need to know your history Spike or you will never learn from it" Warden cautioned.

"My history began in Canterlot," Spike mumbled under his breath, but suddenly a long buried thought struck him, "Which family line am I from?" Spike asked Warden, causing the other dragon to stop mid sentence.

"Pardon?" Warden replied in confusion.

"What dragon line am I descended from?" Spike asked once again, "Surely you can figure out who my ancestors were or perhaps if they're still alive?"

Warden blinked a few times, "I would have thought that you would have discussed all this with Princess Twilight?"

Spike recalled his previous attempts at looking into his own history, sadly every line of research the pair pursued had all amounted to nothing. Spike's egg had been acquired by a travelling trader caravan hundreds of years ago, long before any pony alive other than Celestia could remember. She'd only been able to tell spike that he was donated from a noble pony's private collection. "We tried, but it didn't come too much. Ponies know almost nothing about dragons and even less about where I came from."

"Well, that could be problematic," Warden cautioned, "If no one even knows how old your egg was then that give us a huge scope to work with. Dragon eggs are tough and can last for centuries if need be. There is any number of potential family lines you could be from hatchling." Spike's shoulders slumped, of course the one thing Warden didn't know had to be the one thing Spike desperately longed to do so.

He clapped Spike on his bulky shoulder and to the younger dragon's surprise smiled, "I say problematic, not impossible and if you pay more attention to my lessons, one day I may help you find out." Spike's heart filled with hope once more and he resolved to be more attentive to Warden's lessons in the future.

"Now where were we? Ah yes the second cousin of she drake 'Methest' the spined...." The flow of Warden thoughts were interrupted yet again as to his mounting frustration another voice chimed in.

"Spike, Warden it's me!" Twilight's cheerful voice echoed around the cave and the black dragon bunched his claws into fists as a small trail of smoke curled from his snout.

"Twilight, I was worried that work would have kept you too busy again!" Spike rushed forward and embraced her in a crushing hug as she glided into the cave, not even giving Twilight a chance to touch down.

"Whoa big guy, I'm happy to see you too and I did promise I would come by," Twilight hugged the dragon in return before producing a small bag which Spike eyed hungrily.

"I thought you would both be hungry and so I raided the cupboards to celebrate our new working partnership!" Twilight triumphantly opened the small satchel and number of gleaming gems tumbled out. Spike's eyes went wide with delight and even Warden's frustrated face broke into a grin.

"Ah Princess, now I understand why Spike was kept in such good health all these years......" His expression froze as Twilight also produced a number of small grey spheres which he eyed suspiciously, "What pray tell are those?" Warden's clawed finger pointed at the small balls of what looked to be grey stone.

Twilight held up one of the objects before nonchalantly tossing it to Warden who sniffed it cautiously. "Supplements, they give Spike the extra nutrition he would normally get from eating meat," Twilight explained as she also levitated couple of daisy sandwiches from the bottom of the bag for herself.

Warden stared at the small orb as if it had been dredged up from a midden, "You mean Spike doesn't hunt? He doesn't stalk or chase his prey?" Both Spike and Twilight watched Warden's face crease up further in disgust, "But what happens when he feels the need?"

"Oh Twilight and I figured that out, I can still hunt just have to let the catch go unharmed, in fact some of the ponies and I make a game of it sometimes," Spike chatted away in between crunching precious stones.

Warden fumed, "You turned one of our most important traditions into....a game?" Spike and Twilight both looked at each other in mounting worry, they had obviously broken some unknown dragon law or something. The dark dragon seemed to grow in size as the shadows surrounding him expanded menacingly.

"Whoa what's the big deal, no one gets hurt and I still get the exercise I need?" Spike looked deeply shocked at hit tutor's reaction.

Warden swelled with fury and just looked like he might explode, but Twilight was well used to dragon tantrums and as Warden opened his mouth to snarl out a curse she hefted a number gems and pitched them expertly into the dragon's maw with her magic.

Warden's eyes went wide for a moment before he began chewing. The rage died in his eyes and before long he was humming to himself in a contented way. Twilight grinned at Spike who couldn't help but snigger, "Well it seems I do know something about dragons after all," Twilight commented sweetly.

After a blissful moment Warden's eye's refocused and he glared once more at Twilight. "That was..."

"You're welcome grumpy scales, you knew that there would be some odd things Spike and I would have figured out. Now please go on in a calm and reasonable manner why our solution to his hunting needs are so terrible?" Twilight had slipped into diplomat mode easily, having had a number of years of practice. She was nowhere near as accomplished as Celestia or Luna of course, but she was learning every day.

Warden took a moment to clear his throat, "You know how Whisper became part of the earth correct?"

"In dragon lore?" Twilight confirmed and Warden's eyes spoke volumes of what he thought of Twilight referring to Whisper a merely 'lore'.

Despite their differences Warden was a great story teller and as The senior dragon cleared his throat the pair once more settled down for a dramatic history lesson, "When Whisper laid herself down into the earth she blessed all creatures in it and so the hunt became a solemn remembrance of her sacrifice. When we devour another, we take a bit of her back into our selves and Whisper rewards her children as we are forced work for our survival. Thus dragons avoid the trap of becoming fat and lazy."

The older dragon spread his wings and thrust out his clawed hands with great enthusiasm and Twilight had to suppress a giggle as the dark drake did a very good impression of a fat lazy beast. Warden was obviously well practiced in theatrics and Twilight could almost see the elder drake telling stories to baby dragons, making them gasp and cheer with each flourish of his claws and tail.

It was a gentle image of Spike’s tutor that had never occurred to her before and Twilight was coming to believe that despite his outward gruff and stern demeanour Warden could be really be a big softy under all those scales.

Pushing these musings aside, Twilight was drawn into Warden’s tale as he enlightened them as to why their solution was such a problem, "By turning that act into a 'game' you're cheapening the very reasons for the hunt and failing to appreciate the sacrifice Whisper made for us all," Warden finished triumphantly. "Now do you understand?"

Twilight considered this information for a short while before responding, "But Spike still does work, and he helps out in Ponyville all the time." Spike smiled as Twilight defended him, "Plus these supplements come from the ground too, so doesn't that kind of mean that he is still taking a bit of Whisper into himself and thus fulfilling both reasons for the hunt in his own way?"

Warden paused as he weighed this new concept, and to Twilight’s relief dragon's face soften a somewhat, "Well I can honestly say I didn't consider that." He peered at Twilight and clicked his tongue in a thoughtful way, "One again you ponies manage to surprise me."

Twilight beamed as she swallowed the last of her sandwich, "Well that's part of this whole arrangement isn't it? We learn from you, you learn from us and we discover the best way for Spike to fit in both our worlds," She looked to her brother as her face took on a melancholy expression, "Wherever that ends up being."

There was another uncomfortable moment before Twilight arose and dusted herself down with her wings. Spike’s eyes filled with sadness as he guessed what that action meant and Twilight returned the glance, "Well this has been fascinating as ever and I would love to stay, but I have other commitments sadly."

Spike made a small whimper, "You're not going already Twi? I mean you only just got here?"

Twilight moved closer to Spike and muzzled his snout gently, "Aww come on Spike, you know that I have responsibilities." She turned to study the sun before going on, "I wish I could stay longer, but I'm already running late as it is."

Spike embraced his sister tightly, hesitant to let go. They eventually broke apart and Twilight made her slow way back to the cave mouth. "I'll see you tomorrow Spike, be good and listen carefully to Warden okay?" Giving Spike a sad smile, she spread her wings once again and with a last wave goodbye Twilight was gone; soaring out into the pale sunshine.

Spike’s face fixed in a determined expression as he turned his scaly head back around to look right at Warden, "Well you were telling me about family lines?

Warden didn't reply and Spike was forced to repeat himself. After a moment he pulled his gaze away from the retreating silhouette of Twilight. "Pardon?"

Spike shook his head, "You were telling me about 'Methest the Spined'"

Warden shook himself down, "Of course, Methest..."

Spike had the distinct suspicion that his sister had impressed the old dragon and whispered to himself, "That's my girl." before settling down to his still dull lesson.

Family and Fliers

Family and Fliers.

"Very good, now I want you to recite to me the tenants of the 'Treaty of Guardianship'," Warden paced back and forth in front of a prostrate Spike who was steadily working through the latest set of push-ups his tutor required of him. He let out a low growl before sucking in his breath.

"One: A dragon remembers his origins, and of his purpose in this world," Spike managed to snarl out as he lifted his heavy frame with his trembling arms. Warden continued to observe the young drake as he lifted up once again.

"Two: We are to earn our way in this world, not live off the labours of others," Spike's arms felt like they were on fire as he struggled to press through the painful result of many hours of exertion. All the while Warden's stern eyes watched the adolescent drake with a determined grin.

"Three: We watch other dragons to make sure they continue in their duty as we do ours as," Spike gasped out. He was visibly struggling now, screwing his own eyes shut with the effort of ignoring the painful burning in his arms and chest muscles. Spike's hot sweat seeped from between his scales before running down his long snout to fall hissing to the earth below him.

"Four: A dragon is to respect other life, even when we must take it for they all bear some part of our great mother Whisper within them. In doing so we show our respect to her," Spike's head spun and try as he might the dragon couldn't focus through the haze that was filling his mind.

Warden noted the pause, "And?"

Spike shook his head back and forth as he tried to force his fatigued brain to summon the correct answer from amongst all the facts Warden had been drilling into his head for the past few weeks, but try as he might the dragon felt his focus slipping.

"And?" Warden repeated, his impatience growing.

Spike felt his fangs chatter as his strained body struggled to obey his command to keep going. He was determined, but Warden had been driving him hard today and that next point stubbornly lurked at the back of Spike's mind; just tantalisingly out of his grasp. Warden gave another disappointed click of his tongue and Spike felt his frustration rise. He knew the answer, come on Spike don't slip up now!

"Do you need to be given a hint hatchling?" Warden asked in mock support. The exhausted Spike gave another snarl, forcing the memory into focus.

"Five: Should another dragon or sentient creature be found violating the land or these laws, then the noble dragon must bring them to account: By whatever means he has at his disposal," Spike roared out this point before finally letting his much abused arms relax and left himself lying face down on the grassy ground.

"Good," Warden complemented in a genuine tone as Spike rolled over to peer at the pale sunshine over head. The sky was dull as autumn's act was concluded and made way for the approaching winter. As he caught his breath, Spike wiped his brow, feeling every muscle in his body crying out for rest. Warden had been driving the young drake harder and harder recently, so much so that Spike was beginning to wonder if the older dragon was trying to work him to death.

"That will do for now hatchling," Spike focused his stinging eyes on Warden who was nonchalantly hovering with slow beats of his wings just off the one side of the grassy plateau chosen for his student's exercises. The area of flat ground has a wonderful view of the surrounding country side and Spike studied the results of the shifting season. The trees foliage had gradually turned gold and amber before the dutiful ponies of Equestria cleared them with the annual racing celebration.

The teenage dragon had long since grown used to the event: Enjoying the festivities even when the shine wore off only to be replaced with the comfortable feeling of familiarity. It took a few moments for Spike to muster the effort to sit up once more and began procedures of 'warming down' his aching limbs.

Spike used to think he was a fit and strong creature, but he had quickly discovered that his time with ponies had once again skewed his views. He was naturally stronger than your average pony, even big ponies like Bigmac, but warden had shown Spike that just meant the dragon had to work harder to keep in shape and how pointless the comparison was.

"You will never reach your full potential without pushing yourself hatchling, by keeping yourself fit and strong you will work out a large amount of the frustrations you have been feeling," Warden explained. As with everything the older dragon taught there seemed to be multiple levels of reason behind the action. Warden wasn't just getting him fit; he was keeping Spike's mind clear. Warden always managed to lead each lesson back to the first found principles of dragon lore.

Spike was forced to admit he did feel much better about himself and the world in general these days. He was proud of himself, even if his body screamed at him from the exertions Warden was placing upon it. Warden had taken great care to explain that the 'Treaty of Guardianship' was the core code of honourable living, a set of rules which all right thinking dragons aspired to live by. This had confused Spike once again, all the dragons he had encountered before didn't seem remotely interested in such things and raised that point with warden.

"You say all these things are so important to us dragons Warden, but I can remember when I joined the last great dragon migration; the drakes there didn't seem to be all that well behaved or noble?" As Spike explained his confusion Warden's eyes filled with understanding.

"Migration? Oh you mean the time of gathering?" Warden's expression became troubled. "I am afraid you have not seen us dragons at our best there. Many of the younger and rising generations have been taken in by some more selfish ideas these days." Warden gave a resigned sigh and Spike was sure he recognised genuine sorry on his face.

Warden looked out over the underlying lands spread out before their perch and Spike was sure he saw tears beginning to form in Warden's sad eyes. "It happens every so often you see, the younger dragons think they know best, they think their elders are foolish old lizards with no idea about what the 'modern' dragon needs or wants."

Spike listened as Warden chuckled morosely to himself, "They always want an easier way of doing things and ask themselves Why not just take what we want, we have the power? or The whole world can go turn to ash, see what I care as long as I have my hoard!." The bitterness in Warden's voice caused Spike to pause. He had seen Warden angry, amused, fascinated and even happy on occasion, but this was a dangerous coldness that the younger dragon didn't like one bit.

Warden's shoulders slumped and he gave another sigh, "We all have it within ourselves hatchling, to be monsters or bullies and not just us dragons I suppose." Warden seemed to shrink even smaller as he confessed such to Spike and suddenly he saw an old dragon, who's eyes had seen too much of the world, "We dragons are just much more prone to such and should we ever fall to that level again...." Warden turned his head from the fiery destruction he imagined before him and smiled again.

"That's why we keep our lore alive, if we didn't have that to remind us who we really are we would become little more than the monsters the world normally sees us as," Warden said and Spike wasn't sure how to respond to such a statement.

"So um the time of gathering?" Spike prompted before Warden came back to the here and now, his normally impassive face seamlessly replacing his melancholy one.

"Yes the gathering or 'Great Meet' serves a number of purposes; keeping track of the dragon population, settling grudges and discussing recent events," Warden said, his tone once again that of the confident teacher. "As dragons are usually highly territorial until we have cooled with age it was best to have an appointed time and place where we can all meet on neutral ground as it were."

Warden cocked an eyebrow at Spike, "You said you attended the last gathering? That was less than fifty years ago and you are certainly not that old. Why you couldn't have been even bigger than a pony at that point!" Spike nodded and Warden chuckled to himself, with no little surprise in his voice.

"Well hatchling you are a tougher dragon than I gave you credit for; you must have made your way there over land and I imagine you didn't receive a very pleasant welcome," Warden who seemed to find the whole idea very funny and Spike folded his stiff arms in annoyance.

"Well I don't see what's so funny, it was hard going and yeah they were real jerks when I got there too. It was the first time I tried to find out about dragons and if I'm being honest, it put me right off the idea," Spike grumbled in the face of Warden's amusement.

Warden gained control of himself once more before explaining in a jovial tone, "Well you see as I said before fresh hatchlings are still in their 'helpful' stage. Many dragons see the time of gathering as an opportunity to get away from the enthusiastic little tykes and have some peace from their constant demands for attention," Warden smiled indulgently, "I would have loved to see the looks on the older drake's faces when you showed up."

Spike remembered only too well; The first dragon to have seen Spike as he crested the crater's edge tried to roast the baby where he stood. Then there had been the teenage dragons and all the trouble they had gotten Spike into. Warden studied his student as the pupil took a trip down memory lane.

Warden's face became more serious again, "The gathering used to be an official and well respected event, one that I was proud to attend with my Lord Thortax, but over the years it has eroded to become an excuse to laze about and attempt to show off to the other dragons; Very little actually gets achieved anymore and it has been a great number of years since Thortax came to a gathering." Warden explained in a distant way.

Just for a moment Spike caught the impression of an old and tired dragon, a dragon that missed better times but had little hope of them ever returning. He put his arm around the black dragon's shoulders in a reassuring way, "Well as long as there are grumpy old lizards like you around to teach hatchlings like me, then maybe there is still hope huh?"

There was a brief moment of silence with only the wind howling around the peak before Warden burst into laughter, "Whisper preserve me, if you're what dragon's have come to then the world really is going to be inherited by ponies."

"What makes you say that?" Spike asked in an astonished way.

Warden smiled indulgently, "Well hatchling it was something Thortax said to me just before I left to begin your lessons: 'Teach him to fly straight Warden. The world has enough greedy, selfish dragons and we could do with another drake who understands more than just fighting and hoarding'." Warden closed his eyes before finishing up, "If we don't stop this current trend then dragons may not be needed anymore and the world may think it’s better off without us, leaving more worthy creatures such as ponies to inherit it."

Spike was flabbergasted, "Your elder said that to you? What happened to 'we dragon's are the earth's protectors and need to defend it with our lives'?" Spike went on in very poor mimic of Warden's reserved manner.

Warden bristled as he stood up, failing to reach even Spike's shoulder as the fire come back into his eyes, "It took me a long time to understand what he meant and I have been worried by those words from since before you were born hatchling. It's not the first time Thortax has cautioned us so."

Spike was pleased to see some of the vigour return to Warden, even if that meant a scolding from the older dragon, "Remember Spike, it wasn't Whisper that stopped her children fighting, it was the regents of the Moon and Sun. Ponies lead by example and we dragons followed once, avoiding destroying our selves or forcing others to do i for us."

Spike saw the conviction mixed with guilt in Warden's eyes. "We dragons are powerful and proud creatures, it's one of the reasons we don't want others to know our history; It really doesn’t paint us in the best light."

"I can understand that Warden, but why would we be at risk of......." Spike began only for Warden to interrupt him.

"Spike our world is one of order and there is more at work than just what we see around us. The two royal alicorns who rule Equestria are not all powerful, did you ever consider that? It is possible for them to fall and fade even with all their strength." Warden's frustration was returning again as he tried to explain the whole concept to a much younger dragon.

Spike stopped to consider the idea, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had always been near mythical beings to Spike; he honestly thought they could do anything, but as he listened to Warden Spike was reminded that they were far from perfect. They had needed to rely on others more than once and they had certainly both made mistakes. Yes the princesses had even suffered defeats in the past, but Spike couldn't see them ever being truly gone. They always had overcome and returned to their duties.

"Whisper who was arguably the most powerful of the Appointed needed help, if that teaches us anything it is that no one race or power is to stand alone. The world has a purpose and so do we. Should we fail or Whisper forgive us: We try to fight against such then the world may see us as more trouble than we are worth," Warden's eyes were full of pleading now, "It almost happened once before and I would not see us come that close ever again."

Spike felt his stomach lurch as the impact of Warden's warning became clear; Spike understood why the old drake was so obsessed with history and lore. The dragon had taken time to look ahead, not just back and was frightened by what he saw. The whole concept of a dragon; a creature that lived for centuries and had the power to burn whole villages to the ground could worry so scared Spike.

"If we don't learn from the past we are bound to repeat it," Warden recounted before his head shot up and he sniffed the air.

Spike followed suit and the familiar smell of home and love was carried by the wind as Twilight crested the lip of the plateau. She softly landed and greeted both dragons with friendly smile.

"Hi you two, I see Warden is working you hard Spike. Sorry I'm a bit late but the Buffalo representative insisted on......." Twilight trailed off as she saw the two dragons watching her with a strange stare that was unnerving before her ears pressed down in fear, "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Twilight had gotten the whole afternoon off today and had been so excited to spend it with Spike; now she wasn't so sure. The pair of dragons seemed oddly reserved and resisted her best efforts to chat about their day together. What was worse was that Spike didn't seem to be able to meet Twilight's eye and she felt a fresh surge of annoyance.

After spending several minutes trying to get a conversation going, Twilight gave up and the three just sat quietly eating the refreshments she had brought with her. What was even more unnerving was when Warden accepted a supplement pill, which he ate with no complaint and even showed some sign of approval. Okay, who are you both and what have yo done with my friends?

Concern warred with frustration within Twilight as they sat there saying nothing. She had especially arranged her day to be able to spend as much time with the dragons as possible and they were just sitting there moping. Finally the mare's patience wore out, "Okay what's gotten into you both? Things were going so well recently and now I come here to find you both glummer than stormy cloud."

Neither dragon seemed inclined to respond to this so Twilight upped the stakes, "I have better things to do with my time you know. I was going to show you both the new airship that's coming close to its first few endurance tests and even invite you to help, but if you're both too busy being miserable then I will just have to look elsewhere.

Finally Spike perked up, "Wow that was fast. The first batch of tests weren't planned for at least another month last you told me," Twilight smiled having finally caught her brother's interest at last.

"Yep Chief engineer A.B has been working over time to get it ready," Twilight announced happily. Mostly to keep out of the way of Applejack it seems Twilight noted silently to herself.

Warden's interest was caught also, "What is so special about this particular airship if you don't mind me asking Princess? I have been around Miss Sparkle and ponies have been making those flying contraptions for years." his voice was back to its condescending tone, but Twilight was just happy to be met with anything more than the awkward silence from before.

"Well, the previous airships were light weight assemblies, without much cargo capacity. They could only practically be used for relatively short flights and were terribly vulnerable," Twilight listed off the potential hazards of the earlier designs, "We have sought to eliminate many of these troubles, this latest design should be more durable, stable and so forth," She proclaimed proudly.

"That doesn’t sound like anything completely revolutionary to me," Warden said in a dismissive way.

"Well that isn't the best bit either and it's also where you two come into it," Twilight grinned in a knowing way as Spike cocked an eyebrow. "We need to calibrate the defences we are planning to install, and I just happen to have two big scaly friends who I think would be perfect for the job," both dragons looked apprehensively at Twilight who just smiled back at the pair.

"What kind of defences Twi?" Spike asked in a suspicious way.

She did her best to look innocent, "Well as I said it will be a set of endurance tests, designed to see if the airship is ready to face the world. I can assure you it's completely safe on your part and with your particular traits I have to insist on your support." Twilight's confident manner dipped a little, "Plus it's been weeks since you were last seen in Ponyville Spike and our friends are starting to worry. I told them you were only on a short break and then will be back good as new."

"That was partly my fault princess, I have been working the hatchling very hard, but I feel confident with the new skills I have taught him Spike should be a much better behaved dragon," Warden explained and Spike looked to him in surprise.

"You mean that's it, I have learnt all I needed?" The younger dragon's voice was a mixture of excitement laced with a tinge of sadness.

Warden studied Spike for a short while before replying, "No I would say that you still have some to learn hatchling, but you have the basics at a level where I would feel comfortable having you interact with others respectfully," Warden graced the pair with one of his seldom used grins, "Plus as I understand it this arrangement was for us to learn from each other, well I have been doing a lot of teaching but not so much of the learning and would like to remedy that."

Twilight smiled happily at the suggestion, "Of course I would love to show you around Ponyville and the research centre. I admit it's still unfinished but we are already up and galloping with many of the core elements," Twilight hadn't felt this excited in months, Spike was coming back to Ponyville and she was almost ready to try out some of the prototypes she had been working on for years to the test.

Warden bowed, reverting further back to original manner Twilight had come to expect from the dragon, "I would be happy to have you come along as well Warden, I'm sure a dragon of your mind set would be interested to see what we are developing."

"Of course princess I would be honoured to visit with yourself and Spike," Warden said as he bowed once again, reassuring Twilight that he was once more returning to his old self.

"Brilliant!" Twilight exclaimed happily. "I'll just need to fly ahead and let the teams know, be back soon!"

Spike was pleased to see his sister so happy again, but as he looked to Warden he noticed the older drake's face had become dour once more, "Defences designed to stand up to a dragon, now why do you think ponies would want them?"

Spike gave Warden a disbelieving stare, "I'm sure she just wants to involve us that's all. Twilight is always looking to make pony's lives better and will be trying to design something that will be as strong as can be. It's not aimed at us I promise you," Spike continued on despite Warden's increasingly sour look. "Plus I can see the sense; if it can stand up to dragons, then what in Equestria would have a chance against it?"

Spike trailed off as he realised what he had just said and thought back to the conversation they had shared before Twilight arrived. "Leaving more worthy creatures such as ponies to inherit it," Warden repeated once more and Spike felt his heart lurch in his chest.

Fire and Fears

Fire and Fears

Ponyville was home to many different creatures now; but the sight of not one but two dragons making their steady way down the main street caused even the most jaded inhabitant to take note. Spike was a common sight in Ponyville it was true, but this new dragon was a massive change: For one thing it doubled the dragon population in the town.

"I do not like the way they are all staring at us," Warden muttered under his breath.

Spike blinked in surprise before looking around the crowded streets, only then did he register the attention the pair drew, "Oh yeah I guess that was bound to happen as you're new here, don't worry about it," Spike brushed off Wardens concerns casually.

“Worry? Where did you get the idea I was worried,” Warden replied in a confident manner. Because they are all staring at you with curiosity that’s why. Warden was used to fear and awe, but the inhabitants of Ponyville were looking at the drake in a politely 'interested' way. To be looked upon with simple curiosity rattled Warden's sense of the world. How could we have become so, mundane?

He snuck a quick glance at Spike fearing the younger dragon had picked up on his unease, but he seemed blissfully unaware of Warden’s growing agitation. Very soon the rising spire of their destination came into view and it almost came as a relief when they passed through the decorated metal fence surrounding Twilight’s research centre.

Warden observed the growing tower with no small amount of envy, in all his years dragons had never made anything to compare with it. Dragons weren't builders, they didn't assemble homes: Instead they made home where they could, using their size and strength to carve out their own domains.

He studied the completed foundations along with the strange collection of machines dotting the compound and shook his head in dismay. The world I grew up in is quickly vanishing. Warden watched as Creatures representing the whole spread of sentient life were present, all working towards a common goal and Warden had the creeping sense of being overshadowed' as if he were a small speck in some far larger design.

The general hubbub hushed as those present caught site of the drakes and felt the old surge of pride once again. This was more like it. His confidence returning Warden glanced around the compound and spread his wings for effect only to hear the voice of Twilight from behind him.

"Hi boys, you're right on time. Let me be the first to welcome you to our research centre," Warden spun around just as Twilight landed and he felt his annoyance rise once more as discovered the real reason for the respectful hush.

Warden gave a forced smile and quickly folded his wings once more, "Thank you Princess."

She nodded before ushering the dragons to follow her, "You're going to be the first dragon other than Spike to come here Warden and I really hope you enjoy yourself."

"I'm sure it will be very 'Instructive,'" Warden muttered, allowing Twilight to lead them forward with a small bow.

"It'll be fine I promise you, Twilight is just obsessed with this stuff," Spike whispered to Warden as they crossed the threshold of a large rectangular door way. The opening was more akin to the cave mouth than something pony-made, easily able to admit both dragons into the darker interior with room to spare.

Twilight continued to point out various creations and designs as Spike and Warden pressed further inside from the cold sunshine outside. Everywhere Warden looked he saw evidence of magical construction: Lamps with no flames, wheels that turned themselves and he could only guess as to the purpose of some of the stranger contraptions lurking within the confines of the workshop.

As with the outside the test bay's inhabitants were not exclusively ponies, but Warden did note there was a far larger number of unicorns present than any other race; evidently this new science still needed a lot of magical direction even if open to less inclined races. There were Buffalo, zebra even a couple of griffins, all moving about the area with a sense of excited urgency; their tasks given as much import as any unicorn's.

"I see you're attracting many followers Princess," Warden commented politely as his mind attempted to take in the amazing number of differences that must have been set aside to allow such a mix to work together. Even through his unease Warden could recognise the importance of what was happening here: To have so many races all working together was no mean feat.

Twilight continued on unabashed, "I know isn't it astonishing! I never would have thought that we could work together so well and each race brings something different to the project."

Warden was sure a slight glow radiated from Twilight as she happily looked to each of those under her command, "Every body is working together, sending their best and brightest to help here and I am certain we can create wonders that will make lives better for all."

"Almost every one," Warden muttered under his breath and Spike glared at his suspicious teacher.

Twilight was far too happy to register the negative mood of Warden and called out with no sign of anything being amiss, "And here we have what I need your help with." She stopped before a large crystal set into a supporting brass framework, its bluish/white glow that made Warden's eyes itch, “That is a lot arcane power princess,” Warden commented in a cautious tone.

"I know, our main problem we had was power storage; normally we relied on powerful unicorns taking shifts to maintain such energy levels, but the crystal fiefdom (Celestia bless them) discovered these," Twilight beamed with excitement. “With these new storage crystals we can free up space and weight that can be used for other things,” Twilight pressed on, completely missing Warden’s disquiet.

He studied the assembly and saw that lengths of metallic cord ran from contact points along the crystal to a small rounded dome mounted on a pole. Warden's gaze was also drawn to a yellow pony who fussed over the confusing assembly like a mother hen over her chicks.

"Um Twi, what is it you need us to do then?" Spike gently pulled the Princess away from her own personal world of science and his sister refocused on the dragons before her.

"Oh yes sorry, I did get a little carried away," Twilight grinned sheepishly before clearing her throat. After taking a few moments to order her thoughts she explained what was expected of the two drakes, "It's very simple really, I need to burn that target over there."

Both Warden and Spike followed Twilight's hoof as the yellow earth pony carried the mysterious pole to an open space marked out in red paint; once there she began to screw the object down, taking great care and double checking that everything was in order. The dragon couldn't fail to notice that the whole area around the mounting was covered in dents, scorch marks and what looked like some sort of corrosion that had eaten away at the metal floor panels.

"Just that?" Spike beamed, he had only been explaining to Warden that morning that he seldom got a chance to use his dragon's breath for anything these days. Warden grinned and shared the contagious enthusiasm in Spike's eyes.

"Yes Spike,” Twilight confirmed before lifting off with steady beats of her wings. She hovered in the air and surveyed the crowd, “Okay places everyone.” As the call echoed from above the hustle and bustle in the workshop changed its tone instantly. Warden observed that every one present donned a pair of goggles as the heavy rumble of machinery began.

He had a sudden fear that this had all been a trap: The floor began to tilt upward in several places, but his suspicious glare melted as Twilight held out a pair of goggles for him along with Spike with her magic. He gingerly accepted the proffered item, holding it between thumb and fore claw as the morphing floor ceased its activity.

Where the workshop had once been a smooth surface, it was now neatly divided into multiple sections. A number of sturdy looking metal panels now separated the red circled area away from the rest of the ground in its own square area. Further panels provided near by cover radiating from the central target zone, each one have small slits cut in them at roughly eye level. Warden peered at the small vision slits with a curious gaze. Evidently Twilight took safety very seriously here: Warden found himself wondering just what would need so much magical power along with protective barriers?

He lifted the goggles and glanced through the tinted lenses before snorting, "Miss Twilight I can assure you I need no such protection, I have been in lava flows and as much as I have grown to respect Spike I do doubt his fire will be too much for me to handle," Warden explained before handing them back to Twilight who looked crest fallen.

"But it's the rules; everyone needs to wear protection during a test," Twilight tried to explain and Warden felt the anger growing. Who did Twilight think he was; some weak pony or griffin?

"Come on Twilight he does have a point,” Spike cut in seeing the rising fury of his mentor, “Plus don't the rules say every employee needs to where them: Neither of us works here, plus I don’t think the rules say anything about dragons?"

Spike winked to Warden as the older drake reigned in his rising temper, “I’m sure Twilight meant no insult Warden.”

"Well I er...." Twilight conjured up the list of safety protocols for the research centre and began flicking through them while muttering to herself. After a quick browse she nodded in conformation.

Twilight’s face scrunched up in confusion, "Hmmm it seems you're right Spike. That is odd, I was sure I would have worked something in for when you come to visit." She shrugged before resuming, "Well I guess that means you don't have to wear them after all Mr. Warden, but I warn you: It's your own fault if you get hurt." Twilight cautioned as she attached her own set of safety goggles.

Warden laughed at this, even as small current of unease blossomed again in his stomach. The large power crystal was enclosed round about in its own partition and Warden could feel the magic emanating from it even now. He wasn't going to be showed up by a bunch of weaker creatures and so remained defiant, "I can assure you princess that I will be fine."

Twilight held up a pair of resigned hooves at his insistence before Spike lent in close, his own goggles resting on his forehead. "Don't take it personally Warden she's had a thing for protection for years now: One too many accidents where her spells went a bit off track. I've never had any trouble though so when I was writing down that list she's checking I didn't think to add dragons."

Warden cocked a scaly eyebrow at Spike, "But you're still wearing them, do you know something I don't?"

Spike grinned with embarrassment, "Well it pays to keep Twilight happy, I do have to liv.....did live with her." Spike's grin evaporated and Warden didn't need magic to guess why.

There was no further time to discuss the matter as Twilight circled once before calling out, "All clear and correct?" The Princess was met by a number of affirmations from the ground and satisfied she swooped back down to the waiting dragons, "Okay my number one assistant, we have done all scale tests already so no need to hold back," Twilight encouraged, “Give it all you've got Spike!"

Warden watched in interest despite his misgivings, Twilight’s enthusiasm was infectious. Various workers made way for Spike as he lumbered up to the enclosed target zone before rearing up and resting both fore claws on the metal barrier. He gave Twilight one more confirming glance before peering down at the metal pole and the dome it supported.

Twilight began counting down, "Commencing ultimate elemental endurance test in three, two....The workshop was suddenly filled with green light as Spike did as instructed and gave it his all. The green fire pouring from the dragon's mouth filled the target zone with roiling flames and many of the watching workers were forced to duck back from the resulting fire storm despite the containments placed.

Warden grinned as he saw the weeks of training hadn't been wasted: Spike was in far better shape than ever and the strength of his flame was testament to that fact. The metal panels surrounding the test zone began to glow with heat and he couldn't help but chuckle as a number of the watchers began to murmur with concern, but still Spike didn't let up.

He glanced at Twilight, a small part of him proud to show this little winged pony that dragon's were still a force to be reckoned with. Warden had no doubt that whatever this little test was meant to prove that it wouldn't stand up to the natural power of his kin, but to his dismay her face was still bright with hope, despite Warden's certainty that nothing bar another dragon or one of the royal sisters could have survived that inferno.

The older dragon looked back to the test bed where Spike's claws were slowly starting to sink into the weakened defence barriers he was resting on and the abused barrier began to bow. Then as suddenly as the fire had begun it was snuffed out: Spike took a huge breath of air, his fury finally spent.

After the roaring sound of a dragon in full release the workshop sounded deathly quiet for the first time that day, the only sound was the 'plink plink' of rapidly cooling metal. No not the only sound Warden realised: There was a background hum that had been absent before, so gentle that it took the absence of all other sound to make it heard.

Warden's confident stare turned to one of disbelief as he saw what was left of Twilight's little display: Where there should have been a blackened and charred pile of whatever the princess had built, there was instead a perfect circle of untouched ground. Warden felt his own mouth drop open as he saw the small pole and its domed top were completely unscathed. The only evidence of anything amiss was a small wisp of smoke where the linking cable had met the wall to the target area along with the glowing walls.

"That was...." Warden began before the sound of shattering glass echoed around the workshop and everyone present snapped around to see its source. The air was suddenly filled with flying crystal sparkles and Warden just had time to see a number of deformed impressions bulging from the protective barrier around the power crystal before the lethal rain began to fall with a beautiful tinkling sound.

"Applebloom," Twilight shouted in horror as crystal slivers shattered all around like lethal hail stones and without a seconds thought she spread her wings. Twilight would have leaped into air had Spike's powerful purple arm not shot out to block her.

Spike hauled Twilight in close and huddled over her, using his own body as a barrier from the deluge of sharp knives crashing all around. Warden looked about to see the rest of the work force taking similar steps before he too was forced to cover his head when a shard bounced off his cheek, leaving a slight nick in his tough skin and just narrowly missing his eye. After a few muffled curses from Twilight the tinkling finished and this time silence truly reigned supreme.

The quiet was eventually broken when everyone present heard angry shouting, "Tarnsarnet Spike, yer could have warned me yer had that much puff in yer!” Applebloom, looking far more angry than hurt, emerged from behind the screen she had been using for cover and glared at the large reptile that blinked at her in confusion.

"Now we're gonna have ter get the back-ups out n they ain't cheap," This 'Applebloom' continued to shout as she advanced on Spike, her two amber eyes furiously leading the way.

"But...." Was all Spike was able to muster before a muffled squeak from down by his chest resolved itself into an alicorn fighting to breath. Spike loosened his grip on his sister and Twilight dropped to the ground with a grumbling moan.

"Twi yer should have warned me bout his capacity! I didn't facter in it needin ter run fer that long," Applebloom's anger refocused on Twilight as she completely ignored spike and the gathering crowd of worried faces.

"Sorry A.B but I have never seen Spike release for that long, I thought I had done all the calculations and....." Twilight began before she saw that Applebloom had turned to look at the target zone, her muzzle breaking into a massive grin.

"It worked," She whispered and suddenly her whole persona changed, "It really worked! Yehaaw," Applebloom began to dance a little hoe down jig with excitement. "Did yer see that Princess? It really worked," To every creature's astonishment Applebloom spun around, grabbed Spike's snout in both hooves and planted a massive kiss on his scaly lips. "Oh Spike it worked, did yer see it!"

He eyes quickly turned from joy to disgust, "Caw Spike yer taste awful, 'pheefler'" Applebloom began wiping her muzzle just as Spike began to blush in confusion at this sudden turn of events.

Warden just looked on in mounting amazement, "On second thoughts if we're going to do that again, I will wear the goggles Miss Sparkle," A short pause followed this statement before Twilight chuckled and soon the whole workshop burst into laughter.

"So yeah, that's our final fire elemental test and yer did a fine job spike," Applebloom's mood had switched quickly after it became apparent that despite the slight 'hick-up' on the power crystal the test had been an amazing success. Applebloom had been animatedly discussing things through with Twilight nonstop since they had left the test area.

After leaving the cleanup crew to their duties; Applebloom, Spike, Twilight and Warden had made their way to one of Ponyville's parks as no eating establishments catered for the two dragons. Evidently it was going to be sometime until a replacement power crystal could be installed and so twilight had offered to take the three of them out to lunch while they waited; enjoying the refreshing breeze of an autumn’s early afternoon.

"So it seems that I put too much power in too quick princess, strainin the crystal n well yer'al know the rest," Twilight's chief engineer went on. “Weren't Spike fault at all n I'm right sorry fer blamin yer big fella. Yer just caught me by surprise,” Applebloom grinned up at Spike with respect, “I really didn’t know yer had it in yer."

Applebloom raised a glass of home grown cider to the dragon, "If there's more folk as strong as yer out there I'm gonna have ter rethink my designs proper quick," Applebloom continued to grin at the embarrassed Spike.

Spike sat with the others as Applebloom rambled off the technical parts of the day's test. It had been so long since he could relax, unwind and enjoy the simple fun of spending time with his friends and family once again. Now that he'd had some time away Spike had gained a renewed appreciation for his pony friends.

The frustration at being cooped in a house that was too small for him evaporated and Spike savoured the great blessings to be had in living in Equestria. Oh the wonders of hindsight, if only I could know before I did something stupid.

Warden however shared none of Spike's easy going manner and held himself stiffly as if at a royal inspection. Spike was worried about his tutor who had been very quiet since the test, Warden had kept peering at Twilight with concern all the way to the park.

Shaking himself down Spike replied to Applebloom, "Thanks A.B, I've been getting lessons from a pro." Spike smiled at Warden, but found he wouldn't be shifted from his sulking. “Warden’s been a great help since he arrived and I have discovered a lot about myself,” Spike tried to draw Warden out of his mood, but once again the older dragon didn’t seem to hear him.

"Yeah right, so what's he doin here anyhow," Applebloom asked without guile. "I heard that Big.D was bringing some guest along ter the test. I thought it would be Luna or maybe Celestia and I have ter admit I was right surprised when yer walked in Mr. Warden.”

The drake in question finally seemed to return to the here and now, "Pardon? Oh sorry Miss Bloom. I have been sent to educate Spike in the ways of dragons.”

Spike smiled as Twilight practically vibrated with uncontrolled excitement, "So what did you think Warden? It's a very simple idea, my brother uses barrier spells all the time and this just happens to be an artificial means of doing the same thing."

“This would be your other brother then?” Warden asked eyeing Spike in a confused way.

“Yep ‘Shining Armour’, he lives with my sister in Law ‘Cadence’ at the crystal fiefdom,” Twilight explained, “She’s the one who helped me develop the storage crystals.”

Warden Hesitated before replying, evidently taking his time to form his next sentence with care, "Well princess, I don't pretend to understand the technical part of all this, which I might add is very impressive, but one has to wonder why? Why this sudden obsession with advancement and what are you planning to do that could possibly be so dangerous that needs a barrier spell of such power to protect you?"

It was Twilight's turn to stop and think. Spike who had been following this conversation found he dearly wanted to know that answer as well. Under the curious gaze of both dragons Twilight shared a brief glance at her chief engineer who nodded before taking a deep breath, "Well you see....." The explanation was cut short as another voice that Spike knew well shouted angrily from across the park at them.

"There you are Missy, that's it I've had it up ter here with yer silly tinkering," All four of the creatures along a large number of park goers turned to see a furious Applejack stomping her way up the pathway with murder in her eyes. "I told yer that there 'technowhatnot' was dangerous but would yer listen ter me? Noooo!"

Twilight's ears flattened as her friend finished the short journey up to the group, leaving small craters in the soft grass as she planted each hoof step with determination, "Yer are comin home right now Applebloom and leaving these crazy and downright dangerous 'tinkerins' behind! What would Granny say if yer got hurt?" Applejack was trembling with rage and Applebloom arose to her hooves only to give as good as she got.

"Well if it ain't the stubborn farm mare, ter scared to try summit new," Spike winced at the venom in Applebloom's voice as she countered her older sister.

Applejack yelled back, "I ain't backward yer hear, I just reckon there ain't nothin wrong with how we been doin things fer years without all this dangerous who-ha. I heard about what happened in that labtery, yer could have been hurt or even killed! Well I have been patient lil sis, but this stops now!" Spike glanced around, seeing the whole park was watching the exchange now.

"Well yer a fine one ter talk," Applebloom responded with a yell of her own, "Yer were always runnin off ter save the day with yer other fancy friends, now when I try ter do summit useful yer just tellin me ter run home n hide!"

Applejack snorted before shouting one again, "Well that was different yer hear, we didn't have a choice when we were the Element Bearers. It was our job and we were doin what the Royal pony Sisters needed!"

Applebloom glared back, "Well I'm doing what a royal pony is askin now! I work fer Twilight n she's a princess yer know!"

Twilight sank down and flattened her ears as she was drawn into another argument that had been brewing for far too long. Just when life was starting to pick up with Spike, Twilight's other dear friends were tearing into each other.

She tired to intervene but was swiftly cut off by Applejack once again who gave Twilight a warning stare, "Nope, nuthin from you Twi, I respect yer as a princess n a friend, but I can't stand by while yer put ma family in harm's way fer no good reason!"

Spike saw how much it was cutting up Applejack to say those words to her dear friend, but family ties were deeper than friendship. He winced once again as Applebloom yelled right back at her sister:

"I reckon yer just worried that the world won't need ponies like you when we have all the inventions that Twi is comin up with: That our farm will be a thing of the past," Applebloom roared at least as fiercely as Spike had done only half an hour ago, only without the raging flames, but only just! Spike was certain if Applebloom could breath fire then her older sister would have been a pile of ash by now.

There was terrible silence as both mares glared at each other while Twilight’s eyes welled with tears behind them. Applejack was first to break the cold silence that had settled on the pair. "Our farm," Slipped out quietly from the now dangerously subdued Applejack. "Yer ain't been on our farm fer years now, you ain't working n sweatin ter keep it goin. No yer too busy with yer toys that blow up and try n kill yer along with every other pony."

Spike was amazed the world kept going as those words faded; Applejack may as well have been announcing the apocalypse. He paused in the awkward silence before looking around, but the sounds of distant Ponyville went on despite terrible disharmony unfolding in its centre.

The three ponies and Spike all had tears in their eyes now and even Warden seemed moved by such a scene, "Well maybe I don't ever wanna go back to yer farm, if that's how yer feel about all I have been trin ter do," Applebloom responded in a dark whisper. Twilight and Applejack both went wide eyed at this; their mouths dropping open in disbelief. Spike wanted to say something, anything to stop this before it went too far but Applejack beat him to it.

"Fine,” Applejack snorted as the anger overtook her again, “Glad we finally got ter the truth of things.” Applejack’s face grew grim and her voice dropped to a low whisper, “Maybe we don't want yer back at my farm anyhow."

There was a tiny moment of silence where Spike fervently prayed one of the Apple sisters would calm down enough to see sense, but it was all for nothing as Applebloom simply turned her head and folded her forelegs.

Applejack narrowed her eyes before doing the same, leaving both mares glaring off in different directions, “Go on go, get yerself blown up or eaten, but don't say I didner warn yer." With a cold fury that was far more frightening than the previous outburst Applejack slowly arose and began trotting back the way she came, leaving a line of tears behind her.

Applebloom glared at her retreating sister before giving out a huge sniffle. She turned to the assembled on lookers with water running freely down her cheeks, "I'm right sorry yer had ter see that, I-I better get goin..... Don’t really feel like testin any more terday." She briefly made her slow way along the pathway in opposite direction before stopping for a moment.

Spike watched as Twilight raised a hoof and opened her mouth, but before she could say anything Applebloom broke into a full gallop. She barged aside park goers and pressed on, not heeding their surprised shouts and wailing all the way as Spike felt his heart sink into his feet.

Calming Calamities

Calming Calamities

Twilight paced back and forth in front of Celestia's audience chamber, the state of her mane and ruffled feathers clearly evidenced of the stress she was under. What am I going to do? It’s all gone to Tartarus!

After the confrontation between Applejack and Applebloom a few days ago things had gone from bad to worse. Applejack had plain refused to even see Twilight, avoiding her estranged friend as if she had a deadly plague; while Applebloom had become terse and more reclusive than usual.

Twilight found herself in yet another impossible position; whichever choice she made would end up alienating Twilight from one of her friends. Should she side with Applejack? Were all these advancements too much for Equestria’s well being after all? They were making a lot of ponies and other nations worried or angry.

Honestly though, Twilight felt she couldn't stop now, there were so many wonders they were creating. Whole new branches of the Equestrian medical profession had been set up, giving disabled ponies a new lease of life: With Twilight’s assistance ponies were now building a variety of mechanical aids; ranging from simple magical supports to whole new limbs.

Then there was the air ship and its connected projects, they were so close to having the vessel ready for its maiden voyage, heralding a new era of exploration and safety. With such a machine they could fly aid missions to disaster areas, move supplies and ponies in far greater numbers and....and.... Twilight had internally reviewed all the arguments for and against this new level of technology and found her certainty wavering. The inventions now spreading over Equestria had always been more of a hobby than an end goal for Twilight, but now it seemed that her friendships may be the cost of that advancement and she wasn't sure it was worth the cost.

On the other hoof Twilight felt deep down that Applebloom would never forgive her if she pulled the 'plug' on all this science and new discoveries. Applebloom had been a faithful supporter of mage/tech for years now, assisting Twilight with the countless problems both practical and theoretical which they faced. To put a stop to all that now felt like a massive betrayal of her trust also.

All these thoughts spun around Twilight's mind, leaving no answer and causing her to spiral further and further into an emotional prison. Twilight continued her pacing; completely failing to notice that one of Celestia's staff was now patiently waiting for her. The newcomer watched Twilight circle Celestia’s anteroom once more before making up his mind and giving a little cough to interrupt her agonising.

"Erm Princess, Celestia can see you now," the grey earth stallion spoke in a cautious voice.

Twilight snapped around to focus on the pony who had disturbed her spiraling worries. He was forced to lean back at the power of her intense stare. "What? Oh-I-Thank you, sorry," Twilight quickly composed herself; blinking a few times before affixing a brittle smile to reassure the stallion all was well.

"Its fine Princess, you look like you have a lot on your mind; but cheer up it may never happen right?" Twilight relaxed as the grey pony gave her a big grin and she returned far more genuine smile in exchange.

"Oh thanks um Mr?..." Twilight asked politely, long weeks away from Canterlot had eroded Twilight’s grip on the staffing details around the palace.

"It’s 'Punctuality' Princess, I'm a big fan of your work and it’s an honour to finally meet you your highness," Punctuality bowed and Twilight studied the pony for any signs of pretence. At this moment she found it hard to believe anything good could come of her recent delving into magical sciences.

Twilight continued to earnestly study the blue eyed stallion, but felt nothing except honest admiration as he held out a hoof to her. "Um thank you, I..." Twilight trailed off as a fresh wave of uncertainty washed over her.

Punctuality simply grinned with reassurance, "You’re most welcome princess, I would love to chat sometime but best not keep Celestia waiting huh?"

Twilight managed to return the smile and allowed herself to be lead through the decorated doors to Celestia’s office. Punctuality bowed to the regent of the Sun as Celestia sat behind an embellished desk, "Princess Twilight Sparkle, your majesty."

Celestia looked up from a letter she was reading and carefully placed it among a number of others before rising to welcome her guest, "Twilight so wonderful to see you again." The white pony appeared as dazzling as ever, and her gentle smile helped reassure Twilight that everything would be okay.

Celestia inclined her head to her aid, "Thank you Punctuality, I'll call if I need you."

Punctuality bowed respectfully once more before closing the door behind himself and left Twilight staring at the chamber floor. As the sounds of approaching hoof steps drew closer, Twilight managed to raise her head to look at Celestia who embraced Twilight in a loving hug, "Oh Twilight, I'm so glad you could come to see me. I know you're very busy these days with your research and duties."

There was no accusation in Celestia's tone and as far as Twilight could tell she meant every word. The guilt and confusion warring in Twilight's heart made it hard to tell. When Twilight finally managed to meet Celestia's gentle eyes, she knew at once that the other pony understood everything. Twilight threw her fore legs around her former mentor to return the warm embrace.

"Oh Celestia, I've made such a mess of things! First Spike, now Applejack, Applebloom and heaven knows how many other ponies I’ve upset! I’ve been trying to keep everyone happy, but oh Princess what am I going to do?" Twilight broke down and sobbed into the soft hair of Celestia's shoulder.

"Twilight," Celestia spoke sternly as she pushed Twilight back and looked into her tear rimmed eyes, "Now that's just nonsense, from what I hear Spike is doing great."

Twilight still couldn’t shake the dark dread that gripped her, "But-but-bu..."

Celestia's face softened and a little reminiscent smile formed, "Still my dear Twilight, even after all these years." Celestia gave Twilight another squeeze before her horn glowed and a number of scrolls floated over, carefully cradled in Celestia's magic. With a knowing look, Celestia unrolled the first scroll, grinned before clearing her throat and began reading in an upbeat manner:

Dear Princess Celestia,

I am writing to inform you that the new water purification machine is working wonders. We thought it would take months to sift out the foul mess left by that hydra, but with your fellow ruler's creation we have gotten it done in days! Please pass on our most sincere thanks to Princess Sparkle for her ingenuous designs!
Your faithful subject,

‘Avalanche’ Sanitation Overseer of Trottingham

Twilight's heart gave a little flip of hope, but Celestia wasn't done and unrolled another scroll from amongst the many floating overhead:

Dearest Celestia,

I am personally writing to express my appreciation for the latest shipment of arcane lamps, as you know in this remote land good lights are hard to come by and we have been on rationed candles for the last three weeks. I feared that we would have to close the mines and I would lose my business. Such a simple thing, but it has made all the difference to my family....

Twilight listened intently as Celestia produced yet another letter,

To your Royal Highness,

My daughter can walk once again, I will be forever grateful to you and your former student Princess Twilight! Thank you ever so much for the gift of the new leg for her, I do not know how we could ever repay your kindness, but I for one wanted you to know that we here at......

Celestia smiled at Twilight who still clung to her as if she would never let go, "I don't get friendship reports from you any more Twilight, so I had to find other ways of passing an evening." She chuckled to herself, "You always make me proud of you Twilight, especially when you can't see the good you are doing."

Twilight didn't know what to say, "Princess I..."

Celestia's face took on a grave look however, as she lifted another set of scrolls with her magic.

To her most Royal Highness Princess Celestia,

I am writing to ask for your help in a matter that has come to my attention, it seems there has been another rally at the 'Fern-Right' farming community. Rumours of yet another 'harvesting machine' have thrown the locals into a panic over how it may cost them their jobs and their land. We have done our best to assure them that their concerns will be brought to your attention and that they have nothing to fear.....

Twilight's eyes drifted from hope to fear once more, before settling in mild confusion, "But we never created any kind of harvesting machine? I have personal overview on all our designs and I would have remembered anything like that." Twilight looked to Celestia who nodded sadly before reading out another scroll.

To the rulers of the Equestrian kingdom,

Celestia, I have received troubling news from one of our boarder units: My guards needed to drive off a number of earth ponies armed with what can only be described as 'magical sticks that threw metal balls'. Now I know you are a peaceful nation and the idea that Equestria may be developing advanced arms was laughable to me. Yet I cannot dismiss the reports that I have read from trusted officers within my own forces.

I write to you at this time to put these insane ideas to rest and look forward to your reply,

High Marshal of the Emperor's Griffon Battalions.

Twilight's ears pressed down against her head and her mouth dropped open, "But Celestia I can assure you we have made nothing of the sort...."

Celestia 'shushed' Twilight before she loosened the embrace and trotted back over to her desk. The co-ruler of Equestria rested her elbows on the polished wood and tapped her fore hooves together gently, "I know Twilight, I know. The matter of technological advancement is not a new one, our ponies feared when we invented the first swords and tools that they would destroy our way of life."

Celestia gave a deep sigh, "There was always going to come a day when we opened a new 'box of wonders' as it were, I have been around long enough to know that this is the way of things. I was there Twilight when the first stone pick was created and I was there when the first arrow was forged." Celestia shook her head sadly and Twilight was keenly reminded of the gulf of centuries that separated them.

"I have done my best to keep things as simple as possible, for once released there are some things that can never be ‘put back’ and this is another of those times Twilight," Despite her serious tone, Twilight saw Celestia smile. "But do you know what Twilight? For the first time I wasn't scared, because I had a pony who I could trust completely leading the way," Celestia explained.

Twilight felt her world lurch for a moment as the impact of what Celestia had just said sunk in. Twilight had never thought of her work in such grand terms. She would see a problem and feel compelled to fix it, but now the whole scope of what she was doing had been pointed out to her Twilight felt incredibly small. Could she ever live up to such a responsibility? Twilight was struggling to enable two sisters to get along, let alone direct a whole nation’s technological progress.

Celestia hadn't finished however, "I have seen you grow into your role Twilight, not every pony has it within themselves to achieve what you have become." Celestia spread her wings dramatically to illustrate the point, "You may not be a full royal alicorn like Luna and I, but you are still something very special Twilight, and your kind only appears in times of great change."

Twilight blinked in astonishment, it had been so many years since she had gotten wings that she almost took them for granted these days. Her former mentor had deemed it right to remind her that something great and special was expected of her. Celestia had entrusted Twilight with nothing short of correctly guiding the technological advancement of Equestria. It was humbling and scary, but oddly comforting at the same time. Celestia believes in me, what better endorsement do I need?

"Now Twilight, leave the bigger worries to Luna and I, that's our role to play. I want you to focus on a few things much closer to home," Celestia lifted another scroll, but this time offered it to Twilight herself.

The confident expression forming on Twilight’s muzzle faded once more as with trepidation she unrolled the parchment and stared down at the much smudged writing. Twilight instantly recognised the style despite its poor state:

Dear Princess Celestia,

I know I ain't written to you in a long time, what with the farm being so busy and all, and you being busy ruling as you do, but I really need your help: It's my little sister you see, she's working with Twilight in that new 'techno-whoee’ building and I am right scared for her safety.

Now I know Twi Princess Twilight would never intend to cause harm, but I fear this whole 'machines' idea has gone to her head and she's dragging my little sister Applebloom along with her. I don't know who else to turn to, but I know you have some influence on Twilight and I was hoping you could talk some sense into her. I know this is something big to ask when you are so busy and all, but it would mean the world to me if you could at least try.

Your faithful subject, Applejack.

Twilight's eyes filled with tears as she looked back up to Celestia who smiled, “I think you know who needs your help first Twilight.”

Celestia placed her hooves flat on the desk and looked Twilight in the eye, “I think your friend could do with reminding that you still care for her despite all the machines and ‘techno-whoee’ as Applejack puts it. Listen to your ponies’ worries and fears Twilight and let Applejack know she hasn’t been forgotten. Ponies don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

The sun Princess nodded as she saw fresh determination return to Twilight's eyes once more, "We can make all the wonders in the world Twilight, but if we lose sight of the core principles of Equestria it will be for nothing."

Twilight nodded before smartly about facing and trotting out of Celestia's office. Celestia watched Twilight go before turning her own gaze down to a scroll she hadn’t shown Twilight, one that bore the emblem of the dragon empires.

"One thing at a time my faithful Twilight," Celestia reassured herself as the pony headed out the door and onto her next assignment.

"Is she still out there?" Applejack asked already knowing the answer but speaking was better than the deafening silence that had settled on the family home.

"Sure is ma, yer can’t keep avoidin her like this," 'Evening Glade' cautioned over his shoulder as he and his sister 'Sky Petal' continued to wash the dishes. Applejack turned to regard her second son, her green eyes shining in challenge as she glared at the black coated colt. Evening Glade's own yellow slits met his mother's stare with no hint of backing down.

"Yer just watch me Evenin, I reckon I can out last Twi any day; Plus I'm showin her that I'm still right angry at her fer puttin yer aunt in such danger. That n I need ter make her understand all this 'techno' nonsense has gotta stop," Applejack snorted before returned to her sewing.

"By hidin in the house from her," ‘Star Oak’ asked from the rafters. Applejack’s eldest son peered down at the assembled ponies below, while hanging upside-down from the central cross beam of family home.

The latest generation of the Apple family had finally settled down for the evening, with the fire burning gently in the hearth and with the lamps set low it looked like a perfect scene from a story book. The only thing dampening the atmosphere was Applejack's frosty mood which cast its gloom over the otherwise happy assembly.

"Star, I ain't hiding; I'm just keepin ma distance from Twilight until she sees some sense," Applejack glared up at her oldest and snorted. "I won't have it bein said I was hiding in ma own house from one of ma best friends."

Sky Petal gave Applejack a disbelieving look, "Then what do ya call it ma? Twi’s been sittin out there since early this mornin sayin she needs ter talk to yer. Why don't yer just see what she wants and yer can go back ter bein friends again?" Applejack’s ears rose in anger as she glared at her only daughter.

At least Sky should have sided with her"Oh don't ya go startin in on me too 'missy', I am making ma point in a calm n reasonable way," Applejack retorted.

Despite her insistence that she was in the right Applejack shifted uncomfortably in her chair as she looked out once again to see Twilight still sitting calmly on the grass outside in the fading light. Even as Applejack watched, Twilight produced a small reading lamp and a blanket which caused Applejack to curse inwardly. It seemed Twilight was being her efficient self and had prepared for the long haul.

There was the small 'plink plink' of raindrops beginning to fall on the rooftop outside and Applejack grinned, "Well that’ll see her off," Applejack announced, more to convince herself than those gathered around.

There was a brief moment where only the gentle pattering could be heard before Star Oak chimed up again, "Don't think so ma, she's got an umbrella." The bat pony added helpfully from above and visibly Applejack cringed. "Oh n it looks like pa is flyin in too," The bat pony commented in a level way.

Applejack heard the door latch clatter, which was quickly followed by the sounds of stamping hooves and the rustle of damp leathery wings. "I'm home every pony," ‘Shadow Guard’ called as he trotted into the living room.

Applejack's husband smiled warmly at the assembled herd before him with a slightly puzzled expression on his playful muzzle, "Just one quick question, why is there a princess camped out on our front lawn?"

"Ma's hidin from Twilight pa," Sky informed Shadow before leaping the short distance across the room to hug her father and was quickly followed by the diving form of Star Oak from the rafters above. Shadow chuckled as he was rolled onto his back when Evening Glade completed the set, three near-grown children proving too much for him. There was a tangle of limbs and wings before Shadow was able to free his head and look to Applejack with a questioning stare in his cat like blue eyes.

"Is this true my dear?" Shadow flashed Applejack another smile, but his wife merely snorted in return.

"Shadow, yer need ter teach our foals some proper respect, they have been harassin me all day." Applejack's weary voice carried the woes of a greatly put upon mother.

"From what I understand we taught them to be honest dearest," Shadow replied in a level tone that only made Applejack to snort for a third time. She wished Shadow would just be unreasonable, It was far easier to be angry at the stallion if he was acting stupid.

Applejack ground her teeth, "Shadow, Twi nearly got Applebloom killed the other day with her crazy 'doo-hickies', yer can't be tellin me that's right?"

"Well have you actually talked to her about it," Shadow asked in return.

The matriarch's ears flattened against her head with embarrassment. "Well no.....I haven't," Applejack was forced to admit.

"Well might I suggest that you try that first my dear, that way you can be fully informed and have a proper argument to get her to change her ways. I don’t know her well, but from what I hear she's a reasonable mare and I'm sure you could come to some understanding?" Applejack glared at her husband for once again suggesting a sensible course of action.

Applejack took in the tired eyes of her husband, the weary expression of her children and knew she had lost this round, "Fine..." Applejack finally conceded the point, "I'll talk with her but only ter make sure she don't get no more crazy ideas."

With further grumblings Applejack put down her needlework and headed for the front door. She paused for a moment to give Shadow and her tangled children a warm hug. She then grabbed a hat, an umbrella for herself and headed out into the rain.

Twilight's ears pricked up as she heard the squelching hoof steps coming closer. She looked up to see Applejack's disapproving gaze bearing down at her, "Well Twi I'm here, so get on with it."

Twilight smiled happily from beneath the large purple umbrella suspended in her magical grip before gently tapping the blanket next to her, "Thanks A.J. I know it was hard for you to come and talk." With a flick of her magic Twilight stored the books along with the other items in a small saddle bag that Applejack could have sworn wasn’t there a moment ago. Shuffling across Twilight made room for her friend within the warm glow of the lantern light.

Applejack sat herself down and stared at her home along with the three pairs of peering eyes watching through the window, "So?"

Twilight smiled weakly before beginning, "A.J we have known each other for years, do you really think I would do something to hurt or upset any pony?"

"Not on purpose no," Applejack admitted.

Twilight shrugged, "I take all the precautions I can think of A.J, It's as safe as I can make it in the workshops and labs. No pony has ever gotten seriously hurt and we're doing so much good......."

Applejack just shook her head, "Awww Twi come on, spare me the stuff Trixie keeps putting out, I know all about that. I know yer doin good things, but do yer stop ter think about what all this 'progress' might lead ter?"

Twilight saw that Applejack was trembling and put out one wing to rest on her friend’s shoulder as she explained further, "Yer know what nearly happened the last time some pony came by these parts with some new contraption. We Apples nearly lost our farm to those rouges," Applejack seemed to shrink, "I’ve been hearing stories from other Apples all over Equestria, how these new machines are puttin them out-a business."

Applejack looked at Twilight with tired eyes, full of worry and hurt, "I know you’re doing these things all fer the right reasons Twi, that some future pony-bot came back ter us and we found out that there's this whole big happnin of magical robots and what not. But does it really have ter happen? Can't things just stay the way they were? Equestria been doin fine this far without it!"

Twilight saw her friend finally break down into floods of tears and nuzzled in close as she let it all come out; how Applejack was so scared of losing Applebloom, how granny was not getting any younger and neither was she. How Applejack feared terribly that her place in the world along with other farm folk could all be swept away by the march of ‘progress’. All of it tumbled out in a tide of fears and tears, with Twilight crying along with right along with her.

Twilight listened in attentive silence; giving Applejack a gentle tap or a tight squeeze to show she was still with her friend and looked up to the windows of the family house where the four distorted faces of Applejack's family watched the unfolding scene. Drying her own tears, Twilight gave them a little encouraging nod along with a small smile.

"Oh Applejack, I'm so sorry. I should have been more considerate, I mean I knew you didn't like the inventions we were making. I had no idea it was this much of a worry to you," Twilight gave Applejack another sisterly hug. Applejack took a gasping breath as she calmed herself once more and even managed to show Twilight a fragile smile.

Twilight looked Applejack squarely in the eye, "Right, now we've gotten all that out in open maybe we can talk about it. The reason I am putting so much effort into this research, is not just out of curiosity." Applejack sniffled before cocking a disbelieving eyebrow at her friend.

Twilight chuckled, "Okay well maybe a little, but that's not the main reason. Celestia explained to me that progress is going to happen, it always does. We use things that our ancestors thought were miraculous; for example hot air balloons, there was a time when earth ponies and unicorns never thought they could fly up so high in the sky. Now we practically take it for granted."

Twilight's eyes had lit up once again as she recalled the fond memory, "Most of what we have created has made lives better, but not every pony wants what's best for us. They want bits, fame and so forth. Plus it’s not just ponies, boars, griffins and most other races are working on advancing their knowledge."

"Yer ain't makin me feel better about this thing Twi," Applejack cautioned before Twilight drifted onto one of her infamous tangents.

Twilight coughed, "Sorry A.J, well Celestia has tasked me with making sure our progress heads in the right direction. I know it sounds a little arrogant, but Celestia and Luna manage the sun and moon: Huge events that affect every creature in the world, a world that looks to Equestria as a source of hope and direction. If we can help steer this new development in a positive way imagine what the world could achieve."

"All sounds fine and dandy, but Twi what's that gotta do with ma farm. If your 'wonderful progress' makes the hard working pony a thing of the past then what's it for?" Applejack sounded angry again and Twilight bit her lip. She had seemed so certain when Celestia had spoken to her, but now with her friend's concerns before her Twilight could see why Applejack was so worried.

Twilight tried again, "Look at it this way Applejack, you saw how well Flim and Flam's efforts went. Yeah they talked a good talk and put on a good show, but in the end it was good old honest Apple family values that won the day right?"

Applejack gave a morose chuckle, "Yeah I guess that did turn out okay huh?"

Twilight nodded, "I for one know that Apple family produce is the best around and I've had meals with Celestia. You don't have any of those harvesting machines you have been hearing about and yet you're still practically a house hold name Applejack. I can't see that changing any time soon." Then Twilight knew what to tell her friend, it had been staring her in the face the whole time, only she'd been too blind to see it.

"Applejack, no matter how good any machine claims to be, it will never replace an earth pony when it comes to taking care of things that grow. You have a way with plants and trees that no unicorn could match, no matter how clever or skilled or how much magic we have in them," Twilight felt fresh confidence surface as she assured Applejack.

Applejack nodded at the praise but Twilight wasn't done, "I promise you that while I am in charge we will never make anything intended to replace any pony or creature at what they do best." Twilight thought for a bit longer, "Plus you know all my best inventions are built by an Apple of course."

Twilight saw Applejack's face fall at the mention of her younger sister, only to be replaced with a certain amount of grudging pride. "Yer know what Twi, yer right. We Apples don't give up that easy and it's gonna take more than a few fancy rust buckets ter keep us down."

Twilight smiled with relief, "That's the spirit Applejack, if there is one thing I have learnt these last few weeks is that things change. Time moves on, but there will always be a place for us.”

Twilight spread her wings as she arose to her hooves, “I never imagined I would be a princess, now look at me. While I do sometimes miss being that little unicorn with her head in a book and my number one assistant by my side;” She thrust her hoof into the air as if addressing an assembled herd, “We all have our roles to play and they are all equally important."

Applejack chuckled at Twilight’s theatrics before replying, "Alright Twi, yer convinced me ter help sugar cube."

Twilight grinned, “Okay Applejack, time we went to see your sister!”

Applejack glanced up the deluge that was now pouring from the sky, “Now hold yer horses there Twi, I owe yer summit fer making yer sit out here all day; it’s late so you are going ter come and have dinner with the rest of us yer hear?”

Twilight stared up as the thick storm clouds and the cold wind robbed her of some enthusiasm, “Fair enough A.J, but first thing tomorrow we go and patch things up with Applebloom.” Feeling a lot better, Twilight followed Applejack into her home, greeting the awaiting family who welcomed her with open hooves.

The Apple's Apologies

The Apple's Apologies

Applebloom gripped the hammer tightly in her teeth as she glared at the offending bolt. This had been the third screw-thread she had wrung off in the last half an hour and her already frayed temper was hanging by a thread. Don't belong on the farm huh? The young mare brought the tool down heavily on the broken bolt and beat it savagely until it popped loose with a clatter.

What I'm doin ain't no good huh? Applebloom dropped the hammer with a clang on the metal flooring of the new airship before rummaging in her box of (quickly dwindling) spares for yet another bolt. She nimbly threaded the new bolt and affixed a fresh nut to the end, all the while holding a wrench in her mouth.

What I do is too dangerous huh? I'm only makin sure ponies are kept safe! With a grunt of effort Applebloom began to tighten the assembly, venting her frustration with regular turns of the nut. The metal took the strain and the two separate components of the air ship's framework began to come together once again.

Just as these two distant components were about to meet, Applebloom felt a fresh surge of anger. Why does she have to be sooo stubborn? Why can't A.J see what we’re trying to achieve here? That it was for the good of every pony? With a final heave Applebloom forced the bond to tighten, but to her dismay the bolt once again faltered before snapping. The over worked nut sheared off and flew past Applebloom, taking a small nick out her ear as the two important pieces of the framework sprung apart once again.

Applebloom hissed, more in annoyance than pain as she clutched a hoof to her stinging ear. With a fury born of utter frustration, Applebloom bucked the now separate metal work repeatedly until it was thoroughly wrought out of shape. She didn't care she was wrecking days of work with each strike of her back hooves, it was just so.......

"A.B you up there?" The quiet voice called up and Applebloom froze mid-buck.

"What if I am?" Applebloom called back as tears ran down her cheeks, mixing with the grime and oils of her stock in trade.

"Well, I was hoping you would come down so we all could talk about things?" Applebloom recognised the diplomatic tone of Twilight instantly, but was in no mood to shift from her place within guts of the airship.

She stared at the floor with its collection of broken bolts as a few spots of blood mixed with the expanding puddle of lubricant. That last kick must have ruptured the servo lines Applebloom found herself thinking even as she attempted to compose a suitable response to Twilight's request.

"Well I'm kinda busy up here Big.D, I-I...." The anger was fleeing now, leaving only an aching emptiness in its wake.

"I can't talk to yer like this lil sis, please won't yer come down?" Applebloom's ears pressed flat against her head as Applejack's voice reached up to her younger sister with sadness.

"A.J? What ya doin here?" Applebloom was momentarily stunned, Applejack had all but sworn never to enter Twilight's new research centre, yet here she was.

There was a long, awkward pause before Applejack called up again, "Well I er...." There was an embarrassed cough, "I reckon I said some things which I really shouldn't of A.B n I came ter say I'm sorry."

Applebloom continued to watch as the small pool below continued to mix, she didn't know what to say. Well that wasn't true she knew exactly what she wanted say: To tell Applejack to just ‘go away’ and never to deal with her ever again. To smother the empty feelings in Applebloom's heart with righteous anger at how Applejack had treated her and all she was trying to do; but that's not what friends, nor family are meant to do.

The engineering pony took a deep breath, she may be angry, she may feel justified in her position, but family was family. Swallowing the huge jagged hurt threatening to push away the offered olive branch Applebloom managed a small whisper. "I'm sorry too sis."

"Applebloom, yer still up there?" Applejack called up once again, her voice full of worry and regret.

Applebloom felt the faintest hopes that all could be made right again and found new strength, "Yeah sis, I'm still up here n I...I'm sorry too."

Applebloom's ears pricked up as she thought she heard the sounds of a whispered debate going on below. The small cut in her ear was already drying and almost in a daze Applebloom trotted over to stop the flow of lubricant with a few twists of a valve. As the dripping sounds ceased Applebloom pressed her unhurt ear to the side of the airship. She still couldn't make out what was being said below.

After another few moments Applebloom heard Twilight call up again with a request that stunned her more than Applejack being here, "Chief engineer, we request permission to come aboard."

Twilight smiled happily as the two Apples hugged each other with tears streaming down their muzzles. She didn't catch all the words whispered between them, but the happy expression on Applebloom's grime-smeared face led her to believe it was going well. The two siblings reluctantly broke apart; Applejack bore a slightly lost look, while Applebloom beamed with a mixture of pride and enthusiasm. Soon Applebloom was pointing out various elements of the ship's make up to her bemused older sister.

Twilight relaxed and had the reassuring feeling that things were going to be okay as Applejack responded in kind with questions and comments of her own, "So this here is the main control array, no magic needed. It's put together so that any pony or other creature that can fit in here can pilot 'Bloomberg'."

Applejack chuckled, "Bloomberg?"

Applebloom visibly blushed and looked at the floor, "Yeah I er called him Bloomberg."

Twilight gave her best engineer a quizzical look, "Well that's news to me A.B, and I didn't know he had a name already, or that he was a he?

Applebloom's embarrassment only deepened and her face practically shone under the collection of machine oils coating it. "Well yeah I was gonna ask yer if it was okay n all, but....."

Both Twilight and Applejack laughed before the Princess laid a reassuring hoof on Applebloom's shoulder, "I think it's a fine name for him A.B, but why Bloomberg?"

Applebloom's amber eyes darted to Applejack and then back to Twilight in a nervous dance, "Well he's gonna have ter go on long journeys ter faraway lands and hopefully make them new places better. Just like 'Bloomberg' did fer Appaloosa. He was raised by Apple's too and it just seemed a good name fer him."

Twilight grinned at Applejack who had tears in her eyes. "Aww Applebloom, yer really are an Apple deep down ain't yer. I kinda forgot that with all this scary new stuff that's been going on. Can yer ever fergive me?" Applejack was trembling with pride and contrition in equal measure.

Twilight saw Applejack look around the mechanical ship, a new wonder in her green eyes. Twilight wanted to add more to Applebloom's explanations of how everything fitted together and worked, but wisely kept her mouth closed. This was a special time of bonding for the two sisters and she didn't want to interrupt it with her own thoughts.

She followed the Apple sisters as Applejack was introduced to one new wonder after another. From the main power cores to the storage decks Applebloom beaming with pride at her sister's dedicated interest. All the while Applejack helped Applebloom catch up on what had been happening back at the farm.

Applejack told her younger sibling of her own worries and fears; of the strain of trying to run the farm while raising three children at the same time. It was a beautiful thing to watch and Twilight felt her joy at having helped bring these two estranged sisters back together again. It wasn't all plain sailing though.

"Yer know yer could get things done a lot faster with some help. Bloomberg is a pretty big ship n one pony workin on him by yerself can't be all that easy?" Applejack smiled to Twilight, no doubt remembering her own lessons about team work and friendship.

Applebloom almost dropped the spanner she had been holding, "Oh-uh, Bloomberg is ma project. I don't think I could trust him to any other pony, they don't know him like I do."

"Can see that," Applejack commented as she took in the hoof dents adorning a number of surfaces. Applebloom snorted, as she attempted to fix the assembly that had caused her so much trouble before.

"I can do it fine by myself, I....." Just as before the bond failed to hold and the nut 'pinged' off the wall behind Applebloom, causing all three ponies to duck.

"Now that's just stinkin thinkin sugar cube, I have plenty of hooves willin n lookin fer work n they are bright enough ter know one end of a plough from tuther." Applebloom glanced down at the puddle on the floor and saw that the few drops of blood had completely mixed with the fluids, becoming lost in the overwhelming tide until there was no trace of them.

"I just want ter show yer I can do...." Applebloom began before Applejack gave her another hug.

"Now listen here Missy, I may not know what half this technical who-ha does, but I can see it's important ter ya. I know what a pony looks like when she's tryin ter do too much all by herself from personal experience n yer have got it bad A.B." Applebloom's eyes began to water once more as Applejack continued her gentle advice.

"How do yer think I was able ter get the harvest in on time every time, even after yer came ter work with princess Twilight?" The farm didn't get any smaller, in fact we have more work than ever," Applejack smiled knowingly, "I swallowed ma pride and got some help."

Applebloom nodded slowly even if she didn't like what she was hearing, "Now I can think of a number of good'uns who I would trust with Bloomberg here and I am sure Twi can think of a few too right?" Applejack winked at Twilight who nodded eagerly.

"Then that's sorted, I'll send em over tomorrow n yer can get this over grown tin can up n ready in time fer....." Applejack looked to Twilight again, "For whatever the princess needs him fer."

"NO! yer don't put that there yer silly....." Twilight chuckled as Applebloom broke in her new work force. She, along with Applejack were watching the greatly improved progress on Bloomberg from an overhanging gantry. Applebloom's frantic efforts to run everything from her position on the top deck was meeting with mixed results as she constantly had to fight the need to personally oversee every aspect of the construction.

"I reckon she's having the time of her life," Applejack commented as a fully grown buffalo cowered before Applebloom's wrath.

"Well she does come from a long line of very independent ponies," Twilight smiled, watching as the yellow mare zipped from one group to another, tweaking and rearranging things.

"Yep, I can definitely see a lot of Granny in her," Applejack agreed.

"And you too A.J," Twilight grinned, simply happy that her friends were not only talking again, but working together as well!

Applejack coughed, "Well yeah that too I guess, just hard ter see her growin up so. Yer remember when she used ter be all hunting for her cutie mark along with the others?"

Twilight nodded happily at those memories, "Those three fillies caused plenty of havoc in their time, who would have believed she's now running her own personal workshop huh?"

Applejack beamed with pride, "Well I knew she was gonna do summit big, I just never would have reckoned it would have been this." She waved her hoof at Bloomberg with no small wonder in her voice.

There was another quiet moment between the pair as work went on apace below, "Thanks for coming here A.J it means so much to us all here and hopefully has helped settle some of your fears?"

Applejack didn't respond right away, "Well I still think this is all mighty dangerous, but as Applebloom said we did plenty of crazy n scary things in our day. I can't keep her locked up away from the world n what's out there, it wouldn't be right."

Twilight studied Applejack and felt that her words weren't about Applebloom alone, "Soooo Star Oak is still set on going then?"

Applejack shuffled her hooves uncomfortably at the mention of her oldest son, "Yeah he is, gosh darn it Twi I am gonna miss him. I know it's only fer a few months, but it may as well be years by my feelins."

Twilight gave her friend another hug, Applejack's first born had been selected for a pony exchange program with some of the bat pony colonies off the west of Ponyville. "At least I know he will still be with family though," Applejack spoke as if trying to reassure herself more than any other pony. "Shadow's from those parts so I know he will be taken care of, but I still can’t help but worry."

Applejack broke the embrace and looked Twilight right in the eyes once again, "So how's Spike doin on his vacation?"

"Well Warden's been working him pretty hard, and he's learning a lot about dragons, more than I had ever guessed. They are so very different from us A.J and a lot of Spike's behaviour makes far more sense now that I have had the chance to talk with his teacher about things." Twilight's voice had a forced lightness that Applejack evidently picked up on.

"Yer miss him too huh?" It was simple, straight to the point and so Applejack.

Twilight nodded, "Despite the fact that my house is now gleaming, I do. I am glad he's getting better and you should have seen what he did in the test the other day, I know we had proof tested the defence barriers for Bloomberg and I was confident it would hold. It still scared me how much power was in Spike's fire, a vast improvement from the last time he tried anything like that and he's not even fully grown!"

Twilight was side stepping what she was really worried about now and Applejack's stare showed that the farm mare knew it. Twilight let out another sigh, "What if he doesn't want to stay in Ponyville A.J? What if he finds all this history about dragons and feels he truly belongs with them? I want him to be happy, but I don't want him to go."

She was putting on a brave face, but it was cracking under the strain once more. Applejack shook her head and smiled, "Aww Twilight, if these event's here haven't shown ya that family is some of the strongest magic out there then yer ain't the bright spark I took yer for."

Twilight blinked at this change of tone, "Spike loves yer Twilight n I don't reckon any amount of 'dragon instinct' or whatever this teacher has been fillin his head with will change that. Have some faith in him, I know I ain't been the best example of that recently, but yer just showed me n Applebloom that family can overcome pretty much anything," Twilight continued to stare at Applejack as the words sunk into her brain.

"You're right A.J, seems I have been so busy trying to help you, I forgot the very lessons I was wanted you learn," Twilight couldn't help but hug Applejack once again, "I should trust Spike, as you trust Applebloom and me. Thanks Applejack."

Applejack shrugged, "Nothin to it Twi, friends and family, that's what we do right?

Twilight nodded and they both went back to watching Applebloom trying to keep her cool as she explained to a mottled earth pony which way up to place a capacitor.

"Sorry mam, but I thought if we attached it this way it would......" Applebloom's eyes narrowed as the stallion tried to explain his actions.

"That's not what I told ya ter do though was it?" Applebloom snorted, "If yer don't follow my orders yer gonna be off this crew faster than vampire bats can strip an orchard yer hear me?"

"But mam surely if we do it your way it will cause some feedback along the power lines here and result in minor damage to the couplings?" The white and brown pony tried once again, but simply earned a snort from Applebloom before she finally glanced at the parts he was referring to.

Applebloom studied the section and secretly conceded that the stallion had a point. What he said was true, she still been working by herself Applebloom would have overlooked such a small detail in light of looming deadlines, but with a work force behind her she didn't need to cut corners any more.

"Do I know yer colt, what's yer name?" Applebloom glared at the bold pony who had dared question her orders.

"Pipsqueak mam," The stallion gave a crisp reply before saluting.

"Well Pipsqueak, do yer plan ter question every instruction I give yer?" She studied the other pony's face which held no trace of fear. There was a small moment where every creature watching held their collective breath.

"If I feel they were wrong and could be done better mam then yes I will," Pipsqueak informed Applebloom with his own eyes staring straight forward. A number of fellow workers took this chance to hide behind whatever they were working on, fearfully peering out to see what happened next.

Applebloom's eyes narrowed and she responded in a low tone, "In that case I cannot have you as one of my workers Pipsqueak, I will not tolerate backchat from my workforce is that understood?"

Pipsqueak’s ears flattened and his head drooped, "I understand mam; I will clear out my things," To Pipsqueak's surprise Applebloom shook her head.

"Therefore I want yer to oversee the main engines n make sure the lads know which end of a wrench ter use yer here me Mr Pipsqueak?" She watched the stallion as his mouth opened and shut a few times, but no sound came out.

"Or should I call some other pony ter be ma second?" Applebloom's face remained impassive as a rock and Pipsqueak could hardly believe his ears.

"Yes mam......I mean no mam!" The confused stallion jumped to his new orders and scampered away as Applebloom heard some giggles from above her.

Applebloom turned her head upwards to see both Applejack and Twilight grinning down at her, "With all due respect Princess, this is my workshop n I have work ter do. Now if yer have both done gorpin at the way I run my workforce..." Applebloom raised her voice so it carried over the whole work bay, "which I may remind yer was hired under sufferance!" before her voice dropped back down to a simple shout as the crew redoubled their efforts, "Then I would kindly ask yer ter leave me to it."

Both Twilight and Applejack gave overly expressive bows before Twilight replied (Applejack busy stifling a fit of laughter), "Of course mam we will leave you to it."

Applebloom's face broke into a small smile and as she nodded to the pair before whispering, "Thank's both of yer, fer helpin me see straight again."

The moment complete, Applebloom spun around to bellow out once again, "Not that way, I thought I had already told yer not ter..."

Both Twilight and Applejack grinned to each other as they made their way along the corridor. Twilight still had masses of things to show Applejack, but deep down she knew that everything was going to be okay for the Apples.

Destinations and Desires.

Destinations and Desires.

"And that one is the ‘horse head’ nebular," Twilight pointed out excitedly as she angled her telescope to focus on the constellation in question.

"Which one is that then," Warden replied as he sought out which group of clouds and stars Twilight was referring to.

Twilight giggled at Warden's wonder as Spike 'humphed' below. The trio had gathered on 'Spike's Plateau' which was what Twilight had begun calling the flat expanse of grass covered rock the young dragon used for his training grounds. This star gazing was all old news to Spike, he having sat up with Twilight many a night, but Warden was just soaking these sights up like an eager acolyte.

"Well you see the pinkish/red haze there?" Twilight pointed with a hoof even though both creatures’ eyes were still focused through their respective telescopes.

"Mhm, I see Miss Sparkle," Spike could almost have laughed out loud at Warden's eagerness. Since the test of the defence barrier for the newly titled "Bloomberg" Warden had spent less time with Spike's training and more time learning with Twilight. He insisted that Spike was pretty much done and there was only a few rounding off lessons to be taught, but if Spike didn't know any better he would have said Warden was stalling for some reason.

Warden showed no signs of his previous concerns and was every bit the attentive student; Twilight for her part was only too happy to share her knowledge on every part of pony life and customs she could. This had left Spike feeling a little pushed aside, if he was completely honest Spike was jealous of Warden. He'd only just gotten Twilight back and now she was spending most of her time with this new dragon.

"Well there is a small black indent at the bottom, see how it looks like a horse head?" Twilight went on completely oblivious to Spike's discomfort.

"Ahhhh, you mean the dragon's tail?" Warden grinned as he raised his head from his own telescope to smile at Twilight who looked confused. He stooped once more and pointed with a claw of his own, "You can see it curling up and to the left, with the two pronged spike at the top."

Twilight giggled again and Spike huffed out another cloud of smoke as he rolled his eyes. "No no, that's the horse's ears surely you can see it?" There was a short pause as Twilight looked closer, "Though I do admit it now you point it out, I can kind of see the tail as well."

Warden smiled, "I can also see the ears of the horse as well." There was another quiet moment where both stargazers saw eye to eye, seeing the same thing from different perspectives.

"Are you two finished?" Spike just couldn't help himself.

Twilight and Warden looked back at Spike, who was digging small furrows in the dirt with his claws in an absentminded way. "Oh come on Spike, you used to love helping me map the stars of a night; I'm just showing Warden some of the things we have learned."

Warden agreed, "Indeed, I am coming to see what Thortax meant. The land of Equestria has much to be admired." Spike thought he caught the briefest of glances at Twilight from the older dragon at this gesture and a small fire was lit in his heart’s core. It was a crazy idea, but could he? No... Spike refused to even think that way and with a low growl turned about and headed for his cave once again.

Twilight looked hurt, "Spike, where are you going?"

"Doesn't seem you need me around right now..." Spike grumbled as he began to climb down towards his lair.

"Spike," Twilight shouted once again when she suddenly felt a gentle claw on her shoulder.

"I think I know the problem Miss Sparkle, I'll have a talk with him," Twilight looked up into Warden's impassive eyes.

"Oh okay, if you think that's best. You have brought my Spike back to me Warden and I thank you for that," Twilight stared with her honest open eyes while the old drake smiled in return.

"It will be fine, although I should warn you it may be.....loud. Whatever happens, you stay right here okay?" Before Twilight could ask what Warden meant by loud, His wings unfolded and he swooped down after Spike who's tail was just disappearing into the cave below.

Warden touched down with a clatter of talons on the stone base of the cave mouth, the darkness within was complete apart from a pair of green eyes which seemed to glow as their owner studied Warden dangerously.

"Well hatchling, it truly does seem you've learnt almost all I can teach you. I am frankly very impressed by your tenacity, but I fear I have stoked a 'fire' in you by mistake," Warden didn't press further into the cave but paced back and forth at its mouth. The only reply from within was another growl and he sighed.

"Look Spike, when a dragon cares very deeply for something they can become very protective. I know this isn't new to you, but I fear I may have accidentally crossed a line in your mind in regards to Twilight," A brief flash of green flame was Spike's entire reply.

"I'll take that as a yes then," Warden’s tone had taken on a weary element now, "Normally two dragons would have to fight it out when they have a disagreement of this kind. They would need to 'burn out their rage' as it were, but I know you Spike, you're a dragon with immense self control and a gleaming moral code." This time there was only silence to Warden's inquiries.

"So I think I can try a more, gentle approach here: I can promise you, one dragon to another that I have no interest in Twilight beyond the purely academic. She is an impressive pony, but still a pony and it would never work for the likes of us," There was still no further action from Spike and Warden hoped that he may have been able to get through to the younger dragon before a huge roar sounded and Spike charged out of the shadows right at Warden. Guess not. he mused sadly before wrapping his magic around himself......

The first indication that something was wrong below was when Twilight heard an earth shaking bellow and a massive blast of green flame flowing out of the cave below. The princess spread her wings and made to dive down and see what was going on when she remembered Warden's warning and halted.

There was a heavy impact that caused the whole plateau to shake, followed by further roaring along with yet more flashes of green flame. Twilight was forced to steady herself as another blow caused the whole rock to shudder once omre. "Spike! Warden? What's going on!" Twilight felt small and frightened as the sounds of destruction resounded from below.

There was no answer to her calls, but what Twilight did feel was magic being drawn and focused, soon the flashes of green fire were countered by enveloping darkness that seemed to pull the warmth out of the air around her. Still the sounds of shattering stone and angered bellows echoed around the mountain top.

Twilight didn't know what to do and the sounds below only added to her fears. The echoes of battle raged on and Twilight desperately fought the urge to curl into a ball and place her wings over her eyes. Her two friends were fighting again and she bemoaned the seemingly cruel fates that kept throwing challenges like this in her way. Just when she thought it was time to catch a breath.

Twilight found she couldn't bear not knowing what was going on. Spreading her wings and lifting into the air Twilight finally caught a look at events below and instantly wished she hadn't. She was forced to duck a large chunk of spinning stone which emerged from the cloud of darkness below. The missile past mere inches from her head and Twilight wisely chose to duck back down again before surrendering to her fears urge and curling up after all.

"Well I see I have come at an interesting moment in Spike's Education." Twilight started and raised her wings to reveal her wild eyes to a surprised Luna, who was standing tall and unafraid beside the Twilight.

"Princess Luna! Thank the heavens you're here, Spike and Warden are fighting! You have to stop them," The panic in Twilight's voice only caused Luna to smile.

"Dearest Twilight they're not fighting, I have seen dragons fight. This is just a minor disagreement," Luna calmly settled down next to Twilight and gently covered the scared pony with a blue feathered wing.

"But-but they could get hurt," Twilight tried again only for Luna to place a comforting hoof over Twilight's mouth as another heavy impact shook the ground.

To Twilight's indignation Luna only chuckled in the gentle way she did these days, "Oh I doubt it, from what I hear Warden is very good at his job."

"But..." Luna shook her head once again at Twilight, "Bu..." Luna's face became stern.

"Enough Twilight, do you really think I would arrange for a dragon who would hurt Spike to come and teach him? I am fond of your adoptive brother almost as much I am of you and your friends. I would never allow any harm to come to any of you if it was within my power," Luna didn't shout, she didn't scold but Twilight knew she was being reprimanded in a gentle way.

Despite the fear gnawing at her core Twilight felt the simple reassurances of Luna begin to calm her beating heart. Of course it made sense when Luna put it that way. Twilight stared at Luna's regal face, which held no fears in it, then back to the ongoing 'disagreement' below. She still couldn't see what was happening but at least she wasn't so scared any more.

"So this is how dragons settle their differences," Twilight asked in a quiet voice.

"The younger ones yes Twilight, they are far more hot headed than the older drakes," Luna confirmed as yet another boulder flew past the watching pair.

"What could have caused Spike and Warden to fall out so badly? Surely that's terribly dangerous," Twilight's inquisitive nature was coming to the fore again as she overcame the initial shock.

Luna nodded in agreement, "Yes it can be, many dragons are badly wounded in these fights; they are seldom killed though."

Twilight's ears flattened, "Killed?"

Luna nodded again, "But as I told you Warden is one of the best, any dragon can bash the other until there is only one is left standing: It takes skill, and years of practice to make sure they don't hurt each other.....," Luna's explanation was cut off as an angered grunt rent the air: The sounds of a dragon in pain, "too badly." Luna finished off in a way that didn't reassure Twilight in the least.

There was a final roar, the sounds of a thunderous charge followed by another impact which caused the ground to shake a final time before an ominous quiet settled on the mountain top. Twilight felt her fears creeping back, what if something had gone wrong? The pair of ponies sat in tense silence for a few more moments before the outline of a dark dragon could be seen beating its wings steadily in the rising cloud of smoke.

"As to what they are fighting over, this may help in your understanding," Luna levitated a scroll over to Twilight who gingerly received with her own magic.

The scroll was adorned with a broken seal that Twilight didn't recognise, with mounting curiosity she unrolled the scroll and began to read with vigour. The writing was neat and formal and Twilight instantly recognised it to have been penned by Warden himself.

To the regent of the Moon,

I am writing to report to you my progress with the hatchling known as Spike. Though dubious when I first revived this assignment from my Lord Thortax, I have done my best to put aside these concerns and have been pleasantly rewarded for my efforts. The young dragon Spike is in a far better state than I feared he would be. From what I can gather this is from the most singular attentions of your fellow ruler Princess Sparkle.

I had expected to find a hatchling with severe problems in self control, temper, hoarding and a terrible sense of lost identity: This could not have been further from the truth; all things considered he is a well rounded dragon with a good moral centre from which to draw on. I am pleased to say that he has responded very well to the lessons taught and in fact has taken to them with an eagerness seldom seen these days in the younger drakes.

This once again I put down to the remarkable efforts of his adoptive sister Twilight, and though I found some oddities which were to be expected in such an unusual case, I am overall very pleased with his outcome and I am confident that his lessons will conclude shortly.

P.S I would humbly request that I may spend some more time in your lands: I have found the young Twilight to be a source of ‘stimulating interaction’ and I would take great pleasure in learning more of pony ways and customs before I am to depart.

Honoured guest in your lands,

Master of the Hunt, Chief Story Holder of the Ash-Wind Flight and humble servant of Thortax; Lord of Mount Ash-Wind,

Warden.

Twilight blinked a few times at the paper, not grasping what Luna was getting at, "Princess I don't understand, I can't see anything here that would cause Spike and Warden to fight?"

Luna laughed heartily at Twilight's bemused face and wiped away a tear, "Oh Twilight I forget you're not ageless like Celestia and I, you haven't seen a tenth of what we have." Twilight's muzzle showed annoyance now, but Luna didn't stop smiling, "Sorry it's just so simple that you have missed it dear Twilight. They are fighting over you."

Twilight just stared at Luna in utter incomprehension, "What?" Was all she was able to stammer out.

Luna hugged the smaller pony tight as Twilight's face began to form a blush, "Dragon's are very protective of the things they hold dearest. You should know it is almost unheard of for any dragon to refer to any other race as ‘being a source stimulating interaction' and once I read that I knew there could be some trouble and headed right over.

Twilight stared at Warden as the dragon gently touched down on the grassy expanse before shaking the dust from his scales and noticing Luna's presence. "Ah your Majesty, I did not think to see you here. I trust my report made it safely to you?" Warden bowed as Luna got to her hooves once again, quickly followed by a rapidly reddening Twilight.

"I did yes thank you Warden, but I see I came a little too late. I trust Spike is will recover?" Warden stiffened before rising back to his full height.

"I am very sorry you had to see that princess, it was my fault. I got a little carried away with my own studies, otherwise I would have foreseen such trouble and prevented it." Twilight found she couldn't keep eye contact with Warden and stared fixedly at the gently waving grass.

Luna cocked an eyebrow at the apologetic dragon and her face morphed into another knowing grin, "It's okay Warden, but I think you need to set a few things straight with Miss Sparkle here." The Princess of the Night leaned over the ridge to see the unconscious form of Spike lying on the ground. The purple dragon was face down in the dirt and there were an impressive number of 'dragon head’ shaped dents in the stone walls all around, "And Spike too when he wakes up, I think you owe him the biggest apology."

Warden bowed again before Twilight galloped forward and looked at the battle scene below, "Oh Spike you big...." she began before Warden interrupted her once again.

"No Miss Sparkle, he's a victim here and I'm terribly sorry. I should have recognised the consequences of my actions sooner. I humbly ask for your forgiveness," Warden's eyes held a strange hunger in them that Twilight had never seen before and she took a couple of steps back.

Warden winced, blinked and the emotion was banished instantly, "I fear I have let my heart get the better of me this time princess, but please do not be offended I just found you fascinating and I trespassed into what Spike considered was rightfully his."

Twilight felt the blush forcing its way more boldly onto her face despite her best efforts to hide it as Warden continued, "Please understand that I hold you in the highest intellectual regard princess and I do not mean to pursue such inclinations further; maybe had you also been a dragon it may have been a different story, but sadly for me this is not the case."

Twilight was flattered, confused and more than a little shocked by this revelation. This all mixed up in her head making it impossible to say what she was thinking. "Um thank you Warden, I think..."

The sounds of Spike stirring below drew Twilight's attention back to her adoptive brother. She quickly spared a look to Luna who nodded with approval before leaping down to check Spike was alright.

Twilight lead the unsteady dragon back to his cave, all the while reassuring him that it was all going to be fine. Spike nursed his sore head with one unsteady talon as he wobbled his way alongside her. Luna and Warden watched the pair disappearing through the battered entrance before the blue pony addressed the dragon.

"Well Warden, I can only say that you fixed that reasonably well, but you really should have stopped things before it ever got this far. Thortax assured me you would be the best," Suitably chastened.

Warden bowed his head in shame. "I know princess, I just got carried away. I wasn't prepared for how interesting Twilight would be, for a dragon who's so into his history she is very compelling company......"

Luna chuckled and put a comforting hoof over the dragon's shoulders. "Fair enough I guess, Twilight is something special there is no doubt about that, but now we come to the matter at hoof: You want to extend your stay here correct?" The look the older dragon gave Luna could only be described as pleading and caused her to smile indulgently. "The way to a dragon's heart is truly through gems of great worth, even if they are pearls of wisdom and knowledge."

Luna sighed, knowing she was going to have to disappoint the drake, "I believe I can trust you to keep things level with Spike, he's hot headed and you provoked him by mistake, but that's been resolved. If it were down to me I would let you stay Warden, but I didn't come here just to stop you two beating each other to a pulp." Warden's expression changed instantly and he watched Luna with a hunter's focus.

"I also received this today," Luna levitated another scroll, which looked as though it had been written on the skin of some animal, rather than the normal paper the ponies used and Luna was obviously uncomfortable holding such. "It is for you Warden."

He took the proffered message, noted the already breached crest of the Ash-Wind flight and he opened the missive before reading its contents. Warden's face became stern as he took in what was written there before giving a resigned sigh, "It seems my time here is coming to an end one way or another Princess."

Warden looked to the cave where Twilight had conjured a large block of ice that was hissing gently on Spike's very bruised head, "Do you think he will be willing to come? I mean we have no authority to force him as he is technically Equestrian?"

Luna thought for a moment before her smile returned, "I think he will and what's more as an official citizen of Equestria I feel it's only right that we send some company to go with Spike. That way you can spend more time with them both."

The older dragon glared into Luna's playful eyes, "You know Princess you can really be a mischief sometimes and I can see why Thortax thinks so highly of you."

Blooming Bloomberg

Blooming Bloomberg

Spike wasn't happy at all: Despite his best efforts to avoid Warden after their 'disagreement' the black dragon had forced Spike into talking with him. This had only been after a long chase that wound through the rocky highlands surrounding the mountain. Warden had finally cornered Spike within their previous battle ground and tried to explain the 'invitation' the younger dragon had received.

"So what you're saying is that your master wants to meet with me?" Spike asked in a slow way, making sure he had understood precisely what Warden was trying to tell him, all the while struggling to keep his temper in check. Spike was still nursing a sore head after the events of a few days ago. He gingerly massaged the green spines adorning his skull, noting they were still a little bent out of shape and tender to the touch.

"Thortax wants you present at the next migration, hatchling, in fact he has used his considerable pull in the dragon world to move the date forward," Warden explained, "That's a massive feat and should indicate how serious Thortax is about your invitation."

"But he didn't say why?" Spike pressed.

Warden shook his head slowly, "No hatchling he didn't, but I know Thortax doesn't do anything on a mere whim: I would strongly advise you to accept."

Spike grimaced as he was reminded of the last migration he had attended and was not looking forward to being present at another. He was especially put off by the idea of being the centre of attention of a large number of grumpy old dragons; the concept that he was going to be presented like some sort of exhibit wouldn't leave Spike's mind despite Warden's assurances.

He was in no mood to comply with anything the other dragon suggested at this moment. Spike was torn however; he really shouldn't have lost his temper with Warden, but the thought of losing Twilight had been like a fire in his head. When Warden had reminded Spike of the now forever out of reach Rarity well......

If left to himself, Spike would happily forgo the whole idea of mixing with other dragons right now, but again it wasn't so simple, Luna had already told Spike of the message from Thortax and left the decision up to him. If she had ordered Spike that would have been easier, as he didn't really want to go and having it as a royal command would have removed Spike from the hard decision before him.

Twilight was all for the idea, but yet again wouldn't force Spike to do so if he didn't choose to. In the end Spike felt it would be worse to disappoint his friends than to be paraded before his fell drakes and so slumped his shoulders in defeat, "Fine I'll go, but I'd better not be some sort of 'gimmick'."

Warden smiled, "Trust me, Thortax would never stoop so low, maybe have you as an example, or possibly an object lesson, but never just something to win favour with other dragons. Warden pondered for a moment before going on, "In fact if what I suspect is true, then what Thortax has to say will make a large number of the other flights very angry."

"You're not filling me with confidence here Warden," Spike cautioned, the idea of being surrounded by hundreds of possibly angry dragons all watching him was even more off putting.

Warden's expression became serious, "Now hatchling, I never said this was going to be an easy journey. I just promised it would be worth it. I think you have it in you to be a truelly great dragon, from what I have seen you could certainly be a match for the older and tougher dragons some day. If you have learnt nothing else from our time together then you should at least know that strength and power are of little use without control and wisdom."

Warden indicated the number of craters dotting the rock face around them and Spike was acutely aware of the hard lesson this older dragon was trying to teach him. "What Thortax has to tell the other dragons may not be what they want to hear, but what is popular isn't always what is the right thing to do," Warden reminded Spike sternly.

"So what's that got to do with me then?" Spike asked in confusion.

Warden's face softened, "Well that's for Thortax to know and us to find out hatchling."

Spike growled and let out some more smoke, “Fine you've told me, can I go now?"

Warden sighed sadly, "Look Spike I told you I'm sorry okay, if you trust me at all then please believe me on this: I truly have no intention of taking Twilight away from you. She's your sister, I have the upmost respect for both of you and would try my up most not to spoil the friendships we have formed."

The glare Spike gave Warden showed just how much stock he gave that assurance and shoved past the smaller drake. As Spike clambered back up towards his cave Warden easily flew up and past the grounded Spike. "Well hatchling I'm glad you have chosen to come, even if under sufferance as I have already asked Twilight if she could help with some transport.....

Twilight breathed deeply as the Bloomberg floated ponderously out of the workshop which had been his 'cradle', all the time trying her best to remain calm. This project represented months of work, years of planning and was finally coming together. She watched tensely as a number of deckhands slowly guided the airship from its old home and out into the cold light of day.

Twilight shivered as another gust of frigid air washed over her, causing both her feathers and hair to ruffle. Winter was definitely on the doorstep now and Twilight was certain she could smell the crisp bite of approaching snow in the air. Despite the chill her heart burned with well earned pride as the Bloomberg cleared the workshop for the first time.

The boost given by the new workers had put the project ahead of schedule by just over a week and Twilight was eager to put the airship through its paces. The Bloomberg was greeted by a resounding cheer as its tail fins cleared the doors and the new ship was free at last.

The noise was quickly hushed as Applebloom darted from one worker to another; double and in some case triple checking that each creature knew its duty and was doing it well. She paused as the central bulk of Bloomberg momentarily blotted out the sun as it sailed overhead and glanced up at Twilight. The Princess chuckled as she met Applebloom's eye and saw the look of pride mirrored on her face; this was her project as much as Twilight's and she felt the pride was well earned.

The good mood was infectious and Twilight felt her own muzzle grinning like an idiot before she could stop herself. Twilight watched as Bloomberg was slowly rotated on its guiding ropes and took in just how big their new project truly was. She had estimated it would take only a small competent crew to make the ship flight-worthy, but the Bloomberg was made to carry far more than that.

Twilight had worked out that the airship should be able to carry at least sixty five pony sized passengers, along with storage enough to transport supplies for at least four months, with cargo space to spare. The original balloon design had been altered from floating above the machine; now fitting snugly within the centre of the craft allowing the main decks and crew compartments to run either side. The main cargo holds were positioned beneath the balloon for easy access to the ground.

Twilight smiled broadly as she recalled how the small scale tests had shown some balance problems with the design, but that was easily countered by weights and few handy spells of her own creation. The overall result was a sizable yet compact flyer with its flotation far better protected than a standard air balloon or blimp, even before the latest magical barrier defences were activated.

This was where the Bloomberg became particularly impressive: With the developments in magical power-storage along with some very clever devices designed by Applebloom herself which enabled the ship to be driven by magical propellers that would normally take five or six unicorns to power. The engines could now be run from the central power crystal at full pelt for days before needing a full recharge, an almost unheard of feat of efficiency.

The Bloomberg was of course still a prototype, and his successors would improve with time, but Twilight knew this first ship would always hold a special place in her heart, along with those who served on him. Nevertheless even she was forced to stop and marvel at what they had achieved in a relatively short time.

"He's lookin good Big. D, any words fer the history books?" Applebloom called up once she was certain that the Bloomberg was secured in place and couldn't slip his leash.

Twilight was taken aback, but then again she shouldn't be surprised by that either. "Well A.B, I think we’re going to make the Royal pony Sisters and Equestria proud! Well done everyone, creatures of all races will look back to this day and see what we made: Let's impress them huh?"

The cheers from all around were louder than the before and Twilight felt the blush forming once again, no matter how many times she had done so, Twilight knew she would never get used to public speaking. She let the enthusiasm of the team wash over her and felt more confident with each passing moment. They were all happy with what had been done here and Twilight was glad she could share it with them.

With eagerness the work crews began to prepare for the first of Applebloom's rehearsals, starting with the 'prop' alignment. At Applebloom's signal the helmsman, a griffin by the name of 'Blerio' warmed up each propeller in turn: The power behind them was impressive and there were one or two moments where Twilight was afraid Bloomberg really would escape, but Applebloom knew her stuff and the airship stayed firmly within its appointed area.

With first the checks concluded, Pipsqueak confirmed that the power crystals were holding steady and the crew moved onto the next set of checks. The Bloomberg gently sank lower, before climbing back up until he was straining at his tethers. Everything ran smoothly and Twilight was almost ready to congratulate them on a perfect build when comic timing cut her off by revealing the first fault.

As the ship pirouetted into place Blerio pulled back the throttle, only to find that the connected props refused to power down and Bloomberg continued its horizontal spin much to the alarm of the work crews. Very soon the guide cables began to twist and tighten together in a central spiral. As they did so the ship was dragged closer and closer to the ground as its movement ate up the slack like a hungry parasprite.

"Kill number three! I said Kill number three!" Applebloom yelled as the team members below began to scatter while the Bloomberg began to list in its unplanned decent. "Pip, cut the power ter number three propeller!" Twilight's chief engineer had given up shouting at the hapless pilot who had done all he could to obey and galloped around trying to shut the problem down at its source, but there was too much going on for the yellow mare to possibly succeed.

"Uncouple the tethers!" Twilight yelled as she swooped from her vantage point overlooking the proceedings, she circled the stricken Bloomberg, her wings out stretched and with bursts of magic began to do just that. As each cable came undone the airship's decent slowed, but it's angle drifted further from horizontal and was soon spinning from nose-down to nose-up at a crazy forty five degree tilt.

The freshly freed cables began to grind across the ground, leaving trails of sparks in their wake. Applebloom was finally forced to dive clear as one clipped her galloping legs and caused her to stumble. Twilight worked quickly, even going as far as to sever the last tether with a blast of magic before the Bloomberg righted himself with a protesting groan.

With everyone else out of harm's way Twilight refocused her magic on the ship and with a 'pop' appeared inside the empty cargo bay where a number of queasy and battered crew were nursing various bumps and bruises. The startled workers barely had time to register the Princess' presence before she tore off towards the power room.

Now that the airship had levelled out Twilight was quickly able to make her way to the crystal room and was soon confronted by an unconscious Pipsqueak. Evidently the young stallion had banged his head in the chaos and was lying oblivious just outside the power room. Twilight was impressed that despite his failure, it seemed Pip had the same idea as Applebloom and herself.

With a grunt of effort Twilight channeled her magic and shut off the offending power lines. The Bloomberg's out of control spin began to slow as Bleiro brought him back under the control of his skilled claws. Twilight gave a relieved sigh and sank to her haunches as reports began to filter through the intercom system.

Catching her breath, Twilight gently levitated Pipsqueak with a flash of her horn before laying the unconscious pony across her own back. Twilight then commenced her unsteady way back to the rest of the startled ground crew and a frantic Applebloom.

"Stupid colt, yer could have been hurt!" Applebloom was beside herself with worry as Twilight carried Pipsqueak down the exit ramp of the Bloomberg and deposited him with the other wounded. Thankfully no one was badly hurt, just a collection of cuts and scrapes; Pip being the worst off.

"He's out cold Applebloom, he's got a nasty bump on the noggin that's all. I found him just outside power room," Twilight tried to reassure Applebloom who just snorted in response.

"That's no excuse, what was he doing in there in the first place?" Applebloom muttered, causing Twilight to stare at her in utter confusion.

"He was trying to cut the power as you shouted at him to do?" Twilight replied, her face radiating puzzlement.

"Yeah, but not get himself hurt! I'd strangle him if he did summit foalish like that!" Applebloom shouted, still glaring at the mottled pony, "That's it Twi, every pony is ter wear helmets during any emergency! Yer the Director, write it down or summit!"

Twilight blinked a few times as Applebloom continued to rant. She had never seen her chief engineer so worked up, even when the power crystal exploded, "But A.B, we don't know when every emergency could happen, we would have to wear helmets all the time?"

Applebloom paused for a moment as Twilight's question sunk in, "Well maybe just him then, if he's gonna go around bashin his head on things."

Twilight tried to suppress a giggle, "Applebloom I didn't know you cared so much about his safety, I thought that was my job?" This comment only earned a glare from the yellow earth pony.

"Well good help is hard ter come by, I don't want my best technician bashin his brains out whenever we have a problem," Applebloom retorted as her temper flared, "His fault fer tryin ter be such a brave fool." Applebloom said in low voice that Twilight only just caught.

"It's only a bang to the head A.B, he will come around soon I'm sure. If it makes you feel better I've already called for medics and they won't be long," Twilight smiled and shook her head; having seen the signs enough times to know when a pony cared for another on more than just a professional level. Having five best friends married, Twilight knew what to look for even if Applebloom was herself oblivious.

"Well fine, but he better be up and at that fault as soon as he's kickin or I'll have his hide yer hear?" With that Applebloom stomped off to the now mercifully quiet Bloomberg to see what damage had been caused in the accident, muttering to herself all the way.

Even as Twilight watched her go, she heard a groan from the stallion in question and turned to see Pipsqueak blinking slowly with a distant look in his brown eyes as he mumbled, "I'm on my way boss, don't you worry....."

"It's okay Pip, it's over and everypony is safe," Twilight assured him.

"Wha-what happened?" Pip asked and Twilight smiled down at the dedicated pony.

"Well from what we can guess the power feed jammed open and we couldn't stop the horizontal spin of the airship as a result," Twilight explained slowly as Pipsqueak rubbed the mound forming on his skull.

"Boss was gonna kill someone about that, had to make sure it wasn't me...." Pipsqueak mumbled before drifting back into unconsciousness and Twilight was forced to suppress a chuckle.

If something was going to go wrong with the ship she was just glad it had been now and not during the presentation in a few weeks time or heavens forbid out in the field. A pair of medics, a zebra along with a pegasus arrived and began checking the injured, leaving Twilight free to go and speak with Applebloom about what went wrong and how to avoid it in the future.

Trotting on board their machine, Twilight quickly traced her steps to the power room and found Applebloom simply by following the exposed wiring leading away the engines. Twilight finally found Applebloom waist deep in a junction box a few corridors downstream and seeing her so engrossed decided not to bother the engineer right away.

After a few minutes Applebloom gave a triumphant shout before a small chunk of metal flew out and clattered against the opposite wall. She pony continued to rummage about in the guts of the Bloomberg and Twilight smiled, watching her tinker with interest. Twilight was amazed at how much a pony with no direct magical powers could understand and work with such a magically based machine; putting it down to how practical earth ponies were.

They saw problems and came up with solutions that would have never occurred to Twilight and reminded herself just how lucky she was to have Appleboom as her engineer. Twilight's pondering were cut short as Applebloom extricated herself from the junction box, only then becoming aware of Twilight as she banged into her hoof.

"Oh Big. D, did'ner see yer there," Applebloom's muzzle broke into a huge grin, the previous worries forgotten in the face of her latest triumph. "One of the flow line's regulators got wedged open when that there chunk a metal lodged in it; bound ter happen somewhere when we first start him up."

Twilight nodded, happy to see Applebloom was still as driven as ever, "Um A.B, I need to ask you an important question."

Applebloom cocked an eyebrow at Twilight as she cleaned her hooves with a rag from the toolbox she seemed to carry everywhere these days, "Hit me Big. D, if it's about Bloomberg then I wanna know about it."

Twilight didn't know how to begin, so decided to tread carefully, “In theory..." She began only to have Applebloom snort in annoyance.

"Oh no Big.D, I knows when you're gonna ask me summit I don't wanna hear: Lemmy brace meself first," Applebloom rummaged once again in her toolbox. After a few moments the pony emerged with a hard-hat forced down over her red mane and a pair of welding goggles fixed firmly in place, "Right go fer it."

"In theory, how fire proof is the inside of Bloomberg?" Twilight asked slowly.

Applebloom paused before she lowered the goggles to peer at Twilight, "He's tough but I thought we were gonna have all the fire n danger on the outside Big.D That's what the barriers are for right?"

Twilight shuffled her hooves uncomfortably, "Well one of our passengers on our first trip may be a bit......dragonish"

Applebloom's mouth dropped open in utter disbelief before she almost shouted in reply, "Yer can't be serious Twi, after all we have done yer wanna have a fire breathin lizard in our foal!"

Twilight's eyes spoke the truth and Applebloom held her head in her hooves, "Yer have gotta be kiddin me, please tell me yer ain't gonna bring a dragon on ma ship! Which one, Spike? I know yer have a soft spot fer him Twi, but every pony knows he's a walkin disaster." The engineer grimaced as Twilight scowled back at her. "Sorry Twi, but I don't think Bloomberg would last long with a dragon in him. Plus where would we put him? There ain't no berths made fer a creature his size."

The director of the research centre drew herself up to her full height, her horn almost touching the ceiling of the corridor, "I am serious A.B: We can modify the cargo hold, surely we can reinforce them to withstand any fire related accidents?"

Applebloom continued to cradle her head in her hooves, "It's not just that Twi, do yer know how much a dragon of his size eats? We'd have to take up even more space fer his supplies, I just don't know if we can make it work. It's that or we would have to make more regular stops and we can't guarantee we could find suitable replacements neither.

Twilight looked skeptical, "Come on A.B, I think that's a bit harsh. This ship is meant to carry at least another sixty five roughly pony sized passengers, along with far more food than Spike will need. I am confident that the Bloomberg can safely carry both Spike and Warden." She concluded with a final note.

Applebloom visibly swayed at this news, "Two! Two dragons?" She frantically shook her head at the insanity of the suggestion and Twilight could almost see the visions of the two lizards fighting each other on board her beloved ship rampaging through the engineer's mind."Twi I heard they ain't the best of friends and if they started a hoe down on the Bloomberg...." Applebloom went so pale that Twilight feared she may actually pass out.

"That's what we need A.B and I know if any pony can figure out how to achieve such a feat, it's you," Twilight said in a confident voice even as Applebloom seemed gripped with despair, "If you can't do it then I could always find some other ponies to help you?"

The effect was instant and drastic: Applebloom snapped her head around and Twilight was rewarded with a fresh fire in the her amber eyes. "Yer don't think I could do it huh? I could fit five dragons in this ship and still fly it ter the crystal fiefdom n back!"

Twilight smiled inside, even if her face showed remorse, "Well I wouldn't want to put you under more pressure that you can hand...." Applebloom looked like she might explode.

"Princess, if I say I can fit five dragon's in here and still have Bloomberg flying fine then two dragons is nothin, now get outta ma way Twi, I need ter find that useless assistant Pipsqueak. He's no doubt lyin down on the job again....." Twilight chuckled quietly as her best engineer stomped away, causing the floor plates to wrattle and muttering something under her breath about tying one of the drakes to the ship's hull.

"That's why your my chief engineer Applebloom, I know I can count on you," Twilight grinned as she followed at a safe distance to go and tell the dragon's the good news.

Rekindling Kinship

Rekindling Kinship

"Okay, this has got to stop you two! Applebloom is refitting the Bloomberg even as we speak and I promised her there would be no fights from you two while we're on board," Twilight snorted as the pair of dragons glared at each other over a crackling fire pit. She had arrived, weary after another long day at the test centre only to find Warden and Spike were still at odds with each other.

Despite Warden's words, Twilight believed his interests in her went deeper than the older dragon dared admit. There was still an undercurrent of unrest between Spike and himself; a problem that needed to be resolved. She sat down, folded her hooves and glared as Spike and Warden continued to eye each other warily.

"I have already explained to Spike that I have no romantic intentions towards you Miss Sparkle; even if I did beat him according to dragon customs in a fair duel and would be completely within my rights to pursue you Princess." Warden coughed as Spike's eyes narrowed, "Had I any intention of doing so of course," He finished as Twilight rolled her eyes.

"As you keep reminding us Warden, I'm flattered and everything, but one dragon in my life is enough for the moment thank you very much. The point is I need to know that I can trust you two not to wreck the ship we have just completed with any more silly quarrels?" Twilight looked angrily from one scaled face to the other and found that neither could meet her eye.

"Well? She insisted.

Spike bowed his head in submission, "Sorry Twi, I'll control my temper better I promise."

"I promise that I shall take greater care not to impose on what you perceive as yours Spike," Warden agreed.

Twilight studied the pair for a while longer before unfolding her fore legs and arising once more, "Good enough I guess, but if I hear of any more of such behaviour I will have the guilty parties jettisoned and you can make your own ways to the migration."

Both dragons nodded in compliance before Twilight's mood brightened, "Now that we have some ground rules settled, it's time for the next part of the plan," Twilight produced a pen and scroll before cheerfully striking out 'Get the two dragon's to make up' and moved to the next item on her checklist.

"Warden had a very good suggestion as to how we could discover if you have any living relatives Spike," Twilight announced, ignoring Warden even as his eyes burned with passion. She she finally glanced sternly at him and with a couple of blinks Warden's expression returned to normal before he addressed Spike:

"Indeed you have learnt all I need to teach you so far, as such I have been working on a solution to your 'origins' question. I do believe I have a spell that may help in your search," He reached in the fire pit and grabbed a smouldering ember before beginning to trace symbols on the stone floor.

"There is a rite that dragons sometimes use to prove their entitlement to challenge another flight member, seldom used these days as we keep far better records now," Warden became fully engrossed in his work, falling into his well worn habits of teaching, "When two dragons both claimed the right to leadership on any issue and found themselves too closely matched to settle in the normal way, they would sometimes revert to the 'rite of linage'."

Despite his personal feelings about Warden, Spike found himself drawn in and followed Warden's sketching with interest, "The concept is that the dragon with closer blood ties to the flight would have the support of their fellows and therefore be a more efficient leader. Both dragons would place one of their own scales within a specially wrought magical symbol: The scale which glowed the brightest in the presence of the oldest member of the flight would prove its owner held the closest ties."

Warden completed his work and with delicate care removed a scale from the back of his fore arm before placing it in the centre of the ring of magical symbols. Both Spike and Twilight gasped as the scale began to glow a dark red, "As I said it wasn't a popular method of choosing a leader, but it got me thinking."

Warden beckoned Spike closer and the scale grew perceptively brighter as he approached. Spike's eyes went wide in surprise, "Does this mean I am closely related to you Warden?"

His hopes were dashed as Warden in question shook his head slowly, "No more than any other dragon hatchling, you see we all have a common ancestor in Whisper and as such the scale will glow near any dragon other than its owner. Only when it changes from red to yellow do we know they are of the same flight and should it shine white then it indicates a direct family member."

Spike's enthusiasm dimmed along with the scale as he lent away from it, "So how does that help me then?"

This time it was Twilight who responded excitedly, "Well I believe I could alter the spell so that it would be placed upon an item such as amulet or ring and then we could add one of your own scales Spike. Think about it, you could wear it and when you came near a dragon you're closely related to it would let us know." Twilight's eyes reflected the shining scale as they went wide with wonder, "Just think Spike, we can find your flight!"

Spike began to catch the essence of what Warden and Twilight were getting at, "You mean we really could find out who I am?" Twilight nodded eagerly and even though Warden's eyes had taken on that hungry look again Spike was too happy to care.

Warden blinked furiously as he refocused on Spike once more, "I hope this will go some way to my regaining of your trust once more Spike; also as another sign of good faith I can teach you a few tricks should you need to settle any other disagreements with fellow dragons."

Spike was taken aback by such an offer, it was true he hadn't been able to lay a claw on Warden during their last bout and it showed a huge amount of contrition on Warden's part to teach a potential rival how to be more dangerous, "You mean you can teach my dragon magic?" Spike's astonishment was once again replaced by excitement at the idea of using magic himself.

Warden looked uncomfortable, "Spike I don't want to disappoint you, but I can't teach you magic. Dragon's are a bit like pony breeds in that regard, we each have special traits or 'aspects' inherited from Whisper that make us unique." Warden indicated his own pair of swept back horns. "Similar to a unicorn I channel my spells through my horns, as for yourself...."

Spike nodded sadly, as he rubbed the spines adorning his own head, "That's not my trait right?

Warden nodded in return, "Your magic is undoubtedly more akin to say earth ponies, and as such manifests itself in more subtle ways than mine; but is no less powerful for being so. For one thing I would have almost no chance of directly attacking you with a spell." The older dragon's teaching demeanour reasserted itself once more, "But I have taught many drakes Spike and most of them were of a different aspect to my self. I'm confident you can learn a few worth while tricks that don't require such talents."

Twilight had a confused look in her eyes as she listened to Warden's explanation, "Warden that doesn't make sense to me, you're implying Spike is highly magically resistant, then how was I able to cast spells on him so easily?"

The older reptile smiled in a besotted way towards Twilight before shaking his head clear, "Well for one thing my dear you are an alicorn and thus have far stronger magic than most creatures; plus dragons toughen up as they get older, I am assuming that you were able to perform a number of spells on Spike during his early years," Warden grinned, "I think you would find it far harder now, even with your considerable abilities."

Twilight tried to recall the last time she had successfully cast a spell to affect Spike and found she couldn't, well apart from maybe 'number twenty-five'. She smiled to herself as Twilight recalled the eager little assistant of yesteryear and her eyes filled with nostalgia as she looked at the impressive dragon before now.

"you know, he's right Spike there were a number of times I could have zapped you silly when you were being a real pain," Twilight agreed as she mentally reviewed the various times she had truly been tempted to blast Spike for his latest disaster.

Spike wrung his claws in embarrassment and Warden let out a genuine laugh, "Well we're solving that problem now huh? We have all done some foolish things in our time."

With a renewed sense of comradeship, Warden put his taloned hands around his friend's shoulders, "So as I was saying, now that I have taught you how to use this," Warden tapped Spike's head with a claw, "I can show you the proper way to use these." Warden firmly took Spike's hand and indicated the sharp claws found there.

"Okay, now we need to adjust the magical lines to become attuned with the dragon in question," Warden cautioned as Twilight bent arcane forces to the desired form: The spell was proving far more difficult to adapt than the princess had first anticipated.

"I can see where it's meant to go, but it's proving reluctant," Twilight responded as a small trickle of sweat rolled down her muzzle. It wasn't that the magic was too powerful for her to control; (she had dealt with far stronger spells in the past) it was the nature of magic itself that was the problem Twilight realised.

Though similar to unicorn magic, the source of dragon spells that bore the greatest difference. Whereas pony spell casters drew their power from the basic magical fields in the air, dragon magic came up from the ground. It was sturdier and far more resilient to being shaped and crafted. It wanted to flow naturally, strongly, objecting to being drawn or altered; but Twilight was dedicated, skilled and above all a very quick study.

So with no small effort and following the continuing directions of Warden, the magical spell was woven. The charm was embedded in simple flat stone which had been threaded through with a strong metal cord. The newly formed amulet bore a round hole in its centre which now held one of Spike's purple scales suspended in a invisible force. Twilight snorted with success and as the enchantment was completed the scale began to glow a dull red.

"Marvellous princess, I'm greatly impressed," Warden beamed with pride even as he watched Spike nodding in agreement. "As far as I'm aware there has never been a pony who could cast a dragon spell with so little practice."

Twilight smiled at the praise, but looked slightly worn from the effort. "That's a lot harder than number sixteen huh Spike?" She grinned at her large brother who couldn't help but chuckle in reply. Twilight floated the completed talisman over to Spike who took it gently before examining it closely.

"I can't thank you both enough for this," His eyes were rimmed with tears. With great care Spike lifted the gift and lowered it around his thick neck before he felt a gentle warmth spreading from the talisman. It was hard for Spike to describe the feeling, but the closest approximation was that it felt like home.

"It may be Spike that your blood line has died out," Warden cautioned with some solemnity, "But at least this will give you the best chance of finding out the truth one way or another."

Spike was annoyed that Warden would have to put a dampener on their happy mood, but when he saw the earnest expression in the older reptile's eyes this feeling vanished. The his tutor looked genuinely dismayed at the thought.

"Thanks Warden, I know you mean well and I really do appreciate all your help," Spike bowed to Warden and when he looked up again saw a renewed smile adorning his face.

Twilight beamed as her world had returned to harmony: The Apples were working together again, Spike and Warden were friends again, (for the moment it at least) The Bloomberg was almost ready to depart and Twilight had high hopes for a successful journey to the dragon migration in a few weeks time. Mustn't get complacent she reminded herself.

"Right, I hope you two can play nicely while I leave you to visit with Princess Celestia. I need to finalise the details of our journey. From what I understand, the Royal Sisters we will need us to make a couple of stops along the way and I want to know all I can before we set out," Twilight gave Spike a loving hug before (much to Warden's surprise) bestowing a strong embrace for him also.

"Don't give me reasons to regret my trust in you, if one scale of Spike's hide is out of place when I visit next time I'll banish you myself. Spike's not the only one who can be very protective of those they care about," Twilight whispered into Warden's ear even as she smiled at Spike in a warm way. Warden chuckled before he saw the serious expression on Twilight's face and a shiver snaked down his back.

"I understand princess, I'll have Spike ready for anything in no time," Warden fought to keep his voice level in the face of Twilight's gaze and visibly relaxed when she turned to wish Spike a fond goodbye.

Twilight galloped right off the edge of the plateau before flying out into the dusk in the direction of Ponyville and Warden glanced at Spike who was waving her off sadly. It was a scene that had been repeated every day since Warden's arrival, but for the first time the dragon tutor felt more than a little out of his depth.

"So, what about these fighting moves you were going to show me huh?" Spike grinned as he turned to Warden, an expression of expectation plastered across his face and Warden felt his stomach lurch.

"Yes, yes that's the plan, but I think it can wait until tomorrow Spike; I have some further planning in light of more recent developments. I think you should get some rest and we can start bright and early," To Warden's relief Spike seemed at ease with this plan and with a simple good night, made his way further into the his cave.

This left Warden sitting alone on the grassy verge, giving him some quiet time to contemplate what had just happened. As the moon slowly rose, Warden reviewed the events that had taken him from a small hatchling, to the powerful and important drake he was today before ultimately leading him to this moment.

In his core the dragon was confused, Twilight was simply fascinating and the more time he spent with her and Spike the stronger his desire for Twilight grew. It wasn't a physical attraction, but more a longing for who she was: That Twilight had accomplished in one evening a spell it had taken Warden years to learn was simply amazing.

Now he was seeing that she was just as fierce and protective of Spike as any she drake would be for their own kin and that caused stirring within his old heart once more. Oh that you had been born a dragon.....

He began it quietly; a haunting tune and had any other creature heard it they would have been utterly astonished to hear such a soft sound coming from a dragon. Warden was singing, he hadn't planned to do so, but the feelings in his heart needed to find expression in some manner.

It built in feeling if not volume, for a dragon to sing was a rare thing indeed and Warden didn't want others to hear. He sung in ancient dragon tongue, no longer spoken these days and Warden filled the sky about him with the melancholy sounds of a drake denied.

That no one else understood him was no matter, he needed to voice his feelings: How a pony could win the heart of one such as he and how Warden so wished that things could have been different. He weaved the song borne of hopes for his people, that one day they could live as Whisper had intended and how that then would never fall into war and strife once again. Most of all Warden sung, for it was to sing or cry.

As the melody concluded the dragon heard a small sniffle from above, "That was simply beautiful Warden."

Embarrassed, Warden winced before looking upwards to see Luna sitting on a small cloud. He took a number of deep breaths before flapping his wings to bring himself level with his 'eaves dropper' and saw there were small tears in her turquoise eyes.

"Your highness, may I assume you have been observing this whole time?" Warden asked in a resigned tone.

"Well I was just passing by and thought I would drop in and see how you're all getting on, I however didn't mean to intrude on such a personal moment." Luna smiled, clearly moved by the song before continuing, "If I may: We all have unfulfilled hopes and dreams Warden, it's part of life to overcome and learn from the disappointment. That with each dream we miss, another happy possibility comes to be."

"You understood it?" Warden asked in shock, there weren't many dragons alive that could have understood the old dragon speech, let alone a pony; even one as old as Luna.

The princess chuckled softly, "Warden, I've been great friends with Thortax for many, many years and he isn't the first dragon I have befriended. You forget I was there with Whisper.

Warden just floated there in shocked silence for a time, before cursing himself as a fool. It was one thing to know your history, but completely another to be reminded that it was talking to you, "Of course princess, I just always assumed that it was a private language for us dragons. I should not be surprised that one such as yourself would know it."

Luna smiled warmly, "No offence taken I assure you my young dragon."

Now it was time for Warden to laugh, it had been some time since anyone had called him young. His embarrassment only grew as he realised that Luna must have heard his every longing and secret spoken in verse, "Princess, I humbly ask that you do not repeat any of what you now know." He looked to her with pleading.

Luna gently put her hoof to his snout, "Of course Warden, I would never repeat something so personal. I've had lots of practice you know."

Warden titled his head, "So it is true then? I had heard that you guarded ponies dreams while they slept, I had always thought it was rumour and nothing more."

Luna smiled mischievously, "That and a few other things I have seen and heard in my time. The night tends to be very quiet and one hears many things if one was to listen carefully."

Warden nodded as quiet fell once more, the whisper of the wind and his slowly beating wings the only sounds to be heard. Luna looked up at the dark sky as the last of Celestia's rays fled with their sun and felt the gentle breeze ruffle her star strewn mane, "Be careful warden, I more than most know how an obsession can drive one to do things they will forever regret."

"I know princess, I am just afraid of what is to become of us....dragons I mean. The world is moving and many dragons are abandoning the old ways for far more selfish ones: I have studied our past, our legends and they tell us that Celestia and yourself saved us from ourselves," Warden felt there was no point in hiding his fears from the princess, she'd heard enough already in his lament. Luna simply nodded and beckoned for Warden to continue.

"I have seen the patterns of the past, that we are well due for a time of strife as the younger drakes turn from their noble heritage. I fear we will not weather another internal war and should that spill over to other lands......." Warden didn't have to finish as Luna gently shushed him once again.

"Dear Warden we have not forgotten our promises to Whisper, even after all this time. Celestia and I will do all we can to help. Why do you think we agreed to have our newest princess come to represent Equestria in the next great migration? That we commissioned an air ship of such splendour to carry her there?" Luna's face was serious and Warden felt his heart skip a beat.

"You did make it to confront us then? If Equestria understands the rising threat of us dragons then the more warlike races must have also," Warden's fears were being realised before his eyes and he buried his head in his claws, Luna placed her hoof under the reptile's chin and lifted to look hin to his tearful eyes.

"Do not fear or despair noble Warden, The ship is not to fight your people, but to show them what can be achieved when creatures of all kinds work together. Yes we may have dreamed up the idea, but every sentient race we know of had a hoof or claw in its making; apart from dragons sadly, but that by their own choice." Luna explained.

"I knew nothing of this!" Warden was stunned, "Lord Thorax said nothing of dragons being invited to share in Equestria's discoveries."

Luna looked at Warden with an ancient gaze, far older than her youthful face would suggest, "He's one of the few dragons who even responded to our invitation, almost all other the flights didn't even acknowledge the missive."

Warden gulped in apprehension, "What was his reply?"

Boarding for the Borders

Boarding for the Borders

"My fellow citizens of Equestria, this day we make a mark in our history! We are about to set forth on a new era of discovery and progress. It is with a firm hope that with this new airship we can show the world what all races can achieve when we put aside our differences and work in harmony!" Celestia proclaimed to the awaiting crowds below as the Bloomberg floated serenely above Ponyville's central square.

It seemed like the whole town had come out to witness the first public appearance of Equestria's most advanced technological creation to date: Ponies, griffons and zebra were present along with other more far flung races; all gathered for this special occasion. The white alicorn was standing alongside Cadence, Luna and Twilight along with their assorted personal staff as the frosty air of the first official day of winter rang with the praises and adulation of the assembled onlookers.

"The regent of the Sun is a very skilled orator, I can see why your people follow her so easily Miss Bloom," Warden commented to the other occupants of his platform, "Ah and that must be 'Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, " He quickly pointed out the pink alicorn he had never seen before.

"Yep." Applebloom's response was curt and distracted.

Spike nodded helpfully, "Yep that's Twilight's sister in law and ruler of the crystal fiefdom," no small amount of pride in his voice.

Warden, Applebloom and Spike were watching the celebrations from a covered tower set high above the crowds below. This tower had been set up especially for the event and gave the chief engineer a clear view of proceedings. Warden thought the celebration was all too 'cheery' himself, but understood the need for inspiration among the masses.

The two dragons watched closely as Twilight made her way across the small stage which had been erected just outside the former town hall. Warden raised a surprised scaly eye brow: Twilight carefully took some notes from the waiting Trixie and placed them on the small podium before her.

"She mastered the basics of dragon magic in an afternoon, yet Twilight needs notes for a simple speech?" Warden was incredulous.

"Yep that's our Twi, always prepared even if she don't need ter be," Applebloom said in an offhoof way, head still buried in her work.

Warden watched Applebloom as she continued to fiddle with a number of gauges and knobs on a strange device she had set up. It was all lenses and wires and Warden couldn't for the life of him guess what it was for. Spike on the other claw had his eyes riveted on the four royal ponies below.

"May I inquire as to what you are doing Miss Bloom, you're missing the important aspects of the princess' address?" Warden pressed as Applebloom continued to fuss about the contraption before her.

"I'm tryin ter get a proper etheric readin, still gotta few kinks ter iron out in Bloomberg's power systems...." Applebloom's eyes squinted at the floating ship as her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth.

Spike finally tore his gaze away from the platform below, "But don't you need to be inside the Bloomberg for that sort of thing?

Applebloom snorted in irritation, "Nope"

"Then how can you..." Spike began once again before Applebloom finally lost her temper and rounded on him.

"I ain't had no chance ter test the magic collection arrays right? How else do yer think we charge the power crystals huh? We don't just plug a unicorn in n suck em dry!" Applebloom glared at Spike who lent his head back, alarmed by the rising anger the Apple mechanic.

"I'm checkin the background arcane levels if yer must know and with four alicorns down there it's making it mighty hard ter get proper readins so will yer please stop yer silly questions," She snorted before returning to her work, while both Warden and Spike blinked at each other in bemusement as Applebloom continued to mutter under her breath.

With the localised commotion dying down, both dragons were able to hear the speech Twilight was giving, "..we couldn't have done this project by ourselves of course and so I would like to take this time to thank all of the support staff: Many, many hours have gone into building this creation and even more time has been promised to support the project as we set out to distant lands."

As Twilight concluded a number of citizens, all wearing matching green uniforms made their way into the town square. Warden was not at all surprised that, peoples of every kind made up the crew of the Bloomberg. As the they marched past, he noted a number of soldiers mixed in with the ground crews: Elements of both the Night and Day guards had sent representatives to accompany the maiden voyage by the looks of things.

All the assembled staff below turned around and as one saluted the princesses who bowed their heads in return, "We the princesses of Equestria thank you all for your help and continued service!" Twilight beamed as the crowd cheered once again.

"I see you have only ponies in your guard," Warden said in a dour tone as his snout formed a frown.

"And what's wrong with that? They're just here to keep the Bloomberg safe. I think it's great that the Princesses lent us some troops," Spike retorted.

Warden grinned and his eyes flashed, "Racial equality aside; just how good do you think those twenty ponies would be against a fully grown dragon, hatchling?"

Spike shifted uncomfortably, "There are others too: We have a griffon as a pilot for example, plus the security staff from the crew, they could fight if needed and there's us..."

Warden was nodding once again in a slow way, "So you would fight other dragons to protect these ponies hmm?"

Spike paused for a moment before coming to a conclusion, "Of course, I would fight to defend my friends and family."

"So you would expect me to fight for them too?" Warden's question forced Spike's cheery expression for fall.

Warden glanced once more to the Bloomberg, "I find it hard to credit that they would only have twenty ponies defending such a machine. It would make sense for other systems (beyond the barriers we tested) to be in place no? Warden's voice had become hard. "Why, if I were going into potentially hostile lands and were planning to tangle with dragons I would take something a bit more dangerous than just twenty ponies."

"Well I er...." Spike stuttered, evidently he hadn't even considered there could be any weapons aboard the Bloomberg.

"Well that's why yer a dragon n we ain't," Both drakes turned to see Applebloom glaring at them again, "We don't plan ter pick a fight, but we do plan ter make it through one if we need ter. I know that there ship, like my own front hooves n I can tell yer there ain't no weapons on it."

Warden chuckled sceptically, "Miss Bloom, I am sure you would not tell us even if there were."

Applebloom's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Are you callin me a liar Mr Warden? Cause if yer are yer don't know half as much about ponies as yer think yer do"

She abandoned her machine and stomped up close to Warden before staring him right in the eye. Despite her rising ire the dragon didn't flinch, "Miss Bloom I only have your word on this, I was simply stating what I would have done."

"Well you ain't us and we ain't you, we solve our troubles with things other than fightin!" Applebloom wasn't cowed by Warden's haughty resistance and kept up her steely gaze even as he matched it with an impassive one of his own.

"I take you as a being of your word Miss Bloom, I don't believe you would lie to me," Warden's eyes flicked to the assembled alicorns on the stage below and Applebloom snorted before heading back to her magical sensor, grumbling all the while.

"Confident, naive or just plain foolish, I can't decide which," Warden commented to the retreating back of Applebloom and Spike glared at his fellow dragon.

"Oh come on Warden, you were greatly impressed by their progress: You said so yourself," Spike asked in bemusement.

"Yes I did, but don't confuse knowledge with wisdom hatchling. I do believe Applebloom knows of no weapons on the Bloomberg, Twilight too I trust. Not everyone has the integrity of your friends and rulers Spike, just as not all dragons are trustworthy either," Warden's gaze swept over the crowd and he released a sigh.

Warden and Spike watched the ongoing celebrations with less enthusiasm and even Applebloom felt her ears droop at Warden's unsettling suspicions.

It was just then that a clear note rang out across the town square, causing the three subdued watchers to focus on the stage once more: A sudden cloud-cover had spread over the square, blotting the sunlight (weak as it was) entirely and the whole scene was suddenly shrouded in shadow.

"Ah, I thought she was back in town!" Applebloom's mood swung upwards as she eagerly trotted to the guardrail before placing her fore hooves in her mouth and whistling out into the sudden night.

Warden looked quizzically at Spike who simply shrugged before they both heard the melodic singing at the same time: The tune was the Equestrian national anthem, nothing amazing about that. What was so inspiring was the singer who drew the two dragons to Applebloom's side by the rail. The dragons saw a white unicorn with a purple mane had taken the stage and was illuminated by the single remaining shaft of sunlight peeking through the covering clouds.

"Who is that?" Warden asked in wonder as the mare continued glide through the verses with a skill that caused his jaw to drop.

Spike grinned, "Oh of course, I didn't know 'Sweetie Bell' had finished her tour," Warden just stood there in mounting confusion, but this was totally eclipsed by the wonder filling his ears.

"Sweetie Bell is one of the most famous singers in Equestria n one of my bestest friends!" Applebloom was practically bouncing with excitement. "She's one of the foundin members of the 'C.M.C' charity," Applebloom announced proudly as if this would make things any clearer to Warden.

Sweetie Bell had her mane woven with golden thread along with a small crown, not unlike those borne by the princesses. Her hooves had an equally dazzling set of golden shoes and the only word Warden could conjure was 'regal'. The pony was singing with a small smile and looking around at the assembled crowds with every sign of enjoyment.

The song finished and there was a brief moment of quiet before the crowds exploded into thunderous stomping and clapping along with whistles and cheering. Spike turned back to Warden and was surprised to see a small tear running down his scaled cheek as he heartily applauded along with the rest of them.

"Magnificent..." Was all he was able to whisper.

Sweetie Bell gave a modest bow before the clouds above were cleared away and the normal light levels resumed' removing the fake night which had descended upon the scene. She then made her steady way through the backdrop curtain, pausing only to give Twilight a brief hug before the red curtains swallowed her.

After a few moments Warden's brows knotted in confusion, "The what?"

Spike grinned, "'The Cutie Mark Crusaders', a long story Warden: Applebloom, Sweetie Bell, a pegasus call 'Scootaloo' along with another earth pony called 'Babseed' were the founding members for a charity group called the C.M.C."

Luna then trotted up to the vacant podium, "Thank you ladies and gentlemen and a special thank you to Miss Sweetie Bell! It's always a wonder to hear you perform for us." Luna smiled patiently as the crowd finally quieted down.

"As you should all be aware, this shall be the first journey officially undertaken to the dragon empires by other than myself or Celestia. I want you to all be assured that we will not leave this mission without leadership, as such we are directing the Princess Twilight Sparkle along with other advisers to be our envoy for this momentous occasion!" Luna smiled confidently at Twilight who seemed to be taking things in her stride.

"With her at the helm we can all be assured that their mission will be a success, so I thank you all for coming to celebrate with us as we embark on a hopeful time where we can be friends with all races in our world!" Luna's smile widened as another cheer erupted from the crowd and she looked back to Celestia who gave a tiny nod of approval.

Spike couldn't help but notice a slight tightening of Warden's jaw as Luna recited these words, but he was too happy to let the old drake spoil his good mood. With the announcements completed Spike followed Applebloom down the tower to greet their mutually returned friend. Warden followed soon after, his brow creased deep in thought.

After the main presentation concluded the four princesses took time to mingle among the eager crowds in a prepared reception where a band, tables and simple refreshments were provided. The princesses mixed freely with the guests while taking time to answer questions and reassure doubts. Despite all this, Twilight eagerly took the opportunity to meet with Sweetie Bell along with the excited Applebloom. The pair finally located the famous singer near the refreshment stand.

"Sweetie it's been ages, how was Manehatten, did yer see Babs?" Twilight grinned as Applebloom rushed up to Sweetie Bell and the pair embraced in a warm hug.

"Applebloom, It really has been far too long," Even when she wasn't singing Sweetie Bell's voice carried a slight tinkle to it and Twilight once again reminisced. She was drawn back to that talent night, oh so many years ago where three little fillies were still discovering their special talents and waiting for their cutie marks. Twilight couldn't help but smile widely as the two long time friends caught up.

"Manehatten was bustling A.B, you would not believe how much the city has grown, and 'Babs' was her typical self, I got to see her working. It was so cute to see, the foals practically cried when she had to step away to spend some time with me." Twilight felt a surge of pride as Sweetie described the positive effect Babs was having on those she worked with.

With the ceremony concluded and the Bloomberg officially introduced to Equestria as a whole, Twilight's duties were to mingle and chat; so as she cast her eyes about the reception area Twilight noticed Spike along with Warden lurking off to one side with everyone giving them a wide berth and let out a small sigh.

She politely excusing herself from the totally absorbed Sweetie and Applebloom and navigated her way through the throng, pausing to thank various creatures here and answer a few simple questions. It took her some time, but finally she managed to reach the secluded drakes and Twilight greeted them warmly, "So what do you think, did it go well?"

Spike grinned as she came into view, "It went brilliantly Twi."

Twilight smiled at Spike's support before turning to study Warden, "And for yourself Mr Warden? I hope you found it entertaining as well as informative?"

Warden turned his head slowly and blinked a few times before answering her, "Well it was very impressive and the Royal pony Sisters talk a good talk." To Twilight's annoyance her couldn't have sounded more glum. "Very informative, but this 'mingling' doesn't suit me one bit," Warden comment morosely.

Twilight couldn't help but let out a little giggle, "Oh Warden I know what you mean, give me a set of blueprints and problem to solve any day, but duties are duties huh?"

Warden cracked a tiny smile, "I.." He paused and looked past Twilight's shoulder: She caught his shifting attention and turned to see a white earth stallion and a dark coated bat pony mare approaching. They were both dressed in their respective formal get up and Twilight smiled to see them.

The stallion was first to speak, his storm grey eyes filled with a calm reassurance, "Princess it's an honour to be serving by your side once again."

"Ah Captain 'Steel', thank you for volunteering for this little adventure," Twilight waved a hoof as she introduced the new comers to her dragon friends, "Warden this is 'Steel Resolve', he's been on my personal guard before and is very able."

"Thank you for the praise your highness, but I was just doing my job," The white pony showed no hint of emotion as he stood at 'parade ground' attention.

Warden cocked an eyebrow at earth pony, seemingly impressed, "Indeed, may I assume you will be leading the guards on the Bloomberg?"

"Not by himself he won’t," The bat pony added with a grin that showed off her sharp fangs.

"Yes sorry this is 'Night Dew'," Twilight hurriedly indicated the dark grey mare with a black mare peeking out of the silvered helmet she wore. Night Dew simply smiled with no trace of offence in her turquoise cat's eyes.

Steel chuckled; the first sign he wasn't made of the metal he was named after and his muzzle sprouted a small smile, "Of course Night Dew, where would I be if you weren't there to throw the occasion 'unorthodox' plan our way?"

He refocused his steady eyes on the dragons once more, "And to answer your question, yes we will be in charge of the soldiers aboard the Bloomberg." Night Dew winked at Twilight and she couldn't help but giggle as Steel's cold demeanour reasserted itself.

"Oh Steel, still the same huh? You always were such a serious one," Twilight grinned at Steel who's face remained hard as stone.

"They pay me to keep you safe princess, not to make you laugh." Steel informed the assembled trio. "No princess has ever gotten hurt on my shift I don't plan to break that record."

Night Dew rolled her eyes, "Steel we're at a party, loosen up huh?" She grinned again, "I doubt anyone will try anything here and now, certainly not with all four princesses present. They would be crazy to even try."

Twilight was about to agree when Warden jumped in ahead of her, "I think that Steel's point is valid Miss Dew, if you wanted to cause the most amount of damage where better than when all the Equestrian royalty are gathered together?"

Steel gave Warden a cold glance, "Indeed, not all the potential dangers are as far away as one might think," The dark dragon resolutely met the Steel's steady gaze.

"Now, now Steel, Warden is a guest here, having been invited personally by princess Luna," Twilight cautioned, "It would do you good to show proper respect for Spike's tutor. After all, this whole journey is to help build relationships with the Dragon Empires right?"

Steel nodded, but never took his eyes off Warden even as Night Dew playfully tapped Spike's shoulder, "Hey big guy, I'm sure you've gotten taller since I last saw you. Twilight's been taking good care of you then?"

"I see you have also met before?" Warden asked Night Dew politely, his eyes still locked with Steel's. Twilight wouldn't have been surprised if a small beam of power didn't dance back and forth between the pair as they each tried to outlast the other.

"Yep Spike and I have done some hunts together, never did catch me though," Night Dew treated them all to another fanged grin.

Twilight went on to explain, "Night Dew was on my first personal guard when I had just become a princess. Although she didn't stay as long as Steel, 'Dewy' moved on to bigger and better things." She treated the now embarrassed Night Dew to another smile.

"Well, you may think being princess Luna's replacement for Night Blade is more important Twilight, but I still miss the fun times Spike and I had together," Night Dew put a friendly hoof around Spike's arm (unable to reach his shoulder as she had once done). "Remember 'Terror Thicket' and the timber wolves we ran into?"

"You mean the ones you lead me into?" Spike corrected and Night Dew laughed out loud.

"True but they ran when they saw what a big strong dragon you are and it worked; I got away." Night Dew responded playfully as she gave Spike another playful tap on the arm.

Warden was the first to break the staring match, turning to Spike once again. "Is this true hatchling, you never managed to catch this she pony?"

Spike, finding himself placed on the spot coughed awkwardly, "Well no Warden, she was always one hoof ahead of me and was very good at hiding."

Warden's gloomy face broke into a grin, "Well that will never do," His eyes regained some of their former flair, "I have been training Spike as you may know for the last month or so, it's always good to see how well my methods are working."

Night Dew caught his meaning and her playful eyes lit up, "Oh that would be great fun, it's been ages since I was able to have a good game of hide and seek," She beamed up at Spike who looked uncomfortable, "How about it Spike, fancy another hunt?"

Spike looked from the grinning Warden to the smiling Night Dew and then at Twilight, "Well I don't know, I'm not as light on my claws as I once was." It was true, though Spike was fitter than he had been for years now. He had grown immensely since the last time he and Night Dew had stalked each other.

Twilight watched the unfolding challenge and suspected that a competition like this wouldn't end well either way: On one hoof Spike would let Warden down if Night Dew got away. On the other; if he caught her then it would be showing up the guards stationed on the Bloomberg. Then again maybe she was thinking too deeply about this all. It was all just a bit of fun right? Twilight knew Spike missed the old games he played with Dewy.

"Well hatchling, are you up for a little demonstration then?" Warden was watching Steel carefully.

Twilight found Spike looking to her for guidance and she shrugged, "Up to you Spike, I'll support you either way."

Spike thought for a moment before coming to a decision, "Sure Dewy you're on, but you won't use your wings okay?" Spike flexed his own wings which, despite their size had never been able to carry the dragon yet.

"Deal big guy," Night Dew laughed as she offered him a hoof bump which he gladly returned with one claw.

Steel interrupted, "As long as it doesn't get in the way of your normal duties Lieutenant and I would feel more comfortable if you delayed this little challenge until we were out in the countryside alright? I don't want any more tales of dragons rampaging through the town," Steel gave a meaningful glance to Twilight who blushed with embarrassment.

"That seems fair enough Steel, I look forward to seeing how one your soldiers performs," Warden's face was impassive, but Twilight thought she recognised the old fire in his eyes again.

Steel nodded, before escorting Night Dew away. Twilight grinned up at the pair of drakes feeling the excitement building in her. They were really going to the dragon lands! "Well I wish you luck Spike: Dewy was trained by Night Blade, Luna's own personal agent and rumoured to be the best scouts in the forces."

"Yeah Twi I know," Spike replied in a concerned way.

Twilight gave the dragon another hug, "Hey don't worry it's all a bit of fun right?"

Spike looked to Warden once again to see the older dragon's eyes were full of determination. "Yeah Twilight all just a bit of fun....."

Honest Hunting

Honest Hunting

The Bloomberg floated serenely above the rain-swept town of Ponyville, and despite the bad weather many had gathered to see the ship begin its maiden voyage. Twilight was standing on the main bridge and had a clear view of the sea of umbrellas below through the glass windows. She appreciated the support of those below, the rain wasn't heavy but it was persistent with water running in rivulets down the Bloomberg's windscreen in an unending torrent.

Twilight understood the importance of this last batch of tests before they were properly underway, and as such the Bloomberg was being drenched by local weather teams. It was one thing to plan for harsh conditions, but quite another to actually put the airship through them and Twilight was happy to note that everything appeared to be in order so far.

The sturdy ship had been roasted by dragon fire, struck by lightning a number of times and placed within a small, contained whirlwind by the eager pegasi of Ponyville. Twilight was confident they were giving it their all; having promised a reward of one hundred bits to the team if they could cause the Bloomberg crew to submit first, as such 'he' was now enduring a drawn out and heavy rain barrage. Twilight looked to a clock on the wall and noted they were nearly through this last weather test and felt vindicated. Secure in the knowledge that no money would be changing hooves today, she beamed at the bridge crew.

"Well done team, I think we can safely say that he's ready to go," Twilight felt a fresh surge of pride as the whole crew cheered and the alarm chimed to indicate the final 'weathering' of the new craft was completed. There was another cheer as the rain began to ease-off and the clouds began to disperse; allowing the weak sunshine to bathe the now thoroughly drenched Bloomberg.

"Okay, I need to check off all the crew and supplies on the manifests: Have a free drink on me when I get back, Mr. Blerio you have command until I return."

The grey and white griffin in question saluted with a simple "Oui Princesse" before turning his yellow eyes back to the controls. Satisfied everything was in order, Twilight trotted off the bridge and made her way along the walkways to the cargo holds.

The ship once empty, was now busy with crew making their way on errands of their own and Twilight was forced to stand aside for crates and shipping travelling to their appointed places. It was a far cry from the empty shell that she had come to associate with the craft. Now the airship was 'alive', he had his life blood flowing through him and purred gently like a sleeping cat. Twilight got the impression that Bloomberg was almost as eager to get going as she was.

Twilight found herself thinking back to Buzzbot and chuckled. Come on Twi we're a long way off from making machines that think for themselves, the Bloomberg isn't sentient so don't be getting ahead of yourself now. Twilight shook her head and smiled to herself as she approached the main cargo bay doors.

"Hey don't....that's delicate. No-no-no not that way!" Twilight pushed open the heavy bulkhead door to be greeted by the angry sounds of Applebloom in full swing.

She took in the largest room on the Bloomberg and saw to her disappointment that things were more than a little chaotic: Applebloom had risen to Twilight's challenge with typical Apple family 'can do' spirit and was sitting on a suspended platform alongside the 'Dragon Box' as she called it.

Applebloom had a welding mask safely attached to her face and was busy applying the finishing touches to Spike and Warden's compartments with determination. Twilight saw that unlike the rest of the ship, the panels covering the dragon's quarters were made of what looked like some kind of ceramic rather than metal and Applebloom was actually finishing off the holding framework keeping the large sheets in place as Twilight cleared her throat below.

"Well done A,B I knew you could do it: Interesting design, I would have just enchanted the wall to be fire proof myself," Twilight commented.

She was greeted by a muffled snort from above, "Well magic is fine n dandy n all, but I wanted summit that could be relied on fer years ter come Big.D. No offence boss, but 'Obstinite' don't need as much maintenance."

Applebloom switched off the welding torch and knocked on the wall with the back of her hoof. "We ain't all got yer skills Twi n have ter make do with more practical solutions. It ain't fancy but it should do the job n last longer than any spell yer could would put on it."

As always Applebloom had come up with a simple solution to their 'dragon problem', one that Twilight wouldn't have even considered before and she conceded the earth pony was right. Twilight had heard of the material, even considered it for the outer hull of the Bloomberg as Obstinite's best property was being unbelievably fire proof, invaluable against dragons. Sadly it was also incredibly heavy along with being far too brittle and therefore making it a poor choice for the outer hull: Thus they had gone for the barrier solution instead.

Thankfully Applebloom didn't need it to stop a dragon, only contain any possible fires that might be caused and so she had found a suitable solution in the short-time frame given to her by Twilight, "Well Big.D, if yer planning on taking any more fire breathin lizards on yer cruses these should do the trick."

Twilight nodded at Applebloom's foresight as the engineer winched herself down to floor level, "That's great A.B." The princess paused, "And how are our guests finding the new quarters?"

Applebloom lifted her mask to see Twilight clearly, "Well: Spike has already cracked one sheet with his clumsy tail, and Warden is being a big foal over being 'caged in' as he put it, but I reckon they will be okay with it all in the end." Applebloom’s face filled with worry, "Are yer completely sure about this Twi, I mean this will stop em burnin Bloomberg ter a crisp by accident, but if they start another ruckus on board it won't hold em anytime at all."

Twilight glared at Applebloom for even thinking that before her expression softened; Spike and Warden had fought before and being cooped up in a small box probably wouldn't help things either. Dragons just weren't meant to be confined to 'small' places it seemed, especially not two in one room.

"I have Spike and Warden's oaths that they will behave A.B and I trust them," Twilight watched Applebloom's face for any signs she did too, but was disappointed.

"I know Big.D n sorry ter bring it up again, but yer hired me to point these kinda things out to yer. I'll go along with this, but I also have ter let yer know, if they do fight I don't reckon there would be much we could do ter stop em," Applebloom's amber eyes were almost pleading for Twilight to rethink things.

"Sorry A.B, we have a long way to go and can't wait for Spike. You know he can't fly yet, but at least Warden can; he can keep pace and ease the strain on the Bloomberg, he hates being cooped up in here anyway," Twilight reassured Applebloom and the mare nodded in defeat.

Applebloom flipped her welding mask back down again before pulling on the ropes to ascend the wall once again,"Fine boss, but don't say I didn'er warn yer."

"Wings hatchling, you are going to learn to fly and that will catch that overconfident pony off guard," Warden announced definitely and Spike stared at Warden in utter disbelief as the pair of dragons sat on a small hill on the lower slopes of Spike's mountain.

"Warden, you know my wings are too small for me right now, plus Night Dew promised not to use hers!" Spike was horrified that Warden would even suggest flying at a time like this. "We agreed on no wings Warden," Spike reaffirmed.

"She promised not to use hers if I remember correctly hatchling, we never said anything about you not using yours," Warden had a mischievous glint in his eye that Spike didn't like one bit.

"That's not the point warden, she made that promise in good faith, knowing as I do that I can't fly," Spike retorted.

Warden folded his arms, "Hatchling listen, they are not ready to face dragons; they need to be shown not to underestimate us. You could mix things up a bit, give them a wake-up call."

Spike grunted a small cloud of smoke which drifted off in the breeze before he responded to that suggestion, "What happened to being a noble dragon and sticking to the dragon code Warden?" Spike countered in a low voice.

Warden blinked a few times before going on in an angered tone, "You're quoting my lessons back at me now huh?" But Spike was undaunted.

"Either all those lessons were just a big way of dressing up that you're a bunch of big pillaging bullies, or you really do believe that dragons can be noble protectors. I don't think that cheating in a good natured game with my friends is really in the spirit of what you have been teaching me?" Spike growled despite Warden's rising ire, "What's gotten into you Warden, are you scared that I might lose despite your lessons?"

Warden opened and closed his mouth a few times as he attempted to come up with some way to counter that last statement and Spike pressed on, "I want to win, but not by cheating Warden. Besides that, I still can't fly anyhow. You told me my wings were too small to lift me."

Warden drummed his fingers on a nearby rock, leaving small dents in the stone, "Fine Spike, I'll be on the level with you. I don't like the idea of you or I being stuck in that floating tin can of theirs."

Spike's snout twitched and he began to smile. "You worried about being stuck inside with me?"

Warden shuffled uncomfortably as he studied his claws, "Well yes and no, two dragons in such a small space is asking for trouble, but I gave my word to Miss Sparkle that we wouldn't fight on board and I plan to keep it," He raised his gaze to lock it with Spike's once again.

"I may not have been completely honest when it came to you being able to fly yet, It's very true that your wings alone are not capable of carrying a dragon of your size, but you should have been flying years ago if I am any judge," Warden's face was as impassive as the bolder he was sitting next to.

Spike just sat there as the words washed over him before he growled a second time, "Is this some kind of joke Warden?"

"No Spike it isn't, once a dragon flies he is ready to start carving out his own lands: They are most aggressive at that point and I didn't know it you were ready for that kind of pressure," Warden watched his fellow reptile carefully for any signs that Spike would make a move against him.

"Plus if I did need to 'contain' you; your not being to fly would have made that much easier to do," Warden's voice had taken on a teacher's note again, "A flying enemy is far more dangerous than a grounded one."

Spike felt his spines stand on end as anger filled him, Warden had been holding out on him and though his explanation made sense, Spike still felt bad that Warden had lied to him. He felt the hot rush fill his head and practically had to clench his mouth shut to prevent a stream of green fire engulfing Warden.

There was a moment when Spike felt like he was going to explode before Warden smiled warmly, "That's enough hatchling, I know I can trust you now: I needed to see if you would keep your noble spirit in the face of temptation and you passed admirably."

Spike deflated as the anger drained away to be replaced with a certain amount of well earned pride. Then the realisation of Warden's words truly sank in, "You mean I still can't fly then?"

Warden studied Spike for a while longer, "Now I didn't say that hatchling, but that's not what we need to focus on now. If you're going to catch this Night Dew fairly then there are a few things I still need to teach you."

"Princesse, we're well beyond the town's limits now, would you like me to inform Dame Dew that we are a sufficient distance for the match to begin with Homme Spike?" The griffin helmsman gently reminded Twilight who was busy studying a large collection of scrolls at her main desk on the bridge.

"Ah yes thank you Mr. Blerio, but I believe they are already aware," Twilight indicated the main window and as Blerio looked forward once more he saw the floating form of Night Dew hovering just head of the ships prow. The bat pony was pulling a rather rude face and Blerio muttered a number of choice words in his native griffin that Twilight gratefully didn't understand before regaining his composure.

Twilight chuckled, "Same old Dewy."

The bat pony gave a brief wave Twilight and she noted Dew was wearing a large number of non-standard items instead of her normal armour: A criss-crossed bandoleer, holding various tools was wrapped about her chest and flanks, while local foliage was in much evidence about her person. It seemed Dew planned to make a long job of this hunt and Twilight couldn't help fell a little worried as they were on a reasonably tight schedule.

Oblivious to Twilight's worries, Night Dew adjusted the green head wrap so that only the 'day goggles' she wore along with her tufted ears were visible. Night Dew treated them to a final cheeky salute before sweeping down and vanishing into the forests below; instantly concealed by the greenery.

Waving back Twilight was reminded of the farewell from Ponyville where Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie had all managed to come to see Twilight along with the Bloomberg get away safely. Only Rainbow Dash hadn't been able to get time away from her duties but was sure to send a message on ahead wishing Twilight and her crew of 'egg heads' all the best.

Twilight snapped back to the here and now as the Bloomberg turned it's course away from the forest. All things considered they seemed to be making good progress and soon the fields and familiar landmarks began to recede into the distance. Twilight was almost bursting with excitement: They were away and wouldn't be back for several weeks if all went to plan. The journey was going to take the Bloomberg south west, far beyond Equestria's boards and deep into dragon lands, however they weren't making a direct route that way.

In order to keep things moving swiftly it was decided that Night Dew would effectively scout ahead of the airship, with the plan to meet up again at the south eastern boarder of Equestria. This rally point was in an unpleasant area simply known as 'Sinking Hoof Swamp'. If she could reach the southern border of that unwelcoming place before Spike caught her then Night Dew would be the winner. Should Spike catch the mare before then he would be declared victorious. The rules were set and the most important one was no flying; both of them had to journey by hoof or claw.

The airship had released Night Dew down in the centre of Hayseed Forest and planned to double back again so that they could set down and release Spike about half an hour later. With this accomplished the Bloomberg was to head further east and meet up with a griffin contact in Horseshoe Bay.

The famous land mark was just south of Baltimare, the closest city to the strange reports the princesses had received concerning ponies armed with dangerous weapons and Twilight was determined to discover the truth behind such claims.

The first duty of the expedition was to investigate the reports of ponies using "magical sticks that threw metal." This particular missive was currently held in Twilight's hooves as she felt the Bloomberg begin its decent. Taking her chance to read over the distressing message from the High Marshal of the Emperor's Griffon Battalions one more time, Twilight felt a chill of unease pass through her..

She could almost picture the concept in her mind and had poured over it while the ship had made its was over the Everfree Forest. You could store a magical charge that in theory would launch the object along a guided barrel when released, but the only purpose Twilight could think of for such a device would be to cause harm and that was one of the things she vowed never to make.

Her pondering was interrupted by Blerio, "Princesse, we are ready to let the dragon off now."

Twilight quickly re-rolled the scroll and stowed it away safely before smiling at the griffon, "Thank you monsieur, I will be right there."

"Now you be careful okay? Remember it's just a bit of fun and you're both to meet back with us safely once again. That's most important point right?" Twilight explained to Spike for the third time.

"Twilight, we're still in Equestria and I'm a big strong dragon now, what could go wrong huh?" Spike warmly embraced his adoptive sister while Steel and Warden looked on.

"We should be at the pickup point in about a week, if you're not there we can wait a day, maybe two, but no more." Steel informed the still hugging pair.

"They will be there captain, Spike maybe even before us," Twilight assured Steel and Spike was grateful for her praise.

With this done Spike stepped off the ramp onto the grassy lands and glanced at the distant forest. Warden gave his student a knowing look. He hadn't said one word to Spike since they had returned to the Bloomberg but as far as Twilight could tell they hadn't fallen out or anything. When she'd pressed Spike about Warden's odd behaviour he was very tight lipped about it himself and Twilight was a little taken aback.

"Well you're not trying to burn down the ship so that's okay I guess: Good hunting Spike and show her what you can do!" Twilight called back as the airship began to lift off once more and the cargo bay doors clanged shut.

Spike watched the Bloomberg climb into the air as the first few stars began to peek through the cloud above. Dusk was falling and Spike knew he'd best hurry up. The gathering dark was briefly lit by a twinkling flare launched from the airship, signalling to Nigh Dew that Spike was down and the chase on.

Turning his attention back to the trees Spike began his lumbering but steady progress forward. Warden's training became evident as he picked up and kept a good pace, eating up the distance far faster than he had ever done before. The tall trees loomed closer and closer and soon the Bloomberg was out of sight as Twilight ordered it on-wards to Horseshoe Bay.

"Keep safe Twi, see you at the finish," Spike called out softly as the airship disappeared.

His steady run soon brought Spike to the edge of the trees, which he examined warily: Under the canopy all was dark and the night noises calling out caused Spike to pause. He shook his head, he was a big and powerful dragon now and not afraid of a few trees and strange noises. With one last glance upwards Spike prepared to cross the threshold of the forest.

Only then as the moon began to rise did his eyes catch the slightest glint a few trees along. His curiosity peaked, Spike lumbered over to the plant and reared upwards. There was something tied to the branches just within his reach and with only the slightest effort Spike plucked the object down.

Nestled within his claw was a small white flower attached to a simple note and small emerald. His confusion mounting Spike carefully unrolled the scroll and read it:

Hey big guy,

Wish you all the best and no hard feelings when I win okay?

N.D

Spike grinned and his teeth glinted in the moonlight, "Oh Dewy it is on." He quickly crunched down the emerald before plunging into the shrouded world below the canopy with a hearty chuckle.

He was instantly engulfed in shadows and stumbled before his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Grumbling Spike slowed his pace; tackling the collection of roots and branches at a far more sensible pace. There was no further sign of Night Dew and Spike hadn't expected there to be so. She was too skilled for that.

This didn't stop Spike though, Warden had taught him one or two small tricks of the trade when it came to hunting. Closing his eyes Spike took a deep breath and picked up the faint traces of Night Dew's 'magical spoor'. Spike had never known about these special dragon senses before Warden had explained he could also use them find gems on his own: Apparently the precious jewels buried in the ground each held their own little bit of magical charge and a trained dragon was able to sniff them out.

Ponies were of course magical beings in themselves and that made it easier to sense them in turn. Within Spike's mind's eye he could 'see' the trail left by Night Dew as she had moved through the forest and his grin returned. "Coming Dewy, ready or not," Spike whispered and followed the trail deeper into the trees.

He'd only been moving for about ten minutes when the strangest thing happened, the trail bent around to the left before heading off in a direction at right angles to the original path. With mounting confusion Spike followed this new line until it veered around again so that he was heading back towards the forest's edge.

Spike's confusion only grew when the path was suddenly crossed by a further trail of the kind he had come to associate with Night Dew forming an almost exact cross. As his dismay grew Spike discovered that additional lines were drawn across further afield and he sat down in utter confusion.

If what his senses were telling him were true then Night Dew had been criss-crossing this part of the forest for some considerable time and Spike was completely baffled, it was almost as if she was trying to.....

"No way," Spike said under his breath, It would take him forever to follow this path. Did Night Dew know about his arcane tracking? How could she?

"Okay round one to you Night Dew," Spike muttered as he laboriously followed the trail along its twisting paths unaware that a shadowed figure with turquoise eyes studied him from above and fought to suppress her giggles.

Potential Polluted.

Potential Polluted.

"There you go my dear, hope that's comfortable enough?" Night Dew asked sweetly as she finished binding the captive unicorn. The white stallion didn't look much past his foalhood, was trembling and hanging upside down from a tree branch with an inverted Night Dew before him. She had grabbed the tree with her own back hooves and was busily attaching a metal collar to the unicorn which Spike instantly recognised as a magic suppressor. Night Dew clicked the metal circlet shut before smiling once more.

Night Dew pony then produced a small cloth sack and began pulling out a number of blades along with other sharp objects which she carefully studied one after the other before the trapped pony's fear-filled eyes. The weak sunlight glinted off a curved hook which Night Dew lazily waved before the upside down pony and the stallion's ears flattened.

She carefully rubbed the stallions chin with the hook and for a small moment Spike feared she was going to us it on the hapless captive. He had heard of the unusual methods employed by the Night Guard, but until this moment had never given them any credence. Night Dew suddenly flung the sharp point away and with a little giggle covered the stallion's head with the now empty sack. Spike let out a relieved breath and watched as the Dew neatly detached herself from the overhanging branch, flipped upright in mid-air before landing with practised ease on her hooves.

Spike recalled the flight through the forest; how he and Night Dew had moved their captive a good distance after leaving leaving the excavation and the troubling events well behind. It had taken them well past dawn to get here with their captive and as the sun began to make itself known once more, Night Dew had been forced to replace her darkened goggles. With her sensitive eyes now protected, she had tied their prisoner upside down and left him hanging from the same tree she had just dismounted.

Spike watched the mare carefully; he was still unsettled by the events only a few hours ago. Night Dew had seemed only too willing to carry out her threats of a quick execution when they had first ponynapped the guard, but now she was her old joking and smiling self. Night Dew seemed to be aware of Spike's scrutiny and her grin faded as she turned her impassive lenses upon the uncomfortable dragon.

"Hey big guy don't be like that, I was doing my job okay? He would have shot you if I hadn't stop him," The hurt in Dew's voice was as evident as her muzzle formed a frown.

Spike's own face was grim and he took a few moments before he answered, "You wouldn't have really killed him would you?"

Night Dew scrunched up her nose, "Only if I didn't have any other choice Spike, but he was holding a weapon at you." Night dew picked up the 'staff' again and looked it over with growing dismay. "Looks like the reports were correct, some pony has been making dangerous 'toys' it seems."

Spike cocked an eyebrow as Night Dew brought the strange length of metal up and swung it round. The device was clearly built for a pony in mind: A strap half way down its middle to hook around a hoof with another attached to the butt of the weapon, which loop over the pony's neck.

With these fitted a pony could look down the length of metal, which had a carved groove running along it like a channel for an aqueduct. Spike continued to watch Night Dew as she explored the strange item, observing a small chamber which after some brief manipulation, opened to reveal a small crystal.

"That looks like the ones we have on the Bloomberg," Spike commented and Night Dew nodded in agreement.

Further searching of their captive produced a number of small metal balls which were just the correct size to travel along the groove. With a quick movement Night Dew had closed the chamber once more and slotted the ball into a dip near the stock which was it evidently designed for it. This done she panned the stick around looking along the weapon's length.

"I see, so it's a bit like the crossbows back at the barracks, but they need two ponies to operate one of them. I wonder how you fire this."

Spike was no student of the Equestrian armoury and had little idea of what Night Dew was referring to. He shook his head as she continued to aim the weapon around the small clearing with growing impatience, "You know I think they may have been..." She began before there was a magical flash and a nearby tree suddenly sprouted a deep crater in its bark. It looked as if a large jaw had taken a bite out of the tree that nearly severed the trunk!

As the splinters and wood chunks released from the high impact clattered all around, both creatures simply stood there, mouths open in horror before the tree gave a slow creak. What followed was a snapping groan and the top half of the stricken plant tumbled down with a final crash along with a shower of leaves.

"That trunk was as thick as your neck Spike," Night Dew whispered in dazed amazement and Spike could only nod slowly in reply as the hooded unicorn continued to whimper at the sounds of destruction around him.

Night Dew quickly removed the dangerous weapon and let it drop to the floor with a clatter. Spike saw that she was shaking, the smile totally gone from her muzzle, "This is far worse than the reports hinted at."

She glanced down at the staff once again, before looking back up to the equally shaken dragon, "Forget the hunt Spike, we need to warn the others about this."

He nodded before refocusing on the upside down unicorn, "What about our 'friend' here, we can't just leave him like this?" Both the bat pony and dragon watched the struggling pony as it gently swayed back and forth in the early morning breeze.

"Well we can't let him go either," Night Dew answered thoughtfully, "I guess we will just have to take him with us." Dew's muzzle formed another grin which Spike didn't like one bit. With that Night Dew spread her wings and quickly leaped up before firmly attaching her rear hooves to the branch once more.

The unicorn, sensing that his captor had returned began to thrash and struggle all the more. Night Dew lent forward and removed the hood, letting it fall to the ground to reveal a panicked pair of pale yellow eyes reflected in her dark goggles.

"You're not going to be any trouble are you?" Dew asked, her voice once again full of sweetness.

The unicorn shook his head and let out another "mumhph"

Satisfied Night Dew reached up and removed the gag from the stallion's mouth, "Okay first of all what's your name? I can't keep calling you 'the unicorn' if you're going to be travelling with us."

The bound pony, gasped and worked the tension out of his jaw for a few moments before replying, "'Stand Fast', mam."

"Indeed? Well Mr Fast, we're going to be travelling quickly. What assurances can you give me that you won't get in the way?" Night Dew studied him while she gently swung back and forth in time with the suspended pony.

'Stand' gulped, and licked his lips, "You could just let me go, I promise not to tell any pony and you can be on your way?"

"Sorry colt, not going to happen," Night dew rubbed her chin for a moment, "I think I have an idea that should work, Spike come here a moment please."

"Thank you so much minister, we will be out of your mane as soon as we get to the bottom of our stowaway problem," Twilight shut down the communications link as she leant back in her chair and eased the tension from her shoulders.

It was the second day since the Bloomberg had arrived in Baltimare and a search of the air ship was well under way, but they were still no closer to catching the creature Pip had found. Further power lines had been severed almost at random and Twilight felt her frustration growing as reports continued to filter in to her.

Whatever this thing was it was small enough to evade easy capture, three times the searchers had it cornered before it would slip through another small hole and escape. Twilight was afraid they would have to strip the whole of the Bloomberg down its bones at this rate, leaving the creature nowhere to hide.

Then there was the matter of the mage/tech weapons and everything that went with them. The griffon emissary had provided Twilight with all the information she had on the subject and it seemed that someone was supplying bandits with new and dangerous creations.

The whole idea of bandits in Equestria seemed ludicrous to Twilight, but this close to their boarders it was only to be expected. The law couldn't be everywhere at once and though seldom encountered there was always ponies who were desperate enough to turn to the life of a brigand. It had never been a major problem until now, but the balance had changed with someone giving the law breakers these new weapons.

Twilight pored over the incident reports along with Steel Resolve and the injuries caused by these 'long shots' as they had been termed made the alicorn feel sick. As of yet no long shots had been recovered intact to study, and those which had been recovered seemed to have suffered a catastrophic misfire. It seemed these things were almost as dangerous to the wielder as to the intended target.

All Twilight had been able to deduce was that they worked on a similar principle to her inventions, a magical crystal core which stored power, only with the 'long shot' it directed the energy through a very shoddy kinetic force spell. Whoever was making these things didn't seem to be at all bothered with safety.

Grinding her teeth, Twilight shuffled the reports, displaying another account which detailed more injuries and deaths. She would put a stop to this, one way or another. Twilight would not allow her discoveries to be misused in such ways. The heartless creatures responsible would be....

Twilight's rising anger was interrupted by a worried cough from Steel, "Ehm, princess might I suggest you take a break, you have been at this for nearly eight hours now."

Twilight blinked a few times to see the paper she had been holding in her magic was singed and gave off little wisps of smoke and took a steadying breath, "You are of course right Steel, could you please finish here and we can pick this up tomorrow."

Steel nodded in a sympathetic manner, "Of course your highness and don't worry we will put a stop to these crimes."

She smiled briefly at her captain before trotting her way towards the study door, "Thanks Steel, I know we will it just upsets me so much, why do creatures have to take something good and creative and turn it into a tool for destruction?"

"They're not all noble princesses like you, there will always be those who seek to take the swift route to power and don't care who they crush to get there," Steel sounded as tired as Twilight felt and she couldn't help but smile in a companionably way.

"Well princesses have to watch ourselves too, I guess that's why we have four of us ruling. No one should ever have absolute power with no one to answer too," Twilight had to stifle a yawn as she opened the door and had only just crossed the threshold when the intercom chimed once again. Whatever it is, just leave it to Steel Twilight, get some sleep.

The tired pony gave a pleading look to her captain who nodded and shooed her away with a hoof, Twilight mouthed a silent 'thank you' before closing the door behind her as Steel clicked open the channel. No longer fighting her tiredness Twilight let the building yawn finally escape and allowed her head to droop before Twilight made her slow way towards her own quarters.

Reaching her own door after side stepping the various crew members, Twilight opened it with a gentle tug and stepped inside. The room was small, everyone was on the Bloomberg which had been built for economy, not luxury.

She rolled her neck, trying to release the tension and trotted past the small desk which took up most of the wall. With another flick of power Twilight switched off her reading lamp and closed the latest book on magical theory before placing it once again on the modest bookshelf over head.

Twilight only planned for a few hours sleep, just enough to get back on top of things: With the troubles of the day still spinning around her head she slumped onto her bunk and before Twilight could even pull the covers over herself she was fast asleep.

Twilight's ear twitched as a tiny noise broke the silence in the darkened room, the small 'tick-tack-tick-tack' sound steadily moved around the shadowy space and only stopped when Twilight let out a small mumble before turning over to face the wall of her small bunk. All was still once again for a few moments before, much slower, the 'tick-tack' resumed.

There was a rattling as a small floor-level vent was briefly illuminated by a green glow, which grew brighter before fading once more in time with the tick-tack sounds that echoed from of it.

Twilight ruffled her feathers and stretched her legs before rolling over again so that she faced the small room, her eyes still closed in the embrace of sleep. The green light grew behind the grill and a pair of green glowing eyes peered hungrily out toward the sleeping pony.

Her ears pricked up but the princess didn't awake as the rhythmic sounds of metal being worn away sounded from the grill. Twilight did finally stir when the first length of metal gave way with a low 'chunk' sound and briefly opened her eyes which remained unfocused until she closed them once more.

There was another minute of silence before the grinding sound started up again, only much slower this time. The next couple of metal wires, being under less tension made far less noise as they were severed. After another pause the body that accompanied the pair of glowing green eyes squeezed its way through the hole it had created and slipped into the room with a cautious 'tic-tak'.

The huddled form glanced around the room, its eyes causing a green glow to flow across the darkened furniture. It stopped, letting the room fall silent apart from Twilight’s slow breathing. Reassured, the dark shape made its stealthy way towards the bunk. Twilight still remained unconscious even when the covers under her pulled taught and the creature began to climb up onto the bed with a final 'tic-tak'.

The green eyes studied the Twilight for a while longer before it silently made its way along the bed towards the sleeping princess. The glowing angular eyes moved closer and closer, past her slowly falling and rising side and on wards the twitching muzzle without a sound.

Twilight's face continued to twitch before forming a scowl with the small shape only inches from her face. The intruder paused for another moment before it leaned forward, mouth open.....

Twilight awoke to a foul smell and unpleasant wet feeling on her muzzle; blinking, the she slowly allowed her eyes to open and to Twilight's shock saw a pair of glowing green triangles floating before her just above a slimy tongue. It took only moments for the scream to fly out of her mouth and soon Twilight was flailing wildly in the darkness, where a frantic hoof knocked the huddle form off the bed which landed with a wooden 'thunk' on the floor.

She wiped her muzzle with the back of her hoof as Twilight spat out the foul tasting substance that was seeping into her mouth. From the floor below Twilight heard a whimper followed a frantic 'tak-tic-tak' as the intruder dived for the hole in the wall and freedom, but she was too quick and blocked the escape route with a hastily erected barrier..

The small creature scrabbled frantically for a few moments before diving aside knocking over a chair in its frantic efforts to find a way out. Twilight now fully awake reached out with her magic and as her horn glowed the scampering shape was briefly illuminated. The shadow cast was canine in shape and Twilight gave another yelp as the dazzled creature spun around and dived right for her again, whimpering all the while.

Twilight gathered her sleepy wits and threw up another barrier and this time was able to encase the struggling creature in a glowing orb which she cautiously lifted off the floor. Twilight reached out once again with her power and turned the lamp on and there before Twilight; held in a purple orb was a timber wolf cub. No, not just any timber wolf cub.

She knew this animal and was more relieved than scared as Twilight called out in confusion to the panicking animal, "Scratches?"

The small cub had stopped pawing at the walls of his small prison and now looked at Twilight with surprisingly fearful eyes. Not fully believing the sight before her, Twilight rotated the trapped cub to make sure she wasn't wrong. Yes she was sure this was Scratches, Tender Wood's pet timber wolf.

"What in the name of Celestia are you doing here?" Twilight asked the wooden wolf which had its ears down and was trembling with fear.

Twilight's shocked eyes were drawn from the floating cub as a heavy impact connected with her cabin door quickly followed by a frantic shout from outside, "Princess! Are you alright, we heard noises?"

She turned back to look at the small animal held in her spell and began to chuckle. This soon grew into a full blown laughing fit as the tension of the last few days began to unwind. Twilight had no idea how Scratches had come to be on board the Bloomberg, but the relief that their mysterious intruder had been found and was no more than a lost pet far outweighed the concern about his origins.

With another flick of her magic Twilight opened her cabin door to reveal a worried looking pegasus in the armour of the Day Watch. Drying her now streaming eyes Twilight did her best to reassure the guard, "Everything is fine soldier, in fact I think we have finally caught our mystery saboteur."

The guard's confused eyes travelled back and forth between his princess and the small animal that was now growling at him through the purple orb which encased it, "Um as you say your highness. I was on my way to report that Captain Steel needed to speak with you. It seems he has found another stowaway."

Twilight cocked an eyebrow as her face became just as confused as the pegasi's, "Really?" Her eyes drifted once again to the small cub who was still growling at the soldier and her mind began to race, "Let me guess, it's an earth pony stallion with a pale brown coat, amber eyes and a reddish mane?"

The pegasus guard stared at Twilight in complete awe, "How did you know your highness? I knew that alicorns had special powers and everything, but I never thought it would go as far as telling the future."

Twilight couldn't help but grin as she drifted Scratches close to her and released the cub so that he fell neatly into her awaiting fore hooves. The little wooden wolf licked her muzzle before growling at the guard once more. "Oh it wasn't magic," Twilight explained as she tried her best to prevent herself being drowned by foul smelling saliva, "I just happen to know who this little one belongs too. Come on I'll tell you on the way."

"Tender Wood, what are you doing here?" Twilight had finally convinced Steel that Fluttershy's second colt was of no real threat. The princess stood next to Steel as she continued to hold Scratches in one fore hoof. Both ponies looked in at the sorrowful stallion who was slumped in the ship's brig.

"I'm sorry miss Twilight, I just had to come; I didn't want to miss this chance'" Tender explained and Steel looked to Twilight who was just as confused.

"Miss what chance Tender? You wanted to be on the maiden flight of the Bloomberg? For heaven's sake if you wanted to be part of all this you could have just asked. What possessed you to sneak on board like this?" Twilight shook her head sadly as Scratches recognising his master struggled in Twilight's grip.

"Oh princess, I just wanted to see them, but I knew mum would never let me go," Tender gave Twilight a pleading look, "Please don't tell mu... Fluttershy that I snuck on board, I'll be in so much trouble!"

Twilight had to cover her face with a hoof to hide the smile forming, "And what makes you think you're not in trouble now Mr?"

Tender's ears flattened once more, "Please princess, you know how mum is with dragons, she would have never agreed with me coming along so what other choice did I have?"

Twilight sighed and shook her head, "Captain, I think we can safely say that the crisis is over. Please pass on my thanks to all the dedicated crew," Steel saluted before trotting out with an annoyed look on his muzzle.

lighting her horn, Twilight deactivated the brig's barrier spell which had been keeping Tender confined, "Okay so you were desperate to see the dragons, but that doesn't explain why you brought Scratches along Tender. Do you know how much damage this little guy has caused in just the last few days?"

Tender winced even as he stepped out of the cell, "Well Miss Twilight he was teething and none of the others know him like I do. I couldn't leave him at home now could I?" Twilight let the cub jump down and watched as it bounded over to Tender and rubbed up against the well-built pony's legs.

"Yes I can see that Tender, but how did he come to be wandering the ship by himself?" Twilight pressed, though she reckoned she already knew the answer.

"Well he kind of got away from me again Miss Twilight, you know how he is and when the soldiers and crew all started searching he got scared and wouldn't come when I called him," Tender Wood gently patted the small animal which wagged his tail happily. "Where did you find him?"

Twilight chuckled again, "Well he actually found me Tender. I woke up to big slobber and a pair of glowing eyes."

Tender Wood nodded, "Yeah he really likes you, has done since he met you at the wedding princess."

Twilight blinked a few times, not sure how Tender could know that when she hadn't seen the stallion since the aforementioned wedding. She was going to inquire further, but then remembered Fluttershy's abilities to talk with animals which evidently had been passed down to her children.

"So you're not going to tell mum about this? I told her I was going on an extended field trip to train Scratches and visit with family in 'Apple Loosa'. Please don't send me home princess, I-I can be of help here honest!"

Twilight rubbed her forehead as she mulled over everything that had happened, "I don't know yet Tender, I'm going to have to let Fluttershy and Bigmac know where you really are."

Tender's eyes filled with tears before Twilight's face softened, "Oh alright I will talk with your parents and see if I can convince them to let you stay, plus we can't turn the Bloomberg around now any way."

Tender reached forward and hugged the startled princess while Scratches barked excitedly, "Oh thank you Twilight, you're the best!"

Twilight gently patted Tender on his shoulder, "Now now, don't get ahead of yourself. I said I would try, but I can't promise anything. Now don't make me regret this Tender okay?"

Wrath and Weapons

Wrath and Weapons

Warden prowled the cargo hold of the Bloomberg feeling like a caged beast and noting it seemed apt description to the dragon. Since Spike had left the airship and the mysterious creature had begun causing havoc on board, Steel Resolve had posted two guards outside the special area created by Applebloom, effectively isolating Warden.

Once it was apparent there was a problem, Warden had of course offered his assistance, but to the drakes annoyance the guards had politely declined his aid, assuring the dragon that all was in hoof. Warden was under no illusions that Steel didn’t trust him and the constant presence of soldiers outside, supported this idea greatly.

If he was being honest, Warden would have done the same himself had the situation been reversed and bore the earth pony no ill will. What did hurt was that Twilight hadn’t come to see him once since Spike had departed: His contact with the outside world had ceased and he had effectively been confined to quarters for two days now.

Frustration mounting, Warden completed yet another lap of his room and resolved to do something about his situation. There was only so much ‘polite’ imprisonment that any dragon could cope with. His decision made, Warden spun around and marched up the door and knocked smartly.

“As emissary from the Ash Wind dragon flight I demand to speak with Princess Twilight, I want to know what is going on and why I am being treated as a prisoner,” Warden’s normally calm tone failed to hide his rising anger.

After a few moments the door was opened and grey coated unicorn peered in with a nervous expression, “Sorry Mr Warden, captain has the whole ship in lock down until the crisis has been resolved.“

Warden’s slitted eyes narrowed, “Indeed, well that doesn’t explain why no pony has come to question me about my believed involvement. If I am a suspect then allow me to prove my innocence, if not then I should be allowed to walk free and assist in your capturing of the stowaway on board this ship.”

The guard face paled as Warden’s shadow seemed to grow around him, “I’m sorry sir, but I have my orders.”

Warden’s mouth curled into a grin, “Do you really think you could keep me in here against my will little pony? I have been nothing but cooperative since I came on board, but my patience is coming to an end. Is this really how Equestria treats it’s guests?”

To the unicorn’s credit he didn’t back down, “Mr Warden; I have no doubt that you are powerful dragon, but I would like to believe you’re also a noble and civilised creature too. I hope you understand that I would be remiss in my duty if I were to disobey my captain and allow any unauthorised creature to walk the Bloomberg.”

The guard’s eyes had lost their previous uncertainty, “Please Mr Warden, do not put me in the difficult situation of failing to contain you in your quarters.”

The dragon found himself impressed by the ponies surrounding him, had he spoken that way to another dragon it would surely have ended in a fight, but guard before him had managed to help Warden feel respect for the small equine and tugged at the drakes own sense of duty.

Heaving a resigned sigh, Warden bowed his head in a contrite way, “Very well good sir, but I still chafe at this confinement. I would greatly appreciate if you would get a message to princess Sparkle that I wish to speak with her.”

The soldier nodded in a grateful way, “Thank you Warden, I will do my best to pass that information onto my superiors as soon as possible. If it’s any consolation Mr Warden I don’t believe you are behind the current troubles.”

“Thank you,” Warden managed to reply in a level manner, resuming his pacing.

“Right that should stop him from being able to sneak off again,” Twilight announced in a triumphant voice as she looked down as at the small wooden wolf.

She had busied herself making good on her word to help Tender Wood be able to stay on board the temporarily grounded Bloomberg. The foolish stallion’s pet had caused significant damage to the airship’s power lines during the couple of days pursuit and Twilight was determined not to allow such to happen again.

“And you’re sure it won’t hurt him Princess? I mean I don’t want any harm to come to the little guy,” Tender’s worried eyes looked to Twilight with pleading in them.

Twilight smiled ruefully at the big pony. Reaching up to pat his massive shoulder Twilight did her best to reassure Fluttershy’s middle foal, “I can promise you it won’t hurt him.”

Both ponies watched as the timber wolf cub rolled around on the floor, doing it’s upmost to remove the new collar Twilight had firmly attached. Scratched had taken one look at the new fashion item and dived for the nearest air vent, but Twilight had been quicker and with a simple ‘click’ of the collar snapping shut the wolf wouldn’t be causing such troubles again.

“It has a built in tracking tracking spell first of all, linked to this mirror,” Twilight levitated a small hoof mirror before Tender’s eyes, “It will show you where Scratches is at all times within a mile’s radius.” She explained proudly while Scratches continued to rub the new collar against riveted stanchion in a vain attempt break the trinket.

“Secondly I placed an immobilisation enchantment should Scratches prove too elusive,” Twilight indicated a small dial on the back of the enchanted mirror, “All you have to do is turn that and Scratches will be encased in a barrier orb preventing him from running away.”

Twilight demonstrated and the small cub was suddenly floating in an encapsulating magical ball a few feet off the ground. Tender’s ears flattened as the bemused timber wolf looked around his prison and released a small whimper, revolving slowly until he was upside down.

“Seems a bit harsh princess, is there no other way of......” Tender saw Twilight’s expression and trailed off. Twilight pony was scowling at him.

“Listen Tender, it was all I could manage to prevent your aunt from having the little guy incinerated. Applebloom is furious with you for sneaking on board, but more so for putting the whole ship in danger by bringing Scratches with you,” Twilight’s reprimanding tone was edged with sorrow.

Tender Wood winced at the mention of his fellow Apple and large colt suddenly looked very small and timid, “Aunty Applebloom wouldn’t do that to Scratches would she? Oh sweet Celestia what’s she gonna do to me!”

Twilight grinned, “I’ll take care of A.B, just focus on keeping this little pest in order okay?”

“Thank you princess, I promise he won’t be any more trouble,” Tender assured Twilight and she nodded in agreement.

“That doesn’t mean you’re not still in big trouble tender and I expect you to give a proper apology to Applebloom for all the damage you have caused,” She explained further and the colour drained out of Tender’s face. Twilight smiled in a comforting way, “Once she’s had a chance to calm down a bit that is.”

No one on board the Bloomberg could have missed the foul mood Applebloom was in after it was discovered who was behind the damage to her beloved airship. Twilight had only left the enraged mare to her repairs once she had a firm promise that the earth pony would let Twilight deal with Tender.

“You will also have to answer to your mother and father when we get back, but for now I want you to pull your weight around here you got that?” Twilight’s voice was stern and Tender simply nodded in acceptance of his punishment.

“Very good, now as for what to do with you....?” Twilight tapped her muzzle theatrically, if she was honest she was just relived it was all a simple misunderstanding about Scratches and Tender Wood. He really was in a load of trouble, but the whole thing could have been far worse.

Twilight passed the control mirror to Tender and showed him how to shut off the barrier spell. Soon afterwards the grateful Scratches was rubbing up against the stallion’s leg making contented grating sounds.

The princess smiled, she had never seen a timber wolf happy before and raised an eyebrow as the strange wood on wood sound emerged from the small creature’s throat. Twilight face fell however as she wondered what to do with Tender.

Just at that moment they all heard a knock on the cabin door. After a brief pause the armoured head of one of the night guard looked in and cleared his throat, “Ehm, Princess you’re needed in the cargo bays. It seems that the dragon is getting restless and wants to speak with you.”

Twilight nodded to the dark blue earth pony mare in a distracted way, “Thank you miss; I’ll be along shortly.”

The pony guard lingered for a moment, “There was also another urgent matter that needs you attention. The griffon sergeant Flash Point from before informed us that they have some further news about the bandit problem."

Twilight’s ears pricked up as she regarded the pony with her full attention, “Oh good new I hope?”

The guard continued to stare at the now agitated form of Scratches. The little timber wolf had dropped it’s happy demeanour the instant the soldier had announced herself and was backed up against Tender, growling at the intruder. “Well the griffon did seem pleased with himself, that’s all I can tell you mam.” Without further ado the soldier disappeared and closed the door behind her

Twilight Smiled back at Tender who was doing his best to calm down the irate wolf cub, "Well tender it seems you're gonna get to see a native dragon sooner than you thought."

“Right this way your highness,” Warden’s head snapped up as he heard the guard’s announcment.

He had spent another frustrated hour coiled in the corner of his ‘cell’ before the long awaited words of action filtered through the door and stirred Warden once more. He uncoiled himself and was sitting attentively when the door was unbarred.

“Well Princess I was beginning to think you had forgotten me, did you catch the stowaway?” Warden’s mood took another nose dive as he saw the expression on Twilight's muzzle; looked furious and a little bit scared.

Warden also took in the accompanying griffon and earth pony. All bore the same grim expression and his jovial tone evaporated. “What has happened?”

“They have made weapons! They took my ideas and turned them into objects for killing and slavery!” Twilight rage was mixed with desperation however, “And I have stupidly sent Spike and Night Dew right into the hornet's nest!”

Warden leaned back as the rippling heat haze surrounded the incensed pony, “Twilight please explain what’s wrong, who’s made weapons?”

Twilight ground her teeth and Warden felt the full force of her angry gaze fall upon him, “You and your stupid competitions! I should never have let you talk Spike into going off on a hunt and now he’s in terrible danger!”

There hints of fire dancing around Twilight’s mane and tail now, causing the other the pony and griffon by her sides to shrink back from the alicorn’s wrath. Warden also had the briefest impression of a timber wolf cub hiding behind the earth pony stallion before his focus was riveted on Twilight once more.

“If he’s hurt in anyway Warden then I will personally bury you under a mountain and crash the stars into your grave!” Twilight was yelling at the top of her lungs at him and suddenly Warden felt, for the first time in years, that he was a small, weak and in very real danger.

“Princess, I don’t understand and how can I be held responsible for something I know nothing about?” Warden held up his claws to shield his face from the light now pouring off Twilight who was raving at the world in general now.

“I only let him wander off into a forest full of bandits armed with new and deadly weapons based on my inventions; I should never let him out of my sight!” It was clear to Warden that Twilight’s anger was being fed by fears for her brother’s safety.

“Twilight, stop ranting this moment and tell us what’s going on!” Warden bellowed back with a flash of purple fire and to the relief of everyone present, Twilight finally stopped.

She blinked a few times as the fire behind her eyes began to fade and was replaced by pain. “Oh Warden it’s terrible, Flash Point here has just informed me that the main bandit camps are suspected to be in the very forest we dropped off Night Dew and Spike. That's not the worst of it; the reports of new weapons are true.”

Twilight looked to be on the verge of breaking down as tears welled up in her eyes and Warden finally understood what was wrong. She levitated as strange length of metal adorned with harnesses and a very familiar looking crystal core at one end.

“We recovered this ‘long shot’ from the last skirmish with the raiders plaguing this area; It’s reported to have enough force behind it to easily kill a pony,” This explanation came from Flash Point who eyed the object wearily. “I am inclined to believe it too having seen the battle field this was obtained from and the mess of the soldiers who won’t be coming home.”

Warden looked from the grim eagle eyes of Flash Point, to Twilight before turning to the weapon held in the princess’s magic. “And you say these bandits are in the forest we dropped off Spike in?”

Twilight sniffled before nodding in the affirmative, “I can’t lose him again Warden, but the Bloomberg is grounded and I don’t want to endanger any other lives.” Her face hardened and a steely resolve formed in Twilight's gentle eyes. “I’m not going to let this happen, it’s my fault for being too naive and now Equestrians have been killed. Well not anymore.”

Twilight rose the long shot so that her gaze followed it’s length before lifting the gun into the air once again, “This stops here and now, no more weapons being made. "With a surge of magic Twilight crumpled the long shot into a mangled heap of scrap metal before flinging it away.

With fresh determination Twilight looked to the assembled guards, “We’re going to dig out these bandits and call them to account for their crimes.” The soldiers all saluted as the princess stared at Warden once more, “I know it’s not in my power to order you Warden but I would you please help us?”

Warden's rugged lips peeled back to show his impressive fangs, “Of course your majesty, no one threatens one of my students and fellow dragon.”

Twilight gave a small nod of thanks before turning to the guards, “Inform captain Steel that I will need all of his best fliers,” She then fixed her gaze on Flash Point, “Sergeant I would ask the same from you if possible?”

Flash Point saluted eagerly, “It would be an honour your highness and my boys would jump at the chance for some pay back.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed, “I know you have lost good soldiers Flash, but this is to stop a threat, not for a personal vendetta. I don’t want vengeance or killing, if you can promise me that I will let you come too.”

The griffon released an angry growl, “But your highness, they killed....”

Twilight’s glare could have incinerated the griffin where he stood, “That doesn’t give us the right to become like them Flash Point. I want no killing unless there is no other choice is that understood?”

Suitably chastened Flash bowed his head, even as his feather’s ruffled in anger. Flash’s tail snaked back and forth but the griffon saluted despite his temper, “Of course princess, please forgive me for speaking out of turn.”

“I know you’re hurting Flash, I would be too, but we have to be the better person, or what is the point?” Twilight’s face softened along with Flash's. With another salute Flash Point about faced and headed out of the cargo bay.

This resolved Twilight dismissed her soldiers and finally turned to Tender Wood who had been standing quietly through the whole interchange. “Tender, just..... Just keep out of trouble okay?”

Warden chose that moment to clear his throat before cautioning, “Twilight, it may come down to killing.”

Her ears pressed flat against her head, “I know. Oh by the heavens I wish it wouldn’t, but we can’t let this continue.”

Warden bowed before the Princess, “Don’t worry Twilight, Spike will be fine and if what I have heard of your Miss Night Dew then she will be also.”

Once again Twilight’s eyes filled with concern, “Thanks Warden, I’m sorry about earlier.”

The dragon waved his claw dismissively, “As you said, you’re hurting and if it were my family I believe I would have acted in a similar fashion,” Warden grinned again and Twilight couldn’t help but notice the predatory gaze in his eyes, “I could do with some fresh air after being cooped up in this ship of yours for so long.”

Twilight’s face became hard, “You won’t hurt anyone unless you have to right?”

“Upon my honour and oath to Thortax, I will do my upmost to avoid causing any more harm than necessary,” Twilight stared at Warden's sincere expression and hopped she was making the right call with all this.

Twilight took a moment to centre herself, “Okay Warden, I need you to track down Spike. Time to put all of those skills you’re always talking of to use and hopefully we can find him before he gets into any trouble.

“I think I’m going to be sick, can’t we stop for a little while?” Stand Fast’s queasy moan called out, but Spike simply grunted in annoyance as he lumbered forward through the bracken with Night Dew hovering just above him.

“At least let me walk by myself, I promise I won’t be any trouble,” This grumble was quickly followed by an uncomfortable ‘gurh’ sound as the unicorn swallowed his breakfast for the second time.

Spike continued to ignore the complaining Stand who was tied face up to the dragon’s shoulders and trudged resolutely onwards. By Dew’s reckoning they would have to keep this pace for at least two more days before they broke free of the forest and only four hours in Spike was already fed up of their prisoner.

“Well we can’t have you slowing us down Stand, plus it’s a lot simpler to keep an eye on you in this position,” Night Dew tapped the bound pony’s muzzle with a grey hoof as she flapped upside down over the grumpy dragon with his ‘cargo’.

Spike ‘humphed’ as he strode on, pushing his way through the enclosing bushes and weaving his way around the close set trunks surrounding them, “Speak for yourself Dew; you’re not carrying the stallion in question.”

The pony wasn’t heavy if Spike was being honest, but his constant squirming was like an itch Spike couldn’t scratch on his back. Keeping his eyes fixed on the terrain ahead Spike did his best to ignore the struggling unicorn and think of how much better things would be when he saw Twilight once again.

“Well since you’re in a talkative mood, why not start by telling us where you got this from?” Night Dew asked in the same sing song tone that Stand Fast was coming to dread as she unslung the ‘long shot’ from off her back, “I can see you’re a clever stallion, but I doubt you came up with this thing all by yourself.”

Spike felt the Stand Fast go still for a moment before he responded, “If I tell you all I know will you let me go?”

Spike winced, he could almost hear Night Dew’s grin growing wider, “Well that depends on what you tell us. You came very close to hurting my dear friend below you, not to mention the appalling state of your work force back at the dig site. What were you unearthing there by the way?”

“Untie me and I’ll answer that question, sounds fair?” Stand Fast responded and Spike felt the rush of wind as Night Dew flitted past and hovered before his face.

“What do you think Spiky, Can we trust him?” Spike rolled his eyes before releasing a small cloud of smoke. He hated being drawn into the bat pony’s methods of interrogation; she always made him out to be the bad cop.

Night Dew flapped back over Spike’s shoulder to address Stand Fast once more, “I for one would let you go, but Spike here has a temper on him. You know how dragon’s can be,” Spike nodded to himself, yep here she goes

“I may be able to convince him that you didn’t truly mean him any harm and were just scared that’s all, but if you don’t give me something to work with I will find it awfully hard to stop the big guy toasting you,” Night Dew commented in a suggestive way and though Spike couldn’t see her face, he could picture the simpering look Dewy must have been giving their captive.

Spike felt a tremble go through the pony laced to his back, “Well, I er....” He knew what was expected of him and let out a low rumble that vibrated his chest along with the captive bound to him.

“We were digging up gems okay! Boss wanted more long shots and other tech so we were gathering gems to sell to our supplier alright!” Stand Fast squeaked as he failed to live up to his name.

Spike felt Dewy at his ear once more before she whispered to him, “See now that wasn’t so hard now was it?” Night Dew commented, “All it took was a little dragon purr.” Spike grunted and Stand Fast gave another little whimper. He had no intention of hurting Stand Fast, but sadly the he didn't know that.

“And who is your supplier then? Give me that and we can talk about letting you ride sat up at least,” Night Dew had an opening now and was intent of forcing it as wide as it would go.

There was another pause as Spike side stepped a dilapidated oak tree with cobwebs and large beards of moss hanging from it. “I don’t know honestly: We always traded through a contact. Some earth pony that boss has ties with.”

“And what’s his name then?” Night Dew pressed.

The reply was lost on Spike; he suddenly had the feeling they weren’t alone here and as his scaled nostrils flared he caught the scent of more than just the unicorn and bat pony with him, “Er Dew...”

Night Dew flitted over again before responding in a hushed whisper, “I know big guy, just keep walking. I don’t want them to know we’re on to them.”

“It seems my friend here is willing to stop a little way ahead for you Stand Fast, we can look into your seating arrangements then,” Night Dew commented, showing no sign of unease before leaning in close to Spike’s head once more.

“There are at least six, all ponies by the shape of them, I guess we didn’t slip away as quietly as we hopped huh?” Her tone was calm but Spike was sure he caught the slightest hint of stain on Night Dew’s face out of the corner of his eye.

“Yep you’re right Spike that clearing up ahead seems a good place to me.” Night Dew’s voice called out, “I’ll just fly ahead to check it out.”

Spike felt his heart quicken as Night Dew Whispered once more into his ear, “I’m gonna make a break for it and circle around to see if I can draw some of them away. When you hear the signal; you start running.”

“What signal?” Spike hissed back, but Night Dew was already soaring ahead, nimbly darting from tree to tree like a darker shadow among the shady forest.

Fighting Fears

Fighting Fears

"Dewy?" Spike hissed, but it was no good: Night Dew had disappeared into the thick trees surrounding him. Peering around the forest, Spike caught brief glimpses of their pursuers darting between the moss-covered trunks all around him.

"What's going on?" Stand Fast asked in a nervous tone.

"Nothing," Spike replied in mounting concern, trying watch the surrounding ponies but unable keep them all in sight at once.

A nasty peal of laughter sounded out behind him, "Well this is a turn up for the books, an adolescent dragon has pony napped one of my boys."

Spike spun around to face the speaker and caught the impression of a gruff-looking earth mare regarding him along the barrel of a long shot. She was half concealed within the shadows cast by the forest, but as he locked gazes with her pale pink eyes, he saw only cruel merriment there.

"Boss is that you? Thank heavens you came!" Stand Fast called out turning his head this way and that trying to get a look at his 'saviour'.

"Shut it Stand, we're here for the dragon and his bat pony friend," 'Pink Eyes' explained in a contemptuous tone, "Seems you winged friend has scarpered and left you all alone scaly. Shame really, but we work with what we've got."

She came forward now, a ray of sunlight glinting off a gold tooth, "I know a good number of towns folk who would pay handsomely for fresh dragon hide: This close to the border dragon raids are a real nuisance."

"You're in trouble now; Boss will sort you right out lizard lips," Stand Fast said smugly and Spike couldn't fault him. Everywhere he looked, Spike saw long shots aimed at him through the trees.

Spike simply growled in response, rolling his shoulders before Stand called out in a much more nervous tone, "Don't shoot Boss, I'm tied to his back!"

"I told yer to shut it Stand, if you're stupid enough to get yourself caught then it's on your own head," Pink Eyes snapped in response before grinning at Spike once more, "Now dragon, are you going to make this easy for us?"

The unicorn on his back produced as small choking sound as Spike glared at the surrounding bandits. Pink Eyes chuckled, "Alright then, can't say I blame you."

There was a flash, followed by a cracking sound, before Spike felt a sharp pain in his side, like he'd been kicked by Bigmac and he slid a few inches to the side as Stand Fast began sobbing uncontrollably overhead. He didn't wait around for more and drew in a deep breath before unleashing a torrent of green fire in the direction of the first flash.

His aim was high and the tree tops overhead ignited, casting dancing shadows across the whole scene as bandit ponies dived left and right to avoid Spike's unleashed fury. The crackling of timber mixed with the flashes of weapon's discharge as a second impact from Spike's right rewarded him with and sharp pain in his left hind leg.

Now thoroughly enraged; Spike swivelled about and roared a deep throated challenge before straight charging ahead. He smashed trees and trampled undergrowth in his wake as he bore down on the pony responsible for this latest assault.

Even as Spike chased the fleeing bandit, further flashes lit up the forest behind him and he felt a series of impacts along his rear before Stand Fast called out in pain. Ignoring this Spike continued to run-down the stallion ahead of him, who had thrown away his long shot and was galloping as fast as his legs could carry him.

The pony may have been faster than Spike flat out, but was forced to side step the various hazards ahead, whereas Spike simply smashed his way through. The brown pony snatched a quick look back at the chasing Spike, which proved to be his undoing as he stumbled and fell.

Spike was on the pony in an instant, lifted the terrified equine in a claw and was about to incinerate the pony before Spike caught sight of his terrified blue eyes. The moment seemed to stretch out before Spike as the fearful tears ran down the pony's muzzle and his panicked eyes screwed tightly shut.

Spike would be well within his rights to do away with this criminal, they were trying to kill him for Celestia's sake, but one look at the tiny trembling equine before him and Spike knew he just didn't have it in him, as all the smiling and happy faces from his past played across his mind's eye.

With an angered grunt Spike lowered the shaking pony and held him pinned to the ground with one claw. Wincing as further stinging rounds stabbed across his back, Spike reached up and broke off an overhanging tree branch and delicately trapped the snivelling pony beneath it.

This done Spike rounded on his attackers once more just as a dark comet swooped down from the forest canopy and knocked one surprised unicorn clean off his hooves. Spike's face set in a grim scowl as he saw Night Dew leap back into the air, now bearing one of the long shots the bandits carried. Spike didn't have time to see if her unicorn prey was unharmed as flashes heralded further rounds zipping past his head and another sharp pain in his right shoulder.

Looking down Spike saw the scales there were chipped and suspected there would be 'one hay' of a bruise later, but thanked Whisper for his thick hide. Stand Fast continued to wail in fear and pain as Spike took in the scene ahead. The forest trees were burning brightly, throwing the unfolding fight into stark contrast.

Spike saw Night Dew wielding her stolen long shot like a club; stunning another pony even as their own weapon flashed, launching a projectile which missed her by inches. This round then proceeded to blow a chunk out of the solid oak over her shoulder, showing the combatant with a deluge splinters. The final three ponies,Pink Eyes, a unicorn mare and another earth stallion were now backing off and frantically reloading their weapons.

Once again Spike locked gazes with Pink Eyes, who with a wicked grin pointed the long shot directly at his face. Time seemed to slow as the power crystal energised the kinetic enchantment with a flash. Spike's eyes followed the small metal sphere as it was propelled forward, rocketing towards him encased in a white magical aura.

With dread certainty Spike realised the round was heading right for his eyes and in a vain effort, attempted to raise his claw to block the incoming missile. The sounds all around him became distorted and Spike heard the frantic warning from Night Dew as if through water.

The metal slug closed the distance with an eerie slowness and Spike's clawed hand slowly rose into his vision but even with this, suddenly new found clarity the dragon understood it wouldn't be fast enough. The small ball slipped between two of his talons and travelled on with inevitable purpose until it filled the whole of Spike's vision. He just had time hold onto the image of Twilight's smiling face looking down on him as a baby when the metal ball stopped...

Spike blinked in confusion as the world around him snapped back into focus, The metal round was just hanging in midair before his startled face. Very cautiously Spike moved his head to one side, but the bullet still hung there as if gripped by invisible hooves.

In mounting befuddlement Spike looked back over to the bandits, Night Dew and the roaring flames of the burning trees. The ponies all stared in astonishment at the now still round held in the air, the only sound to be heard were the continued destruction of the trees as Spike's fire did it's work. The green flames now turning a natural golden yellow as the magical essence of the dragon fire exhausted itself.

The deafening quiet lasted for only a few more moments before a raging hurricane engulfed the burning tree tops and as suddenly as the fire had begun, it was snuffed out. The tree canopy peeled back to reveal an avenging angel and all below were forced to shield their eyes from the bright light shining above.

Mane aflame, wings beating slowly and her eyes glowing with a red inner fire Twilight Sparkle glared down at the battle scene below. Around her a number of pegasi and bat pony guards were keeping a safe distance from their enraged princess. The bandits who were still upright quailed in fear as the darkness of the forest was banished and Spike understood who had saved him.

The alicorn dropped lower, her eyes never leaving the now terrified bandits that were huddling together. Spike saw one of them raise a long shot towards Twilight, only for it to crumple into a mangled mess before his astonished eyes. Twilight's decent halted a few feet from the forest floor, but even this close proximity caused the ground foliage to smoulder and burn away to ash.

"How-dare-you," The voice of Spike's sister was low, calm and frankly the most terrifying sound he had ever heard. "How dare you try to hurt my family? How dare you turn my good intentions into weapons of slavery and pain?" Twilight's tone remained cold and level despite the roaring fury surrounding her. Spike was amazed the cowering bandits before her didn't themselves burst into flames.

The rest of the soldiers held formation in the air, not daring to interfere with their princess' wrath. Twilight finally touched down, but kept her wings outstretched in a menacing fashion. The ground she stood upon glowed with heat and as the princess advanced she left flaming hoof prints in her wake.

With a whimper Pink Eyes was lifted from the ground and flailed in terror as Twilight brought her nose to nose. Spike was astounded despite his horror. The bandit leader should have been incinerated by the heat pouring off Twilight, but showed no sign of being singed at all. On some level Twilight was very much in total control of herself, focusing the immense power and anger into a cutting edge precision.

"Why-Why would you do this?" Twilight's voice was almost pleading, "What could drive my fellow ponies to act in such a way?" The bandit leader stared wild-eyed at Twilight, and Spike could smell the terror pouring off the captive mare who was unable to hold the burning glare of the princess.

Twilight cast her eyes across the other bandits who all curled up into small balls of fear as her attention passed over them. She turned to look at Spike, "Are you okay my number one assistant?" Her tone was slightly distant and Spike felt a renewed sense of fear.

"Um yes Twilight, a few bruises but I'll soon be right as rain," Spike managed to stammer out.

Twilight nodded slowly before refocusing on the pony held in her magical grip. Pink Eyes was still thrashing and the sounds of frantic pleading escaped her lips as Twilight's face hardened, "You are very fortunate I came when I did, if Spike had been...."

The unspoken threat hung in the air like an unexploded bomb and bandit leader went limp with fear, ears firmly flattened against her skull. Twilight slowly lowered the terrified pony to the ground and as she released her magical grip the mare flopped down before curling up into a mewling ball of terror.

It was several moments before Spike dared say anything, all the while bandits the cowered and cried as Twilight stood over them and stared in an almost detached fashion. Finally finding his own courage Spike approached Twilight before raising a hesitant claw, "Um Twi it's okay, could you please calm down before the whole forest burns down?"

Twilight blinked a couple of times before she focused on Spike and her eyes went wide with horror. She looked about the cowering ponies along with the still flaming hoof prints she had left and raised a hoof to her mouth, "Oh no, I'm so sorry I...."

Twilight's mane snuffed out, the glaring glow within her died down and Spike was once again standing next to the purple alicorn her knew and loved. He reached out and placed a gentle claw around her shoulders, "It's okay Twi."

The now purple eyes of Twilight met Spike's green slits and the dragon saw tears welling up there, "It's not okay Spike; they hurt you and they nearly.......I let you go off on this stupid hunting game and and and....."

"But they didn't" Spike assured her, but Twilight wasn't done.

"I would have..." Twilight glanced at the still cowering ponies, "If they had...."

Spike embraced his sister in warm hug, "But you didn't"

"He's right you know princess, I doubt I would have shown the same restraint," Everyone looked up to see Warden perched in the remains of a blackened tree. "And might I add my congratulations on a very well caught ball," They all turned to see the small projectile was still hanging in mid air where Spike had left it.

Twilight's face broke into an embarrassed smile, "Well I couldn't let my dear Spike get hurt now could I?"

Warden swooped down to study the object more closely as the rest of the guards drifted down and went about securing the bandits. The fight had completely gone out of them, Pink Eyes was still mumbling to herself in an unfocused manner as they hefted the mare and clapped her in irons.

"Though I technically didn't catch the metal projectile, I just slowed it down," Twilight explained and Warden cocked an eyebrow.

"So it's still moving then?" Warden asked in fascination.

"Yes, I just slowed down time around it slightly," Twilight commented in an off hoof way.

"I never knew you could do that Twi!" Spike looked down at Twilight his eyes full of amazement.

"Well I have never needed to before and it's only in very small area," Twilight replied in an abashed way, blushing under Warden's intense scrutiny.

Spike let loose snort of smoke and glared at the older dragon, who quickly coughed before looking around the trees in sudden fascination at the local foliage. Twilight rolled her eyes at the pair and Night Dew couldn't help but snigger at Warden's embarrassment. Spike could almost 'see' the tension unwinding from Twilight.

"Well princess, what's the plan now?" Warden addressed the nearest bush, most definitely not looking her in the eye.

Twilight scrunched up her nose as the guards finished rounding up the bandits, "Well it's great we managed to stop these raiders, but we still need to know who sold them the long shots and where their camp is."

Night Dew shared a quick glance with Spike who grinned in return, "Well princess, I think Spike may have stumbled upon it by accident during our hunting game."

Night Dew leaned nonchalantly against one of the smouldering trees and she gifted Twilight a toothy grin. "On that subject Twilight, how did you find us or even know we were in trouble?"

Spike gazed at Twilight as her face broke into a brittle smile, if he was any judge Twilight was still rattled by this whole event and he didn't blame her. He noted the slight tremble in her legs and the nervous shiver running up and down her back. Twilight was scared, far more than she let on.

"Our friends from Baltimare finally pinned down the rough area that the bandits were hiding in, and to my horror we saw it was where we had dropped Spike and you Dewy," Twilight's ears flattened and the haunted look returned to her eyes. "And to be honest Warden did most of the work, he tracked Spike from the drop off point and this led us through the forest."

Twilight's smile regained it's warmth as she looked to her brother. "But then suddenly the forest lit up and all we had to do was follow the green fire and smoke."

"And quite a merry dance you led my student on Miss Dew," Warden commented with interest, "You put up a far better show than I expected."

Night Dew let out a low laugh, "Well we aim to impre....." The rest of the sentence was cut off as the magic surrounding the metal ball finally lost it's grip and with a cracking sound time snapped back into focus. The bullet completed it's journey, slamming heavily into another abused tree and sending a shower of bark plus embers flying in all directions.

All present jumped and to everyone's mounting confusion a startled squeak sounded from Spike, Twilight stared at him in confusion as a tiny voice emanated from his mid rift. "Don't mean to be rude or anything, but could I please be untied now?"

Every eye looked to Spike's stomach for a moment before he waved his hands in explanation, "Hey don't look at me like that, and he’s only tied to my back okay!" Spike looked to Night Dew who had once again burst into a fit of giggles as she rolled on the floor.

Spike reached around and lifted Stand Fast off his back, severing a few cords with his talons. The dishevelled pony hung upside down by his tail. Stand had a nasty looking piece of wood shrapnel sticking out of his shoulder along a number of other cuts and scrapes.

He glanced about in confusion and pain at the assembled group, his eyes going wide when he caught site of Twilight, "Your highness, oh hay seed! Don't put me in jail please!"

Twilight grinned wickedly, "I see you have a bit of a story to tell yourselves, but that will have to wait. I want to talk to the ponies responsible for all this." Twilight's face hardened again as she watched the bandits being firmly secured together and turning her attention to Stand, smiled in a predatory way, "I don't suppose you know who was in charge of this band by any chance?"

"It was her, I-I'll tell you everything! Just don't hurt me!" Stand Fast gibbered before anyone else could answer as he frantically pointed to Pink Eyes who still stared at the ground in shock.

The grin that blossomed on Twilight's face caused even Night Dew to shudder as Stand Fast pointed out the pony that had nearly killed Spike, "Um your highness, I think it might be better if I talked to this one," Dewy pony cautioned.

Twilight's eyes flashed for a moment before she nodded her head slowly in acceptance, "Thank you Night Dew that may be for the best."

"Don't worry Twi, I'll have her singing like a humming bird before the day is out," Night Dew saluted as Spike handed Stand Fast over to the waiting soldiers, who quickly placed him with his fellows.

Spike lumbered over to Warden who was now studying the large chunk blown out of the tree, "Once again the inventiveness of ponies frightens me hatchling. Thank Whisper that Twilight doesn't harbour any inclinations to weaponise her inventions." Spike was forced to agree as he gingerly tested the various bruises the fight had left him with.

The image of that round metal sphere drifting slowly towards his face caused Spike to shudder once again, It was a none too gentle reminder that they had to tread carefully, even as dragons. "Do you think there will be much more fighting to stop these rogues? I mean you saw what Twilight did back there, maybe they will all just surrender?" Spike slowly mused out loud.

Warden didn't pull his eyes away from the whole scooped out of the tree trunk before him and for a moment Spike feared the older dragon hadn't heard him, "These are just the toys peddled to the small fry hatchling, it would be reasonable to guess that those who make weapons keep the best ones for themselves."

Spike watched as the Twilight's soldiers stacked the confiscated arms in a rough pile and felt his blood run cold again. If these were just the basic knockoffs that whoever was supplying weapons would sell to anyone, what more would they have to face when they attempted to bring down the 'big game'?

Twilight trotted over to Spike and hugged him tighter than the before and whispered in his ear, "Oh Spike, I was so worried." She sniffled before gazing up at the large snout of her brother. "I don't think I can do this again, I-I don't know how the royal pony sisters cope with all this."

Twilight waved a hoof at the general scene of devastation the forest had become and Spike felt her trembling more than ever. "They put on a brave face every day, facing down dangers and keeping Equestria safe. I'm a princess now, but I'm not like them Spike. I don't think I can do this."

He smiled down at Twilight, "Well you certainly showed your stuff today Twi, I don't think they stood a chance against you."

Twilight's ears pressed down once again and her eyes filled with fear, "Oh Spike, I was so angry and scared. I would have done almost anything to keep you safe.Anything."

Spike frowned in confusion, "I would do anything to keep you safe Twi, I don't understand...."

Twilight shook her head, "I was scared of losing you Spike, but I was scared of me too," The pony in Spike's arms trembled once again and his heart skipped a beat as he finally understood what Twilight was getting at.

The previous events rushed back to Spike's mind and he saw them in the new light of understanding. Tears welled and trickled down his scaly cheeks as he hugged Twilight all the harder, "Oh Twi, it's okay. I know you and you're not going to hurt anypony unless you have too."

They broke apart and Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but Spike placed a large claw over her lips, "I trust you Twilight, Celestia and Luna trust you." He smiled with understanding, "I know what it's like to be a big fish in a little pony pond, huh?"

Twilight grimaced; "No matter how much my friends tell me I'll always be different now, set apart from them by status and these," Twilight flexed her wings to prove the point.

Spike just shook his head, "For once Twi, you listen to me, I know what it's like to grow up different from those around you. The only dragon who is an Equestrian citizen? Trust yourself Twilight, everyone else does."

Twilight smiled weakly before straightening up, "Thanks Spike, what would I do without you?"

The dragon grinned, "Worry a lot less?"

The fear and tension they had both been feeling burst out in flood of laughter. It was a poor joke, but they both needed some release after the fight, and laughing was better than crying. Everyone else in the glade watched the pair in mounting confusion even as they went about their assigned tasks.

Once Twilight could breathe again she forced her face into a stern expression once more, "Right, now let’s find out where the rest of these bandits are."

Jagged Justice

Jagged Justice

‘Rough n Tumble’ Yawned as he lent on his long shot and watched the prisoners with a bored expression. The Boss had gone off chasing some young dragon and left the rest of the gang to oversee the mining operations.

'Rough' glanced about the surrounding tree line and fought back another yawn. He was always stuck with the dull jobs. With nothing much else to do the earth pony made use of the only source of amusement to him, “Come on slugs, put your backs into it!”

A few forced labourers glared up at the Rough, the anger in their faces clear despite the failing light. The sun had sunk below the forest’s overshadowing canopy an hour ago and yet the prisoners worked on. Rough grinned to his fellows surrounding the quarry before scowling at the diggers below.

Three stinking weeks they had been working at this place with very little to show for it. The supposedly rich seam of jewels had proven disappointingly fruitless and the Boss already had plans for their next dig site. Nevertheless Rough along with his small band, forced the ‘recruits’ to keep digging, far easier to keep an eye on them that way and any booty was better than none.

When that dragon and his friend had turned up Rough hopped he would finally see some action, but sadly he was stuck with guard duty again. Why did ‘Bright Spark’ always land him with watching the prisoners huh?

Rough lost more ground in his ongoing war against boredom, beginning to yawn a third time when there was a bright flash from behind him and the rhythmic sounds of digging suddenly stopped. Lifting his head Rough saw that the prisoners had all just vanished!.

Blinking in confusion Rough looked to the other ponies on duty and saw they were equally puzzled. Peering over the lip of the quarry Rough saw that all the prisoners had simply disappeared; leaving their picks, shovels and manacles behind.

He caught site of something moving off to his left, but when he turned to look there was nothing there, “’Rusty’ did you....”

Glancing to his fellow guard Rough found that he too had gone and felt his knees begin to tremble, only Rusty’s long shot was left and there was no sign of his fellow bandit anywhere.

Rough felt a gust of wind and saw a shadowy something out of the corner of his eye. A muffled cry forced Rough to spin round, but only the bouncing shape of ‘Stride’s weapon tumbling into the excavation greeted him as he stared in mounting terror. Each thud of the long shot’s tumbling decent sounding like thunder in Rough’s ears.

Rough n Tumble raised his long shot and waved it around wildly as another of his fellow guards disappeared with a cut off scream, the dark shape of their attacker swooping past. He frantically let off a panicked round, but his only reward was the crack of a splintering tree off in the distance.

Finally Rough’s nerves failed him completely and he threw down his weapon before bolting through the forest. His disordered flight led Rough in a blundering path through bracken and bush before culminating in an ungraceful tumble into a small gully.

He lay sprawled in a heap, his eyes screwed shut, his lungs heaving. For several moments his ears frantically swivelled this way and that as he sought out the tiniest clue to his pursuer. After several longer moments where darkness failed to spirit him away Rough opened his eyes and peered around the depression he found himself in.

The autumn leaves had piled deep here and with a sudden flash of inspiration Rough busied himself in covering his sweating body in the forest’s cast offs. After only a short time Rough was buried in the fallen leaves with only his eyes visible, staring out of his shelter with unmasked terror.

Several long panicked filled minutes passed and Rough dared not move as he tried to bring his breathing back under control. His heart hammered in his ears while his heavy breathing sounded like bellows pumping.

As the minutes dragged on Rough’s terror lessened, maybe he really had escaped? This brief candle of hope was snuffed out as a sudden wooden ‘snap’ sounded from somewhere outside Rough’s leafy blanket. Oh sweet Celestia, it’s out there.

Rough trembled as his terrified eyes looked this way and that to see if he could spot the source of the sound, but the forest was still. Once again Rough felt his heart begin race until he thought his chest was going to explode, but nothing else happened.

Hardly daring to hope Rough strained his ears for any further evidence of pursuit, but the forest was quiet. Had it gone? Cold dread settled upon Rough as he caught sight of a pair of slitted purple eyes watching from a darker patch of shadows among the trees and he felt his limbs freeze as that cold gaze passed over him.

He shook once more, certain that he was going to be 'vanished' like the others. He screwed his eyes tightly shut and held his breath until the cold fire in his lungs could be denied no longer. Rough released a hesitant breath before sucking in again, sure this smallest action would give him away, but still nothing.

Rough risked opening one eye slowly scanning the tree line, but the predatory gaze he had noticed before was gone and the pony felt his thumping heart skip a beat. As scary as those eyes had been, at least when he could see them Rough knew where his pursuer was. Now it could be anywhere.

Rough had never signed up for ‘this’, he’d only joined up with ‘Bright Spark’ and her crew because it seemed easier work than the rock farm life had promised him. They’d said nothing about strange shadows whisking away his comrades.

He waited for several more agonizing minutes before he felt a hot gust of air brush his leafy cocoon as a shadow fell over him. Rough felt his limbs lock up as clawed hands settled either side of his vision, sinking into the leaves silently before a low rumble sounded from above.

“You know this land has been quite amusing so far, ponies are fascinating creatures,” the voice was deep but quiet and had a condescending air to it, as if the speaker was addressing a young foal.

Rough didn’t dare move, even as the elongated ‘V’ shaped shadow drifted this way and that in front of his trembling face, “It’s been too long since I had a proper hunt you know; out of respect to my hosts I have refrained from doing such, but a dragon has needs.”

The leaves all around Rough suddenly fountained up into the air and the hapless pony felt himself being dragged along with them. Rough squealed as he felt powerful talons encircle his neck and he was turned to face his tormenter.

Once again those cold purple eyes confronted Rough and the pony shuddered, “Should I finish this now little pony? From what I understand you and your band have earned punishment for your crimes.”

Rough’s pupils shrunk to pin points as the pressure on his neck increased slightly and he gasped out, “please I....”

The dragon sneered, “Not so much fun is it, now you’re the one who’s being threatened?”

Rough felt his windpipe being slowly crushed even as the reptile before him talked on in a casual manner, “We’re alone little pony, no one would know, and I personally feel the world would be a better place without the likes of you.”

The eyes grew to fill Rough’s entire world and he felt his vision begin to grey as darkness closed in around him, but just as he was resigned to his fate Rough felt the grip on his neck loosen and the stallion drank in great gasps of air.

“It falls to me to be the better creature though,” Rough watched as the drake’s face screwed up in disgust, “If I have learnt one thing during my time in Equestria is that everyone can change, even a snivelling bully like you.”

With a final sneer the dragon spread his wings out wide and, still clutching the dumfounded Rough in his fore claws, Warden leapt upwards into the air, the stallion wailing in fear all the way.

“How can we ever thank you Princess? I was sure we were going to rot in that quarry,” Twilight grinned sheepishly as yet another freed prisoner thanked her for the rescue.

Twilight along with the others had sneaked up to the mine; Spike and Night Dew were only too happy to point the way. Her brother hadn’t been the same since Twilight, along with her guards, had found him and now she knew why.

The prisoners were in a terrible state, malnourished, beaten and bruised. The very thought of ponies acting this way mad her blood boil and only the reassuring claw of Spike had calmed Twilight enough to begin formulating a plan.

Warden had eagerly volunteered to distract the lurking bandits while Twilight devised a spell to whisk them all to safety. It had been some tricky magic even for Twilight, but once the flash of teleportation had died away the ragged band was quickly surrounded by equestrian soldiers who formed a ring of steel to protect them.

It turned out there was no need for such measures; none of their former captors were in any position to attack and Twilight eyed the treeline for signs of Warden. Even as she watched the trembling shape of the first of many bandits tumbled to the forest floor at Twilights hooves, begging for mercy and his eyes rolling in terror.

The collection of shaking equines multiplied as one after another they were deposited in the tangled heap; Twilight only catching the vaguest hint of the shadowy Warden as he went about his work. Then the dragon had disappeared and Twilight felt her stomach twist with unease. What if something had happened to him? Or more likely 'he' had happened to some pony.

“So Twi, now we have the prisoners safe and sound what’s the next step?” Night Dew’s cheery tones drew Twilight from watching out for Warden.

“Well with them safe we can begin searching for the source of this trouble; one of these ponies is bound to know where they got the weapons from.” Twilight’s eyes had fire in them again, but Night Dew didn’t seem phased by it.

“Fair enough Princess, want me to talk to them?” Twilight caught the flash of fangs in the bat pony’s smile and her own anger cooled once more. This needs a clear head Twilight, now just take some calming breaths.

“No Dew, I want to speak with myself, but feel free to accompany me and I’m open to any suggestions as to which ones to ask,” Twilight studied the still-stunned pile of bandits as Night Dew gave a small chuckle.

“Well not these small fry, I heard ‘Stand’ mention a leader,” Night Dew explained.

Twilight nodded, “The unicorn tied to Spike’s back right?”

Night Dew grinned even wider, “That’s the one Princess, he says that his boss is the one who buys these long shots and I think you have already met her. She’s the one who took a pot shot at Spike you see.”

Twilight felt the small mound of calm she had been building begin to crumble once more at the mention of Spike’s near miss. Twilight’s nostrils flared and she snorted in irritation before closing her eyes and taking a deeper breath, “Very good Lieutenant, I will speak with this pony and finally get some answers.”

A new sound pricked Twilight’s ears and once again she turned her attention to the surrounding trees. Night dew followed her Princess’ gaze and they both heard the echoing cry that resounded through the forest. Both mares spared each other a worried glance as the assembled guards shuffled uncertainly.

Night Dew was the first pony to see the incoming form of Warden and the dishevelled stallion in his claws before pointing at the approaching pair, “Looks like Warden caught the last of them Twi.”

Warden flared his wings, landing nonchalantly before Twilight and deposited the badly shaken pony at the hooves with a courtly bow, “A gift your highness, the last of the bandits for you to do with as you please.” Warden bowed as Twilight watched her ‘gift’ with a cold stare, the colt before her was half-mad with terror as he looked from Twilight to the other guards with darting eyes.

A tense quiet settled on the assembled Equestrians as Twilight peered down at the shaken pony, “What’s your name stallion,” Twilight asked in a low tone.

“’R-Rough n Tumble’, your highness,” Rough replied. Gone was the cocksure arrogance that Twilight had observed previously and she felt her anger returning. Twilight looked to the rescued prisoners who were all glaring at Rough, some with murder in their eyes.

She looked back to Rough and to her surprise felt her anger draining away; this pony had been accomplice to ponynapping, slavery and Celestia knew how many other crimes: Yet as she saw him lying there so frightened her anger cooled.

Twilight fixed the pony with a disappointed gaze, “Rough n Tumble, you along with your fellow criminals, are guilty of banditry, slavery and possession of dangerous weapons with the intent to cause harm. Seldom has Equestria seen such acts in modern times and there is little precedent as to your punishments.”

Twilight dug deep in her memory and didn’t like what she found, “That last recorded incident of this nature saw all those guilty were hung for their crimes.”

A mixture of cheers and astonished gasps came from the assembled crowd. Twilight felt all of their eyes on her and suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Rough and the other ponies in his band shrank back in fear from her as the nature of their predicament sunk in.

Twilight looked to Night Dew who had gone paler than usual, then to Warden who watched proceedings with a blank expression. Finally she turned to see Spike who was lurking at the rear of the group, his face full of worry. The Princess took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she frantically sought for the right course of action to take.

The law was clear, but so old it felt out of place here and now. She couldn’t let these ponies go unpunished for their crimes, but execution? Equestria hadn’t used such methods for many years. Then again such a thing hadn’t occurred for nearly as long either. This is what Celestia was getting at wasn’t it. However well intentioned we were in making machines and making progress, there will always be those who will twist it to darker uses.

Twilight felt a shiver run down her spine. I opened the door for this, I gave these ponies the means to become tyrants even if in just a small way. Twilight felt the fear and panic welling in her heart and looked to Night Dew with remorseful eyes, but the bat pony only watched Twilight with an expectant expression; all trace of her normal easy going manner gone. What I decide here will set the example for the future, will I be seen as weak for showing mercy, or as the cold ruler who enforced an outdated law?

Twilight burrowed deep into herself as she weighed the options: She had no desire to enforce capital punishment, but that’s what the law demanded. ‘A world that looks to Equestria as a source of hope and direction’. The words so easily spoken to Applejack only a few weeks ago came back to taunt Twilight now. Oh sweet Celestia, what have I gotten myself into?

Closing her eyes, Twilight steadied her breathing and came to a decision, “I will not decide the punishment of these ponies; that is not my remit to enforce alone.”

There was a murmur of disappointed grumbling from the liberated captives, but Twilight held up a hoof for silence, “That however does not mean there will be no consequences for their actions, as such they are placed under arrest and will be escorted back to Baltimare and then on to Canterlot where they will face trial and final judgement.”

Twilight’s face was grim and her normally gentle eyes studied the criminals with a hardness that caused all who looked on her to shudder, “However, if at any during any point their journey, the guilty parties should attempt to escape or cause further harm, my soldiers are hereby ordered to enforce the full weight of the law.”

Spike watched Twilight and saw not the unicorn he had grown up with, but the alicorn princess she had become. There was that steel about her that had often come to the fore when needed and Spike was more proud of Twilight at that moment than he had ever been before.

She addressed Night Dew in the same definite voice, “Lieutenant, I want you to choose those among your number which can be trusted with this assignment. I want these ponies to reach Canterlot unharmed and ready to stand trial.”

Twilight turned to watch the freed prisoners, “Rest assured that I intend these ponynappers to be dealt with justly.” Yet again she was met with a mixed response along with some glares from the freed slaves but pressed on anyway, “They will pay for their crimes, but it will be done in the proper way; not by some angry mob dispensing marshal law, is that understood?”

Night Dew saluted, visibly relieved, “As you command your highness, I will see to it personally that they are escorted with all haste.”

Twilight shook her head slowly, “No Lieutenant, I want you to have your soldiers escort them: I need you to assist me in talking with their leader. She holds the answers I need about where these weapons have come from.”

Night Dew gave Twilight a concerned glance, “I thought we agreed that I would interrogate her Princess?”

Twilight stood for a moment before replying, “Now that I have had some time to calm down I want to speak with her myself.” Twilight motioned for Night Dew to come closer before speaking quietly into the bat pony’s tufted ear, “I need you there to keep an eye on me okay?”

Night Dew locked eyes with Twilight and saw the lingering fear in them. She gave the smallest of nods before saluting once again and leading her Princess back to the temporary camp a little way from the dig site.

The bandit leader ‘Bright Spark’ sat at the base of a charred tree and stared mutely at the ground. Twilight coldly regarded Bright’s soot-blackened almond coat, her dark orange mane, which resembled a nest of twigs, and felt little pity for the pony. This mare had earned Twilight’s ire on so many levels that the Princess had to fight the urge to lash out in reprisal

“I understand your name is Bright Spark, is that correct?” Twilight inquired and the earth mare blinked a few times before staring past the alicorn’s shoulder. Twilight was about to ask once again before Bright screwed her eyes shut and nodded slowly.

“Well Bright Spark, I want you to tell me where you got the long shots from,” Twilight’s manner didn’t waver as she spoke in a deceptively calm voice, but the bandit leader simply shook her head in response.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed, “You understand just how much trouble you’re in right? For crimes of this nature the punishments are execution. You have murdered, plundered and enslaved Equestrians: Never in hundreds of years have we seen such abuse of our laws by our own, Bright Spark.”

It was true, Twilight remembered the dusty old scrolls that described the last time Equestria had enforced capital punishment. It had been a case where whole a town had been sacked by raiders: Murders, theft and all manner of evils had occurred. These actions, leftover from a darker age that Twilight couldn’t imagine happening ever again, yet here they were.

Bright Spark’s gaze slowly travelled from the ground to meet Twilight’s cold stare and she saw a sly glint in the bandit’s pink eyes, “Well the way I see it princess is that I have what you need and you’re hung up about enforcing an old law.” Bright Spark grinned, "I don’t think either one of us wants me hung right?”

Twilight felt her anger raising once more, this mare wasn’t even sorry for what she’d done. Bright Spark glanced at Night Dew who simply watched the interrogation with an impassively. Bright licked her lips and fixed Twilight with another cocky smile, “So here’s the deal, you let me go and I give you the info you’re after?”

Twilight bit her tongue before an angry retort escaped and Night Dew came to Twilight’s aid, “Not going to happen Bright; you’re guilty as Tartarus, we have the witnesses, and evidence enough to bury you and your little band for what they have done.”

Bright Spark raised a confident eyebrow as she regarded Night Dew, “Well the mutant speaks I see, hasn’t the princess trained you well.” The bandit sneered at the bat pony. “Does it do tricks as well?”

Night Dew Hissed, revealing her fangs in a snarl as Twilight felt a fresh surge of revulsion for the earth pony. She knew there were some ponies that still held the ridiculous view that some of creatures and some pony breeds weren’t welcome in Equestria; that the land was for the original founding species of unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi. It seemed that Bright Spark was one of these.

Bright Spark’s grin only widened, “Touched a nerve? Oh well it doesn’t change the fact I'm right: You need what I know, so let’s talk business. I want free passage out of Equestria, and enough jewels from what we dug up to set me up nice and proper.”

Twilight motioned for Night Dew to follow her and the pair trudged a little way through the leafy carpet of the forest floor before engaging in a whispered debate, “I don’t know Dew, we need to get going soonor we will miss the dragon migration. Maybe we should just make the deal?”

Night Dew’s cat-like eyes thinned with fury before she mastered herself and leaned in close to Twilight, “We don’t need to make any deals with her Twi, I can get her talking just say the word." Twilight watched Night Dew carefully and was sorely tempted to accede to the lieutenant’s request, but finally shook her head.

“I’m not going to condone anything illegal Dewy, despite the fact I believe that ignorant monster deserves it,” Twilight glared back at Bright Spark who sat at the base of the tree with a smug expression on her face. Twilight felt a fresh surge of anger course through her and little wisps of smoke began to waver from the pony’s mane.

“I won’t leave any mark on her Princess and as you said we need to wrap this up quickly,” Night Dew’s eagerness unsettled Twilight a little, but she put that down to the soldier being a bat pony. From what Twilight had read about them, the bat ponies or ‘Negasi’ as they called themselves were decedents from corrupted ponies of the ‘Nightmare Wars’ over a thousand of years ago.

It was said there was still a little bit of dark magic left in them and though Twilight had never given it credence, the look in Night Dew’s eyes began to cast some doubts there. No, she had known Night Dew for years and it wasn’t time to start second guessing her own soldiers. With a force of will Twilight drew her attention back to the here and now.

“I can promise you that none of the others know the next meeting place for my contacts, so don’t bother asking them. If you want your information, you're going to have to get it from me,” Bright Spark continued to call even as Twilight shook her head once more to Night Dew’s suggestion.

Twilight continued to whisper, “No lieutenant we need to be better than her, otherwise we will loose the very thing that sets us apart from the likes of Bright Spark’s and her thugs.” Twilight’s mind was made up they would take the deal, even if it made her feel sick to her stomach, “We have little choice Dewy, I’m sorry.”

Not breaking eye contact with the bat pony, Twilight was about to reply to Bright Spark’s demands when she felt an enclosing darkness envelope her, “Princess if I may? I couldn’t help but overhear your little conundrum and I think I have a solution.” Both Twilight and Night Dew looked up to see the shadowy form of Warden standing behind them, his burning eyes brightly lit with confidence.

Wings and Warriors.

Wings and Warriors.

Twilight had listened to Warden’s suggestion and had reluctantly gone for it. He had explained that magically inclined dragons could impose their will on others, a bit like a hypnotic stare. The very idea curled Twilight’s tail, but Warden had assured her he’d never used such powers on Twilight or any other pony since he'd arrived in Equestria. Warden also promised that once used the effects would fade with time.

Night Dew had been dubious about the whole idea right from the start, but Twilight had overruled her. This didn’t stop the bat pony from complaining loudly once they had left Warden to his work.

“I still think you should have let me deal with her Twi, that ignorant fungus-rain deserved more than a good bucking for what she did,” Night Dew grumbled angrily. She trotted beside Twilight through the autumn leaves which drifted around the pair; stirred up by the light breeze passing through the surrounding trees.

“Well we are short on time and Warden promised he would get results fast,” Twilight countered, her hooves kicking up the great drifts of golden/brown.

“I could have gotten results Twi,” Night Dew responded tetchily

Twilight was forced to take another calming breath and noted that she’d been doing that a lot lately: So many problems in such a short time and they hadn’t even left Equestria yet.

“Look Night Dew I have said it before; we’re not going down that road okay? No matter how much we feel they deserve it,” Twilight said, her heart crumbling under the pressures she was being placed under. “I will not condone physical interrogation of a subject.”

Night Dew gave Twilight a look she’d come to dread, “Oh so it’s alright for a dragon to do it, but not a pony?”

Twilight’s ears flattened, “That’s not it at all Dewy; Warden promised he wouldn’t hurt Bright Spark and his magic would leave no lasting effects either.”

The bat pony just snorted as their progress led them out of the forest surrounding the pair. They reached the charred clearing of Spike’s previous battle with the bandits. Twilight noted the damage done and felt another lead weight in her over burdened heart.

The ground was blackened, the trees ashen and cracked; while the air itself carried the taint of smoke. It was like a scene of an old battle field that Twilight had read about in many a history book, so forlorn and sad. What surprised her most however was how quiet it was.

For the aftermath of such destruction Twilight felt there should be something, but instead there was just the slow sigh of the wind and the rattling of dead wood. Its atmosphere seemed to mirror her own thoughts as what had begun as a hope filled journey was quickly turning in to an oppressive burden.

It pulled at Twilight’s soul to see such... evil and cruelty committed by ponies. Oh there had been many dark and monstrous creatures thwarted in her life time: King Sombra and his domination of the crystal empire, the tyrannical but brief rule of Nightmare Moon had both been ancient threats that tried to rear their ugly again heads and drag her home back into darkness.

But this...this was just your every day Equestrian choosing to abandon light and knowledge and revert back to barbarism. It chilled Twilight to her core that even after all that the royalty of Equestria had tried to do; evil kept creeping back into the world.

Twilight turned to watch Night Dew prodding at a mangled something sticking out of an ash pile in an absent minded way and she was sure she caught a remark along the lines of, “I wouldn’t leave any lasting damage that would show...”

Twilight shook her head sadly once more. Bat ponies were a legacy of the Nightmare wars, all dark and creepy-looking with their dragon eyes and sharp teeth. Twilight remembered when she had seen her first bat pony oh so many years ago and had hidden behind her mother’s legs. The memory brought a ray of light to Twilight’s heavy heart:

”What’s wrong with that pegasus mummy, is he sick?”, the far younger voice of Twilight Sparkle drifted up to tap her on the ears.

Even the gentle memory of ‘Twilight Velvet’s’ voice managed to reassure her daughter even now, “Oh my little candle, that’s a Night Guard pony: They keep the city safe while we sleep and no he’s not ill: He's just different looking that’s all.”

Young Twilight watched as the bat pony stallion, huge and scary looking with his odd wings furled at his side, turned to look right at her with its pale yellow eyes. She shrunk back as the guard smiled as if hearing every word being said through a crowded street of a Canterlot evening.

To Twilight’s horror the bat pony nimbly crossed the street in a few moments before bowing to ‘Velvet’ and herself.

“Good evening Twilight Velvet, I hope you’re having a pleasant night,” his voice was deep and resonant reminding Twilight of some of the boring opera singers her dad liked to listen to. The stallion’s eyes went wide with surprise when he caught site of the trembling Twilight Sparkle. “And who is this little one with you tonight?”

Twilight pressed herself even further behind her mother’s protective legs and Velvet gave a little chuckle, “This is my daughter; ‘Twilight Sparkle’ and she’s very happy to meet you ‘Star Guard’.” Velvet glanced down at Twilight, whose eyes said she was anything but happy.

Star Guard smiled even wider before he spoke up again, “I see, so this is the little bookworm I have been hearing all about?”

Twilight scrunched up her nose before she answered his inaccuracy, “I’m not a worm; I am a unicorn.” A look of total fascination crossed Twilight’s young face, “But I do like books, they tell you ‘everything’.”

Her tiny face then morphed to one of horror, “There are worms that eat books?”

Star Guard chuckled and Twilight’s brief mote of courage winked out, “Only if I’m late to my shift.” ‘Star’ winked at Velvet who was beaming with pride.

Twilight’s persona changed instantly, and she almost leaped out from behind Velvet’s legs; excitement pouring off her, “You keep books safe!”

It was Star’s turn to be caught off balance and he looked to Twilight Velvet for assurance, which she promptly gave with a slight nod. “Yes Miss Sparkle, I make sure the books up in the castle are kept safe, from any pony,” Star Guard winked at Velvet once again: “Or ‘worm’ that tries to get to them.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide with wonder as Star Guard indicated the looming silhouette of Canterlot Castle, its tallest towers bracketing the rising moon. “You work for Celestia!” Twilight was bouncing around the now laughing bat pony, her horn giving off little flashes in her excitement.

“That’s enough little miss, now say good evening to the nice pony and let him get back to his work alright,” Twilight Velvet said in a mock stern tone.

Twilight Sparkle’s ears drooped and she looked pleadingly into her mother’s smiling face, “Awww but mum he Guards books, that’s like the most important job in the world!”

Velvet shared a knowing look with Star Guard before both ponies broke into laughter. The little foal glanced between both adults in confusion as Star Guard shook his head, saluted and then headed back off towards his 'important' duties.

Velvet leaned down close and muzzled Twilight who was watching the departing bat pony like a search light, all traces of fear gone, “See my dear, he’s fine.” Twilight nodded, her eyes never leaving the retreating form of Star Guard until he was swallowed up in the crowds once again.

Twilight blinked a few times as the memory faded, she was surrounded by the blackened clearing in the forest where Night Dew had just finished unearthing the object of her attention: A mangled long shot. Yes there was evil in the world, more dangerous one which tried appear as something useful and was all the more sinister for it.

“You did a real number on this Twilight,” Night Dew commented in a distracted way.

Twilight was about to agree when the air shifted and suddenly Warden was crouched before her, all fours down like a giant cat ready to pounce. The image was so at odds with how Warden normally behaved that Twilight was taken aback and shied away from him. With an overly theatrical gesture Warden folded his wings before straightening up to his normal more reserved pose.

“It is done princess and I have the information you require,” Warden announced with a touch of pride.

Twilight watched Warden carefully for a moment, but the brief glimpse of the feral had vanished a quickly as it had come: Before her now was the controlled and cultured Warden she had come to respect.

Warden matched her quizzical gaze with an expression as impassive as stone and Twilight could gain nothing from his manner. The moment drew out as the unanswered question hung in the air between them, “Thank you Warden, I hope that Bright Spark is unhurt?”

Warden’s face remained the same as he answered calmly, “She will suffer no lasting effects from my spell Princess and as I informed you I know who has been supplying weapons to the bandit groups around here.” Warden’s eyes softened slightly, “I am sorry to say that they are ponies as we suspected; a unicorn pair of some infamy from what I understand.

Twilight’s heart plummeted, deep down she had hoped that some other party was providing weapons, but now that idea was banished. She felt the anger bubbling up again, but clamped down on it, “Don’t suppose these ponies have names?” Twilight muttered through gritted teeth.

Warden replied, there was a brief moment of silence before the clearing filled with a burning light and caused both Night Dew with Warden to shield their eyes from the furious alicorn, “Yes princess; the Flim Flam brothers.”

The glaring flame enveloped Twilight and her eyes glowed an angry red, “Those two charlatans, I should have known.”

The old con-ponies Flim and Flam hadn’t been seen nor heard of for years (their constant scams and rip-offs had finally gotten them banished from Equestria) and Twilight hoped they'd stay that way. But now here they were again; causing trouble of a much more dangerous nature.

Flim and Flam had even applied to Twilight’s research centre before their banishment. Despite Twilight’s best efforts they had even managed to turn this opportunity into a disaster. She ground her teeth at the mere thought of them as her flash of rage simmered down to normal anger. The flames swirling around Twilight winked out, but the hot fury still burned in her eyes.

“Where are they to be found Warden? Twilight asked in a trembling tone, I’m going to put a stop to this nonsense once and for all.”

Warden’s lips curled upwards in a grin, “A ruined watchtower south of here your hig...”

Twilight didn’t even wait for Warden to finish, rearing up and kicking her fore hooves in fury, she set off at a full gallop in the direction Warden indicated.

Night Dew glared at Warden, “Why did you have to go and tell her that now, you could see how angry she is.”

Warden smiled wider, “I know, isn’t she marvellous: So forceful and direct.”

Night Dew’s anger turned to astonishment as her princess passed through the tree line and onwards beyond the devastation of the previous fire. She rubbed her stinging eyes before fixing Warden with a penetrating stare which carried power even through her day vision goggles. “We’ll discuss this later,” With that Night Dew tore off after the charging Twilight.

It didn’t take Dew long to catch up with Twilight, “You’re highness; I really don’t think this is a good plan.” Night Dew cautioned in vain as Twilight galloped through the forest leaving smoking hoof prints in her wake. To the bat pony’s surprise the alicorn sped up.

“Twilight! You can’t just charge in like this: If you do they will just go to ground and it will take weeks to find them; a delay we cannot afford right now,” Night Dew tried again, only just keeping pace with the princess, both of them throwing up clods of mud with their pounding hooves.

Night Dew was fit and healthy, having spent many years in the guard, but she suspected Twilight was channelling her magical might into herself: Fuelling her progress with arcane power. Even as Night Dew watched Twilight’s horn, already glowing, shone even brighter and Twilight accelerated before drawing ahead rapidly. In desperation Night Dew loosed her wings and leaped into the air.

The added freedom allowed Night Dew to close the gap once more, “Princess Twilight Sparkle, it is my...” Her renewed attempts were cut off as she was forced to duck and weave the low lying branches, “It is my duty to inform you that I hereby order you to stop in the name of your fellow rulers. I believe you have taken leave of your senses and are endangering our mission.”

Twilight paid the straining Night Dew no heed. Her horn flashed once again and with a ‘crack’ she appeared the other side of a blocking tree, not bothering to go around it. Night Dew was forced to furl her wings and perform a barrel roll to pass between the blocking branches of the same tree.

Having done this she snapped her wings open once again and saw that Twilight was gaining ground ahead. Pumping her wings furiously Night Dew slowly closed on Twilight once more, throwing all her strength into catching up with her friend and charge. Come on Dewy, how are you going to snap her out of this?

Twilight’s horn glowed all the brighter and to Night Dew’s dismay she continued accelerate, every so often teleporting herself beyond those trees which barred her path: Despite Night Dew’s every effort Twilight was getting away from her.

Night Dew called out as Twilight’s glowing form was lost among the intervening forest, with only the still glowing hoof prints indicating where she had gone. Night Dew cursed colourfully just as she slowed down and even this trail began to wink out.

She let out another curse just before a large shape soared past her. Dew caught the brief impression of a dragon shaped missile obscure the shafts of sunlight piercing the forest canopy: The draconic silhouette past over Night Dew and left her rolling its wake.

Steadying her flight, she shouted in frustration at the speeding drake, “Warden you big...” but to Night Dew’s astonishment the dragon wasn’t Warden, it was far bulkier than the dragon envoy and it took a few moments for her to realise just what she was seeing: It was Spike and he was... flying.

Night Dew just hung there with her mouth open, wings beating slowly as the enormity of what she had just seen sunk in. Spike was flying. The distant Twilight momentarily forgotten Night Dew watched the formally ground-bound Spike weave his way through the tangled assortment of branches, avoiding the larger boughs while smashing right through the small ones in his determined effort to catch up with his sister.

Night Dew’s mouth slowly morphed from a look of astonishment to a grin of pride, “Well done big guy, you go get her.” She hovered for a few more moments, watching as Spike was swallowed by the encompassing foliage before she grinned wider. Well this will make future hunts more interesting.

With a small chuckle Night Dew powered upwards and followed in Spike’s wake, his large frame having carved a wide path through the trees for Night Dew to follow.

The fire in Twilight’s mind was burning fiercely, all the weeks of worry over who was responsible for new weapons in Equestria had come to the boil and Twilight was angry, no, more than angry, she was furious.

She vaguely heard Night Dew calling something behind her, but Twilight didn’t care. She now knew who along with where the problem was and she was going to deal with it. No more risks to her family, no more tales of exploitation. Twilight was putting her hoof down and.....

“Twi stop! This isn’t the way to deal with this,” The voice broke through the rage boiling around inside Twilight’s head and for the first time since Warden had told her about Flim and Flam the princess paused.

Tilting her head back, Twilight shouted up to spike who was soaring above her, “Spike I thought I.....told....you..” She trailed off as she saw Spike grinning at her, his wings flapping lazily. Twilight slowed down to a canter and Spike overtook her with a few casual beats of his wings before dropping down to land before Twilight with a heavy thump.

Twilight slowed to a stop and stared at Spike, who smiled back with a proudly. She blinked as the anger within her heart was replaced with astonishment and joy, “Spike how? When?”

Spike laughed out loud, his massive chest shaking along with the surrounding trees, “Well Warden taught me of course Twi.” Spike looked immensely pleased with himself and Twilight felt her annoyance returning.

She furrowed her brow, “But I spent months trying to teach you to fly; I thought your wings weren’t large enough yet?” It was true: Twilight recalled all the fruitless attempts at flight from Spike and the long lectures she had given him about lift to weight ratios. By all sense of order Spike still shouldn’t be able to fly, yet here was the evidence before her.

“It’s magic Miss Sparkle, you of all ponies should understand that,” Twilight’s attention snapped around to see Warden perched in a tree once more. “As you so rightly put, beings such as dragons should be too heavy to fly so we use our own kind of magic to aid us,” Warden explained in a patient voice before grinning at Spike.

“I had only finished teaching Spike the final points of dragon flight before we rounded up the last of those bandits and we wanted to make a grand show of his first flight,” Warden cast his besotted gaze over to Twilight. “But it seems your eagerness to see this Flim and Flam pair dealt with has caused us to show you a little early.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes once more at the mention of Flim and Flam; but it was easier to fetter her rising temper as it mixed with fascination. She breathed deeply as she let the anger settle down, “Alright: Good call Spike in catching my attention before I did something foalish and congratulations on your first flight.”

Twilight really was proud of Spike for such an achievement, remembering her own first flight and the difficulties she had come across. She gave Spike a tiny smile and he seemed to swell with happiness, “I am sure it will be an intriguing lesson about how it all works, but right now we need to deal with matters at hoof.”

Warden was next to feel Twilight’s attention, “Thank you for bringing the important details of the situation to my notice Warden.” She coughed before going on, “Let’s decide together the best course of action we should take against the Flam brothers.”

“Here, here!” Night Dew called from another tree and Twilight along with the two dragons turned to see her hanging upside down from a branch. Twilight felt her stomach tighten with anxiety as she recalled the mad dash that had left Night Dew behind.

“Sorry Dewy, I just...” Twilight began, only for Dew to wave a dismissive hoof.

“Hey don’t worry princess: No harm done, plus I got to see Spike flying for the first time! You’re really something Spike.” Night Dew replied excitedly.”

Twilight watched Spike carefully as he basked in the praise and rolled her eyes, “Okay Dewy; don’t overdo it.”

Spike’s wings drooped and a look of contrite embarrassment crossed his scaly snout. Twilight felt the last of her anger draining away once more. She was still concerned of course, but seeing Spike achieving his ambition of flight was too special to let other worries spoil it.

“Welcome to the club of the flyers Spike, I’m really proud of you,” Twilight said as she fought to keep a stern face, but failed miserably. Soon a huge grin was adorning her face and she trotted forward to hug Spike tenderly who returned the embrace with a small tear in his eye.

“Just glad we got through to you Twi,” Spike said and Twilight felt the blush forming. She peered up at his large face and before rubbing her muzzle in close, not caring that his scales roughed up her coat. His chest was warm and Twilight could hear his beating heart as she pressed her ear close.

Warden coughed gently before addressing the gathering, “As lovely as this is, we still need to work out how we’re going to do deal with thees arms dealers.” Warden waited until all those present gave him their full attention. “As I informed Spike before, I suspect that they will have saved their best ‘tools’ for themselves.”

Twilight felt a shiver of apprehension crawl down her spine at these words. The long shots had been bad enough, what else could the dubious unicorn brothers have cooked up? Her face grew grave once again as she looked back to Spike who was still embracing her in his massive arms.

“He’s right Spike we have no idea what’s we will be dealing with,” Twilight said in a wavering voice. She remembered how worried she’d been when Spike had nearly gotten badly hurt in the brief skirmish with the bandits. Twilight didn’t think she could go through that again.

With eyes full of concern Twilight turned to look at Night Dew who was still hanging from the tree, her face impassive, “Night Dew I want you to scout out the area for us: We need to know what we’re up against.”

Night Dew saluted as Twilight turned to Warden, “Warden, I thank you for your help so far in this matter. I would ask more of you but I understand if you wish to decline.”

Warden simply grinned, “Miss Twilight, how could I pass up a chance to see you in action once again? Plus if these ponies are making weapons that can harm dragons I want to know more about it.”

Twilight nodded thankfully before turning to Spike, “Spike; you are to wait with the other soldiers until the Bloomberg comes to collect you I......”

Spike snorted before letting go of Twilight and folding his arms, “Oh no Twilight, I’m not sitting this one out.”

Twilight’s ears droop, “Spike it could be dangerous and you could get hurt.”

Spike cocked an eyebrow, “And you’re untouchable yourself? What about Warden, or Night Dew for that matter? You’re going to let them go?”

Twilight felt her stomach lurch; Spike had a point even if she didn’t want to admit it. “Warden is a seasoned fighter and Night Dew is a professional soldier Spike, they know what they are doing.”

Spike narrowed his eyes, “I’m not a baby any more Twilight, I can help and Warden has been teaching me some tricks too.”

Twilight blinked, for a moment she saw the little dragon in her mind’s eye pouting about not being able to eat all the ice cream he wanted. As she opened her eyes once more Twilight realised just how dated that image was: Here was Spike before her nearly twice the size of warden, covered in natural armour and with natural weapons and she was worried about his safety.

But the chilling image of that metal round heading right for Spike’s eye loomed up once more and Twilight felt her blood run cold. He would always be her little ‘Spikey-Wikey’ no matter how big he got. She tried again with pleading in her voice, “Spike please I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Spike growled in reply, “And I don’t want you getting hurt either, but you’re still going.”

Twilight watched as Spike erected the spines along his back and head, a sure sign that he wasn’t going to back down and she felt her resolve crumble. Twilight felt the tiny voice of reason struggled to be heard. You can’t keep him locked away forever Twilight. As much as you want to keep him safe from all the bad things in the world, some day he’s going to have to stand on his own two feet.

Twilight felt deep down that this was the right thing to do, she just wished it hadn’t been today of all days. She took a deep breath before bowing her head in defeat, “Alright Spike, you’re right. It’s probably going to be dangerous, but it would be wrong of me to deny you the chance to help.”

Spike pouted, “No two ways about it Twi I’m....what?” His eyes went wide with astonishment and Twilight smiled sadly.

“Yes Spike, you can come, in fact we will probably need your help,” Twilight said in weary tone before looking sidelong at Warden. “I want you to keep him safe Warden,” She said, her voice heavy with worry.

Warden stared right back at Twilight before nodding his head in understanding, “Of course your highness, I will do my up most to see that the hatchling is safe.”

Satisfied Twilight turned back to Night Dew, or rather where Night Dew had been: The bat pony was gone. Twilight wasn’t surprised at all, knowing that Night Dew would already be carring out her orders. With nothing else for it she forced a smile, “Okay you two; while we wait for Dewy to return please tell me how come Spike can fly now?”

Fighting the Flam brothers.

Fighting the Flam brothers.

Night Dew crept along the edge of the ruined tower, crawling like a spider as she clung to the crumbling brickwork. Warden had been right; the Flim Flam brothers were exactly where the dragon said they would be.

The sun was making its gentle way down and in the deepening darkness Night Dew’s sharp eyes watched the pair of unicorns with riveted attention through a hole in the aged stones. She shifted her weight and settle into a better position; gripping tightly with all four hooves to watch her prey below.

Taking a moment to ensure the Flam brothers were oblivious to her, Night Dew crested the jagged edge of the dilapidated tower and began crawling her way along the inside of the wall. She paused in the deeper shadows of the tower’s interior and checked on the brothers below.

Both ponies were sitting either side of a small fire, rummaging and fussing over various boxes and small containers as a cooking pot bubbled eagerly between them. As Dew cast her keen eyes over the scene she saw two large objects covered in canvas sharing the space below..

A number of barred windows let in what little daylight which was left, the weak rays filtering around the rotten and perishing wooden beams and planks of the tower’s interior. A large metal door was securely bolted from the inside, while rubble and other cast of rubbish were heaped about the confined space.

The old guard post had long since been abandoned, being replaced by mobile observation nests of which Night Dew thoroughly approved. The lessons of her mentor Night Blade drifting back to now: Best way to watch somepony is if they don’t know you are. Night Dew grinned, the nature of security for Equestria was changing along with other developments in technology: With the return of Luna a more subtle era of law enforcement was becoming common place and Dew was right there in the middle of it.

She rummaged in her survival pack before producing one such invention and cradled the tiny object in the crook of her hoof. It resembled a tiny black gem mounted in dulled metal, delicately woven into crescent moon patterns. The device was so small it could easily be mistaken for a fly or small spot of dirt.

Night Dew quietly whispered an activation charm as she carefully attached the curious object to a weathered support beam holding up what was left of the wooden floor above her. The device clung to the crumbling wood and was enveloped by a fizzy haze before vanishing from sight completely.

She peered down and checked that the unicorns below were unaware of Dew's intrusion. Both wearing heavy overcoats which covered most of their bodies, but despite this Night Dew was sure she caught brief glimpses of metal dotted about their bodies. Both brothers looked the worse for wear; several scars and old burns colouring their naturally pale coats. Night Dew recognised mage tech replacements under their coverings, at least one of the pair supported a replacement hoof. Having seen enough, Night Dew made her careful way back along the uneven brickwork only to freeze as an angered voice called out from below.

“Hey you what are you doing!” The voice was nasal and irritating and Night Dew instantly took a disliking to it. Turning her head very slowly she looked down and confirmed her earlier suspicions as one pony turned a green glowing replacement eye on his fellow, half his face covered with metal.

“What you do you mean? I’m just dividing the provision in a fair manner Flam,” the second unicorn retorted. Night Dew felt her pounding heart slow; The two brothers were only arguing with each other. Still best best not push my luck. Night Dew waited, as the disagreement escalated below her.

“It’s my turn; you always save the best bits for yourself Flim,” Flam shouted angrily. Night Dew let out a controlled sigh of relief. Confident she remained undetected, Night Dew began slowly crawling her way down the wall. She wanted a better look at the mysterious objects under their coverings.

“What of it brother? You do the same when it’s your turn to divide dinner,” Flim snapped as he stirred the contents of the cooking pot with his magic.

Flam glared at Flim before crossing his hooves in a sulking manner and Night Dew had to suppress an urge to giggle despite their unnerving appearance. These two were the master minds behind the new weapons? It hardly seemed believable. Then again those long shots were no laughing matter Dewy, she reminded herself and refocused on the task at hoof.

Her steady progress took Night Dew to the tower’s base, where heaps of rubble and broken timbers had been shifted aside to make room for the canvas covered mounds. She quickly made use of such cover and made her way towards the large veiled objects. The smells of machine oil and and the faint tingle of magic began to creep over Dew as she drew closer, what ever these things may be, they were evidently powerful.

Night Dew drew close to the first bulky object. This one was big; at least the size of Spike Night Dew noted as she approached the bulky mass under its canvas shroud. Sparing a quick glance at the arguing brothers and confident they were still in heated debate, Night Dew pressed close to the first object.

She cautiously prodded the canvas and felt something hard and angular underneath. Night Dew’s curiosity peaked she traced the outline of whatever it was under the cloth. Some sort of fighting machine? Her questing hoof followed the shape until it lead down to the floor and the edge of the canvas. Dew carefully lifted the covering and the odour of machine oil and lubricants only increased.

Night Dew peered at a large metal wheel, similar to a train’s but intsteal of an inlaid guide rim it bore heavy duty treads lining its circumference. Dew was used to Twilight's inventions; sleek, shiny and pleasing to the eye: This ugly construct was mostly covered in battered sheet metal plating which was lined with rivets. No efforts had been made to hide its grim and oppressive nature.

Inquiring further Night Dew got the impression of a blocky-armoured cart, all sharp edges and graceless practicality. It would have been almost comical apart from the number of weapon mounts adorning the machine’s surfaces. These were bolted on haphazardly, taking little though for balance, like unpleasant growths bulging out of the frame. Dew saw clusters of long shots along with other stranger looking protrusions. These weapons were paired, tripled and even arranged in circular batteries, but that was nothing compared to the monstrous looking main barrel poking out the front of the machine.

Night Dew was just inspecting a much wider muzzle (more akin to a cannon which she could easily fit her whole head in) when suddenly her world filled with sound and light: A large lamp flashed on right in front of her face as a blaring horn sounded beside her sensitive ears. Dazzled and her head ringing from the sound, Night Dew bolted up wards her wings pumping as she sought to get away from this sudden assault.

As Night Dew shook her head and watched the dancing colours fade from her eyes, she was rewarded by the pair of unicorn brothers staring at her. Their faces wearing looks of shocked surprise; before turning to angered glares.

“Get her Flim!” Flam yelled over the din of blaring alarms. Both unicorns lit their horns and soon the air was filled with bright flashes of green energy. The startled Night Dew only just managed to duck and weave the first volley, her world still spinning from the shock initial shock.

Regaining her bearings, Night Dew continued to weave and dance her way through the sudden spray of magical bolts. Desperately Dew launched herself at the hole in the wall she had climbed in through before, only to see a green barrier envelope it and throw her back with little arcs of power causing her coat to stand on end.

“Well, well looks like we have a little 'night bird' sneaking about the place Flim,” Flam said in an ugly voice, obviously enjoying the sudden turn in situation.

“Indeed brother, we can’t be having her tell others of our little hide out now can we?” Flim responded in a mocking tone.

Night Dew continued to avoid the sizzling bolts coming her way, a few nicking her and leaving stinging welts on her wings and side. Thinking fast, Night Dew pressed a hoof into her pack and produced a number of small spheres before throwing them towards the fire in the centre of the room.

With a ‘pock-pock’ only just heard over the continued blaring horn, the room quickly filled with dense grey smoke and coughing from the unicorns below. Right that should buy me some... Night Dew thought to herself before a truly aimed bolt of magic struck her dead in the wing.

Wincing with pain, Night Dew felt herself tumble down, landing heavily on something hard and bouncing with a crack that sent a shooting pain along her already wounded wing. The world spun for a moment and Night Dew blearily glanced about, only to see the ominous green glow through the smoky haze.

Gritting her teeth tightly through the fiery agony her wing had become Night Dew watched the green glow approach through the haze. Mercifully the angry alarms shut off, but Night Dew was then treated to the unpleasant laughter of Flim and Flam, “See brother, every loss turned into an opportunity”.

Wincing Night Dew saw Flim tapping his metal face plate through the smoke as he drew closer, a look of zealous mockery in his one good eye while the replacement regarded the fallen bat pony coldly.

As the smoke slowly cleared Night Dew was keenly aware that she was trouble now and silently cursed her over confidence. her captor's wicked grins only widened as Flam produced a length of rope. With smug certainty the unicorn bound Night Dew’s hooves, chuckling the whole time.

“Well little ‘birdie’, what brings you all the way out here hmmm?” Flim asked in a gloating manner. Night Dew gritted her teeth, butand simply glared at the pair.

Flim studied Night Dew with a grin, “Perhaps you wanted to see our marvelous inventions?”

Flim nodded to his brother, who with another flash of magic unveiled the two machines proudly. Night Dew took the moment of distraction to whisper something very quietly and the small device she had planted on the ceiling briefly glowed...

“Okay, so what you’re telling me is that all dragons use magic to fly and not just their wings?” Twilight concluded and Warden clapped enthusiastically.

“That is correct princess, using similar properties to say a pegasus whose natural magic allows them to control weather. They can do it easily, once shown how,” Warden explained.

Twilight nodded in understanding, “And there have been no willing dragons to come and teach Spike until now?” She turned and grimaced at Spike who was gathering the last few branches. He arranged them to form a simple campfire and Twilight grinned sheepishly as she watched, “I’m so sorry Spike; I should have thought to ask about your wings sooner. All this time you could have been....”

Warden waved a dismissive claw, “Trust me Miss Sparkle, it would have been far harder to convince another dragon to teach Spike to fly than you think. I am only here because you have friends in some very high places.”

Twilight made a mental note to thank princess Luna once again and beamed at Spike who was completing the finishing touches to their camp fire. He studied the collection critically for a moment before with the tiniest of effort set it ablaze.

Twilight gratefully huddled in close as the dwindling day made way for the colder night. The smell of frost was heavy in the air and Twilight felt her nose 'burn' as the cold air flowed into her lungs. Spike laid down on his stomach, resting his head on his hands and watched the fire burn merrily while Warden lounged opposite.

“What do you think Dewy will find?” Spike asked the question bouncing around Twilights head.

“I don’t know Spike, but I’m sure it’s nothing she can’t cope with,” Twilight assured him. He watched the fire with a distracted gaze and Twilight noted the change that had come over younger brother, he held himself differently now. Out in the wilds, away from the hustle and bustle of pony lands he seemed more at home. Calmer and more confident. A very different dragon from the embarrassed Spike who always seemed so out of place around the tiny ponies Ponyville.

All three of them sat in silence for a while, only the sounds of the crackling fire along with the gentle breeze to be heard. Twilight felt her thoughts shift. She could very easily imagine a number of bad things that could be made by a pony with the right know how and questionable morality. Images of Night Dew being hurt in a variety of unpleasant ways flashed through her mind.

Ever since she had first seen those long shots Twilight had a sinking sense in her stomach that there was worse to come. Warden’s doom mongering didn't help at all. It was like magic she realised, or any power for that matter. It could be used for good or ill, it depended on who was using it.

Twilight thought back to her encounter with the bandits before, how angry she had been. What would she have done if Spike had been hurt? The question wouldn’t leave Twilight in peace and she had another flash of respect for the Royal Pony sisters. For all intents and purposes they were god like, wielding the very powers of the sun and moon respectively. How hard it must be for beings such as them to know when and when not to use their magic? The temptation must be enormous.

Twilight glanced at Warden, who from the stories of Whisper and the history of dragons seemed to be battling with the very same problem. Dragons were mighty beasts, massively long lived and powerful enough to crush whole towns by themselves.

She looked back to Spike and understood he was growing into a powerful being himself, would any of them stand the tests of time? Would they be remembered for the good or the bad they did? These were all questions that Twilight simply didn’t have answers to.

It was all too easy to see the potential disasters waiting to happen, Luna's time as Nightmare Moon being a prime example. Twilight shuddered and not just with the cold air as night fell properly, the sun sinking below the horizon. “I think that....” Twilight began when a tinny voice caused them all to jump:

“Okay little night bird, you are going to tell us who sent you and why,” Twilight looked about in confusion, quickly followed by Spike and Warden who looked just as surprised.

“Bright Spark sent me, she was worried you would back out of our deal,” Twilight’s brow creased as Night Dew’s strained voice sounded out, still bearing the distorted quality as the first speaker.

Tilting her ears this way and that Twilight listening carefully, there was quiet once more. She was just about to believe that the stress was getting to her when the first voice called again, “I see, you hear that brother? Our business partner doesn’t trust us.”

To their mounting befuddlement the voices seemed to be coming from Spike who looked over his shoulder as Night Dew’s pained tones sounded out, “Well why should she? Those weapons you sold her were defective! One blew up last week when one of the colts tried to fire it.”

The sounds of snorting laughter emanated from Spike was now spinning around and around like a dog chasing its tail. Twilight could have laughed at the sight, if Night Dew’s next words didn’t fill her with dread, “Spark said it was the last time she would deal with the Flim Flam brothers.”

Twilight didn’t know how Night Dew was doing this, but somehow they were hearing a conversation between the Night Guard and the Flim Flam brothers. The strange sound of the arms dealers laughing resounded arounf the clearing, only this time Warden pounced on the frantic Spike and with delicate care removed a small black something from Spike’s shoulder.

Warden held it up between two claws as the voices of Flim or Flam called out, “And where else will your boss get her weapons from? We’re the only ponies who make such fine quality devices. Plus Bright Spark knew the risks when we sold them to her, did she get cold hooves huh?” The scorn was evident even from here.

“Well holding me here in this ruined tower isn’t going to cheer her up either,” Night Dew said and Twilight began to understand the situation. Anger blossomed like an exploding firework in her core: Flim and Flam had captured Night Dew, she was in trouble.

Night Dew replied and Twilight could her the edge of pain in her tone, “Bright wants the real deal this time, Bright sent me to see what other wears you have: like that big armoured cart, the one the size of a dragon or that flying thing you have here, they look the business.”

The amused laughter of Flim and Flam replied from the little black gem in Warden’s claws, “Oh they are not for sale I’m afraid bat pony.”

Twilight’s eyes burned with fire, “We need to go, now.” Taking a moment to douse the fire she gave both Warden and Spike a determined look, “In fact we need to be there now: I’ll go on ahead, meet me there.”

Without even waiting for a response, Twilight’s horn glowed and she spread her wings, a glaring fire surrounded Twilight and then she was gone. The two dragons were left staring at a circular scorch mark on the ground where she had been.

“Well you heard the Princess hatchling, we’d best be on our way,” Warden said with relish. Spike paused for a moment as Warden unfurled his own wings and with a few steady beats lifted off the ground and soared into the night sky.

Spike looked to the burnt ring and smouldering embers of the fire before launching himself into the air and quickly chased after the older dragon.

Night Dew glared at the Flam brothers as they continued to gloat, and explain every detail of their war machines. Flim had triumphantly unveiled the armoured cart, showing off the various design points, while Flam seemed just as eager to show Dew his flying machine. Both contraptions were bedecked with weapons and gizmos of ridiculous sizes, and Night Dew was struck once again at how silly the brothers were. They were busy bragging about how stupendous (Their words, not Dew’s) these weapons were.

Flim's cart was a slab sided beast, all angular metal plates bolted on at slanting angles which enclosed the main body of the creation. A large bore cannon was mounted on a turret atop the cart, while a number of weapon batteries adorned almost every free surface. It seemed Flim favoured durability.

Flam's craft was just as overly flamboyant at his brothers, but was focused on speed instead. The whole machine seemed to be a collection a large engines surrounding a central caged balloon. This wasn't to say that the airship lacked weapons of its own and Night Dew could clearly make out clusters of long shot barrels covering almost any free space as well.

If Night Dew had been in charge she wouldn’t still be breathing right now, thinking like the criminal was one of her strong points and she almost cringed at how careless these two were being. Every moment she was alive and listening to their prattle Night Dew was drawing conclusion and weaknesses in the designs. True they didn’t know that every word they were saying was being fed back to Spike and more importantly Twilight. Thank Luna these two aren’t as good strategists as builders.

“Now you see how the pivot mounts here hold the impressive collections of weapons and how the main barrel of the cannon can spin right around on the turret,” Flim explained excitedly.

Flam not to be out done it seemed, fought for Night Dew’s attention, “That’s all fine and dandy brother of mine, but where the real edge comes from is being able to soar above your enemy! See how my machine carries these bomb clusters, along with enough shot to fill the sky with metal to counter any other flier out there!”

Night Dew seemed to be completely forgotten by this point as both unicorns seemed determined to prove their creation was superior to the others. She sat quietly and let them argue, all the while working at her bonds. If there was one thing the Flam brothers were good at it was knots.

So absorbed were the pair in their argument that both failed to notice the bright flash which shone around the door for a moment. They were still into debating the finer details of power distribution when the door began to glow red hot at its centre and Night Dew grinned. Help had arrived.

The incandescent form of an enraged Twilight Sparkle was soon framed by the rapidly melting door before finally Flim and Flam turned about. It was a memory Night Dew would cherish as both ponies paled before the wrath of the Princess.

“Flim, Flam, you are hereby under arrest for illegal arms trading,” Twilight announced her mane aflame and her eyes glowing a furious red.

The two unicorns glanced at each other and as one shouted, “Blow that!” With a turn of speed borne of terror both ponies bolted for their respective machines. Twilight hurled a magical beam at the fleeing pair and to Night Dew’s amazement it crackled off a green barrier surrounding the two armoured constructs.

Flim and Flam hadn’t been completely boasting about their weapons it seemed and both the vehicles growled into angry life as Twilight sent further bolts of magic, only for them to crackle off the green barrier which shook under the impacts. The side mounted long shots either side of Flim’s armoured cart swiveled to point at Twilight before with a further glow of power began spitting a rapid hail of metal slugs directly at the princess.

Twilight narrowed her eyes and a glowing purple barrier of her own arose, causing the projectiles to melt on contact with tiny flashes. Not waiting for further rounds to strike, Twilight hurled another bolt of arcane power at the machines, only to have it absorbed by a glowing green energy field.

The weapons continued to unleash a torrent of slugs from their barrels, all the while the crazed laughter of Flim was projected from loud hailers mounted on the cart’s roof. Night Dew watched as Twilight took a step back under the punishing volley, her barrier crackling and shimmering as her eyes became fiery slits in her angry face.

With this distraction, Flam was able to get his ship airborne. The small airship floated ponderously for a moment before it angled a large calibre turret at the wall ahead of it. With a flash, a ball of magical force slammed into what was left of the ruined wall and caused it to explode outwards in a shower of masonry.

Night Dew was forced to roll (hooves still bound) to avoid the tumbling stones and in the brief moment of confusion she lost sight of Twilight. As the rain of rock ceased, Dew lifted her head to peer over a block and saw that Twilight was forced to re-angle her own barrier to deflect the lethal rain.

As a result the constant churning rounds from Flim’s weapons found a few weak points, passing through Twilight’s magic to zip past the alicorn’s head. Flam’s flying machine sailed out into the night air and began circling back around to line up another shot with its main weapon.

Twilight’s glowing form vanished as another crackling ball of emerald energy was unleashed, this time from Flim’s armoured cart and Night Dew feared the worst. As the smoke from the ensuing explosion cleared all that was left was a steaming crater surrounded by blackened grass and Night Dew’s heart twisted.

The demented laughter of both brothers resounded about the battle scene as they congratulated themselves on a job well done. It was then to Dew’s relief that further fiery purple projectiles began to rain down upon both vehicles.

Night Dew turned her stinging eyes skyward where a new miniature sun had appeared. Twilight was safe and vented her anger by hurling searing bolts of power down on both machines. Yet again the green barriers flared with the impacts, but Flam’s protection blinked before winking out. Several molten spears hammered into his flying machine which began to glow red hot around the points of impact.

The fight wasn’t over yet though as Flim once again tracked Twilight with his long shot batteries. Solid rounds filled the air and peppered the magical globe the Princess had surrounded herself with. Night Dew watched as Flam’s flying machine limped away, smoke leak from its sides. She had never seen Twilight ever fight with such ferocity before.

Flim’s cart burst from the disintegrating watch tower, its heavy metal wheels grinding the fallen stone as it heaved itself out into the world outside and Night Dew found herself alone in the rapidly collapsing tower which shuddered and tumbled all around her.

She was forced to roll aside as splintering wood and cracked stone fell before crying out as a chunk struck her flank. Really not my day today, Night Dew thought as she gritted her teeth against the pain.

She looked up to see Twilight rolling and diving to avoid the continual shot flying past her before she focused a continuous lance of magical power that hammered Flim’s shield causing it to tremble. To Night Dew’s satisfaction the barrier surrounding Flim’s cart stuttered and then winked out with a snap.

The concentrated flow of power then proceeded to slice through the barrel of the main cannon on the cart which exploded with a ball of green fire. Night Dew just had time to cheer, when the much abused roof of the tower finally gave way and an unavoidable avalanche of rock and splintering timber fell down towards the valiant pony.

Dew saw it coming and closed her eyes, not wishing to see the end as it rushed down towards her. She felt a heavy thud shake the floor, but to her astonishment Night Dew was alive. The pony opened one streaming eye and saw the massive form of Spike looming over her. The dragon had caught the falling rock and now had it braced upon his mighty shoulders.

Night Dew smiled up at Spike, thankfulness plastered across her muzzle, “Wow big guy I owe you one.” Spike’s own snout sprouted a smile of his own.

“Well let’s just call it even huh?” His muscles stood out on his huge arms as Spike took a grunting step to the side and let the weight fall off his shoulders. This done he reached down and carefully picked up Night Dew in his large claws, who winced as her wing and rear leg reminded her just how she was hurt.

Night Dew let herself be carried from the tower which completed its final stages of dissolution in a spreading cloud of dust and debris, before resting her head against Spike’s barrel chest, “Thanks Spike, you’re my hero you know that?” Even though her tone was jovial, Night Dew meant every word. Spike blushed and Night Dew couldn’t hold in a laugh as the crimson warmth spread across his scaled snout before wincing once again, feeling her side ache.

The concerned face of Spike drifted in and out of focus as Night Dew felt the events of the last hour catching up with her, “Just going to have a little rest, think you can handle it from here?”

It was Spike’s turn to chuckle and Night Dew blearily looked back to Twilight who was still lighting up the night sky like a star that had fallen from orbit, “Way to go Princess...”

Night Dew grinned, but as her world began to darken a she saw Flam’s flying machine heading right for Twilight. Dew wanted to call out a warning, but her mouth felt like it was full of dough. The last image she saw was of a dark comet streaked up out of the surrounding trees and slam Twilight out of the way. Warden sent Twilight spiralling away as the heavy, smoking form of Flam’s fighting machine collided with the noble dragon and engulfed him in an expanding ball of green fire.

Consequences of Courage.

Consequences of Courage.

The impact drove the air from Twilight’s lungs and her world spun, rolling over and over as she tumbled downwards. One moment she had been channelling her anger fuelled spear of magic to slice apart the battle cart below; next Twilight was sent spinning as something hit her from the side.

Dragging in a lungful of soot-stained air, Twilight halted her descending spiral and came about to face this new threat. She was rewarded with a bright green flash, quickly followed by a buffeting pressure wave that threatened to knock her out of the sky.

Muscles straining, Twilight held her ground through the onset even as she shielded her eyes from the bright light. An expanding cloud of emerald fire dominated the skyline and Twilight watched as debris fell all around, trailing tails of smoke.

It was then that she saw a far larger castoff drop out of the inferno and Twilight’s hoof shot to her mouth. A roughly dragon shaped outline; wreathed in flames spun down towards the awaiting ground. Twilight’s heart turned to ice as she realised what must have struck her from the side and she screamed out in horror, “Spike nooooo!”

The drawn out cry followed Twilight all the way as she snapped her wings close and dived down in a frantic effort to catch the falling dragon. Pulling on her magic Twilight desperately tried to cast a spell, any spell that would slow the drake’s decent.

The spell came to late however and the reptile still covered in green fire crashed into a nearby tree; throwing branches and leaves out in a flurry of burning shrapnel. he then collided with the ground with a bone shaking impact.

Tears streaming out behind her Twilight completed her dive, skidding along the uneven ground of the forest floor and leaving a smouldering trail in her wake. The glowing radiance of her anger winked out as Twilight galloped towards the downed dragon.

Curling wisps of smoke drifted skywards from the crater, only to be snatched away buy the now roaring blaze that the local trees had become. The forest was burning, and with far more fierce flames than the previous conflicts had caused. The trees were consumed by emerald and golden fire in equal measure.

Twilight reached the lip of the crater and felt the heat emanating from it. She was forced to take a step back and felt the hairs of her coat begin to curl in the powerful thermal haze. Coughing, Twilight ignited her horn once again and surrounded herself in a protective barrier. The blistering heat faded as the spell did its work and Twilight bounded forward, nothing was going to stop her from reaching Spike.

The sprawled form of a dragon lay smouldering at the base of the crater, chunks of burning wood and mangled roots decorating the ‘v’ shaped furrow carved into the ground and Twilight called out in fear, “Spike! Spike! Please be okay!”

The seemingly impossible happened as Twilight heard Spike’s deep voice call out from behind her, “I’m okay Twilight!” The panting princess paused for a moment as confusion overcame her need to save Spike, before a croaky voice called out weakly from the mound at the centre of the crater.

“The hatchling if fine Miss Sparkle, and I’m glad to see you are too.” The pained rasp of Warden filtered through Twilight’s confusion and she finally understood what had truly happened.

With her voice a quite whisper, Twilight edged closer to the fallen dragon and tears ran down her cheeks in rivulets, “Warden? You...you saved me?”

The dark dragon raised his head slowly, one clawed hand covering an eye. There were gashes in his tough hide and though they were hard to make out through the soot which covered his black and purple scales from snout to tail. Warden forced a smile before replying, “I couldn’t let you have all the fun your highness.”

There was another distant explosion and Twilight snapped her head around as she spread her wings aggressively, fearing some new trick from Flim and Flam. Her stance relaxed as Twilight understood that the remains of the armed airship completed its journey to the ground and smashed into the forest with another resounding impact.

“Twilight! Twi.....” Spike’s head crested the crater’s lip and his voice trailed off as he beheld the scene below him.

The look of anguish on her brother’s face mirrored her own as Spike saw the sorry state Warden was in. Spike lumbered over the rim and Twilight saw that he gingerly carried Night Dew in the crook of his powerful arm.

The bat pony’s face was a battle ground of its own, as 'smile' and 'pained' grimace fought for control of her muzzle. Twilight was no expert, but the tender way her friend held her leg and wing told the alicorn that Night Dew was hurt pretty badly.

The fire in her soul began to kindle once again as Twilight glared towards the now ablaze forest. So much destruction and all for what? Her rising fury was deflected as the sounds of shifting earth called her attention back to Warden.

He was slowly trying to push himself to his feet, but with one hand pressed over his right eye that left his other forearm to take the weight. As Warden tried to arise the arm buckled and a pained hiss escaped the normally stoic dragon before he fell down again.

“I tell you what, heroics aren’t all they are cracked up to be,” Warden snarled out before trying again with a similar result. Twilight moved over to him to offer her help but Warden glared at her with his one visible eye, his amethyst pupil filled with pain. “I am quite capable of picking myself up your highness,” Warden grunted before stumbling once again.

Twilight’s ears pressed down and she looked to Spike who shrugged before speaking in a reassuring tone, “Warden, you’re hurt.” Her eyes welled up again even as her voice grew stern, “You were hurt protecting me, at least let me help you up.”

Warden snarled as once again as he failed to push himself up. His wings were a tattered mess and Twilight didn’t like the way he clutched his face like that. Warden lay on the ground and panted, wincing with each breath. After a long moment he nodded his head slowly and Twilight carefully braced her shoulder under his, finally enabling the dragon to get to his feet.

Twilight’s gaze worked its way along Warden’s underside, which now revealed to be just as battered and scored as his back and her heart trembled, “Warden, thank you...”

Warden waved her thanks away only to wince and clench at his injured wrist. In the brief moment he uncovered his face Twilight saw a deep slash across Warden’s right eye and gasped, “Your eye!”

Warden hurriedly replaced his good hand over his face before forcing another smile, “Nothing to worry about Miss Sparkle.” The Dragon’s tone was dismissive, but Twilight knew she heard the undercurrent of unease there.

The forest all around was well ablaze and Night Dew coughed as the smoke began to drift over them in thick clouds. Twilight quickly used her magic and the injured mare was soon encased in her own protective bubble. That was when the weariness struck Twilight as the toll of the last few days began to make itself felt.

Her limbs ached, he head was full of mist and her horn throbbed from the exertions she had placed upon it. Twilight was powerful yes, but not beyond the touch of mortality even as an alicorn. It had been some time since Twilight needed to push herself to such an extent and even her impressive reserves were failing.

“Well I guess we hunker down here until this all blows over right?” Night Dew said glumly as the forest blazed all around them.

Twilight nodded slowly as the small cuts and bruises of the fight began to announce themselves one by one: The adrenaline of the battle slowly seeping out of her system before handing her its bill. She swayed visibly and just before Twilight’s eyes rolled up into her head Spike darted forward to catch her.

She drifted into blessed sleep. The four huddled together in the depression made by Warden’s fall to earth and waited for the flames to exhaust themselves. Twilight therefore missed the light smattering of rain that began to fall.

“I don’t care if yer have to search the whole rotten forest, yer keep lookin until we find them,” Applebloom berated Blerio, her muzzle pressed firmly against the wilting Griffon’s beak.

The very moment Applebloom felt the Bloomberg was airworthy she had ordered the airship to take off and head for Hayseed Forest with all speed. The ship was soon met by a number of returning airborne scouts, from Twilight’s rescue party.

Applebloom had waited with fidgeting hooves as reports filtered in about the ongoing personal war Twilight was waging against the bandits found there. Her heart a soared as she heard the tales of Twilight rescuing the prisoners (many of which were now holed up on the Bloomberg) and how she’d shown those bandits what for. Now there was only silence.

It seemed that Twilight had taken it into her head to go after the arms dealers, without letting anypony know where she was going and Applebloom was worried for her. Twilight had been furious when she found out that ponies were making weapons and Applebloom was worried she would do something foolish.

“Come on Twi, where you at?” Applebloom whispered quietly to herself as the bridge crew went about their duties. She stared at the forest canopy below, willing it to give her some clue as to where the princess was. The woods didn’t cooperate however and left Applebloom grinding her teeth.

“I am sure they will be fine Dame Bloom, the Princesse had both dragons with her and Dame Dew,” Belrio’s attempts to assure Applebloom being only half heard as she studied the surrounding forest intently.

Applebloom’s temper finally snapped, “Does anypony bother ter report back these days! It ain’t like Big.D ter dive off without thinkin like that!” She stomped her hoof and left a slight dent on the bridge floor, causing a number of crew to crouch down in their seats.

Their nervous eyes watched the chief engineer wander from one view port to another, grumbling to herself the whole time. The crew had been tense since Twilight had left taking every flight capable citizen with her and Applebloom’s mood reflected this in no uncertain terms.

Applebloom was oblivious to the anxious glances the bridge crew shared with each other as she returned to stare out of the main view screen. Dusk was fast approaching and as the light dimmed Applebloom feared that a difficult task was about to get even harder. Deep in her gut she knew something was wrong.

“Dame Bloom, I think you should see this,” Blerio’s urgent call snapped Applebloom out of her pondering and the engineer’s ears pricked up.

She trotted her way to the griffon’s side and followed a pointed claw, “What yer got Blerio?” Applebloom felt the vague fear crystallise as she saw the bright flash off in the distance; its brief green glow, half concealed by the surrounding trees.

“I don’t know madam, but you wanted me to inform you if there was anything of note,” Blerio’s responded as yet another flash lit up the forest.

Applebloom paused for only a moment before bellowing her orders, “Take us closer Blerio!” She felt the deck tilt slightly as the Bloomberg changed its course. The crew all felt the tug of acceleration and the airship picked up speed. Further flashes, glowing pale lavender began to mingle with their emerald counterparts.

“That’s Twi or I’m a turkey cloggin an air intake,” Appleboom muttered as a collective gasp sounded around the bridge.

The scene before them was lit by the brightest flash yet before a large clump of trees burst into green flame that burned ferociously. A muffled ‘crumph’ rang out, quickly followed by a trembling in the deck as the shock wave hit the Bloomberg.

“What in the hay?” Applebloom grumbled before Blerio let out a string of curse words. A large number of trees had simply exploded upwards, fragments of charred bark thrown into the air as another tremor shook the deck.

“Dame Bloom, I see dragons,” Blerio shouted and she saw he was correct; two dragons had broken the cover of the trees, soaring with powerful beats of their wings before they circled about and dived down once again. The gathering dark made it hard to make them out, but Applebloom was sure she recognised the heavy set form of Twilight’s adoptive brother.

“By Celestia’s shiny slippers, I think that’s Spike flyin out there!” Applebloom’s voice was tinged with wonder, despite her anxiety. She took in the green flames quickly devouring the forest below and jumped to a hasty conclusion, “Quick get the pegasi up n out there, I don’t know why but they need our help!”

The crew froze and Applebloom snorted in irritation, “What ya’ll waitin for!”

As one they turned to Blerio who nodded, keenly aware who Twilight had left in charge, “You heard the Dame Bloom, get to it!” The shocked stillness broke and the crew rushed to their tasks, familiar hours of training falling (if a little sloppily) into place.

Another shout came from Applebloom’s left, “We have another flier Captain!”

She watched as Blerio’s sharp eyes peered outwards before he commented in disapproval, “My, that is an ugly thing.”

Applebloom was inclined to agree; the smaller craft was leaking smoke and sparking terribly. Whatever had happened to it wasn’t kind in its attentions. It was speeding away from the ongoing fight below and Applebloom found her attention drawn back to the flashes of light once again.

There was another crash, but this time it sounded like falling masonry. The engineer spotted a rising plume of dust off to one side of the conflict before more trees burst into flames, “Sounds like a right ruckus down there; where are those pegasi!” Applebloom bellowed.

“Preparing to launch now Dame Bloom, but there seems to be a problem with the flight bay doors,” Blerio informed Applebloom in a despondent tone.

She let loose an exasperated groan, “Fine, if yer want summit done right....” Applebloom bolted from the bridge and pounded her way along the corridors to the flight decks.

Pushing past frantic maintenance crews Pipsqueak forced his way onto the heaving launch decks. The rescued prisoners had been stowed here and now it became apparent how a stupid idea that had been.

Pegasi and griffons fussed about, doing their best to get suited up and ready for the mission, but everything was a mess. Crates, along with bed rolls covered the area and now confound it all the hanger bay doors had jammed. “Oh boss is gonna kill me,” Pip mumbled as he frantically worked the mechanism with a heavy wrench.

Not all the systems on the Bloomberg had recovered from their little 'pest problem' and now they were paying the price of rushing in. The feed cables had been chewed through so when the deck officers had called for the door to open nothing had happened.

Pip hauled with all his strength and he felt the stubborn mechanics begin to yield, “That’s a boy, keep it going!”

The hatch to outside squealed as it slowly began to rise and the sweat poured off Pip’s muzzle as he continued to pull on the tool with all his might, “Almost got it.....” The smell of fire and ash flooded into the bay, causing a number of the refugees to chatter in nervous panic.

Just as Pip thought he’d forced the door into submission it locked up once more, his wrench came free and with the sound of shearing metal Pip tumbled to the decking with a grunt. Blinking the stars away from his vision, Pip saw the wrench had sheared off the locomotive pin and to his sinking despair he saw the door was barely a quarter open.

Muttered grumbling escaped from the now waiting air-force and Pip felt the scowls of their disapproval upon him. The uneasy refugees had finally been cleared from the deck and only the door blocked the team's progress progress. Pip forced an apologetic grin onto his muzzle, “Sorry team I.....”

Something metallic flew past Pip’s head and the viewing window off to his right exploded outwards; causing the stallion to jump before the angry shout from Applebloom sounded around the flight bay, “Right, yer got a door now so get yer feathered behinds out there!”

Without awaiting further encouragement the flight teams raced to the new opening and soared out into the dusk air, lit by continued flashes from below. Pip just simply stared at Applebloom in utter astonishment, his eyes wide and mouth hanging slack.

Applebloom cocked an eyebrow at the stunned stallion, “We can fix window Pip, but Twi needs our help: Remember that ponies are always more important than machines.” She spun around before marching her way off the flight deck with a few parting orders, “Get that door workin fer when they get back Pip!”

He found his eyes lingering on her shapely flank before quickly coughing and busied himself with sorting the jammed hatch; trying his best to ignore the poorly hidden chuckles from the rest of the work crews.

He tackled the problem with renewed vigour. Pip laid down flat on the decking and thrust his trusty wrench into the door mechanism once more. Out of the corner of his eye Pipsqueak saw that the forest below them was fully ablaze, ash and cinders were dancing in the hot current being thrown up by the flames.

His view was limited but he managed to catch a glimpse of the battle raging outside: Lances of green and purple magic were flashing back and forth, misses causing trees to ignite and further fires to spread.

The sweating stallion locked the wrench onto the protesting piston and pushed with all his strength. The sounds of explosions and crackling spears of magic were soon joined by the drawn out screech as the hatch once again began to shift.

Pipsqueak was just congratulating himself on a job well done when another burst of movement from outside grabbed his attention. A particularly bright flash turned out to be a glowing pony that could only be an alicorn.

The door momentarily forgotten Pip watched as a new star floated in the air, glowing with fierce brightness. The pony was surrounded by a shimmering barrier of power and to stallion’s dismay he saw that glowing projectiles were hammering it with unrelenting fury. Each impact caused jagged flares of purple lightning to dance across the shield’s surface.

It was a sight of wonder and horror and Pipsqueak felt his jaw fall open again as the glowing pony rained further beams of arcane might upon an ugly looking vehicle that, in return, continued to hammer the Princess from the inferno below.

Pipsqueak’s heart swelled with pride as the pony (which had to be Twilight) channelled another magical blast downwards. He cheered as the green energy enveloping the attacker below burst like a huge bubble and arcane spears of light sliced through it armour.

“You show them Princess!” Pip yelled out, causing a number of fellow deck-hooves to jump in surprise.

The cheer was just fading when Pip felt his bones turn to ice as another aircraft, leaking black smoke and sparks, careened directly for the distracted Twilight. Pipsqueak yelled again; but this time in futile warning as the metal contraption closed the distance.

If Twilight heard his cry she didn’t respond and Pipsqueak watched helplessly as the craft connected with the Princess’ shield. He was just about to cover his eyes, not wishing to see what came next when the dark shape of a dragon dived downwards and thrust the glowing alicorn to safety.

Pip’s relief was short lived as the brave drake was surrounded by a green inferno. He groaned and finally allowed his eyes to close in defeat. What felt like hours passed before he could look again and Pip was greeted by the forlorn image of Twilight racing down to try and catch the tumbling dragon who had saved her.

He could see that Twilight wasn’t going to make in time and Pipsqueak felt his ears flatten as the pair disappeared below the still burning trees and they were lost to his sight. Tears of grief running down his cheeks Pip gave one final heave on his wrench (silently daring it to resist this time) while crying out in anger. The door held for a moment before screeching open and Pipsqueak threw his tool away in frustration.

With his task completed Pipsqueak lay there on the deck, feeling the creeping claws of guilt begin to ensnare his heart. Why hadn’t he checked the door systems? Maybe if he had..... Pip shook his head, how could he have known this would happen?

Shaking himself down Pip got to his hooves and leaned out of the now open hatch. He searched the scene below for any sign of Twilight or the brave dragon he’d seen, but all he saw was burning forest.

His heart feeling like a lead weight in his chest Pip watched as the pegasi and griffons filled the air around the Bloomberg. A refreshing breeze sprung up and the stallion peered upwards to see that the pegasi were massing cloud cover over the blaze below. The first splashes of water began to fall and heard them ‘panging’ off the metal hull of the ship.

The weight of rain steadily increased and soon a deluge was pouring down, causing the flames below to hiss. Even as the fire began to die back both pegasi and griffons dived as close as they dared before spreading out across the forest below.

Applebloom stared about the utter devastation, holding a magical lantern in her teeth as she scoured the land for any clues. A huge swathe of the Hayseed Forest had become a blasted and charred wasteland. The infor that had torn through the land hadn’t been natural and had taken far more than just water to extinguish.

The pegasi had done their best, dumping as much water they could on the forest but it had taken the addition unicorns on the Bloomberg accompanied by the other magically inclined passengers to finally stop the flames.

What was left was a charred ruin and Applebloom felt her soul aching at the sight of it. Dead hissing wood surrounded her and the ground was marred by large craters that pooled the rain in ash choked sumps.

She had thought the first battle ground had been harrowing, but this was another order of magnitude all together. Volunteers from the Bloomberg were carefully searching the aftermath for any signs of Twilight or those with her with a forced hopefulness, but Applebloom secretly feared the worst.

Rumours had spread almost as fast as the now extinguished flames; some ponies said Twilight had been killed in a collision and others that she had been attacked by Warden. The conflicting reports passed back and forth and Applebloom suspected that the truth wouldn’t be known until they found the Princess.

As Applebloom searched about she found a miraculously preserved flower, the delicate blossom was nestled under a scorched overhang of soil where a once beautiful tree had met its end. The sight allowed a small amount of hope to filter back into her heart, “Come on Twi where.....”

Someone cried out and Applebloom snapped her head up, the flower forgotten. She saw a frantically waving griffon signaling with a lantern and without pause Applebloom galloped towards it. She was forced to leap over still smouldering branches and duck under toppled boughs before she skidded to a stop.

Applebloom followed the frantically pointing claw of the brown griffoness and saw instantly what had caught her attention. A scaled tale sticking out from under a particularly large fallen tree that covered a deep impression in the ground. It was soot stained and scuffed, but she instantly recognised the purple hues of Spike’s scales under all that.

“Spike, Spike!” Applebloom shouted in a mixture of relief and fear.

Not pausing Applebloom slid down the steep incline and shone her lantern in the hollow made by the fallen tree. The gloom receded and she caught sight of Spike’s green eyes watching her in the reflected light.

Applebloom almost cried as the darkness in her heart began to lift, “Spike are you okay?”

Spike only grunted and tilted his head upwards and Applebloom saw why; his huge shoulders were braced against the scorched wood of the tree, his wings spread out protectively to make a small shelter under them. As Applebloom peered closer she saw the grinning face of Night Dew watching her.

“Hi A.B, think you could get some help to shift that trunk, Spike’s must have been holding it for hours now,” Night Dew’s croaky voice broke into a fit of furious coughing and Applebloom indeed saw that Spike was trembling with effort.

The sounds of help arriving behind her filled the mare with joy and soon a whole crowd of ponies were heaving on the fallen tree. Applebloom mucking in with the rest of them, straining her shoulders even as Pipsqueak ensured support beams were brought in.

Eventually Spike let out an exhausted groan and let his shoulders relax before Applebloom smiled up at his sweating face, “Well done big guy.” Her face fell as she looked back to Night Dew, the bat pony was in a bad way; it looked like her back leg was broken at least, never mind the various scrapes and singed patches of coat.

Spike visibly trembled as he backed slowly out from under the massive trunk that covered their safe haven from the flames. The Spike took great care to carry Night Dew out, holding the mare delicately in the crook of his arm though she winced with every jolt of the dragon’s motion.

As Spike cleared the hole Applebloom caught sight of Twilight out cold further in. She was scuffed and grazed just like Night Dew and for one terrible moment Applebloom thought she was dead. But she saw the slow rise and fall of Twilight’s side and once again the engineering pony felt her heart start again.

Applebloom edged closer, Twilight was lying between the blackened roots of another tree...no not a tree, they were scales not bark. Applebloom’s hoof pressed to her muzzle as she realised that the black limbs of Warden were splayed out around the princess as if having fallen away from a protective embrace.

Night Dew had bad, but Warden...... Applebloom whispered in shock, “Oh sweet Celestia,” Her trembling voice became a shout, “Get a healer over here now!

Mountains and Monuments

Mountains and Monuments.

Spike’s shoulders were two aching balls of pain: The effort of holding up the fallen tree for all that time had left his arms shivering from the exertion, but it had been worth it. Twilight and Night Dew were both safe, the same couldn’t be said of Warden however and Spikes heart hurt far more than his protesting muscles.

Since their return to the Bloomberg Spike had been practically ignored, when it became clear that he wasn’t badly hurt in anyway. He didn’t begrudge being overlooked as this meant that the wounded got the attention they needed.

Mercifully Twilight was only exhausted, merely bearing a couple of scrapes from the confrontation with the Flam brothers’ machines. Spike had left her sleeping peacefully in her own bed and was eternally grateful that no real harm had come to her.

Night Dew had put on a brave show from what Spike heard, the doctors tending to her broken leg and injured wings had been treated to a barrage of jokes and jibes the whole time. No matter how often Spike saw the medical unicorns at work, it always amazed him how fast they achieved their results.

He felt his core lurch as he recalled how Night Dew had called him “her hero”, as far as the dragon was concerned the real hero of the hour was lying stretched out before him: Warden lay sleeping on his front, his tattered wings folded by his sides, the rise and fall of his chest slow and trembling.

To everyone’s dismay, all the pony’s efforts to treat Warden's injuries had met with meagre success; it seemed the same magical resistance that protected dragons from your normal arcane assault didn’t allow for assistive magic to work either. Not that Warden had been in the mood to be cared for; Spike had witnessed the determined staff turned away by the stubborn drake three times already.

This left Spike slouched in the main cargo bay of the Bloomberg, keeping vigil over the resting Warden. Even as Spike watched the sleeping dragon stirred fitfully, grunting in pain before settling once more into his troubled slumber. Spike felt so helpless.

He looked down at his clawed hands and tried to shake the feeling that he’d failed Warden in some way. Maybe if I'd gone to Twilight’s help first then Warden would be okay? It sounded stupid even as Spike thought it, Night Dew was alive because he’d dived in and caught the collapsing roof before it could crush her. Spike should feel proud of himself, but instead all he felt was guilt.

Another surge of cramp ran its way along Spikes arms, as if punishing him for his seemingly wrong choice during the fight. He slowly massaged his twitching biceps with those same hands, working in an effort to ease the tension from his limbs as he strove to lift his spirits.

Spike had overheard Steel Resolve talking with Applebloom not long after the Bloomberg was underway again; it seemed that both the shambolic unicorns responsible for this mess had managed to escape the destruction of their beloved war machines. Spike felt his own anger rise at the thought, all this fighting seemed to have achieved practically nothing.

The cramp died back and Spike released his grip, letting his hands fall to his sides as Warden groaned again in his stupor. It seemed impossible to Spike that Warden could be hurt so badly, the older dragon had been immoveable since Spike had met him. Reliable, wise and teaching Spike so much in the relatively short time he’d been his mentor.

Now that same dragon lay weak and trembling in the hold before him and Spike just couldn’t believe it. He stared off into the distance as he relived the night before:

The heavy tree pressing down on his shoulders, the different coloured flames blazing all around their hollow in the ground and Warden curling protectively around Twilight.

It should have caused Spike’s blood to boil to see Warden doing such, but Spike simply didn’t have effort to spare on what seemed a petty fear now. Night Dew was pressed against Spike’s chest, letting out tiny coughs as Twilight’s magic dimmed and finally winked out, allowing the heat and fumes back in.

The tree above them was ablaze with green fire which tested even Spike’s tough hide, but he also heard the hissing sounds of rain falling outside, the haze of weariness threatening to overpower him. Spike thought he caught glimpses of ponies flying above and kept telling himself to hold on just a little longer.....

The tears began to trickle down Spike’s cheeks as he came back to the here and now: What was done was done and it could have been far worse, Spike tried to assure himself. Even as the worries and cares loomed large, Spike’s train of thought was interrupted by a familiar voice from behind:

“Howdy big guy, how’s Warden doin?” The sympathetic tones of Applebloom caused Spike to hurriedly wiped the liquid from his eyes as he tried to look brave.

“He’s sleeping,” Spike managed over a sniffle that broke through his attempt at calm.

He felt the gentle form of Applebloom press herself up against his side and looked down to see the pony watching him with concern, “Now, now year big lummox . I know someone hurtin when I see em. Don’t bottle it now up yer hear?”

Spike looked down into Applebloom’s kind eyes and felt the dam he’d been trying to maintain crack and and crumble. He let out a huge sob that shook the walls, “It was so scary Applebloom, I thought I was going to lose them all.”

The tears flowed freely now as Spike let all the strain from the last few days begin to drain out of him, “I know it sounds stupid but I should have been the one saving Twilight!”

Applebloom produced a small oil rag and offered it to Spike who took the tiny square of stained cloth before blowing into it noisily. Applebloom smiled before rolling her eyes, “What kinda crazy thinking is that big guy? You saved both Night Dew and Twilight last night.”

Spike shook his head, not knowing how to express the feelings in his heart, “I wanted to hold Twilight and stop anything bad from happening to her A.B, but I couldn’t because....”

Applebloom gently tapped the shaking dragon with a tender hoof as she spoke in an understanding tone, “Aww still wantin ter be the hero in a story book huh?” Applebloom smiled up at Spike before punching him in the arm.

He barely felt the blow, but it was enough to shock Spike into starring at the small pony next to him, “Hey, what was that for?”

Applebloom grinned back up at him, “Yer were doin what yer needed ter do Spike: Being a hero means making hard choices and you chose ter do what yer had to rather than what you wanted.” Her face became serious, “We have three friends back and not just Twilight because of you Spike. That makes yer a hero in my book.”

They both sat there for a while watching the sleeping Warden, lost in their own thoughts until Spike coughed, “He’s going to be okay right?”

Applebloom didn’t answer for a while, “Well, I could 'sugarcoat' it for yer Spike, but I recon yer want the truth.” She scrunched up her nose and took a deep breath, “I honestly don’t know, he’s roughed up pretty bad and there ain’t much pony medicine can do for him.”

Spike winced as Applebloom explained further, “I ain’t no dragon expert Spike, maybe Twi could put summit together ter help him, but she’s plain exhausted too.”

The somber silence returned, the only sounds being made were the hum from Bloomberg’s engines and the occasional grunt from the fitfully sleeping Warden.

Applebloom squeezed Spike again, “Warden’s a tough’un big guy, don’t you worry; he’ll be up and bossin yer about as before the week’s end yer hear.” Spike nodded gratefully before there was a quiet knock from behind.

Spike swung his head around, seeing to his surprise Tender Hoof standing at the entrance to the dragon quarters, his pet timber wolf cub pulling determinedly at the collar it now wore. The pony shuffled uncomfortably as the pair regarded him with questioning stares.

Tender smiled nervously, “Sorry to interrupt Spike, but I was hoping I could speak with Warden........” Tender Hoof saw Applebloom glaring at him and his muzzle scrunched up in dismay, “Oh hi A.B I er.....

Applebloom cocked a disapproving eyebrow at her nephew, “Oh it’s you. What yer doin comin down here ter bother Warden for? Don’t yer know he’s hurt and don’t need the likes of you causin even more trouble?”

Spike glanced back and forth between the two ponies with a worried expression; not sure what to make of this sudden change in Applebloom’s demeanour as Tender shrank guiltily back from his aunt.

“Sorry, it’s just that the crew said that......” Tender’s explanation trailed off as Applebloom continued to glare at him.

“Don’t yer think yer’ve caused enough trouble Tender, you and that little pest?” She spared a look of contempt for the small timber wolf who was now eyeing an exposed power cable hungrily.

Spike watched in fascination as the small cub leaned in and sniffed at the cable, opened its mouth before shrinking back with a perplexed look at Tender. The colt was still suffering under the full tirade of Applebloom’s anger and even as the dragon watched Scratches sidled up the angry mare and began licking her hoof.

“And another thing, did yer even ask fer permission from Flut....?” It was Applebloom’s turn to trial of as she finally noticed what Scratches was doing. Her eyes slowly drifted downwards to meet the wide puppy stare of the timber wolf, “Hey! Get off me yer varmint!”

Spike couldn’t help but chuckle as Applebloom danced back from the cub who simply followed her and began rubbing up against her leg ignoring her continued to protests, “Tender you call off your pet right now yer hear!”

A quick look at Tender showed Spike that he was now smiling too, “It’s okay A.B, Scratches is just trying to say he’s sorry. I explained to him about not chewing on the Bloomberg and Scratches just wants to make up for causing so much trouble.”

Applebloom’s face remained stony as she gave up trying to escape the wolf’s attentions, “Well that don’t make up fer all the damage he caused: There are still systems that ain’t working right even now.”

Spike felt a smile returning to his face as he finally saw Applebloom’s manner began to thaw. She looked down at Scratches who had given up rubbing up against her leg and was now crouched and watched Applebloom’s swaying tail with a predatory stare.

With a small grin she flicked her tail up and to everyone’s delight Scratches leaped after it, releasing a playful ‘yip’ as he missed his target and landed back on the floor with a clatter. Spike laughed out loud as the tension in the room began to melt away.

Applebloom caught Spike watching her and her face became serious again as she marched back up to Tender, “This don’t change the fact that yer still in deep trouble mister.” Tender nodded submissively and tapped Scratches on the head. The cub, still excited playfully nibbled his hoof before its expression changed to fear as he stared past the three on lookers and ducked behind Tender’s legs.

“Even after all that has happened in the last few days you still manage to find the time for a ‘Tender’ moment I see, you ponies really are a soppy bunch you know that?” Both ponies and Spike followed Scratches’ gaze to Warden who was smiling, his head still laid on the ground but with one eye watching the exchange before him.

“Warden, you’re awake!” Spike shouted.

“Of course I am hatchling, it takes more than a poorly built flying machine crashing into me to put the best hunter from Ash Mountain out of commission,” Warden winced as he attempted to chuckle and his face creased with pain, “But I will admit it hurts like Tartarus.”

Before the older dragon could do anything to stop them Spike and Applebloom had rushed forward and hugged him tightly as Scratches bounced and yelped excitedly in circles around Tender hoof.

Warden let out another groan before smiling weakly, “Okay, okay, no coddling, I’m still a dangerous dragon who could defeat you both with one claw tied behind my back.” Even if the words were scolding, Warden's tone was playful.

Spike coughed as both he and Applebloom quickly released Warden from their embrace. The injured dragon still looked terrible but there was a new defiance in his expression, “I hear the Flam brothers escaped then?”

Spike nodded sadly and Warden snorted a small cloud of smoke as he slowly lifted his head off the ground, “Well they won’t be causing any more trouble for the time being and we have spent enough time bringing them to heel already.”

Warden faced the onlookers directly and Spike felt his chest tighten, Warden’s normally noble features were marred by a deep gash that ran down the right side of his face and across the now milky white eye, “Time waits for no one; where is Princess Twilight, I trust she is safe?” The jovial tones had gone from the dragon’s voice.

His audience simply stared back and Warden grunted in annoyance, “I have many scars, this one is a bit more prominent I’ll grant you but that doesn’t change the fact that we have important things to accomplish.”

“Well she's a bit roughed up and totally exhausted; but thanks ter you two she should be fine,” Applebloom responded.

Warden nodded before heaving himself to his feet nad Spike noticed that Warden was still keeping the weight off his right fore claw while keeping his wings tightly furled, “If we’re back on course then we should be approaching the Equestrian boarder soon.”

Still grunting with effort, Warden pushed himself upright, trembling only slightly, “One does not simply fly into dragon lands and expect not to be challenged. I will be needed.”

“Are you sure you can...” Spike began before the one-eyed glare from Warden silenced him in short order.

Warden practically snarled his reply, “Ask me that again hatchling and I’ll show you that I’m still perfectly capable of putting you back in your place.”

Spike felt hurt by Warden’s sharp reply, but bowed in concession nevertheless, “Of course Warden, sorry.”

The older dragon’s face softened, “No it is I who should be sorry Spike, it’s the pain talking.” Warden bowed in return, “I am touched by your concern for my well being.”

A timid cough drew the two dragon’s attention back to other matters. Warden regarded Tender Hoof who was watching the exchange in awe, “Yes?”

Tender shuffled his hooves before replying, “I guess this means I won’t get a chance to talk with you after all? I was dearly hoping to find out more about real dragons you see....”

It was Spike’s turn to become angry, “Hey!”

Warden cocked a scarred eyebrow, “I can assure you Tender Hoof that Spike is a real dragon, why have you not asked him?”

Tender coughed again before correcting himself, “I mean... er foreign dragons, find out more about foreign dragons and their culture.”

Spike growled, but Warden waved a placating claw, “Don’t worry Tender, when we cross the boarder there will plenty of chances for you to meet foreign dragons.”

The landscape of Equestria fell away as the Bloomberg sailed over the mountain range, marking the crossing into dragons lands. As the ship headed further southeast, the terrain opened up into a flat expanse dotted with clumps of shrubs along with patches of pale grass. Further afield were rocky outcrops, which rose from the rugged plain hemmed in by the ranging mountains on the south and west and finally the sea stretching away to the east.

Some of the larger outcrops could be called mountains themselves, many of which smoldered at their peak: In fact the whole land had thin haze of dust and the heavy smell of soot permeated the air around them. It was a seemingly desolate place, yet there were also signs of life here.

It was a far cry from the lush lands that Twilight called home, they held a beauty of their own. Even as she watched the ground below, Twilight caught sight of a flock of ashen coloured birds taking flight. They rose up as cloud and swirled around the Bloomberg before retreating into the distance.

“Well if there was any chance that we were unnoticed in our crossing then that will change soon,” Warden commented as the flock headed off with all speed to a distant mountain that loomed ahead.

Twilight glanced at Warden curiously, “What do you mean?”

Warden seemed larger than before, but Twilight dismissed that as a trick of their surroundings. The bridge of the Bloomberg wasn’t designed with creatures of his stature in mind and so Warden looked 'larger than life' as he stooped to fit in.

He leaned heavily on a guide rail just off to the left of the helmsmen seat and watched the departing flock of birds, “Everything that lives here soon learns to be useful to the dragons, that way they are protected and less likely to be hunted Miss Sparkle.” The birds became a distant cloud as Warden explained further, "Those birds will be spreading the news of our arrival to all the major flights and we can expect some sort of 'welcoming' party soon."

The feeling on the bridge slowly shifted as these words sank in; they were heading into a new realm where the rules of life were very different from back home. It was subtle, but Twilight recognised it in the way the ponies manning their stations gripped their controls slightly tighter.

“Which flights will respond first do you think?” Twilight asked levelly, her eyes watching the horizon for any sign of the predicted dragons.

Warden smiled grimly, “Well that’s a good question Princess; this far from the centre of dragon lands live the less powerful flights along with those dragons who are disgraced, rouge or even outcast.” Warden cautioned before Twilight’s muzzle scrunched in disapproval, “We have no jails or prisons Twilight, if a dragon does not abide by the laws of his or her flight they are banished to these 'out lands'.”

Twilight felt the tension in the room rise once again, “So we shouldn’t expect a warm welcome then?”

Warden shook his head in agreement, “There are always minor skirmishes occurring in the out lands, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some conflict before we are through today.”

As if to prove his point, Twilight caught sight of a flash of flame coming from the nearest peak. She saw two dragons, not much bigger than Warden if she was any guess, circling while emitting gouts of blue and red flame at each other.

The struggle played out before the crew of the Bloomberg as the two combatants drew in close and raked at each other with tooth and claw. Twilight was grateful for the distance which left most of the details hidden by perspective.

The fighting pair dropped down behind the peak and Twilight felt her stomach knot in disgust, “Don’t the older flights do anything to stop this?”

Warden chuckled and peered at Twilight with his one good eye, “It’s the way things are done here Princess.” His tone was condescending and Twilight didn’t like the implications it bore, “When young dragons are out to prove themselves they are full of fire and ambition, some even choose to come here to the out lands. They see it as a way of learning to stand on their own claws." His face darkened, "Or die trying."

The look of dismay was plain on Twilight's face as Warden continued, “To be cast adrift in this hostile land is punishment enough for many, to have to fend for yourself and learn lessons on your own.” Warden sighed as an expression, that might just have been regret crossed his snout, “You learn what’s really important.”

Twilight frowned as the pair of duelling drakes emerged once more from behind the peak: One of them was obviously fleeing the other who harried the loser with further bursts of blue flame, before swinging around back to claim his prize of the high ground. The winner perched on the summit of the rocky outcrop and bellowed its victory to the skies above.

Twilight couldn’t help but feel the whole event was futile: As she looked around she saw the hundreds of similar stone rises scattered about the plains, all tiny compared the huge ranges off in the distance and vaguely the same size as each other. The whole idea of fighting for chunks of rock seemed pointless.

She looked to Warden and saw him in a new light, how could someone with such a violent background behave like him? How could he be proud of such chaos and disorder that was being enacted in his own lands?

Warden seemed to feel her scrutiny and smiled sadly, “I think I can guess what you’re thinking your highness, but you must understand: We are not ponies; we’re dragons and your ways seem just as strange to us.” His face softened, "As I said these are the outcasts and criminals of the dragon lands for the most part. I wouldn't judge us by just their example."

Twilight felt a blush forming on her muzzle; it was unfair of her to judge another race’s ideals and culture on their worst examples. If Equestria was to be seen in the light of Bright Spark or the Flim Flam brothers what would dragons think of ponies?

Warden smiled again, "Older dragons seek to better themselves Princess, as we get a bit older and dare I say wiser then we begin to channel our aggressive nature into more worthy pursuits.” Warden pointed at some of the larger pinnacles of rock and for a moment Twilight didn’t understand what he was getting at.

They were just rocky crags, like those closer at hoof and.... then she saw it. What she had first taken to be just the natural rough nature of the stone slowly became images. The rock itself didn’t move or change, but now she knew what to look for Twilight saw massive images; murals and art works all carved out the naked rock.

They were so huge that Twilight now understood how she had completely missed them at first. They were depictions of dragons, jewels and other scenes which covered the side of the distant peaks and Twilight’s breath caught in her throat. They were astounding in their complexity.

Warden beamed as the light of understanding shone in Twilight’s eyes and she whispered in wonder, “Those must have taken years to create.”

Casting her gaze closer to the Bloomberg Twilight saw there were more humble examples of imagery in the surrounding summits; far less defined works that were like a foals crayon drawings compared to masterpieces displayed further afield. These were also marred and damaged, many half finished or almost removed entirely.

“We are workers of stone Miss Sparkle, fire, gems and rocks are our playthings,” Warden’s schooling manner returned as he followed Twilight’s enraptured gaze, “The younger dragons fight over these peaks so that they may have somewhere to perfect their art in celebration of Whisper and all she gave us,” He waved a claw to indicat the distant mountains, "The great depictions have stood for well over a thousand years, being maintained by the most powerful flights."

Twilight saw that Warden almost glowed with pride, “What better way to remember her than to use the gifts she gave us?”

The bridge had gone quiet as Warden spoke and Twilight felt small tears form in the corners of her eyes. Just when she thought had a handle on dragons Twilight would witness some new insight into their nature.

Yes they were powerful, dangerous and violent creatures that hunted smaller creatures, but they also created works of art written on the mountains themselves in honour of noble origins and ideals. Suddenly Twilight keenly felt the absence of Spike, who’s larger frame meant he was unable to fit onto the bridge of the Bloomberg and made a mental note to make sure Spike saw these things for himself as soon as possible.

It was then the thought stuck her; surely somepony would have known about these wonders? It was hard to miss these massive carvings brazenly adorning the mountain sides. Why hadn’t she ever heard of them before? As Twilight pondered this question she noticed that the bridge wasn't just quiet, it was completely still.

“Warden....?” Twilight began before she felt it; Warden was challenging magic, dragon magic and as she looked to him in confusion. The crew all around seemed oddly ‘distant’, as if they were seen through a haze.

She felt the spell cast by Warden begin to dissipate and to Twilight’s dismay the images upon the mountain slowly back faded into plain rock once again even as the rest of the bridge came back into focus.

“Remember that I told you we are very protective of our history Princess? This is another example of that.” Warden waved a claw at the now plain mountains surrounding them. Warden looked hungrily at Twilight as the sounds of the Bloomberg emerged from the magical haze, “You have been true to your promise and told no others of what I have taught Spike and therefore I felt the time was right to show you a little more of who we are."

Twilight paused as she digested all this new information and Warden concluded his lesson with a question, "I trust you will respect our need for privacy?”

Twilight felt her heart tremble as the magnitude of what Warden had done for her sunk in and she could only whisper quietly in reply, “Thank you Warden, I well....” Twilight nodded in acceptance even as she placed a hoof on her chest and tried to catch the breath stolen from her by the wonder she had just been privy to.

“Does Spike know about this?” Twilight asked cautiously.

Warden looked embarressed for a moment, “I'll tell him when he’s a ready and bit older Miss Sparkle.”

Twilight’s heart did a little flip, despite his assurances that he had no desires to woo her, Twilight couldn't see how this act fell under Warden’s remit as Spikes tutor. He was showing her and not Spike these treasures. It was exciting and she couldn’t help but be moved.

Then there had been the battle with the Flam brothers: Warden had thrown himself into mortal danger to save her, and gotten gravely injured in the process. Warden wasn’t acting like a mere friend and Twilight didn’t know how to deal with such attentions.

Both pony and dragon had made it clear there was never going to be anything more between them than friendship, but Warden’s actions spoke of a deeper longing that troubled and yet flattered Twilight in equal measure. She would have smiled, feeling she had some idea of how Rarity had felt during all those years; having an ever eager Spike always seeking her attentions.

“Warden I...” Twilight began but Warden shook his head reservedly.

“Just accept it as a gift from a dragon who thinks very highly of you Princess,” Warden smiled sadly before the urgent tones of Beliro caught Twilight’s full attention:

“Princesse, we have two dragons closing on us, what are you orders?” Twilight snapped back to the here and now and saw that the griffon was correct.

Warden smiled in a predatory fashion, “Ah it seems our first challengers have arrived.” He winked to Twilight who felt her heart tremble. She wasn’t sure if it was out of fear or confusion.

Pushing these concerns aside Twilight straightened up and struck an imposing figure with her wings outstretched, “Mr Belrio, signal Chief Engineer Applebloom; tell her we will be needing our shields up shortly and so warm up the power crystals.”

Shocks and Shields

Shocks and Shields.

The first indication that something was amiss were the alarms sounding throughout the Bloomberg and Spike snapped his head up as Warden strode into the cargo bay.

Spike had been busy peering out of the small portholes that lined the bay’s sides when the intercom announced that they were crossing the border. It had been so many years since he’d trekked across these plains as a toddler and Spike was eager to see if things had changed in his absence.

The narrow view of scenery below only made him more frustrated rather than satisfying his curiosity. The limited view of rocky spires and patches of scrub didn’t really tell Spike anything and his efforts to press his snout up against the glass only rewarded the dragon with fogging of the view port.

Warden approached Spike with a stony faced expression, “Hatchling we have company: Two dragons are approaching.”

Spike’s stomach lurched as he understood Warden’s implications; in their lessons Warden had taught Spike the basic protocol when one dragon wished to enter another’s territory. At best there would be a great amount of posturing and threats, at worst a full blown fight.

Neither prospect filled Spike with confidence as he watched how Warden still carried himself with an injured gait, “Warden you’re in no shape to confront two other dragons right now.....” Spike realised what he was saying and expected the other dragon to snarl in rage, but to his astonishment Warden simply smiled.

“I’m not so proud as to deny that Hatchling, but if things turn ugly we’re going to need another dragon to stand up to them,” Warden’s smile held very little humour.

Spike felt a chill run down his spine, “Warden no, I’m not ready, I have never had to do anything like this before. You can’t seriously expect me to know what to do?”

Warden folded his arms and drummed the claws of his good hand on the upper arm of his other deep in thought, “Well as loath as I am to admit it Spike, I think Night Dew may be able to help us on that point.”

An expression of confusion covered Spike’s face as Warden proceeded to explain his plan to the younger dragon.

“This is the Bloomberg of the royal Equestrian navy, we are expected and have assurances of safe passage!” The poor communications pony shrank back as Twilight yelled down the microphone mere inches from his face.

All that came in response was another rush of fire that danced across the Bloomberg’s shields. It would have been a beautiful sight, had Twilight and the other crew not been the target of the attack.

The defence barrier was living up to its reputation as the Bloomberg had been bathed in dragon fire several times over the last few minutes and showed no sign of yielding. The pair of dragons, a dark red serpentine monster along with a heavy set brown brute gave no indication they were going to stop their assault any time soon.

Twilight had spent most of that time angrily shouting through the broadcasters dotting the hull for the dragon’s to call off their attack, but they didn’t even acknowledge the hails. Smoke was starting curl from Twilight’s mane and tail as her frustrations made themselves known.

Why did they have to be so unreasonable? All we want to do is attend a meeting which the dragons invited us too? An exasperated groan escaped Twilight’s throat as the various means of diplomatic arguments she knew of fell on deaf ears.

In desperation Twilight had even tried invoking some of the ancient dragon threats that Warden had talked about, (the cryptic dragon had left the bridge shortly after the attack had begun, saying something about buying him a little time) these threats only caused the pair of drakes outside to assail them with even more vigour.

Nothing she’d tried had worked and Twilight was on the verge of ordering the flight crews to attempt to drive the dragons off when Belario called out to her, “Princesse; the cargo bay doors are opening and part of the shield array is going off line.”

“What!” Twilight shouted in dismay as she checked the readouts for herself. It was indeed true, the keel emitters were off line and the main doors were creeping open.

Twilight hammered the communication station in alarm, causing the officer present to wince, “Warden what in Celestia’s name do you think you’re doing! You’re in no shape to take on two dragons right now!”

When no reply came Twilight snorted, before rushing over to the main view screen. From this angle she still couldn’t see what was happening below and jumped back as yet another jet of fire washed over the shields. Even though Twilight had tested them herself and knew they would hold; the urge duck was instinctive. Testing the barriers was one thing; depending on them to keep you alive was another.

Pulling herself together Twilight pressed the side of her muzzle against the glass and strained to see below. If we get through this I’m going to make some sort of scrying machine that lets you see what’s going on around you, Twilight decided as she finally caught sight of a dragon emerging from below.

“Warden you get back...oh by the heavens I’ll kill him!” Twilight snarled as she saw that it wasn’t Warden but Spike that had left the ship.

Twilight struck the window with such force that many of the watching crew feared it would shatter before the relieved voice of Belario called out, “The shields are back up your highness.”

Twilight felt anything but relief, that meant Spike was now stuck outside with the two attackers: The dragons in question had broken off their attack and now hovered at a short distance with slow beats of their wings.

As Spike faced down the pair Twilight felt her legs go weak, her little Spike was out there and.... the red opponent let out a roar before launching himself at Spike and Twilight needed to hold the guide rail beside her as fear jangled along the nerves of her spine.

Spike held his ground until the last possible moment before swerving quickly to one side and shot out both arms to grapple his attacker. Twilight held her breath as with surprising skill Spike used the other dragon’s own momentum against it and spun it around in mid air.

The shocked dragon found itself sailing through the air on a direct collision course with his astonished companion. The heavier brown dragon was struck bodily by the red missile its friend had become and both tumbled away before correcting their fall.

Twilight was impressed despite her fears, that was actually pretty clever of Spike and a blossom of pride swelled in the pony’s heart for her adopted sibling. The sounds on the bridge dropped away as the ensuing conflict unfolded before them.

Spike pumped his wings and gained more height causing Twilight and the other watchers to crane their necks to follow his path. The two other dragons split up this time, the smaller red one circling around and behind Spike, while the brown one focused on keeping his attention.

He’s outnumbered and needs help Twilight decided. She tore her fearful gaze away from the battle and yelled to the crew, “Belario, get the launch bays open, I want the flight teams ready to support Spike now!”

Twilight had been hesitant to launch, putting her air crews in the mortal danger of facing down two dragons, but it seemed their own dragons had forced Twilight’s hoof. So with a heavy heart she had given the order, only to find she was to be frustrated once again.

“Princesse the crews report ready, but engineering informs me that the barrier won’t release!” The griffon’s response caused ice to fill Twilight’s bones.

“Get me Applebloom, I want those pegasi and griffons in the air now!” Twilight yelled in an exasperated manner, the normally warm colour of her coat paling with fear.

“Yer gonna move it right now mister, or Celestia help me, dragon or no I’ll buck yer teeth right down yer throat!” Applebloom bellowed at Warden who was blocking her way to the power room with a smug expression.

Despite the engineer’s fury Warden didn’t budge, “Trust me Miss Bloom, this is the safest course of action.”

Applebloom’s eyes bugled while Pipsqueak stood resolutely by her side, hefting a heavy looking wrench with determination, “Safest? Spike is stuck out there alone, yer manure brained reptile! Twilight wants them flight crews out helping now!”

“Which is why I will not move Miss Bloom, your fellows will only get in the way. This is dragon business,” Warden proclaimed as if that settled the matter.

“Now don’t yer be getting all ‘dragon privacy’ on me Warden, Spike needs our help and yer stopping it! He’s our friend so that makes it pony business too.” Applebloom’s gaze should have melted Warden into a puddle on the floor if Pip was any judge.

The stallion wished he felt the same determination as Applebloom as he watched warden carefully. Pip felt scared of facing Warden, so scared his legs felt like jelly; but Applebloom needed him now and he wouldn’t be found wanting.

Warden shook his head, “Sorry Miss Bloom, if Spike is going to be taken seriously at all in dragon society then he has to show that he can hold his own.”

Pip cringed as Applebloom visibly trembled with rage, “This is mutiny Warden, I won’t let yer stop me.” The mare took a dangerous step forward and Warden actually looked surprised.

“You would actually challenge me Miss Bloom?” Warden’s voice was a mix of scorn and humour in equal measure.

Applebloom’s eyes narrowed, “Yer darn tootin I would, here on my own ship, with Spike in trouble n Twilight givin me orders.”

Pipsqueak glanced at the unconscious guard and technician at Warden’s feet as the two argued, evidently Warden had already subdued them before Applebloom and Pip’s arrival. If he was being honest he didn’t think Applebloom could take warden, but guessed she would put up one heck of a fight before she went down. Most likely damaging the vital parts of the ship in the process. It seemed in everybody’s best interest that things didn’t come to blows here.

Warden actually laughed at that, “Well it can only be a mutiny Miss Bloom if I were actually part of the crew. I’m just a guest making a creative redirection of your resources.”

Pipsqueak frantically looked around for inspiration before things got even further out of hoof. He scrunched his muzzle as Applebloom braced her legs and pawed at the deck plate in a meaningful manner.

She would do it too Pip told himself. Applebloom would fight Warden if he didn’t do something. He stared about and saw a number of exposed power lines running along the wall, its access panel was propped up, leaving the innards of the ship showing through. They must have been half way through maintenance when Warden intervened here. Pip’s mind raced as a crazy idea struck him.

“Last chance Warden, either yer let me through or I’ll show you just what an earth pony can do,” Applebloom threatened and Warden’s eyes shone with relish as she began to advance towards him.

“I’ll try not to hurt you Miss Bloom, please don’t make this more difficult than....” Warden’s plea was cut off as Pipsqueak yelled at the top of his lungs.

“Duck boss!” He stuck his trusty wrench in among the cables before hauling on it with admirable strength. One line broke free and Pip grabbed hold of it, tensing as flashes of arcane power began to spew from its end. Writhing like lightning, the power caused tiny scorch marks to appear where it contacted the metal around them. Trembling, Pipsqueak ‘aimed’ the dancing lines of energy at Warden, thankful that Applebloom had thrown herself to the ground.

The dragon had a brief moment to look surprised before the magical lightning struck him dead in the chest and caused him to drop to the floor shuddering. Pip held on grimly as the lights flickered and Warden continued to spasm on the ground. Applebloom saw what was happening before pushing past the shuddering Pip and slammed down the emergency cut off switch further along the hall.

The dancing light cut off suddenly along with the lamps to their section, leaving only the light that filtered from adjoining corridors to see by before there was a moment of shocked silence. Applebloom slowly turned to the trembling Pipsqueak and saw he was still gripping the cable tightly, all the while staring at the fallen Warden.

“That was right stupid Pip, I could have been in fer a nasty shock,” Applebloom’s face with a confused mix of relief and anger. She noted the damaged cable, the scorched metal and finally focused on Pipsqueak who still hadn’t moved.

Waving a hoof in front Pip’s wide eyes, Applebloom watched as the foolish stallion twitched from the after effects of his plan: A pony couldn’t hold an exposed power cable without experiencing a smaller shock at the very least and so Applebloom watched as tiny jitters played across Pipsqueaks whole body.

She then glanced at Warden who to her relief was out cold on the decking before muttering. “Stupid plan, doubt it would have worked if Warden weren’t so bashed up already.”

The engineer grinned, sauntered back to Pipsqueak and gave him a small peck on the cheek, “That was real brave, now never do anything like that again yer hear?” Pipsqueak’s eyes went wide before a tiny smile appeared on his lips. He finally released the cable and slumped to the floor, one hoof still twitching.

Pip had the image of Applebloom grinning down at him, before she carefully stepped over the recumbent Warden and began the process of clearing the way for the flight teams.

Spike ducked a swiping claw from the red dragon ahead of him, and flapped his wings hurriedly, doing his best to avoid the follow up strikes that followed.

It had seemed like a good plan at the time, Warden had borrowed a pair of Night Dew’s listening devices so he could talk Spike through the upcoming fight. Spike had one of the little black jewels fastened to his ear and Warden had been giving him a steady flow of advice through the opening moments of the fight.

Not long ago however Warden had said something about him not letting Spike be disturbed and the link had gone dead. Now Spike was being assailed by two very angry dragons and frantically trying to hold his own.

The red dragon came for him again, his mouth open wide and talons splayed ready to strike. Spike thought he could see every fang in the other dragon’s mouth and felt his mind go blank. No matter how hard he tried, the various combat manoeuvres Warden had tried to drill into Spike refused to be recalled.

Instinctively he ducked the onrushing foe and to his great surprise it worked better than planned: Spike was rewarded by the sound of a heavy thud and looking up he saw that his two opponents had once again collided with each other.

Spike’s heart was racing as the two allies disentangled themselves and both faced him with renewed anger, what was Warden doing?

His two opponents glanced at one another before nodding in agreement and came towards Spike at the same time. He folded his wings and dove towards the ground, quickly pursued by the dragons behind.

The scrub land rushed up to meet Spike, who snapped his wings open again and turned the dive into a steep swoop. He felt the tallest patches of bracken scrape his claws as he pounded his wings once again, the action throwing up a cloud of dust from the dry ground beneath him.

Spike spared a look behind to see if they were still chasing him and to his dismay they were, the slightly bulkier brown dragon had clipped the ground but was even now pumping his wings to get air borne and renew his chase.

As Spike turned back he saw the imposing form of the Bloomberg above him and was forced to angle his ascent to avoid colliding with the ship. He passed close enough to see the crew inside and Twilight banging on the glass view screen while shouting at someone mutely through the glass.

He didn’t have time to wonder about that as Spike felt a tug on his tail and looking back saw that ‘red scales’ grappled him. Acting more on instinct than conscious thought Spike heaved his tail around and dragged his 'passenger' with it until red scales connected with the Bloomberg’s shields in a flash.

This had the same effect of slamming the smaller dragon into the ground at the speed they were trawling, the shield was unyielding and red scales rebounded off it with a cry of dismay before falling back.

Spike grinned to himself in triumph, but that soon faded as ‘brown scales’ heaved a deep breath and sent a stream of yellow flame chasing after him. The fire was more of a discomfort than a danger to Spike and began to dawn on him that he was actually winning this fight.

The realisation of this filled Spike with fresh confidence and he tilted his wings until he swooped back around the bridge of the Bloomberg and headed right for brown scales. Spike’s opponent saw the change in his behaviour and attempted to brace himself before the inevitable impact.

Leaning his head aside Spike struck the other dragon with his shoulder and was rewarded by a wheezing gasp escaping the now winded foe. He let brown scales fall back and turned his attention to red scales again who was even now diving at him once more, clawed hands reaching out.

Spike felt a thrill go through him that had eluded him for a long time and with almost leisurely grace flicked his wings, avoiding the attacker’s claws before swinging around so that he held the much smaller dragon in a tight head lock.

Red scales thrashed, his serpentine body coiling and bending in ways that Spike couldn’t hope to match, but fortunately didn’t need to. His confidence growing with each passing moment Spike held on defiantly, his muscles bunching until the other dragon’s struggles weakened.

Spike grinned as the dragon in his grasp made a choking sound and triumph filled his heart, it was only when he caught Twilight watching him from the Bloomberg, her face full of fear that Spike realised what he was actually doing.

There was a sudden flash of crackling noise from the small gem that Warden had used to communicate which caused Spike to jump and release his captive. Spike shook himself down before snarling a warning, “leave and don’t bother us again, understand?” Red scales gasped for air for a few moments before glaring at him with vindictive yellow eyes.

Red scales actually looked ready to try again and Spike felt his anger rise before growling threateningly. Much to Spike’s relief his opponent cowered back, and after a moment turned tail before fleeing with steady beats of his wings.

His first foe beaten Spike turned his attention back to the brown scaled dragon who was now a safe distance from the Bloomberg and hovering uncertainly. Deep in his core Spike knew what to do and took a deep breath.

The lance of green fire leaped out and missed the other dragon by mere inches. Causing the closest parts of brown scale’s hide to blacken from the heat wash. Now thoroughly defeated the last dragon quickly swung around and headed off after his companion.

Spike felt elated, his limbs were tingling, the sense of achievement fizzed in his blood and feelings of power burned in his muscles. He titled his head back and roared to the sky in victory, emitting a ball of green fire simply for the sheer joy of doing so. It had been a long time since Spike had felt this alive.

He turned back to the Bloomberg expecting to see a proud Twilight watching him celebrate, but instead she watched him with wide eyes and a terribly uncertain expression. The sense of victory quickly drained out of Spike as he saw his sister looking at him with fear and worry.

It had been months since she'd looked at Spike that way, Twilight hadn't stared like that since the wedding...... Spike felt a poison cloud of anxiety smother his exultant mood and suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

He only noticed then that there was a crowd of pegasi and griffons all watching him from every direction with mixed expressions of awe and in far too many cases, fear. After a tense moment passed the griffon Spike recalled as being named Flash Point drew closer, a gleam of wonder in his eyes.

“Outstandingly fought Spike; a real inspiration to watch,” Spike felt a brief flash of pride at the griffon’s words and then it struck Spike as to what made him so uncomfortable: All the griffons were watching him with awe, whereas most of the fearful gazes were from the pegasi.

“Er thanks Flash, most of those moves were drilled into me by my tutor Warden,” Spike smiled uncertainly as Flash’s expression hardened.

“Ah yes, about Warden,” Flash replied in an evasive manner and Spike recalled the strange sound from the gem by his ear.

His face became full of concern, “Flash what has happened to Warden?”

Flash looked uneasy and several of the pegasi drifted back from Spike with unsubtle glances at one another. Flash coughed before replying, “There was an incident Spike, Warden has been placed under arrest.”

Spike's eyes went wide and several of the pegasi looked like they were going flee. Ignoring their stares he looked back to the Bloomberg’s bridge and saw Twilight standing with a microphone held in her magic.

“It’s true Spike, Warden has been placed under arrest for mutiny,” Twilight gave a huge sigh before continuing, her voice projected by the speakers of the Bloomberg. “You had best come back onboard so we can try and figure out what happened.”

Without another word, Spike saw Twilight hand the microphone to an awaiting aid before she trotted out of sight and he felt the stability of his world begin to tremble.

Warden glanced up as the door opened and Steel Resolve trotted in smartly, quickly followed by Twilight who wore a pained expression. The cramped room seemed to shrink even further as the two ponies entered.

Warden’s head ached from the shock that mottled pony had given him, his limbs were still stiff and sluggish to respond. He looked at the heavy chains attached to his wrists and worked his jaw in an attempt to make the mask he now wore comfortable.

He felt utterly humiliated and more than a little angry at his current predicament. Angry that he had let his own emotions get in the way of sound judgement and humiliated at being caught and chained by ponies.

Twilight was first to speak, sadness weighing heavily in her tone, “Thank you Steel that will be all.”

Steel’s face scrunched up, “But princess, he’s a mutineer and a dangerous captive. I would be remiss in my duty if...”

Twilight glared at Steel, before her face softened, “He’s also my friend captain and I trust he had good reasons for acting the way he did. Now I want you to leave us.”

Warden watched Steel who looked like he was about to argue before bowing smartly and heading out of the confined cell. Twilight’s gaze never left Warden and he wilted slightly at the disappointment found there.

“Warden I am going to remove your mask, don’t give me cause to regret it,” Twilight’s tone was level but Warden couldn't fail to feel the hurt and accusation held within.

After a quick flash of her horn, Warden felt the guarded mask covering his jaw fall away and he was able to open his mouth fully again.

“Thank you Miss Sparkle, though I assure you such precautions were unnecessary,” Warden said, trying to force his weak voice to sound stronger than it really was.

Twilight cocked a suspicious eyebrow at this stamtent, “Really Warden? Tell that to the two crew members you assaulted.”

Warden straightened up (well tried to) his sore muscles protested too much, “I merely got them out of the way and made sure they were only knocked out.” He watched as Twilight shook her head and screwed up her eyes.

She released an exasperated sound, “What were you thinking Warden, convincing Spike to take on two dangerous dragons alone before directly hampering our efforts to help him?” Twilight eyed the captive dragon angrily.

Warden wasn’t cowed however, he’d done what he thought was right and wouldn’t be dictated to by some pony, even if she was a princess. He grinned before replying, “Spike won though; he fought off two dragons all by himself.”

Twilight snorted, “Warden that’s not the point!”

Warden finally managed to pull himself up and did his best to strike a confident pose, “I think it is your highness, Spike needed to know that he could fight. He certainly will have to here in dragon lands.”

Warden regarded Twilight who still shook her head with frustration before he spoke again, “You saw how the dragon’s treated you and the other creatures on this ship. Most dragons only respect strength and power Miss Sparkle, and even then only from another dragon.”

Twilight hesitated for a moment and Warden pressed on, hoping he was getting somewhere, “When it became apparent that I was unable to confront these rogues it became necessary to make sure Spike was up to the task.”

Warden’s face softened, “I wanted to show you he’s ready too Twilight. Spike needs to see that for himself.” Warden reached out to brush Twilight’s cheek, but the restraints prevented him, “Twilight, I didn’t want any of your ponies getting hurt and now that Spike has shown he’s capable we are far less likely to be attacked again.”

Warden willed her to understand why he acted the way he did and for a moment Warden thought he’d gotten through to Twilight before the pony shook her head in response.

“Warden, you cannot just take matters into your own claws while on this vessel. I think I see how it could be hard taking orders and directions from those who are less than a tenth your age, it is like me taking advice from a foal still in nappies,” Twilight sounded so weary and Warden felt his resolve falter. Maybe he had acted too rashly?

Twilight pressed on, “But you need to trust us to handle things our way. Otherwise what’s the point of us coming at all?”

As Warden stopped to think about it, the unfamiliar feeling of self doubt began to make itself known. Twilight was putting forth a good argument and though he was loath to concede it Warden was inclined to agree with her. What’s happened to me? First I throw myself in harm’s way to save her, now I am listening to Twilight as if she knows better than I.

Twilight wasn’t finished however, “You spend so much time telling Spike and I how your history is private, that you don’t want it written down or told openly. Why is that Warden?”

Warden shifted uncomfortably, “Well its dragon’s business and....”

Twilight snorted again, “Don’t give me that line Warden, I think it’s because you’re embarrassed. I can hear it in your voice every time you speak about the old days, when dragons nearly destroyed themselves with all their pride and infighting.”

Warden felt his own anger rising at such an accusation, “It most certainly is not your highness. Dragon’s come from a proud linage, direct descendants of one of the first beings to walk the world.”

Twilight actually sneered at that, “Oh get over yourself Warden, you told me Whisper even regretted making you!”

A dangerous silence settled as these last words faded away and Warden felt the long since cooled fire rise in his heart. Who was she to talk to him in such a manner? Warden watched Twilight and never before had he felt so enamoured by her.

Twilight was standing tall and proud, breathing heavily and directly challenging Warden. She was even using logical arguments to counter his own which appealed to his mental fancies. It began to dawn on Warden that there was a tiny element of truth in Twilight’s words. Now he sat here, humbled and bound in chains he was prepared to believe that his own actions might have been wrong. What an insightful lesson to come from one so young.

Warden opened his mouth, said nothing and shut it again as Twilight continued to study him. Finally Warden swallowed and bowed his head contritely, “You are correct Princess, and it is these kinds of arrogant ways that will lead dragons to eventual destruction.”

Twilight’s face softened as Warden’s words washed over her and he spoke again, “I owe you and your crew an apology for my actions, if dragons are ever going to work with others we will need to swallow our pride sometimes.”

To Warden’s relief Twilight nodded in acceptance before replying, “Okay Warden, no one was seriously hurt this time. But if you want to remain on this ship then you are to follow the orders of myself and of the other officers. Is that clear?”

Warden bowed before Twilight and for the first time he realised that it was out of genuinely earned respect rather than just a formality that was required of him. His heart stirred as once again Warden wished she was a dragon, “Of course Miss Sparkle, I vow on my honour as a dragon and upon great Whisper, that I hold dear, that I will obey your orders as long as they don’t conflict with the oaths to my flight and home.”

For the first time since Twilight had entered the small room she smiled, “Very good Warden, I accept your pledge. If you have a suggestion then by all means tell me and I’ll hear you out and give it genuine consideration.”

The smile was infectious and soon Warden felt his own mouth curl upwards before Twilight concluded, “Now let’s go and congratulate Spike on a battle well fought.”

Fights and Friends.

Fights and Friends.

“That’s the third attempt today; don’t they ever get the message?” Night Dew remarked as the line of fire played across the crackling energy shield. The light from this latest dragon attack surged through the view screen and caused her to squint even through her protective goggles.

The bat pony was resting in a small observation dome atop the Bloomberg, her legs tucked under as she watched the unfolding conflict outside. Nor was she alone, Captain Steel Resolve had joined his fellow guard in watching the spectacle.

“They’re dragons Lieutenant; it’s their nature to fight things,” Steel said as the large shadows passed overhead, locked in combat, beams of weak sunlight filtering through the hazy smoke and fire above.

If she was being honest, Night Dew was inclined to agree for the most part: Since the Bloomberg had crossed the border it had become common place for the territorial dragons to challenge the airship. But when she compared that to what she knew of Spike it just didn’t seem to fit.

“That’s a bit of a general observation Steel, that’s like saying all earth ponies are farmers,” Night countered and to Dew’s delight Steel Resolve snorted.

The pale earth pony chuckled in acceptance, “Of course Lieutenant; in our defence a lot of earth ponies are.”

Night Dew smiled, “But that’s not all you are right?”

Steel actually gifted Dew with a rare smile, “You, Lieutenant Dew, you can be a royal pain in the flank sometimes, but every so often you’re quite insightful.”

The barrier overhead crackled again as a heavy impact sent further ripples of energy dancing across its surface. Night Dew observed that Spike had pinned the opponent against the Bloomberg by the neck and was clearly snarling some warning if she was any judge. It was a scene that had been played out a number of times since the first dragon attack.

“But they do have a talent for it,” Night Dew added as Spike released the captive drake and flung him away with contempt. The pale green dragon vented another roar of flame before fleeing, leaving the triumphant Spike hovering protectively alongside the airship.

Steel’s face became stony, the brief glimpse of humour vanishing behind his trademark impassive face, “These are only the first trials that our young master Spike will have to deal with. There are bound to be bigger and tougher dragons the further we penetrate their lands.

Night Dew smiled, “He’ll have to deal with that when the time comes I guess, but Warden has taught Spike well and I think the ‘hatchling’ will surprise us all before the end of this journey.”

Steel snorted, “I take it back Dew, most of the time you do talk absolute drivel.”

She laughed genuinely, “That too Steel, but you know I’m right Captain. These little skirmishes are just the beginning.” Night Dew watched as Spike punched the air and did a barrel roll in celebration, she then turned her attention further afield. There were hundreds of smaller outcrops in their path and Dew's ears flattened in concern.

Steel followed her gaze and nodded solemnly, “Well we’re hoping that the older dragons will be in more of a mood to talk, plus once we enter the Ash Flight territory Warden should be able to ensure a much smoother passage.”

Night Dew cocked an eyebrow at this, “You’re actually putting your faith in Warden? That’s very forgiving of you after what happened before.”

The old Captain snorted in irritation, “If I had my way Lieutenant, then that duplicitous snake would be off this ship and limping home.” Steel took a deep breath before continuing, “But the Princess has assured me that there will be no more trouble from him and I obey orders Night Dew.” Steel’s face hardened, “Even if I don’t like them.”

An uncomfortable silence stretched out and Night Dew felt Steel was justified in his reservations: Warden had put them all in danger with his half-baked scheme, and though it had worked out she doubted if any of the crew trusted Warden at all now.

Twilight had assured them all that Warden was acting in what he thought was their best interests and she’d had a stern word with the dragon. Nevertheless Steel had doubled Warden’s guard and Applebloom just plain refused to speak to him. She only just tolerated being in the same room without attempting to make good on her threat to buck the drake’s teeth down his throat.

Nope, trust is hard to earn and even harder to regain, Night Dew feared that Warden had really blown it with that last stunt. She watched Steel who was staring out of the view port with an unreadable expression. In all the years they had worked together Dew could never tell what the earth pony was thinking, and now was no different.

“How’s the wing?” Steel asked in a distracted way.

Night Dew tested her muscles and felt a bite of pain, “I'm getting there captain, just don’t expect me to be flying any time soon.” Her wings had been wrapped in protective gauze and pinned in place to Dew’s sides; leaving the mare grounded for the time being. That was nothing compared to the ache in her hind leg which was still troubling Night Dew despite the pain killers from the medics.

In days gone by such injuries would have put Night Dew out of commission for months, but medical treatment had greatly improved and now it was commonplace to only be in recovery for a few weeks. This didn’t make Dew feel any better, she felt stupid for having been caught out in the first place by a pair of swindlers like Flim and Flam.

Evidently Steel was far better at reading Night Dew than she was him, “Don’t beat yourself up Lieutenant, these inventions are all new to us. I certainly wouldn’t have predicted what happened in your report.”

Night Dew had never thought to ask Steel’s opinion on all these new gadgets and suddenly found herself curious, “You don’t like this tech stuff do you?” It was a fishing question and Dew honestly didn’t expect it to work.

Steel paused for a while before answering, “What makes you say that Night Dew?”

“Just get the feeling you’re not a happy pony Steel,” Night dew brushed off the question, she knew had been a long shot.

Steel continued to watch out of the view screen, his cloudy grey eyes giving away nothing. Night Dew had almost given up on the impulse when the captain spoke again, “I understand spears, arrows and magic Dewy, they have well established laws and workings.” His tone was melancholy, “I can plan for such things and do my job.”

Steel finally turned to look at Night Dew with a sad smile, “But this,” he waved a hoof to indicate the Bloomberg, “This is taking us far beyond what I know, the world is moving Lieutenant and we have two choices: We can be left behind or we can grow with it.”

The older pony sighed and a sense of resignation broke through his impassive expression, “I’ve done a lot of growing in my time and I don’t think I have much more to do.” Steel chuckled, “Certainly not enough to keep pace with this progress.”

Night Dew was stunned by such a frank answer, “Don’t be silly captain, you’ve got plenty of fight left in you.”

Steel smiled again, “Don’t flatter me lieutenant, I don’t begrudge this. It’s the nature of life for new things to have their turn and for old ways to step aside.” Steel looked back to the scenes outside of the observation dome, “As long as the core principles of Equestria remain I don’t think it matters what we invent or create.”

For a tiny moment Night Dew saw an elderly pony before her, not the immovable Captain Steel she’d come to respect. It was only there for an instance before it was gone, but Dew had seen it and didn’t know quite what her feelings were on such a reverlation.

The restored Steel continued to watch the terrain move past below and Night Dew felt a fresh surge of respect for the captain. True to his name, Steel Resolve was bearing his lot in life without complaint or compromise, “This will probably be my last mission as a guard, Lieutenant; I’ve been at this whole 'soldier gig' for long enough: Time to settle down and put my hooves up.”

Night Dew laughed heartily, “Good one captain, pull the other...” She saw that Steel wasn’t joining in a trailed off. After a further moment of silence Night Dew forced herself to her hooves, only grunting a little as her leg hampered the attempt.

“Captain, I want you to know that I wouldn’t have any other officer than yourself on this mission,” Night Dew stated before giving a crisp salute, “Despite your reservations I still believe you’re of great value and that will never change.”

Steel stood stock still, only the movements of his eyes and steady breathing showing he wasn’t a statue before replying, “I appreciate your candour Lieutenant,” Steel chuckled again, “You have always said what you thought anyhow, but I thank you especially for it now.”

Night Dew maintained the salute as he continued on, “Look at us Lieutenant, both stuck in this ship while others do the fighting that needs to be done.” Dew grinned mischievously and finally dropped the salute and returned to her rest.

“There are more ways to protect than just with a spear or an arrow captain,” Night Dew said wryly.

Steel nodded slowly, “Yes Lieutenant, a lot more talking and a lot less hoof-work. I fear that’s what’s ahead of me.”

Both ponies watched the lands outside for a while, which were slowly climbing and becoming steeper as they passed. The smaller outcrops of rock were slowly being replaced with genuine mountain peaks and the scrublands became more barren. What was also on the increase was the haze of smoke from the unsettled mountains and the Bloomberg was heading straight for the closest rise.

“Well it looks like the ‘hatchling’ will be needed once again, you’re right Lieutenant; dragons really don’t know when to quit.” Steel observed and Night Dew instantly saw what he was referring to. Another dragon; this one was a bright blue, elongated beast. Easily the same size as Spike and it closing on the ship with slow measured beats of its wings.

“Okay hatchling, tell me what you see,” Warden’s voice resounded tinnily in Spike’s ear. The small device ‘borrowed’ from Night Dew was amazingly useful; far faster than scrolls.

“Looks like a big one this time Warden, bigger than the previous ones,” Spike replied as he watched the other dragon carefully. This one didn’t move like the others had, the earlier dragons they had met had been brash and direct; whereas this bright blue one circled slowly.

“Colour, Shape?” Warden pressed.

“It's big Warden, but built more like you and bright blue,” Spike paused before describing further, “It smell odd too.”

Spike continued to explain even as he watched the other dragon pivot in mid air, wings outstretched, revealing the lighter cream coloured undertones to their hide. This matched the leathery frill that ran along his opposite's back, neck and head.

The other dragon changed tactics and suddenly darted right for Spike. The move caught him completely off guard and he tumbled backwards as the blue dragon passed. The impact drove the air from his lungs and left Spike coughing.

"It's....very fast....Warden,” Spike wheezed and glanced around as the other drake circled at a distance once again.

“Are you alright hatchling?” Warden asked levelly.

Spike shook his head and growled, “Yeah, they just moved much faster than I expected.

The other dragon swept in once again, but this time Spike was ready: Waiting until the last moment he veered off and let the other dragon sail past him. Spike was just about congratulate himself when he felt a knock to the side of his head.

‘Blue Scales’ had struck Spike with its studded tail as they swept past, before laughing mockingly. It was then Spike realised what smelt different from the other dragon. It was a ‘she’ and the female dragon continued to laugh as she sailed past.

“Warden, what do I do?” Spike called as he was forced to evade another diving strike, this female was really fast.

There was a momentary pause before Warden replied, “Okay Spike, she’s faster than you, play to your own strengths: You’re probably stronger than her.”

Oddly that didn’t make Spike feel any better, “Thanks Warden, I think.”

Spike braced himself as Blue Scales swept around for a third strike, but barely had time to react. The female drake spiralled towards him, ducked low and before Spike knew was happening had hold of his tail.

Frantically Spike beat his wings even as he felt himself swung about bodily, managing to curl his own bulky frame around so that he could grasp at the other dragon. Placing his hands around the smaller wrists of his opponent Spike heaved, releasing her grip on his tail and forcing Blue Scales up face to face.

To his astonishment the other dragon was grinning despite his success and Spike looked into her red eyes with confusion as Warden called into his ear, “Good hatchling now I must warn you, females tend to rely on cunning rather than power.” This point was aptly proven as the other dragon winked at him and Spike felt a sharp pain in his nether regions.

Winching Spike lost his grip and the female shot upwards, still laughing mockingly and delivering a quick whack to his mid-rift with her tail. Spike screwed up his eyes in pain before replying in a slightly higher tone, “Thanks Warden, you could have warned me sooner.”

To Spike’s annoyance he was sure that Warden was chuckling in his ear as Blue Scales flitted and darted back and forth above Spike almost playfully. Okay Spike get it together, your friends are relying on you.

Grimacing, Spike sought out the foe once more and watched as Blue Scales spun lazily in the air above him; her red eyes full of amusement. Forcing down the bile that threatened to come out of his stomach, Spike powered upwards towards the laughing dragon who continued taunted him.

Spike frantically thought what to do and sought to buy time, “Right you, whoever you are, give it a break. We’re just passing through and don’t want any trouble!”

The other dragon almost giggled as she easily avoided Spike’s lumbering flight, “Oh you speak? Hear I was thinking you were just a big dumb brute from the way you treated the others.” The female’s voice was slightly melodic, with a sing song quality that reminded Spike of Night Dew somehow.

She dived and looped in a dizzying display of arcs and rolls which Spike could hardly follow. He felt his head spin as Blue Scales circled him, “Well I’m not, okay.” Spike snapped back, only just avoiding another swipe from her tail. It dawned on him that Blue Scales was speaking in words he understood and Spike’s mind raced, “Hey you speak Equestrian, so you’re not a dumb brute yourself.”

Blue Scale laughed and continued to display her aerial acrobatics with more vigour, Spike would have been first to admit it wasn’t a great comeback. But her reaction had at least given him an idea, “In fact you’re a very good flier and I’m deeply impressed good lady.”

The other dragon paused mid-loop before smiling back, “Why thank you, it’s nice to meet a hatchling with some manners at least.” Her red eyes sparkled with mirth as she zipped around again, swiping at him with her tail, but this time it was in an almost playful manner.

Spike felt like he was getting somewhere now and pressed onwards, “Indeed fair lady, I’m particularly impressed with the way the sun glints off your scales as you roll.”

Instead of darting forwards, Blue Scales drifted forwards slowly with steady beats of her wings until the female dragon was only a couple of meters away, “Oh, you have a silvery tongue in that purple mouth of yours,” She grinned in manner that made Spike very uneasy.

Blue Scale’s rubbed her chin while holding her elbow with the other hand as she peered at the Bloomberg, “It’s interesting company you keep hatchling, by the smell of them I’d wager ponies?” She sniffed theatrically, “Along with others under all that metal and magic.”

Spike watched Blue Scales carefully, not sure what she’d do next and replied with a weary tone, “What if I am?”

The female laughed again, “Oh let’s not play around the subject, you’re protecting the floating larder like it was your own kin: For an airship like that to fly so boldly into dragon lands with its own dragon escort, well that just doesn’t happen.”

She drifted forwards again with a curious expression forming on her snout before Spike backed off, keeping a safe distance from the other dragon. “Well it’s happening now and we don’t want any trouble, just to get to where we’re going with the least amount of fuss,” Spike explained.

The other dragon’s eyebrows rose, “Seems you’re doing a fine job of that...so far, but I don’t let just anyone fly through my territory without my say so.”

“Well can we have your permission please?” Spike asked, never taking his eyes of the dragon before him.

Blue Scales grinned before giving a thoughtful sound, “Well I may be convinced to allow that, since you asked so nicely.” She tilted her head to regard the Bloomberg once again, “Let’s say for a tribute of.....five ponies. It’s been so long since I tasted pony flesh and from what I remember it’s very tender.”

Spike felt the colour drain out of his face and his stomach heave, “What? No way am I going to agree to that!”

The other dragon studied her claws carefully as Spike fumed in disgust and anger. The grin she wore only grew wider as his temper flared, “Well I could just beat you and then take all of them for myself. I just thought this would save time and effort.”

Spike growled, “They are not food to be bartered, I take back what I said: You’re vile.”

Blue Scales actually looked surprised, “Oh here I was thinking you were outraged by the price,” She grinned even wider, “You actually care for them is that it, playthings for you are they hatchling?”

Spike felt the fire growing in his head as this female mocked him and made little of his family and friends. His claws twitched while Spike felt his tail snap back and forth to match his rising anger, “Look I don’t care what you think, they are important and I am escorting them through these lands. Now I’m done talking, either you let us through or I’ll fight you until you do.”

Blue Scales laughter slowly died down and was replaced by a look of mock fear, “Oh dear, whatever shall I do. The bold youngster is going to fight me.” She snorted in derision, “You’re no fighter hatchling; oh you can beat a few young headstrong brutes from the outlands. But further on in you’re going to be leftovers.”

Spike wouldn’t be swayed however, “Well I’ll just have to learn quickly then won’t I?”

“That’s quite enough of that, now back off Miss or you will have to deal with all of us,” The voice sounded out behind Spike and his heart filled with relief and dread in equal measure. That was Twilight.

Risking a quick glance backwards Spike saw that his sister was hovering with a number of pegasi and griffons in formation around her. Twilight was looking sternly at the other dragon who didn’t flinch at the arrival of several other fliers.

Blue Scales leaned forward as she watched the newcomers, “Well, well, who’s this that seeks to challenge me in my own territory?”

Spike watched uncertainly as Twilight answered, “I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, Emissary of Equestria to the Dragon Kingdoms and I am asking you nicely to back off and let us pass.”

The other dragon bowed in mocking deference, “A princess hmmm? Well that’s a very important position you hold there....for a prey creature.” Blue Scales expression became serious along with her tone, “You’re not in Equestria now little one.”

Twilight didn’t back down either and Spike felt the charge of magic begin to build as she spoke levelly, “No, we are here at the request of Thortax from the Ash Wind dragon flight to attend the Great Meeting.” Twilight’s horn began to glow as the power built and Spike gazed at Blue Scales to gauge her reaction.

The female dragon didn’t seem to be swayed, “Well Ash Wind is far from here little princess, and its reach is not as powerful as some would obviously have you believe.” She looked thoughtful for a moment, “There are only two ways you’re going to pass through my territory: Either you defeat me, or by paying tribute.”

Spike took advantage of the distraction to ask his tutor’s advice, “Warden, what do we do now?” As the debate drew on he waited for a reply, but to Spike’s annoyance none came.

“The law is simple princess, but before you answer I would have you know that this is no longer the outlands, we have standards here,” Blue Scales smiled wolfishly, “Should you wish to fight me it must be a one on one challenge, otherwise it will be seen as an act of war and you will have all the other dragons from across the kingdoms to contend with.”

Spike felt his heart sink, he really didn’t think he could take this dragon on, but there was no way he was going to offer up some of the crew as payment for passage. He tried again to raise warden on the small communicator, but he still didn’t answer.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed, “Well then I will fight you, if I must.”

Her opponent’s eyes went wide with astonishment before she burst out into laughter again, “You? You would fight in place of that one?” She indicated Spike with a talon and roared with mirth.

“If I must,” Twilight stated coldly and Blue Scale’ laughter died once again.

“Well I have never fought a ‘princess’ before, this should be interesting at least,” Blue Scales announced and Spike’s heart froze as he realised what Twilight intended.

Twilight motioned for her guards to break off as magical power continued to build around her horn. Spike saw her glance at him and recognised the look of determination he’d come to dread, there was no way he was going to talk Twilight out of this one.

The female dragon began to stretch her arms and legs, flexing her long talons in anticipation when another voice joined the situation, “Now, now, ‘Vex’ that’s enough posturing, stop playing around and tell me why you’re here?” Warden’s called sounded from speakers adorning the Bloomberg and caused both combatants to freeze.

To Spike’s surprise, ‘Vex’ peered at the ship with an expression of total amazement, “No, it can’t be. Is that you Warden?” All humour had vanished from her tone.

“Yes Vex it’s me you whippet, now stop this foolery and behave in front of my friends,” Warden’s reply was like a school master who had caught a foal hiding a tack on her teacher’s seat.

Spike’s mouth hung open as Vex’s manner changed instantly and she assumed a pose of total contrition, “A thousand apologies Princess Sparkle, I had no idea you were in such respected company. Please forgive my inappropriate behaviour, had I known you really were here at the request of the Ash Wind flight I would have never.....”

Spike could have laughed himself at the radical change of the dragon before them and one look at Twilight showed him that she was just as taken aback. He looked to his sister who wore the same expression of bemusement on her face as Spike’s.

“It’s quite alright Vex, you weren’t to know. Now would you be so good as to show us your lair and we can talk further,” Warden’s tone softened, “It’s good to see you again my dear.”

Details and Drakes

Details and Drakes.

Vex’s lair dripped with moisture, all around Spike and his companions. The walls were slick with water and occasional flashes of steam erupted from cracks all around. Condensed liquid ran in rivulets, as if the very rock itself was weeping.

It was a stifling atmosphere, but too the three dragons making their steady way into the mountain home of Vex. The same couldn’t be said of Twilight, Spike watched his sister with concern as the hazed vapours soaked her coat and wilted the princess’ feathers.

Vex led the way through the winding passages, her serpentine body almost flowing around the corners and tight turns which the path put in her way. She was followed by Warden, whose smaller size made negotiating the obstacles a simple matter. Twilight came next, placing one cautious hoof in front of another as sweat dripped off her muzzle: The falling droplets glinting in the light of Twilight's horn which glowed gently.

Spike brought up the rear of the party, his larger bulk being a significance hindrance in these confined spaces. He was uncomfortably reminded of his cramped experiences back in Ponyville; trying to fit into pony sized homes and all the troubles that went with them. It seemed like forever since he was living in the old town hall with Twilight. So much had happened since then that Ponyville almost felt like a lifetime ago.

Warden and Twilight had kept a keen eye on Spike’s progress, not just his learning and fitness; but also his growth. In the three months since Warden had first come to Ponyville Spike had gained a good couple of inches to his already impressive height, which according to Warden was perfectly normal for a dragon of his age and variety.

The extra exercises, not to mention the exertions of their journey had also added to Spikes bulk. He now cut an imposing figure of strength and power. Sadly all this caused him trouble as he followed the three others along these winding tunnels. They often had to stop as Spike wriggled or forced his way through some of the narrower gaps.

“Maybe I should lay off the weights huh?” Spike joked as yet again his wide shoulders became lodged between the rocks either side. He saw Twilight smiling patiently as she watched him strain against the barrier, his muscles tensing for a moment before the stone yielded and allowed Spike to continue on as the edges crumbled away.

Twilight laughed even as she took strained breaths of humid air, “Oh no big guy, better to have you in shape than carrying that extra weight around your gut,” She grinned up at spike and he felt his own tension loosening, ever since they had entered this place Spike had felt uneasy.

“Indeed, I would hate to have you pull you out because your belly wedged you fast hatchling,” Warden commented wryly.

Spike laughed along with the others as fresh fountains of steam seeped out of the surrounding rock. The oily vapours filled the passage even more thickly than before and Spike heard Twilight coughing vigorously.

Warden studied her with concern, “Miss Sparkle, are you sure you’re alright coming with us?”

Twilight’s eyes were streaming as she took reluctant breaths, “I don’t trust this ‘Vex’ Warden; I want to keep that dragoness where I can see her,” Twilight peered through the murk, “Speaking of which where is she?”

Spike glanced around, but saw no sign of Vex through the swirling clouds of vapour. Was this another trick, was Vex luring them into some kind of trap? His worries were interrupted by Warden who chuckled softly.

“Oh don’t worry about Vex; she’s an old acquaintance of mine,” Warden said as he peered along the dripping stone corridor, “She’s somewhat ‘flighty’ and prone to acting on impulse, but I trust her.”

Spike glanced at Twilight who didn’t seem convinced, “She wanted to eat some of the crew as payment Warden, doesn’t that say something about her too you?”

Warden rolled his remaining eye, “Miss Sparkle, I do believe this atmosphere is getting to you, what that tells me is that Vex is a typical dragon. We eat meat princess and many dragons consider it fine to eat what they would call ‘lesser creatures’.”

Spike winced and Twilight snorted before Warden held up a claw, “Princess, I don’t need to tell you dragons are proud and prideful creatures. Even I was guilty of such delusions of dragon’s superiority over all other things at one point.”

Twilight frowned, “You’re not reassuring me about Vex, Warden.”

Warden smiled in return, “Vex is, well Vex is more open minded than most of the dragons you will meet here. She’s open to listening to other points of view if you can earn her respect of course.”

Spike felt his anxiety return, Vex had proven to be a far more skilled opponent than he was comfortable with. He wasn't looking forward to facing her again.

“And how does one go about earning the respect of a dragon like Vex?” Twilight pressed and Spike fervently hoped it wasn’t by fighting.

“Firstly by not making me wait for you,” Vex’s impatient call came around a bend in the tunnel, quickly followed by the dragoness' head. Spike felt his worries rise as he studied her red eyes that glinted in the reflected glow of Twilight’s horn.

“Well if you will make your home in such a place you can expect it to take some time for others to make their way in Vex,” Warden quipped with a chuckle.

“That’s the point,” Vex snapped before she winced, “Sorry Warden, I’m just not used to company in my own home.”

To Spike’s relief Warden waved a dismissive hand, “It’s quite alright Vex, I understand completely.” Spike could have sworn that Vex’s scaled face almost blushed, but quickly dismissed the notion as a trick of the light.

“Thank you for allowing us to come into your lair lady Vex, I understand it can’t be easy for to allow strangers into what is claimed by you,” Twilight added in a consoling manner.

Vex’s eyes narrowed before she snorted a small cloud of smoke which was quickly lost in the haze all around, “I’m most definitely not a lady princess so don’t patronise me with your society talk.” Spike once again got the impression that Vex was blushing, but before he could watch further her head vanished into the gloom one more.

Twilight was taken aback by such an abrupt and hostile response, “What? I... I don’t,” Twilight shook her head in confusion, “I was trying to be understanding.” She glanced at Warden was shaking his head sadly.

“Let’s just say you touched a nerve Miss Sparkle, I will not say more unless Vex wishes it,” Warden explained.

Spike shrugged as Twilight turned her bemused gaze on him, “Don’t look at me Twi, she’s the first female dragon I’ve met, how am I supposed to know what she's thinking?”

Twilight felt suspicion rising in her once again, “Warden, did you know we would run into Vex?”

Warden stiffened, “I knew it was a good possibility if we took the route I chose, the territory in these parts changes hands on an hourly basis,” He smiled in a knowing way, “But I was confident that Vex would still be holding her mountain.”

“And you let Spike fight her, knowing who she was?” Twilight pressed.

Warden tapped his claws together uncertainly, “I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to test Spike’s prowess against a worthy opponent, whom I trust.”

Spike snorted, “You were planning to tell us this important bit of information?”

Warden grinned, “Some things you have to have to find out for yourself.” He smiled before leading them on after the fast moving Vex.

The tunnels finally opened up into a larger cavern with its own ruddy glow. It took a couple of moments for Twilight to realise that the light was coming from below, where the cracked floor leaked the reddish glow that cast the whole space in crimson hues.

The temperature rose immensely as Twilight crossed the threshold leaving her giddy. Shaking her head she concentrated on her magic and summoned a protective orb around herself. The heat plummeted and Twilight gave a thankful gasp even as she tasted the sooty air.

Now that she had time to look around, Twilight saw that the light which filtered up from the ground was reflected and bounced around the cavern by crystals: There were hundreds of them, tucked into nooks and crannies about the distant and walls even lining the cave’s roof.

This wasn’t the point that drew Twilight’s attention however. Towards the back of the large space was Vex, coiled atop a pile of riches that would have made Rarity swoon. Gold, gems and assorted metal finery were heaped onto the pile which supported Vex, who glared at Twilight with barely hidden contempt.

Twilight was inclined to return the glare, but before she could Warden stepped past her and much to Twilight’s surprise bowed before Vex.

“I thank you for the great honour of allowing us to visit you within your own abode Vex,” Warden addressed the other dragon, his head still bowed in submission.

Twilight watched in fascination as Vex returned the gesture, bowing her head in response before replying in a measured tone, “I accept your thanks Warden of the Ash Wind Flight and welcome you to my home.”

Warden straightened and Twilight saw his lip curl in a smile before he spoke again, “Right Vex, now we have the official bit all done with; I hope you are well?”

It was like watching the weather moving as the manner of both dragon's altered; whereas before they were stiff and overbearingly formal, now both were smiling like lifelong friends. Twilight’s curiosity was peaked, she watched Vex pick up a clawful of gold and let if trickle through her fingers.

“Well times have been hard Warden, with all this fuss over the ‘Great Meeting’ being held early. One can hardly move for young upstarts coming and going,” Vex replied in a resigned tone before giving Warden a concerned look, “What about you? Looks like you have seen better days yourself.”

Twilight felt a surge of guilt well up in her chest as Warden rubbed his scarred face in an absent minded way before responding, “Well I picked a fight with some unusual opponents, but I can assure you they came off worse.” Warden said with a grin.

Vex’s eyes drifted onto Twilight and she snorted in derision, “Really? From what I heard you had gone to pony lands and I seriously doubt one of their kind could so hurt a dragon of your reputation.”

Twilight felt her own hackles rise at being talked down too and was forced to take a couple of calming breaths as Vex sneered, “So what’s the story of this ‘princess’ in your company?”

Warden stiffened before replying, “Her Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle is indeed the chosen emissary for Equestria and will represent them in the coming Meet.” Twilight was thankful that Warden was standing up for her, but he wasn’t done, “And you would be wise to show her proper respect Vex, she’s certainly earned it.”

Vex cocked an eyebrow and smiled slyly, “That’s high praise from you Warden, anything else I should know?”

Warden indicated Spike who had been sitting quietly watching the whole exchange, “This is Spike of Ponyville, and I have been teaching him dragon’s ways and culture.”

Twilight saw Vex’s eyes glint with sudden interest before she smiled and almost purred, “Ah so the stories are true. I would never have believed it myself had you not told me in person Warden: A dragon raised by ponies.”

Vex smiled mischievously, “Well that explains the silvery tongue you have, well you got manners from these little equines if nothing else.”

Spike snorted in embarrassment and Twilight didn’t blame him, the way Vex speak you would think that being raised in Ponyville was some kind of handicap. Vex uncoiled herself and approached Spike, looking him up and down as if she was evaluating a potential purchase.

“Well he’s certainly healthy, good build on him and from what I saw of him fighting the outlanders he’s not stupid,” Vex commented as she circled Spike.

“You saw our fights with the other dragons?” Spike asked trying his best not flinch under Vex’s scrutiny.

The other dragon laughed, “Of course, it pays to keep an eye on one’s neighbours.” Twilight couldn’t help but notice how Vex glanced at her as she said that, “You never know what new surprises may float in.”

Warden coughed, “You said that the dragons are gathering already, does that mean the Great Meet has indeed been brought forward?”

Vex winked at Spike before turning to face Warden, “Indeed, most of the flights have responded to this unusual happening: Larva Flow, Dusk Peak and Burning Canyon have all sent representatives,” Vex’s snout screwed up in disgust, “Along with the lesser rabbles of course.”

Warden nodded in understanding, evidently pleased at this information, “Well that’s most of the key flights attending.”

Vex chuckled, “Yes, it seems that Thortax still has some pull with the others.”

“So what are they gathering about?” Spike asked and Twilight was grateful for him. It was what she had wanted to ask, but felt that it wasn’t a good idea to intrude being the only non-dragon present.

Both Vex and Warden regard Spike carefully before Warden responded, “Important matters regarding dragon-pony relations hatchling.”

Spike snorted, “Well I could have guessed that Warden but you still won’t tell us the details.”

To Twilight’s surprise Vex responded to that question, “It does not do to question your elders like that hatchling, I see your time among ponies has not taught you enough manners.”

“It’s alright Vex, Spike has had some leeway under my tutelage; he means no disrespect,” Warden cut in and Vex bowed in submission.

“Well if I had done that while you were teaching me there would have been Tartarus to pay,” Vex allowed a tiny grin to form on her lips and Twilight’s ears pricked up in interest.

“You were taught by Warden?” Twilight asked.

Vex regarded Twilight as if she was over excited puppy, “Yes, he did, you don’t think your pet dragon was the only one do you?”

Spike growled and Warden placed a restraining claw on his chest, “Now, now Vex there is no need for that. Yes, Vex was my student from many years ago.” He smiled at the female dragon before continuing, “And a very apt one if I do say so, shame really.”

Vex huffed and folded her arms, “Really Warden, you’re going to bring that up in front of them?”

The grin on Warden’s snout only widened, “Well if you’re going to behave like the spoiled and ignorant hatchling of yesteryear then I think you need reminding of a few lessons.”

Vex’s snout creased up in a scowl, “It’s none of their business Warden.”

Twilight saw the older dragon wink to her before continuing, “Well then treat them with some manners my dear?”

Vex grumbled a few choice phrases that Twilight didn’t understand before the dragoness forced an accepting smile, “Okay, but only because Warden is an old friend.” She turned and bowed to Spike, “I am sorry Spike for my rude behaviour....again.” Vex then glared at Warden who nodded in approval.

“Now then Vex, tell me what has been happening since I was gone,” Warden asked as he settled himself down on the rocky surface of the cave floor.

The dragoness returned to her pile of loot and coiled about the riches as if for comfort. Resting her chin on a clenched fist, Vex began to relay the latest dragon news, “Well not that your princess would understand half of what I say, ‘Mardoc’ is openly against any talks with Equestria, his flight hasn’t even sent any one to the Meet, as for ‘Largash’ well he’s taking the ‘quiet, wait and see approach’ as always.”

Warden leaned in close to Twilight and whispered in her ear, “Mardoc is head of the ‘Blackened Chasm Flight’, basically an isolationist. Largash is the oldest elder of Lava Flow Flight, a very cautious dragon.” Twilight nodded, being no stranger to politics, even if she hated it.

It was an odd idea to not have a united kingdom like Equestria, but then again from what Twilight had learnt from her time with Warden this didn’t surprise her. She continued to listen as Vex went through a list of names which she had never heard of, every so often having warden explain some minor or occasional detail about the name.

From what she could gather, the dragon kingdoms were a massive set of alliances and honour oaths that made Twilight’s head ache just to think about it. The main players were the Larva Flow, Dusk Peak, Burning Canyon and finally Warden’s own Ash Wind flights and none of them could agree on any point from what she could gather.

Twilight glanced at Spike who wore a glassy expression as names and titles wash over him, she didn’t blame Spike for the dragon’s lack of interest and decided this was more her arena of play for the time being.

“So this ‘Skalancha’ of Dust Peak is highly hostile to Equestria?” Twilight asked politely when Vex had finished her report.

Vex raised an eyebrow at this, “I am surprised you could keep up with all that Miss Sparkle being a dumb...” She was cut off by a stern cough from Warden before Vex continued, “I mean being new to dragon politics.”

Twilight rolled her eyes before smiling sweetly, ignoring the implied insult, “I’m a fast study, please go on.”

Vex grimaced but answered the question, “Well yes Skalancha, she’s dead against the idea of Equestria having any influence in dragon affairs and has openly called for war with your kind.”

Twilight’s ears flattened, “War? Why?”

Vex glanced to Warden who nodded, “She thinks that ponies are becoming too...assertive in their progression and wants to stop you from becoming a threat.”

“And also put ponies back on the ‘free menu’,” Warden commented, causing Spike to growl angrily. Vex’s expression told Twilight that the dragoness wasn’t adverse to the idea herself. Ignoring the rising ire of Spike, Vex pressed on with her explanation:

“Then there are the dragons of Burning Canyon,” Vex’s face fell and she glanced sorrowfully at Warden, “My flight would just have you all wiped out and save us all the trouble.”

Twilight gasped and a small jet of green flame escaped Spike’s nose before Warden held up both hands in warning, “Lady Vex is no longer in a position to influence the Burning Canyon’s views, please do not hold it against her Princess or you hatchling.”

Vex nodded sadly, “I’m not one to promote genocide even if it is upon lesser creatures, plus I honestly don’t think we could win anyway.” Twilight felt the fury building in her; that one creature would even consider such a course of action, but felt it drain out of her as Vex seemed to deflate before Twilight’s eyes.

“Vex and I share similar views on such matters, though I admit she still has a hard time letting go of some prejudices,” Warden explained soothingly, “That’s part of the reason she’s no longer with her flight, but I will say no more on that.”

Vex smiled gratefully, “I don’t pretend that I firmly believe that dragons shouldn't have the right to rule over those because we have the strength to do so, but to kill off a whole race just because they might be a threat at some point.” She winced, “That’s just barbaric.”

Twilight’s mind reeled; how could Warden be friends with such a dragon? One who would willingly eat other sentient creatures with no compunctions? Sure she was with him on some points, but it made Twilight very uneasy that this dragon was the closest thing to an ally they had encountered since entering the dragon lands.

The fears about what may be required of Twilight began to creep into her soul; dragons were just so different from anything else she had met. Even the aggressive boars had many ideals in common with pony folk and saw them on equal terms, but dragons were..... it was just so hard to feel considered so insignificant and to know that members of a powerful nation would casually discuss wiping Equestria off the map.....

“But as Vex and I both feel that wars or extermination are simply not an option," Warden stated, "For one thing it’s just wrong in every sense of the word and the other as Vex so aptly pointed out; dragons though powerful would lose in the end. The world would not stand by if we committed such acts. The dragons would be no more, but not before we had caused terrible damage.”

Twilight didn’t feel reassured by such a statement, “And the Ash Wind Flight’s view in all of this?”

Warden’s face softened, “Well Thortax is the one pushing for these talks. I have great faith that he and many dragons from all across the kingdom see as he does.”

He smiled at Vex who was staring at her pile of riches with a distant expression, “Thank you Vex, you have been more than accommodating.”

The dragoness smiled weakly back up at Warden, “You’re going to ask me to go with you aren’t you?”

The older dragon gently stroked Vex’s claw before nodding, “We could use the help Vex and outside the Ash Wind Flight there are few dragons that I trust.”

Vex glanced down at her riches before frowning, “I can’t leave this unguarded Warden, you know that.”

Twilight jumped in here, “We can compensate you for any losses you may incur.”

Vex glared at Twilight before her face became impassive, “That may be acceptable.”

Warden chuckled, “Oh very well Vex I can authorise some of Ash Wind’s funds as payment for your assistance; that along with Twilight’s offer is more than fair.”

Vex considered this for a moment before tilting her head in agreement, “Alright I will come with you, but only because I owe you Warden.”

Twilight grinned as Warden winked at her again, “Oh, it is we who are in your debt Vex, thank you so much for you help.”

Vex swelled with importance again, “Well just give me time to hide some more personal items and I will be ready to go.” With that Vex busied herself in rummaging in her pile as Warden ushered Spike and Twilight out of the carven and into the vapour filled tunnels once more.

“Well handled your highness and good thing you only offered compensation,” Warden explained before Twilight raised a confused eyebrow.

“What’s wrong with offering payment for services rendered? You did?” She asked before Warden shook his head.

“That is a gift from one dragon to another, had you tried to buy her services Vex would have thrown us out. Dragons are not mercenaries to be hired out and certainly not by ‘lesser’ creatures,” Warden explained.

Twilight screwed up her face in annoyance, “I really wish you would stop calling non dragons that Warden.”

Spike nodded in agreement as Warden rubbed his scarred face, “I know you’re not Twilight, but it’s a pervasive view here so you had better get used to hearing it sadly.”

Uncertainty flowed across Twilight’s face again, “Are you sure we can trust her Warden... I mean she wanted to eat....”

Warden looked Twilight right in the eyes, “On my honour to my flight and Whisper I hold dear, we can trust her Princess Twilight.” He reached out and stroked Twilight’s cheek with a clawed finger, “We can change this all for the better, it will take time; but one day dragons will understand that there are wonders besides ourselves.”

Twilight blushed and Spike rolled his eyes as Vex re-entered the passage way, “Alright I’m ready, just don’t expect me to ride in that flying 'box' of yours.”

Monsters and Morals.

Spike revelled in the feeling of the air flowing past him, he had never understood Rainbow Dashe's utter obsession with flying fast; until now. He felt the currents around him, gravity tugging at his form and the sheer joy of denying it grasp. His blood sung with the joy of it and felt his claws trembling with the thrill. This was living.

He banked this way and that, before causing himself to spin just for the sheer thrill of it. All those years he’d been stuck on the ground, but now he was flying free and loving it. His thoughts were disturbed as a shadow passed over him. Vex, laughing playfully, swept across Spike's path and gave him a taunting tap with her tail that caused his ears to ring, “What’s up with you hatchling? You act like this is the first time you have flown.”

In a manner it was, every other time Spike had taken to the air with his new found flight he’d been preoccupied with fighting off a challenger, or rushing to save his friends. This time Spike had been able to fly just for the fun of it. With Vex accompanying the Bloomberg the number of challengers had dwindled and allowed the group to pass deeper into dragon lands without further hindrance. There had been other dragons of course, their numbers increasing with every days travel as masses of them filled the skies. But it seemed they were also intent on reaching the ‘Great Meet’ with the least amount of delay and thankfully gave the airship along with its escort a wide birth.

The Bloomberg crested the lip of a huge imposing caldera and Spike gasped: The crater was a sparse patchwork of lava pits and tar pools which stretched for miles. The only landmark that broke its flat expanse was an central spire of smoking rock that jutted up like a smouldering torch. It's vast size put Canterlot and its supporting mountain to shame, sprawling spires all wreathed in smoke seemed to jostle each other in an attempt to be the most imposing.

It dominated the scene and even managed to make the swirling dragons all around look like flocks of birds in comparison. That anything so big could exist made Spike's head spin. It was also strange in the fact that the dragons all avoided the edifice. In a land so bursting with dragons of all shapes and sizes it was strange to see that the mountain was apparently clear of the beasts.

His gaze took in the rest of the crater which was only marginally less impressive. Here the dragons gathered thickly; there were thousands covering every patch of dry land, filling the skies with their cries and moving in great clouds. The airborne masses flowed, merged and separated in a complex dance. The whole flat vista was a riot of hues and snarling monsters, all lit by the occasional lava surge that fountained into the air with frightening regularity.

Spike shook his head as another blow echoed around his skull and pulled his attention from the swirling dragons. A strike from Vex’s tail was like being hit by an anvil made of hardened bone and though his head was thick (as Twilight often reminded him) Spike still felt the impact keenly. Holding his now smarting head Spike grimaced a reply, “Well this is the first time I’ve been able to just fly for the fun of it.”

Vex studied Spike with interest, “You haven’t been flying very long? I would have thought a dragon your age would have been in the air long before now.”

Spike smiled with embarrassment, “Well it’s a long story, ponies don’t know all that much about dragons and so I had to pick things up largely on my own; until Warden came along anyway.”

Vex grinned, “Awww poor you, raised by ponies and couldn’t fly.” Her manner was derogatory, but Spike saw genuine sadness in Vex's eyes and felt his cheeks redden.

“Hey knock it off, I was happy to be raised by Twilight and the others. They’re my family now and I wouldn’t trade them for anything,” Spike snapped back.

Vex snorted, “Hmph, that explains why you’re so soft. I see how squeamish you get when I talk about eating anything.”

Spike turned his head away to hide his unease, but Vex simply angled her flight so that she could remain before him the whole while as she spoke, “Growing up with a load of herbivores must have been stifling; all their silly concerns about ‘flowers’ and ‘grass’. It must have been so boring.”

Spike growled angrily, “They aren’t just a bunch of soppy tree huggers Vex,” he retorted. Barring maybe Fluttershy, but Spike wasn’t prepared to admit that right now and in any case he knew from personal experience that there was a soul of steel under her soft exterior.

The look Vex deigned to give Spike told him that she would have more easily believed that he had been born on the moon, “Hmm if you say so, when I see a pony who can take a dragon I may change my mind.”

The communicator in Spike’s ear chimed as Warden joined in their conversation, “You’d be surprised Vex, they built this ship and I have seen her highness in action.”

Vex’s face screwed up and it took Spike a moment to realise she was pouting, “Yeah Warden, you say that some pony creation roughed you up huh? That’s not honest fighting, that’s just cheating if you ask me.”

Warden was silent for a moment, “The results are the same Vex, be thankful the Bloomberg is on a peaceful mission.”

Spike watched as Vex opened her mouth before closing it again. It was the first time he’d seen her fail to pull off some witty retort. He angled his flight to avoid a billowing lava surge and turned his eyes to the horizon once more where Dragons of all shapes, sizes and colours filled the skies. It was a sight to stir his heart with a mixture of pride and dread.

Turning his head back to the Bloomberg, Spike saw Warden watching him through the view screen. The sinking sun caused the glass to shine with a golden glow; they had been travelling for days through an ever rockier landscape and to everyone’s growing anxiety it was dawning on the travellers that their journey was coming to an end.

Spike refocused on the swirling cloud of dragons ahead of them, it had been many years since he’d last seen a sight like this and it dragged up unpleasant memories along with pleasant ones: It was one of the turning points in his life when Twilight had come to save him and Spike smiled, lost in the past.

Twilight, Rainbow and Rarity all appearing as if from nowhere in that forest clearing as the group of teenage dragons had turned on him, blossomed in Spike’s mind:

“No pony’s gonna lay a claw on him!,” Rainbow Dash called brashly and Spike felt his heart soar as he recognised the voice.

“That’s right!," Twilight added and Spike had never felt so glad to see her than at that moment.

"Fighting’s not really my thing, I’m more into fashion, but I’ll rip you to pieces if you touch one scale on his cute little head!” The voice of rarity sounded in Spike’s mind as her memory stood up to defend Spike from a bunch of ‘jerky dragons’.

All there for him, risking fire and threat to make sure their little ‘Spikey Wikey’ was safe. Spike cherished those times, where he and the pony gang would.....But that was years ago, Spike wasn’t ‘cute’ anymore and certainly not little, nevertheless he knew that they would always be ready when he needed them.

Some core elements would stay the same, but the situations would change. Rarity was married now and though it still burned Spike that she’d chosen a fellow pony over him, he didn’t hold it against her and Spike understood Rarity still cared.

His reverie faded, He knew his pony family would always be there for him and he had long ago resolved to be there for them.

He felt a further impact across his shoulders as Vex drew him back to the here and now, “Hey ash brain watch where you’re going, obstacles are best avoided when flying.” Spike shook himself and veered past a rogue dragon he’d almost collided with; the amber reptile glaring at him as it passed.

“Yeah I see Warden’s done a fantastic job teaching you to fly,” Vex mocked.

“I heard that,” Warden called tetchily, “Focus Hatchling.”

Vex chuckled, “I think you’re getting soft Warden, hanging around with all these ponies.”

A crackly bunch of syllables sounded in Spike’s ear and to his amazement Vex blushed before Spike glanced suspiciously, “Do I want to know what he just said?”

Vex laughed wryly, “Probably not.” She flitted past the Bloomberg in a lazy fashion and Spike was certain Warden made some sort of gesture to her. Vex laughed all the louder before being lost to sight behind another flock of drakes.

“I don’t mean ter intrude on this little reunion, but these crystal’s don’t like bein run non-stop, so do yer know if this is a safe place ter stop n recharge?” Applebloom’s heavy accent sounded over the line.

“I believe anywhere clear enough to land should be safe Miss Bloom, a general amnesty is enforced over this whole plateau,” Warden commented and was met by a cold silence.

“Ferget I asked. Just letting yer know that I need ter take ‘glowy’ off line,” Applebloom didn’t even acknowledge Warden’s response.

Spike winced; Applebloom still hadn’t forgiven Warden for tampering with the power systems on her beloved airship and was far from being on speaking terms with him again. She only just tolerated Spike at the moment and he suspected that in some odd way Applebloom blamed him for the event as well.

“Thanks A.B we’ll be extra careful while the barrier is down,” Spike replied, only to receive a snort of annoyance down the com line.

Spike saw that Vex was smirking at him, “You let those ponies tell you what to do huh?

“Only when they’re right Vex,” Spike said, his annoyance clear.

The Bloomberg settled low to the ground just as the sun dipped below the caldera’s rim, the last shafts of light winking out and abandoning those within to the ruddy glow of the lava fields. It had taken some time for Vex and Spike to secure a landing space big enough with all the dragons about; but with Warden’s diplomatic skills in full flow an area just adjacent to a tar pit was soon marked out and teams of the ship’s crew began the task of securing the Bloomberg.

Twilight breathed in the sooty atmosphere and felt her lungs rebel at the hot air, it hurt to breathe here and the smell of dragons was almost overpowering. All in all not a very accommodating place for ponies. The deep reds of the glowing lava lit a scene from a dreadful story. Fire, soot and above all else dragons all flowed together to create a dire world of roaring heat.

She oversaw the ground teams as they began setting up tents and other camp structures; working in groups to erect the canvas hovels and establish some order to their surroundings. They sweated and cursed as clouds of ash swept over them, only just being held a bay by the unicorns among their number, all the while the ever circling dragons eyed them hungrily. No not a good place for a pony Twilight told herself.

It seemed that the dragons all around them held no fixed territory or boundaries; each dragon or group of dragons simply pushing and shoving for their own space in the heaving throng. Although Warden had assured Twilight that there would be no open combat, the tension in the air was stifling; small disagreements among the dragons resulted in almost continuous roars quickly followed by flashes of flame. She'd seen battlefields with more order than this place, the continued agitation of the dragons all around like a battering ram on her ears.

What made it worse was that Twilight could clearly feel the anxiety from the crew as they went about their tasks in mute efficiency. Absent was the normal banter and good natured jokes that they would usually have aboard the Bloomberg. Their own stares more strained, their hooves held at the ready. The nervous tension built even as Twilight watched, it would only take one miss step and....

“They will control themselves Miss Sparkle; to violate the pact of noncombat would only bring the rest of the dragons down upon any offender,” Warden explained, seeming to materialise next to Twilight on the rock she had seated herself on.

She didn’t respond right away, the spectacle before her driving all civil replies from Twilight and leaving her speechless. The roars and cries were distracting to her it was true, but what really upset Twilight was the disorder. She felt a sudden longing for home, for Equestria and all the peace and security it provided. Here Twilight felt they could be attacked at any moment, or violate some strange dragon code, calling down the wrath of this land in an unstoppable tide.

The princess shook herself, repeating the title in her mind over and over to remind Twilight that she was up to this. The other rulers of Equestria had entrusted her with this task, just like so many other missions and she would not fail them. They wouldn’t have sent her if they didn’t believe she couldn’t succeed.

Twilight finally found her voice, “This is going to work isn’t it? I mean your people will surely see the reason of our position, Equestria means no threat to them. We want to be friends, we want everyone to get along. How could they not want that?”

She watched as Warden glanced around the ever moving crowds. They surrounded the small isle or order like sharks around a lifeboat. Warden's eye was as hard as stone and his clawed hands clenched tightly. Twilight saw the nobility in his features, the pains he bore, but most of all she saw a burning determination.

“Every race has its heroes and its villains princess. I will not deny that we have our fair share of the latter; it’s a dragon’s natural state to be greedy and selfish,” Warden’s voice was quiet, cold and completely at odds with the raging heat all around them, “But I firmly believe that we have it within ourselves to great.”

He regarded Twilight, his single glittering eye boring into her with its intensity, “I see that in Spike every time I look at him or you, though I would never have credited it until I got to know you both.”

He flexed his wings and to Twilight’s continued unease she saw they were still tattered and damaged. The injuries from his intersession on her part were healing, but only very slowly, “If a dragon who was raised away from his kind could turn out like Spike then there is hope for us yet.”

Warden’s face briefly held the hungered look that Twilight had come to recognise when he thought of her, “You made him who he is today Twilight, you and Spike stand as a shining example of what good can come from dragons and ponies co-existing. You should be very proud of your achievement.”

Twilight felt the blush beginning on her cheeks, feeling unworthy of the praise heaped upon her, “I did what seemed right at the time and Spike is his own dragon you know, I certainly can’t take all the credit.”

Warden smiled and gently brushed Twilight’s muzzle with a claw, “You sell yourself short princess, word of your exploits has reached even these old ears and though I would not have credited them before, I believe them to be true now.”

Twilight lowered her head, “Well I had a lot of help and my friends stood by me, I could never have achieved any of it without them.”

The dragon smiled, “You see, that’s why you will succeed here Miss Sparkle. It’s the most important thing that we dragons lack in great abundance; a sense of common purpose, of acceptance, and as foolish as it sounds friendship. We do not understand the value of loving our fellows, of working together as equals in peace. We need you and your nation to teach us this.”

He waved a claw at the Bloomberg, “See what you have made, and see what you have accomplished!” Warden’s voice took on a reverence, “See the fruits of what was taught by Celestia and Luna: Despite all the challenges and foes to assail your lands you ponies keep coming back stronger than ever. Not only this, you’ve drawn others under your protection, other races who look to you for guidance.”

Warden’s face fell as he indicated the squabbling drakes all around, “See what we dragons lack, and despite all my efforts may never grasp.”

Twilight was stunned by Warden’s words and for the first time she caught a true glimpse of what their mission was all about. She felt awkward, wanting to say something to counter Warden’s words. She wanted to insist that ponies were just another race on this world, that all had equal value in the grand scheme of things. It felt arrogant in the extreme to accept the dragon’s words, but they also felt right.

For a moment the bickering dragons all around seemed to be muted, the implications of what Warden was suggested slowly trickling into Twilight’s mind like burning iron that set her thoughts ablaze. Warden wanted Equestria to save dragons from themselves.

To have such a being's hopes being placed on Twilight was crushing, the weight of such a responsibility felt overwhelming. It made the comparatively simple matter of developing technology in the right direction tiny in Twilight’s mind.

Even when she had needed to face up to Nightmare Moon or Discord Twilight had never felt so alone in her duty: Having friends standing by her giving her strength and courage, she had always had aid in combating such threats.

These events had been world changing, powerful confrontations with clear consequences, but this task was unique in its own way. To bring peace to an entire nation of beasts and monsters bent on making war or killing each other: It seemed almost impossible and Twilight didn’t know any spell that could be morally used in this situation. An old proverb she’d heard many years ago now sprung to her mind: You can lead a pony to water, but you can’t make them drink it

Warden must have sensed her disquiet, “Don’t doubt yourself Twilight, I have studied your ways for months now and know of my own history: This is the answer that we have been seeking for centuries. We've just been to proud to see it.”

Twilight closed her eyes and tried to centre herself before replying slowly, “What do I do Warden?” She felt way out of her depth and when she heard Warden chuckling Twilight opened her eyes and glared.

Warden stopped and smiled at her, “That’s simple princess, be yourself and see where it takes you.”

Steel Resolve made the rounds of the camp’s boundaries, stopping to talk with each guard on duty in turn. His soldiers were tense and he didn’t blame them. All about, dragons eyed the camp with hungry curious stares and Steel could feel the potential disaster just waiting to happen.

“Steady ‘Iron’, keep your calm ‘Shield’, I won’t be the Captain who is remembered as the one who started a war just because my stallions can’t keep their nerve,” Steel’s reassuring presence calmed the shaking hooves of his charges.

“That goes for the auxiliaries too, we will not be the ones to start trouble here is that understood?” Steel Resolve addressed the griffons among his own guards before his voice sunk low as he made sure his own blade was ready, “But by the princesses we will be ready for a fight if they start one.”

His route took him along the camp’s edge, skimming the tar large tar pool close by. Everywhere Steel looked, ponies were trembling and dragons grinning hungrily. He was just about to begin his second circuit when the first incident occurred.

Steel was forced to turn his head about when he heard a pony cry out in pain. Trotting past a work crew who were busily assembling various components, Steel spotted one of the soldiers in the uniform of the Night Guard. He clutching at his head and giving venomous glares at the surrounding beasts. As Steel approached he could clearly the large dent in the bat pony's helmet.

Still glaring at the circle of drakes beyond the campfires that had been placed to mark the camp’s boundaries, the hurt pony yelled angrily, “Sir one of those stupid lizards threw a rock at us!” His words only fed the laughter that sounded from the darkness around.

Steel fought to keep his face impassive as he recalled the pony's name, “Are you sure 'Blue Mist'?”

Blue Mist spread his leathery wings and snarled, “Of course I’m sure Captain, listen to them laughing at us!”

Steel pricked his ears up theatrically, “All I here is a large number of dragons talking in their own tongue soldier.”

Mist's eyes flashed dangerously, “You’d just stand there and let them mock us sir?”

There was a few angry calls from the other guards and Steel felt one eye twitch, ”No I do not soldier, I plan to ensure that you all bear your duty with stoicism and control, we’re on a peace mission here.”

Another pony called out, “Don’t look like they want to be peaceful Captain!” As if to prove the point a further stone sailed through the air and missed Steel by mere inches.

The Captain glanced at the rock as it clattered to the ground, its spinning course sending it clattering off a nearby magical lamp. Every one froze as Steel’s eyes watched beacon wobble for a moment before he turned to the surrounding darkness, “It seems that you have misplaced a number of your rocks, I strongly suggest that you take more care in the future!”

The only answer Steel got was further missiles which clattered all around. He stood impassive, waiting for the blizzard of stones to subside, “I see you wish to test my patience, I warn you one last time. Stop this foolery or there will be consequences!"

More deep throated laughter sounded all around and the barrage renewed, one stone even bouncing off Steel’s own breast plate. Still the captain didn’t move, glaring determinedly out into the darkness beyond. One of the surrounding shadows detached itself from the gloom and a particularly gnarled dragon came forward on all fours. It slammed each claw onto the ground with purpose until it was fully revealed in the lamp light. The creature was only a little smaller than Spike and looked easily strong enough to swat Steel aside like a fly.

Steel stepped forward slowly until the two creatures were almost muzzle to snout. With eyes watching them from all around, Steel met the drake’s unblinking stare with a stony one of his own before speaking in a definite manner, Do-not come one step closer.”

His opposite sneered before addressing him in broken Equestrian, “Stupid pony, go home.”

Steel didn’t flinch, “I will go when my princess commands and not before. You should take a lesson from that and listen to your leaders.”

The dragon loomed over Steel, spines flicking up as it snarled, “You don’t scare me, pony weak.”

“True I am smaller than you,” Steel grinned, “And probably weaker than you.” He planted his hooves in a wide stance, his eyes never leaving the dragon. “But there is one thing I do know that you don’t.”

The dragon chuckled with confidence, “Pony tell me?”

Steel grinned, “I use my brain more than you do: Now Miss Bloom!”

Suddenly a glare enveloped the pair, shining brightly from behind Steel, dazzling the dragon and causing it to shield its face with an upraised claw, “The light of knowledge should always be respected.”

Several guards winced, Steel wasn’t known for his humour, but most of them would follow him to Tartarus and back. The dragon now enraged drew in a deep breath before releasing a torrent of golden flame.

Once again Steel didn’t move a muscle, the fire rushed forward and to the watching crowd’s amazement stopped inches from his muzzle. The fire billowed out and around as if it had struck an invisible wall, leaving the grinning Steel completely unscathed. Steel smiled grimly at the dragon who was growling in confusion, anger flashing in it's beady eyes.

“High quality earth pony ingenuity, I would stake my life on it,” Steel commented before winking back at Applebloom.

“Darn tootin!” Applebloom shouted and the guards all cheered while the dragon slunk away back into the darkness. She stepped out from behind the large directional lamp Applebloom had dazzled the dragon with and smiled at the captain, “That should do it Steel, all lights n fields up n working.”

More rocks and debris clattered off the portable barrier Applebloom had activated, but to no further effect other than to cause it to flash and crackle. The bold dragon from earlier advanced once more, snarling and muttering in his own tongue before raking the magical field in a frenzy. His claws striking up further flashes of arcane power which merely caused his hands to smoke and add more to the drake's fury.

Steel watched the drake impassively, “I was hoping we could settle this calmly but it seems you will only understand a show of force.”

The collected guards cheered again, but their celebrations were short lived as a powerful wind swept over the assembly, causing the lamps to sway and Steel’s tail to whip and flail like seaweed pulled by the tide.

The dragons all around shrank back whimpering as a massive shape, easily the size of the Bloomberg dropped out of the night sky. It landed with a cataclysmic thud which caused the very ground to shake violently. The tremors rippled outwards caused several of the magical lamps to topple and smash on the hard earth and setting the assembled soldiers swaying as they fought to keep their footing.

Ponies, griffons and dragons alike were thrown to the ground by the new comer’s arrival: Even Steel stumbled and was forced to stare up from the ground as an enormous clawed hand slammed down on the earth next to him. Applebloom’s energy barrier didn’t even slow it down, the overloaded projector she had secured failed with a shower of magical sparks before the machine itself toppled like a flimsy house of cards.

The shuddering ground quieted and left a ringing silence, everyone too stunned to speak as the new mountain in their midst looked about with burning eyes. The stillness lasted only a moment before the monolithic dragon called, his words like thunder, “I seek an audience with Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

No sound was heard apart from the monstrous dragon’s deep breathing, the wind generated by his colossal lungs whipping the dust and grit about like a hurricane. Steel was forced to squeeze his eyes shut as the hot ash billowed around him. As he forced them open again Steel saw he was laying between two of the dragons claws, as if he were in the centre of a new gully which had suddenly sprung up either side of him.

Slowly regaining his hooves Steel arose just in time to see a solitary figure stepped out from the confusion. Undaunted by this titan of old Warden advanced with confidence and bowed before the massive dragon, “My Lord Thortax, it is good to see you again.” He glanced sideways at Steel, who trembled despite his name's sake, with a look of amusement on his scaly face, “I would be happy to inform the princess of your arrival.”

Plans and Pleasantries.

Plans and Pleasantries.

Spike felt the approaching dragon long before the wind swept over the camp, before a massive roar split the sky and certainly before the beast impacted. Its landing sending tremors rippling out from its landing. It was like fire in his veins and a siren call to his heart.

He’d been enjoying his simple meal in the cargo hold of Bloomberg, sick of the curious stares the other dragons had given him. The airship rattled in the sudden gale, causing Spike to lurch across the deck in his efforts to get to a port hole.

A monster of a dragon blocked out the skyline, his dark grey scales old and pitted. He was covered in ancient scars, evidence of his rough life. Spike felt his heart waver even as the blood thundered within him. This newcomer was at least the size of the Bloomberg and his massive claws could easily crush the tiny form of Warden who was now bowing to the enormous figure. That could only be Thortax. He matched Warden's description to the letter, from his arrowhead shaped head to his heavily muscled arms and battering ram like tail. Thortax's back was covered with bone spikes. Worn and battered just like the dragon himself, a few of them fractured and cracked.

This dragon dwarfed any other that Spike had before seen by several orders of magnitude and Spike would not have been ashamed to admit that he was terrified. Nor was he alone, ponies, griffons and the surrounding packs of lesser dragons all trembled in daunted awe.

The sight called up something deep in Spikes soul, the sense of power and majesty about this dragon made him want to spread his wings and roar to the sky in triumph, but also poured fear onto his heart which tempted him to hide under the largest rock he could find.

Even separated by the thick hull of the Bloomberg this new dragon’s voice easily carried into the cargo hold, reverberating through Spike's chest like a herd of buffalo thundering across his ribs. “Ah my faithful Warden. Sorry for the overly dramatic entrance, but I saw that the locals were getting restless.”

One enormous claw waved at the surrounding dragons who pulled back in awe, “I welcome you and your companions to the great meet. I trust your journey was eventful?”

Spike couldn't hear Warden’s reply but the towering drake nodded at in response with a grim expression. The monster’s eyes regarded the surrounding ponies and griffons with interest, all shrank back from his gaze like leaves driven by the breeze. His attention then moved to the surrounding dragons, “Be it known that any dragon or dragoness that violates the amnesty of this place in regards to these visitors will be answerable to me. They are to be treated with the same respect as any other flight in attendance, is that understood?”

All the surrounding beasts bowed in submission, not one daring to gainsay the monolithic dragon among them. With a snort of satisfaction he turned his head back to Warden, “I understand that the beings I wish to speak with are here Warden, please (he paused and chuckled with a sound that rattled Spike’s teeth) inform them that Lord Thortax seeks an audience.”

Spike felt a shiver of premonition pass through him, there couldn’t be anyone else Thortax could be referring to: The idea of him or Twilight having to stand before such a powerful dragon made Spike’s legs turn to jelly.

There was no question of Thortax meeting Twilight and Spike aboard the Bloomberg, nor was there anywhere around the camp private enough for such, so they found themselves flying towards the single peak at the centre of the caldera.

Thortax lead the way as a number of smaller dragons took up position around the pair. To Twilight’s surprise these drakes were all clad in armour of dark iron; beaten and shaped with brutal efficiency, but without elegance. She’d never thought of a dragon needing armour before, the idea was just alien to Twilight.

She glanced at Spike, seeing the miracle of her adoptive brother. He had grown so much and not just in stature either. His face was grim but upon seeing Twilight watching him Spike smiled weakly, “Don’t worry Twi, this will all be okay.”

She could recognise the effort to sound brave in his voice and Twilight loved him all the more for it. Here they were, flying behind the biggest dragon Twilight had ever seen, being escorted by dragon guards in dark armour. Spike was clearly terrified yet he still took the time to reassure her.

As they approached the looming peak of rock Twilight was staggered by its size; Thorax was enormous and his mighty frame dominated the sky, yet this peak was of an order of magnitude even greater. As the party came closer Twilight could make out details ahead; the rock glinted metallically in the weak moonlight filtering through the murky haze that permeated the dragon lands.

It began to dawn on Twilight that the metal plates worn by their escorts mirrored this pattern, the armour they wore no doubt taken from this very mountain. Whereas stone was often smoothed and weather beaten, the vast edifice before them was a collection of jagged outcrops and dark tunnels which looked like some giant smouldering metal cacti growing out of the planes below as wisps of smoke coiled from every opening along its sides.

Thorax angled his flight towards one of the largest openings, which reminded Twilight uncomfortably of a set of jaws ready to swallow them all. Further dragons stood sentinel either side of the opening, their reptilian gaze following the new comers with mute interest.

As Twilight passed through the portal she felt the rush of heat from inside and the same stifling humidity she’d felt in Vex’s home, only just like everything else in this place, far more intense. With an effort Twilight summoned a protective shield about herself, only for the escorting dragons to snarl in warning.

Suddenly frightened, Twilight’s control of the spell faltered and the hot air rushed in once again before Thortax grunted a warning, “The tower guard do not normally allow magic to be used within its walls princess, but you are not dragon and so I may be able to convince them to waver that rule.”

He halted his progress before glaring at the other dragons, “I will take full responsibility for the envoy.” The armoured drakes glanced at one another sceptically before Thortax spoke again, “She will not survive the inner chambers without some protection and you have my oath that the princess will not abuse such an exception made on her behalf.”

Thortax glanced at Twilight meaningfully, his slitted eyes were easily the size of herself and Twilight nodded in appreciation as well as understanding. Tentatively, she summoned the barrier once again and to her relief the guards didn’t object. The matter resolved for now, the party continued deeper into the mountain.

Despite Twilight’s fears her innate curiosity got the better of the her, “You speak like they don’t trust you either.”

Thortax glanced back to Twilight and the corner of his lips curled, “Perceptive, they don’t. The tower guard answer to no flight of authority other than their own. They leave their names and flight behind when they join.”

Twilight didn’t feel reassured, “So they’re in charge here?”

Thortax hesitated, “They have certain allowances and rights, but are not in charge as it were: They are enforcers and ‘protectors’.”

The large tunnel opened up into a vast glowing cavern and just when Twilight thought she couldn’t be awed further, yet more impressive sights came before her eyes. Above the lake of lava was a suspended platform of metallic stone, like a giant mushroom with its stalk emerging from the glowing pool below.

Thortax circled the cavern with Twilight and Spike in tow before landing heavily on the island. Their escort broke off and left the pair to their own devices before they set down also. Their ‘guards’ exited the chamber but remained posted at its entrance as Thortax settled himself.

“So you’re the famous Twilight Sparkle and the infamous hatchling that has brought us to this point,” His words were not accusatory, nor his tone.

Twilight shuddered, this mighty and ancient beast knew of her and her deeds. Thortax grinned as if reading her thoughts, “Don’t be so surprised little one, the workings of this world are not hidden from us. Do you honestly think such events as Nightmare Moon’s return and subsequent redemption, Discord’s release and taming would be a secret?” Thortax’s eyes gleamed with enthusiasm, “Of course I have heard of you.”

She felt her face redden and it had nothing to with the heat radiating from below, when put like that her life did seem pretty mythical, but Twilight just took things one faltering hoofstep at a time and somehow it always seemed to work out.

Thortax’s head drifted around to look Spike up and down, “And you, the hatchling born by unheard of means and raised by ponies. Here you stand before me at last,” Spike flinched as Thortax’s massive head came in close. “The pair of you have gotten a lot of dragons all worked up about our future in this world.”

Spike paled under the focused gaze of the mighty drake, his massive eyes looking down a snout that dwarfed the youngster. Twilight felt utterly insignificant here, in this place and totally eclipsed by Thortax, nevertheless she found her voice, “Lord Thortax, we have come at your request to attend this great dragon meet, but I don’t know what...”

A huge talon, easily four times the size of Twilight waved back and forth before her, “Be at peace princess, I will explain my plan. As you have no doubt guessed by now I am in favour of uniting with Equestria and its citizens, but this is no mean feat.” Thortax rested his massive head on his palm and regarded his guests, “We must convince the other flights of your worth.”

Twilight’s ears flattened, “How can we do that? Your people are so different from us, they war and squabble constantly, fighting to prove who is the strongest.......” Her words trailed off as Thortax slowly nodded.

“Exactly Princess, dragons only respect might and power. It has been so for ages innumerable,” Thortax said before pausing, “We are wrong, there is more to our world than this.”

Thortax grinned slowly, his expression forming into one of wry amusement, “Firstly we need to catch their full attention.”

It was well after the sun had risen that Twilight and Spike made it back to the camp, the tower guards in tow right up until they reach the Bloomberg. Twilight bid them farewell before they departed, flying back to the peak without comment or acknowledgement.

The aftermath of Thortax’s visit was plain to see, huge claw prints deformed the ground where he had landed. The soldiers were all looking shaken, starting in fear as Twilight along with Spike touched down. They were met by a wall of spears and panicked stares.

Spike eyed the weapons with disapproval as Steel Resolve rushed forward and pushed the nearest spear tip aside, “Enough you block heads, it’s our Princess and young master Spike.” Embarrassed and ashamed the soldiers backed off, their faces turned to the ground as Steel attempted to explain, “I’m sorry your highness, they’re a bit on edge after that monster’s appearance.”

Spike saw Twilight scowl, “He’s not a monster captain; that was Lord Thortax the dragon who invited our delegation here in the first place. I know he’s well ‘imposing’, but I can assure you both Spike and I were treated well.”

Steel saluted and stared at a point past Twilight’s shoulder, “Of course your highness, but the soldiers are not used to creatures of that....size.” Spike grinned sheepishly; it took a lot to get Steel rattled and though it was novel for Spike to see in such a state, he didn’t blame the captain.

Twilight smiled wearily, “Don’t worry captain; Thortax is on our side in this. Spike and I had a good discussion with him and we now have a plan for what to do come this evening.”

Spike saw Steel’s own muzzle scrunch up in displeasure, “Permission to speak freely your highness?” Twilight nodded for him to continue, “How do you know we can trust this dragon?”

It was a valid point, one that Spike quietly considered. If it came to it Spike would trust Thortax, from what he’d seen the dragon elder was a drake of his word, not to mention Warden’s avid vouching for Thortax’s character. Plus it seemed highly unlikely the old drake had lured them all here as am elaborate trap.

“I don’t fault your vigilance captain Steel, but Lord Thortax is a being of his word,” Warden asserted, causing all three to turn at his sudden appearance.

Steel recovered first, “Just as you are Warden? We all remember how honest you were back when Spike had to fight Vex.” Steel’s voice was full of scorn.

Warden released a low growl, “Captain, I have already explained my actions to Princess Twilight, I regret my poor decisions then and may I remind you that she had me released from my bonds? I consider the matter closed.” Warden glared at Steel who squared his shoulders and glared right back.

“Enough both of you,” Twilight snapped, “I have spoken with Thortax and feel that he is trustworthy. I have heard his arguments and his plan and they seem sound.” She glanced to Spike with grim resolve before fixing Steel with a stern expression, “My mind is made up captain.”

Steel stood stock still for a moment, breathing heavily before finally bowing to Twilight, “Sorry your highness.” He spared another venomous look for Warden, saluted Twilight and turning on his hooves marched back towards the Bloomberg.

Spike watched him go as Twilight conversed with Warden; recounting their meeting with Thortax. Spike only half listened, being worn out by the night’s events, he just wanted to curl up on the Bloomberg and get some rest.

If they were going to enact Thortax’s plan then Spike was going to need all the sleep he could get. He excused himself and began to plod his way towards the airship. He ignored the strained looks the soldiers gave him along with the whispers he heard. They were all clearly shaken by recent events and Spike would be first to admit that he was too: That such powerful creatures lived only a boarder’s width away had no doubt shaken the resolve of Steel’s soldiers.

Pressing on, Spike smiled as he saw the familiar sight of Bloomberg ahead of him. It was an anchor in a strange land, something of Equestria brought with them on this journey and his heart felt lighter just to see it.

“So you had a private audience with Lord Thortax huh? Not many hatchlings can boast of that,” Spike saw Vex draped over the airship’s starboard side, watching Spike with her lazy red eyes.

Spike’s lifted mood sunk a little, “Oh hi Vex, making yourself comfortable?”

Vex rolled and stretched, her serpentine body coiling around Bloomberg’s frame like a pervasive vine, “Well I thought I would take a chance to examine this ‘thing’ while I could. That yellow pony with the pink bow is a real fire heart and wouldn’t let me near it.”

Spike laughed wearily, “Applebloom? Yeah she’s a real hot head if you get on the wrong side of her, but clever and brave too.”

Vex studied Spike carefully, “You sound like you admire her, you do know she’s just a ground bound meal with big ideas right?”

Spike scowled, “Vex drop the high and mighty act okay; not everything without scales is just a meal for you.”

Vex grinned playfully, “Ah! So you admit that some things are just meals then?”

Spike rolled his eyes, “Look Vex, I’m tired, plus I have a big and most likely dangerous day coming up so please lay off the moral questions and let me get some sleep.”

Vex lifted her head in interest, “Dangerous huh? Well that’s probably true, but that’s part of life isn’t it? Ever considered that Spike?”

Spike closed his tired eyes and sighed, growing bored of word games, “What is it you want Vex?”

Vex gave Spike a half smile, “Well now that you bring it up, I wanted to know what you and Lord Thortax talked about.”

Spike became suspicious, “Stuff I guess....”

Vex purred, “Oh don’t be like that hatchling, I’m just curious.”

Spike didn’t like Vex’s tone, plus most of the discussion had been between Twilight and Thortax so he didn’t really have much to tell her. The only part that had interested Spike had been the suggestion that he would have to go through some sort of trial or test. It seemed, just like Warden, Thortax was infuriatingly sparse with the details.

“Well lots of politics mostly,” Spike concluded before Vex face-palmed.

“I don’t know if you’re the shrewdest negotiator, or just the dumbest dragon for miles around Spike; Of course they talked about politics, that’s what princesses and old dragons do,” Vex’s mock annoyance played across her snout.

Spike scratched his head, “Well I don’t know how much if any I remember, plus it was kinda a private meeting so I’m not sure if I should say anything about it.”

Vex giggled, “We’ll make a dragon of you yet Spike,” She thought for a moment before coming to a decision, “Fine keep your secrets.” Spike sighed with relief and was just about to proceed into the Bloomberg when another voice stopped him.

“Hey big guy, you came back safe huh?” Night Dew stepped out of the lea of the airship’s shadow and beamed up at him.

“Hi Dewy, please don’t tell me you’ve come to quiz me too?” Spike pleaded, seeing Vex's look of surprise out of the corner of his eye at the appearance of the bat pony.

Night Dew smiled sweetly and Spike was struck by how similar her mannerisms were to Vex’s, “Who me? No I just came to welcome you back. I couldn’t be having my favourite hunting partner getting hurt now could I?”

“You hunt with this pony?” Vex asked with interest.

Night Dew tilted her head and glanced up at Vex as if she’d only just noticed her, “With isn’t the best term miss dragon, more ‘against’,” the feral grin on Dew’s muzzle clearly showing her pointed teeth.

Spike felt trepidation at the way this conversation was going and Vex’s reply only deepened his concern, “Oh you hunt dragons do you?”

Night Dew smiled, “Well I’ve caught Spike a couple of times, he’s never caught me.”

Vex snorted, “Well that’s no surprise; he flies worse than a junior half his age; but being raised by ponies what can you do?”

“Learn from better ponies I guess?” Night Dew retorted, the glint of mischief in her eye.

“Are you saying you’re such a pony?” Vex countered.

Night Dew flexed her wings tenderly, “If I wasn’t resting up then yeah, I reckon I could teach Spike a lesson or two.”

Vex rolled her eyes, “Excuses, excuses.”

Dewy sidled up to Spike and tapped him on the cheek, “Don’t worry big guy stick with me and I’ll make you a flying ace in no time, far better than any dragon could teach you.”

Spike just held his head in both claws as the quips and snipes passed back and forth, proving to him that dragons and ponies were more alike than either dared admit. As his hand came away from his cheek however he felt something small contained within.

Looking down, Spike saw nestled in his palm a tiny note, which upon closer inspection read: I got this big guy, go get some rest. Even as Spike stared at the paper in confusion the quarrelling between the two females became even more heated. Spike backed away slowly, silently thanking Night Dew for her timely intervention.

Just as he clambered up the ramp to the cargo bay Spike and looked back to Night Dew, who gave him a quick wink before resuming her distraction. Sighing Spike quickly entered his quarters and closed the door before allowing himself to collapse on the make shift bed. He finally allowed himself to ponder the words and suggestions of Thortax:

”A test hatchling, they are never going to take anything Twilight or you could say seriously unless they know you have the strength,” Thortax stated matter-of-factly, “No amount of words, offers, gifts or pleasantries is going to change that Princess.”

Twilight frowned, “Not to sound boastful, but aren't the deeds I have done already proof of strength?”

Spike grinned, “She has saved the world a few time Thortax.”

Thortax grinned slowly, “I have that on good authority Spike, but no doubt the other dragons will be far more sceptical: No, to catch their attention we need to show them here and now that you can hold your own.”

Twilight winced, “This is going to boil down to some massive magical display, or feat of strength isn’t it?”

Thortax chuckled, causing Twilight and Spike to shake from the volume, “Not necessarily, no doubt Warden has told you of dragon aspects?”

Twilight nodded before Thortax continued, “Well each aspirant will be tested on what their talent or aspect is, that is the fair manner.”

Spike remembered understanding dawning for him, “Like it’s not right to expect an earth pony to win a flying contest or a pegasus to be able to tend the land either?” Spike's face fell, “But I don’t know what aspect I have within me, how can I be tested?”

That’s where Spike’s worry came from now; what was his best talent, what was he good at? He fervently hopped it wasn’t just fighting: Sure it had been a rush to defend the ship from other dragons, but it wasn’t what Spike would consider to be his defining characteristic.

Frustratingly Thortax wasn’t able to answer this question, nor had any of Warden's lessons reveal such to him. It left Spike feeling confused and anxious, they could test him on anything. Spike’s mind filled with images of holding his breath under a larva lake, or maybe having to wrestle with a hydra.

He chuckled morosely: His plight reminded Spike of the ‘C.M.C’ and all the troubles they got into in getting their cutie marks. Ponies get all the luck, they got their answer on their flank. Spike curled his tail protectively as he tossed and turned: Too tired to think straight, but too wound up to sleep and he finally growled in annoyance before staring at the ceiling.

“Spike you in here?” The voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.

Spike glanced over to the door and saw the winged silhouette of a pony in the dim light, “Twi”?

“Yeah Spike it’s me, I hope I didn’t wake you?” Twilight's strained voice called out.

“Nah Twi, I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to, I’m too worked up about this evening,” Spike watched as Twilight made her slow way over to him, her step uncertain.

“Me either,” Twilight came next to Spike and lent her head on his large shoulder, “Do you remember when you used to sleep in a basket at the foot of my bed?”

Spike chuckled softly, “How could I forget sis, I spent so many hours in there when I overslept.”

Twilight rubbed her head gently on his arm, “Things are so different now aren’t they?”

Spike laughed again, “Yeah for one thing, you’d need a far bigger basket.”

Spike felt Twilight next to him, her frame was shaking and he thought he caught a brief sob escape her: “I’m scared Spike.” His heart melted and Spike slowly craned his long neck to look right at his sister.

“Me too sis,” Spike said levelly, watching Twilight’s face in the gloom.

He gently lifted his arm and allowed Twilight to snuggle up against his chest and draped his arm protectively over her as they both stared at the ribbed struts of Bloomberg above them. Twilight’s trembling lessened and Spike felt the fears and worries of the past few days ease.

“It’s going to be alright isn’t it Spike?” Twilight’s weary voice called out quietly.

“Yeah Twilight, it’s gonna be okay,” Spike assured.

After a little while Spike looked sidelong at Twilight to ask her something further, but she had fallen asleep. He watched his sleeping sister for a while and smiled as her wings twitched along with her nose and hopped she was having a good dream.

Being careful not to wake her, Spike lay there and slowly felt his own eyes growing heavy. Whatever they had to face they would do it together. Spike was just musing that he’d always been the one to drop off to sleep before Twi when they had lived back at the Golden Oaks Library and how funny it was to have it happen the other way around for once when sleep finally claimed him.

The Dangers of Diplomacy.

The Dangers of Diplomacy.

“They’re just staring at us Twi, what do we do now?” Spike whispered, his unease matched only by his darting eyes. Four enormous dragons coiled equidistant apart. Each accompanied by their own entourage of lesser dragons all studying Twilight and Spike like some specimen on a dissecting table.

As the sun was setting on the second day since their arrival, Twilight and Spike had been ushered into a monolithic chamber. Situated within the 'metal mountain' where they had first met with Thortax. Dragons escorted them along winding passageways, across rock bridges which transversed lava lakes and down vast shafts that sank deep into the bedrock.

Armoured dragons of the 'Citadel Guard' never let Spike or Twilight out from under their watchful gaze. Always six dragons. Three ahead and one either side and one bringing up the rear. A single guard would peel off as they arrived at what appeared to be checkpoints throughout the mountain, their former escort being replaced by a fresh soldier each in subsequent chamber. It made Spike feel a like a baton being passed on in a relay race, each fresh dragon leading the way through another part of the cavernous tunnels.

The only consistent member of their escort was the deep brown dragon, who had first presented himself before the Bloomberg several hours ago. He was a heavy set male, not too dissimilar in shape to Spike, but of a much larger build. Resembling a collection of warty mounds forced into a dragon's shape, his fierce blue eyes still held a gleam of cunning quite at odds with his stature. Those same eyes had watched Twilight with an impassive stare right from the moment they’d met, giving away nothing of the drakes intentions.

Spike had felt a deep sense of foreboding when their the 'guide' had turned up at their camp, not saying a word and simply offering a scroll to Captain Steel upon which was written the summons. Spike’s disquiet only deepened as their companion remained wordless throughout the journey to this, their final meeting place. The other dragon guards splitting off or falling in the same silent manner.

Now he and Twilight found themselves in this cavernous hall. The only light coming from the trickling lava falls that surrounded the gathering where they drained slowly from above into deep fissures all around the meeting space. The area had been arranged into seven sections, with each area dominated by a different symbol carved into the floor. These were arranged to form a ring around a central circle. The same circle that Twilight and Spike found themselves standing in.

Spike glanced at Twilight and had seldom felt so proud of her. She was adorned in her full royal attire, the crown on her brow worked into a helm of resplendent gold which matched the armour which clothed her body.

The armour bore intricately crafted symbols of the 'United Equestria': Stylised profiles of Celestia and Luna back to back, each one presenting an outstretched wing while the Heart of the Crystal Fiefdom took centre stage. This was crowned with Twilight’s own star placed above. Twilight’s own personal heraldry worked into the armour’s flanks, mimicking the covered cutie mark underneath.

She caught Spike watching her and smiled weakly. She’d helped him get ‘spruced up' for this meeting too. Spike wore the talisman Twilight had made for him, the scale within glowing brightly in the presence of so many dragons. His spines had been polished while his claws had been sharpened, both now gleaming in the ruddy light from the molten rock surrounding them.

The Citadel Guard were omnipresent here, dividing each flight from one another and standing sentinel at every entrance. Their cold glances regarded everyone and everything with equal reserve.

Thortax dominated one division of the ring. The Ash Wind's flight mark, a smoke obscured peak etched into the rock below, was concealed beneath his imposing coiled form. Warden was standing on his hind legs just off to Thortax's left almost lost among the others dragons. All of them shared a family resemblance with Thortax, each displaying hides of black or grey hues complimented with dark undertones.

As Spike cast his eyes around the stalagmite-scattered floor he studied the other flights. First was a huge deep crimson dragoness almost the equal in stature to Thortax. Her scales so pitted and aged that Spike marvelled she was actually alive. Precious metals and massive jewels adorned her aged figure. They were fastened to her scales and covered the many spines that lined her tail, rose up her back and even bisected her forehead. The powerful horns that jutted from her brow were lost in a coating of glimmering gold.

Her flight were all similarly adorned, only to a far more humble degree than their grand matriarch. lesser metals such as silver or bronze bedecked the dragons whom Spike understood to be the Lava Flow Flight. Spike caught sight of the proud emblem the flight beneath her, a lava fall just like those lining the cavern, before the ancient dragoness fixed him with a penetrating stare. Spike found he couldn’t match those seasoned amber eyes. ‘Largash’s’ gaze seemed to burn its way into Spikes soul and he quickly turned his attention to the next group.

Where as Largash’s stare was calculating the next mighty dragon’s was full of venom. That look of utter contempt could only belong to ‘Skalancha’ of 'Dusk Peak' Spike decided. He could feel the utter disdain that this dark green female held for Twilight and himself from here. She was lithe, almost snake like in her shape. Like a giant venomous lizard from one of Daring Do's books. Largash's poisonous gaze was shared by her kin who were all varying shades of dark green or blue.

They all held themselves as if ready to pounce at a moment’s notice, prepared to spring and attack at the least provocation or weakness from their foe. Their mark was depicted by a crescent moon imposed on a mountain peak, carefully caved into the stone below Skalancha who tracing a lazy talon across its lines in an absentminded manner.

Spike tore his gaze away from the Dusk Peak Flight, half expecting to get a claw in the back and moved on to who he assumed must have been Vex’s own Burning Canyon Flight. A mixed collection of reptiles, the only common factor of their hides and manner being that they were all different. The largest of their number was a yellow-hued beast. He wasn't equal in size to the elders from the other flights, but then again there were a far greater number of lesser dragons crowed into his area. Spike reckoned they outnumbered the combined population of all the other flights by at least two to one.

This yellow drake, who Spike understood didn't go by his own name but bore the title of “Canyon Master”, watched the pair in the centre with a vaguely amused expression. His prominent jaw reminded Spike of some giant winged alligator, long and very adapt at forming the smirk that seemed to mirror the flight’s own symbol. A cracked precipice lit by a backdrop of fire. The Canyon Master's red eyes held a humour that Spike felt boded no good for himself or Twilight. As he looked closer Spike saw how the Canyon Master's yellow scales shimmered with a metallic lustre, drawing envious stares from the dragons all around.

Of the other three positions there wasn’t much to tell: One looked to have been actively defaced. The stone had been scratched and rent so deeply that not a single piece of smooth rock was left and only the lingering outline of a flight symbol could be made out. Its details and what it once stood for being practically obliterated.

The next position was in good order and well maintained. It was however empty of anyone apart from a small contingent of the Citadel Guard who stood around the flight insignia of a black crack in the earth held within a circle. If Warden’s explanations were correct then this place was being held for ‘Mardoc’ and his decidedly absent flight. Spike didn’t care to dwell further on them or why they failed to attend the meet, his attention drawn to the final flight’s position.

This area showed signs of abandonment. A thick pall of ash covered it and the only resident present was a huge dragon’s skeleton. It was laid-out with reverence and care so that it coiled about the carved symbol of a pair of dragon wings stretched out either side of a circle. Among all the splendour of the cavern this place seemed to be shrouded in a cloak of melancholy with only the armoured dragons of the Citadel standing vigil over its deceased occupant.

Spike glanced to Twilight who stood undaunted in her magical barrier. The heat of this place bent around the pony’s shield and distorted her image. She looked outwardly calm, but Spike suspected Twilight was just as nervous as he was. The continued scrutiny of the surrounding dragons bored into Spike and he had to fight the inborn urge to bear his fangs in challenge.

This stand-off was finally broken as their earlier guide approached the pair. He nodded to them before turning and bowing to each flight in turn. In a voice that was only just an audible he officially commenced the Great Meet, “We are come to discuss the matter of the Equestrian Envoy and the proposed relationship between our kingdom and their's.”

Even though the dragon’s speech was barely more than a hiss, it carried across the suddenly silent cavern, thousands of dragons stood with perfect stillness, their attention fixed on the Citadel Guard before them, “Who will be first to state their position on this matter?”

Spike surveyed the other dragons who glanced at each other, it seemed none were willing to stick their necks out and begin. This impasse was finally broken when Twilight spoke up first, “I, am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria. I have come with my fellow citizens to present an offer of peaceful alliance between our two nations. We can provide you with technology and assistance to....”

The cave rang with deep throated laughter as dragons from all around bellowed in uproar. Spike snarled protectively as Twilight’s ears flattened in concern. As the cacophony died down Skalancha spoke up her deep voice laden with amazement, “The ‘food’ speaks as if she was our equal in someway. I would have thought that Equestria would have at least had their only native dragon speak for them here.”

Skalancha glanced about her with a sneering derision, “If that’s all these pitiful creatures have to offer then I motion to have them removed at once.”

There were multiple grunts and nods of approval at this suggestion and Spike felt his anger rise. Before he could shout out his rage Largash called calmly over the hubbub, “That’s enough Skalancha, you should at least give the pony a chance to state her case before refusing.”

“Yes, yes let’s get this farce over and done with, let the little thing speak its piece and then we can ignore its proposals.” The Canyon Master sniped before the armoured Citadel Guards all stamped their clawed feet in unison and the bickering dragon flights fell silent.

“You all know the rules here, all dragons have the right to speak their mind without interruption.” ‘Brown Scales’ hissed in a dangerous manner.

To Spike’s astonishment Thortax spoke up next, “But this pony is no dragon is she?” The dragon’s lips had curled up with delight. “How can you enforce such rules when we attempt to talk with creatures not of our kind?”

Brown Scales paused with uncertainty at this point and Thortax grinned even wider, “I suggest for this meeting at least that we treat the Envoy as a dragon for the purposes of this discussion.”

“Ridiculous!” Skalancha roared incredulously, quickly followed by a cry of “Outrageous!” from Largash. The Canyon Master simply cocked an eyebrow before Thortax held up a claw in mock defeat.

“I wasn’t suggesting that we make her an honorary dragon or anything like that,” Thortax stated.

Largash narrowed her eyes and peered at him, “We all know you have a soft spot for these equines Thortax, why don’t you just come out with whatever it is you want and we can get on with this.”

Spike glanced from one dragon to the other, his hopes of a simple solution to the problem fast evaporating. Twilight simply stood and let the dragons debate. To his surprise she had a small smile on her muzzle.

Thortax smiled a slow smile, “Thank you Largash, I was simply going to suggest that these two prove themselves worthy of your time and attention: I propose you put them through the 'Trials'.”

There was a grumbling sound from Skalancha, “The trials are only for dragons, ones that have been disgraced at that Thortax,” She sneered at Twilight and Spike, “These are neither.”

The Canyon Master spoke up, “Do you even think a pony could pass such a test?”

Largash nodded in agreement, “We certainly couldn’t have her swimming the lava field for example.”

Thortax smiled at Largash, “Your humour is always a delight to me matriarch of the Lava Flow Flight, I was in fact suggesting that you choose one of your most cunning disciples to engage her in a contest of skill and wit. After all your flight is renowned for such traits and I believe that the Princess will surprise you.”

Spike saw the old female’s brow furrow in consideration, “Well if what you say about these humble equines being smarter than they look is true, I would indeed want to know about it. If she can outwit one of my court then she may have something of value to say after all.”

Thortax grinned, “I would suggest you put forward your best thinker your ladyship, you will of course need to be sure.”

Largash’s expression was uncertain, “You’re that confident in this pony Thortax?”

The master of the Ash Wind flight nodded to Warden who produced a glowing gem from a heavy looking box. Thortax smiled cunningly at Largash explaining, “I am so certain that Twilight Sparkle can win that I put forward the 'Argent Stone', it will be yours lady should the Princess fail.”

The entire cavern was muted at this and Spike felt a shiver run down his back despite the heat. The gem before him radiated a pale blue glow and he suddenly knew he simply had to have it. It was so beautiful and Spike easily believed he could get lost for years just gazing at such a prized gem.....the desire faded as the box closed and Spike could feel the whole nature of this meeting had shifted.

The Canyon Master spoke up next, “You would wager a gift from the great Whisper herself in this matter Thortax?”

Disorientated, Spike shook his head as did many other dragons from all parties present. The lure of that jewel seemed to have a deep power that called to his soul. Almost willing him to try and take it. Now that he’d seen it Spike felt its tug even when the box was closed. It finally hit him as to what Thortax had suggested as a grand gesture to gain the other flight’s attention dawned on him.

Largash stared wide eyed at Thortax, “You are a bold one Lord and I see the cunning in your actions. long I have sought that stone from your flight, I do believe you are trying to manipulate me.”

“Does it matter if I am?” Thortax asked levelly.

The ancient dragoness smiled, “I must admit it does not. Should this pony win then I have lost nothing by hearing her proposal on ‘equal’ terms as it were and if she loses I gain the crowning jewel of your horde.”

The dragons all around had lost their mocking manner. Even as Largash deliberated this new opportunity placed before her Skalancha roared in outrage, “You cannot be seriously considering this? Don’t be duped by a simple gem.”

Largash raised a stern eyebrow, “You would presume to tell me what I can and cannot do Skalancha?” Spike watched in growing anxiety as the flame-coloured dragons of Lava Flow Flight bared their teeth and released a collection of angered growls. Brown Scales and the other Citadel Guard responded in kind as the Dusk Peak dragons also tensed in anger.

“Enough, we will not have senseless blood spilt here,” Brown Scales spoke quietly, even in his wrath the dragon didn’t elevate his voice above a hiss. He raised a metal encased claw upwards and a crackling sphere of light appeared at the ceiling’s summit. The orb grew in size and intensity, a jagged writhing ball of magical power that swelled and bulged before striking out in multiple directions. Spike didn’t even have time to shield his eyes from the sudden glare before lances of magical lightning arced down from the roof and struck each of the armoured dragons.

The power enveloped each of them and they stood as an incandescent figures. Forming a stormy wall between the different flights and surrounding the central space where Spike and Twilight stood in a cage of lightning. Brown Scales pointed his wreathed claws at both flight leaders before whispering his warning, “You know of the old vows that protect this place, violate them and suffer the consequences.”

For a moment Spike feared none would back down, but eventually both leaders bowed in submission. The guards remained fixed for a moment before, with a dismissive gesture, Brown Scales banished the raging storm-light. It left burning after images in Spike’s eyes and set his limbs trembling at the astonishing power he’d just witnessed. Spike made a mental note to never 'tick' these dragons off.

Turning to Twilight he saw that she’d gone pale, her mouth pulled in a tense grimace. He moved to comfort his sister, only to have Twilight subtly shake her head with determination, “Remember the plan Spike. We can’t show weakness.” Spike gave her a tiny nod before refocusing on the dragons around them again.

Skalancha glared at Largash, “Of course I would never presume to tell you what to do with your flight oh oldest of us, but I merely wished to council against being....”

Largash snorted, “Don’t bother lady Skalancha, I have made my decision,” She bowed to Thortax, "I accept your wager Lord. the Princess will face my best puzzle-keeper and if she can best them then I will give all due attention to this Envoy’s proposal.

Spike was just about to relax when the Canyon Master called out, “What about the hatchling? He has no flight of his own, if we’re going to play this your way Thortax then he needs to show his worth too does he not?”

The shock of suddenly being forced into the 'limelight' as it were, played up and down Spike’s spine. Now it was time to discover what was in store for him. He tried to control the sudden armada of butterflies that filled his stomach as Thortax regarded Spike as if for the first time, “Well he’s already a dragon, so it’s a simpler matter for him to go through the traditional Trials.”

Skalancha dived in, “He’s never been disgraced, well apart from being raised by ponies. I would say that counts well enough.” Spike felt his temper rise despite the fear rattling his bones. Most of the dragons surrounding him chuckled or laughed at the poorly veiled insult.

Largash didn’t laugh however and to Spike’s surprise even commented in his favour, “We cannot help where or to whom we a borne to. It’s our own actions that prove us. He has just as much right to prove his worth here as any of us.” She regarded Spike with interest, “You have no flight hatchling, by all rights you should have died long before now, yet you are here.”

The Canyon Master that spoke up next, “Well our flight has the most diversity; chances are he’s got someone with blood in common within our lands.” The yellow drake sneered at him, “However we don’t just accept any drake who wanders in.”

Skalancha snorted, “That’s a first Canyon Master. I thought you took in all the pitiful waifs and strays you could get your claws on?”

Spike feared another outburst, but to his relief the Canyon Master didn't rise to the bait, “Well if you think my fellow brothers and sisters are such a sorry lot then why don’t you test the hatchling yourselves?”

Skalancha sneered, “You would have one of my drakes do your dirty work for you? I think not.”

The Canyon Master shrugged, “Very well if you don’t think your flight is up to the task of putting down a hatching raised by ponies then I guess I will have to.”

The green dragoness snarled, “I know my drakes are up to the task you little whelp, I just don’t want to sully their claws with such trivial tasks.”

It was at this point that Thortax interceded, “I would be happy to have one of my flight put the hatchling through the Trial.”

An uneasy quiet settled on the pair of squabbling elders before Skalancha spoke up, “I don’t trust you Thortax. You want this little whelp to pass so you can advance whatever insane scheme you've cooked up for your favourite equines.”

Thortax smiled innocently, “Very well then if you’re so set on him failing then why not have a drake you can trust to test him?”

The head of the Dusk Peak flight seethed with anger as the Canyon Master, Largash and Thortax all smiled grimly at her, “Very well, one of my flight will put this upstart down and show you all that a dragon who becomes too friendly with his food becomes soft.”

Spike leaned back as the swiping claw of his opponent raked the air. The talons of his foe missing his snout by mere inches. Sweat dripped from his chin and he sported a number of shallow cuts where the challenger had nicked him. Maybe I should have just stayed in Ponyville? Spike mused as his opponent snarled before lunging forward once more.

This bout had been going on for almost half an hour now and Spike was feeling the ache in his muscles along with the sting where the other dragon had cut him. It slowly wearing him down. But it wasn’t all one sided, the other drake had his own share of cuts and bruises from where Spike had given as good as he got.

The other dragon who had introduced himself as ‘Charis’ was slightly smaller than Spike, but had quickly shown that what he lacked in size was easily made up in spite. Charis prowled the edge of the central circle where Spike and Twilight had been standing. The ground once used for discussion was now stage to a far more direct conflict.

Spike fervently hoped that it would not have come down to such, but in the end it seemed the only way to get respected was to fight. Therefore Spike found himself here, surrounded by jeering and cheering dragons while he fought for his life against a drake who had a mean streak a mile wide.

“Let him fight a dragon about his age and size, then we will be in no doubt as to this hatchling’s potential,” Skalancha had said almost mockingly when Spike’s opponent was selected.

What she’d failed to mention was that Spike was in no way equal to Charis’ viciousness and within the first few moments of the fight he had taken several wicked slashes to his arms and side. Only by landing a tooth rattling blow to the skull of his attacker had Spike brought himself some breathing room.

Charis shook his head even as his turquoise eyes gleamed, “Not bad hatchling, guess you’re not a pony after all.” Spike had been about to thank him for the compliment when Charis lunged forward again and coming close to scratching Spike’s eye out. Flinging his arm up to take the hit left Spike with another angry gash, the wickedly sharp talons of the other drake slicing his tough hide as if it were paper.

Spike grimaced, he was bleeding from several cuts and although it was nothing telling they hurt all the same. The other dragon seemed less intent on winning and more on causing him pain. That grated at Spike’s values as much as the cuts pained his flesh and he let that anger drive home his own blows. His balled fists catching Charis a number of heavy strikes that cracked scales and snapped spines. Spike was in no mood for a drawn out struggle, eager to get the fight over.

The sound of the surrounding dragons filled Spike’s ears, so many fellow drakes filling his blood with fire and setting his heart pumping with excitement. Despite his situation, Spike felt more alive than he had for years. Angry, but alive and in a tiny part of his soul elated. He was no pony; he was a dragon, a born fighter, a predator and he was in his element. That scared Spike more than the prospect of those sharp claws.

Yet in a far larger part of his soul Spike felt the sadness of this. All the times of fun and happiness from back home forced themselves into his mind even as he parried another strike from Charis and returned the favour with a low swipe from his tail. Sweeping the claws out from under the other dragon so that he landed heavily on the stone ground.

In a way it was a re-enactment of the constant struggle that was Spike’s life. To be such a beast among a civilization of peaceful equines, to be a powerful long-lived creature with such drives and instincts had been the on going war in Spike’s heart for so many years now. His blood called him to fight and impose his will on those around him, to be the strongest and the most powerful there. But his soul longed for the peace and good times he’d had as a baby growing up with Twilight.

Charis didn’t stay down for long, almost hurling himself upwards to lunge at Spike his fangs bared and claws outstretched. Spike grimaced as he felt those sharp teeth sink into his forearm before bringing his other fist down on Charis' skull. This drove the teeth deeper into Spike’s already smarting arm but also rewarded him with the pained flailing of his opponent’s body. Take the pain, end it quickly so no one needs be hurt more than needed.

Before Charis could remove his teeth from his foe’s arm, Spike embraced Charis in a bear-hug. Using his larger frame to overpower the other dirty blue dragon before bringing his free arm around Charis’ neck and pinning him in place. Charis squirmed, his claws raking Spike and gouging further cuts in his hide. Despite Charis' efforts Spike held on with grim determination. Bearing down with all his strength and crushing the other dragon’s throat. Forcing his jaw even tighter around his own arm and feeling the fangs grate against the bone within. Do what was needed to get the job done, no matter the suffering it may cause myself.

It was that same stubborn mentality that drove him to count every blade of grass at Sweet Apple Acres for Applejack, to be a pin cushion for Rarity. Oh Rarity, it was the defining drive that caused Spike to pursue Rarity’s affections even though it was never returned in like manner. Faithfully attending to her whims in the hopes that one day... Spike used that same drive here; taking the pain from the Charis' attacks with stoicism and determination as he crushed the fight out of his opponent.

Spike felt Charis weaken and a sense of triumph filled him. He was going to win, he was powerful and strong! He should kill this dragon and show to the others that he was a true drake, one to be reckoned with and not mocked as some pony’s pet. If he couldn't live as a pony then he could at least be something here. A dragon of position and power having proved his worth beyond any doubt. He could see in his mind’s eye the showering praises he would have, they would listen to him and Twilight.....

Spike’s thoughts snapped back as he remembered why he was even here. With a snarling roar he threw the feebly twitching Charis away from him who rolled, bouncing on the hard ground before heaving a great lung full of burning air. Yes he'd won, he'd proven his point. Spike wasn't a monster, he was.....he was.... It was only then that Spike realised that vast cavern had gone silent, the cheering and shouting had died, leaving only a tiny clinking sound.

Confused Spike looked about to see all the dragons were staring past him. The metal scraping continued and Spike turned to see what could hold the cavern's focused so: Spike’s talisman, the one that Twilight had made for him, was skittering across the ground. Spike felt around his neck as he understood what must have happened. When Charis had performed that final lunge at Spike he had broken the wire that held his enchanted talisman and sent it spinning off into the crowd. No not the crowd, but right towards one of the empty flight’s positions.

Even as Charis had fought for air, inevitably squeezed by Spike’s powerful arms, the small trinket had slid across the uneven rock of the cavern. Skidding and bouncing until it came to a stop only a short way from the giant dragon skeleton guarded by its imposing armoured sentinels.

As the necklace drew closer its deep red glow had flared from orange to yellow before culminating with a brilliant dazzling white. This continued to burn brightly even as a Citadel Guard scooped up the trinket in his armoured talons, the glare only failing as it was lifted away from the dead dragon’s bones.

The only sound in the cave was the slow bubbling of lava and the expectant hush of thousands of frozen dragons all watching the scene in mute astonishment. Spike reached to his neck, checking that the necklace was indeed missing from around his throat. The guard slowly held the trinket closer to the massive skeleton which dominated the otherwise empty territory.

Spike's scale held within the talisman flared brightly once more as the pendent touched the bones, glowing like a star trapped in the dragon's claw. The light waned again as the fascinated drake drew the talisman away. It took a few moments for Spike to understand the full implications of what he was seeing and when his mind caught up Spike’s eyes went wide with shock.

“It’s a trick, a pony trick!” Skalancha bellowed in anger, her frill snapping up to match her temper. The sudden silence descended into roars and shouts from all sides with only Spike remaining perfectly still. He looked upon the huge dead dragon and his heart trembled. Twilight’s charm had just shown him what he’d longed to know for his whole life, his origins.

Spike stepped slowly forward all thoughts of the fight, the cave and even Twilight vanished from his mind as he stared at the long dead dragon posed with such care and reverence before him. As he approached the skeleton the some of the Citadel Guard moved to block his path while others stood dumbfounded by the revelations now being brought to light. Spike felt his heart leap and squirm within his chest. like a snake writhing it fought to make sense of this new flow emotion. He had a flight, he had a family..... he had a family. The massive bones before him looked ancient, the place at the Great Meet long vacant by the looks of it.

Why were they absent? Why was this skeleton laid out with such care and dedication, almost like a monument. Were they all dead?... Without thinking Spike stretched out his arm to touch the bones to check they were real....

“That is close enough hatchling, until the veracity of this situation has been decided none may enter the territory of ‘World Guard’ flight apart from us,” Spike felt a claw on his shoulder and glancing back with fire in his eyes as he saw Brown Scales watching him carefully. “I know the fighting urge is still on you young one, but do not challenge me on this,” Brown Scales whispered in warning. He had a gentle melancholy in his blue eyes, but that simply made Spike all the angrier. Who was he to stand in the way of what Spike had longed for all his life? But as he glared at the sorrowful expression of the Citadel Guard's eyes he saw the truth.

All would become clear, this dragon wasn't challenging him out of malice but out of caution. With a great effort Spike bowed his head in submission allowing Brown Scales to usher him back to the central circle. Chris was glaring at him with utter astonishment and rage but Spike simply didn't care anymore. He'd won and more than that Spike had at least part of an answer that had haunted him since birth.

Brown Scales nodded before addressing the rest of the cavern in his quiet manner which despite its volume cut across the arguing dragons like a knife, “This challenge is over, the hatchling has bested his foe and shown that he is worthy of our respect. I call this session of the Great Meet to a close while we review the new information presented to us.”

“Twilight you’re okay!” Spike rushed forward and hugged her tight as she entered the small room set aside for them within the spire. Twilight laughed breathlessly before pushing him away.

Twilight let the magical barrier protecting her fall, as the door to the chamber slammed shut behind. These rooms were thankfully warded at Thortax’s request and held a refreshing atmosphere after the stifling heat of the meeting hall. Living in a protective bubble of magic so long was not without its own drawbacks and Twilight drew in great drafts like a tonic, letting the cool air settle in her lungs like nectar.

“Okay, okay Spike, yes I’m okay. In fact it was really interesting to spend some time with the Lava Flow Flight. They have some very interesting volumes of history and literature engraved on the peaks of their lands, so much I could spend months just reading,” Twilight’s smile fell as she took in the sorry state of her brother, “What about you? Looks like you had a run in with a timber wolf pack.”

Spike shrugged only to wince as his wounds pulled taught, “Yeah they put me in the ring with a ball of malice wrapped in dragon form, but that’s not what I need to tell you Twi!” Spike’s tone was brimming with excitement, “Did you hear the news, the charm you gave me worked. I have found out who my flight are!”

Twilight’s face was awash with conflicting emotions, “Yes Spike I heard about that. The other flights are performing their own spells now to confirm what mine showed.”

Spike looked confused, “I thought you'd be happy your spell worked.”

She looked Spike right in the eye, “Spike, first of all we need to be sure that what we saw was true. It’s the first time I tried to cast a spell like that so I wouldn’t get your hopes up until we're certain,” Twilight stared at her hooves, unable to look Spike in the eye for what she had to say next, “Spike if it’s true then I’m sorry for you.”

It took a moment before Spike processed what Twilight just said, “What? Why? You know something about that dead dragon back there?”

Twilight sighed as the lead weight in her mind rolled about her head, “Spike, from what I understand the World Guard Flight has been wiped out....” She watched Spike carefully as these words sunk in, “Your flight is dead Spike....I.....” Twilight’s eyes teared up as she saw Spike’s own face fall. She felt dreadful breaking such news to him, but believed he deserved the truth.

Spike stood still for a moment before a pained growl escaped his throat. He ground his fangs and stared at the smooth stone floor for a time before Twilight lifted a hoof and paced it gently on his shaking shoulder, “I’m so sorry Spike, I never wanted.....”

Spike sniffled as a tear ran down his cheek, “It’s alright Twi. I never knew them anyway, I had already guessed that may be the case. Besides you’re my family.”

Twilight gently rubbed her hoof up and down his powerful arm, “Oh Spike, I...” She trailed off as he studied his hands absently. Desperately trying to understand what Spike was going through, dismayed that all she could do was be there to support him.

“I guess I have lost nothing Twi, I mean I am still the same dragon as before. I still have you and the pony gang,” Spike’s voice was cold and Twilight hugged him tenderly, “You’ve always been there for me Twi and that’s what counts. ”He shook himself down, “So your challenge went okay then?”

Grateful, Twilight moved to happier thoughts, “Ah that yes, it went fine. Some tricky riddles and a couple of puzzle games, over all it was really good fun.” The Lava Flow Flight are good company for a pony as well read as me.”

Spike smiled sadly, “So you won then?”

Twilight blushed, “Well yes, but it was a close call a few times. ‘Melca’ is a very clever dragon.”

Spike actually chuckled, “Sounds like a great guy, I’m assuming he’s a guy by the way you talk about him?”

The blush on Twilight’s muzzle only grew, “Yes he is,” Twilight snorted before continuing hurriedly, “He’s a guy I mean, a dragon guy.”

Spike snorted, “Well don’t let Warden know or you’ll have another fight on your hooves.”

Twilight frowned and folded her hooves, “Spike, you know Warden and I are just friends, the same is now true of Melca.”

Spike didn’t look convinced, “Anyway, Thortax gets to keep his prize jewel then?”

Twilight nodded, “I’m glad to say he does, plus Melca wants me to come and teach some of the other dragons in his flight about pony lore once this is all sorted.”

Spike cocked an eye brow before retorting sullenly, “Yeah right Twi, teach them a few things about ponies just as you say.”

Her normally friendly face became stern, “Spike I’m appalled at you; I thought I made it very clear that I have no romantic attachments to any dragon and so I’ll assume it’s the disappointment talking now.” She watched Spike who sighed and bowed in contrition.

“Sorry Twi, but it’s just like a kick in the teeth. I finally find out where I came from and then on the same day find out there is nothing to go back to,” Spike explained and Twilight felt her heart twist.

“We always knew it was a possibility that it would turn out like that Spike, but look at it this way, you’re alpha being the oldest." She smiled encouragingly, "While you are alive the flight isn’t gone,” Twilight said in an effort to cheer him up.

Spike snorted before smiling gratefully, “Thanks Twi. I’m sorry, it’s just a lot to take in all at once and I’m still working it all out.”

Twilight nuzzled his arm and smiled sadly, “It’s okay Spike, we’ve been through a lot already. I should have been more sensitive.” She found her eyes settling on the cuts and scrapes covering Spikes body, “You’re so brave, I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Twilight grinned, “So you need to stop getting yourself all battered alright?”

He returned the smile and Twilight felt her anxiety lift, “I really am happy you discovered your flight Spike, Warden has been telling me about them and they sounded like the best dragons had to offer.”

Spike’s face lit up, “Really? So I’m descended from some pretty awesome ancestors right?”

Twilight nodded with excitement, “Yeah they were the flight closest to Whisper during the dragon civil wars and fought at her side to hold off the other feral drakes as she united your people once again. They earned the title of ‘World Guard’ after Whisper gave up her life to repair the damage done to the world.”

Spike’s eyes shone with pride as Twilight told the story, “After Whisper was gone, they took it upon themselves to protect the lands and help carry on Whisper’s noble work. It was they who established the first dragon code, which was remarkably similar to your own Spike.”

She smiled up at her ‘little’ brother, “See you really are a noble dragon and have been from birth.” Twilight could almost have laughed as Spike preened himself and struck a heroic pose, “The bones in the meeting chamber are the remains of the last known member of that flight: ‘Orinarr’.”

“And so did ‘Orinarr’, one of the most dedicated students of Whisper and last of his flight come to the great meeting place, dictating the laws and means for the flights come together and discuss important matters under a flag of truce,” The confident tones of Warden’s voice spoke as if reading from an ancient scroll.

Twilight turned her head to see Warden entering the chamber as Spike quickly returned his stance to normal. Warden smiled triumphantly, “If the history is true, then your flight hatchling were responsible for this whole edifice and the Great Meet being what it is today.”

Twilight pricked up her ears and felt her fears lessen, “So it’s confirmed, Spike really is from the World Guard Flight?”

Warden smiled, showing off his fangs, “The other flights concur with your original findings Miss Sparkle, Spike is indeed World Guard.” He fixed Spike with a level stare, “This changes the terrain of our negotiations greatly and for the better.”

Twilight smiled at Spike only to see his face screw up in confusion, “How Warden? I mean it’s great to know all this, but just because I’m a descendant of a flight everyone thought was extinct doesn't mean I can do anything. I’m still just one dragon.”

The grin on Warden’s face broadened, “You carry more sway than you could possibly believe hatchling, the peace treaty and possible alliance we hope to forge with Equestria requires us to have the support of the majority of the flights.”

Warden watched Spike who still looked lost, “And?”

Twilight chuckled, “Well how many flights are there at the great meet Spike?”

Spike held up his hand showing his three fingers and thumb, “Four of course: Lava Flow, Dust Peak, Ash Wind and....” he trailed off as the situation finally dawned on him.

Warden tapped Spike on the shoulder, “Indeed hatchling; even though you are young and only one dragon, you are the eldest dragon of the World Guard Flight here at the Great Meet.”

Twilight felt her excitement growing, “Where as Thortax would have needed to convince two other flights to side with him. If you support the treaty then we only need one more.” She smiled triumphantly, “And I have it on fairly good authority that Lava Flow will vote for the treaty.”

It was Warden’s turn to be surprised, “Indeed Miss Sparkle, how did you come by this information?”

Twilight felt justifiably proud, “Well it seems I impressed my opponent so much during my test that they were prepared to put in a good word to Largash about ponies potential value to dragons.”

Spike roared with laughter at this point, “That’s my Twi, I have yet to see a test she couldn’t ace!”

Warden treated Twilight with a longing glance, “Indeed,” His lips twitched as a slow smile formed, “I am hesitant to say so, but we may be on the verge of something miraculous.” His manner became stern again, “Still, we best not count our offspring before they have hatched, the meet will resume within the hour and you two had best make yourselves ready.” With another bow Warden showed himself out, leaving Spike and Twilight to prepare themselves.

Twilight and Spike left their room before shutting the door behind them, “Come on Spike, we don’t want to be late!” Twilight insisted and Spike rolled his eyes in annoyance as he lumbered after her along the empty tunnel.

“Well if you didn’t insist on me putting all this on I could have been ready half an hour ago,” Spike retorted, tugging at the smart medallion Twilight had made for him. Ever since it had been confirmed that Spike was now the representative of the World Guard Flight she’d been on 'organisation overdrive.'

Twilight had whittled away the time before the recommencement of talks in planning every little detail of what they would say and do. It didn’t matter to her that the checklists were slowly curling in the heat, or that the ink was drying before she could put it to parchment: When Twilight was determined nothing seemed to stop her.

This journey was case in point as despite Spike’s efforts, his sister disappeared around another corner of the winding tunnels leading down to the meeting cavern. The hopeful mood was infectious and Spike couldn’t help but smile at her excitement, even if it did ware on his nerves a little.

“Twilight wait for me alright!” Spike called as he rounded the corner and saw her tearing down the empty corridor at a full gallop. Twilight smiled back at him and it made Spike’s heart burn. They were going to do it, they were going to finally achieve a peace with the Dragon Empires and....

He smelt trouble a moment before it happened. It was something indefinable at first, that started as an itch at the back of his neck. Spike glanced around in sudden apprehension and it dawned on him as to what was wrong:

Both he and Twilight were alone; the Citadel Guard had been an ever-present feature of life since they came here. Their unexplained absence sent a lance of fear down Spike’s spine, “Twilight wait I think....!” Spike shouted and she glanced back to him with a playful smile.

“Oh Spike what no.....” Her call was cut off as a heavy dark metal door slammed down between them, completely blocking Spike’s way forward. He slid to a stop and pounded on the portal but to no avail. No doubt it had been made with dragons in mind and did an impressive job of barring Spike’s entry. Almost mocking in its solid resistance.

“I would save your strength hatchling, you’re going to need it,” The sneering voice called out from behind Spike and as he turned about, the trapped drake saw two others behind him. The first was Charis, Spike’s battered opponent from the earlier trial. The smaller dragon licked his fangs, which snapped up like a cobra’s even as his lips curled in a menacing grin.

The second was to Spike’s dismay one of the Citadel Guards. Similar in hue to Charis and whom shared the same turquoise eyes as the gloating foe.

“If you hurt Twilight in any way I will kill you,” Spike snarled and Charis roared with laughter.

“Oh you really are World Guard aren’t you: Looking out for others with such determination. No wonder your flight died out centuries ago,” Charis chuckled and his companion did the same, their mirth filling the confined space as if ten dragons were laughing.

“We don’t care about your little ‘minder’ hatchling, she’s just a pony and we have little to fear from her kind,” Charis explained, “What we don’t like is a new dragon turning up and sticking his snout where it doesn’t belong.”

Spike glared at the Citadel Guard, “And you, what happened to your oaths of loyalty to the Citadel huh?”

Charis’ fellow removed his helmet before whispering, “What would a pony’s pet know about such, beyond fetching a stick like a good boy?” As Spike studied the revealed features of the dragon he instantly saw the resemblance to Charis and understood.

“Blood runs deeper than words huh?” Spike hissed and the guard nodded.

Charis’ face darkened, “We were happy to let you live hatchling. You and your pony friend would have put on a good show, said some nice words and maybe turned a few heads. My flight and Burning Canyon would never have gone along with your insane ideas of a ‘United front with the Dragon Empires’.”

The two dragons began to advance slowly, “But then you had to go and pull that stunt with the bones, messing up the careful balance we have made here. We could have kept all this ticking over for another thirty or so years; giving us plenty of time to talk Darkened Chasm around to our way of thinking.”

Spike tensed as the pair closed, “And so you’re going to remove the tie breaker huh?”

Charis sneered, “Something like that.”

Spike lowered himself into a fighting crouch just like Warden had instructed him to do and eyed the pair warily. There was no way out, save past the pair of attackers and with the door behind him Spike didn’t have much space to manoeuvre.

It was Charis who made the first move and darted forward. Both clawed hands raking the air before Spike as he leaned back, but even as he did Spike felt his own spines brush to door. The other dragon didn’t wait and with his claws outstretched he gave Spike a jab to his head that sent stars dancing across his vision. This was bad, but Spike would be dead if he didn’t at least try.

He snarled in anger and struck out with his own fists, feeling the satisfying thump as he connected with Charis’ shoulder and chin. His foe staggered back as the powerful blows shattered a few fangs, but listed only for a moment. Spitting teeth both Charis and his ally tore into Spike, wicked talons parting scales and cutting fresh lines in Spike’s hide.

Spike roared through the pain and barrelled into the small dragons, using his greater size to bowl them over, all thoughts of fighting fair feeling from his mind; these two were out to kill him and if he didn’t use every trick he knew they would.

Charis bowed under the assault, as Spike landed several punishing blows with hand, foot and even tail. However his friend’s armour was made from the same metal as the doors and all Spike got from hitting it was bloodied fists.

No matter how angry and desperate Spike was he was still a hatchling and outnumbered at that. Even as he was about to pound Charis’ skull against the wall the other dragon slipped a jab into Spike’s side and he was forced to back off, holding his ribs in pain.

Charis shook his head and slowly got to his feet, while his fellow kept Spike at bay, “Well I’ll give you this much World Guard,” Charis wiped his chin and spat a clot of blood to the floor, “You put up a good fight for one so young, shame you had to be on the wrong side.”

The two dragons came at Spike again; he blocked and stopped all jabs along with as many wild swings he could; but with two foes and no room to avoid them Spike was forced to absorb the attacks with his own body. Just as his vision began to cloud Spike thought he felt the floor tremble. It was hard to tell amidst the pain, but it seemed the world was growing brighter.

All Spike could do now was pull his arms in close and buy time, the blows continued until they merged into one mass of pain. Spike forced open his straining eyes to see the two attackers stooped over him. Their claws rising then falling falling and their faces drawn back in leering expressions of triumph. The thought struck him that he was going to die here and felt strangely calm. All he could think of were the good times he'd had with his friends. The impressive number of noble deeds he'd done in his short life. Hopefully it would be enough...

As his vision hazed Spike thought he saw another dragon, at once majestic and terrible hovering behind his attackers. Its was wreathed in magical power. Their wings beating slowly and though it was hard to make them out clearly, the anger burning in their blue eyes caused Spike to shrink back in fear before his world swam and darkness enveloped him.

“Lord?” The question was spoken in a low whisper, full more of impassive indifference than concern, “Lord can you hear me?”

Just as Spike’s swimming world began to take in the new voice another joined in, “Spike, please wake up Spike......Spike!” Unlike the first, this voice was shaking with emotion.

The sounds all around began to drift into focus and Spike winced as the sensations of his battered body quickly joined them. He hurt and Spike wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. It hurt to breath, it hurt to move and as he tried to raise his head Spike confirmed that yes his skull ached too.

“Spike!” The trembling shout sounded in his ear as he felt something striking his chest repeatedly. In his world of pain it was a tiny thing, but made all the worse by its incessant nature, “Spike don’t you dare go out on me, I need you!”

Wincing Spike drew in a breath, feeling his muscles screaming at him before simply snarling, “Oww.”

The pounding stopped and Spike heard a sharp gasp, before the pounding redoubled, “You-stupid-stupid-stupid-brave-stupid...”

“Enough Princess,” came the first voice, cutting off the tirade and giving Spike a moment’s peace from the assault.

Spike finally managed to push open one eye and look around himself. He was still in the tunnel, propped up against the wall of the rounded passage. The moving blur before him resolved itself into a frantic Twilight, her small frame resting on his large chest with eyes running freely with tears.

As Spike watched he saw the blood on her hooves; his blood and that his chest was covered in messy hoof prints. “Twi?” He managed to groan and she dived forward to give him a crushing hug. Spike tried to bring his arms up to return the gesture, but they felt so heavy.

Spike glanced around the scene and saw his two attackers, well what was left of them any way. Charis’ neck was at an impossible angle and the other dragon....well.

The first voice spoke again, its tone never raising above a hiss, “The pact of power within the Citadel Guard works both ways. It fills us with strength to do our duty, but if we violate that charge it consumes us utterly.”

Spike turned away from the smouldering corpse encased in the dark armour. The dark metal was completely whole and undamaged, unlike the dragon it once contained. Feeling as if his head was full of cotton wool Spike heaved his suddenly very heavy head to look at twilight, “Boy am I glad to see you Twi.....”

Twilight shushed him with a hoof to his snout, “No Spike don’t talk, it’s okay just rest.”

Spike couldn’t help but chuckle despite the pain it caused, “First you buck me until I say something and now you want me to shut up, make up your mind sis.” Spike screwed up his eyes even as he felt Twilight snuggle in close, her wings tickling his nose.

“You stupid dragon; why did I ever bring you here?” Twilight cried and Spike felt her hugging him all the tighter. Spike wanted to give some further witty comment, but his head chose that moment to spin and he let it rest against the wall.

“Your brother is a tough one Princess. I’ve seen larger dragons than him die from such wounds,” The second voice whispered again and Spike finally got a look at its owner.

Brown Scales, the Citadel Captain watched Spike with a pained expression, “I am deeply shamed and sorry Lord. I have failed you and your flight in this matter.”

Spike scrunched up his face in confusion, “Sorry they must have hit me harder than I thought, did you just call me Lord?”

Twilight found a tiny smile creeping onto her face, “Yes Spike, as the oldest dragon of the World Guard Flight, you’re now Lord over it.”

Spike blinked slowly, “Twi, I’m the only dragon of that flight.”

Twilight smiled sadly, “That doesn’t change the fact, Lord.”

“And makes my failure all the more serious. I have let one of the ruling drakes be victim of an attempted assassination and not only that, by one of my own soldiers,” Spike could feel the remorse pouring off the Captain.

He looked back to the two bodies on the ground and stared, “What happened? One moment I was ready to see what comes after this life, then there was a bright light....”

“I used my magic Spike,” Twilight explained, "I couldn’t do anything to get through that door so I just used as much magic as I could to make every Citadel Guard come running.

"When Envoy Sparkle used her magic, every guard in the Citadel converged here, I found these two attacking you Lord and dealt with them," Brown Scales added.

Spike nodded slightly, "Then Captain I owe you my life, you too Twilight," His face grew concerned, “But you know that they could have killed you for that, no magic allowed within the Citadel.”

Twilight’s ears flattened, “I....I thought it was worth the risk plus these two weren’t the only dragons to cause us trouble,” Her eyes strayed to beyond the now open door and Spike saw the crushed claw of a dragon sticking out from under a massive heap of fallen stone. It slowly dawned on Spike that while he was fighting for his life, Twilight had been in danger despite Charis' words. The holes where chunks of the tunnel had been forcibly ripped away were clear evidence of that.

“Quite clever Princess, dragons are highly resistant to magic, but the rock of this place is not,” Brown Scales commented levelly. Spike looked into Twilight’s eyes, he saw the fear and pain held there, Twilight would only use her magic to hurt anyone as an absolute last resort.

“He just wouldn’t stop Spike. I tried to reason with him, push him away even, but that dragon was going to kill me,” Twilight was shaking visibly now and Spike wanted nothing more that to hold her and tell Twilight everything was going to be alright. He glared at the buried dragon, hoping that all that fallen stone had really hurt.

Brown Scales cocked an eyebrow, “Well Princess you showed far more restraint than I would have, as it is he's are only knocked out,” The Captain glared at the buried dragon, “For now.”

Twilight’s tremors died back somewhat, but she was still shivering all over by the time Spike managed to gather the strength to embrace her, “It’s okay Twilight.” He gently stroked her mane and the shivering subsided.

She looked deeply into Spike’s eyes, “Captain is the next stage of the meeting going ahead?”

Brown Scales watched Twilight carefully, “Your highness, you have both been attacked and Lord Spike is wounded to my eternal shame. I would strongly recommend that you both return to your room unti.....”

Twilight’s eyes burned red for a moment and her mane shimmered with heat, “Captain, someone has just tried to kill us both. They have gone to a lot of trouble to make sure Spike and I don’t attend,” Twilight continued to stare at Spike as she spoke, “We are both in danger until that vote is done and I don’t want to give our opponents the chance to try again, right Spike?”

Spike paused for a moment before nodding and with a heave pushed himself upright. He gingerly pressed his weight down on his feet and winced. Twilight stepped up and braced her back against his shoulder. She was of little physical help, but Spike appreciated the gesture all the same.

“Please don’t Lord, I would....” Brown Scales tried again but Twilight silenced him with another glare.

“I wouldn’t get on the wrong side of her Captain, I know that look,” Spike said between grunts. Suitably chastened the Captain bowed in acceptance before Twilight and Spike made their slow way towards the main cavern.

“It seems that our new flight master is too afraid to appear,” Skalancha said triumphantly as the assembled dragons stirred impatiently, “I move that we proceed with the vote in their absence.” She grinned smugly.

Her fellow dragons murmured accent and Skalancha was just about to speak again when the doors to the chamber were encased with a purple glow and slammed open with such force that they finished their journey hanging off their hinges.

“I do not approve of your methods of negotiation,” Twilight bellowed, her voice magically enhanced so that it carried across the vast space and caused the stalactites to tremble. Small rocks rained down from the ceiling and shattered across the expanse.

Every dragon and dragoness in the cavern turned to watch as Twilight led Spike into the room along with a number Citadel Guards. The nature of the murmurs changed when it became clear that a further dragon was being dragged in between the soldiers.

Skalancha faltered, the dragon being carried was clearly of her flight own and this fact obviously wasn’t lost on the attending dragons. Twilight and her procession continued until stopping within the central area.

“I am the envoy of Equestria, I came to your nation in good faith with my friends to see if you could see reason,” Twilight shouted, her eyes burning with anger and her mane dancing with flames. She glanced to the captive dragon, “Now both Lord Spike and I have been attacked.”

The assembled dragons shouted angrily at Twilight’s words, while many shouted curses at the Dusk Peak Flight. Skalancha was taken aback, her huge form shrinking from the accusations of the other dragons in the room.

The roaring continued before Brown Scales stepped forward and removed his helmet, “It is true my Lord and Ladies: Much to my disgrace they were indeed attacked, by a member of the Dusk Peak Flight and by one of my own soldiers.”

The gasps of shock and disbelief cut through the angry shouts before Twilight spoke once more, “I am sure that Lady Skalancha will have a good explanation for this, but quiet honestly I-don’t-care. I simply want to get the voting done with and get back to my own Lands where some sanity reigns.” Twilight was tall and proud as she stared down the various dragon dignitaries.

“Any dragon who wishes to see sense and avoid being ruled by those who would stoop so low as to allow the violation of your own laws is welcome to join us in friendship and peace.”

Twilight snorted with anger, her hooves leaving burning prints in the stone below her, “I warn the dragons of this kingdom that the world is growing up, that we are making technological wonders that you could only dream of.”

“Is that a threat Princess?” A dragon called out and Twilight’s eyes narrowed.

She glared into the surrounding mass of reptiles, “I do not make threats often and when I do I fully intend to follow up on them,” Twilight replied her wings outstretched, “The world will leave you all behind as we move forward to better things; but I offer you a chance, a chance to be part of this better world.”

Twilight took a deep breath and Spike had never been so proud of her than at this moment, “The younger races of the world have progressed and found that we are strong: We do not want to fight you, but if you force us then we will.”

The fire in her eyes lessened and Twilight’s mane lost it’s incandescence, “Please, please see reason and vote if not for yourselves then for those who will come after.” Twilight’s voice dropped until it was barely audible “Please allow Whisper’s dream to become a reality.”

The silence that followed was deafening, no dragon moved. Finally Brown Scales stepped forward and hissed out to them all, “The Citadel Guard formally recognises that Spike, last of the World Guard Flight is now ready to take his place.”

Spike braced himself and with great effort began his slow way to the appointed space for his flight. The distance seemed to stretch out before him and he even faltered once or twice before he found himself at the foot of the mighty skeleton.

He paused and looked up to the long dead dragon before motioning for the attendant guards to step aside. This they did with bows to Spike, and with a determined finality he stepped onto the flight marking before turning to face the other dragons.

Every creature in the room was staring at him, the cave alive with slitted eyes that watched him with looks of anger, respect and in some cases amazement. Spike steadied himself and drew his shoulders back to strike the most imposing stance he could, “I Spike,” he began and looked to Twilight who nodded with pride, “I Spike, Lord of the World Guard Flight accept my place within the Great Meet.”

The various armoured dragons around his platform all stood to attention while many dragons throughout the crowd even applauded Spike. He did his best to look regal and worthy despite the weariness that began to overpower his already taxed frame. Among the celebrating dragons Spike saw Warden smiling with pride and even Thortax granted him the tiniest of nods.

The Captain raised his armoured claws towards the ceiling and announced the next order of business in his whispering hiss, “Let the votes be cast: It has been put forward that the nation of Equestria wishes to create a treaty of non-aggression with the dragon nations. You are to now cast your votes for this proposal.”

Epilogue.

“We really did it Twilight, I just can’t believe that worked,” Spike spoke as if in a daze.

Twilight and Spike sat on the dusty plain surrounding the Citadel of the Dragon Empires and watched the Bloomberg slowly powering its engines for the trip home. The crew busied themselves loading various items of cargo while in the air all around dragons filled the skies, their multi hued scales reflecting the early morning sun.

“I know Spike, I thought they were going to roast me alive when I lost my temper back there but here we are,” Twilight carefully lifted the freshly signed treaty of nonaggression in her hoof and smiled in a relieved manner.

“What I don’t get is why the Burning Canyon flight agreed to sign, I thought they hated Equestria and ponies?” Spike scratched his head while trying to ignore all the punishment he’d taken over the last few days. Spike had never considered himself a violent creature, but within the space of two short weeks he’d fought a slew of fellow dragons and even came close to trying to kill a few.

That stirring nature within Spike rejoiced at emerging alive and victorious, but the more he thought about the fights the less he liked the idea of having to do more. Once the initial euphoria had died down Spike realised just how many times he came to being seriously hurt, or more importantly that Twilight or others could have been.

“I know Spike, that’s what truly astounded me. That Canyon Master is a sly one, maybe he just saw which way the wind was blowing and chose the winning side?” Twilight shook her head with uncertainty.

Spike grunted as he shifted his weight, the dull throb from the many bandaged wounds making it hard to find a comfortable position. As with Warden, Spike’s natural resistance to magic was playing against him. Spike had to rely on the good old fashioned method of resting up and being treated with a tender hoof.

“With them voting yes we managed to win four to one on the peace treaty and to be honest I don’t care why they voted for Equestria, I’m just glad they did,” Spike replied as he rubbed the deep wound in his side. That last claw punch from Charis had left its mark and Twilight guessed it would leave a scar.

She chuckled softly, “Me too, but we didn’t get everything we hoped for Spike. The flights agreed to sign the nonaggression pact, but they turned down the offer of a formal alliance.”

“These things take time Miss Sparkle, but you have already achieved the near impossible,” Pony and dragon both turned to see Warden striding purposefully towards them.

Twilight sighed, “I know and I should be happy, but I had really hoped to have gotten the flights fully on board.”

Spike recalled the decisions of each flight, how unsurprisingly Dust Peak had flatly refused any peaceful overtures whereas Thortax and his Ash Wind had been all for full integration of the two nations. Spike as sole member of the World Guard flight had of course followed suit, but this was where division crept in.

Largash and her fellows welcomed the idea of a pact of peace, but were unwilling to commit to a full alliance until they had learnt more of Twilight’s Mage-Tech inventions and what their true purpose was. This was quickly seconded by Burning Canyon much to the surprise of Twilight and Spike.

Warden grinned wryly as he settled down next to the pair, “Well Largash is living up to her reputation of being cautious and I’m in no way surprised.” Warden rubbed his chin in thought, “I am however taken aback by the Canyon Master’s choice, but then again they keep their options open this way.”

The grin on Warden’s snout widened, “The look on Skalancha’s face when you entered with the guards; that is going to keep me warm on cold nights.”

Twilight scrunched up her muzzle, “You’re sure there is no way of proving she ordered the attempts on Spike and me?”

Spike frowned as Warden shook his head in resignation, “To be honest your highness I don’t think there is. Skalancha is too clever for that. She will weave a tale of hurt pride on behalf of Charis and his brother, that they let their tempers get the better of them despite her direct orders not to attack you both.”

The fire in Spike’s heart flared again: He was convinced that Skalancha was behind the assassin’s actions, stooping so low as to order Twilight and Spike's death just because it hindered some scheme. He snorted out a sooty cloud of frustration before Warden patted him on the shoulder.

“Do not worry Lord Spike. The other flights no doubt share your concerns over Skalancha’s activities, in fact I would not be at all surprised if the actions of Dusk Peak flight didn’t convince the others to side with us,” Warden explained.

Spike stared at him in disbelief, “You just called me Lord?”

Warden chuckled, “Well officially you are a Lord and so I should address you as such.”

Spike smiled, “I guess I could get used to that.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, “Okay, okay Spike let’s not get ahead of ourselves alright? As you said so well you’re only one dragon,” Spike’s face coloured and he grinned sheepishly at Twilight before Warden cut in.

“True Miss Sparkle, a ‘Lord’ in name is not the same as a ‘Lord’ in action or power,” Warden gave Spike’s shoulder a final tap before smiling at Twilight in a longing way. “I think many congratulations are in order your highness, the wheels are in motion to bring our two nations together and you played an instrumental part in that achievement.”

Spike laughed as Twilight’s muzzle began to turn red and she took her turn to smile with embarrassment before Warden produced a scroll, “You have also helped my Lord Thortax, his flight and myself achieve our ends. As such I have been commanded to present you with a gift.”

Twilight and Spike eyed the proffered scroll, which looked weather beaten and tattered. Gingerly Twilight accepted the parchment and with care unrolled it. Spike watched on in mute anticipation as she read the contents before glancing at Warden in confusion, “Is this what I think it is?”

Spike could hold his curiosity in no longer and tried to peer over Twilight’s shoulder: The scroll was covered in arcane script and diagrams which completely baffled him. He looked to Warden who was grinning slyly.

“I hoped that your journey here would have opened your eyes somewhat to the perils of the world and how naive your ideals are,” Warden commented before Twilight’s pouted. “I must admit that I have come to think that you may not have been entirely wrong however and so took the liberty of composing those for you.”

Spike stared back and forth between Warden and Twilight, his impatience growing, “Well what is it?”

Twilight’s eyes never left Warden’s and she spoke carefully, “These Spike, are designs for spells that will immobilise a target or send them into a deep sleep.” She watched Warden who didn’t flinch from her scrutiny, “Not only that but they contain far more recent notations of how to make a magical weapon to launch such enchantments.

Spike’s eyes went wide and he stared at Warden in utter disbelief, “You designed a cannon for the Bloomberg?”

Warden continued to smile as Twilight nodded distractedly, “It would appear so Spike.”

“You cannot expect to travel the world in a new airship with no weapons Princess, it is foolhardy in the extreme and I do not want any harm to come to you,” Warden finally broke his silence and explained further, “But I know you would never condone weapons that are designed to kill or even injure and so I thought of these,” Warden pointed at the scroll.

“Non-lethal arms for our airship, we could defend ourselves without having to hurt those we fought,” Twilight’s voice had taken on a pensive tone, “That is very thoughtful of you Warden.”

Spike actually felt ill as Warden’s expression of rapture caused Twilight to blush again. Warden pressed on, “I’m glad you are willing to consider it. I know how much you value the peaceful reputation of your ponies and I would hate for you to lose that or anyone because of the lack of proper armaments.”

Twilight continued to study the designs uncertainly, “I’ll consider this Warden, thank you for the gift.”

“So we’re heading home then?” Pipsqueak voiced the question buzzing around everyone’s mind as he calibrated a bank of arcane regulators.

He was lying on his back, his head only inches from Applebloom’s as both ponies tinkered with the guts of the Bloomberg’s engine room. The airship was in good working order, but Applebloom was determined to have no surprises for the journey home.

She was also flat on her back, aligned polar opposite to Pip so that their heads rested next to each other, but upside down in regards to their fellow, “Well Pip that seems ter be the case, Twi has finalised all this treaty stuff n so we’re pretty much finished here.”

Applebloom reached past Pipsqueak to ‘readjust’ the flow settings he’d just finished with, “So er what yer plannin ter do when yer get back Pip?” Applebloom’s normally boisterous manner was curiously absent and Pipsqueak was instantly on guard.

“Well I thought I could apply properly to Twilight’s academy. I’ve only been here on a trial basis so far,” Pip replied and to his surprise Applebloom was very quiet. Concerned he glanced to see Applebloom’s ears had flattened and a frown crept over her face.

“Oh,” Applebloom said quietly and Pip felt like he’d missed something.

Trying to cheer her up Pipsqueak smiled encouragingly, “How about you chief, what plans do you have?”

To his puzzlement Applebloom’s face began to redden, “I er was hopin ter spend some time away from all this tech stuff, maybe visit the farm and catch up on all the family.” Pip nodded, that seemed sensible.

“That’s a good idea, family is important and you should take the time to have fun with them,” Pip added.

There was a long silence as both ponies continued to pull and prod at the exposed wires. Tweaking a setting here and double checking a cable there. Something seemed odd to Pip: He’d been adjusting this assembly for ages now at Applebloom’s request but they seemed no closer to finishing than when they started almost an hour ago.

Every time they seemed to be winding the maintenance up Applebloom found some other power line or capacitor that she wasn’t happy with, which Pip would then check only to find nothing amiss. It was as if Applebloom was stalling.

“Yeah family n what not,” Applebloom finally replied and to Pip’s confusion she flushed again.

“You okay Boss? It is a little warm in here, I can open the vents to let some more airflow through?” Pipsqueak asked with concern.

“Yeah um hot, right, yeah Pip you do that,” Applebloom replied, turning her face away and focusing on a cable Pip had already checked only five minutes ago, “Pip this here wire is um...”

“Er Boss, we checked that one already,” Pip said flatly, “It’s fine.” He cocked an eyebrow at Applebloom who was acting very strangely.

Yet again Applebloom seemed distracted, “Yeah, but I wanna make sure everything is in tip-top order fer the journey home Pip.”

Another silence stretched out as Pip vainly tried to find what was wrong this time: He pulled the cable and found it was all present and correct. Pip double checked the linkages, no, they were all in order. “Boss I can’t see what you’re getting at, there is nothing wrong with this,” Pipsqueak said with mounting frustration.

Applebloom pouted, “Yer really have no idea what I’m tryin to tell yer do yer Pip?” She reached past and pushed Pip’s hoof away from the cable, her face screwing up in annoyance as she refitted the covering.

Pip’s puzzlement only increased, “But boss there is nothing wrong with this section I........”

“Rusty horseshoes and prickly hay Pipsqueak! Do I have ter spell it out for yer, I want yer to come to the farm with me and meet my family,” Applebloom snorted before sliding herself out of the confined space leaving Pip blinking in astonishment.

He quickly shuffled himself out of the access space and stared at Applebloom in utter bewilderment, “Why would you want me to meet your folks?” Pip watched as she smiled condescendingly at him.

“Yer know Pip, yer have a good head when it comes ter technical stuff,” Applebloom said sadly, “But yer ain’t got no clue when it comes to ponies.”

Pipsqueak just stared blankly at Applebloom who rolled her eyes before leaning down and kissing him on the muzzle. Pip’s eyes widened in shocked surprise and as Applebloom pulled back as confused smile formed on his face, “What was....oh.....”

Applebloom nodded as Pip finally began to understand, “It’s like that is it?” Suddenly all the previous strangeness made a lot more sense. He smiled up at her and allowed himself the delight of looking Applebloom over, “I think I’d like that too Boss.”

Pipsqueak grinned happily as Applebloom looked into his eyes with contentment, “Well glad we got that sorted out Pip, I need ter have my crew knowing the lay of the land and be up ter speed with current developments n what-not.” She returned his grin before affixing the access panel, “So do you think you’re up to the task colt?”

Pip paused for only a moment and chuckled playfully, “Yes mam, Pipsqueak reporting for duty!” There was a wonderful moment where the two kissed properly before Applebloom broke away, leaving Pip bemused on the floor.

“If we’re gonna do this Pip I want it done right yer hear. So we are gonna be professional, no gettin ahead of ourselves n no ‘chargin ma power cell’ until we’re proper married understand?” Applebloom announced sternly.

Pipsqueak nodded with a dreamy look on his muzzle, “Anything you say boss,” He paused for a moment as what Applebloom had just said sunk in, “Ma-married? You’ve thought that far ahead?” Pip had a sudden fear blossoming in his eyes.

Applebloom nodded seriously, “Of course. I’m an engineer, I think about the big picture.”

“Do I get any say in this Boss?” Pipsqueak asked timidly.

Applebloom smiled genuinely, “Of course yer do Pip. I’m countin on yer to tell me what yer think every hoof step of the way. I can’t promise I’ll always agree, but I will listen.”

Pip’s expression morphed from mild terror to affronted annoyance, he glanced up at Applebloom whose own face had softened, “Did it ever occur to you Boss that I might say no, that you’re just not the pony for me?”

The question seemed to take Applebloom aback, “I hadn’t Pip,” She cocked an eyebrow, “Yer changing yer mind then?”

Pipsqueak scrunched up his nose before smiling slyly, “Well no, just wanted to be completely clear about the situation,” He took a deep breath before rising to one knee, “Miss Bloom, will you marry me?”

Applebloom was stunned for the second time, “Yer just gonna come on out and ask me, just like that?”

Pipsqueak laughed, “Well here we both are, surrounded by the work which is our passion, I love you Applebloom and have done for a long time: When better to ask?” He grinned up at her astonished face, “As you said let’s do this right huh?”

Applebloom laughed in return, “Eyup Pip, that’s what I said.” She leaned down and hugged Pipsqueak who warmly returned the embrace, “Yes, I’ll marry yer Pip.”

Steel watched as the last members of their expedition filed aboard the Bloomberg and pondered the results of their journey. Princess Twilight had ratified the dragon treaty with her typical efficiency, dealing with all the minor points and legal jargon like a pro. This left Steel with little to do apart from watch as the makeshift camp was disassembled.

It was a blessing after the tense events of the previous week and Steel felt his bones ache as a cold wind swept across the plains. Even this close to all the lava and fire within the caldera the biting winds of winter were making their presence known: No doubt when they returned to Equestria there would be snow covering the ground and frost on the windows.

“You know, I think I’m going to miss this place,” Night Dew commented. Having with typical style appeared next to him with barely a sound.

“You’ll miss the fire and dragons? Assassination attempts against our princess and constant fighting against dangers from without and within?” Steel replied in a level tone.

Night Dew laughed softly as she brushed her black mane from the goggles she wore, “Yes I will, it’s been one of the most exciting trips I have ever been on.”

Steel shook his head, “Well I’ll be happy to get back home, knowing that we did what was needed and made it back in one piece is enough for me.”

The two guards watched as the last tent was taken down, the last evidence that their party had ever stopped in this hostile land being bundled up and carried towards the awaiting Bloomberg. Turning his gaze further afield Steel saw that where once the plain was teeming with dragons it was almost empty. The vast space returning to its empty and desolate state.

The Great Meet had concluded and with it any reason for most dragons to remain. It had been a humbling moment for Steel when the leaders of the great flights had all left the metal mountain at once: Their enormous forms circling around the citadel’s peak before they broke off and headed their respective ways.

To think that such creatures existed these days gave the proud Captain pause. He recognised Warden’s taunts and subtle jibes for what they were; not an insult to himself or his soldiers, but a warning about the powers they faced.

Night Dew piped up and pointed a hoof, “Well it looks like somepony has made a new friend.”

Steel followed Dew’s foreleg and saw instantly what she meant: Tender Wood was talking animatedly with Vex, while Scratches cowered behind his master. The dragoness wore an expression of acute curiosity on her snout. Peering at the tiny pony as if she’d never seen one before.

“I imagine that this will be a massive change for us all,” Steel commented, “With the treaty signed it is now officially against dragon law to eat ponies or any other sentient from Equestria. We’ll have a lot of excitement to look forward to in the coming years.”

Steel sighed with weariness, “I’m glad to be out of it.”

Night Dew chuckled wryly, “Well that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun. Vex has agreed to go on some hunts with me after I've recovered.” Steel peered at his fellow soldier before she continued, “Seems that she’s eager to prove dragon’s superiority in the art of stealth and cunning.”

“’Each to their own I’ guess,” Steel replied noncommittally before Night Dew playfully tapped him on the shoulder.”

“Hey come on. We did it, we’re heading home and Spike’s now a dragon Lord. Lighten up Steel,” Night Dew reprimanded.

Steel felt his mouth twitch before a slow smile played across it. He watched as Vex held out a claw to Tender Wood who was examining it with every sign of enjoyment. What made Steel smile was the look of growing interest on Vex’s face also, “If you had asked me what I thought of a colt playing with a strange dragon only a few days ago well....”

Night Dew watched as Vex allowed Tender to examine her eyes and ears, lowering her head down to be level with the young stallion and his now excited timber wolf cub. Steel chuckled as Vex sniffed Tender’s mane, pulling the strands of hair out of place with a great intake of air. Scratch’s exited barking could be heard from here, the cub racing round and round Tender who simply stood there with a now tangled mess of chestnut curls.

“Huge events often start with small acts, “Night Dew commented and Steel gave her a sidelong glance.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to get all deep and symbolic on me lieutenant, I don’t think I could cope with such a drastic change in the world,” Steel smiled as the dragon and pony continued to talk in the distance. The officers stood in silence for a while, watching two so very different creatures exploring each other and Steel’s face became sombre, “Do you honestly think that peace can last Lieutenant?”

Night Dew looked uncertain, “Probably not Captain, but that’s why we all need to be prepared to do what is needed to restore it again.” She stretched her wings and flapped them experimentally, lifting a few inches off the ground before settling down once more, “On a brighter note I can fly again. I plan to enjoy myself, not mope about what may happen.”

Steel nodded in agreement, the melancholy expression being replaced by a determined smile, “As you were Lieutenant, as you were.”

The last of the baggage was finally loaded onto the Bloomberg and the crew began boarding in earnest. Steel and Night Dew shared a look before heading off to their assigned tasks before departure.

Months later, deep within the Ash Wind flight’s stronghold Thortax brooded on the most recent changes to the Dragon Empires. News was trickling in that Equestrian caravans were now braving the journey across the borders, bringing new inventions, music, art and medicines for the dragons to sample. In return envoys and forward thinking dragons had gone to Equestria, telling stories and lending their services in a variety of tasks suited to them.

It stirred his ancient heart to see his people begin to shrug off the prejudices and superior attitudes of time uncounted. There had been a dramatic influx of aspirants who wanted to join the Citadel Guard, who in turn had spread their operations beyond the caldera’s bounds.

New laws required new enforcers to administer them, but with the backing of over half the flights in the Empire there were plenty of recruits for the task. Dragons wearing the darkened armour of the Guard were now a common sight throughout the lands.

The flights had not been so organised, nor united for more years than Thortax cared to count. Things were changing and it was happening faster every day. A new sense of purpose had gripped the dragons, one that overshadowed their normal tendencies.

Thortax picked up a tiny device from an Equestrian supply crate with great care and marvelled at its complexity: the object was a dragon sized headset, containing a built in ‘send and receive’ communications enchantment. It was a common place device in Equestria these days, but unheard of in dragon lands. With these new communicators dragons could speak with each other far more easily over large distances. Such a simple idea yet so useful and oh so very pony.

The dragon lands were filling with such technological creations allowing the newly expanded Citadel Guard to keep close tabs on what was going on and quickly respond to any troubles which..... Thortax’s examination of the device was interrupted by a sudden shift in the air.

Slowly lifting his head he took a deep breath of sooty air before smiling, “It’s good to see you again Lulu.” Thortax watched Princess Luna flew into the cavern. She circled around the dominating magma pool in its centre and gently touched down before Thortax with a wide smile on her face.

“Well met Lord, I trust the latest shipments are proving useful?” Luna asked in a serious voice before she laughed happily, “Oh isn’t this all exciting Thory? For the first time in well over a thousand years the dragons are beginning to come together.”

Thortax nodded in support, “Very much so Lulu and it’s thanks to you and your little hatchling. The fact that a dragon was raised by ponies and then went on to become the master of his own flight is the talk of the Empire.” The enormous dragon tilted his head slowly to one side, “Speaking of which how is Lord Spike doing?”

Luna folded her wings and sat companionably next to the mighty drake, “From what I hear his new home is almost built. You should see it Thortax, precious gems and clever carvings adorn the new tower. It’s almost as tall as Twilight’s own research centre, leaving plenty of room for him to grow into it.”

Thortax cocked a giant eyebrow, “He still continues to increase in size, how very Interesting.” He drummed his claws on the rocky ground while deep in thought.

The Princess of the Night matched Thortax’s expression, “Indeed, I wouldn’t be surprised if he would match, say your stature one day?” Her reply hinted at an unspoken question.

Thortax didn’t reply at once and he continued to study the comparatively tiny device in his claws, “It has been said that most important dragons, those that have a mighty work or task to achieve are gifted with a far greater portion of Whisper’s own power.”

The smile on Luna’s face curled slyly, “I have heard that too Thory, but the bigger question is has Spike already done what mighty deed which is required of him or is that still to be discovered?”

Rubbing a massive claw across his chin Throtax shook his head, “I can’t say with a certainty, but being instrumental in the creation of this treaty was certainly a world changing event.” He peered at Luna with a curious expression, “A dragon hatched by a future Princess of Equestria, is raised by equines and who then goes on to help change the course of the Dragon Empires: That’s a pretty impressive tale in its own right don’t you think without adding more to it?”

Luna laughed, “I guess you’re right Thortax.” She produced a small box which was intricately carved and bore the seal of Princess Twilight, “I was asked to pass this gift along to Warden. It’s a special thank you from her for all he did.”

Throtax nodded before clearing his throat and calling out, “Warden, attend me.”

It took only a few moments for a winged figure to swoop into the cave and Luna smiled at his approach, “I’m glad to see your injuries have mostly healed.”

Warden landed neatly before the pair and bowed low, “You called me Lord?”

Luna levitated the small box to Warden as Thortax explained its significance, “A gift for you, from Princess Twilight no less.” Warden received the object and with a delicate claw undid the latch securing its lid before pausing for a moment, his single eye studying its contents with astonishment.

He slowly lifted out a bound scroll addressed to him and upon further study saw a small device nestled within a bed of silken padding. Both his Lord and Luna watched as Warden lifted the delicate creation. Turning it over in his hand before reading the attached note, his expression was unreadable.

“I trust all is in order warden?” Thortax asked his patience thinning.

Warden looked up at his Lord and without speaking a word lifted the gift to his scarred face, there was a tiny flash of purple magic. As he lowered his hand both alicorn Princess and Dragon Lord saw that a new Mage-Tech eye patch covered Warden’s missing one. The detail and care gone into its construction were breath taking: Small arcane runes glowed with power and the frame was crafted to fit precisely around Warden’s ravaged cheek.

The centrepiece of the gift was the glowing eye lens, which emitted a purple hued aura that mimicked a slitted dragon’s pupil. Warden blinked a few times, the new replacement eye copying the actions of his flesh and blood one before Warden smiled with satisfaction, “Yes my Lord, everything is in perfect working order.”

Warden studied the message again, his eyes bright with excitement and just a hint of longing. With the utmost care he rewound the scroll and with a sigh placed it back within its box. Warden stroked the case before taking a deep breath, resolution clear on his face.

Luna beamed with pride, “I’m glad this meets with your approval Warden and I want to take this chance to thank you personally for all your help with Lord Spike.” She bowed before addressing Thortax once again, “Speaking of which, is there any of the World Guard flight’s holdings or treasures which remain?”

Warden felt around his new prosthetic and seemed pleased with the results before responding, “Sadly no your highness, there is no lands or riches left on that front. All have been absorbed or claimed by other flights.”

Warden blinked his own eye and then the replacement in turn. Testing out the quality of his restored vision while continuing, “If Spike wishes to come to dragon lands and carve out his own little piece of territory then he is of course well within his rights to do so.” He smiled before going on, “However from what I hear, he is finally getting settled in Equestria and we could do with an official embassy for your lands, if Spike agrees of course?”

Thortax grinned, his massive face creasing up with pleasure, “And should he accept such an offer the flights would of course be happy to send some compensation, most likely this would take the form of gold and gems which once belonged to the World Guard’s old hoard.”

All three of them were grinning now and Luna tapped her chin thoughtfully, “I can see the merit in such an action, I will speak with Lord Spike and suggest such to him.”

Twilight and Spike sat at the mouth of the cave within his mountain and watched the snow covered vista of Equestria spread out before them. The Sun was setting on another winter day, dipping down between the rising spires of Twilight’s academy and Spike’s almost completed home. Both structures easily dominated the town of Ponyville: One a shimmering lance of glass and metal, the other a blocky monster of carved rock and glittering jewels.

The offer for this new home to become the dragon embassy within Equestria had been happily taken up by Spike who could only stare in wonder as precious gems of all shapes and sizes were ‘donated’ by the other flights.

Spike’s massive frame which had once easily fitted into the cave he called home for nearly a year now, only just squeezed between the enclosing walls. He was going to have to move yet again, but this time he was happy about the arrangements. Spike now completely overshadowed his older sister Twilight who snuggled up against his forearm and watched the sun slowly dip a little lower towards the horizon.

“It’s beautiful Twi, you must be so proud,” Spike said, his voice deep and resonant. Twilight smiled up at him and Spike thought she looked so small now. All his pony friends did, but inside Spike still felt like that little dragon who used to ride on Twilight’s back despite his now towering stature.

“Thanks Spike, but I am.....” Twilight said sleepily before a yawn cut her off mid sentence. Recovering her composure she finished, “I’m...more....proud....of....you.” Twilight's voice was distant and heavy with sleep.

Spike felt his heart burn with pride and chuckled to himself, the sounds and power of even this small act caused Twilight to stir, blinking up happily at him. Even after all this time he still longed for Twilight’s approval and doubted that would ever change. Spike glanced down at his sister who was resting her head against his thick scales, her eyes slowly closing as sleep crept up on her again.

It dawned on Spike that just for this moment everything was right, he didn’t have a care in the world and could relish the simple joys of being alive. Spike knew who he was, where he’d came from and had plans for a bright future which seemed finally within his grasp.

With incredible care Spike reached down with one of his claws, which was easily the size of the pony sound asleep next to him and gently brushed Twilight’s mane. She looked so peaceful, her side slowly rising and falling, her ear twitching as the cold breeze ruffled Twilight’s feathers. It was a scene that Spike would always cherish no matter what the world may throw at them.

For the first time in many years, Spike felt like he belonged. He had a proper home here, he had friends here and most important of all he had his family. Compared to all the riches that glittered on Spike’s new home; that was the best jewel he could ask for.

Spike looked out at the glittering lights of Ponyville and thought of Warden's parting words to him, "Endurance Hatchling. I think that's your aspect. Through this all you've stayed strong and weathered the challenges before you. Never faltering or giving up. Keep that in mind for the times to come, the world needs more dragons like you. It needs a dependable rock to anchor it."

Endurance huh? Well there were worse things to have as a defining aspect. It made greater sense the more Spike thought about his life. If he was going to be Lord over a flight then that would certainly be a good trait to have.

Twilight shifted and Spike did his best not to disturb her sleeping form. Carefully spreading one of his massive wings to form a protective awning over her, " I can be endure for you Twi, that's no sacrifice." The tiny fire they had built glowed merrily as Spike lent his scaly head down and with exceptional precision gently touched his snout to Twilight’s cheek, “love you sis, thanks for everything.”

The End.

Prologue

Prologue

The cave was dark and full of smoke as the red glow reflected off the curling vapours that floated in the humid atmosphere. The ruddy light emanated from massive lava lake which dominated the centre of the cavern. But the deep basin wasn't the only source of heat and light, the impression of massive scaled forms stirring slowly could be seen through the haze. Impressive claws and scales grated against the naked rock, leaving fractured grooves in the stone as the largest of the serpentine monsters rolled over.

A particularly huge brute lazily opened one green eye as the sounds of some disturbance from above drew the dragon’s attention. Circling on the rising thermals was an impressive number of dark flitting shapes swarmed in a panicked cloud. The small creatures, all tails and teeth had been thrown into a frantic screeching as an intruder violated the normally slow paced nature of this place.

Emitting disturbed screeches the cowardly flock of bat like creatures scattered as they made way for a dark shape that slowly descended into the cavern with slow lazy beats of its wings. The easily startled nature of the lesser predators made them a perfect warning system for the sleepy dragons below, though not a welcomed one.

“Oh shut your racket or I’ll incinerate you myself. What could be so important as to disturb our rest?” The deep resonating voice was annoyed, causing the last of the bats to scatter and flee the cavern. The sudden absence of the dark shapes revealed the intruder clearly for the first time and the stirring dragons looked up to see who had dared to intrude on their slumber.

The new comer was far smaller than the surrounding creatures, not only this, but as the reptilian eyes watched red glow of the lava illuminate the new comer it became apparent this was no dragon. The visitor touched down lightly on the soot caked ground and furled its feathered blue wings before raising its horned head to look at the assembled drakes.

“Oh....it’s ‘you’” The largest dragon muttered as he focused both slitted green eyes on the pony before him in an expression of annoyance. “We heard you were back from your ‘exile’ and now you come to us. Why we wonder?” The dragon raised its self to tower over the alicorn, his fangs and claws fully displayed in a threatening manner.

Luna straightened up, not cowed by the enormous reptile now looming over her as the other dragons arose to watch the unfolding scene with interest. Luna caught sight of draconian wings unfurling along with small bursts of fire mixing with the smoke already in the heated air, but showed and only grinned at the collection of monsters.

“Oh don’t be like thou big lummox, one remembers when thou were a small hatchling ‘Thortax’" Luna scolded the massive beast who blinked in embarrassment. "We see thy temper hast not improved much since I was away either.” Luna smiled at the giant reptile who blushed slightly as the other dragons began to chuckle.

“Well I....er” The dragon found he couldn’t meet the eyes of his fellow drakes and trying to regain some of the initiative cleared his massive throat before going on with a much less certain tone. “What is you want Princess, I am sure you didn’t come here just to embarrass an old serpent?”

“Thou art not that old Thortax; one remembers the fun times we had.” Luna grin only grew as Thortax shuffled uncomfortably, “The ‘pranks’ we used to play, oh and what was her name again?” Luna winked at Thortax as the assembled dragons laughed quietly at their leader’s discomfort.

“You vowed you would never talk about that again....” Thortax began before Luna raised her hoof to stall any further protest.

“Which means thou owest me Thortax, as one has never broken that vow.” Luna replied with a sly look.

Thortax took a deep breath, his massive lungs taking a long time to inflate. “And now you’re calling in that favour?” Luna nodded as the massive dragon caught on to the reasons for her visit. “Why call this favour in now princess, what could be so dire that your own impressive powers couldn’t with it?”

“Oh Thortax, one sees thy silver tongue is still as fine as ever” Luna smiled, her voice taking on playful tone. “Your flattery doesn’t change the fact that one is calling this debt now. We really do need thy help to repay a debt of our own.”

Thortax raised his eye brows, “Intriguing, do tell. Who or what could have gotten one such as you into such a position?”

Luna’s ears pressed against her head the previous jovial mood evaporated. “We....” It was Thorax’s turn to chuckle. With a gesture from his large head and unfurled wings the other dragons present leaped into the air and flew out of the cave.

It took some time for the collection of dragons to vacate the area, however once they had Thorax’s demeanour changed and all pretence of hostility vanished. “Ah Lulu I have missed you so, I dared not believe you had returned and it broke my heart to see that creature overtake you.”

“I do not want to speak of it Thor, it was....terrible” Luna said in a quiet way. “The point is I am back now, as me and I need your help Thor.” The dragon with surprising grace wiped a tear from Luna’s cheek with a claw the size of her torso.

“Don’t cry Lulu, I’m just glad you’re back. Now what help do you need?” The dragon shifted his weight to make himself more comfortable. His massive head dwarfed the alicorn as the dragon lent down to rub his scaled nose against the pony’s soft muzzle.

Luna smiled at the show of affection, “Daww yer big softy, thank you. It’s not for me really you understand; I want to repay the kindness of six very special fillies.” Luna’s mood lifted once again at the thought of the ponies who had saved her from herself.

“What I shall need first is your advice Thorax.” Luna paused, searching for the correct way to phrase her request. “Let’s say for the sake of argument that a dragon 'hatchling' lost its parents along with its flight, what would happen to it?”

“It would have to fend for its self Luna and would almost certainly die.” Thortax informed Luna in level tone, he didn’t like the direction this conversation was going. “We dragons aren’t terribly charitable to each other.”

Luna nodded before going on, “Okay, but what if it had been taken in by let’s say ponies and though they are doing a fine job for now, what do you think will happen when that hatchling starts to grow up?”

Thortax raised both eye brows this time, “Raised by ponies, you can’t be serious Lulu? I have never heard of such a thing, how old is this 'hypothetical' hatchling now?” The expression of amazement was plain on the dragon’s craggy features.

“No more than a couple of years from what I understand, six at most. His egg was found abandoned and taken into Tia’s school as a test for entry. Potential candidates had to try and hatch the egg with a spell.” Luna explained further and Thortax snorted derisively.

The dragon's voice was full of suspicion now, “Oh now I know you’re pulling my leg Luna. Nice try, but no pony bar maybe an alicorn could hatch a dragon’s egg with magic.” Thortax’s suspicion turned to dismay as Luna shook her head vigorously.

“I have never been more serious in my life Thor.” Luna fixed the huge unblinking eyes dragon eyes with a stare of her own. “Of course no pony was suppose to pass the test, it was seen as a great way of indicating their determination and strength from what Tia told me. You know my big sister always looking to make the best of any event, even an abandoned dragon’s egg.” Luna’s eyes sparkled as she almost whispered, “But some pony did.”

Thortax despite his reservations had his interest peaked, he liked a good mystery as much a Luna did. “And this hatchling has been raised by ponies since?” For a brief moment Luna thought she had won her old friend over, but to her disappointment Thortax shook his head after a long thought.

“Sorry Luna, I can’t. I have duties to my flight; I am the eldest here and can’t just wonder off for some orphan hatchling. The others would never go for adopting a stay into the flight either, with no blood ties I can't see any flight.......” Thortax’s excuses trailed off in the sight of Luna’s expression.

Luna’s face had fallen and her eyes took on ‘puppy dog’ roundness as she playfully tapped the dragon’s giant nose with a fore hoof. “But Thory you owe me and I was your friend before you became a big brave dragon elder.” Thortax grunted, unable to meet the alicorn’s huge eyes.

After a long moment Thortax relaxed his shoulders in defeat. “Why is it whenever I spend any time with you Lulu I end up in some sort of strange trouble?” The dragon let out a smoky sigh. “Very well I will see to it that the hatchling gets taught what he needs to know.

Luna’s eyes returned to normal and she began to dance a happy little jig, the sight reminding Thortax of a much younger princess, causing his well worn face to glow with happiness. But it didn't last as Thortax held up one enormous clawed finger. “If and only if it becomes apparent he needs guidance, then I will ensure that one of my flight comes to teach him the ways of a dragon.”

The elder dragon rubbed his temples as he warned Luna of what they were getting themselves into. “To my best knowledge no dragon has ever been raised by other than their own kind and I don’t want to get mixed up in this potential disaster unless I have to. Not even for you Lulu.”

Princess Luna smiled. It wasn’t a perfect solution true, but she had gotten more than she had dared hope for. “Thank you Thortax, I for one can’t wait to see how this is all going to turn out.”

Thortax grinned, revealing a large set of impressive fangs. “You and me both Lulu, it’s good to have you back.” The massive dragon bowed to the tiny alicorn before lumbering deeper into the obscuring vapours of the cave. He called back to Luna and his deep voice resonated through the murk. “Just don’t say I didn’t warn you Lulu, we dragons can be a real hoof full, especially before we cool down a bit with age. I hope you have some pony very capable taking care of this hatchling.”

Luna chuckled to herself as Thortax’s immense bulk was swallowed once more by the shadows of the cave, “Oh Thory, I think we have just the pony for the job. Princess Celestia trusts her completely.”

Rings and Rumbles

Rings and Rumbles.

Many years later:

“Spike you open this door at once!” Twilight shouted her voice laced with annoyance. Any hopes of Spike complying were dashed as all she received in return was a low growl. The alicorn princess snorted in frustration and stomped her hooves at the dragon’s unwilling behaviour.

“If you don't hurry up we're going to be late Spike. I've tried being reasonable and kind but my patience is at an end Mr” Twilight glared at the wooden door as she seriously considered forcing it open with her magic.

“I’m not going” The sullen response was accompanied by a small cloud of smoke leaking out around the door. Twilight rolled her eyes before taking a deep breath. Why couldn’t the dragon just be reasonable about this? Spike had been brooding all week and now the big day had arrived the dragon had shut himself up in his room.

Twilight closed her eyes and took a second calming breath, just the way her sister in law had taught her before attempting to reason with Spike in a much calmer tone. “Spike, Rarity asked especially for you to be there, in fact she insisted it wouldn’t be right without you.”

A second more dangerous rumble was heard from within: “I’m-not-going”

Twilight ached for Spike, she knew this day was going to be hard for him, but he needed to get over his hurt pride and be present at the ceremony. Twilight would never forgive herself if she left him moping like this. She taped her hoof trying to think of any argument that could persuade her ‘little’ adoptive brother to come out of his sulk.

Twilight rested her head on the wooden frame as she silently prayed for a miracle, the pony was at her wits end and the scorch marks besmirching the walls around their home were testament to how tough things had gotten. Twilight stared at the gashes rent in the floor and deeply missed the little purple baby she once knew. It had only seemed a few years ago they were celebrating Spike’s fifteenth birthday and Twilight still couldn't believe how time had flown or how the ‘little’ dragon had grown.

“Please Spike if you really love Rarity you will be there for her today of all days, you know she asked for you especially to present the rings.” Twilight began, her anger evaporating as her eyes filled with tears.

For the first time since this latest confrontation had begun there was only silence from within and Twilight feared she may have completely ruined any chance of the dragon coming out. “Spike?” Twilight lifted her head from the door frame and pressed her ear to the door itself before whispering again, “Spike?”

“That was low Twilight.” Spike’s gruff reply came out in a dangerous manner.

“Well you left me little choice you big ‘lunk’ head” Twilight smiled despite her tears, “Please come out and we can talk about this.” There was another moment's pause before Twilight breathed a sigh of relief; she heard stirrings from behind the door. The portal opened the tiniest fraction and Twilight was confronted by a large green, cat like eye that looked at her with trepidation.

“She really wants me to present the rings?” Spike’s deep voice replied with small hints of hope.

Twilight leaped on this life line and hung on for dear life, “Yes Spike, in fact Rarity insisted, saying it would ruin her day if you didn’t come.”

There was a long pause as the reptile mulled it all over, “Okay, I’ll come and do it for Rarity.” Twilight began to thank Spike when the dragon cut her off; “But only for Rarity and certainly not for him”

If words could kill then Twilight suspected that a pony not so far away would be a smouldering crater by now. Spikes response wasn't everything she'd hoped for but at least it was a start. “Thank you Spike, this means a lot to her and me.”

There was further scraping along with slithering sounds as Spike closed the door before Twilight turned to head up stairs, but she had only gotten a few paces when Spike called out to her again. “Um, Twilight?”

“Yes Spike?” Twilight glanced back to see the door had been opened a crack once again and the dragon’s large eye was looking at her with embarrassment.

“Um....It happened again, could you?” Twilight smiled in a knowing way and nodded slowly. Her horn glowed as she began to unscrew the hinges to the door: This was the second time this month that the dragon had gotten stuck and they really needed to finish the new home for her adopted brother. Even the ex-town hall of Ponyville was just too small for Spike now and that was the largest building in town.

The last screw came undone and door was gently lifted away by Twilight’s magic to reveal a highly contorted dragon squeezed into room far too small for him. The pony had to stifle a small giggle; He really did look so ridiculous. This only earned another cross look from Spike who snorted another cloud of smoke.

“Well if you insist on hiding in your room whenever you want to sulk then it’s bound to happen Spike,” Twilight smiled again to cover her unease.

Spike grunted as Twilight helped him extricate himself from the cramped space he was wedged into; after an uncomfortable minute of huffing and scraping the dragon was finally freed. Spike stretched up and out to his full impressive height before peering down at Twilight.

As far as Twilight could gather Spike was nowhere near fully grown, yet he already towered over the rest of the inhabitants of Ponyville and moving to the ex-town hall was the latest logical choice for him. Sadly this stop-gap was quickly proving inadequate and Twilight was running out of ideas of where to house her brother. The only other options meant moving him out of Ponyville, an idea that she wasn't ready to consider.

“Now go and finish getting ready, Rarity and the others are waiting on us,” Twilight gently patted a hoof on Spike’s haunch as the dragon looked down on her with his green eyes full of uncertainty.

Spike looked like he was about to ask something before giving another ‘huff’ and Twilight winced as another cloud of smoke floated up to the already soot stained ceiling. Ignoring her discomfort, Spike very carefully poked his head along with his large fore claws back into the room he only just managed to escape and began rummaging.

Twilight once again turned around and headed for the stairs , there were still a good number of things to get organised and it had been a long time since Spike had stopped making check lists for her. Once again Twilight missed the little helper she had come to rely on.

Twilight stepped out into the sunshine of a slightly chilled Ponyville day and took a deep breath, revelling in air free of dragon. She inwardly felt guilty about that fact, she loved Spike dearly but the big guy was getting to be a real hoof full. After her long days at the research centre the last thing the princess needed was to come home to a sulking reptile that was absent mindedly trashing their latest home.

She took a moment to look over the much changed Ponyville and still wondered at the progress they had made in the last few years. Her eyes took in the subtle effects of her ongoing delving into magical technology. Since the visit from ‘Buzzbot’ and that whole fiasco a number of years back, Twilight's mind had been taken up with the potential wonders of machines.

Twilight found it funny that she had never thought of such applications before then, magic had always been an integral part of pony life; the very day and night being moved by such, but since the visit from the shape changing pony-bot from the future Twilight’s obsessive mind couldn’t let go of the fascination with blending that magic with mechanical items.

Oh she had dabbled in a few ideas before then, but there was a vast gulf between the simple propeller for Rainbow’s pet ‘Tank’ along with the few items in her old laboratory under the Golden Oak’s Library compared the ideas filling her head now. Twilight put it down to the pony-bot’s influence. Buzzbot had told Twilight and her six friends very little about the future ‘she’ came from, having only been sent to study the Element bearers of the robot's past.

Buzzbot had stoically answered any questions about the future with cryptic replies and that was if she gave any answer at all. The ‘Spoilers’ excuse had grown very old with Twilight and she'd given up asking Buzzbot a full week before the pony-bot returned to her own time.

The alicorn shook her head with a little grin, remembering the crazy fun a time travelling robot coming to visit had caused. If there was one thing Twilight had taken from the whole event was that the future would have to take care of itself. She simply needed focused on what was important now: Rarity’s wedding.

Oh Twilight didn’t blame Spike for his reaction at all, every pony knew he had a thing for Rarity even after all these years. That she had chosen to marry ‘Honest Buck’ from the Crystal Empire had been a terribly hard blow for the dragon. Having Rarity insisting on the him presenting the ring's in the ceremony must have been like pouring salt in the wound for the ‘little’ guy.

Twilight smiled sadly once more, she would always see Spike as that little purple ball of scales even when he would tower over their former home at the library, which she firmly believed he would one day at the rate he was growing.

She understood that it showed how much Spike meant to Rarity; having him present the rings at her wedding was such a sign of love an trust on Rarity's part, even if Spike didn’t see it that way. That was another change Twilight would need to learn to live with; Rarity getting married.

The years had brought so many changes to Ponyville, Twilight and her friends. She looked about the town Ponyville had become and smiled proudly at the subtle improvements Twilight had instigated.

At first glance there was nothing very different for the casual observer in the look of Ponyville, but that was just what Twilight had hoped for. Ponies and other creatures were going about their normal business and most would even nod her way in a mark of respect so Twilight guessed she must be doing something right.

Twilight smiled warmly in return, proudly seeing how the inhabitants didn't give a second look at the subtle improvements she had caused to be installed throughout the growing settlement. She remembered coming up with the design for magical lanterns, their power lines and many other inventions had been carefully put in place while preserving the traditional look of Ponyville.

The princess was particularly proud of those lamps, being far more efficient that the old ones, while still appearing to be same classic candle style. These were not the only changes she was pioneering either: Twilight glanced towards the growing centre for other interested creatures to study the potential application of blending magic with machines. It was a whole new science, one Twilight had dubbed ‘magical technology' or simply mage-tech’.

She was pulled from her thoughts by a call from further down the street and looking up she saw a pair of ponies she knew well approaching. “Hey Twi, ain’t yer meant to be at the ceremony by now?” Twilight smiled happily to see ‘Star Oak’ trotting slowly towards her, his bat wings folded by his sides and a pair of ‘day vision goggles’ resting over the bat pony’s sensitive turquoise eyes. Star's muddled accent always caused Twilight smile. The brown stallion took after both parents, a little of Applejack and Shadow Guard being heard in his words.

Twilight then turned her attention to the orange pegasus filly walking along side Star Oak, She had orange coat, dark red mane and a pair complimenting yellow eyes. “Hi Star, hi ‘Breezy’.” Twilight’s smile had become a little fixed, “Yeah I know I’m running late, Spike...”

‘Forest Breeze’ held up a hoof to forestall any further explanation, “It’s okay Twilight, I understand, mum always says 'dealing with non-pony creatures is always a trial for many equines'.” The pegasus' tone put Twilight in mind of a well meaning tutor from her school days and she felt a little pang of annoyance at being 'talked to' like that by a young filly.

Then again Breezy’s mother was Fluttershy and so Twilight was forced to grudgingly admit the pegasus was coming from a position of authority on that matter. Gosh I hope I never sounded like that when I was her age Twilight thought to herself.

Forest Breeze’s tone softened a little as she gave a meaningful look at her cousin, “And we’re running late now, so why don’t we all go together, that is once Spike is ready to go that is?” Star Oak ears flattened as his cousin eyed him with an accusatory stare.

As if by the very mention of his name Spike appeared, wriggled his way out of the front door before stretching outwards and upwards; the span of his arms nearly as wide as the town hall. There were few ‘clicks’ as long strained muscles were given release before Spike gave a contented sigh, looking just as happy as Twilight to be out of the house.

The mass of purple scales proceeded to extend the relatively ‘small’ wings that had begun to grow in above his shoulders. Though far larger than any pony’s except maybe Celestia’s, these were nowhere near the size needed to carry the dragon just yet and Spike was itching to put them t proper use. The sight of those unfurled pinions caused Twilight to grimace as memories of various previous his crashes came flooding back.

The spectacle of a growing dragon unfolding itself in the central square had become a fairly common event in Ponyville, but despite this Spike never failed to draw attention. Every pony knew when Spike was about these days, it was getting pretty hard to miss him.

His stretching done Spike turned to look down at the assembled ponies before him and his elongated snout smiled at the sight of his friends. “Ah hello you two, trust you've been keeping out of trouble?” Twilight heard the doubtful tone in Spikes voice and chuckled as both Apple family members to flatten their ears in embarrassment.

“Ma says that we’re not to lie, so I won’t say nothin.” Star said in a non-committal way before Breeze snorted.

“Yer such a ‘muma’s’ boy Star” the Breezy teased before looking Spike right in the eye; “I wasn’t doing anything, just trotting to the wedding and minding my own business when some pony decided it would be a good idea to call by on Granny and see if she was ready.”

Both Twilight and Spike winced internally; Granny Smith had gotten more than a little ‘odd’ in her older age. No pony would say it to her face of course, but she did tend to get even more easily confused these days. Twilight was in little doubt that the pair of foals had spent a long time trying to help Granny Smith find various things again, again and again.

Twilight was still amazed at how foals could be so different from their parents. Forest Breeze had two the shyest ponies Twilight had ever met as parents and yet was almost as forceful as Rainbow Dash sometimes. Star Oak had Applejack for a mother and Shadow as a Farther, yet was timid as can be when outside the family home.

“I see, so where is Granny Smith now?” Twilight asked in a suspicious voice.

Breeze bowed her head and mumbled something that Twilight didn’t catch before Star took a turn to explain. “Uncle Bigmac stepped in and told us just to go.” Twilight narrowed her eyes, sure there was more to this whole tale, but if one thing was true, they were all now running late.

Sparing a quick glance at her brother who shrugged his huge shoulders before Twilight trotted ahead, leading the way towards Carousel Boutique with the lumbering Spike and two foals in tow.

Twilight noted how much the Boutique had changed as well; Rarity had finally been 'recognised' in the fashion world, her designs capturing the imagination of ponies far and wide. As such she had needed to expand her business and although she vowed never to change the original shop itself Rarity had invested in extensions all around it.

The unicorn was hosting the ceremony along with the official reception on the grounds of her own personal mini-empire and as Twilight trotted past the bunting strewn fence she had a chance to take in the arrangements: The whole compound consisting of sewing halls along with storage rooms had been transformed into a scene not unlike the splendour of Cloudsdale. It was all a bit showy in Twilight's opinion, but if Rarity couldn't splash out for her own wedding then when could she?

The Light blue and white awnings were hung from various points around the compound, inter-spaced with more bunting; turning the whole space into one impressive tent. Twilight also saw how there were stencil style holes removed from the coverings which let beams of light slip through to granted the illusion of natural shapes on the floor. If she didn’t know better, Twilight could have mistaken the area for being overshadowed by a forest canopy by the careful patterns formed on the ground.

Her ears pricked up as she heard the sounds of a small musical band tuning up off to one side, being admired by some thoroughly impressed guests of all shapes and sizes who were finding their seats. The central focal point was of course the small archway which the lucky couple would stand when they took their vows.

Carved from wood and painted a pearly white, the frame of the archway resembled a shrine from pony history. (Twilight guessed was the whole point) The arch consisted of two square hollow posts with an intricate pattern of upright fans cut out so that a pony could see right through to the other side. The whole assembly was crowned with decorated fresco depicting the insignia of a united Equestria.

Twilight found her attention drawn back to the crowds once again, there sure was a massive turn out and to the princess's dismay she didn't recognise even half of them. Once again Twilight was reminded just how much Ponyville had grown from the small village to the bustling town it now was.

At one point, Twilight could have named every inhabitant, but now she politely smiled back at hundreds of new faces about her and not all of them were ponies. There were a good number of zebra, griffons and Twilight was sure she caught site of at least a couple of buffalo also: When one of the former Element bearers got married it seemed the world took notice.

Twilight mused how Fame had come to each of her friends and how they had all responded differently. There wasn't a mare or stallion that didn’t know of their exploits in Equestria and if what Twilight heard was true, beyond the boarders as well. A small part of her missed those simple days of just being simple ponies and having simple lives, but it was only a passing thought as a pink blur rushed her from out of the crowd.

“Twilight there you are! Silly Miss ‘Mctardy pants’, we can’t get the ceremony over without you and Spike and therefore can’t get to the after party!” If there was one thing Twilight could rely on to stay the same then it was Pinkie Pie. (although the only thing that did stay the same was that you had no clue what she would come out with next)

“Hi Pinkie, sorry; ran into a bit of trouble on the way, but we’re here now,” Twilight replied as she hugged her hyper pink friend. Even after having two foals with her husband ‘Happy Harvest’ Pinkie was still bouncing around like a mare half her age.

Pinkie took on a seldom used serious look before going on, “Spike?” was all she needed to ask before Twilight nodded in agreement: It was no secret that Spike was becoming difficult, with Rarity getting married many feared the dragon wouldn’t have attended the ceremony.

“So you managed to talk little grumpy ‘grumperton’ into coming then, you honestly think he will be okay presenting the rings?” Well maybe Pinkie Pie had had mellowed a tiny bit Twilight reminded herself, but you had to know her well to see it.

“I think so, but what do your knees tell you?” Twilight grinned in an indulgent way, she had long given up trying to understand or even catalogue the ‘Pinkie Sense’. Every time she attempted to do so Pinkie had mysteriously mixed up all the signals leaving Twilight to invent a simple 'cover all eventualities' phrase.

Pinkie looked down at the joints in question, “Well they're tell me I’m getting older, but apart from that they are quiet today.” She grinned and Twilight honestly thought she had gotten a straight answer out of the mare before she continued on, “But my left eye is hinting that we could be in for some rough seas today, better not go sailing.” Twilight didn't find that last addition reassuring in the least.

She glanced over her shoulder once again to see Spike sulking in a corner of the festivities, the other guests giving the dragon a wide berth as he tried to make himself look as small as possible. Twilight grimaced, he was failing miserably and making everyone feel even more uncomfortable. “May be I should talk with Rarity just in case?” Twilight asked to no one in particular and earned a frantic full body shake from Pinkie. She glanced back to Pinkie who had not looked so serious since the ‘Forever incident’.

“Or then again I could just let things lie huh?” Twilight said in a hopeful tone and Pinkie was back to her cheery self instantly.

“I’m sure you know best Mc-princess pants.” Pinkie beamed.

It was only then that Twilight felt a gentle pressure on her hind leg and looking around saw no pony there, confused she let her gaze travel downwards to a pair of glowing green eyes in a wooden face and the small mouth locked around her hoof.

Twilight started before jumping back, the small timber wolf lost its grip on her ankle and tumbled to the ground with a growl. Twilight gave a little screech, causing a number of on lookers to turn and stare at the unfolding commotion. She stared in confused panic as the small wooden canine squatted and prepared to pounce once again.

“’Scratches’ no! I told you not to bother the guests or I will have to take you home!” The deep voice of a stallion called out before a pale brown colt loomed up behind the tiny timber wolf cub. The little creature’s eyes rearranged their angle to one of submission as the new pony trotted up to the startled princess.

“Sorry you highness, I'm still breaking 'Scratches' in and he does get a little excitable.” Twilight took a moment to calm her rapid breathing before looking at the apologetic face of Fluttershy’s middle foal: ‘Tender Wood’. The young stallion was only a little shorter than Bigmac these days and he had certainly inherited his mother’s love of animals too. (although he seemed to have an inclination for the more dangerous beasts found in Equestria)

“That’s okay Tender, I am sure he’s a lovely um..... ‘puppy’ once you get to know him.” Twilight felt her heart pounding in her chest before telling herself it was all the stress of the coming wedding making me jumpy that's all that and Spike. No, Twilight mused: She was worried about Spike that was true, but hidden under that concern Twilight knew what was really wrong today: With Rarity hitched that just leaves me.

Every Pony had been talking about how Twilight had fallen for ‘Flash Sentry’ a few years back, how they would have made a ‘great couple’ and so forth, but it hadn’t lasted: Oh she liked Flash and they were still friends but she knew deep down in her soul that he wasn’t the pony for her. Since then there had seemed to be endless speculations over who she might marry one day and it was driving Twilight crazy.

Then one by one her friends had found love and that attention was drawn away again leaving her with some peace. Now that Rarity was 'tying the knot', it would leave Twilight as the last famous 'heroines of Equestria' and she greatly feared it would all start up again.

Twilight realised she had zoned out and as she returned to the here now she saw Tender Wood looking at her in an expectant way. “I er, thank you Tender I am sure I’ll be fine thank you and um take care of Scratches okay?” The princess forced another smile as she went to pat the small wood creature, drawing back as he snapped at her with its toothless jaws.

Tender Wood gave the little monster a not so ‘tender’ look before he bowed to Twilight and headed off into the crowd. Twilight gritted her teeth; even now some ponies just didn’t take the hint that she didn’t want to be 'bowed at'. Twilight took another calming breath; Come on Twi, this is Rarity’s special day and don’t you be the one to mess it up okay?

“Uh oh, I reckon I know that there face when I sees it. Come on princess what’s eatin yer?” Twilight looked around to see the green eyes of Applejack staring at her from the entrance to the pavilion.

“A.J, it’s great to see you!” Twilight called out as the orange mare trotted up to her and they shared a warm embrace.

Twilight noted that Applejack looked a little rough herself; seeing her frayed mane and weary expression as she led the trembling form of Granny Smith by a steadying hoof. The elderly mare seemed to be sleep walking as Applejack directed her gently forward with care while A.J’s husband Shadow Guard was only a few steps behind her and talking animatedly with Bigmac. Both ponies looked up and smiled when they heard Twilight’s "hello".

“I feel like I never see yer Twi, always shut up in that there research lab thingy.” Applejack said in a much quieter tone as she shook the her hoof and Twilight felt the air grow a tense. Applejack had not been happy with Twilight recently; she didn’t say anything but Twilight knew she wasn’t all that happy about the new ‘inventions and what not’ as Applejack would put it.

Twilight could see where the farm pony was coming from; A growing moment among some ponies fearedthat all these new machines were taking work away from the average hard working pony and making Equestria lazy. Though Twilight assured them such an outcome could never happen, she knew Applejack wasn’t convinced, but wouldn't oppose Twilight openly.....yet.

One day they were going to have to have a long talk about things, but Twilight knew that this wasn’t the time or place. So she smiled happily and with a shared look of understanding both mares decided to set their worries aside for Rarity’s happy day.

"Aww yeah the girls are all back in town!" Both ponies turned to see their cyan friend trot boldly into the pavilion accompanied by the last of the famous ponies. Rainbow Dash was surrounded by a number of awed onlookers and was sporting the Wonderbolt's latest outfit with pride.

Twilight saw that Fluttershy was only a little way behind, happily letting Rainbow soak up all the attention and Twilight smiled as the timid pegasus was greeted by her middle son. She was still amazed at Fluttershy's powers over animals even after all these years, watching as the pegasus gently patted Scratches who responded happily to the attention, a far cry from its hostile response to Twilight. As Fluttershy gave Tender a loving hug she caught site of Fluttershy's youngest foal 'Daisy Chain' who was staring with awe at Rainbow Dash and the blue pony's crowd of admirers.

Twilight watched her age long friends mingle with creatures old and new and the whole event seemed to blur for her as the alicorn did her best to smile warmly despite the worries eating at her heart. Surely everything would be okay right?

The guests continued to arrive and very soon every seat was filled, in fact many in attendance were forced to stand. This was a big event and everyone wanted some of the action it seemed. Twilight along with the others had been reserved special seats fairly close to the front group and was therefore one of the last to hear the approach of the pony who would be presiding over the event.

Twilight's first clue of their arrival was hushed awe that spread from the rear of the audience and turning her head Twilight saw princess Celestia trotting slowly up the central walkway with Luna at her side. The silence spread as the regal forms of the two royal alicorns made their stately way forward, flanked by an honour guard from both the Day and Night watches.

Twilight was ecstatic to see her good friend and former tutor again, but she found her eyes drawn to Luna’s face. The dark blue pony was watching Twilight with an unreadable expression and as Luna noticed Twilight’s attention upon her she quickly stared forward again, leaving Twilight's mind race.

What’s that all about? Twilight wondered to herself. She had seldom seen Luna so unsettled a long time, but before she could ponder it further Princess Celestia reached the end of the hall and about faced to address the assembled on lookers. She offered a small nod to the waiting ‘Honest Buck’; the stallion of the hour before speaking out in a formal tone.

“Dear friends and families, guests and dignitaries; I thank you all for coming this day to witness the marriage of two of my dear subjects!” On cue the band in the corner struck up a suitable tune and all present gazed towards to the main entrance way.

Twilight finally caught site of the revealed Rarity and her breath caught in her throat. The gown (as was to be expected) was inspiring. The white unicorn had chosen a striking blue design with a slight purple undertone which was only revealed as the fabric caught the light. Twilight thought most ponies would look gaudy in such a dress, but Rarity as ever had pulled it off with her usual flair.

The dress consisted of layers of fabric woven one over the other in a fashion of corrugated clam shell, each layer’s edge picked out with strings of tiny diamonds; this along with other impressive embellishments was topped off with a delicate set of sapphires woven into a length of delicate thread that lay across Rarity’s forehead. These in turn were hung with a number of tear drop shaped amethysts, hanging down in the style of the Saddle Arabian ponies.

Twilight whistled under her breath. Rarity had gone full out this time and Twilight smiled happily, it was Rarity's own wedding day after all. Twilight watched along with the rest of the audience as Rarity made her stately way towards the waiting princess Celestia and her groom; the smiles of the crowd following Rarity like a devoted cult.

Mind Games and Mysteries

Mind Games and Mysteries

Pipsqueak made his steady way along the maintenance crawl space, worry plain to see on his mottled face. The brass framework of the Bloomberg was uncomfortably close all around the stallion, with wires and feed lines sharing the same confined space. The pony was forced to duck and shuffle along with his chest touching the plated floor panels as he sought out the mystery troubling the Bloomberg.

Grunting and squeezing his way under yet another low support beam, Pip cursed as his hard-hat rebounded off the metal roof encasing his tiny world, its resounding clang mixing with the ever present hum of the Bloomberg's engines. Applebloom had insisted he wear protection while going about his investigation, but Pip was finding it more of a hindrance than a help.

Pipsqueak rubbed his head and readjusted the strap to his helmet once again in a vain attempt to some how make it smaller; at least the hard-hat came with a built in lamp which saved Pip the trouble of carrying a torch in his teeth. This source of illumination swept a line of light back and forth as he finished his adjustments and prepared to move on once more.

Applebloom had put Pipsqueak in charge of discovering what was causing intermittent power-outs on the airship, but so far all he had to show for it was a sore head and scraped knees. The dedicated service pony had examined what felt like miles of cable and connections for hours now and there was still no sign of what might be causing the trouble.

Sighing to himself once more Pip began to pan his light across the walls in search of anything untoward. There was nothing vital that had gone down, just some lights in a few compartments, but the boss's orders were orders so Pipsqueak was doing his up-most to find the source of the problem.

He was taking a moment to carefully stretch out his hind legs, which were threatening to cramp up when he heard his first clue that something was wrong. It was hard to make out over the background sounds of the Bloomberg all around him but as Pip pricked up his ears he thought he caught the fain rhythmic sounds of tapping. It reminded him of hail stones bouncing off the roof back home, only it didn't have the persistent nature of the weather.

'tic-tap, tic-tap, tic-tap' echoed along the service space and drew his attention further along the confined tunnel of wires and exposed innards of the airship; the rhythmic sound was coming and closer. Pip swung his lamp back and forth, piercing the darkness ahead and the sounds of tapping suddenly ceased.

For a long moment he held his breath, but nothing further occurred. Pip was just about to relax when he caught sight of something staring at him from in the distance. He couldn't make out a clear shape, but Pip did see the brief flash of glowing green eyes before the 'tic-tap' started up again; only this time it was retreating.

He felt his heart hammering in his chest and a tremble begin to afflict him. Pip was here to fix a fault, not go 'creature' hunting. Fighting to keep his hoof steady Pipsqueak touched the communication button attached to his hat and was greeted by a brief crackle of static before Applebloom's voice responded.

"Yer Pip what's up, any sign of the fault?" The mare on the other end of the com line sounded just as frustrated as Pip had been only minutes before.

"Er, no boss sorry" Pipsqueak apologised and Applebloom snorted before he could go further, "But I found something else though."

The headphones went quiet and Pip pressed on, "You're not going to like this boss, but I just saw something moving around down here and it wasn't me."

"Summit? Yer didn't get a clear look at it?" Applebloom's worry was evident even through the hazy reception due to the proximity of the main power crystals, Pipsqueak was deep in the bowels of the ship at this point.

"Er no mam, I.." There was flash and crackle from up ahead and he was forced to blink as the darkness was briefly banished by the unexpected light.

"Pip? Pip! What happened?" Applebloom yelled as the dazzled stallion shook his head, trying to clear the after images dancing before his eyes.

"I'm okay boss, but I think I've found the fault," He shuffled forward once more and shone his head lamp; illuminated the damage.

To the Pipsqueak's dismay he saw a number of power lines had been severed, no he corrected himself, not severed but gnawed through. His ears spun madly as yet again he heard the 'tic-tap, tic-tap' sounds echoing down the crawl space. After another few tense moments, they died away and Pip let out a slow breath.

"Pip yer tell we what's goin on right now yer hear!" Applebloom's frantic voice crackled out of the speaker in the sweating pony's hat.

Pipsqueak gulped before explaining further, "Boss something has been chewing through the power cables, I think you better let the director know that we have a bigger problem than we first thought."

"So what you're telling me is that we have picked up an unwanted guest?" Twilight asked calmly as her chief engineer tapped an impatient hoof on the desk.

Twilight had with typical efficiency transferred; all the necessary files, documents and tools she felt would be needed for the trip ahead into her own personal office aboard the Bloomberg. It hadn't taken long for her to organise everything neatly into its place.

Twilight's office now also contained Steel Resolve who stood and digested Applebloom's report stoically. The engineer and Twilight both sat at the director's desk while Steel remained on his hooves, regarding the pair with a dour expression.

"Eeyup, I dunno how we did, we only stopped of fer a short while ter drop off Spike. That's beside the point, we got summit runnin around in my ship and it's roughin the place up." Applebloom mare looked from Twilight to Steel with indignation, "We've been lucky so far Big.D, nothin major has been damaged, but we need whatever this is off my ship pronto."

"You're assuming there is only one Miss Bloom, "Steel cautioned," All we have is Pipsqueak's account and so I suggest we touchdown at the first opportunity and do a thorough search of the Bloomberg to flush it or them out."

Twilight's ears pressed flat, "How long would that take Steel? We've got a deadline to keep to. A.B do you think it would be safe to finish our journey to Horseshoe bay? Once there we could do a proper search. As you said this 'whatever' hasn't hurt anyone, nor has it done any significant damage."

Steel looked to Applebloom who continued to tap one fore hoof on the desk whilst resting her head on the other, "Well I want ter go with Steel's idea n stop, but what's ter stop us pickin up more if we set down here?"

The royal guard shook his head, "Ladies, I seriously doubt we picked up our unwanted saboteur during our short touchdown. I honestly think they came with us from the start."

Applebloom stared at Steel in disbelief, "You're saying whatever this thing is, it came from Ponyville with us? Then why haven't we had trouble before now?"

Steel rubbed his square muzzle as he thought, "Well there are a few possibilities, but I am inclined to think that it has been biding its time until we were in the wilds. That speaks of an underlying plan of sabotage."

Applebloom snorted, "No need ter be so paranoid Steel, if that really was their plan then why draw attention to emselves by busting summit so noticeable, yet causing no significant damage?"

Twilight nodded at this, "Yes I agree with A.B, that doesn't sound like the act of planned sabotage, more like an animal that has gotten loose."

Both mares looked once more to the royal guard who continued to rub his chin, "Hmm that fits with the actions, but not the timing, possibly it's a distraction?"

Twilight let out an exasperated groan, "Too many 'maybes', we can't work with maybes."

Steel nodded in agreement, "Very true, in that case I propose a compromise. Whatever this thing was, it fled from your worker Miss Bloom. We can't guarantee it will repeat such an action and the longer we tarry here the more chance it has to do damage. Therefore I will have my troops guard the most vital sections of the ship while we make all speed to Baltimare."

Twilight nodded at that suggestion eagerly, "Yes captain, and we can draft in extra searchers from the town whilst we investigate the real reason we're here, on that subject any more news Steel?"

Steel looked ill at ease, "No princess, Dew has her contacts in Baltimare looking into it, but they haven't turned up anything more than we already know." His face became stern, "It seems some pony or ponies have been building weapons roughly based on mage/tech. As to who they are we still don't know," Twilight winced again at the idea of some pony twisting her ideas to such an end.

Applebloom jumped in again, "Well then, sounds like we got a plan. Steel n his lot will keep Bloomberg safe until we get ter Baltimare. I can have my boys fix up any other trouble this here 'hitch-hiker' does," Her face became angry, "When I get ma hooves on the one responsible they're gonna be sorry."

"Come on A.B, we don't even know if it was an intentional act of sabotage, it could still be some critter that was brought on board by mistake," Twilight tried to reassure her friend.

Applebloom grumbled to herself not convinced either way and Twilight was forced to agree, there were just too many unanswered questions. All they could do was press on carefully and see where this all took them.

The Bloomberg made its steady way through the skies, but despite making good progress the air on the bridge was tense. Every moment they were airborne was another moment when the strange passenger might strike again, already three more areas had suffered power failures but mercifully no vital systems had been damaged.

Twilight studied the readouts of the spreading damage carefully, the precautions taken so far seemed to be doing the trick. Their 'guest' didn't seem to be interested in direct confrontation and so there hadn't been any further sightings; but the crew knew it was there, moving through the innards of the ship, their ship, [i[her ship.

Twilight was angry as well as scared, she had worked so hard along with many others to make the Bloomberg and now something was gnawing at his insides. She poured over the schematics trying to spot some pattern, but there was nothing. The damage was random, it didn't seem to be tied to any system....no wait a moment. It was always a power line that was cut!

The princess double checked but she felt a growing certainty that she was right and she clicked on the intercom, "Captain Steel, I think I have some insight into our passenger."

The speaker was silent for a moment before the guard replied, "Please do tell princess," Steel's calm voice was laced with no small amount of static, being stationed close to the power room.

"I think whatever it is, it's after the power; it must be an 'arcanivore' captain." There was a brief pause, before Steel replied.

The patient reply finally came back, "And for those who aren't well versed in terms of magical theory princess?"

Twilight smiled, "It eats magic Steel, whatever it is, it feeds on arcane power. I think that's why it's chewing on the power lines, it's simply hungry and that's good news."

"How is that good news princess?" Steel replied in mounting confusion, "The whole ship is run on magic, by Celestia's Wings we have magic in us."

She shook her head, "I know captain, but it points more towards a simple animal getting on board rather than a dedicated act of sabotage."

"With all due respect Miss Twilight, anyone could have snuck such a thing on board." Steel commented, doubt heavy in his tone.

Twilight was about to explain further when the front windscreen was lit up from below, she turned her attention from the console before her and focused on the luminescence outside before smiling with relief, "Well captain I think it's going to be okay either way, we're approaching Baltimare now."

Twilight trotted forwards past her fellow crew members to see the glowing pony city spread out below them, its radiance obscured the stars for miles around and Twilight's attention was instantly drawn to the tall towers and busy streets below. The most breathtaking landmark was Horseshoe Harbour; Baltimare was the primary trade town on the eastern boarder of Equestria and Twilight saw a great number of sea vessels coming and going even at this late hour.

The princess' attention was drawn back to matters at hoof as a warning chime sounded out, "Princesse, we're losing magic to number four propeller." Blerio called out, but Twilight had already felt the ship begin to list slightly to port as the afflicted propeller failed to keep pace with its fellows.

"I'm on it!" Applebloom's tense voice sounded through the com system, since the problems had started the engineer practically lived in the power room, "Pushin the others ter make up the slack."

The airship's faltering course was corrected and Twilight released another tense breath as Blerio called out, "Course corrected Princesse, we should enter Baltimare airspace in about two minutes."

Twilight nodded in thanks even as she saw a number of winged shapes approaching from the city below, "We're being hailed your majesty, shall I put it through?"

She smiled at the communication's pony, "Yes please, I'll take it here." Twilight returned to her station and flipped the receiver to speaker.

"Bloomberg, this is sergeant 'Flash Point'. Let me be the first to welcome you to Baltimare," Twilight found her gaze drawn to a griffin hovering just in front of the main bridge accompanied by two pegasi. The chestnut and black griffon saluted the Bloomberg's crew and Twilight could see his beak moving in time with the sounding speakers. "We heard you were having some troubles and came to see if we could be of any assistance?"

"Thank you Flash Point, If you could direct us to a suitable landing spot that would be wonderful. We could do with some further help once we're down," Twilight's reply was full of relief, "Please have a guard waiting for us if you could, we have an uninvited guest on board."

Flash nodded in understanding and quickly signalled for his two wing ponies to escort the Bloomberg down. Twilight steadied herself as the angle of the bridge dipped and they followed their new escorts. She felt the tension melting away. Got here just in time it seems, Twilight thought to herself as she looked at the damaged propeller.

The wind rattled the branched overhead as Spike wound his way along the forest floor. The first hints of sunlight were beginning to chase away the night. He had spent his first few hours in the forest chasing shadows and being led in infuriatingly more complex circles by his bat pony quarry.

Night Dew was out there, Spike was sure of it and she was messing with him. Spike had long since given up trying to track the pony by magical residue, Night Dew had evidently foreseen such a trick and led Spike on a merry dance through the woods until he resolved to simply head onward. Yes this hunt was point of honour for Warden, but overall he needed to get to the migration and so tiring of Dew's games he began his steady way south east.

If Night Dew wanted to stall him and mess around then Spike wasn't going to play along. So far he saw no evidence that Night Dew was following him, in fact the drake would have been highly suspicious if he had. How had Night Dew known about Spike's magical hunting sense? 'He' had only learned them in the last few lessons with Warden. That question kept buzzing around in his head over and over even as he plodded through the early morning mists.

Spike was keenly reminded of the oncoming winter and shivered slightly. The more he thought about things, the more he felt he was being silly to have agreed to this challenge. I just wanted to impress Warden and finally catch Night Dew, now I'm trudging through a cold forest with a taunting bat pony watching my every move.

Spike paused as he attempted to out think his prey. She was faster, smaller and evidently knew more about him than he did of her. There must be something I can use? Spike looked around to see if there was anything of use, but sadly he only saw trees, bushes and rocks. Breathing fire to flush her out wasn't an option, Spike had no intention of burning down a whole forest just to win a game.

His size? Well Spike certainly had the weight advantage, but that didn't seem to be any help here. He couldn't even find the bat pony and his size made hiding in wait almost impossible. No he would have to try something else, but no matter how hard he racked his brain no acceptable solution came to him and so he trudged onward through the forest.

Warden had been certain that his dragon instincts would allow Spike to win this competition honestly and fairly, but so far every trick Warden had suggested seemed to have been foreseen by Night Dew. It almost seemed like she knew what he was going to do before he did it and once again Spike found himself musing how the bat pony had found this all out.

The dragon's trail took Spike down a gully and he noticed that the trees around him looked older than the previous ones he had passed over the course of the night. Must be coming to the heart of the forest now Spike noted in a distracted way. This meant he had travelled a surprising distance and to Spike's credit he didn't feel tired at all.

Maybe that was something, I could tire her out? If Dew's so intent on messing around I might get to the finish point before her and wait it out? It seemed better than being led in circles, plus once the forest was behind them and they were in the swamps there would be far less places for Dewy to hide. It wasn't much of a plan Spike had to admit, but it was all he had.

With fresh resolve Spike picked up his pace to a slow jog, he didn't have to avoid all the bushes and so forth either; where as Dew, fast as she was would need to take time to do so. Spike's hide was proof against such things and for once he was glad of his increased size as it allowed him to shoulder through the tough undergrowth. Feeling much better about things, Spike set his determined stare ahead of himself and barged his way forwards.

His steady pace ate up the distance and Spike finally felt he was making some useful progress. As he worked his way around the larger trees Spike began to notice something strange; there was a light in the distance. From the maps Spike had looked over before the Bloomberg had dropped him off he was certain that Baltimare should be way off to his left, but the yellow light filtering through the trees was dead ahead.

Confused Spike slowed his pace and approached more carefully, fearing it was some new trick by Night Dew to throw him off. He moved surprisingly quietly for a creature his size and was soon in a position to observe what was going. He saw a number of torches illuminating a large clearing.

Inside the clearing Spike saw numerous ponies armed with an assortment of tools all digging in the ground; it seemed that some sort of excavation was taking place. Spike made his way around the tree line as carefully as he could, occasionally checking around himself to make sure he hadn't been spotted.

There were ponies patrolling the area, all of which seemed to be armed with some sort of long staves, which to Spike's senses smelt of magic. Whoever these ponies were they didn't have anything to do with Spike and his game with Night Dew. He was about to give them a wide berth before he saw something that made his blood boil.

To his mounting anger Spike saw that the creatures digging weren't ponies, nor even workers. He saw a buffalo digging alongside a zebra and what looked like a couple of boars. All in all there were about twenty forced labourers digging and on closer inspection the dragon saw that they were all chained together.

Spike felt his fury rising as one of the pony guards whacked a stumbling griffin, his wings were bound and it looked like one of his claws was badly hurt. Spike let out a low growl and was about to pounce when he heard a 'click' behind him.

"Don't move! So much as twitch and I’ll blow a chunk out of you," The voice was strained and as Spike slowly turned his head about he caught site of another pony guard behind him.

"I said don't move!" A young unicorn stallion was trembling even as he held one of the strange staves that Spike had noticed before.

"Look' I don't know what you're doing here, but I don't like it," Spike growled and the grey pony before him quailed, the end of his 'tool' wavering as his hoof trembled.

"How did you find us? What are you doing here?" Fear in the pony's voice rose as Spike's spines stood on end.

Spike drew in a deep breath, whoever this pony was, he was with the others and he didn't intend to let them keep mistreating their charges. The unicorn's eyes went wide and he began to raise the staff to point directly at Spike's face, but before either of them could act a shadow dropped down from above onto the unsuspecting stallion.

Spike leaned back as in a flurry of movement the staff was knocked from the unicorn's magical grip and the pony found himself pinned to the ground. A dull blade was pressed to his throat and a dark hoof covered the wide-eyed pony's mouth. It was all so fast that Spike blinked and it was done.

"Now, you're going to be very quiet when I take my hoof away, if you so much as flash your horn I will cut your throat. If you understand what is expected then blink twice. I strongly recommend you do not nod." Spike knew that voice even through the dark green cloth covering the pony's muzzle.

"Dewy?" Was all the astonished dragon could say before the bat pony winked one of her turquoise eyes.

"Hi big guy, you didn't really think I would be that far behind yer?" Using her free hoof Night Dew lowered the cloth covering her face and grinned at Spike before turning back to regard the terrified pony beneath her.

"So?" She asked in dangerous voice. The unicorn's yellow eyes went wide with fear before he blinked twice in quick succession.

Night Dew slowly removed the hoof covering his face, but kept the knife pressed tightly against his neck. "Now, I want to know who you are and just what you're doing here."