Dragon Tales

A shocked pegasus with blond mane spat out a partially chewed muffin. "Really?!"

Rarity nodded. "Twilight told me herself Ditzy. There's a dragon living in Apple Jack's barn with a threstral."

"Oh! Who knows what that dragon is doing to that little pony!" The mare cried. "What'll happen now?"

Rarity shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it doesn't look good." She took a sip of her chi tea. "Spread word to the ponies you meet on your mail route. As citizens of Ponyville we must protect each other."

"But he goes after unicorns and pegasi! I don't want him doing that to meeee! Ewwww!!!"

"I reassure you that I am risking my life telling you. Sivyer is the dragon's name, and Twilight's told me everything she knows about him." Rarity stood up with a sly smile. "Be sure you tell the rest of the girls okay? Oh and Ditzy?"

"Yes Rarity?"

"Try to find one of your Griffin friends, and ask them if they know of any dragon caves across the Celestial Sea."

"I know of maybe two or three that go across once or twice a year to send news. I'm sure at least one of them knows. I will make sure I tell you first if I find anything!"

"Good, I will talk to you later then."

"Byeee!" Dizty Doo said as she waved her friend goodbye. Her head fell onto the table with a loud thud. "Ugh, the doctor was right...I need to relax. Still though, I do owe Rarity a favor. Oh! Maybe this'll how I pay her back!"

Sivyer swung his tail into a tree, and all the ripe colorful apples fell from the top of the tree into three small baskets. Apple Jack stood by, overseeing the dragon's progress. Already he alone had cleared half the orchard, which ment more bits, and more cider. Content Apple Jack bucked her tree, and called Sivyer over.

It'd been two weeks since his arrival into Ponyville, and already his strength was returning. He felt energized, and even his flame inside grew. The flame was his breath as well as his soul. With more of his Equestrian speech training had gone underway. He could start translating his own toung into Equestrian. However the name of his homeland was kept in the dark. Whenever Twilight brought it up, he would walk away, or try to throw the topic on a different subject.

Sivyer approached Apple Jack, and wiped his head off with his arm. "Yes Apple Jack?" He asked with a smile. "Anything else I need to do?"

"Nah! You done good today, and more. Take the next few days off while we prepare for the summer cider."

"Summer cider?"

"Oh yeah!" Apple Jack laughed. "You're new to Ponyville, so I suppose you should know about the drinking contest. Let me explain. See every year we have this big festival with all the cider we get from these apples here. It's our job to make it in time for the final show ponies try to drink until they can't stand no more." Apple Jack smiled devilishly. "This year Celestia, Luna, and Cadence are going to try to beat our leading pony. If they do, they get the honor, and glory of tapping out our grand volt. And because you work here on the farm, you get to see it before they do."

Sivyer smiled as he shook his hand. "No need Apple Jack, I appreciate the offer though. See, I don't drink, but I do brew."

Apple Jack's eyes opened wide. "You brew?!" She jumped up close to him. "What proof can ya get it too? I max out at 120p."

Sivyer started to laugh, so hard infact he fell backwards. "Ah-ha hahaha!" He laughed. "My brews beat pure alcohol. They cause kidney failure from even one sip to those who haven't drank before. My master told me of a secret that doubles purity, if not triples it!"

"How!? You must tell me!" Apple Jack laughed.

"As you wish..." He replied. "I use my horns."

"For?"

"Now that's something I can't tell, but it can our secret if you swear not to tell a soul."

Apple Jack stopped laughing. "I do."

"It requires me to break my horns, and pour the dust from inside into the batch. I didn't even know my horn dust could so such a thing until he told me." He smiled. "There is a slight side effect aside from total kidney failure, but it causes the drinker to wake up a month later."

"WHAT the hay!?"

"It's true, dragon magic allows us to sleep for a thousand years. Be lucky you wake up after a month. Organ failure is just something that happens. Too much poison."

Apple Jack fell backwards. "That's insane..."

"Oh you never told me who your leading pony is!" Sivyer noted.

"Oh her name is Vinyl Scratch. She's a total party nut, and hits the clubs every night. She has tapped out every bar in Equestria at least once while she's on tour."

"Sounds like a true liver to me." Sivyer smiled. "Apple Jack, I wish to ask a favor from you."

Apple Jack looked to the sky, watching the pegasi fly across the sky collecting clouds for tomorrow's storm. She thought for a moment.

"I suppose, what's your favor?"

"Can you be my master?" He asked.

Apple Jack frowned. "Slavery was outlawed a thousand years ago." She looked at Sivyer, and saw that he was serious. "Besides, why me? Why do you want me to be your master. I ain't special or nothin'."

Sivyer shook his head. "But you are Apple Jack. You are honest! You are kind! And you are generous! You gave my daughter and I a home, and swore that'd you'd build us one. I owe you my life for saving my daughter's!" He stood to bow. "By dragon's code-"

"No!" Apple Jack yelled. "I've already had a dragon swear his life to repay his dept. I don't need another dragon owing me his life."

"I insist Apple Jack!"

"And I said no Sivyer!" Apple Jack stood up. "I know how much your damn code means to you dragons, and I respect that. However I-"

"Then I challenge you! To a duel! Name it!" He barked. "If I win, you will become my master, and if I lose, I shall disregard my code I am bound by."

There was a dead silence, the air blew by, the leaves brushing against each other made the only sound. Apple Jack sighed heavily and looked at Sivyer not with a face of anger, only one expressing no emotion.

"How many drinks does a dragon your size take to get drunk?"

"About ten kegs, why? Is that your challenge?"

"Yes, I accept your offer to a duel. If I can drink more than you at the festival you may never ask me, or anypony again to be your master!"

Sivyer nodded as he saw Frost running towards them. "We shall speak more later Apple Jack." He said as Frost hugged his tail. He lifted her up towards him. Smiling he said, "And how was your first day of school?"

"Great dad! I made a bunch of new friends!" Frost chuckled as Apple Jack walked away. "Is she okay?"

Sivyer nodded. "I am to duel her in two months during our first summer festival."

"You asked her didn't you?"

"I did, but now I fear I have lost my only friend." A small tear ran down his face. Frost saw it, and flapped her tiny wings to wipe it off of his scaly face. "Thank you...but that'll not bring her back, and it is because of my pride as a dragon."

Frost shook her head. "But you are still great, dad."

Sivyer grabbed her, and pulled her to his chest, hugging her. "You are my blessing child."

Celestia pulled a small wine bottle out of her drawer with a long smile across her face. She was in her room with her sister, and Cadence.

"This is Tykenrè Wine, 110 proof, and grantees a hangover." She said.

"Two months until your birthday sister, are you sure you wish to waste your wine on us two?" Luna smiled. "Not that I am greatful for your offer."

Celestia smiled. "The spring is a time of growth!" Celestia chuckled. "This wine is thirty years old Luna, aged to perfection like we are. Come! Let's drink to a brighter future, and a lighter night!"

"And everlasting love!" Cadence added as her glass was filled with a bluish wine. She looked at it for a moment, then at Celestia. "And who exactly made this?"

"Trust me, its supposed to look blue Cadence." Celestia chuckled as she took a sip off of her wine. "It was made by my old friend who is no longer with us. It's infused with magic which gives it's blue shade. I've only had it once before this, but its great if you want to relax quickly."

Luna hesitated, then took a sip for herself. She gasped at it's rich poppy flavor, and felt like her heart was flying out of her chest. "Ah! This is great! Such a brew should be hailed!" She nearly inhaled the drink, and hovered her glass over to Celestia. "More please sister!"

Celestia chuckled as she poured more of the wine into the glass. "Drink it more slowly Luna, or you'll get it."

Luna fell over before she had her glass back in her hold. Celestia began to laugh loudly, and Cadence looked at the princess. "What exactly happened to her?" She began to laugh herself.

Celestia cleared her throat, and placed her horn on her sister's head. "Tykenrè Wine is not a wine not to drink quickly like most really, but this one causes some strange effects to those who do." Celestia sat back down. "Luckily my sister is a heavy drinker so she'll wake up in a few minutes. Tykenrè means Liquid of Frost."

Cadence's eyes narrowed. "You're telling me she has a brain freeze?"

Celestia nodded. "Quite, and her brain really did freeze too." Celestia finished off the little she had left in her glass, and began to pour another. "Sadly my friend was a Frost Stallion, he saved my life, and was executed for it after his clan found out. They aren't supposed to help outsiders, and law is law. However he made me this before he died."

"What exactly is a Frost Stallion?"

"They are minds that live inside bodies made of ice. They carve the lands in the south with their snow, and cause the southern hemisphere's winter. They are all male however, so they hate any female creatures."

"So he was different?"

"Yes, he saw no need to hate a weak soul. I nearly died of frost bite while I was on a mission to talk to their leader to end their foolish ways, and allow me to warm their souls."

Luna slowly started to move, and sat up rubbing her head. A nearby blanket flew over to her, and she surrounded herself in it.

"Sister, how come you didn't warn me before?" She asked. "Tis a good drink, but it felt like I was in a snowstorm..."

"Next time look before you leap Lulu."

"Such a tale does not accurately describe this current situation Tia!" Luna said with a heavy grunt. "However, I should blame myself. I should've waited for you."

"I was going to explain, but it seems we've learned your lesson." Celestia smiled.

Cadence carefully placed her drink down on the table, and cleared her throat. "Relaxing is good and all Celestia, but why exactly did you pull me from my kingdom? Tonight Shining Armor was going to show me a good time."

Celestia nearly spat out her drink, but kept in and swallowed. "Cadence, you're right." She said. "In two months Ponyville will be hosting a drinking contest. It is a challenge unlike anyother, and I'll need your help. We are facing a valiant foe, and her name is Vinyl Scratch."

"VINYL?!" Cadence asked. "Good luck Celestia. Last month she came to my kingdom while on tour and drank my favorite bar dry. Had to wait two weeks for them to restock on my favorite drink, Absinthe."

"Well, its a team effort. Two teams of drinkers will form after the town has had their fill. We'll be team Demigods!" She threw her hoof into the air. "Do say you'll accept! If we beat her, she'll haft to stop drinking!"

"A-alright, Celestia, I'll join, but you better make sure Luna doesn't inhale anything else."

Luna waved her hoof. "No worry Cadence..." She sighed, looking out the window, down at Ponyville as the sun began to set. "Sister, do you think Sivyer would join the contest with the ponies?"

"He doesn't drink, he's got a daughter after all."

"I still find that interesting to say the least." Cadence said finishing off her drink. "A threstral with a dragon as his daughter. Such an odd situation."

"Indeed, but we must accept it. He's shown me papers that prove it." Celestia poured more into her glass. "Sivyer was my father's friend a thousand years ago, and though we haven't known him for long, our father said he is like family."

"Tis why I called him uncle." Luna smiled. "His reaction was hilarious!"

"So, do you know much about his daughter?"

"There's a spell on her." Celestia looked at her drink, and spun the liquid around in the glass. "I can see through it, and I am sickened. However I'm not sure if Sivyer is the culprit or not."

"What happened to her?"

"There is a spell on her that makes he look different, physically. There is hardly any external damage to her body, but...she has lost her virginity."

Cadence and Luna dropped their glasses instantly. "What are you saying?" Luna asked. "She is only eight!"

"Eight is when most ponies are able to give birth. Don't you remember before you were banished? A pony lifespan reached no more than twenty-five years." Celestia explained. "Now it's just over a hundred. So it isn't totally wrong, but I want to know which kingdom is still in that era."

"As do I...can you tell how she lost it though?" Cadence asked.

"At her age? Most likely rape."