Living in Equestria

Ashley gobbled down a second plate of food I brought her from the dinner car that evening with little regard for making sure it all got in her mouth. She ate like you would imagine somepony would who didn't know when the next time food would be around.

"Ashley," Twilight chuckled, grinning at her patently, "Slow down... there's plenty more you know."

The little red dragoness with white spines running down her back paused, a handful of corn half way to her mouth. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at Twilight for a moment before she relaxed, opening her claws and letting the kernels fall back onto the plate with a light plopping sound while she chewed the food already packed into her stuffed little cheeks.

She'd warmed up to us some since Twilight had forced her hand into admitting she couldn't breathe fire properly and I'd let the two girls do all the talking so far. Ashley seemed to know quite a bit about what was going on with the dragons in the Badlands and when she'd swallowed the mouthful of food, washing it down with some water, she continued.

"So anyways... yeah. The Northies and the Westies have been fighting like that for as long as my tutor could remember. She said it started over who could live in the Badlands or something... and she said that place used to be really neat, like all green and stuff. But the fire fights basically ruined it." she scooped up a smaller handful of corn this time, one that didn't stuff her cheeks like a squirrel.

"But where did the dragon hospital come from? And why is there a pony city around it?" Twilight asked.

Ashley shrugged, "I dunno... never bothered to ask." she dismissed and stared at Twilight vacantly through another mouthful of corn.

"Your parents, Ashley... Were they... were they in the fight? Is that why you're alone?"

The girl snapped to a laser focus on Twilight, her head twisting to the side as she leaned back from the table, glittering eyes darted left and right as if she was looking for a place to escape.

"W- why ya wanna know that?" she said defensively, "Why do you care?"

Twilight Sparkle reached a hoof out, sliding it across the table to lightly touch Ashley's claw that still had a few stray pieces of corn stuck to it. The young orphan's eyes flicked between the hoof and the purple eyes of its owner.

"I care... we care." Twilight included me with a nod, "Friends care about each other Ashley... we want to know about you and how you came to be alone in that big city by yourself."

She stared at Twilight for a moment before her ruby colored eyes touched mine. There was reluctance there, but also a glimmer of hope. Ashley returned her guarded look to Twilight and sighed.

"My mom and dad were Northies..." she began, dropping her gaze to the table, "I kinda remember it, but I was really little. The Westies came to our nest and kicked us out... there was lots of yelling and I remember my mom holding me while they argued with my dad."

She stopped and one of Ashley's claws toyed absently with a small tomato left on her plate, "T-there was fire... I remember that much. My mom carried me away with her somewhere... I don't know where. She......she put me down and told me to stay put. Don't wander off Ashley or I'll bake your tail! You hear me? I remember her saying that. H-her voice had gotten really weird..."

The bottom lids of Ashley's eyes grew moist and her mouth suddenly went firm, her lips pressing together in a pained expression as the claw playing with the tomato slowly speared into it, causing the red juice to seep out and leak onto the table top.

"S-she told me she was gonna go get my dad... and she'd be right back and then she left me" her voice cracked a little, "But it got dark... and then I got cold. I- I waited there for a really long time." she sniffed and rubbed her nose with the back of her claw, her eyes still focused on the speared tomato on her forgotten plate.

"How long Ashley?" Twilight asked softly.

She gave a small shrug, "I dunno... 'prolly a few days I think. I don't remember really."

"S-she never came back, did she?"

Ashley's head jerked up to glare at the mare, "Duh! You think I'd be here if she did!" she snapped, wiping her fierce eyes with the hand that still had the tomato stuck to it, "You got any more dumb questions?!"

"Ashley... I'm sorry. That's horrible!" Twilight shook her head, visibly shaken by the little dragon's story.

"Yeah, well... who cares, right? I didn't need 'em..." her voice sounded like she was convincing herself more than us, "Shepard took care of me better 'n they did anyways!"

"Who's Shepard?" the alicorn asked and Ashley sagged back in her chair, biting the tomato off her claw and chewing it slowly.

"Shepard found me... and he took me to Dodge City to live with him. But he's gone now too, so..." her head dropped along with her voice, "... so that's why I was gonna sneak into your castle and live there."

"We're your friends now... You don't have to sneak around us anymore, OK? We'll find you a safe place to stay."

Ashley's head came up and she looked at Twilight sadly, "You don't have to pretend, ya know. I'm not stupid. You just wanna be nice to me 'cause I'm a young dragon and worth a lot of money..."

"Ashley..." Twilight said, horrified. "That's just not true! Why, I'd never ever dream of selling Spike... or any other creature for that matter!"

"Spike?" her red face cocked up, confused, "Who's Spike?"

"Spike's my friend... and my assistant! He's a boy dragon not much younger than you and I've raised him ever since he hatched!"

"You have a dragon for an assistant!" Ashley's face cracked in a smile. It quickly changed to a sarcastic laugh. "Bwah ha! Hahahahah!" she gripped her sides and her little stumpy legs kicked on the chair, "Oh wow! He must be a real soft scale if he's an assistant to a pony!" she continued to giggle for a bit but then stopped awkwardly when she caught the look on Twilight's face.

Twilight had a glorious ability to give the look of death.

"S-sorry..." Ashley quieted down and put her hands in her lap, "I'm sure he's a really nice dragon..."

"Spike is more than just a nice dragon!" Twilight fumed, "He's honest, and loyal and... and the best friend a librarian could ever ask for! Why... you would still be wandering the streets in Dodge City if we weren't here to help him in the first place!"

"OK! OK!" Ashley said, holding her hands up defensively, "I'm sorry... It's just... wait, what were you looking for in Dodge City?" she asked.

Twilight let out a sigh, "Spike has... well... you see.." she struggled with the words, "He's got a problem and... and you remember how we asked you where some older dragons were when you met us?"

"Yyyeeaah?" Ashley said cautiously.

"Well.. he.. I mean we..."

"Spike has Feracity and we were looking for a dragoness to help him." I said flatly, speaking up for the first time during the entire conversation. I just couldn't watch Twilight fumble around anymore. She really was sad watch in that condition.

Ashley turned to me with surprisingly no signs of revulsion or hesitancy, "Wow... Really? That sucks." she said simply, "So... why don't you guys just take care of it? It's not that hard. Every boy dragon gets it at least once when they're my age... or at least that's what my tutor said." Ashly shrugged indifferently.

"What!?" Twilight's ears shot stiff on her head, her purple eyes bulging with disbelief, "It... it's not about it being hard.... it's about... it's about..." she panted with exasperation.

"It's about what?" Ashley asked, visibly not understanding what Twilight was so worked up about. "Jeeze... don't tell me you ponies can't figure out what to do..." Ashley's eyes narrowed suddenly and her red face turned towards me, "Waaaiit... How long has he had it?"

I shrugged, "I dunno, Twilight?"

"A- about two or three cycles now?" she said with uncertainty.

Ashley's jaw sank to her chin with childish exaggeration. "Y- you let him go for that long?" her eyes widening in horror, "You ponies are messed up... that's like... that's like evil or something!"

"Well that's easy for you to say!" Twilight bristled, "We're not dragons!"

"What does that have to do with it?!" she fired back, "I thought you said he was your friend!?"

"He's my best friend!" Twilight got up and pressed her muzzle angrily against Ashley's.

"Alright!" I shouted, "Knock it off!

I grabbed a hold of Twilight's flank, just in front of her rear hips and dragged her away from Ashley. Her hooves made a hollow, scraping sound on the hard floor of the cabin.

"Ashley, we were told he had to helped by another dragon... that's why. If we had known a pony could do it then we probably would have found a mare in Ponyville or something. Spike's the only dragon around where we're from."

"I still don't get it...." she shook her head, "Why didn't you just take care of it when it started? You've got hands like ours, human... You could do it easy."

Now it was my turn to balk. "W-what? I- I couldn't do something like that to Spike! He's like... like my little brother or something!"

"Wow... you ponies are like... just wow." she stared at me, dumbfounded.

"Ashley... c-can you help Spike? I'm only asking because you... you make it sound like no big deal." Twilight finally asked, "And I don't know where else to go..."

She shrugged, "Sure... I guess. I don't know why you need me for it but I'll take care of him if you ponies are too shy to do it!"

__________________________________________

The rest of trip passed pretty much uneventfully with the exception of Ashley needing to use the bathroom.

If it wasn't for Twilight's keen observation and forethought, The dragoness probably would have gotten herself thrown off the train when her hand reached for the door just before we were going to bed.

"Wait!" Twilight yelled, "You can't go out there!"

"Huh?" she turned.

"If one of the train workers sees you, he'll know you snuck on the train without a ticket! You kind of stick out, ya know."

Ashley let her hand drop from the door, turning to us with an urgent look, "Well then what am I supposed to do?! Just go here on the floor?"

"We need to hide you somehow..." Twilight's hoof came up and pressed against her chin thoughtfully, "I know! Mason can carry you in his bag!"

"Huh?" My head came up upon hearing my name, "Hey... leave me outta this." I waved a hand at them.

Ashley began to hop back and forth on her stubby red legs near the door, the urgent look on her face growing. "Pleeeaase?" her eyes bore into mine with desperation.

"Come on Mason, help her..." Twilight smiled and gave my hip a gentle prod with her hoof.

I grunted and rolled my eyes, getting up off the seat and moved to collect my bag. As Ashley climbed into it, I asked Twilight why she couldn't just carry the bag with her magic instead.

"That would be way to obvious! An alicorn walking down the car with a large bag held over her head? Nuh uh... it will be less conspicuous if you were just walking naturally with it over your shoulder!" her eyes closed in that self satisfied look that said she'd already convinced herself she was right.

It was no use arguing and I picked the bag up, slinging it with Ashley inside carefully over my shoulder. It sagged with obvious weight but she really wasn't all that heavy. She let out an "eep" when she bounced against my back, reminding me with a muffled voice to hurry.

The bathrooms were at the far end of the hall and it was a good thing Twilight was thinking ahead. The ticket taker nodded to me as I passed by his recessed nook in the hallway where he sat, surrounded by various items for sale that an overnight traveler might forget. Apparently he also manned the little store when he was done doing his rounds.

But what none of us though of, was the whole gender thing.

I reflexively entered the stallion's room and it took me a moment to realize this wouldn't work. There was already one guy in here, finishing up his business on one of the magic boxes that sat in a row, open for all to see and there was no place where Ashley could use one without being seen!

I backed out of the door and stood in the hallway for a second, a wave of panic washed over me as I realized I had no idea if things worked the same in girls bathrooms as they did back home. They were usually just a bunch of private stalls where as men's rooms had a more... open layout.

Glancing around quickly to make sure the ticket taker couldn't see me from where he sat, I slowly pushed open the mare's room and gave a sigh of relief when I saw that not only did it appear deserted, there were little rooms built around the boxes in here.

I slipped in, moving quickly to the far stall and shut the door behind me, latching it before gently setting the bag with a disgruntled Ashley in it on the floor. I helped her get out and then we stood, looking at each other with an almost comical pause when I realized just how awkward this had suddenly become.

"Go on! Get outta here!" she whispered.

"I can't! This is the mares room! If somepony comes in here while I wait outside I'll be seen!"

"Are you kidding me!" her voice grew louder. "I'm not going with you standing there!"

"Look.. I'll turn around, OK?"

"No! What are you, some crazy weirdo who likes this kinda thing?!"

"What? I am not! This is your fault... don't blame me!" my own voice rising above a whisper now and echoing in the empty room.

"Mason..." she pleaded, using my name for the first time ever and tensing with real need, "Please! I can't go if you-"

Her mouth snapped shut when the sound of the door opening echoed loudly around us. Two mare's voices filled the room, talking loudly.

"Ha Ha! Did you see that colt's face!" one was saying.

"Oh I know! It's like he'd never seen mare up close before!" the other chimed in.

Ashley's eyes bulged, her hands going to her belly and she crossed her legs. Too late I realized our feet could be seen under the gap of the walls and I slid around Ashley to step up onto the sides of the box, the strange, vibrant grass directly under me.

The mares continued to talk, neither of them moving into the stalls nearby and I wondered just what the hell they were doing. When Ashley crouched down with a small, painful grunt and her face screwed up with intense concentration, I knew she was about to lose control of herself.

"... and then he was like Oh my goodness! What is that smell?! Hahahah!" the two voices laughed riotously.

The seconds ticked by and the mares continued to talk. The little dragoness looked to be at the point where she couldn't move anymore and the desperate look on her face was heartbreaking. Rather than have her explode on the floor, I did the only thing I could think of.

I quickly picked her up under her arms and set her in front of me on the grass. A jet of clear liquid shot from under her tail as I did, leaving a small puddle at the edge of the box before I plunked her down between my legs. She gave a small, chuffing grunt and then let go completely, her urge finally outweighing the need for modesty. I looked up at the ceiling, trying to give her at least some privacy while she did her business and the wild, thunderous odor that reached my nose briefly almost caused me to gag.

The mares talked for what seemed like and eternity, far longer than what Ashley needed to finish up and that left us with plenty of time to stand in an uncomfortable silence together in the tiny stall, rocking back and forth with the train's movements while listening to the two mares talk about teasing some poor colt about his erection.

When they finally left, I let out a sigh of relief. Ashley however, punched me on my thigh with a wounded look on her face. It didn't hurt, but it surprised me none the less.

"You bucking sicko!" she snarled, "Hope you got your thrill from that!"

"Knock it off, you ungrateful little shit! You'd have crapped on the floor if I hadn't picked you up!" I frowned.

She glared at me for a moment longer, probably looking for a hole in my logic before she stepped into the bag again, pulling the sides up around her. Surprisingly though, her face relaxed just before she pulled the flap over her head, she even gave me an embarrassed half smile.

"Thanks... I guess." she muttered.

I managed to get back to our room quickly, passing the ticket taker on the way with a nod and entered the safety of cabin twelve. Twilight had already climbed into bed and was writing in her book when we came around the corner. Her purple face lit by her horn's pale glow regarded us and she nodded to the pile of blankets in the corner.

"I found a few extra blankets and made you a bed there, Ashley." she said with a happy smile.

The dragoness stumped over to the pile with a grunt of acknowledgement and slumped down with her back to us, curling her tail around her in a red ball.

"E- everything alright?" Twilight asked me with concern.

"I don't wanna talk about it..." I said, hopping up into the upper bunk and stretching out, soon falling asleep while listening to the scritching sound of Twilight's quill in her book beneath me. Sometime later, I awoke in the confusing, timeless dark that only happens in the middle of the night.

For being such a small dragon, Ashley snored like a fucking chainsaw. But at least she was sleeping peacefully. As I lay there listening, I tried to soften my outlook towards her. She got on my nerves with her abrasive, tough-girl attitude. But now that I knew her story a little more, I guess I couldn't blame her.

I had no idea how this would play out with Spike, but I tried not to worry about... that wasn't my damn problem anymore. We'd found a dragonness in Dodge City who was going to help him... even if she had been the one to find us instead.