Chapter I: Of Tooth and Claw
~ Chapter 1: Of Tooth and Claw ~+ A Theory About Dragons + The First Vision + A Letter to Princess Celestia + The Dragon in My Dreams +
Why am I so afraid of dragons?
For as long as she could remember, Fluttershy had always had a strong fear of dragons. Yet for some odd reason, she could never escape them. Even with the simple passing of the great Dragon migration, she could never seem to evade the mythical creature.
But for all of those unsavory moments, the very existence of these winged beasts had always fascinated her. To a very broad majority of ponies, not much is known about dragons. That was just a common fact that most of the denizens of Equestria had come to accept. Where they come from or what they do remains a mystery to quite a number of them. In a great deal of Equestrian folklore, dragons were always depicted as creatures who captured fair damsels and hoarded treasures for their own well-being and while only a small margin of it is true, those are the stories most ponies believe. So why is there very little knowledge about them? Why is it over the past thousand years, the history of dragons had faded from memory? So many questions asked and yet very few of them answered. But one thing was most definite to Fluttershy: the further away she was from a dragon, the better.
Now, Fluttershy didn't necessarily hate dragons per se. In fact, she had no particular reason to hate them at all. After all, one of her best friends' assistant was a dragon. Granted he was a baby dragon, but still a dragon nonetheless. She had also tamed a fierce dragon in the face of danger to protect the ones closest to her. But deep in her heart, Fluttershy felt as though she could never truly escape her own trepidation. That's what she believed anyways. It was just something she had learned to accept over time.
The subject of dragons had been troubling Fluttershy for the last week or so and she found herself having trouble trying to think of anything else. Tending to her animals seemed to help, but she would find herself looking up towards the sky, hoping that a dragon might pass over the valley connecting Ponyville to the Everfree Forest. Visits from her friends seemed to distract her, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't stop thinking about them. However, something was different about today. Fluttershy's curiosity was piqued and before long, she had begun rummaging through the small pile of books that crowded the floor of her small cottage. Fluttershy was never known for reading anything particularly heavy. She loved reading fairy tales or anything pertaining to fantasy. But the reason as to why she was flipping through the soft-cut pages of her hardbound fantasy novels was for a completely different reason altogether. Her right hoof flipped page after page until she stumbled upon something that tickled her fancy.
It was a colorful illustration depicting a soaring dragon rising upwards into the sky, a rushing waterfall setting the stage behind it. The illustration on its own was a relatively detailed picture, portraying the freedom of flight and the wonders of nature; something Fluttershy herself had grown to cherish as a filly. Fluttershy began to read from the passage that accompanied the illustration on the left-sided page.
"By brighest day, a dragon never sleeps," she read, taking a few moments to pause every now and then to appreciate the drawing that accompanied the written text. "By blackest night, it is only then do they weep. Hmm..." she paused again, thinking to herself.
I have to wonder. Do dragons ever become lonely?
To Fluttershy, the idea of a dragon being lonely came off as a humorous thought. It was funny enough to where she had noticed herself chuckling slightly at the very concept. But as Fluttershy continued to read through the book, she couldn't help but notice that she was starting to doze off. Every now and again, she would open her eyelids if just for a brief moment to snap back into reality. After what seemed to be an eternity, Fluttershy gave into her drowsiness and began to dream.
_______________________________________
The air felt cold as ice. Fluttershy awoke, her vision slightly blurred, and saw that she was laid upon the ground of a dark forest. The cold, ethereal chills of the woods sent shivers down her spine. To her sudden bewilderment, she began to take notice in the small, faint blue lights floating about her. They seemed to dance about merrily all around the dark shadows of the cold forest. At first glance, she thought they were snowflakes beginning to fade into the darkness. It was only then that Fluttershy realized that her surroundings were starting to feel familiar.
I've been here before...
The woods looked and felt a lot like the Everfree Forest, a place that Fluttershy was not too comfortable with. These woods however, had many differences that made it harder to identify. The bark of the trees stretched higher than the ones found in the Everfree Forest but remained as jagged as ever. Fluttershy raised her head up towards the canopy but was dismayed to find that nothing but darkness surrounded it. Her attention was instead brought back to the floating lights. The lights had no particular form and took no particular shape. Something about them seemed rather ghostly. In fact, they almost resembled-
Spirits.
It was just then that she remembered the passage she had read from the book. Those short but powerful words that had rung through her ears like a hymn being sung in a chapel.
Is this what happens when a dragon sleeps? Is this what happens when they dream?
Fluttershy, with all of her strength, rose up from the ground and onto her four hooves. Without so much as a second thought, she began to wander about freely, looking to see if she might find the source of these lights. Despite its eerie presence, Fluttershy could sense that this forest was not dangerous. The ethereal iridescence soothed her anxiety if only to heighten her curiosity more. There had to be a reason as to why she was here. All visions, in her eyes anyways, had a purpose.
Fluttershy's gentle trot soon broke out into a gallop as she continued her journey through the frozen forest. Everywhere she looked, the spirits seemed to follow. They were leading her somewhere and wherever she was headed, it seemed as though she was getting close. Eventually, she came upon a clearing. At the center lay a small waterfall with a pool of water sitting in the middle. It was much brighter here than the rest of the forest.
The glow of the spirits seemed to point towards the water. The ever gentle pony was reluctant at first. What would she find if she looked into the water? Would she see her own reflection? There was only one way to find out. Fluttershy leaned forwards upon the urging of the spirits and found not herself reflected in the water but something else entirely.
There, staring back at her was the face of a dragon. Its scales the gradient of pink and butterscotch. Just like her. Its ears translucent with a deep shade of pink. Its eyes the shade of teal. Fluttershy's own eyes began to widen as she came to the realization that the dragon she was staring at was herself. Its movements mimicked her very own.
That's me. I'm a dragon...
Fluttershy stepped away from the edge of the pool and brought her hooves to the front of her face. What she saw though were not hooves, but claws. Upon closer inspection, she found that her whole body felt different. Rather than standing on all four of her hooves, she found herself standing up straight on two legs rather than four. In her heart, Fluttershy knew she should be scared and she was. But despite her initial fear, Fluttershy spread her wings. Her wings, much like her ears, were as thin as silk. Despite the dainty nature of her wings, Fluttershy found them to be quite flexible.
She stretched just about every joint that she could before making her way back to the pool of water. She found it a bit tricky to walk on just her two hind legs and opted to walk on all fours again, her tail dragging along the ground behind her.
Fluttershy took yet another look at herself as the ripples of the water started to diminish. For a dragon, the timid pegasus pony found that she looked rather harmless considering how much taller she was. Then again, she never really knew what dragonesses were supposed to look like. With a sense of thrill in her heart, Fluttershy plunged herself into the pool. As Fluttershy began to sink deeper into the water, darkness began to form around her. The dragoness had begun her sleep.
~ ~ ~
Fluttershy's eyes had opened slightly and she found herself back in her cottage asleep on her couch. Feeling an immense drowsiness, Fluttershy let out a yawn and began to stretch.
"What a strange dream," she said. Fluttershy noticed the book that she had been reading wide open upon the floor. The page with the dragon illustration had been torn from the binding. Worried that she might've lost the page, Fluttershy began to frantically search for it. But it was then that she noticed the page was laid out upon her tummy.
"Oh! There you are. I was wondering where you got off to," she said, straightening the page. Fluttershy gave another fascinated look at the illustration, trying to remember the details of her dream. Fluttershy turned her head towards the window and saw that the sun was beginning to set.
"Oh my goodness. How long was I asleep?" she wondered.
To Fluttershy, the dream had only lasted a few moments. But the fact that it was near nightfall meant that there had to be a reason behind this peculiar vision. It seemed far too important to go unnoticed.
"I've got to tell someone about this," she said.
Beyond the window, the world of Equestria fell under the protection of Princess Luna's beautiful night. The moon shone down upon her children, watching over them as the many different creatures of the land began their slumber.
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The strong scent of herbal tea approached the tip of Fluttershy's nose as she took a tiny sip from the dainty teacup. True to her word, Fluttershy had taken it upon herself to inform at least one of her good friends about her dream. The ever knowledgeable Twilight Sparkle seemed like a good choice given her passion for studying. However, the lavender unicorn's response was far from what Fluttershy was expecting.
"Hmm. Your overall description of your dream sounds very strange Fluttershy. I don't think I've heard of anything like it!" she exclaimed. Like on most occasions, Twilight had a textbook already placed upon the table that she began to flip through using her magic. It was typical behavior of her but Fluttershy knew that if anyone could help her find an answer to the meaning behind her dream, it was definitely Twilight.
"I mean its very typical for a dream to be strange, but this sounded like a dream of a much higher magnitude. Almost spiritual even. Maybe the dream was trying to tell you something," she continued.
"Well I will admit, it was rather strange. But me? As a dragon? What could that possibly mean? After all, dragons are... well... frightening," Fluttershy said timidly.
She did find it rather odd that a dream depicting herself as a dragon could possibly be considered anything other than a dream. But the nature of dreams had always been a mystery to her in general. Right on cue, the sound of footsteps could be heard as Twilight's assistant Spike descended the staircase.
"Woah. A dream about becoming a dragon? Imagine what kind of mumbo jumbo that might mean!" said Spike with great enthusiasm. Although Spike was a baby dragon, he had just as little knowledge about his own kind as the rest of Equestria.
"Ah there you are Spike! Did you bring me the book I needed?" asked Twilight.
"Yup! Oneirology: A Simple Study of Dreams and Visions. Pretty lengthy title if you ask me," he said, stumbling on one of the words as he read it aloud. The thick textbook levitated out of Spike's claws as Twilight began to flip through what seemed to be a book of at least over six hundred pages.
"Umm...Twilight? I don't mean to be rude but... are you positive that a book might be able to give me the answers I need? That is... I mean... if you want me to look at it I will but... whatever you wanna do is fine," said Fluttershy. Twilight stopped flipping through the pages and set the book down. She sighed.
"Maybe you're right. A scientific study on dreams might not be what you're looking for. Hmm... have you considered writing a letter to the princess?" she asked.
"Yeah! Princess Celestia might know a thing or two about visions. Well her AND Princess Luna maybe, but you know what I mean!" said Spike. Fluttershy's ears rang at the mention of the princess' name. She knew that if anyone could answer her questions about her dream, it was definitely the princesses.
"That's a wonderful idea! Thank you Twilight. I have to get home right away! Good bye!" she said. With that said, Fluttershy trotted off happily as the door to the library closed behind her. Twilight and Spike stared blankly for a few moments, confused as to what had just happened.
"Umm...you're welcome?" they both asked in unison.
"Ya know she could've just asked me to write the letter," said a rather confused Spike.
~ ~ ~
Dear Princess Celestia...
The all too familiar phrase was scribbled upon the blank piece of parchment that sat upon the small writing desk in Fluttershy's cottage. The wick of the candle beside the desk began to melt as the flame atop it burned brightly. As she held a small writing quill in her mouth, Fluttershy overlooked her writing to make sure it was, at the very most, readable. Fluttershy placed the quill off to the side as she continued to brainstorm.
"Hmm. I really should think about how I'm going to word this," she puzzled. Fluttershy knew that if the princess was going to believe her story, she should try her best to describe her current situation. A sudden stroke of genius hit Fluttershy like a lightning bolt and she began to write down her thoughts.
I apologize if I might be disturbing you but um... recently, I have been having some very strange dreams.
In them, I dream of a dark forest surrounded by faint blue lights. I think they might be spirits. They lead me to a glen with a pool of water. When I look into the water, I don't see myself as a pony. Instead, I see myself as a dragoness.
So I was just wondering Princess Celestia if, that is.. if you don't mind me asking...
Is it possible that this dream might be a vision? I know that it might not be, but it feels so real. It frightens me. I don't know what it means. That is why I was hoping if you might be able to help me better understand this.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and I hope to hear a reply from you soon. But if you're too busy to then that's fine! I wouldn't want to upset you.
You're not upset are you? PLEASE DON'T BE UPSET WITH ME! Sorry...
Your Friend,
~ Fluttershy
Content with the words she had written, Fluttershy placed the quill aside and began to seal the letter with a small piece of ribbon. Outside, a grey falcon sat perched upon the windowsill awaiting orders from his owner. With the letter in her mouth, Fluttershy handed the scroll to the falcon and with one flap of his wings, he soared to the skies. Within a few days time, the letter would reach Princess Celestia and she would finally know the meaning behind her dream.
_______________________________________
The forest was alit with a colorful spectrum of lights. Some blue, some green, and others purple. Fluttershy knew instantly where she was.
Am I having the same dream again?
It was the woods she had encountered only a night ago. Something felt different. The glow of the spirits was much stronger this time around and the air felt warm. The biggest difference, however, was the being in front of her. Before Fluttershy stood the spirit of a dragon, ablaze with fire.
Who...who are you?
The spirit did not return an answer.
You can't talk?
The spirit simply shook its head. Fluttershy lowered her head in disappointment.
The dragon, as though it were trying to mirror Fluttershy's movements, lowered its head to examine the mortal pony. Fluttershy winced, expecting the apparition to harm her. But to her surprise, it nudged its head against her mane. The touch of the flames against her cheek brought about a feeling of warmth and comfort. Fluttershy's fear was calmed as the dragon before her lifted its head once more. Suddenly, the spirit began to dissipate and flew off into the heart of the forest. Fluttershy galloped after it.
Wait! Please wait!
The spirit flew far off from Fluttershy's sight. But it was very clear to her where she needed to go. The lights were guiding her to the clearing she had discovered before. Tension began to build in the pegasus' heart. She had to find out who this dragon was or where it came from. She just had to. The beating of her heart could be heard; a loud thump that seemed to increase in speed the further she seemed to travel. Despite this, Fluttershy galloped on.
At last, Fluttershy had found her way back to the clearing. She collapsed on the ground, stopping to catch her breath. She lifted her head to find the dragon hovering above the water. It was waiting for her. Fluttershy lifted herself off the ground and spread her wings. She fluttered for only a moment as a shining light enveloped her and the dragon and then-
She heard a voice.
Spread your wings... take flight... my soul is now your gift...
Her eyelids closed...and the darkness took hold of her once again.
~ ~ ~
A sudden warmth came over Fluttershy's body. One that began from the soles of her hooves to the front of her nose. An elongated yawn escaped from Fluttershy's mouth as she began to stretch. Something, however, felt off. Normally, Fluttershy's hooves would be able to touch the wooded padding of her bed. This time, she felt nothing.
Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes and quickly hopped out of bed. To her surprise, however, she landed with a rather loud thump.
"Ow!" she shouted. It was then that Fluttershy noticed that something was wrong. Right before her eyes were not a pair of hooves, but a pair of claws.
"W-what? No...it can't be!" she said. Fluttershy ran over to her mirror, knocking over various pieces of furniture in the process. Before her, she saw the face of a different creature.
The face... of a dragon.
Chapter II: Loyalty and Kindness
~ Chapter II: Loyalty and Kindness ~
- The Beast's Melancholy + Celestia's Arrival + The Meeting in Town Square + Rumors and Slander + The Cry of a Dragon +
The gentle pitter-patter of hooves touched the earth as Rarity and Rainbow Dash trotted upon the winding road leading to Fluttershy's cottage. Celestia's sun lit the town of Ponyville with such warmth that almost everypony in the village was outside enjoying the sunshine. The breeze was gentle, filling the air with a small touch of chilliness.
On this particular day, however, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were headed towards Fluttershy's cottage for a far more serious matter. Fluttershy had been absent from the group for almost three days and the girls were starting to become concerned. The others had tried to console Fluttershy previously, but to their dismay, they found that her front door always remained locked. Everything was shut tight, as though the timid little pegasus pony were trying to conceal something that clearly did not want to be seen.
"Man. I wonder what's got Fluttershy so spooked. I mean sure she can be a bit of a fraidy-cat, but this is ridiculous!" said Rainbow Dash.
"Oh I do hope she's alright. It just seems incredibly off for dear Fluttershy to be ignoring us. Maybe something terrible must have happened!" said Rarity.
The fashionista did find it rather odd that one of her best friends could be trying to hide something. After all, both Rarity and Fluttershy had spent countless days with each other at the local spa. The duo normally never kept secrets from one another, not since the Photo Finish incident.
The two mares stopped at the front door of Fluttershy's cottage. Without so much as a moment of hesitation, Rainbow Dash knocked on the door with her right hoof. For a brief second, there was a moment of silence. The whole forest stood still.
"Fluttershy, you home!?" she yelled, her voice reverberating throughout the area.
It was then that the both of them noticed something particularly strange. Quite a few of Fluttershy's animals were missing. Not a single bird was seen, the exception being a group of crows perched upon the few treetops surrounding Fluttershy's home. In the back of the small cottage near the pen, the loud clucking of chickens could usually be heard. This time however, nothing. Rainbow knocked on the door a second time.
From inside came faint sobs. The loud clashing of shattered glass and broken wood could be heard from behind the door. It was clearly Fluttershy and she sounded as though she were in a great deal of pain.
"P-please...go away!" she cried. Her sobbing grew louder as her two friends grew heavily dismayed.
"Fluttershy, dearie, is everything alright? You sound absolutely distressed!" Rarity said as she pressed her ears towards the door, hoping to listen to her friend's cries more clearly.
"P-please...just...just go away! D-don't come near me!" Fluttershy wailed.
"Sweetie, don't cry! We're here to help you! Isn't that right Rainbow Dash?" the ivory unicorn reassured.
"Yeah! Totally! So, what do you say? Will you come out and tell us what's the matter?" asked Rainbow Dash, a hopeful smile beaming across her face.
"N-no! Please don't come in! Please!" Fluttershy pleaded.
Rainbow's hot-headed nature was beginning to kick in. The look on her face changed from an expression of sympathy to one of total and utter impatience.
"Fluttershy, if you don't open this door, then you leave me with no choice!" she demanded, stomping her hoof into the dirt.
"I said...NO!" growled Fluttershy. Her yell echoed throughout the forest, sending a group of wild geese to flee from the premises.
"That's it, Fluttershy! I'm opening the door myself! Stand back Rarity!" shouted Rainbow Dash.
The blue pegasus started building up her charge towards the door.
"Rainbow Dash! You stop this instant!" Rarity bellowed. "You're only going to frighten her more!"
But it was no use. Rarity knew that once Rainbow got started, there was no slowing her down. In less than ten seconds flat, Rainbow blasted towards the door as the infamous spectrum of colors followed steadily behind her.
CRASH!
"Ow!" she cried. Rainbow was half expecting her impact to be painful. But to her surprise, she landed against something particularly soft. Whatever it was, it let out a similar yelp.
"Ouch! That hurt..." Fluttershy whimpered.
Rainbow Dash lifted herself off the floor and stepped back a few feet to regain her composure as Rarity trotted into the room.
"Rainbow Dash, are you alright? That looks like a ghastly bump on your head!" Rarity said.
Rainbow could feel a large, red, pulsating bump hidden within her mane as she gently rubbed her hoof against the top of her skull.
"Yeah yeah, I'm alright. Where's Fluttershy?" she replied, brushing off pieces of rubble with her hooves.
"P-please...just leave me alone." Fluttershy cried. Her weeping was softer than before but still noticeable. What was strange though was that small jets of steam seemed to evaporate on the floor. It didn't make any sense though. Rainbow could tell that Fluttershy was indeed crying, but where was the steam coming from? Were they coming from her tears?
"Fluttershy? Are...are you okay?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Rainbow, look!" Rarity cried, pointing her hoof towards the floor. Scattered across the carpet and furniture were countless dragon scales. Both of their eyes widened as Fluttershy began to move towards them. The duo slowly backed away towards the front door as Fluttershy stepped forward on all four of her legs into the open light.
Standing before them was Fluttershy. Not as a pony, but a beautiful dragoness. Her scales matched the faint tint of yellow of her fur with a gradient shade of pink traveling from the top of her head down to the end of her slithering tail. Her cutie mark was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes, the same shade of teal, revealed an expression both despondent and dismal. The large scales which covered both her ears appeared transparent and thin, like the soft wings of a butterfly. Rarity noticed that these scales matched the gradient of rosey pink that creeped down Fluttershy's spine. On all four of her legs, Fluttershy appeared to be roughly over nine feet long. The girls found that she was relatively slim, both her chest and stomach being abnormally thin for a dragoness, as though she hadn't eaten in days.
She stood before two of her best friends, ashamed...and incredibly injured.
"F-F-Fluttershy...what in Equestria happened to you?" the ivory unicorn managed to stutter.
From various points of her body, the girls could see blemishes of skin where scales used to be. It appeared as though a struggle between the dragoness and her claws had taken place, as though Fluttershy had tried to scratch them off. There was an abundant amount of gashes all over her body, with one of them dripping tiny beads of crimson blood. The tears falling from her eyes continued to disperse steam as they burned their way into the ground. All poor Fluttershy could do was tilt her head in shame and embarrassment. The once timid, shy pegasus pony had now become a beast. A gentle, petrified beast filled with a deep sense of anguish.
"Fluttershy? Is that you!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. The dragoness simply nodded, no words escaping her mouth.
"Oh, you poor thing! Come now, dry your tears," Rarity cried. The blue aura of magic pulsated from Rarity's horn as she lifted a small towelette to the dragoness' puffy eyes. Fluttershy winced at the touch of the cloth, but soon calmed herself.
"Rainbow dear, go fetch Twilight and hurry!" Rarity exclaimed.
"Roger that!" shouted Rainbow. With a quick salute, Rainbow Dash bolted off towards the library, a gush of wind trailing behind her.
Rarity brought her hoof towards the injured dragoness' skin, but quickly recoiled as Fluttershy let out a small whimper. The violet-maned unicorn put her hoof against Fluttershy's body once more and began to stroke it. Rarity found the texture of the scales to be surprisingly smooth.
"Everything will be alright, dearie. I promise," she said with great sincerity. Still enveloped in her magic, Rarity brought the towelette to one of the many blemishes found upon Fluttershy's body and began to clean off the blood.
"Thank you, Rarity. Thank you so much," Fluttershy sniffed.
~ ~ ~
Rainbow Dash rushed towards Twilight's home at breakneck speed.
What the heck happened to Fluttershy? How in Equestria did she become a dragon? A dragon of all things!? she thought to herself.
As the library came into view, Rainbow came to a sudden halt towards the front of the massive tree. With all of her might, she began pounding her hooves on the front door.
"Twilight! Open up! Its an emergency!" she shouted.
At that moment, Pinkie Pie came trotting up to Rainbow Dash and began to take notice in her actions.
"Whatcha up to, Rainbow Dash?" the ever gleeful pony abruptly asked.
"I don't have time to talk, Pinkie! I gotta talk to Twilight! Something really bad's happened to Fluttershy!" Rainbow exclaimed, giving the pink earth pony a look of exasperation.
"Silly Dashie! You're not gonna get Twilight's attention shouting like that!" Pinkie giggled. "You gotta do it like this!"
Pinkie Pie began to pound her hooves against the door, much like Rainbow was doing. The biggest difference, however, was the volume of her voice.
"TWILIGHT! OPEN THE DOOR! RAINBOW DASH HAS SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOU!" she screamed. Rainbow let out a yelp as she fell onto her back. As expected, the door opened to reveal a rather agitated Twilight Sparkle.
"Pinkie Pie, I have two ears, you know! What's this all about?" Twilight asked. Pinkie was about to open her mouth to explain her rather clamorous, articulate behavior, but she was pushed aside by Rainbow Dash.
"Twilight, I need your help! Something really bad has happened to Fluttershy!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"What!? What happened!?" Twilight asked with great concern.
"There's not enough time to explain. I just need you to come with me Fluttershy's house!" Rainbow commanded.
Without a moment's haste, the girls galloped upon the beaten path towards Fluttershy's cottage. Desperation and dread filled Twilight's heart. But she had to hope for the best.
As the trio began making their way towards the edge of the forest, a loud roar was heard echoing off in the distance. The roar sounded like one of great pain.
"What on earth was that!?" Twilight asked.
"You're not gonna believe this, Twilight...but that was Fluttershy," said Rainbow.
A moment of silence befell them for a brief moment as they continued their trek towards Fluttershy's house. Pinkie Pie, being the most vocal pony of the group, was the first to break the short silence.
"Wait a minute. That roar sounded like a dragon's roar. Fluttershy's not a dragon, Dashie!" she exclaimed.
"Its worse than I thought," Twilight said.
"Like I said, I'll explain later. Right now, we just gotta help her!" Rainbow cried.
A few moments later, the girls found themselves in front of Fluttershy's cottage. Twilight and the girls galloped in, but only to stop at the sight before them. There was Fluttershy, being nurtured by the ever generous Rarity.
"Oh, girls! Thank goodness you're here!" she exclaimed.
"What was that roar just now?" Rainbow asked with a light tone of eagerness in her voice.
"I've been tending to the gashes on Fluttershy's scales. I was just going through a quick clean up of the blood before I started applying any bandages. Though I think I might have made the water a bit too hot," Rarity stated.
Fluttershy was laid out upon the floor; a bowl of hot water and a wet cloth beside her. Twilight Sparkle simply stood there, perplexed and utterly confused.
"I...Rarity. Fluttershy. What? When? Where? How!?" Twilight exclaimed.
"Like I said, Twilight, its a long story," Rainbow Dash sighed, letting out a great huff of exhaustion.
_______________________________________
After the initial shock of their friend's transfiguration had worn off, Twilight and the rest of the girls found themselves incredibly busy. As Rarity and Pinkie Pie tended to Fluttershy's wounds, Twilight and Rainbow Dash had left to inform Princess Celestia of the dire situation.
It had been about twenty minutes since the duo had gone to the library to have Spike compose the letter to the princess and they would be coming back to the cottage any moment now. All the while, Fluttershy explained her story to Rarity and Pinkie Pie. She told of her strange vision and its possible connection to her mysterious transformation.
"It was all so strange. I never knew a dream could have such a powerful connection. But I just knew that it was trying to tell me something. I just don't understand why it had to change me into this," Fluttershy murmured, giving one glance at her two scaly claws.
"Aww, its okay, Fluttershy! Sure you might be big and scaly, but you're still you! Well, I mean you're a NEW you, but NEW dragon Fluttershy is still just as good!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. Rarity nodded in agreement.
"Mhm. She's right, darling. What matters now is that you have your friends to take care of you!" Rarity remarked gleefully. A sudden smile crept across Fluttershy's face. She lifted her head towards them and began to nuzzle them against the side of their cheeks.
"I couldn't have asked for better friends," Fluttershy remorsefully said. A single tear of joy was shed from her eye. At last, the dragoness was filled with such wonderful comfort.
"Though, I just have one question," Fluttershy said.
"What is it, dearie?" asked Rarity.
"How am I going to get outside?" the dragoness sheepishly asked.
The smiles from the two mares' faces quickly dissipated. Rarity and Pinkie looked behind Fluttershy and saw her lengthy tail wagging itself across the floor.
"This might be a bit of a problem," Pinkie stated with great uncertainty.
~ ~ ~
Princess Celestia lay upon the floor of her private quarters, reading the countless letters she had been sent over the past few days. On days when there was no royal court to attend, Celestia took it upon herself to read the many lessons that her faithful student had learned in the magic of friendship. There was one scroll, however, she had been reading quite a few times over. The signature engraved at the bottom of the scroll was Fluttershy's.
A look of puzzlement and intrigue fell upon Celestia's expression as she came upon the paragraph mentioning Fluttershy's vision. Although the details of the vision were vague and lacked any sort of perplexity, Celestia's fascination was sufficed to say the least. Immediately, a thought crept up in the crevice of her mind.
The vision of a dragon's spirit...I have heard of this before, she thought to herself. Celestia's eyes darted across the piece of parchment, examining the paragraph thoroughly. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when a small familiar cloud of green smoke materialized before her.
"Oh! Goodness. Another letter? It must be from Twilight," she said cheerfully. The golden incandescent channel of magic gently erupted from the sun goddess' horn as she set the letter aside, hoping to reply to it later.
As she unwound the ribbon wrapped around the new letter, she smiled with great sincerity. Celestia had always looked forward to the letters her star pupil had written and this time was no different. What she found, however, was not a letter of casual conversation, but a cry for help. Celestia's worry grew rapidly as she began to read the contents of the letter.
Dear Princess Celestia,
We are in dire need of your help. Something terrible has happened to my friend Fluttershy. I am not exactly sure how to word this but...
She has been turned into a dragon and to make matters even worse, we have no idea how she even became one or how to change her back. As you very well know, I myself do not have that much knowledge on the subject of dragons, Spike included. But despite my best efforts, I haven't been able to find a single book in the library that gives me the information I need to help fix the situation.
I'm afraid that if we don't find a solution soon, Fluttershy might remain a dragoness forever! So, if at all possible, please come to Ponyville at once!
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle
Celestia did not hesitate for a second. She rose from the ground and exited the room. The princess trotted down the long hallways of the castle as she made her way to Princess Luna's tower. Fortunately for Celestia, her sister's tower resided only a few halls away from her own room. On the days of no royal court, Celestia found Luna spending most of her time researching in her study. Although she found it slightly distressing that her younger sister would occasionally lock herself in her room, she was grateful to have her home.
Celestia ascended the spiraling staircase to the tower and entered her sister's room. Luna was sat upon the floor, deeply enthralled in a heavy textbook.
"Luna? Forgive me for the intrusion, but I must speak with you," Celestia said
"Oh! Sister! Do forgive me, I was just examining a volume of the most currently recorded constellations. I have missed reading about them," Luna said as she arose from the floor. "What is it you wish to speak about?"
"Luna, I have some urgent matters to attend to in Ponyville and I need you to look after things while I'm gone. Just for tonight," Celestia said with great urgency. The door opened.
"Urgent matters?" the night princess asked curiously. "Whatever is the matter dear sister?"
"A great quandary has arisen involving one of Twilight Sparkle's friends. Something I have not seen in well over a thousand years," Celestia said .
"A thousand years? What has happened?" Luna inquired with great interest.
"Twilight's friend Fluttershy has become a dragon. But it was not done with a simple spell. Fluttershy's transformation was foretold to her through a vision. The vision of a dragon's spirit," Celestia stated.
"Ahh, dear Fluttershy? The little pegasus pony I had the pleasure of meeting during the Nightmare Night festival? A dragon?" Luna asked, raising an eyebrow. "You say that this was foretold in a vision?"
"Yes, Luna. Which is why I must go to Ponyville. It is imperative that the citizens are informed about the situation. I fear that unless they are forewarned about Fluttershy's condition, panic will begin to spread. I shall lower the Sun during my stay there. If at all possible Luna, please contact the Dragon's guild," Celestia commanded, her regal formalities beginning to take root.
"The Dragon's Guild!? But, Tia, we have not spoken to them since my return! Celestia, are you implying that there may be more to this situation?" Luna asked in a distressed manner.
"I do. We may not have that much knowledge on the matter, but the council of dragons might. Please, watch over things for me while I'm gone," Celestia said. The princess walked towards the open door leading towards the balcony, Luna following suit.
"I will, Celestia. I shall join you once my duties have been fulfilled. I wish you the very best of luck," Luna smiled, placing her hoof upon her sister's shoulder.
Celestia spread her wings and kicked off the balcony. The fair princess glanced back to her younger sister with a serene smile as she gracefully make her descent towards the small town of Ponyville.
~ ~ ~
This day couldn't get any worse, Fluttershy thought to herself.
She wasn't too far off from the truth. Not only did she become the one thing she was terrified of the most, she was stuck straight in the middle of her doorway. Due to her new girth, Fluttershy was finding it incredibly difficult to make her way outside. Twilight and Rainbow Dash pulled her from the front whilst Rarity and Pinkie Pie pushed from behind.
"Urgh! Fluttershy, darling, why are you so...heavy!?" grunted Rarity.
"I'm...URGH! I'm trying!" Fluttershy shouted.
"Come on Fluttershy! Just a little bit more!" Twilight exclaimed, pulling at the edge of Fluttershy's claws with all her might.
The dragoness dug her claws into the solid earth and began pulling herself towards the lavender unicorn. She could feel a sense of heightened strength flowing through her body. If there was anything positive to be found in this whole mess, it was the fact that she did, indeed, feel stronger. The tension was beginning to ease up as Fluttershy felt herself finally slipping out of the door frame.
"Urgh...Mmph! Almost...got it!" she grunted.
With a quick POP!, Fluttershy landed face first into the dirt.
"Are you alright, Fluttershy?" asked a familiar voice. Fluttershy shook off the dirt from her snout.
"Yes, I'm alright, Princess Celesti-" Fluttershy stopped. Before her was Celestia herself. Fluttershy got off of the ground and stood before her. Fluttershy was surprised to find that she only stood a few feet taller than the princess.
The princess, motherly and kind in her presence, smiled serenely at Fluttershy.
"Its so good to see you again, my dear," she spoke in a dignified manner.
The dragoness let out a small, inaudible squeak.
_______________________________________
The streets of Ponyville found themselves to be overflowing with a bountiful amount of murmured voices as the denizens of the quaint little village gathered towards the center of town. Everypony stood before a small stage with a single podium sitting in the middle and a blue curtain stationed behind it. As the group of ponies made their way towards the stage, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom pushed their way through the crowds to get to the front.
"Come on Scoots! We gotta get to the front!" Applebloom shouted excitedly.
"I wonder what all the commotion's about," Sweetie Belle thought, an all too eager expression forming upon her face.
"I bet its something awesome! You know something serious is about to go down when Princess Celestia is involved!" Scootaloo ecstatically exclaimed. After much pushing and shoving, the Cutie Mark Crusaders stationed themselves in front of the stage.
From behind the curtain, Twilight Sparkle poked her head outwards to take a quick peek at the increasing crowd. She found that her heart was beating irregularly. A small lump formed in her throat, signaling that her anxiety was beginning to get the best of her. She quickly gulped out of nervousness and recoiled back behind the curtain.
Please let this work, she thought to herself.
"Is something the matter, Twilight?" Princess Celestia asked. Twilight turned to see her mentor standing beside her. Not a single worry or doubt could be seen on the alicorn's face.
"Oh! Princess Celestia! Oh, thank heavens. I'm just rather anxious is all," Twilight sighed with relief. Celestia lightly chuckled at her student's remark.
"Relax, Twilight. Everything will be fine. The citizens may be shaken at first, but I am certain that they will warm up to Fluttershy's new condition in due time," Celestia said.
"Yes, but that's what worries me. What if they don't? I can't bear to see Fluttershy's feelings getting hurt," Twilight said, a look of worry befalling her as she looked back to the audience.
"You certainly have grown into a very noble pony, Twilight. It is very thoughtful of you to think of the well-being of your friend, terrified as she may be by this whole ordeal. Don't worry. Whatever might happen, just know that I will be here to support you and your friends," the princess reassured her student. The tension that Twilight was feeling at that moment faded as she found herself smiling. The duo turned towards the curtain as they saw the Mayor of Ponyville walk up onto the stage.
"Attention, please! May I have your attention, please!?" she announced. The sea of voices began to lower until the whole crowd of ponies was completely silent. The Mayor cleared her throat as she began to look down at the note cards faced down upon the podium.
"Ahem! Mares and Gentlecolts! We have called forth this meeting to discuss a very serious matter that has recently surfaced here in Ponyville," the Mayor proclaimed, speaking at just the right volume.
Various different whispers and murmurs of confusion were uttered throughout the crowd. Many ponies were left puzzled while others were left downright baffled by the sudden announcement.
"To offer more enlightenment on the situation, please welcome Princess Celestia," the Mayor announced, stepping a few feet away from the podium to make way for the Princess. Only a small bundle of applause was heard from the audience as Princess Celestia stepped up onto the stage.
"I would first like to thank all of you for your wonderful cooperation. As the Mayor stated, a rather shocking turn of events have recently come to light. I am positive that most of you are familiar with the pegasus pony Fluttershy?" the Princess asked, examining the crowd of ponies. Quite a number of ponies nodded whilst others raised a hoof in the air.
"Well, to make things a little laconic, it was recently brought to my attention by my pupil Twilight Sparkle that Fluttershy has been transfigured into a dragon," the Princess said rather bluntly.
The reaction was sudden and quite varied. Many ponies gasped at the news and a wave of vocal chatter broke out amongst the citizens. One mare swooned and fell to the ground. The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at each other with a look of awe in their eyes.
"Coooool," the trio said in unison.
"But if she's a dragon, then doesn't that mean she can breathe fire!?" one pony shouted. A flurry of concerned voices was let loose throughout the crowd.
"What if she becomes evil and starts destroying the town!?" a grey stallion questioned as panic suddenly began to arise. Behind the curtain, Twilight's worry began to build.
"What if she turns us all into dragons!?" another pony screamed. A sudden frenzy of trepidation emanated throughout the crowd.
"Oh no! This is bad! This is really, REALLY bad!" Twilight panicked.
"Everypony, please! Calm yourselves!" Celestia shouted. Although the panic-stricken assembly had died down, murmurs continued to echo throughout the audience.
"Rest assured, there is nothing to worry about. I shall be helping Twilight and the rest of her friends to find a cure. In the meantime, I ask that all you treat Fluttershy with as much respect as you did before. She may be a dragon temporarily, but she is still the same pony inside. So please, be calm and relax. There is nothing to fear," the alicorn spoke, soothing the tension found amongst the townsfolk.
In the far back of the crowd, Rainbow Dash and Applejack watched the assembly and the crowd's reaction. Rainbow looked on, heavily dismayed. She let out a heavy sigh.
"You know something, AJ?" Rainbow turned towards the southern earth pony. "I don't think this is gonna end well."
"You know somethin', sugarcube? I think ah might have to agree with ya," Applejack said, completely discouraged as she looked towards the fear-stricken crowd of paranoid ponies.
_______________________________________
Just a few miles to the east of Twilight Sparkle's library sat an enormous, vagrant hill. The princess stood atop the hill proudly as she raised her horn towards the setting sun. Taking one deep breath, Celestia began to lower it. Dusk started its transition into nightfall and all the forest's many wonders became lit with beauty.
It was decided upon by the urging of the Princess that Fluttershy stay by her home until after the town meeting had met its conclusion. The girls agreed that letting Fluttershy into town anytime before then would result in nothing but utter chaos.
Fluttershy laid her draconic body upon the soft ground outside her cottage. It seemed as though her animal friends were slowly starting to return. Every now and then, a ferret or badger would walk up to the dragoness, if only to give her a simple nuzzle or gesture. One of them, was actually her pet rabbit Angel.
"Angel?" Fluttershy said, raising her head with glee. The white rabbit hopped towards the dragoness. He stared at her from a brief second, confirming whether or not this new creature was still his owner. Eventually, Angel warmed up to the dragoness and nuzzled her gently.
"Ohh, Angel! I'm so happy that you still care about me," Fluttershy cried, overjoyed that despite her beastly appearance, she was still loved.
Fluttershy stared at the Princess, watching the sunset; leaving tranquil thoughts to enter her mind. A sudden sadness fell upon the dragoness. She knew not the reason, nor did she care. She just felt it. Tears began to well up in her eyes.
No. No more tears, Fluttershy. Not tonight, she told herself, shutting her eyes tight. It was then that she heard a voice coming from behind her.
"You know, its not that bad once you get use to it," the voice said. Fluttershy lifted her head and turned to find Spike walking up to her.
"Spike? What are you doing here?" Fluttershy asked.
"Eh, I just thought I'd come by and visit! Everyone's having a long talk back at the library. I got Twilight's permission to come by, so I figured I'd just say hello," the young assistant said.
"Look at me, Spike. Everything just feels so...so different. It frightens me," Fluttershy said meekly. She lay her head back upon the ground, letting out a quick snort as she did so.
"Hey, don't worry about it, Fluttershy. I've dealt with plenty of terrifying dragons in my day. I tell Peewee about it all the time at home! But that's not the point. The point is, this isn't gonna last forever. You'll be a pony again in no time! Trust me!" he exclaimed.
A weak smile crept across the dragoness' face. She looked into the sky and saw the moon beginning to rise, covering the land with a beautiful starlit canvas. At the top of the hill, Celestia saw her sister descending towards her. With a gently flap of her wings, Luna landed beside her eldest sister with great ease.
"As I promised, I am here, Celestia. How go things?" the lunar princess asked in a formal manner.
"Not good, I'm afraid. While I was able to calm the villagers about Fluttershy's predicament, they are still fearful about the consequences of a dragon running wild throughout town," Celestia said wearily.
"Fear not, sister! All is well in Canterlot. I have also sent a letter to the Dragon's Guild. They shall soon be fully aware of the situation at hand," Luna spoke, listing her accomplishments valiantly.
"You have done well, Luna. I am very proud of you. Still, I am worried for Fluttershy. I can see it in her eyes. She is frightened. She needs some reassurance," Celestia sighed as she stared down at the dragoness and Spike from atop the hill.
"Tia... I very well know this may seem like a foolish suggestion, but...don't you think it wise if Fluttershy were to visit the dragon city herself?" the night princess asked.
"Oh, no! I couldn't force a pony like her to-" Celestia tried to object but was stopped by her sister.
"But that's just it! She was a pony. Although our knowledge of the past is great, our knowledge on the history of dragons is narrow. If what you say is true, then the chances of dear Fluttershy finding a cure are very sparse," the cerulean alicorn said, her voice regal yet noble. Celestia let out an elongated sigh.
"Maybe you're right, Luna. I am just...I am just concerned for her safety," she replied.
"As you have every right to be, sister. Just remember, I was only giving a mere suggestion. After all, was it not you who said to me that 'all answers are sought by those who wish to seek them?'" Luna playfully replied to her sister, holding her hoof up in a rather theatrical fashion. Celestia grinned at her sister's fairly accurate imitation of her.
"You're right, Luna. Even after a thousand years, you still manage to lighten my spirits," Celestia chuckled.
"Of course, Tia. I shall always be there for you," Luna lovingly embraced her older sister. The two sisters then made their descent down the hillside.
"Fluttershy!" Luna happily called out. Fluttershy lifted her head to see the lunar princess approaching her, sheepishly grinning. Although Fluttershy's initial paranoia against Luna had softened over the years, she couldn't help but call back to the event during the Nightmare Night festival when the Princess had almost, unintentionally, damaged her spine.
"Oh! Umm...hello...Princess Luna" Fluttershy managed to mumble.
"Fluttershy, your friends are waiting for you. You may go now. Do not worry, the town is well aware of your condition. It is safe to go meet with them. Luna shall accompany you," Princess Celestia said.
Fluttershy's eyes brightened and she smiled. The dragoness lifted herself off the ground, stretching her body much like a dog waking from its daily nap. She let out a rather deep yawn before she and Princess Luna began her trek towards the library.
Twilight Sparkle's steadfast associate quickly followed.
~ ~ ~
The glass stained windows of the village started to close as many ponies prepared to sleep the night away. But after the news of Fluttershy's condition had been announced by the Princess, the story had spread like wildfire. Some ponies insisted on staying outside to see if the rumors were true. Needless to say, it did not lift Fluttershy's spirits any higher. As she walked through the village, many ponies stood petrified. Some stared at her wide-eyed, completely flabbergasted at just the sight of her. The dragoness whimpered as she trudged her way towards the library, Luna and Spike at her side.
"Do not pay them any mind, Fluttershy. Let us move on," Luna said, reassuring the scaly creature. After some time, the trio stopped in front of the library.
"This is where we must part. I wish you the best of luck Fluttershy. If you should ever need anything, do not hesitate to call me," said the alicorn with the mane of stardust.
"Thank you very much, Luna. For everything. I truly appreciate it," Fluttershy said, kneeling for her majesty.
"You need not thank me, dear Fluttershy. Thank your friends. Your friendship is one that truly cannot be broken," Luna said as she began to trot away from the massive tree.
As Princess Luna trotted through the village at a calm pace, she immediately stopped herself when she felt a ringing in her ear. Not too far from her position, she had overheard a conversation happening between two mares sitting at a table near Sugarcube Corner. She recognized them as the keepers of the Flower shop, Lily and Roseluck.
"Can you believe that Princess Celestia is letting a full grown dragon run around Ponyville?" Roseluck asked.
"I know! Can you imagine what type of chaos that could cause!?" Lily snobbishly retorted.
"You didn't hear this from me, but I heard from Ms. Cheerilee that that one mare Twilight Sparkle has something to do with it," Roseluck whispered. Lily gasped, bringing both hooves to her face. That was enough to send Luna marching towards the two mares.
"If you ask me, I say that they should just-" Lily began, but was quickly interrupted by the stomping of Luna's hoof.
"You...FOALS! Thou hath made a mockery of your princess' friends! What gives you the right to utter such hurtful words!?" Luna shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Umm...w-we're sorry!" Roseluck managed to stutter.
"THINE PLEAS OF MERCY MEAN NOTHING!! WE ARE NOT PLEASED BY THE TAUNTING WHICH HATH ESCAPED THY TONGUES!! BE GONE! OR THOU SHALL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES LAID BEFORE OUR HOOVES!!!" Luna bellowed, a bright light glowing from her eyes and a flash of lightning accompanying it. The two mares galloped away in fear, sending any other ponies to run inside.
Luna began to breathe heavily as the light began to cease from her eyes. The entire village was empty. The princess of the night sighed greatly.
"It has not been long since my return...and yet the nature of my people has not changed," she spoke softly.
_______________________________________
As the many voices of Ponyville began to silence themselves, a very heated conversation was taking place inside the esteemed abode of Twilight Sparkle.
"Twilight are you crazy!? We can't send Fluttershy away! She's our friend!" shouted Rainbow Dash.
"Unless you can think of any better ideas, Rainbow, then we don't have much of a choice! Fluttershy needs to be somewhere safe. If we send her away from Ponyville, she may be safe but she'll also become a primary target for ponies who are afraid of dragons! But if she stays here, then she might accidentally harm somepony!" Twilight replied as she began pacing the floor.
"Now listen here, sugarcube! Let's not jump to conclusions. There's gotta be a way we can work around this," said Applejack. The southern earth pony turned towards Rarity.
"Indeed. I can't imagine how hurt the poor thing would feel if we had to send her away!" cried Rarity.
"Ponyville wouldn't be the same without her!" Pinkie said.
"Twi, can't you just conjure up one of dem' transfiguration thingamajigs to change Fluttershy back into a pegasus pony?" asked Applejack.
"That won't do any good. I've looked at almost every possible spell that might be able to counter this, but almost all of them last for only a short amount of time! We're working with a far more complicated form of magic here. What makes this even worse is that I don't know ANYTHING relevant about dragons!" Twilight cried.
"Then... you mean that Fluttershy may never become a pony again?" Rainbow asked in agony. Silence befell the room. All five mares lowered their heads, a sense of dread befalling them.
"There has to be something we can do," said Rarity
"I... I don't know, girls. Maybe we should talk this over with Fluttershy," Twilight sighed.
Unbeknownst to the girls, Fluttershy had leaned her head up against the windowsill outside, listening to the entire conversation. Tears began to build up in her eyes.
"Umm...Fluttershy, are you okay?" asked Spike.
"I...I-I'm a...I'M A MONSTER!" she sobbed. Fluttershy sprinted off back towards the forest. She dared not look back, not even for a second.
"Wait, Fluttershy! Come back!" Spike shouted.
The door to the library opened in an instant. Twilight and the others gasped as they saw their best friend run away.
"Oh, no! You don't think she heard us, do you?" asked Twilight.
"Come on girls, we gotta go find her!" cried Rainbow Dash.
Before Rainbow could take off after her, Applejack held her hoof out in front of her, blocking her from leaving the doorway.
"Hold on, Rainbow. Fluttershy needs to be alone right now. If we talk to her now, then we might just end up makin' things worse," said the southern earth pony.
Fluttershy kept on running, a river of tears falling from her eyes. She had to get as far away from the town as she possibly could; she had to find a place where no pony could see her anguish.
Fluttershy came upon a small clearing, much like the one she had found in her dream. A circle of trees surrounded her. Fluttershy looked towards the sky, seeing the moon shine down upon her. She collapsed onto the ground. Large groups of tears fell from her eyes.
I'm a monster...a hideous monster! I...I can't take it anymore!
She could hold it no longer. Fluttershy stood up, her neck facing the moon, and began to weep. What came from Fluttershy's mouth was not an ordinary cry. Instead, it was the cry of a tormented, lonely creature. Her cry, deep and melancholy, echoed throughout Ponyville.
The dragoness' transformation was complete.
Chapter III: From Smallest Beginnings
~ Chapter III: From Smallest Beginnings ~+ Bathing Under the Moonlight + The Magic of Friendship + Fluttershy's Choice +
The night sky shone brightly over the town of Ponyville, the forest shaken from the rumblings of the beast that now lay hushed in the center of the deep woods. A long time had passed since the announcement was made regarding Fluttershy's predicament. The entire town was now fast asleep and the grief-stricken dragoness was alone. Fluttershy wanted to curl herself up into a little ball, but found it difficult to position herself due to her new girth. Her neck stretched a few feet outwards so that she could look upon the distant mountains to the north of the forest. As she tore against the patches of grass that surrounded her, Fluttershy lay silent, the only sound being that of her own breathing. A great deal of thought formed in Fluttershy's mind. Why had this happened? Of all the creatures in Equestria, why did fate choose this strange and almost otherworldly circumstance to find its way to the most timid of pegasus ponies?
To Fluttershy, it made no sense. But her conscience was clear. To her, this was no ordinary spell. It was a curse; it was nothing more than an evil work of magic put upon her by a wicked enchantress of some sort. That had to be the explanation. Who would even think of changing her into a dragon, and why? But then she remembered the vision. The dragon in her sleep did feel very real when she encountered it the night before her sudden transformation. But Fluttershy had more important things to worry about other than her own trepidations. Her friends still hadn't found a solution to the problem and Fluttershy was growing very uncertain about her future. The thought of having to leave Ponyville and her friends forever brought her once again to the edge of tears. She wept silently, her deep breathes becoming stifled. Then, she felt a light touch on her back.
From behind, Fluttershy felt the gentle stroke of the Princess' hoof, soothing her pain as Celestia spoke to her with somber yet motherly words.
"Shhh. Dear Fluttershy, there is no reason to grieve," she said. Fluttershy lifted her neck off the ground to see the Princess. She saw the ivory alicorn smiling at her, as she did with her all her subjects, but soon saw it fade as the Princess saw the bruised backside of the dragoness. Fluttershy noticed right away the rather solemn demeanor Celestia had as she looked at the blotches of rippled scales from the side of Fluttershy's body. As Celestia inspected Fluttershy's back, her eyes darted back and forth as she saw the massive clawmarks cut deep within the creature's skin. Celestia looked back into Fluttershy's eyes with an expression of heartache that mirrored Fluttershy's own visage with incredible accuracy.
"Fluttershy... did you... try scratching off your own scales?" the princess asked. The dragoness looked at the torn patches of scales and dragon's hide scattered across her back. She hung her head low in shame, hoping that the princess might spare her her humility.
"I didn't mean to! I swear! I was just scared. No... I was terrified. I was so afraid of what I had become that I just couldn't bare to look at myself. Now look at me. I'm a terrifying, horrible, ugly looking monster," Fluttershy replied. Just then, Fluttershy felt the gentle nuzzling of the Princess' mane against her cheek. Using her right hoof, Celestia urged the dragoness to lift her head slightly upwards so that the two's eyes could meet one another.
"No, Fluttershy. Don't say that. I don't think of you that way at all. Fear is very common. But it is also a very powerful and dangerous emotion. Only when its confronted can you prevent yourself from doing rather foolish things," Celestia said, her tone both pleasant and dignified.
"But... don't you ever get scared?" Fluttershy asked. Celestia lightly chuckled and nodded.
"I do. I fear for my subjects every day. But the ponies I fear for the most are the ones closest to me, just as your friends fear for you," Celestia replied, her motherly smile once again shining through. "Come. If you have the strength, I would like for you to walk with me. There is something I would like to show you," Celestia added, urging the dragoness to follow her.
Curious, Fluttershy tried lifting her body off the ground but found that she was aching all over. She let out a quick groan and began stretching her body. Celestia stood back a few feet as the dragoness spread her beautiful wings. Celestia, having yet to actually see Fluttershy spread her newfound wings, was in awe at how light they appeared to be. Fluttershy flapped them once or twice to check if everything was in order. After she readjusted her neck, Fluttershy stood up and started walking alongside the Princess.
Celestia guided Fluttershy deeper into the heart of the woods, the moon still shining above them. But for a majority of the their walk, Fluttershy found that neither she nor the Princess had been sharing a conversation with each other. The whole trip was rather silent, the chirping of the crickets being the only audible sound to touch Fluttershy's ears. Fluttershy would frequently look at the Princess, nervous and a tad puzzled as to where she was being led to. She had never gone this far into the forest on her own. But she was still very curious as to what it was that Princess Celestia was so eager to show her. Celestia remained silent. Eventually, the two arrived at a hill beyond the woods, which Celestia started to climb. "Follow me," she said, looking back at Fluttershy for a brief moment before trudging onward. Fluttershy had stopped at the base of the hill, still a little perplexed about Celestia's intentions for their walk. The dragoness leaped forward a few inches every now and then to keep up with the Princess, fearing the possibility of being separated from her.
After what had seemed like ages, Celestia stopped at the very apex of the hilltop they had been climbing. The top of the hill was high enough to provide an excellent view of Ponyville to the two of them. The little town could be seen even beyond the wide expanse of forest; it appeared to be quite a few miles away. Celestia turned her head and saw Fluttershy following suit. Fluttershy stopped and began to catch her breath. "Why... why did we stop here?" she asked, letting out a few prolonged breathes. Celestia then directed Fluttershy's attention to what they had climbed the hill to see. A small pool of water rested before them. It was colored a vivid blue and it appeared to be steaming hot. Fluttershy's eyes widened with intrigue as she slowly stepped closer to look into the water.
"This pool is a place where I tend to cleanse myself and relax during long visits to Ponyville. It has magical properties. Under the light of the moon, this water can heal one's injuries and pain. Sadly, I'm afraid it will not change you back into a pony. But it will help with your missing scales," Celestia stated, pointing to the gashes on Fluttershy's side. Fluttershy's face went red as she began to notice just how dirty and ragged she looked. She giggled nervously, embarrassed by her current appearance, and slithered into the pool, causing some of the water to splash out.
To Fluttershy's surprise, the bottom of the pool was astonishingly deep. Although she wasn't very accustomed to swimming, she found it easy to move her now massive body underwater. Her immediate thought was that the pool's size changed depending on whoever stumbled upon it. Perhaps this was one of the pool's magical abilities. The warm water was very relaxing. As she let herself sink towards the bottom, Fluttershy would occasionally try to pop a couple of the bubbles surfacing towards the top; a childish sense of wonder filled her up with delight. Every now and then, she would stretch her neck out towards the surface to catch her breath before diving back down again. Soon enough, the pool's wonders began to take effect. As Fluttershy closed her eyes, the gashes on her body began to heal, returning the yellow-colored scales to the patches of skin that was missing them. As Celestia looked down from above, she watched as an array of bright lights danced and dissipated across the surface of the water. With a great splash, Fluttershy crawled out of the pool, breathing heavily as she shook the water droplets off her body like a wet dog.
"Feeling any better, Fluttershy?" Celestia asked. After she shook herself dry, Fluttershy examined her body and found the pain from her injuries had vanished completely. All of her scales were intact. Fluttershy let out a heavy sigh of relief and smiled, refreshed and happy that the pain had finally passed.
"Yes, much better. But I'm starting to get a little tired. If it's not too much trouble, Princess, would you mind walking back home with me?" Fluttershy asked politely.
"I'd be glad to," Celestia said, smiling sweetly as both she and the dragoness made their way down the slope of the hilltop.
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Princess Celestia was satisfied knowing that she had helped heal the wounded dragoness and helped settle her growing fear, if only for tonight. As the two made their way to the little cottage at the edge of the Everfree Forest, Celestia couldn't help but think about Luna's previous suggestion. The idea that Luna had stated was nagging at the back of her mind and Celestia was beginning to fear its inception.
Asking her to journey to the City of the Dragons? Ask her to make peace with the Dragon's Guild? How could I ask that of her? she worried. Celestia became lost in her thoughts as she and the dragoness continued to walk in silence towards the cottage. Fluttershy stopped and turned her head towards the Princess.
"Princess Celestia, before I go... I'd like to say thank you. For everything you've done for me," Fluttershy said meekly. As if on cue, Fluttershy's kind words broke Celestia's train of thought and brought her attention back to reality.
"Truly, its the least I can do. Sadly, while I would like to stay, I must return to Canterlot. I hope that you have a wonderful evening," Celestia said, preparing to turn her back.
"Wait... don't go," Fluttershy said quietly. Celestia stopped and looked back. Although Fluttershy was starting to get a little more used to her situation, the Princess could see the uncertainty in Fluttershy's eyes. The dragoness hung her head low, staring at the grass. Celestia turned back towards her.
"I-I know that that's a lot to ask for but... I'm scared. What's going to happen to me? What will my friends do? Please, I don't want to leave Ponyville! I just want to be myself again. I want to be the pony that my friends love," Fluttershy cried. Celestia chuckled lightly and shook her head.
"Fluttershy, do you want to know why I sent Twilight to Ponyville? I sent her here because I wanted her to learn about the Magic of Friendship. You know that, don't you?" Celestia asked. The dragoness nodded.
"Well, there once was a time when Twilight believed she did not have a need for friends. But like many things in this world, she changed. She soon realized that it was her connection to you and the rest of your friends that gave her the strength she needed to defeat her greatest enemies. Your friends care deeply for you, Fluttershy, no matter what you may be," Celestia said.
"But... what if I never become myself again? What if I'm forced to be a dragon forever?" Fluttershy asked. It was at that moment that Celestia saw just how desperate and afraid Fluttershy was. Celestia once again found herself thinking about the Dragon City and the possible quest Fluttershy would have to take if she wanted to return herself to normal. The princess lifted the dragoness' head so that she could meet her gaze.
"Fluttershy, even if things are at their bleakest, your friends will still love you and care for you as they always have," Celestia said. "However, there may yet be a way for you to fix this," Celestia exclaimed. Fluttershy raised her head in curiosity. Celestia began to gaze at the stars in the sky.
"In ancient times, long before the uprising against Nightmare Moon, dragons and ponies lived together in unison under the rule of my sister and me. Far beyond the land of Equestria, a league of wise dragons ruled in the City of the Dragons, known as Targus. They called themselves the Dragon's Guild," Celestia spoke in a tenebrous manner.
Fluttershy stared at the princess, intrigued yet terrified at her story. A league of dragons? she mused. Perhaps, she thought, this could be the answer to her returning to her original form.
"When my sister threatened to shroud the land in eternal night, the dragons became divided and most of them were never seen or heard from again. Some of them even went mad. However, I have confidence that one of them may still be alive. He is my friend, Arabus, the Earth Dragon. Fluttershy, if you wish to become a pony once again, go to Targus and seek him out. He will give you the answers you seek," Celestia said.
"But how do I find this city? It sounds like it could be very... very far away," Fluttershy said timidly. Celestia turned her head, pointing Fluttershy towards a gorgeous view of the landscape.
"Targus lies beyond the reaches of Equestria. Follow the Morning Star beyond the snowy mountains and pass the fiery deserts. The journey is a long one, filled with many dangers," Celestia said.
"Dangers? Oh, no! I couldn't possibly do that! What if I get captured!? What if I come across bigger, meaner, scarier dragons!?" cried Fluttershy as she forced herself onto the ground in fear.
"It is your choice, Fluttershy. I will not force you to venture to such a far distance if you do not wish to," Celestia replied. A look of worry fell upon the dragoness' face. "I will stay until tomorrow. If you choose to embark on this journey, you just need to inform me of your decision to do so," the Princess added, nodding her head slightly as a sign of respect. As she nodded, Celestia started walking down the road back into Ponyville.
The Magic of Friendship....
"Princess Celestia, wait!" she cried. Celestia stopped and turned to face the dragoness.
"Give me until tomorrow morning to make my decision," Fluttershy said. The Princess, surprised at Fluttershy's response, nodded gracefully.
"Very well, Fluttershy. I must go now and rest. In a few hours, I will have to raise the sun. I hope you have a wonderful evening," the Princess told Fluttershy. Without looking back, Celestia walked slowly down the road back into Ponyville, leaving Fluttershy to her own thoughts.
"Good Night," was all the dragoness managed to say before the Princess had left. Fluttershy took a deep breath and started making her way towards the back of her cottage, hoping to find some place to sleep for the rest of the night. She fashioned a makeshift bed using a collection of leaves from the trees surrounding her home. She curled up atop her creation and closed her eyes, hoping to at least find peace in the silent repose of slumber.
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Darkness. It was pitch black when Fluttershy opened her eyes, only to find herself lost in the dark. The air was deathly still and nothing made a sound. All Fluttershy could hear was the stilted sounds of her own breathing. To her surprise, Fluttershy found that she was no longer a dragoness, but a pegasus. She was her old self again. She gave a huge sigh of relief, a small bit of joy warming her heart.
It was enough to make the darkness subside, the black shadows melting away all around her. A new picture had been painted in front of the pegasus pony. She found herself standing near the edge of a ravine, a snowy mountain off in the distance. The sound of a massive waterfall rushing down the side of the mountain caught her attention. She then heard the merry chirping of songbirds as the sun began to set. To Fluttershy, it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. She then looked to the sky and saw something she hadn't noticed before. A bright star was shining just over the horizon, beyond the sun.
The Morning Star...
It shone brilliantly above the ravine. Fluttershy took yet another deep breath inwards, closing her eyes and enjoying every minute of this beautiful place. It was then that she head the all-too familiar voice of a stranger.
"Such a lovely place," said the stranger. Fluttershy gasped and quickly turned around to find Princess Luna approaching her.
"P-Princess Luna? What are you doing here? Am... Am I dreaming?" Fluttershy asked, placing a hoof on her chest. Luna smiled and nodded her head as a friendly gesture.
"Indeed, Fluttershy. Forgive me for my intrusion. As the Princess of the Night, it is my duty to look into the dreams of those who are troubled," Luna stated in a whimsical but potent manner.
"Then you must know what I've been thinking about. You must know why I'm having this dream," Fluttershy replied, hoping for a response that could further answer her questions.
"I do. You are frightened by your current appearance. You wish to return to the way you once were," Luna stated. Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "Then I am afraid the journey to the Dragon City is the only way you will be able to return to normal," Luna added. A look of dismay quickly fell upon Fluttershy. Her greatest fear had been realized.
"Please! That can't be the only way! I can't go to the Dragon City! Please, you must know something else! Is there anything that I can do to fix this?" Fluttershy pleaded to Luna. As dismayed as the Princess was for the yellow pegasus, she had to tell her the truth. Luna placed her hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder and sighed.
"I'm afraid not, Fluttershy. Even Celestia and I do not have much knowledge on dragons. I wish I could help you, but I'm afraid I do not have the ability to change anything in this situation. The City of the Dragons could provide you with more answers than we could. If you make the journey, Fluttershy, you will find the members of the Dragon's Guild. They will help you. I am certain of it," Luna said encouragingly.
Fluttershy looked up at Luna. She could see Luna forming a friendly smile. The yellow pegasus looked out past the waterfall and back towards the snowy mountains. The astounding height of the mountains intimidated her a bit. "The decision is yours, Fluttershy. Should you choose to travel to the Dragon City, your chances of breaking the enchantment that was put on you will be much greater. If not, you can choose to remain a dragon and stay in Ponyville with your friends. It is your choice," Luna said, further complicating Fluttershy's decision.
Fluttershy looked back at Luna and sighed. "I... I've got to try," the yellow pegasus said. Luna shut her eyes for a brief moment.
"So you will choose to journey to Targus. If I might ask, dear Fluttershy, why?" Luna asked.
"I could never leave my friends. They mean so much to me. But I can't stay a dragon forever. It would just hurt them too much. Even though it pains me to leave, I have to go. Its just... I'm afraid to do it," Fluttershy said. Luna could feel the levity in Fluttershy's tone. The Princess of the Night began to feel a great deal of respect for the yellow pegasus pony.
"Fluttershy, everything that you see here once began from small beginnings. But it was the journey that lead them towards greatness. You will never truly be alone. You have the love of your friends to guide you. However, one question remains. When your fears begin to take hold of you, will you be ready to face them?" Luna asked.
Luna's question resonated in Fluttershy's mind for a moment. As it did, the scenic world of the dream began to disappear, and with a sudden gust of wind, Luna was nowhere to be seen. The dream came to a collapse and Fluttershy once again found herself in darkness.
Fluttershy quickly opened her eyes to find the sun shining down upon her. Fluttershy had slept close to the chicken's pen at the back of her cottage where most of her animal friends could be found. She yawned and stretched her legs. Fluttershy's thoughts turned to the dream she had encountered with Princess Luna last night. Unbeknownst to Fluttershy, however, Princess Celestia had been standing right next to her for a good five minutes.
"Ahh!!" Fluttershy yelped. She backed away from the Princess slightly, startled by her sudden appearance. She quickly straightened herself out and cleared her throat.
"Good Morning, Fluttershy. I'm here, just as you asked. Have you made your decision?" Celestia asked calmly.
"Yes. I'm ready," Fluttershy said with a stroke of confidence. Celestia nodded and the two began putting their plans to work.
