DragonFeather

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Prologue
Chapter 7

Chapter 1

After several long minutes of expedient flight over the Everfree Forest, the stifling canopy finally gave way to the misty silhouette of the Castle of the Two Sisters. Rainbow Dash smiled at the sight of the ancient structure, already tasting the cider on her tongue. She put on a burst of speed from anticipation.

As she approached, she began to make out details from within the mist. The nearly completed stone bridge crossing the ravine, the scaffolding that adorned the castle like ivy, and a large clearing filled with tree stumps where the castle grounds were to be expanded. Although the slog of construction was everywhere, it was done carefully to preserve the environment as much as possible. Old statues were tended by tender hooves, forgotten flower beds prepared for new planting, and despite the numerous felled trees, many had been left in place for aesthetics.

The castle was becoming a blend of old and new, something that anypony could admire even while it was in the midst of construction. Rainbow Dash, however, paid the spectacle no mind, and was instead scanning the grounds for a familiar apple cart, fearing that the only way she’d be able to spot it would be due to line a mile long.

In moments she was able to make out the forms of ponies; a mixture of pegasi, unicorns, earth ponies, as well as the castle’s new occupants—the bat ponies.

The main three races made up the bulk of the restoration crew, each of them experts in their own field who had been requested by the princesses to labor over what some were already calling the project of the century. Despite its remote and dangerous location, each pony had eagerly agreed to work on restoring such a wonder. They zealously performed their tasks, milling about while wearing yellow hard hats as they hammered and drilled at the old stone. They knocked over crumbling walls so they could painstakingly remake them. They built new rooms and buildings with which to bring the castle into the modern era, and they added modern cosmetic designs only when the old could not be salvaged.

For the last month, Rainbow Dash’s visits to the castle had been meet with the echoes of construction, and for a moment she was tempted to investigate the recent progress of the massive project. But she cast the notion aside, and furrowed her brow as she refocused herself on a goal far more important than the castle’s restoration.

The mist rolled in her wake as she crossed the ravine, causing all who noticed to turn their heads with concerned expressions. Everypony at the castle had quickly learned to recognize the signs of Rainbow Dash’s arrival, and they promptly moved clear from her usual landing spots.

Rainbow Dash slammed into the ground hard, and the momentum caused her to slide across the lawn, tearing up chunks of earth beneath her hooves. To her audience’s disbelief, it was the longest one she had made yet, easily extending a number of feet past similar marks from her previous landings.

“Where is it?” Rainbow Dash shouted, her voice nearly matching the noise of construction.

A nearby batpony daringly stepped forward. “Where’s what?” he asked.

“What?” Rainbow Dash shouted, bringing a hoof to her ear.

The batpony gulped and raised his voice. “Where’s what?”

“The cider!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. She sprinted towards him and grabbed him by the scruff. “Where’s the cider?”

“Cider? Oh!” he cried in relief. “You’re just looking for Miss Applejack. For a moment I thought you were back for another flying lesson. To be honest, I don’t think my wings could-”

Rainbow Dash pressed her face inches away from his, and stared at him with a wild gaze. “Where. Is. The. Cider!”

“T-Third wing,” the batpony mumbled.

“What?”

“Third wing!” the batpony yelled, and he was immediately released as Rainbow Dash zoomed into the castle.

If she hadn’t been so focused on finding the apple cart, she might have noticed the earth pony wearing a yellow hard hat waving at her to stop.

The moment Rainbow Dash flew through the large doors and into the entrance hall, she yelped as her path suddenly became blocked by a mass of wood. Within the span of a heartbeat, Rainbow Dash folded her wings and dipped below the obstacle, and then opened her wings again as she rose up on the other side. Looking back, she saw it had been a pile of lumber being carried by a team of unicorns, and she sighed in relief.

But when she turned her head forward, she yelped again at the sight of stone falling towards her.

With adrenaline fueled panic, Rainbow Dash swung her hips from left to right as she swerved through the broken chunks of castle, narrowly avoiding stones that were bigger than her whole body. Then, after clearing the debris, Rainbow Dash sighed yet again in relief, all while glancing downward at the pile of rocks that had nearly squashed her.

Her gaze then traveled to a group of ponies frantically waving their arms, and before she knew it, she crashed into a highrise of scaffolding. The wooden platforms snapped from the impact, and the metal poles rang as the structure came tumbling down.

The crash caught everypony’s attention, and they lowered their tools and set aside their loads so that they could look in shock at the destroyed section of scaffolding, covering their mouths as a wave of dust exploded outward. When it had settled, the nearest ponies cautiously moved forward to investigate. Half buried in the center of the wreckage was Rainbow Dash, staring upwards with wide eyes as she breathed heavily.

“Ouch,” she groaned.

With a grunt, she lifted herself up and looked at the destruction around her, and then towards the ponies staring at her. Some wore worried expressions, others had their mouths open in shock, and a few stared at her with exasperation.

“Again?” one of the unicorns exclaimed. She shoved past the dumfounded spectators and whipped out a pencil from behind her ear, and she glared at Rainbow Dash as she furiously began to scribble down notes.

“Eheheh…” Rainbow Dash replied as she stood up, wiping the dust off her as she flashed the construction manager a nervous smile. “Hey, Steel Weld. Nice day for flying, huh?”

Steel Weld’s glare intensified.

“Heheh... So, uh… Know where the third wing’s at?

Ten hooves pointed towards a hallway that wasn’t covered with warning signs, and Rainbow Dash brought a hoof behind her head as she hovered upward. “You know, I think Twilight’s been pretty busy lately, so let’s just pretend this never happened. You know… For Twilight’s sake.”

Before Steel Weld could open her mouth, Rainbow Dash was already flying down the passage as quickly as her wings could take her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Stupid castle, stupid work ponies, stupid directions,” Rainbow Dash grumbled as she flew through halls and corridors, quickening her pace as a sense of urgency rose within her.

Whenever she came across a bat pony for directions to the third wing of the castle, she found herself running into another team of construction ponies who vehemently pointed her towards a supposed detour, only for her to become lost and repeat the cycle anew. It was when she found herself within the same room for the fifth time that Rainbow Dash stopped.

“Auuuugh!” she groaned as she pulled her cheeks downward. “Doesn’t anypony know how to give directions?”

“Directions to what?” a male voice said behind her.

Rainbow Dash mumbled a series of curses beneath her breath as she turned around, but then froze at the sight a curious batpony staring up at her, and the mug he casually sipped from.

“What is that? Is that cider?” Rainbow Dash asked, and she landed in front of the bat pony. With two sniffs, Rainbow Dash’s feathers quivered. “It is! Where did you get it?”

“Miss Applejack,” the batpony replied while raising an eyebrow.

“Where is she?” Rainbow Dash asked desperately. She grabbed a hold of him and begged with pleading eyes. “Please, just tell me which way that doesn’t lead me to a dead end or more angry worker ponies. Just tell me where the cider is! I need it!”

“Um… Is this really worth getting so worked up about?” he asked while trying to lean away.

The softness in Rainbow Dash’s voice vanished as she gripped him tighter and pulled her face closer. “Where. Is. It?”

The batpony gulped, and he pointed his hoof towards the right. Rainbow Dash followed the direction, spying an open door at the other end of the room, and she saw another batpony exit the doors who was also carrying a mug.

Rainbow Dash didn’t waste another moment as she darted towards the door, pausing only momentarily to glance down the hall to make sure it was void of warning signs before proceeding with haste.

Her worried expression slowly changed into joy as she passed over another pony carrying a mug, and then another, and another. But soon, her joy turned to panic as she came across more and more ponies with mugs, and she doubled her speed through the wide passageways, causing the bat ponies beneath her to shield their mugs as their bodies were tugged by the whipping wind from Rainbow Dash’s passing.

Eventually, the passage turned into another large hall, one that connected to a decorative flower garden. Large columns lined the wall, allowing ponies to enter the garden between the pillars of stone. At the base of one of the columns was a sea of bat ponies, and in the middle stood Applejack’s food cart. A flurry of emotions played across Rainbow Dash’s face as she flew towards it.

Every bat pony was sipping merrily from their mugs, most of whom were heading towards the garden to enjoy their beverage in peace. Rainbow Dash landed a short distance away, craning her neck as she tried to squeeze her way towards the cart.

“Excuse me, outta’ the way. AJ? Can you hear me? Is there any cider left? Excuse me, coming through!”

Rainbow Dash weaved through the murmuring crowd, ducking beneath raised hooves and excited wing flaps. Whenever a mug passed her vision she found herself enviously turning her head to follow it, biting her lip as it was brought to the recipients lips and downed with happy gulps. Each satisfied ‘yum’ and ‘mmm’ caused her to drool longingly, and she moved more forcefully through the crowd. Soon, she spied the cart between the blocking bodies, and with a lusting smile, she spotted the last mug of cider.

“It’s mine!” Rainbow Dash called out as she pressed herself forward. “I got it! I got the last one!”

Wriggling free, Rainbow Dash leapt towards the cart, and as she did, time slowed to a crawl. Her overjoyed smile morphed into a frown as she saw a coin exchange hooves, and her fear turned to despair as she mouthed the word, ‘Nooooooooooooo.’

Time resumed, and Rainbow Dash fell at the foot of the cart as the last mug was taken away.

“Come again,” Applejack said happily as she watched the batpony leave, and then looked to the crowd. The pleased faces of the bat ponies had turned into looks of concern as they stared towards the apple cart. A groan caught Applejack’s attention, and when she peered over the edge of her cart she saw Rainbow Dash’s collapsed form. “Rainbow Dash? Is that you?”

With her face stuck to the floor, Rainbow Dash muttered something unintelligible.

“Ah guess you heard Ah was selling some cider, huh?”

Rainbow Dash flicked her tail in annoyance, refusing to move her prone body.

Applejack smirked, and then settled back behind the counter. “Well, you can stay on the floor as much as ya like. Guess Ah’ll just have to find somepony else to drink this here last mug of cider.”

Rainbow Dash lifted her head from the floor. “Last mug?” She was instantly standing and propped her front hooves on the counter, and stared at Applejack with wide eyes. “There’s a last, last mug?”

“Mhmm!” Applejack replied as she bent down and began to rummage beneath the counter. “Ah figured you’d catch wind about this here selling, so Ah made sure to save ya one.”

To Rainbow Dash’s disbelief, Applejack set down a fresh mug of cider on the counter, and she pushed it towards Rainbow Dash.

Applejack chuckled. “You can pay me back later, since you probably had gone and left without getting your coins.”

Rainbow Dash gently grabbed ahold of the mug, and brought it towards herself with an ecstatic grin. “This is so worth the scolding I’m getting later.” And with that, she took a deep gulp of the delicious liquid.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Scolding?”

“Didn’t you hear?” a nearby batpony said. “Word is she knocked over some scaffolding, this time at the entrance hall.”

“Crab apples, Dash. Again?”

Rainbow Dash ignored her, as she was far too engrossed in savoring every last drop of her cider.

“You know Twalight ain’t gonna be happy about that.”

Tipping her head back, Rainbow Dash downed the last of the mug, and then slammed it onto the cart with a satisfied sigh. “It’s okay, I can die in peace now.”

“Ah’ll be sure to send your regards to your family in Cloudsdale,” Applejack deadpanned.

Rainbow Dash wiped her mouth with a hoof, and then leaned against the counter’s edge. “You should have told me you were coming here to sell some cider.”

“Ah wanted to make sure Ah actually had some cider to sell by the time Ah got here,” Applejack replied, taking Rainbow Dash’s mug away and storing it below the counter.

“How’d you get this thing over the ravine anyway?”

“They got a temporary bridge just down the way. Figure it’ll be another few months before they finish the one for the main path. When that happens it’ll be much easier to do business.”

“I bet business is booming.”

Applejack smiled. “Sure is. Helps being the nearest source of fruit, Ah suppose.”

“And the best!” a random batpony shouted from the crowd. “Three cheers for Miss Applejack and her delicious wares!”

Applejack’s cheeks reddened as she pulled her hat forward, and the whole hall was filled with three short bursts of whooping cries.

The crowd then began to thin as the bat ponies went about their day, depositing their mugs in piles near the cart as they offered their thanks again. Some of them yawned before retreating back into the castle, muttering to each other how it had been worth it to wake up in the middle of the day.

Rainbow Dash took the whole scene with a smug smile, and turned to Applejack. “They aren’t such a bad bunch once you get to know them.”

“Ah’ll say,” Applejack replied while busily storing the mugs away. “Big Mac is already working another field for planting. We figure it’s about time we went and brought the reserved plots into action. Always knew we’d use ‘em someday when Ponyville got bigger, but hadn’t figured it’d be for a whole castle worth of ponies.” Applejack wiped her brow and stepped out from behind her cart. “Ah was even thinking of hiring some more help for the farm with the castle growing like it is.”

“I know what you mean,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I’ve been busting my flank off from doing double cloud duty between Ponyville and here. The batpony weather team is coming along, but they aren’t there yet.” Rainbow Dash looked out into the garden, and then turned her eyes upwards to leer at the mist. “Gonna have to have a word with my team about getting this cleared up.”

“Aw, it ain’t so bad,” Applejack said. “Looks much better than when y’all started.“

“Doesn’t mean they get to slack off,” Rainbow Dash replied with a snort. “If they’re gonna to live in the Everfree then they’re gonna have to learn to be on top of it. If you let this kind of weather slip by it’ll just pile up and get worse. And as the training captain for castle’s weather team, I’m not letting them get away with shoddy work.”

Applejack smirked. “We’ll let ‘em finish their cider first and then you can get to busting some clouds.”

“Ugh, fine,” Rainbow Dash said.

The two of them shared some moments of silence by the cart, taking in the scene of pleased bat ponies sitting in the overgrown garden, or turning their heads to admire the ancient stonework around them, all while the muffled sounds of construction rang in the distance.

“So… Got anymore cider?” Rainbow Dash soon asked, and Applejack to rolled her eyes.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” a voice called out, and Rainbow Dash turned her head towards a familiar pair of mares.

“Hey, Cloud Shadow, Willow Shade,” Rainbow Dash replied, waving a hoof towards them. The two mares trotted up, each of them carrying a mug of cider, something Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but see.

When Rainbow Dash had first met the two mares, it had been under hostile circumstances, and they had been constantly at each other's throats. But Rainbow Dash had soon grown accustomed to their presence, and even looked forward to hanging out with them the more they spent time together in the recent peace since Night Walker’s defeat. It also helped that they were among the best fliers among the bat ponies, garnering Rainbow Dash’s respect. And now to her relief, the two were finally styling themselves in different ways, making it easier for Rainbow Dash to tell the two apart.

“How’s it going?” Willow Shade asked. While the back of her mane had been cut short, she still grew out the front, and could now hide a portion of her face beneath her silver bangs. “I thought you weren’t due back for a few days.”

Cloud Shadow giggled, her expansive silver ponytail shaking from her movements. “She probably missed us. Can’t say I blame her. After all, we’re the only competition she’s got around here.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Please, you two may be good, but you aren’t that good. Maybe if you two joined the weather team you’d finally be able to catch up to my awesome self.”

“Sorry, but you aren’t getting us on the team that easy,” Cloud Shadow replied. She then took a sip from her mug.

Rainbow Dash eyed the motion enviously.

“Come on,” Rainbow Dash continued. “You two would be great at it. The best batpony I got is only half as good as you. Do you know how fast we could clear this place with you two?”

“And make your life easier?” Willow Shade asked. “I think not.” She too took a sip from her mug, although with a longer duration than before.

Rainbow Dash’s mouth suddenly felt dry, and she swallowed.

“Besides,” Cloud Shadow said after smacking her lips. “Cloud busting just isn’t in us. No matter what I do the stuff just don’t cooperate with me.”

“That’s because you aren’t trying,” Rainbow Dash teased.

“You know, that might be it,” Cloud Shadow replied with feigned surprise, and then took another long sip from her mug.

Rainbow Dash began tapping her hoof anxiously.

“Of course, maybe if we had a good teacher,” Willow Shade added. “Somepony who knew what they were doing.”

“Hey, I totally know what I’m doing!” Rainbow Dash replied, and she flicked her tail as she watched Willow Shade shrug her shoulders before taking another sip.

“You do? That’s a relief,” Cloud Shadow said. “I better tell Feather Fall and the others then so they stop crashing into each other during practice.” As she brought the mug to her lips again, she let out a soft ‘mmmm’, causing Rainbow Dash’s feathers to quiver.

“Will you just drink it already!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, and the two mares burst into giggles before quickly downing the last of their mug’s contents.

Willow Shade wiped her mouth while grinning “Oh come on, it’s not every day we get to tease you like this. We gotta get our victories where we can.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled, all signs of her annoyance gone in a flash. “I guess so, especially since I beat you four to nothing in hoof ball.”

“Won’t be so easy next time,” Cloud Shadow said. She then set her mug next to the pile Applejack had made. “Thanks so much for bringing us some cider, Applejack.”

“Aw shucks, Ah’m glad to anytime.”

“Yeah,” Willow Shade added after setting hers down as well. “The second mug always tastes better than the first.”

“You got two!” Rainbow Dash cried, and the two batpony mares sped off with mocking laughter.

While Rainbow Dash was fuming and stamping her hooves on the ground, Applejack looked on in confusion. “You sure y’all get along?”

Rainbow Dash stopped her fussing and looked to Applejack with a raised eyebrow. “Huh? Yeah, of course.”

“Uh huh,” Applejack replied as she returned to stocking her mugs. “Guess Ah just don’t get y’all’s relationship. Funny way to treat friends, Ah think.”

“Pssh, it’s just some friendly competition.” In moments Rainbow Dash appeared calm, and she now stretched her wings casually like nothing had happened. “They’re alright, I guess. They just know how to ruffle my feathers. Fortunately for me, I know how to pay them back.” Rainbow Dash then gave a dark chuckle.

Applejack had seen that look a hundred times, and shook her head as she busied herself. “Do Ah even want to know what kind of prank you’re about to pull?”

“You already do,” Rainbow Dash replied with a mischievous grin, and she then hovered off while rubbing her hooves together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After an hour’s work of carefully carrying her poisonous payload, Rainbow Dash set the trap in motion, and she snickered evilly to herself. Laying atop Willow Shade and Cloud Shadow’s beds were two bouquets of flowers, both of which had ‘xoxo’ marked on the wrapping. Rainbow Dash marveled at her work, figuring that if she hadn’t found the notion so boring she’d actually make a fine florist. Even if most of the stems were broken and the petals missing, the most important piece of the bouquets remained intact. Rainbow Dash knew Twilight gave safety lectures about the Everfree Forest, but she figured Willow Shade and Cloud Shadow probably wouldn’t have paid close enough attention to know the difference a blue rose and poison joke.

With the dangerous blue flower as the centerpiece of the bouquets, Rainbow Dash was already imagining what horrendous but hilarious fate would befall the two mares when they came into contact with it.

Rainbow Dash snickered, but then paused to look across the room. The bat ponies’ housing hadn’t been completed, so for the time being multiple ponies would share a room within the castle, turning the spacious room into rows of bunk beds. At the other end of the room, one batpony stallion laid in his bed, and meekly looked at Rainbow Dash’s hoof work.

Rainbow Dash brought a hoof to her mouth and whispered, “Shhhh.” Then, for extra measure, she pounded her hooves together and pointed at him. The stallion quickly nodded, and returned his attention to his book, warily glancing from the corner of his eye now and then.

“Happy Cider Day,” Rainbow Dash whispered, and then flew out from the room.

Her devious snickering quickly vanished as she ran into Mist Hoof.

“Rainbow Dash? What brings you here?” he asked. “I thought you’d be back tomorrow for the training.”

“Mist Hoof!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “H-Hey! I was just came by to uh… Get some cider!”

Mist Hoof peered over her shoulder and to the bedroom door. “I don’t think you’re going to find it in there.”

“Oh, no, I already got some. I was just looking for, eh… Cloud Shadow and Willow Shade! Yeah, that’s it!” Rainbow Dash landed and then began to walk away. “But they weren’t in their beds, so I guess I better go and look for them.”

“I’ll join you,” Mist Hoof replied, and he trotted to her side.

Rainbow Dash’s hoofsteps had become stiff, but she otherwise sighed in relief that Mist Hoof hadn’t investigated further. “So, how’re things going?”

“Just fine, thanks,” Mist Hoof answered. “The construction is going smooth. Once we get everypony here into their own quarters, we can start taking a look at bringing more from Dusktown.”

“Yeah? That’s cool. Glad to hear you all are finally getting out of there.”

“Well, not everypony is,” Mist Hoof replied. “There’s actually a good amount that want to stay there.”

“What? Why?” Rainbow Dash asked, and she looked at Mist Hoof with a perplexed expression.

“It’s their home.”

“Yeah, and their prison. Come on, you guys have flight limits. Actual flight limits. What kind of pony wants to deal with that?”

“I know one,” Mist Hoof said quietly. “Despite the laws, Dusktown is our home, and we put a lot of care into it. It’s not something everypony is capable of giving up.”

“Seems like a pretty easy decision to me.”

“I bet most decisions are for you.”

“Heh, yeah.”

The two of them walked in silence for a time when Mist Hoof suddenly smiled. “Here, follow me.”

With a curious look, Rainbow Dash followed Mist Hoof down a side passage. The corridor twisted and turned, growing darker as they headed deeper into the castle. The sounds of construction echoed eerily in the distance, rising and falling as they passed numerous sections.

Eventually, though, a light appeared ahead, and Rainbow Dash opened her mouth in awe. In the middle of the corridor a team bat ponies were hard at work retiling the ceiling of the hallway, removing the old stones and plastering new ones in their place. Looking closer at how the new material shined and sparkled, Rainbow Dash stepped forward in awe.

“Is that what I think it is?”

“Yup,” Mist Hoof replied, looking at the work with pride. “Stone cut from the Unicorn Range, the same kind we use in Dusktown.”

“Cool,” Rainbow Dash replied, still moving closer for a better look. The polished surface glimmered like starlight, shining even when there was no light present. For a moment Rainbow Dash imagined what the castle would like when it was finished, and she smiled at the thought of feeling like she was walking beneath the night sky.

“Okay, that’s pretty awesome.”

“I have no intention of going back,” Mist Hoof said. “But I can’t deny that there is some good in Dusktown.” Turning around, he and Rainbow Dash made their way back to the main corridor.

“Still,” Rainbow Dash said. “I don’t think I could give up flying for something pretty.”

“Actually, with the Princess’ help, the town’s restrictions have been removed.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “About time Twilight got those old geezers to back down.”

Mist Hoof chuckled. “I can see bureaucracy doesn’t suit you. To be honest, I’m not a fan of it myself.”

Rainbow Dash flicked her tail. “I just don’t get why those old geezers haven’t been thrown in jail like the rest of them.”

“Not every hunter participated in Twilight’s capture,” Mist Hoof said. “They’ve lost a lot of leeway in matters, but the one’s who had some sense to them are still allowed their positions in court.”

“Well, if you ask me they all deserved a good kick to the flank.”

Mist Hoof chuckled again. “You know, I’m disappointed that I never got a chance to see you in action.”

Rainbow Dash smirked. “If you want, we can have a go sometime. Twilight’s been telling me how much you all used to practice fighting. I think it’s something that I could get into. I am a black belt, you know.”

“Only if I’m able to have a drink before hand.”

“No way, that’s cheating,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I’ve seen first hoof how you guys get when you got some blood.”

“Aside from sparring, let’s hope it’s the last,” Mist Hoof said.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

When they returned to the mail hall, Mist Hoof and Rainbow Dash looked to one another before they parted ways.

“I’ll let Willow Shade and Cloud Shadow know you were looking for them,” Mist Hoof said.

“No worries. I’m sure I’ll find them.” Rainbow Dash then snickered to herself. “I bet it’ll be real easy to figure out where they are.”

Mist Hoof raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more of the matter, and turned around. “Mares will be mares,” he said.

Rainbow Dash replied with another snicker, and then went on her way as well.

As she casually made her way out of the castle, Rainbow Dash looked around in admiration of the work that had been done so far. The castle was looking better every day. The rubble had been cleared, the moss scrubbed away, and the cobwebs swept. She figured that it wouldn’t be much longer before actual furniture would be brought in, and she imagined Rarity having a field day deciding the decor of the castle. The only reason she hadn’t been spending every waking moment at the castle to plan her changes was because of the construction barring most of the wings, areas that Rainbow Dash would sheepishly slink away from whenever the construction ponies gave her a stern glance at her approach.

Soon enough she found her way out of the castle, and she flew high above it to look at it all. From here she could see the laborious re-roofing process, and she whistled at how far it had come. Turning her gaze to the edges of the castle, she saw the foundations for the houses that would become the small town that would encircle the castle. While the massive structure could certainly hold a large amount of ponies, it had been decided to build small, adjacent buildings so as to provide more private housing as well as businesses. Peering through the mist, Rainbow Dash could see a thin perimeter of guard ponies—both batpony and non-batpony alike—providing protection from the Everfree.

While most of the creatures of the Everfree had quickly learned to leave the site alone, there was still the rogue manticore or pack of timberwolves that would test the borders. Sometimes the invaders would have the luck of being soothed by Fluttershy who was called in on such occasions, other times they weren’t as lucky as they learned first hand just how dangerous a group of vamponies could be.

Rainbow Dash laughed to herself at the idea. Vamponies. To think that such a filly’s tale actually came to life. While it had caused some of the most distraught and stressful months of Rainbow Dash’s life as she searched all of Equestria for Twilight, the idea of vamponies had settled into a warm place for Rainbow Dash, and now she even looked forward to their company. The ponies in Ponyville were awesome by all accounts, but the wild and sometimes dangerous nature of vamponies was simply too exciting for her to ignore.

“Speaking of dangerous,” Rainbow Dash said aloud, and she turned her head west. “I think it’s time for some practice at Ghastly Gorge.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Wooohoooo!” Rainbow Dash screamed.

Pulling up from her nose dive, Rainbow Dash grinned at the start of the obstacle course. The canyon walls blurred past her as she snaked through, hugging the walls as closely as she could with her turns. Her wing beats echoed about her as the air vibrated in her passing, the only source of noise in this section of the gorge. At some point the hissing of quarry eels would pierce the silence, but that was still some ways ahead, and she rolled her shoulders as she prepared herself for the course.

She rounded another bend, and she smirked at the sight of the razor sharp barbed plants. Tucking her wings, she dove forward while rolling, narrowly passing through a gap in the bushes. The thorns were all about her, and with unblinking eyes and adrenaline filled movements, Rainbow Dash navigated her way through the precarious environment. She ducked beneath the thorns, kicked off the their thick stems, and squeezed through holes like an acrobat. Within moments she cleared the plants, and she took a deep breath.

“Ahhh,” she sighed, feeling the stiffness in her limbs fade away. “Brambles, check. Windy cave?” She flew through another windy section of the gorge, and then spotted the dark hole up ahead that moaned menacingly. “Check.”

The gorge narrowed as she approached the hole, and the wind picked up in intensity due to the cave funneling all the air towards her. Rainbow Dash’s momentum slowed, but her wing beats only grew in strength, and she slowly closed the distance between the cave and herself.

It was while she grunted in effort that she caught notice of a shadow passing over her, and she looked up in surprise. “Wha-”

Something rocketed past her, nearly knocking her off course entirely, and Rainbow Dash stared in disbelief as whatever it was sailed into the cave. She stared open mouthed for some moments before recollecting herself, and while gnashing her teeth, Rainbow Dash covered the remaining distance and entered the cave.

What the hay was that? It just soared through like it was nothing.

Rainbow Dash flew through the cave, avoiding stalactites with the faintest amount of light, but mostly because of her memory of the place. Whatever it was that had passed her could be heard ahead, flapping with strong wing beats, and it navigated the cave as easily as Rainbow Dash did. She’d only be able to catch a glimpse of its form now and then in the darkness, and she narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

I don’t know who you are, but if you think you can show me up at my course, you got another thing coming.

The two of them winded their way through the dim cave, using only the brief cracks of light that shone through the rock above as their source of illumination. Rainbow Dash tried to close the gap between her and her unexpected guest, but whenever she saw the flash of red from its hide, it’d always be just ahead of her.

Then, a bright light appeared ahead, and Rainbow Dash broke free from the cave. Blinking away the spots in her vision, Rainbow Dash looked ahead and saw her competitor.

He was a pegasus, as large as Big Mac and just as red. His lengthy, auburn colored mane billowed behind him, and his expansive wings propelled him forward with massive speed. He slowed for a moment, taking the time to glance back at Rainbow Dash, and gave her an arrogant smile.

He was mocking her, and it was achieving the desired effect.

Rainbow Dash’s face tightened, and she put on a burst of speed to catch up with the large stallion. He kept his smug expression, and turned his attention forward again, matching Rainbow Dash’s acceleration.

The two of them flew through the gorge at breakneck speeds, and the gap between them would lessen as Rainbow Dash’s lithe form gave her an advantage on rocky twists and turns. But the stallion would gain distance again along the straightways, pumping his much larger wings with powerful strokes.

Rainbow Dash’s mood was growing hotter by the moment, and she growled in her efforts. I’m going to wipe that smug grin right off your face the moment I catch up to you, buster.

They continued on through the gorge, closing and furthering the distance between them over and over. But when the faint sound of hissing could be heard between the thwomps of their wing beats, Rainbow Dash gave a hopeful grin. Let’s see you get past this.

Up ahead was a narrow section of the gorge, and it was covered in holes that were larger than any pony. The red scales of the eels could be seen glinting in the sunlight as they poked their tongues out, testing the air for any disturbances. And as Rainbow Dash and the stallion came closer, the quarry eels stirred in their holes, and prepared themselves for a chance at a meal.

“I’d be careful if I were you,” Rainbow Dash called out, smiling expectantly for the stallion to turn tail at the sight of the eels. However, he merely glanced back at her with his smug grin, and then looked forward again with no signs of stopping.

Rainbow Dash blinked in surprise, but then snorted in irritation as she pursued him.

The moment the stallion entered the nest, the eels launched out from their holes with gaping maws. With surprising agility, the stallion avoided the first eel, using his powerful wings to launch himself above its attack. The eel slammed into the opposite wall, cracking the stone, and soon, more joined it as the stallion weaved his way through.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe what she saw. The stallion was handling the quarry eels with perfect timing and skillful dodges, and at one point even landed on one of their heads and bucked its skull, launching himself forward with his muscular legs. Rainbow Dash was in awe at the sight, but as she too approached the eels, she pulled her eyes away from the stallions movements and onto the dangerous eels.

While not as direct as the stallion, Rainbow Dash weaved through and around the eels, narrowly avoiding their bites by inches at times, and more often than not, because she chose to risk such proximity. She found it all too easy to tempt the eels towards her, making silly faces at them only to expertly dodge them at the last possible second, grinning at herself in making them cause the largest cracks in the stone from this misses.

She performed loop de loops, barrel rolls, and even flew upside for some moments, all because she could fly through the quarry nest in entertaining ways, and she did so with glee.

Soon enough she was through, and she held her hooves at her sides as she laughed. The quarry eels shook their heads as they slithered back into their holes, hissing menacingly at once again missing their blue tormenter. Rainbow Dash wiped a tear from her eye, feeling her giggles come down, but then quickly became silent as she remembered her guest.

The stallion was hovering a short distance away, and was smiling from her antics. The two of them kept eye contact for some seconds, but it broke as the stallion turned her gaze at the end of the gorge. They were at the last stretch, and the stallion kicked forward to finish the race.

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, and with a raspy voice exclaimed, “Nuh uh.”

With a kick of her hooves, Rainbow Dash flew after him, and the race was back on.

They’d reach the end of the gorge in no time, and despite Rainbow Dash’s efforts, she couldn’t close the distance between them. In less than a minute, she’d have been shown up on her own course, and the idea stirred a fire in her.

Let’s see you beat this!

With a cool exhale, Rainbow Dash extended her hooves forward as far as she could, and beat her wings faster. The air around her began to hum as she stretched her body further, flapping her wings faster and faster with each stroke, and finally, she began to close the distance between herself and the stallion. A cone started to form at the front of her hooves, and a rainbow started to trail behind body. The gorge was filled with a growing whistling noise as speed and energy combined, and the stallion took notice of it. Looking over his shoulder, a surprised expression crossed his face, and Rainbow Dash returned it with a wild grin.

Rainbow Dash’s cheeks were pulled back as she built up speed, and the cone around her body became narrower and narrower. There was a tension all about her as she neared the peak of her speed, and with a surge of excitement, Rainbow Dash rocketed past the stallion, and pushed herself over the final limit.

The air fluctuated as the space around her exploded with a thunderous boom, and a wave of colors were sent in all direction. The sonic rainboom echoed for miles around, sending its colorful display cascading over the gorge walls and high into the sky. And the remaining space within the gorge was filled with a rainbow trailing object that was a blur to any who saw. With ludicrous speeds she reached the end of Ghastly Gorge and pulled up, soaring high into the sky like a rainbow-colored streamer. She leaned backwards as she arced her ascent, pulling into a loop so that she could do a nose dive back towards the ground.

She spent the brief moment when the world looked to be above her head grinning from ear to ear, all while enjoying the immense satisfaction of seeing the stallion far below her gawk upwards in disbelief.

She then came spiraling down, giggling to herself at her victory and the rush of exhilaration that came with performing a sonic rainboom. That ‘oughta show him what’s what. Extending her wings outwards, Rainbow Dash slowed her descent, and the trailing rainbow colors faded as she approached the ground. With gust of wind that caused the nearby plants to shake in their roots, Rainbow Dash landed at the top of Ghastly Gorge, having once again reached the end first.

She exhaled heavily as she giggled to herself, and then turned to look at the stallion as he joined her. “So… What’d you… think?” Rainbow Dash asked between heavy breaths.

The stallion panted for a moment, but then let out a hearty chuckle. “Thy flying feats are commendable. Truly, thou art a pegasus with little equal.”

“Heh, yeah, I guess I am,” Rainbow Dash replied. She sat on her flank as her breath came back to her. “You aren’t so bad yourself. Have to say, I’ve never seen a guy as big as you move so fast.”

“I thank thee for thy praise,” he replied. “It is not often that I chance upon such an enjoyable race. Thou hast my thanks for accepting my challenge.”

Rainbow Dash laughed. “No problem. It’s not everyday that somepony can get the drop on me.” She laughed again, and then let out a happy sigh. The high she felt from her exertion, however, dulled as a thought crossed her mind.

“Is there a reason why you’re talking like that?”

“Whatever dost thou mean?”

“I mean that,” Rainbow Dash said with a wave of her hoof. “All this thee, thou, and stuff. You sound like Princess Luna before she figured out how to talk normally.”

“Ah, you mean my dialect,” the stallion said. “I have yet to learn the ways of the land today. It has been… an interesting endeavour.”

“You’re weird,” Rainbow Dash said, but with a smile.

“Thou could say that.”

Having finally caught her breath, Rainbow Dash stretched her wings, enjoying the sensations flowing through her body after such an exercise. But as she took the time to think and feel, another thought crossed her mind, and it caused her wings to fall as she slowly looked to the stallion with a skeptical expression.

“Where uh… Where did you say you were from?”

“I did not. But if thou wishes to know, I hail from the east.”

“Oh, okay…”

The two of them stared at one another for some moments, and it was then that an unsettling feeling came over Rainbow Dash. Ever since she had beaten the stallion in the race, she had failed to notice his watchful gaze over her, almost predatory in nature, and at how close he had gotten to her.

“Thou art a skilled flyer,” he said, only a few feet away. “Such a performance mustn't go unrewarded.”

“Yeah, I am pretty awesome,” Rainbow Dash said slowly as she stood herself up.

“Awesome,” he said, sounding the word. “Yes, thou art, as you say, awesome. And such an awesome pony deserves an equally awesome gift.”

“Uh, thanks, but no thanks,” Rainbow Dash said, taking a step away from him. “The race was good enough.”

Alarms were starting to sound off in Rainbow Dash’s head, and the unease she felt was growing by the second as the stallion stepped closer to her.

“Please, I insist. But first, I must know the identity of my victorious opponent. Pray tell, what is thy name?”

“Rainbow Dash,” she replied while frowning. “You?”

“Take heed, for thou gazes upon the master of the sky,” he replied, bowing low as he extended his wings. “I am Gale, lord of all those with wings.”

“Uh huh,” Rainbow Dash replied, taking another step backwards. “Well, it’s been nice talking to you, Gale, but I’ve got somewhere to be.”

“Thou may go wherever thou wish, but first, I must impart thee with my gift,” he said, standing himself up straight. His large form stood over Rainbow Dash, and she started to think that maybe he was actually even bigger than Big Mac.

“I’m good, really,” Rainbow Dash replied, her voice a note quieter than before.

Gale’s face became hard, and he stepped forward. “Thou art an impatient mare. One should show more respect for The Beast.”

“The Beast?” Rainbow Dash replied, and she furrowed her brow in confusion. But then it all began to click in her mind. Previous conversations and thoughts began to connect to one another, and a sense of dread filled Rainbow Dash. The Beast, one of the Four Shepherds. She recalled Princess Celestia mentioning him in passing months ago, when Twilight was recovering in the library. Rainbow Dash knew the princesses were preparing everypony for the next shepherd, and now, she found herself staring at him.

Gale stepped closer, and the hair on Rainbow Dash’s neck stood up.

“Gotta go!” she cried, and she leapt upwards and flew away. With a frantic gaze, Rainbow Dash flew towards Ponyville. Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! I gotta tell Twilight! I got to warn everypony!

Rainbow Dash didn’t dare look back. She couldn’t waste a single moment. She had seen first hoof how fast Gale was, and she focused every inch of her body on flying as fast as she could. Her limbs ached from performing the sonic rainboom, and her chest felt empty from exerting the pegasus magic needed to perform the maneuver, but she nonetheless pushed herself to the limit, not letting up for an instant.

She suddenly lurched forward as a gust of hot air swept up from behind her, and Rainbow Dash yelped in surprise at the increase in temperature. There was a deafening sound behind her, rhythmically causing her body to hum from the vibrations as she felt the air around her shift. The awful sound of trees breaking at their trunks filled the air, and another wave of heat washed over her. Rainbow Dash gulped as her body began to shake, and she slowly looked behind her, and her heart fell at what she saw.

Her vision was filled with the sight of a gargantuan red dragon pursuing her. Its massive wings heaved its body through the air, and its dangling claws dragged across the forest, shattering trees in its wake. Rainbow Dash felt the strength in her limbs fade upon gazing at the sheer size of the monster, something she had never experienced before; even the dragon that had visited Ponyville was by no account small, but stretched to its full length would have brought it only to the chest of the dragon currently chasing her.

“Is thy courage so fallible?” the dragon spoke, causing the air and Rainbow Dash’s whole body to rumble from his deep voice.

Rainbow Dash gulped as she exclaimed in a tiny voice, “G-Gale?”

The dragon narrowed its eyes it drew closer, and it let out an awful hiss that would have put the quarry eels to shame. “I see now that thy brave spirit flees outside of the race. Thy feeble shaking is shameful.”

Rainbow Dash hadn’t even realized she had been shaking until Gale had pointed it out.

“But I am honor bound to still impart thee with my gift, and so I shall, and you will succumb to my rule.” Gale opened his maw, and a burning light could be seen building in his throat.

Every instinct in Rainbow Dash’s body told her to run, and she sped forward with all her strength. She only managed to cover a good forty-feet before a shadow came from her left, and Rainbow Dash found herself being hit with the force of a brick wall. Her body was sent careening into the forest below, and after snapping through multiple branches, she collided with the ground.

Rainbow Dash’s mind was reeling from the impact, and she blinked profusely as she tried to refocus her hazy vision. Pain shot through her body, and a wave of dizziness came over her. This was worse than any other crash landing she had experienced. It was immediately apparent that she had broken bones, causing nearly paralyzing aches to course throughout her chest. Something wet fell down her cheeks, and she realized she was crying.

With a cry of agony, Rainbow Dash propped herself onto her front hooves. She immediately became aware of a white hot pain in her shoulders, causing spots to appear in her vision. With great difficulty and the gnashing of her teeth, she looked over her shoulder, and she paled from the state of her wings. They had been snapped from the blow, and hung limply at her sides.

Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped as tears began to fall, but she couldn’t mutter a word aside from a disbelieving whimper.

Then, the ground shook and trees were knocked aside, and Rainbow Dash fearfully turned her head. Gale had landed, and he towered over her in his draconic form. Staring up at his exposed belly and chest was like looking at a rock cliff, and her eyes continued to travel upwards still. His knees reached higher than the canopy of the forest even while he sat upon his haunches, and weighing tall above all this was his gargantuan head pridefully lifted.

He flexed his clawed hand while he looked down at her. “Thou art such a frail thing. One sweep of my limb has reduced thine body to such a broken state.”

Rainbow Dash whispered for help, hoping that something, anything would hear her.

Gale regarded her for some moments, and then snorted, sending a plume of smoke skyward from his nostrils. “Rainbow Dash, for proving thyself in flight, thou shalt become my kin, and when thou hast grown into thy fate, thou shalt suffer to follow me to the ends of the world.” Gale opened his mouth to reveal a glowing light, and Rainbow Dash felt the tears on her cheek evaporate from the wave of heat that emanated from him. “Burn.”

With a deafening roar Gale unleashed his inferno, and Rainbow Dash screamed as the fire consumed her body and soul.

Author's Note

“Speaking of dangerous,” Rainbow Dash said aloud, and she turned her head west. “I think it’s time for some practice at Ghastly Gorge.”

Silly Rainbow Dash, you're supposed to always fly east.

Anyways, as per the author notes of the Prologue, Dragonfeather is inspired by the artwork of a concept for Rainbow Dash I saw some years ago. I finally got word back from the artist, and unfortunately I am unable to use the art due to it belonging to another story in the works. So looks like I will have to find a different story cover, and maybe eventually commission one. But with that now figured out, I will provide links to said art as it is awesome and helps give an idea of what happened to Rainbow Dash. And while her cutie mark is missing in the pictures, the Rainbow Dash in my story will still retain hers.

The artist goes by gonedreamer on Deviant art. Aside from the other good stuff, Dragon Dash is my favorite. The full collection of Dragon Dash art can be found on gonedreamer's tumblr at this link and this link. Note that some pictures contain some blood and gore due to Dragon Dash's diet.

Also, gonedreamer had done a collab with adalbertus for a picture that has both Dragon Dash and a vampony Twilight. How cool and fitting is that for this series?

Chapter 2

In her dream, everything was fire and pain, unlike anything she had ever known before. With pin pricked eyes, she looked on in horror as her blue coat was burned away. The flames leapt up her body and engulfed her wings, tearing her blackened feathers away to be sent spiraling skyward by the heat. Under her skin, her muscles seared from within as she spasmed involuntarily. Somewhere in the back of her mind, where her fear and self preservation were beaten and battered, but barely present through her torturous existence, she tried to place her legs beneath herself. She tried to stand and run from the fire, but the convulsions that wracked her body made it impossible to flee.

It burns!

She screamed, again and again she screamed as the fire consumed her. But no matter how loud her howls were, she couldn’t hear her voice over the roaring fire. The flames crept into her mouth, turning her teeth red-hot until they eventually melted. Even as the flames began to crawl down her throat and sear her insides, she continued to scream.

It's too hot! It's too hot! Get me out of here!

The fire engulfed her, consumed her, robbing her of what little mind and reason she had left as it burned her body away.

Make it stop!

Even as her flesh blackened and her nerves were seared away, the pain never stopped and never lessened. The agony only rose alongside the fire as it continued to burn inside her, reaching depths of her being that she never even knew existed.

Celestia! Make it stop!

Breaking past her physical form, the fire entered her inner world. Reaching this place, the flames burned with greater intensity as if they were hungry, and they erupted towards the shimmering sphere at the center of Rainbow Dash’s core.

Somebody! Anybody! Please, make it stop!

The flames licked the edges of her soul, blackening its white fibers with their unnatural flame. The sensation of her soul being singed summoned forth untold strength from within her, and she used it to scream louder than ever before, finally allowing her voice to rise above the cacophony of the fire, the first of many ear-shattering cries to come.

It burns! Make it stop! Please! Make it-

The flames did not stop, but darkness quickly overtook the dream. Even as her vision faded into nothingness, she still felt the heat of the fire. She could still feel herself burning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the stillness, a light appeared, shining through a small gap that led to a hidden space. Beneath a pile of blackened and toppled trees, a burrow had formed. The floor of this makeshift den was covered in soot, a colorless space that held no signs of life after the devastating fire. But as the sun rose higher into the sky, and a beam of light stretched across this burrow through the small opening, it touched upon something colorful, the one thing that hadn’t been reduced to an unsightly pile of gray ash.

As her blue body stirred from the warmth of the light, and her polychromatic hair shimmered in its glow, Rainbow Dash groggily opened her eyes. She simply lay there at first, slowly registering where she was. She squinted at the light now shining in her eyes, and she moaned at the ache that permeated her entire body. It was because of that moan that she became aware of just how unbelievably parched her throat was. Her mouth and throat felt so dry that it was painful to even make a sound.

Still sluggish from waking up in this strange place, and feeling as if her entire body had been put through the work out of her life twice in a row, Rainbow Dash tried to lift herself up. But she quickly found that she was pinned beneath a great weight. And so she lay still again, working her tired mind so as to figure out why she was here.

Rainbow Dash dredged up her foggy memories, and after spending some time recalling the last few days, she suddenly snapped her eyes open in recollection.

A race in the canyon. Gale, the red pegasus. The gargantuan dragon he had become, and the fire that-

Rainbow Dash cried out in fear as she shielded herself from the imagined fire. The wood above her shifted from her sudden motion, causing one of the blackened branches above her to finally snap and fall. It landed in front of her, kicking up a pile of soot that she accidentally inhaled, sending her into a coughing fit.

Need to… Get outta’ here.

Squeezing her eyes shut while she coughed, she struggled to wiggle her way out from underneath the debris. The wood above her groaned from her movements, but aside from a few more pieces that fell, the impromptu shelter otherwise remained intact.

During her crawling, her tongue passed over her teeth, and she paused to explore a strange feeling. Examining her teeth more closely with her tongue, she whimpered at discovering how finely tipped some of the points had become.

Great, being stuck under here wasn’t enough, but my teeth are broken, too? But after a moment’s consideration, she figured broken teeth were the least of her worries. She’d ask Twilight for a spell for it later—provided that a tooth-fixing spell even existed in the first place—and instead focus on her immediate concern.

Crawling her way out from beneath the pile of burned trees, Rainbow Dash heaved herself forward, and with a final grunt, she pushed her way through the small, shining opening.

Rainbow Dash’s head popped out, and she took in a lungful of fresh air. She could still smell the scent of the burned forest, but it was much cleaner than the burrow she had been trapped in. After hauling herself the rest of the way out, Rainbow Dash collapsed to the ground, sending a small cloud of ash into the air. She was covered in the stuff, each cough reminded her of how sore her body was, and she couldn’t stop licking the roof of her mouth in her desire for water. But she was alive. Somehow, she was alive.

However, as she looked around, she saw that nothing else was.

The morning sun was well above the horizon, and its light revealed a swath of destroyed forest around Rainbow Dash. The once mighty and green trees of the Everfree were reduced to nothing but charred husks, all of them still smoldering, most of them already fallen, their charred remains releasing tufts of cinders in the cold morning air. Wisps of smoke from the burned forest floor trailed upwards, rising from piles of blackened objects that Rainbow Dash didn’t have the heart to identify.

Her chest tightened at the grisly sight of the bodies that were once the inhabitants of the forest, and she lurched forward, throwing up what little was in her stomach. Her stomach bile tasted more acidic and awful than usual, but she couldn’t help but remorsely appreciate that something had wetted her throat.

After emptying her stomach, Rainbow Dash fell onto her haunches and squeezed her now tearful eyes shut.

Why did any of this happen? Why am I… How am I here?

She inhaled sharply, and she began to shudder. Wrapping her hooves and wings around herself, she formed a ball of safety, desperate to shield herself from the ruin that surrounded her. But before she could begin to cry, she paused in confusion at the sensation of something poking her chest, and the odd feelings in her wings. Opening her eyes, she looked down at her wings still wrapped around her, and she shrieked at what she saw.

What were once her familiar and feathered appendages, were now a pair of unsightly blue scaled limbs. Her feathers had been replaced with a tough leather similar in appearance to that of a bat, filling the space between long thin digits that she could now flex. Her wing forearms that had been cloaked in fur and feathers were now completely covered in armored scales. And at the apex of each wing was a single ivory claw, the very thing that had been poking her.

She quickly unwrapped the wings from herself like they were the hands of a giant creature holding her from behind.

With panicked breaths, Rainbow Dash frantically crawled away, looking over her shoulder at the attached monstrosities as if they would grab her at any moment. But, eventually, she stopped, and she dared to stay still for a moment so as to look at the wings more carefully. She swallowed a lump in her throat between heavy breaths.

She tentatively flexed what was now her right wing, and it responded to her will. She moved her left wing, and she stared in disbelief as it rose at her command. She then gave them a test flap, and when she did, her eyes teared up at how it felt to catch the wind with her new wings.

This is wrong.

Despite her control over them, she felt more powerless than she had beneath the pile of trees. Rainbow Dash began to shake her head as tears flowed down her cheeks. She extended both of her wings out, and she gasped at the stretching sensation of her leathery wing membrane.

This feels so wrong.

With a shaking hoof, Rainbow Dash reached out to touch the edge of her wings, still terrified of them despite the fact that they responded just as well as her feathered ones. She hesitantly rubbed her hoof over the surface of her blue scales, but then pulled her hoof back.

“No…” Rainbow Dash quietly said aloud.

While the sensation of touching her scales was unpleasant enough, it was the sensation of feeling her hoof through her scales that was the most unnerving.

This can’t be happening. This isn’t real.

Rainbow Dash found herself breathing more frantically as panic set in, and with it, she became more aware of the smell of the burned forest. A wave of dizziness came over her, and her vision faded in and out as unconsciousness threatened to take her. But from sheer denial and grit, she powered through it, and she placed her hooves beneath herself.

Gotta move, she told herself. Standing up, Rainbow Dash began to numbly walk forward, keeping her eyes locked on the path ahead and her wings fully extended so that they couldn’t touch the rest of her body. I’ve got to get to Ponyville. I've got to warn them about Gale. And then… And then Twilight can fix me. She’ll just cast a spell and-

Rainbow Dash stopped as an awful thought crossed her mind.

What if Gale reached Ponyville? What if he burned the town and...

She couldn’t finish the thought as the image of her friends writhing in flames flashed across Rainbow Dash’s mind, and she closed her eyes tightly as she screamed at the ground.

No! They can’t be! They can’t be-

“Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes snapped open as she perked her ears, and she swiveled her head towards the direction of the voice. “Girls?” Rainbow Dash softly replied.

She scanned the destroyed forest for any sign of movement, but all she saw was the mounds of the burned trees. Then, she heard her name called again.

“Rainbow Dash!”

She instinctively reached a hoof towards the voice. “H-Here… I’m here,” she hoarsely replied, but far too quietly to be heard.

Rainbow Dash heard more shouts of her name. Ponies were looking for her.

Tears fell from Rainbow Dash’s eyes as she walked towards the sound of the voices, slowly picking up speed and strength with each step. “Here. I’m here!” she cried.

“Rainbow Dash!”

She swallowed, pushing aside the pain in her throat for a moment so that she could call out with all her strength. “I’m here!”

Rainbow Dash heard a stallion yell, “Miss Applejack, I think I heard something over here.” Seconds later, she saw a pegasus stallion flying above in the distance. After one sweeping glance he spotted Rainbow Dash, and then he turned around and began pointing his hoof towards her. “Over here! I found her! She’s over here!”

Soon, Rainbow Dash could hear the sound of hooves snapping branches as they pounded against the ground, and she let out a cry at the sight of five ponies tearing out from behind one of the mounds of the burned forest. To Rainbow Dash’s infinite relief, she saw each of her friends running towards her alive and well.

“G-Girls!” Rainbow Dash cried out, falling onto her knees at the sight of them.

They redoubled their speed the moment they spotted her, calling out her name as they quickly approached.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight shouted, having outpaced the others with ease thanks to her vampiric strength, not even pausing in the slightest as her sunhat fell from her head. “Rainbow Dash! We were so worried! We’ve been looking for you ever since-”

Twilight came to a skidding halt just a few feet from Rainbow Dash, and she stared slack-jawed at the scaled wings Rainbow Dash held away from her body. The rest of the girls had similar reactions as they too came to a halt, their looks of relief turning into ones of shock.

“Rainbow,” Twilight whispered. “Your wings and… and your teeth.”

Rainbow Dash let out choked cry as tears welled up in her eyes, but before she could utter a single word, Twilight covered the remaining distance between them and wrapped her hooves around Rainbow Dash.

“It’s okay, we’re here. We got you.”

“Twilight… Girls,” Rainbow Dash replied, immediately wrapping her hooves around Twilight’s body. The rest of the girls were there in a moment, and Rainbow Dash sheltered herself in the embrace of her friends. “Gale… He… He… Is Ponyville okay? There was so much fire and… The fire was… Is everypony else okay? I… I…”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t speak any further, finally succumbing to her worry and exhaustion as she collapsed in the arms of her friends, crying to herself beneath the soothing hooves and words of her five friends.

“Everypony else is okay, Sugarcube. Let’s just take care of you.”

“We’re here, darling. We’re here.”

“Don’t worry, Rainbow. Ponyville’s safe.”

“Shhh, we’re right here, Dashie. We’ll take care of you.”

“We’re here, Rainbow Dash. We got you.”

Each word and touch caused Rainbow Dash to grip them all the tighter. And in the back of her mind, she made a mental effort to not let her wings touch them. She didn’t want those awful things to touch anything. And it was only after her friends reassured her that everyone else was safe and that Ponyville was okay that Rainbow Dash finally let herself fall unconscious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sounds of a hospital machine beeping was the first thing Rainbow Dash heard, followed by the sound of her own groan as she awoke.

Immediately after she made the noise, Rainbow Dash heard a chair from across the room swivel, and the next moment she felt a hoof gently touching her arm.

“I’m here, Rainbow.”

“Twilight?” Rainbow Dash replied. She opened her eyes and saw Twilight’s concerned face staring at her. “Wha… What’s going on?”

Twilight’s look of concern deepened. “You’re in the hospital, Rainbow. We took you here right after we found you.”

“Oh,” Rainbow Dash simply replied. “How long was I out for?”

“Most of the day. It’s evening now”

“Huh.”

Waking up for the second time that day, Rainbow Dash slowly took in the sensations of lying in the hospital bed. The weight of the blankets were far comfier than the weight of the trees from this morning, and the air was nearly odorless compared to the soot-stained forest. Her body was still sore, but not as much as it had that morning. However, the longer she compared the two, the more she remembered, and she suddenly let out a gasp from the twitching of her wings tucked at her side.

Practically leaping into the position, Rainbow Dash sat upright in her bed, and began to frantically push her wings away from her with her hooves.

“Rainbow Dash, calm down!” Twilight said. She carefully wrestled with Rainbow Dash’s hooves, trying to pin them down into her lap and away from her wings.

“But my wings! My-My wings!” Rainbow Dash replied, her voice cracking.

“I know, Rainbow. I know. But you need to stop,” Twilight said sorrowfully.

Twilight’s reply didn’t ease Rainbow Dash’s panic, and she only began to paw at her wings more frantically.

“Rainbow, stop trying to- Look at me! Look at me!” Twilight grabbed ahold of Rainbow Dash’s head with her hooves and turned her so they were face to face. “I know!” Twilight exclaimed. “I know how you feel. You’re different and it feels wrong and, and…” Twilight inhaled as she suppressed a sniffle. “Trust me, I know what it feels like when everything about you is messed up.”

Rainbow Dash breathed heavily from her panicked state, but she pushed down her anxiety just enough to keep eye contact with Twilight.

“It’s a lot to take in, Rainbow. More than what you feel like you’re capable of handling right now. But you need to take it slow. Take a deep breath with me, okay?.”

Rainbow Dash had brought her hooves over Twilight's, and she held onto them for dear life as she focused on Twilight’s crimson eyes and listened to her voice.

“Breath with me. Take a deep breath in…” Twilight said, and Rainbow Dash found herself breathing in tune. “And out.”

Rainbow Dash exhaled, and then began to sob.

“Just focus on me, okay?” Twilight said. She gently reaffirmed her hold on Rainbow Dash’s head. “Breathe in… and out. Just repeat along with me. In… and out.”

Rainbow Dash forced herself to focus on Twilight’s voice, and as they took deep breaths in unison, the panic inside of her began to lessen with each exhale. As if some force was drawing her anxiety away, Rainbow Dash felt calmer.

Eventually, Twilight slid her hooves away. Rainbow Dash, however, refused to remove her hooves from Twilight’s, and so they rested their hooves together on the bed.

“And out,” Twilight said after a few more breaths. “Are you feeling calmer now?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash quietly replied.

“Is there anything I can get you?”

Rainbow Dash reluctantly pulled a hoof away and rubbed at her throat. Aside from her wings, everything about her was intact, as if the fire hadn’t consumed her like in her dream. But her throat was still dry, and she winced at the memory of the flames pouring down her throat. “Water, please.”

Twilight nodded, and quickly left. Rainbow Dash kept her eyes on the blanket as she heard Twilight fill a cup of water from the sink and returning as expediently as she had left.

“Here,” Twilight said as she levitated the cup to Rainbow Dash’s lips.

Rainbow Dash tilted her head back and sipped at the cup, greedily drinking from it as it soothed her throat.

Rainbow Dash let out a relieved gasp. “More.”

After they repeated the process a few times, Rainbow Dash sighed and leaned forward. Taking a few more deep breaths, Rainbow Dash hesitantly looked at her wings again. Despite the fact that they looked like the webbed claws of a monster, they merely hung at her side. Summoning her courage once more, she tested them. They twitched in response.

Now, with her panic subsided enough, Rainbow Dash extended a hoof and tentatively felt her wings. From the smoothness of the leather-like membrane, to the scaled forearm, and to the single ivory claw each wing sported, Rainbow Dash examined every inch of her new appendages.

The scales of her new limbs reached all the way past her shoulder joints where they seemingly transitioned back to her regular coat. The scales were tough, but malleable, allowing her full freedom of movement no matter how she twisted her wings. The membrane, a lighter shade of blue in contrast to the rest of her coat, filled the gaps between the long thin fingers she could bend and flex. It was as if she had grown a pair of gargantuan minotaur hands on her shoulders and stretched them out until they were nothing but narrow bony fingers. And the single hooked claw at the apex of her wing moved as if it were a thumb, or at least, how she imagined a moving thumb would feel. Despite the fragile appearance of the wings, she felt as if she could suspend the weight of her entire body off the claws alone.

With the exception of the scales and claws, her wings strikingly resembled the wings of the bat ponies.

When she had enough she brought her hoof back, but she still kept her wings extended away from her, refusing to let them touch the rest of her body. Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight. “What happened to me?”

Twilight’s face remained stoic, and she magically grabbed a nearby stool for her to sit upon. “I don’t know. To be honest, I was hoping you’d be able to tell me.”

“I…” Rainbow Dash replied before pausing. She swallowed as she collected her thoughts. “I… I went to the castle. AJ was selling cider. And then I went to Ghastly Gorge for some practice flying. And then… A stallion came out of nowhere. And we raced. I beat him.”

Rainbow Dash’s voice became quieter as she recounted the story.

“His name was Gale. He… He was one of the Shepherds. I tried to get away, but…”

Rainbow Dash then vividly remembered the sight of the massive dragon chasing after her, the pain and feeling of shock when she saw her broken wings. And then, the roaring fire that-

“Gaaah!” Rainbow Dash screamed as she wrapped her hooves around herself.

“Rainbow! You’re safe,” Twilight said, placing her hooves on Rainbow Dash’s shoulders. “It’s alright, you’re safe.”

Rainbow Dash shuddered beneath her hooves, sniffling as the vivid memory faded. Soon, she recollected herself, after a few shaky breaths, Rainbow Dash lifted her head. After wiping a tear from her eye she asked, “What… What happened after?”

“You should rest, you’ve been through-”

“Tell me,” Rainbow Dash urged. Her breathing was audible, and she looked like she would break down at any moment. But she locked her eyes with Twilight’s, and stared at her with a look of struggling determination. “What happened?”

Twilight bit her lip, and pulled her hoof back. “Nothing terrible, thankfully.” Repositioning herself in the stool, Twilight spoke, “Everypony in Ponyville and in the Castle quickly learned about the fire in the Everfree forest. The first responders said they saw… well, a dragon flying away, but nopony mentioned a pegasus.”

“It was him,” Rainbow Dash quietly replied. “The dragon was Gale…”

A bewildered expression came over Twilight, and after some seconds of contemplation, she continued. “They saw Gale flying east. By the time I arrived the fire had grown strong enough to threaten the entire forest, and eventually Ponyville and the Castle. So I spent the rest of the night battling the flames with the fire crews. After we finally put it out, we began our search for you.”

Twilight hung her head. “I’m so sorry, Rainbow Dash, for how long it took for us to realize you were missing. It wasn’t until the end after no pony was able find you that we realized something must have happened. We just assumed you were already fighting the fire.” Twilight’s ears drooped. “I should have realized sooner.”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes for a moment. “No pony can blame you. Was anyone else hurt?”

“Thankfully no. It took some time, but the pegasi were finally able to get enough clouds to put the fire out before it could spread to the rest of the forest.” Twilight leaned back in her stool and sighed. “Sometime during the middle of the whole event, a group of guards showed up. They told us they had been chasing Gale all the way from western Equestria. They were exhausted from their nonstop flying, and so I sent a messenger in their stead to Canterlot to relay the news. They should have informed Celestia and Luna about it by now.”

“They were trying to warn us about him, huh?” Rainbow Dash replied.

Twilight nodded. “Yes. It seems he’s made a few attacks in Western Equestria already, but the Everfree forest fire has been the largest attack he’s done so far.” Twilight bit her lip as she furrowed her brow. “We weren’t ready for him to show up yet. Not in the slightest.”

“Are they going to catch him?”

Twilight shook her head. “I don’t know. The last I heard was that he was still heading east. If I’m right, a fleet of pegasi have been deployed from Canterlot to warn the eastern cities, and if they are able to, they’ll confront him. Celestia and Luna are probably with them, too. Hopefully we’ll hear soon what happens.”

“And… And what about me?” Rainbow Dash brought a hoof to her chest, looked at her extended wings, and then turned back to Twilight. “You can fix me, right?”

Twilight’s ears fell, and she replied only after a few moments of silence. “I don’t think so.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash leaned towards Twilight. “But you gotta! There has to be a way!”

“Rainbow, please, I-”

“There’s gotta be a way that you can-OW!” Rainbow Dash recoiled as she brought a hoof to her mouth. Scrunching up her nose, she used her tongue to feel the sudden sore spot in her mouth, and then the sharp point that had caused it.

“They aren’t easy to get used to,” Twilight said quietly. “Fangs, I mean.”

“I don’t want to get used to them!” Rainbow Dash said. She slammed her hooves onto the bed, but she was more careful now about how she gritted her teeth. “There has to be a way to fix me.”

“Rainbow-”

“There has to be some spell or, or, or something that can change me back! There’s no way in Equestria that I’m going to just live out my life like this and-”

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight said firmly. The commanding tone of her voice caused Rainbow Dash to flinch, and she looked at Twilight angrily but quietly.

Twilight inhaled sharply as she searched for the right words, but she eventually sighed and spoke softly, “If there is a way to fix you, I don’t know about it. Ruby and I examined you while you slept. We looked at every inch of your soul and-”

“My soul!?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you!” Twilight said with a pleading voice. She grabbed ahold of Rainbow Dash’s hooves and leaned towards her. “Rainbow, it isn’t just your physical appearance that’s been altered. Your soul has been changed, and those changes are unlike anything I or Ruby have ever seen before.”

“But…” Rainbow Dash replied, desperately wracking her mind for some answer. “But you fixed the bat ponies, right? And Rarity. Isn’t this the same? Can’t we just use the Elements of Harmony?”

“I’m sorry, Rainbow. But this isn’t the same, and there’s no way to remove the Elements of Harmony from the tree right now. You know we’ve already tried.”

Twilight’s reaffixed her hold on Rainbow Dash’s hooves. “Listen to me. From what Ruby and I can tell, you’re stable, but changing you back is something beyond either of our capabilities. We just don’t know enough to revert you back. And even if we did, we aren’t sure if we’d even be able to do it. We can’t even remove the vampirism in our body, and undoing-” Twilight motioned to Rainbow Dash’s wings, “all of this is something entirely else. This isn’t some alteration spell, this is something that has changed you at your very core.”

Rainbow Dash pulled her hooves away, suddenly feeling more unsure than she already was. “You mean… The wings and fangs might not be the only changes?”

“I’m sorry, Rainbow,” Twilight softly replied. “I just don’t know. From what we can tell, you’re still you. There’s just… more to you now. And we aren't exactly sure what that means.”

After staring blankly at Twilight for a few seconds, Rainbow Dash let out a soft laugh. “So… I’m different now, huh? That’s all, right? These are my wings now, and I’ve got fangs.” A smile crept on her lips as her ears drooped. “Who knows what else is going to happen. Maybe I’ll even grow some pink spots.”

“Rainbow…”

Rainbow Dash let out a few more laughs, but all too soon her laughter turned to sobs, and she fell back into her bed. Without care for her new fangs, Rainbow Dash gnashed her teeth. “This is me now. This is how I’m going to live the rest of my life?!”

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. I really am.”

Rainbow Dash placed her foreleg over her eyes to hide the tears, but they still streamed down her cheeks. She could feel her new canines pushing against her teeth and gums, and she gnashed them all the harder. Her scaly wings quivered, and she missed the sound of ruffling feathers.

“This is me, now,” Rainbow Dash said venomously, but not without a note of sadness. “I’m going to be stuck like this.”

“Of course Ruby and I won’t stop searching for a way to undo it,” Twilight said. “But we can’t promise anything.”

Rainbow Dash lay in her bed, trying to keep herself still so that she wouldn’t lash out at anything around herself. And in time, her limbs relaxed, but her tears did not stop.

“Why did this happen?” Rainbow Dash quietly asked.

“I don’t know, I wish I did.”

The two of them shared the next few minutes in silence, Rainbow Dash slowly coming to terms with her new form, and Twilight lending a supporting hoof. But eventually, after having dried Rainbow Dash’s tears, Twilight politely cleared her throat. “The girls are outside. They’ve been waiting for you to wake up ever since we brought you here.”

Looking up from her lying position, Rainbow Dash gave a small smile. But that smile quickly turned into a frown. “What are they going to think when they see me like this? I mean, they already did, but-”

“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said. Standing up from her stool and magically placing it aside, Twilight gave Rainbow Dash an understanding smile. “When I first came back to Ponyville, right after I regained my memories, I was so worried about other ponies seeing me.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Twilight said, still smiling as she nodded. “I was terrified of what they would think about me. I was afraid that they would only see me as a monster. But the worst part was that I actually believed I was a monster, and that I was too dangerous to be near anypony. I was so worried about what I might do if I had lost control that I almost didn’t come back to Ponyville.”

“But you did,” Rainbow Dash said, though she phrased her reply more as a question rather than a statement.

“Yes, I did,” Twilight said. She sighed happily. “Coming back was the best decision I could have made. I don’t know what might have happened if I didn’t come home to you all. Eventually, I trusted that you all would be able to see past what I had become.” Twilight motioned to the door. “You’re still our Rainbow Dash. Nothing is going to change that, and we’re going to help you through this every step of the way, just like how all of you helped me.”

Rainbow Dash let out a shuddered breath, and quickly wiped a fresh tear from her eye. After spending a few more moments to collect herself, she nodded.

Twilight nodded in reply, and then crossed the room to open the door. She poked her head out, spoke in a hushed voice, and then stepped aside to let the rest of the girls in.

“Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie Pie shouted, being the first one through the door and crossing the room so quickly that even Twilight did a double take. “How are you feeling? Are you okay? Can I get you a cupcake?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled and gently batted Pinkie Pie’s intrusive face away from hers. “I’m as good as I can be. Give me some breathing space, will ya?”

“Sorry,” Pinkie Pie replied before continuing to speak her next sentences with one breath. “How are your wings? Twilight told me not to ask about the wings, so she’s probably glaring at me right now. So now I’m double-sorry. But how are your wings? Can you feel them? Do they feel funny now or the same?”

“Pinkie!” Rarity said, frowning at Pinkie Pie as she followed behind Fluttershy and Applejack who also made their way to the bedside. “She just woke up from her awful ordeal. We don’t want to rush her through her recovery.” After giving an exasperated sigh, Rarity turned to Rainbow Dash. “How are you feeling, dear?”

“Okay, I guess,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“We were so worried for you, Dashie,” Fluttershy said. “Is there anything we can get for you?”

“More water, please?”

Fluttershy sweetly nodded, and then left to refill Rainbow Dash’s cup.

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Applejack said. “You have no idea how worried we were when we heard about the fire and the dragon. Ah was… Ah was scared about what’d we find after we stopped the fire, after we realized no pony had seen ya.”

Fluttershy returned with the cup of water, and gave it to Rainbow Dash who took it with an appreciative nod. Fluttershy spoke, “I’m just so glad that you’re alright. I mean, you’re not alright, but you’re alive and-and if you had been hurt or-”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Relax, Flutters, I’m here.” She then let out a disheartened laugh. “Just… Not like I was before.”

“Regardless of how you are here,” Twilight interjected. “We’re just glad you are here.” Twilight took Rainbow Dash’s hoof in hers, and then she looked to the rest of their friends. “We’re going to do everything we can to help you through this, right girls?” After receiving supporting nods, Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash. “It won’t be easy for you, but we’re here, Rainbow. It’s not going to be like what I went through. You’re going to have us right by your side. You aren’t alone in this.”

Pinkie Pie tilted her head. “But if Ruby was with you, doesn’t that mean you weren’t alone either and-”

“Pinkie Pie, shush,” Twilight said. “But now that you mention it, Ruby wanted to express her concerns as well. She’s going to do everything she can to help you through this. We all are.”

Rainbow Dash gave them a solemn smile. “Thanks, girls. I think… I think I’m gonna need it.”

Author's Note

Sorry this chapter took so long to write, but I'm happy to say it's finally here. While Rainbow Dash's circumstances does have some similarities to Twilight's, it'll be interesting to see how their paths differ. At this time Gale is unaccounted for and was last seen heading east. One can only imagine what he's up to and what his end goals are. Though, I'll give you a hint, he's not as flexible as Night Walker is when it comes to plans. Gale is a big baddy who is used to forcing his way through life. That isn't to say he's not smart, just that he's got a few dangerous and forceful abilities that solidified his position as one of the Shepherds.

I have quite a few points in this story planned out, but I'm not certain how long each section will be or how quickly I will reach them. I faced a similar dilemma in Second Princess of the Night, and that story became far longer than what I ever initially imagined. I feel like if I don't make this story comparable in length that I'd be giving you all a poor story, but I suppose it's foolish trying to make a story longer or shorter than its prequel. I'll just have to take it one chapter at a time and feel it out. The pacing of action will be much different in this one compared to Second Princess of the Night, but hopefully you all will enjoy it nonetheless.

Chapter 3

Fast asleep in the hospital bed, Rainbow Dash softly whined, and her restless legs moved beneath the covers. The fabric felt warm and stifling, and she furrowed her brow at the sensation. Her movements became erratic as she tossed about in the bed, pushing and kicking the covers away from her until they were eventually thrown onto the floor.

However, despite now lying bare in bed, her body still moved, seeking relief from the warmth that was building. She clenched her jaw as sweat trickled down her coat.

“No… I gotta’… Too hot,” she mumbled, still asleep.

Her breathing quickened as she twisted and turned, and her perspiration dampened the bed.

“Can’t… I gotta’… Gotta’ fly… Faster…”

Then, as the dream rose to its peak and her body began to convulse, she at last opened her eyes with a frantic cry. “Gaaah!”

Flinging herself upright, Rainbow Dash sat while taking deep gasps of air. She looked around herself in panicked confusion, her mind reeled at the sudden shift from burning light to cool darkness. But as she began to recognize the familiar hospital room, Rainbow Dash shuddered in relief, and the dream faded from mind.

She took deep breaths, relishing the comfortable humidity of the air. Her other solace was the moisture she felt in her mouth. However, the sharp points of her new fangs threatened her fragile composure, and so she did her best to ignore them for now.

After having spent some moments more collecting herself, Rainbow Dash turned her focus back to her surroundings. She saw the blanket piled on the floor beside the bed, the dim glow of the moon shining through the window that lit only half the room, and the faint light of the hallway peeking beneath the door to the hallway.

For the first time in her life, Rainbow Dash was relieved to be inside a hospital.

Without further thought, she reached her hoof towards one of the glasses of water that were prepared beside her, and she downed its contents with two gulps. Water had never been so quenching before, and she immediately went for a second one. This time she practically bit at the water, downing it more quickly than the last. Afterwards, she let out a refreshed sigh and placed the two empty glasses aside.

“Dream…,” she whispered. “It’s just a dream.”

After another deep breath, she leaned back into bed, only to arch her back from having touched the damp cloth. “Ugh,” she groaned, looking behind herself at the soaked fabric. The stains were easy to make out on the white sheets, and she let out an irritated snort. Geeze, it’s almost like I had done two flying shows.

Her annoyance was momentary, however, as her eyes soon shifted from the bed stains towards her scaled wings, and her expression quickly fell into a scowl.

She warily flexed her wings, noting how they felt in the waking world, where they didn’t wrap themselves around her with a mind of their own. She moved them once, then twice. But regardless of how they obeyed her now, she still felt hesitation towards them. Eventually, she let out a surly snort and turned her head forward.

“Almost a dream...:”

Rainbow Dash brought a hoof to her cheek and sighed. No way I’m going back to sleep. Looking to her right, she read 3:50 on the clock beside her bed, and she groaned. Sun’s not even up for another hour or two.

She tapped her legs in annoyance, and after a few flicks of her tail, she realized how restless she felt. Even her wings begged for flapping, the notion of which brought a sickening feeling in her chest, a first for her. But she shoved the discomfort aside and stared out the window. She needed to move, and despite knowing the trouble she could get in later, she hopped off the bed anyways.

Following her first instinct, she moved towards the window, but she paused after a few feet when she realized that escape route would require flying. “Ugh,” she grumbled, and she went for the door instead. Once beside the door, she cocked her head to listen for anypony on the other side, and after hearing no hoofsteps, she quietly opened it.

The hallway light flooded her vision, but she adjusted quickly as she squinted outside of her room. The hallway was empty. To her left was the edge of the nurses desk that wrapped around to other hallways, and to the right was a red colored door marking the fire escape stairwell.

Guess another hospital bill’s going on my tab, she thought with a halfhearted smile. And with that, she quickly but quietly escaped to the stairwell and made her downwards. It was in retrospect that she could finally appreciate Ponyville’s hospital for not having the usual magical alarms like they had in Canterlot.

Making her way as swiftly and quietly as possible down the stairwell, she reached the ground level exit door and eagerly threw it open. At once the brisk night air washed over her body, and she took in sweet lungfuls of it. Even as she shivered and bundled her legs together at the sudden chill, she let out a happy sigh at the wonderful sensation.

Feeling more herself after breathing in the night air, Rainbow Dash looked to her surroundings. The moon had nearly set, and the sun’s light had yet to peek over the horizon, but the various street lights of Ponyville provided enough illumination for her to see the roads around her. Without further pause Rainbow Dash casually walked towards the route that would lead her to Ponyville’s park, deciding to take her sweet time in order to appreciate the cool night.

Although, as she leisurely walked along Ponyville’s paths, her steps became quieter, and her awareness sharpened with each bend in the road. Eventually, she realized that her carefree movements had shifted into something akin to cautious tiptoeing, and she let out a ‘tsk as she relaxed her posture, returning to her casual stride from before.

It’s not like it’d be a big deal if anybody saw me, right? I mean, the whole town’s probably already heard about what happened. She thought about the faces ponies might have made after hearing the news about her. Her imagined reactions were initially mild, a surprised faced or a sudden gasp. But the faces soon grew more exaggerated and panicked as she thought longer on the matter.

Before her imagination could cause her further concern, she remembered the helpful advice she had been given only yesterday evening. Rainbow Dash stopped along the path.

So this is what Twilight must have felt like when she came back. Rainbow Dash looked towards a quiet house that stood beside the path, and she imagined the family that slept inside it. She wondered how they would have reacted to her if they were the first ponies to find her, how they would have stared in surprise at her most noticeable changes with more curiosity than concern. After all, I just got scaly wings, right? But soon she began to fear how imagined ponies might think when they saw her fangs, or if they thought about her scaled appendages a little more.

Rainbow Dash wasn’t a regular pony anymore, and not in the way she had always hoped to be. Cutting through her thoughts before they became too erratic, she shook her head side to side and began walking again.

No wonder Twilight was so worried about coming back. Rainbow Dash tried to imagine herself in Twilight’s hooves the night she had come back to Ponyville after leaving Fillydelphia. Walking past ponies’ homes at night, wondering how they might react towards her. Yet, despite Twilight’s fears, she was welcomed rather than feared, and while Rainbow Dash didn’t feel too worried about how ponies might react to her, she nonetheless clung a little tighter to Twilight’s reassurances that everything would be fine.

At least I don’t have to drink blood. Got that goin’ for me. Rainbow Dash passed another bend in the road, and then stopped. At least, I don’t think I do.

Lifting her foreleg, Rainbow Dash gave a tentative sniff. Huh, nothing. Guess I don’t need to. With that she continued on her way, only half aware that she was lightly grinding her teeth together.

By the time Rainbow Dash reached the edge of the park, a soft brightness was appearing on the horizon. Figuring that Celestia had begun the sun’s slow ascent into the sky, Rainbow Dash walked to the wooden bridge that lay in the center of the park for a better view. The gentle creek rolled beneath the wooden planks as her hooves echoed across them, and she moved to the middle of the bridge’s rail so that she could face the rising sun. After propping her forelegs onto the railing and resting her head on them, Rainbow Dash let out a heavy sigh.

I guess I’ll be all the rage next Nightmare Night. Maybe next year I’ll see some copycat costumes.

The wind rustled her mane and played across the leathery membrane of her wings. Rainbow Dash didn’t react to the strange feeling the wind made passing over tough skin instead of feathers, and to her annoyance, she was beginning to become accustomed to the sensation. She narrowed her eyes as she idled over the notion, but the ire soon faded away, and Rainbow Dash dropped her wings so that they hung limp at her sides. Relief passed over her at finally letting her sore back muscles relax from rigidly holding her wings up for such a long time.

As she let herself simply lean against the wooden rail, the first rays of sunlight peeked over the hill-covered horizon, and Rainbow Dash felt its warm rays pierce the morning air across her coat. Slowly, the world around her began to brighten as if the world itself was coming alive. Yet, Rainbow Dash remained lethargically still, her face devoid of any excitement or energy. Even her wings brushing against her hind legs did nothing to stir her emotions.

Like the dusty morning she had in the forest, Rainbow Dash felt exhausted, and she simply rested against the wooden bridge while the sun slowly rose over the horizon.

After some minutes, Rainbow Dash’s ears flicked at the sound of a door opening and shutting in the distance. Moments later, another faraway door loudly slammed, and then another. Rainbow Dash’s attention soon focused on the sources of noise, the sounds of Ponyville’s residents starting their day.

Guess everypony is getting stuff started. Her ears twisted to catch the faint noises of ponies’ voices or the creaking of wagons beginning to move. Everything’s going as it always does, huh? Except for me, of course…

That last thought, however, didn’t bring a feeling of animosity that Rainbow Dash had been expecting. Except for me, of course, she repeated to herself, and… nothing happened.

She furrowed her brow ever so slightly as she contemplated that fact, and while she did, she kept an ear out on her surroundings. Everypony is going about their day, huh? Just like any other day, she thought to herself again. And that’s fine, right? A faint aroma passed Rainbow Dash’s nose, and she imagined the bread baking in Ponyville’s various bakeries and confection stands. It’s okay for everything else to be fine. So… what should I do? Just be alright with what happened, too?

No answer came to mind, and when she felt as if she was simply going in circles in her head, Rainbow Dash let out a snort and returned her focus on her surroundings. She found it strange how comforting it was, focusing on a sunrise that she would have slept through or ignored any other day. And so, she decided to spend some time simply taking it all in.

Which is why it was all more surprising when Rainbow Dash heard a gentle cough only a few feet away from her.

“Here you are,” Twilight’s voice said a moment later.

Rainbow Dash flinched, but she kept her head pointing forward, idly wondering why she kept forgetting how quiet Twilight was.

Twilight came up beside her and joined Rainbow Dash in watching the sun rise. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

Rainbow Dash shrugged.

“I was planning on being with you when you woke up, but it looks like you got up earlier than I expected.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Rainbow Dash mumbled, expecting Twilight to scold her at any moment.

“So I was told,” Twilight merely replied.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at that, and she glanced at Twilight out of the corner of her eye. She noticed Twilight’s wide sun hat was resting on the ground instead of atop Twilight’s head.

“Luna,” Twilight explained. “She said that she worried about what she saw in your-”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Rainbow Dash quickly said, adding a hoof wave for good measure.

A notable pause passed before Twilight cleared her throat. “S-Sleeping was weird for awhile for me, too. Although, Luna wasn’t able to help me much given my condition.”

“Right,” Rainbow Dash replied, her voice sounding surly.

Twilight rubbed a hoof against her leg as she nervously continued, “Speaking about sleeping, if you’d like you can sleep at my place tonight. I was going to ask you at some point today that, if you felt well enough to leave the hospital, that if you’d live at the library for awhile. I’d like it if you were nearby so I can help you adjust while also learning what we can about your transformation.”

“Sure,” Rainbow Dash merely replied.

Despite not hearing any aggression in Rainbow Dash’s voice, Twilight nibbled at her lip, and then made a point to make it audibly noticeable that she took a step back. “I’m sorry, I’m probably being a little insensitive right now. I understand if you want to take some time.”

“No, it’s not that,” Rainbow Dash responded while lifting her head. Removing her hooves from the railing, she turned to Twilight. “I want to start right away and figure out whatever we can from this. As much as I don’t wanna deal with it, I know it not going to go away.” Rainbow Dash then glanced sideways towards the sun. “I think I’m just gonna… I’m gonna be off for a bit. This is really, really weird, even for me.”

“It’s a lot to take in,” Twilight gently replied. “It’s going to be hard, and it will take awhile, but it won’t be like this forever.” Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight, noting how her posture straightened as she continued to speak. “You’re going to get through this, Rainbow Dash. And I’m going to be right here alongside you. Whatever might happen, you’re going to get through this.”

Seeing Twilight’s demeanor suddenly shift into something of determination and confidence caught Rainbow Dash by surprise, and she found herself at a loss for words. Seconds passed as Rainbow Dash simply stared back, and as they did, Twilight’s composed and confident expression began to crack. Rainbow Dash smirked at that, and she let out a small laugh. “Funny, seeing you give some hard motivational advice. I never thought you’d be the type.”

Twilight’s cheeks reddened slightly. “Well, after facing some difficulties, I think my attitude has changed a bit as well. But I also figured it’d be the best way to communicate to you through all of this.” She gently smiled towards Rainbow Dash. ”After analyzing your soul as much as I have since this started, I’ve really started to understand just what kind of a pony you are.”

Rainbow Dash brought a hoof to her chest while raising an eyebrow. “Yeah? Like what?”

“Well, a ponies soul doesn’t reveal their exact thoughts, but I can see how their soul is built and learn how they might react to things, or piece together what some of their deepest desires might be.” A familiar twinkle of excitement and enthusiasm appeared in Twilight’s eyes as she talked further on the matter. “It’s really fascinating learning that your feelings, as well as the history of your mental and emotional growth, your ‘everything’ that makes you ‘you’ is made from the very fiber of your being.” Twilight then giggled. “It’s so much to take in at times that I often forget some of the details. But you can be sure that I won’t forget how strong-willed you really are, Rainbow Dash. I still remember seeing your soul for the first time, back when we were on the airship from Dusktown.”

Twilight’s eyes slightly drifted down as she recalled the event. “You’ve been through hard things before, and in the end you manage to always overcome them no matter how much they might scar you. I’m not going to say that you’re going to get through this easily, but I do know that you will eventually. It’s just the type of pony that you are.”

“... Thanks, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash quietly replied, and a small smile crept up her lips.

Twilight beamed Rainbow Dash a proud smile, appearing noticeably happier that her advice was well received. Then Twilight’s ear flicked, and she subtly shifted her head while rigidly keeping her smile as if nothing had happened. Rainbow Dash, however, saw right through the motion.

“What?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Hm?” Twilight replied, still smiling.

“You know what.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on, tell me. What’d she say?”

“W-Who?”

“Duh, Ruby, of course.”

“Oh! She said the same thing.”

“Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said, finding her lethargy vanishing. “What did Ruby say?”

Twilight’s smile buckled, and she rubbed her foreleg against the other nervously. “S-She was just making a silly joke. It’s not something I’d repeat.”

“Twilight?” Rainbow Dash said with annoyance this time.

“Well, she just… Wanted to say that as long as you’re being a brave pony in all of this, that you shouldn’t, uh… forget to pamper yourself from time to time.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight questioningly.

“Ruby and I kinda… saw the more dainty part of your soul.”

Rainbow Dash stared with a dumbfounded expression, but soon the meaning behind Twilight’s words began to click, and Rainbow Dash’s eyes became wide.

At once Rainbow Dash’s cheeks puffed up and became a flustered red, and she snapped her wings shut at her sides as her entire body became rigid. A noise that one would have expected to come from Fluttershy escaped Rainbow Dash’s clenched lips. It was the kind of sound that would come from the sudden and horrifically unwelcoming feeling of having dragon wings firmly folded at her sides, which, in turn, paled in comparison to the shock of having a dark secret revealed.

Twilight’s face was torn between surprised and worry as she looked back and forth between Rainbow Dash’s petrified demeanor and her folded wings.

Then, with one fluid move, Rainbow Dash did an about face, and began to walk away.

“Wait, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight cried. “It’s okay! Every pony deserves to be pampered at places like the salon! You can be honest with me! I get it! It’s not weird that you want to feel like a… a... a polished gem that’s carefully taken care of? Does that sound right? It’s hard to describe that part of you with words.”

A shrill whine escaped Rainbow Dash’s clenched jaw, and she quickened her steps.

Unfortunately for her, Twilight was all too easily able to keep pace as she chased after her on the dew-laden grass, her sun hat magically trailing behind her. “I’m sorry! That’s not what I meant. What I meant was that- No, Ruby, I am not saying that. Rainbow Dash! What I was trying to say is that it’s perfectly normal if you want to feel like you are a strong pony that sometimes needs to be delicately handled when comforted. In fact, it’s probably why you like sleeping in clouds all the time. It’s because they have the softest edges that gently envelope you, right? Or it’s like getting a fancy massage where you’re treated as if you were really a fragile pony even though you aren’t, or like having your hooves painted!”

Rainbow Dash began to panically laugh as she fell into a trot. “Okay! I get it! You can stop, Twilight!”

“Oh! Sorry! I was just- Sorry!” Twilight sheepishly replied.

“Hah, hah!” Rainbow Dash nervously yelled. “Can this day get any better?”

“Rainbow Dash?”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt, and turned to see Willow Shade and Cloud Shadow standing a short distance away.

Willow Shade swished her silver bang as she stepped forward. “You got released from the hospital already? We were on our way to see how you were doing and, uh...” Willow Shade paused when she took notice of Rainbow Dash’s new wings, and a look of disbelief appeared on her face. “Woah! You have wings like us now! Is that what everypony meant by a small change?”

“Small!?” Rainbow Dash’s voice cracked in reply.

Willow Shade chuckled and ruffled her short back mane. “Sorry, not trying to be funny here. We really did come to see how you were feeling. We would have been here yesterday, but the Princess thought you needed some space.”

“At recommendations from the doctor,” Twilight corrected as she joined Rainbow Dash. “But one that I agreed with. I’m sorry I asked you girls to wait another day. I just wanted to make sure Rainbow Dash had time to collect herself from the initial shock.”

“It’s fine, we understand,” Willow Shade replied. “We’re just glad to see you up and about. Right, Cloud Shadow?”

Cloud Shadow didn’t reply. Her gaze was locked onto Rainbow Dash’s wings. In fact, even as she began to move towards Rainbow Dash to everypony’s sudden surprise, her gaze was unwavering. With swift and sure steps that caused Rainbow Dash to shy away in confusion, Cloud Shadow closed the distance between them. Her bouncing ponytail trailed behind as stopped just beside Rainbow Dash’s wings, and she raised a hoof out towards them. Stopping only a few inches away from physical contact, Cloud Shadow whispered, “Can I touch them?”

“I… guess?” Rainbow Dash hesitantly answered.

Cloud Shadow placed a hoof on the scaled forearm that was Rainbow Dash’s wing, and a smile crept to the far edges of her face. “How do I get a pair?”

Rainbow Dash stepped back and looked at Cloud Shadow with a glaring and incredulous expression. “I better not find you touching me when I wake up tomorrow.”

“Girls,” Twilight said with a low voice.

Willow Shade gave a loud, anxious laugh. “Hah, it’s a joke! She’s joking! Sorry, Princess. I guess the shock is just a bit much.” She quickly rushed to Cloud Shadow side and firmly grabbed her tail with her teeth. “Com’ on, Clouds! Letsh go!”

A pleading expression appeared on Cloud Shadow’s face as she raised a hoof towards Rainbow Dash’s wings, but she was silenced by Twilight’s glare, and so she reluctantly allowed Willow Shade to drag her off. All while keeping a crestfallen gaze on Rainbow Dash’s new features.

Twilight brought a hoof to her face and sighed. “I’m sorry, I should have realized that her… fascination with reptiles and dragons might have caused an issue.”

“It’s okay,” Rainbow Dash said. She eyed Willow Shade and Cloud Shadow’s departure warily, but after they left her sight, she couldn’t help but give a small chuckle. “Actually, it didn’t bug me too much. She’s probably the first pony that didn’t freak out in worry after seeing me.”

Twilight gave Rainbow Dash a questioning expression, then softened her gaze. “I suppose it can feel nice when somepony admires something new about you when nopony else does.” Twilight’s face, however, fell into a deadpan expression a moment later. “Make sure you change your locks when you do move back home.”

Rainbow Dash blinked in surprise. “Really?”

“I’ve had to design new magical wards specifically for her when I leave Spike alone at the library.”

A concerned expression appeared on Rainbow Dash’s face. “What does she do to him?”

“Nothing that he doesn’t mind,” Twilight replied. “It’s more of a way for me to keep an eye on them so that they don’t do something dangerous. The last time I left them unsupervised they had packed a traveling bag for the nearest volcano so Spike could show her how dragons swim in lava.” Twilight then cocked her head as she rubbed a hoof against her chin. “To be honest, despite her forthcoming behavior, she’s fairly adept at learning the nature of dragons and their biology. If I wasn’t so worried about the dangers they could get themselves in, I wouldn’t have to keep devising new kinds of magical wards.”

Twilight suddenly paused as a new thought crossed her mind, and then gave Rainbow Dash a scrutinizing gaze. Rainbow Dash nervously averted her eyes.

With an unsurprised and monotone voice, Twilight asked, “You didn’t check yourself out of the hospital, did you?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pinkie Pie’s ears twitched at the chime of the bell on Sugarcube Corner’s front door, and she eagerly turned to face her morning customers. “Rainbow Dash! Twilight!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Hey, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said with a waved hoof.

Pinkie Pie leapt over the counter and threw her arms around Rainbow Dash. “You’re out of the hospital! Why didn’t you tell me? I could have baked you a ‘Congratulations on getting out of the hospital’ cake!”

Rainbow Dash chuckled while extricating herself from Pinkie Pie. “I think some muffins are gonna’ be enough.”

“We figured after properly checking her out of the hospital,” Twilight said with a disapproving tone, “that it would be best that she got some food in her.”

“What can I say?” Rainbow Dash replied. “The bakeries were smelling really good this morning.”

Twilight’s expression shifted into surprise. “You could smell them from the park?”

“Uh, yeah,” Rainbow Dash replied as she moved towards the counter. “Why wouldn’t I be able to?”

Pinkie Pie hopped her way back behind the counter. “I can smell cupcakes from there, too! Isn’t it the bestest spot in the whole world when you're hungry?”

“I’m beginning to find out,” Rainbow Dash replied before laughing. “What do you got for me?”

“I got cherry cupcakes, banana muffins, apple pie, velvet cake, ice-cream cake, cherry cake, fruit cake!” One after another Pinkie Pie drew forth a dish of the named delicacy, quickly covering every inch of space on the countertop. “ChimiCherryChanga, pear slices, peach pie, chocolate muffins, chocolate cake, vanilla cake, vanilla-”

“Okay, okay, I get it!” Rainbow Dash nearly shouted. “Just gimme, um… how about… uh, those!” Rainbow Dash pointed her hoof to a plate of cupcakes decorated with shining sprinkles behind the counter glass.

Pinkie Pie craned her neck past the counter until she could see the treats Rainbow Dash pointed at, and then promptly laughed. “You can’t eat those, silly.”

“Why not?”

“Beeeeeecaaaaaauuuuuuuseeeeeee,” Pinkie Pie said as knelt behind the counter to pull them out. “They’re fake!” Pinkie Pie rotated the plate for Rainbow Dash and Twilight to see. “They’re covered in gems! Ponies can’t eat gems, sillyhead!” Pinkie Pie gave a smug smile towards them, but then her smile fell as she looked more closely at the cupcakes . “Or can they?”

Twilight gave the cupcakes a questioning glance. “Why would the Cakes want jeweled cupcakes in their display case?”

“It’s a promotional event that Rarity convinced them to do,” Pinkie Pie said as she examined the cupcakes with renewed interest. “Something about making the treats in the store look more fancy for the customers. If you ask me, they’re delicious looking enough already!”

Rainbow Dash also looked over the cupcakes with further interest. “It kinda looks like rock candy to me.”

“Huh,” Pinkie Pie replied. “Maybe that’s why my secret stash of best-sister’s-present-ever-from-Maud of candy rock went missing.” Pinkie Pie suddenly looked to the stairs and yelled, “Gummy! I’m sorry! I should have believed in you!”

“Pinkie,” Twilight said, now also looking at the cupcakes more closely. “I don’t think these are sprinkled with rock candy. It looks more like they are actual-”

Before Twilight could finish Pinkie Pie grabbed one of the cupcakes, gave it one aroma testing sniff, and then took a bite from it. Rainbow Dash and Twilight watched as Pinkie Pie’s eyes shifted while she chewed on the cupcake, and after a few moments, Pinkie Pie shut her eyes and beamed them a frosting-covered smile of approval.

“Alright!” Rainbow Dash said, and she immediately grabbed a cupcake. After taking the first bite Rainbow Dash made a happy and cupcake-muffled noise. “Thish ish good!”

“Twilight!” Pinkie Pie said as she held the plate of cupcakes before Twilight. “Whant shum?”

“Uh, no, thank you. I already drank this morning,” Twilight politely replied while gently pushing the plate away.

Then, Twilight’s ear twitched, and she quickly turned to face the door. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash watched idly as they continued munching on their cupcakes. “In here!” Twilight shouted, and moments later a guard came rushing into the store.

“Ah, there you are, Princess,” the Canterlot Guard said. He stepped towards Twilight and formally bowed. “We received news about Gale, your highness.”

A hard expression appeared on Twilight’s face, and Rainbow Dash unceremoniously shoved the cupcake back onto the plate as she came up to Twilight’s side. Twilight briefly glanced at Rainbow Dash before motioning for the guard to continue.

“Reports confirmed that after Gale visited Dodge City he headed north-east to Baltimare. Fortunately, it seems he avoided the town, and he was last seen crossing the ocean while maintaining his northern course. It’s expected that he will eventually cross into the gryphon territories.”

“What have Celestia and Luna decided?” Twilight asked.

“The Princesses have already sent word to the Gryphon Kingdoms, and preparations for an expedition have begun.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “They’re going after him?”

“Correct, your highness. Two letters arrived and are waiting for you at the library. One is personally addressed to you.”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll see to it immediately. What was the other one?”

“A new report regarding Gale’s actions across Equestria. This is just the report summary, the rest of the details are awaiting your review at the library.” Reaching into his pouch, the guard magically brought forth a scroll and passed it to Twilight. He then turned to look at Rainbow Dash. “It seems, Miss Rainbow Dash, that you aren’t the only pony who was transformed.”

Rainbow Dash and Twilight’s head shot up from the scroll, and they looked at the guard and then to each other with incredulous expressions.

“Let’s go,” Twilight stated, and Rainbow Dash wordlessly nodded as the two of them ran out of the bakery.

The guard kept a passive expression as he watched the two mares rush out of the room, and after a few seconds more, he let out a relieved sigh. “By Celestia, I hate being the one picked to the deliver dire news every time.”

Pinkie Pie simply smiled at the matter, and then offered the plate to the guard. “Cupcake?”

“Oh, don’t mind if I do,” he replied, looking quite pleased at receiving a serendipitous reward for completing the stressful report. Without another thought, the guard happily plopped a cupcake into his mouth, chewed once, paused, and then spat it back out onto his hoof with a look of pained confusion.

“Hey! What’s the big idea?” Pinkie Pie said as she placed a protective arm around the plate of remaining cupcakes.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that… there were gems in it!” the guard said. He rubbed his jaw as he looked at the cupcakes in confusion. “I nearly broke my teeth biting into them.”

“Oh,” Pinkie Pie merely said. “Could’a fooled me.” And with that, Pinkie Pie plopped another cupcake into her mouth and ate it like it was just another pastry in the bakery. The guard watched in disbelief as Pinkie Pie chewed on it without issue, swallowed, and then turned her head to the stairs. “Gummy! You’re on the hook again for eating my rock candy stash!”

Author's Note

I apologize to all my readers for how long this chapter took to make.

Chapter 4

Twilight threw open the library door as she and Rainbow Dash trotted inside. “Spike!” Twilight shouted. “Where are the letters?”

Spike, who had been shelving books at the top of a ladder, gave a startled cry. The ladder wobbled beneath him, and he gripped it tightly for balance. Once the ladder settled, he let out a relieved sigh and replied, “They’re in the pile.” Turning his head around, he motioned to the desk beside one of the curtained library windows.

He watched as the two mares trotted to the desk, quietly grunted in annoyance when he saw Twilight distractedly throw her sunhat at the door hanger and miss by a narrow margin. Glancing back at the girls, his eyes widened upon recognizing Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash? You’re out of the hospital alrea- Woah! Are those your wings Twilight mentioned?”

“Ya-huh,” Rainbow Dash replied, paying little attention to him as she watched Twilight rummage through piles of papers.

“These are about Gale and the transformed ponies,” Twilight said, a pink aura separating a large stack of papers from the rest of the parchments littering the desk. “And this one must be from Celestia and Luna.” Twilight looked over the wax-sealed scroll, but set it aside for later.

Rainbow Dash flicked her tail in urgency. “Come on, let’s see what they say.”

“Just a minute,” Twilight replied, frowning as she skimmed through the papers.

While she searched, Spike hastily descended the ladder, placed Twilight’s sun hat on the hanger, and then joined them. He poked his head over the desk to see the papers as well, but he was more interested in getting a closer look at Rainbow Dash’s wings.

“Ah, found it,” Twilight said, and she lifted up the report summary to read. After a moment of searching, Twilight spoke with an astonished voice, “Three.” Rainbow Dash and Spike turned their heads towards her with attentive gazes. “There are three other ponies who’ve been transformed like you, Rainbow. And they’re all pegasi.”

“Let me see,” Rainbow Dash said. She leaned precariously over Twilight’s shoulder so that she could read the paper herself.

“Here, look at this report time,” Twilight said while pointing a hoof, drawing Rainbow Dash’s eyes to the top of the paper. “This must be Gale’s first appearance. All the way west at Vanhoover.” Twilight turned her gaze and magic back to the stack of papers and flipped through them to find the corresponding page. “Let’s see... The pony who was transformed first was a stallion called Tailwind. Afterwards, Gale reportedly burned some of the nearby forest, at which point the local guard flew out to stop him and…” Twilight’s voice fell as she read aloud.

“And what?” Rainbow Dash asked, leaning more closely to read.

Twilight didn’t budge or reply as she hastily but silently read the rest of the paper.

Unable to make out what the small print said from over Twilight’s shoulder, Rainbow Dash pulled away and looked inquisitively to her. “What’s it say?

“...Twenty-seven dead,” Twilight grimly answered. “And they weren’t all members of the guard, either.”

“Twenty-seven?” Spike quietly repeated.

“Yes,” Twilight replied. She narrowed her eyes, and her voice hardened as she spoke, “And only eighteen of them were part of the guard. The other nine were regular ponies who just happened to be there and trying to run away.”

The memory of the burning Everfree Forest appeared in Rainbow Dash’s mind, and she shut it out before she could recall the smell and begin to imagine how Vanhoover might have compared to it. A lump formed in her throat as her stomach churned, but she held it down.

Spike’s eyes fell as he searched for some response, some way to rationalize the grave news. Yet, the only thing he found that he was capable of saying was a simple, “But why?”

Twilight’s mouth opened as a small shudder passed through her, and in the next moment, her posture straightened as if her fear had evaporated. “He’s one of the Shepherds,” she stoically replied. “Herding terrible events is how they got their titles.”

Twilight stared at the casualty count for some seconds more before solemnly setting it aside, and picking up the next page of the report.

“It looks like he started heading south based on the mess he made along the way,” Twilight continued on. Any previous note of enthusiasm in her voice was gone as she pieced together the details from the timestamps. “He was on course to Las Pegasus, but then he started heading... east instead?” Twilight grabbed the next paper in the stack and gave it a scrutinizing glare. “A mare named Breezy Lace was found sometime later, and had also been transformed like Tailwind. She claimed that she encountered Gale while on a long distance parcel route. It says here that she’s a mailmare.”

Rainbow Dash furrowed her brow. “A mailmare? Why would Gale transform a pony like that?”

“I’m not sure,” Twilight replied. “Until we learn more about his motives we won’t be able to understand him or his actions.”

Rainbow Dash pulled away from desk and let out a snort. “We don’t need to understand him, we just need to stop him and-”

Twilight’s sudden piercing gaze made Rainbow Dash pause. After a tense silence, Twilight said, “I’m not going to make the same mistakes I made with Night Walker.”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth, but found she had nothing to reply with, and so she let out a frustrated ‘tsk instead. Twilight eyed Rainbow Dash for several moments more, and then turned her head back to the desk.

“Ponyville’s report,” Twilight calmly stated. Neither Rainbow Dash nor Spike said anything, and after Twilight quickly skimmed it to ensure there was nothing she didn’t already know about, she set it aside and continued on. “Let’s see, the next one is… um…”

Spike coughed, and tentatively said, “You know, I had those in order for you, after I spent ten minutes burping them all out.”

“Yes, but not chronologically,” Twilight replied. “Hold on, I need to reorganize this.”

The hardness in Twilight’s voice was gone now, and the tension seemed to have left the room for the moment. Spike shrugged as he replied, “Not my fault if the guard sort their papers on time received instead of when the event actually happened. I keep telling you that you need to learn the royal system.“

Twilight frowned, but didn’t pull her eyes away from the papers as her magic sorted them. “The royal system is divided between four common standards, five subcategories depending on content and industry, and thirty formatting practices, all of which have their own methods and guidelines,” she replied testily. “When I find time for it, one of the most important royal decrees I’ll ever make will be an entirely new organizational standard for all written communication and records.”

“Maybe if you’d stop changing it every other week you might actually have a standard to show,” Spike said while rolling his eyes. “So, uh, Rainbow Dash? How’re things going?”

“As good they can be,” Rainbow Dash sarcastically replied, finally shaking off the last of the somber atmosphere. She turned her head away from the pile of papers that was becoming increasingly messy as Twilight reorganized everything. “I, uh... Got new wings if you couldn’t tell,” she deadpanned. She then fully extended one of her wings for him to see.

“Woah, real dragon wings, huh?” Spike said in excitement. He moved around to her front for a different perspective.

“Looks like it,” Rainbow Dash said, looking over her wing in curiosity as well. However, she lacked much of the enthusiasm that drove Spike. “So you’re a dragon, Spike. What do you think?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never had wings before,” Spike remarked. His eyes were drawn to the claw that stuck out from the end of her wing forearm. He pointed at it as he spoke, “Do you mind if I… um…”

“Sure, just… be careful,” Rainbow Dash replied, and she lowered her wing for Spike to examine.

He quickly walked up to it and carefully grasped it with his hands. “Woah,” he whispered as he gently applied pressure to the claw’s surrounding muscles, noting in fascination how they moved. “Your abductor pollicis is really strong,” he said with surprise.

“My what?”

“This,” he replied, touching the group of muscles that connected the claw to the rest of the wing forearm. “I always thought of it kinda like being the palm of my hand that made my thumb work. See?” Spike stepped back and showed his thumb to Rainbow Dash, and he flexed and unflexed it.

Rainbow Dash looked to his clawed thumb, and then back to her wings, slightly disturbed that Spike had come to the same description that she had when she first saw them. “So my wings are hands now?”

“Kinda,” Spike said. “Hey, can you flex it on your own?”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Your claw. If it’s anything like the other dragons I saw, this is kinda like a thumb for you now.”

Rainbow Dash looked to her wing, and then back to Spike with a blank expression.

“Like this,” Spike said, again showing how he moved his thumb. “I know it’s probably weird for you to imagine, but just try thinking of it like the hand you’ve never had.”

A concerned look appeared on Rainbow Dash’s face, and she hesitantly attempted to move her muscles like Spike had described. At first her wing didn’t obey her as she willed it, instead it twisted upwards and downwards as it flexed haphazardly. However, the longer she kept at it, the less erratic her movements became as she honed in on which muscles to flex. Rainbow Dash carefully bit her lip as she furrowed her brow.

“Yeah, like that. You almost got it,” Spike said supportively as he watched.

Eventually, she found the right muscles she needed to work, and she began flexing just her claw.

“See? You got it,” Spike cheered.

“This is… weird,” Rainbow Dash replied. She was able to get her claw to move a little, but it had nowhere near the flexibility and range of motion that Spike’s thumb had. “It’s kinda hard to do.”

“It’s a whole new set of muscles, but I’m sure you’ll get used to it in time,” Spike replied.

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Yeah, I’m sure that’ll be fun. I don’t know how Willow Shade and Cloud Shadow can work with wings like this. Feathers are so much easier.“

“Well, you’ve never had this many bones so spread apart before,” Spike replied.

Rainbow Dash frowned in confusion and looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“Well, when you had feather wings all your bones were pretty much in one place,” Spike said. “Or at least, they were closer together before. Kinda like this.” He raised a hand and brought his fingers together to form a solid spear point. “Pegasi only have a few bones in their wings, but batpony and dragon wings are different. Not only do they have three fingers like my hand, well, four if you include the thumb, but they’re also more like this.” Spike then spread his fingers as far apart as he could.

With his other hand, Spike pointed to his palm that he showcased to Rainbow Dash. “My palm looks solid, but it actually has bones kinda like my fingers. Those are called metacarpals. But unlike mine, yours are further apart. Here, raise your wing and I’ll show you.”

Rainbow Dash did as he asked, and he pointed to the thin but muscled bone segments that extended out from her claw where the leathery membrane of her wing connected to.

“These are your metacarpals,” Spike began. “They support your phalanges, or fingers, whatever you wanna’ call them. As you can see, my fingers are pretty flexible, but they can’t go any further apart because my metacarpals can’t move. But from the looks of it, yours can fold or spread apart just like a batpony’s.” Spike then paused as a thought crossed his mind, and he rubbed his chin. “Huh, now that I think about it, that’s probably a weird sensation for you.”

“You could say that,” Rainbow Dash replied. Her brow was slightly furrowed as she tried to absorb all the information.

“Yeah, I bet,” Spike continued. “When a pegasus folds their wings, they’re just bending their forearm for the most part, but a batpony and dragon also bring their fingers closer together when they fold their wings, and spread them apart when they’re open. So this is probably what you’re feeling.” Spike raised both of his hands up, and spread one hand’s fingers as wide as he could while keeping the other hand’s close together.

Rainbow Dash, who also had one wing extended and the other folded, looked at Spike’s hands closely. “Wait, so that what… Oh, huh.”

“Hey, do you think you could bend your fingers?” Spike suddenly asked. He wiggled the fingers on one of his hands as an example.

After taking a moment to see how Spike’s hand moved, Rainbow Dash twisted her head so she could see the lower section of her extended wing more easily, and she furrowed her brow as she searched for the right muscles. She quickly found them, and watched with wide eyes as she furled and unfurled the three long digits to some extent, similar to how Spike did when he flexed his fingers.

Then, after coming to a sudden and clearer understanding of how her new wings worked at an anatomical level, Rainbow Dash felt her heart skip, and she swayed as though she felt she would lose her balance.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash? Are you okay?” Spike asked. Twilight paused from her organizing and looked at Rainbow Dash with a concerned and watchful gaze.

Rainbow Dash reaffirmed her stance and shook her head. “Yeah, sorry… It’s just… It’s kinda hitting me how real this is, you know? I-I’m okay, now.” Pushing through the flutter of emotions in her chest, Rainbow Dash continued to flex her wing in all its new ways while mentally running over what Spike told her.

She pictured Spike’s hand becoming enlarged and being placed over her own wing. Then, his hand was stretched as if his bones and muscles were falling into the shape of Rainbow Dash’s wings. She imagined his fingers spreading apart like he had described to form the bony but muscular fingers that reached outward, becoming longer and thinner as they did. Then, she thought about the flesh from his palm becoming flatter as it spread itself out, eventually looking like the webbing of a frog’s foot that connected the fingers together until they formed the leathery membrane that was her wing.

For a moment, Rainbow Dash saw her wings as if they were truly giant hands, a disturbing notion that she was strangely starting to find intriguing.. “Weeeeeeird,” she replied. “How the hay do you know all this?”

Spike nervously poked his pointer claws together. “Cloud Shadow’s been helping me. Biology wasn’t really my strong suit, but ever since she and I have been hanging out I’ve been learning more about dragon anatomy. Since there aren’t really any books about it, we’ve been kind of just figuring it out as we go.” He then smiled and motioned to a section of the library. “The reason I know so much about wings is because I’ve been studying the anatomy of other animals. Just in case I ever grow a pair myself. Hey, maybe you should ask Cloud Shadow to help you out, too!”

Rainbow Dash quickly folded her wing, wincing only slightly at the feeling of the leather membrane rubbing against her sides instead of soft feathers. She was also more acutely aware of her fingers closing together just as Spike explained. “I’ll, uh…. I’ll think about it.”

“Ahem,” Twilight politely coughed. “I’ve got it all sorted now when you two are ready.” Rainbow Dash and Spike moved to the table edge, and looked over the newly organized papers.

“Alright,” Twilight began as she lifted the papers in order for them to see. “The first two transformations happened in western Equestria. Tailwind in Vanhoover, and Breezy Lace who was delivering a package to Las Pegasus. After that it looks like Gale went north east, past the Smokey Mountains and barely avoiding Dusktown in Unicorn Range. The guards that were sent after him caught up at Galloping Gorge, but they lost sight of him as he started flying southwest. It seems no pegasus was able to keep up with him, and thankfully, no casualties were reported.”

“Makes sense,” Rainbow Dash said, frowning as she remembered Gale’s speed. “If I hadn’t pulled off a Sonic Rainboom I’d never have beaten him in Ghastly Gorge.”

“If that’s the case, then he’s going to be a lot of trouble,” Twilight replied. She then magically grabbed a large nearby scroll and unfurled it out over the table, revealing a map of Equestria. “He’s been zigzagging across Equestria, but after his stop at Galloping Gorge he headed directly south until he ran into Ghastly Gorge by Ponyville.” Twilight quickly moved her hoof past the marked gorge and towards the east. “After that, he skimmed the outskirts of Appleloosa and flew towards Dodge City. That’s where the next transformation happened.”

Twilight pulled a paper out from beneath the map and showed it to Rainbow Dash and Spike. “An older stallion pegasi named Dust Cloud ran into Gale, and he’s the last recorded transformation. After that he headed further east until he came close to Baltimare. Thankfully, he avoided the town as well, and he was last seen heading north-northeast across the ocean.”

“Dust Cloud?” Rainbow Dash said. She took the paper from Twilight to read it more closely. “Why does that sound familiar?”

“Based off the report, he’s an old racing legend in the southern circuits,” Twilight replied. “From what I’ve read, he used to do the annual Dust Bowl tournament.”

“Dust Cloud raced in the Dust Bowl, huh?” Spike cheekily remarked. “Sounds like he got the right name for it.”

“Oh, yea! Now I remember!” Rainbow Dash said. She smiled as she tapped the paper with a hoof. “That old guy was awesome! He could do turns in the cacti fields like nopony else!”

“If he’s so good why haven’t I heard you mention anything about him?” Spike asked.

“Eh, the southern circuits aren’t that popular,” Rainbow Dash replied with a nonchalant hoof wave. “Not a lot of pegasi like the idea of racing so close to the ground. The southern circuits have rules where you can’t be higher than ten feet from the dirt for most of the race track.” She chuckled. “Who’d want to be stuck flying that low? I mean, hello, we’re pegasi? We can fly, so why be stuck to the ground? But I remember when my dad took me to one of them. Their rules suck, but the flyers were still pretty awesome.”

Spike opened his mouth to correct Rainbow Dash on the small detail of Rainbow Dash being a pegasus, but he was silenced by a brief glance from Twilight.

Rainbow Dash gave the paper back to Twilight before leaping into a dynamic pose. “Old Dust Cloud would leave all the other pegasi in the dust. He banked hard on the raised mud walls, soared over the hot flats, and wouldn’t get pricked by a single needle when he zoomed through the lowest points of the cacti fields! And no matter how many times another pegasus closed the distance, he always left them in the dust!”

Twilight and Spike looked at Rainbow Dash with awe. “He sounds good,” Twilight said. “How many of his races did you watch?”

Rainbow Dash straightened herself. “Just one. But it was super awesome.”

“A mailmare, a stallion from Vanhoover, and an old racer,” Twilight mused. Turning back to the desk, she rolled the map back up and looked over the reports. “Hmmmm.”

“What is it?” Spike asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” Twilight replied. “I’m trying to figure out why he turned all these ponies into drakes.”

“Drakes?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight nodded. “Celestia, Luna, and I have been in contact about the situation while you were recovering.” Twilight turned to look at Rainbow Dash. “There’s a lot I need to tell you, but right now it seems, Rainbow, that you’re a Drake. A dragon-pony hybrid. One of the first in a thousand years.”

“A drake,” Rainbow Dash repeated slowly, sounding out the word.

Twilight nodded as she continued, “Nopony knows the true origin of drakes, but Celestia and Luna said that Gale was the first of his kind to appear in Equestria. Either through a forgotten spell or some unknown magical occurrence, he became a drake, and eventually, he was able to make more. He was a plague to Equestria until his disappearance.”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and flicked her tail in irritation. “Why the hay are we just learning about him now then? Shouldn’t we have known about him and Night Walker?”

Twilight lowered her ears. “I spoke to Celestia about that before. There are a lot of things she regrets keeping in the past.”

“But you’ll be able to stop him like you did with Night Walker,” Spike asked. When neither Twilight nor Rainbow Dash spoke up, he rephrased his question. “You can stop him, right?”

For once in her life, Rainbow Dash found herself unable to answer a question like that, and she gritted her teeth because of it. She wanted to say something, anything. But each time she was about to speak, her mind flashed back to Gale’s gargantuan dragon form, and the fire that-

“We will,” Twilight said, looking to Spike first before turning to Rainbow Dash. “We’re going to figure this out, and when we do, we’re going to make sure he won’t endanger Equestria or any pony again.”

Rainbow Dash stared long and hard at Twilight’s crimson eyes, and while a part of her wanted to treat this like any other villain they had stopped before Night Walker’s time, she knew what Twilight was implying.

She just didn’t realize how difficult it was to be okay with such a thing.

“Did...uh,“ Rainbow Dash said before nervously swallowing. “Did Night Walker ever mention anything about Gale?”

Twilight blinked in surprise at the question, but then shook her head. “He hardly educated me about vamponies, let alone their magic or even shadow magic.” Twilight gave a crestfallen sigh. “Unfortunately for us, he never had the chance to tell me about the other Shepherds.”

A silence fell over the library as the three of them thought about what to say next, but after a few seconds passed, Twilight’s eyes suddenly widened. “But that doesn’t mean he never will.”

“Huh?” Spike and Rainbow Dash replied unison.

Twilight quickly turned her head and magically grabbed a book from across the room, a familiar journal with a blank cover. She brought the book before her, but didn’t open it. “There might be something in here,” she said, eyeing it with cautious hope. “Night Walker recorded portions of his life, and I’ll bet he wrote down his interactions with the other Shepherds. Perhaps somewhere in his biography I can find some clues about Gale.”

As Twilight stared longingly at the book, Rainbow Dash and Spike gave each other an uneasy glance. Then, a loud gurgle echoed in the library, and Rainbow Dash’s cheeks reddened. Twilight and Spike stared at Rainbow Dash who had placed a hoof on her stomach.

“Heh heh… Guess I’m hungry again,” Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight chuckled. “From what Ruby and I can tell, that’s to be expected.” Twilight gently set the journal on the desk before she walked to Rainbow Dash. “You’ve experienced a dramatic transformation already, but we suspect those were only the initial changes. It’s very possible that you’ll experience further changes, even extreme ones as you settle into a stable state. And for that, you’ll probably need plenty of nourishment to ensure a healthy change.”

“What kind of changes are we talking about here?” Rainbow Dash warily asked.

“I have no idea, but we can prepare for some of the more likely ones.” Twilight magically opened the desk to pull out a recently purchased notebook simply titled ‘Drakes’ in quill ink. ”Well, looking over the notes I’ve already collected from you…” Twilight flipped through several pages, each of them having been filled to the edges with various observations and thoughts. “To summarize, we’re expecting to mostly see increased development in your draconic traits. The more observable ones are scale growth, an increase in body mass, fire breathing, and possibly appetite changes. Additionally, we also might see some behavioral changes such as-”

“Do you mind if we skip this for now?” Rainbow Dash asked, flicking her tail with apparent unease. “I’ll, uh… be able to think better without an empty stomach.”

Twilight tilted her head questionably, but then nodded in acceptance. “Alright, if you’re sure. Spike, do you think you could take her to get some food? I still need to read Celestia and Luna’s letter. I’m sure I’ll have a response ready to send by the time you get back.”

Spike saluted. “Sure thing.”

“Thanks,” Twilight said with a smile. She then walked to Rainbow Dash and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Look, I know this has been hard for you, and it’s not going to be easy to get used to all of this. But I just wanted to remind you that you aren’t going through it alone. Just let any of us know if there’s something we can do to help, and we’ll be right there for you in a heartbeat.”

“Is that literal heartbeat, or…” Rainbow Dash joked, and she smirked when Twilight gave her a friendly but scolding glare. “But seriously, thank you,” Rainbow Dash said. “When I get back I’ll be ready to start figuring this out. Promise.”

Twilight nodded, and then gave her a quick hug. “Just be careful, and take a mental note of any differences or changes about yourself that you notice while you're out.”

“Sure,” Rainbow Dash replied, and she gave Twilight a heartfelt smile, which Twilight returned.

The two of them shared the earnest moment before Spike’s sudden chuckle pulled their attention.

“What?” Twilight asked.

“Oh nothing,” Spike replied. “Just find it funny that all three of us have fangs now.”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked to one another in surprise, and then giggled together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Approaching the outdoor dining table, the stallion server cheerfully announced, “One stack of hay fries for my favorite dragon.” He placed the plate of fries in front of Spike who rubbed his hands hungrily.

“Alright,” Spike exclaimed, and he began chowing down right away.

“And two daisy and tomato sandwiches, a cherry pie, and a fruit salad for, uh…” The server looked at Rainbow Dash’s face, then to her wings, and then back to her now scowling face.

“Your favorite drake,” Spike answered.

“Right, my.... favorite drake,” the server hesitantly replied. He quickly placed the rest of the food on the table and gave Rainbow Dash a nervous smile as he backed away. “Please enjoy the meal.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, and scooted her chair closer to the food. “Maybe we shouldn’t have come out here.”

“But weren’t you worried about your wings making a scene if we ate inside?”

Exhaling in frustration, Rainbow Dash replied, “Yeah, I guess I wouldn’t knock over some pony’s food or something out here, but…” Rainbow Dash glanced at the street, and saw multiple ponies quickly turning their heads away. Even the few bat ponies that could be seen avoided eye contact with her. Rainbow Dash let out a frustrated sigh and covered the side of her face with a hoof. “I’m starting to think that this wasn’t a good idea, either.”

Spike turned his head to the street, and noticed the ponies that walked by were curiously looking in their direction out from the corner of their eyes. “Eh, don’t worry about,” Spike said before turning his attention back to his food. “They’re just curious. I got plenty of looks when I first got to Ponyville, and now nobody even gives me a second glance.” Scooping a handful of fries into his mouth, Spike asked, “I thought you whiked havin’ attenshion?”

“Yeah, but not like this,” Rainbow Dash replied, peeking out from beneath her hoof. Her stomach rumbled again, and when it looked clear that Spike was too busy eating to offer any more advice, Rainbow Dash groaned and grabbed a sandwich. With a temperamental bite, Rainbow Dash tore into the sandwich with her fangs, and she closed her eyes in contentment when she felt how the crisp tomatoes crunched within her mouth. “Mmmm,” she mumbled. “Okay, forget all that. Thish wash a good idea.”

Spike nodded in affirmation, and opened his mouth for another large bite before his eyes trailed past Rainbow Dash’s gluttonous display. “Hey, I think that’s Rarity and Fluttershy down the street.”

Rainbow Dash whipped her head around, and swallowed with an audible gulp. “Where?”

“Over there,” Spike said as he leaned on the table and pointed.

Following his gaze, Rainbow Dash spotted Rarity and Fluttershy standing outside a distant store holding covered baskets while they conversed with one another.

“Hey, Rarity, Fluttershy!” Spike yelled as he waved in their direction.

The two girls turned their heads at the sound of his voice, and in moments they spotted him and Rainbow Dash. A surprised expression played across their faces, and they trotted over.

“Rainbow Dash, you’re out of the hospital!” Rarity exclaimed. “You should have told us, darling. We would have been there to check out with you.”

“How are you feeling?” Fluttershy asked with sweet concern.

Rainbow Dash placed a hoof behind her head as she guiltily smirked. “Sorry, I just got out a few hours ago. I’m feeling alright, though.”

“So I see,” Rarity commented, eyeing the copious amount of food in front of her. “It looks like you are doing a decent job of keeping up your strength.”

“Twilight said I might get pretty hungry,” Rainbow Dash replied. She looked over her plates and licked her lips. “Can’t say that I’m complaining.”

“How are the, um,” Flutter quietly spoke, pausing to look at the fangs that were briefly revealed each time Rainbow Dash smiled. “I mean, how are you handling your changes?”

“One step at a time, I guess,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Twilight’s gonna’ help me out. She wants me to spend the night at her place for a bit.”

“That sounds good,” Rarity said. “If any pony can help you figure out your…” Rarity’s voice trailed off. Her eyes were drawn from Rainbow Dash’s wings to the smattering of mayonnaise on her lips and the daisy petal stuck between her teeth. The horrid sight caused Rarity to shudder, and she dimly recalled a similar scene with Twilight.

“My what?” Rainbow Dash asked, frowning slightly.

“Well, I was going to comment on your condition, but it’s hard to ignore your dreadfully underdeveloped manners,” Rarity replied, trying to not look directly at the filthy mess that was Rainbow Dash’s face. “Hopefully Twilight can help you in that regard as well. I’m sorry, but… May I?” Rarity snatched one of the napkins from the table and floated it near Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, but then chuckled. “Yeah, sure. But just this once, got it?”

“I can’t promise that,” Rarity said, and she began delicately wiping up Rainbow Dash’s face.

Throughout the tidying, Rainbow Dash gave Rarity a light hearted grin, and after she had been cleaned up, she said, “It’s good seeing one of us back to normal.”

“I’m not certain if I’ll ever be entirely normal again, dear. But yes, it does feel good to be back at some crude approximation of it. I’m sure you’ll feel the same when things have settled down for you, too,” Rarity said. She then crumpled the napkin and expertly threw it into a nearby trashcan. “And by that I mean when you begin feeling like your spirited self again. If I learned anything during my time as… well, that, then it’s that regardless of what happens to you, it’s how you feel inside that counts. I know all too well how difficult it can be to handle such drastic changes, but one must never lose their spirit.” She gave Rainbow Dash a heartfelt smile. “And you are one of the most spirited ponies that I know.”

“Heh, I’ll keep that in mind,” Rainbow Dash replied, turning to her sandwich to hide the small blush that appeared on her cheeks. “So what are you two up to?” she asked before taking another bite from her food.

“Oh, um, we were, uh…” Fluttershy nervously began.

“Promoting!” Rarity quickly said.

Fluttershy’s ears perked up, and she eagerly nodded. “Oh, yes! Promoting!” Fluttershy raised her closed basket for them to see. “I was helping Rarity promote some of her new design concepts.”

“How’s that going?” Spike asked.

“Wonderful, actually,” Rarity answered, and she looked down as she opened her basket. Rarity’s horn lit, and out levitated a shining gem for Spike and Rainbow Dash to see. “Voila!”

“Woah,” Spike whispered. “That looks delicious.”

Hearing the remark, Rainbow Dash paused in mid-chew, and eyed the gem curiously.

Rarity giggled. “Oh, Spike. These aren’t for eating. They’re for promoting!”

Spike looked at the gem in sorrow, disappointed by its wasted potential. “And how do they do that?”

“They show the customer how breathtaking and wondrous imagination can be!” Rarity declared with a raised hoof.

Spike and Rainbow Dash simply stared at her, scooping more food into their mouths as they waited for her to continue.

After holding the pose for some moments, Rarity lowered her hoof and asked, “Remember when the Crystal Empire reappeared?”

Spike quickly swallowed his food, and then rested his chin on his hand as a happy, faraway smile appeared on his face. “How could I forget? The party didn’t stop for days.”

“Well, after we returned to Ponyville, sales for my dresses that featured gems were, as they say, through the roof! I even ran out of stock at one point.”

The joy in Spike’s face fell as he remembered the pain in his claws. “How could I forget? I was digging all night.”

“Now that the bat ponies are moving into the castle,” Rarity continued, “gem featured dresses have gone up again. Not as much as right after Crystal Empire’s return, mind you, but enough to make me get out there and spread the word.”

Rainbow Dash tilted in her head in confusion, but then made a loud ‘Mhmm!’ in realization.

“Finish chewing your food first, dear” Rarity quickly said, and waited patiently as Rainbow Dash gulped her sandwich down.

“Dusktown, right?” Rainbow Dash said.

Rarity smiled with half-lidded eyes. “Exactly.”

“I don’t get it,” Spike said. “What’s Dusktown got to do with this?”

“I’ll take you there someday, Spike,” Rarity replied. She then paused as she brought a hoof to her chin. “Though, it might have to be while you have a full stomach. You see, Dusktown was built with absolutely beautifully carved stones from the surrounding Unicorn Range. Oh, how I wish to see it again with their sparkles and shimmers. The last time I was there I couldn’t fully appreciate the wonderful decor due to not being myself. It’s very rare to see stones like in the rest of Equestria, you know. Even with Dusktown’s borders being removed, they’re still moving quite slowly on exporting their natural materials. And rightfully so, as it only makes them that much more unique and radiant.”

“They got some of that at the castle,” Rainbow Dash added. “Mist Hoof showed me the hallways they were building.”

“Woah,” Spike said, trying to imagine it.

“Yes. ‘Woah’ indeed,” Rarity said. A twinkle formed in her eye as she placed the gem back into her basket. “Not only am I appealing to Ponyville’s residents with new gem-inspired dresses, but I’m also trying to catch the bat ponies’ attention as well. If I can get them interested in Ponyville’s gems, then I can have a helping hoof in decorating the castle!” Rarity gave a restrained, but happy noise of excitement. “Doesn’t it sound marvelous? Our town’s gems being used in the castle’s construction?”

“Why don’t you just ask them to use them?” Spike asked.

Rarity sighed. “The point isn’t asking to be part of the castle, it’s to be recognized and invited to be part of the castle.”

“And you accomplish that how?”

Rarity waved a hoof over the town. “By promoting my gems across Ponyville!”

Rarity held her proud pose again, and when Rainbow Dash and Spike gave her dumbfounded looks, she duly groaned. “If I can convince Ponyville’s shopkeepers to display these gems among their wares, then they’ll surely be seen by the bat ponies. More and more have been coming to town while the castle is being built, and it is crucial to build a healthy relationship with them. If we can show the bat ponies our wonderful repertoire of wares, then they’ll come back to town more often even when the castle is complete, strengthening their relationship with Ponyville. And when they see what wonderful and gorgeous gems Ponyville has, they’ll want to have some delivered to the castle to be used in their efforts to recreate some of Dusktown.”

“And that last part is good because…” Rainbow Dash said.

“It’s good because it further solidifies the unity between the two towns. If the bat ponies use Ponyville’s gems, then it’s a symbolic gesture of the bat ponies and the residents of Ponyville becoming closer together to make something new. Something never done before. Something, dare I say, grand!”

“Isn’t it exciting?” Fluttershy added.

Rainbow Dash and Spiked exchanged glances.

“It wouldn’t be possible without you, Fluttershy,” Rarity said. “Why, if you hadn’t recommended using those old gems I’ve been fussing about getting rid of, then we wouldn’t have ever come to such a marvelous and historic idea.”

“I still don’t get how that’s going to help you sell dresses,” Rainbow Dash said. “It’s not like I wanted to buy one when I had one of those cupcakes at Pinkie’s work.”

“Oh, so the Cakes did use them,” Rarity replied. “That’s splendid. I knew I could count on them. As for selling dresses, I-” Rarity paused, and then gave Rainbow Dash an incredulous expression. “I’m sorry, did you say you had one of the cupcakes?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash answered. “They were pretty good.”

“One of the gem-covered cupcakes? The ones meant for display?”

“Nah, those were the rock candy ones. You know, from Pinkie Pie’s stash whenever her sister comes to town.”

“Oh, I see. Nevermind then. Anyways, as I was saying. As for selling dresses, I understand it might not be immediately clear as to how handing out gems would spark the idea of buying my dress to a pony.” Rarity’s eyes turned to an imaginary scene and she waved her hoof for emphasize. “But just imagine a pony going about their daily routine, and they just so happen to pass my store. They’ll look through the windows where they’ll see in full display my new line of dresses, decorated with glittering gems, and they’ll be reminded of all the gems they’ve seen around town. Wonder and excitement will fill them, and they absolutely incapable of resisting the temptation to come inside and see them.” Rarity let out a giggle. “When I finally attract the attention of a few bat ponies word will spread even faster! In fact, I’ve been coming up with a whole new line to stylishly accent the bat ponies’ natural features. Although…” Rarity looked over Rainbow Dash, sizing her up with a variety of ideas.

Leaning away, Rainbow Dash cautiously asked, “What are you thinking?”

“Oh, nothing too much. It’s just… I do need another model for my dress making. And while they aren’t batpony wings, I’m sure they’ll-”

“Nuh-uh,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Not happening.” She then turned back to her food and made it a point to eat it as messily as she could, starting with the cherry pie first.

“It was just a thought,” Rarity replied. She let out a sigh of disappointment, but then suddenly gasped. “Oh my, I’m terribly sorry, Rainbow Dash. That was incredibly rude of me. You’ve only just changed and here I am asking you to model those changes for me.”

Rainbow Dash lifted her face from the pie, dribbling red juices down her cheeks in a way that caused Rarity’s eyes to twitch. “Nah, it’s fine. It helps me kinda get used to it.”

“Oh, I see,” Rarity said as she averted her gaze. “That’s a relief. Still, I am sorry. That was very unladylike of me.”

“No worries,” Rainbow Dash replied, and went back to devouring the pie.

Noticing the break in the conversation, Fluttershy spoke, “Um, Spike.”

“Yeah?” Spike replied.

“The next time you see Cloud Shadow, would you please let her know that I’ll be getting the snakes ready for their winter hibernation? She wanted to help me guide them to their dens before the running of the leaves.”

“Sure thing, Fluttershy,” Spike said.

Fluttershy nodded thanks, and then gently prodded Rarity. “We should get back to promoting your gems, and, um… finish our shopping?” Fluttershy gave Rarity two winks.

“Oh yes, of course!” Rarity replied. “Well, off we go. We’ll come visit you later tonight, Rainbow Dash. You’ll be at Twilight’s I trust?”

“Mhmm.”

“Wonderful. We’ll let Applejack and Pinkie Pie know as well. Toodles!”

Fluttershy quickly went up to Rainbow Dash and gave her a gentle hug. “Take care, Dashie. See you and Spike tonight.”

Rainbow Dash swallowed her food, and smiled as she patted Fluttershy’s arm. “Yeah, see you then.”

After waving goodbye to Rarity and Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Spike turned back to their plates. Spike sighed at sight of the greasy plate and the few remaining fries. “Sure wish I could’ve had one of those gems.”

“Makes me want another cupcake from Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Hey, wanna go visit Sugarcube Corner after this?”

Spike looked at Rainbow Dash, then down at her licked-clean plates, and wondered how he had missed her eating the last of her meal. He looked back to Rainbow Dash and her still hungry eyes.

“Maybe we should wait for your stomach to settle,” Spike said carefully. “You don’t want to overeat on your first day.”

Chapter 5

“We can slow down, if you’d like,” Spike suggested. “You did just have a big meal, after all.”

“Do you know who you’re talking to?” Rainbow Dash replied, trotting at a brisk pace while Spike practically jogged from behind. Despite her large meal, her stomach was already feeling less full, and try as she might, she just couldn’t relax the growing tension in her muscles. “The quicker we get back to help Twi’ work on this stuff the better.”

“Well… then,” Spike exhaled before letting out a gasp. “Can we slow down for my sake? I think I got a stitch in my side.”

“Oh, sure,” Rainbow Dash said as she stopped. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Spike holding his left side while he caught his breath. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he wheezed. “I think I’ve just had too many sweets lately.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “I told you, dude. If you kept eating sweets for lunch then it’ll come back to bite ya. I think today’s the first time I’ve seen you eat real food in like, I don’t know, a while?”

“Twenty-five days,” Spike said as he panted. “I’ve been eating sweets for twenty-five days because that’s exactly how many recipes I’ve made in Draconian Delights, and I can’t help it.” He looked to Rainbow Dash with a pleading look. “The only pony who helps me bake them is Pinkie Pie. You know there’s no way to stop her!”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure Twilight could help you and make it healthy.”

“No, Twilight won’t help,” Spike replied. “It’s one of Night Walker’s books. He kind of, uh… let me borrow it before we found out he was evil. Twilight let me keep it when the guard came for his stuff at that house he had, but only after she did every test imaginable on it. She doesn’t go near it now, even though she said it was fine.”

“Think we can guess why,” Rainbow Dash sarcastically said. “Ready to go now?”

“Yeah, just a sec,” Spike replied. After two quick breaths, he shook his arms, and started walking. “Okay, ready.”

The two of them continued on, easily passing through the trickling crowds of Ponyville’s streets. Ponies seemed more than willing to make way for them, something Rainbow Dash normally appreciated, but the crowd’s eyes lingered longer than usual, and she shifted her draconic wings in unease.

Spike, also noticing the wide berth ponies gave them, flashed Rainbow Dash a supporting smile. “Hey, maybe if we see a comfy cloud on the way, you could stop for one of your famous power naps.”

Rainbow Dash softly sighed, and then straightened her posture and kept her head high. “It’s okay, Spike. I can handle this.” Without giving him a moment to reply, Rainbow Dash trotted forward, and Spike sighed at having to keep up again.

They turned down another street, and then entered an alley between two particularly close houses; a shortcut back to Twilight’s, Spike had noticed. The little path was shaded thanks to the adjacent tall houses, a perfect path with no other ponies sharing it. However, Spike found very little to distract his eyes with, and he couldn’t help but look over Rainbow Dash’s wings. While she seemed comfortable enough keeping them tucked to her sides, he noted that they would still quiver now and then.

As they reached the end of the narrow street, they exited into the small clearing where Twilight’s library sat within view. However, the two of them spotted Applejack, easily catching her orange coat and cowpony hat while she trotted towards Twilights. Likewise, it only took a moment before Applejack saw the two of them, and she changed direction to meet them.

“Rainbow Dash! There you are,” Applejack said as she came closer. “You know how long Ah was sitting in the lobby before I asked one of the staff where ya were? If ya’ll were leaving right after sunrise you could have just told me.”

Rainbow Dash gave an apologetic smirk. “Sorry, AJ. Couldn’t stand being cooped up in those beds any longer.”

Applejack snorted. “Oh come on, they can’t be that bad.”

“Have you ever been in them?”

“Of course I have,” Applejack declared, but then took a moments pause as she brought a hoof to her chin. “Although, whenever Ah was at the hospital as a filly, Granny always did take me back home before Ah’d fall asleep there...”

Rainbow Dash craned her head, causing an audible crick in her neck that she rubbed at. “Yeah, be thankful she did that.”

Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a second glance, and then turned to Spike. “Any news?”

Spike nodded. “Twilight’s reading a message from the Princesses right now. Also, we found out there’s other drakes!”

Applejack’s eyes widened, recalling the name Twilight used when explaining what was happening to Rainbow Dash. “There’s others?” she asked in surprise.

Rainbow Dash subtly rubbed her foreleg as Spike eagerly nodded. “Yeah, one in Vanhoover, one who was on her way to Las Pegasus, and the other is an old racing legend from Dodge City! And it looks like they have the same transformations Rainbow’s got.”

“Yeah, it’s been a crazy,” Rainbow Dash interjected. “Hey, AJ, we just got done eating and we’re heading back to Twi’s. Want to come with?”

“Oh, sure,” Applejack answered, and she joined Rainbow Dash’s side as the three of them walked together. It wasn’t but a few steps, however, before Applejack’s eyes trailed down to Rainbow Dash’s wings. After a polite cough, Applejack asked, “So, aside learning that there's some ponies going through the same stuff, how ya feeling today?”

“Alright, I guess,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Alright as in, ‘Ah’m fine,’ or alright as in, ‘Ah’m dealing with it’?”

“Is there a difference?”

“You know there is.” Applejack turned her head so that she could see Rainbow Dash as she walked. “Ah just want to know how you’re doing, is all. Ah can’t imagine how hard this is for ya, and Ah—”

“It’s fine, AJ. I get it,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “There’s not much to figure out here. My wings changed, probably forever. Yeah, it sucks, and it’s a part of me now.” She shook her leathery wings for emphasis, sending a shiver up her spine at how it still felt. “But... I’m getting over it. I just gotta’ figure out stuff with Twilight and things will be okay.”

Spike and Applejack fell a step behind to flash each other a look of concern. “You know, Sugarcube,” Applejack began. “It’s okay to take it easy. Big changes like these probably take some time, you know?” When Rainbow Dash didn’t reply, Applejack stepped closer. “Look, to be honest, as much as Ah’m relieved to see you doing better, Ah’m still worried, and Ah just don’t want you pushing yourself too hard on getting over this.”

“Not much else I can do, AJ,” Rainbow Dash dully replied, keeping her eyes focused on the library door that they approached. Grabbing the door’s handle, Rainbow Dash added one last remark, “It’s either deal with it or don’t.”

Applejack and Spike looked at one another, sharing concerned glances before following Rainbow Dash inside. When the three of them entered, the door slammed behind them, and Twilight seemingly appeared next to them.

“Big news,” Twilight said with a pensive look while the three of them jerked in surprise.

“What it is it?” Rainbow Dash asked, first to recover from the sudden fright.

Twilight motioned to the scroll sitting open on her desk. “I read Celestia and Luna’s message, and I’ve already written a message in response. The latest reports show that Gale is leaving Equestria.”

Applejack and Spike shared a sigh of relief, but Rainbow Dash glowered at Twilight. “Why’s he leaving?” she asked.

“The princesses believe he’s searching for the dragons’ main nesting grounds.”

“Wait, you don’t mean...” Spike spoke, recalling the nest with all the teenagers during the dragon migration.

Twilight shook her head. “No, that was just one of the migratory grounds. What Gale’s after right now is most likely the main nesting ground, which is on an island south of the Griffon Kingdoms.”

Turning her head, Twilight used her magic to unfurl a world map hanging in front of a wide bookshelf, drawing it down until the bottom of the map nearly touched the floor. She then levitated a nearby quill and brought it to the very bottom right of the map.

“The dragons migrated to these southern islands some centuries ago when Lord Torch, the current ruler of the dragons, decided to move out from the northern frontier. The good news is that Gale doesn’t know the dragons have moved, yet.”

Twilight raised the quill upwards, stopping at the very top of the large map. She pointed at the frozen mountains lining the edge of Equestria’s eastern and northern borders. “Based of the guard reports, we think Gale will leave Equestria’s borders tomorrow or the next day along here, where he’ll then go on to the northern Celestial Sea and into unknown territory.” Twilight brought the quill back. “The northern areas are uncharted for ponies, but what we do know is that it’s a big place, and despite the nest moving, there are still plenty of dragons living in the area.”

Applejack raised her eyebrow. “Just how long do you think it’ll take him before he catches on?”

“We’re not sure. It could be a week, or a few months,” Twilight replied.

Rainbow Dash panned her between the two places on the map. “So what happens when he does find it and meets this Lord Scorch or whatever?”
“It’s Lord Torch, and that’s the bad part,” Twilight said as she tilted her ears. “It turns out that dragon hierarchy is based off whoever’s holding a sacred and magical artifact that allows the bearer to, uhm… well, as unbelievable as it is, magically command all the other dragons.”

“What,” Rainbow Dash deadpanned.

“That was Ruby’s response, too. To be honest, I can’t find myself disagreeing with her opinion.” Twilight looked back to the map with a grave expression. “If Gale manages to take control of that artifact, there’s no telling what kind of destruction he might cause. Being able to control every dragon in the world… I’m not sure that’s something even we could stop.”

Spike gulped. “Maybe, uh… Maybe he can’t use the artifact. You know, since he’s part pony?”

“I don’t think we can afford to test that,” Twilight replied.

“But if this artifact can control dragons, then doesn’t that mean Gale’s affected by it, too? Can’t Lord Torch just use it on him?”

“That’s the worse part,” Twilight replied. “Celestia told me that the few drakes she had met were able to resist some of the artifact’s magic. Whatever reasons behind the magic, Gale’s used that advantage to challenge Lord Torch for rulership at his discretion. So far, he’s never succeeded.”

“Ah take it that ‘aint the case anymore?” Applejack asked.

“At least a thousand years have passed since they last fought,” Twilight answered. “A thousand years isn’t much for a dragon, but when they’re as old as Lord Torch, well, weaknesses can appear at his age. If Celestia is right about Gale, then even one slip up from Lord Torch could put the fight in Gale’s favor. And given that Gale is probably stronger now, we’re worried that he might win this time. In fact, physically, he’s probably in his prime.”

Spike poked his claws together, and asked with a hopeful voice, “Maybe he’s out of shape because he’s been sleeping for the last thousand years?”

“Actually, that’s really likely,” Twilight answered with a surprisingly cheerful voice. “Sleeping for a thousand years, that is, not the out of shape part. Dragons primarily grow while sleeping, and it turns out they actually age slower when they’re awake. You would not believe how fascinating a dragon’s life cycle and-” Twilight’s face physically jerked for a second, and with an embarrassed cough, she said, “Sorry, getting off topic here.”

Applejack gave a knowing smirk, and even Rainbow Dash felt her lips smile seeing Ruby keep Twilight on track. Spike, however, was looking at Twilight with wide eyes as he asked, “There’s a book about dragons?”

Twilight nodded excitedly. “There’s three books about dragons, and they’re from Celestia’s personally library. The last time I visited Canterlot, she showed them to me and talked about how she was planning on gifting them to you when you were older, but given the circumstances, she felt it was time to break them out. I only managed to get a brief glance over a few chapters before she took them away for copying, but I’m expecting them to arrive today. The copies will be given to various points in the chain of command so they can prepare themselves for what Gale is capable of.” She then flashed Spike a knowing look. “You would not believe some of the books she has. The next time we have a break, we are studying those spells.”

“But back to the matter at hoof,” Twilight continued. “To answer your question, Spike, yes, we think it’s likely he’s been sleeping these last thousand years, and he’s probably in good shape, too. When Celestia heard about each pony’s description of him from the reports, she remarked that he sounded larger than her last encounter with him a thousand years ago. Back then, it seemed he was only the size of a house.”

A pit formed in Rainbow Dash’s stomach as she recalled running into Gale and how his dragon form towered over the Everfree trees. “He’s definitely bigger than that,” she said flatly.

Twilight nodded. “One of our main concerns is that we’re not sure how much stronger he is now, and whether or not he could defeat Lord Torch.”

Rainbow Dash let out a snort. “Great. So after taking a nap for a thousand years, he just happens to wake up now when he could beat this Lord whatever?”

“Well, we have a theory as to why that is,” Twilight replied, visibly hesitant to continue speaking. “Ruby and I think that Gale’s sleeping has something to do with the disappearance of the Four Shepherds.”

If there was any doubt left as to the severity of the situation, Twilight’s proclamation put it to rest. Despite having known that another Shepherd might appear after Night Walker’s death, it was still difficult to accept. Rainbow Dash flexed her wings at the mention of them, and couldn’t help but glance over Twilight’s red cutie mark, vampiric red eyes, and pearly fangs. She and Twilight had been changed by two Shepherds, in ways most ponies will never understand, and the thought of something happening to the rest of her friends twisted her chest into knots.

“Counting Sombra,” Twilight continued, “three of the Four Shepherds have shown up.” She brought a hoof to her chest. “Ruby and I still aren’t sure what’s causing them to appear one after another like this, but if it continues, then it’s likely that Gale only woke up because Ruby and I killed Night Walker. Which means that when we do stop Gale, there’s a strong chance that the last Shepherd will show up as well.”

“W-Who’s that?” Spike nervously asked.

“Right now, I think it’s important that we focus on—”

“We aren’t your war council or whatever it is you do at Canterlot now. Just say who it is,” Rainbow Dash sardonically interrupted.

Twilight frowned at Rainbow Dash, but nodded in reply as she cleared her throat. “Alright. Her name is Thistle Bell, like the flower that grows near the Crystal Kingdom. Among the Four Shepherds, she was called the Dead.”

Applejack grimaced. “Ah can’t imagine why anypony would want to be called that.”

“Interestingly enough,” Twilight began, “it was actually the various villages of Equestria that named them. Each Shepherd has a few surnames historically recorded in certain regions alone, but their ‘code names’, so to speak, are titles that actually stuck around during a time when news was spread only by word of mouth.”

“But why in Equestria was she called that?”

“She was called that because…” Twilight trailed off, biting her lip on how to explain.

“Because what?” Rainbow Dash asked. There was a growing note of irritation in her voice.

“Well, she was able to… or rather, is able to raise the, uhm… the dead.”

“Say what now?” Applejack said.

“She, uh… she can raise dead ponies and control them to do her bidding.”

Spike started chewing on his claws. “A-Are you saying she can make zombies?”

“Zombies, skeletons, and worse,” Twilight replied. “Thistle Bell was a mad pony who collected the corpses and souls of ponies who passed away, storing them in her fortress at the northern and southern edges of Equestria. Although, it’s fair to say that each Shepherd is mad in their own way.”

“What were the other names?” Spike asked, hoping to change the topic.

“Sombra was known as the King,” Twilight answered, “Night Walker the Shadow, and Gale the Beast—”

Slam every book shut. The urge suddenly tore through Rainbow Dash's mind as her muscles tensed and twitched in preparation. She clamped her teeth at the notion, and after a moment, it passed. “Okay, we get it. They have names. So how are they involved in this again?” Rainbow Dash pressed.

“We… Don’t know, yet,” Twilight sheepishly replied. “But there are some clues. Sombra appeared with the Crystal Kingdom, something we still don’t fully understand, but we don’t have any idea where Night Walker and Gale first showed up at. For all we know, they could have been traveling through time like the Crystal Kingdom. But thankfully, Gale’s signs of growth rules out that theory.”

Twilight turned to Spike and asked with a gentle voice, “Remember when Night Walker put you to sleep with a powder?”

Spike nodded while poking his claws together.

“It’s called… ahem, Dragon’s Puff. It seems it’s made from the shavings of a rare magical reagent that has a strong reaction with dragons. Fine amounts of it can cause dragons to fall asleep if quickly inhaled.”

Spike was pensive as his eyes trailed downward, but he blinked at a thought that bubbled up from the unpleasant memory. “You think Night Walker might have something to do with Gale then? Like... maybe he used the same powder on him?”

“It’s a good guess, and Ruby and I are still considering it, but we don’t think it’s too likely in this case,” Twilight answered. Without turning her head, Twilight’s horn lit as she grabbed Night Walker’s journal from the shelf behind her, and then levitated it in front of her towards the girls and Spike. “But that might change.”

Applejack and Spike grimaced at the book. Rainbow Dash on the other hoof, wanted to throw it against a wall and yell at Twilight for taking so long to—

Rainbow Dash fluttered her eyes, and forced herself to keep paying attention to Twilight.

“I’ve been going over his journal,” Twilight began, “and so far I haven’t reached the part in his story where he’s a shepherd yet. But whenever I try to skip past the parts I’ve read, the pages become blank. I’ve counted the remaining pages each time I’ve opened it, and despite how much I read there are always about twenty blank pages left.”

Opening the book for them to see, Twilight showed the magical phenomenon to them, twirling past previously read pages until they suddenly became blank. She then closed book and gave it a wary glare. “Ruby and I figured out that it uses some kind of shadow magic for its enchantments. Night Walker was somehow able to get it to work without emanating any magical energy. At least, that’s our working theory for it right now. Still…”

Twilight brought the book close to her chest. “Night Walker wanted me to read this, and it looks like until I’ve read everything I can’t guarantee I’ll be able find anything helpful from it. ” She sighed while lowering the book. “If I had spent more time on it between my royal duties, then perhaps I could have found an answer by now. But until then, it looks like I’ll be putting more reading hours into it.”

“So, what are we going to do then?” Rainbow Dash asked. Her wings were twitching in anticipation, and she wanted to throw them open and shake the air. “What’s the plan for stopping him and this Dead or whatever coming after him?”

Twilight was quiet as she levitated Night Walker’s journey back to the shelf. After a moment, she took a deep breath. “Some members of the guard are preparing for Thistle Bell, but the rest of our ponies are mobilizing right now to deal with Gale.”

Twilight shifted her body posture into something that bespoke royalty and authority, and her friends noticed how much easier the stance came to her. Additionally, despite having only written the orders minutes ago, Twilight spoke as if she had rehearsed it a hundred times.

“By Royal order, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and I, Princess Twilight, will be leading a joint effort with the Griffin Kingdoms in our conflict with Gale, member of the Four Shepherds. Equestrian forces will travel across the sea and fortify at the northern edge of Griffin territory where the Bug Bear Mountains begin. Our primary goal is to assist in the defence of the Griffin Kingdoms, and ensure Gale is not able to fly southward past our defenses. If Gale is allowed a direct flight over the Griffin Kingdoms, the damage would be catastrophic.”

Twilight then relaxed and blushed slightly. “That’s the first order going out. I’ve already sent it to Celestia, Luna, and Cadence who are preparing their own troops. I’ll be in charge of the bat pony company.”

Applejack and Spike stared agape at the news. Rainbow Dash, however, gritted her teeth in excitement, and her heart quickened. The sensation of her fangs gnashing together was starting to become comfortable. “When do we leave?” she nearly growled.

Twilight looked to Rainbow Dash, and lowered her ears sullenly. She could hear Rainbow Dash’s heart thumping furiously within her chest. Rainbow Dash had always been hot headed, but the sound of blood rushing through her veins as it did now was off-putting for Twilight, and she found it difficult to recompose herself for what she was about to say.

Rainbow Dash saw this reaction and asked, “We are leaving, right?”

“Rainbow…” Twilight began. “The other princesses and I decided that… You’re staying in Ponyville.”

Rainbow Dash blinked once in befuddlement before she roared thunderously, “WHAT!?”

The reverberation of her voice shifted the grand map and sent it refurling back to the top of the shelf like an elastic cord. Without care, Rainbow Dash threw her wings open while her tail madly flicked. “I’m not staying here while you’re fighting Gale!”

“Rainbow, please, you have to—”

“Do you think I can’t handle it?” Rainbow Dash stamped a hoof on the floor, causing the wooden floorboard to splinter from the force. “Is that it, huh!?”

“No, Rainbow, it’s—”

Push back! Prove who’s stronger! Rainbow Dash stomped towards Twilight, marching past Applejack and Spike who shied away in surprise. Twilight, however, kept perfectly still as Rainbow Dash pressed her nose against hers. Rainbow Dash’s open wings furled inward as if they sought to wrap Twilight up in their large grasp, and her fangs gleamed as she opened her mouth wide. “I didn’t stop you from facing Night Walker! I backed you one-hundred and twenty percent of the way. You’re going to let me do this.”

Squaring herself up and bringing her eyes close to Twilight’s, Rainbow Dash declared, “I’m not staying behind.”

Applejack and Spike were taken aback at Rainbow Dash’s suddenly eminently draconic presence, but recovered and readied themselves, ready to intervene on both their friends’ behalf.

However, before they could even take a step, in a fluid motion, Twilight shifted from her sheepish demeanor into something predatory and vampiric. A weight could be felt in the air, and Applejack and Spike found themselves automatically stiffening in fear, their bodies motionless despite how their minds’ insistence. It was like a palpable vampiric aura emanating from Twilight, dwarfing Rainbow Dash’s fury, making her outburst of bravado feel like that of a temperamental child. There was a sharpness and power to Twilight’s voice as she repeated, “You aren’t coming with us.”

Rainbow Dash was unfazed. Nothing frightened her, and so she spread her wings more. “If you honestly think that—”

“You aren’t coming because you’re needed here, Rainbow!” Twilight suddenly shouted.

Rainbow Dash paused as she regarded Twilight, noticing how she relaxed and left herself vulnerable.

“I’m bringing the other Drakes here, to Ponyville,” Twilight said. “And I need you to be here for them.”

Like a red filter being removed, all thoughts of battle vanished. Rainbow Dash flattened her ears, her wings instantly tucked themselves to her sides, and she took a nervous step backwards. “W-What do you mean? What do they got to do with me? I can’t sit around babysitting when Gale needs to be stopped!”

“These ponies have gone through the same changes you have,” Twilight softly said. “Rainbow. you aren’t alone with this. They’re going to need your help, and they’ll be able adjust to their new changes better than if they were left alone. And I also believe that helping them will help you as well.” Twilight stepped towards Rainbow Dash and raised a hoof to place on her shoulder, but Rainbow Dash stepped away, anxiously avoiding eye contact all the while.

Twilight paused, and the concern showing on her face deepened. “I know it’s a lot to handle. I just want you to have the best cha—”

“I don’t care what you want!” Rainbow Dash suddenly shouted as she turned away. Break something! Destroy a bookshelf! A Table! Anything to prove you’re strong. Never let them see weakness. Shutting her eyes tight, she turned her head downward and yelled, “I just want this to be over! And to do that Gale needs to be stopped!”

Shock appeared on Twilight’s face, and after nodding to no one in particular, she closed her eyes briefly. When she had reopened them, they were filled with white light, and Twilight cautiously stepped forward. “Rainbow Dash... “

“WHAT?” Rainbow Dash screamed as she spun to face her. However, her anger gave way to confusion when she saw Twilight’s soul sight active.

Twilight stared intensely for several seconds before calmly speaking, “Breathe.”

“I… What?” Rainbow Dash replied. Her anger faltered for a moment, a split second of an opening, but it was all Twilight needed. Before Rainbow Dash could collect herself, she found Twilight had crossed the short distance between them to embrace Rainbow Dash with her hooves. Locking her arms around Rainbow Dash tightly so as to keep her hooves and wings held down, Twilight repeated, “Breathe.”

Rainbow Dash tried to pull back in vain, and when she realized she was unable to break Twilight’s grasp, her movements became erratic.

Rainbow Dash yelled as she squirmed around. “Get off me! I’m serious, Twilight!” When it was clear Twilight was not letting go, Rainbow Dash began to thrash about, but Twilight’s vampiric strength kept her locked down. “Argh! I said, let me go!” Throw her off! Strike! Don’t let her hold—

“Take a deep breath,” Twilight repeated, squeezing her eyes shut as she continued to speak calmly through the physical struggle. “Just breathe, Rainbow. Ruby will take care of it in a minute.”

“Let’go of me!” Rainbow Dash grunted. “Let me... Let...me… go...”

Rainbow Dash’s vision faded as soothing darkness overtook her, and deep in the back of her sleepy mind she felt relief that there was no fire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rainbow Dash’s gasped as her eyes shot open, reeling in shock as she was violently ejected from the comfort of sleep. Her body leapt upwards in an instinctual urge to fight, and she nearly collided with the heads of her friends that had been packed around her prone form.

Twilight let out a squeak in surprise, having barely avoided Rainbow Dash’s sudden headbutt thanks to her improved reflexes. Applejack jerked away while muttering a curse, narrowly dodging Rainbow Dash’s flailing wing and the large clawed thumb on it. Spike on the other hoof, had let out a startled yelp and leapt so high and away that he that he managed to land himself upon a nearby chair of equal elevation.

Rainbow Dash glanced between the three of them in the span of a heartbeat, feeling her body tense in preparation for action. And yet, she also felt oddly relaxed, sighing as her muscles released their tension. Disturbed by her body’s unfamiliar urges, Rainbow Dash nervously asked, “What just happened?”

“What in tarnation, Twilight?” Applejack exclaimed at Twilight. “Is she going to be okay or not?”

Twilight stammered, “Y-You were only out for ten seconds! There’s no way you should have been able to wake up so quickly.” Without hesitation, Twilight quickly approached Rainbow Dash and offered a supporting hoof up. “How are you feeling?”

To Twilight’s surprise, Rainbow Dash grasped her hoof immediately and hoisted herself up. “Does buzzed count?” Rainbow Dash replied. “But I’m like.. calm, too, you know? It’s kind of weird.” As she thought about it, her mind finally registered her last conscious moments. “Hey! You used magic on me, didn’t you?”

Twilight’s ears fell as she nodded. “Yes, we did. Please, let me explain?”

Rainbow Dash gave her a nod.

“Ruby and I were worried about how quickly your mood was changing, and when we checked on your soul for an unusual cause, we saw a lot of aggression. Far too much.” Twilight’s eyes softened. “At least, too much for you, Rainbow.”

“I… I think I remember,” Rainbow Dash said slowly. “There was like… this… urge. I don’t know how to describe it.” She turned her head to where she had been standing just before she fell unconscious, and noticed the splintered wooden floor. A pit formed in her stomach at the sight of the damage. “Did… Did I do that?”

When none of her friends answered right away, Rainbow Dash hesitantly walked over to the damaged floor and placed her hoof into the imprint she had left. The moment she put weight onto her hoof, her mind and body recalled the urges she had felt when she stamped her hoof down, the overwhelming desire to throw her strength at whoever was challenging her.

Rainbow Dash turned to look at Twilight, and a shudder passed through her as she flattened her ears. “Twilight, I... “ She gulped at the words caught in her throat, but the situation was too grim to put off. “I… I don’t think I can handle this.”

“I know how it feels,” Twilight solemnly replied. “You’re afraid you’ll hurt some pony, right?”

The words cut closer than Rainbow Dash had been expecting, and she lowered her head.

“I thought so,” Twilight said with a quiet voice. “I felt the same way.” Rainbow Dash’s ears pricked up, and she lifted her gaze up towards Twilight who was giving her a small, supportive smile. “You’re different now, and in a lot of ways, stronger. It’s easy to see yourself making a mistake and hurting somepony else.”

Twilight brought a hoof to her chest as she spoke. “I don’t think I’ve ever shared how much I scared myself, how worried I was that I wouldn’t be able to control my thirst for blood. But I was able to, in the end. And after making nearly a hundred vamponies over these last few months, I’ve seen many other ponies go through the same worries.”

Twilight smiled to each of her friends before looking back to Rainbow Dash. “It’s because of my friends, as well as the bat ponies, that I don’t have those fears anymore.”

“But what if I mess up?” Rainbow Dash suddenly said. “I’m not a vampony, I’m a drake! W-What if drakes are more violent? What if I just get so mad that I just… lash out. What if I can’t control myself?” Rainbow Dash turned to Applejack. “What if I go too far the next time we’re in a contest together? You know that I can get carried away, and if I ever… To any of you… I can’t even say it!” Rainbow Dash lowered her ears. “I don’t want to hurt anypony!”

“You won’t, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “Ah know you won’t.”

“But what if I do?”

“You won’t,” Applejack repeated. “Ah trust you.”

“Me too,” Spike chirped from his chair. “If any pony can handle this, it’s definitely you.”

“Thanks for the support,” Rainbow Dash said quietly. “But this is too weird, even for me.” She turned to Twilight. “All of it is too much. I can’t do it on my own this time, Twilight. I don’t think I can treat this like I how I usually handle things.”

Rainbow Dash opened her wings and rattled them in front of Twilight. “Look at me! This isn’t something I can just shove off and deal with like I normally do. I almost hurt you, Twilight! I was just so angry and I… I almost… if you hadn’t used magic on me, then I don’t know what would have happened!” She gave Twilight a pleading look as she stepped closer. “I’m way over my head on this one. I need help. Please, Twilight, I need your help on figuring this out. Let me come with you.”

“Rainbow, I—” Twilight began. But as she spoke, the tucked away map above the bookcase suddenly unfurled itself, revealing the large map of Equestria all on its own. However, instead of the finely detailed map of the world with names, borders, and fine printed key, it was instead a horrid mess of arts and craft one would expect a toddler to make. The land was drawn in grossly unproportional sizes with different colored crayons, all the major cities had been replaced with takeout menus where some items were circled in black pen, and the ocean looked like it had been slapped with a messy blue paint that clearly had yet to dry.

“My map!” Twilight cried, distraught at what had become of her newest library addition. “It was only finished two days ago! What happened to it?”

“You know, Rainbow Dash,” came a voice from the map, sounding muffled and far away. The blue paint rippled as if it was made of water, and after everypony blinked trying to understand the strange effect, they could see that it was indeed, apparently made of water now. The voice continued, sounding louder and clearer with each word. “If you’re so worked up about Twilight leaving, then perhaps I can keep you entertained while she’s gone.”

The water on the map rippled once more before gushing violently outwards, almost as if a rather large aquarium had a panel of glass removed.

Everyone shouted in alarm as they leapt away, doing their best to avoid the oncoming wave. Seaweed, shells, and other ocean debris poured into the library, haphazardly decorating the entire room with a nautical theme. Only a few seconds had passed before the water abruptly stopped, leaving everypony soaked. As they shakily picked themselves up they found that the whole library floor was covered in ankle-deep water.

Wiping their eyes of salt water, they saw all the blue paint was gone from the map, and standing in front of it was a certain draconequus, sporting a full set of perfectly dry scuba gear.

With a mischievous grin, Discord spoke, “After all, we’re friends now, aren’t we?”

Author's Note

Firstly, I'm sorry for the long pause between updates. Between school and stuff I just haven't found the time. But my new semester is looking much more manageable and I'll even have time to work on stories in between classes during down times, so hopefully more will be on the way with shorter breaks between.

Secondly, for those who are curious about the map of Equestria, I'm working off wikipedia which can be found at this link.

Thirdly, regarding the italics and bold sections Rainbow Dash experienced, don't worry, Rainbow Dash is not developing a split personality. I'll let another chapter fully explain what's happening there.

And finally, as for Discord, I'm forewarning everyone now that this series began before Season 4 of MLP, and current canon Discord is much different than how I expected him to become. Personally, I like the idea of a Discord who helps in strange ways such as revealing important details in riddles or letting a character fail on their own so they can grow, as well as doing his usual chaotic shenanigans he so loves to do. As such, I will be writing Discord differently than the show, so bear with me on the changes and I hope it'll be enjoyable for you all.

Chapter 6

Shivering and covered in seaweed, everyone collectively shouted, “Discord!”

“It’s me!” Discord triumphantly cried. Waving his arms upwards, his scuba gear vanished and behind him appeared a giant yellow star. “Yes, it’s true, I’m finally here! You can all applaud now.”

“Discord,” Twilight snarled, doing her best to ignore a starfish sticking to the side of her face.

“Or keep saying my name,” he cheerfully replied. “That will suffice as well.”

Twilight’s eye twitched under her drenched bangs. “FIX THIS RIGHT NOW!”

“Right now? Well, if you say so.” Discord vanished, and reappeared next to Rainbow Dash. Wrapping his arm around her as she jerked away, he pulled her in close and whispered, “You see, Rainbow Dash, the truth of your problem is that you can’t-”

“THE LIBRARY!” Twilight screamed.

Discord tilted his head, puzzled, before slapping his forehead. “Oh, you meant the library. Oh, oh-hah hah! How silly of me. One second.” Detaching himself from Rainbow Dash, he snapped his fingers, and everything was back to normal. Or at least, as normal as any room with Discord in it could be.

Twilight looked around skeptically, calming down upon that everything seemed to be in its proper place. Aside from the rubber duck sitting atop the highest bookshelf, which she ignored as best she could. Reluctantly, she pried her eyes away from Discord’s not-so-subtle snickering and took a deep, calming breath. Seeing their books drenched in seawater had been more painful than Twilight and Ruby expected, triggering an unexpected negative feedback loop at their shared plight.

“Yes, it’s quite dangerous you know, negative feedback loops and such.“

Twilight nodded quietly, flicking her ear in response seconds later.

“Why, I think you might be onto something,” Discord said, raising his eyebrow curiously. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

Silence filled the room, and shortly, Twilight spoke, “Well how was I supposed to know you’d react the same way!” Twilight’s ear twitched, and she frowned. “Well, that’s…”

Discord chuckled, and leaned forward, propping his elbows on thin air as if it was a counter top. “How perceptive of you. Do you know how many ponies never figure that out?”

“Wait, she’s right!?” Twilight replied in disbelief.

Applejack, Spike, and Rainbow Dash stood dumbfounded as they continued to watch Twilight and Discord act as if a third pony was a part of their conversation. But after they reflected on the notion for a moment, it became rather obvious.

“Uh, Twilight?” Spike asked. “Are both of you talking to Ruby?”

Twilight looked to Spike, blinked twice, and turned back to Discord. A light bulb appeared over Twilight’s head, clicking on the moment Twilight’s pupils became pin pricks from the realization. “You can hear her?” Twilight squeaked.

“Of course I can hear her,” Discord responded, looking somewhat offended. “I’m Discord, Spirit of Chaos, remember? Or did you just happen to forget about me during your little adventure.”

Crossing his arms and half turning away, Discord snubbed Twilight. “Clearly my invitation was lost in the mail. Or perhaps you just didn’t think I liked to have fun, too. Becoming a vampony princess, losing your memories, playing wingsy with a thousand year old vampony king who’d finally let me mark the last box of my OTP bingo scorecard. Oh, and you can’t forget about joining a revolution plotting to overthrow Celestia and Luna.” Discord brought a finger to his chin. “Although, that last one does sound pretty fun. Would you be interested in starting a coup?”

“Are... You... KIDDING ME?” Twilight screamed, staring daggers with her crimson eyes. “You think what I went through is some kind of joke?”

Discord gave a low chuckle as he fell over and floated upwards. “Come now, Twilight. I’m only teasing. If it makes you feel better, I only caught the highlights. By the way, the part where you became two ponies was my favorite. Tricky move, really. You’d be surprised how long it took me to figure it out.”

“You could see me?” Twilight deadpanned.

“Don’t misunderstand,” Discord replied before yawning widely. Grabbing his tail, he began using its fluffy end to file his nails. “A Draconequus such as myself needs riveting drama whenever I have to pass the time. Doesn’t matter who it is, though, as long as it’s exciting.” After inspecting his trimmed thumbnail, he gave a satisfied nod, and then flashed Twilight a thumbs up. Winking his eye, he took on an excited baseball coach’s voice. “It was touch and go there a few times, but you pulled through. You stopped yet another ancient evil, all while rescuing the entire bat ponies race at the same time! Congratulations, you’ve simply outdone yourself this time. You truly are one of my best friends.”

“A real friend would have told Celestia or Luna where I was,” Twilight growled.

“Tut-tut, if things were so simple,” Discord replied. “While I do hate to admit it, even I can’t do everything. Though, it’s never stopped me from trying.”

Snapping his fingers, a checklist appeared in front of Discord. Reaching up, he snapped off a piece of his horn and used it to mark off an item on the list. The words ‘Blue Ocean Paint’ now had a black line through them, while the item below it was ‘Red Ocean Paint’, and so on in other various colors. Snapping his fingers again, the list vanished, his horn reattached to his head, and he turned back to Twilight. “Still, everything turned out well enough in the end, wouldn’t you agree?” Discord asked cheerfully.

“Why didn’t you tell Celestia and Luna where I was?” Twilight pressed.

“Alright, alright. Fine, I guess I’ll explain,” he grumbled while using air quotes. “But it’ll be on my terms.” With a snap of his fingers, the library was flooded once again, though there was no sea life this time. Twilight’s horn flared with magic. “Oh relax,” Discord remarked, now leisurely floating above them. “Your precious books are perfectly fine.”
Twilight snorted at him before wading through the water towards one of her shelves. When she reached it, it was just as Discord said. The water stopped just shy of the bookshelves, leaving a perfectly dry space that was far too small for Twilight to stand in. Twilight blew at her bangs in frustration.

“Ahem,” Discord said, and he pointed down. Beneath him was a blob of colors, swirling around like shapeless entities that had the consistency of gloop. With a waggle from his eyebrows, the blob expanded, and then exploded in the water, sending streaks of paint that jetted out all across the library’s flooded floor. Everypony jumped in response to the oncoming streams of colors, but the paint dissipated harmlessly before it reached them.

“Water colors,” Discord said in amusement. “Such an odd name for paint.”

The library floor was now a mirrored surface of shifting colors, clouding and needling in ways that only waves could, and slowly within its murky depths appeared something everypony began to recognize. Spanning the entire length of the library in knee high water, was a miles-high aerial view of Equestria.

“Woah,” Spike said in awe. He raised his arms up as the water rested just below his shoulders. A smile appeared on his face as he looked at the ground that seemed so far down, and he felt weightless for a moment. “You can see everything.”

“Uh…” Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash said at the same time. While what Spike said was true, it wasn’t exactly Equestria as it looked, but rather a crude and yet oddly lifelike replica of Equestria done like a child’s drawing in arts and crafts.

Although, as they stared, they noticed a group of figures drawn in crayon standing like giants over Ponyville. Their rough-outlined forms towered over the library, but the girls and Spike quickly pieced together their meaning, understanding that the figures represented themselves but in larger size so that they could could be seen from an aerial view. Following this line of logic, their eyes trailed northward to Canterlot, and they saw a pair of white and dark blue stick figures facing one another.

“Ahem,” Discord said again, and everypony looked east. At the edges of the realistic map flew a red figure, which also happened to be heading in the direction of the library’s kitchen. The figure was high in the air, skimming between the ocean beneath it and the northern adjacent mountains looming over the shore.

“Gale!” Twilight exclaimed, bounding through the water until she stood beside it. Peering through the ripples that stilled more quickly than they should have, Twilight examined the red drawing. The map’s colors were disturbed from her movements, but they too reformed, and Twilight noted Gale’s position. Interestingly the figure appeared to be in pony form. “It looks like he’s still moving towards the Celestial Sea,” she said aloud. Looking over her shoulder, she asked Discord, “Is this happening right now?”

“Naturally,” he replied.

“So he’s not in dragon form,” Twilight concluded. Her eyes darted back and forth as she and Ruby discussed and digested this nugget of information, already preparing more letters to send to Canterlot. Twilight then nodded and stepped towards the mountains, picking a particularly shaped jagged peak. Then, with precise steps, she counted to herself as she walked back to Equestria’s borders. Stopping at Manehattan, the nearest city from Gale, she let out a ‘tsk, and turned to Discord in annoyance. “The distances are wrong.”

Discord simply shrugged.

“Who are they?” Spike asked. Motioning to Vanhoover on the western side of Equestria, where two more figures could be seen, one white and the other yellow.

“That’s Tailwind and Breezy Lace” Discord answered happily. “Just a couple of friends I made this morning.”

Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Spike flashed each other a surprised look, recalling the two names from the reports they had read only earlier this morning.

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “You’ve meet some of the other drakes?”

“Just the new ones. Nice bunch, really.” Discord then drew their attention to another figure, brown and standing south of Ponyville in the tiny town of Dodge City. “Dust Cloud is a stoic one, but I think I can get him to crack in time. Imagine, a stallion that doesn’t react when a giant bird falls out of his egg.” He twirled his tail thoughtfully. “I’m going to have to spend some time on him, it seems.”

Twilight was clearly concerned by this turn of events, while Rainbow Dash seemed more nervous than concerned. “How, uh…” she asked. “How are they handling being... you know.”

“Drakes? Quite well, it seems. Why, one of them is even already flying with their new wings.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened, looking quite shocked. “Flying? Like flying flying?”

“Yes, Sea Drop. Fascinating pegasus. In fact, I was just visiting with her before I came over here to see you.”

“That can’t be right,” Twilight said as she walked to Rainbow Dash’s side. “Only four ponies have been turned into drakes so far, and none of them are named Sea Drop.”

Discord waggled his finger like a manager to an employee cleaning the floor. “Looks like you missed one, then. But, let’s not forget the real important matter here. ” He floated upwards and threw confetti. Joyously, he announced, “Now that I’ve said said hello to Rainbow Dash, I’ve completed my friendly neighbor task of welcoming the new millennials! I think I’m getting better at this ‘making friends’ endeavour, wouldn’t you say?”

“Millennials?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What the hay are you talking about? And who-”

“Didn’t you know?” Discord interjected. Swishing over to her, he stopped within inches of her face with a celebratory expression. “You’re going to live for over a thousand years! That’s right! Just one of the perks of being a drake.”

“I’m what!?” Rainbow Dash screamed.

Discord turned and slyly smiled at Twilight. “Sounds like somepony didn't finish her syllabus in time, did she? What’s the matter, Twilight? Can’t tell her unless you’re reading it from a slideshow? I believe you’ve listed it as Item five on the agenda?”

“Item four,” Twilight corrected with mounting frustration, so much so that one of her eyes was twitching. However, in the span of a heartbeat, her infuriated demeanor turned into one of supernatural calm, as if some parts of her inside had suddenly been turned off. The eerie effect lasted only a moment, and when it ended she looked livelier and even slightly more relaxed than she had moments earlier.

Twilight faced Rainbow Dash. “There are more things about drakes that I want to tell you, and... I thought it was best if I told all of you together.” Twilight shamefully averted her eyes. “I figured that… it would be best if you all figured it out together, you know, since you’re all going through the same thing.”

Rainbow Dash looked hesitant in her reply, eventually asking, “Are you sure that’s the reason why you’re bringing them all here?”

“Yes,” Twilight answered, calm and collected as always.

Discord hummed happily, appearing excited by an idea. “I simply can’t wait,” he chimed.

“What? Why?” Twilight snapped back, frowning in concern as she marched towards him. Her ears were pricked upwards and she flicked her wings in agitation. “What are you planning?”

Discord pulled a feathered hat from nowhere, and sullenly pressed it against his chest as he bowed shamefully. “You wound me, Twilight,” he said. “Even though I survived my frightening, perilous, and royally sanctioned journey into the after realm, you still can’t trust me, can you?” He then twirled his hat upwards and landed it upon his head. Tilting the lid down, he grinned beneath it ominously. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Twilight’s eyes widened from a mixture of shock and awe at the single most important thing he had said in that sentence.

“You were in the after realm?”

“The very one.”

“How did you-”

“Spirit of Chaos, remember?

Spike gulped. “Wait, then does that mean you’re a ghost?”

“You’d have to be alive first in order to become a ghost,” Discord replied. “Although, I really should give it a try sometime.”

“Why were you there? How did you get there?” Twilight exclaimed.

“I was looking for an old acquaintance of mine,” he began in a carefree mood. “Celestia and Luna were wondering where she might be, and they asked if I could find her for them. Given that I’m the only one around here that could do the job, I thought I’d give it a go.” Discord placed his palm over his cheek as he thought aloud, “Oh Fluttershy, why is making friends so hard? There’s just so many things you have to do.”

Shivering from the sensation, each pony made an unspoken agreement not to comment on or acknowledge the fact that those last words were heard as if they were thoughts inside their own heads.

“But…” Discord said audibly in a wistful voice. “No matter where I looked, no matter which crook, crevice, rift, or portal I searched, I couldn’t find her.” He stared at nothing in particular as he contemplated this peculiar fact. “So I thought, ‘why not check the anchor points’, and so I did. Normally, her excursions are quite messy, and so what do I find? Nothing! Zip, zero, nadda. Not a single sign of passing from either side. It’s the darndest thing.”

Discord fell up and began pacing about thoughtfully on the ceiling, which was quite dry much to everypony’s annoyance. “Though, I suppose I could have told Celestia and Luna that it’d turn out like this. After all, I only left the after realm in the first place because she disappeared.” He turned to everypony. “Which was why I came here, just those short thousand years ago, and we all know how that song and dance played out.”

“Who is this pony?” Twilight asked, walking closer in curiosity.

Discord floated down, righting himself as he said, “I’m surprised you haven’t heard of her. She’s about your height, has zero body fat, and just has the most lovely colored bones.”

The hairs on Twilight’s neck shot up. “You were looking for Thistle Bell?”

“Oh, so you have heard of her?” he replied while nodding in approval. “She’s quite fun, you know. Always cursing my name, always coming up with something clever in response to my chaos. Did you know she invented wendigos? Ahhh, how chaotic those memories are.” Discord let out a sigh in reminiscence. “Good times.”

When no pony replied, Discord curiously turned his head over, and saw the four of them staring at him as if he was mad. “You all seem a bit tense lately,” he commented. “Is it the dragon?”

“There are a lot of questions I need to ask you right now,” Twilight stated. “But first, I need to know, there’s a good reason why Celestia and Luna asked you to look for Thistle Bell, right?”

“That’s right.”

“And that reason would be?”

“They wanted to know if she was in the after realm.”

“Yes, I know that, but why did they want to know if she was in the after realm?”

“I don’t know, I never asked.”

“Why didn’t you ask?” Twilight said, exasperated.

To everyone’s surprise, Discord dropped from his floating position and splashed into the water. He still stood straight, and after a polite cough, his clasped hands together and blinked his suddenly long and full eyelashes that sparkled in the light. With a mockingly high pitched voice, he pleaded, “Oh, Discord, why can’t you just tell me everything? Why would I ever figure it out for myself? Why why why?”

Twilight glared at him with visibly restrained fury.

Dropping the charade, Discord placed a hand on his hip and gave her an annoyed glare. “That’s you. That’s what you sound like.”

“Is all of this just a big joke for you?” Twilight snided.

He genuinely grinned. “Only the biggest.”

Twilight’s pupils shrank as she gnashed her teeth.

Having enough of the matter entirely, Applejack sloshed towards Twilight and placed a reassuring hoof over her back. “Easy, Twalight. He’s just trying to get you riled up is all.” Turning her head to Discord, she asked in hostile tone, “If you ain’t here to answer questions then why are you here?”

“Can’t a draconequus simply pop in and say hello?” he innocently replied.

Applejack raised her eyebrow.

Discord placed a hand on his chest. “Honestly, it’s true. After all, it’s only fitting to welcome new neighbors in this itty bitty world.”

“Ah doubt that,” she replied.

Discord rolled his eyes. “Fine then, if I were to be honest…” He then locked eyes with Applejack, and his eyebrows furrowed tightly.

Applejack leaned back, unsure and uncomfortable at the sudden focus. Yet, when she opened her mouth to ask what he was up to, she paused, and a thin smile appeared on her face. She stepped away from Twilight, flicking her golden locks playfully. “If Ah were to be honest,” she said. “Ah guess Ah’d say Ah’m here to help.”

Discord shouted horror, stumbling down into the water and splashing about haphazardly. His limbs flailed about in an uncoordinated fashion. “What’s happening!? Where’d my hooves go?” Somehow managing to stabilize himself on all fours, he looked to Twilight in panic. “Twilight, I don’t like this!”

Twilight’s horn erupted in magic, and at the same time, Rainbow Dash flared her wings open. Together, they bared their fangs as they snarled, “DISCORD!”

Smiling with Applejack’s face, he simply snickered in amusement. Twilight surrounded his body with telekinetic magic, restricting his movement nothing but the mouth to allow breathing. And yet, still he smiled.

“Fix her, now,” Twilight growled.

“If you insist,” he replied, and he opened his mouth. His tongue split apart into two digits, and together they produced an audible snap. In a flash of light, Applejack was back to normal, though still lying where she had fallen while in Discord’s guise. Discord, on the other hoof, still appeared as Applejack, and was now leisurely laying down on one of the library’s couches a short distance from them all. Conveniently, the water stopped right at the cushion’s edge instead of spilling over and onto it like it did to the other couches.

“See? No harm done,” Discord said, still speaking in Applejack’s voice.

“No harm done!?” Applejack exclaimed. “How in Equestria what that no harm done?”

“What’s the matter, sugarcube,” Discord said, drawing out her accent as far as he could. “Can’t handle a little fun? Everypony is doing it, after all.”

Applejack glared daggers at him.

“It was just a simple mix of teleportation and low transformation, that’s all,” Discord replied, giggling softly at them. “Honestly, ya’ll could figure it out for yourselves if you just applied yourselves. But if’n ya’ll’re still confused about it more than a pig shucking corn at a rooster from the barn roof, then all you need to know is that Ah didn’t actually swap bodies with Applejack. Do you know why Ah didn’t actually swap bodies with her, Twalight?”

“Because it’s dangerous?” Twilight managed to reply between her clenched teeth. She and Rainbow Dash stood as an impromptu shield in front of Discord while Spike helped Applejack stand back up.

Discord stopped smiling, and his voice returned as he answered, “Because it’s too powerful.” Letting his blonde mane hang across his face, he dipped his orange hoof into the water, seemingly musing over the water’s wetness while he spoke. “Mortal generally can’t handle magic like this, it’s simply too consuming and too powerful. And the fact that it can be so easy to do is also troubling. You think vamponies and drakes are special? Probably didn’t know they weren’t the only kinds of magic being used to try to pull the same stunt off, huh? They’re just lucky they were one of the few magics that ponies could actually live through. Also, fun fact about transformation magic, ponies couldn’t survive being turned into stone, but I digress.”

Discord looked to Twilight, which was rather unnerving for her given that he still wore Applejack’s face, and even more strangely, while talking about ancient high level transformation magic history. “If I had actually swapped bodies with Applejack, she might as well have been dead both here and in the after realm. But then again, maybe she would have been just fine.” Chuckling, he gave a coy smile to Twilight and Rainbow Dash. “After all, you two seemed to have managed. Even Rarity went through her own ordeal, though, I suppose hers hardly counts in this matter. Strange how so many ponies seem to be handling things so well these days.”

Snuggling against the couch, Discord nonchalantly waved a hoof in girls’ direction. “But strange or not, if you keep things up like this, you aren’t always going to have your happy endings when dealing with this sort of magic. Eventually, it will go wrong. It always does.” He focused entirely on Twilight as he finished, “I doubt all the elements would be as lucky as you two.”

Twilight’s heart tugged at her chest, and she found no words to reply with.

Rainbow Dash, however, stamped forward, causing the water to splash around her. “If you’re here to help then why aren’t you doing it? What’s stopping you from snapping your fingers and turning me back to normal, huh?”

“Because that’s not why I came here,” he answered. Standing up on the couch, Discord slowly morphed back into draconequus form, and then began stretching his limbs out as if they were sore. Once his horns popped out of his head, he shook out the last bit of orange. “Phew, being honest like that really wears you out.”

“Well?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Sighing, he asked sardonically, “You really want me to snap my fingers and fix you?”

Rainbow Dash’s chest fluttered, and she hesitantly hoped for a moment. “Can you?” she asked.

A mad grin appeared on Discord’s face. “Let’s find out!” he declared, and he snapped his fingers.

A white light engulfed Rainbow Dash, and when it cleared a second later, Twilight, Applejack, and Spike gasped at what they saw.

Rainbow Dash’s wings were back to normal, feathered and petite unlike her draconic wings moments ago. She froze at their familiar rustle, their nostalgic softness that felt each wisp of air. A shuddered cry escaped her mouth as she nearly stumbled, overwhelmed by the sudden restoration. Turning her head, a tear fell at seeing her blue feathers again.

“I must say, not bad for my first try,” Discord spoke, rubbing his chin as he admired his handiwork.

“They’re back,” Rainbow Dash choked. Falling onto her back legs in the water, she wrapped her wings around herself as far as they could go, making a soft blanket of feathers in which to lay her head in as she tucked it towards her chest. The gentle tickles of the soft edges, and the sleek firmness of the quills made everything begin to feel right again. Even her teeth were back to normal, flat and smooth without a hint of a point. She let out a joyful cry, holding her wings with returned hoped.

“Discord,” Twilight breathed, completely taken aback by the scene. She too was crying, and she spoke in wonder. “You… You changed her back.” She turned to him with a newfound look of admiration. “You actually changed her back. I… I can’t believe it.”

“Then don’t,” he replied flatly. His face was devoid of charm, humor, and mischief while he watched Rainbow Dash. He was stoic, and patiently waiting.

Twilight was puzzled by this at first, but she soon gasped in worry, turning back to Rainbow Dash in fear.

Rainbow Dash hadn’t heard a word between them. She was far too preoccupied by something she thought she would never have again, and she felt awesome for it.

That feeling was short lived.

Rainbow Dash suddenly stiffened as she felt a prick in her mouth, and she felt as if a pit formed in her gut. She gasped fearfully, and prodded the tooth that had so recently been a fang, finding a short but sharp tip. Worse, it was growing larger by the second.

“No,” she whispered, clinging tightly to her wings as if they might be stolen away. Her declarations soon became pleas as aches appeared over her body. “No... No, no, no, no!”

The first feather fell, and others followed promptly. Rainbow Dash screamed and frantically grabbed at them, trying to catch them and stuff them back as more slipped away. Little snips and snaps could be heard echoing across the still water and deathly silent library as feather after feather fell like leaves from a dead tree.

“No, stop! Stop! Please! Don’t- UUAARGH!” Rainbow Dash then screamed, overtaken by sudden pain as flesh and bone warped, revealing a blue and tough leathery hide beneath the patchwork of missing feathers. Skin split, blood spilled out, and more feathers continued to fall. Everypony heard a terrible snapping as bones and muscle were shattered, regrown, and split again. The straining and knotting of muscle growing and tightening could be heard, like rope becoming taut as her shoulders packed on size for the large wings emerging from her tattered pegasi wings. With a terrible ripping noise, her thumb hook claw at the apex of her wing burst forth, leaving bits of her previous wings to tear like cloth. Blood fell in the water, staining the sky above the watered aerial view of Equestria in red, coloring the clouds like fire.

Rainbow Dash’s pupils shrank at seeing this, and her body froze at the sight of a cloud raging across the sky, trailing embers of fire. Then, the map’s magical enchantments kicked in, and scene was back to normal. However, blue feathers with speckles of red floated around her. Mouth hanging open and revealing her fangs, Rainbow Dash sobbed at the grisly pile of bits littering the water around her. Her ears were pressed flat, her vision blurred by tears, and she quietly sobbed at what once was.

“Discord,” Twilight said quietly, pain and anger clear in her voice as tears fell from her cheeks.

“Yes?” Discord asked, equally quiet and without humor.

“Take it all away. Now.”

A white light filled the library, and every drop of water, speck of blood, and feather was gone. Rainbow Dash gasped as everything vanished from her. “Come back,” she said, pawing where a feather had been just moments ago. The ache in her back had lessened somewhat after Discord’s magic, but the pain was still there, and her blue draconic wings hung limply at her sides. “Please, come back,” she asked between sobs. “Come back…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The guest room on the second floor of the library remained dark, thanks to the thick curtains shutting out the afternoon sun. The door to the room opened, allowing a beam of light to rest upon the bed facing the adjacent wall. Twilight entered, stepping unusually noisily as she took great care in levitating Rainbow Dash’s unconscious body through the doorway. Having been strained both physically and emotionally, Rainbow Dash had fallen comatose, and she hung limply as Twilight brought her to the bed.

Twilight laid Rainbow Dash belly down over the blankets, ensuring that her draconic wings were comfortably spread out across the mattress. To Twilight’s surprise, Rainbow Dash groaned at the touch of the soft bed, but did nothing more. Twilight sighed and used her hoof to brush Rainbow Dash’s bang. “Today hasn’t been too good for you, has it?” she asked softly.

Rainbow Dash’s back slowly rose up and down, though Twilight could hardly hear her breathing. Leaning closer, she heard how laborious Rainbow Dash’s tiny breaths were.

A noise escaped Twilight’s mouth as she shuddered. “I’m sorry, Rainbow… I should have been more careful. Instead, I let you get hurt and now I… I… I’m worried I messed you up more and made things worse and- I- I-”

Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, took several deep breaths, and exhaled. It took some time to calm down, but she eventually wiped her eyes and gave a hollow smile. “I… I’m sorry, Rainbow. I’m going to do better now. And I promise… I won’t let you go through what I had to.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t reply, and Twilight was embarrassed to admit she was relieved by that. “After all,” she said, looking to Rainbow Dash more sweetly, and yet, with even more concern. “We’re going to be together a lot now, once I get back. Like a pony once said to me, ‘You're one of the few ponies who can follow me through time now’... I didn’t know how much that would mean to me, until now.”

Twilight patted Rainbow Dash gently, and went to exit the room. As she reached the door, she paused to take one last look at Rainbow Dash. Twilight’s eyes narrowed at the thought of any further harm coming to her friend, and she felt torn knowing she would have to leave Rainbow Dash very soon. “Don’t worry, Rainbow,” Twilight said with steel in her voice. “I’ll make sure you’re protected.”

With that, Twilight closed the door and sighed. “Now… Onto the next problem.”

Preparing herself, Twilight straightened her posture and trotted towards the stairs. When she reached the top, she effortlessly bounded down five steps at a time, quickly bringing the library’s main floor into view. Twilight stopped at the last few steps before the floor, and said, “Ahem.”

Discord, who was floating above the still flooded library, half-heartedly waved in her direction. “Consider it a gift. It’s a clap on, clap off sort of thing.”

Twilight was reluctant to try at first, but eventually decided it was worth the risk if it meant having a clean house. With a sigh, she clapped her hooves, and the library was back to normal. Twilight blinked as her mind tried to register the sudden change. Without much thought, she clapped her hooves again, and the library was flooded once more with its water-colored aerial map of Equestria.

“I’m going to need ‘No Clapping’ signs,” she said with a hint of annoyance.

“Make sure the penmanship is good,” Discord commented. “To get on with things, I believe you’re here to ‘scold’ me?”

Twilight clapped her hooves and trotted across the dry floor. “Believe me, I would love to scold you right now.” Moving until she stood in front of Discord, Twilight looked at him sternly. “What you did to her was uncalled for.”

“You can’t blame me for giving it a shot,” Discord replied. “I really did try. But like I said, that kind of magic is too powerful.”

“What does that even mean?” Twilight asked testily.

“If I had to explain again, I’d compare it to a curse.” Folding his tail, Discord reclined back and relaxed in mid air. “Think of curses like a ball of magic trying to force its influence on the victim, changing the world around it to meet its goal. Their powerful in that they can affect other magic. But when you kick things up a notch above anything sensible, you get the same concept except now that ball of magic is your soul, and anyone that’s anyone in the after realm knows what that means.”

Twilight waited for him to continue, realizing only after some time that he was done. With a polite cough, she said, “Seeing that I’m not from the after realm, can you tell me what it means?”

“I haven’t the faintest clue,” Discord said. “I’m not from there either.”

Twilight’s ear flicked, but she otherwise kept her demeanor intact.

Discord craned his neck towards her, and gave her a once over look. “Am I imagining things, or are you being awfully courteous right now?”

“I’m just doing what’s necessary,” Twilight said, though her smile lessened. “As much as I hate to admit it, you are, and I quote from the meetings with the commanders, ‘an indispensable ally with unpredictable results.”

Discord raised his eyebrow, unimpressed. “How dry of them. Still, that doesn’t explain the fact that you’re being friendly towards me after I traumatized Rainbow Dash in such a horrific but you-just-had-to-be-there sort of way.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Twilight said. She stoically went on, “I won’t forgive you for what you did, but… I can hope for the effect it’ll have. Right now, she needs to be working on moving forward through this. Though, I’d prefer if it was at her own pace, and without horrible reminders about her situation.”

Discord didn’t reply, and Twilight didn’t expect him to. “Still,” Twilight continued. “I can hardly believe how resilient she’s become. It’s only been a few days since her change, but she woke up from Ruby’s influence in seconds.”

“Fascinating, isn’t it,” Discord mused. “A dragon’s magical resistance.”

“I didn’t think it’d be this strong,” Twilight said. “I haven’t seen anything like that in Spike yet.”

“He is only a baby dragon, after all. He’ll grow in time,” Discord replied. He then let out a wide yawn while stretching his arms. “Well, it’s been fun, but I really must go now. I still need to visit Celestia and Luna before the day’s end. Mission reports, forbidden knowledge, and all that stuff. Oh well, might as well get it over with. Tah-tah.”

And like that, he was gone.

Twilight stared at the empty space he left behind, and with considerable effort, she kept a calm expression. Eventually, due to the persistent silence, Applejack and Spike tentatively poked their heads out from the kitchen archway.

“Is… Is he gone?” Spike asked.

“Yeah,” Twilight wearily replied. With unusually lethargic steps, she carried herself over to one of the couches and plopped onto it. Pulling a pillow towards her, she buried her head and let out a muffled scream. When she was done, her ear twitched at the pitter-patter of feet, and she lifted her head.

“Here, it’s about time for you to have one anyways,” Spike said, offering her a glass of blood. Twilight gave him a weary smile at the pleasant offer, and she reached for the glass. However, when she looked more closely, she paused at the sight of a pink tropical umbrella usually found in a mare-garita glass instead of the red bendy straws she preferred. Spike nervously laughed. “It uh… Looks like Discord got to the kitchenware. This isn’t the only change.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, but accepted the drink anyways. As quietly as she could, she drank from her cup, staring intently at the wall across from her. Feeling rejuvenated from the soothing blood, she and Ruby tackled the mess of ideas that floated between their thoughts. Between their worries for Rainbow Dash, the many concerning details revealed in their conversation with Discord, and the anxiety of leading a military assault against Gale, a small detail stood clear in her mind that needed to be addressed.

Lifting her head, Twilight furrowed her brow in thought. “Discord said there was another drake.” Her eyes darted back and forth as she and Ruby had a small conference, and she nodded at the conclusion they came to.

Hopping off the couch, Twilight clapped her hooves, causing Applejack and Spike to groan from standing knee deep in water again.

“If he’s gone then why in tarnation is this still here?” Applejack complained.

“It’s a gift, but that’s not important right now,” Twilight said. Wading through the water, she scanned the water’s depths. Sure enough, the stick figures showed up as they did before: Gale flying east, Celestia and Luna talking at Canterlot, though Discord now seemed to be with them. To the west was Breezy Lace and Tailwind, and to the south was Dust Cloud. Twilight glanced to the east, confirming Gale’s slow pace using the changes in relative location, leaving generous room for the map’s ‘approximations’.

“Discord’s map shows many things, most of it being nonsense,” Twilight said, peering down at an island that she knew didn’t exist. “But if you can look past all of that, you just might be able to find what you are looking for.”

“And what are we looking for?” Applejack asked.

Twilight didn’t reply at first, but as she waded up and down the east coast, her vampiric eyes noticed a hint of movement. Perking her ears, she exclaimed, “Aha!”

Motioning to Applejack and Spike, Twilight ushered the two of them beside her, and together they stared at the city of Baltimare. Although it was visually a few miles below them, Its towering buildings gleamed in the daylight, and Spike and Applejack wondered just what it was they were looking for. Twilight coughed, and pointed to the coastal shoreline just outside the city limits. Little pathways lead up to a series of craggy cliffs hanging above the crashing waves, and down in the water, just barely visible, was a crayon figure swimming.

“What the heck is that?” Spike asked.

“If Ruby and I were right, this figure is supposed to represent Sea Drop,” Twilight answered. “The fifth drake.”

Applejack and Spike shared a look of surprise, finally having the time to process what Discord had said now that he was no longer nearby. “Are you sure he ain’t just pulling a fast one on us?” Applejack asked. “Ah’m not saying we don’t go looking for this here Sea Drop, but Ah can’t see any good coming from just always trusting him outright.”

“Unfortunately, it’s just something we have to deal with,” Twilight answered. “I don’t like it anymore than you do, but we don’t have a choice. And right now, we don’t have time to guess his motive, as long as he’s behaving within reason, that is.”

Shifting the topic, Twilight began to circle the figure. With her vampiric eyes, she spotted the teal crayon figure on a series of cliffs that laid between Baltimare in the south and Fillydelphia in the north. The figure spread it’s large and triangular wings, and dove off the cliff and into the ocean. Twilight’s eyes honed in with supernatural sight as the figure blended into the deep ocean, diving further and further until it was finally out of sight. As seconds continued to pass, Twilight nibbled at her lip in concern.

Eventually, the figure emerged, and Twilight exhaled in confidence. She waited to confirm that the figure would indeed swim back to shore before sharing her thoughts on the matter.

“She must have been turned when Gale passed the town's edge,” Twilight said. “If I’m right about my hunch, Gale’s not picking just any pegasi, he’s picking ponies that have something unique in their flying abilities. Looking over the reports, I think I saw something that supported this theory, but I can’t confirm until I meet all of them.”

Twilight leaned as close as she could to the water’s surface, memorizing the location and its ‘probable’ distance to the nearest guard outpost. “What I don’t understand is why we didn’t know about her until now. Why hasn’t she gone to the guard yet? We sent out notices for anypony who ran into Gale to provide a testimony. Is she keeping it a secret?”

“Why’d you say that?” Applejack asked.

“She’s only a mile out from Manehattan,” Twilight replied. “And look, she keeps diving over and over again from these cliffs. I’m not sure why she’s doing that, but if she’s able to move this freely, then surely she’s had chance to let somepony else know what happened to her.”

Twilight clapped her hooves, causing the water map to vanish. Everypony sighed in relief at suddenly being dry again. “Spike, prepare a letter. We’re contacting the Eastern Commander.”

Spike, ever at the ready, had already grabbed a quill and parchment the moment she had dismissed the map. Smiling, he nodded for her to begin.

“Commander Grass Shade, through upper intelligence reports, we’ve learned that there is an additional drake just a mile or so north of Manehattan. You are to prioritize efforts in finding the mare Sea Drop and properly see to her. Once all drake protocols have been followed, please escort her to Ponyville by airship at once. By commanding order, Princess Sparkle.”

“Got it,” Spike said, scribbling the last letters in moments. He prepared the letter for delivery, expertly rolling it up, tying it, and wax stamping Twilight and Ruby’s royal seal. He then burned it with his fire, and the ashes whisked themselves eastward.

“There’s a protocol now?” Applejack asked with a skeptical expression.

“Just a thirty page document I drafted to assist the guard,” Twilight said proudly. “It outlines proper procedures in assisting ponies experiencing magical trauma.”

“Alrighty then,” Applejack replied, looking hesitant in asking her next question. “So, uh… What’s the protocol for Discord then?”

Twilight shared in Applejack’s lack of enthusiasm about the topic. “Suspended, because apparently it’s in need of heavy revisioning.” Twilight changed her voice into a somewhat forced tone of optimism. “But that’s okay! Who cares if Discord used to know Thistle Bell, or the fact that he went to the after realm while looking for her? No big deal!”

Applejack and Spike waited for Ruby’s intervention, but when Twilight began to pace, a note of concern came across their faces.

“After all,” Twilight continued, now with a twitch to her step. “I only ordered the rapid deployment of our military to the Griffin nation an hour ago!”

There was no sign of intervention from Ruby, and Spike and Applejack began to fear Ruby strongly shared Twilight’s feelings on the matter.

Twilight suddenly whipped her body towards Applejack and Spike. Through great restraint, neither of them jumped, despite Twilight’s intense stare and exposed fangs. “And even more importantly, I still need to help Rainbow Dash and the other drakes start their recovery, and not only does it turn out that there’s one unaccounted for, I let Rainbow Dash be emotionally scarred by the Discord! Who was looking for Thistle Bell, the last Shepherd!” Twilight’s pupils were two different sizes as she finished with a clenched grin, “So everything is fine! I can totally handle it!”

“Ah’m sure you’ll be just fine,” Applejack said with confidence, catching Twilight’s immediate and intensely focused attention. Applejack drew upon every ounce of her practice over the last few months alongside Rarity, helping Twilight settle into her princesshood when the castle’s restorations first began. “Ya’ll can handle that just fine, and we’ll figure the rest out when we get there. But right now, what do we do?”

“What do we do?” Twilight asked in a nervous voice. “We should… Well, we’ve…”

Twilight’s voice faded as she look downwards, shifting her eyes left and right as she wandered away from them.

Applejack and Spike shared a sigh of relief.

“Nice job,” Spike commented.

“Only thanks to Rarity,” Applejack replied, though, still looking quite pleased with herself. “Ah started to pick up on a few things watching her calm those two down. Whenever they start worrying over something too much together, Rarity would get them to think about something they felt differently on. Doesn’t always work, but Ah figure Ah’d give it a try. Anything past that, Rarity’s the pony you want.”

Spike had a thankful smile, reassured that he had nothing to fear for Twilight’s sake. “I’m glad you’re able to help Twilight out through all this.”

Applejack tilted her hat shyly. “Well, when you’re friends with a vampony princess, it helps to pay attention to stuff like that.”

“So how long do you think she’ll be?” Spike asked.

“Don’t know,” Applejack said, tilted her head as she watched Twilight pace about, muttering to herself now and then. “They usually figure things out pretty quick when they’re both focusing on something together. Ah’m sure she’ll have a plan ready to put together here shortly.”

“I better get the ink ready,” Spike said, keeping an eye on Twilight as he made his way to a desk.

“By the way,” Applejack asked, catching him in a few steps. “Who’s Commander Grass Shade? Ah don’t remember hearing about him from Twalight. He newly appointed?”

“Yeah, he got his post last week,” Spike said. Hobbling onto the chair to reach across the desk, he said, “Twilight hoof-picked him herself.”

“Well, if Twalight picked him, Ah’m sure he’ll have no problem finding Sea Drop.”

Author's Note

Okay, so I'm testing something with this chapter. I realized it wasn't easy for me to listen to the music and read on my phone. So, as unsightly as it might be, I'm embedding linked videos so that mobile users can read without having to open new tabs or apps. Let me know if you prefer or don't prefer, and I'll consider it for all future updates where this might happen again.

The mood music is from the anime Bakemonogatari, a highly recommended anime that is renown for its snappy dialogue, and quick, witty writing. It's also hell'a long and man, do not watch it in chronographic order. Watch it in release order. It'd be good.

Also, if you liked Kaiki's theme (best waifu in the anime. You'll find out why), then please consider this other source of Discord inspired material, a Cheshire Cat song.

Chapter 8

Five Ponies burned,
With screaming cries.
And from the ashes,
Did five Drakes rise.

And across the nation,
The alarm is heard.
Bringing stamping hooves,
Marching to serve.

In frozen wastes,
Old wyrms roar,
Clawing from fire,
As Beast wages war.

But in southern lands,
Stands the rule of dragons.
A rod to command,
And to all it beckons.

A chilling dawn breeze swept through Ponyville, a reminder of the Running of the Leaves soon due for the town’s inhabitants. At least, for the few that were up at this time. The sun’s rays were but a glow on the horizon, casting a dim golden color on only the tallest roofs. On the outskirts of the town and beside a large clover field which laid in cool shadows before the yonder woods, Twilight and Rainbow Dash quietly waited.

Their gazes were forward across the dew ladened grass and to the distant trees. Not a word had been exchanged between them since last night.

Now and then Twilight would give brief glances, wondering if her friend had managed to get a few hours of rest for the eventual days ahead. But for all her worries for Rainbow Dash, the day ahead for herself seemed long and yet pitifully short at the same time. For by nightfall her airship would arrive, where she and her batpony soldiers would take off for their rendezvouses with Celestia and Luna’s air squadrons.

Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, wearily faced forward. The numbing pit within her that had plagued her since this had all started felt smaller now, and it seemingly continued to recede as she mentally reaffirmed her new goals. Switching her mind away from herself, she thought over her earlier apprehension towards the arriving guests. To her relief, that apprehension felt dimmer now as well, if not mostly replaced by the ire of staying behind. But she had thought long and hard on Twilight’s words during the night, and the fact other ponies had gone through the same experience made her chest twinge.

Keep it together, Rainbow Dash thought. This… is the start of something new, and new can be… different. Yeah, it’s just a bit different.

Eventually, Twilight’s ears pricked at something unseen, and soon, Rainbow Dash also heard the soft but still distant hum.

You got this. Rainbow Dash told herself again, and she took a deep breath. And together… we got this.

The whirring grew louder, and Rainbow Dash looked up at the distant treetops of the woodland beyond the field.

With a crackling hum of magic and electricity, four airships came soaring above the leafy tops. Each were outfitted with the magitech spheres that gave them their maneuverable flight, and with it they swung themselves over the field so as to line up in a row.

Standing beneath these ships drifting gently to the ground for landing, Rainbow Dash stared up in awe at their armored bellies. Their white and black coloring made them appear as a gathering of storm clouds at the town’s edge.

Twilight gave a small, proud smile at seeing the fruit of her contributions come to life. She was pleased to see her improvements in the field; part of her goal in requiping Equestria’s armed forces.

Pegasi guard glided down from the top decks, carrying rope with them as they landed below and drew them taut. Stakes were driven, orders were barked, and each airship was guided in for full touchdown. One by one, the airships landed beside one another, occupying the bulk of the clover field which swished about like rippling water. The magical humming began to lessen, and soon, each ship fell silent as arcane engines became still.

The ringing of chains could be heard as each ship opened their bay doors. Thick, ironed framed platforms chopped into the dirt, with soldiers soon marching down them.

The crowd of armored ponies filled the field, some sticking to the aircraft for maintenance while others made their way into Ponyville seemingly dismissed from their duties for a time. They chatted about themselves in soft voices. Most were jovial, sharing where they were from and what office they had signed up at, while others kept their manner more conserved but ever alert. All, however, had grumbling stomachs, and all gave a respectable berth to Twilight and Rainbow Dash as they passed.

While Twilight was a familiar face to most of the guard by now, many glanced at Rainbow Dash more closely, curious in seeing not only another drake but also an element bearer. But Rainbow Dash paid them no heed, for her eyes were too busy scanning for the four ponies that would stand out from the sea of uniforms and armor.

From the ship hailing from Northwest Vanhoover, came the yellow coated, orange maned stallion named Tailwind; his nervous demeanour clear even from here.

From the western arrived ship, was the white coated, golden maned mare named Breezy Lace; her stature tall as she looked about with a keen eye.

From the southern ship hailing from Dodge City, was the dark coated and maned stallion named Dust Cloud, who tipped his beaten cowboy hat upward at the sight of the little town.

From the eastern ship came the turquoise mare with a fiery mane named Sea Drop, her eyes wide at the sight of so many ponies and a place that was not the ocean.

And soon, each rampart descending drake caught sight of the purple alicorn patiently standing for them in the distance, and the blue coated and rainbow maned drake who stared at them with yearning eyes, here in Ponyville.

Seeing these ponies bearing the same draconic features as Rainbow Dash brought a tightness within her, and the numbing pit in her stomach returned for a moment. But it soon faded and she took another deep breath. You got this.

“Please, gather here,” Twilight called out over the soft clamour of the crowd. The four of them made their way towards her, finding the crowd more than eager to make way for them. But as they gathered before her, their paces slowed wehen they all caught sight of each other.

“It’s good to finally meet all of you," Twilight announced, drawing their attention. She stepped forward and gave them a welcoming smile. "I’m Princess Sparkle.”

Rainbow Dash found herself snorting at hearing the official shortening of the name, unable to believe how she hadn’t found out about it until now, or why she found it so funny of a name for the two soul-bound eggheads. But she suppressed it quickly enough as she too stepped forward, finding herself more sure now.

“Princess Twilight!” Sea Drop exclaimed as she ran up to her. “This is so exciting! It’s so amazing to be able to meet you.”

Twilight’s ear twitched, but she otherwise kept her smile. “The same could be said for you."

"The honor is ours, Princess," Dust Cloud said. He brought his hat to his chest and gave a small bow. "Thank you for seeing to us after what's happened."

Breezy Lace stepped closer with a relieved smile. "Yes, thank you. If anypony could help us it'd be you."

Twilight kept her smile small as she replied. "I'll do what I can to help. But there is still much ahead of you. After all, the five of you are drakes now.”

Sea Drop grinned. “I know! Isn’t it great?”

“GREAT!?” Rainbow Dash shouted.

After the booming noise faded, the field became deathly quiet. Every pony's head with flattened ears turned to the center of the space where Rainbow Dash stood with flared wings. Her eyes were locked with Sea Drop, but the intense stare lasted for but a moment as Rainbow Dash flickered her gaze away.

“I-” Rainbow Dash began as she tucked her wings. “That’s…” Her scowl faded, but she could not rid herself of her tugging brow in her ire of the matter.

“As Princess,” Twilight spoke loudly, catching each ear and eye, “it is my duty to inform everypony about the gravity of the situation.” She looked across the crowd of guards, and then to the four drakes in front of her. “Currently, Gale is considered not only Equestria, but the world’s greatest threat. He seeks to take command of all dragon kind, and raise an army to end all armies. Should he succeed in his mission, there is nothing we could do to stop him short of endangering the entire world.”

Sea Drop’s face fell into confusion as she stepped back, but otherwise kept quiet while casting a nervous gaze about her. Breezy Lace and Dust Cloud narrowed their brows, while Tailwind took a step back into the crowd.

Twilight continued, “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and myself will be departing our lands for the Griffon Kingdoms, where we will put an end to Gale. Ponies of Equestria!” She shouted her last words louder, and all heads lifted.

Twilight looked across the small sea of determined faces around her. "By rule of Princess Cadance, we entrust our home and its lives within your hooves!"

A thunderous cheer erupted across the field, an unexpected alarm clock for town's occupants.

"Dismissed!" Twilight proclaimed, and the ponies swiftly set out to their work with renewed vigor as stockers rushed to resupply and mechanics sprung to their tasks. Meanwhile, the rest of the off duty guard fled into the town’s breakfast establishments.

“And we,” Twilight said to all the drakes, “will go to my library. Where I will answer your questions about your situation. Please, follow me.” Twilight turned to guide them, casting a brief questioning look to Rainbow Dash, who in turn merely turned her head away while she followed.

The other drakes exchanged curious looks amongst one another before following in turn, with Sea Drop falling to last place with her ever growing uncertain steps.

“Hey now,” Dust Cloud said, falling beside her. “Don’t let it get to ya. Sometimes we all have different experiences.”

“...I…” Sea Drop began while staring at the passing ground. “I… almost bit her!” she then said in astonishment. “She challenged me and I…”

“Part of being a drake,” Twilight said loud enough for them to hear, shooting a stare from behind her shoulder at the two of them. While the other drakes gave confused expressions for the sudden statement, surprise passed over Dust Cloud and Sea Drop's faces. “There are things I must tell you. What comes next for all you won’t be easy. It will be manageable, but it won’t be easy.” She looked to other's faces, Rainbow Dash included.

While Rainbow Dash huffed and rolled her eyes, the other drakes stiffened as burgdeoning instincts reacted to Twilight's intense gaze passing their way, finding their limbs flexed and the desire to inhale growing within them.

But Twilight's firm gaze then fell into a soft, compassionate expression, and her crimson eyes shimmered as she took in their faces more closely. "There are many things I want to tell you, but the first thing I must say, is that you're going to be fine."

Exhales escaped their mouths as they all became relieved by her words, with the exception of Rainbow Dash who turned her face away, and Sea Drop who lowered her head more sullenly in thought.

"Different, but fine," Twilight then added, earning confused and worried looks.

The library came into view, and Twilight said, "Please, come inside, and I'll answer all of your questions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Within the quiet confines of the library, with the curtains pulled and interior lights lit, Twilight and the drakes sat at a long table. Sea Drop, Breezy Lace, Tailwind, and a hatless Dust Cloud couldn’t help but look around at the space that was public library and royal home.

Rainbow Dash sat with crossed hooves beside Twilight, who in turn rose from the head of the table and gave a gentle cough.

“I will be forward with you. All of you have been transformed by a powerful magic, causing you to become what's called a drake. This change is permanent, and it cannot be reversed or undone as far as Equestria knows.”

Each face held a different reaction. Sea Drop looked at wings with renewed curiosity, Breezy Lace furrowed her brow further, Tailwind’s gaze turned upward in uncertainty, while Dust Cloud’s ears fell.

“So it’s true then?” Dust Cloud asked. “What Discord said about us living for more than a thousand years?”

Twilight slowly nodded. “Yes.”

Dust Cloud quietly fell back in his chair, his brief, flickering gaze settling to the table’s edge shortly.

“So…” Breezy Lace cautiously spoke. “Besides the longevity, and scales and fangs, what else can we expect?”

Twilight shuffled in her seat. “Well, there are a number of changes. Firstly is that your instincts have changed, or rather are changing. There will be times where you’ll feel a certain way or perhaps compelled to act in a manner different than what you're accustomed to. While these developing instincts can be influencing at times, if not overwhelming, they are something that you can overcome.”

Twilight turned her head and magically lifted from a high shelf five books; their spines colored purple while their white covers sported the symbol of a dark blue dragon. Hovering down, they settled gently in front of each drake, who all leaned forward in inspection, with the exception of Rainbow Dash who blew at her bangs in irritation.

“I had prepared a slideshow, but I think these will aid you better,” Twilight said. “These books contain all the knowledge I could gather to help you understand what is happening to you, summarized and pieced together from our knowledge of dragons and drakes from the past.”

“Hold on, this has happened before?” Breezy Lace asked as she placed a hoof onto the table.

“Yes,” Twilight answered. “Although, the last recorded case was well over a thousand years ago.”

“So why now?” Breezy Lace pressed, her tone becoming more curt. “Why did he show up now of all times and turn all of us into these ‘drakes’?”

“That… is a long story, and one we don't have all the answers to,” Twilight replied with a disheartened voice. “Equestria has had its share of ancient evils returning, and Gale is one of them.”

“So it’s just bad timing, then?” Breezy Lace nearly shouted. But when it looked as though she would yell more, her expression softened as the notion of simple misfortune played across her mind. “Just… wrong place, wrong time?”

Twilight solemnly nodded. “Yes, but he didn’t change just any pony. For some reason, he chose all of you.” Twilight casted a quick glance at Rainbow Dash before continuing. “I have reason to believe that Gale chose you all for your aptitude, if not uniqueness in flying. Aspects about you that make you more skilled or different from other pegasi.”

Looking to Dust Cloud, Twilight asked, “You used to be a racing legend. May I ask you what you were doing when Gale visited you?”

Dust Cloud lifted his eyes from the table, blinking away the distant look he had on his face. “I… I was at the track. I decided to... give it another run, even though it's been years.” He swallowed and spoke more clearly. “I figured why not one more? About quarter into the course, just as I was crossing over the mud flats, Gale came barreling up from behind me." His eyes trailed downward in shame. "He was a dam good flier, best I’d seen fly that track.”

Dust Cloud’s voice became quieter as his brow tightened. “And he told me on the finishing line that... I had more races in me yet, and that I'd fly the entire world, under his wing. And then he… he burned me." Dust Cloud swallowed before continuing. "When I woke up, I found myself sitting in a field of glass, changed.” He raised his wings in emphasis.

All the other drakes had lowered their heads at the mention of being burned, with Rainbow Dash letting her bangs hang more freely over her face as she sunk lower in her seat.

“But I’m no racing legend,” Breezy Lace eventually said. She looked to Dust Cloud, then to Twilight. “So why’d he pick me?”

“You're a mailmare, and you usually take on the trans-city routes, right?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, so?”

“Well, when one of my staff went to your work to inform them about your absence for royal purposes, your boss lamented on losing one of his best employees.” Twilight gently placed her hooves onto the table as she continued. “The records showed that no pony in the company has even come close to hauling the amount of cargo you do, let alone traveling the distances you've accrued during your employment.”

“I’m good at my job, so what?” Breezy Lace replied defensively, pulling her hoof back as she shifted her wings.

“It’s impressive,” Twilight said in a cheerful tone. “Really, it is. You’re a strong flier, stronger than most pegasi I would even say, and you have incredible endurance.” But then Twilight's tone fell softer as she continued, “And those are some of the qualities that Gale values. From what the other princesses have described to me, Gale freely turns other pegasi he encounters if he deems them worthy enough to follow him.”

She let out a snort before sarcastically replying, “Great.” Sighing while leaning back in her chair, her eyes fell on her copy of the draconic guidebook. Lifting a hoof to rest her cheek against, she asked, “So then? When can I get back to work? I get that this is a big deal and all, but to be honest, if there's a manual for this then I'd like to try and get back to what's left of my life.”

“That… might be awhile,” Twilight hesitantly replied. “For your safety, I’d like you to stay in Ponyville while you adjust to your changes.”

“Our safety?” Sea Drop asked, frowning at the statement. “Why? What’s so dangerous?”

“Gale is dangerous,” Twilight bluntly answered. “Until he’s taken care of, all of you are in danger in the event you come across him again."

“But he turned us into drakes,” Sea Drop replied slowly. “Why would he hurt us after doing that?”

“Because…” Twilight said, taking her time to answer as she looked to each one's gaze. “You are good ponies. Ponies who don’t want to harm others needlessly, or use your newfound changes to cause ruin for others. Gale demands loyalty from the drakes he creates, what he asks for isn't pleasant, and he culls those that don’t follow his authority.”

Twilight looked back to Sea Drop with a smile. “But he isn’t the only reason why you're here.”

Twilight propped her front hooves onto the table, and spoke in a delightful tone. “Everypony, I would like to introduce you to someone special." She waved her hoof to the kitchen archway that was across from the head of the table. "Spike, will you please come on out!"

On cue, Spike appeared from the kitchen corner, shooting finger guns at them while giving them a dashing smile. “Hey everyone!”

“Woah,” Sea Drop exclaimed with a grin. “Are you a dragon?”

“Indeed I am,” Spike smugly replied.

“How come you don't have wings?”

Spike’s frills drooped, and he rubbed the back of his head. “Oh, yeah, about that. So I only just found out there's some books about dragons. And uh, since I’m a baby dragon I don't have wings." He quickly raised his pointer finger. "But it turns out at some point I’m going to go through this really itchy scaling phase, and at the end of that I’ll get wings."

Shrugging, he added, "Don’t know when, but someday!” He then shot another pair of finger guns.

“Spike,” Twilight said, “will help you learn some of the aspects of being a dragon."

"So we do what?" Tailwind finally asked as he turned away from Spike. "We just hang around town?"

Twilight turned to him. "While you're in Ponyville, you're adjusting, and taking the time to explore these new changes."

She then opened her mouth and pulled back on her cheeks, revealing her fangs to them before reassuming her posture. "You may or may not have heard that I'm a vampony now. I didn't ask to be one, but here I am. I was changed into something that subsists on blood, and because of that, ponies have died by my hoof. And... their faces still cross my mind to this day."

The forwardness of the statement caught them all off guard, raising even eyebrows from Rainbow Dash who looked to her.

"Ponyville," Twilight said with a smile, "is a place that helped me remember who I am, despite the changes to what I am. And I believe it will help you, while offering you the chance to avoid the mistakes I made."

She shuffled closer in her seat. "Please, I ask that you stay in town while the princesses and I cooperate with the Griffon Kingdoms on our joint mission, and that you take your time to adjust and explore these changes."

Sea Drop spoke up with a neutral voice. "So how do ponies react to drakes here?"

"Some may be curious, but you'll be treated as any other pony would be," Twilight answered before giving them a proud smile. "Ponyville is a diverse town, and you'll be welcomed by it."

Breezy Lace narrowed her brow. "What about those instinct changes you mentioned?" She placed a hoof onto the table as she asked, "What kind of things should we be expecting here?"

"Well, what I've hypothesized-"

"Hypothesized!?"

Breezy lace slammed her hoof onto the table, and pointed her closest wing claw towards Twilight. "I thought you knew what happened to us? But you're just guessing!?"

Twilight's face became neutral as she looked to Breezy Lace patiently. The lack of a response caused Breezy Lace to raise her cheeks back in a motion to snarl, but she paused even as her muscles twitched to move.

Breezy Lace pulled herself back in her chair, and after some moments, gave a flustered look downward. "I take it… getting heated up about things is something we might need to watch out for?"

"For now, but I'm confident that in time, it'll lessen and-"

"And how long is that?" Breezy Lace pressed, but she did so with a solemn and soft voice.

Twilight was slow to respond. "I believe It could be months, years even before these flashes will begin to settle. You see," Twilight said as she scooted even further in her seat. She slightly craned her neck forward as she spoke in a calm, gathering voice. "Time as you experience it works a little differently now. Tell me, do any of you recall the last time you slept, or felt the need to sleep?"

Twilight was met with a series of questioning faces as they turned their eyes about to recall the feeling.

"I… I'd say it's been a few days now," Dust Cloud eventually said in astonishment. "I've been so caught up in everything I've hardly noticed."

"Eventually you'll need to sleep, but that's some years away," Twilight said. "Your twenty-four hour day cycle just got extended into a decades-something cycle. We'll measure it as we go to establish a pattern for you all in time."

Twilight motioned to the books. "However, as you age, and you become more draconic than equine, your cycle will change into something along the line of centuries."

Breezy Lace gave a concerned stare beneath her furrowed brow, and after blinking a few times as she digested the information, she slapped a hoof onto her book and dragged it towards her. Opening it and bringing it close to her nose, she flicked through its pages, still keeping the conversation in sight over the book's top.

"So, can we still sleep normally if we want to?" Tailwind asked hopefully.

"Sure," Twilight cheerfully replied. "As long as you don't sleep for more than a day or so, you won't fall into a deeper sleep, prematurely starting a decades long cycle which will only hasten your draconic transformation, and I can't predict what changes may come from doing that. So I recommend getting used to power naps if you do decide to snooze."

Tailwind's eyebrows rose as he nodded. "Okay, good to know."

"So we do become a dragon?" Sea Drop asked, her fangs glinting from her returned smile.

"Well, yes and no, "Twilight replied. "In time, you'll assume something very close to a full dragon form, at which point the transformation will reach its apex, shaping you the farthest it can. Once you've reached this point, you'll be able to master the ability to change back and forth as Gale does."

Everypony's eyes widened, even Rainbow Dash who sat up from her chair.

"But you are not dragons," Twilight continued. "Despite how very close you are to them, drakes are a magical creation. Who or what made them, I've no idea, but I do know that Gale is the progenitor."

"So we just gotta' wait?" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief. "Just sleep it off and we can change back?

"In a manner of speaking," Twilight replied in a hesitant tone. She gave Rainbow Dash a brief questioning look of concern. "But as I said, I encourage you to stay on a twenty-four cycle if you do decide to sleep."

"Which means having breakfast!" Spike announced from the kitchen archway. As everypony turned their head to him, they saw he had at some point donned a chef apron and mitten gloves. "I'm sure you're all hungry, and I happen to make excellent omelet."

"Great idea, Spike," Twilight proclaimed. "Let's move this to the kitchen."

"Breakfast!" Sea Drop exclaimed, hopping out of her chair to trot into the kitchen.

"Sounds great," Breezy Lace replied with a somewhat more cheerful voice. Without tearing her eyes from her book, she scooted out from her chair and made straight for the kitchen.

Dust Cloud pushed his chair back and stood while cracking his joints. "A hearty breakfast sounds good. Got any oatmeal, though?"

"In three flavors," Spike answered before heading back inside the kitchen. "Come take your pick and I'll whip up a bowl."

"Don't mind if I do," Dust Cloud replied before following.

Tailwind and Rainbow Dash wordlessly left their seats as well, and together, all the drakes were spaced apart on the kitchen island table.

The awaiting plates of steaming omelets brought twitching noses and smiles. Even Dust Cloud's stomach grumbled in yearning as he waited for his oatmeal first as he set his omelet aside for now.

Twilight spoke, "Please, dig in. While you eat, I'll continue answering questions and clarifying things." She pulled up a stool at an empty part of the oblong table, and continued as her guests ate. "As I'm sure you've noticed, your appetite has increased lately. This is perfectly normal, just an uptick in your metabolic rate as you settle into your initial changes. You may find yourself eating larger portions over time, but these early spurts for constant nourishment should eventually pass."

Twilight looked around. "Does anypony have a question so far?"

"Yeah, I do," Breezy Lace said. She unceremoniously closed her book and grabbed her silverware. "I know the Princess, and Spike now. But who are the rest of you?" Holding her knife and fork, she looked around at her newfound companions before declaring, "I'm Breezy Lace."

"Dust Cloud," who followed up after. "Pleasure to meet ya'll."

"I'm Sea Drop," said next, already one third into her plate.

"Tailwind" said who kept a low gaze at the table.

Breezy Lace nodded at them, and then turned to Rainbow Dash who was using a fork to play with the edges of her food.

After noticing that the room's silence fell on her, Rainbow Dash sat more properly in her chair and blew her bangs aside. "Hey, I'm Rainbow Dash."

"I've heard of you," Breezy Lace replied with a smile. "You're the element of loyalty. Yeah, and you can do the sonic whatcha-ma-boom, right?"

"Sonic Rainboom," Rainbow Dash corrected, albeit with a smile now.

Breezy Lace laughed. "Celestia, was that a sight few years ago. That thing rocketed to the outskirts of Cloudsdale just as I was heading out on a haul."

"Oh yeah, the young flyer competition. Thanks, I am pretty awesome."

Breezy Lace gave a scoffing laugh. "And you got spunk? Well, we might just have to have a contest later on to test how 'awesome' you are."

Rainbow Dash gave a smug grin back. "I'm always game for a contest." Grabbing her fork, Rainbow Dash chunked off a corner of her omelet and shoved it in her mouth.

"Here's your oatmeal," Spike announced as he slid the bowl onto the table before hopping into his own seat and his awaiting meal.

"Much obliged," Dust Cloud replied while he grabbed his spoon. Dipping it into the bowl, he scooped up a steaming bite and gently cooled it with his breath. He then brought it into his mouth, and halted as his eyes widened.

"Dust Cloud?" Twilight asked, seeing his tension and small jerk. Everyone else turned their gazes to him as they snacked.

He quickly swallowed his bite, pausing before he replied, "I... could tell it was hot, but it didn't burn me in the slightest. Didn't even hurt my throat."

"That's to be expected," Twilight stated, bringing an ease to his demeanour. "Just some thermal resistance. After all, eventually you all will be able to breathe fire."

"Oh! I can!" Sea Drop exclaimed with a raised hoof. Looking at her plate, she took a deep inhale, drawing forth the unusual but growing familiar magic. With a puff of her cheeks, she exhaled with a pursed mouth, spewing a gout of fire, cooking her remaining half of an omelet left as if it was placed within a flaming kiln.

After blackening her yellow meal in moments, she stopped and raised a hoof to the air. "Tadah!"

"Sea Drop!" Breezy Lace exclaimed. "This is the princesses house, and a government library! What about the table?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I-"

"Not a problem," Twilight beamed, still flustered after shying away from the unexpected flame. "The library has already been fireproofed, books included," she said with a grateful tone for her foresight on the matter. "But I would be appreciative if you tried not to cause a fire regardless."

Sea Drop gave a small smile as she dipped her head down to resume eating. "Okay."

"Hey," Dust Cloud said as he looked around. "Where's Rainbow Dash?"

"She went that way," Tailwind said with wide eyes, pointing in the direction of the room they had come from.

"Rainbow?" Twilight asked. "Are you okay?"

A few moments of silence passed before Rainbow Dash came trotting back. "Sorry, bathroom emergency."

Spike raised his claw to correct her on the location of such facilities, but shrugged it off in defeat as the notion of being chewed out crossed his mind. Instead, he dug into his food, noting that next time he should have added a little more salt.

"So what's up? We can breathe fire?" Rainbow Dash quickly said as she sat down and resumed cutting her food. Turning her head to Sea Drop Rainbow Dash asked, "How uh… how did you do that?"

"Oh, well, when I started I had to close my eyes." Sea Drop excitedly shifted in her seat. Placing her hooves out as if to balance herself, she closed her eyes. "The thing that pulled it off the very first time was thinking how cool it was that I was going to become a fire breathing dragon."

Rainbow Dash's fork sharply cut through her meal and onto the plate. "And the other times?"

Sea Drop opened her eyes and gave a wavy look. "It took a couple a tries, but eventually I figured out it was more of this deeper feeling. Like… a heated coal in your chest I was coaxing."

The sound of a fork scraping back and forth grew as Rainbow Dash stoically listened.

"After drawing it out a bit, it's just getting easier to do. And now all it takes is a moment for me to call it out and wa-lah! Fire." She raised a hoof and bounced it against her red mane. "And by Celestia does it make it easier to dry my hair after a swim. It's like a firewash."

"Rainbow!" Twilight hissed. "The plates are fireproof, not scratch proof."

Letting the silverware clattered to the plate, Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves. "You know what, Spike, I'll have a bowl of oatmeal, too."

Spike wiped his mouth and hopped from his seat. "Sure thing. Flavor?"

"Apple."

"Coming right up."

"Speaking off," Twilight announced. "There is a pony that I want to introduce you all to. Once you've all eaten, we'll perform a cursory medical exam on the transformation to your bodies and souls. After I take a look and see what's happened, we'll discuss any questions before heading out to meet-"

Breezy Lace's eyes shot wide as she choked on her food. Slamming a hoof to her chest as she gulped it down, she then gave Twilight an incredulous expression. "Our souls have changed and you can see into them!?"

Twilight gave a flustered look. "Yes, and yes. The latter is sort of a perk for being a vampony."

"So souls are a thing?" Breezy Lace asked with shifting eyes. "Like, a tangible thing and stuff can mess with them!?"

Twilight nodded.

Breezy Lace looked to her fellow drakes, and then to the baby dragon who hopped back in his chair after having delivered Rainbow Dash's oatmeal, and then back to the vampony princess who was consistently reshaking Breecy Lace's world view with every turn of the conversation.

"Okay," Breezy Lace said as she shoved her unfinished plate away from her. "There's clearly a lot more that needs to be talked out here, but I need to know what I'm dealing with. Aside from what I can find in the books or by asking Spike, what is going on with us?" She looked to Twilight with a level headed stare. "What is this? What is going to happen to us?"

Twilight closed her eyes, and one ear twitched involuntarily. Opening her eyes again, she replied, "After the exam, I can better address those questions. I can't answer them, but I will give you my full and honest answer about the matter."

Breezy Lace's chest puffed out at having to wait, but she sighed in acceptance moments after. "Alright," she cooly said, pulling her plate back and resuming her meal with silverware.

"So…" Dust Cloud asked slowly. "Since souls are a thing, where do they go?" He turned to Twilight. "You know… after."

Twilight excitedly shuffled in her seat. "Actually, I just learned about this not too long ago. Coincidentally, there is a place called the After Realm. It's sort of… another part of our lives after we end ours here. Very little is actually known, but I suppose it's a place we'll all explore in the end."

"Ah," Dust Cloud said before nodding to himself, seemingly more sober as he began to dig into his omelet. "Thank you, princess."

"So what's it like? Seeing a soul and such?" Breezy Lace asked before chewing a piece of egg from her fork.

"It's pretty hard to describe," Twilight said with a smile. "Souls are... intricate, but can be breathtakingly beautiful. They reveal a lot about a pony. Nothing specific like what your exact thoughts are or any knowledge you may know. But they do show how you process emotions and your current frame of mind. The 'parts' of you that are shaped by your experiences in life."

"I assume there's a confidentiality waiver?" Breezy Lace asked as she shied away.

"Complete patient to doctor confidentiality," Twilight replied with a bow.

"Good," Breezy Lace replied, appearing more at eaze. She resumed cutting her food while asking in an impressed tone, "And all vamponies can do this?"

Twilight shook her head. "In theory, but it seems only a few of them have gotten used to the ability so far. It's turning out to be a more difficult skill to learn for most. But I'm sure they'll figure it out in time."

"How long is that?" Tailwind asked. "Vamponies live a long time, too, right? Or are they technically immortal?"

"Well, technically," Twilight said as she leaned back. "I'm a vampony harmonized by the Elements of Harmony. The vamponies I sire have been only bat ponies thus far, and they only turn into vamponies when they drink blood. While ageless in a vampony state, if their blood reserve runs dry, they simply revert back to being a batpony."

Twilight smiled. "Much more pleasant than when a vampony like myself runs dry on blood. Thankfully, I'm the only one around now."

"And here's to that!" Spike said, raising a mug of orange juice before downing it.

"So what's the plan?" Rainbow Dash asked in a neutral voice.

"Pardon?" Twilight replied.

"Since it's so dangerous for any of us to come with you while you hunt down Gale, what exactly is the plan to take him down?" Rainbow Dash gave Twilight a hard stare. "You said you'd answer all of our questions."

"Wait," Breezy Lace said as she too turned to Twilight. "You're chasing him down?"

"You're not staying with us through this?" Sea Drop asked right after.

Tailwind looked out from the corner of his eye but otherwise kept his focus on his food. And Dust Cloud gave a concerned look as he listened.

Twilight looked between the three of them while biting her lip. "I'm sorry, but I only have this single day to spend with you. By nightfall I must leave to join Celestia and Luna."

Twilight scooted out her chair and she stood beside it. "In other circumstances, I would be here with you. But it's been agreed upon by nations that we put an end to Gale."

"You haven't answered my question yet," Rainbow Dash said with a low brow.

"Our plan," Twilight began, "is to ambush Gale as he crosses the mountains when he inevitably heads south. We hope that perhaps he'll be wounded if not outright killed by fighting with the dragons in the northern wastes, but in any event, we are armed and prepared to bring him down with our combined army might. Our positions and fortifications in the terrain have already been drafted for when we arrive."

"That's your plan?" Rainbow Dash asked with raised eyebrows and half-closed eyelids. "Just… hide in some bushes and jump him if he happens to go that way?"

Twilight slightly narrowed her eyes. "This plan has a lot of details I omitted, because I had a feeling no one wanted a lecture on geography, troop movement, command hierarchy, and the employment of a lot of spells."

"Actually," Tailwind said as he wiped his face with a napkin. But the sudden glare from the other drakes caused him to pause. "Uh, maybe another time. But actually, are there books on magic in here?"

Twilight gave a supportive smile. "Yes, quite a few really. Feel free to peruse while I'm gone."

Rainbow Dash gave a poor attempt at a cough before asking, "And when do you think you're going to pull off this plan and come back?"

"Hard to say," Twilight replied. "It all depends on when Gale learns the artifact is south and then leaves the northern wastes to try and claim it."

"Is that in the book? This 'artifact' thing he wants so badly?" Breezy Lace inquired.

Twilight sheepishly shook her head.

"Okay, see, this is the kind of information I need to know," Breezy Lace stated while bringing her hooves together. "You mentioned back in the field about him taking command of all dragons. Please, elaborate."

"Okay, quick run down," Twilight replied as she took a moment to concisly explain all she knew on the matter. "There is an artifact which allows the bearer to magically control all dragons. Normally, a worthy dragon wields this artifact and doesn't use it to raze the planet with an unstoppable army, as we fear Gale wants to do. He thinks it's north, but it's actually south, beyond the Griffon Kingdoms. And technically, this is knowledge privy only to a few ponies as per our nation's agreements with the ruling dragon, Lord Torch. Which is why you won't find it in any text, including my own."

Twilight gave a short exhale, and looked at them all. "As drakes, you're privy to these matters. And if any of you have interest in dragons, then after I return we can discuss receiving Lord Torch's permission to visit the southern isles."

"Permission?" Sea Drop asked. "Can't we just drop in and say hello?"

Twilight brought her hooves together nervously. "I-It seems that drakes are… not very… liked by most dragons."

Sea Drop scowled. "And why the hay not?"

"Well, they, it seems they… find it offensive that something is trying to be one of them, who are usually in their perspective the apex lifeform."

"Offensive!?" Sea Drop barked, and even Rainbow Dash was giving a scowl on the idea.

"So even though we're going to be pretty Celestia close to being a dragon, they're already against us?"

Twilight slowly nodded with apologetic eyes. "I'm afraid the drakes of the past built a poor reputation with dragons."

"Well that's just great," Sea Drop replied sourly as she plopped her cheek onto a raised hoof and began to stuff her face with a nearby bowl of cashews.

While the remark concerned her, Twilight glanced at the clock showing seven thirty, and she politely coughed into her hoof.

"If you all don't mind, I'd like to perform your exams before we head to our next place on today's tour."

"Wait, we're on a tour?" Tailwind asked.

"Just a couple of places and ponies I want to introduce you all to," Twilight cheerfully replied. "They'll be helping you during your stay in Ponyville."

"Alright then," Breezy Lace said before wiping her face and throwing the napkin down on her empty plate. "Let's get this exam over with and meet them."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Breezy Lace

"So how does this work?"

After stacking and placing away the recently filled out medical forms, Twilight gave a gentle smile while she answered, "It's quite simple. We'll sit here and I'll look at you. My eyes will be glowing white, the magical effects of allowing me to see your soul. While I perform my exam, feel free to read." Twilight motioned to the rack of magazines. However, she noted that her patient's eyes darted about the secluded space, a sectioned off room that served as a study but also affixed with a hospital curtains over the front.

Twilight spoke, "This area has been prepared by a number of spells. We're safe here."

After receiving a nod to continue, Twilight closed and opened her eyes, transitioning to Soul Sight in a seamless blink.

A few minutes passed, and the soft sound of a magazine being flipped broke the silence here and there.

Hmmm, seems to be familiar for the most part.

What do you think?

I'd say the magical impression is a mirror copy, same origin marks and effects of scarring. However, tracking the difference of growth is going to be harder.

Ruby looked more closely at the soul, raising her eyebrows as she scanned the glowing white fibers. The twisted knots of deep orange burrowed within various points of the sphere's insides. The scorching orbs each sat within the larger hubs of bundled fibers that formed the one of many complex components of the soul, stoking them like a fire from the ember-like magic. More concerning was the softer, transparent orange coating that seemed glazed on various fibers, even strands not connected to the burning points.

At a glance it seems the rate of change is different than Rainbow Dash's, but we'd need to run more exams to determine anything further. Ruby turned to other sections, ascertaining personality without prying deeply. It's been traumatic for her, but I feel that she has a strong chance for finding stability in her new life.

Twilight gave a slow blink, maintaining her professional smile as she thought forlornly, Those scars are still rooted in her ability to trust. She's grown remarkably well, but…

It's just going to flare right back up, Ruby replied, letting out a 'tsk afterward. If stressed, it could grow even larger. And by the looks of things... Turning her attention to a nearby passing strand, she noted the wispy stray lines of the transparent orange glaze, loosely stretching out from the sections it coated as it reached for something beyond its grasp. And if these forming bridges ever connect, then this part will only get triggered more.

Still, she is a remarkable mare I'd say. She's overcome a lot. By the signs of these overlapping stress points, she can find a balance before it gets out of hand. We'll just have to see on our next checkup for any signs of changes around these.

Twilight nodded, blinked her soul sight away. "Okay, thank you. Could you send in the next one, please?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tailwind

"Actually, before we start, can I get a book from the library?"

Twilight held back the soul sight and smiled. "Any specific title?"

"Have anything on magic, or magical weather?"

"Spike can fetch you a related book to read, but this won't take much longer. However, feel free to peruse the magazine rack for a few minutes. I'll begin here in a moment now."

Her patient selected a weather magazine and flipped through its contents, peeking up now and then at the magic phenomenon that was soul sight.

Mirror copy again. The rest will probably be, too. However…

He's like Fluttershy, Twilight thought remoresly. The budding shapes that were his courage and bravery were strained by the pull of so many other portions of him, most of the strands being thick and renforced over time.

However, the ember-like magic had nestled within this small bundle of willpower, and it began to glow a dim orange color that had frayed away the edges of some of the connecting fibers. And more transparent coating of orange could be seen form and wisping to the growing courage, reaching for a path yet to form.

He's strangely calm about all this, Ruby remarked. And only recently. There's evidence of recent anxiety some time after the imprinting, but having only cleared today.

Any idea what it might have been?

Without having observed it in the moment, or spending all day tracing back changes, I can't say. But, I'd guess it happened during breakfast.

Well, we'll explore that when we return if he's feeling open to talk about it. Anything else of note?

Between fight or flight, I'd say he's always chosen flight. However… these orange roots are going to be straining for him. Whenever we do begin to train them in self defense to exercise their strength, he's the one I'm going to be worried the most for so far.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dust Cloud

"So, what do I got to do?"

"Nothing much," Twilight replied, jotting down the last note her patient detailed for her. "Feel free to read. I'll look at you for a time, and my eyes will be white and glowing."

Twilight received a simple nod as her patient immediately sat back and flipped out the local Ponyville paper.

With soul sight activated, Ruby let out a surprised scoff. His change rate is actually noticeably slower. At least, the portions he's managed to refine. He has a stable build to him accumulated by a lifetime of experiences and impressionable moments. Still... his foundation has seen better times.

Ruby looked past the orange kilns and to the flickering strands of light pulsing for an object that sent no light in return. It was connected by a vast number of fibers that wove themselves into his deepest portions of his soul. Ruby guessed it would be able to send a light if it was purposefully triggered such as a strong imagination, but it showed no more signs of development or activity otherwise.

She sorrowfully turned her head away at the suppressed flares, seeing how withered they had become and the scars that held for the distant shape. To lose something so close to your heart… I can only imagine it was some pony very special. Still, it seems your explanation seemed to have staved off some of the damage.

His records did show his wife passing a year back. Knowing she's still somewhere however she exists now might have comforted him.

Still, it risks being damaged. Ruby noted how some of the strands that were withered now had a transparent orange coating around them.

Hmmmm, Ruby thought.

What is it?

I can't be sure, but I think this magic isn't as firm as we thought.

Meaning?

The other's we've looked at so far have similar growth tendencies but begin to widely diverge as time passes. Despite the thickening of the orange roots, they've changed where their developing branches extend to next. What that will lead to, I can't say. But each section of orange seems to be pulling every drake into one shape, despite how weak its pull is now.

I can't believe this kind of magic exists. Even the books in that vault Celestia showed us never mention anything that could do this.

Even though Alicorn magic is cleaner like this, it's more concentrated in power and its powering itself continually as part of the soul now. It's integrated too deeply for us to do anything about it. Ruby let out a frustrated harumph at the matter. What bothers me is how well the rest of their souls will hold up while this energy continues to build. Eventually it's going to charge every strand inside of them with magic. Anyways, I'm ready for the next one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sea Drop

"You sure will I won't feel anything?"

Twilight repeated, "I assure you, you won't feel a thing."

Her patient shrugged before continuing to read her magazine. "Still gonna try and feel it."

Twilight gave a light chuckle at the enthusiasm, and blinked her soul sight active.

Wow, okay. Ruby said in disbelief. It seems one pony's curse is another's miracle.

Look at it, Twilight said in awe. While the early signs of trauma were apparent on the smoldering sections, the orange kilns that were the origin points were aflamed and pulsating deep coloring glows to other portions of the soul, causing various illuminations to appear all around and further coat other strands. How did it get so inflamed?

It barely even impedes her pathways, Ruby replied in surprise. She's not only yearning for this, she's actively building the coating in jointed sections.

Ruby brought Twilight's awareness to inspect more closely. Looking to one strand of fiber that bridged to various points of the soul, she saw within the transparent coating that hung thick around the white fibers. Within it were a series of pronounced orange rings, their colorful influence marked by how they turned the otherwise transparent coating opaque. The white fibers beneath these thickening orange hues flickered more in tune with the rythmic but inflamed kilns.

I'm more sure of it now, this magic periodically creates imprints during the transformation. While the others show more signs of divergence on the few growth rings that have appeared so far, this mare is pushing through multiple rings before they settle. They're still too weak to have any hard change, but she's building them up and integrating them into herself. She's risking a stronger pull, but she's consolidating a lot of the changes.

Ruby directed their attention to the rest of her soul. This mare is changing faster than the transformation magic is built for. Somehow her, perhaps we could say her 'positive' view on the matter is drawing out more power than normal on each imprint growth. Those ember points are kicking up their power in response to keep up.

Recommendation?

Until we can check on her again, she should exert as little draconic magic as possible. There's no telling what will happen if it continues to flare up at this rate.

Twilight nodded her head, and sadly smiled knowing what kind of reaction the mare aspiring to be a dragon would have.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rainbow Dash

"Do we have to do this?"

Twilight gave a pleading smile. "I need to check on the progress. You're free to read one of-"

"Fine, just get it over with, but I'm not reading those," she replied as she leaned back in the chair. Crossing her arms, she closed her eyes and hung her head forward.

"I'll begin now."

Now that we've sampled the others, let's see how she's doing.

Twilight pensively stared at the appearing soul, letting her awareness be drawn towards it until she was at a level Ruby naturally operated in. Though, they did not conjure the mirrorscape.

How's it so far? Twilight asked. She turned her perspective around them, taking in the dear but unfamiliar soul. The pulsating embers of orange that were nestled about seemed larger than last she'd remembered. And buddening appearing roots and transparent orange coated strands were thickening on the dense webwork of fibers that stretched about the soul; the complex arrangement of self allowing the bearing of Loyalty. It's interconnected network showed signs of coating, but no wisping strands that Twilight could see here in this core section.

She's holding it together so far, Ruby eventually said while she glanced about. But I think I have a better understanding now. Ruby directed their attention to the dense fiber network. I don't know how Discord's magic works and we weren't observing when it happened, but I think I found evidence of its effects.Here, look at the base of one of the edges of the network, look at the density of orange in this section.

It's less.

Yes, and none of the other drakes have these.

So Discord's magic shows a reduction in the orange by a small amount.

It's already regenerating, and by the flash of resurgence after Discord's magic, it caused further stretching.

Twilight quickly turned her awareness to the nearby strands of coating, seeing how more elongated they stretch in their spurts of growth here at this strangely touched section. She also noted that the nearest ember within an oblong shape churned ever so faster than the others.

She then looked back at the anomalous rings, curiously inspecting the transparent coating. But the coating is still the same thickness. If there's less of the draconic essence, then why wouldn't the coating have been diminished as well?

Ruby brought the two of them closer to this odd section. I don't know what this stuff is but… whatever it's doing, it's not done.

What do you mean?

I think that it's acting like… a scaffold of sorts, and that eventually it's going to become filled. Until then, it's still mutable as it eventually reinforces the coated pathways. Ruby let out a sigh as she turned away from this anomalous section and looked to the overall soul; a spherical boundary of embering kilns that glazed and stretched the white material around them.

After the analysis, we've hardly learned more about the origin and nature of this magic. But we've confirmed that it grafts onto existing portions of souls, especially to designs it seems naturally structured to.

Ruby sighed, and began to slowly pull them out. This magic is… powerful. I really don't know how to describe it, but I think I'm starting to get what Discord was saying. Despite its goals on its first casting, whatever its origins, I feel like it could become loose at any time. And if soul changing magic like this went wild, there's no telling what changes could happen to them.

Twilight shut her eyes at the thought, and of knowing she had ensured no detail of those gruesome historical accounts hadn't been scribed over.

"Everything okay?" Rainbow Dash asked, peeking from beneath one eyelid.

Twilight opened her crimson eyes as her smile diminished. "Thanks for your patience. Let's go talk about the results with the others."

Rainbow Dash blew a raspberry. "Fine." She unceremoniously rolled out of the chair and opened the pulled curtains.

Twilight scooted out of her chair and began to push it back into its place. Do you think I'm acting like Celestia by not telling them certain things?

Like we last agreed, Ruby replied. The books are transitional only, so it doesn't need things that have a high risk of worsening their situation. And we aren't keeping this knowledge from them. We're going to tell them in time, after they've steadied themselves a bit, and after Gale has been dealt with.

Twilight took a deep breath, and turned to the entrance of the small alcove, where five ponies demanded to know their fates.

One step at a time, Twilight said.

And a step we time, Ruby replied.

Feeling more assured, Twilight walked away from the desk with steady hoofsteps as they faced the next challenge of their lives together.

Author's Note

Cover art change from https://www.deviantart.com/blackmorphin/art/Fire-Feather-205357287 to what is now current. This is the same artist who did Second Princess of the Night as well.

(Contains some NSFW)
Artist : https://www.deviantart.com/fruitbloodmilkshake

Chapter 9

“All of you are changing differently,” Twilight began. She and the drakes sat around the library table once more, this time with Spike sitting beside her atop a wooden stool. “As to the full extent of what those changes and differences might be, I cannot say. The books you've been given will help you part of the way, but there’s little more I can immediately offer you.”

Twilight placed her hooves onto the table while she panned her gaze across them. “This magic is old, originating before Starswirl's teachings and the standardization of magic we use to this day. As difficult as it is to believe, this magic has deeply affected your souls. And after having looked at each of your souls, it is clear to me that this magic is still developing, and its growth varies from moment to moment. Right now, portions of your souls are becoming encased for eventual changes. Some of those changes have already taken effect, some are even actively spreading, but there is a lot that has yet to happen."

Twilight noticed the furrowed stares some ponies began to give her, and so she politely coughed before beginning again. "It's as if portions of your soul are being encased for later inflammation, almost like a kiln, so to say."

"So souls are a bit like pottery?" Tailwind interjected in fascination. "Like, you can mold them if you apply enough energy and pressure?"

Twilight blinked in surprise. "Yes, in a manner of speaking."

Tailwind wore a proud smile, while the rest of the drakes furrowed their brows further as they digested the analogies.

"While there are plenty of documented cases of magical transformation within Equestria," Twilight continued, "none of those magics affected the soul. What little Ruby and I have learned about souls is that they are dynamic, flexible structures. This magic, for it to change your soul, seems to imprint itself periodically over time with tiny adjustments. And in time, it's possible that significant changes will have occurred, the extent of which may make you feel like an entirely different pony."

Twilight brought a hoof to her chest. "Trust me when I say that the notion of something changing in such a deep part of yourself, feeling your… feelings change… it can be scary."

She then gathered her hooves toward herself and beamed them all a reassuring smile. "After having looked over each of you, it doesn't look like you need to worry about any sudden or drastic changes. While you may have a flare up in any particular draconic behavior, I'm confident each of you will be able to handle the growth spurts. Any questions so far?" Twilight asked as she looked among them.

Breezy Lace's hoof rose first. "As this… thing progresses, are we still going to retain ourselves, or are we going to become dragons in more senses of the word?"

"You'll be yourselves," Twilight replied. "While the draconic influence will be great in the end, you're still a pony at your core, and you'll still be you."

Twilight looked about for more questions, and when no pony was immediately forthcoming, Dust Cloud eventually rose a hoof.

"I understand that we're going to be living longer than most ponies, but how long do we have?"

Twilight was silent for a moment as she considered the question and the nature of his asking, but she soon answered, "I can't say for sure. A dragon's full lifecycle exists on a timeline that's closer to a geological scale than anything pony-like. While I doubt you'll experience the full length of what a dragon would live, I would say it's a safe bet that you'll be around for a few millennia at least."

"I see," Dust Cloud merely replied. "Thank you, Princess."

Twilight nodded, letting her gaze linger on him for some moments more before turning to the rest of the group. "Any other questions?"

Tailwind appeared to have a few, but seemed to have decided otherwise on asking them after nervously glancing at the other drakes. Breezy Lace and Dust Cloud shook their heads when Twilight's eyes met theirs. Rainbow Dash and Sea Drop, however, merely sat back in their chairs indifferently and with hooves crossed as they listened, neither paying anypony a look as they kept their gaze downcast or upon some random spot within the room while they listened.

Twilight frowned a brief look of worry towards the two, but then clasped her hooves together as she smiled. "As all of you progress, I'll be here to monitor your growth and help guide you along. Unlike the drakes of the past, you'll have access to all of Equestria's magical knowledge to assist you. Coupled with my ability to soul sight, we'll be able to track your growth and catch any potential bumps on the long road before you. And you won't be alone through these changes. We have a town full of helpful ponies." Twilight then extended a hoof towards Spike. "As well as a real dragon to speak with. But most importantly, you'll have each other."

Breezy Lace, Dust Cloud, Tailwind, Sea Drop, and Rainbow Dash all glanced at one another. While looking more closely, they took in each other's draconic appendages before noting their pony features. Yet, when their eyes did eventually meet, tension filled their muscles, if ever so slight.

Even as their eyes started to narrow in the sharp looks they began to receive from one another, Twilight coughed into her hoof. "As you can see, you'll find it easy to become on guard, even among each other."

Each drake blinked away the tension, and their ears fell as they looked back to Twilight. From the corners of their eyes, they still glanced at one another, but it was now in confusion and curiosity. Rainbow Dash and Sea Drop even sat a little more upright in their chairs as their glowers lessened.

"This is perfectly normal, and you will overcome it," Twilight said warmly.

"Classic dragon behavior," Spike chimed in. "When I spent time with the teenager dragons, all they ever did was try to size up and one up one another. Everything was a competition on proving who was the strongest and the best."

Spike rubbed his claw on his chest before raising it to blow across his finger tips. As he examined the points he continued, "Of course, at the end of the day what matters is how smart you are. And let me tell you, I was waaaaaay smarter than-"

"Ahem," Twilight coughed into her hoof.

"Right. Anyways, what's important to know is that it's okay to get a little riled up if you feel like it. Dragons are naturally competitive, and you might find yourselves thinking it's really important to be the best at something all of a sudden." He then placed his hands onto the stool as he stood himself up, and he raised an open palm claw to them. "But no matter what happens, we've got each other's back. The point isn't to be the best, but to be the best together!"

While Spike stood proudly at nailing the speech he had rehearsed all morning, the drakes looked amongst themselves once more.

Rainbow Dash and Sea Drop both peeked at each other from the corners of their eyes, but otherwise remained sunken in their chairs with their hooves crossed. Breezy Lace chuckled at this, and began to look to them all in more interest. Dust Cloud had a puzzled look, but nonetheless began to smile at the prospect of something so new and interesting. And Tailwind also let himself smile as he sheepishly made longer bouts of eye contact, finding his racing inner thoughts calming at the growing familiarity.

Twilight's smile widened at the reactions, and she shuffled forward ever so slightly in her seat in excitement.

"While differences may arise at times," Twilight began, "I know that you'll be able to conquer anything through the power of friendship. For the next millennia, the five of you will be the only ponies who can truly understand what has happened to you. And together, you will become great ponies."

Twilight sat more formally in her chair, and while her smile did not fade, her voice took on a more regal but still compassionate tone. "As drakes, your destinies have become entangled into something larger. But you must remember that they are still your own to command." Twilight's eyes then narrowed ever so slightly as she gave them a remorseful smile. "Ponies who have become like ourselves inevitably end up in events they do not ask to be in. But we must still trot forward. I can personally assure all of you that it is worth the struggle to keep moving forward."

When no pony replied at first, Twilight took a quick glance at the clock, and then brought her hooves together. With a lighthearted tone, she said "If you have any more questions, please feel free to bring them up at any point, but for now we really must get moving." Rising from the head of the table, Twilight flashed them a toothy smile. "It's time for you all to meet Applejack."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Wow, there are so many guards this morning."

"We should check those ships out! I heard they landed on the south-side of town."

"Yup, signed up in Vanhoover. I'm glad my folks were visiting relatives these last few days."

"Think they're here to protect Ponyville? The Princess does live here."

"Trust me, it's the best sweet store in all of Equestria. I just need to remember where it's at."

"Can you believe it? Her and him? It's scandalous!"

"I'm telling you, she ate over four dozen pancakes. I've never whipped so much batter in my life."

"Well, I was chasing him all night! He even ripped through some paneling and got into the Hackney Tubes. My shins still hurt."

"Shh, shh, here they come."

"Look at their wings."

"Well, the princess is here. I guess it's safe."

"Woah, do you think it's a magical experiment? What if it's contagious?"

"Is there another new town of ponies?"

"What do you think is going on?"

Twilight's ears twitched at the hushed conversations around her. Peeking from under the brim of her sunhat, she saw both guard and local alike giving curious attention to her entourage of trailing drakes.

With over four airship's compliment of guard in town, the main streets and vendor lanes were a gaggle of moving masses spilling over even into the side streets. Ponies found themselves bumping shoulders while gathered at vendor stalls, but the atmosphere was lively enough to cast aside any ill notion of discomfort.

And while no pony was outright staring, it was quite obvious that the group became the center of attention wherever they passed since they had left the library.

Dust Cloud walked ahead of the other drakes, taking in the town itself as he strolled casually. His tail twitched at the spring his muscles were beginning to find, and a youthful excitement took him at having a crowd's interest once more.

Breezy Lace, Tailwind, and Sea Drop, however, kept close behind as they warily looked at their discreet spectators.

"Don't worry about it," Spike said as he walked beside them. "Nopony could keep their eyes off me when I first arrived. It took some time but they'll get used to you. I'm sure everypony is just curious to meet you is all."

Sea Drop quickly leaned towards Spike and pointed in the distance. "Psst, hey, what kind of pony is that?"

"Oh, that's a batpony," Spike replied. "Yeah, they have a town over in the Everfree Forest."

Sea Drop smiled as she stood straighter. "So they can become vamponies?"

"Yup. We should head over to the town one of these nights. The castle is really coming along."

"A castle?" Sea Drop asked excitedly.

As Spike dove into the details of the restoration project, Rainbow Dash trotted forward to Twilight's side.

"So why are we heading to AJ's?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight pulled her gaze from the crowds and turned her attention to the street before her. "The girls are pitching in. They want to help you and the rest of the drakes through this, even going so far as to offer their properties and services."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at Twilight’s statement. "I'm sure the girls mean well and I'm grateful, don't get me wrong, but how exactly is all of their stuff going to help? Some apples, dresses, animals, and cupcakes aren't going to make this better," she said while extending one of her leathery wings.

"Of course they can't," Twilight replied in a sympathetic tone, turning her gaze towards Rainbow Dash while they walked. "But they can help in other ways."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes while curling her lip at the response, but she quickly shut her mouth as her gaze fell to the road. With a quieter voice, she said, "I'm sorry. I'm just… still getting used to this."

"Hey, it's okay. It's a lot." Twilight replied with a supportive smile. But she tightened her jaw for a moment in recollection of their brief soul sight check up earlier. After a pause, she spoke again, “You don’t have to beat yourself up for feeling angry. It’s okay to be angry.”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, recalling the damage her hoof caused to the wood. She had slammed her hoof on that floor a hundred times before in anger at one thing or another, and the thought that it wouldn't even survive a few more from her now made a chill run down her spine.

While she generally didn’t hold much of a sanctity towards objects, she knew a pony was far more fragile than solid oak wood.

Rainbow Dash sighed before replying,“Yeah, maybe. But right now I don’t think I can afford taking a chance. Just… let me try to keep my head cool for a bit.”

Twilight nodded as she turned her gaze forward, but she couldn’t help but tightened her eyes in concern.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Howdy, y'all! I’m Applejack.” With a tipped hat and small bow, Applejack gave a welcoming smile to her guests.

Standing altogether at the archway of the main entrance to Sweet Apple Acres, the group of drakes gave a collective hello in return.

“I hear drakes have an appetite,” Applejack began. She looked to each of them, taking in their faces in earnest. Beside her was a bucket of apples, and without looking at the pile she deftly kicked one up and caught it with her front hoof, revealing a perfectly fine, red apple.

"Lucky for you, this here is the best apple farm in all of Equestria, with over five-hundred acres of land you can romp around. Just mind the trees and property."

Twilight stepped forward and turned to the drakes. Extending a hoof towards Applejack, she said, "With royal compensation, I've solicited Applejack's farm during your stay in Ponyville. You'll have free access to the apples whenever you are in need of food such as when the stores are closed, as well as a private space to exercise your growing strength."

Applejack chimed in, "And if you're looking for harder work for your muscles, we've got some chores that will make any pony sweat."

Breezy Lace nodded approvingly as she eyed the rolling acres beyond the fence. "I appreciate it. You can count on seeing me every day."

Applejack grinned. "Then have your first taste." She tossed an apple to Breezy Lace, who in turn caught with a hoof.

Giving it a sniff, she found the smell to be more than pleasant, and she took a hearty bite. After a few slicing munches, she swallowed, and then gave Applejack a large grin. "That is a tasty apple."

"Come on, y'all try some," Applejack said before tossing Spike and the rest of the drakes an apple. Spike dove into his right away, and the others soon found themselves following suit as they too fervently munched on their apples. While Rainbow Dash's mood didn't brighten, she nonetheless hungirly chomped on hers, swallowing even the stem and core, and finding little difficulty doing so.

"Oh my gosh!" Sea Drop exclaimed. She wiped the juice from her mouth and looked to the orchards fields with sudden interest. "I've never eaten an apple so tasty! The coastal wares never have anything so juicy."

Applejack chuckled in pride as she kicked up another apple and threw it Sea Drop's way. "No surprise there. We Apples have been growing these plots since Ponyville's founding, and we've taken care of the land and trees as if they were family."

"Can we go explore some of it now?" Sea Drop asked excitedly.

"Unfortunately, we are on a timetable," Twilight answered. "But starting tomorrow you'll have full access to the land."

Sea Drop looked to the orchards somewhat saddened, but she soon smiled at the sight of a red apple flying her way.

"Have another for the road," Applejack said as she went to under throw another apple to each of them. "And farm work starts at 4am."

"I'll be there," Breezy Lace replied before taking a bite.

Twilight gave Applejack a thankful nod, then turned as she motioned the group to follow.

As Rainbow Dash began to move, she saw Applejack give her a supporting smile before throwing an extra apple her way. Rainbow Dash gave a small smile as she nodded thanks in return, and then brought up the rear of the group while she chomped down on one of her apples.

"Our next stop is for any apparel needs," Twilight announced to them.

Rainbow Dash wiped the remnants of her apple from her lips before muttering, "Oh great..."

Twilight flashed a glare at Rainbow Dash who in turn busied herself with her second apple more slowly.

As Twilight turned her attention forward again, Tailwind came up to her side while he wiped away the juice from his mouth.

"So Princess Twilight, I was wondering."

"Yes?" she replied, turning her head to him with a cheerful smile.

"This soul magic, where is it drawing its energy from? There has to be a source, right?"

Twilight blinked before replying, "Well, it uses the natural ambient energy of the soul, as it is a part of you now. But I do suspect there is something external occuring during the imprints."

"Really?" Tailwind asked in interest. "What do you think it might be? A reflective boundary firmament, or-or maybe a spatially warped rune?"

Twilight blinked twice this time before replying, "Wow, you really have read up on magic."

Tailwind pawed a hoof slightly. "Well, I've had lots of spare time at the weather factory. I just try to read what I find."

Twilight chuckled as she looked back to the road. "Well, let me know how in Equestria one of Marble Door's copies of Extra-planar Spell Casting managed to end up in a weather factory. It's a rather obscure book, so I must say I'm surprised you've managed to track down one of the three remaining copies."

Tailwind chuckled nervously. "Well, that one may have been read in the archives office in the Manehattan Magical Museum, b-but I do read a lot when I have time for it at work."

Twilight smiled. "So I've been told. Your manager says you practically have a library built under your desk."

Tailwind gave her a confused glance for a moment, but then said, "Ah, right. You spoke to our workplaces." He turned his head away as he spoke more quickly. "You already told Breezy Lace that, I just forgot. Sorry, I should have remembered. I guess I'm just a little-"

"Tailwind," Twilight said in a simple tone. Pausing his verbal momentum, he turned to her and saw her smiling calmly at him. "It's okay to not think about something and let it go. Trust me as a fellow book nerd, our problem isn't not thinking, but learning that it's okay that things play out unexpectedly and beyond our control."

Tailwind's pace fell for a moment as he opened his jaw in astonishment, and shortly he turned his gaze to the road. He chewed on the advice silently for some steps, but then sheepishly turned back to Twilight.

"I-I get the advice, but I have to break it for a moment and ask… How did you know that I needed to hear that?"

Twilight softly giggled. "Being able to soul sight has its perks. I saw a few similarities between your personality and mine, and I figured you could use the heads up instead of stumbling upon the answer by yourself like I had to."

"Wow, that's amazing," Tailwind said in awe. "You must have the most zen mind-space of any spell caster in Equestria."

"Well, magic has always been my passion," Twilight said with a blush. "But let me tell you, I still obsessively over think things all the time. Believe me when I say it's more of a process than a revelation."

Tailwind nodded, but fidgeted as he stepped. Eventually he asked, "W-Would you tell me what kind of space you imagine?" When Twilight gave him a sidelong look, he quickly added, "I-I'm just academically curious as to what the Element of Magic uses to assist her casting."

"If I had to hazard a guess, it sounds like you want to cast spells," Twilight replied.

He gave her a shallow nod before looking back to the road. "Don't get me wrong, being a pegasus is great. But if I could have a horn… I think magic would be the only thing I could think about."

Twilight gave him a sympathetic smile, and told him, "A mirrorscape."

"Excuse me?" Tailwind said, turning back to her.

"I use a mirrorscape for my mental space. I didn't always mind you. Before I did, I sort of had a formless-like focus towards spell-casting that I suppose most unicorns do for common magic. I never really needed a mindscape for more advanced casting, but lately, I've come to use it quite often." She gave him an encouraging smile. "When you can't envision a goal, sometimes it helps to see yourself accomplishing it."

"A mirrorscape," Tailwind repeated into memory. "Okay, and uh, what does a mirrorscape look like?"

"That's up to you," she replied.

"Right, of course." Tailwind took on a much more serious tone as he digested the golden nuggets of magical advice.

Twilight, on the other hoof, simply gave a supportive smile at the impossible dream the stallion chased.

Who's to say, we don't know what kind of magic has affected them.

If such a thing does happen, then we know even less than we thought.

We need information, something that could give us more clues.

We need Gale, Twilight finished for Ruby, though it came with a knot in her stomach. There wouldn't be much of an opportunity during the fight.

We'll have to be quick then after the final blow, and figure out what we can before he fades away.

Twilight narrowed her eyes, recalling the only moment she could remember watching a soul die. The pulses of light dimming until they no longer twinkled, and the subtle vibrancy of life that played across the white fibers before becoming still and rigid. A beacon of life in an otherwise void realm of senses, fading into the background of the surrounding darkness until nothing shined.

Though it had been such a short experience, Twilight and Ruby could still vividly recall the last moments of Night Walker's life.

Twilight walked silently for some paces, and eventually closed her eyes for a moment as she let out a sigh. Her ears softly flicked at hearing Tailwind swallow, and he soon asked, "W-Were you in your mirrorscape?"

The question brought a smile to her lips, and she turned to him. "Not precisely, but in a manner of speaking, yes."

Tailwind's eyes shimmered in pondering at the sagely answer, and Twilight felt a twinge of sympathy within her chest from Ruby.

Great, he's mistaking your social awkwardness for mysterious wisdom.

Well, there's little I can actually offer him. If he does one day learn to cast magic, it'll be because of his choices. No pony else can show him the path he seeks.

Just as Twilight and Ruby began to delve deeper into the theoretical possibilities of such an endeavor, the boutique came into view while Twilight and the group rounded a corner.

Casting a quick glance behind her, she took into every detail she could within the moment.

Tailwind had fallen back a few steps, looking at his reflection in a passing store window. Behind him was Spike chatting with Dust Cloud about the town, while Breezy Lace and Sea Drop looked about in interest while half listening. Overall, they seemed to have become less bothered by the discreet attention they still received. And Rainbow Dash was still at the rear, her glower apparent to Twilight's notice. Although she seemingly walked confidently, the drop in her tail and the subtle tilt of her head told Twilight otherwise.

Twilight's brow tugged on her forehead at seeing the demeanor, but then she then saw that her friend's eyes were looking over the other drakes. While she hadn't actively participated with the others all that much yet, Twilight had noticed that Rainbow Dash had been keeping close attention to them ever since their arrival.

But when Rainbow Dash caught notice of Twilight's stare, Rainbow Dash averted her gaze, locking onto an unfortunate passing guard who flinched at the sudden and intense scrutinizing gaze.

Twilight tightened her lip in worry, but after a few steps recollected herself, and she beamed the group a wide smile before announcing to them. "May I present our next stop, Rarity's Boutique."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Welcome! Do come in. It's a pleasure to meet you all." As Rarity trotted jubilantly towards the center of her shop, she extended a hoof to her work around her. "My name is Rarity, expert fashionista and designer. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances." After one passing glance across her guests, her eyes sparkled at the one piece of fabric among them. "Ah, I see that one of you likes to sport headwear. May I have your name, sir?"

Dust Cloud lifted his weathered duster hat and brought it to his chest, and he bowed low to Rarity. "The name's Dust Cloud, miss. Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Rarity replied, letting out a soft giggle at the formality of his greeting. "Might I ask if you are particularly sentimental about that hat?"

He chuckled before replying, "It took sometime to break this one in, but I've gone through a number of 'em."

"Well then," Rarity said with excitement. "It would be my pleasure to make a new one for you. May I?"

Rarity's horn twinkled, and Dust Cloud looked to his left, seeing a floating measuring tape that had snuck up beside him. After he gave Rarity a nod, it immediately flew about him, zipping and snapping its tape in a series of fwicks.

With a careful eye, Rarity counted the measurements in her head before turning to a pen that jotted it down.

"Excellent. Anything else you'd like? An ensemble perhaps?"

He let out a soft laugh. "I'm afraid I'm not in the financial position to buy myself anything fancier than a new hat."

"Not a problem at all, dear. I shan't accept a coin. Consider it a gift!"

Dust Cloud rubbed his chin before extending his hoof. "In that case, I suppose I could do with a new suit for formal occasions. Weddings, celebrations, and such. I reckon my last few's wing slots wouldn't fit anymore."

"Say no more!" Rarity replied passionately, and the measuring tape maddeningly flew around him like a hummingbird, taking in every measure while the pen jotted down slashes of numbers.

While Spike and the drakes were captivated at the spectacle, Rainbow Dash slid up beside Twilight and whispered, "What gives? Are you paying her, too?"

"What? No," Twilight whispered as she sharply turned to her. "She's doing this pro-bono. She came to me and insisted that I let her do this!"

"Oh," Rainbow Dash said with a blinking stare.

"But I am paying the Cakes, if you must know," Twilight added, gauging her friend's reaction.

"I don't care," Rainbow Dash replied dismissively as she moved gaze back to Rarity..

"Rainbow Dash, is everything okay?"

Rainbow Dash turned her head away while narrowing her eyes. After a moment, she merely whispered, "Later."

"Rainbow," Twilight said softly. "If you need to talk, we-"

"I said later," Rainbow Dash harshly whispered with gritted teeth.

Twilight gave her a concerned look, feeling as though the expression would become plastered on her face by how often she was making it. But she closed her eyes and gave a soft sigh. Opening them again, she gave Rainbow Dash a respectful nod before turning her attention back to the captivated group.

Rainbow Dash blew her nostrils, and forced herself to listen to Rarity, finding the familiar voice somewhat soothing.

"And that's all I need. Thank you, dear." The pen was laid down, but the measuring tape still remained aloft in magic. "Now," Rarity said, her horn holding the faintest trace of using magic despite the rapid use of levitation. "Who else would like something?"

Breezy Lace stepped forward. "Whelp, you only become a drake once. I might as well cash in. But do you think you could make a parcel bag? You know, something personal that I can use on the easy mail routes. Doesn't need to be too fancy, but durable would be nice."

Rarity's smile perked as she brought a hoof to her chin. "Your mane has a lovely golden color, what do you think of a matching face and cover satchel, with the usual grey for the bordering?"

Breezy Lace smiled at the image. "That sounds lovely, but do you think you could add a lace design on the edges?."

"Not a problem at all, darling. May I?"

Breezy Lace nodded, and the measuring tape she was certain that was nearby suddenly zipped into view and all around her, making a series of soft fwicks while the pen jostled the paper.

Rarity raised an eyebrow as layers of imaginary fabric fell onto Breezy Lace's form. "Are you sure you wouldn't want a dress as well? Or perhaps an outdoor jacket?"

"Just the satchel is fine enough."

"If you insist. But should you ever change your mind, you know where to find me," Rarity added with a wink. She then set the pen down and looked to the rest of the group. "Anypony else?"

When nopony was forthcoming, Rarity finally rested the tape onto the table. "Well then, shall we head off to the next stop?"

"You're coming with?" Breezy Lace asked in surprise.

"Of course, darling," Rarity replied with a wave of her hoof. "While I may be a fashionista, I'm also a social butterfly, and a good friend once you get to know me."

"I've never been friends with a tailor before," Sea Drop said.

Dust Cloud chuckled beside her. "The best ones stick closer to you than their clothes." Turning to Rarity, Dust Cloud added, "I can only imagine what my old tailor would say if she learned another pony was making me a suit."

"Perhaps I've heard of her," Rarity asked in interest. "What was her name?"

"She went by Madam Sunseed, but she was always Sunny Seeds to me."

"Well, she may not have had the spotlight she deserved, but I'm very familiar with Madam's styles. Oh! Tell me, what did she design for you?" Rarity asked while making her way to the door.

As Rarity waited for each pony to depart so she could lock up, Dust Cloud spoke all the while. "She was one of my first fans at the Dirt Bowls. After one of my scarves blew off, she made me a new one. And another, and another." Dust Cloud chuckled as he waited outside. "Eventually I realized I was her guinea pig for her designs. Should have charged her sponsorship fees, but she made the tastiest carrot pies you could eat."

Rarity let out an excited giggle. "I should know. I also bought her cooking book." Closing the door behind her, Rarity locked her shop, and then trotted to the head of the group. "Shall we, Twilight?"

"Lead the way."

"Very well. Dust Cloud, please do continue." Her eyes sparkled as her inner muse screamed. "Seeing as I'll never have the chance to meet her, I'd loved to hear more about what kind of pony and fashionista she was."

"Ah, Sunny," Dust Cloud said as he trotted to Rarity's side. "She was a quiet pony, but she had the loudest voice when it came to pitching her designs. I think out of all her passions, fashion was one of her favorites."

As Dust Cloud recounted tales, the rest followed suit, listening and looking around at the sights around them. Meanwhile, Twilight fell to the back beside Rainbow Dash, who in turn kept her gaze averted.

All together they walked through the streets of Ponyville, slowly making their way to the fringes of the town's edge where less and less ponies appeared.

"Let me guess," Rainbow Dash eventually asked. "We're going to Fluttershy's for animal cuddling time?"

"If anypony wants to cuddle an animal, then yes," Twilight responded neutrally.

The reply made Rainbow Dash scowl slightly, but she quickly stoned her expression.

Twilight peeked out from beneath the brim of her sunhat, and saw the tightness in Rainbow Dash's jaws. She then asked, "Is there anything I can do right now to help?"

"No," Rainbow Dash replied flatly.

Twilight stared at her for some moments longer before looking forward again. Soon enough, the cobblestone path turned a corner past a bend of trees, and a small cottage came into view.

Before was a dainty wooden bridge resting over a babbling brook which ran behind the house. Aside from the remarkable lawn space, unlike the other houses of Ponyville, the cottage’s rooftop was an expanse of greenery. While windows did poke out here and there between the leaves, the majority of the foliage was filled with bird houses tucked between branches, neighbors to the squirrels that could be seen darting about.

Butterflies gently fluttered about the property, bringing a serenity to the already peaceful scene of bunnies laying in the grass. However, as Twilight and the drakes approached, the bunny's ears all perked, and they scattered within moments.

"Aww," Sea Drop exclaimed.

"Don't fret, darling," Rarity said. "There'll be plenty of chances."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Angel, dear, you're shaking awfully bad. Just-oh my! Why don't you-GOODNESS!"

With a scattering of cups and plates, Angel's white, furry form was a blur across the table and into the kitchen.

Twilight and Rarity's horns were aglow having caught the flung cups and plates, and they both exhaled with relief while they settled everything back into place.

The drakes and Spike, who sat on comfy couches and cushy chairs covered in doileys, looked to the kitchen way in surprise.

"I'm sorry, he's normally not like that," Fluttershy apologized from her sofa chair. "I'll talk with him later. Now then, it's so nice to meet all of you. My name is Fluttershy." With a gentle demeanor, she looked towards her guests kindly. "Would anyone like a cup of tea?"

"That would be nice," Breezy Lace replied while a hat-less Dust Cloud nodded for one as well.

"Allow me, darling," Rarity said. With a smooth motion, she magically poured a cup for the two drakes, and two more for Fluttershy and herself.

"It's nice to meet every pony," Fluttershy repeated. Holding her cup in her lap, she looked about the drakes. "If any of you ever need any pony to talk to, you're more than welcome to come visit me. And if you don't want to talk to anypony, there are plenty of animal friends here to keep you company."

Fluttershy looked about her home for an animal in sight, but after a few nervous sweeping glances, she looked back to her guests with a wider smile. "They must be busy right now. But never mind them, I'm sure there are some animal friends who would love to meet you."

"Which reminds me," Rainbow Dash announced. Jumping up from the couch, she made her way to the door. "Gonna go pay my guy a quick visit. Is he at his usual spot?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Hmhm, I'm sure he'll be excited to see you."

Sea Drop sprung up from her seat. "Oh! Can I come with? I wanna see more of this place."

Rainbow Dash plopped her hoof onto the doorknob and slowly drug it open
"...Yeah, sure."

Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight's ears had flicked the tone, and they glanced amongst themselves.

"Great!" Sea Drop said as she lightly trotted over.

"A-Actually, I'd like to come, too," Tailwind said. He quickly sat up, but remained beside the couch as he looked with questioning eyes towards Rainbow Dash.

"The more the merrier," Rainbow Dash replied with a scrunched smile. Turning away from the living room, she swiftly exited through the door and made for the back of the house.

As she passed the frontrow flowerbeds, Sea Drop jogged up to her side all while Tailwind hurried to shut the door behind them.

"So... have you lived in Ponyville your whole life?" Sea Drop asked as she looked to Rainbow Dash.

"Moved her when I was old enough to get out of the house" Rainbow Dash replied without turning to her. "But I was born in Cloudsdale."

"You've been to Cloudsdale?" Sea Drop asked in excitement. She bounced as they walked, her fiery mane jostling over her teal coat. "What's it like? Is it as huge as they say and full of cloud buildings?"

Rainbow Dash turned her vision to the blue sky. "Yeah, it's pretty awesome."

"There's no city like it!" Tailwind added as he jogged up beside them. "I should know since I work there."

Rainbow Dash turned her gaze to him all while raising an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Where at?" she asked, briefly glancing to Sea Drop now and then who walked between them.

"The weather factory, storm research," Tailwind proudly replied.

Rainbow Dash whistled as they rounded the first corner and walked the side path, entering the cool shaded side of the house. "I guess you are egghead smart."

"Well, I did study pretty hard for the job," Tailwind admitted as he broke eye contact. "T-To be honest, it's something I've wanted to do since I was a colt."

"Oh," Rainbow Dash replied in surprise. "That's pretty cool, actually."

"Wow, same here," Sea Drop added. "I've been doing my dream job for years!"

"And what's that?" Tailwind asked.

"Diving for treasures," she replied happily. "And now that I got wings like these, it's only gotten better!"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

"What about you, Rainbow Dash?" Sea Drop asked. "What's your dream job?"

A toothy grin appeared on Rainbow Dash's face. "Me? Pssh, easy. The Wonderbolts."

"The Wonderbolts?" Tailwind replied in surprise. "The most elite pegasi unit in all of Equestria!?"

"Yup," Rainbow Dash replied smugly. But as they entered the sunny backyard, Rainbow Dash turned her gaze upward again, and her smile fell at the mental sight that came to mind of her flying among them.

Would they even accept me now?

Before she could ponder further, Sea Drop skidded to a halt and pointed a hoof forward. "Whoa! Is that a bear?"

"A bear!?" Tailwind exclaimed as he jumped behind her.

In the spacious green backyard that was an inlet for the enclosing forest yonder, a bear sporting sunglasses laid stretched out at the center as it soaked up the sun's rays.

"Yeah, that's one of Fluttershy's regulars," Rainbow Dash replied nonchalantly. "Poor guy needs chiropractic work so often he hardly leaves."

Rainbow Dash trotted forward to the back of the yard, where the ground rolled down and out of view. "Just don't block his sun and you'll be fine."

Sea Drop trotted after her while keeping a fascinated look at the relaxed bear, with Tailwind meanwhile keeping her between him and the pile of furry muscle.

While they passed, the bear's nose sniffed once, then twice. Scrunching its nose, it suddenly propped itself up on its elbows and turned to look at them. Raising its sunglasses with a claw, it gave them a concerned stare.

Tailwind gulped as he hugged closer to Sea Drop, who in turn simply waved a hoof.

"Hi!" Sea Drop said with a toothy grin.

The bear kept its unblinking gaze upon them, but halfheartedly waved a paw in return. It then sat itself up more in a sitting position, scratching its back while keeping an eye on them.

Rainbow Dash lifted her head for a better look as she crested the hill and saw a pond down the short hill, the place where the front creek wound its way back before vanishing into the woods later downstream. But the moment Rainbow Dash appeared before the idyllic pond, the water exploded into a flurry of panic.

Ducks scrambled into bushes or further downstream and into the woods, while startled frogs dove into water, plunging themselves deep within the pond along the fish who swam into hiding.

Bobbing at the center of the rippling water, and surround by a pink inflated ring, a hard shell floated in circles while alarmed eyes peeked out.

"Tank!" Rainbow Dash shouted with a nervous but joyous smile.

With a slow motion, Tank poked his head out, and slowly swam his paws to turn and face her.

Rainbow Dash rushed to the water's edge as Sea Drop and Tailwind crested the hill. "Tank, it's me! Come here, buddy!"

Tank blinked twice at what he saw, but otherwise gave a drawn out smile.

"Come on over!" Rainbow Dash said as she patted the water's surface.

With a bobbing motion, Tank lazily swam towards her, kicking his feet below the water as he pushed the flotation ring to the shore.

"He's so cute!" Sea Drop said as she and Tailwind flanked her sides.

"Isn't he?" Rainbow Dash agreed.

"I've never seen a tortoise, or even a swimming one for that matter," Tailwind said. "How old is he?"

"I think he's coming up on his thirties," Rainbow Dash replied. She leaned forward as Tank approached the shoreline. "That's right, bud. Ponyville's been your stomping grounds before any of us. Ain't that right?"

Tank blinked as his grin slowly widened, and he swam closer for Rainbow Dash to scoop him up out from his floater ring.

"Aww, I've missed ya, pal," she said while cradling him.

"So cute!" Sea Drop said while tiptoeing on her hooves. "I wonder if I can befriend a sea turtle?"

"A sea turtle?" Tailwind asked.

"Ya, a bunch pass by where I live," Sea Drop replied. "They like to visit the coral reef beside my shore. Over at the east coast, north of Manehattan."

"Beachfront property, eh?" Rainbow Dash replied. She doddled a hoof in front of Tank who bobbed his head against it. "I bet it's got a good view."

"You should visit sometime," Sea Drop said. Smiling, she turned to Tailwind. "We should all go. Maybe even do a home tour across Equestria!"

Tailwind averted his gaze as he rubbed one of his legs. "W-We could probably skip mine. It's just a small flat in Cloudsdale"

"Are you kidding?" Sea Drop replied. "I'd love to see it and Cloudsdale. Going on a road trip would be so much fun!"

Tailwind looked back with a small smile. "I could give everypony a tour of the weather factory, if we have time that is."

"Are you kidding!?" Sea Drop repeated, loudly this time in jubilation. "We're drakes, we have all the time in the world!"

Rainbow Dash's smile fell as she looked at Tank, and she set him down beside her on the grassy shoreline. "Just because we have time doesn't mean we should waste it."

Sea Drop and Tailwind both looked to her with blinking eyes.

"What's that mean?" Sea Drop asked.

Rainbow Dash sighed as she turned away from them. With Tank beside her, she slowly walked away from the pond. "It just means don't waste time just because you can and other ponies can't."

Sea Drop's eyes narrowed at the advice as she looked at Rainbow Dash's back.

Tailwind on the other hoof, looked to Rainbow Dash in reverence. "That's just what I'd expect from an Element of Harmony. You've must have already thought about everything."

"A what now?" Sea Drop asked, turning to Tailwind with a sharp but puzzled look.

"Wait," Tailwind said, shaking his head as his mind reeled on the fact in acute detail. "D-Do you not know about the Elements of Harmony?"

Rainbow Dash paused as she looked back, to which Tank used as he waddled up beside her.

Meanwhile Sea Drop's wings flexed upwards as her eyes bounced between Rainbow Dash and Tailwind.

"I've… heard of them once or twice. They're a… military group, right?"

A 'pffft' escaped Rainbow Dash's lips as she continued her slow trek with Tank.

"You're kidding," Tailwind said in deadpan.

Sea Drop dropped her gaze. "The dock merchants don't talk about much besides wares and the ocean."

"So you don't realize who we've been meeting?" he asked in disbelief.

"I don't get into town much, okay?" Sea Drop replied defensively. "Just… explain it straight."

"Okay, a lot to unpack here," Tailwind said as he sat on his haunches. "Where to even begin? For ancient, magical artifacts, the Elements of Harmony are one of the most powerful and mysterious forces in Equestria. They were thought to be a myth by pretty much all of magical academia who-"

"To put it shortly," Rainbow Dash interrupted with an annoyed look, "now and then my friends and I team up to save the world when it needs it. Sometimes we use these awesome artifacts, and sometimes we use these." She pounded her front hooves together. "If a big bad villain threatens Equestria, then we're the ponies that get called."

"Woah," Sea Drop replied in awe.

"Wait a minute," Tailwind said. He hopped onto his hooves and looked to Rainbow Dash. "What about the Elements of Harmony? Couldn't we use them?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head as she continued to the crest of the hill. "Can’t. They're stuck in the Tree of Harmony."

"Wait, what!?" Tailwind exclaimed. Rushing up the hill he jumped in front of Rainbow Dash with splayed wings. "There's a Tree of Harmony!?"

A scowl crossed Rainbow Dash's face as she raised her hoof while sidestepping him. "Dude, personal space."

"Sorry," Tailwind said as he tucked his draconic wings. "It's just-There's a Tree of Harmony? How-When was this a thing?"

"Like a few months ago I think? Whenever Discord's vines showed up in Ponyville."

"What's it doing? How long are the Elements going to be stuck?"

"I don't know, ask Twilight about it," Rainbow Dash replied testily. Scooping up Tank again, she walked a normal pace towards the house.

Tailwind's gaze fell as he blinked profusely, mentally shuffling his knowledge in accordance to the new information. "If there's a tree, then Leafbin's theory on organic magic may have some weight to it after all. Could the materials be-"

Sea Drop gave the mumbling Tailwind a puzzled look as she trotted past him and to Rainbow Dash's side. While admiring Tank's shell, she asked, "So I'm guessing you have a lot of fans?"

Turning to her, Rainbow Dash gave a dashing smile. "Yeah, but not because I'm an element. It's because I'm an awesome flyer. Ponies can't get enough of my stunt flying." Her smile then fell. "That and my hair clippings."

"What!?" Sea Drop exclaimed with a laugh in both disgust and disbelief. "You can't be serious, ponies buy that?"

"Hey, I can't blame them for wanting this," Rainbow Dash replied as she swung her mane. "And if somepony is gonna' offer me bits for some hair that falls down at the barber then I'm gonna' sell it."

"Huh, selling hair," Sea Drop replied. "I guess even when you're famous you still have gotta run your own business."

"Well, my actual job is weather management," Rainbow Dash replied. "It's enough for a living, and Ponyville's weather ain't that bad."

Sea Drop looked upwards. "It's a lot rougher over at the coast. Sometimes we get these huge storms. The wind can get so bad I gotta spend the night in the cave."

"A cave?" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief.

"Hmhmm," Sea Drop replied. "Just deeper in the woods from my place. As for my usual house, I've put in sturdier logs for the walls, but the roof always seems to go."

"Must be bad storms to rip a roof off," Rainbow Dash said.

They reached the back of the house where an open flower garden resided against the wooden wall. An assortment of edible plants freshly potted laid bare to the backyard for animal use.

With Rainbow Dash at his side, Tank slowly reached forward to tear off a leaf of lettuce and began to chew contently.

"Uh, R-Rainbow Dash," Tailwind said, suddenly trotting up to them. "Do you know where the Tree of Harmony is?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "If you want to see it so badly just head over to the bat pony town."

"The bat ponies?" Tailwind replied with a jovial smile. "Well, I guess I'll be taking Spike's advice sooner than I thought on visiting." His smile then fell. "A-Are bat ponies, or rather um… vamponies, well tempered?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes again, but softly laughed as well. "Just don't step on anypony's hooves and you'll be fine, dude."

After a moment, however, Rainbow Dash blinked with a serious gaze, and looked to Tailwind directly. "Avoid the construction zones."

Tailwind nodded fervently and opened his mouth to ask more questions, but he paused as another pony caught his attention.

Rainbow Dash and Sea Drop followed his gaze, and saw Twilight standing beside the house corner.

"We're heading over to Sugercube corner now," Twilight called out to them.

“About time for some grub,” Rainbow Dash replied. Bending down, she patted Tank on his shell. “I’ll come visit later, alright buddy? I promise we’ll be back at our place soon enough.”

Tank slowly turned his head, chewed once, twice, and then nodded.

As the three of them moved to join Twilight, Sea Drop asked, “So what’s this place we’re heading to?”

Rainbow Dash answered with a small grin, “Just the best bakery in all of Equestria.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“And she’s the element of generosity,” Tailwind finished.

“Makes sense,” Sea Drop replied. Lifting her milkshake, she took a long sip as she glanced around the place. The cheerful decor of balloons and pleasant smells that was store was the cherry on top of her day so far. After smacking her lips and setting her glass down onto the table she and Tailwind sat at, she asked, “But isn’t that only five?”

Tailwind blinked, and looked around the store again. Among the small crowd of ponies, he spotted each element they’ve met so far. And after a second sweeping pass while mumbling titles to himself, he clopped his hooves together. “Laughter.”

“Did some pony call?

Tailwind and Sea Drop whipped their heads at the pony suddenly sitting between them. With an ample smile and a platter full of treats, a pink pony presented them a smorgasbord of candy delicacies.

“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight exclaimed, also seemingly appearing from across the table of the party mare. “They need nourishment, not sugar. That’s way too much.” Twilight glanced between Tailwind and Sea Drop. "A few treats are fine, but I strongly encourage you to not gorge yourself on treats. Reasons explained in chapter fifteen of your books, relating to giant growth via greed."

Tailwind coughed as he spat out his straw, and he nervously pushed away his milkshake.

Pinkie Pie took on a serious gaze as she locked eyes with Twilight, and with her free hoof from the platter of treats, she pushed the milkshake back to where it was and slapped the straw into Tailwind's mouth.

"They're fine, Twilight. And besides," Pinkie Pie said as her expression became a pleasant smile. "Who could blame any pony for getting addicted to my treats when they are so tasty?"

Twilight raised her hoof and gently pushed the plate of treats down onto the table. "All I'm asking is that you don't overextend your offers. Do you know how many pounds Spike has gained since you two have began cooking together?"

Pinkie Pie propped herself onto her elbow as she waved a hoof. "He'll shed that weight off in no time. It's just baby fat after all."

Twilight sighed, but before she could reply Sea Drop butted her head in.

"So you're the Element of Laughter? How does that work?"

Pinkie Pie giggled. "Well sometimes laughter can get you through a tough situation. And remembering what we laugh for will get you through even worse!"

Sea Drop raised an eyebrow. "And what do we laugh for?"

With a wide grin, Pinkie Pie wrapped both her hooves around Sea Drop and Tailwind's necks, and leaned forward across the table as she directed their attention passed Twilight.

The store was a rife with conversation and laughter. Locals and guard alike were either browsing wares or enjoying them in the tables and booths. Smiles were on everypony's faces, and the scene was lively with jubilation.

Then, the store's doors were thrown open, and the entering guard gave a relieved laugh. "I told you we'd find it!" he said to his companion behind who looked around curiously. "The best sweets in all of Equestria!"

Pinkie Pie slinked her hooves off the two drakes and shrugged her shoulders. "More guests to greet," she professed. And with a whirlwind of speed, she dash off, leaving the table spinning before it settled into place with milkshakes still in front of their proper owners.

Twilight gave a small glare at her departure, but quickly recomposed herself and looked to the drakes with a smile. "Feel free to sample, but please don't over indulge."

After receiving a nod from the two of them, Twilight scooted herself off her stool and walked further into the crowded store. Looking around, she accounted for her remaining guests.

At the window booth, Rarity appeared to be glued to Dust Cloud's side as he regaled tales. Breezy Lace and Spike were at a nearby table chatting together. The drakes still caught the stores attention, whenever ponies weren't distracted with Twilight herself or their delicious treats. And to Twilight's relief the mood of the crowd was receptive to the drakes, if not still eagerly curious. But to Twilight's concern, Rainbow Dash resided against the wall besides the stairs, chewing on some treat as she looked about idly from the corner nook position.

Twilight sighed, and made her way towards her. Rainbow Dash caught sight of her, and to Twilight's surprise, didn't show a flare of irritation at her arrival.

Rainbow Dash simply chewed and swallowed the remnants of her treat as Twilight came beside her, then lifted herself from the wall and looked across the store at the other drakes.

"I don't get why I need to stay here," Rainbow Dash said quietly. "They're clearly doing just fine."

Twilight looked to the other drakes as well before turning back to Rainbow Dash. After a forlorn look, she replied, "No, they aren't."

Rainbow Dash's ears flicked, and she gave Twilight a sidelong gaze.

Twilight added, "None of you went through this unscathed."

Rainbow Dash scoffed and looked away, but Twilight continued, "Trust me when I say they need you, Rainbow. And-"

"And let me guess, we all need each other?" Rainbow Dash replied, giving Twilight a scowl all the while.

Twilight fluttered her eyes with an open mouth as she processed the reaction, and replied, "Rainbow, what's wrong?"

Rainbow Dash flicked her ears in response and whipped her head away. As Twilight waited for a reply, the sound of laughter in the store filled the silence as ponies celebrated.

Eventually Rainbow Dash spoke with a tightened jaw, "Just… use your dam soul sight…"

With only a moment's pause for worry, Twilight closed her eyes, and kept them closed in discretion. As her friend's soul appeared to her and Ruby through the otherworldly sense, Twilight's mouth fell at what she saw.

Dismissing the soul sight and opening her eyes, Twilight looked to Rainbow Dash pleadingly. "Rainbow, you aren't useless or broken."

Rainbow Dash bit her lip as she looked away, blinking away the bit of water that appeared in her eyes. After a few breaths, she looked back to Twilight, meeting her eye with a gaze of apprehension. "Twilight… I hate feeling like this, especially when everypony else isn't."

Twilight's eyes watered, and she blinked it away as she stepped forward and wrapped a hoof around Rainbow Dash.

Though Rainbow Dash leaned into the embrace momentarily, she gently shrugged Twilight off and wiped her face. "I-I'll be fine," replied. "I'm going to be fine, and I know it."

"I know," Twilight softly replied. "Just… Remember ponies are here for you if you need them, okay?"

Rainbow Dash slightly nodded in affirmation, and looked to the other drakes again, watching their expressions and eyeing draconic features.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but found nothing coming to mind as to what more she could say.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I hope today was exciting, and informative," Twilight said. Once again, she, Spike, and the drakes were back inside the library. The sunset's rays shined through the colored curtains, casting a glow of soft colors within the room's high arched ceilings and shelves of differently colored books.

"I'm sure this adjustment is a lot for each of you," Twilight continued, "but there is plenty of time to adjust. For the time being, you'll find Ponyville more than accommodating for your growth." Twilight placed her hooves onto the table and brought them together. "As for lodging accommodations, you're all welcome to use the library's spare rooms. But if you feel the need for more of a private space," she said while motioning to the public sign currently flipped to 'Closed', "then there's additional lodging at the edge of town that can house you all if needed."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow from her crossed arm sitting position. "You mean that place?"

Twilight's smile noticeably lessened as she nodded.

Rainbow Dash let out a 'tsk. "No thanks."

Breezy Lace raised an eyebrow as well. "So what's that place?"

Twilight turned to her. "Just the residence of a previous tenant whom Rainbow Dash and I didn't like. But don't worry, the house has been refurbished, and it's near Applejack's and Fluttershy's, as well as the woods."

Breezy Lace nodded in approval. "Well, that sounds good to me. I'll guess I'll visit it later and see if I'll lodge up there."

"I'll go with," Dust Cloud said.

"I prefer the library," Tailwind added.

Twilight's head turned to each answer, and then settled on Sea Drop.

After a moment's consideration, Sea Drop placed her hooves onto the table and asked with a toothy grin, "Do you think they have room at the castle? It's not far, is it?"

Twilight smiled. "I'll look into if a room can be found for you, and no, it's not that far from town."

"Yes!" Sea Drop replied as she sat back in her chair.

"Now then," Twilight said after glancing at the clock, "Unless there are any other questions you want to ask, I'll be preparing for my departure."

When no-pony spoke up, Sea Drop scooted her chair out and stood up. "Well then, is it alright to explore on our own now?"

Twilight blinked in surprise, but was pleased by the initiative. "Feel free."

"Alright, who wants to find a castle?" Sea Drop asked excitedly while looking at the other drakes.

"That sounds fun," Tailwind replied.

"Sounds like an adventure," Dust Cloud replied as he too sat himself up. "Lemme' get my hat."

"Breezy Lace?" Sea Drop asked.

Breezy Lace gave a polite smile. "Thanks, but I want to get ahead on what's going to happen." Standing up from her chair, she hugged her draconian guide to her chest. "I'll be spending the evening in a nook somewhere around the library. But why don't you show me it another day when you all get back."

"Alright." Turning to Rainbow Dash, Sea Drop asked, "Wanna come?"

Rainbow Dash's eyes met hers, and then briefly flickered to the others. Eventually, she responded, "Tonight… I want to be by myself."

"Oh… Okay," Sea Drop said, though her smile strengthened after. "Well then, see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash replied, and she scooted out from her chair. Without making eye contact, she made her way for the stairs and guest room.

Twilight looked towards her in worry while the rest of the drakes began to move.

"So just ask a bat pony?" Sea Drop asked.

"Oh," Twilight replied. "Yes, I'm sure you'll fine some in Ponyville throughout the night. They'll be able to point you to the castle."

"Alright," Sea Drop announced. "Ready?"

Tailwind quickly scooted out and pushed his chair in. "Ready."

Dust Cloud returned with his hat and he nodded chirpily.

"Let's go!" Sea Drop declared, and the three of them began to exit the library.

"Have fun," Twilight said while waving them off from her chair. After they departed, Twilight quickly turned her attention back to the stairs, but saw only the edge of Rainbow Dash's tail before vanishing upstairs.

"Well, I'll go find my nook, then," Breezy Lace said as she scooted her chair back in. "Thank you again, Princess, for everything you're doing."

Twilight beamed her a smile. "Of course, I'm happy to help."

Breezy Lace nodded, and turned to leave, but paused as she looked back. "And… please be careful. By the sound of it, he seems really dangerous."

Twilight gave an appreciative nod. "Thank you, I will."

Breezy Lace returned it, but before she could move away, Spike spoke up. "Would you like a cup of tea while you read?"

"That sounds lovely," Breezy Lace replied. "And maybe some of those cucumber snacks you mentioned earlier today?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure thing," Spike replied while saluting, and then looked to Twilight. "And I'll be right back with your drink."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight shut the library's front door behind her, and sighed.

Closing her eyes, she took in her surroundings. The gentle murmur of conversations in the streets where but a whisper even to her ears, hidden behind the cool night breeze that whisked through the leaves. The atmosphere in the town was pleasant, jovial even. Yet, it’s lightheartedness felt pale to the bundle of worry growing within.

Twilight took a deep breath, and exhaled as she opened her crimson eyes.

Turning away from the library, she set off at a brisk pace towards the airfields. Hardly a pebble was disturbed despite her swift passing, and her trots gave naught a noise as shadows darkened beneath each step.

Passing only momentarily beneath streetlights, Twilight was all but a shadow outside their illumination. As the town’s light sources lessened on her approach to its edge, more and more ponies found themselves unnoticing of Twilight’s passing.

Soon enough she found herself in front of the clover field. It was barren of guard and airship; the town’s visitors had already departed in continuation of their assignments. Twilight looked across the field, and saw hardly a clover remained standing after the day’s work. Four grooves of dirt were seen stretching across the field, dug in by the many hooves walking across the forward ramps that had chopped into the ground.

It was only this morning that the idyllic clover field sat peacefully covered in dew, and now, was the trodden and scarred remains of movement for battle. While grass regrew, ponies did not, and it pained Twilight to know that in the future she would have to ask even more of them.

Eventually, here at the town's edge in shadow, beneath the starry sky above, Twilight was quietly joined by silent hooves. One by one they came, forming rank and file with amber eyes. And soon with them, a crackling hum sounded across the field once more.

A soft light did suddenly break over the ground as an airship swung pass the tree tops, revealing Twilight and the hundred bat ponies that stood behind her with a bright light. The crumpled clover field swished about what more it could as the airship swung about for landing, and its crew came flying down to secure its landing; each of them bat ponies as well.

The airship’s dark purple coloring and single magi-tech-sphere nestled in the center of the top deck made it apparent that this ship was like none other in Equestria, and Twilight could hear the awes behind her.

Turning around, a hundred pairs of amber eyes snapped to hers, and their faces became stoic as their postures straightened. With each of them believing this to be an historic moment, the eve before their military service, they stood at attention with bated breath before their Princess and Commander.

Twilight’s eyes passed across them, taking in faces and equipment. Their uniforms were a midnight blue tunic and pants from neck to ankle, with a dark purple lining its seams at the shoulders and down the chest. Resting slack behind their necks were hoods attached to the tunic, able to be drawn and fastened tight while shading the face. And wrapped securely around their waists, magically enchanted satchels held precious gear, the most important of which being the vials of donated blood that neither clinked among themselves nor felt the impactful presence of the outside world.

And behind these ponies, were more bat ponies; family, friends, and loved ones who came to see them off.

Twilight smiled, and with a nod of approval, she dismissed them. Some of the soldiers broke rank to be by their supporters, while others quickly dashed across the field to admire their transport, with the rest of the crowd slowly working its way towards it.

Despite the speech last night, they’re still taking this eagerly.

They’re vamponies, can you blame them?

Technically, only seventy-seven of them are vamponies, but I suppose we’ll be up to one hundred after we land.

What’s a few transformations a day?

Twilight smirked, and began to walk to the forest’s edge all while watching the commotion of her forces. The watching bat ponies and dismissed vampony soldiers stood a respectful distance from the airship, excitedly whispering among each other as they gazed upon its sleek and dark form. While smaller than the flagships that arrived earlier in the day, the Midnight Breeze was a swift and magically powerful airship; an experimental prototype of Twilight’s latest improvements with the new technology.

Among the bat pony crew that walked its decks and managed its cargo loads, delivered by tired local store keepers that slowly arrived with wagons of goods, unicorns could also be seen maintaining the magical equipment of the airship. With portable machines of dials and needle pointers hooked up to coiling tubes plugged into ports, they ran tests on the magi-tech sphere, the cannon armaments, and the small blackened brass flaps that adorned the ship’s hull, each metal piece covering the exit hole of hollow tubing that snaked up into the ship's internals.

Sitting in front of the forest's edge, Twilight looked at all these ponies who worked with determination, and she steeled herself inwardly for the long and arduous road of command ahead.

When at last Twilight heard the soft sounds of thudding knee drops from the forest behind her, she lifted her chin higher as she kept her gaze towards the lit up field of ponies.

“Do you understand your mission?” Twilight spoke, just loud enough for the ponies within the shadows to hear. The rustling of their uniforms told Twilight enough of their fervent nods. “Good,” she replied, and raised her hoof.

Shadows coalesced up her body and over her hoof, leaving three small bags in their wake. Swiftly tossing them over her shoulder, she heard the noise of them being caught. “In the event that you need them, these vials of my blood will help you. Use them sparingly, for you each only have three.”

Twilight waited as she heard satchels become unlatched and shut, and after some moment's pause, she then gave the command, “Begin your mission.”

And with that, three shadows departed into the night.

Chapter 10

Sunlight seeped across the horizon, bringing its subtle glow to the nearby orchard treetops, a reprieve of warmth to the land after a cool night. With autumn just around the corner, the summer winds were being traded with chillier ones as pegasi across the nation prepared. Yet, in the shadows of the apple trees and unnoticing of the cold, Rainbow Dash huffed and puffed.

“Pony feathers, why isn’t this working?” she asked herself aloud for the umpteenth time. Narrowing her eyes, she stared across the dew ladened grass. Flexing her throat muscles, she inhaled once again, paused for some moments, and then exhaled sharply, seeing only her faint white breath for all her efforts.

“Flapping pony feathers! How does she do it?”

With a fierce determination rising within her, she inhaled and exhaled rapidly in search of the unknown power. The way the cool air filled her lungs was noticeably different than before. She could hold more, if only seemingly a small amount, but the force she exhaled made her feel as if she could even blow out one of Pinkie Pie’s matriarch cakes and all one hundred of its candles.

But try as she might, no matter how she pursed her lips or flexed her throat, she couldn’t produce a lick of flame.

“Uraagh!” Rainbow Dash grunted. “Fine!” she then said before rolling her neck. “Time to do this.”

Inhaling deeply again, she closed her eyes, and with an exhale, she unfurled her wings.

The missing sensation of feathers sliding across one another sent a twinge through her chest from the feeling of loose leathery skin becoming taut. Standing rigidly, she flexed her wing tips and clawed thumbs, imagining the bones of a hand as Spike had shown her. She found her limbs becoming more responsive with practice, and they felt even more dexterous than before.

Furrowing her brow, she curled her wings open and closed. Whilst moving her wing thumb claws in a circular pattern, she tested the limits of her appendages. Rainbow Dash suppressed the urge to grimace from the strange movement of bone and muscle beneath her scaled flesh, and so she mentally reaffirmed herself to ease the tension building in her face. With a somewhat more relaxed stance, she drew out her focus on the alienly familiar physical sensations.

After another quick breath in preparation, she flapped her wings earnestly, sending out a soft reverberation that reached the nearest trees, and the wind she cupped and thrusted forward swished the grass and scattered the dew droplets all around her. She flapped again, still haphazardly in comparison to the synchronized precision her feathered wings used to move with. Yet, she tightened her jaw before her feelings of remiss could dwell further, and so she swung her wings wider and wider.

Opening her eyes, Rainbow Dash craned her shoulders up as her uncoordinated wing flaps fell into steady strokes. Thwump, thwump, thwump, went her wings, sounding as if a large drum were softly being played here in this secluded part of the orchard. But the sound did not reach her ears as wind and focus drowned out the beat, for she was too lost with gritted teeth in search of that gravity defying feeling of flight.

“Come on,” she rasped while beginning to flap harder. The tips of her wings breaking her peripheral vision caused the smallest sense of vertigo, but she steadied herself as she became accustomed to their sight, and she quelled her thoughts of a gargantuan claw slamming her out from the sky.

Focusing on the physicality of her limbs, Rainbow Dash emptied her mind to take in all of the sensations she could.

She felt the resistance in her wings fighting the natural bias her mind wanted to move them, finding that her upstrokes were now harder than with her feathered ones. But soon she found the motion that felt more natural, and she began to flick her wings upward with each rise using her now more powerful shoulder muscles. The motion seemed wasted to her, but her limbs had yet to ache as they usually did before, and so she kept it up.

As her wing strokes fell into a comfortable precision with one another, and the world around her began to bleed out from her focus, a sense of weightlessness slowly trickled into her. With only a few strokes more, the feeling lurched forward and she finally felt her front hooves leave the ground.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes went wide in surprise at the brief lift, and she began to flap more furiously as the deep pitted yearning for flight filled her again without quam. Her cheeks pulled back as she looked up, gnashing her teeth and stretching her neck all while straining her shoulder muscles to lift her upwards. Though she threw all her strength into the motion, the process quickly became a dull and repeated task to her mind, and her remaining focus could at last begin to drift undistractedly inward in search of that familiar sensation of flight, of that pegasi magic that felt as seamless as the air itself.

The weight of her body lessened from her back hooves as lift began to overtake gravity, and she blindly grasped at the odd but new feeling behind it, internalizing it with all her senses and committing it to mental and physical memory. But try further as she might, she could raise herself no higher.

“Come on! Come on, come on, come on!” she exclaimed between swift breaths, but to no avail, and eventually, she ceased her flapping. Falling onto her front hooves, she panted lightly.

Rainbow Dash then jerked her head about in frustration, finding her hooves walking on their own as she paced about mindlessly. “Just great!” she exclaimed while cocking her head. “Can’t breathe fire, can’t even fly! How in Celestia am I supposed to do anything if I can’t even fly!?” Flicking her tail, she circled a tree twice before stomping away from it. After a few dozen paces more, she let loose a growl, and turned sharply to storm off in yet another direction. Her eyes were narrow as tension filled her limbs, and her attention became more jagged on the troubles circling her thoughts.

With no destination in mind she marched forward on, resisting the growing temptation to kick at the passing orchard trees lest she add more trouble to her worries. I can break an Everfree tree. The thought had popped into her mind, and she found herself quickly agreeing to it in her attempt to escape this growing frustration and pent up energy.

Swiftly turning towards the forest's direction, Rainbow Dash hastedly stomped through the orchards. It was just as she was imagining herself karate kicking a tree the size of a house straight in half that she came to a screeching halt from the sight of Tailwind ahead of her.

He sat at the base of a tree on the property’s edge, with the town and Everfree both in the distance beyond the farm's wooden fence line. He was looking away from her, seemingly watching the brightening sky with a pile of apples and cored stems beside him.

The fire all but vanished within Rainbow Dash as she curiously raised an eyebrow, and with a calmer demeanour, she approached him.

“Hey,” she announced when she came close by.

“Oh, h-hey,” Tailwind replied in surprise as he looked up to her while sitting more upright.

“Whatch’a doing here?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I figured you’d be with the others at the castle still.”

“About that,” Tailwind said as he sheepishly turned away. “I… couldn’t seem to bring myself to enter that spooky forest. And then I got a little hungry...”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, but then sighed as she guiltily remembered the first time she and her friends entered the forest, back when Nightmare Moon appeared. Plopping herself beside him and grabbing an apple, she gave him a shoulder pat. “Don’t worry about it. Those woods are spooky. And no pony can blame ya for being scared. It has timberwolves, manticores, constellation beasts, hydras, cockatrices, and more.”

Tailwind whipped his head towards her. “It has WHAT?”

“Eh, forget I mentioned it,” Rainbow Dash replied and she busied herself with an apple. With a mouthful, she spoke, “You'll be fine shticking on da main pash. It’sh not dat bad.”

Tailwind nervously clopped his front hooves together as he looked back to the forest's direction. Reaching for an apple himself, the two of them munched together in silence for a time as the sun steadily rose.

“It’s silly, isn’t it?” Tailwind eventually asked.

“Hm?” Rainbow Dash replied while munching.

“Even though I’ve become a drake, I’m still scared of things like the woods.” His eyebrows fell as he eyed the distant treeline. “I… I went through fire, and I’m supposedly going to be as tough as a dragon. But… I still get scared.”

He turned to Rainbow Dash and looked at her face as though there might be an answer. “It’s… It’s okay to still be scared, right?”

Rainbow Dash gulped the rest of her apple, and sat a little more upright. With a straight gaze, she replied, “Being scared isn’t ever going to go away. You gotta’ face it head on every time.”

Tailwind didn’t reply at first, instead thoughtfully pondering her answer while holding an apple, but eventually he asked, “W-What scares you, if I may ask?”

Rainbow Dash looked down at the grass, and she shuffled her wings in thought. “I guess, if I had to say, it’d be losing my friends.” Nodding to herself, she looked back up at the sky. “Yeah, that’d be it. Whatever happens to me in the end, sure it’s important, but… not as important as they are.”

Watching the sun steadily climb into the sky as its light began brightening the world, Rainbow Dash blinked as she momentarily reflected on herself, noticing her feelings of ire towards her manifestations lessening as time passed. Though the burned woods still felt like only a short while ago, its troubling ramifications paled in comparison to the terrible possibilities that could befall her friends.

Twilight had become a vampony, and more than one pony at that. Rarity had her own ordeal, though managed it was. Now with herself on the line, Rainbow Dash felt strange being in a similar predicament despite her exposure to such similarly natured matters before. It was as if all sense of preparation had suddenly been lost, and yet, for all intents and purposes, Rainbow Dash felt worse off than Twilight or Rarity.

That feeling was short lived due to the pit of guilt in her stomach for even having formed the comparison, but even with all of the care she had been left with for her situation unlike her two friends, she couldn't yet quell the hollow contemptment that buzzed at the edge of her thoughts. Although it paled comparison to the worry for herself, and more importantly, her friends, its existence oddly tickled within her.

However, premature to further reflection on the matter, Rainbow Dash blinked as more sunlight slid into her vision, and she remembered her surroundings. Looking back to Tailwind, she saw him staring at her in awe.

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. “What’s that grin for?”

“J-Just admiring the magic of friendship,” Tailwind replied, though his cheeks reddened at the inanity of his statement. “I-It’s just that… it sounded like something I’d expect the Element of Loyalty to say.”

Rainbow Dash let out a chuckle as she leaned back, stretching her forearms behind her to prop herself up. “Look dude, my name’s Rainbow Dash, this isn’t a war room.”

“Oh! S-Sorry,” he quickly replied while looking away. “I’m sorry, I just got so caught up with-” Stopping himself suddenly, Tailwind blinked, and took a quick breath before replying, “A-Alright, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow Dash gave him a smirk of approval, and she absentmindedly reached for another apple. To her surprise, however, she discovered the pile was already gone. After a moment of eye contact between the two of them in recognition of the matter, and with neither willing to spend the effort to fetch more just yet, the two of them simply remained seated as they watched the rest of the world waking around them.

The birds were in full chorus as they sang their morning songs, the insects were lazily starting their flower runs, and the rabbits were emerging to nibble on the dew laden grass. Rainbow Dash and Tailwind watched with silent appreciation as the world became alive.

"It's weird," Rainbow Dash quietly said. "Even though I've seen three sunrises now, I still feel like it's the first morning for me."

"Y-Yeah, I know what you mean," Tailwind replied. "I thought I'd take a nap earlier tonight, but… I just still don't feel tired."

Rainbow Dash nodded in understanding, and a silence passed over them as they took in the waking world.

The foremost of it all at their attention were the bunnies slowly hopping onto the property. Their small furry forms were like marshmallows scattered across the field, bouncing now and then to nibble on the fresh salad that they sat upon.

The idyllic breakfast for the bunnies was then disturbed by a low rumble echoing across the orchard. All the bunnies raised their heads in panic, immediately spotting Rainbow Dash and Tailwind watching intently from under a distant tree. Their whiskers twitched once, twice, then became rigid. After a heartbeat's pause more in locked eye contact, the bunnies scattered from the field, avoiding the orchard's property entirely as they fled into the nearby woods or the dense shrubbery of the town.

With red cheeks, Rainbow Dash jumped up from her spot. “I… I think I’m going to go get some breakfast at the library.”

“I-I think I’ll join you,” Tailwind replied, also looking to where the bunnies had vanished with shameful eyes.

And without another word, the two of them hastily made their way into town.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"One bowl of oatmeal sprinkled with almonds for you," Spike chimed as he slid a piping hot bowl in front of Rainbow Dash. "And another for you," he added while sliding one to Tailwind. "And I'll get started on both of your omelettes now."

"Thanks, Spike," Rainbow Dash replied appreciatively, while Tailwind nodded his thanks.

Digging into their meals with slight hesitation, their gazes were locked on the white slurry of oatmeal before them. Still they scooped bite sized portions with their spoons into their mouths, finding it suitable but not quite filling in a manner of speaking. Though, neither of them had words for the feeling as they soon became lost in the consumption of their meals. They now shoveled spoonfuls of their steaming food into their mouths without care to its scalding temperature, and by the time Spike returned, they both had emptied their bowls.

“Here’s your omelettes,” Spike announced, scooting the plates towards them and pulling his hand back faster now. “Do uh… Do you guys want some more oatmeal?”

“Fyah,” Rainbow Dash said between bites. “Mwoe almungs thish tyme, pweash.”

Tailwind wiped his mouth before replying, “No, I’m good. But could I get some orange juice?”

“Hmpf!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed midchew.

“Two cups of orange juice,” Spike replied while raising his fingers, and he pitter pattered back into the kitchen before shortly returning with their glasses.

Rainbow Dash reached for her cup and immediately used it to help down the large portion of food in her mouth. “Ah, that’s hitting the spot,” she said while leaning back into her chair. Sitting idly as her stomach gurgled her portions, her nose twitched, and she momentarily asked. “Hey, Spike?”

“Yeah?”

“Breezy Lace here?”

“No, she left a few hours ago for the farm.” After answering, he hopped himself onto his chair and began to stir his spoon in his cold, rigid porridge.

“Huh, must have missed her then,” Rainbow Dash replied. Glad the farm’s big enough. But I guess I should find a better practice spot. Digging back into her meal, she frowned at seeing only two bites left. “Hey, Spike?”

Spike paused mid bite, “Yeah?” But before she could reply, he saw her remaining portions, and placed his full spoon back into his porridge. “I gotcha’, one moment!”

Rainbow Dash gave him a thankful nod while he quickly dashed off into the kitchen, and as swift as the little dragon always seemed to be, he returned with a piping hot and much larger bowl of oatmeal.

“Thanks,” Rainbow Dash replied as she greedily eyed her meal. After rubbing her hooves together in anticipation, she reached her arms out to grasp her bowl, lifting its edge to her lips while tilting her head back slightly. The ensuing slurp from the edges of the large bowl filled the room like a mile long sheet of paper being cut by scissors.

While the noise ripped through the air without end, Spike hopped back into his chair and quickly busied himself with his porridge with a happy smile. Tailwind, on the other hoof, paused mid drink as his body locked, and he stared incredulously at the noise machine. Seconds continued to pass, and his appetite continued to wane exponentially. After the first full minute ticked by in his mind, Tailwind swiftly scooted himself out from his chair, gave Spike a thankful nod, and retreated into one of the alcoves deep within the library.

Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, kept sipping from the bowl as if it was soup, finding herself unable to pull her happy cheeks back down from the texture the mess of oatmeal and almonds sliding down her throat made. She gently bit at its slurry mush while it passed her teeth, crunching the almonds to her delight.

It’s scalding temperature was like a comfort unknown to her ever before while eating. Although the heat in her throat starkly contrasted with the heat in the rest of her body, the temperature didn’t reach a point of discomfort. If anything, it made the meal feel more full than it was. It was like a comfortable weighted and heated blanket was wrapped around her throat while she swallowed. She couldn’t quite form the words to self describe why she was so enchanted by it, but she found it more enjoyable by the moment.

As the second minute passed, Rainbow Dash finally gulped the rest of her meal, and with a resounding thud, she placed the bowl back onto the wooden table. Leaning back, she craned her head upward with closed eyes. “Ah, that was good,” she announced with a happy smile before declaring, “From now on, that’s how I’m eating oatmeal.”

Spike nodded in approval as he placed his spoon back down into his half eaten bowl. “I totally get ya. Though, the only time I can get away with it is when I have the place to myself.” He sighed. “Our family was pretty strict on etiquette.”

Opening her eyes lazily, she replied, “Well, you're dining with me, so have at it.” Rainbow Dash kicked herself back into her chair with a satisfied grin and brought her hooves behind her head. Closing her eyes again, she sat contently while the hot meal churned in her gut.

She could hear Spike scuffling to stand on his chair. After hearing him inhale and exhale lightly, a slurping noise began to fill the space. After a time passed while she sat contently, Spike did eventually finish and was beginning to wipe the remnants from his face with a napkin, when suddenly the front door to the library opened.

“We’re back!” Sea Drop proclaimed.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and turned her head. “Hey, welcome back.”

Sea Drop trotted into the room while Dust Cloud went to set his hat on the coat rack.

“Hmmm!” Sea Drop said while sniffing the air. “That smells good. Any breakfast left?”

Spike hopped off his chair. “I can whip some up. What do you want?”

After eyeing the messy table, Sea Drop replied, “A big bowl of oatmeal and an omelette, please!”

“Same for me and appreciated,” Dust Cloud added.

“Coming right up,” Spike replied, and moved to collect some of the dining ware.

“I’ll get some,” Rainbow Dash said. Sitting up right, she gathered hers and Tailwind’s bowls and made her way into the kitchen after Spike.

Walking to the sink, they both deposited their loads. Spike quickly stepped away to start making more food, while Rainbow Dash tended to the dishes. She turned on the faucet and began rinsing the remnants from the bowls. Her ears twitched at the sound of Spike cooking, and she gave him a curious glance. She wasn’t quite sure how she failed to notice on entering, but with a second look, the kitchen had almost become a bakery.

A row of full bags of flour were piled against the wall, and two were already empty while the third rustled about from Spike having climbed in to scoop the rest out. Scattered around the rest of the kitchen was an assortment of ingredients in waiting covered bowls and dishes. Among them was a bowl of cranberries, of which Rainbow Dash’s eyes immediately zeroed in on.

Swiftly washing her hands and turning off the faucet, she made her way to them and began to chew on them one by one idly while she asked, “So, Spike.”

“Yeah?” he replied without looking back, preoccupied with cracking eggs onto the burner plate.

“What do you think about-”

Rainbow Dash froze as a green gout of flame erupted in the corner of the kitchen, and the sound of sizzling eggs filled the space. Spike stood atop a stool, happily shuffling a steaming pan while reaching for spices with his free hand. “What was that?” he half shouted over his shoulder.

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, and stilled her quivering limbs. “I-I said…” The sounds of cooking were louder than she could muster, and so she hesitantly stepped to Spike’s side.

Half slamming herself sideways onto the kitchen counter in a cool fashion, she looked Spike straight in the eye. “What do you think about them?”

“The other drakes?” he asked, now looking back and forth between her and the food he prepared. With a flurry of motion, he flipped eggs, filled plates, cracked more shells, and prepared bowls of oatmeal to be heated. “They eat a lot.”

“I mean beside that. Although,” Rainbow Dash said as her eyes passed over the messy kitchen, “I gotta hand it to ya, it’s like you're a chef at a small restaurant or something.” She looked back at him and said, “I’ll help out more with kitchen clean up.”

Spike nodded appreciatively while he wiped his brow. “Thankfully you’ve all been picking the same thing. As long as it's simple stuff I don’t mind so much. It’s kinda nice getting back to basic cooking again.”

Rainbow Dash laughed and gave him a playful nudge. “Well, when you decide to kick the food up a notch I won’t be complaining. But I was asking, what do you think of them?”

“Well,” Spike said as he thoughtfully looked up, watching the steam fade into the dark vent above. “I’d guess I’d say they’re all pretty different, but like… I feel that they're starting to fall into the same beat?"

Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrows. "How so?"

"Well, for starters, it's pretty easy to ignore me," Spike replied with a half smile. "But I was expecting it. After writing your guy's book, I've learned a lot about dragons. Baby dragons just happen to be at the bottom of the hierarchy. Breezy Lace is pretty good at listening, though."

"Wait, you wrote all of our books?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously. "And second, dude, you shouldn't ever be ignored!" She gave him a playful shoulder push with her hoof. "Aside from being an amazing chef, you're our best source of how to be a dragon. Don't be afraid to flaunt it."

Spike's cheeks raised at the words, and with a renewed fervor he flipped the ommealates onto awaiting plates and grabbed the two bowls of oatmeal. Holding them in each palm, he took a deep breath, and exhaled, engulfing his hands with green fire. The flames spilled over the brick wall that was the stove section of the kitchen and upwards to the vents that magically sucked in up and away at the detection of heat.

With a proud smile Spike admired the steaming bowls and their bubbling contents, and he turned to Rainbow Dash. "Here, hold these."

Without a word Rainbow Dash's hooves automatically lifted up, and Spike deposited both bowls onto her raised hooves. "Let me just make a few more bowls. They’ll probably want them, but I can just heat them up later. Alright, and the ommelates are done! I’ll get them." Grabbing the two plates he hopped off the stool and began walking away. However, as he rounded the kitchen island corner, he paused to lean and look back at Rainbow Dash's rigid form. "You okay?"

"Eh-Yup!" Rainbow Dash retorted while dislodging herself from the counteredge. "Just wondering how you wrote all those books!"

Spike sheepishly looked away to hide his red cheeks. "Well, it wasn't that bad. All I did was compile everything Twilight already had prepared. And a duplication spell meant I only needed to write just one book, but yeah, it was a pretty tough assignment." Spike nodded to himself as he continued walking to the other room. "But I'm not Twilight's number one assistant for nothing. Even the royal typeset in the meetings can't scribe as fast as me!"

Rainbow Dash cradled the two hot bowls in one forearm as she slowly followed Spike. "Well if I need to write a letter I'll be coming to you, then."

"Oh! Speaking of," Spike said as he looked over his shoulder. "We sell postage stamps now."

Rainbow Dash tilted her head. "Why's that?"

"It was the only form of payment Twilight would accept after ponies kept wanting to donate money, especially all the tourists. We're paired up actually with Ponyville's mail branch."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in humor at hearing Twilight finally start accepting bits in the library. "Let me guess, all proceeds go to the royal mail service?"

"She was eventually convinced half would stay as funds for the library's needs," Spike replied as he and Rainbow Dash exited the kitchen. "If you want, you could probably get Derpy to make some stamps of you."

Rainbow Dash paused as she looked upwards. "My fans would probably like something like that."

While Spike continued forward to set the plates before their owners, Dust Cloud asked with a curious smile, "You got fans? Aside from the Elements of Harmony business, I mean."

"Heck yeah," Rainbow Dash replied with a grin. Approaching the table she slid the two bowls of oatmeal to Sea Drop and Dust Cloud. "My stunt flying is the best show outside of a Wonderbolts event."

Dust Cloud leaned forward in interest. "You wouldn't happen to be a racer, would ya?"

Rainbow Dash leaned against the table as she crossed her front legs. "Pick a where and when and I'll show ya how good I am."

"Ha-hah!" Dust Cloud guffawed. "You don't know how nice that is to hear. An attitude like that would have done ya real well in the Dust Bowls."

"Well, we don't have a proper track," Rainbow Dash replied smugly. "But we do have one of Equestria's best obstacle courses. I finally got it rated a few months ago, triple diamond."

Dust Cloud whistled. "What kind of critters does it got to deserve that?"

"The Quarray eels," she replied casually. "They really don't like it when you fly past their holes."

"Wait, there's eels on land?" Sea Drop asked, having already devoured her omelette and well on her way into her oatmeal.

"Yup, they're mean, red, and big enough to eat two ponies in a single bite," Rainbow Dash replied while flicking her eyebrows in the end.

"Oh, whew," Sea Drop replied in relief. "I'm glad to hear they're so small and easy to see. The blue ones in the ocean blend in so much and are HUGE!" She extended her hooves as far as she could. "Like, almost eat a boat in a bite huge!"

"It's true," Spike added, now halfway through with his second bowl of finally piping hot oatmeal. "The Alamoor Eels have a jaw length of fifteen feet."

"Well, these eels aren't that big," Rainbow Dash replied nonchalantly. "But they're still pretty mean, so you should be careful going by them. One of these days I should show ya all where it's at and we can do a fly through. I'll warn you though," she added with a smirk. "Nobody has shown me up on my track, not even Gale."

Dust Cloud's smile fell as he stared incredulously. "You… You beat him? In a race?"

Every eye in the room locked to hers, and after two heartbeat's of a moment passed, Rainbow Dash coolly replied, "That's right."

"Well then," Dust Cloud replied in newfound respect. "I guess you're a better racer than me."

Rainbow Dash's brows softened while they raised. She looked at the retired legend more keenly now, at the worn brown in his coat and the chipped tarnish of his hooves. But beneath this exterior laid defined bone and muscle, thin as it was but all the more vibrant. "By the sound of it, I take it you didn't beat him?"

"Not even close. There were moments where I caught up and I thought I'd pass him, but in the final stretch… it was pretty clear he was going to win before we crossed the line."

"Was it at the Dust Bowl track?" Rainbow Dash asked as she pulled up one of the chairs near him. "I've always wanted to race there someday, ever since my dad took me to the 65th."

A gleam came to Dust Cloud's eye as he leaned back in his chair. "If you were at the 65th you must have been just a little tike, then."

Rainbow Dash smiled. "Yeah, it was only a year after I got my cutie mark. My dad thought I should see a race besides the ones in Cloudsdale, so he took the family to the Dust Bowl."

Dust Cloud gave a small laugh as he stroked his white beard. "That race was a close one. Had the dangest time trying to wrestle first from Pebble Kick."

"More like Boulder Kick," Rainbow Dash replied loudly with a nostalgic grin. "I thought he was part earth pony with how he leapt off those rocks. I swear, I thought I saw cracks afterwards."

"Oh, you did," Dust Cloud answered with a sly smile. "And he's a terror in the caves. Leapt like a timber wolf!"

"Hah, no way!" Rainbow Dash replied as she propped an arm on the table and leaned into it. "How'd you get out in first?"

"A trait I've never failed to neglect," he said while turning to his meal. "Running on the ground."

"Huh," Rainbow Dash replied in an impressed tone. "Go figure."

"Does that track have eels, too?" Sea Drop asked in hope.

"Nope," Dust Cloud responded. "The worse you'll deal with is a grumpy bat and prickly cacti. And the whily rabbit and road runner now and then. Oh, and scorpions, but they're not so bad. The rattlers are the meaner ones of the two. But they generally stick off the course when it's being used."

"We should go some time!" Sea Drop replied as energetically as she had asked.

"Sure," Dust Cloud replied as he grabbed his silverware and stirred his meal. "We'll have a barbecue afterwards, too. I can grill a good veggie stick."

While Sea Drop and Spike nodded eagerly at the notion, Rainbow Dash remained still. The smell of the burning forest's inhabitants, coupled with the gut churtling desire from her stomach earlier this morning, sent a wave of dissociation through her body. It was only after some moments before she could lift herself up with a sense of trailing vertigo, minor as it was.

"Well… now that I'm full," Rainbow Dash said as she moved away from the table. "I think I might head out." After a few steps, however, she paused, and looked back. "Do uh… Do any of you want to come?"

"I do!" Sea Drop replied as she shoved her chair back, and with not a crumb left on her side of the table.

“S-Same!” Tailwind suddenly announced as he quickly trotted out from the library’s depths to join them. “L-Let’s get outside!”

Rainbow Dash nodded and turned to the door. However, as Tailwind passed her, she paused and gave him a scrutinizing glare. “Were you always taller than me?”

Tailwind shifted his eyes as he sunk his posture. “J-Just a bit energetic with my steps, must be the meal,” he replied with a mumble. With a flurry of motion that left even Rainbow Dash blinking, Tailwind opened the door and jumped from out of the library.

“Let’s go!” Sea Drop proclaimed as she chased after him.

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash nearly shouted, and she found her legs soon giving chase.

The library door slammed shut, and Dust Cloud and Spike were left smiling at the table.

“They sure are lively,” Dust Cloud said before slowly lifting his spoon to his mouth.

“Well, if they’re anything like teenage dragons,” Spike said cheerfully while he hopped off his stool to collect Sea Drop’s dishware, “Then they’re only going to get livelier.”

“Thanks for being patient with us,” Dust Cloud said with an appreciative nod.

Spike paused as his cheeks reddened, and he waved a claw. “It’s just fun being with all of you, seeing that I don’t hang out with dragons all that much.”

Dust Cloud gave Spike a silent nod, and continued to eat his meal quietly. Then, the bell to the library door rang, and two of them looked to the opened front door.

“Excuse me,” a unicorn mare asked while holding her guard helmet to her side. “I was wondering if I could check out a copy of Snow Petal’s book on crystallization?”

Spike beamed her a smile. “Of course, one moment,” he replied, and with great pride to his librarian duties, he dashed off into the alcoves of books. While he couldn’t say he read every single word in all of their books, he was second only to Twilight on the whereabouts of the books available in the diverse collection.

With a practiced weaving, Spike made his way to the arcana section, already preparing himself to leap upwards and grab the blue bound book upon the fourth shelf. But when he turned the corner, he skidded to a halt from the sight of a pile of books before him. The nearby shelves had all but been ransacked, and he stared incredulously at the pile of tomes with the pony sized depression in the center of the pile. Spike sighed as he slumped forward with free hanging arms, and began to slowly restock the shelves.

Author's Note

Sorry for the shorter chapter. Was scratching my head on how to end it and I realized it just needed to end, so I'm saving the plot points I wanted to initially squeeze in for the next chapter or two. Gives me room to add a scene that popped into my mind while I was finishing this chapter. Anyways, I have this book's three main parts mapped out with better detail my head now. Finally feel comfortable with the cast I want on this adventure that will be starting soonish and the variables they'll cause as the story is written, and wouldn't you know it one more jumped into my mind when I thought it was all done. While I had Pinkie Pie loosely planned for this book (and *&$!#$% planned for her so she can $&^*$!@$* in book three), I figured I'll start her shenanigans with the next chapter. Spoilers, Pinkie Pie is in the next chapter, and outside of key moments already planned, I like to write my character interactions on the spot, so let's see what kind of Pinkie Pie I can channel. While I'm worried about how wonky each part of this book might be in length in my mind at this time of writing, I'm just gonna try and learn to roll with it more. Also, the song used at the beginning of this chapter was literally picked last during edits. It just fit too dam well, IMO that I felt serendipitous having stumbled upon after writing the opening. Hope to have the next chapter sooner than half a year :p

Chapter 11

Twilight let out a sigh while she winked out from her soul sight, but she smiled nonetheless as she looked upon the newest vampony. The bat pony mare laid deathly still on the red velvet bench, but the flurry of activity Twilight and Ruby had seen within revealed a steady transformation underway.

Turning away from the mare, Twilight moved to the opposite end of the room from the door. The airship's wooden conference room held two rows of red cushioned benches along its walls, often the seats for attendees during important discussions, but for now it served for comfortable seclusion for on the fly vamponization. Twilight approached the nearby wooden circular table at the end of the room. Rounding its ornate purple edge, Twilight magically unseated her chair, and she plopped herself down while letting out another sigh.

Come on, we're not that tired.

I know, it's just… a lot's been on our minds.

Ruby sighed. Yeah…

Twilight's eyes passed to the row of benches on the right, where at the center lay the mare, and she found her chest feeling lifted.

At least the first transformation of the trip is going smoothly. With two a day, we'll be more than ready by the time we land and with time to replenish.

Twilight nodded in agreement. Well, at least for now we have a few hours before the next patient, she replied. Turning the chair, she swiveled about face from the table, and looked out from the back of the airship. The tinted glass windows that made the back wall of the room were enchanted to keep the cabin's interior comfortably darkened while yet keeping the view transparently clear.

With the blue sky above, and a sea of trees rapidly flowing away below, Twilight's gaze rested on the distant mountain of Canterlot nearly gone from view. Here at the back of the airship, the whirring of magic and her ship's machinery were but the softest of hums to even Twilight's ears, and so she let herself be lulled by the white noise alongside the scenic view.

Which forest do you suppose this is? Ruby idly pondered.

You know, I'm not exactly sure, Twilight replied as she more comfortably sat herself to soak in the view. But we can check it on the map later.

Agreed, Ruby replied as shifted her focus from within and out to Twilight's eyes, but a thought then passed, and she receded back.

Twilight narrowed her brow in curiosity, but the question upon Ruby's mind was soon in Twilights.

Together, they both sighed, and Twilight asked aloud, "I wonder where he is right now?"

The question soon began to gnaw at their attention, and so with the quiet humming of the airship and only a comatose soon to be vampony as company, Twilight and Ruby let themselves become lost in their memories from months ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A soul flickered before them. It's white spherical shape and labyrinthine connections within were deeply accented by crimson, and the transparent colorless oddities that speckled its structure laid dormant.

At a glance, the soul Twilight and Ruby stared long into was like any other soul of a bat pony who they had turned into a vampony. But with Ruby's careful eye, the irregularities became more apparent.

The marks are so blurred together… I can't even make out the amount of times he's died.

Twilight's brows softened while her open eyes blazed white. How are the patches?

Seamless, just like the others.

That thought brought some solace to Twilight, knowing the dispelled alicorn magic that had resided within the bat ponies would no longer harm them in its resilience, but it was a lonesome solace to the weight of worries still before them.

Hmmrff

What is it?

I was expecting more traces of the vamponizations before ours, but there's hardly a clue of their history. Which wouldn't be troubling if it weren't for the vibrancy of his crimson.

Isn't Ebon Wing like that, too?

Yeah, but even then… There's something off. I can't say with any certainty what changes the vamponization will be for him over time.

Twilight exhaled from her nostrils, and the two dungeon guards standing before her shifted their eyes nervously among one another. With the princess having stood motionlessly before them for the last half hour, the two of them had remained at utter attention despite the complaints of their stiff joints.

Twilight at last closed her white eyes, and with a single breath, revealed her crimson pair. "Open it," she said.

The stallion on the left flinched, but quickly withdrew the metal key hanging from his belt. The mare on the right lit her horn to undo the warding spells, and together they unlocked the iron door. Without a pause Twilight entered the moment it swung inward, and she commanded on her passing, “Close it.”

The scrapping thud as metal rods slid into position and magic enchantments glimmered in their setting were nearly thunderous, but all too soon the jail cell became silent with only Twilight and it's occupant for company.

The white and large square room was a special cell, with each face of the seemingly void-like space being magically lit. It’s soft and enchanted light ensured sleep could still be obtained unbothered, but its design ensured that on no face of the room could darkness ever appear.

Twilight looked down at the bat pony before her. He sat down and hunched forward, bound in a straight jacket that restricted his wings and arms. The sight of him so brought a pained regret deep within Twilight’s chest, but eventually the two of them aligned again, and Twilight spoke, “Hello, Shade Flare.”

Shade Flare lifted his head, and stared intently at the princesses before him with his amber eyes.

Silence passed between them, but eventually Shade Flare asked, “And what have you decided to do with me?”

Twilight blinked at the candidness of the question, but then took a step forward and lit her horn.

“We’ve decided to let you go.” Casting a spell, the binding garment unwound itself from Shade Flare, and threw itself away in a clatter of fabric and metal clasps.

Shade Flare had no expression at first as he opened his wings, flexing them to their length while also extending his forearms, sending a series of cracks through his stiff joints. But soon he looked back up to Twilight, and he narrowed his eyes. “Why he entrusted everything with you, I’m not sure if it’s something I’ll ever truly understand.”

Twilight became still, and the stoic response made Shade Flare at last close his eyes. To Twilight’s surprise, he then asked, “How are the others?”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Twilight replied, “They’re doing well. Mist Hoof is looking forward to seeing you again.”

Shade Flare opened his eyes as he looked downward, and after a few moments, he lifted his gaze back to Twilight. “I won’t be going back. Not yet, at least.”

With a concerned look, Twilight asked, “What do you mean?”

Standing himself, and briefly closing his eyes at feeling the eased posture of standing normally again, he replied, “I plan on travelling.”

“Oh,” Twilight said with a smile. “Well the good news is that it’s your right to visit anywhere in Equestria now. Where do you think you’ll see first?”

“I’m not vacationing,” Shade Flare replied as he turned and stepped away. “I’m… searching for something, and I… I’m not sure what it is yet.”

Twilight’s smile fell as she looked thoughtfully at him. A weight then tugged at her chest as she and Ruby both thought the same thing, and she hesitantly said, “You know… I got a letter from Night Walker… After things ended.” Shade Flare looked back to Twilight, and with a gaze more in interest than scrutiny Twilight noticed. “He didn’t only entrust the future of the bat ponies to me… he also gave it to you.”

Shade Flare’s eyes widen, but they soon became narrow and guarded again. “He… He really wrote that?”

Twilight nodded. Turning to face him square chested, she said, “The bat ponies wouldn’t have gotten to where they are today if it weren’t for you, and they can still use your help.” Tilting her head down somewhat, Twilight added, “Whatever you’re searching for, I’m sure you’ll find it with them.”

Shade Flare shook his head as he moved away, and a troubled look returned to his face. “No, there’s something wrong. What I’m looking for… I think… I think it’s something that’s still coming.”

Twilight’s posture then became rigid, and with swift steps she closed the distance between them. “Shade Flare, what’s wrong?”

He sighed, and looked at her as if her eyes might have the answer. “I’m not sure, but l can tell something is wrong. Until I can figure out what it is, whatever it is, I can't help them.”

Twilight blinked as she stepped away. “Shade Flare, what do you mean? Explain more!”

“I don’t know!” Shade Flare barked while baring his fangs at her. “But I can feel it in my soul, something is wrong, and I need to find out what.”

Twilight narrowed her brow. “And what’re you going to do when you find out what it is?”

Shade Flare leveled his gaze to Twilight’s, and after a few pensive moments of silence, he replied truthfully, “If I can’t deal with it myself, I’ll come back. And… we can deal with it… together.”

Twilight slowly nodded in return, and softened her brows. “Will you at least wait a day? You can eat for as long as you want in the kitchen, and have a good day’s rest in one of the guest chambers.”

Shade Flare looked away at first, but eventually sighed while closing his eyes, and after a few more moments of silence, he finally looked back at her. “That… does sound nice.”

As the remembered day and conversations passed, Twilight’s eyes flickered beneath her closed lids, but her ears soon twitched at the sound of a groan.

Opening her eyes and sitting upright, Twilight turned to her patient, and relaxed as she saw the mare slowly begin to shift about.

With quiet steps, Twilight crossed the cabin space, and resumed her duties.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Breezy Lace gave a sigh at shaking off the morning’s labors, but she smiled nonetheless as she looked upward at nearly noon sun and clear blue day while she carried a red apple. Her slow walk through the Apple’s property and into town was one of the most relaxing morning walks that Breezy Lace could recall.

The thought pondered further in her mind, and she mulled it over while glancing at her apple now and then. Still, she couldn’t help herself but smile she found even after some paces more, and so she took a juicy bite from her apple.

I suppose… This town isn’t too bad, she thought while giving a soft, suppressed laugh. With a few munches more, followed by a gulp, she wiped away the apple’s remnants from her mouth.

“Well then,” she said to herself, and she looked more keenly to the town’s buildings she approached. “Time to see what else is in store for you.” Breezy Lace took on a confident and eager smile, and as her wings began to twitch with excitement, she trotted more swiftly into town.

Passing between two buildings, she looked to and fro from the street. Without the hustle of the extra guard, the town’s residents were now at themselves, and Breezy Lace liked what she saw.

The common space was like a soft murmur that came and went like the breeze. The sound of birds filled the pauses, and the ever so soft but constant trotting on dirt sat low in the background.

It was music to Breezy Lace's ears compared to most of her after work wanders, and after a quick breath, she stepped out onto the street.

Finding her pace among the crowd was easy, and she found herself actually making eye contact at each pony’s passing. Most would give a smile or a nod, and the feeling of returning the same didn't seem to take the extra effort it normally did. Yet, despite the surprises already experienced this morning, the tantalizing smell of something beyond description wafted past her nose, and for the first time since she could recently recall, the tension between Breezy Lace’s shoulders finally relaxed.

After taking a deep breath through her nose, Breezy Lace exhaled and smiled even more so as she trotted towards the smell’s source. Maybe this place is what I need, Breezy Lace thought. That, and whatever this smell is! And she trotted faster.

Winding through the streets of Ponyville was a breeze, and it was all too soon before Breezy Lace found herself in front of a pastry decorated building.

“Of course, sugar sweets,” Breezy Lace said quietly to herself testily, but still she smiled. “Well, I got news for you, sweets,” she said while taking a step forward. “I can eat practically anything now, and you’re delicious calories aren’t going to ruin my figure anymore.” Stomping another larger step forward, she muttered to herself victoriously, “And I only see one sweet store in front of me. Sugar, today, you will-”

“Whatch’a doing?”

Breezy Lace shrunk slightly as she straightened her posture. Swiftly bringing her hoof to her mouth, she gave a few hearty coughs. “Erm, sorry, I just need to clear my throat,” she said respectfully before turning to the pony. But when she fully opened her eyes, she blinked in surprise at the pink pony in front of her stirring a bowl emitting soft light similar to a colored disco ball.

“I-You’re Pinky Pie, right?” Breezy Lace asked while her eyes darted up and down at the face and bowl being stirred.

“That’s me!” Pinkie Pie, replied. “But not with a ‘y’, but an ‘ie’, if you please.”

“Oh, I see,” Breezy Lace replied while blinking off a strange feeling.

“No problem!” Pinkie Pie replied. She flicked her wooden spoon in the air before resuming her stirring of the shimmering batter bowl. “Now you have to answer my question. Watch’a doing?”

“I… I was coming to eat sweets,” Breezy Lacy replied resolutely, though not without a tinge of pink. “I smelt something delicious, and I wanted to eat it.”

“Well you came to the right place!” Pinkie Pie replied.

“Um… excuse me,” Breezy Lace replied.

“Mhmm?”

“How did you know that I was… out here?”

“That’s easy!” Pinkie Pie replied. “A hoof-shimmy tail-twitchy sneeze combo!”

“A… what?”

“Just the universe’s way of telling me when a customer is muttering ominously in front of the store.” Pinkie Pie widened one her eyes as she cocked her head towards Breezy Lace. “You would not believe how many times it took to get that after dealing with a disgruntled pony.”

Breezy Lace had no reply, and before she could fathom one, Pinkie Pie cheerfully returned to her stirring and asked, “So, what tasty store treat can I offer you today?”

“A lot of your store’s goods from yesterday were… definitely delicious looking. But…” Breezy Lace took another whiff, and she looked down at the bowl. “I think this is what I really want.”

Pinkie Pie replied with a smug smile. “Soooooooo, you are interested in it? I knew it!” With a delightful bounce, Pinkie Pie stopped stirring and showed Breezy Lace the bowl's contents.

Looking inside, Breezy Lace saw amongst a batter of dough the sparkling reflection of crushed gems, sprinkling the mix with a rainbow of colors.

“I call this one the Gemloaf!” Pinkie Pie declared. “It will be the most scrumptious gem flavored pastry I’ll have made yet! Wanna’ help me taste test it?”

“Pinkie Pie,” Breezy Lace replied while cracking her neck. “You’ve found the perfect pony for the job.”

While Pinkie Pie clopped her hooves in glee while her cotton candy hair still held and stirred the bowl, Breezy Lace’s attention was caught by the group of ponies beyond Pinkie Pie's shoulder.

“Hey, it’s them,” Breezy Lace said, causing Pinkie Pie to turn and look. “Hey!” Breezy Lace called out, and three heads turned her way.

Rainbow Dash, Sea Drop, and Tailwind came trotting up to the pair, and once met, Rainbow Dash asked, “What are you two up to?”

Breezy Lace Wrapped a hoof around Pinkie Pie who in turn stuck her tongue out. “I’m going to help Pinkie Pie taste test her new treat.”

“Dang, lucky,” Rainbow Dash replied as she found her head leaning forward with each inhale. “You gotta’ let me have the first batch when it’s all ready.”

“You will!” Pinkie Pie replied.

While Sea Drop shared Rainbow Dash's interest in the shimmering bowl Pinkie Pie protectively guarded, Tailwind looked at it skeptically.

"Is food supposed to… emit light like that?"

“This kind does! And I’m making a batch just for all of you!” Pinkie Pie cheered while throwing her arms and the bowl upward. “And for Spike and Dust Cloud,” Pinkie Pie quickly said while scratching her chin, and with mercurial speed, she caught the falling bowl and spoon so as to return stirring where she had left off. “Consider it a congratulations gift for after the Running of the Leaves!”

“The Running of the Leaves?” Breezy Lace asked with a curious eyebrow raise. “What’s that?”

“Yeah, what’s that?” Sea Drop asked.

“UUUUUUAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHH” Pinkie Pie exclaimed in horror. “RAINBOW DASH! YOU HAVEN’T TOLD THEM YET?”

Rainbow Dash scratched her ear in annoyance. “Hasn’t really come up! But since you insist,” she said with a huff before returning to her calm demeanor. “It’s our local Leaf Fall event where we run through the Whitetail woods for Ponyville's contribution for winter.”

“Ah,” Breezy Lace replied while Tailwind nodded.

“Huh?” Sea Drop said.

“We run fast to make the leaves fall off the trees,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Okay, but… why?”

Rainbow Dash blinked with a furrowed brow. “They don’t do this where you’re from?”

“Nope,” Sea Drop replied. “The pine trees stay green all year round, and the salt winds kinda encrusted their needles.“

“Oh,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Well, we need to do it here because our trees don't have salt and so they need our help during autumn. Simple as that.”

“Well…” Tailwind began.

“So we get to help?” Sea Drop interjected with excitement.

“Yup!” Pinkie Pie replied. Stirring the batter faster now, she leaned forward and said, “It’s going to be the race of the year!”

"A race!?" Sea Drop exclaimed, nearly jumping as she spread her hoofs and flexed her wings. "I've never been in a race before, but I know I'm fast!" she said while looking amongst them all. She then turned to Rainbow Dash. "We gotta' tell Dust Cloud. I'll bet he'll love it!"

Rainbow Dash smirked. "For sure. And we'll see how fast you are. But I gotta warn ya, Applejack and I are the reigning local champs. Most years."

Breezy Lace chuckled as she let go from Pinkie Pie. "I can believe that. Aww what the heck, I'll run, too." With a soft smile she glanced among them. "I have to say, this place is warming up to me real quick."

"Awwwww," Pinkie Pie said while wiping a tear from her eye, and embraced Breezy Lace in a hug. "It just makes me so happy to hear that!"

"Pinkie," Breezy Lace complained while craning her head away. But still, her good mood found her tolerating even this sort of affection, and she sighed while smiling defeatedly. “So when do I get to taste test this stuff?” she then asked.

Pinkie Pie pulled away and propped the bowl up onto her hoof like a pedestal. “It’ll be ready in two days!”

Breezy Lace’s smile fell. “That long?”

“The best stuff takes the longest,” Pinkie Pie replied. “Buuuuut, I can whip some more basic snacks for tomorrow’s big race. Buuuuuuuuut, I need to do some digging first.”

“Well that won’t be too hard,” Breezy Lace replied as she flexed her wings. “Moving dirt and breaking rocks just got a lot easier for me. And if I’m going to begin this never ending journey of sweets, I might as well kick it off with the best.”

“Perfect! Let’s go digging later this evening.” Pinkie Pie replied with a grin. She then turned to Rainbow Dash. “What are all of you up to?

“Just walking around town,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Wanna come or are you in the middle of baking?”

“I’m in the exact middle!” Pinkie Pie replied. She then lifted her spoon and tapped it a few times on the bowl’s edge to clear the remaining batter. “This baby needs to sit in the oven for the next eighteen hours. Let me throw it in and I’ll be right back.”

“Cool,” Rainbow Dash replied before watching Pinkie Pie zip to the back of Sugarcube Corner.

“Seriously,” Tailwind asked aloud. “Is food supposed to shine?”

“Eh,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Pinkie Pie’s does sometimes.”

Some moments of silence passed between them as they stood in the street, idlying taking in the town and passing ponies while they waited.

“What kind of snacks do you think she’ll bring tomorrow?” Sea Drop suddenly asked.

“Whatever it is, it’ll probably be good,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Probably?” Tailwind asked.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “She’s got like a ninety-eight percent chance in my books. That only leaves one percent for bad, and another percent for… well, Pinkie Pie.”

“Uhm, can you explain more?”

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof in his direction. “Trust me, there is no explaining.”

Still wanting to ask more questions, Tailwind quietly humpfed and turned away. A large store window caught his attention, and so he walked a few steps to stand before it.

The thin but frequent crowd murmured in passing, with every pony giving a wide berth to the drakes, although, the majority of the glances were more akin to neighborly nods than curious stares. But eyebrows raised at the sight of a pink blur dashing to the draconic group, and passing ponies could only wonder what unpredictable event would come next.

“Sorry that took so long!” Pinkie Pie announced as she popped up beside Rainbow Dash. “So what’s the afternoon plan?”

“Well, we don’t have one yet,” Rainbow Dash said while she looked at the others. “What do you all want to do?”

“Tailwind looks like he wants to go shopping,” Sea Drop said. “Let’s do that!”

“Shopping!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed with happy hoof clops.

Breezy Lace gave a deadpan look. “We just went shopping yesterday at Rarity's.”

Sea Drop chuckled. “I meant window shopping. I don’t know how the guards picked you up but I didn’t really have time to stop by a bank. So count me bitless.”

“Window Shopping!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed again.

Breezy Lace sighed before smirking. “Alright then, let’s go and see what caught his eye.”

With wide curious eyes, Sea Drop trotted ahead of the group and peered through the glass at the wall of trinkets. “What are you thinking of buying?” she asked beside Tailwind.

“Um… I… I’m not sure,” he replied. “I-If I had to pick, maybe that music box?”

“Huh, I’d like something like that, too,” Sea Drop replied. Her head turned right and her smile widened. “Hey, what’s in this store?”

As she moved over, Breezy Lace motioned to Tailwind with her head. “Come on, we’re going window shopping.”

“O-Okay!” Tailwind said, finding himself smiling as he quickly trotted to their sides.

All together they moved past store window after window, idly taking in the various merchandise. But eventually one of the store's hoof crafted fine ornate goods caught the interest of some, and without pause to look back at the others, Sea Drop dashed inside while proclaiming, “I gotta’ check this store out!”

“Right behind you!” Pinkie Pie said while bouncing in.

“I’m curious as well,” Tailwind spoke up as he went inside.

“Alright, we’ll be out here,” Rainbow Dash said, and she plopped herselt against the corner of the store door.

Breezy Lace did likewise on the opposite end, and together they street watched while waiting.

“So, how long have you been in town, or are ya’ from here?” Breezy Lace eventually asked.

“Moved here when I was old enough,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Grew up in Cloudsdale.”

Breezy Lace smirked. “You too, huh?” Looking up at the sky, she continued, “I got out young, too. Found that I was better at moving heavier things than clouds.”

Some silence passed between them as ponies walked by, and Rainbow Dash eventually turned her head to ask, “Ever thinking of going back?”

“Some days. You?”

“Sometimes,” Rainbow Dash replied while looking back to the street. “But the feeling never lasts long.”

“Hmpf,” Breezy Lace chuckled. “I have a feeling this town might do that to a pony.”

Rainbow Dash smugly smiled. “Yeah, this place really does grow on ya.”

As they took in the day more, Rainbow Dash’s eyes locked onto a yellow form wearing a satchel amongst the crowd. “Be right back,” Rainbow Dash said before trotting away.

Walking straight across the street Rainbow Dash approached her friend. “Hey, Flutters.”

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy quietly exclaimed. “You almost hit that pony!”

“Wha?” she replied while looking behind her. She caught the tailend of a scrutinizing glance from a mare with a tall wig, who only proceeded to lift her nose as she walked away.

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. “Ah, it’s fine. What are you doing?”

Fluttershy’s brow was still narrow, but it softened as she replied, “I was going to… the forest.”

“Checking out the race way?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“No, the… other forest.”

Rainbow Dash tilted her head, but her ears fell as she realized what Fluttershy meant. “Oh…”

Fluttershy brought her nose down for a moment before continuing, “I… I want to take another look so I can figure out the replanting, and would-” She paused while shifting her slung satchel before mustering the courage to ask, “Would you like to come?”

Rainbow Dash half turned away as she looked at the ground. “I don’t think I…” she replied before trailing off. Fluttershy waited patiently as Rainbow Dash’s eyes picked back and forth. Eventually Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, and she gave a heavy sigh before looking back up to Fluttershy. “You know… I think I do. Just… give me a minute to let the others know.”

Fluttershy gave a small smile, and she followed Rainbow Dash as they slowly made their way back across the street.

“What’s going on?” Breezy Lace asked, catching notice of Rainbow Dash’s sunken demeanor. “Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine, I’m just… going to go with Fluttershy to visit the burned forest.”

Breezy Lace was quiet, and eventually she gave a simple nod. “Alright, we’ll see you later.”

The store doorbell rang as it opened, and Sea Drop pranced out. “Whew! That was a lot of looking!”

“That was quick,” Breezy Lace replied earnestly. “Find something to buy for another time?”

“A few things,” Sea Drop said with a grin.

“That was the best hour of inside window shopping ever!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she exploded out of the store.“Oh hey, Fluttershy!”

“Hello, Pinkie,” Fluttershy replied.

“Where’s Tailwind?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“He’s actually trying to buy something,” Sea Drop answered.

“Oh yeah?” Breezy Lace replied as she craned her neck to look inside through the windows. “I figured he didn’t have any bits on him.”

Sea Drop raised her hoof and circled it about. “Apparently he’s a member of some group he’s trying to use as credit. Either way, it is one heck of a haggle show, you should really check it out.”

“Maybe another time,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’m actually going to help out Fluttershy with something. I’ll catch you all later.”

“Alright, bye-bye!” Pinkie Pie waved.

“See ya later!” Sea Drop added.

Waving goodbye to them all, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash turned away and walked down the street.

When they were out of earshot, Fluttershy asked, “How are they doing?”

“Okay,” Rainbow Dash flatly replied. “They seem to be handling it.”

Fluttershy nervously glanced at Rainbow Dash, but otherwise kept her eyes on the parting crowd before them. Without another word, the two of them walked to the town’s outskirts, taking in the setting evening sun as buildings lessened. Eventually, they came to the fields at the edge of town that laid before them and the EverFree forest.

Rainbow Dash paused, and Fluttershy stopped as she quietly waited for her friend.

The field had been covered in ash, and some still remained despite the winds from the last few days. It’s pale scent wafted through Rainbow Dash’s nose, and the smells of further destruction ahead emninated from the forest.

Finding her stomach churning, Rainbow Dash took a heavy open mouthed breath, and then swiftly began crossing the field. Fluttershy quickly trotted to her side, and together they quietly stepped onto the forest’s trail.

Here beneath the thick EverFree foliage, Rainbow Dash eventually said, “Actually… I’m… I’m not doing… good.”

“Oh?” Fluttershy asked while glancing at Rainbow Dash every few steps.

“I… I don’t know what I’m doing.” After some more steps, Rainbow Dash continued, “Twilight left me with all this responsibility and… they’re fine! Well, not fine-fine, but… better than me, at least.” Rainbow Dash whipped her head to Fluttershy. “I even bragged about beating Gale!”

Fluttershy shared her friend’s concerned look, but she waited patiently for her to continue.

“It just… slipped out! I don't know why I even said it or brought it up. And now everypony thinks that I’m… I… I don’t even know what they think!” Rainbow Dash sighed, and spoke quietly, “I don’t know what I need to be doing.”

“Whatever it is,” Fluttershy replied, “I’m sure you’ll find out.”

Rainbow Dash gave an exasperated sigh, but stared thoughtfully on the winding dirt path ahead while trying her best to avoid noticing the remnants of ash all around. The smell was getting stronger, and Rainbow Dash found herself wanting to grimace the closer they got.

“Here,” Fluttershy suddenly said, stepping off the trail and through the fern covered undergrowth.

Rainbow Dash paused for a moment, but then wordlessly followed.

Keeping herself focused on moving, Rainbow Dash stared at Fluttershy’s yellow form before her in the vast greenery around them. But as quickly as she seemed to have zoned out on the brazen trail, the greenery soon gave way to a large clearing and the blazing setting sun.

Together they stopped on the forest’s edge, and looked out at the mounds of black and grey before them. The few remaining trees were but charcoal sticks with hints of grey edges. The rest littered the space haphazardly, or had piled onto one of the large old logs within the forest, creating a mound of charred and prickly wood.

“How… How much?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“...Over a hundred acres…”

Rainbow Dash’s mouth fell as her eyes simply trailed over the wild fire’s remains.

“A lot of the surviving animals took shelter at my house,” Fluttershy said. “But I can’t support all of them forever.” Stepping forward, Fluttershy dug at the ash dirt with a hoof. Craning her neck to her satchel, she then fished out a small seed, and plopped it into the small hole. Covering it up with a slow swipe of her hoof, Fluttershy looked around. “It’ll take time, but it’ll come back.” Turning to Rainbow Dash, she said, “As long as it can heal, anything can come back.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, but then gave a small laugh at the hopeful feeling appearing within her. Cocking her head to Fluttershy while smiling, she asked, “Give me some of those seeds.” After receiving a hoof full, Rainbow Dash stepped away to start digging.

"Let's only plant a few," Fluttershy said. "I still want to survey a bit before the sun's fully down."

"Mhmm," Rainbow Dash absentmindely answered, but she eventually paused from the statement. Lifting her head up to stare the orange and red horizon in the distance, she quietly mumbled to herself, "Sunset already?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you think?”

“What do I think?”

“Yeah.”

“Since when do you care what I think?”

“Just humor me.”

The stallion guard sighed, and looked up at the tiled dungeon ceiling above them. “If I had to pick… I’d say Mulberry.”

“Mulberry?” the other stallion guard scoffed.

“What? You asked.”

“Yeah, I asked. But mulberry? Really?”

“And what would you pick?”

“Spinach or cheddar, you know, something more ordinary than mulberry.”

“By Celetsia, quit saying it like that.”

“Even banana is better than mulberry.”

The guard stepped away before adding, “This is why I don’t share my thoughts with you.”

“But you do,” the other replied smugly. “Hey, I know. Let’s get a third opinion. What do you think goes best in a quiche?”

The dungeon became quiet save for the flickering of torches. The multi-iron cell prison housed only one prisoner, bound in a straight jacket and chained by iron shackles on each limb, and who remained as silent as the shadows he sat in. Eventually the guard scoffed and looked away at the slouched form. “Guess food isn’t much of a conversation starter. Seriously, does he ever chat? You used to never be able to shut him up from what I remember.”

“Not since the others were taken away. Ever since then, he’s just been sitting there like-”

“Like what?”

“...”

“Like what?” the other guard asked again before turning to his companion. “What’s the matter?”

“He’s… looking at us.”

The other narrowed his eyes, and looked past the iron bars at the prisoner now staring back at them. “Yeah, so?”

“He… doesn’t normally do that.”

The other guard rolled his tongue in his cheek for a moment before making a popping noise, and then turned back to his companion. “Should we… make a report about it? You know, unusual behavior and all that?”

“That won’t be necessary,” a mare replied.

The two guards looked at each other, and then whipped their heads to the door they stood in front of. The head level slider to look through was open, and a small metallic orb plopped through the space.

Even as their eyes panically tracked downward, and their muscles tensed to leap back, the orb hit the stone floor, and a cascade of crackling electricity streaked outward.

The two guards became stiff whilst their limbs shook from the jolting surge, and after the orb’s brief discharge, they collapsed to the ground.

The tinkling of magic sounded off, and the keys from the guard’s belt unlatched itself and floated over to the door. After a resounding click, the door was pushed open, and two cloaked ponies entered the prison room.

Throwing back their hoods to reveal themselves, they stared stoically through the iron bars. The earth pony stallion in the back appeared to be middle aged, with a short haircut and had sheaths of weapons at his side. The unicorn mare in front had two sets of bandoliers strapping her chest, and had strapped to her back a wrapped object similar in length to a short spear.

But aside from their clothing and shackles, the three conscious ponies were but all the same in coat and mane color.

After the two heartbeats of eyeing one another, the unicorn mare eventually stated, “We’ve come to break you out, Soarin.”

“Why are you doing this?” Soarin flatly asked.

The stallion beside her stepped forward and replied, “The Beast has awoken, and the new drakes have all gathered in Ponyville.”

Soarin’s brow became tense, and he turned away from them while closing his eyes. After two slow breaths, he opened his eyes and looked back to his companions. “I see. Alright then, I’ll come along. How soon can we get there?”

As the mare casted the spells to undo cell locks and prison restraints, she answered, “Since we’ll have to hoof it, two days.”

“Can we expect any support?” Soarin asked as he rubbed his free ankles and stretched his feathered wings.

“No,” the stallion replied. “The elders gave us our last briefing. They're placing everything on our shoulders.”

Soarin closed his eyes again and took another breath. “One last chance, then?”

“The rest of our family may continue the Hunt with the Crowns,” the mare said. Completing the last of the unlocking spells, her horn’s light went out, and the iron doors swung open with a creak. “But we are and will be the last Hunters. We have a duty which we cannot fail.”

“Agreed,” Soarin replied. Standing up, he opened his eyes, and took in his companion’s faces while they did the same. “Here we stand,” Soarin said.

“And where we fall,” the stallion said next.

“Only ash shall remain,” the mare finished.

After sharing a collective nod in their declaration, Soarin exited his cell. “Let’s be off to Ponyville then, and after that, we can finally end it.”

Prologue

The roar of the wind filled her ears, drowning out the sounds of the land far below her. She reveled in her absolute freedom, bound by nothing more than the gentle caress of the air flowing over her body and the soft warmth of the sun, her rainbow mane and tail shining in the sunlight. Her mane tickled her wings, drawing her attention there, where she could feel every individual feather with each stroke.

She sighed in happiness, and then looked downward. The land shone with a golden color, the sure sign that the running of the leaves would soon arrive. But for now, everything looked like it was simply enjoying a relaxing afternoon in the sun. The grass slowly swayed back and forth from the breeze, giving the illusion of waves rippling across water. The few ponies she saw idly walked along, enjoying the peaceful scenery around them, while others looked to be taking naps in their favorite spots, something that she was tempted to do herself. But she continued on, lazily flying above the treetops as she took in this wonderful day.

Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes and focused on her body, noting each and every sensation she could feel. The way the wind lovingly supported her, the comforting heat of the sun, and the open space around her. No matter how many times she flew, she never grew tired of how it felt, the feeling of pure freedom. There was no place she enjoyed more than the open sky, and while she once again contemplated finding a nice comfy cloud to take a nap on, she decided otherwise.

There was only one thing she enjoyed more than the feeling of drifting in the air, and so, she exhaled, and she snapped her eyes open.

With a powerful flap of her wings, she soared directly upwards, causing her to appear as a blur as the ground quickly fell away. Her heart beat faster with each pump of her wings, and she rocketed herself through the first cloud line as she continued her ascent. Soon, she passed Ponyville’s air boundaries, and it was only when she cleared the very last cloud that she stopped her flapping and tucked her wings.

As her momentum slowed, she looked across the land, grinning ear to ear at being able to see for miles in every direction. To the east, she saw the white puffs of a train, to the south stretched the Everfree Forest, and to the north was the awe inspiring view of Canterlot atop the mountain that was still some distance above her position.

When at last her body came to a stand still, she closed her eyes and savored the sensation of weightlessness. Up here, in these brief moments at the peak of her flight, everything was quiet as if the sky was meant only for her. All she could hear was her heart beating and her feathers ruffling from the breeze.

Then, before gravity could bring her back down, she twisted her body so that she was facing forward and unfolded her wings. Opening her eyes, she simultaneously kicked out with her hooves and flapped her wings, propelling herself forward.

Her wings worked furiously as she soared across the sky, flying faster and faster as the ground became a golden blur. The wind was now a thundering roar, her coat was flattened as the air ripped across her body, and her feathers shook from the intensity of the flight. Her mane whipped wildly, and she squinted her eyes as she continued to pick up speed. Her heart raced as adrenaline filled her body, accompanying the sheer joy she felt. And with a grunt of effort, she pumped her wings harder, and she flew faster still.

Ahead of her was a massive cloud that had drifted from the Everfree, one that would take a whole team of pegasi to clear in any reasonable amount of time. But she continued pushing herself forward, and she burst through the cloud with such force that she left a massive gaping hole the size of a house. She grinned as she quickly left the cloud behind, and turned her focus on to the far horizon. The open sky was completely hers, the world below was but a passing blur, and everypony could see her rainbow form streaking across the sky. Up here, all of Equestria was within her reach. There was no place she could not see or go.

This was her life, and Rainbow Dash loved every moment of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stretching her legs, Rainbow Dash let out a relieved sigh. The tension in her muscles had finally cleared after her afternoon flight, and now she patted her stomach in anticipation. “Time for a snack,” she said to herself, and she lazily flew into Ponyville, floating just above street level.

Hovering forward without a care in the world always felt more relaxing after an intense workout, and since she cleared a few clouds on her flight back, Rainbow Dash felt perfectly justified in taking it easy the rest of the day.

Should she stop by Sugarcube Corner for some sweets to reenergize herself? Or should she get something more filling like a hay sandwich? She couldn’t decide, and her grumbling stomach wasn’t helping matters.

Thinking over her choices far more seriously than she ought to have, Rainbow Dash flew towards the town center, humming aloud as she passed various restaurants. Whenever the smell of food caused her to lean one way, another tantalizing scent made her lean in the opposite direction. Pies, hay-burgers, carrots, and an assortment of more delicious food caused her to zigzag as she flew. But when she sniffed the scent of fresh fruit, she came to a halt.

Actually, when was the last time I had some apples from AJ? I bet those Golden Delicious apples are ready for eating now. Rainbow Dash brought a hoof to her chin. Eat in town and then find some spot to take a nap, or head to AJ’s and eat in the spot that I’m going to nap in?

Choosing between a bustling restaurant over a quiet apple tree branch wasn’t a difficult choice, but it was only then that she remembered what had happened the last time she tried the same stunt.

She vaguely remembered Applejack telling her something about how the Golden Delicious apples were the farm’s main seller after cider season, but she hadn’t paid too close attention on account of her trying to stay out of Applejack’s reach while high-tailing it from the farm.

Rainbow Dash hummed to herself as she weighed the risks, but shortly shrugged her shoulders as she smirked to herself. I’m sure she’ll let me have some if I ask this time. No worries.

She began to move in Sweet Apple Acre’s direction, already imagining how she’d go about asking Applejack to cut her a special deal, but paused as she took notice of a familiar pony sitting beneath the shade of the library tree.

Huh, didn’t realize I floated this far into town. I should probably say hi first. Putting her grumbling stomach on hold, Rainbow Dash flew towards the library.

Even though the shade of the tree was cover enough, the pony also lay underneath a large umbrella, causing her darkened position to stand out on such a sunny day. With her sun hat set aside, and a book floating in front of her, Twilight Sparkle appeared to be completely engrossed in her relaxation. But despite her focus, her ears flicked at the sound of Rainbow Dash’s approach, and she lifted her head and smiled in Rainbow’s direction.

Rainbow Dash merely smirked. I just can’t sneak up on her anymore. I really need to get with Pinkie on figuring out what to do about that.

Landing just a short distance, Rainbow Dash trotted up to the library. “Hey, Twilight.”

“Hello, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight replied. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing much. Had a little practice flying, and was thinking about taking a nap after I get some food.” Walking to her side, Rainbow Dash tilted her head as she tried to see which book Twilight was reading, but grimaced when she recognized the blank cover of the book. “How’s uh… How’s your reading going?”

Twilight’s tail flicked in excitement. “Pretty interesting actually. I was just going over a few shadow spells.” Her horn flickered as she flipped a few pages back. “There’re a few spells that I’m still trying to wrap my head around. Did you know that for most of the magic regarding shadows they treat them as both corporeal and incorporeal? It’s all about knowing just the right time to solidify them, and even then, you may not have gathered enough from your surroundings.” She leaned forward as she quickly scanned a passage. “I still don’t understand how some of these even work at a fundamental level, and the ones I do understand looked to be done so inefficiently that you’d need a large reservoir of magic to cast even the simplest ones. Despite the large amount of knowledge here, the ponies back then really skipped on the basics of magic. It looks like they just winged it half the time.”

“Oh, that’s cool, I guess,” Rainbow Dash replied. “You uh… Read much on the other part?”

Twilight’s smile fell, and the note of enthusiasm dropped from her voice. “Yeah, I have. I’m still in the beginning, though. I haven’t really made much time to go through it all yet.”

“Oh,” Rainbow Dash said. After a moment of silence passed, she coughed into her hoof. “How’re the bat ponies? I haven’t seen Willow Shade and Cloud Shadow in awhile.”

Twilight’s smile came back, and she set the book down. “They’re good. The restoration on the castle has been going pretty smoothly. In fact, by next spring I’d say we’d even be able to bring some of the bat ponies who want to move from Dusktown.”

“Cool. That’s cool,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I bet some of them can’t wait to try some real flying. I’ll have to show them how to fly through Ghastly Gorge when they feel ready for it.”

“I’m sure some of them would love it.”

Ever since Twilight had become a vampony, fought and came to terms with a split personality that still resided in her head, and defeated possibly the strongest vampony in all of existence, she had become much more comfortable with dangerous things like flying through Ghastly Gorge, and Rainbow Dash was immensely glad for that.

“Hey,” Rainbow Dash said in excitement. “Maybe tomorrow night you and me could take a fly through. You’ve been getting a lot better at it.”

“Maybe another time,” Twilight said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to, but I was planning on studying the Tree of Harmony tomorrow. Now that we’ve cleared the last of Discord’s vines, I can finally study it without any obstacles.”

“Right,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Any luck on that mess?”

Twilight shook her head. “As far as I can guess, the tree’s being recharged by the Elements of Harmony. There’s simply no telling when it will release them again. Until then, Equestria will have to face its problems without them.”

“You mean we’ll have to face Equestria’s problems without them,” Rainbow Dash corrected. “After all, we are Equestria’s biggest heroes.”

Twilight smirked. “How could I forget when you keep reminding us.”

“How can I not? Discord, Sombra, Night Walker... Okay, that last one was pretty bad, but we took care of it in the end!” Rainbow Dash hopped onto her hind legs and threw a few jabs. “There ain’t nothing we can’t take down.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, but kept her smile. “Well, with the Princesses’ efforts, we’ll hopefully not have to face everything by ourselves. The guard is being expanded and their training curriculum is getting extensive updates.”

Rainbow Dash fell back onto her four hooves. “Getting ready for the other two?”

Twilight nodded. “I’m meeting up with Celestia and Luna later this week to discuss the details. Now that Ruby has finished healing us after our encounter with Night Walker, and the bat ponies are doing well in their new home, it’s time that I joined in preparations. I’ll most likely be in command of the vampony segment that we’re working to form.”

“How many are you up to now?”

“As of last week, eighty.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “I’d figure you’d have done more than that.”

“I’m still studying the effects of the new vampirism,” Twilight replied. “So far most of the issues with the bat ponies clear up after becoming vamponies, but not all of them become fully healed. The new vampirism is definitely for the better, but I’m taking it slow. I don’t feel comfortable just hoofing it out until Ruby and I fully understand it.”

“Right, I get ya,” Rainbow Dash said.

She totally didn’t get it. Why wait when you could just fix ponies there and then? But she trusted Twilight’s decision, and instead turned her mind to more important matters.

“We’ll, I’m gonna leave ya to your reading. I gotta talk to AJ about some Golden Delicious apples.” Rainbow Dash turned away as she prepared herself for flight.

“Applejack?” Twilight asked. “Oh, she’s at the castle.”

Rainbow Dash tucked her wings and looked over her shoulder. “What? Why?”

“She’s bringing the bat ponies a wagon of apples. I asked her to since they didn’t get the chance to come to town to buy some. The road between the castle and Ponyville is still being built, so the young and elderly can’t go shopping just yet.”

With her magic, Twilight lifted the book and looked for where she left off. “She’ll probably be back later this evening, so that’d be the best time to catch her. The apples and cider disappear pretty fast whenever the bat ponies are involved, so I can’t imagine she’ll be gone for too long.”

“Cider?” Rainbow Dash replied with wide eyes. Immediately, her face was pressed against Twilight’s. “What cider?”

Twilight leaned away with a shocked expression. “The leftover cider I asked her to keep. You know, because the bat ponies weren’t able to make it to town when she was selling-”

Rainbow Dash didn’t have time to hear another word. At once she leapt off the ground and tore through the sky towards the Everfree Forest, knocking over Twilight’s umbrella in the process. Golden Delicious Apples and an afternoon nap could wait. There was cider to be had, and given the ravenous nature of the bat ponies towards Applejack’s wares, every second meant life or death.

Dealing with an angry vampony later on for leaving in such a hasty manner was completely, one-hundred percent worth it if it meant that Rainbow Dash would be able to get her hooves on just one bottle of cider.

Yet, as Rainbow Dash raced towards the Castle of the Two Sisters, she was unaware that another pegasus was heading in the same direction from the west. Though he was still far, far away, he soared through the sky with powerful wings, outpacing the guards in their efforts to warn the rest of Equestria.

Author's Note

First thing first is special thanks to my editor Ladrian who became the official editor for the prequel, Second Princess of the Night. Each chapter he touched was greatly improved from their original draft, and I'm grateful for his continued service in editing DragonFeather.

The previous story, Second Princess of the Night, was started before season 4, so the Tree of Harmony did not exist at the time. However, even though this series is now AU, I will be implementing concepts I like in the canon story, and the Tree of Harmony is one of those things. But there will be no magic box or crystal tree castle in Ponyville, because honestly I don't like it. I'm not even certain if Tirek will make an appearance in these stories, though I can only imagine what he would do against a hundred or so blood thirsty vamponies. Either way, I just wanted to make some things evident and clear for you all. As for Twilight having an actual castle, well, if you did not already figure it out in this prologue, her and the bat ponies will be settling in the Castle of the Two Sisters.

As for another matter, at the current time of this posting, DragonFeather does not have any cover art. The reason being is that a long time ago I was inspired by some pictures of a neat concept for Rainbow Dash on deviantart, and I would only ask the artist for permission to use said art if I ever reached this story. Well, here I am finally working on DragonFeather, and it turns out that the art I had found was already meant for another story that is currently unpublished. From what I could dig, the progress of that story is on hiatus (though I may be wrong if I missed a news update regarding it) and I am still awaiting word back from the artist on the situation.

So, until I receive word back this story will not have cover art. However, if too much time passes, I will simply search for a replacement, or possibly even commission one like I had done for Second Princess of the Night. But even if it does come to that, I will put in links to the art that originally inspired the direction for this story so it can be looked at, because I totally love it and I want it to get more views. Though, I won't do it just yet because hey, this is a prologue, and I want to at least get the ball rolling before I reveal right away what happens.

Chapter 7

Commander Grass Shade was having a problem.

The monotone voice of a stallion read aloud, “Logistics report that their last unit has moved into their floor, but it will be several more hours before services will be up and running. Additional personnel are expected to arrive later this week from the academy for the departments there, but until then, sections report that they will be able to perform operations. The floorheads of each department has filed their-”

Grass Shade flicked through the various papers in front of him, a pile of folders and clipped documents larger than the pancakes his stomach longed for. As the reporting officer continued his report, Grass Shade hesitantly flipped deeper into his stacked folders, catching the headlines of more meetings on his day’s schedule.

The voice continued, ”-but medical also states that it’ll be another day before equipment will be up and running. As for communications, the gem mirror is aligned and active to the Canterlot branch.” The stallion lifted his eyes and looked across the table. “Iron Shield, what’s the troop report?”

Grass Shade, who sat at the head of the large rectangular conference table, slowly moved his eyes from the six ponies sitting on his right, to the nine ponies sitting on his left. A mare stood up from the left side, a unicorn sporting the newly appointed administrative officer’s uniform that every other pony in the room wore; a white stitched cloth vest that bore the royal insignia upon its chest, as well as a frilled line of dark blue following down the shoulder seams.

“Yes, Captain Windfall,” she replied before she carefully restacked her pile of papers, cleared her throat, and began her briefing. “Squads One through Three report a high turn out for volunteer programs. They’ll be running their evacuation drills for the city’s eastern half of the populace for the remainder of the week before shifting to their roles into Phase Two. As for squads Four through Nine, they-”

Grass Shade’s eyes trailed away as the room filled with the cadence of her voice.

I just had to do it, didn’t I?

“-with 14th ave fortified, downtown guard stations have been reporting-”

Full authority of Equestria’s Eastern forces, huh? Not to mention war time powers over Manehattan and its neighbors, along with ten thousand guards positioned throughout the area. Yup, ‘Eastern Commander’ sure does have a lot of perks. A once in a lifetime promotion. Everything a guard could ever ask for.

“-with the remainder of the air ship crews beginning construction for the hanger modifications. The field managers each report that-”

And I just had to go and accept it. The thought tugged at his stomach like a bad meal, or as his stomach reminded him, a missed breakfast.

Grass Shade turned his attention to the doors, which sat directly opposite of him and the expansive table. The crystalline and transparent doors were opaque enough to blur details, but it was clear to see the flurry of silhouettes on the other end where everypony was in a commotion of work establishing themselves and their departments within the luxurious building. But, as Grass Shade learned from the buildings other rooms, the magic ingrained within the doors made sure not a peep of noise could be heard within the closed room.

Now I got myself the fanciest office I’ve ever seen. Even the Canterlot academy wasn’t this extravagant. I guess a ‘royal donation’ isn’t so bad of a punishment for that noble. Hell, this conference table is gold trimmed, and the seats might even be enchanted given the soft feel on my rear despite how long I’ve been sitting here. And the window is the size of an entire wall with a view to die for. Yep, everything seems perfect for my military career, except...

Looking to the other officers in the room that listened with him, he saw their glazed expressions looking towards and past him to the large window that sat behind his chair; the glimmer of sunlight reflecting in their eyes as they too withstood the verbal barrage in stoic silence. Instead of the decorative walls and tinted glass doors that Commander Grass Shade was forced to see from his sitting position while facing the briefers, all the other members instead looked out across the expansive and beautiful skyline that was Manhattan and the vast glimmering ocean sprawling beyond it.

Grass Shade bitterly looked at his fellow officers weary but blissful eyes, jealous at having to stay dutifully facing forward during the briefing from his position with nothing but the overtly designed interior in front of him. Why in Celestia is it built like this!?

“-concluding the field reports for all ground sectors.” Setting her briefing folder aside, the speaker grabbed the next one, and cleared her voice for another session. “Placed and ready, our aerial divisions report that-”

A sparkle of magic flashed into the room, causing all eyes to turn to the pout of green fire that erupted into existence above the conference table, where from its flame fell a letter. By its seal, each pony saw that it was written by Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Grass Shade let out a ‘tsk’ as he leaned forward and used his magic to retrieve the letter. “I thought this room was supposed to be secured.”

“It is, sir,” a stallion on the left began. “But as we’ll cover in this afternoon’s briefing, Princess Twilight prepared a communication system for each Cardinal Commander, something that should be able to reach them as the slide will quote, ‘no matter where they are’, sir.”

Grass Shade sighed at that, and opened the letter. A minute passed as he read and reread its contents. He then sat it down, and lit it on fire with a spell.

“Commander?” another pony asked.

“Priority Mission, lieutenant.” Grass Shade proclaimed with a firm tone. “It’s coded plaid.”

Each pony stiffened at the implication of Discord, and Grass Shade seized that moment to stand from his seat and quickly make his way to the door. “The Princess has asked for something important to be done, and I must see to it with the best of my ability.”

The closest to him turned on his swirly chair. “Oh, right now, Sir?”

“Yes,” Grass Shade said, grabbing the door’s handle. Opening it, he let loose the cacophony that was the hallway. Guards, secretaries, and contractors alike were running around, setting up tables and stations, organizing information, and managing the chaotic logistics of the whole thing. By the sound of a shrill ringing that could be heard over any noise, it sounded as though the crystal communications had gone awry again.

“Also,” Grass Shade shouted so that his conference team could hear him. “I’ll likely be away from the city for a few days, but do prepare a transport for an afternoon departure to my beacon. As for the rest of the schedule, handle the rest for me, please. Do your best!”

And with that he closed the door, and the room became deathly quiet.

“Did… Did he just do that?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magic flashed in the grassy field where Grass Shade appeared while heaving in exhaustion. He shakily brought a hoof to wipe the sweat from his brow, and looked back to the city only a mile away. The magical exhaustion of five teleportation spells had completely drained him, but nonetheless, he was smiling from ear to ear.

Looking around him, he saw a much more fitting environment than his highly furnished headquarters. Here, he was surrounded by a grassy field speckled with daisies with the woodland and beach only a short trot away. Looking to the south, he saw Manehatten's still towering despite a mile's distance. Letting his eyes trail left, his gaze followed the city's skyline until it meet with the ocean, and he smiled as his head turned eastward. He soaked into the vast, glimmering view that was the ocean. And with his smile widening further, he spun the rest of his body around so that he faced north, and he saw a thick growth of forest of various pine trees; their limbs and needles encrusted by years sea-salted winds.

Although Manehattan’s noise pollution from behind could still be heard even from here, the field was much more pleasant and the cool shaded woods invited him even more so.

“Ahh,” Grass Shade sighed as slowly trotted north, taking in the view with each and every slow step.

I’ll admit this, Twily, he thought smugly. You have a dense but thorough tagging system.

While he could recite more than a dozen regulations that result in a punishment for his AWOL behavior, no rule could withstand the plaid code. The details of its own rules had been among the few things he had managed to memorize since his initial briefings yesterday. Still, if Discord himself went out of his way to visit each drake personally, it only stands to reason that I should meet one myself while I have the opportunity.

Upon reflection, he still deemed it a well enough rationale for why he was about to go on a three hour walk through a wooded eastern coast.

Grass Shade smiled at himself at this thought, and as he began to enter the woods, his horn lit with magic. With a whisk of his head, the casted spell burned its circular mark into the grass behind him, leaving only a thin bare line of dirt in the aftermath as the magic settled.

With the signalling spell prepared containing a short coded message, along with a delaying component of his own hoofwork woven into the spellcraft, he blissfully left the city behind him, vanishing into the woods where the sounds of nature and the distant ocean shores where all that constantly spoke to him, along with the soft rumble of his stomach, and the twinkling of spell casting every hundred paces.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With only a few hours of daylight left, a weary and starved Grass Shade finally came upon the signs of another pony. Here were the woodline receded some was a short but spacious beach large enough to fit two wagons lengthwise. Grass Shade’s eyes trailed up the sharply sloping beach and to the jutting cliff direction behind it that extended into the ocean, the start of but one rocky formation of stone spires that continued some miles further up the coast if his memory recalled correctly from third briefing from today. He sighed at the prospect of climbing around those spires, and made a mental note to visit another day, one where he had a full meal to begin with.

He looked left, following the path of the cliff that sloped downwards, it’s path meeting with the beach together at the woodline where a pony’s home stood, and a lovely one at that Grass Shade felt with a twinge of envy.

On the surface, it was nothing more than a shack facing the coast, made with old beach wood and a wrapped hay. There was no door, just a large space for entry for the single room the building was, and rectangular space serving what was presumably a window decorated by hanging shells. The roof extended out from the door, creating a shady area for the hammack that swayed gently with the ocean breeze, just above the spot where the sandy beach met with the grassy ground. Around the house were stacked crates and barrels, with some extending out from beneath the covered balcony and behind the shack.

Grass Shade stepped out from the forest foliage and traversed the edge of the beach, keeping an eye to the forest. So far he could see no hoof prints indicating a presence, but it was when he came to the first claypot that he finally did see the path furrowed into the beach sand, a worn path that came up from the ocean and to the house. By the lack of grass, he saw that this path curved around the front of the shack and up the cliff, trodden barren and flat by numerous repetitions over years of trotting. But judging how the lumps of sand by the water had not entirely been deformed from the waves, he concluded at least a recent passing.

Turning this attention to one of the large barrels, he saw that it was full of shells and corals, some still quite wet. He looked to the other containers, noting the separate items each one held. He glanced over the bulk of items, imagining that they would fetch for a price for some stores if sold.

“Ah, a customer!”

Grass Shade turned his head to the voice, and saw galloping up from the beach towards him a turquoise coated mare. Her red fire-colored hair whipped behind her, seemingly dry despite her obvious entrance from the ocean. But most strikingly of all, aside from the hefty seanet bag that she dragged behind her, was the draconic wings she splayed.

Without pause she ran up to the house, swiftly dumped her bag into an awaiting barrel, and then began charging up the cliff. “Please make yourself comfortable as you browse! I’ll be right back!”

With that, she leapt from the top of the cliff, glided out some dozen meters, and then sharply dived into the ocean, piercing the water like an arrow.

Grass Shade blinked at the display before letting out a surprised chuckle. “Don’t need to tell me twice.” Turning about, he went straight for the hammock and settled into it comfortably.

Happily sighing, he kicked his hooves over one another as he began to sway side by side. The sun blazed on the ocean’s horizon, scattering a golden glow across the waters. The ocean breeze blew by, and the roaring of the water rushing back and forth up the beach was the only sound of noise he could make out.

The notion of a career change crossed his mind as the sun’s rays did shorten over the horizon, and the lulling call of a nap sweetly played around his thoughts. But while he gently swung, the sudden presence of mana flickered in his horn, and he let out a ‘tsk’ at the spell’s activation.

Sitting up to look around, Grass Shade blinked at not seeing a sign of the mare. It had been a few minutes since she dove, and he turned a concerned gaze to the beach. Another minute passed, and he began to wonder just how long she could hold her breath, or if perhaps exhaustion had finally caught up from her day’s haul.

It was then that he did see her red mane appear from beneath the waves. With greater speed than he expected, she exploded out from the water and onto the shallow shores. She huffed from the exertion, twisting her head to yank her catch from the waves along with her. Yet as she trotted up the sand, she paused at the water’s edge to drop her load, and she widened her stance.

Inhaling deeply, she huffed her chest, and began to spew fire from her mouth. Turning her head so as to douse herself with the flames, the water evaporated into tufts of steam. The damp mane that had been clinging to her body began to twirl and play about the rising heat and water vapors, blending in with the fire in a danciful manner.

With lingering steam on parts of her body, she flicked her dry, trailing red mane, and grabbed a hold of her bag with her maw. Despite her continued huffing from exertion, she wore a wide smile on her face nonetheless as she hauled her catch up the beach; a larger one than the previous haul, Grass Shade noted.

After dragging the haul behind the shack for later sorting, the mare let out a laborious sigh, and then turned to Grass Shade with a weary smile.

“So, see anything you like?” she said while she gave him a once over, noting how nicely made his uniform was before her eyes trailed for the signs of a coin pouch. “My ocean treasures are one of a kind, and today’s hunt was one of my best!”

Grass Shade eyed the items around them, as well as her draconic wings and the poke of a fang in her smile.

“Don’t mind this,” she quickly said, noting where his gaze traveled. She smiled as she motioned to her tucked wings. “These are just part of a spell a friend of mine casted on me, a unicorn from Manehattan. You see, usually I’m a pegasus, but the scales really help with my business.” With a wink, she brought a hoof to her chin. “Can I trust you to keep my business secret to yourself? I’ll give you a discount for being a loyal customer!”

Grass Shade smirked, then rolled out of the hammock and stood before her. “Hello, I’m Commander Grass Shade. Sea Drop, by the order of the Princess Twilight, you are to be brought to Ponyville.”

“Eh?” Sea Drop replied, her sales pitch smile still plastered.

“Whew,” Grass Shade, wiping his brow as if he had just completed work as laborious as hers. “Now that that’s been said, I’ve been looking at this bit of corral here. It’s a rather nice color, it might just go good on my desk. You see, there's just too much Golden Oak for my taste, and-”

“Wait… What!?” Sea Drop finally exclaimed. All signs of a sale had vanished at the bombshell of a pitifully short message.

“This one right here, the green one. You see, nearly none of my offices has a window and the ones that do are in terrible places. Can’t even enjoy the view while I work. So I figure if I focus on decor then maybe-”

“Commander? P-Princess Twilight? Me!?” Sea Drop nearly shouted. With woozy steps, she wandered over to the hammock and plopped herself down. Her eyes were wide with disbelief as she stared up at the thatched roof. “I must be dreaming! There’s no way this is happening, but it is! Can my life get any better!?” Squeezing her eyes shut as she squealed to herself, she threw out her hooves and wings, causing the hammock to rock back and forth. “Being a drake is awesome!”

“You say that,” Grass Shade said, inspecting various greens of coral. “But do you even know what a drake is?”

“Sure,” Sea Drop said, rising up to sit within the hammock. “I’m going to become a dragon! Isn’t that exciting? Can you imagine, me? A dragon? I mean, it’s not my first pick if I could choose, but a dragon!? I can’t believe it!”

“And the pony that told you all that, that didn’t happen to be a red fellow called Gale, was it?”

Sea Drop blinked, then began to snicker to herself. When Grass Shade turned to look at her she brought up her hooves. “I’m sorry, sorry,” she said between her laughs. “It’s just… a week ago my life was pretty different. And now I’m so popular that Princesses want to meet me and the Guard are apparently already spying on me. What don’t you guys know? And what in Equestria is going to happen next?”

“Funny you should ask,” Grass Shade said, and he turned to Manehattan’s direction while he mentally counted down the last second in his head. When nothing first appeared, he let out a ‘tsk’ in the response time, but his disappointment was short lived.

A noise began to overcome the crashing of waves, a whirring of machinery and magic that twirled the air with a static hum. With the sky already darkening, the spot lights could be seen more clearly as they passed over the treetops before they swiveled out and panned over the beach.

Sea Drop lept from the hammock and ran out onto the beach. With an open mouth and wide eyes, she watched as a guard air ship broke over the tree trops and begin to descend. It’s wooden underbelly and envelope were colored white while its metal framing and numerous metal panels were a dark blue. The second deck that began at the center of the ship and trailed back out to the end was entirely plated and attached to its port and starboard by a length of rod a pony's width was a large metallic spheres; each the size of a wagon and humming with the crackle of trickling electricity and mana crackling licking over its edges.

With more dexterity than Sea Drop had ever seen from the airships while on delivery trips to the city, it strafed out over the ocean all while keeping its prow pointed at the beach.

It’s wooden hull groaned as it swished the air above the waves, and the water surface rippled directly beneath the metal spheres as it came to a slow hover in its approach to the beach, stopping itself when it came to only two pony’s height from the sand and waves. The sound of metal unlatching could be heard, and a rampart beneath the front hull began to descend, accompanied by the ringing of chains in motion. When edge of the ramp thudded into the sand just past the waters edge, a formation of a dozen guard exited onto the beach from the ships interior.

Grass Shade stepped forward and waved the guard against them from coming up the beach further, and so they dispersed to an open formation around the rampart entrance. Rubbing a hoof behind his forehead, Grass Shade turned to Sea Drop. “Look, I know all of this is sudden and that your life is a rollercoaster right now, but if you could accompany me to Ponyville, it’d make the paperwork much-”

Sea Drop was already running past him, and by the time he blinked in recognition of the matter and turned around, she was already galloping up the ramp.

Bursting into the new space, Sea Drop looked all around herself with searching eyes. The bay of the ship nearly made up the entire deck, and the dozen Guard pony she found awaiting in reserve directly in front of her eyed her in return curiously.

“Wow,” Sea Drop said as she walked about. There were rows of crates lining the walls of the deck, with spaces between every group of boxes where cannons sat tied and waiting, ready to poke out from their ports for any external threat. Above the bay was rows of pipes glyphed with magical seals, their grooved metallic lengths trailing from the ceiling, down the walls, and into metallic grates that seat beneath each cannon.

The clamour of the landing party coming back up the rampart could be heard, and the deck rang as all hooves snapped to attention. “Commander on deck!”

“At ease,” Grass Shade said while motioning with his hoof. His eyes were nearly closed as he looked about warily. “Inform the Captain to make course for Ponyville, I want us there by tomorrow morning. Take your posts, we’re escorting a very important guest.”

“Aye!” ponies shouted in return before bustling out from formation and to their assigned activities.

Sea Drop eagerly looked about the scene, unable to help herself but smile in curiosity as ponies took to their stations. Much of the guard equipment was hastily exchanged for an airborne outfit, ones that donned a purple diamond etched into the back of the garment; its shape being slightly raised from the rest of the fabric as though it were filled.

One pony spoke into a metallic cone, and as soon as he relayed his message did the ship come alive again with the sound of magic and machinery. The low hum that was the spheres hardly penetrated the interior of the vessel, barely audible beneath the noise of ponies and resulting of equipment unless one kept a keen ear listening.

“This way,” Grass Shade said while he passed her, looking quite tired as he navigated the busy deck towards the stairwell at the center of the bay.

Following along, Sea Drop climbed up three deck levels, taking note of what she could during their passage. While much of the ship’s interior was wooden, it’s tighter than normal hallways had metallic plates for flooring, each with an indented latch at the edges for a hoof to grasp and lift. Each deck also appeared to be stationed by more than one pony, some of which were patrolling guards while others carried maintenance tools within their cargo packs.

Sea Drop and Grass Shade exited into a much quieter deck where the low hum of the spheres were more present. Without pause Grass Shade opened the door to a room marked ‘Captain’s Quarters’, and promptly made his way to the comfortable looking armed chair that sat behind the desk. “Have a seat,” he said while motioning to the wooden peg leg chair on the other end of him.

Sea Drop sat while she took in the room and its various knick-knacks that adorned a shelf running along the walls; military awards, glasses, bottles containing various things.

“Is this your room?”

“No, it’s Captain Peach Tree’s, but I’m sure she won’t mind our use of it while she commands the ship.” His eyes trailed over the plate of fresh food that sat on the desk beside him, no doubt recently delivered by chef for the captain's afternoon meal.

Grass Shade's stomach grumbled with vengeance at still not being fed yet.

“Nor would she mind letting a fellow officer sate his hunger in dire times,” he said while sliding the plate towards him. “But first,” Grass Shade rested his chin onto his propped up hooves over the plate, almost in a protective manner. “If you wouldn’t mind, there are a few questions I’d like to ask you.”

“Sure, as long as I can ask some in return.”

“It doesn’t work like that, but sure, why not.” Grass Shade nonchalantly leaned back in his chair and took on a more comfortable and slouched position. His eyes trailed from Sea Drop and the plate of tasty greens. “What do you want to know?”

“Well… What does Princess Twilight want with me?”

“Don’t know,” Grass Shade said idly, eyeing the wonderful sight of a juicy red tomato hiding between two pieces of iceberg lettuce.

“Oh, well,” Sea Drop said as she leaned forward in her seat with a toothy grin. “What about the other drakes? What are they like? Gale mentioned that there were others like me.”

“Not sure, never met them.” By the glaze of the peppermint dressing and the spices within the sauce, his mouth began to salivate more as his stomach demanded attention.

Her smile fell. “Oh, I see.”

“...”

Some moments passed, giving ample audible space to the white static hum of magic and machinery, and the rumbling of a stomach that vied to match the noise.

“Are all commanders like this?” Sea Drop asked sardonically.

“Like what?”

“So quick to put off their work?”

“Ah, I should probably do some.” The stomach rumbling ceased, and he propped his chin back onto his hooves. “What was your conversation with Gale about?”

“Not sure, don’t remember,” Sea Drop replied sarcastically, pursing her lips as she idly inspected a nearby ship within a bottle. After a pause she eyed him for a sign of reaction in her mimicry behavior, or at least expecting him to be entirely focused on the food. But he continued on momentarily.

“Second question, you talked to an entity known as Discord, correct?”

Sea Drop flashed brief look of surprise. “Yeah, that’s right. I don’t think I could ever forget him.”

“Did he say anything that seemed important? Or more importantly, anything that seemed irrelevant?”

Sea Drop raised an eyebrow at the question, but otherwise gave the matter some thought. After a moment, she said, “He didn’t make much sense, but after congratulating me on becoming a drake he seemed really interested in my hobby.”

“That being?”

“Treasure hunting,” Sea Drop replied with a smile.

“Okay, that’ll be all. You’ll find a guard outside this room who will escort you to your guest cabin and for the remainder of your stay on this ship. The mess is on the second deck, and anything else you need will tried to be accommodated for. ”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Grass Shade slumped back into the chair and let his arms hang carelessly at its sides. He rolled his head back as he reclined the back end of the chair, dipping himself until his vision was simply the ceiling and the underside of the knick-knack shelf.

“Wait, that’s it?” Sea Drop asked incredulously.

“That’s it,” he replied. He then raised a hoof before she could speak further, not even lifting his head to look at her. “Trust me, you’re gonna want to save your energy. You’ll have all the time in the world for questions soon enough. Princess Twilight will assure to that, you have my guarantee.”

With a sudden yawn of tiredness, and with the return of an angry stomach, Grass Shade rested his eyes while magically dragging the plate towards him. “I suggest you get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for you.”

Sea Drop raised an eyebrow as she left her chair and made her way to the door. “You’re sure you’re a commander or whatever, right?”

Grass Shade’s horned flared for but a moment. “Eastern Commander,” he corrected while a piece of lettuce floated itself off the plate and into his awaiting mouth. His stomach gurgled more audibly at the first crunch.

When it was clear that he wasn’t going to say another word between the floating salad train that steadily departed from the plate, Sea Drop shook her head and exited herself into the hallway, where she found a unicorn guard waiting for her.

“Is he always like this?” she asked.

“I don’t know, he’s new.” the mare replied. “Anyways, follow me. I’ll escort you to your cabin.”

“Does it have a good view?” Sea Drop asked as she fell behind the mare.

“Eh, better than most rooms. But I’m partial to the stern views.”

The two of them disappeared behind a corner, and the corridor fell into a gentle hum once more. That is, until the soon to be heard clops of an angry mare pegasus coming the opposite end; her hoof stamps causing the metal plates to shudder beneath her. She deftly threw open the Captain’s Quarters door and growled, “Grass Shade.”

“That’s Commander Grass Shade,” he replied without opening his eyes, seemingly quite happy being kicked back in the chair as the remnants of her dinner choo-choo-trained itself into his mouth.

The mare promptly stomped towards the chair, rounding the desk with a practiced swiftness.

“Actually, we should remain as formal as possible, so Eastern Commander Grass Shade will do nicely I thi-WAGH!”

A swift kick at the chair legs sent it and Grass Shade completely sideways, with a near instantaneous blow directly into his gut following his airborne momentum, sending him to the edge of the room.

“Grass Shade!” the mare shouted this time while standing over his wheezing form. Beneath her auburn hair and peach coat, her purple eyes held a stern yet maddening gaze.

“P...Puh.. Peach Tree.. Nice to.. See you too… ow…"

"Cut the crap, Grass," she said, following it up with a smack of her hoof against his whimpering legs. "And it's Captain Peach Tree. I could dam well take you in right now for going AWOL from your HQ, even if it was a code plaid emergency."

"It… wouldn't hold...," Grass Shade wheezed. He painfully turned away from her while still curtled on the floor. "Speaking… of which… I could court martial… you right now."

"So why did you bring her aboard?" Peach Tree quickly replied, with only a slight drop in her tonal hostility. “The Weatherlight has better things to do than errand runs.”

“In this case... she’s a pretty important errand,” Grass Shade replied, rubbing his sore spot while his stomach gurgled at being upset during digestion. With little effort, Grass Shade found a comfortable spot on the floorboards, propping his head up with a hoof as he began to doze off his meal. “The briefing hasn’t made it to the lower ranks yet, but to give you a cliff note the Drakes are going to be sticking around longer than any of us. Given the circumstances, I thought it’d be best to meet one for myself, all while delivering her in only the finest military vessel Equestria’s armed forces has to offer.”

“Don’t butter me up,” Peach Tree barked, and she righted her chair before plopping down and kicking her hooves up onto her desk. “So then? What’s your impression?”

“Well, if the others are anything like her, they’re gonna have more stamina than you’d think and water isn’t going to slow them down.”

“Anything else?”

“You’ll get the rest in your report. No doubt a follow up report will make its appearance within the week.”

“I’m talking about the girl.”

“Ah, hard to say.” Grass Shade scratched his rear while he reminisced the gentle hammock and the sound of the ocean. “Records office showed her as a registered merchant delivering goods every few months, and those paper trails shows that she's been doing it ever since she was young. After trekking a few hours I found her home, and the best word I could describe it is ‘oasis’.”

“So devoid of any pony life?”

“You got it.”

Peach Tree huffed at that. “Must have been pretty rustic and bare bones for you to have liked it. So if I understand right, you abandoned your post all so you could have a nature walk while having a bit of R&R on an isolated beach?” She turned her glare towards him. “Remind me again why you were appointed Eastern Commander.”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle deemed me worthy enough for the position.” Grass Shade’s brow furrowed slightly as he stared at the wall, feeling the daggers piercing his back. “Had I’d known Shiny’s little sister was going to become a Princess someday, let alone a vampony, I would have stayed farther away from her. Maybe then my retirement plan would have gone without a hitch.”

“Can’t say I agree with her pick, but at least it got you out of that dam archives office.”

“Please don’t remind me,” Grass Shade replied, sighing seconds later as one would remember a fond lover. “After years of fighting for the position, I finally got myself set for the rest of my career... and then I just had to get promoted.”

“And how are things going?” Peach Tree asked, all note of her earlier ire gone from her otherwise stern tone.

Grass Shade was slow to respond at first. “Truth be told, as well as they can be. Whether or not all the new recruits will hold up… Well, I suppose it’s up to you and me to make sure every pony keeps their chins up.”

She let out a ‘tsk’ in response. “Bad enough that you can’t give me a straight answer, eh?”

“Bad enough in that there is no answer. I can’t say much aside from that these Shepherds aren’t pleasant business.”

“You don’t need to remind me,” she replied testily.

“I feel like I do, because the one we’re dealing with is going to be hard to handle. Scratch that, probably impossible to handle given the descriptions. By Celestia and Luna’s personal accounts of him, I’m rather glad he’s outside of Equestria right now.”

“Only for a matter of time, I’m guessing?” Peach Tree asked.

“Until we hear what his business is about or what the Princess’s want to do about it, we’re to keep a watchful eye for his return, and give him everything we got when he does. I’m sure his file will show up some time or later on your desk covering the details. It’s about a few hundred pages despite how little we know about dragons, so I hope you brought your reading glasses. How’s captaining going?”

Peach Tree groaned. “All the new recruits have been putting me in a bad mood. I'll whip them into shape in time, that I will guarantee, but I’d prefer if I could have staffed my ship with a more veteren compliment.”

“Can’t be helped,” Grass Shade replied. “After how many folks signed up after the dilemma with Princess Twilight, the policies that got hashed out meant a large dispersal, all units included. The loss in guard due to Gemstone loyalty doesn’t help either.” Grass Shade opened one of his eyes and looked over his shoulder to eye her. “Speaking of, how you holding up?”

“A few months in lock-down isn’t so bad,” Peach Tree replied, keeping her eyes focused on some knick-knack. “I was antsy, sure. But given it was the family matter after all… well, maybe it was best I was kept out of it.”

“Oddly mature of you.”

“It’ll only last before I pile drive you where you lay.”

“Let’s not ruin a well deserved nap.”

“For the first time today,” Peach Tree said, kicking back herself and tilting her hat over her eyes, “I can agre-”

Suddenly, a scroll flared into existence above Grass Shade, neatly landing in front of him as the embers vanished.

Peach Tree kicked her desk, adding yet another dent to its edge. “Some pony is going to be scrubbing decks for a week. This room is supposed to be secured, and why wasn’t that sent to comms?”

“Don’t get in such a fuss,” Grass Shade replied, staring at the horrible thing that waited to be unsealed. “The Princess has a means to supercede any sense of isolation in due to the rank I hold.” He lazilly reached out and began to open the letter. “I wonder what she wants now.”

As Peach Tree settled herself back into her chair, albeit somehow grumpier than before, Grass Shade read the letters contents. He then did so again, and for a third time.

“Well?” Peach Tree said eventually. “If it isn’t above my clearance spit it out.”

“It looks like the Princesses will be off on a dragon hunt, to say the least.”

“About time.” A smiled finally did appear on Peach Tree’s face, and her eyes stared with an even more crazed edge. “After this, she’s next.”

“Remind me again why you were made a captain?”

“Do I need to remind you again?” she replied with a raised hoof.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Western Equestria

“Commander Wintermane, sir! All systems report nominal, and arrival time shows to be fifteen hours!”

“Thank you, recruit, that’ll be all,” Wintermane replied before facing the pony sitting across the table. “Are you sure you want more?”

“I know it’s a bit much, ain’t it?” the mare replied. She chomped the remaining banana pancakes, her draconic fangs supplementing any need of a knife or fork to cut. After chewing through a sizeable chunk that made Wintermane’s jaw ache from the sight of it, she dainty burped and continued. “But truth be told, I just have such the appetite as of late.” With the last bite finished, she set threw the plate onto a nearby pile that was beginning to reach Wintermane’s height. The mare stomped a hoof onto the mess hall table and waved to the kitchen staff. “A pile of blueberry ones this time, please and thanks!”

“Miss Breezy Lace,” Wintermane began.

“Just Breezy will do, please,” Breezy Lace replied.

“Breezy, while you might feel like it, I strongly recommend stopping after this next batch.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Breezy Lace sullenly responded. She brushed her blonde mane behind her ear. “Changes aside, I’d hate to let it ruin my figure.” Bringing up her peach colored foreleg up, she flexed the muscles that her large and sturdy frame sported. “When I get back to work shipping cargo, I’d better make sure I’m still fit for the job.”

“Something tells me you’ll have no issues with that,” Wintermane replied. He watched incredulously as the next plate of pancakes were brought out and Breezy Lace eagerly dove into them as if she hadn’t eaten all day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

North some hundred miles.

“Tailwind! Tailwind where are you? By Celestia they don’t pay me enough for this.” The stallion guard looked back and forth between the four hallways he could go, sighing at the situation. “For the love of-TAILWIND! I promise we’re not going to dissect you! All Princess Twilight wants to do is have a talk, that’s it. So you can stop hiding and come back to your cabin!”

The sound of a crate clattering to the ground made the guard groan, albeit at least he now had a direction to go. “I swear, if you made another mess for me to clean up!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Southern Equestria

“We’ll be in Ponyville by the crack of dawn,” Captain Sun Step announced. She turned her command chair to face her guest. “Are you sure you don’t want to rest up for the journey, Dust Cloud?”

“No mam, I’ll be alright up here if you don’t mind,” Dust Cloud replied. With a white colored snout leading to a silver beard, and a brown coat with a coarse black mane, he tipped his cowboy’s hat, revealing the salt and pepper at the sides of his hairline. He extended one of his draconic wings outward politely. “I feel a bit more energetic than I usually do, and the view tonight happens to be lovely.” Turning his gaze past the sunken row of guards operating complex stations of equipment and through the hardened glass that sat between the command deck and the sky, he saw a vast ocean of clouds that shimmered silver from the moonlight above amongst the stars.

Sun Step smiled and joined in her guest’s cloud watching.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ponyville

Jolting awake, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. Lifting her head from the bed, she saw Twilight beside her and that the two of them were alone in one of the library guest rooms. A single candle burned on the nightstand beside her, and the window was open to the night sky, letting in a gentle breeze from the east.

“What happened?” Rainbow Dash quickly asked as she propped herself up further. “Did it-” She stopped short, took a moment's pause to inspect herself, and then plopped herself back down onto the bed. “Great...”

“It wasn’t a bad shot,” Twilight said softly. Her crimson eyes looked over Rainbow Dash with concern. “If any pony could have reversed this, it would probably have been Discord.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t reply at first, instead signing as she tried to gather her thoughts and quiet down others. “I just gotta accept it… This is my life now… scales and all.”

Twilight’s eyes glanced to Rainbow Dash’s mouth where two fangs poked out. Despite the differences between them, the similarities made Twilight all the more focused with worry. Forcing a smile, she said, “At least we can be fang buddies.”

To Twilight’s relief, Rainbow Dash chuckled at that as a small smile appeared. “That’s stupid… but sounds good.”

Twilight scooted off the bed and stepped towards the door. “I’ll let you get some rest now, tomorrow’s going to be an eventful day, after all.”

“About that,” Rainbow Dash said while hopping out of bed.

“Rainbow,” Twilight said as her eyes tightened with worry. “Please rest while you can, you just went through an ordeal.”

“Not all that tired anymore,” Rainbow Dash said as she rolled a shoulder. “And we still need to talk. I’m coming with you.”

Twilight gently sighed, “Rainbow, I-”

Rainbow Dash trotted past her and to the door. “You went after Night Walker and I didn’t stop you from doing it. If anything this time it should be me bringing you.” Opening the door with more force than she intended, she sternly looked at Twilight. “I’m going to the kitchen, and we’re talking about this.”

With that Rainbow Dash loudly proceeded downstairs and into the kitchen, flicking the light on and opening the fridge to fish out whatever food she could find to place onto kitchen island table.

After a slow thoughtful descent downstairs, Twilight entered the room and pulled a stool up to the island, watching passively as Rainbow Dash pulled more food out.

Rainbow Dash suddenly “Where’s the pistachios?”

“Top shelf on the far right cupboard,” Twilight said, noting most of the food Rainbow Dash had pulled out from the fridge heavier in protein; beans, rice, and nuts. “I told you why I need you here.”

“Yeah, and I don’t accept it,” Rainbow Dash replied. She opened the cupboard and sifted through its contents. She paused at seeing rows of mugs with Discord's face on it, as well as one yellow rubber duck nestled beside the pile. She shook her head incredulously without comment, and then yanked the bag of nuts down before grabbing a hoof-full to munch on. “Whay do I havsh to babyshit?”

“Chew your food,” Twilight said, before fluttering her eyes for a moment at sitting on the other end of a deja-vu. “And you’re doing a lot more than simply watching them. Rainbow, you do realize these ponies are the only ones who can understand what you’re going through and you them. And…” Twilight’s voice became quieter. “And hundreds of years from now… You might find yourself more fond of them than you think, and they you.”

Rainbow Dash ruffled through the bag. “What are you saying?”

Twilight searched Rainbow Dash’s eyes. “You’re going to outlive so many ponies, Rainbow Dash. Do you understand what that means?”

Rainbow Dash paused her eating and placed the bag down. With a downward gaze, Rainbow Dash pulled up a chair herself across from Twilight. After some moments she pulled a plate of muffins towards herself and began eating, albeit in smaller and slower bites.

Twilight remained quiet as Rainbow Dash kept her gaze focused downard, not a word spoken as she made her way through the first muffin. The kitchen clocked ticked away as the seconds dragged on, and her bites became slower as she nibbled at its edges.

When Rainbow Dash finished the last bite and finally swallowed it down, her mouth hung open, and a tear dropped onto the table. Rainbow Dash inhaled quickly as her body shuddered, before a gasp of an exhale did cause her to become still.

“You’ll be there, right?” Rainbow Dash quietly asked. “When everypony else is…”

Twilight’s sorrowfully smiled. “Yes, I’ll be with you.”

“But the gi-” Rainbow Dash began to say, but found she didn’t have the heart to bring up the topic. Knowing that one friend would always be by her side was comforting and terrifying enough on its own for the time being.

Wiping away a trailing tear and the subject aside, Rainbow Dash repeated, “I-I’m still coming with you after Gale.”

“Rainbow,” Twilight said, ruffling a hoof through her mane as she searched the kitchen as if it had an answer. She then turned back to Rainbow Dash. “This isn’t the same as with Night Walker.”

“And why the hay not?” Rainbow Dash said, raising her voice.

“Because he’s not toying around,” Twilight replied, exchanging the softness of her manner into a more hardened expression. “As much as I hate admitting it, the only reason I beat Night Walker was because he let me. Because he wanted me to. If he hadn’t, stopping him would have been much harder and bloodier.”

Twilight placed a hoof onto the table. “And Gale isn’t the type of pony to let others win, for any reason. He has destroyed armies and kingdoms. By Celestia and Luna’s personal encounters, he could start burning Equestria and nothing short of our strongest military might can hope to stop him without massive casualties, and trust me there will be casualties no matter how we approach this.” Twilight stared hard into Rainbow Dash’s eyes. “Ponies are going to die when we face Gale, there’s no escaping that fact.”

“All the more reason for me to come with you,” Rainbow Dash bitterly replied before she began slapping together the chunkiest peanut butter sandwich she could muster.

“All the more reason for you to stay here,” Twilight responded. “If Gale sees you with our forces he’ll kill you.”

Rainbow Dash grimaced. “I’d like to see him try.”

A flurry of magic caused all the food to clear themselves away between Rainbow Dash and Twilight. Rainbow Dash groaned as she slammed her hoof onto the table. “You’re acting like I’ve never been in danger before.”

“I’m not joking, Rainbow,” Twilight said, her voice rising an octave. “He will kill you, he has a history of culling his kin, and standing at Celestia and Luna’s sides is enough for him to do that.” She pointed a hoof to herself. “Neither Celestia, Luna, or my magic could stop him from tearing through our defenses in a charge to tear you apart. Taking him down isn’t going to be a quick and easy process, and we don’t have time to protect you during the fight even if we could.”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to protest, but paused as her mind vividly recalled her encounter. The wall of shadow that was his hand breaking her body caused her to shudder for a moment. With distant downward stare she wrapped her hooves around herself, numbly recalling the memory. The hard blow, the pain shooting throughout her, the towering form of Gale and the bright hot fi-

Rainbow Dash gasped, and flashed her eyes around the kitchen to reaffirm herself it wasn’t happening again.

During her moments of panic, Twilight had left her stool and came to Rainbow Dash’s side. Without warning she grasped Rainbow Dash tightly.

“Hey, I’m fine,” Rainbow Dash said with quiet irritation. “You don’t need to use your magic on me.”

“I’m not,” Twilight replied. “Rainbow Dash, I didn’t know how much this would mean to me, but… you’re… you’re my only friend who can follow me through time now, and the thought of losing you when we have so much time… I can’t allow it. I need to make sure you’re safe for this.”

“And what about you?” Rainbow Dash asked. “If you’re so worried about me then what is he going to do to you?”

“I’m going to be fine,” Twilight said as she pulled away. “Celestia and Luna and a portion of our military will be there, out where no pony else can get caught in the crossfire. We’ve been preparing for him, and we have a strategy.” Twilight squeezed once, then pulled away. “I know this must be hard for you, but please, Rainbow Dash. I need you here in Ponyville. If not for me, then for the other drakes. They still need to learn exactly what all of this means, and they’re going to need help adjusting to their new lives.”

“And how am I supposed to help them? Especially with you going away,” Rainbow Dash asked sourly.

“Be there for them, and be yourself,” Twilight replied with a smile. “These ponies haven’t lived a life like yours, and there’s no telling how they’re going to deal with these changes.” Pulling a stool to side beside Rainbow Dash, she continued, “I couldn’t think of any pony better than you to help them through this. You’re strong, experienced, and capable of facing the greatest of adversities.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t respond at first, simply choosing to sit quietly for a thought before hopping out of her chair. “You know… I’m not so hungry anymore. I think I’m going to go get some more rest.” With that she began to round the table.

“Are you-”

“Thanks, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash suddenly said, stopping at the kitchen entrance. Looking back at Twilight, she added, “I… I’m just going to need some time to myself. You’re right, I should be here... helping them.” With another word, Rainbow Dash departed back into the dark library.

Within the still brightly lit kitchen, Twilight heard Rainbow Dash slowly make her way up the stairs and into the guest room. Looking about the mess around, Twilight sighed and began to idly clean up with her magic, all the while wondering just what else it was that she could do to help her friend.