Journey to the First Flame

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Chapter 1

Attending the School of Friendship was one of the best things that had ever happened to Smolder, not that she’d ever admit it. She became friends with creatures she never thought that she’d interact with, and creatures she didn’t even know existed. She got to personally interact with Dragon Lord Ember, who was on track to become the greatest Dragon Lord in recorded history. (Not that much of an accomplishment, admittedly, as Ember was the Dragon Lord who mandated history be recorded.) And she got to see ferocious creatures up close, thanks to Professor Fluttershy.

On the first day of her class, she had brought in a bear, one of the largest of the non-magical beasts, and showed how easily she had tamed it. Now, there was a lecture on manticores, and they sounded absolutely ferocious. Nothing compared to a full-grown dragon, but they sounded terrifying.

“Manticores might seem big and scary, but they can be quite docile when shown kindness and compassion.”

Smolder kept imagining the kinds of adventures Professor Fluttershy must have, to the point where she kept losing track of the lecture.

“....not to be mistaken for Chimeras, which have sentient intelligence and are historically hostile to others... never been a record of a successful conversion, and any sort of diplomatic attempts... result, they are not included among the Equal Rights Amendment Princess Twilight sent through the Senate and are not part of the budding... even powerful foes like Discord and... traditionally, Zebras have been able to tame elephants to use for work where machines...”

The lesson droned on, and even though Professor Fluttershy was her favorite professor, any class was hard to sit through.

“Now then, I have something to show you,” Professor Fluttershy said. She motioned toward the large doors at the back of the classroom. The two pony guards standing there opened up, and something was bought in. There was a large manticore being brought into the classroom. A very big one... who wasn’t being held down by anything. No cage, no chains, not even a leash. And while some students were cowering in their seats, Smolder was looking forward intently.

“I managed to become friends with this one after I pulled a thorn from his paw. The lesson you are to learn from this is that kindness should always be used, or at least considered, before moving on to forceful tactics...”

As if to demonstrate the Professor’s point, the manticore reached over and licked Fluttershy like a dog. After a bit of giggling, she went on.

“The biggest, toughest brute can become a sweetheart if you treat them kindly.” Fluttershy demonstrated by asking the manticore to roll over. The large creature did so, and Fluttershy immediately put a hoof to the creature’s underside and began scratching its belly. The manticore reacted positively, moving his back leg quickly.

“See? It’s nothing more than a big puppy! Now, this attitude has not been seen in all animals. Crocodiles and leopards are some most notable ones. Timberwolves as well, although it currently isn’t known if they are natural creatures, or the result of errant magic. Now then, I’m going to ask for one volunteer to come up and...”

At this point, the main door to the classroom opened, and a small pony came in. She was wearing a small tag around her neck that read “Office Aide”.

“Pardon me, Professor Fluttershy, but Principal Twilight wants to speak with Smolder in her office.”

Smolder blinked. What?

“Oh, yes of course. Smolder, you’re excused.”

Smolder was a bit confused. She hadn’t done anything to earn Twilight’s wrath... well, nothing recently. So why was she being called to the principal’s office? Did she find out about that cherry bomb prank? No way. I made sure not to leave a trace of evidence!

“Ooh, someone’s busted,” Gallus whispered as Smolder walked past him, smirking his beak off.

“Quiet or I’ll tell Principal Twilight about the mice prank you pulled in Professor Rarity’s class,” she hissed back which made him back down. Nodding to the Office Aide, the two exited the class and made their way down the hall.

The aide left her right outside the front door to the office of the Princess, allowing Smolder to try and come up with a quick excuse to whatever it is that she did. Her ideas turned to blaming Discord to saying she was doing a scientific experiment in the study of friendship. It wasn’t that she minded getting in trouble once in a while, but she didn’t like it interfering with her time with her friends. The weekend was coming up and they all wanted to head to Canterlot to see the capital for the first time ever. Sandbar had relatives there who agreed to let them sleepover, so everything was all set for their trip. It would really suck if she couldn’t go because of something she did. Especially if they caught me spiking the punch in the winter ball we had this year with that energy potion. That really made it a real party. Who knew Ocellus had it in her to swing on the chandelier while transformed as a giant ape?

Knocking on the front door, she was asked to come in. Entering, she was surprised to see that Principle Twilight wasn’t alone as Dragon Lord Ember stood nearby with her arms cross in waiting. Now really panicking, Smolder quickly bowed before her ruler who told her to rise almost immediately. “Um, hi. Look, if this is about something I did I wish to have a lawyer present!”

With a warm smile, Principle Twilight shook her head and pointed to a seat across her table. “Relax, Smolder. You aren’t in trouble. Dragon Lord Ember has something she wishes to tell you. Why don’t you sit down?”

Sighing in relief, Smolder obeyed and quickly sat her rump on the soft cushy chair while Dragon Lord Ember looked at her with a smile. “So, how’s the friendship learning?”

“It’s going well. You know, nothing I can’t handle,” Smolder replied with pride as she crossed her arms. “No offense, but why are you here, Dragon Lord? If I’m not in trouble, and I’m assuming none of my relatives are sick or dead, why come visit me?”

Standing tall, Dragon Lord Ember smiled before she summoned her scepter in a swirl of flames. Clashing the edge of it on the ground, Ember spoke with pride and authority in her voice as she announced, “Smolder of Clan Firebrand. It is by my decision, and the decision of the Dragon Clans, that you are to be chosen for the Lighting of The First Flame!”

Smolder’s eyes instantly widened as she felt her jaw drop. She had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, but the same scene appeared before her again and again. Her?! Chosen to be the lighter of The First Flame?! “I... I am honored!” she shouted with enthusiasm, nearly giggling at the prospect of being chosen out of thousands of Dragons to do one of the most important tasks of her people. “I didn’t even know it was time to light the First Flame! This is amazing! I’m going to be the one who lights it! I... I... wait a minute.” Smolder paused in her celebration as she looked at Ember with a tilted head. “Why me? There are plenty of stronger dragons out there. My clan isn’t that powerful compared to others. Plus, I haven’t been in the dragon lands since I came to the academy. Why was I chosen?”

“I hate to interrupt, but what is this First Flame? Is it something of historical or cultural significance to dragons?” Twilight eagerly asked as she summoned both paper and quill to write down everything.

“I’ll answer both questions,” Ember replied as she turned to Twilight. “Long ago, during the start of creation, we dragons didn’t have the ability to breath fire. We were strong, could fly, and tough as rocks, but deep inside we always felt incomplete. Like there was some deep power inside of us that we couldn’t unlock. One day, one dragon went on a journey of strength to unlock the true power. After many years, he managed to breath fire for the first time. He began to show this to other dragons who taught others in return. He was revered for his wisdom and leadership, thus becoming the first Dragon Lord of our people. Near the end of his life, he returned to the area where he first discovered fire and crafted a large beacon before breathing his last fire onto it. Every five hundred years, it goes out, so we send a dragon to rekindle it in honor of his memory.”

“It’s one of our most important events of our people,” Smolder added in. “Each dragon that manages to survive the way and light the flame always gets good luck. Some have even managed to become Dragon Lords themselves like the previous one, Lord Torch.”

“Wait, you said ‘survive the way’,” Twilight pointed out, stopping her speedy quill. “Is this journey dangerous?”

“There have been times when dragons have died from the environment or monsters around the area. We assume it happened if they don’t return in two weeks,” Ember answered. “Those are usually deemed weaklings and so another dragon is sent. I don’t think we’ve ever had to send more than one other in our history.”

“Then why would you choose Smolder to do such a dangerous task? No offense, but she’s not as big or older as other dragons,” Twilight asked, stunned by this revelation.

“The choosing is just as much political as it is important too,” Ember answered, shrugging her shoulders. “Whoever elects the chosen dragon has to show they have faith in their choice as it reflects them as well. A poor choice makes the chooser seem weak in judgment and wisdom while a good choice is the opposite.” She then glanced at Smolder. “Thus the reason I pick Smolder in the first place.”

“How am I important as a political piece?” Smolder asked, leaning back on her chair. “My family’s pretty average in terms of clan power plays.”

“Well, as you know, I’ve been trying to change the dragons from our previous lifestyle to one that can help us live with other creatures. It’s one of the reasons why I wanted you to do so well in the Friendship School thing. However, some of my more... vocally aggressive opponents are against my changes. Stating that it makes us weaker to be allying and befriending those around us. If you, a dragon who is learning friendship, could light the First Flame...”

“It would show that friendship is strong,” Smolder finished, nodding her head. “Well, regardless of if this helps or not, I still want to do it.” She got up and placed her claws on her waist with a smile. “I’m gonna light that flame so hard they’ll be able to see it in space.”

“That’s the spirit, Smolder. Bring pride to us all!” Ember stated as the two bumped fists.

“Well, I guess since this is a culture thing I can’t stand in the way with it. Even if I’m not all for you going alone,” Twilight said with a heavy sigh.

“Oh, don’t worry, Princess. Since Smolder is under the usual age she can take one companion with her on this journey to help her out,” Ember explained before turning to her subject. “I’ll need your answer on who you want by the end of the day. The rules don't say it has to be a dragon so feel free to pick whoever you want.”

Smolder grinned as one pony came to her in her head. “Actually...”

Professor Fluttershy was enjoying her break in the teacher’s lounge. She was grateful that she didn’t have the workload some of her friends have. How Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity managed to keep their old jobs was beyond her.

Sipping her tea and reading a book, she was just enjoying her time off, when the door to the teacher’s lounge opened. Fluttershy looked up from her book, expecting to see one of her friends. Instead, she nearly jumped out of her seat and hid behind it when she saw a large dragon enter.

“What was that? I saw what looked like moving butter,” she heard a female voice say.

“Fluttershy... are you in here? Dragon Lord Ember wants to speak with you.”

She froze. Dragon Lord? Meep.

“Come on, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, sounding nervous. “A delegate from a foreign country is here to see you... one that already has some pretty shaky ties with us...”

Fluttershy gulped. She couldn’t say no to that. Slowly, she came out from behind the chair. “Um, hello?”

“So, you’re Professor Fluttershy?” Ember looked doubtful.

“Yeah, that’s her,” Smolder said, coming from behind the older dragon. Seeing one of her students calmed Fluttershy down a bit.

“And you’re sure you want her? Not Spike? Or Professor Rarity? You won’t get to change it after I make it official.”

Smolder shook her head. “No, trust me, Professor Fluttershy has what it takes.”

“Very well. Congratulations, Professor Fluttershy, you have been chosen to participate in the greatest of all dragon rituals: the Lighting of the First Flame!”

“Um... what?”

“It is a great ritual that will require traveling deep into the Dragon Lands on a great and difficult journey.”

“Into the Dragon Lands? Where are the big dragons are?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes. It is a trial that very few dragons survive. But Smolder thinks you’re up to it, and there’s no rule against picking a non-dragon helper, so you get the great honor of risking your life for the dragon’s greatest honor...”

At this point, Fluttershy hit the ground, out cold.

Ember blinked. “Are you sure about this one?”

Fluttershy regained consciousness in the nurse’s office, with Twilight sitting next to her. She breathed a sigh of relief as she sat up. “Oh, Twilight, I had the strangest dream. I dreamed that I was going to have to go after something where there were a lot of big, scary dragons around.”

“...That wasn’t a dream, Fluttershy. Smolder and Dragon Lord Ember are just taking a walk while I talk to you.”

Fluttershy’s eyes opened wide. “What? But... but... why?”

“Smolder was chosen to do this ritual. I’ll let them give you the details when they get here, but she was allowed to bring one helper along. She picked you.”

“Why?”

“...Apparently Rainbow Dash mentioned to her about the time you stood up to that dragon, way back before we even fought Discord.”

“But... didn’t you tell them I was afraid of dragons?”

“Yeah, I really didn’t want to tell the leader of the dragons that one of the professors teaching the dragon child she trusted us with was afraid of dragons. We’re already on thin ice with the dragons as it is. Ember might want to keep relationships open, but a lot of others don’t. That’s why we need this to go off without a hitch.”

“But... Dragons...”

“I tried to talk her out of it,” Twilight said. “I told her Rainbow Dash would be better. I even told her about how she managed to trick Garble, but no luck. Ember wanted her to pick Spike or Rarity... she said I couldn’t as a foreign leader, but...”

“Twilight, I can’t! Dragons...”

“Aren’t that different from ponies. That’s what we’re trying to prove here, isn’t it?”

Fluttershy looked at the ground, suddenly feeling a bit ashamed of herself. She had been terrified of dragons at a time when she should know better. Every bit of Twilight’s logic was true. She had babysat Spike several times before, she had stood up to a large red dragon blanketing Equestria’s sky with his smoke, and Smolder was one of her favorite students. And yet, she was terrified.

“A lot of the dragons still hate us,” Fluttershy reminded Twilight.

“That’s what we’re here to fix. Please, I know you’re scared, but this needs to be done.”

Fluttershy fidgeted. “I... I don’t know...”

Twilight took a deep breath. She considered pressuring her even further, but anything else would be considered emotional blackmail. “I won’t force you, Fluttershy. But I’m asking you as a friend. And Smolder is asking you as a student. So at least consider it.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath. “Okay.”

Twilight smiled. “I knew I could count on you.”

Fluttershy tried to smile, but at that point her stomach felt like it was going to roll outside her body.

Angel Bunny was annoyed. Fluttershy was going on a trip, and that meant no matter who he was left with, it was going to mean less pampering. It used to be so much better before Twilight had moved in and given his pony a backbone.

Still, he dutifully helped Fluttershy pack. Once he was finished, he watched as she slid the saddlebags on.

“I’m sorry I have to leave, Angel. I asked Rainbow Dash to look after you and the others while I’m gone. Rarity will come in and give you your weekly tail fluffing.”

Angel gave a thumbs up, but inside he was scowling. Rarity was about the closest to being a good carer, but she had a habit of making him look pretty by pony standards rather than bunny standards.

Fluttershy opened her front door and saw Smolder sitting by a rock, waiting for her. Her friends weren’t too far away, all chatting with one another. Ocelleus was occasionally sneaking glances at the dragon, looking nervous.

“Finally. Come on, Professor, we have to get going.”

“Just hold on, Smolder. It’s important that we make sure we’re properly prepared before we go on a trip.

“That sounds like something Headmaster Twilight would say.”

“Oh, well, it was her that taught us that, and it was good advice.”

“So, her obsessiveness actually comes in handy sometimes.”

“Now, Smolder, that’s not a polite thing to say!”

Smolder looked at her Professor with an arched eyebrow.

“...Even if it is a completely accurate thing to say,” Fluttershy admitted slowly. “But her attention to detail makes her a valuable member of our team, and it’s one of the things that makes her a great leader. That’s what we’re trying to teach you at our school, you can learn a lot from people with other backgrounds.”

Smolder did her best to hold back an eye roll. It was annoying hearing these flowery speeches from the ponies, even if they were completely true. “We better get going. Dragon custom says we have to leave by noon.”

Hearing this, Angel Bunny perked up. Giving a grin, he hopped back into the cottage.

This action went unseen by Fluttershy and Smolder, because at that moment Smolder’s friends approached her.

“We wanted to give you a good send off,” Sandbar said.

“And it’s so awesome that you’re getting to go on this quest!” Silverstream said.

“With the best teacher ever!” Yona said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Gallus said, looking away with a disinterested air about him. “You better get going. We can’t miss you until you leave.”

Cozy Glow stepped forward. “I wanted to bake you a cake, but then I realized it probably wouldn’t be easy to carry, so I decided to settle for making you some sandwiches instead.” The young Pegasus reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a brown paper bag.

“Aw, thanks,” Smolder said, taking the bag and putting it in her backpack.

“And don’t worry, Professor Fluttershy, I’ll handle all your paperwork while you’re gone.”

“Oh, you really don’t have to do that.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble, I’ve been helping Headmaster Twilight with paperwork for a while. I know a lot about how this school runs.”

Gallus gave a cough that sounded a bit like “suck up”. Ocellus swatted him in the chest.

“Now, that wasn’t nice, Gallus,” Fluttershy started to scold him

“Oh, it’s fine. I just want to learn everything I can about friendship. I have plans for it... big, big plans...” At that, she gave a low chuckle that started to turn into an outright laugh. Then she noticed every creature was looking at her. “Sorry, I was thinking about a good joke Professor Pinkie told me.”

“Oh, I’m sure it was funny,” Fluttershy replied with a nervous smile. She didn’t often like to think about it, but sometimes Cozy Glow had a really scary laugh for such a kind and sweet filly.

Suddenly, she felt something hit her rear legs as she looked down and saw Angel Bunny, blue in the face, with a thermometer in his mouth, a blanket around his chilly body, and an ice packet on his head. He began to whimper before sneezing and coughing, one paw over his head as he looked ready to faint.

“Aww, poor Angel. He looks so sick,” Silverstream whimpered as she bit her lip. “Poor little guy.”

“Eh, he’s probably faking it,” Gallus snided with a roll of his eyes.

Angel Bunny was indeed doing so, but he knew that his caretaker would instantly baby him (just as he deserved to be) and stay by his side. There would be no adventures if he had anything to say about it. He smirked as he saw the annoying dragon huff and cross her arms. “Well, we can’t delay any longer. He’s just gonna have to tough it out.”

“Oh, but I can’t leave poor Angel alone if he’s sick,” Fluttershy whispered, nuzzling him. “I mean, what if he gets worse?”

“Oh, I know! Why don’t we take care of him for you!” Ocellus suggested as the rest of her friends nodded in agreement, except for Gallus who just shrugged. Angel Bunny’s eyes widened as his mouth dropped so low that the thermometer fell out. It fell even further when a smile stretched on Fluttershy’s face.

“Oh, that’s a great idea! Think of this as an extra-credit assignment. Spike should still have my list of things to do to take care of Angel from last time. So just ask him for it,” Fluttershy replied before she turned to Smolder an nodded that she was ready.

“Finally, let’s hit the trail already!” Smolder shouted as she took to the air with Fluttershy behind her. She waved to her friends and shouted, “See ya guys later! Wish us luck!”

“Yona wishing!”

“Come back safe!”

“Have fun!”

“Enjoy yourselves!”

“Can I have your room if you get killed?!” Gallus shouted which earned him the glare of the others. “What? Sandbar snores.”

The others rolled their eyes before turning to Angel Bunny, no longer bothering to fake his sickness as they smiled at him. “I’ve never taken care of a pet before,” Silverstream said with a joy in her tone. “This is going to be so much fun.”

“Yeah, I mean what harm could one little bunny rabbit do?” Ocellus asked, not seeing the sinister grin on Angel’s face.

If he was going to be stuck with these losers for a few days, he might as well enjoy it. Oh, this was going to be fun alright. Fun for him.

Chapter 2

Despite all the fears that entered Fluttershy’s head as they traveled, the next few days were relatively quiet. Which really shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise, considering a good deal of it was still in pony territory. The most dangerous thing that happened was a few ponies giving Smolder dirty looks, though none of them dared confront her.

They had entered a routine. Up at dawn, breakfast, walk until noon, lunch, walk until dusk, make camp or check into an inn, whichever was available, dinner, and then bed.

At the current point, it was nearing the making camp portion of the schedule, and the pony lands were starting to give way to the dragon territories. They had left the last pony village that morning and passed the military outpost situated near the border. The guards had given Smolder dirty looks, and Smolder had responded with a gesture that would have resulted in detention back at the school. Still, the guards knew of the regime change and Celestia’s new instructions regarding dragons, so it didn’t go any further.

Smolder walked along, occasionally using her wings to give her legs a rest. Fluttershy largely followed the trend, with less time being spent in the air. They mostly traveled in silence, there not being a lot of common topics a student and a teacher could share.

At this point, as usual, Smolder was ahead, keeping an eye out for any danger. She occasionally looked back to make sure Fluttershy was still following. Finally, after concluding the sun was in about the right position to stop for the day. She turned back.

“Professor? I think it’s time we stopped for...”

Smolder trailed off as she noted Fluttershy’s behavior. She seemed tense, and was walking like there was something unpleasant that was about to happen. She was wound up, and something was about to explode out of her. That made the conclusion obvious.

“Professor, if you have to go to the bathroom, there are plenty of rocks to go behind.”

Fluttershy’s face turned a bit red. They had both been doing their business outside a few times over the last few days, but this had been the first time it had actually been spoken of.

“No, it’s... nothing like that, Smolder,” Fluttershy said.

Smolder tilted her head. “Then what’s wrong?”

Fluttershy stopped, wondering what to say at this point. If this was one of her friends, she would be telling them already, but this was a student, somepony that she was expected to be an authority figure to. Twilight had lectured them all about the importance of this, and told them to watch their behavior. She had seen this anger brought full force when Twilight had furiously lectured Rainbow Dash and Applejack after their stunts on the field trip a few weeks ago.

“Wait... you’re not scared, are you?”

Fluttershy froze and looked at the dragon. She hadn’t realized how long it had been taking her to answer, and the look in the young dragon’s face made it clear that she couldn’t deny it anymore.

“Well, um... maybe a little.”

“Of what? There’s nothing in these lands you haven’t faced before. At least, not if the stories I’ve heard are true.”

“Well... full grown dragons... kind of frighten me.”

Smolder looked at her professor in disbelief. “But... I heard you stared down a dragon without breaking a sweat!”

“Well, I didn’t want my friends to get hurt,” Fluttershy said. “I got really mad and stared it down...”

“But... you’re not afraid of me or Spike!”

“That’s because you’re both small and cute, not big and scary.”

“Oh, there’s nothing... wait, what do you mean, ‘small and cute’? Oh, never mind, look, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Fluttershy thought for a moment.

“How could you let this happen!” Dragon Lord Ember demanded. “You understand this means war!”

“Go ahead!” Princess Twilight said. “I was a fool to think this was possible! Even the Power of Friendship couldn’t repair this travesty. Right Spike? Spike?”

Princess Twilight turned to see her young dragon charge dressed up in armor, looking quite angry.

“Sorry, Twilight, but I can’t allow this insult to my kind to go unpunished. I was a fool to think I ever belonged among the ponies. I’ll slaughter you all for this insult!”

Twilight’s eyes welled with tears. “But... Spike, you’re my son!”

“No, my real family is the dragons!”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Fine! I can’t believe I ever thought of you as family!”

Fluttershy looked at this whole scene in horror. How could this have happened.

“What up, Flutters?” Zephyr Breeze said as he suddenly appeared at her side. “The salon fired me, so I’m going to have to move back in with you.”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Fluttershy blinked as she exited her daydream. “I can.... I can think of a few things.”

“Nothing bad’s going to happen. I’ve heard stories about you, that’s why I picked you. You handled that manticore in class like it was nothing. We shouldn’t have any problem.”

“I suppose you’re right...” Fluttershy said. Then she remembered that she was supposed to be the adult, and the authority figure, so she tried putting more confidence in her voice. “I am totally confident that we can do this!”

If Smolder heard the quaver in her voice, she didn’t mention it. Instead she took off her backpack and began to unfold her sleeping bag.

Fluttershy looked up at the sky. She knew she was out of pony territory, which meant that the weather took care of itself, a concept that still disturbed her. Discord had explained once that pony territory used to be the same way before his games had broken things so badly ponies had to do it themselves, but it seemed an alien concept to her.

She saw no clouds and concluded it wouldn’t rain tonight, if natural weather worked the same as pony weather. So she left the tent in her bag and simply pulled out her sleeping bad.

Setting up the camp was done in silence as usual. By the time darkness overtook them the fire was going and Fluttershy had her dinner, a series of carrots, roasted over it. Smolder was sticking to gems, a necessary diet since Fluttershy would faint at the sight of burning meat.

Smolder had initially thought Professor Fluttershy’s love of animals was stupid. After all, why get cuddly with perfectly good livestock? However, since coming to Equestria she understood the value in animals. They could be... entertaining.

She watched Fluttershy carefully place her carrot in a bug and wrap it. She had tried carrots once and spat it out almost immediately, but the Pegasus seemed to like it. She returned to her dinner, munching on her gems.

“Smolder?”

Smolder swallowed her gem and looked Fluttershy. “Yeah?”

“Well, we’re passing through the dragon lands. I was just wondering, are we going to stop and see your family while we’re here?”

At that, Smolder tensed up. She fiddled with the half-eaten gem in her hand before answering. “I don’t really want to.”

Fluttershy tilted her her head in interest. “Do you have family issues?”

Smolder blinked, a little taken aback by just how blunt a question that was. She would expect that from a fellow dragon or a griffon, but not a pony. “Well... yes. How’d you guess?”

“I... I can relate,” Fluttershy said, with a weariness that was unusual for her.

Now Smolder was interested, but she decided to answer her Professor’s question first. “I don’t... really get along with my parents. They... they prefer my big sister. She’s one of the best fighters in our area. We were all sure she’d end up being Dragon Lord, but Ember isn’t a bad choice...”

“So... she overshadows you?”

“Yeah... do you know what that’s like?”

Fluttershy actually shivered. “I wish,” she said under her breath. “Never mind about me, Smolder, keep going. How does your family make you feel?”

Smolder was stunned by Fluttershy’s bitterness, so much she didn’t even try to sugarcoat her answer. “Well... my parents are always comparing me to her. They’re a bit disappointed that I...” she hesitated. “Do you promise not to tell anyone what I’m about to tell you?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Absolutely, Smolder.”

Smolder shifted. “They don’t like that I... like cute things. They think I’m too delicate.”

“Too... delicate?” Fluttershy said.

She nodded. “Whenever I get in a scrape, I barely give my opponent more than four bruises. They think I’m not living up to my potential. I’m willing to bet they let Dragon Lord Ember pick me for this school just so they don’t have to look at me.”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to say that she was sure that wasn’t the case, then stopped. After a bit of musing on what to say next, she opened her mouth again. “Haven’t your parents praised anything about you?”

“Well, they keep saying I have the potential, but I’m not making the most of it. But they never tell me anything else other than ‘I need to try harder.’”

“Well... isn’t there anyone in your family you want to see?”

Smolder didn’t answer right away. She took a stick of the ground and stuck it in the dirt, pushing it around and making random patterns with it. Finally, she looked up and answered. “My sister.”

The answer was so unexpected that for the first few moments Fluttershy couldn’t form a response to it. “Your sister? The one we were just talking about?”

“I know. It’s weird, isn’t it? I’d probably be better off without her, but I still want to see her.”

“Smolder, that’s horrible to say! You should always treasure having a sibling.”

Smolder looked at her teacher with an arched eyebrow. “I heard you and Professor Rainbow Dash talking about your brother.”

Fluttershy turned pink. She thought she had been so careful not to talk about things like that where students could hear. It had been one of Twilight’s rules, and she thought that she had followed it. In fact, she was certain she had...

“Wait... Smolder, have you been sneaking out of bounds?”

Now Smolder looked nervous. “Uh, no. I heard you talking about it when I went into town. Now, how about your brother? Are you honestly telling me that you’re better off with him?”

Bringing that up had effectively ended Fluttershy’s questioning, as her brother had been a touchy subject. “Zephyr Breeze... had a hard time finding his way in adulthood. It caused a lot of problems. But even though Rainbow Dash has a hard time remembering it, we had some happy memories. Once, just after Zephyr learned to fly, the Wonderbolts held a performance in Cloudsdale, and Rainbow Dash heard about this scavenger hunt that was offering box seat tickets as the grand prize. So Rainbow Dash asked me to come with her, and we ended up taking Zephyr because my parents asked me to watch him. We spent the entire day traveling around Cloudsdale following clues and trying to get the prize. We lost, and Rainbow Dash pitched a fit. But if you ask her about it now, she always remembers all the fun we had trying. He even talks about Zephyr like he’s always been close.”

“I think I understand,” Smolder said. “Even with how much my parents compare me to her, whenever I think about my sister, I think about our wrestling matches in the canyons, or how she taught me to fly, or when she taught me how to beat up these three dragons that were making fun of me.”

Fluttershy smiled, even if she was put off by the violent nature of her memories. “Sounds like she’s good to you.”

“She’s the only one that I still write to,” she said. “The only one who ever writes me.”

Fluttershy was quiet for a moment. She wondered what to say. She wished Starlight was here, she was always so good at talking to the students.

“Well, there’s one thing you’ll always have. I’m sure that things with your parents will work out...”

“Professor Fluttershy, I’m feeling kind of tired. You mind if we call it a night?”

The request was sudden, but Fluttershy agreed. She could tell that it had been a hard conversation for her to have.

The pair doused the fire without any further comment. Within a few minutes they were both in their sleeping bags. It took Fluttershy half an hour to fall asleep, but in that time she noticed, even in the dark, that Smolder was smiling happily. Whatever visions her dreams were bringing her, they were clearly happy ones.

***

Smolder had awoken from dreams of her sister to her professor’s careful shaking. While annoyed, she said nothing as they ate breakfast, broke camp, and began that day’s hike. The walking and flying was once again done in silence, although there now seemed to be a new tension between them after last night’s conversations.

It was at noon that they stopped for their next meal. The both agreed to preserve their rations and forage for their lunch. Vegetation grew even this far out, so Fluttershy nibbled a bit at their plants, while Smolder went to a nearby river and caught a few fish, being careful to eat away from Fluttershy.

They started again, and after another half hour they entered a large canyon. It looked similar to Ghastly Gorge back home, at least to Fluttershy, and that reminded her of the Quarry Eels that inhabited it.

When she told Smolder of the similarity, the young dragon scoffed. “I wouldn’t worry about that. We never had anything like that around here.

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief.

“No, this canyon used to be the home of Earth Snakes.”

And at that Fluttershy tensed up again. “E-earth Snakes?”

“Oh yeah. I hear they were giant beasts that could devour dragons whole... well, the smaller ones, at least. The bigger ones they’d just wrap themselves around and squeeze to death.”

Fluttershy tensed. “Oh my.”

“Yeah, but don’t worry. They all went extinct centuries ago. No dragon has seen one for a long time. We’ll be perfectly...”

As Smolder spoke, she kicked a pebble, allowing it to bounce off a nearby rock formation. That rock formation responded by opening its eye. Its large eye. Its as big as Fluttershy eye.

Then it lifted itself off the ground and rose higher. Its long, tube-like body stretched to the heavens. It was bigger than the hydra Fluttershy had faced so long ago. And it was looking down at the two travelers, a tongue flickering out of its rocky lips.

“Of course, I could be wrong,” Smolder said in a small voice.

With surprising speed for a creature so big, the rock snake lunged toward them. Fluttershy and Smolder flew off in different directions, letting the large creature hit the ground. Both pony and dragon kept their course, hoping to get up high enough to become unreachable to the hungry predator.

The creature turned and after a split second of contemplating, decided that Smolder would make for a tastier meal. It lunged upward, its mouth opening in preparation to snatch her.

Seeing this, an instinct that Fluttershy never called upon knowingly took over, and she changed course and dived straight for her student. With speed that would make any Wonderbolt jealous, she tackled Smolder out of the way just in time.

The snake stumbled a bit, and Fluttershy yelled. “Fly! Split up! Maybe we can confuse him long enough!”

They went different ways again, but it didn’t have the same effect Fluttershy had been hoping for. The Earth Snake simply changed targets, darting at Fluttershy now. Scared, she dived down to avoid the next lunge. Seeing the snake was faster than expected, Fluttershy changed tactics, diving down. Thankfully, she saw a small hole that she could dive into.

It took only five seconds, but she made it, diving inside and just missing the large snake head crashing into it, shaking the canyon walls.

Fluttershy, frightened but unharmed, took a few deep breaths as she collected herself. The snake couldn’t wait long for such a small meal, hopefully. Smolder was probably safe if she kept flying, and they had agreed to wait for each other further up the path if they got separated.

She took a deep breath, wondering what to do next. The cavern was dark, so she felt around in her saddlebags until she found the magic lantern that Twilight had given her. She lit it up.

She seemed to be in a small tunnel. With nothing better to do, she trotted forward in search of something.

She didn’t have to travel long before she came to an open cavern. It was large, big enough that there couldn’t be much rock in between the ceiling and the top of the cavern. It would be the perfect home for a giant. Or...

She made the realization just as she heard the creature slithering in the darkness. It knew she was here, and she was on its territory now.

The snake lunged at her. Fluttershy flew up, just missing it. She had survived, but she realized that it had a secondary goal with that strike, and that had been to put itself between Fluttershy and the exit she had used.

It lunged again. Fluttershy flew down, looking for the way out, but between the darkness and her immense fear, she couldn’t see anything.

The snake lunged again, and this time it might have succeeded if it hadn’t been for an orange blur flying into its face and blowing fire in its eye.

The snake howled in pain, jerking itself back and slamming into the cavern wall. A loud crunching sound was heard, and the sound of crashing followed.

“Cave in!” Fluttershy yelled. Smolder was suddenly next to her, grabbing onto her and pulling her down. They found a large rock up against the wall and huddled in to avoid any of the falling rocks. In the midst of it all, the Earth Snake let out a roar of pain that nearly got drowned out in all the noise.

Then it stopped. Both Smolder and Fluttershy listened. They heard a sound. It sounded almost like... a whimper.

It was Smolder, ever one to throw caution to the wind, who looked first. And she laughed at what he dragon eyes, made for piercing through darkness, saw.

Fluttershy peered out, point the lantern, which was thankfully unbroken, toward what Smolder was pointing at.

The snake was pinned underneath several rocks. It’s hisses were coming out slow, and it looked like it wanted to cry. She put a hoof to her mouth with worry as all instincts of fear soon faded away and were replaced with concern. She looked into the snake’s teary eyes and soon found her heart melting. That was before Smolder took her hoof with a smirk.

“Come on, let’s go. We’ll leave snaky here to rot while we get away.” However, she only made a few steps before she found herself dragged back. “Hey, what’s the big deal?”

Fluttershy didn’t answer. She just rushed over to the big towering snake who stared at her with narrow eyes. However, Fluttershy gave it a small smile before slowly flying towards the big rock on top of it and started pushing with all her might.

“Professor! What are you doing?!” Smolder asked, in disbelief.

“I’m... trying... to help him...” Fluttershy grunted while trying to push the rock off. “He... doesn’t...deserve this.”

“Uh, yeah it does! It tried to eat us right now! I’d say we get out of here and let the thing-”

“It’s still a living creature!” Fluttershy shouted, panting before turning around and facing Smolder. “I can’t let it suffer like this when I can free it. It won’t hurt us if we show a little kindness to it.”

“How can you risk that! It could eat you after you help it!” Smolder shouted.

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take. I can’t stand to see the poor thing in such pain,” Fluttershy whispered, while cooing the whimpering snake. “Please, Smolder. Help me?”

Smolder bit her lip and stared at the snake who was looking at her with its big pain filled eyes. She then saw the exit tunnel needed to escape before staring at Professor Fluttershy’s big pleading eyes. Sighing, Smolder flew towards Fluttershy and put her claws on the rock. “For the record, if we die doing this, I’m kicking your butt in the afterlife.”

Fluttershy only gave a smile before the two of them started to push as hard as they could. Grunting, sweat began to form under their brows before the rock began to move a bit. After a bit more pushing it finally fell to the side, allowing the snake to hiss in reply before shaking off the rest of the rocks. It rose its head and began towering over the two nervous creatures that stood before it. Lowering its head, it narrowing its slit pupils and what was once prey. Smolder gulped and shivered while Fluttershy just stood there with a calm expression.

The snake let loose its tongue before giving Fluttershy a big lick on her face which caused her to giggle despite the large saliva on her fur. Smolder just stared in disbelief at what she had just seen before getting a lick of her own. “Ugh! Ew! This isn’t poisonous is it?”

The earth snake didn’t answer, it just turned around and retreated back the way it came. Leaving the two of them alone in the tunnel. Still in disbelief that they were still alive, Smolder turned to Fluttershy and asked, “How did you know it wouldn’t eat us?”

“I didn’t,” Fluttershy answered with a smile as she turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. “I just trusted that he would repay kindness with kindness.”

“You mean... that was just a lucky gamble?”

“I think it was more of a leap of faith,” Fluttershy answered with a smile before continuing on.

Smolder just stared at the pegasus who had tamed one of the most deadly predators on the planet with nothing but a simple act. Following the yellow pegasus, all Smolder could do was wonder what else was in store for them on their adventure.

Chapter 3

The cave ended up being far bigger than previously thought. The lantern had limited magical charges, and eventually Fluttershy saw fit to turn it off. It didn't matter. Dragons naturally lived in caves, so Smolder was able to guide her.

Stil, finding an exit was not as easy. Smolder and Fluttershy, who had done their fair share of cave exploring, felt for any sort of air current that might lead them to an exit, strained their eyes for any light that might be Celestia’s sun pouring in, but nothing came.

They walked in silence, hoping to at least find a wall that they could follow. After an hour, Smolder spoke up.

“I think the tunnel’s getting smaller.”

Fluttershy stopped for a moment. Then she flew up while reaching with her hooves, only going about fifteen feet before hitting the ceiling.

“Oh my, you’re right. Maybe we’re getting close to an exit.”

“Or a dead end.”

“...Did you manage to save any of the rations?”

“Yeah, but only enough for a day.”

Fluttershy didn’t answer, because as she felt the tunnel ceiling. “Smolder... I don’t think this tunnel is natural.”

“What do you mean?”

“Feel it.”

Smolder obeyed, and she instantly saw what she meant. “It’s jagged and uneven. Like it’s been... dug.”

Fluttershy pondered this. There was something that made her uneasy about this whole thing.

They kept going forward, staying on the ground. After a few moments, Smolder spoke again. “It was pretty awesome what you did with the Earth Snake, even if it was a big gamble.”

Fluttershy, never one to take praise easily, blushed. “Well... it has worked for me before.”

And it had. Kindness had given her a difficult but priceless friendship with Rainbow Dash, an even more difficult but priceless friendship with Discord, a position of power in Equestria, something she was never even aiming for.

They walked in silence a bit more.

“...Professor Fluttershy? I was wondering if you could help me settle something.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, my friends and I have this little wager going on,” she said. “I think you’re dating Professor Dash, Orcelleus thinks you’re really long lost sisters, Silverstream thinks you’re already married, and Gallus thinks you’re both in denial. Who wins?”

“...What?”

“Well, you two are always nuzzling each, and Silverstream said she saw you cuddled up together on a cloud when she was flying...”

“We’re just good friends!”

“All, so Gallus was right. You’re in denial.”

“No! That’s not what I...”

“Look!”

Fluttershy stopped and looked. She saw what Smolder meant. They had come to a turn in the tunnel, and past this turn, there was a faint glow.

“Light! Which either means an exit or some sentient creature. Hopefully they’ll be friendly.” Smolder started to pick up speed.

“Don’t just rush in,” Fluttershy said, but she was picking up speed too. As they got closer, it was becoming clear that the light was coming from around another corner. As they neared, they slowed down. Taking some time to compose themselves, they turned the corner.

The tunnel went on for a few more feet, but quickly opened up into a cavern. The cavern looked rather plain, but it was lined on every wall with red lanterns, illuminating the caves with a dim light.

Fluttershy tilted her head. She had seen these before somewhere, but where?

“Hey, look!” Smolder said. “These look like little carts, and there are harnesses on them. You think these are owned by ponies?”

Fluttershy saw them, and in an instant her blood ran cold.

“Smolder, we have to get out of here!”

Now Smolder looked scared. “What? Why?”

“These caves, they belong to...”

At that point, a shrill alarm rang through the cavern, drowning out Fluttershy’s words. The sounds of a dozen feet stomping on the ground alerted them that they weren’t alone. The lanterns shook in place as the shrieks and sounds of claws against rocks echoed in their ears. Fluttershy didn’t know what on earth those noises were but they sounded scary and that was enough for her to start running with Smolder right behind her.

They pushed past the carts and barrels of water until something smashed threw one entranced that was boarded up and roared. Fluttershy yelped while Smolder cried out, “A Behir?!”

The Behir was long serpent like creature that reminded Fluttershy of a dragon but much longer like Discord and blue as sapphires. It had big pointy scales, four sharp razor claws it used for its feet, and thing pointy tail that was looked strong enough to spear flesh. That was all of course nothing compared to it’s green scaled eyes and big sharp teeth.

Without saying anything, the two ran just as it came down upon them, their wings soon kicking into high gear. Fluttershy and Smolder both flew faster upon turning around and seeing more of the terrifying blue creatures following them. Without knowing where they were going, the duo turned at whatever turn they could, uncertain where they were going.

Passing by further into the deeper and bigger tunnels, the two saw bodies lying on the ground covered in green cloaks and fur. They weren’t moving, but the strange thing was they had arrows sticking out of them. Fluttershy gulped upon thinking of the first time she and her friends met mean Diamond Dogs that kidnapped her friend Rarity and tried to take the rest of them prisoner. However, it looked like these Diamond Dogs met with some horrible fate outside of the monsters chasing after them.

“Woah, what happened here? A battle?!” Smolder shouted as she looked past a Diamond Dog with two arrows in its chest.

“All the more reason to flee!” Fluttershy shouted, keeping her eyes forward.

The path then started to veer in two directions. One went forward while the other turned left. However, before they could decide, a Behir managed to dive from the left path and knock the two down, sending them crashing into the wall nearby. Smolder groaned as she rose her head only to gasp at a set of jaws coming towards her. With quick thinking, she let out a breath of flame which forced the shrieking monster to thrash in pain with its face burned. It’s large tail started to whack around the area, even managing to knock Smolder to the other side.

It’s thrashing eventually lead to the area rumbling more as dirt and rocks began to fall. Fluttershy, slowly getting up saw what was happening and was about to run until she saw cracks right above Smolder who was trying to steady herself. Without even thinking, Fluttershy dived forward and pushed Smolder out of the way just as the ceiling collapsed upon her. She felt a sharp pain on her head and back before everything went dark.

***
“Professor!”

Smolder was in a state of shock. Fluttershy was laying on the ground, blood turning her pink mane a deep read. Smolder never considered herself a squeamish dragon, but she felt sick.

But any thoughts on doing anything else were forgotten when the Behir let out another roar. Any act of mourning was going to have to wait. Without thinking, her body moved, carrying her along the tunnels.

She flew faster and faster, hoping to find an exit. What she found instead was a stone wall that she slammed into. She felt pain as she fell to the ground. The world was spinning around her. She had to get it together. She heard the Behir coming closer.

She thought back to Professor Fluttershy’s lectures. She was always talking about animals, she had to have said something about what to do when you were cornered by a beast.

”Remember class, a lot of creatures rely on movement to see things. Standing still, or ‘playing dead’ as some people might call it, can be an effective way to fool predators into leaving you alone. This is why several animals freeze when you flash light on them, it’s there natural instincts telling them to stand still.”

When Smolder had first heard this, she thought it sounded absolutely ridiculous. But right now, there wasn’t much more she could do. So she closed her eyes, held her breath, and hoped for the best.

She felt the monster coming near. Its growl, its smell, both intensified. She felt the creature breathing on her face.

The creature sniffed twice. This caused Smolder’s pulse to quicken. It was sensing by smell. Playing dead wouldn’t work!

But then it backed off. Smolder wondered what that meant. Were dragons just not appetizing to this thing? Or was he going to go after the still alive dogs, knowing that this moresal wasn’t going anywhere? Whatever the reason, it was leaving. Now was the chance to slip away.

And then she sneezed.

The Behir stopped. She could hear it turning around. Things were starting to look bad in the staying alive department.

And then suddenly the creature let out a roar of pain. At first, Smolder didn’t comprehend what she was hearing.All she knew was that the monster was making a noise and that caused her to press against the cavern wall harden, in some vain hope that she could somehow pass through it. The creature thrashed, knocking into the walls and causing the caverns to shake, which didn’t so much to improve Smolder’s impression of fear. Then she heard the creature collapse on the ground. It was at this point that she also heard the howling. Diamond Dog howling.

Her eyes started to focus again, and she saw. The Behir was either dead, or would be soon. Several Diamond Dogs were standing over the creature, all holding spears, the tips of which were decorated with the red of things that had been inside the Behir just moments earlier. Each Dog wore a green cloak that did little to conceal their identity, but gave them all a look of uniformity. From what she could see, most wore a green vest under their cloaks, though she noticed some differences.

After finishing their hown of victory, they all turned their eyes on Smolder. Now the dragon was feeling nervous. Fluttershy had been afraid of these creatures.

One of the Dogs stepped forward. He was a tall one with not much girth, but Smolder could tell he was powerful.

“Outsider... a dragon, if I’m not mistaken,” he said.

“Um... that’s correct...” She thought about apologizing for intruding and assuring that she was just passing through, but before she could get the chance, the Dog spoke again.

“We must insist you come with us,” he said. “It is customary to make sure any... unexpected visitors are not stealing our jewels.”

She tensed. Was this a trap? But none of the dogs seemed to be threatening her. None had pointed their spears or were looking at her with outright hostility. This truly seemed to be routine.

“Alright.”

She started to step forward, tentatively at first, but when none of the dogs reacted with hostility she made more normal steps.

“Is anyone with you?” the lead Dog asked.

“Yes. My teach...” Then it came flooding back. Fluttershy...

The lead Dog looked at Smolder, seeing the tears. Then he looked at the fallen beast before looking back at her. His features had softened as he began to understand. “I see...”

Smolder let herself be led away by the commanding yet sympathetic Dogs. She was amazed that she managed not to cry.

***

Fluttershy lay motionless on the ground as a number of figures opposed her. Had she been awake she would have been terrified. After all, these were the Diamond Digs, the creatures that had antagonized Rarity, Trixie, and Rainbow Dash.

However, these were quite different from the ones her friends had met. They all wore blue cloaks, signifying an allegiance to an unknown group. They all gathered around the fallen Pegasus.

“A pony? I didn’t think they came this far out,” one of them said.

“Maybe she’s one of those ponies that the dragons have started talking to. Right from Canterlot”

“You mean was,” a third Dog said. “I don’t think she’s...”

At that moment, Fluttershy’s body moved, and after a few moments she coughed, expelling dust out of her mouth.

“It’s alive! I didn’t think a pony could survive that!” the third Dog said.

“I say we just leave it,” the first Dog said. “She could be a thief!”

“Or it could be like I said: she’s a pony here from Celestia’s court,” the second Dog said. “If she dies, we could be blamed. No, we’ll take her back to our base and treat her. If necessary, we can call parle long enough to resolve this.”

He instructed the biggest Dog to pick the pony up, then led his troops down the caverns.
***

The lead Dog, Smolder had learned, was named Constable Wolf. This ended up being the only name the managed to retain. The Dogs led her until eventually they came to a large cart that she was escorted into. Everyone but the four biggest Dogs entered with her. Those that remained hitched themselves up and began pulling.

She didn’t pay much attention to what the dogs discussed on the way back. She caught little snippets of suspicion, but she was mostly lost in thought.

Fluttershy was dead. She had seen her body, unmoving. She had heard how horrible seeing death could be, but she couldn’t quite wrap her head around how bad until she had seen it firsthand.

She thought of Garble, of all dragons. He ended up earning quite a reputation in the Dragon Lands after his near victory in the Gauntlet of Fire. While he obeyed, he frequently spoke out about how they should be crushing ponies underneath their might.

And as a result, stories started going around about how he had been. Stories of him catching and killing small animals. No, not killing, that seemed to merciful. Torturing would be a more appropriate word. Stories of him catching and skinning squirrels alive when he was younger, then moving up to bigger animals. Now he kept an eye out for phoenixes, creatures he could kill several times before they would die for good.

She might have passed these all off as a rumor, but he’d brag to anyone who would listen that they were all true.

She had always rolled her eyes at this. Even as young as sher was, she understood the more someone bragged, the less they had actually accomplished. She saw it as macho posturing, picking on things that couldn’t fight back. But now all those rants had a nasty tone in her mind. She had no doubt if it hadn’t been for the two Dragon Lords in his lifetime, Garble would have killed a pony before. Torch had decreed a policy of nonaggression, his daughter a desire for diplomatic relations, and both meant he had to stay away.

If it was the dragons that ignored these edicts that ponies ran into most, it was small wonder that her kind had such a bad reputation among them. Even the ones that simply didn’t care could cause this. He remembered hearing news a few years back of a dragon that had attempted to settle in a non-authorized area that nearly blanketed Equestria in smoke. That had nearly caused havoc. Mere smoke.

She looked at her claws. Her tongue ran along her teeth. She felt the fire in the back of her throat. To a pony, she was a killing machine. She remembered that lanky pony saying that non-ponies would lead to the fall of Equestria. She was starting to wonder if he had a point.

She thought of the School of Friendship. How could she face the other teachers, letting them know she had led their friend to death? How could she faced the other students, letting them know she played a part in the death of the best teacher ever?

She wished she had listened to the Dragon Lord and picked Professor Dash, or Spike. She wished she had never been picked. She wished she was home.

She hadn’t even noticed the cart entering what the caves opened up into an underground city. Had she not been lost in her own misery, she might have been in awe at it. The buildings looked as tall as the ones in Manehatten, like someone fit the whole city inside a mountain, which might not have been far from the truth. Every building looked like it had been carved out of marble and other stones, and each had an eye for quality, very much the opposite of the crude designs that she had seen in the tunnels.

Looking up, Smolder saw the strings of lights overhead that acted as the city’s lights. One could almost mistake it for daylight with how well lit the city was.

Eventually, she was brought to a certain building, three stories tall. It looked impressive, with a statue in front of a Dog in fancy clothing in front, and carvings of other Dogs on the walls and the columns. Smolder guessed these were all important figures, though she didn’t care enough to ask.

The cart was opened, and Smolder was led out and into the building. She didn’t bother looking around, only staring at her feet and allowing the dogs to guide her. She heard the whispers about her, and guessed dragons weren’t common here.

She was brought to a small room. There was only a chair and a table that held a pitcher of water and a few books.

“Wait here,” Wolf told her. Smolder gave a small nod.

She wasn’t sure how long she waited. It all passed in a blur. She didn’t even remember downing the whole pitcher, ignoring the cup meant for it. The body had needed water, so it acted without the consent of the consciousness.

Eventually Wolf came for her. “The council is waiting for you.”

Once again, she was led through the halls by two dogs. This time they arrived at a large room. There was a bench in the front where five dogs were sitting there, each looking at her as if they were trying to solve a puzzle.

Under other circumstances Smolder might have done something like stick her tongue out or otherwise do something to mess with their minds, but at the moment she just felt numb.

She was led unto a small stand that had a seat. After a moment, the lead dog spoke. “Please state your name for the record.”

“Smolder,” she answered. “No last name, if Diamond Dogs have those.”

“Are you hear on that Journey to the First Flame your kind seems to think is so important?”

Smolder looked at the Dog, her eyes going wide with shock. The canine laugh. “Don’t look so shocked, little one. We are not ignorant to what goes on with surface dwellers. Dragons have passed over these lands several times, and some have even chatted with us a bit. I must say, you’re the first that tried to travel through our tunnels.”

Smolder calmed. Of course they would have some awareness of this. “Well, yes. Dragon Lord Ember sent me on this mission.”

The lead Dog looked at her. “Ember? Not Torch?”

“No, sir, he retired last year.”

“I see. Constable Wolf tells me you had a teacher with you. Who was this other dragon?”

Smolder felt her insides turn to ice once more, but to her relief she managed to stop herself from breaking down. “It wasn’t a dragon, sir. It was a pony named Fluttershy.”

That got a few murmurs out of the council. The lead Dog hushed them, then looked at Smolder once more. There was a hint of suspicion in that look now. “Dragon consorting with ponies? When did this start?”

“When Torch retired. There’s... a dragon that was hatched and raised by one of the Princesses of Equestria. He and the new Dragon Lord hit it off pretty well, so we were included in Equestria’s new diplomatic expansion.”

More murmurs. Smolder was starting to wonder if she shouldn’t have mentioned it, but it was too late now.

“Why were the Diamond Dogs not invited to this expansion?” The lead Dog asked again.

“I don’t know. I’m just a student at Princess Twilight’s School of Friendship. But I think that they’d let you in on it if you just asked...”

“What other races are involved in this alliance?”

“The Griffins, the Hippogriffs, the Yaks, the Changelings...”

That caused an uproar. A lot of shouting. The lead Dog had to bang his gavel to restore order. Then he looked at Smolder, looking so angry that the young dragon flinched.

“Are you saying Celestia has joined forces with Chrysalis?” he growled.

“Oh, no, Chrysalis was overthrown around the time Torch retired. King Thorax leads the Hive now.”

“Lies,” one of the other Dogs said. He then talked over his leaders attempt to silence him. “Next the dragon will be saying the Storm King has been destroyed.”

“Uh... yeah, about that...” Smolder said.

For what seemed to be hours, Smolder was required to tell the Council everything she knew about that was going on in the outside world. Finally, the subject came around to why the ponies hadn’t reached out to them. Smolder, who had been downing the pitcher brought to her, took a moment to answer.

“I told you, I don’t know,” Smolder said. “Professor Fluttershy told me that she had a bad experience with Diamond Dogs once, a group that was in Equestria. Maybe they don’t know that that group wasn’t the only one.”

As the words left her mouth, Smolder was wondering once again if she should have said them. But instead of outrage, the lead Dog only asked, “Were there names Rover, Spike, and Fido?”

“I don’t know, she only told me about it just before we got seperated.”

“I told you we should have sent soldiers after them,” another Dog said.

“Well, we need to remember why we’re here,” the lead Dog said, turning his eyes onto Smolder. “Since you brought all this news, far too outrageous to be a lie, I think we can safely assume that you aren’t working with Clan Azureclaw.”

“I don’t know who that is, I just want to continue my mission.” It was the biggest lie she had ever told. Not that she knew who Clan Azureclaw was, but the wanting to continue her mission. What she wanted to do was fly back to Povevilly and crawl into bed. And, not that she’d ever admit it, have her friends all come and console her.”

“They are the sworn enemy of us, Clan Greenrock. But not to worry, they will allow you to pass through unharmed. We do have certain agreements that they keep, for pragmatic reasons if nothing else. But the Behir are in mating season at the moment, and it will be a while before they calm. I wouldn’t recommend leaving until then. You’d be welcome to stay here as long as you cause no trouble.”

“Fine,” she said. Truthfully, she was glad. She wanted an excuse to mope a bit.

“We’ll allow you to rest for now, but we’ll be speaking again soon. Constable Wolf, take her to the holding quarters for tonight, until we can find something better.”

Wolf saluted and led her out. She didn’t argue.

***

For a few brief moments, Fluttershy wondered if she had entered Paradise. She remembered all the rocks falling on her, remembered the immense pain, and thought she had to have died. But then she heard it. The beeping of a heart monitor. She was in the hospital.

That didn’t make sense to her. They were miles from civilization. Unless... did Smolder carry her all the way back to pony territory?

She opened her eyes. She was in a hospital room, but instead of the sterile white of the Ponyville hospital, the room looked gray... like it had been carved of stone.

Then she saw it. In the chair next to her bed was a Diamond Dog.

Fluttershy was grateful, in hindsight, that she was too weak to scream. Her only previous encounter with Diamond Dogs, while short, had not been pleasant, so for a few moments she was scared.

Then the rational part of her mind took over. If this creature meant her harm, she wouldn’t have brought her here to treat her injuries...

The Dog had his face in a book, but seemed to hear Fluttershy’s movement. He looked at her, and a look of relief washed over his face. “Ah, good, you’re awake,” he said, coming closer. “I’m relieved.”

“W-who are you?” Fluttershy asked. Then she immediately wished she hadn’t. Her throat felt like it was on fire.

Seeing this, the dog lifted a pitcher off of the bedside table and poured her a cup of water. He brought it up to her lips and let her drink.

The sips were almost painful with how dry her throat was, but she ended up downing the cup anyway. When the Dog pulled the cup away. Fluttershy spoke again. “May I please have another?”

The Dog poured her another cup and let her drink. This one went down easier. When she was finished, the Dog pulled the cup away. When Fluttershy didn’t ask for a third cup, he spoke.

“My name is Rukil,” he said. “I’ve been assigned to watch over you.”

Fluttershy was feeling more at ease after the show of kindness, but still felt a little wary. “Are you a doctor?”

He shook his head. “I’m a soldier. I’ve been assigned to watch over you. You’re in protective custody.”

Fluttershy didn’t like the sound of the word custody, which she associated with arrest. Then she remembered Twilight using the term when they were deciding what to do with Starlight. It had been defined as a detainment for the individuals own safety.

“We found you in the tunnels, completely knocked out. We were worried that you were attacked by a member of Clan Greenrock.”

Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion. “I don’t know who they are. We were attacked by...” she trailed off as the pronoun in that statement sunk in. “Wait...”

She nearly leapt out of the bed. Rukil was quickly there, pushing her back down. “Easy, you’ve been injured. The doctor said not to let you move around...”

“Was there a dragon with me?”

Now it was Rukil’s turn to be confused. “A dragon? They’d be way too big to fit in the tunnels...”

“She’s only a little dragon! Barely any older than a baby! Her name is Smolder, she’s my student! Orange scales...”

“Easy, easy...” Rukil said, trying to calm her down. It worked, somewhat, as Fluttershy stopped talking and started taking a few deep breaths.”

“There was no dragon in the tunnels. I think that I would have heard about it if there was one.”

Fluttershy kept breathing, but her breaths became deeper and more ragged. Smolder... was she dead? But... she was just a little hatchling! Not even old enough to be scary yet! She was too young to...”

Fluttershy felt her vision get fuzzy. She felt Rukil guide her down, back unto the pillow. “Stay with me, please. We might not have found her, but that also means we never found a body, or any trace of one. She could still be alive.”

It took Fluttershy a moment to process that. Yes... no body. She could still be alive.

“Now... what attacked you.”

“A... a Behir.”

He nodded. “That means the Greenrocks are still honoring the rules of parley. They can still be talked to in matters such as this. We can simply call them for conference and ask if they’ve seen this dragon of yours.”

Fluttershy felt better about that, but was still left feeling afraid and worried.

“You never told me your name.”

That snapped Fluttershy out of her daze. “Oh, um... my name’s Fluttershy.”

“Fluttershy,” Rukil said. “That’s a pretty name.”

The pony in question blushed. She was never one to take compliments in stride, even in the best of times, and hearing it from a stranger was a bit much.

“Um, thank you.”

At that point, another Dog entered. He was wearing a white coat and wore glasses, and there were streaks of gray in his fur. When he saw Fluttershy awake, he grinned.

“Ah, good, your awake. Have you been speaking with Rukil here?”

“Um, yes,” Fluttershy answered.

For a few minutes, the doctor asked her a few questions that seemed trivial, like her name, her memories, and even her coat color. He held up a finger and asked Fluttershy to follow it, which she did. He held up a few colored cards and asked her to name them, which she did.

“Good... there appeared to be no brain damage, but I had to be sure. Can you tell us why you were in our tunnels?”

“A... rock snake chased us here, and a Behir attacked us next.”

“Us?” The doctor asked.

At that moment, a terrifying wave of remembrance washed over Fluttershy. “There should have been a dragon with me... very young, not even a preteen?”

The doctor shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry, the group only found you.”

“We also didn’t find any sort of body. That means that this friend of yours could still be alive,” Rukil reminded. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a small notepad. “If you give me a description, I can ask my superiors to put out an APB.”

Fluttershy gave her brief description. Ruki jotted it down.

“You best give it to them now. I need to put our guest here through a few more tests.”

Rukil seemed reluctant to do so, but he left the room regardless. Soon afterward, another Dog entered. It was female, at least Fluttershy assumed by the fact that this one was wearing a dress. She turned out to be a nurse.

Fluttershy was grateful Ruki had been asked to leave, because it turned out being kept unconscious in bed required certain things that were quite... messy. The doctor and nurse gave Fluttershy a cleaning, being as gentle as possible. Afterward they asked Fluttershy to try to stand and walk. She managed a few steps, though her body was feeling rather sore.

Finally she was allowed to lay back down. “You seem to be recovering nicely,” the doctor said. “You should be back on your paws... er, hooves, in just a few days.”

Fluttershy muttered a “Thank you.” She was still a bit disoriented from pain and the fact that Smolder was missing.

Rukil came back in as the doctor was telling her that she simply had to press the service button to get any sort of help from them. Rukil was carrying what looked like a few books and a newspaper underneath his arm. As he sat down, the medical personnel left.

“Good news, we've started looking for that friend of yours. I’m certain that we’ll find her before two long.”

“Oh, I hope so. She’s my student, I’m responsible for her safety.”

“Are you a teacher?”

“Oh, yes. On top of running a wildlife preserve.”

“Then what were the two of you doing all the way down here?”

Fluttershy told him the story. About Princess Twilight’s School of Friendship, about the Journey to the First Flame, about getting lost in the caves.

When Fluttershy finished, Rukil nodded. “This does sound important. I’m sure your friend is okay. Maybe once we talk to the Greenrocks, they can tell us something.”

Fluttershy was quiet for a moment. “Um... who are the Greenrocks?”

Rukil was quiet for a moment. “They are... a tribe we are at war with. It’s a complicated story. Perhaps you should rest before I tell it to you.”

Fluttershy wanted to protest, but she started feeling her fatigue again. She felt her eyes get heavy. Being reminded of her state seemed to sap the strength right out of her.

Rukil moved and adjusted her pillow, pulling the sheets up over her. “Rest up. I’ll tell you everything when you wake up.”

Fluttershy needed no second bidding. Within moments, she was asleep.

Chapter 4

In many ways, Fluttershy’s time with the Diamond Dogs was pleasant. She was given a comfortable room to recover in, access to the best foods the tribe could cook (although she had to be careful to always get the vegetarian option), and could spend time reading from the castle library.

Still, the entire time passed with a feeling of anxiousness that only grew with each passing day. The dread of what the other dragons would think when they learned that Smolder had died, and the even worse dread of what her friends would think when they learned of her failure. Even without those fears, she was becoming stir crazy. The underground had very little of the things she loved. She wanted to be outside, among the nature she loved.

She initially tried to still this longing by reading what books on nature Clan Azureclaw kept, but they only made her longing intensify. After that, she decided to occupy herself with the thickest tomes she could find. She found many of them uninteresting, but it was something to do.

After finishing up a collection of diamond dog fairy tales, she went searching through the library for further reading. Like almost everything else in the city, the library was plain looking. No fancy decorations or opulent structures, simply plain wooden shelves with simply signs designating the section. Inevitably, she found her way to the history section. Looking over the spines, she eventually found one that caught her interest.

The Complete History of the Clan War

***

Smolder moaned out loud to the empty room, as she had done several times that day. She was bored, bored, bored! She needed something to do. Something, anything, to occupy her mind. To keep her from thinking about how she had lost her teacher.

Her time here had been agony. In addition to her mourning, she hadn’t had a chance to fly, or play any of the extreme sports she loved doing. The caves were confining to a dragon like her.

She missed Ponyville. She wondered what her friends were doing. Sandbar was probably showing Yona some pony custom that she’d no doubt bungle, and Gallus would try some prank that wouldn’t go exactly how he planned, and everyone there would know it was him, even if they couldn’t prove it. At this point, she’d even take giving Spike another flying lesson.

She moaned again, looking around the apartment she had been given. She really wanted to go over to the other clan and ask them about Fluttershy, in some vain hope she was still alive, but she was told that would break the truces between the two clans.

She looked at the clock on the wall. It was moving painfully slow, but she saw it had moved far enough that it was time for lunch. As the thought passed through her brain, the door to her apartment opened.

The usual servant came in, wheeling in a cart that had her meal on it. She wasn’t sure what the meat was exactly, but after living among ponies for so long she was grateful to have meat at all.

“Thanks,” she muttered. She stripped off a piece and popped it in her mouth, savoring the taste.

“They wanted me to tell you that the meeting with the other clan is tomorrow. We should be able to ask them about your friend tomorrow.”

That made Smolder feel a little better, but not by much. After swallowing another mouthful, she asked, “What’s the deal with this feud anyway?”

The servant tilted her head. “You don’t know? No one told you?”

Smolder shook her head. “Nah. Everyone just keeps talking about how awful they are. I figured I’d hear something eventually.”

The servant was silent for a moment. “Well... I have been instructed to give you anything that would make your stay more comfortable. That means I can tell you what happened.”

Smolder hesitated for a moment. It sounded like a long story. Still, it wasn’t like she had anything better to do...

“Alright. Tell me everything.”

The servant cleared his throat. “Long Ago, the Two Clans of Greenrock and Azureclaw used to be a single clan named Iron Howl Clan. The clan was prosperous and lived in peace. However, it was not to last, as the clan was torn apart thanks to the traitorous actions of the Azureclaws.

“Treasonous?”

“Oh yes. You see, it all started with the discovery of a fresh vein of gemstones...”

Fluttershy opened her book and found the introductory text, labeled “A Brief Summary”. Skimming through the opening words, she soon found herself engrossed in the story.

Long Ago, the Two Clans of Azureclaw and Greenrock used to be a single clan named Iron Howl Clan. The clan was prosperous and lived in peace. However, it was not to last, as the clan was torn apart thanks to the traitorous actions of the Greenrocks.

It all started with the discovery of a fresh vein of gemstones. The two dogs that found them, Azureclaw and Greenrock, were legendary explorers that were well known for their discoveries. They were also well known for their friendship, being sworn brothers who shared nearly everything.

The discovery of the vein was made during an expedition to find safe alternate passage to the surface. It was large, enough to fill the gemstone needs of the entire clan for generations. Soon, there was an official mining team extravating the sight, and it made the pair incredibly rich.

After two years, both Azureclaw and Greenrock decided to use their newfound wealth to run for potions in the council. They both won, securing themselves seats and making them both very powerful politically.

Unfortunately, that power ended up corrupting Greenrock. While Azureclaw won over half the clan with his wise leadership and charming personality, Greenrock used empty promises and solutions that only true fools would believe in to win over the other half.

Azureclaw knew that something had to be done. He was a wise canine, and could already see that half the clan was being poisoned by the honeyed words of his former friend. He could see the divide that was already starting to form over the disagreements. So he told the half of the council that supported him that they needed to start preparing for war in secret. Meanwhile, Greenrock was lying to his supporters and telling them that Azureclaw would support an uprising if things didn’t go his way

“Unfortunately, that power ended up corrupting Azureclaw. While Greenrock won over half the clan with his wise leadership and charming personality, Azureclaw used empty promises and solutions that only true fools would believe in to win over the other half.

“Greenrock knew that something had to be done. He was a wise canine, and could already see that half the clan was being poisoned by the honeyed words of his former friend. He could see the divide that was already starting to form over the disagreements. So he told the half of the council that supported him that they needed to start preparing for war in secret. Meanwhile, Azureclaw was lying to his supporters and telling them that Greenrock would support an uprising if things didn’t go his way.

But the truth was it was Azureclaw who was committing treason. Greenrock uncovered his secretly amassing power. Azureclaw responded by making his preemptive measures sound like he was planning a revolution, and the entire clan plummeted into civil war.

But the truth was it was Greenrock who was committing treason. Azureclaw uncovered his secretly amassing power. Greenrock responded by making his preemptive measures sound like he was planning a revolution, and the entire clan plummeted into civil war.

After a period of chaos, the once great city was split into two, one for each clan. The vein, not even half empty, has been sealed off until the war ends.

Fluttershy stopped reading. She kept looking at the book, but wasn’t absorbing any more words. This was all a but suspicious. As far as she was concerned, most wars were fought over stupid things, but this seemed extra suspicious.

“Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy looked up. Rukil was walking up to her. “Oh. Hello.”

“Still finding ways to pass the time?” Rukil asked.

“Oh, yes. I was just reading about the war.”

Rukil got quiet for a moment. “You picked an unhappy subject. The war has taken its toll on us.”

Fluttershy tilted her head, looking confused. “Really? Your city appears to be in good shape.”

“A front. You never show your weakness in war. The truth is we’re running low on resources. There barely enough crops being grown, or meat being hunted, to go around.”

Fluttershy didn’t wince at the mention of meat, like some people might assume she would. She did surround herself in nature, after all, and nature was far more brutal than most ponies gave it credit for, especially in areas where ponies hadn’t properly tamed it.

“Are you any closer to coming to peace?”

“I don’t think that peace is happening within my lifetime,” Rukil said. “The Greenrocks have refused every peace treaty we brought to them. They refuse to budge their position. And as long as they’re attacking us, we can’t lay down arms.”

That upset Fluttershy. War was something she never had a stomach for. She knew she was privileged, growing up in a land as peaceful as Equestria. She remembered Twilight’s story of the alternate timelines she had visited, the timeline where Sombra had brought Equestria to war. The mere description of it sent a chill up her spine. The Changeling timeline, where Twilight, after some coaxing, admitted that she had seen the other her killed in combat. It was clear the image was still troubling Twilight, and Spike admitted the whole thing still gave them both nightmares.

“Fluttershy?” Rukil asked. Fluttershy realized that she had been quiet for a bit too long.

“Oh, I’m sorry. But... war is so horrible, is nothing being done about it?”

“We’re doing everything we can, but the Greenrocks refuse to see reason. Remember, they tried to embezzle from us.”

“No, Greenrock tried to embezzle from you. Isn’t he dead by now?”

Rukil looked at her like she had just dispensed some unknown piece of knowledge. “I... guess so. But the Greenrocks haven’t been willing to negotiate since then. If they’re so innocent, why aren’t they agreeing to peace?”

Fluttershy was quiet for a moment. Why wouldn’t they agree to peace? That didn’t add up.

Then she remembered Queen Chrysalis. When Thorax took control, it had been revealed she had been deceiving her subjects to keep them in line. Could it be that simple?

“Greenrock must have lied to his clan. Why else would they be willing to fight a war over one dog’s greed?”

“Because they’re hor...” Rukil started to say, but it was out of reflex more than any real conviction. He really started to think about it. “Could it really be that simple?”

Fluttershy’s mind was now racing, trying to come up with a plan. This was unusual for her. Planning and leading was Twilight’s department, or Applejack’s if Twilight was incapacitated, and she had always followed their directions with faith that they knew what they was doing. But this was an adventure she was on alone.

“Perhaps we should bring up this possibility with the council? But... who knows if they’ll even listed to us.”

“My friends and I have solved bigger problems than this,” Fluttershy said. “We should at least try.”

Smolder sat alone in her hospital room, for once not feeling bored. She was turning over the story that she had just heard in her mind. There was something about it that just didn’t add up.

Azureclaw committed embezzlement, which led to war. But Azureclaw was long dead. Why still fight a war over it? It seemed so pointless.

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. She pulled herself out of bed. She was a little sore, but she could move. She couldn’t sit around anymore.

She started for the door, but stopped. If anyone saw her, they’d probably send her back here. No, she needed to sneak out.

So, she went for the window. After making sure that there was no dog to see her, she snuck through it.

Fluttershy hated having eyes on her, and being the only pony in a city full of dogs pretty much guaranteed that would happen. Still, she was getting used to it, if only marginally, and the trip from the library to the council building wasn’t quite as torturous as before.

Now waiting in the front lobby, Fluttershy passed the time by reading one of the books in the waiting area while Rukil went and had a word with his superiors. It was a plan the dog had come up with on the trip over. He was supposed to be checking in with the council on Fluttershy’s status on a regular basis anyway, so he had an excuse to visit them.

He didn’t want to question anything about the war directly. Questioning the council on their decisions was considered bad form. But if he said that he merely wanted suggestions on what to say to soothe Fluttershy’s nerves, he could probably get the topic out without upsetting them.

Rukil was still nervous as he entered the chamber. The Dogs that ran the city sat on their seats, looking at him.

“What do you have to report?” one asked.

“Well, Fluttershy is mostly comfortable in the city and I’ve had no problems with any of our citizens harassing her. However, she’s becoming a bit restless here.”

“An understandable response. She is a flying creature stuck underground, far from home. I’m sure she can find ways to occupy her time for three more weeks.”

“I’m sure. I was hoping to get the council’s permission to use the private skyboxes at the arena and the theatre. Maybe a few diversions will keep her calm?”

There was some quick muttering among the council that Rukil suspected was for show. They needed to look like they were giving some token form of debate to any idea that didn’t come from one of them.

“That will be fine. Is there anything else you wanted to ask us?

“Well, yes. But she’s starting to read up on the war we’re having with the Greenrocks. She has some questions that I couldn’t give an answer to calm her. I was hoping I could get a better idea of what to tell her from you.”

There was an uneasy air for a while as the council members just looked at him. For a few moments, Rukil wondered if he was in trouble.

“What kind of questions is she having?” There was no undercurrent of threat or danger in the council member’s voice, at least none Rukil could hear. It was a neutral question, and it made him all the more nervous.

Really hoping his nervousness wasn’t showing, Rukil opened his mouth. “Well... she asks why the Greenrocks are so willing to follow their former leader, if all this was just to satisfy Greenrock’s greed. I tried explaining to her that the clan has a history of aggressiveness and foolishness, but she didn’t seem convinced.” No need to reveal that he was starting to doubt things as well.

“I see,” the council member said. Still no tone that indicated the council’s emotion, and it was still making him nervous. “Well, tell her this. She might be welcome here, but she’s an outsider who hasn’t grown up in our environment. She simply cannot understand the war like those who are having to live through it. Perhaps she shouldn’t concern herself with it.”

“Of course,” he said. He was always formal with the council.

“Do you have any other concerns to bring up to us?”

“No sir.”

“Very good. You're dismissed. Oh, and take Fluttershy to the theatre tonight. A play might get her mind off of things.”

“Yes sir.”

Rukil left, feeling grateful that things hadn’t blown up but feeling that things just took a turn for the worse.

Fluttershy saw Rukil exit into the lobby and put her book down. It was a collection of poems, good for little reads, making it good for waiting rooms. She met him.

“How’d it go?”

“Pretty well. They gave us tickets for the theatre tonight, it might soothe your nerves.” he gestured toward the door, hoping Fluttershy got the hint and didn’t press the matter much.

Fortunately, she did. She started heading toward the door, giving Rukil a look that was filled with an anxious curiosity.

Chapter 5

Theatre was always something that Fluttershy enjoyed, though Ponyville was too small to have its own theatre. Still, on any trip to Canterlot to Manehatten she made sure to take in a show. She was interested in seeing how Diamond Dogs did a show.

Rukil had secured tickets in one of the balconies, something that is guaranteed to them due to Fluttershy’s status as a guest of the state. They took their seats, getting comfortable for the show.

Fluttershy looked over her program and was disappointed to see that this play was based on the war. She was fully expecting some propaganda piece, as even a glance through the library showed her that those were common.

“I think you’re going to like this,” Rukil said. “It’s one of the most popular shows this year.”

Fluttershy nodded politely and non-committedly.

The play started. Three Diamond Dogs dressed in Greenrock armor came onto the stage, dragging another Dog by the leash. They announced that their captive would die for daring to serve the Azureclaws. The captive begged them, saying that he had a family. The Greenrocks laughed, delighting that more would suffer from the death.

Then three more dogs entered, dressed in Azureclaw armor. With a cry of “For justice!”, they struck down two of the evil Greenrocks. The third managed to run off to the edge of the stage. Before making an exit, he vowed they wouldn’t rest until the Azureclaw way of life was destroyed. He then ran off.

As the freed Azureclaw revealed the information that the Greenrocks had been hoping would die with him, Rukil finally looked over at Fluttershy and noticed her expression of unease. Carefully he leaned over and whispered “Something wrong?”

“This is propaganda. It’s pretty paper thin.”

“I...” Rukil started, but he stopped himself. He returned his attention to the stage and really paid attention. He saw the Azureclaws talking about how they had to eliminate every trace of the Greenrocks otherwise they would destroy the Azureclaw way of life.

“...I think you’re right,” he said in a whisper. There was really no need to whisper. The acoustics of the theatre were built to make the actors on the stage carry and the noise of the audience dull. But habits were hard to break.

“Are... all plays like this?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well... no. There are plenty of plays about other things. But these are always the most popular.”

Fluttershy was quiet for a moment. At that moment, she wished Twilight was here. She knew how to get people to calm themselves and think logically, as a real leader should. Could she cut through all of this?

“Are there a lot of books like this?”

“Yeah... but not all of them. There are plenty of books that have nothing to do with the war. I just finished up one about a group of dogs that had an adventure in some deep caverns. But... yeah, there’s a lot.”

“Everyone is so angry. They all are willing to spend so much time writing about all this violence.”

“Well, I suppose it is now...”

Fluttershy tilted her head a bit. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I remember way back the council started a culture initiative where they started to pay authors and playwrights to produce more works. They said it was to ensure that there was still culture even in war. A lot of the things that came out around them were the first about the war.”

Fluttershy looked at Rukil, as a thought entered her head.

At that point, everything went crazy.

“Look out!” Rukil suddenly yelled, diving on top of Fluttershy and pushing her to the ground. This ended up being very fortunate, because a split-second later the balcony erupted into flames.

The theatre immediately descended into chaos. The audience started tripping over themselves trying to get to the exit, and the actors went backstage. A fire curtain dropped over the stage.

Fluttershy didn’t see any of this, her face was on the floor. For a few seconds, she was paralyzed with shock, her brain trying to piece together what happened. Even as Rukil lifted up, she remained motionless.

Rukil picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. Fluttershy just saw a bunch of blurs go by as Rukil jumped and ran through all the obstacles in his path. Suddenly they were in the hallway that led to the balcony, running for the exit.

The next thing she knew she was outside. There was chaos. Dogs were running out of the theatre, some knocking over others. A fire cart showed up, with the crew pulling out a hose and plugging it into the nearest fire hydrant.

Fluttershy half expected to be set down, but Rukil kept going. “We must get inside!”

“What? Why?”

“The smoke will take time to air out. We need to get inside where the air is clean!”

Fluttershy would later learn of all the safety procedures and systems that were set up to combat fires in these caverns, but it would be after she was safe. At that moment, still in utter shock from what happened, she could only let herself be carried, eventually blacked out.

Fluttershy woke up in her room. Not her room in her cottage in Ponyville, but the room that had been provided for her by the Azureclaws. She tried to remember why she was there. Then it came flooding back to her in a wave of horrific realization.

“Fluttershy! You’re okay!”

It was Rukil, still okay, but he had a few new cuts and scrapes. “I thought you might have gone into shock!”

“What happened?”

Before he could answer, the door to the room opened, and one of the Councildogs entered, followed by two guards. Rukil gave a respectful bow, which the Dog returned with a respectful but minimal wave.

“Has Rukil told you what happened?” he asked.

“He was about to,” Fluttershy said. “I just woke up.”

“Well, to be quite honest, you were the victim of an assassination attempt.”

Fluttershy didn’t quite understand at first. That answer had been so unexpected that it took a moment to wrap her head around it. “What?”

“The Greenrocks have made an attempt on your life. They tried using some firerocks to end your life. A spy in the crowd threw it up at you. We’re currently trying to find who it was.”

Fluttershy was stunned. Her next words came out on instinct. “Was any creature hurt?”

“I’m afraid so. A few Dogs are in the hospital with burns, and one was trampled to death by other dogs trying to get out. Another casualty of the Greenrocks’s cruelty.”

“Why were they trying to kill me?”

“We currently believe that the Greenrocks suspect that we’re trying to start an alliance with Equestria through your presence here. They believe that by killing you they can prevent an alliance from coming forward.”

“But... I...” Fluttershy tripped over her words. What could she say to this.

“I’m afraid I have some more bad news.”

Fluttershy felt her heart tighten. She was now too afraid to speak. So the Dog went on.

“I’m afraid that the Greenrocks got a hold of your dragon friend. I’m afraid she’s gone.”

Fluttershy felt dread at that, but much to her surprise, there was something else undercutting it. Was Smolder really dead? There seemed to be something that wasn’t quite adding up.

“I see the shock is a bit much. I will give you time to mourn.”

The Dog gave a polite nod and took his leave, leaving Fluttershy and Rukil as the only two creatures in the room.

“Fluttershy... I...”

“I don’t believe it.”

Even Fluttershy had been surprised by the words coming out of her mouth. But after they left, every unconscious thought, and every conscious thought that had been kept silent out of nervousness seemed to pop out.

“It’s not true. Nothing that he said was true.”

Rukil couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “But... why would you think that?”

Fluttershy had never been an eloquent speaker, but at that moment her words flowed like water. “Because your leaders pump out propaganda nearly constantly and make sure everycreature hates the Greenrocks. They always try to make sure everyone is so filled with anger that they don’t question it.”

“That’s crazy!” Rukil said.

“How much about your tribe before the feud have you learned about?”

Rukil blinked at the question. “Well... not much. Only that we used to be allies...”

“And it doesn’t find it a bit strange that after being friends for so long, that everything would suddenly go wrong?”

Rukil did something that, in hindsight, he’d realize that he had never done before. He took a moment and actually thought about the war.

Smolder kept herself hidden as best as she could. She thought that she'd have trouble hiding, as the only dragon in a town full of Dogs. But fortunately, cloaks seemed to be the fashion around, and as long as she didn’t do anything to draw attention to herself, none of them would look twice at her.

Unfortunately, the “doing nothing to attract attention to herself” became a problem when he had first heard the newspup yelling “Extra, Extra, Read All About It! Azureclaws found to have killed a traveling pony! Dragon guess mysteriously missing, suspected kidnapping!”

Smolder’s first instinct was to march right up to the Dog and pump him for information, but she managed to bite that instinct down. She could imagine her sister chastising her for not giving this Dog a wringing, but the ponies had softened her more than she’d admit.

Her next thought was to buy the paper, but her empty stomach reminded her that money was not something she had. Not for the first time, she considered going back to the hospital and claiming that she had gone for a walk and gotten lost, but she feared the lie wouldn’t hold up. Besides, that uneasy feeling crept back into her whenever she thought about them. There was something about this whole thing that stank.

And so, for the fifth time since she arrived in the underground city, Smolder stole something. It wasn’t easy, dragons weren’t known for stealth, and the morals the ponies were teaching her made her feel bad. So after a few hundred repeats of telling herself that this was an emergency and she’d find some way to compensate her victims later, she lifted the newspaper. Luckily, her victim had so many he didn’t notice the loss until he was counting his sale money.

She read the article.

Sources in the Greenrock council informed us that the Azureclaws have recently executed a pony that had wandered into their city. This is widely believed to be the same pony described by Smolder, the dragon who had been found by sentries in the caves just two days ago. If this is true, then it’s simply the latest in a line of barbaric actions in the last year, including...

Smolder felt her brain haze as she read the list of things the Azureclaws had done. It had simply been the latest long list in a series of long lists. Every discarded newspaper page she found and read out of boredom had one. Even the comics section seemed to be filled with propaganda.

Smolder still remains missing. The Council advises any Dog with any information to contact them immediately.

She placed the newspaper aside, not believing a word of it. The papers went on and on about how evil the Azureclaws were, and yet they lived peacefully right next door. If they were half the barbarians the Greenrocks claimed they were, this town would be in chaos. Why couldn’t they see that?

She thought back to Professor Applejack’s lesson on Equestrian history, and how mindlessly the three tribes hated one another over nothing. She had heard about it, but until she saw it firsthand she couldn’t wrap her head around how easily hate clouded judgement.

Now the only question is, what could she do now?

She knew that all the atrocities the Azureclaws were was not true, but Fluttershy’s death could be. Maybe from some wandering creatures, maybe by the Greenrocks themselves, but it was possible her teacher truly was dead. However, it was equally likely that Fluttershy was still alive.

She had spent her days walking around the wall between the two clans, trying to figure out a way to cross it. Unfortunately, they were heavily guarded by soldiers. She had prodded around, hoping to find some sort of weak link, but it didn’t seem like that would happen.

Walking on autopilot once again, she found herself back at the wall. She took a seat on a stoop nearby, on a building that was closed for repairs. Hopefully, they’ll think she was just a dog resting her feet.

She looked over the wall again. It was high, made of solid rock, and had guards at every level. At about the midway point there was a large building carved into it, meant to discuss things under parley. More evidence, to Smolder at least, that there was something fishy going on. If one side was so horrible, keeping truces wouldn’t be very high on the list.

At that moment, the gong sounded. The one that was situated in the center of the Greenrock territory, that rang five times. Straining her ears, Smolder could hear another gond on the other side of the wall. After the gong ended, the overhead lights began to dim. It was time for the night cycle.

A plan started forming. Once the lights had dimmed, she would take a gamble and try flying over the wall. Immediately her mind conjured all kinds of scenarios in which it could go wrong, but she knew she didn’t have much of a choice. The only two other things she could do was go back to the Greenrocks and pray they’d spare her, or stay on the streets and starve to death. She needed to take a risk.

She tore her eyes away from the room and back to street level. Almost immediately, her stomach went into a lurch when she noticed that three of the soldiers who had been guarding the wall were moving toward her. She suddenly worried if she had been found out. She instinctively pulled inward, hoping to cover as much of herself as possible.

The dogs got to the street. For a brief moment, Smolder hoped they’d have to wait for the crossing light. That hope went up in smoke as one carefully stepped forward, holding up a paw. Rickshaws and carts stopped, at the order of a guard, and the trio crossed, going as quick as they could while still making sure every new lane got the chance to see them.

Carefully, trying to look casual, Smolder stood, hoping that none of her orange scales showed. She began walking away, going as fast as she dared without looking like she was trying to get away. She hoped to see other pedestrians, but there weren’t many that would walk near the wall. There was no Dog to blend in with.

“You there, stop!” she heard a voice cry. Smolder tensed for a split second, but kept going. Hopefully they’d think she hadn’t heard them. She looked forward. She saw an alleyway. She knew what her only hope was.

“I said halt!” the Dog called again. She still didn’t look back. She reached the alley. It was empty. Perfect.

As she heard the Dog calling again, she looked up. She knew there was a good chance she could be seen, but she had to. After a moment, she pulled off her cloak, freeing her wings, and flew.

The Dogs reached the alley and found it empty. Smolder managed to make it to the roof. After glancing around to make sure no one could see her, she listed down at the ally.

“Where did it go?”

“It must have been the dragon! Quick, alert the others, we have to find her!”

Smolder knew right then and there she wouldn’t be safe now, not this close to the wall. She needed to get away, but she needed to be near the wall to enact her plan.

Well, the obvious answer was that she needed to be on the other end.

After some debate, she decided to risk the rooftops. It was getting dark, hopefully she wouldn’t be seen.

She made it to the other end of the rooftop, looked at see there was no one on top of it, then made the jump, flapping her wings to help. She moved to the next rooftop. Fortunately, it seemed that most roofs weren’t being used for anything other than cover.

She kept going, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, occasionally glancing to make sure no Dog could see her.

When she was about halfway there, her plan went up in smoke with one single word. “Smolder?”

She stopped dead, the claws on her toes digging into the stone. Carefully, she turned to see who had blown her cover.

It was a Dog, that was bad. To make it worse, the reason this Dog knew her name was because it was the same Dog that had been assigned to watch her in the hospital.

“Oh, hey, .... you.”

“Oh, Smolder, thank goodness I found you first.”

“Oh, I was just...” she trailed off as what the Dog said sank in. “What do you mean, first?”

“I mean, before the city guards did,” the Dog explained. “They don’t have the best intentions.”

Smolder blinked. She hadn’t been expecting this. “What?”

“Less than an hour after you left, the ones in charge were on high alert. They brought me in and interrogated me for hours trying to figure out if I said anything to you to get you to run off. Three guards got fired. You got lucky when you slipped away.”

“Okay... but that would only mean they think I’m valuable. Why am I in danger?”

“Well... I overheard some of the higher ups talking. I wasn’t normally there, so they slipped up. I heard them talking. The Greenrocks reported to them that they have Fluttershy.”

Smolder felt her heart flutter. “Then she’s still alive!”

“Probably. But that misses the other point: they have contact with the Greenrocks. They’re not supposed to have contact with the other tribes except in times of parley.”

Smolder mulled this fact over. “You think that the two tribes are working together somehow?”

“I... don’t know. It seemed almost impossible to believe at first. But then I thought more about it. Despite all the claims of how dangerous they are, we never seem to have any trouble living next to them. But then I heard them say that Fluttershy was told that you were dead.”

That did it “What? You mean... so, you’ve got proof they’re lying?”

“No. I have confirmation. But proof? No. I don’t even know where to begin exposing them.”

“This is still good. We can start looking for a way to expose them. Nice going... you...

“...You don’t know what my name is, do you?”

“Sure I do,” she said.

“Then what is it?”

...

“Can you just tell me? I want this to be over.”

“It’s Gary.”

“Gary?”

“That’s right.”

“That doesn’t sound like a Dog name.”

“What do you think a Dog name is?”

“...So how are we going to expose everything that’s going on?” Smolder said.

Fortunately, Gary didn’t press the matter. “Well, you see that room in the center of the wall?” Gary said.

Smolder looked at it again. “Yeah. The parley room, right?”

“Exactly. If there’s any proof, it would be in there.”

“Great. So we have to break into the most secure area in the city,” she said. “I was worried enough just trying to fly over it. Any idea how to get in?”

“That’s what I’m worried about. The one advantage we have is that they aren’t normally prepared to deal with a flying creature. They added some extra security, but maybe you can still sneak in that way.”

“I was hoping for that, but I don’t think so. The only way I can see to get there is dropping straight down, and even that’s going to get me seen just by getting to the ceiling.

Gary rubbed his chin a little bit. “Then don’t fly up there. Climb.”

Fluttershy had gone back to the apartment that the Dogs had given her to rest, and Rukil had been summoned to appear before the council. He had been unwilling to leave Fluttershy’s side, but orders were orders, even if he was starting to doubt the validity of these leaders. For now, he’d play along.

He appeared before the council and acted as professional and proper as ever.

“We appreciate your prompt arrival,” the lead Dog said.

“I always perform my duty,” Rukil said. “Although I’d like to request we finish this up as soon as possible. After what happened, I don’t think I should be apart from Fluttershy for very long.”

“Yes, as to that,” the head Dog said. “We actually wanted to inform you that you’re being removed from your current assignment.”

Rukil started. “What? But... my Alphas, I haven’t acted improperly, have I?”

“Oh no, you’ve done a fine job. But the attack at the theatre has shown us that Fluttershy is... well, she’s becoming a bit of a liability.”

Rukil blinked. “I’m... I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“As long as she’s here, she’s a target. A target that the Azureclaws are going to continually come after unless something is done about it now.”

Rukil felt his heart quicken. “Are you saying that we are going to wage all out war with the Greenrocks? That would cost several lives...”

“It will be worth it if it means our future generations can grow up in an era of total peace.” The Head Dog ended any protest with his firm words. “Of course, there’s a little matter of motivation.”

“Motivation?” Rukil said in a worried voice.

“Well, yes. While every Dog knows how terrible our enemies are, we fear there may be some... holdouts in the city who are hoping that there can be peace between our clans. These foolish pacifists might cause discord during the war. We can’t have that. And that's where your new assignment comes in.”

Rukil felt an uneasy feeling inside him grow. It was like a living thing, something that was growing bigger and bigger with more worry. “And what is that assignment?”

The Council members took a moment to look at each other before turning back to Rukil. “We want you to kill Fluttershy.”

Rukil felt like he had been flash frozen. The chill was that intense. The worming worry grew into an intense sickness. “I... I beg your pardon?”

“We need something to win over any doubters,” one of the councildogs said.

“Something that will remind them of the evils that they face,” another added.

“And, there’s an added bonus,” said the Alpha. “We can present Fluttershy’s body to the ponies. Just think! Celestia alone could level the Azureclaws with her raw strength. No lives have to be lost.”

“But what you’re suggesting...”

“Is necessary,” the Alpha said. “I know this is a hard task we’ve given you, so we’re going to sweeten the deal.” He cleared his voice. “Once you perform this task, we’re going to promote you to the Elite Guard.”

That nearly knocked Rukil over. “The Elite?”

“That’s right. Think about it. A nice career. You’ll be able to help your fellow Dog from that position. It’s all one messy job away.”

“...I’ll do it.”

The words had come out more of habit, the habit of always serving your commanding officers. He pushed any feelings down. He couldn’t show them in front of his leaders.

“Excellent,” they said. “Head to your barracks and take some time. We want her dead soon.”

Rukil managed to keep her composure until he made it back to his room. He then lost his lunch in his bathroom.

Fluttershy had been around animals her whole life, and as a result had picked up certain instincts that let her know when she was in danger. When Rukil had been called away, she had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.

She was just beginning to consider sneaking out when the door opened. Rukil entered. He was carrying something.

“Rukil... what’s going on?”

He took a deep breath. “The Council wants you dead,” he said.

Fluttershy might have fainted dead away from that a few years ago. But meeting Twilight and going on all the adventures that she had gone on had ebbed away a lot of that fear. Oh, she was still terrified, but her rational mind was winning out.

If Rukil was telling her this, it must mean that he had a plan. So, taking a deep breath, she said, “What are you going to do next?”

To answer, he held out his paw. She saw what the object was: a simple thermos.

“I need you to drink this.”

Gary dug his claws into the solid rock wall. Despite seeming small compared to his fellow Dogs, he was every bit as strong as some of the warriors. Strong enough to climb up the sides of the cavern with Smolder on his back without much strain.

“Why is a Dog as strong as you doing paperwork?” Smolder asked.

“Because I’m too short. And because I ask too many questions,” Gary answered. It had been the first time he had spoken since the climb started. His voice was strained, he was starting to tire out, Smolder could tell.

“I could start flying now,” Smolder offered.

“No, not until the lights dim a bit more,” Gary said. “One it’s a bit darker, you can fly.”

Smolder didn’t say anything, only hoping that Gary could keep going... or that she could carry him if his strength gave out. By now they were on the ceiling, and Smolder needed to use all five appendages to cling onto her guide.

“What’s the plan when we get in there?” Gary asked.

“We look for something, anything, that can tell me where Fluttershy is,” Smolder said. “And anything that can expose why the two clans are fighting. Have you ever been on the wall?”

“No, it’s way above my rank. It supposedly is a place where the two clans meet to parley,” Gary said. “Only a select few are allowed in. Those that do get huge salaries. They’re practically rich.”

“Probably paid to keep something quiet,” Smolder said.

“That’s what I was thinking. I asked one of them what it was like. A month later a was conveniently transferred to a desk job.”

“A month? That seems like a long time to wait to pull that?”

“They were hoping I wouldn’t notice. They punish those who ask questions, but they do it subtly enough that many don’t notice. They learn not to make waves and they start to get rewarded.”

“Then how’d you notice?” Smolder asked.

“I just have an eye for detail,” he said. “I wondered why I was being shunted off to the side, so I started asking around. I managed to find out, after some prodding, that just about everyone had inquired about what it was like in the building.”

“And what did the other dogs tell you?” Smolder asked. “The one that you asked about the wall.”

“Just that it's decor was dull and boring,” he said. “It was pretty tense in some of the meetings, but there were a lot of arguments that went nowhere because the other tribe was too stubborn to listen.”

“And you didn’t believe it?” Smolder asked

“No, I did. They managed to deflect me pretty easily. But asking questions is something they need to stomp out. Okay, I think it’ll be safe to fly.”

It took a moment for Smolder to realize what he meant. She released Gary, flapping her wings to keep in the air. They were fairly close to the wall now, and there was a better sight of the wall. There were indeed several guards on top.

“Are you sure we won’t be seen?” Smolder asked.

“No. We need to hope they fall into habits and don’t look up. Do you know how to fight?”

“Please. I’ve been fighting since I was a hatchling. I can handle a few scrapes.”

“Maybe not against an opponent trying to kill you,” Gary said, inching along as he spoke. “Remember, we’re going for stealth.”

Smolder opened her mouth to argue, but as she did, Fluttershy entered her thoughts. Maybe discretion was the better part of valor.

As the wall got closer, Smolder kept as close to the ceiling as she could, hoping no dog looked up. She flew and saw the wall was now under her. Soon it would be time to land.

“What’s the plan once we get in?” Smolder asked.

“We wing it, hope we find your friend,” Gary said.

“That’s a plan I can get behind,” Smolder said. “I just hope Fluttershy’s still around.”