Chapter 12

Twilight’s Castle, Ponyville

Princess Twilight was gracious enough to allow Sunset and I to use a couple of spare rooms in her castle while we stayed in Equestria. While the accommodations were indeed luxurious and as comfortable as one could possibly hope for, I hardly slept at all. Being in a foreign place, stuck in a foreign body, has the tendency to make one restless. Suffice to say, when I finally managed to drag my quadrupedal pony-self out of bed, I felt sore and exhausted. Sunlight had just barely begun to creep through the windows and the sky was that lovely purplish-orange hue.

A quick glance at the grandfather clock standing next to the dresser confirmed my suspicion. It was around a quarter after six in the morning. Not terribly unusual for me to wake up at such an hour, but it wasn’t as if I had to get to the shop or anything. My body must have been set on autopilot then. Oh well. Forcing myself to try and get more sleep would’ve been pointless.

After letting out a loud, unladylike yawn, I smacked my lips and cantered out into the hallway. To be quite honest, I had no idea where I was going but I figured that I would end up running into someone who knew the castle layout better than I did eventually. As luck would have it, I did just that within the span of thirty seconds. A rose coated unicorn dressed in a maid uniform, by the name of Morning Glory, gave me a polite bow and smiled.

“Good morning, Miss Rarity. Were the accommodations suitable to your liking?”

I blinked slowly, hoping there wasn’t any noticeable crust in my eyes. “Of course, darling. They were excellent. On par with a luxury hotel, I dare say! Unfortunately, I didn’t get much sleep last night. I’ve always been a creature of habit and adjusting to new surroundings is difficult for me.”

Morning Glory let out an audible sigh of relief. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. If you should have any further issues, Miss Rarity, please don’t hesitate to come get me. The castle staff can provide you with whatever you need to feel comfortable during your stay in Ponyville.”

“Splendid! I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. Erm—that being said, you wouldn’t happen to know where the restrooms are, would you? I’d like to freshen up before I start my day.”

Morning Glory nodded. “Please follow me, Miss Rarity.”

In hindsight, I probably should have asked Morning Glory how to work the showers while I was at it. My sleep deprived brain only realized how difficult it was to turn shower knobs when I looked down at my hooves. No fingers with which to turn them. Was I supposed to grab it with my mouth? That didn’t seem sanitary or good for my teeth either. I plopped onto my rump and let out a frustrated huff. What was I supposed to do now?

The tell-tale clip clop of hooves on bathroom tile sounded Sunset’s arrival. She seemed a hell of a lot more refreshed than I was and must have noticed my distressed state. I got onto my fee—hooves once more and rushed over to her. What surprised me the most was when she leaned over and nuzzled me against the cheek. It wasn’t awkward or embarrassing… just unexpected. Come to think of it, I’d seen a lot of ponies perform the same gesture amongst their friends and loved ones, even during the short time I’d been here. I suppose it was simply their way of showing affection. Not unlike actual horses back home. How curious…

“Thank goodness you arrived when you did, Sunset!”

The bacon-maned mare chuckled. “I’ll bet. Lemme help you with the shower knobs.”

Although I was embarrassed about having to depend on Sunset’s help, the hot water felt refreshing against my coat and helped clear the fog that had clouded my mind all morning. She and I got to chatting while we showered together, and Sunset explained that most earth ponies did indeed manipulate objects with their mouths. Of course, she also admitted that unicorns had a much easier time of it but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to deal with having a boney magic antenna attached to my skull and all of the responsibility that came with it. No thank you!

After drying off, Sunset also helped brush my mane and coat. It felt marvelous, I must say. Thankfully, my mane retained most of its natural curl and I didn’t have to use any special conditioner, just shampoo. The same applied to Sunset. Her mane remained much the same way it had when we were on earth too. Small wonders. With a few quick dabs of vanilla-scented perfume underneath my neck and barrel, we set off to find something to eat for breakfast.

Princess Twilight trotted down the hall to join us, looking as immaculate as ever. She must have been a morning pony. “Good morning, girls! I hope you both slept well.”

“Not as well as I would have hoped, but I shall manage.”

Twilight’s ears folded downwards. “Why not? Was it the bedsheets? Oh gosh! I knew I should’ve gotten higher thread count! The Saddle Arabian merchant I ordered them from assured me they were made from the finest cotton—”

I booped her snout with my hoof “There was nothing wrong with the sheets, darling. I assure you. In fact, the hospitality you’ve shown me thus far has been of the highest caliber. However, I am still in the process of getting used to my new pony body and this world. That’s all.”

“Oh! Hehe. I totally forgot about your transformation. Sorry, Rarity.”

I smiled. “No need to apologize, dear.”

Sunset’s stomach gurgled loudly. “Hey, Twi. Do you have staff around the castle that takes care of food prep or… we just gonna go out for breakfast? I’m a growing mare who needs chow!”

Twilight cleared her throat. “I usually do have kitchen staff on hoof but they have the day off today. It’s not a problem because the School of Friendship has a nice cafeteria that we can go get breakfast from instead. C’mon! Follow me and I’ll show you where it is.”

Whatever I thought a School of Friendship would look like, it wasn’t this. I should clarify that, in no way, were my expectations subverted. No. I dare say, I was pleasantly surprised at how modern and chic the school was. Or at least as much as one could be coming from a more technologically advanced society than Equestria. Considering how early in the morning it was, most of the student population were still asleep or just starting to get up. Thus, the hallways were practically devoid of foot traffic whilst we made our way towards the cafeteria.

Nonetheless, I managed to attract quite a few odd looks here and there. Surely, it wasn’t just because I happened to have a sparkling coat? For heaven’s sakes, there were actual dragons, minotaurs, and changelings meandering about. Why would a simple mare (with an admittedly fabulous coat) cause so many students to turn their heads? Princess Twilight must have noticed my frustrated expression, for she extended her wing and pulled me closer to her side.

“Don’t take all their stares personally. It’s just that you look very similar to our world’s Rarity. Everyone is probably just confused because you’re clearly a crystal pony and have a completely different cutie mark. They might even think you’re her long, lost twin sister or something…”

I shrugged. “Well, I suppose that is to be expected. I mean, technically speaking, we could be considered sisters. How am I to introduce myself then? You did tell everyone that I was visiting from another universe, right? Twilight! I don’t like that look. Not one bit! DON’T TELL ME YOU FORGOT!!!”

Twilight grinned sheepishly and rustled her wings. “There is a slight possibility that I—”

“I should have known. Karma simply does not want me to have an easy time of this. Alright then! How do you propose I introduce myself, Miss Alicorn Princess? Am I supposed to make up some elaborate story about how I’m one of the Belle family’s distant cousins?”

Twilight blushed. “No, I assure you that such measures won’t be necessary. We never kept the existence of the mirror portal a secret, so everyone pretty much knows there are other universes out there. I—erm—I dunno, maybe you could just say that you’re another Rarity?”

I cocked my brow. “Hmm. Isn’t that interesting. I would have assumed that more creatures would be interested in using the portal if they know it exists. Curiosity killed the cat and all.”

It was Sunset’s turn to blush. “Well—uh—I might be the reason why security is so tight regarding the portal’s usage. I did abuse it to serve my own nefarious purposes, after all.”

“WHICH, I may add, we have all forgiven you for, darling. In any case, I’ll just stick with the alternate Rarity story because it’s true. I’m not a very convincing liar nor do I enjoy being deceitful. Tends not to make you many friends in life, I’ve found.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “Honesty is the best policy in this sort of situation.”

With all that drama finally out of the way, we continued down a long corridor that led to the cafeteria. The décor and overall setup were pleasant if a bit kitschy. By that I mean, the room resembled your stereotypical school-cafeteria setup. Various posters advertising proper hygiene habits and extracurricular clubs adorned the walls. Most ridiculous amongst these was a large, colorful poster with Starlight Glimmer’s face plastered on a kite. Ah, yes. Kite flying club. An age-old Equestrian tradition. How could I have forgotten such a cultural mainstay?

I tapped Twilight’s shoulder with my hoof to get her attention. “Pardon my ignorance, darling. But what, precisely, does Starlight do here at the School of Friendship? I only met her briefly during her time on earth and she didn’t say much about her profession.”

“She’s our student councilor. The whole kite thing is just a hobby of hers. Erm—well, to be honest more like an obsession. But I guess it could be worse. At least she isn’t trying to steal everypony’s cutie marks and become an egomaniacal dictator anymore.”

“If you say so, dear.” Believe me, I wasn’t about to open that can of worms. I simply accepted the fact that the denizens of this world were nowhere near what I considered sensible. In short, it was as if I really was living inside the pages of a colorful children’s storybook.

I was craving something hearty for breakfast. Like bacon and eggs but realized that my herbivorous pony stomach probably wouldn’t be able to digest animal proteins efficiently. They had something called “Hay Bacon” that I assumed must have been an ersatz substitute for the greasy, salty strips of meat I knew and loved (Sunset too). Yet, the more I looked at them, the more I wanted to gag. They looked soggy and didn’t smell particularly good either. Almost like someone deep fried some grass and let it sit out for too long?

Thankfully, there was plenty of fruit and other baked goods to be had. I chose a croissant and cup of berries mixed with yogurt. Sunset and Twilight got big plates of waffles slathered in butter and maple syrup. As for beverages, those two stuck with milk, while I sought something with a bit more zing to it. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a large caramel macchiato right now.

Against all logic and odds, my eyes were drawn to an honest to goodness coffee stand. Thank goodness ponies know about the nectar of the gods!!! I let out a girlish squeal and trotted over to the stand, eager to get my hooves on a cup of precious brew. Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed in an instant when I saw a yak dressed in an apron standing behind the counter. How on earth do they expect A YAK TO MAKE COFFEE?!!! I wanted to plop onto my rump and cry.

“Professor Rarity! Good to see you. Can Yona make you strong coffee drink?”

I blinked slowly. “Terribly sorry dear, but did you just ask if I wanted a coffee?”

Yona stomped in place. “YAKS BEST AT MAKING COFFEE!!!”

“Um… alright. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like a caramel macchiato please.”

“Fat milk or no fat milk?” Yona asked politely.

“Do you mean cream, darling?”

“That’s what Yona said. Yona not understand why ponies drink sissy, watery milk. Not taste good. Fat milk good for growing strong bones and taste better.”

I offered her a hesitant smile. “Very well then. Cream it is.”

Yona nodded sagely. “Good choice! Yona not mean to be rude but did Professor Rarity get mane cut? Hair looks all sparkly and shiny, like diamond. Cutie mark different too.”

“I’m not exactly the Professor you know. I came from a different world. From the other side of the mirror portal to be precise. So, I am Rarity just not the one you’re used to dealing with on a daily basis. Does that make sense?”

With a practiced hoof, Yona poured the steaming hot espresso into a cup. “Yona not really understand but call you ‘Sparkly Rarity’ to avoid confusion. Only one more minute until fancy coffee drink ready. Make sure not to burn self.”

Sure enough, Yona handed me a lovely, steaming cup full of caramel macchiato as I had requested. For a few moments, I was rendered speechless at the degree of professionalism with which it was made. Lacking any method of my custom on my person, I hesitantly asked Princess Twilight if she could pay for my drink and breakfast. The alicorn laughed aloud and assured me that everything was prepaid out of a tuition fund set up by the Equestrian government. Even so, I felt immensely guilty about not giving Yona a big tip for her fine work.

The yak looked at me expectantly. “Does Sparkly Rarity like coffee?”

“Yes, darling. It’s quite delicious. Thank you.”

Yona smiled. “Yaks always make best coffee! Yona feeling hungry. Going on break now.”

“I assume yaks must require a lot of food to satisfy their appetites?” I asked while Yona trotted over to the grill for some fresh pancakes topped with whipped cream and fruit.

Twilight let out a tired sigh. “Yeah, yaks are constantly hungry due to their size. Kind of like Dragons. In Yona’s case, her stomach is definitely bigger than her eyes, that’s for sure. You can’t imagine how much of a headache it was trying to create a menu that suited the dietary needs of so many different creatures. I’m just glad that we’ve got it down to a science now.”

Sunset let out a loud burp, rubbed her stomach, and leaned back in the seat. I scowled at her for being rude but the princess didn’t seem to be offended by my friend’s lack of decorum. “Thanks for breakfast, Twi. It’s super tasty. Just one question, if you don’t mind. What’s the game plan?”

“I’m sorry,” Twilight replied, blinking owlishly, “What do you mean?”

Sunset waved her hoof in a circle. “For Rarity and I. We need to figure out what we’re doing first. You know, with the whole opal fusion thing. What do you think we should do?”

“Oh. Right! I’d almost forgotten about that with all of the excitement going on. Like I mentioned before, it’s probably best to visit Lord Torch first since he might have direct knowledge of it.”

Sunset’s ears flattened while she took a sip of milk. “Wouldn’t that involve visiting the Dragon Lands? Last I checked, that place was super fu—freakin’ dangerous.”

“In the past, yes. But I assure you that the dragons will be much more amenable towards a pair of traveling ponies than they were before Lord Ember’s rule. I’ll just have to send Spike a letter and let him know that you’re coming. Dragons tend not to… like unannounced visitors.”

Still unconvinced, Sunset bit her lip. “Alright. If you say so, Twi. I trust your judgment. But that still leaves us with the problem of transportation. How are we gonna get there in the first place?”

Twilight stuck her hoof into the air. “You’ll take my private airship, of course!”

“I beg your pardon. But did you just say airship?” I asked.

“Yep! Each of the princesses gets their own airship for royal business. To be honest, I don’t use mine much because I can just teleport or fly wherever I want, but you girls are free to use it if you like. Really, it’s not a big deal! So, don’t feel about flying on my ship. I’ll—erm—just have to make sure the pantry is stocked and a crew is available to pilot her.”

“One question, darling. Equestrian airships aren’t filled with hydrogen gas, are they?”

Twilight vehemently shook her head. “No way! That’s far too dangerous. We only use helium.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness! Humanity had its own issues with hydrogen gas-filled airships in the past. It caused quite a few disasters, as I seem to recall.”

Twilight looked like she was about to go into lecture mode (her human counterpart did it often enough around me) when a ball of emerald green flames erupted out of thin air. Startled by the sudden interruption of our conversation, I reared back on my hind legs and let out a shrill, high-pitched whinny. Panic soon transitioned into embarrassment as every creature in the room focused their undivided attention on me. Having a white coat meant that my blush was all too visible as well. I carefully sat back down at the table and twiddled my hooves in shame.

Sunset offered me a comforting nuzzle. “Don’t sweat it, Rares. I was awkward as hell back when I first came to the human world. You’ll get used to all the magic around here, I promise.”

I cleared my throat. “My apologies for the outburst, Princess. As Sunset said, I’m unaccustomed to spells, save for the ones my friends perform and my own, of course.”

“No harm done. Well, aside from scaring you out of your wits, the puff of fire means that Spike finally got back to me regarding Lord Torch. Hmm. It looks like he’s willing to talk with the both of you, provided that you bring along some turquoise.”

“For what purpose? I can’t imagine dragons wear much in the way of clothing or jewelry.”

Twilight shook her head. “They don’t. Dragons eat gemstones as part of their diet.”

“I see. Turquoise is considered a semi-precious stone where I come from. Is it rare in Equestria? I’d hate to have to make you dig even deeper into the royal treasury to help us…”

Twilight fluffed her wings. “Yes and no. In this particular region it is rare, but not overall. The same applies to the Dragon Lands. Turquoise is considered a rare treat and not found over there. Don’t worry though! I’m sure Pinkie can get her hooves on some.”

“As in Pinkamena Diane Pie?”

“The same. Like on earth, she spends most of her time baking at Sugarcube Corner. However, the Pie family still owns a sizable rock farm. It’ll take a few days to make the arrangements, but I’m sure that we can procure some turquoise for a good price.”

I chuckled nervously. “Yes, well…. I’d rather not upset a Dragon Lord, thank you very much! Besides, I wouldn’t want him to get the impression that we were rude. I pride myself on being a proper lady, even if I’m less lady-like than I’d prefer at the moment.”

Twilight giggle-snorted. “You’re different from our Rarity but so similar too!”

Sunset threw a playful punch to my shoulder. It hurt a lot more than I cared to admit (she was exceptionally strong for a unicorn mare and a human too for that matter) but I bore the pain stoically. “That’s another thing you won’t have to worry about either. Even as a nudist and a crystal pony, you’re still a lady if I’ve ever seen one.”

“Despite behaving like a tiny horse?”

Sunset broke into a fit of giggles. “C’mon, Rares! Don’t be like that. In case you haven’t noticed, you are, quite literally, a tiny horse right now. It’s only natural that you’d act like one too.”

I huffed indignantly. “Easy for you to say, little miss dimension hopper! Oh, fine then! I suppose it can’t be helped. I’ll just have to deal with my new body and all its eccentricities for the time being. Things will only get stranger from here, I imagine.”

The airship ride from Ponyville to the Dragon Lands was rather uneventful. I mean, really. What more needs to be said about it? It was essentially like living in a floating luxury hotel for three days straight. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. Bed in breakfast, spa sessions, an open bar, and a full body massage did wonders to help me relax and unwind. At least, to an extent. I’d never met a real-life dragon before (technically that’s not true but Spike was a dog at the time) and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. How big were they? Did they have any manners? Did they consider ponies as snacks or friends? Ok, maybe that was a ridiculous/paranoid question on my part. If Spike was the official Equestrian ambassador, then it stood to reason that dragons viewed ponykind as a fellow sapient race worthy of establishing diplomatic ties with.

Even so, I couldn’t help but feel a queasy sense of unease bubble up in the pit of my stomach. Standing atop the deck, watching the desolate, boulder strewn wasteland pass underneath the ship certainly didn’t help matters. I crinkled my snout in disgust at the smell of sulfur and… some other foul odors that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Sunset trotted up next to me and began rubbing circles along my back, in what I can only assume was a gesture of reassurance.

“The Dragon Lands sure are something, aren’t they?”

I snorted. “I appreciate you trying to lighten up the mood, darling. But there’s no sugarcoating this wretched place. Please don’t tell me that pungent aroma is what I think it is…”

Sunset chuckled nervously. “Uh… probably? Look, dragons aren’t real keen on maintaining a high level of personal hygiene. I mean, they do swim in lava but certainly not bath water.”

I sighed. “Oh joy. I can’t wait to suffocate on the noxious fumes of dragon body odor.”

“From what I understand, Spike, Lord Ember, and Lord Torch aren’t like that. Just—erm—most of the dragons living are. I think. Sorry, I’m not one-hundred percent sure. I’ve never been out here myself, so this is a new experience for me too. Try not to let it sour your mood, ok?”

I scoffed. “Yes. Sour is indeed an apt description.”

“Rarity…”

I let out a sound that was somewhere between a whinny and a whimper. “I’m terribly sorry, Sunset. I didn’t mean to be so sarcastic. It’s just that I’m so… nervous and apprehensive right now. The stress alone is giving me a stomach ache and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to stop myself from vomiting all over the place or possibly fainting when we finally meet with the dragons.”

Sunset pressed her body so close to mine that I caught a whiff of that delightful strawberry-scented shampoo she liked to use. Not to mention the gentle warmth I felt that radiated from her recently brushed coat. Whether by instinct or subconscious desire, I nuzzled my cheek against her neck. It felt good. Dare I say, it felt natural. Like it was what I was supposed to do all along. We embraced for a few more moments, then I hesitantly broke away in order to collect my thoughts and muster the courage to press forward.

“Thank you, Sunset. I don’t know what I would have done had you not accompanied me through the portal. In all likelihood, I would be a sobbing, nervous wreck right now. Ha!”

Sunset smiled back at me. “Hey, it’s what friends do.”

I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Still, it means a lot to me.”

It was brief, but I saw her blush. “It’s the least I could do considering how much you girls helped me get back on my feet after the Fall Formal. What I did back then was terrible and—”

“As I said before, we have all forgiven you for your transgressions, Sunset. What I’m more concerned about now is reconnecting with you, as a friend and deepening our relationship. After we graduated CHS, I feel like all of us drifted apart somewhat. Just promise me that we’ll both try to be more involved in each other’s lives from now on.”

Sunset shuffled her hooves. “Yeah. I’d like that too. I guess I got so caught up with my own career and trying to be a good wife to Flash that I kind of neglected you girls. I promise, I’ll make an effort to keep in touch and do stuff with all of you more often from now on.”

“Good. That’s all I ask.”

The airship’s captain came out onto the deck a few minutes later and advised that we were going at a nearby clearing. A spot decidedly less filled with jagged rocks and liquid hot magma, but still uninviting nonetheless. Despite having hooves, I was cautious about stepping onto the rocky surface without any kind of protective wear. One false step and I could easily cut one of my frogs. Sunset cast a spell on our hooves to prevent it and we trekked onward towards what the dragons considered a settlement. Quite honestly, it was little more than some caves.

We barely walked two kilometers and I could already tell that my fabulous, crystalline coat was drenched in sweat. Physically, I wasn’t tired but merciful heavens was it hot! I know, it was due to all the geo-thermal vents and volcanic activity but a lady was never meant to brave such extremes! To make matters worse, my mane became a sweaty mess and stuck to my coat. I prayed that our dragon hosts would allow us to freshen up a bit before getting down to business.

I glanced over at Sunset and noticed that she looked no worse for wear. “Just how in the name of all that is holy are you not sweating to death right now?! Waaaahhhh! This is just dreadful! I can’t go waltzing into a foreign leader’s home like this. And what about my poor skin?”

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry, Rares. I forgot to cast the cooling spell on you. Here—uh—hold still for a sec. Ok, there we go. Nice and cool, right?”

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” I shrieked.

Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m pretty sure there’s some hot springs around here where you can take a dip in. Like, I’m sixty-five percent certain there is. Just don’t throw a hissy fit if there isn’t. We’ll need to—ah—figure some other way to make you less… icky if not.”

“Where did you even come up with that percentage?”

Sunset waved her hoof. “Well, I’m pretty sure which is more than fifty percent. But not sure enough for it to be even close to ninety percent since I’ve never been to the Dragon Lands before. Ok, fine. I read about the geothermal springs in a book once when I was still a filly. So long as the dragons didn’t somehow blow them up with their fire, you should be ok.”

I groaned. “Very well. I suppose that’s the best I can hope for at this point.”

“Hey, I totally get it. Being all sweaty and gross sucks. But it’s not the end of the world.”

I pointed my snout into the air. “For you, perhaps. I pride myself on cleanliness.”

“What? You think I’m a slob and don’t take care of my body?”

“No! That’s not—I didn’t mean to imply either of those things, darling.”

Sunset cocked her brow. “Oh yeah? What exactly did you mean, then?”

“Well, you’re somewhat like Rainbow Dash. That is to say, you have tomboyish tendencies.”

Sunset tapped her chin. “Huh. Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Again, I’m sorry for my outburst. I’m simply not used to dealing with a sweaty fur coat. Even so, I highly doubt a human body would be any more suitable for this sort of climate. Can you imagine what all of these rocks would do to bare feet? In that regard, I’m glad I have hooves.”

“Don’t swe—I mean it’s not a big deal, Rares. I know it’s tough to adjust to new things.”

My ears drooped downward as I looked over at Sunset. “It truly is. Ugh. You’re probably tired of hearing me complain about it all the time, aren’t you? I sound like a broken record…”

“On the bright side, you won’t have to complain much longer because we’ve almost made it to Lord Torch’s cave. But first, we need to meet up with Spike. He’ll introduce us and make sure everything goes smoothly, so that we don’t cause an international incident or something.”

“Pardon my ignorance, but did you just imply that Spike has his own dwelling out here?”

Sunset nodded. “Yep. From what I hear, he’s got a pretty sweet pad and a girlfriend too.”

Eventually, we reached a complex of caves and found one that looked far tidier and inviting than the rest. It even had a welcome mat and an actual door. Not wanting to be rude, I knocked a few times with my hoof and asked if anybody was home. Much to our surprise, we were not greeted by Spike but another dragon altogether. She was rather… bulky? I guess that’s the correct term. I think muscular would be a more apt description. Her tail alone looked like it could smash a log in two. Despite all the muscle, it was clear that she was a dragoness.

Of course, it helped that she had shiny black scales accented with a pink underbelly and fins. And, as you may have guessed, her eyes were pink too. Overall, her coloration reminded me of a classic hotrod from the bygone era of greasers and sock hops. Before either of us could utter so much as a word, she ushered us inside the cave and ruffled our manes. It was… not ideal.

“You must be Spike’s pony friends! I’m Talon.”

I cleared my throat. “Good day to you Talon, I’m Rarity Belle. The mare standing next to me is Sunset Shimmer. We’ve come to the Dragon Lands to discuss—”

“Yeah, I know. Talk with Lord Torch. Something about a magic jewel? Sounds interesting.”

I subconsciously ran my hoof through my mane. Yes, it was still quite damp from all the sweat. “Ah, so you are aware of our purpose here. How, may I ask, did you come by this information?”

“I’m Spike’s mate and assistant. He taught me how to read, write, and other boring friendship stuff. At first, we all thought he was a total dork for living with prissy ponies his whole life, but now… we think he’s cool. Plus, Lord Ember gets pissed off if we make fun of other dragons for things like that. So—um—do you ponies want some gems to nibble on or something?”

As if summoned by magic, Spike padded towards the door and shook his head. Sunset seemed to be surprised by his appearance, which indicated that he’d changed from the last time they met. His coloration was consistent with when I saw him as a dog, but he was much taller as a dragon and had developed some muscle around his chest, legs, and arms. When he came closer to Talon, I saw her entwine her tail with his. I suppose it was the dragon equivalent of holding hands?

“I’m sorry if Talon gave you girls a hard time. She’s still learning about Equestrian customs. Can I get either of you anything to drink or eat? There are some fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen if you want one. Milk too.”

I smiled. “Yes, darling. That would be lovely. Might I ask if you have a bathtub? I got rather sweaty during our journey here and I’d like to freshen up if possible.”

“Wow! Twilight wasn’t kidding. You really do look and act a lot like our Rarity. But I can see all the subtle differences, considering that you’re a crystal pony and not a unicorn. Hmm. A completely different cutie mark too. I wonder what it means…”

I tapped my hoof against the ground and huffed. “I was under the impression that you were a respectable gentleman, Spike. But you seem to enjoy staring at my derriere just as much as your older sister does. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Spike blushed furiously. “What?! No! I wasn’t trying to—”

Talon laughed, lifted her tail, and shook her rump. “I know, right? He can’t get enough of my thick, scaly ass. Doesn’t take much to get him in the mood either. In fact, was just finished fu—”

“TALON! We talked about this. You can’t discuss private matters in front of guests!”

A bemused smirk spread across my lips. “Private matters indeed~ Tell me, Talon. How is Spike as a lover? Does he satisfy you daily? How would you rate him against other drakes?”

Talon tapped her chin in thought. “Let’s see. He’s got a pink monster tucked underneath those scales. You wouldn’t know it by his size, but I swear it’s true! I love how thick and bumpy it is. Never fails to fill me up every time! Also, before I met Spike, I didn’t realize how much fun it is to snuggle and kiss after a good mounting. So yeah, pretty good, I’d say.”

Spike looked mortified. “You’ll have to excuse Talon’s… candor. Dragons are a lot more open about expressing their opinions on certain matters. Uh—sex being one of them.”

I burst into a fit of giggles. “I think it’s cute how much she enjoys your company.”

Talon hugged Spike closer to her. “Not company. MATE! He’s mine, so don’t get any ideas.”

“No worries, dear. I didn’t mean to imply that I was going to take him away from you.”

Talon looked at me with a wary expression. “Ok, I believe you. But don’t think for a second that I’ve forgotten how much Spike loves female ponies. He used to slobber over that other mare that looks like you but not quite the same as you. She had a horn. Not as shiny either.”

Spike’s wings sagged. “Can we please not talk about this right now?”

“Ah, so you had a crush on my unicorn counterpart. That would explain why you were so friendly with me as a dog. Interesting~ Very interesting indeed.”

Spike coughed loudly. “Yes, I did. But that was a long time ago.”

Talon broke her embrace and gave me a once over. “You know, she is pretty for a pony. Just kind of sweaty. Not that it matters. She’d get sweaty after fucking anyway. What do you say, Rarity? Do you want Spike to mount you? I’ll allow it this once, just so long as I can watch.”

It was my turn to blush. “I beg your pardon!”

Talon seemed confused. “What? I thought ponies liked sex too.”

Meanwhile, Sunset watched the entire scene unfold and cackled with laughter. I had to fight hard to keep my entire coat from turning a rosy shade of pink. What would sex with a dragon even feel like in this body? And why was I even contemplating the idea? At the very least, I was grateful that Spike was able to keep his member fully sheathed. I don’t think I could have tolerated seeing it out in the open, just dangling about like a regular penis. Regardless of how uncomfortable I felt, I needed to make it clear that I was exclusive with Braeburn. And human partners in general. I didn’t feel comfortable testing out my pony body in such a manner.

“You are correct, Talon. I enjoy having sex from time to time as well. However, I am mated to another partner and cannot have sex with Spike. It would make my mate angry and upset.”

Talon shrugged. “Ok. I get it. But you can still watch us fuck if you want.”

“I think I’ll… pass on your offer, darling.”

Sunset laughed even harder and thumped my back. “What a shame. You don’t know what you’re missing, Rares. Might have missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime.”

I scrunched my muzzle in disgust. “No, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

After wiping away a few tears, Sunset composed herself once more. “In all seriousness, we really do need to freshen up. It was a long walk just getting here. Do you mind if we use your bath?”

Spike jerked his thumb towards the back of the cave. “Sure. It’s back there. Can’t miss it.”

“We’ll try to be quick about it so we can talk about the meeting with Lord Torch.”

Spike waved his claw. “Go ahead and take as much time as you need. I have to sort out some paperwork with Talon anyway. I’ll leave out the cookies in case you want some.”

Author's Note

Talon is an OC made by Travolore.