Even Gods Make Mistakes

“Fluttershy, are you in there?” The entrance to the small cottage was firmly shut, but Twilight could hear the Pegasus cowering in her living room. “Fluttershy, it’s me Twilight.” The mention of the unicorn’s name seemed to do the trick. Opening the door a few centimetres, the yellow mare peeked out of the cottage. The moment she caught sight of the two dragons, the terrified pony screamed, before further barricading herself in her cottage. Twilight laughed nervously before opening the door with her magic. She picked up the Pegasus, levitating her outside in front of Spyro and Cynder. The dragoness snorted in disgust at the mare’s pitiful attitude to her kind.

“Boo.” She blurted it out with calm finality, blowing smoke into Fluttershy’s face as she said it. Said mare simply shut her eyes, letting out a small squeak of terror. Twilight shot Cynder a glare, before trying to coax the timid Pegasus out of her shell.

“Fluttershy, it’s ok, they are not going to hurt you.” Despite her assurances, there was nothing the unicorn could do to help. After having nipped at one of Cynder’s horns, warning her to be nice, Spyro tried to talk to the now frozen Pegasus.

“Please, Fluttershy. We are both hungry and we need food. If you don’t help us, we might end up hurting your animals by mistake.” Much to everyone’s surprise and delight, this seemed to work, allowing Twilight to release her magic. In Fluttershy’s mind, anypony, animal, or even dragon, who needed her help would always get it, especially if the safety of her pets was involved. She was the element of kindness after all.

“Oh, umm, you… you need to hunt?” After the near fainting of almost anypony the dragons had talked to about meat, both were surprised with the ease of which the yellow mare spoke of predation, by her standards at least.

“Well, yes… you don’t seem particularly fearful knowing that we are carnivores.” Spyro lowered his head a bit, allowing himself to see eye to eye with the Pegasus. “I don’t mean to be nosey; it’s just that most ponies get a little… nauseous if we bring up the topic.” Cynder nodded, offering a newfound respect for the timid pony. If she was the only one of these equines that could talk about food like a civilised being, perhaps there was more to her than met the eye.

“Oh, I guess I’m kinda used to it. Many of my pets have to hunt for their food. I may be a herbivore, but I refuse to judge anypony… or umm, dragon for the way they are.” Cynder smiled in approval.

“That is extremely noble of you, fair Fluttershy. Both Spyro and I are grateful for your kindness. May I ask where it is we are permitted to hunt?”  Looking forward to her next meal, Cynder couldn’t help but glance at some of the pets in the yard.

“Anywhere in the Everfree forest is ok, that is, umm, if you want to.” Catching Twilight off guard, the response made the unicorn balk.

“But what about your animals Fluttershy, won’t they be in danger?” It seemed that the Pegasus expected such a reaction, as she immediately had an answer.

“They all know the risks. They choose to live in the Everfree forest because they value the freedom that pets don’t have. It is dangerous, yes, but that is part of what it means to be wild.” It took quite a while for Twilight to process this information. She had never seen the Pegasus so pent up. Before she could again respond, she was confronted by the unusually determined yellow mare.  “What did you think my hawks and falcons ate? What about Wynonna, you don’t really think Applejack just feeds her produce do you?” This was all news to Twilight, having grown up a sheltered life in Canterlot; she hadn’t been exposed to the sometimes harsh realities of life.

“I’m sorry Fluttershy; I guess I never thought about it.” Offering a timid smile, the studious mare made sure to include this talk in her next report.

“That’s ok, we all make mistakes, Twilight.” Stepping forward, Cynder bowed to Fluttershy, flowed closely by Spyro. After offering their gratitude, Twilight guided the pair back towards town. Several ponies gave their greetings as they passed by, only a few of them with nervous stares. Maybe these ponies are not as stubborn as I thought. The thought lingered slightly in the dragoness’s mind, until they reached the centre of town. A pair of royal carriages waited, their respective owners siting regally amongst the now gathered crowd.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight rushed forward ahead of the dragons, almost hugging the ground before the monarch’s hooves. Luna did not seem particularly perturbed by lack of attention. Since her return, she had learnt to get used to it. There was still the lingering fear of Nightmare Moon amongst some ponies, resulting in her being compared, almost constantly to Celestia, rather than her own acts.

“Rise, my most faithful student.” Twilight did so, before bowing, with somewhat less reverence towards Princess Luna.

“It is a pleasure to meet you again, Lady Sparkle, rise please, neither of us deserve such adoration from one of Equestria’s greatest heroes.” Blushing slightly, the studious mare stood upright, gesturing towards the two dragons waiting patiently. Luna addressed them directly. “I assume you are the individuals we have heard so much about.”

“Only good things I hope.” Spyro’s levity shocked everypony present, as neither dragon realised the respect they commanded. Much to the contrary of everypony’s expectations, both monarchs seemed to delight in the opportunity for a relaxed conversation. Being the rulers of Equestria seemed to demand almost permanent stoicism.

“Well, if I suddenly descended from the skies, amidst thunder and lightning, I would think that a similar reaction would be in order.” Luna paused for emphasis. A smirk plastered on her face. “Speaking from experience that is.” Cynder raised the bony ridge which could be compared to an eyebrow.

“It seems we aren’t the only ones capable of making a horrible first impression.” The dragoness chuckled slightly. “At least you didn’t try and eat anypony.” Both Luna and Celestia broke out in laughter, rich and pure. Its sound was rare, in fact, only a few ponies had ever heard either princess laugh. For everypony present, it seemed that the pair of monarchs glowed with happiness, iridescent in their delight.

“Well, from what my sister told me, everypony seemed to think so.” This surprised Cynder, who honestly could not picture either princess as vicious. She concealed her surprise however, instead choosing to formally introduce herself and her mate.

“At least now your ponies can have a chance to see a real pair of carnivores.” Much to Cynder’s amusement, everypony present except Fluttershy and the monarchs became significantly paler. “My name is Cynder, and this is my mate, Spyro.” The male dragon nodded, offering a warm smile.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. If I may ask, what would you have us call you?” Celestia raised an eyebrow at Twilight, who smiled nervously, before answering the dragon.

“You may call me Celestia.”

“And my name is Luna. Now, I believe it would be best if we found a more… private location to discuss your arrival.” The princess’s then lead their way through the crowd towards the library, the elements of harmony and both dragons close behind. Once at the base of the hollowed tree, Celestia opened the door, allowing Luna, Cynder and Spyro to enter, but baring all others.

“I understand you many questions of your own, but I must ask for some privacy, Twilight. We will be out in a while to discuss our arrangement.” Giving a silent nod of approval, the elements allowed the princess’s request, not that they had the option of refusal. Once the door was securely shut, Luna sat down on the couch, while Celestia chose to lie on the ground, but still managing to maintain an air of authority.

“Now, Spyro and Cynder, Twilight has informed me of the events which transpired since your arrival, so there is no need to go over that.” Catching the general direction of the conversation, Spyro interrupted, much to Celestia’s surprise, but she let it slide. It had been so long since she had an ordinary conversation with anypony besides Luna, she was willing to endure the dragon’s unintentional rudeness.

“You want to know how we got here, and if you are in any way fit to rule, I would imagine you want to know if we pose any threat to your ponies, intentional or not.” Cynder snorted, amused by Celestia’s surprised face, even if it was only for a split second. Still, part of her wished Spyro hadn’t said what he did, as it seemed to dampen the mood considerably.

What do they take us for, dumb beasts? Of course we know your motives. Hiding her slight chuckle amidst the smoke, the dragoness waited for the pony’s response.

“Quite right, young dragon. So, I will allow you to take your time, and remember, as long as you live in my lands, you will not omit any important information. I will know.” Spyro frowned slightly, seemingly having trouble working out what Cynder already noticed. She spared her mate the trouble, asking for both of them.

“My lands, Celestia?” The dragoness glanced to Luna before pressing the point. “I am somewhat confused as to which of you is the ruler of this nation.” Celestia blushed, while Luna rolled her eyes. She had gotten used to it, but her sister’s slip-up was a little hurtful.

“Oh, of course, I meant our lands. My sister and I both hold equal power in Equestria.” Cynder offered her apologies, realising she had clearly touched a sensitive topic. Without any further interruptions, Spyro began their story.

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“To think, that the entire planet could simply break apart. To be honest, your obvious power makes me quite nervous.” Celestia and Luna had remained silent during the entire story, but now that it was finished, the larger of the two began with her questions. “Tell me more about this, dark influence, as you call it?” Cynder looked down at the ground, ashamed of her past.

“When I imprisoned the elders, I was under the mind control of Malafore. I… I hurt and killed many thousands of innocents during that time, but you must believe me when I say that is not who I am. I’m not proud of the things I’ve done.” Luna nodded. If anypony understood what the dragoness was going through, it was her.

“Cynder, after this is over, I would very much like to speak with you personally. I think we have much in common.” Not allowing herself to interrupt further, Luna let Celestia to continue.

“And in the Well of Souls, what happened then?” Spyro sighed; reliving the memories was difficult enough without having to focus on the monster inside him. “Listen, Spyro, I know this must be difficult for you, but it is imperative that you do not withhold potentially dangerous information.” The dragon nodded slowly, continuing to speak.

“I was corrupted by a certain power, which allowed me to kill the Ape King, but it almost made me hurt my friends. If it weren’t for Cynder, I doubt either of us would still be alive.” Cynder crawled her way next to her mate, nuzzling his neck in an attempt to comfort him.

“But this wasn’t the last time, was it Spyro.” Luna took over from Celestia, allowing her to write some notes on a piece of parchment.

“No, it wasn’t. After the Destroyer made its way through belt of fire, Ignitus, Cynder and I followed. Ignitus tried to create a shield to protect us from the intense heat, but we only made it half way across.” Spyro’s words were becoming hollow and scratched, silent tears making their way down his cheeks. “Ignitus sacrificed himself, so that we could get across safely. In my… sorrow, a dark part of me came to the surface. I was, with Cynder’s help, able to suppress the creature.” Although Luna felt sorry for the young dragon, she couldn’t help feeling curious.

“You speak of this… creature as if you were separate from it.” This time Cynder spoke for her mate.

“We all have a dark side, Luna. What differs is whether we allow it to control us. The final time an event like this happened was when we confronted Malafore. He used his magic to again corrupt my mind, but by then, our bond was too strong, thus we were able to defeat him.” As the dragoness finished speaking, Celestia rolled up her parchment, looking coldly at the two dragons.

“So now you are mates, and expectant parents at that.” The pair in question raised their brow ridges in surprise, not expecting the monarchs to have known. “I knew the moment I saw you. My sister and I have the ability to detect the life force of all creatures in our domain, so long as we can see them. We both detected the second life emanating from Cynder, and realised what it meant.” While Luna smiled, offering her congratulations, Celestia remained silent, no trace of emotion detectable on her face. None could guess as to the personal battle which raged in her mind.

They are dangerous Tia. They’re hiding their true intent from you. Just wait; you will be consumed by their fire, most of all from their unhatched offspring. The voice in her head was starting to take shape, no longer just a small nagging within the princess’s mind. It was real.

Of course I am real. They have what you never will. They have each other, you have nopony. They have offspring, something you can never hope for. Admit it, you’re jealous. Struggling to fight back, Celestia tried to convince herself otherwise.

No, I’m not jealous. I am Princess Celestia, and I will not be swayed by you! Her anger flared briefly, which only seemed to amuse the voice.

We shall soon see. The… Other laughed, retreating into the deep recesses of her mind. Shaking her head, the white alicorn returned to the world, having only missed out on a few moments of the conversation, she was easily able to catch on.

“Don’t you agree, sister, I think a personal house for these dragons would be an excellent idea.” Celestia smiled, offering her affirmation to the situation.

“Yes, especially with a young dragon on the way, it would be important to have your own space. I shall commission the construction this afternoon, tax payer funded.” Celestia rose, opening the door to usher in Twilight and her friends. “We are satisfied with our talks, Twilight. You may now join us.” The elements marched inside. Twilight walked confidently with Applejack and Rarity, while Fluttershy hid behind an apparently bored Rainbowdash. Pinkie Pie was, as usual, acting like Pinkie Pie, bouncing into the room, barely able to contain her excitement.

“Hi my name’s Pinkie Pie but that’s not important because I want to know your names because if I don’t know your names you must be new in Ponyville and if you’re new in Ponyville…” She only stopped talking to gasp and then run out of the library. Cynder gave a glance to Twilight, who just rolled her eyes.

“She is always like that, you get used to it.” Pushing her way to the front, Rainbowdash angrily pointed a hoof at Cynder and Spyro.

“So, Spyro and Cynder, What kind of names are they? Sounds like some sort of drink to me.” The rainbow maned Pegasus flared her wings, trying to make herself seem larger than normal. “You think you’re faster than me? Ha! I am the fastest flyer in Equestria.” Cynder smirked at the mare’s arrogance, rather amused by the show of bravado.

“Shouldn’t that be in past tense?” Spyro shot his mate a stern look, her quip getting the desired effect.

“I’ll race you right now.” Rainbowdash lowered herself to the ground next to Cynder, who unfurled her wings in preparation.

“First to Fluttershy’s cottage wins.” The cyan mare laughed, expecting an easy race. Little did she know, the dragoness had a different plan. “Ready, set, GO!” The Pegasus shot off in a trail of rainbow, leaving Cynder behind, who was simply smiling at the mare’s stupidity. Luna laughed pleasantly and Celestia, although still pondering the now dormant Other, managed to crack a smile.

“Well, now that’s out of the way, there are some things we need to discuss.” The blue alicorn waved a hoof towards the elements and dragons. “Although everypony here appears to have accepted your arrival, the news is yet to spread. There may well be panic and disorder, as most ponies have a vehement distrust of dragons, large or small. As such, we are tasking you, the elements of harmony to protect and enrich the lives of our guests.” All of the ponies present, even Fluttershy rose, offering their confidence as affirmation.

“Don’t worry ya’ll, they will be fine with us. I’m sure RD can come around sooner or later.” Applejack and the others all smiled warmly towards the two dragons, ensuring an understanding that here, they were safe.

“Thank you, fair Applejack. Now, my sister and I would like to speak with Twilight alone. Could you please give us some privacy?” It was indeed a command, but Luna’s eloquence allowed it to come across as a request.

“Certainly, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, thank you for your time.” Cynder then wrapped tails with Spyro, the pair walking swiftly to the door. “Fluttershy, you may not wish to enter the forest for the next hour or so, it is time for us to hunt.” Fluttershy simply nodded, not necessarily comfortable with their need of flesh, but nor did she condemn them. As the dragons flew off into the distance, the Pegasus thought to herself.

If only everypony was so understanding.