We fight with tooth, claw, and fire,
Our enemies wreathed in flame.
When the time may seem dire,
We fight on all the same.
We dragons are proud,
And at times, vain.
No matter to whom, we remain unbowed,
Those who attempt to control us, may never do so again.
But when rightful Kings and Leaders are covered in shroud,
Our might is not the same.
~~~
Twilight paced erratically back and forth in the library’s lobby. From upstairs, she could hear the cries of a tortured baby dragon. Though the medicine had put Spike to sleep for now, he was by no means resting. He had rarely dreamt before, and certainly never had a nightmare.
“NOOOO!” Spike’s voice was carried downstairs by an urgency that was seldom heard from him.
Panicking, Twilight concentrated her willpower into her horn and instantaneously teleported into her bedroom where Spike had been sleeping. “Spike, what’s the matter? Is it your head?”
“I’M A DRAGON AND I REALLY LIKE FLUTTERSHY’S COOKING!”
She stared back at him in complete bewilderment. That hardly constituted as a terrible nightmare. “Spike, I know you’re a dragon, and everypony likes her cooking.”
“No, Twilight, you don’t understand, she’s in trouble!” Spike’s eyes displayed palpable amount of panic. “We have to go see her, now!”
Twilight was still trying to take in and understand what Spike was saying, but she could tell that whatever dream he had experienced, it deeply disturbed him. “Alright, climb on. It’s not too late, we might still catch her before she goes to sleep.”
“Twilight, hurry!” by this point Spike was almost hysterical.
Once again, Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated her willpower into her horn. She visualised Fluttershy’s cottage in her mind, and took a step into emptiness. She registered the blistering heat searing her skin before anything else. Something was wrong. Her eyes snapped open to witness a terrible sight.
Half of the cottage was ablaze, devils of flame engulfing the innocent wooden homestead at an alarming rate. A huge gust of wind blew through the area, scattering burning embers in its wake. Twilight had no time to assess the situation.
“Spike, get to the Ponyville fire brigade, tell them to come here immediately!”
Taking no time to look back, Twilight willed herself into Fluttershy’s bedroom, where she thought she was most likely to find her friend. Fluttershy lay on her bed unconscious, breathing in toxic fumes from the fire. Angel was struggling to stay awake next to her, feebly attempting to shake the unresponsive pegasus awake. Twilight quickly crossed the room and placed a hoof on each of them. She concentrated once again, and they were outside the cottage, a safe distance from the inferno.
Spike was nowhere to be seen, and Twilight assumed he had left to alarm the fire brigade of the situation. She looked down at Fluttershy, and saw that the pegasus was feebly stirring. Angel had decided it was finally safe, and had collapsed in a small furry heap. Twilight placed her hoofs on Fluttershy’s shoulders and gently shook her awake.
“T…Twi…Twilight…?” Fluttershy sat bolt upright as she witnessed her cottage being wreathed in flame. “What’s going on!? TELL ME!”
Twilight knew this was one of the rare times she was truly uncompromising. “I’m not sure. Spike somehow saw that you were in trouble, and when we got here, your house was aflame.” Twilight explained the situation as quickly as possible.
All of a sudden, Fluttershy stood on her feet. In an amazing feat of recovery, she sped towards the cottage and crashed back into what remained of the lounge.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Twilight ran back towards the cottage. As she approached, Fluttershy emerged again, this time carrying several of her woodland creatures. Twilight had completely forgotten the animals that resided there in the panic of saving her friend. Fluttershy had a hardened look in her eye, the look that stared down dragons, minotaurs and cockatrice.
Wasting no time, Twilight assisted Fluttershy in rescuing the animals depending on them for their rescue. Every second the hot tongues got closer to completely engulfing the two ponies. The smoke was unbearable, stinging their eyes and making breathing a laborious task. All of the woodland creatures had all crammed themselves under the kitchen sink, one of the few places the fire had not yet reached. They leaped into the pony’s arms as they came, quaking and shivering with fear.
Several minutes later, it seemed they were all safely out. Twilight and Fluttershy sat outside with the creatures, all of them coughing furiously trying to expel the foul amount of smoke they had all inhaled. Behind them, the cottage collapsed into a heap of charred wood and embers. Fluttershy looked back at what was left of her home, and cried out as she too collapsed unconscious.
~~~
Spike ran as fast as his legs would allow. The fire brigade was close to Town Square, and a fair distance from the cottage. How he wished he could have the speed of the magnificent beast he was in the dream. The very same beast that was the cause of this.
“Darn it head, stop hurting!” The throbbing of his head had worsened yet. As he ran, the throbbing thud inside his skull combined with heavy footsteps on the pavement gave the dragon the feeling somepony was using his head as a drum.
Ponyville was mostly empty, with the sun coming down the early sleepers were preparing for bed, while the night-owls were getting ready to go out or spend the night cooped up inside. The few pedestrians Spike crossed stared at him questioningly as he ran past at full speed.
At last, the building was coming into view. Spike burst in through the door. The receptionist looked wide-eyed at him in puzzlement. His vision was getting blurry, and a black void from the back of his mind threatened to swallow him. No, he thought, can’t faint now. He shook himself awake again, and gasped out the situation to the colt behind the desk. When he was certain the colt knew what was happening, he could no longer will himself to stay conscious. The blackness swallowed him as he tipped out of reality once again.
He roared past the cottage, leaving a small tornado in his trail. That was too close, he was almost spotted by the lavender pony. Fool, he thought to himself, they will punish me for this. He accelerated again so that pony eyes could not track him. Once he was safely within the confines of the forest, his wings snapped open and he came to a halt in mid air. Without the force of his wings, gravity pulled him to the ground, and he landed with an almighty thud that mowed down several trees and scattered the creatures residing in them in a panicked circle. They fear me, as they should, he sneered.
Hunting will wait. This hunger plaguing him would not best him. He understood the importance of his presence here, and he would not jeopardise what was at stake for a meal. Especially not now. He had found what he was looking for.
~~~
Rarity was awoken by a loud knock. Tired and groggy, she pulled off her silk blindfold and checked her bedside clock. “3am, just what is the meaning of this?”
She irritably climbed out of bed and forced herself to pull on a satin nightgown. The fabric fell gracefully around her shoulders and retained most of her warmth. She pulled out her hair curlers on her way downstairs with practiced magic. By the time the disgruntled unicorn arrived at her front door, she was looking ready to scold the pony responsible for such a rude awakening.
Rarity yanked the door open. “Hasn’t anypony ever heard of beu-”
Her sentence was cut off as she saw who greeted her. Standing at the door were two colts, both garbed in the red uniform of the Ponyville fire brigade.
“Miss Rarity?” one colt asked.
“Yes, that’s me. What…what seems to be the problem sirs? There have been no sounding fire alarms in this area, as far as I am aware.”
“We’ll explain on the way. Would you come with us, please?”
In most situations Rarity would be suspicious of two colts asking her to leave her home at 3am in the morning, but she sensed they meant business. She followed the colts to a chariot owned by the fire brigade.
Rarity climbed in, precariously avoiding the hose, which was smeared with charcoal remnants and grease. Once the colts had harnessed themselves in, they began to move. First a trot, then a canter, and finally an all out gallop down the streets of Ponyville.
The wind was ruining Rarity’s mane, and chilling her to the point of numbness. “May I inquire exactly as to what happened, then?” she shouted over the wind.
One of the colts turned to her and breathlessly replied. “Your friend, Fluttershy. House fire. Nurse will tell you everything.” The colt turned back around and resumed galloping at full pace.
The wind no longer felt as cold to Rarity, not compared to the dread that filled her stomach like ice. Images of her friend perishing in a fire filled her mind, and her surroundings all became an indistinguishable blur as the colts pulled her closer to her source of dread.
After what seemed like no time at all, the group had arrived at Ponyville hospital. Rarity wasted no time exiting the chariot, or demanding the location of where Fluttershy was being treated. The room was located with greatest haste, and as she neared it, she saw that Rainbow, AJ and Pinkie had also been summoned to hear the news.
“You’re here.” AJ sounded solemn.
The lump of dread hardened in the pit of Rarity’s stomach. Walking over to the bed in the center of the room, she saw Fluttershy hooked to a respiratory machine. Parts of her were covered in bandages, with patches of her fur singed and patched. The unnatural wheeze of the machine only served to remind her how wrong this situation was. Rarity looked from Rainbow to AJ to Pinkie, all of them unwilling to meet her eyes.
“So…what…exactly is the situation?” Rarity swallowed the hard lump in her throat, bracing for what answer would come.
“We’re not sure either,” Rainbow replied first. “The nurse said the final results are still on their way.”
Almost on cue, the attending nurse walked in the room, dressed in the simple white coat and hat that was custom for nurses. Closely followed by Twilight. The normally bright-eyed unicorn wasn’t looking in her best shape either, though significantly better than Fluttershy. She had a bandage around her right hoof, and a large patch of burnt fur on the side of her neck.
“Twilight…? What’s up?” Pinkie asked.
Twilight only shook her head and gestured at the nurse.
“Miss Fluttershy will be okay. Thanks to Miss Sparkle here administering basic healing magic almost immediately, there will be no permanent damage. However, she did inhale an extremely dangerous amount of smoke, and will have to remain at the hospital for the time being while our unicorn healers repair her lungs. The burns will heal in their own time.” The nurse turned around. “I’ll leave you ponies alone, Miss Fluttershy will need her friends when she wakes.”
As soon as the nurse left the room, Twilight collapsed into the nearest chair. She looked dreadful, and it was plain that she had been crying for several hours now, though obviously nopony mentioned this. Hesitantly, Rainbow sat next to the quivering unicorn and wrapped a hoof around her shoulder. Twilight let out a small whimper and buried her face into Rainbow’s arm. The subsequent waterfall of tears lasted for several minutes, during which, everypony else waited patiently.
Finally, Twilight managed to stem the flow. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Rainbow looked solemn as she took her arm off of Twilight’s shoulder.
“Care to tell us what happened, sugarcube?” AJ said patiently.
“Yes, Twilight. Please tell.” Rarity could not bear the suspense any longer.
Twilight started from the beginning, how Spike was having his nightmare. How she reacted when they saw that the fire had nearly engulfed their friend. How she had pulled them out of the fire, along with the animals. How Fluttershy then collapsed and stopped breathing.
“Thank Celestia I remembered the right spell. She had more smoke than oxygen in her system. The fire brigade said that there was no foul play. The fire had somehow started from the roof; they’re still trying to figure out how, exactly. All of Fluttershy’s animals are being taken care of by the Apples.”
Rarity took time to register all this information. It seemed impossible, only several hours ago they were having a picnic in the park. Ok, she thought, no lasting damage. Everypony is okay. Just a little shocked. Then a thought occurred to her.
“What happened to Spike after he collapsed?”
“He was still having the nightmares, and it looked like he was in pain. The doctor put him under strong painkillers. He’s asleep in the next room. He’s not supposed to have visitors, for now, and the doctor said he’ll be alright,” Twilight answered.
“Shouldn’t he be kept awake?” AJ asked. “I mean, he somehow saw that Fluttershy’s house was on fire. What if something like that happens again and he can’t be woken up?”
“APPLEJACK!” Rarity shouted. “He’s in pain, it would be cruel to keep him awake!”
“Jeez, I didn’t mean it like that, Rarity.”
Silence descended upon the room. Nopony wanted to speak, nor did any of them feel like being alone. Almost an hour passed in this fashion. Eventually, anxiety had gotten the better of Rarity and she decided to see Spike. Nopony protested about her breaking the rules. It seemed insignificant.
Quietly, Rarity crept over to the next room and found that the door was unlocked. A soft squeak was heard as it swung open. The baby dragon was lying in his bed, sheets pulled up to his chin. An erratic beep came from the machine measuring his heart rate, and Spike tossed fitfully in his sleep. Rarity levitated a chair next to the bed, and promptly sat down. She longed to see into his dreams, if only to make them change for the better.
“Ra….Rare…” Spike mumbled as he tossed around again.
Rarity smiled. She had known for a long time now that the dragon had feelings for her. She had never known how to respond to those feelings; she just hoped that things would turn out for the better. The definition of ‘better’ being ambiguous. She was too tired, and could not bear to assess the situation any longer. Rarity put her head next to Spike and let the beep of the heart monitor lull her into a restless slumber.
~~~
Shining Armour felt sunlight hit his closed eyes. It’s too early. He grudgingly rolled over to see Cadence sleeping soundly next to him. He could hear the quiet rhythm of her breathing, and smiled as she reached over and placed an arm around his chest. His eyes traced the lines of her face; an activity he never tired of. Her mane fell over her eyes, and as he brushed it back, she sleepily pulled herself closer to him and rested against his torso. The contact still managed to send butterflies through his stomach, even after they were wed. They were still giddy newlyweds, still in the phase that felt like they were at their honeymoon.
Dawn broke outside their room, which was located in the east wing of Canterlot Castle. Shining Armour would be contempt to lie there all day, but sadly royal duty would call soon. Cadence would have her appointments as an alicorn princess, and him his duty as a captain of the royal guard.
Once the sun properly passed the horizon, he slipped quietly out of bed and washed. He donned his uniform, something he wore with great pride. As he went through his morning habits, his thoughts wandered to his sister, who would likely be also rising at this time. Walking over to the desk, he pulled out a piece of parchment, levitated a quill into a pot of ink and began writing.
Dear Twili
How is everything? We haven’t spoken since I returned from my honeymoon, which was great by the way. Thanks for asking, kiddo, haha. Princess Celestia has given Cadence and I a wonderful place to live at the castle, and we’re very happy. My duty has been going well too, Canterlot hasn’t been safer in years. Security has tightened ever since the Changeling army invaded, and everypony feels safer with the extra guards around.
Thanks again Twili, for bringing my bride back to me. Something I couldn’t do myself. None of this would have been possible without you. So, what’s happening from your end? How are the studies on friendship going? How are all your friends? It would be great to hear from you soon. Love you, Twili.
Your BBBFF
The letter was short, but Shining Armour had said everything he wanted to. Concentrating his willpower into his horn, he sent the letter to the closest post office. Cadence showed no sign of properly rising anytime soon. She didn’t need to see anypony until the afternoon, anyway. He wrote her a note saying where he was going to be and left it on the bedside table.
He strolled through the castle gardens and headed to the wing where the headquarters for the royal guard were located. The crisp morning air smelled of greenery, and made his senses more alert with each breath he took. As he approached, he felt two powerful presences nearing him. He strode into the headquarters, and immediately saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna standing in the lobby of the main hall.
The hall was a large room with a high ceiling, decorated with the colours of the Sun and Moon princesses. To the right there was a staircase that led to the underground armoury, to the left stairs descending to the practice arena, where the guard would train their magic, physical strength as well as mental strength. Upstairs were located the offices where paperwork and desk jobs were handled.
Shining Armour approached the two princesses and bowed. “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“No need to act that formal around us, Shining.” Luna rolled her eyes. Her speaking habits and attitude had changed significantly.
“Sister, we still have an image to uphold.” Celestia sounded scolding, but in reality she was glad her sister was adjusting back to the modern world so well. “We have a situation, Shining. We have received word that there will be a envoy of dragons arriving in Canterlot tomorrow.”
“Dragons? Here in Equestria? That’s almost unheard of. I mean, there have been a few instances of a rogue dragon here and there, but they always travel only with their own kind, and usually in packs. Why would they suddenly tell us they’re coming to the capital city?”
“They request a political meeting between their leader and us, the Sun and Moon Princesses.” Luna replied. “The nature of this meeting was withheld.”
“We would like you to tighten security around Canterlot, but not to the point that it seems suspicious. Though the dragons are a dying breed, they are still a proud race, and rightfully so. Their battle might is not to be underestimated.” Celestia’s tone was anxious, and Shining would happily oblige if it meant serving Canterlot.
“Certainly, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna.” Shining Armour began making preparations for the arrival of the envoy immediately.