After Spike didn't reappear after three days, the rest of my friends knew something was up. But when they asked Rarity where he was, she'd say something about Spike being away on 'official business' before changing the subject. This fended them off for a little while, but soon they started asking when he'd be back. I felt sorry for Rarity as she was clearly fighting to hold in her emotions every time the dragon's name came up in conversation. Rarity had become more friendly to Applejack and I, however, no longer glaring suspiciously at us, and for that I was grateful.
Rainbow was still trying to work in the boutique; learning to sew and cut with her hooves was difficult, but with a few lessons from yours truly she began to improve at her work. She was now calling herself 'Rainbow Dash' after Pinkie had transferred the nickname of 'Dashie' over to the cyan pegasus.
Applejack was now working at the farm; although she hadn't yet regained her cutie mark she was applebucking away at a rate Fluttershy could only just match.
But aside from this, business continued as per usual. Scootaloo and Applebloom had made up after their argument; Scootaloo now chased Rainbow Dash around in awe, while Applebloom had Applejack to herself once more. Sweetie Belle was very relieved, and the three fillies once more threw themselves into discovering their cutie marks and special talents.
The other princesses had been notified by Rarity of the strange species change of two of us, and Celestia had immediately put her best researchers up to the task of seeking a cause. But so far, nothing had been uncovered, and I had a feeling nothing would be anytime soon.
For a few days, life passed without incident. I hated to admit it to myself, but my pangs for my lost magic were fading and I was enjoying being an earth pony. If it hadn't been for Applejack, I might have let go of my old self and embraced the new me wholeheartedly.
But then something shattered our peace. The six of us were summoned to Canterlot, and when we arrived the princess told us that a lone purple dragon was ravaging the city of Baltimare, and she wanted us to use the Elements to defeat it. We all nodded and charged out of the throne room to prepare, but I saw that Rarity's face was, if possible, even whiter than usual and her ears were flicking in agitation. I wondered what could possibly be ailing her.
We swept past Ponyville to collect the Elements, and then two royal chariots bore us to Baltimare. We arrived to widespread destruction, enormous claw prints everywhere, deep furrows carved in the ground, and several buildings damaged or crushed. As soon as we disembarked the chariots, the pegasi guards turned tail and soared away, leaving us in the all-too-quiet remains of the city.
"So where's this dragon?" asked Rainbow. Rarity said nothing, just swapping her royal tiara for the Element of Magic and levitating the other Elements out to us. Applejack reached for the apple-shaped pendant, but it floated past her to attach to Fluttershy's neck, while the lightning-bolt Element of Loyalty locked around Applejack's throat. The balloon- shaped Element of Laughter clicked into place over my own neck, but I cast a few longing looks at the Element of Magic, rested so neatly over Rarity's curled forelock.
Rainbow, sporting the diamond- shaped Element of Generosity, took flight to scour the rubble for the dragon. The rest of us followed on hoof. Rarity's ears were still twitching anxiously, though her eyes were narrowed with determination.
Every so often, I would hear a scuffling sound, or the tap of hooves, but never saw anything more than the odd flash of colour. I was glad that at least some ponies had survived.
Suddenly Rainbow called, "I think I see it!" and vanished in a burst of spectrum colours. As we continued trotting through the quiet streets, we soon heard a rumbling sound, growing louder as we grew closer to the city centre.
When we got there, we saw Rainbow circling over a huge, snoring dragon. Its huge purple bulk rose and fell as it snored, and puffs of black smoke issued from its nostrils with each rumble.
Green spines ran all the way down its back until they reached the long purple tail tip, which was shaped like an arrowhead. Purple scales covered its body, and dangerous claws glittered on its forelegs.
We all looked to Rarity for orders, but she just blanched even paler and shivered. I wondered what in Equestria was bothering her, but then it hit me. Spike. This dragon was very much like Spike, could even be Spike.
Fluttershy got tired of waiting, and cautiously walked over to the monstrous snout of the dragon. Then, without hesitation, she turned her back on it and delivered a hard kick to the tip of its nose.
There was an awful growl, and then a snarl, and the dragon lifted its head to scrutinize her, before turning its gaze on the rest of us. Eyes as green and bright as emeralds, with slitted pupils, stared unblinkingly at us.
Suddenly, Rarity barked, "Get into formation!" I galloped over to where Pinkie would usually stand, and Rarity began to power up her Element. All six of us rose into the air, our bodies glowing as the Elements around our necks began to shine.
But all of a sudden, Applejack and I's Elements dimmed, followed by everypony else's. We fell with a simultaneous thud to the ground. The dragon blinked at us dumbly. Then it roared, and we scattered as a huge claw slammed down where we had just been lying.
We dodged the blows of the dragon's forelegs easily, but then the much more agile tail entered the fray and things got much harder. The three winged members of the group took flight, and Fluttershy, Applejack and I were left to dodge the foreclaws while the tail struck at Rarity, Rainbow and Pinkie as they worried the dragon's snout.
But then the dragon opened its huge jaws to send a wall of flames at its airborne attackers. The alicorn and two pegasi disappeared behind the flickering flames, and all three of us on the ground screamed.
Suddenly, as we stared in horror at the wall of fire, something scaly wrapped around us and we were left struggling in the coils of the dragon's tail.
The flames died, but there was no sign of our friends. I felt despair; could they have been completely incinerated? But now the dragons' huge green eye was glaring at us, and I shrunk back instinctively from its gaze.
The black pupil fixed on Fluttershy, recognising her as the one who had kicked it, and the dragon plucked her free of its tail and held between two claws in front of its snout. Applejack and I were lowered to the ground, but still wrapped in the dragon's tail.
Fluttershy blinked back at the dragon. Then, spontaneously, the dragon rested Fluttershy on its thumb and casually flicked her away.
Fluttershy went soaring through the air, and suddenly something else seemed to override the fear in her eyes. But she soon began to fall, and the fear returned as she plummeted towards the ground. I saw a streak of rainbow zooming towards her, but there was little chance of Rainbow catching Fluttershy now.
Fluttershy vanished behind a row of trees over a nearby hill, and the rainbow followed.
By now, Pinkie was standing on the dragon's snout, transfixing it with 'The Stare'.
"Now let my friends go." I heard her say sternly, "And you'd better hope poor Fluttershy is okay, or you'll pay."
The dragon cowered, and crouched down, unravelling its tail from around us. Then, leaving Pinkie to glare threateningly at the cowed dragon, Applejack and I went cantering off towards the hill where Fluttershy had fallen, with Rarity zooming along over our heads. I didn't find out until much later that Rarity had activated a fire-proof shield spell at the last moment, protecting them all from the flames. They had ducked out of sight so that the dragon didn't blast the damaged shield again.
We arrived at the hillside to find Rainbow standing over Fluttershy's crumpled form. But rather than grief, her face showed surprise.
"Is she okay?" asked Applejack. Rainbow nodded, but still said nothing.
"What's wrong?" I asked. Rainbow pointed with a cyan hoof to something I hadn't previously noticed; a splayed yellow wing. Fluttershy's wing. Her wings were unfolded as if gliding, as delicate as they had always been.
Great, I thought. Everypony gets wings except me.
"I couldn't catch her." said Rainbow. "I tried so hard, but she was out of reach. But then, a few hundred yards up, she just grew wings, and started gliding as if it was the most natural thing in the world."
"So why is she unconscious?" asked Applejack.
"Well, she started gliding, but she didn't lose her velocity." explained Rainbow. "She was still at high speed when she hit the ground."
Rarity spoke. "This is awfully strange." But she looked at me with suspicion again, and I frowned as she turned away again.
Rarity carried Fluttershy back to where Pinkie was still intimidating the dragon. Rarity gently set Fluttershy down, and then trotted over to the dragon.
"Spike. You've hurt Fluttershy. I hope you're proud of yourself, you stupid scaly idiot."
We all gasped. Rarity ignored us.
"I knew you'd pull something like this. But really, smashing up an entire city isn't going to encourage me to get back together with you."
The dragon blinked. Then it growled, "It was worth a try."
All at once, the dragon's huge frame shrunk down to the Spike I recognised from when he and Rarity had split up. "I didn't know what else to do."
Rarity was about to give a scathing retort when Pinkie inched forward and shoved the alicorn gently. Rarity bumped into Spike with a squeak of indignation. She made to pull away, but Spike had grabbed her. He picked her up as if she weighed nothing, his claws around her middle, and gazed into her eyes.
Rarity struggled, trying not to look at him, but eventually their eyes met. Rarity slowly stopped trying to kick him, and for an awkward moment they stared into each other's eyes. They made as if to kiss, but then Rarity's head snapped over to us and she raised her eyebrows.
Applejack tactfully turned away, as did Pinkie. Rainbow covered her eyes with her hooves, but peeked a couple of times, while I just turned my attention to Fluttershy.
As I watched, the yellow pegasus stirred, and her green eyes flickered open to fix on Rarity and Spike. Her eyes widened, and then she squeaked, "Oh dear." and covered her eyes. I supposed it was rather shocking to wake up and see an alicorn and a dragon kissing.
Then it occurred to me how quietly Fluttershy had spoken, and grew excited. Could Fluttershy be back to normal?
Spike and Rarity broke apart, and then walked over to us, Rarity straightening the Element of Magic which had been sitting lopsidedly above her ears. Rarity collected the rest of the Elements from us, looking carefully at Laughter and Loyalty as she replaced them in their holding chest. Finally, she replaced the Element of Magic with her tiara and closed the chest.
Fluttershy got to her hooves, her eyes wide as she stared from Rarity to me to Rainbow. Her eyes took note of each cutie mark, her face blanching a little as she passed over Pinkie's, and then her eyes strayed to her own flank. She looked at the three red apples emblazoned there, and whispered quietly, "Oh, my." before dropping like a stone.