//------------------------------// // Below the surface // Story: Draconic Troubles // by Davesknd //------------------------------// Chapter 11: Chapter 10: Below the surface MLP:FIM belongs to Hasbro. This episode features Pony Cena, played by John Cena. Twilight was surprised by her own reaction. Never, truly NEVER would she expect herself to feel the way she just did. How could she, the pony hungriest for knowledge in the school for gifted unicorns, possibly think that she just received TOO MUCH INFORMATION? This was the downside of the draconic language: she couldn't read parts of a sentence. The whole thing formed inside of her head while her eyes followed the dancing flames. And now she had reached a very long and very, very detailed description of... well, she was playing with the thought of asking Rarity to move somewhere cooler... maybe that one comet she had seen during the shower. The one that wouldn't pass Equestria for the next 4 billion years. There was a knock on the door. Rather thankful, the unicorn left the gently burning tome and went downstairs. As she opened the door, she found Rarity and Applejack carrying some trolleys with Spike's favourite gems and apple-based treats. "Rarity and I have supplies here, Twi!" Applejack explained. "The little guy is at the gem cutter." "Yeah, he is probably sweeping the floor," Twilight said as she let the two others in. "He uses the diamond dust to flavour his breakfast milk or as sprinkles on cookies." "Not the ones he makes for us, I hope!" Rarity answered. "No, he is very careful about that," Twilight explained, leading them towards the basement. "I ate one of his stash once. He and the princess called me Dental Sparkle for two weeks." Applejack let out a giggle that Rarity suppressed. "Oh, Spike's trapping did some good. I knew there was a lot of unused space down here, but I wanted to keep my instruments ready," Twilight said happily. "Say, Twi, do you really need all these things?" Applejack asked, helping Rarity to get the carts downstairs. "It kinda looks like some evil lab down here." "There is nothing evil about science!" Twilight said angrily, turning around. "It's just silly comics and TV that give us good scientists a bad name! Now, there is some free space next to the skull-drill. And watch out for the dissection table! I ordered the scalpels by sharpness." While they unloaded, Rarity asked, "Have you found some interesting facts about dragons that I can use in my speech? I thought I should start with her eyes—nobody can resist that kind of compliment—and then go on about her scales, and how well they go together. I was thinking about complimenting her figure, but I don't really have any clues on what is a dragon's ideal of beauty, so I guess I should just go with colours and general aesthetic until you gave me a quick briefing." "I just hope that she can take the fussiness," Applejack muttered. "I'm not that far yet," Twilight admitted. "The book had no index page. But I'm working my way through it. On a completely unrelated note, do you have any chastity belts?" "Goodness, NO! Those completely ruin the haunchline! All the metal is impossible to contain in an elegant dress!" Rarity wailed. "Those truly WERE barbaric times!" "Just asking..." Twilight stated quietly. She turned to Applejack, knowing that any more attention would incline Rarity to start a rant about medieval fashion. "How is everypony else doing?" "Big Mac mentioned that the mayor announced the arrival of the dragon in the afternoon... and that she seemed quite tense. But I doubt that he got that impression from the speech. Now all the times he was requesting funds, showing the historic sights of the farm, and… all that makes way too much sense! Oh, and Pinkie showed up and got herself two of my farmhoofs for some party preparations. I think she also had that catapult Rainbow used that one time." "From what I could tell on the way here, the preparations have just started," Rarity added. "There is still enough time left…" Twilight tried to comfort herself. "Oh, how is Fluttershy doing?" "After yesterday, probably a little better. That bunny friend of hers really knows what she needs. Even if he is a bit creepy in the execution department…" Applejack said. "You have a job for her?" "I would like her and Spike to stay in the same basement," Twilight answered. "That way we have our secret weapon and our communication line to the princess in the same place." "Oh, like only one of us needs to survive to get the message here!" Applejack said with a forced giggle. "Basically..." Twilight admitted and turned to go. "Could you guys go get Fluttershy when you are done? Then I'll go and have a talk with the mayor over the details of the party." "Couldn't you just teleport to Fluttershy's place? This might still take a little while," Rarity explained, busy ordering the gems in a nice pattern. "Why do I always forget that I can do that?" Twilight asked herself and vanished. "Well, it would take a lot of the fun out of our adventures..." Applejack stated and turned to Rarity. "Do you really have to make an apple fritter stairway to the gems?" Fluttershy's cottage, basement: It was an honest mistake of Twilight to materialize inside Fluttershy's cottage. She knew that the pegasus would be in her basement, so materializing there made sense. But she really didn't expect to see what she saw. Nothing could prepare her for this. Fluttershy sat in front of her TV, taking busily notes. It was the program that scared Twilight: "AT WRANGLEMANIA, I will not need your tricks, Buck Wagon! The spirits of the warhorses give me the power to ride into the sunset! SCRONK! FOR I AM THE ULTIMATE WARHORSE!" a stallion in the TV screamed at the camera. "Let me tell you something, brother: The Buckamaniacs will unite and power my pile driver and banish you to the moon! Twice!" another stallion, sporting an impossible beard and a bandana on his head, yelled back. "WOOO!" came the next. "Fluttershy?" Twilight interrupted. The pegasus spun around, blushing furiously. "Twilight! I didn't hear you come in!" She tried to grab the remote, but Twilight waved her off. "Professional wrestling?" Twilight asked awkwardly. "I wasn't aware that you liked that..." "Oh... I actually don't... at least not much..." Fluttershy muttered. "But Rainbow said that I needed to be more assertive... and these ponies are very assertive." "But they don't talk like real ponies! It's all silly and fake." "I AM NOT WHINING! I AM COMPLAINING! THIS IS WHINING: Why does Buck wear such a cheap harness? Doesn't he know this is HD-TV?" Pony Cena announced. "No comment..." Twilight muttered. "Anyhow... I was thinking about your... plans. Maybe it would be better if you shared the library's basement with Spike so you and our wire to the princess would be in the same place." Fluttershy nodded. "If you think so, Twilight. I'll just inform Angel. He has been so helpful." The pegasus walked over to the door to the first floor and knocked five times. The lower half of the door flipped open and revealed a white bunny with a pot on his head. He was also shouldering a squirt gun with a carrot-bayonet. "Twilight and I think it will be better if I stay at the library," she explained. "Please hold the line here." The bunny saluted and turned around. As she left the basement with Fluttershy, Twilight saw Angel give orders to the other critters in the ever-lively cottage. She was never sure how to classify the little bunny. Beneath the innocent look was a mind that she had yet to comprehend. Only two things were certain about him: He was on Fluttershy's side and he was on nobody else's. As they left the front door behind them, Twilight had to ask: "Say, Fluttershy, has Angel always been so... helpful?" "Oh, yes, Twilight!" Fluttershy answered happily. "Ever since I counted him after he was born, he has been nothing but very helpful to me! Even though he did turn a bit more... helpful, ever since he saw... the movie..." "The movie?" Twilight asked in confusion. "What movie?" "The... horrible... disgusting... terrible... horrible... bunny movie..." "You said horrible twice." "I know. It was so horrible, I expected Pinkie to pop up and sing a song about how horrible it was!" "That horrible?" Fluttershy nodded. "Then... why did you watch it with him in the first place?" "Because it had such a deceiving cover had good reviews in the newspaper..." Fluttershy admitted. "What was it called?" "Watership Down." Back at the cottage: Angel was done instructing the other animals. The change of plans was annoying, but no real hindrance. A squadron of birds was ready to keep an eye on the sky and the snakes were ready to infiltrate the library and keep their tongues on the happenings there (since that was their dominant sense). The small bunny climbed the stairs, a few birds saluting him, and walked to the closet. He wanted some private time before the operation started. The bunny bowed and opened the small compartment in the back of the closet. As he approached the shrine he quietly created under Fluttershy's nose, he could not help but smile. His beloved, but very naïve, prophetess would show him the way. He would be her servant for all his life. In death, he already had a different master... right, Black Bunny of Inlé?