//------------------------------// // Chapter 25 // Story: A New Dragon in Ponyville // by Vedues //------------------------------// Two days had passed since Cliff's trip to the Redstone Coven, and he was still trying to find the right way to ask Fluttershy about extending her life. It wasn't that he forgot. To the contrary, he couldn't stop worrying about what would happen if he messed this up. Best case scenario: they lived happily together until she died, leaving Cliff to mourn her for the rest of his life. Just thinking about it made him shudder. That's enough, he decided. All I need to do is bring it up casually and see how she feels about it. “So... is there anything I should know about your parents before Sunday?” Not what I had in mind, brain. The young dragon resisted the urge to facepalm. “...Not really.” Fluttershy shifted around to look at him, her expression quizzical and a little worried. They were curled up on her couch, reading a book together. “Why do you ask?” “I don't want to make a bad impression.” That was true, even if wasn't what he had been meaning to say. “Well,” she chewed on her lip thoughtfully before answer, “Daddy is very sweet and very thoughtful. I'm sure you'll get along well. Mother can be a teensy bit mean sometimes, but she only does it because she wants me to be the best I can.” Cliff wasn't sure what to make of that. “Do you think they'll approve of you courting a dragon?” “I hope mother will.” The yellow mare flushed a little. “She always wanted me to marry a Canterlot noble. She says it's so that I can live comfortably.” A small frown appeared on Cliff's face. “She has a point.” He wasn't honestly sure if he would be considered rich or poor by pony standards. Twilight told him that he was being paid a generous amount for acting as her counselor and assistant, but he couldn't remember exactly how much it was. I need to check up on that. “I don't want bits though,” Fluttershy buried her face in his neck. “I only want to stay here with you and take care of all my little critter friends.” Cliff squeezed her tight. “That's all I want as well.” He nuzzled into her soft mane. “I love you, Fluttershy.” “I love you too,” she replied shyly. He held the embrace for several moments before he spoke again. “Speaking of staying here... I talked with the Redstone Coven while I was there, and they offered a lot of extra years to you and your friends. You know, just in case you want them,” he finished quickly. “Really?” she whispered. “You mean Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack could live longer too?” He nodded. “Oh my, that's so nice of the-.” Thunder cracked outside. They both froze. “It's the drake,” Cliff said. “I have to go.” Fluttershy scrambled to her hooves. “Me too. The weather team needs me.” They paused at the door, and Cliff wrapped her in a tight hug. “Don't get too close to it,” he whispered. “Please be safe,” she whispered back. “I'll try.” It was all he could honestly promise. He activated his running spells and took off. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Cliff was cursing the drake for its timing. -_-_-_-_-_- Contrary to popular belief, moving at extreme speeds didn't also allow Cliff to think any more quickly than normal. As such, when he arrived at the edge of the Everfree Forest and saw Fire Eyes trying to hold off a very large, and very angry looking, green berserker, with no guard pegasi in sight, he didn't have time to wonder what had happened. He barely had time to reflect that something must have gone wrong before tackling his old friend out of the way of a tail swipe that would have broken bones, at the very least. One of the blade-like protrusions on the berserker's tail scraped across the scales on Cliff's back at it passed above them. They were linked by the time they rolled back onto their feet. Fire Eyes' emotions flooded into Cliff: gratitude and trepidation, mixed a healthy dose of determination. Thank you. Be careful, it's more dangerous than we thought. We have to hold it here until backup arrives, he translated. Cliff sent back determination and hope. Agreed. They should be here soon. Their entire exchange took place at the speed of thought. With an earthshaking roar, the drake turned and engulfed them both in a wave of orange fire. The grass beneath them was blasted to ash in an instant, and most of the field was set ablaze. Unimpressed, the two wyrms combined their willpower for a burst of lightning counterattack. The air around them suddenly reeked of smoke and ozone. Taking advantage of the berserker's muscle spasms, Cliff shot onto one of its partially extended wings and began slashing furiously with his ethereal claws. Regardless of how this had started, their first job was still to keep it on the ground so the pegasi would be safe to attack it from above... wherever they were. Fire Eyes followed up with a telekinetic thrust. Their combined attacks were enough to punch a small hole in the membrane. Look out! Cliff rocketed away just as the berserker's claws slashed through the air at him. Thanks. “We don't have to fi-” Fire Eyes began, only to leap away as one of the monster's wings batted down at her. She used a Speed Burst to escape the jaws that followed, knocking herself across the ground like a skipping stone. The young dragon shot back as quickly as he could, surging his Ghost Claws again as he slashed at the berserker's wings. Unfortunately, the angle of his approach prevented him from attacking the same place. Even worse, the drake simply knocked him away with a flap of its wings and charged at Fire Eyes. Look out! he warned her. Struggling back to her feet, the white dragoness shot forward this time, between the drake's legs, and back towards the Everfree Forest. The berserker turned after her, almost casually flicking its spine-covered tail at Cliff as he flew towards it again. Momentum Redirection let him change the angle of his path just enough to avoid the tail and crash into its wing instead. The drake seemed to be expecting this. It tucked both wings to its sides as soon as he landed, catching his leg and tail in the folds of its leathery membranes. Crap! Cliff surged his Strength to try and pry himself loose, but the drake was already reaching for him with its claws. In desperation, he and Fire Eyes combined their willpower to cast Shield, and surge Scale Armor. The shield only held for a fraction of a second, then the berserker's claws smashed through it, and into Cliff. A combination of Speed Burst and Momentum Transfer, combined with Scale Armor absorbed or deflected a lot of the blow, but it was still enough to crack a few ribs and wrench his left arm. Thankfully, however, it also knocked Cliff loose enough that another Speed Burst broke him free entirely. Fire Eyes set off two explosions in the beast's face to distract it, and buy Cliff a few seconds to heal himself. Don't stay close to it, idiot! her emotions yelled at him, but the concern in her heart overwhelmed any chastisement. Sorry. Cliff winced as he landed about a hundred feet to her left. Healing magic poured into his wounded side. He scanned the skies, praying that the pegasi would get there soon. Much to his dismay though, only one group was in sight, and it was still at least a minute away. Weren't there allies stationed here? The berserker destroyed their cloud with a boulder. Fire Eyes released another burst of lightning. It's smart. We need to be careful. Cliff thought of the way it had trapped him. Not only had that nearly killed him, but it had protected its wings from further damage. Agreed. The berserker was nearly on them again, but this time it opened its wings just long enough to give a mighty flap. Whatever internal magic allowed drakes to fly, it could also be used to generate wind. A cone of magically accelerated air smashed down on the wyrms like a wall of stone. Speed Burst shot Cliff into the air, above the worst of it. Fire Eyes, however, was crushed down and backwards as many of the trees around her were either uprooted or shattered. The berserker pounced at the fallen dragoness, eager for the kill. Cliff did the only thing he could think of. He surged Ghost Claws and Spider Climb, both in his right hand, and then shot down at the monster. He crashed into its neck. Spider Climb was strong enough to keep his hand in contact, but weak enough to let it move with his momentum. The young dragon slid down the berserker's neck and along the entire underside of its body, leaving thin trails of red behind him before flipping up into the air at the base of its tail. Run, Fire Eyes! He punctuated the sentiment by surging Dirt Cloud, making the ground below the berserker's head explode upwards. It turned to bite at him, but half of a fallen tree smashed into the back of its head, throwing its aim off. You too, Fire Eyes responded as she disappeared into the treeline. Cliff turned invisible just long enough to join her. Enraged, the berserker released another wave of fire. Closer trees were disintegrated almost instantly, and everything for hundreds of feet beyond them was set ablaze. The pegasi are nearly here. Fire Eyes growled from behind a charred stump that had been a large evergreen a few seconds earlier. We have to give them a clear shot at its wings. Any suggestions? Cliff asked. He was a little farther away, so the oak tree he had landed in was only on fire. Another blast of wind put out about half of the fire, and made the rest spread more quickly. Luckily, neither wyrm was close enough to be injured by it. Apparently satisfied, the berserker turned to face the oncoming pegasi. A rough plan formed between the two wyrms. It wasn't perfect, but they didn't have time to think of something better. Just as the drake crouched for takeoff, Cliff shot out of the woods, propelled by an empowered jump, two Speed Bursts, and a telekinetic thrust. He surged Momentum Transfer as he crashed into the shoulder joint of its injured wing. The results weren't exactly impressive. Cliff nearly blacked out from the sudden change in g-force, and the drake stumbled forward a bit. Still, it was enough to distract the monster, and a surged Explosion from Fire Eyes let him get away, landing between it and Ponyville in a small cloud of ash. Annoyed by their attacks, but not really injured by them, the berserker turned back towards the approaching pegasi. This time it took a deep breath as it prepared to breath fire. Do you think it could actually reach them that far up? We can't risk it. Cliff felt his willpower being augmented by Fire Eyes as he surged more of his enhancement spells. The young wyrm turned invisible and rocketed forward. He collided with the berserker's lower jaw at the same time his friend's telekinesis pounded down on its snout. Combined, it was enough to snap the drake's mouth shut just as it started to exhale. The blocked fire shot out through its nostrils instead, making it cough uncontrollably. If that hadn't been their goal, Cliff might have felt sorry for their opponent. Shooting fire out of your nose was not a comfortable sensation. At least luck seemed to be on their side for once. Not only was the drake too busy coughing to do anything about the pegasi taking their places above, but it had partially opened its wings, giving them an easy target. A deafening crack of thunder shook the area as a well aimed lightning bolt struck the drake's injured wing. More bolts followed, blackening its scales and making it spasm in pain. Where are the other clouds?! Cliff panted. Each cloud only had so many shots in them, and the drake was still looking more angry than hurt. Looking back at the town, he saw a few clouds being ferried towards them by weather ponies, but on the ground was an even more welcome sight. His grandparents had finally arrived! They reached the young wyrm at the same time that Fire Eyes did, and just as the soldier pegasi fired their last lightning bolt. As the link snapped into place, all four dragons moved into combat formation. Fire Eyes and Burning Torch stood at the back, while Cliff and his grandmother moved to the front. The older dragoness sent out instructions as quickly as she could. Eyes, attack the scorch mark on its neck. Its scales will be weaker there. Torch, defend her. Cliff, you're the followup attacker. I'll restrict its movements. Something shimmered into existence next to Burning Torch. It looked like glowing wall, as tall as a wyrm on its hind legs, and four times as long. Technically, it was a shield, but the older dragon used it more like a quarterstaff than anything. It floated into the air, as though being manipulated by invisible hands. Fire Claws covered herself in the fiery aura that was her namesake as she shot forward. Move it, Cliff! Right. He ran in the opposite direction, building up his speed to supersonic levels. Fire Eyes surged an Explosion on the neck of the still recovering berserker. Aided by their combined willpower, the spell actually blasted off a few scales. Cliff reversed his momentum and surged Speed Burst and Ghost Claws. He shot past the monster's neck immediately after the explosion, slashing as hard as he could at the weakened area. The drake roared in pain, twisting to bite at the attacker, but threads of fire wrapped around its head, pulling it back. Enraged, the beast followed the flames back to Fire Claws. It slammed its tail into her, but rather than being sent flying, the dragoness simply flickered and disappeared. Meanwhile, the real Fire Claws appeared off to the berserker's side. Tendrils of flame shot from her clawed hand to envelop the largest uprooted tree that hadn't been reduced to cinders during their struggle. She surged Strength and whipped the fallen oak into her foe's head, throwing in a telekinetic thrust and Speed Burst for good measure. Wood exploded into tiny pieces from the impact, and the drake was knocked to the ground with an earthshaking crash, exposing the weak point in its neck once more. Now! Fire Eyes set off another explosion, and Cliff followed up with Momentum Transfer to hurl a rock at supersonic speeds. The first drops of blood began to seep from the berserker's wounded neck. After another failed tail sweep at Cliff's grandmother, the drake apparently decided that attacking her would be pointless. It rolled back to its feet and charged at Burning Torch and Fire Eyes. The dark brown wyrm sprang into motion, moving as though he held something in his claws. In front of him, his shield followed his movements, knocking aside the berserker's swipe and flowing into a jab at the underside of its snout, then reversing and coming down hard on top of its head. Stunned momentarily, the drake didn't have time to react before a combination of Telekinesis, prehensile fire, Momentum Transfer, and a mobile shield knocked its front legs out from under it. More fire wrapped around the beast's neck as soon as it hit the ground, pinning it in place. The two younger wyrms took full advantage of their foe's predicament, blasting and slashing with as much speed and power as they could manage. Frantic now, the drake twisted and strained to cover the bleeding hole in its neck, but the older dragoness's fire held it firmly in place, and her husband's shield blocked its forelegs. Roars of anger soon became screams of pain as Cliff and Fire Eyes hacked deeper into the muscle of its neck. Stop. Cliff, his body liberally coated in the monster's blood, hesitated for a moment before jumping back to join his allies. He soon realized why his grandmother had given the order. A crowd of reporters had ignored their survival instincts and gathered to watch the fight. He also saw Spike and Twilight among them. We should try to avoid killing this thing in front of those ponies. The stars only know how they might react. Who was the first one to challenge it? I was, Fire Eyes replied. Appeal to its twisted sense of honor, she instructed. See if you can convince it to leave in peace. I'll do my best. The drake had stopped struggling as soon as its attackers paused. It did nothing other than hiss in pain and glare at Fire Eyes as she stepped forward. She took a deep breath. “I told you before, this town and all the ponies in it are ours. By right of conquest, we demand that you not harm any part of any of them.” Drakes were selfish creatures. Anything that wasn't a dragon was a possession, and ownership was determined by might. “If you accept, then you may live. Otherwise, we will finish you right here.” Sensing that the danger had passed, the crowd began to inch forward across the scorched ground. More pegasi were arriving as well, armed with new clouds. “You claim right of conquest, wyrm,” the drake growled, “but it took four of you, and three slaves to defeat me. If you wish to earn your victory with honor, like a true dragon, then face me by yourself.” Fire Eyes arched an eyebrow. “Do you think I'm an idiot? I could fit in the palm of your hand and you talk as though a duel between us would be fair? You were defeated, drake. At least try to face it with some level of dignity.” The berserker bared its fangs and growled. “Now which do you choose?” Fire Eyes pressed. “Will you accept our victory, or will you die?” Smoke began to pour from its mouth. Any attempt to breath fire, however, was cut off as the coven poured its willpower into Fire Eyes, and she directed it into a powerful bolt of lightning. “Death or defeat!” She shouted over the crackle of electricity. “Choose!” The drake roared and twitched in agony, but the purple dragoness's flames held it in place. “Well?” “...I... concede defeat.” Its eyes fairly glowed with hatred. Fire Eyes merely stepped away from the drake as they released it, but Cliff could feel the relief flooding through her. Ever so slowly, the monster rose to its claws. It shot them one last glare, smoke pouring out from between its fangs, before it turned and walked away. Fire Eyes tensed suddenly. It's about to attack! With her precognitive skills, none of them were going to question that she was right. The ponies are too close! Burning Torch looked around them. I can't defend them all at this range! Cliff sensed a large gemstone a buried few feet in the ground beneath them. Grandmother, I need that gem! She sent back agreement. Eyes, buy us two seconds! Just as the drake's tail began to swing towards them, Fire Eyes channeled their combined willpower into another bolt of lightning. It struck the unsuspecting berserker in the tail, locking all of its muscles there for a few precious moments. Living flame shot into the ground, flicking up a large amethyst into Cliff's waiting claws. He surged several uses of Speed Burst with a two second delay, and tossed the stone to Fire Eyes. All of them fueled their willpower into her Telekinesis as she launched the gem with everything she had. Cliff's Speed Bursts went off mid-flight, propelling the amethyst even harder, right into the roaring berserker's wounded neck. Without any scales there to protect it, and most of its muscle torn apart, very little stood between the gemstone and the berserker's spine. The monster dropped, twitched, and was still. Everything was silent for a moment, then the ponies started screaming. -_-_-_-_-_- Which is the Real Monster? one newspaper asked. Dragoness Murders One of Her Own! another proclaimed. Equestria to Princess Twilight: Dragons are Killers, was Cliff's least favorite. It featured a picture of Fire Eyes growling with the dead berserker and burning forest in the background. Only one newspaper backed the wyrms for their actions, the one where Autumn's reporter friends worked. It simply said, Fire Eyes, the Misunderstood Dragoness. Unlike any other reporters, they had actually asked her why she attacked a foe that had apparently admitted defeat and was leaving. According to Autumn and Rarity, wyrms had suddenly fallen from popularity in Canterlot. Even the citizens of Ponyville were starting to give them uneasy looks. “'...And numerous residents have admitted to seeing the dragons attack each other in a way that can only be described as both vicious and brutal.'” Spike slammed the paper down on the table they were all sitting at and glared at Fire Eyes. “Great, now all of Equestria thinks wyrms are a bunch of kill-crazy maniacs.” She had to visibly restrain herself from knocking Spike through a wall or two. Cliff didn't doubt that she could do it, even if they were in the Dragon House, where the walls were made of stone. “We were saving the lives of those idiotic reporters that have been following you around,” she hissed. “Need I remind you that your brother and I were nearly killed out there while you were watching from the sidelines?” The young dragon looked like he had been slapped, but his grandmother's claws forced him back into his seat before he could reply. “If we hadn't attacked when we did,” Fire Claws said firmly, “somepony would almost certainly have died. If you could look me in the face and tell me that it would have been better that way, then I would be ashamed to call you my grandson, Spike.” She leaned down to look him in the eyes. “But I know that you can't. The results of our actions are regrettable, especially for Fire Eyes, after everything your newspapers have said about her, but pointing blame won't do anything to fix the situation.” Spike sighed and looked away. “I'm sorry, Fire Eyes.” “...Apology accepted.” The white dragoness seemed to deflate as the anger left her. She might try to pretend otherwise, but Cliff could see that the pony media had really hurt his friend. She had hidden herself in the Dragon House for the last few days, ignoring her training, and only coming out when it was absolutely necessary. She was the reason they were meeting here instead of at the palace, like usual. Fire Claws gave her grandson a quick hug before she resumed pacing. “What can we do about this?” “Maybe an award?” Twilight suggested. “If Celestia were to give Fire Eyes the Medal of Honor, it would force the newspapers to be more respectful in their articles. She could even explain that it was Fire Eyes' precognitive magic that saved the lives of those ponies.” Autumn Gem nodded. “Yes, that may help, though I can't be sure. I'm afraid this situation is far worse than anything I've ever dealt with before,” she said apologetically. “I'll do everything I can to help, for whatever that may be worth.” “Thank you,” Fire Eyes whispered. Cliff picked up another newspaper. This one carried the headline, Alone for a Reason, and featured a picture of himself, covered in blood, holding an unconscious Fluttershy in his arms. According to the article, Cliff was a loner because the rest of his kind were too violent for him, but he tried to support them anyway. The blood was his own in their version of reality, rather than the drake's, and he was trying to get Fluttershy away from the other wyrms before their 'blood-lust' could drive them to attack her as well. The young dragon sighed. He should have handled things better in the aftermath of their fight, but Fluttershy's sudden arrival, and subsequent fainting when she saw him, had thrown him off. He'd grabbed her by reflex, only afterward realizing that the blood on his scales would soak into her coat. Taking her to the spa to get her cleaned off had seemed like a good idea at the time, but he wished he had been smart enough to stop all those reporters and explain to them what had really happened in the final moments of their battle. If he had, then maybe his best friend wouldn't be the media's new punching bag. “Perhaps we should find a more secluded area for our training,” Fire Claws mused. “I can see how it would appear violent to ponies who don't have our defensive magic.” “Not a bad idea,” Autumn sighed. “Though I hate to see such an important part of your culture hidden away like that.” “'Important' may be the wrong word,” Burning Torch said. “'Necessary' is more appropriate.” “In any case,” Fire Claws rolled her eyes, “we don't mind being a bit more quiet about it if it will put the town at ease.” “Okay.” Autumn looked around the room. “This problem will likely run itself out in due time. The media still views Spike and Cliff favorably, after all, and one event can only hold their attention for so long. In the meantime, might I suggest that you all try to be more social? Having allies around town certainly can't hurt us at this point.” The dragons all nodded their agreement. “How many friends have you all made so far?” she asked. “Not counting the ponies in this room.” Fire Eyes looked down. “None, really.” “What about Rainbow Dash?” Cliff reminded her. “Okay, one.” She didn't look up. “Only one for myself as well, I'm afraid,” Burning Torch said. “Though I do have several acquaintances.” “Three,” Fire Claws said, “and three for River as well.” As usual, the youngest member of their group was off with the Crusaders. Cliff had to stop and think about it for a moment. Does a marefriend count? It probably should. Who else would I call a friend? Rainbow Dash, Derpy, Zecora, the Crusaders, and I suppose Big Mac and Applejack would count at this point, even if I haven't gone to see them in a while. “Nine.” The other dragons looked at him in surprise. “I guess that settles it,” his grandmother was the first to speak. “Cliff can help the rest of us befriend this town.” Chuckling from Spike made them all turn to look at him. “Seriously?” He shook his head. “No offense, Cliff, but you aren't exactly a social butterfly.” “None taken. Did you have somedragon else in mind?” “Not somedragon. Somepony.” Spike grinned. “If you want to make friends in Ponyville, there's only one mare you need to talk to.” Cliff's eyes widened. How did I not think about that? “Pinkie Pie?” The younger dragon nodded. “Pinkie Pie.”