Ch. 3
Twilight woke to the sound of her alarm clock. As she groggily opened her eyes, she swore she must’ve still been dreaming, because what she was seeing was impossible.
“Spike? You’re already up?” Twilight asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
“You bet! You said you were going to head over to Yol Toor’s house today, and I don’t want to miss the chance to finally ask him how to be a proper dragon!”
Twilight climbed out of bed. “Spike, you don’t want to be rude; we don’t know Yol Toor very well, and asking him to tell us everything about being a proper dragon will put him on the spot.”
Twilight’s warning seemed to go in one ear and out the other, as Spike didn’t respond.
“Spike, did you hear me? We’re going to help Yol Toor make sure Ponyville is safe, not ask him a million questions about being a dragon.” Twilight said.
“Yeah, yeah. I hear you, Twilight.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, wondering just how serious it was. I have to admit though, even I’m curious about a dragon’s way of life. But considering how, erm… ‘talkative’ he was when we first met, I doubt we’ll learn much.
Twilight brushed her thoughts aside and levitated Spike onto her back. The two left the library and made their way to Yol Toor’s house.
~~~
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
The incessant knocking on his door pulled Yol Toor from his sleep. He groggily got out of his bed and went to the door. Opening it revealed the purple unicorn and hatchling he met at the party.
“Oh… uh… good morning!” Twilight greeted, forcing a smile.
Yol Toor said nothing as he stared at the unicorn blankly.
“I guess you don’t remember me: I’m Twilight Sparkle, and this is my assistant, Spike. Princess Celestia asked me to help you investigate the Everfree Forest.”
Yol Toor grunted as he moved to the side and allowed the two in the house.
Spike jumped off of Twilight and faced Yol Toor. The older dragon smiled at Spike.
“Drem Yol Lok, mal kiir,” Yol Toor said.
Both Twilight and Spike tilted their heads with dropped jaws..
Yol Toor frowned. “Los fin Dov tinvaak ni mindok wah daar kiir?”
Twilight and Spike continued to stare.
“Hmm… how unfortunate. Forgive me, young one. I wrongly assumed you knew our language.”
“Wait. Dragons have their own language?” Twilight asked.
“Yes,” Yol Toor answered sharply before turning back to Spike. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised; it is rare for the dragon language to be known to others.”
“Wow! Dragons have their own language! That’s so cool!” Spike said as he grinned from ear to ear.
“Tell me… Spike… what do you know about our people?”
“Well… I know that dragons are noble.”
Spike remained silent after that, and Yol Toor raised an eyebrow.
“Is that all?”
“Uhh… yeah! How much more is there to being a dragon?”
Yol Toor took a deep breath. “A lot.”
“Well… what am I missing?”
Yol Toor took a seat on the floor, and offered Spike a spot in front of him.
“For starters, I can tell you haven’t even begun basic combat training; you’re scales are too clean. No cracks, chips, or scars; they’re in the exact same condition as they were the day you hatched. In the Empire, the parents would face criminal charges for ignoring their child’s needs in such a way.”
Twilight’s ears perked up, and she jumped up.
“Wait a minute! What do you mean ‘combat training’?” she asked.
“I mean exactly what I said; ‘basic combat training’, as in, learning how to fight.”
“I get that; but you’re telling me that dragons actually expect their children to know how to fight when they’re Spike’s age?”
“They’re not expected to be soldiers. Just to know some of the basics.”
“But don’t they get hurt?”
“That’s unavoidable. But better they be roughed up as hatchlings, than be killed as adults.”
“Well, who would try to fight a nation of dragons?” Spike asked.
“Anyone and everyone; in this entire world, dragons are one of the few creatures that can’t use magic. Many nations would try to use that advantage and conquer us. So to ensure our survival, it is mandatory that every dragon and dragoness be trained and join the military when they are old enough.”
“So they don’t get any choice in the matter?”
“It’s not a permanent enrollment; after a century of service, they can leave if they wish, and pursue a different career.”
“If they’re not killed in battle, that is,” Twilight said bitterly.
“The Empire has to look at the big picture, Twilight Sparkle; if the sacrifices of a few individuals ensures the survival of the Empire on a whole, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Spike had heard enough. “So Yol Toor, can you teach me to be an actual dragon?”
“Spike! What did I say about asking questions like that!” Twilight lifted Spike with her magic, and placed him beside her. “I’m sorry Yol Toor. I didn’t mean for him to put you on the spot like that.”
Yol Toor shrugged. “I don’t have any problems teaching him.”
Twilight’s jaw dropped, and Spike’s eyes grew as wide as plates, his ear-to-ear grin returning.
“What?” Twilight asked.
“Really? You mean it?” Spike asked.
“Yes. It’s only natural for one to want to learn about his heritage.”
“Now wait a minute, Spike! After hearing everything Yol Toor just said, you still want to learn more about being a dragon?”
“Yes, Twilight! Yol Toor can teach me everything I ever wanted to know, and more! Please! You have to let me do this!” Spike got on his knees and gave a pleading look to Twilight.
“Spike… it just sounds too dangerous. You could get hurt! Or worse! I don’t think it’s a very good idea.”
Spike’s fins dropped as he fought back his tears.
“So you don’t want to give him much choice?” Yol Toor asked.
Twilight shot a glare at Yol Toor, and the dragon just wore a sly grin.
Twilight gave an exasperated sighed. “Spike… I’ll think about it.”
Spike smiled again as he jumped to his feet.
“Yol Toor. I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse us,” Twilight said as she put Spike on her back and walked towards the door.
Yol Toor opened it for them, gave a quick smile and nod to Spike, and closed it behind them.
~~~
When Twilight got back to her home, she immediately grabbed a parchment and quill.
Dear Princess Celestia
This morning, Spike and I went to Yol Toor’s home to assist his investigation in the Everfree Forest. However, things didn’t go according to plan. When I arrived with Spike, Yol Toor greeted him in what was apparently dragon tongue. At that point, Spike asked if Yol Toor could teach him ‘how to be a proper dragon’. Yol Toor told Spike what that all entailed, including combat training. I want Spike to know more about his dragon heritage, but the consequences concern me. I don’t want him getting hurt, or worse. Please Princess, can you tell me your thoughts on this matter, and if I should allow Spike to go through with training.
—Your Faithful Student
Twilight Sparkle
Twilight rolled up the parchment and sent it away with a flash of light.
~~~
Twilight had felt every second of the last ten minutes pass when Spike ran up the stairs into her room with a rolled up parchment. Without a word, Twilight took the letter from Spike, unrolled it, and read it to herself.
Dear Twilight
Your worries about Spike are understandable. However, I will not tell you what you should do; Spike’s wellbeing is your responsibility, and it’s up to you to decide what’s best for him. I will tell you this though; there is no one that can be a better teacher for Spike on how to be a dragon. But the decision is ultimately yours.
—Your teacher and friend
Celestia
Twilight sighed as she put the letter on a nearby table and looked at Spike, who was dusting off a shelf in an apron. She wanted Spike to be happy, but she couldn’t bear the thought of him getting hurt. She also knew that Celestia wasn’t one to exaggerate, and she’d never lie to her, especially about the health and safety of her loved ones. Twilight gave one final sigh before lifting Spike upon her back.
~~~
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
When Yol Toor opened his door, he was surprised to see Twilight and Spike again.
“If I’m going to let you train Spike, I need you to promise me that he’ll be safe.” Twilight said.
“I cannot shelter him and expect him to grow into a proper dragon. The training will be hard. I will not change that for him, or for anyone else.”
Twilight glared at Yol Toor. “I’ve known Spike since the day he was hatched. He’s part of my family! I need to know he’ll be safe!”
Yol Toor raised a claw to calm Twilight down. “Spike will be safe from harm. You have my word.”
Twilight nodded. “Okay. Princess Celestia says I can trust you, and that’s good enough for me.”
Spike jumped off of Twilight and gave her as tight a hug he could manage.
“Spike, your training will start tomorrow; you are to run here from your home. If you don’t show up, I won’t come looking for you. You’re going to have to want this. Is that clear?”
Spike gave Yol Toor an attempt at a salute. “Yes sir!”
“Good. For now, leave me to my work. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Don’t disappoint me.”
Spike nodded as he and Twilight turned around to return home.
~~~
The next morning, Yol Toor was sitting on the roof of his house, sharpening his sword with a small, round stone, when he noticed a small, purple and green spec run towards him.
I’m surprised he actually showed up.
Yol Toor stood up, sheathed his sword, and jumped down from the roof. He ran into his house, put his sword away, and grabbed a small wooden bowl filled with iced water.
By the time Yol Toor walked out of his house, Spike was at his doorstep, covered in sweat and breathing heavily, just as the sun peaked out over the horizon.
“Right on time. I’m impressed,” Yol Toor said as he handed Spike the bowl.
Spike snatched the bowl from the older dragon, immediately chugging the contents down with his head tilted back. Any water he didn’t drink splashed on his face.
By the time Spike finished his water, Twilight Sparkle appeared, wearing a saddle bag and trotting towards the two dragons with a tired smile on her face.
“Wow Spike, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you run so fast and for so long,” Twilight said with a yawn. “Sorry for dropping in unannounced like this, Yol Toor. I just wanted to make sure that Spike would remain safe.”
Despite saying you trust me to take care of him? So much for your faith in Celestia’s word.
“I don’t really care what you do; just don’t get in our way.”
Spike wiped what little water was left on his mouth away and gave Yol Toor a salute. “Alright master! What’s first on the list of training exercises?”
“Two things: First, enough with the saluting. Second, I’m not your ‘master’; I’m going to teach you, and you’re going to learn. That’s it.”
“Okay mas—urh...! Yes sir!”
“Good. Now we’re going to start with some basic exercises, just to test your limits and capabilities. Let’s start with some good old-fashioned push ups. Think you can handle twenty?”
Spike scoffed. “Piece of cake!”
Yol Toor smirked, noting Spike’s tiny arms. “We’ll see.”
~~~
“Eighteen… Nineteen… Twenty! All done. How are you doing Spike?” Yol Toor asked as he jumped up. When he looked at Spike, the hatchling’s face was completely covered in sweat, his arms were shaking, and his eyes were firmly shut as he counted through clenched teeth.
“Sixteeeeen! Seventeeeeen! Eighteeeeeen! Ninteeeeeeeen! Twentyyyyyyyy! Ah!” Spike fell flat on his face. He quickly stood back up and dusted himself off.
“There! That wasn’t so bad, now was it?” Yol Toor asked with his arms crossed.
“My arms feel like jelly! How long were we at that?”
“Well, judging by the sun, I’d say… five minutes.”
Spike’s jaw dropped. “What! That must’ve been an hour! Thirty minutes, at least!”
“Quit your whining! I told you this wouldn’t be easy! Just be thankful these are the basic exercises! Things will get a lot tougher when we’re done with these; I’m just trying to making sure you’ll be able to handle it.”
“I know… what’s next?”
“Next we’re going to do squats; you’re legs should be wide awake after your morning run, so this should be easy! We’ll start off with twenty squats as well!”
Spike gave an annoyed sigh.
“Just for that; thirty! Complain again, and it’ll be forty-five,” Yol Toor said.
Spike didn’t say anything else as he and Yol Toor started the next exercise.
~~~
By mid-morning, Spike laid on the grass, his body screaming at him to stop moving; he was sore in places he didn’t know could be sore. As he laid down, Yol Toor walked over to him, carrying three wooden bowls; one in each hand and balancing the third on his tail. He placed wooden bowl of water next to Spike, and the hatchling silently groaned to himself as he sat up and took the bowl to drink.
Yol Toor walked over to Twilight, who had drifted to sleep not long before the short break Spike and Yol Toor had taken, and placed the second bowl in front of her. Yol Toor then went back to Spike and sat before him.
When Spike finished his water, he set the bowl down, groaning in pain.
Yol Toor rolled his eyes as he stood back up and walked into his house. After a few seconds, Yol Toor walked back out, holding the handle of a sheathed dagger with his tail. He sat back down before Spike and held out his right hand.
“Give me your arm,” Yol Toor ordered, and the hatchling did so. Yol Toor took the dagger with his other hand, unsheathed it, and began moving the blade towards Spike’s arm.
Spike yanked his arm away. Yol Toor took it back.
“Just trust me. This will help you feel better.”
Spike, though nervous, saw the sincerity in Yol Toor’s face, and stilled his arm. Spike looked away with closed eyes as the dagger cut into his scales. Spike wanted to pull his arm away again, but the dagger’s sharp point on the hide underneath his scales stopped him.
Twilight, meanwhile, was waking up from her nap. As she became more aware of her surroundings, she saw the blurred images of Yol Toor and Spike. Her eyes came into focus. The two dragons were sitting face-to-face with each other. Yol Toor had something gray and shiny in one hand and Spike’s arm in the other. The object was tracing down Spike’s arm. The object was coming into focus; it was a knife, and it cutting into Spike’s arm.
Knife? Spike? Arm? WHAT?
Yol Toor was suddenly surrounded by magical energy, and in the span of a second, he had the knife ripped from his grip, lifted off the ground, and pinned against the outside wall of his own home.
“Ah!” Spike screamed as the knife cut through his hide, and blood began to seep out of the cut in his scales.
“JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?” Twilight demanded as she jumped in front of Spike.
“I was helping Spike,” Yol Toor said coldly.
“BY CUTTING HIS ARM?!”
“That cut only happened when you interferred; something I gave you explicit instructions to not do!”
“Don’t even try to put the blame on me! You intentionally cut his arm! Why?”
Yol Toor, instead of answering Twilight’s question, looked at Spike. “Tell me Spike, how’s that cut of yours doing?”
Spike looked at his arm, and his eyes grew wide; he didn’t feel the cut. In fact, his arms were much less sore than they were before.
Spike’s reaction made Yol Toor smirk. “Neat trick, huh?”
Twilight shifted her head towards Spike, but kept Yol Toor pinned against the wall. “Spike, what’s he talking about?”
“My arm! It doesn’t hurt anymore!” Spike said was he looked at his left arm with glee.
“What? How can that be? You spent over an hour complaining about how sore your entire body is, and now your arm suddenly feels better? Even with that cut?”
Yol Toor spat a small ball of fire a meter from Twilight’s hooves.
She jumped back in fright, breaking her concentration on her spell, releasing Yol Toor.
Yol Toor walked over to Spike, and took his left arm and showed the cut to Twilight.
“Each dragon scale has a small pocket in the center that carries a natural painkiller in it. Whenever a scale is broken or cut through, the painkiller is released, covering any possible wounds in it.”
“Wow! That is so cool!” Spike said.
Yol Toor smiled. “Indeed. It can nullify the pain of cuts and bruises, to a certain extent, and, while not as effective, it can help with sore muscles as well. It can’t help with more severe internal injuries, like broken bones or wounded organs, and it can only do so much with severe cuts and slices, so don’t go relying on it when you start going into battle. It also takes a couple weeks for new scales to take the place of the broken ones, and until then you’ll feel every cut, punch, and stab if you start acting stupid and do something reckless.”
“So if Spike has already used the painkillers in the scales you cut, what will happen to those scales?”
“Over the next couple of weeks, they’ll painlessly fall out and be replaced with new scales. Over time, you’ll notice that each new scale is a bit tougher than the last set.” Yol Toor stood back up. “That’s enough questions. Back to training.”
Spike groaned as he stood back up.Yol Toor chuckle.
“Don’t worry, this won’t be nearly as tiring; you’re going to be working out your flame sack.”
“My what?”
“Your flame sack; the organ that allows us dragons to breathe fire. It can be worked out like any other part of the body. You practice using it regularly, and you can extend how long you can breathe fire and how intense that fire is. In fact, hit me with your best fire attack; let me see what you can do,” Yol Toor said as he stood up on his hind legs
Spike inhaled sharply, allowing his cheeks to puff up. With a sudden exhale, a small stream of orange fire shot out of the hatchling’s mouth, just barely raising up to Yol Toor’s knees. Seconds later, the fire ceased with a loud coughing fit, and Spike hunched over, gasping for air.
“How was”- gasp -“that?”
“For a dragon your age? The intensity of your fire was on par for most hatchlings, but the duration was pathetic; a trained hatchling can keep their fire going for as long as five to ten seconds.”
“Well, I typically only use my fire to send letters to Princess Celestia.”
“It’s time to change that; it’s time you learned how to use flame ups.”
Spike tilted his head. "What's that?"
Yol Toor put his hands behind his back and gripped one his wrists. He then tilted forward until he began to fall. Spike and Twilight thought he was going to land on his face, until he opened his mouth and fire jetted out. The flames hit the ground and Yol Toor slowed to a stop. Spike and Twilight watched with dropped jaws as Yol Toor exhaled, sent himself up a couple of feet, closed his mouth, and fell. He exhaled another burst of fire, lifting him again. Yol Toor repeated this twice more before using the fire to stand him up straight entirely.
“That’s a flame up. It’s a bit tricky the first few times, but once you learn how to do it, you never forget. Let’s have you start out by doing ten.”
Spike immediately jumped forward, and did his best to copy the stance Yol Toor took. He looked at Yol Toor, who gave him an approving smile and nod. Spike tilted forward and allowed himself to fall. A second passed and he opened his mouth to let loose his fire.
SPLAT!
Spike’s face got to know the ground on a personal level and a mouthful of grass, dirt, and rocks, and an earful of Twilight’s chuckling.
Yol Toor couldn’t help but laugh as he rolled his eyes and he put one of his claws on his face. “Breathe the fire a bit earlier next time.”
Spike jumped back up and spat out the unwanted snack, and wiped what was left off his tongue. He went back into the position before, and allowed himself to fall. He immediately breathed fire and felt himself stop. He breathed harder and smiled as he pushed himself up. “One!” He did it again. “Two!”
Yol Toor smiled as he also got in position and joined Spike.
~~~
“Nine!” FWOOSH “Ten!” Spike pushed himself upright, and immediately knelt forward again, gasping for air.
“Good job, Spike. You learn pretty quickly. But next time, count in your head; it’ll be easier on your lungs,” Yol Toor said with a smirk.
“Why didn’t you-” gasp “-tell me that-” gasp “-to begin with?”
“You need to think for yourself, Spike. You can’t expect everyone to tell you everything all the time! Try to figure things out on your own; you should’ve noticed that I hadn’t counted out loud.”
Spike gave an annoyed sighed as Twilight walked over and put a hoof on his shoulder.
“I think you did very well Spike,” Twilight said with a smile. Spike smiled back.
“Anyway, let’s take a break for breakfast. I got some gems in my home if you’re hungry Spike. Twilight Sparkle, I got some fruit as well. If you don’t like it, you’re on your own.”
~~~
As it became noon, Spike wiped away a river of sweat forming on his forehead. He and Yol Toor had just finished a set of exercises meant to strengthen his tail, from lifting up a rock half his size with it, to using it to do pushups and pull ups.
I hope dragons grow new tails like other reptiles. Mine feels like it’s about to fall off!
Spike learned quickly not to voice his complaints, lest Yol Toor double the original workout routine. Complain about that, and Yol Toor would triple it.
“Okay, this next exercise will be easy,” Yol Toor said with a smile.
Spike huffed silently. That’s what you said about the tail pull ups. What kind of psychopath makes a kid pull himself up by his tail from a twenty foot tree? My head still hurts!
“We’re going to go on a hike through the Everfree Forest,” Yol Toor announced.
Twilight jumped and got in Yol Toor’s face. “What? I’m not going to let you endanger Spike by putting him in the Everfree Forest! It’s too dangerous!”
Yol Toor’s face turned cold as he stared Twilight in the eye. “He’ll be fine. I’ll be with him the entire time. Nothing will harm him.”
“Well, I’m going with you, just in case!” Twilight said matter-of-factly.
Yol Toor rolled his eyes. “Do you really have to?”
“Hey, what was your rule about complaining? Double the workout?” Twilight asked smugly.
Yol Toor shrugged. “Works for me.”
Spike slammed his hand onto his face. “Twilight, please stop helping!”
Yol Toor lifted Spike with his tail, placed him on his back, and walked past a blushing Twilight.
“Heh.” Twilight blushed sheepishly “Sorry.”
~~~
“Okay Spike, I’m going to teach you how to hunt for food; this is a very important part of being a dragon,” Yol Toor said as he walked through the forest, with Spike on his back, something the hatchling was very thankful for.
Twilight turned pale. “‘Hunt’? As in-” gulp “-kill animals?”
Yol Toor rolled his eyes. “I can see why you’re Celestia’s personal protégé. Yes, Twilight, I mean I’m going to teach Spike how to kill a defenseless, cute little forest animal so he’ll be able to feed himself. You never know when food won’t be readily available for you, so it’s best that he learn now how to make it available.”
Twilight gulped again. “I can understand that, but does he have to kill something?”
“Like I just said, he’ll need to make it available. And he may not have the luxury of choosing what or when his next meal will be. Just be thankful he’s an omnivore; it opens up a lot more options than what you ponies are stuck with.”
“Very well. If it’ll help him… I won’t interfere.”
“Good. Now Spike, make sure you pay very close attention. When hunting prey, there are certain variables you must keep in mind; you must remain downwind of your quarry, keep a low profile, and don’t make a single sound. We have several means of killing our prey; when quickly strike at it, slitting its throat with our fangs, we can kill them with a well aimed fire burst, or we can move in from above, and use our tails to either strangle it or snap its neck.”
While Twilight felt like she was going to hurl, Spike looked at the dragon with curiosity.
“What about our claws? Can’t we use those?” I really just asked about using my claws to kill a defenseless animal? A week ago, I would’ve considered that to be cruel.
Yol Toor snapped his head around and stared coldly at the hatchling. “No! Dragons never use their claws to kill! They’re tools! Not weapons! If we used our claws in such a way, we’d be nothing more than wild beasts!”
“Really? That’s actually quite… surprising!” Twilight said, who remained a very light shade of purple, and her face a bit green.
“The only time a dragon can be excused for using his or her claws is if it’s the most dire of circumstances, and death is almost certain.”
“Well, that’s nice to know, I guess.” Should I be concerned that I taking all this in stride? Yol Toor would probably say this all natural for a dragon…
~~~
Thirty minutes had passed, and the trio didn’t come across a single animal for Spike to practice hunting. Twilight was thankful for this, as Yol Toor continued--in sickening, colorful detail-- how to properly kill certain animals.
Twilight frowned a bit. Now that I think about it, it’s weird that we haven’t seen any animals here in the forest, especially predators. Since when was the Everfree Forest so tame?
Yol Toor had stopped walking, his eyes set firmly ahead. She looked in the same direction and saw nothing but trees, vines, and grass. But the deeper forest felt strange to her; like it was nothing but blackness. The forest was there, yes... But it’s like I don’t want to see it. It felt like somepony was in the back of her mind, whispering for her to turn around and walk away.
It was only a whisper, but it was very convincing. She soon wished she’d listened to that whisper, as eight pairs of glowing, purple eyes pierced through the shadows.
Snarling echoed throughout the forest as a wooden paw stepped out of the shadows. What followed was the muzzle of a dog, also made of wood. The rest of it followed.
“Timberwolves!” Twilight shouted with quivering legs. Fear kept her hooves rooted to the soil, but it wasn’t the wolves that froze her.
The wolves pounced.
“Spike!” Twilight shouted. “Get behind me!”
He did.
The wolves spread to formation in front of them. Yol Toor buried his claws to the soil, noting the wolves’ strange eyes.
Wait! Purple?
“Yol Toor, timberwolves have bright green eyes. They have a purple glow. There’s something different about them!”
Yol Toor didn’t even look at her. “Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Twilight; you may have just saved our lives.”
Yol Toor tilted his head down and gave a much deeper growl at the timberwolves. They stood their ground.
More aggressive than the ones I encountered yesterday. The purple glow of their eyes indicates some sort of mind control spell. Whoever cast the spell obviously can’t see through the eyes of the timberwolves, though. They’re hardly a good countermeasure for a fire-breathing dragon. No, whoever’s behind this is clearly concentrated on something far more important, and doesn’t want to be disturbed. That, or they’re getting close to completing their mission, and don’t want to be discovered. I could strike first and easily - No! That would put Spike and Twilight at risk, and I can’t use my fire against them right now—an inferno could quickly get out of control and trap Spike and Twilight. Spike would have no trouble getting out. But he nor Celestia would ever forgive me if I let something happen to Twilight. Okay, so getting these two out of here is my primary focus.
Yol Toor slowly slithered his tail around Spike and whispered, “Twilight, take Spike and get out of here. Carefully! Don’t turn around. Just back away slowly and make no sudden movements. I’ll keep the timberwolves at bay.” Yol Toor placed the younger dragon on Twilight’s back.
Twilight gave a quick nod and slowly stepped back. Yol Toor growled at the wolves again..
He opened his mouth, swirling orange fire glowing behind his throat. I may not want to use fire, but I doubt they’ll figure that out.
The lead-timberwolf charged and leaped at the adult dragon. With a swift tail-whip, the timberwolf burst into pieces. Yol Toor now faced Twilight and Spike. “Run!”
Twilight immediately turned around and ran as fast as she could towards the forest’s exit.
One of the wolves snarled and gave chase. Its neck was swiftly impaled by a sharp scaly tail..
Two timberwolves flanked Yol Toor’s right. With a snarl, the dragon swung his tail again. The wolf still attached to his tail collided with its brethren, breaking all three of them to pieces.
With half the pack lain in splinters, another wolf charged at Yol Toor’s backside. The dragon lifted his right hind-leg and kicked the canine’s head into shattered splinters.
Yol Toor faced the three remaining timberwolves. Only one of them lunged forward with raised claws, hurdling to Yol Toor’s face. He stood on his hind legs, opened his palm, and slammed it on the beast, crushing it in two .
With a cold stare, Yol Toor snarled at the last two wolves.
As they looked at their fallen brethren, they brought their heads down and backed away.
Yol Toor’s glare turned into a cocky grin as he mimicked them, keeping an eye on the timberwolves until they vanished behind the trees.
Spike and Twilight should be halfway out of the forest by now. I hope they didn’t run into anymore complications.
~~~
Yol Toor caught up with Twilight and Spike, and escorted them out of the forest.
“You two come inside, where it’s safe. I have some business to take care of.”
Yol Toor dashed into his house and slammed the door shut when Twilight and Spike ran inside. He picked up a quill and some parchment.
Dear Celestia
It has come to my attention that the creatures in the Everfree Forest have become much more aggressive since my investigation yesterday. While training Spike in the woods, he, Twilight and I were ambushed by a pack of timberwolves. While this is hardly unusual for that area, these timberwolves were different; they were under the control of the same magic user responsible for the perception filter I mentioned yesterday. I don’t like the looks of this.
I suggest you put Equestria under a higher alert status, and prepare everyone for a war. While I hope to avoid such an outcome, I doubt there’s much I can do in that regard. All we can now is prepare.
Your friend
Yol Toor
Yol Toor immediately rolled up the parchment, blasted it with green fire, and sent its ashes away with a sudden breeze.
“Twilight, I’m fine!”
Twilight ignored Spike’s complaints and looked over him, checking for injuries. “I know… I’m just making sure I didn’t overlook anything. That’s all.”
“So, Spike, are you ready to continue training?” Yol Toor asked.
Spike jumped from his chair. “Yeah, I’m ready to handle anything you throw at me!”
He’s still under his adrenaline rush. That will likely pass in the next five to ten minutes.
Yol Toor smirked. “Good. Just remember; you asked for this.”
Twilight stepped towards Yol Toor.
“Hold on a minute! We need to talk about what happened in the forest! I recognized that glow the timberwolves gave off; they were under some sort of mind control spell! I read about it during my studies; mind control spells are illegal! So how could somepony learn it?”
“Just because a spell is illegal, Twilight, doesn’t mean no one will try to learn it,” Yol Toor said plainly.
“Well, if somepony is controlling the Everfree Forest’s animals, we need to warn Ponyville!”
“And create a panic? There’s nothing you can do about it right now.”
“But if Ponyville is in danger…”
Yol Toor held up a claw to silence her. “Ponyville will be fine; you have my word on that. Celestia asked me to make sure Ponyville will be safe, and I don’t plan on letting her down.”
Twilight sighed. “Very well. If Celestia trusts you, so will I.”
Yol Toor nodded as he motioned at Spike to stand next to him, and prepared for more training.
~~~
As the sun set, Twilight levitated an exhausted Spike onto her back and prepared to head home.
“Spike, you did well today. Keep up the hard work, and I’ll see you tomorrow morning at dawn,” Yol Toor said as he handed Spike a small sapphire.
“Sure thing, Yol Toor. I’ll be here, bright and early!”
Spike fell back with a sigh and started snoring.
Twilight roll her eyes. “Good night, Yol Toor. Thank you for helping Spike; he’s really enjoying there being a new dragon in Ponyville.”
Yol Toor nodded as he walked back into his house. From there, he watched Twilight and Spike disappear through the orchard with a smile.
He reminds me of Mid Vur.
Yol Toor frowned.
He shook his head and sat down on his bed, clutching his rumbling stomach. A belch of fire summoned a letter before him, and it landed in his lap. Yol Toor unraveled the letter and read it.
Dear Yol Toor
After considering what you said about the Everfree Forest, I have decided to send two squads of eight soldiers to assist you, should Ponyville ever come under attack. They will arrive tomorrow morning, and will follow whatever orders you give them. I hope they will be of some help to you.
Your friend, Celestia.
~~~
When Twilight got home, the first thing she did was walk up to her and Spike’s bedroom, and tucked the sleeping hatchling in. But as she turned to leave, she heard Spike mumble.
“Twilight?” Spike asked, his eyes still closed.
“Yeah, Spike?”
“Thanks for going with me today. It’s nice knowing you’re okay with all this.”
Twilight smiled. “Of course Spike. Learning to be a dragon is important to you. But… it looks like it’s going to be tough, and you’ve only just started. I don’t think anypony will look down on you if you want to quit.”
Spike’s eyes shot open and he jumped out of bed. “No way, Twilight! I told Yol Toor I was going to stick with this, and I meant it! No matter how hard it gets, I’m going to learn how to be proper dragon! Just like him!”
Twilight levitated Spike back up and put him in his bed again. “I know Spike, and I’m proud of you for that. I know you’ll be a great and noble dragon one day. I’m just saying; I’ll always be proud of you, no matter what you want to be.”
“Thanks, Twilight.”
With that, Spike began to snore, and Twilight left the dragon-in-training to rest, knowing that he was going to need as much of it as possible.