//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Of Snow and Fire // by Markus Nirpaw //------------------------------// There had been hints of frost in the courtyard in the predawn light. It cast everything in a monochrome, but the grass felt a bit crisper under her paws then it might have otherwise. This was her second time to this courtyard, but the first so early. It felt different.    A pair of guards had watched impassively as she stretched out some lingering stiffness out of her sore muscles. Her breath was misting, she noticed. The princess had let her know it was the starting of the fall season here. That was fine with Snowfire, she always found she had an affinity for the colder months. No small part of that, she was sure, was that the other dragons in her clutch had no fur to keep them warm when it was chill. Snow considered what her next few days we’re going to be like. As thankful as the princess had been for… interfering with Rituals plans, having Snow around the castle was becoming something of a disruption. The Princess had assured her that it had nothing really to do with who she was, but she knew otherwise. She knew how prey species got around a predator. Although she enjoyed meat as much as next as the next dragon, she had never eaten anything she could hold a conversation with, and had no plans otherwise. Their fear wasn't really a surprise, it was actually fairly familiar to her, and so it didn't hurt as it otherwise might.  She however had found herself very surprised when the princess had insisted she stay under pony care until she was fully healed. She just couldn't do it at the castle. That had actually turned into an argument, albeit a very polite one. She was already in a better condition than she usually found herself in, and more time would only make every-pony and every-dragon uncomfortable. It was only when the Princess had put it in the terms as payment for her healing expenses did Snowfire relent. As much as Princess Celestia came across as kind, Snow did not want to a Demi-God to think she owed them anything if she could help it. So she had found herself in the pleasant coolness this morning preparing for a short flight. The Princess had gotten her to agree to four days under ‘pony care’ at a town called “Ponyville.” she would have scoffed at the name, but knew that most dragons were even less creative at naming things. “Dragoncave” and “Dragonrock” came to mind.  If a Demi-God insisted on feeding and housing her for a few more days, she wasn't going to complain very hard. The restrictions she had agreed to weren't even harsh, much to her surprise. ‘No eating anypony’ seemed to be the main one, and not in anyway a surprise, but ‘learn about friendship’ had been a startling commandment. She already knew about ‘friendship’ from her clutch mates, but if part of the food and shelter came with cutting remarks, fear, and backstabbing, so be it. It would be like home, really. She would ignore it like always. At Least ponies didn’t come with claws built in. The dawn had lightened while she mused. No actual frost was revealed, but it couldn't be more than a few more weeks away. The city beyond the castle walls still slumbered. She enjoyed the silence, it seemed to echo. The city was a living thing during the day, but it slept in the early morning. It was about time to leave; the Princess would be miffed if Snow panicked the city by overflying it while ponies were awake. She didn’t know if the Princess could turn her to stone or send her to the moon like she overheard some of the guards talking about, but there was no sense in risking it. Like a tiger leaping in a pounce Snow left the ground, her fur seeming to ripple down her length, but she did not come back down. With the grace of a lifetime of practice Snow snapped her wings out and thrust. A very steep climb, nearly vertical. It was a little rough on her joints, but after days of inactivity they could take it. A thrill filled heras she ascended. She was free. No longer bound, for now, to the ground. She clawed for the reaches above, exhilarating in the wind and the wild blue. **** “Ugh, five more minutes,” Spike muttered as he rolled over in his little bed. Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes at Spikes complaint. “I made pancakes Spike, if you don’t get up they will get cold.” Spike opened an eye to see the purple unicorn standing over him with a smile on her face. “Pancakes?” He said, blinking fully awake, he took a sniff of the air. Huh, he didn’t smell anything burning...and it did smell like  something good had been cooked. “Yup! I even made some with emerald flakes baked in for you.” said Twilight. “Well what are we waiting for! come on!” said Spike. He was up, out of bed, and out of the bedroom almost before twilight could blink.         “Don’t forget to wash your claws!” Called Twilight, laughing and following at a more sedate pace.         One of Twilight's biggest worries about her ascension had been actually concerning Spike and Hers relationship. He had taken her physical changes with a grain of salt, after everything calmed down a little, but she had been worried that her new duties as a princess would keep her from him.         Her worries, to her relief, were unfounded. Her duties, such as they were, left her plenty of time. To all outward appearances, as far as her and Spikes time together was concerned, nothing major had changed. However, she thought to herself, that wasn't strictly true. Her feelings towards the little drake had been changing. Ever since she was little she had always treated him like he was her little brother. Her mind and actions had been that of a sibling. However recently, in her own mind, she had been feeling more… Motherly. It wasn't a sudden thing, and thinking on it she realized she had begun to feel that way around her ascension.         She had asked Princess Celestia about the phenomena, thinking that it might have been some undocumented part of Alicorn-hood. The Princess had smiled and told her that while it wasn't part of being an Alicorn, it wasn't unexpected either. Had Twilight not raised spike from his ‘birth’ just as a mother would? Perhaps she was maturing to the point where being a mother was not such an alien concept. That conversation had certainly given her a great deal to think about. She loved her little drake, which was no surprise, but that she was seeing Spike as ‘hers’ was a revelation.To her surprise, the most distressing conclusion she came to was that Spike might not want to regard her as his mother. She would have to sit down and have a ‘Talk’ with him about it soon. Maybe in a few days… or a few days after that. As long as that little revelation was still in a box, it could still go either way. Twilight joined Spike in the kitchen. She that he had just finished washing his hands in the sink, and had grabbed a plate for himself, but was trying to figure out how to serve himself with a plate in one hand and no spatula.With a giggle and with a “here you go” levitated his share over to his plate him. “Thanks `Twi,” said Spike. He gave a happy “mhmm!” as he tasted his breakfast, and quickly set about demolishing the rest of it. She followed his example at a slower pace. They were tasty. She might not ever be a great chef, but she could follow instructions to a Tee, and had plenty of cookbooks in the library. As she ate Twilight gazed at Spike. She wasn’t the only who had done some ‘growing’ recently. Spike and grown a few inches recently, and from what her research told her was he would be growing even more, and his wings should start coming in soon.         That was going to be a frightening period for her. There was next to no written material about that stage of a dragon's life, and what little there was wasn't trustworthy. She and Spike had already talked about it, and they were resolved to face whatever happened together. Spike didn't bring it up often, but she knew that he was a little scared too. Twilight again found herself again grumbling under her breath at the whole ‘dragon migration’ fiasco; beyond Spikes needs there had been such an opportunity to learn there that had been lost. “Hey `Twi?” said Spike, interrupting her thoughts. “Yes Spike?” She said. “Thanks for making breakfast today; it was great,” He said. “Your welcome. I’m going to try and cook more often. It’s relaxing, and doesn't come out so bad when if I don't improvise” “Haha, yea. I remember,” said Spike, putting his plate in the sink. “...Hey wasn't there somepony new coming here today?”         “Hmm, Yes, thats right.” Spike had delivered the letter to her late in the evening last night. Princess Celestia had told her somepony needed a few days of relaxation and maybe some friends, and Twilight had volunteered her library. She had the spare room in the basement, and always enjoyed making new friends. Celestia had agreed and would be sending the pony to her sometime today. “If I remember her name is ‘Snowfire’, and shes supposed to be red with a white mane. The Princess didn't mention her cutie mark, but she shouldn't be that hard to recognize. Shes probably a unicorn with a name like that.”         “Cool, do you think she’ll be here soon?”         “Probably not Spike,” said Twilight, glancing at a clock. “The soonest train from Canterlot will get here a little after lunch time, and even if I’m wrong and shes a pegasus, I can’t imagine anypony starting so early in the morning that they would get here before the train. It will be three or so hours more, at the least.”         “Oh, OK. I guess I’ll start putting the rest yesterdays returns back while you finishing eating.”         “OK, I’ll be out in a minute to help,” She said as Spike left the kitchen. She was going to have to see about school for him soon; maybe home lessons would work. She mused to herself about the rest of the day. One of the perks about being the ‘Princess of Friendship’ was that making new friends was one of her ‘duties’.         She picked up her finished plate and took it to the sink to- SLAM!                  That was… the library's front door. The slam had been strong enough to rattle the dishes in the kitchen. What in Equestria? the noise had almost caused her to drop the plate. She set it down in the sink to clean later, and was halfway to the door that lead to the main room of the library. Halfway there a terrified pale yellow pony with a raspberry mane and tail bolted through the doorway and immediately dove under her table. “...Roseluck?!” The mare looked scared out of her mind. “Oh Celestia! Twilight! Quick-” “-Roseluck, what are you doing-” “-You gotta hide! its gonna eat us all”-          “- what. What are you-” “-I was going to work, and then I saw it! I hid, but it followed me-” “-Woah woah woah, slow down I can’t-” “- so I ran and hid again, but if followed me again! so I -” “Whats going on?” Said Spike, poking his head through the doorway. Twilight could see Roseluck’s pupils shrink to pinprick. To the academic part of her mind it was fascinating; she had never actually witnessed pupils going that small from the outside before. Her ears flattened in pre-reaction to a scream, but Roseluck only let out a whimper before making a mad dash outside through the kitchen back door.         “Uhh…” Spike temporized.         “I dont have a clue either... but I better find out what has her worked up this time. Hold down the fort, I’ll be back in little bit.”         “Roger Dodger!” Spike said with a salute while Twilight left, following Roseluck. ****         Spike wandered the main area of the library. He had shelved the last of the book that need it, and the place didn't really seem that dusty, so he didn't need to dust. Huh, he supposed with `Twi out, he could probably go back to sleep.         She might be on another adventure to save the world by now. Granted, it was only Roseluck, so it could have also just been a kitten in a tree. Being a Princess took all kinds, Spike supposed with a philosophical shrug.         *Knock-Knock*         Spike blink-blinked at the door for a second. “One moment, I’m Coming!” he called.  Why everypony felt the need to knock on the door of a Public Library he would never figure out. Anypony who was a friend or regularly visited the library just let themselves in. Maybe it was another door to door salespony; They came through town every now and again.         “How can I help you?” said Spike as he opened the door. He found himself blink in confusing again. Where he was expecting somepony's face, he instead saw somepony’s chest.         “Woah, a little Dude.” Somepony said above him, and he reflexively looked up.         She was a dragon, easy enough to see. Standing on all fours and about as tall as Princess Celestia, from nose to tail she was probably several times longer. He could see a pair of wings pulled against her back. The dragon was furred in short red hair, with a blaze of long white hair going from her forehead to her tail. He just knew she was a female for some reason. She was also giving him just as detailed an examination, which caused him to blush.         “Oh, uh, hi?” said Spike. His past experiences with other dragons were safely filed under ‘not-good,’ but `Twi taught him it never hurt to start out by being polite.         “Heya Little Dude. I’m looking for a ‘Twilight that lives in a Library-Tree’. Is this the place?” The Red Dragon asked, half waiving at the tree the Library was in.                  “Oh, Yes. Twilight is out right now doing something, but she should be back soon. Would you like to come in and wait for her?” Spike asked automatically.         “...Sure. Why not? I could use a rest after the flight here.” She said, allowing herself to be ushered inside by the little drake. very polite this one, she thought to herself. Most other little dudes that age would be busy attacking her ankles. Being inside a tree was also a novel concept for her, as was the idea of a library. who kept books for everydragon-else to use?         As the dragoness stood looking around the library, something clicked for Spike. Red furred? Check! White maned? Check! Arrived Today? Check!         “Are you the one Princess Celestia sent?”         “Huh? Yea Little Dude. She did. My names Snowfire.”         “Cool! My names Spike.”         “Cool,” she said, looking around at all the books for a moment. Spike wondered if he should leave her alone or not. Most ponies looking for a book got a little annoyed when he hovered around when. Snowfire seemed to lose interest in the books and looked back at Spike. “Heya Little Dude, Spike right? How’d you end up here? What’s your story?” “Well let me see. I guess it all started when my M- err, Sister hatched me…” ****