The Legend of Spike: Dragon Quest

by DiabloGuapo

The Night that Hawk's Nest Fell

“See you later!” Surprise called out as she waved goodbye to her friends as they all went their separate ways. After their breakfast together at Sugar Cube Corner, the teenagers sat together and talked about the going ons in their life. Midnight talked about her current assignments from Princess Celestia and Thunderbolt talked about his Wonderbolts training. They spoke excitedly of the upcoming Draconic New Year Festival that Amethyst had gone to oversee and how they couldn’t wait to attend. They talked about Apple Seed, Cherry Pie, and the Cutie Mark Crusader’s exploits and gossiped about what would happen between Applejack and Cider Barrel. Posey, however, remained relatively silent as her friends conversed, only saying a few words at a time. Before they realized it, a few hours had passed and it was the afternoon. With everypony having errands to attend to, the four friends left the bakery and headed back to their homes.

“See ya, Surprise,” Thunderbolt bid the cream colored Pegasus farewell before turning to his marefriend. Seeing her distraught state and knowing what was currently happening with her parents, he walked alongside of her and asked, “Hey Posey, do you want me to walk you home?”

“Would you?” she whispered meekly as the two headed towards the cottage that was located between the edge of town and the border of the Everfree Forest. Originally, she thought she ought to walk home by herself in order to have time to think, by she felt that having somepony with her just to keep her company might do her some good and give her the strength she needed.

As they walked, Thunderbolt would look over to Posey and see her looking down at road. It didn’t take a mind reader to know what was she was thinking; her mother’s doctor’s appointment. It has been the same for the past fifteen years. At least once a year, Fluttershy and Big Macintosh would go to the doctor’s office and she would come home in tears. She would be inconsolable, refusing to see anypony and locking herself away in her room for days at a time. Thunderbolt didn’t know why she kept doing it herself.

The other Element Bearers, however, understood perfectly, for they all were mothers. Applejack and Pinkie Pie had two children. Rarity only had one due to the fact they Kirins were hard to conceive. Rainbow Dash had one and that was enough for her. Counting Spike, Twilight Sparkle had three! So why did Fluttershy, the most motherly and nurturing of the six mares, only have one?

Posey knew all too well the answer to that question, and she blamed herself for it. Fluttershy wasn’t frail, but she was more delicate than her friends. When she was in labor with Posey, there were complications and the delivery wasn’t as smooth as the doctors would have liked. Both mother and foal were ultimately fine, but it took some time for Fluttershy to fully recover.

A few years had passed and she and her husband decided that they wanted to have another. It was something they had agreed on even back while they were dating. They wanted a house full of foals. Three, four, five, six, maybe even seven! Fluttershy wanted to have as many as she could! But after a year’s worth of estrous cycles and Fluttershy still wasn’t pregnant, they knew something was wrong. A visit to the doctor revealed that the complications during Posey’s birth had caused serious damage to Fluttershy and that she might not be able to bear children ever again. At first, the filly Posey didn’t understand why her mother would come home crying every time she went to see the doctor, but as she grew older, she figured it out. She had made her mother infertile, and despite Fluttershy’s reassurance that it wasn’t her fault, Posey hated herself for it.

When Posey and Thunderbolt came to the little bridge in front of the cottage, they stopped. The roof was covered with vegetation and there were multiple birdhouses and animal burrows surrounding it. The little critters and birds that the family cared for were all sitting on the frames of the windows, peering in to see what was happening. Posey sighed heavily, already knowing the almost certain answer.

“Do… Do you want me to…” Thunderbolt started to asked uncertainly.

“Thank you, but no,” Posey quietly declined. “I think it would be best if it was just us for right now.”

“Right,” he conceded. “Do you at least want me to walk you to the door?”

“That’s okay. I can handle it from here,” she told him and then leaned forward to give him a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you anyway.”

The gray Pegasus blushed and then cleared his throat. “You’re welcome. Just remember, I’m here for you. We all are.”

“We know.” With that, Thunderbolt took to the sky and zoomed away, leaving behind a streak of blue and white behind him. Posey gratefully smiled up at the sky where her coltfriend had been then turned to the house with a heavy heart. She knew it would do no good to procrastinate, and her mother would definitely need to be comforted, even though Posey believed herself to be cause of her mother’s sorrow.

Even before she reached the door, she could hear her mother’s crying coming from inside. Each heartbreaking sob drive a dagger of guilt into Posey’s own heart and tears started to form in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, for she needed to be strong for her mother. Taking in a breath, she opened the door and saw her mother sitting on the couch, her face buried in her father’s chest.

The red Earth Pony stallion held his wife, running a hoof through her long, veil-like, light pink mane. The mare in his fore legs was nigh identical to Posey. Both had the same soft yellow coat, teal colored eyes, and their manes were cut in the same style. Even their cutie marks had the same coloration. Aside from the fact that Posey was an Earth Pony and her mother was a Pegasus, the two looked so similar that the two could be mistaken for identical twins.

“Mom?” Posey hesitantly asked from the doorway, alerting her parents to her arrival. Hearing their daughter, Fluttershy and Big Macintosh looked at the young mare. Her face revealed, tears could be seen running down Fluttershy’s face. Nonetheless, she sniffled and smiled at her daughter. Seeing Fluttershy cry could make just about anypony cry themselves and Posey was no exception. The tears she had been holding back flowed freely, and her parents each held open a fore leg invitingly. Posey didn’t hesitate and rushed into her parents’ embrace, the three of them holding each other as they sat in the middle of the living room.

“It’s okay, baby,” Fluttershy hushed her child. “Everything is okay.”

*****

Midnight was in her room sitting at her desk, a quill writing away as it was animated by the Unicorn’s yellow magic. Sitting on a perch by the desk was an old, brown owl that was busy napping. As Midnight worked on her notes, there came the unmistakable, electrical popping sound that accompanied the teleportation spell from elsewhere in the castle. The sound alerted Midnight and woke the sleepy owl.

“Hoo?” the owl hooted confusedly as he blinked his large eyes and rotated his head to look around the room.

“Sounds like Mom’s home, Owlowiscious.” Midnight smiled and placed her quill down. The aging owl hooted contently as he went back to snoozing. Leaving her room, Midnight went in search of her mother. A short walk down the hall led her to Twilight’s study, where she found the lavender Alicorn Princess unpacking her research notes and placing them back onto the desk.

Hearing the door open, Twilight looked up and said, “Oh, hello Midnight.”

“Hello, Mom,” Midnight returned the greeting as Twilight continued to unpack and organize her papers. “I saw Spike this morning. I told him he could drop by and pick up the orb.”

“Oh, okay,” Twilight muttered as she continued to file her notes away. Midnight waited for her mother to say something else, but when she didn’t, Midnight furrowed her brow. The Alicorn obviously had a lot on her mind, telling by the worry lines on her face. When Twilight had set her mind on something, she would never let it go until she had it figured out. Since she wasn’t in obsession mode, then that meant she and the other reigning Alicorn Princesses must have come to a conclusion. But if that was the case, then why did Twilight look so distracted?

“So?”

“Hm? So what?” Twilight asked, looking back up.

“What did Auntie Celestia, Luna, and Cadance have to say? You know, the ‘crucially important’ thing you had to discuss with them? The thing you’ve been working on for months?”

“Oh, that. I… um…” Twilight’s eyes darted around as she thought of what to tell her daughter.

“Is it something you can tell me?” Midnight asked. “Because if it’s confidential, I’ll understand.”

“No, no. It’s not confidential,” Twilight told her, shaking her head. “It’s just… sensitive information. I’m still trying to process it myself.” Twilight took in a breath and exhaled in the relaxing method that Cadance had taught her years ago. “It involves all of us: me, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash. It even involves Cadance and Flurry Heart. Maybe even you and your friends.”

“Is it something we should be worried about?” Midnight asked, concerned for her family and friends’ well being.

Twilight smiled and dismissively shook her head as she said, “No. It’s just something we all might have to be prepared for in the future.”

“Well, what is it?”

“I rather discuss it with the other Element Bearers first and see what they think. And since Applejack is travelling today, I think it’s best that I wait until tomorrow.” Looking to change the subject, Twilight looked around the study and spotted a mirror. It was the same magic mirror that served as the gateway to the human world. It also reminded Twilight of her daughter’s current project. “But enough about my research. How’s your thesis coming along?”

“Let me show you.” Midnight ran out of the study and returned shortly with her stack of research notes. On her back, the still sleeping Owlowiscious was teetering as the Unicorn set up an experiment. She levitated the owl onto a desk and placed a mirror in front of him. Taking one last quick look at her notes, she prepared a demonstration for her mother. Clearing her throat, she began. “Okay, ever since our run in with the changelings last year, I’ve been fiddling around with the Soul Sight Spell.”

“Uh-huh…” Twilight said slowly, cautious as to where her daughter was going with her presentation. Twilight had invented the spell years ago in response to the whole “Canterlot Wedding Fiasco” in order to reveal hidden changelings, but shelved the spell due to it working too well. Not only did the spell allow the user to see the telltale auras of every living thing that identified what they really were, but it also allowed them to see into the subjects’ hearts and minds, revealing their deepest secrets. Twilight understood that this spell could be dangerous in the wrong hooves, but Midnight had come across it and was able to use it to expose the changelings when they once again plotted to invade Equestria.

“Don’t worry. I understand the potential risks involved with this spell. That’s why I reworked it.” Midnight’s horn activated and the mirror’s reflective surface glowed yellow. Once the spell had been casted, Twilight and Midnight looked at the mirror, but only saw their own reflections looking back at them.

“See anything?” Midnight asked.

“No,” Twilight replied while shaking her head. If it was supposed to be the Soul Sight Spell casted onto a mirror, Twilight expected to see the yellow and magenta auras of her daughter and her own souls.

“Exactly. It doesn’t show a viewer’s soul nor does it expose their deepest secrets,” Midnight pointed out what Twilight could already see.

“But what does it do? Right now, it looks like any old mirror.”

“I’m glad you ask. Onto the demonstration! Please turn your attention to the subject,” Midnight directed, pointing to Owlowiscious. Hearing Midnight’s excited voice, the owl hooted as he woke back up. He then hooted in surprise as he saw Midnight’s glowing horn pointed straight at him.

“Midnight, what are you doing?” Twilight asked, half-panicked.

“Don’t worry. It just a basic transfiguration spell. You don’t mind, do you Owlowiscious?” The old owl huffed indignantly, but hooted in allowance. In a flash of yellow magic, the owl was gone and a pink flamingo was sitting on the desk in his place. The bird looked down at his colorful body and then squawked annoyedly at his new appearance.

“That’s a good look for you, Owlowiscious,” Twilight snickered while Midnight suppressed a laugh of her own. The transformed owl squawked again and placed his wings on his hips in irritation. “Okay, that’s enough. Change him back before he gets too mad at us.”

“Owlowiscious, could you please turn your attention to the mirror?” Midnight asked, gesturing back to the enchanted mirror. Instead of a pink flamingo, Owlowiscious saw his old owl self looking back at him in the mirror. Owlowiscious fanned his pink wings and turn himself around, the owl reflection mimicking his movements.

“Impressive, Midnight,” Twilight remarked as she admired the results of the spell.

“Oh, but wait, that’s not all!” As Owlowiscious continued to study his true form in the mirror, his altered shape began to glow. The flamingo’s long neck, legs, and curved beak shrank and his feathers returned to their natural brown color. In an instant, the spell that had been placed on the bird had been undone and he was an owl once more. Relieved to be in his proper shape again, Owlowiscious hooted a sigh. “As you can see, the mirror reveals the true form of anypony… or bird… it reflects. Mirrors like this can be used to undo curses, dispel illusions, and even see through invisibility charms. They could be placed in high security buildings to prevent thieves or impostors from sneaking in.”

Twilight clapped her hooves together in an applause and congratulated her daughter by saying, “Bravo, Midnight! You took my Soul Sight Spell and turn it into something practical! This a great accomplishment for you and for magic! I’m certain Celestia could use this to great effect!”

“T-Thanks, Mom,” Midnight blushed as her mother hugged and showered her with praises.

“I’m so proud of you! You’re well on your way to earning your wings!” As Twilight said this, Midnight thought of the possibility of becoming an Alicorn. There were currently five Alicorn Princesses in Equestria: Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Twilight Sparkle, and Flurry Heart. Celestia and Luna, the Princesses of the Day and Night respectively, were the only two that were born as Alicorns. Midnight’s mother and aunt were born as normal ponies but ascended to Alicorn status by performing an outstanding feat. Cadance, who was originally an orphaned Pegasus, became the Princess of Love when she undid a villain’s love-stealing curse. It was later revealed that she was the lost heir of Princess Amore of the Crystal Empire. Twilight Sparkle, Midnight’s mother, was a Unicorn and protege of Princess Celestia. Ever since she became the Princess’s prized pupil, she had been groomed to become the Bearer of the Element of Magic and eventual a princess herself. After coming to Ponyville, defeating many villains, and resolving countless friendship problems, she became the Princess of Friendship when she completed Starswirl the Bearded’s unfinished spell. Cadance’s daughter, Flurry Heart, was the first Alicorn born in millennia. It was an unusual case, as Midnight and her older brother, Evening Star, were born as a Unicorn and a Pegasus as Twilight and Cadance were.

With a family legacy to live up to, Midnight wondered if she had truly earned the honor of becoming the next Alicorn Princess, but doubt darkened her thoughts. Each of the princesses before her have performed great feats, defeated mighty foes, and proven their leadership abilities. Sure, Midnight may have been clever and created new spells, but she had yet test her mettle. Sure, she and her friends may have survived their encounter with the changelings, but it was Spike’s victory, not hers. Ever since that unfortunate ordeal, she wondered if her parents would ever give the chance to prove herself. Sure, she had been given princessy duties ever since she came of age, but they were purely ceremonial, like the festival that Amethyst had gone to oversee. When she addressed these concerns to her mother, Twilight had told her that she felt the same way when she first became an Alicorn. She also repeated the words of wisdom that her fellow princesses had shared with her; the time will come for her to do her part.

As Midnight pondered her future, Twilight Sparkle also reflected on the words she had just said. Her daughter was too distracted to notice, but a pensive expression had come across Twilight’s face and she began to wonder if she had said the right thing. Destiny was truly a confounding subject.

*****

After a day of cloudbusting and training, Thunderbolt flew over the fields outside of Ponyville. Celestia’s sun lowered towards the western horizon, painting the sky shades of orange and purple. Floating above the fields was a house made of clouds, streams of rainbows running of the sides. The house was built in the traditional Pegasi fashion, complete with a dome room and supported by pillars.

As the gray Pegasus landed at the front door, a feeling of anticipation gave him the sensation of having butterflies in his stomach. His parents had told him that they had something important to discuss with him when they got home, and the possibilities have been running through his head all day. Thunderbolt had trained all his life to become a Wonderbolt like his parents and it was his dream to be able to fly with them one day. He practiced diligently, gone through the Wonderbolt Academy, and even aced the test to be accepted into the Wonderbolt Reserves. Maybe today will finally be the day!

Entering the house, Thunderbolt immediately sped through the foyer and flew up the spiral staircase up to living room. There, he found his parents waiting for him. They were sitting next to each other on the couch, no doubt talking about the whatever it was they had to tell their son. Thunderbolt’s mother was the one and only Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in all of Equestria and the Element of Loyalty. Like her name suggested, her mane included the full spectrum of color and her coat was a sky blue. Soarin, his father, was a very pale blue and his mane was a navy blue. Thunderbolt’s mane was a combination of his parents, being different shades of blue and white. Also like his parents, his cutie mark was of a lighting bolt. Unlike his mother’s blue, yellow, and red or his father’s gold, his mark was blue and white.

“Thunderbolt, you’re home,” his father stated when he saw him fly up the stairs. “Good. Have a seat. We have something we need to tell you.” After Thunderbolt sat down in a chair across from his parents, Soarin continued, “Spitfire got promoted.”

“Really?” Thunderbolt replied. His excitement somewhat deflated. He was hoping the news involved him somehow, but it seemed to only affect the Wonderbolts’ staff. Spitfire had been the captain of the team of aerial performers for over twenty years, but now that was going to change. There were usually two ways somepony left the Wonderbolts; retirement or promotion. Being a professional, high speed flier was very tasking on the body and most Wonderbolts retire from active duty by the age of forty. Rainbow Dash was in her mid-forties and Soarin was pushing fifty.

“Yes, she’s taken an administration position higher up in the EUP,” Soarin elaborated.

“Does that mean you’ll take her place as captain?” Thunderbolt asked.

“No, I’m not. I was offered the spot, but I turned it down.”

“What!?” Thunderbolt exclaimed. “But Dad, you’re the most experienced member on the team now! You’ve been Spitfire’s second-in-command for years! Nopony is more qualified than you!”

“Spitfire took the desk job because it was either that or retirement. Princess Celestia has noticed that she’s been slowing down and she’s right. Her body can’t take much more of the high speed stunts. But she had a good run.”

“Yeah, she outlasted Rapidfire and Fleetfoot,” Rainbow Dash added. “The only original members of the team from when I joined were her and your father.”

“But that still doesn’t explain why you’re not going to be captain,” Thunderbolt said to his father.

“That’s because I’m going to be retiring as well,” Soarin explained. It felt as though a brick had been dropped in Thunderbolt’s stomach.

“But… But… You can’t retire!” Thunderbolt protested. “We were going to fly together, the three of us!”

“Come on. We fly together all the time,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“I’m talking about in a stadium, flying in formation in front of thousands of cheering fans!”

Rainbow Dash chuckled and said, “Calm down, kid. I was only pulling your leg.”

“Huh?” Thunderbolt gaped, suddenly confused and somewhat insulted of her mother taking the crushing of his dream so lightly. Then he noticed that his father was also smirking. “Am I missing something?”

“You didn’t let me finish,” Soarin laughed. “And you didn’t ask who was going to be the new captain.”

“Who…”

“Me!” Rainbow Dash announced as she flew up into the air, too excited to let her son finish asking the question.

“You!?” Thunderbolt exclaimed in shock. “But Mom, you’re almost as old as Dad! You’d be retiring soon anyways!”

“Who ya callin’ old?” Rainbow Dash asked while crossing her fore legs and raising a brow, offended at the suggestion that she of all ponies was “old.” “I haven’t slowed down a bit. In fact…” In flash of prismatic light, she sped around the room at an incredible speed. With the same outstanding agility, she flew literal circles around her son, creating a miniature tornado around him. Thunderbolt let out a startled shout as he was twirled around by the multicolored twister. She then returned to her seat, leaving her son a dizzy heap on the floor. “I’m still getting faster! I ain’t quitting anytime soon!”

“Okay… I get the point...” Thunderbolt muttered, his head wobbling as he tried to regain his composure. After coming back to his senses, he asked, “But what about our plan? You always said that we’ll fly together someday. You promised!”

“Yes, I know,” Soarin acknowledged. “That’s why I spoke to Princess Celestia. I told her that I would stay on for one more year, helping your mother adjust to her new role on the team and to help train our newest member.”

Rainbow Dash, beaming with pride, held up a letter and gave it to her speechless son. Thunderbolt looked at the envelope that bore the Wonderbolts’ official seal and then up to his parents. “Y-You mean… I’m… I’m….”

“A Wonderbolt,” Soarin finished for him. Thunderbolt held the letter in both hooves, trembling.

“This. Is. So…” he whispered in a shaky voice. With a burst of boundless energy, he flew around the room, rivaling Rainbow Dash’s earlier display. “...Awesome!”

Watching their son dart across the room, Rainbow Dash leaned over to Soarin and said, “I think I had the same reaction when I made the team.”

*****

Night had settled over the land and the inhabitants of Hawk’s Nest had begun to retire to their beds. In her home, Gilda carried Grizelda to her room. The little hippogriff was already asleep in her mother’s fore legs, exhausted from running and flying around with her friends all day.

“Here we go,” Gilda whispered as she placed her daughter down on the bed and tucked her in. She then placed a plushie of Zapp, Grizelda’s favorite heroine, in the filly/fledgling’s talons, who instinctively clung to the stuffed toy. Seeing her daughter snug as bug in a rug, Gilda smiled and quietly closed the door behind her as she exited the bedroom.

The house was dark save for a light coming from Tenny’s workroom. Walking in, she saw the Pegasus still at work, inspecting his relics while writing down notes.

“Coming to bed, or are you gonna play with your new toys all night?”

“I’m coming. I’m just finishing up here,” Tenny explained as he continued to write. Gilda didn’t wait for him and headed towards their bedroom. As she walked, the griffon stopped when she came to the window, her brow furrowing as she looked out into the night. She saw that the branches of the trees swaying violently. She hadn’t noticed it before, but she could hear the wind howling like a Timberwolf. The wooden walls of the house then shook with the force of the wind, the windows rattling.

More like a pack of Timberwolves, Gilda thought, growing uneasy.

“Something wrong?” Tenny asked as he walked up beside Gilda, having finishing his work for the day. The couple watched together as the trees continued to whip about outside. “Was there a storm scheduled for tonight?”

“No,” Gilda answered, shaking her head. Even if there was a storm scheduled, there would have been reminders for one of this size. Investigating, Gilda and Tenny open the front door and peered outside. Apparently, they weren’t the only ones that were confused by the unscheduled windstorm. The griffon and Pegasi residents of the town shielded their faces as they looked skywards, but they didn’t see dark storm clouds rolling in. In fact, the sky was fairly clear, the stars twinkling above them.

With her eagle eyes, Gilda spotted something up in the sky. A dark shape was circling above the town, growing bigger as it spiraled downwards. As it descended, its speed increased along with the intensity of the wind. Recognizing the unmistakable silhouette, Gilda’s yellow eyes widened and her pupils shrank to pinpricks in horror. In her disbelief and terror, she whispered a word, “Dragon.”

“What?” asked Tenny, not hearing her over the roaring wind.

“Dragon!” Gilda shouted as she pulled Tenny back in the house. With a crash that shook the town, a massive red-scaled beast landed in the street. As the dragon straightened itself, the ponies and griffons uttered horrified gasps as they backed away from it. The dragon scanned the town with its large, maroon eyes, a wave of panic overcoming everypony and everygriffon its gaze fell upon. Taking in a deep breath, the dragon reared on its hind legs before crashing back down in a fearsome roar. The citizens screamed in terror as they scurried off the streets and back to the shelter of their homes. Lights came on in the other buildings and windows opened as the sleeping inhabitants were alerted to the commotion. The drowsy citizens were in for a rude awakening when they saw the red dragon snarling at them, causing them to slam their shutters close.

As Gilda and Tenny hid the behind the feeble shelter of their wooden door, they heard a tiny, whimpering voice. “Mommy, what’s that noise?” Looking down the hallway, Gilda saw Grizelda standing at her doorway, clutching her Zapp doll for comfort. Gilda rushed from the door and scooped the small hippogriff up in her fore legs. “I’m scared.”

“Gilda, we’ve got to get out of here!” Gilda nodded to her husband and followed him while still holding on to Grizelda for dear life. The family ran to the backdoor of the house and slipped out into the night, being careful to avoid the attention of the monster that lurked in the streets. They ran between the buildings, not wanting to take flight until they had cleared the town. Other families were dashing down the back alleys and they joined with them in their evacuation, parents leading or carrying their foals and fledglings while keeping their heads down.

As they ran from cover to cover, Gilda could hear the shouts of stallions and the battle cries of griffons as the flew overhead to confront the invader and defend their home. Pausing to sneak a peek, Gilda saw that the dragon had cracked opened a house like a pistachio. The ponies inside screamed and ran out, the dragon paying them no attention as it rummaged through the ruins. The dragon looked up when it heard the challengers approaching and snorted in disdain. With a strong beat of its gray wings, the dragon generated another gust of hurricane-strength wind. The ponies and griffons strained to fly against the wind but were overcome by its insurmountable strength and were blown clear across town like leaves in an autumn breeze. Snorting smoke in satisfaction, the dragon went back to its searching.

As Gilda, Tenny, and Grizelda neared the edge of town, escape seemed to be in their grasp. Spreading their wings to take off, they sprinted towards a clearing just past the town’s limits but skidded to a stop when the store in front of them exploded into splinters as a blue dragon landed on top of it. As the second dragon dug through the timbers, the evacuees scattered and ran down different streets to escape this new threat.

Gilda panted as she and her family sought another escape route, but there was another crash and a green dragon also appeared. She froze in place and stared in disbelief and exasperation as there was yet another dragon blocking their way. The green dragon smashed into someone else’s home and began pick it apart like the other two dragons.

“Three dragons? How can there be three dragons!?” Tenny panted. Dragons were solitary creatures and only came together for the dragon migration during the breeding season. To have three dragons sharing a raid was unheard of.

The trio of dragons continued their raid, tearing every building they came across in two. Looking around, all Gilda could see were chunks of wood being tossed about and scared ponies and griffons screaming as they fled from their crumbling homes. There was nowhere they could run without being spotted by one of the dragons, but then Gilda noticed that they were paying no attention to the denizens of Hawk’s Nest. In fact, the dragons weren’t taking anything from the wreckage. After searching one house, they would move on to the next. It was as though they were looking for something.

Before she could take off, Gilda heard a crashing noise and spun around to see that the red dragon was standing over her home, gripping it with his claws. The wood splintered and the windows shattered beneath the intense pressure.

“Our home!” Gilda shouted in anger. She started to pass Grizelda to Tenny and growled, “Take her! I’m gonna…”

“Going to do what!? You can’t fight that thing!”

“But!” Gilda started to protest. “What about our home!?”

“What about our lives!? Forget it, it’s gone! Now, come on!” When Gilda looked back to the red dragon that was defacing her home, Tenny grabbed her by her fore leg and pulled her along.

With the dragons preoccupied with their wanton destruction, the citizens took to the sky, Gilda holding her daughter close to her. Discretion was no longer an issue, for the dragons weren’t after them. As they flew away, Gilda looked back to what remained of her home. Hatred and heartbreak filled her as she looked down at the dragons. The red dragon let out a triumphant roar and held his claw to the sky. Hearing their partner in crime, the blue and green dragons stopped what they were doing and went to see what their comrade had claimed.

Gripping the object in its claw, the lead dragon looked to its brethren and spoke in a booming, guttural voice, “We have it! Let us return to the master!”

The subservient dragons unleashed a roaring cheer and the red dragon took off, the others following him. Gilda, her family, and the other residents of Hawk's Nest hovered in the sky as they watched the three dragons flew southeast, the direction of the dragon lands. With the dragons gone, the citizens of Hawk’s Nest flew back down to what used to be their homes.

The town had been small, no bigger than Ponyville back in the day. With so few buildings, none of them had been untouched by the dragons. Those with the least damage had a wall missing or the roof peeled off. The worse, like the one the blue dragon had landed on, were nothing but heaps of wood, stone, and straw.

Gilda came to what used to be her home. The structure had been cleaved in two, each half lying on its side. It looked as though a giant lumberjack had brought his axe down on it and split it like a log. Gilda could hear little Grizelda sniffling against her chest, so she ran a taloned hand through her daughter’s feathers. Tenny walked over the broken boards and grabbed something from what used to be their living room. It was a picture frame. The glass had been cracked, but the picture of the three of them was still intact. Tenny sighed as he looked down at the family portrait before placing it back down.

Looking at the ruins of the town and then to the others, Gilda did a headcount. Thankfully, everyone was accounted for and the injuries were minor. Though their homes had been leveled, it could have been much worse. Though a few first aid kits had been scrounged up, the wounded wound need better medical attention and relief would be to be provided for the now homeless citizens.

“Everyone, listen up!” Gilda called out, gaining everyone’s attention. “We’re heading out!” There were cries of protests, the devastated citizens reluctant to abandon their homes. “We can’t stay here. We need food, shelter, and medical supplies.”

“Where are we going?” Tenny asked.

“To Canterlot,” she explained as she unfurled her wings. “The Princesses need to know what’s happened. If we leave now, we’ll make it there by morning.”