Draconic Measures - Part I
A Bluebird’s Song
~~~
Under the stars which prick us and call us
Connect us to hope that perfection’s within us
Here on the ground, the reckless and hopeless
Damned by the slip of a pen
~~~
Draconic Measures – Part I
Marble has a strange quality under moonlight, the chequerboard tiles glinting almost hypnotically as the clouds outside the window cut the silver beams into morphing, ragged strands. Tonight, this sight did not go unseen.
When you reached a time when the centuries whirled by, one flitting into the next in a blur of near-forgotten faces and regrets, sleep did not come easily. The sun watched the world turn, and the sun watched the world die, just as it had always been.
Celestia could not feel the cold, but still she shivered as she stood at the window, gazing at the watercolour night, watching the stars cascade. Sometimes, she felt that eternity might be worth it, if it was an eternity spent in this world. She closed her eyes, the thought of eternity picking at the corners of her mind, millennia of memories clamouring for acknowledgement. She remembered the day, that terrible day, when they told her that she must live forever. She had been unable to stop shaking, imagining counting, counting the seconds. No matter how long she existed, she would always be able to count one more second, one more second, and onwards into forever.
She felt herself spiraling, felt the black fear close over her heart, but she forced herself to open her eyes, concentrating on the beauty set out before her. This was her world, the future did not matter yet.
Happiness is not at the end of the road. Happiness is the road. She repeated the words inside her head, willing herself to believe them.
Celestia looked down to the city beneath her. When she was alone, she never thought of herself as ‘Princess’, the word feeling less like a title and more like an irritating soubriquet, rolling smoothly from the tongues of well-oiled bureaucrats. It was not a part of her, it was a part of the machine that had been built around her.
I have my school, at least. She could draw solace from that fact, knowing that there were ponies like Twilight Sparkle in her life, ponies whom she could consider as friends, as equals. She knew that one day Twilight Sparkle would grow old and pass on, just as all of her previous protégés had done. She knew that one day Twilight’s image would be engraved with the others, hidden on back of the golden circlet that she wore always across her heart. She would be another face plaguing her mind on sleepless nights like this one.
But not yet. Not yet.
Behind her, there was a green flare, illuminating the tiles with a soft hiss. A large package formed itself in the centre of the flame, and fell with a thump to the floor.
“Twilight?” Celestia muttered, surprised at the late hour of the delivery and the thickness of the sheaf of parchment.
Unable to help but feel relief at the sudden distraction, she pulled the stack over to herself with her magic, walking back over to her unmade bed and untying the string binding the parchment together. For some reason, she felt a sensation of foreboding at this unorthodox delivery. She noticed a loose page with what appeared to be a diagram on, and pulled it out from the pile, seeing that it was an x-ray image of a pegasus wing, heavily annotated in her student’s distinctive hornwriting.
Twilight had mentioned recently in a letter that she was chasing up a few pet projects, and Celestia realized that this could well be part of one. She looked closely at a scribbled note written across the main wing-bone. Alicorn?
“Oh no,” she whispered.
Feverishly, she seized the letter from the top of the pile and looked through it, her eyes widening in horror as she read. The final few lines seemed freshly inked, compared to the rest. This message had been edited after its initial writing. The new lines were scrawled in a panic, and they chilled her to the bone. “Oh no…”
Dumping the papers onto the bed, she cantered across to the wall and pulled the emergency bell-rope hanging down from the ceiling, setting off a loud jangle outside in the corridor.
There was the sound of rapidly approaching hooves, followed by a barked command. The door burst open, five guards charging in, spreading out in a well-practiced response pattern, scanning the room for immediate threats.
“Is something wrong, your Highness?” enquired the Captain of the Guard, a gruff-voiced stallion with quick, intelligent eyes.
“Instruct the secretary that my business for tomorrow is to be postponed,” Celestia began, without preamble. “Captain Gladius, prepare a detachment of your men for rapid response if needbe. I’m going to Ponyville. Now.”
“Princess?” Gladius seemed a little taken aback, but recovered himself. “Very well. What is the nature of the threat?”
Celestia paused, sighing. She had hoped that she would never have to say these words. “It’s Sunset. They’re back.”
Gladius nodded, curtly, unable to hide the shock in his eyes. He turned to leave. The guards saluted, two of them sharing a significant look, then they too turned and departed.
Celestia ran her eyes again over the hastily-added last words of the letter, closing her eyes, hoping against hope that she would arrive in time. She walked to the window, casting it wide open with a spark of her horn.
“We’re on our way, Spike,” she whispered, and leapt gracefully from the window, soaring out into the moonstruck air, leaving the note lying on her bed, the fresh ink of the final line glinting in the moonlight.
Princess, we need you. They have spike.
*
Ponyville, Several Hours Ago.
Twilight opened her eyes, blearily. She was greeted by Dash’s sleeping face, still wearing an expression of quiet elation. Their hooves were still wrapped tightly around one another. Twilight realized that they must have drifted off in a state of exhaustion, but she could still feel herself glowing. She sighed contentedly and blushed a little as she remembered the last few hours. Dash seemed to sense her stirring, and her eyes blinked open a crack.
“Hey, you,” Twilight murmured, smiling.
Dash just gazed at her sleepily for a few moments. “Hey,” she finally whispered.
“That was amazing…” Twilight snuggled closer, savouring the warmth between them. Right then, very little seemed to matter. No mysterious unicorns could concern them. Reality could wait until later.
Dash chuckled, kissing Twilight lightly on the tip of her nose. “I know you were.”
Twilight flushed, both flattered and a little relieved at the same time. “It’s not a subject I’ve done much reading up on,” she smirked.
“Aw, come on,” Dash teased her. “Never felt a bit lonely? Never found yourself hanging around the romance section in the evenings?”
“...Well, maybe a few times,” Twilight confessed. Dash smiled, leaning in to tuck her head happily under the unicorn’s chin, breathing in the gentle scent that she now felt so well-acquainted with.
“Heh, I reckon it payed off,” she replied in a muffled voice, her words almost lost through Twilight’s fur.
“At least Spike didn’t interrupt us this time.” Twilight felt pleasantly relaxed, feeling the pegasus’ mane tickling her chin.
“Yeah, last time was bad enough,” Dash looked up, and winked. “This time the little guy’d never have been able to look ya in the eye again!”
Twilight sat up a little, looking across to the window and seeing that the sun was nearly set. “I wonder where he is, actually…”
Dash looked a little concerned. “Does he usually go out on his own?”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Twilight lay back down, cuddling up to the pegasus again. “He mentioned something about going to Fluttershy’s.”
*
“She told you?”
Spike was incandescent. That morning, he had remembered with a dreadful sense of foreboding that this was the day of Rarity and Fluttershy’s weekly spa session. He had no doubt whatsoever that Rarity attended just as much for the gossip as she did for the company and treatments, and he had a horrible feeling that if anything were going to slip out, the spa was where it would happen.
He was indeed helping Fluttershy with her garden, finding it a convenient way to hang around at her house. He had pretended to just be passing, knowing that she was digging her garden over at the moment, but it had taken him a significant amount of time to pluck up the courage for broaching the subject of Rarity. It had occurred to him that Fluttershy was more likely to tell him the truth about what may or may not have been said under the cover of the steam room earlier that day, so he had come to her. He had needed to know if his secret was safe.
It was lucky for him that his considerable digging ability gave him a good reason to be around Fluttershy, and she seemed grateful for his help. At last, after finishing the final patch of carrots, he had innocently inquired if Rarity had been forthcoming with any particularly interesting news about their friends. Fluttershy had not replied immediately, but her blush and nervous squeak had been answer enough.
“I can’t believe it!” He exclaimed angrily, after his initial outburst, and slapped a clawed hand to his forehead. “That’s the last fire ruby she gets off me!”
“What’s the matter?” Fluttershy squeaked, seemingly confused by his outburst.
“You know, don’t you… About…” Spike ground his teeth a little in frustration.
Fluttershy blushed even deeper. “You mean… Twilight and Rainbow Dash?” Her voice was almost inaudible by the end, any discussion of romance with anypony other than Dash or Rarity practically rendered her incapable of speech.
“Yes! And Rarity just told you!”
Fluttershy shook her head quickly. “Oh, no, it wasn’t like that,” she sighed. “She started to say something about it, she said that I wouldn’t believe it, then s-she stopped herself.”
Spike was unimpressed. “Didn’t stop herself well enough, did she?”
“I… I wheedled her about it,” Fluttershy whispered, hanging her head. “She told me that she’d walked in on Rainbow and Twilight… uhh…” She opened her mouth a few times, but seemed to decide that attempting to utter the word ‘kissing’ would probably render her catatonic, so she skipped over it and moved on. “Anyway, I kept asking her until she told me. But why’re you so upset about it? I’d never have asked if I knew you were this bothered by it…”
She was looking apologetically at him, even though she clearly did not understand why he was so concerned. Spike was surprised that Rarity had replaced his intrusion with an invented one of hers, although he still felt betrayed, and very resentful towards her nonetheless. He did not know Fluttershy well enough for her to come out of her shell around him, and he utterly failed to see how she could be in any way ‘persuasive’. Despite that, he was at least a little grateful that Rarity had altered the story so as not to drop his name into it, not that it would help when the news got back to Twilight.
He chuckled, dryly. “She told you that she walked in on them?” It hardly mattered now what Fluttershy knew, and he felt that he owed her honesty seeing as she had been so open with him. “I guess you deserve to know why it’s bothering me.” He shrugged, then a thought occurred to him.
If you tell Fluttershy the truth, she’ll hate Rarity for it. You know how much she values trust.
Rarity would deserve it, I’m gonna tell her the truth. She should know how Rarity messed me around.
“It was…” He stopped again. Fluttershy was looked at him in worry, but he was still struggling with himself.
Maybe Rarity deserves it. But Fluttershy doesn’t.
That’s too bad. Tell her!
Fluttershy had such a close friendship with Rarity. Don’t destroy that for her for the sake of revenge. You’ve made one bad decision already. Don’t make a second.
“I… I was jealous.”
Fluttershy looked taken aback at his words.
“Jealous?”
Spike sighed. He knew how angry Fluttershy would have been with Rarity if he had told her the truth. It was better for her not to know.
“Yeah, I was jealous that she told you first.” He hung his head, doing his best to look shamefaced. “Twilight let me know about her and Dash. She told me that Rarity had seen them together. I’d hoped that Rarity would tell me first. I was stupid, foalish… She hardly knows me, of course she wouldn’t mention it to me.”
“That’s why you were angry that she told me?” Fluttershy’s eyes were wide.
“…Yeah.” Spike hated himself for lying to Fluttershy, but he knew that he was sparing her, that the truth would hurt her more. “I guess I wanted to know she trusted me. She’s probably told you how much of a crush I’ve got on her.” He paused, looking bitterly at the ground. “Feelings like that can make you do really stupid things.”
He sighed at the truth of his own words. Well, there you go, Rarity. I just saved your flank. Celestia knows you didn’t deserve it.
Looking up, he saw to his great surprise that Fluttershy’s eyes were a little wet. “I know what you mean,” she said, quietly. “Don’t worry, I understand. I remember in Flight School, there was a colt I… kind of liked.” She blushed. “I asked Rainbow to fetch me a primrose from the ground, the same colour as… as me, and I left it in his locker.” There was a pause. “Turns out he was allergic. Broke out in hives, then spent a day or two in the infirmary. I couldn’t even pluck up the courage to give him a card. I guess he thought it was a trick somepony had played on him.” Fluttershy smiled at the diminutive dragon. “I know what crushes can make you do.”
Spike chuckled. “Yeah, I guess. You couldn’t have known, though. I was just plain stupid. I should have known it wouldn’t end well for me.” The words meant one thing to Fluttershy, and something else entirely to him. To Fluttershy, they were reconciliatory. To himself, they were a warning for the future.
“You’re in love. You’ve got the right to be stupid sometimes. Thank you for telling me about this, Spike, it was very brave of you.” Fluttershy looked kindly down at him, seeming much more at ease around him now. From another pony, the words may have seemed patronizing, but from Fluttershy they seemed utterly genuine. “You’ve been a great help with the garden. Would you like some tea before you go?”
Spike looked at the horizon, seeing that the sun was now nothing but a corona on the brink between the land and sky. He should be getting back, but on the other hoof he was tired from digging, and felt that he needed a pick-me-up.
He nodded. “That’d be great. Thanks.”
As he followed Fluttershy into her cottage, he was wondering if he had done the right thing. He was not at all happy with Rarity, or with the fact that she would simply get away letting him down in this way, but he felt a warm glow of pride inside himself. Fluttershy was her usual, cheerful self, and he knew that she would not be had he told her the truth. He knew that he had done the right thing. As he sat down on the sofa, he wondered if he still had a crush on Rarity. There was still a swooping sensation in the pit of his stomach when he pictured her in his mind, but it was tempered with a sudden caution towards her. He fully intended to confront her about this, but some other time, after things had stabilized.
“Herbal or normal tea?” Fluttershy asked him.
“Uhh, normal, I guess,” he replied, a little distractedly. A few minutes later, Fluttershy returned, one cup in her hooves, the other in her mouth.
“Ee oo go,” she said, in a muffled voice, depositing his cup down on the table.
“Oh, sorry! I’d have come in to get it if you’d told me it was done,” Spike exclaimed, but he was unable to help giggling a little at Fluttershy speaking with the cup in her mouth. The canary pegasus smiled too, realizing what the joke was. She sat down opposite him, warming herself up by holding her tea closely to her.
“Are you okay with Twilight and Rainbow being together?” she asked softly, then squeaked, hiding her face behind her mane. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is,” she hastily amended.
“No worries,” Spike waved a claw, taking a swig of his tea. The liquid was just out of the kettle, and was scalding hot, but that was one of the advantages of being a dragon. It felt barely warmer than ordinary drinking water as he swallowed. “It was a bit… surprising at first.” He smiled to himself at how literally true that had been. “But it’s Twilight’s life. She’s like a sister to me, so as long as Dash treats her okay then I’m fine with it.”
Fluttershy nodded. “I’m happy for them. Dash’s liked Twilight for so long now.”
Spike winced. “Oh, hay. I’ve just realized. I’ve left them alone in the library together.”
The pegasus looked confused for a few moments, then flushed bright red. Spike remembered how shy she was, and cursed himself mentally for being so brash. “All I mean was, I’ll have to be careful,” he clarified. “You know, when I head back. I don’t want to walk in on them a-” He stopped himself with a gulp. He had very nearly said ‘again’. “Uhh, I don’t want to walk in on them after Rarity already did. Yeah.”
“Oh, I see.” Fluttershy whispered, hiding behind her mane a little, her face still scarlet.
“Anyway,” Spike laughed, “It’s not as if-”
He never had a chance to complete his sentence. Neither of them even had a chance to look around.
The door to the cottage burst open, the hinges cracking as it smashed into the wall. The many animals in the room awoke in one voice, scattering throughout the tree, the birds frenziedly circling above. Two ponies charged into the room, both unicorns, both hooded and wearing lockets bearing a strange motif that Spike did not have time to see.
Fluttershy screamed, but Spike was too frozen by shock to even react. Two horns flared, and they were plucked up into mid-air and rammed against opposite walls. The pulsing light surrounding them changed in intensity. Spike realized, through the daze of stars from where his head had struck the wooden wall, that he could not move a single muscle. He saw Fluttershy’s eyes rolling in her head, full of panic. He could not call out to her, he could not do anything.
The last of the birds flew, screeching, from the open door. There was silence, but for the soft magical hiss issuing from the unicorns’ horns, as they stood and inspected their prisoners.
One of them laughed, and Spike saw him cast the fearful Fluttershy a derisive glance. “Don’t worry, miss,” he drawled. “It’s nothing personal.”
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Whew, got it posted in time.
This is part one of probably 2 or 3. This particular bit of the arc felt too cohesive to be split under different chapter names, but I didn't want to make everyone wait for me to spend all week bashing out a 10,000-worder. So, here's part one!
Awesome, the plot thickens. Can't wait to see Celestia kick major ass!
Oh, when will these random evil pony organizations learn that you don't mess with Celestia's favorite pupil (possibly the most powerful Unicorn in existence and an Element of Harmony) or the fastest Pegasus to have ever roamed Equestria's skies (another Element of Harmony who can turn herself into a living nuke and walk away without a scratch). Screwing with both of them at once is just asking for a beatdown, really...
IT'S GO TIME.
141346 Stop! Celestia time! *Epic breakdown*
141722 This lot have done their homework... They know what they're up against, and they've got a few tricks up their sleeves. Hoping to get in a nice Flutter-Rage moment, though...
142692
Not homework so much as clutching at the straws of hope
Huh, I'm in suspense to who these people are, I mean, they could be anyone... very nice.
Oh my god, they took Spike! RAGE!!!
You know that bomb? The one that's ticking ever so softly?
Yeah?
Well the noise just cranked up and there are now random imposing and malicious sounds emitting from it... it doesn't sound happy.
This story is just jumping along now! It may have been coasting at a relatively fast pace before, but now it seems to have sprouted the idea that it needs to dawn a jet pack and see how many times it can consecutively rocket around the Earth before one chapter comes to a close.
Like I said before, you write with an air of importance, like this:
"I have a mission damn it, and I am going to finish it before my hands wither completely!"
I sure hope that's not the case, but if it is, try some lotion
Well it's fucking official. I'm going to be borrowing my da's L115A3 tommorrow.
Sunset wants to fuck with 'Shy? Well then it's time to break dawn!
Blood will be spilled in the next 30 or so chapters. I just know it.
Dash is going to put a hoof through someone, and she's gonna feel right good about doing it.
I totally agree i say retribution is a must!!!! fight song in the background ensues* wait I have a good one right now:
dude your comment was perfect <<<I am Memorial>>>
753751
oh yes ... it is so on ... you mess with Shy ... you go bye bye
This is becoming like an 80's police action film where the two mismatched cops have to save a family member and take down the evil crime syndicate. Loving it!!!
Well then, it seems that quite a bunch of shit is about to hit the fan. Somepony is going to DIE!
First reading this now, I got all confused when I saw "Sunset." All I could think was Sunset Shimmer at first, and I was like "Wait, this was written a year and a half before we ever heard the first mention of Sunset Shimmer!"
753751 oh no, that's not enuf, we need to get the Hulk in here to smash these guys. come on lets rip a hole in the dimensions and draft him in!
This is a message to Sunset:
memecrunch.com/meme/1GAY8/you-made-fluttershy-cry/image.png
Yeah. No. You just made it personal. Good luck dealing with the most powerful unicorn on the planet and the most powerful pegasus on the planet (barring, perhaps, some of the higher ranking Wonderbolts), who are both about to become rather... angry with you.
Hmmm... I wonder how Twilight and RD will learn about Spike (And most likely Fluttershy)'s kidnapping. And how they were able to send a letter to Celestia without Spike's help.
Only one way to find out, I guess. Onwards!
And as always, may the TwiDash be with you
719440
Yeah this story is making new years up as it goes along!