A New Dragon in the Crystal Empire

by Vedues


Chapter 28

Dear Fluttershy,

I’m sure you already heard that there was another battle, and considering what happened last time, I thought I should send you a letter right away to let you know that we’re all fine. Things were nearly identical to the battle on Hearth’s Warming Day a few weeks ago. The Alliance forces came right up to the shield and used their staffs to get through and attack briefly before they blasted a bunch of abandoned neighborhoods and pulled back. No clue what they were up to, but I’m not going to complain.

I won’t tell you not to worry, because I know you will anyway, but we’re all fine, really. Rainbow says hi, by the way.

Anyway, is your stomach hurting again today? You said that it didn’t help when Twilight used healing magic on you. Maybe a pony doctor would be able to figure out what the problem is and help you start feeling better.

They still need my help cleaning up some rubble, but I’ll write you again once we’re done. I love you, beautiful, and I hope your morning has been a little less hectic than mine.

Love, Cliff

Cliff rolled up the scroll and sent it away in a puff of emerald fire. He pushed against the side of the Empire’s wall as he climbed slowly to his feet, doing his best to ignore the aching in his newly regrown foot. Everfree Armor was great, but even it couldn’t stop the bite of a fully grown drake.

The rest of the Everfree Platoon was nearby, standing in near silence in front of the Crystal Empire’s outer wall. The wall itself was filled to overflowing with Equestrian soldiers, all of them armed with either bows or magic.

Beyond them, half a dozen smoking craters dotted the Crystal Empire. Cliff didn’t know why the Alliance had targeted unoccupied areas, but he suspected that this attack had only been one part of a larger plan.

Rainbow Dash was lying against the wall next to Cliff. Sweat and dirt were caked into the fur on her face, and the jagged edges of her armor around one foreleg showed where the limb had been bitten off—by the same drake that got Cliff’s foot, actually. Rainbow flexed her new hoof experimentally and glanced at the drake corpse, embedded in the rubble of the Crystal Empire’s wall off to her left. Several tons of falling dragon tended to have that effect on crystal. Her attention turned to the army of dragons, hovering in place just outside of the shield. “What do you think they’re waiting for?”

“I don’t know,” Cliff said. He tried to put some more weight on his foot and winced as a spike of pain coursed through it. “At least they gave us some time to catch our breath.”

Fire Eyes grabbed him around the shoulders and let him lean on her. “Easy there, Cliff. We both know that it takes a day or two for your body to adjust after losing a body part and growing it back.”

“Speaking of which,” Rainbow said, “should we cut that drake open to get our limbs back? I kinda feel like we should bury them or something.”

“There’s no point.” Cliff shook his head. “Dragon stomach acid can handle diamonds. Your foreleg and my foot have probably been dissolved completely by now.”

Rainbow shuddered and tried to stand but stopped when Big Mac gently forced her back down.

“Nope. Rest.” Dozens of small marks coated the earth stallion’s armor, but nothing had actually managed to wound him.

Rainbow brushed his hoof away. “How come Cliff can get up and I can’t?”

“Hurt worse,” Big Mac replied.

“I’m really sorry about that, Rainbow,” Cliff said. “I can’t believe I didn’t even see that drake until he was clamping his teeth down on my leg.”

Rainbow shrugged, forcing a casual smile that didn’t fool anyone. “At least I can tell everyone how I got this awesome war wound trying to pry a friend out of a drake’s mouth.”

“So long as you don’t tell Fluttershy until after this is all over.”

Rainbow laughed. “Yeah, she’d panic big time.” Her mood sobered quickly. “I miss seeing her around.”

“Me too,” Cliff whispered.

“If they do decide to come back and attack again,” Blueblood said, “could the two of you try not to do anything suicidal this time?”

Rainbow bristled. “Hey, if you’d been faster with your shield, neither of us would have gotten chomped.”

“I made the mistake,” Cliff said before they could start arguing again. “I should have asked Blueblood to cast a shield as soon as that drake surprised me, and Rainbow was just trying to help, so if you’re going to get angry at anyone, it should be me.”

Blueblood glared at Rainbow before shrugging and turning away. “Well as long as you realize your mistake.”

Rainbow looked like she was about to respond, but an unbelievably loud voice cut her off.

“Listen to me, Crystal ponies of the Empire.” Cliff recognized the voice as Silver Tail’s, and followed it back to the drake himself, flying near the center of the formation in front of them. “We respect the fact that many of you have tried to stay out of this conflict. Because of that, we have been trying to avoid harming you. However, we’ve learned that the Crystal Heart can only maintain its shield because all of you are channeling magic into it. Taking the Heart didn’t work, destroying the Palace didn’t deactivate it, and so now we’re forced to go after the source of its power. In other words, each of you.”

What! Cliff felt the blood drain from his face as murmurs of shock and fear rippled through the other forces nearby.

“Would they actually do that?” Fire Eyes asked.

Before he could respond, Silver Tail began speaking again, “Please understand that this is our last resort. In fact, I’m begging you all to leave. Find some other part of your giant empire to live in. Raise your hatchlings, love your spouses, grow old together, and know peace all your days. The Alliance won’t stop you. We’ll even provide an escort to make sure you get to your new homes in safety. Just don’t stay here and force us to kill you in order to reclaim the land we need to survive.”

Cliff activated an eyesight-enhancing spell and stared at Silver Tail incredulously. The white drake’s expression was regretful, sad even, but full of determination. Cliff let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Yes, Eyes, they would.”

“Consider this warning a show of our respect for you,” Silver Tail continued. “In one month the Dragon Alliance will return, pierce your defenses yet again, and lay waste to any who remain. If you decide to stay and die honorably, defending your homeland, we will respect that, but please let me beg this much as a father; send your children away. All of them this time. We solemnly pledge not to attack any groups leading children or civilians away from this war zone. They don’t deserve to die because of a conflict that is outside of their control. Honor to you all, ponies of Equestria. I am Silver Tail, leader of the Ice Spire Clan, and I sincerely hope that our paths do not cross again until this war has ended.”

The last echos of the drake leader’s voice were still fading as the swarm of dragons pulled back, turning toward their cave in the mountains to the northwest. There was a finality in each of their expressions, and Cliff had no doubt that they intended to kill everyone still in the Crystal Empire when they returned.

“Spirit says that ponies are starting to panic all around the Empire,” Fire Eyes sent. “We need to help calm them down before they start to riot!”

Even the massive shield began to flicker erratically as the Crystal Heart reacted to the wave of fear assaulting the Empire.

Rainbow Dash gulped. “Uh, Cliff? How are we going to explain this one to Fluttershy?”

“I …” Cliff shook his head. “I don’t know.”

-_-_-_-_-_-

Silver Lining pulled a bundle of carrots out of the fridge and put them on the counter. “Fluttershy, please pass me a knife.”

Fluttershy hesitated. “I, um, yes, mother.” She opened a drawer next to the sink and paused over the shining bits of metal within.

All it would take was one moment of thoughtlessness, one slip or loss of control, and these blades could easily kill somepony. Fluttershy could already see the gleaming metal covered by warm blood as shouts of fear and pain filled the air. What made her think she could get through life without killing again, even if it was by accident?

“Fluttershy?” Rarity asked. “Are you alright? You’ve been staring at that drawer for while now.”

That snapped Fluttershy back to the present. “I was?” She shook her head. “I mean, I’m sorry.” She carefully used her wings to lift out one of the deadly tools and pass it to her mother, handle first.

“Thank you.” Silver Lining took the knife and began chopping.

Rarity pressed against Fluttershy’s side. “I should have offered to gather that for you.”

“No,” Fluttershy rested a wing over her friend’s back, “you were getting the tomatoes, and knives don’t usually scare me anymore. I think it’s because of the battle today.” A shudder coursed through her. Cliff, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and many of her other friends could be fighting for their lives at this very moment, and all Fluttershy could do was help make lunch for herself and the Crusaders.

Her eyes drifted over the kitchen counter to the family nest, where the Crusaders were talking and relaxing for their lunch break from school. Whisper sat near the edge of the group, watching the others with a smile as she stroked Angel’s tummy. The other three seemed to be talking about some improvement to assembly process for Everfree Armor. It made Fluttershy a little sad to think about how much they had all grown up.

A scroll appeared in front of Fluttershy’s face, dropping nearly to the ground before she caught it with her wings.

“Ah,” Rarity said, “I imagine that will be Cliff. Why don’t you read through it with the Crusaders while Silver Lining and I finish lunch?”

Fluttershy nodded eagerly and slipped past her mother out of the kitchen.

Apple Bloom was the first to notice Fluttershy’s approach. “Cliff sent you a letter?” She gestured at the scroll held beneath Fluttershy’s wing. “What’s it say? Is Big Mac alright?”

“I don’t know yet.” Fluttershy climbed into the nest with them and unrolled the scroll. She waited for the Crusaders to gather around her. “Let’s see. It says, ‘Dear Fluttershy …’ ”

The letter was disappointingly short, but it was a huge relief to know that everyone was okay. One thing did stand out, though.

“Maybe you should go see a doctor,” Scootaloo said. It looked like the same thing had stood out to her. “I mean, wyrm healing is cool and all, but they don’t really have things like stomach medicine.”

“It’s t-true,” Whisper said. “P-pony doctors are really good at f-figuring out what makes you sick or hurt.”

“I dunno,” Apple Bloom said. “Doctors can diagnose most things, but whatever’s buggin’ Fluttershy can’t be a normal problem if healing magic doesn’t work on it.”

Sweetie Belle looked at Fluttershy. “Do you want to try it?”

“I …” Fluttershy had never thought about seeing a doctor for her stomach, because she had always assumed that the pain and nausea was caused by her battle trauma. Dr. Insight said she was getting better, though, and her nightly attacks of stomach cramps and nausea were only getting worse. Twilight had tried healing magic twice now with no effect.

“Lunch is ready,” Rarity announced.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo scrambled up and over to the table, with Fluttershy, Whisper, and Sweetie following more slowly. It was a little cramped with all of them plus Silver Lining and Rarity around the kitchen table, but at least they fit. Angel climbed onto the table itself and sat back against Scenic Trail’s egg, which was sitting in the middle of the table like always.

It was still hard to believe that Cliff’s little sister was in there, just waiting for the warmth of dragon fire to help her hatch.

“A traditional salad with your choice of dressing,” Rarity said, passing a plate to each of them, “and thin-sliced pork to go on Whisper’s.” Thankfully, the pink substance didn’t set of Fluttershy’s gag reflex anymore.

“Hey Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo said with a mischievous grin, “I dare you to eat a piece of pork.”

“Scootaloo,” Rarity said sternly, “that’s disgusting.”

Silver Lining met Whisper’s eyes and gestured toward the small bowl of meat. “May I?”

Whisper nodded.

Without any hesitation, Silver Lining plucked out a small slice of meat and ate it.

Scootaloo stared at her. “Whoa, I didn’t think anypony would actually do it.”

“I served for a year in a mixed griffon town right out of the academy.” Silver Lining picked up the salad fork and began serving herself. “Many of us tried meat on a bet or a dare. Some even developed a taste for it. Meat is very nutritious and easier to digest than most plants, after all. I have been trying to get the military to include it as part of our soldiers’ rations.”

Rarity shuddered. “Fluttershy, what did Cliff have to say?”

“He says that everyone is safe.” Fluttershy took the salad fork next and served herself a small portion. “He also wants me to go see a pony doctor about my stomach.”

“Which sounds like a good idea, if you ask me,” Scootaloo said.

“We would have to go to Ponyville Hospital,” Rarity said. Nearly every wyrm in Everfree Village could use at least basic healing magic, which made having a doctor’s office kind of unnecessary. “Are you feeling up to a trip like that?”

Fluttershy didn’t want to imagine the pressing crowds, the suspicious looks, and the lingering whispers of a trip through Ponyville. She forced herself to nod anyway. It was miserable to feel sick every night.

“We can go after lunch,” Silver Lining said. “I’m ahead on my work at the moment anyway.”

“I’ll go as well,” Rarity said. “The lab can spare me for a few hours, if need be.”

Apple Bloom tapped her chin thoughtfully. “We have to get back to school, but we can at least walk you there.”

“You can stay here,” Fluttershy said, looking at the clock. “You’d have to come back as soon as we got there.”

Sweetie Belle shrugged. “That doesn’t matter. We promised that we’d be there for you whenever you need us.”

The other Crusaders all nodded.

“It looks like you’re outvoted,” Silver Lining said with a faint smile. “Try to be graceful in defeat.”

Fluttershy nodded, blushing a little at the Crusaders’ show of support. “Okay. Thank you all.” Then she dug into her meal as quickly as her stomach would allow. The least she could do was try to make sure that the Crusaders weren’t late getting back to work.

Everyone else must have had the same thought, because lunch passed quickly and quietly. They even skipped most of the cleanup, only stacking their dishes in the sink before heading out.

The streets of Everfree were crowded with ponies and wyrms. Fluttershy should have expected that; most citizens took their lunch breaks around noon. She swallowed and tried not to imagine blood staining the scales of every wyrm in sight. A shiver passed through her, and it had nothing to do with the layer of snow on the ground.

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy,” Rarity said, pressing against her friend’s side. “We’re all here for you.”

Whisper silently pressed against her other side.

Apple Bloom stepped in front of the group. “Team, assume defensive positions.”

Scootaloo moved up next to the earth mare, while Sweetie stepped back to stand behind Fluttershy.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth, just like Dr. Insight had taught her. “There’s nothing to worry about,” she whispered to herself. “It’s just a quick walk.”

Angel hopped onto Fluttershy’s back and patted her side.

“Thank you, everyone.” Fluttershy took one more deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Alright, everyone,” Apple Bloom turned back to the street, “move out.”

Silver Lining walked alongside the others without complaint, but her expression made it clear that she thought their defensive formation was unnecessary.

Fluttershy kept her eyes on the ground, partially to avoid looking at the wyrms in the street, and partially so that she wouldn’t have to see her mother’s disapproving eyes.

“I-I wish I could face my fears as well as you, Sis,” Whisper said, fidgeting uncomfortably as she spoke.

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy looked over at Whisper. “Is there something in Everfree Village that scares you too?”

“Not quite.” Scootaloo smirked. “More like something she’s been dragging her hooves with.”

“Oh, are we talking about Glaive?” Sweetie asked.

Whisper turned bright red.

Apple Bloom frowned a little. “Real smooth there, Sweetie. Anyhow,” she looked back at Whisper, “I keep tellin’ you that he’d be crazy not ta be interested. Just go talk to him, or send a letter if you’re really so worried about yer stuttering.”

“A fillyhood crush?” Rarity beamed. “That’s wonderful to hear, Whisper. Who, may I ask, is the lucky stallion?”

Whisper mumbled something incomprehensible.

Angel hopped over to Whisper’s back and squeaked reassuringly.

Fluttershy smiled. “Angel is right, you don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”

“N-no,” Whisper shook her head, “i-it’s okay.” She gulped and looked at Apple Bloom pleadingly.

Apple Bloom nodded in response. “Glaive’s the son of that family of griffons that moved in last year. Whisper’s been crushin’ on him somethin’ fierce for a while now, but she’s too nervous ta go talk to him.”

“It’s rare for griffons to form a long-term relationship with any non-griffon,” Whisper, well, whispered. “I don’t know if he’s interested in dating at all, let alone with a dragon.”

“Oh dear, that does sound frightening.” Fluttershy thought about her honorary little sister’s predicament. Years earlier, when she first noticed her feelings for Cliff, she had felt a lot like Whisper did now. Then Discord’s magic took away her shyness for the evening. She winced at the memory of Cliff’s panic attack, which had also been caused by Discord’s influence. Even so, an idea occurred to her. “Whisper, um, if you want, I could use the Stare on you, to make it easier to go talk to Glaive.”

Whisper was as red as a ripe apple, but she nodded a little. “D-do you think that w-would work?”

“It’s worth a shot,” Scootaloo said.

The dragoness took a deep breath. “M-maybe right before we go back to school …?”

Fluttershy hugged her. “I would love to,” she smiled, “little Sis.”

“That was an excellent distraction tactic,” Silver Lining said.

“What?” Fluttershy looked around and realized that they were already out of the village and partway down the road to Ponyville.

Whisper shrank down a little. “S-sorry. I-I didn’t mean to manipulate you, S-Sis.”

“What did she do?” Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie looked confused too. “What were you distracting her from?”

Whisper glanced at Silver Lining. Fluttershy couldn’t see her expression, but she knew it was the same pleading look she had used with Apple Bloom moments earlier.

“You can explain it to them yourself,” Silver Lining said calmly. “I’m sure they won’t fault you for it.”

“Fault her for what?” Sweetie asked.

“D-distracting Fluttershy,” Whisper said quietly. “S-she always f-forgets her fears when she’s helping someone else.”

“Huh,” Apple Bloom said. “That’s really smart of you. Does anyone else have any embarrassing secrets they want to share when we get to Ponyville?”

Silence fell on the group, broken only by the sound of walking.

“It was your idea,” Scootaloo said. “You can say something.”

“I don’t have any secrets though.” Apple Bloom frowned in concentration. “I guess there was that one time I snuck a drink of our alcoholic cider.”

“But you just said that out loud,” Sweetie said. “Now it won’t be a surprise when we get to Ponyville.”

Rarity sighed. “Girls, I hardly think it will be necessary to delve into embarrassing secrets.”

“Just having you all with me is enough.” Fluttershy turned to Whisper and smiled. “But thank you.”

Whisper smiled back. “Y-You’re welcome.”

They arrived at Ponyville a few minutes later, and luck seemed to be on their side for once. The streets were almost empty.

“We got you here safe and sound,” Apple Bloom said proudly, “just like we promised.”

Sweetie nodded. “We’ll come by after school and you can tell us what the doctors said.”

“Wait,” Fluttershy said before they could start to walk away. “Do you still want me to use the Stare on you, Whisper?”

“I-If it isn’t t-to much trouble.” Whisper blushed a little. “Please?”

“You know I’d do anything to help you.” Fluttershy took a deep breath and focused on the emotions of bravery and determination. It felt like she only had the tiniest scraps of either within her, but Fluttershy willed them up into her eyes and from there into Whisper.

The young dragoness stood up a little straighter, and a weak smile crossed her lips. “T-Thank you. I-I’ll talk to Glaive today, I promise.”

Fluttershy gave her a hug. “Just be yourself.” She let go and waved to the Crusaders as they started back toward Everfree.

“Come along,” Silver Lining said, gesturing to the hospital behind them. “Let’s see if these doctors can fix whatever is wrong with your stomach.”

Both Rarity and Angel nodded their agreement.

-_-_-_-_-_-

Fluttershy really didn’t like hospitals. They were supposed to be places of healing, but they always felt so stiff and uncomfortable, like ponies and dragons didn’t belong in their sterile halls. She could almost feel the building staring down at her disapprovingly as she filled out form after form, talked with the nurse, and let the doctors do a complete scan. Eventually there was nothing to do but wait in one of the examination rooms.

“I’m sure you don’t have anything to worry about,” Rarity said, sitting in one of the two chairs.

Silver Lining sat down next to her. “Let’s hope that these doctors can at least find something wrong.”

Rarity gasped. “You actually hope there’s something wrong with your own daughter?”

“Something is obviously wrong.” Silver Lining turned to Fluttershy, who was sitting on the room’s bed with Angel. “We can’t treat it unless we know what the problem is.”

The nurse walked in before Rarity could respond. Fluttershy didn’t know her name, but she was a white earth mare with a pink mane and tail. Strangely, she was also blushing slightly. “Well, um, Mrs. Fluttershy, we know what’s causing your symptoms.”

Fluttershy nodded, a little confused by the nurse’s behavior. “What is it?”

“Actually,” the nurse coughed uncomfortably, “after reviewing your file, I think it would be best if you allowed me to give the result to either of your friends so that they can tell you when you return to Everfree Village.” She nodded toward Rarity and Silver Lining. “Dr. Insight was very clear that you shouldn’t receive any shocking news unless you’re in a comfortable setting.”

Fluttershy paled a little as all sorts of horrible possibilities ran through her mind. “Is it that bad?”

Angel squeaked the same question.

“Tell us now.” Silver Lining looked at Fluttershy nervously. “I’m sure that we will have a number of questions for you.”

The nurse shook her head. “Trust me, this isn’t the sort of thing that should be discussed in public.”

“You can tell them,” Fluttershy whispered. She swallowed, and forced herself to speak in a normal voice. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be easier to hear from a friend.”

Rarity looked uncertain, but nodded. “Very well, if it will help.” She gave Fluttershy a hug and then followed the nurse into the hall way.

“Whatever it is,” Silver Lining said firmly, “we will get through it together.” Then she too went out into the hallway.

A few seconds later, Rarity shouted, “What?!”

Am I dying? Fluttershy’s legs trembled a bit. The rainbow power from the Tree of Harmony was so powerful that it was kind of scary to think about. Maybe using that had damaged her body beyond repair somehow. Fluttershy gasped. If that was the problem, then her friends would be affected as well!

No, that couldn’t be it. She forced herself to breath deeply, in through the nose and out through the mouth. The Power of Harmony always felt so comforting when she used it, like she was a foal wrapped in her mother’s embrace. It had to be something else.

After what felt like hours, Rarity and Silver Lining returned. Both looked shaken, and Rarity was holding a large envelope in her magic. “Oh, Fluttershy,” she put on a big fake grin, “how are you?”

Fluttershy began to shake. “What did she tell you?”

“That we need to talk.” Silver Lining held open the door and gestured for Fluttershy to come with her. “Back in Everfree, if your psychiatrist is to be believed.”

Fluttershy followed after her, scooping up Angel as she went.

Their little group was silent until they were out of Ponyville completely and on the path to Everfree Village. “Fluttershy, dear,” Rarity said at last, “have you … Oh, how do I say this?” She blushed. “Have you been spending much time outside the house since you returned?”

“No … Should I be?” Did she need to get more sunlight?

“No no,” Rarity said quickly, blushing more heavily now. “I was just curious who you’ve been spending time with when neither of us is around.”

“The Crusaders, mostly.” Fluttershy could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Was she contagious? Had she infected her friends?

“Rarity,” Silver Lining said, “stop talking before you give her a panic attack.”

Silence fell over them once more, and Fluttershy could do nothing but follow after the other two and try not to let panic set in until she knew for sure what was wrong.

When they reached the house, Fluttershy was surprised, but happy, to find Twilight lying in the nest in the front room. The alicorn looked exhausted, and her mane and tail were a mess, but she perked up when she saw them. “There you three are. I was starting to get worried.” She smiled, but it was a bit strained.

Rarity hurried over to her friend. “Twilight, is everything alright?”

Fluttershy stayed near the door with her mother. If she really did have a contagious disease, she didn’t want to risk getting her friends sick as well.

“Yes, of course.” Twilight didn’t meet either of their gazes. “Cliff told me that he sent you a letter about what happened in the battle?”

Fluttershy and Rarity nodded.

“Well, after he sent it, the Alliance threatened to attack the crystal ponies, so now Celestia and Luna are trying to figure out how to evacuate them all without weakening the Crystal Heart. Assuming the crystal ponies are even willing to go.” Twilight sighed. “I don’t know how many more complications I can take.”

“Unfortunately,” Silver Lining said, “you will have to deal with at least one more today.”

Twilight looked at her nervously. “What’s wrong?”

“Well,” Rarity cleared her throat, “you see, we went to Ponyville Hospital to see if they could diagnose the cause of Fluttershy’s nausea, and they discovered that …” She trailed off with a fierce blush.

“That what?” Twilight prompted. “Is it serious?” She turned to Fluttershy. “I can try to heal you again.”

“Actually, this complication is of a rather different nature.” Rarity lifted the envelope from the hospital in her magic. “Perhaps it would be easier if you both just read the news for yourselves.” She motioned for Fluttershy to join them.

Fluttershy hesitated. “I don’t want to get either of you sick.”

“You aren’t sick, dear.” Silver Lining walked past her and climbed into the nest, leaving enough room for Fluttershy between her and Rarity.

More confused than ever, Fluttershy joined the other mares.

Rarity opened the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper.

Fluttershy leaned forward and studied the document, which seemed to be her test results. She didn’t understand most of it, but at the bottom was a diagnosis that made her heart stop. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “That can’t be right.”

On Rarity’s other side, Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Fluttershy,” she looked at her friend with an expression of complete shock, “you’re pregnant?”