Lily quickly decided that she didn’t like their smiles since they were very much like Green Claw's smile. She slipped out of her chair and walked back to the research table.
“Yes, it horrible that a pony would try to take wishes that they haven’t earned.” Flam was saying.
“Very greedy of them.” Flim agreed. “Especially since it halves their magic for a while.”
“Well the biggest issue is damage to wish magic,” The ice blue dragon explained. “Wish magic is a gift to us to us to give as a gift to others, dragon or otherwise. When a dragon grants wishes frivolously or to pointless causes their wish magic will grow weaker and this will be permanent. One or two silly or excessive wishes granted won’t harm anything but if it becomes a habit then the effectiveness of wishes will go down.”
“How terribly greedy of those ponies to not care what happened to their magic.” Flam said with a glance at his brother. "No dragon would be able to trust them at all."
“At least now we can study a brand-new field,” the green dragon stated burying his nose in a book again.
“Yes, good idea,” Leftfang interrupted waiving Flim and Flam away. “They can study better when you aren’t bombarding them with questions.”
Lily started to follow them with suspicion nagging at her mind, but Leftfang called her name.
“What is it with ponies and singing at random? Your princess just took off hopping around the streets singing about learning new things. How is anything going to get done about my magic?” He grumbled.
Lily sighed, “Don’t dragons sing?”
Leftfang snorted, “Not by bursting out lyrics from nowhere and dancing through public. Do you see any dragons doing that?”
The words had hardly left his mouth when two yellow figures, Lemon Jade and Lemon Hearts came prancing by singing out the joys of new friendship. Leftfang glared at Lily who couldn’t keep a smirk off her face. “Well, there has always been something wrong with her,” He snorted. Then Rock came prancing by singing.
* * *
Slipping through the crowds Flim and Flam wore big smiles as they carefully searched the dragons of the gathering. They sidled up next to a red and blue dragon who had stepped away from a table to munch on a ruby cupcake.
“Enjoying the party?” Flam asked him. The dragon nodded.
“We just wanted to comment on how brave dragons are. You and your companions have certainly proved it.” The dragon looked at him blankly.
“Well, because mini dragons understand how greedy ponies can be as a species.” Flim replied, “Ready to take advantage at any point. It’s very brave to try to be friends with them and reform them.”
The dragon narrowed is eyes, “Aren’t you ‘them’?”
“Well no,” Flam responded with a tone that indicated the question was entirely absurd. “You see, we’ve matured to the point that we can admit we’re greedy. Admission is the first step to recovery you know.”
Flim smiled and nodded. “Ponies who admit their nature can overcome it. Sadly, some ponies just can’t.”
Flam shook his head with concern and sorrow plastered all over his face. “It’s such a terrible problem with the pony race. You just can never trust a pony until they can admit it.well, at least we have you to help us.”
As they walked away the dragon watched scratching his chin with his brow furrowed with deep thought. The he began eyeing the ponies moving around him.
“I say, I must thank you for coming to help reform us ponies.” Flam said shaking the claws of a female dragon who was tasting various pony dishes.
She blinked back in confusion. “Came to help what? I thought this was some friendship party.”
“Oh, it is, of course,” he replied still smiling wide, “but it also to help us ponies…” He trailed on as Flim as targeted Rock who had just finished his song about the joys of cake.
Panting with exhaustion, Rainbow Dash and Midnight Fight landed clumsily on town square.
“I’m off to get some cider and then we can have that aerial acrobatics contest,” Rainbow Dash wheezed. “Do you want some?”
“Sure, I’ll try it.” Midnight Fight panted. “Do you need some time to rest?”
“Not if you don’t. I’m perfectly fine.” Rainbow breathlessly declared before dashing clumsily crashing into a cupcake table.
“It’s great to see ponies and dragons becoming friends.” Flam commented trotting up to stand beside Midnight.
“It is great to finally compete with someone who is on my level.” She replied.
“I’m just glad that you can help reform her. After all her talents, she need help like any other pony.”
“What are you talking about?” She snorted glaring up at Flam.
“Well I’m sure growing up as a min dragon you’ve heard about the nature of ponies…”
When Rainbow Dash came staggering back balancing a tray with cider cups on her back she was too tired to notice the odd look Midnight Fight gave her. The blue dragon said noting but just took the cup and studied the mare over the rim.
“Enjoying the party?” A voice interrupted Green Claw’s silent brooding as he smiled at the crowd. He jumped and spun around to see Flim standing next to him.
“Of course,” he replied returning the same smile as the pony. “I’m glad that we could be here.”
“I so glad that you and your friends are here too,” Flim said. “Perhaps one day, with your help, we can admit our tendency towards greed and finally recover.”
“Um… sure. We are happy to help you,” Green Claw replied though eyes showed his confusion. Despite this, fake smile still returned fake smile. “How exactly we’re we supposed to help you. I forgot.”
“Well you know how we ponies have greedy tendencies. Can’t really help it you know but at least you can trust a pony that admits it. You have to be very careful of the ones who don’t.”
“I see,” Green Claw replied slowly. He watched as Flim walked away into the crowd with his fake smile. The dragon scratched his chin thoughtfully for a moment. Then, with a real smile headed off in the opposite direction.
* * *
A tension began to build in the atmosphere of the party. It prickled in the air and disturbed the atmosphere of the party. The hosts couldn’t quite place their hoof on what it was but something was amiss. All carried on hoping that it was nothing. Then a sudden explosion voices made every dragon and pony jump and gawk wide eyed ae the indignant and angry voices echoed through the streets. All, except two ponies who sat calmly just outside of the gathering.
“No one likes being accused of being greedy out of the blue, do they brother?” Flam asked as he sipped his cider.
“They certainly don’t,” Flim replied looking over his own cup. “I’d say it’s probably enough to stop a new friendship.”
“Definitely, and no one wants to be friends with any creature if they don’t believe that that can trust them anyway.”
“Certainly, not and how terrible for them but the more they fight is all the better for us,” Flim commented casually.
Flam nodded. “And we can’t exactly be greedy when just one wish is all we need.”