//------------------------------// // Refusal to Dinner // Story: AJ and the Dragon // by MiraculousDragonMaster //------------------------------// AJ and the Dragon Chapter 7 Refusal to Dinner The Dragon paced back and forth across the dining hall. The table was set, and a fire was going in the massive fireplace. Twilight and Pinkie Pie were watching him pace impatiently from one side of the room, while Rainbow Dash was lounging on one of the ceiling beams, having finished setting up the table in record time. Also, she was waiting to see when he would explode, just to be on the safe side. "What's taking so long?" The Dragon asked angrily. "I told her to come down. Why isn't she here yet?!" He shouted, making the girls flinch. "Eh, try to be patient." Twilight suggested. "I mean, she has lost her family and her freedom all in one day." Pinkie decided to change the subject. "Hey. Do you think that maybe A-" her voice was quickly muffled by Twilight's hand and a fiery violet draconic glare. "Uh, I mean, this girl, could be the one to break the spell?" "Of course I do!" The Dragon growled. "I'm not that hopeless." "Great!" Pinkie cheered. "So, you fall in love with her, she falls in love with you, and ta-da! Spell broken! We'll be back to normal by midnight." Twilight and Rainbow shook their heads. "Even though I don't know much about this mushy stuff, Pinkie, I do know that it doesn't work like that." Dash said. "Yes." Twilight agreed. "These things take time." Pinkie sighed. "Am I the only one that knows that the Ice Iris is starting to go all droopy?" "We do know, Pinkie." Rainbow said. "We don't have a whole lot of time, but we still need to take it slow." She then realized what she said. "Did that sounded weird coming from me?" Twilight and Pinkie replied, "Nope." The Dragon sighed. "It's no use." He looked down at himself as an image of Applejack filled his mind. Her fiery green eyes, her long blonde hair, and her bravery towards him. "She's so beautiful, and... Well, just look at me!" He shouted. The girls stared at him, then at each other. "We are." Pinkie said, looking back at him. "Well, she needs to learn to see past your current... physique." Twilight said. "Knowing AJ, that would take time." Dash muttered to Pinkie. "Unless if he earns her trust." Pinkie quietly suggested to Rainbow. "That could be a good way to start." The door creaked open, and everyone turned to see Rarity in the doorway, looking like she saw a fashion nightmare so bad, that she was as pale as snow. The Dragon walked over to her. "Well, where is she?" He asked, growling. Rarity tried to muster enough courage to speak to the impatient Dragon. "Well, there's a bit of a dilemma regarding the... country girl." She cringed again by calling her friend that again. "You see, eh, well... " Rarity gave up trying to sugarcoat it and just said it. "She's not coming." "WHAT?!" After his deafening roar, the Dragon stormed out of the dining room and up to Applejack's room. Rainbow grabbed his tail and tried to slow him down, while Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity were trying to keep up with them. "Calm down!" Twilight tried to reason. "Let's not be hasty!" But, the Dragon ignored her and in a matter of seconds, he arrived at AJ's door. He sent Rainbow flying into a wall by harshly flicking his tail away from her, then banged on the door. "I thought I told you to come down to dinner!" He yelled. "I ain't hungry!" Applejack shouted back through the door. "I told you before, I'm the master of this castle! You will come to dinner!" The Dragon ordered. "Well, you ain't no master to me!" AJ retorted. "And I'm not coming down!" The girls wanted to give him advice, but when he was this angry, it was best to step back. Mentally, they were ranting about Applejack's stubbornness. "You can't stay in there forever!" The Dragon shouted. "Yes, I can, and watch me!" AJ yelled back. "FINE! Then, starve!" The Dragon turned to Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Rarity. "If she doesn't eat with me, then she doesn't eat at all!" With that, he stormed out of the hall and towards the West Wing. When he slammed the door, a piece of the ceiling broke off, and would've hit Rarity if Pinkie hadn't pulled her out of the way, thanks to her Pinkie Sense. "Well, that went well." said a sarcastic Rainbow Dash. Twilight sighed. "Pinkie Pie, keep watch at the door." "Aye-aye, Twilight." Pinkie said, and began acting like a guard, pacing back and forth in front of the door. "What about us?" Rarity asked. "We'll head downstairs and start cleaning up." Twilight said. Dash groaned. "Come on! I just finished setting it up!" But, she followed Rarity and Twilight back to the dining room. The Dragon arrived in his chambers and started ranting. "Why do women have to be so complicated? What does she expect me to do?! Beg?!" He grabbed his magic mirror on the stand. "Show me the girl." A violet mist swirled over the surface of the mirror, then it revealed an image of Applejack on her bed with Fluttershy beside her. The cowgirl had a scowl on her face, and her arms were crossed. "You know, he isn't too bad once you get to know him." Fluttershy tried to convince AJ. "Why don't you give him a chance?" "Fluttershy, I may be learning to show everyone a bit of kindness, but I do know this. He don't deserve any from me!" Applejack said. "I don't want anything to do with him!" That last statement made the Dragon turn away from the mirror, dissipating the image. "Who am I kidding?" He lamented. "She'll never see me as anything but a monster." With a heavy heart, he looked at the Ice Iris Twilight gave him. Its green stem was starting to bend forward, and its light lilac petals were still in bloom, but slowly, one by one, a petal breaks away and falls to the bottom of the jar. Time was running out. But now, it seemed hopeless.