21
Nightmare Night, Late Morning
The city of Canterlot was just as beautiful as Shining Armor remembered it. There was always that sense of nostalgia whenever he stepped off the train to return to the capital, and he would be lying if he said he never missed his old duty station. Still, it was no longer his home – that honor was held by whatever city his wife and daughter were in. Smiling at the thought of his wife, he spared a look at the foal carriage beside him, an exhausted Sunburst behind it.
“She looks like an angel,” Shining Armor commented.
“You weren’t saying that on the train ride when she kept us up all night,” the Crystaller yawned.
“Well, that was last night,” Shining Armor chuckled, suppressing a yawn of his own. His smile fell when he saw the array of guards standing at parade rest, and the crowd of forcibly-happy ponies. His eyes drifted up and saw his wife waiting anxiously beside an imperious-looking Celestia. He bowed smoothly with Sunburst. “Your Highness.”
“Shining Armor,” Celestia said, evenly, “and the Crystaller. Oh, and little Flurry Heart, too! Excellent, excellent! I can’t wait for her to enjoy her first Nightmare Night with her grandaunt.”
Shining allowed himself a smile. Things didn’t seem too bad. He had been worried when he had received Cadance’s sudden letter. She hadn’t said anything bad, per se, but there was something in the way she had written that expressed concern. Even now she looked worried, but what danger could there be? They were surrounded by dozens of Royal – ah, that’s right – Imperial Guards. He was a little wary of them, though; they were almost all new faces and they didn’t feel like soldiers. They seemed almost like machines…
The three newcomers approached the carriage Celestia had chosen for the day. It was similar to her chariot, but large enough to allow seating for all of them. Once they were on their way, the Empress of the Day decided to strike up some conversation, though the topic wasn’t what he expected.
“How did the Crystal Empire fare with the creation of the Lunar Republic?” she asked, “I’m curious because in nearly every other city-state there were reports of violence, but I haven’t heard anything about Cadance’s realm.”
“While there is something of a republican movement in the Crystal Empire, there-” Sunburst began.
“Was I asking you, Crystaller?” Celestia hissed out, narrowing her eyes.
Sunburst snapped his mouth shut and looked down while Shining Armor spared a wide-eyed glance at his wife. Oh… So this was why she was concerned. Well, this was much worse than a possible assassination or any of his other worst-case scenarios.
“Er…” Shining Armor picked up where Sunburst left off, “Like Sunburst said, there is a republican faction in the Crystal Empire, but they mostly push for liberalizing the Imperial institutions rather than a complete overhaul. Small stuff, like extending voting rights for members of the Diet, and having an elected council of representatives to discuss policy with the nobility and Cadance.”
“You allow the rabble to engage in dialogue with their betters?” Celestia laughed at the idea, “Surely they took to the streets in their mobs and rioted?”
“Er… no?” Shining Armor tilted his head, “Tempers flared a little, but relations between the classes have always been ideal in the Crystal Empire. The nobility and peasantry are pretty informal with each other. I mean, Cadance married me – I’m just a soldier, and she’s a Princess.”
“As I’ve explained in my letter to you earlier,” Cadance interjected before Celestia’s rage boiled over, “all of these policies are well within the parameters set forth by your decrees. And, as you can see, the system works; the Crystal Empire has resisted infighting.”
“For now,” Celestia sneered, “Those whining for more rights will keep begging, keep taking your generosity for granted, until you find yourself stabbed in the back. Trust me: give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile.”
Her guests exchanged worried glances. This was nothing at all like the Celestia they had known. Even Flurry Heart seemed to detect something of her grandaunt’s change, drawing deeper into her stroller in an effort to get away. Celestia couldn’t help an amused smirk splitting her face at the site. How weak and feeble the newest alicorn seemed, but all that would change in time. With proper guidance, Flurry Heart would be every bit the warrior Luna was; every bit the ruler Celestia was. For a moment, Celestia’s prescience foretold a great destiny for her grandniece, but she crushed the vision, disbelieving of its related imports. Visibly shaken, the others now eyed her with concern.
“Are you alright, Aunt Tia?” Cadance asked.
“Of course,” the older alicorn gave an uneasy smile, “I’m only worried the festivities won’t be as spectacular as they ought to be.”
The carriage passed a large hay-and-stick construct, clearly a skeleton of a vast pony-shaped idol, set up in the middle of Canterlot. Celestia leered at it in expectation and Cadance wondered exactly what purpose it would play in the ‘festivities’ her aunt had mentioned. Shining Armor shifted and she looked where he was watching: a group of colts and fillies was being herded into a cage by Imperial Guards. He looked confused and torn, unused to seeing the Guard perform a seemingly cruel task. From his memory and experience, the Guard was there to serve and protect, not imprison foals!
“What are they being arrested for?” he asked, earning a narrowing of eyes from the Empress. She spared a glance at the situation and laughed lightly.
“Oh, that,” she waved a hoof dismissively, “Do you not see what they’re wearing?”
Cadance looked closer and saw each of them was dressed in costumes; here an astronaut, there a cow-pony, one a devil, another an angel, and so on with generic, cheap outfits.
“Costumes?” Shining Armor asked, unsure if he were missing something.
“Exactly,” Celestia nodded, “in blatant defiance of my edict earlier prohibiting the wearing of costumes on this sacred day.”
“B-but, it’s Nightmare Night!” Sunburst blurted out, and the royal couple braced themselves, unsure how Celestia’s apparent instability would react, “Nightmare Night has a longstanding tradition of costumes and going from house to house. It’s a holiday for japes and harmless scares! Starlight and I used to love Nightmare Night for those very reasons!”
“The holiday was one of somber remembrance for the loss of my sister…” the Empress explained, something of her old self bleeding through her quiet words. It disappeared in an instant, buried by her newer self, “It was a day meant to remember the high treason that ravaged Equestria, and spread tales of Nightmare Moon’s evil as a warning! Now, though, it has become a holiday of children laughing on a night of tragedy! It has become a holiday of them wasting their time roleplaying as monsters and villains, going from house to house begging for candy like vagabonds… It’s a disgrace!”
“It’s fun,” Cadance said, softly, “It’s a tradition we’ve enjoyed for centuries… You used to take me out when I was younger. Remember?”
Celestia’s eyes flickered and she visibly faltered, as if struggling with some great dilemma inside herself. She shook her head and smiled with false warmth.
“Just for tonight, let’s try it the way it should be,” she said, “If it will put your mind at ease, I will free the ponies who have been arrested tonight. Perhaps… perhaps it is a bit strict.”
The others smiled, clearly relieved. And here they were worried Celestia was beyond reasoning! What were they thinking? She was just a little tense, maybe even unbalanced, but she wasn’t a monster. All she needed was some time among friends and family, just as Cadance had suspected. A look at her daughter made her question that logic, though.
Why was Flurry Heart so terrified of her grandaunt?
…
Pharynx looked at the trotting ranks of yaks, shadowed by the flock of griffons in the sky. Larger shadows in the swarm revealed the position of dragons. The changeling king new, of course, that they were not a literal swarm – not like the one he longed to see again – but they were a swarm in the sense of being a group of warriors moving in well-coordinated, but visually-chaotic mass. Morale was incredibly high as they moved hastily towards Canterlot. Then, all at once, they stopped their advance.
Pharynx wondered what could possibly thousands of yaks, griffons and dragons. What possible force could give them pause? He flew ahead to the vanguard, where Garble was already waiting. Unsurprisingly, Grigori had hung back… or so he thought.
“All of you should turn around,” Ember stood tall, her Dragon Lord Scepter held before her, “right now!”
The dragons shifted, unable to deny a command from the wielder of the scepter. Pharynx’s eyes widened in shock at the realization that this, more than anything else, could ruin their entire plan. Ember hadn’t come alone, either; Prince Rutherford was there too, along with the griffon Gabby, and a mix of Orduud members numbering in the hundreds. Pharynx could recognize some of them. Each of them was a part of Ember and Rutherford’s peace camp, and although the entirety of the pacifist faction of the Orduud wasn’t present, this relative handful still radiated strength in the face of an army. The army, so happy for the prospect of conquest, faltered in the face of this obstacle – an obstacle made up of loved ones, friends, neighbors, and mentors. The yaks were not sure how to respond to their prince opposing them, and the dragons would be powerless if Ember commanded them directly. Worse, if things escalated to violence, Ember’s camp might be pacifists, but they were also warriors in their own right. Some of them were heroes from past campaigns who had grown sick of war, but still had the skill to best hundreds of their kin.
Then Pharynx saw Grigori there, bound in chains, scowling like a kicked dog.
“Give this up before you make a mess of things, guys,” Ember’s shoulders slackened, “Please… We don’t need this, not now. We need to open a dialogue with the ponies and work through things without violence.”
“I’m so sick of hearing that!” Pharynx snapped, surprising even Garble, “I am sick of this inactivity! I’m sick of being denied an outlet for my warrior breeding! We need war! We need the conquest and glory! We need the opportunity to burn twice as bright, even if it’s only for half as long! I would rather live a short, brilliant life than a long one of boring, mundane service!”
“Farming is a noble profession, though,” Gabby spoke up, “So is construction, education, social work-”
“Those are all boring!” Garble interrupted, sneering like a child, “Why can’t we be what we want to be? Why can’t we fight? It’s our culture!”
“Because it doesn’t produce anything!” Ember snapped, “You talk about our culture and heritage, but what heritage?! Our warriors have produced nothing! All they’ve done is stolen treasures from others and hoard them, hiding them from others. That’s not a culture or heritage, that’s not inherited or shared as a common identity… that’s just greed! You wanna know which dragons actually developed our culture? The ones who wrote and made art! Without them, we wouldn’t have a dragon culture; we’d just be thugs stealing gold!”
“Traitor!” Garble roared.
“Prince Rutherford,” a yak warrior shouted, “what reason for not fight? We yaks proud fighters; we strong and free! Why no punish ponies before ponies take homes?”
“Ponies have not taken homes from yaks,” Rutherford shouted back, his strong, loud voice putting a check on his kin, “Yaks free, yaks strong! Attacking ponies prove nothing; only dishonor yaks by betraying friendship with ponies!”
“What about the ponies’ occupation of the zebra, donkey, and buffalo lands?” a griffon soldier asked.
“We didn’t want war!” a donkey in the pacifist camp stepped forward, “You claim you’re waging this war for us, but do you see a single zebra or donkey in your little army?”
The Orduud warriors shifted around, heads turning and scanning their ranks. They wore confused expressions as they realized it was only yaks, griffons and dragons.
“Exactly!” the donkey snorted in anger, “We wanted to join the Orduud to open up talks with the ponies, to negotiate our sovereignty. A lot of us have pony friends and family, we do business with ponies, we live beside ponies… We just wanted…”
He trailed off, unsure what they wanted, exactly.
“You wanted to be able to control your lands,” Grigori offered, earning venomous glares from the pacifists holding his chains, “It is only natural for a race to want to control the land they own, and not see it governed by foreigners…”
“There you go again!” the donkey snapped, “You claim you’re doing this for us donkeys, and zebras, and the buffalo, but you don’t understand how we view the situation! What the hay do you mean ‘our lands’? Have you even talked to a buffalo? They don’t believe in owning the land!”
“Wait, then why were they upset with the ponies for taking it?” Garble furrowed his brow, struggling to understand such a concept. His understanding of property and ownership was shallow at best.
“They were upset with the ponies because the ponies tried to own the land,” Ember explained, “and they made peace with the ponies because they agreed to share the land, as nature intended. To the buffalo, one cannot own the land any more than one can own the sky or the ocean.”
“We can own whatever we want!” Garble snapped, eyes darkening, “How could you be the Dragon Lord? You don’t even follow our ways…”
“What gives you the right to own land anyway?” Gabby frowned, “I mean, I know griffons took land from non-griffons, too. What makes you any better than the ponies, then?”
“We earned those lands,” Grigori growled out, “We earned them through right of conquest!”
“Might make right!” a yak warrior bellowed, and the others cheered.
“We can own it all!” Garble snarled.
A sudden cacophony of prideful greed and hypocritical lust for resources was so loud, so out-of-the-blue, that Gabby flinched back, and even Ember and Rutherford took a backwards step. The pacifists braced themselves for a fight. All at once, things spun out of control and Pharynx found himself watching the Orduud turn on itself. Yaks charged their herd-mates, griffons dueled in the skies, and dragons unleashed flames upon masses with abandon.
“I command you to cease!” Ember roared, her command over the dragons absolute. They stopped fighting as one, and the tide suddenly turned in the pacifists’ favor.
Pharynx watched as Rutherford’s yaks bulldozed their way through the warmongering yaks, knocking them aside. Gabby dueled with the other griffons, showing a skill at combat that made the changeling do a double-take. She effortlessly disarmed her opponents in nonlethal strikes, and managed to find time to apologize to each of her defeated foes as they fell. The pacifist dragons aided their comrades, and Pharynx panicked.
“Pharynx!” Ember called out to him, “Surrender! We’ll show leniency; you got wrapped up in Grigori’s scheme like everyone else! Just come down and we can rebuild the Triumvirate, rebuild the Orduud! We can start over!”
Pharynx felt his heart twist at the sincerity and near-desperation in her voice. He could appreciate why his brother was so smitten with the Dragon Lord. Still, the word surrender triggered his rage, and the prospect of returning to the bureaucratic nightmare of endless debates and administration was more frightening than being imprisoned or martyred. No, he would rather go down with this failed endeavor. He blinked as he found a way that, perhaps, would save the endeavor.
He descended towards Ember’s position, slow enough that she thought he was surrendering. As soon as her guard dropped, a smile of relief on her lips, however...
Ember tensed, seeing Pharynx dive quickly and speed towards her. She was too late, though, too unsuspecting. The changeling king slammed into her, knocking the wind from her lungs and ripping the Dragon Lord scepter from her grip. Before she could collect herself, Pharynx flew into the sky with the scepter in his jaws.
“No!” Ember cried, horrified, while Grigori cackled from his prison.
Pharynx descended again, throwing the scepter into the claws of Garble. Immediately the spell was lifted. The warmongering dragons, far outnumbering the pacifist ones present, rejoined the battle. The warmongers rallied from this reinforcement, and the pacifists fell back, terrified by this sudden change in fortunes. Within minutes they were surrounded, forced into a tight cluster, their numbers heavily reduced. Ember was still on her hands and knees, face frozen in horror. Rutherford belted a war cry and charged Garble. They wrestled back and forth, their musculature bulging as they screamed into the other’s face. The contest ended when the dragon wrapped his arms around the prince’s back, lifted him off the ground, and with great effort, squeezed tight.
A loud crack filled the air, eliciting cries of horror from the pacifists, and downcast looks of shame from many of the yaks in the warmonger camp. Garble laughed, lifting Rutherford over his head and tossing him back at the group of pacifists. The prince groaned, unable to defend himself as the dragon inhaled, fire igniting deep in his gullet. Garble prepared to incinerate his opponent, his eyes having become reptilian slits in a sinisterly dark hue. He was about to exhale when Gabby flew between them, shielding the yak with her body. Surprised, Garble turned his head at the last instant and unleashed a massive wash of flame harmlessly into the sky.
“What the-?!” he choked, his eyes returning to normal as shock overrode his darker impulses, “Are you stupid or something?! I nearly roasted you!”
“I’m sorry, but you’re a jerk!” Gabby snapped, “You didn’t have to hurt Prince Rutherford like you did, and you certainly didn’t need to set him on fire!”
“Listen, you dumb chick,” Garble scowled, “this is a battle, and he’s an enemy. I did what I had to.”
“You did way more than you had to,” Gabby muttered, darkly, “You’ve won, alright? There’s no need to go further…”
Garble glared at her, then scanned the tired, beaten mob of pacifists. They looked at him with hate, disappointment, and sorrow. The sight caused something to stir inside him, softening his expression, but he crushed it and growled. He glared witheringly at the griffon, his ego boosted by the Dragon Lord title he now held, but she glared back, unwavering. Without meaning to, he broke contact, unable to meet her gaze any longer. He spared a glance at Ember, who had joined Rutherford’s side, silent and grief-stricken.
“Whatever, we don’t have time for this!” Garble shook his head, “We need to get to Canterlot before tomorrow morning! Come on!”
The Orduud returned to their march, leaving the pacifists and their losses behind. Grigori chafed against his chains, growing worried.
“Wait, wait!” the older griffon looked terrified, clutching at Pharynx as he passed, “What about me?!”
“What about you?” the changeling king shrugged off the griffon’s grip, “You didn’t join us, or fight. All you did was cause this whole situation! Worse, you allowed yourself to get captured. You can stay in chains as far as I care.”
With that Pharynx flew into the ranks of the griffons and dragons, shapeshifting into a griffon. He grimaced beneath his false face, though. He hadn’t agreed with Rutherford, but… the young yak prince certainly didn’t deserve that. Perhaps once they conquered Equestria they could get the doctors of the nation to treat him? Ponies were the most advanced at a variety of medicine, from scientific cures to occult remedies. Still, would fixing his back really erase their betrayal?
Pharynx knew it wouldn’t.
…
Spike convulsed slightly, his spines flexing and drawing the attention of his friend. The magician raised an eyebrow before returning to looking at her cards.
“Trixie has just realized,” the blue mare noted, placing her cards on the table, “…poker is dreadfully dull when only two are playing,” her expression turned to one of worry when she noticed Spike’s continued discomfort, “Are you alright?”
“I’m not sure…” the dragon confessed, “I can’t explain why, but my scales ache. I haven’t felt like this since the last time the dragons were called, and yet this time it’s different.”
“Maybe it’s that puberty thing you mentioned earlier,” the magician muttered, scowling once Spike placed his cards and won the round, “Shouldn’t you be excited to get your wings?”
“I don’t think so,” Spike shook his head, “Cinder Crisp says that’s supposed to feel like itching and burning; this feels like… like when Ember became the Dragon Lord.”
“So?” Trixie sighed, shuffling the deck.
“So…” Spike shrugged, “I’m not sure. It could mean there’s a new Dragon Lord, or maybe she’s become some kind of… other leader.”
“Huh,” the magician mumbled, disinterestedly, “that Thursday thing you keep yammering about?”
“Thurdojun,” Spike corrected, glaring at the unicorn.
“Gesundheit,” Trixie replied, dealing out the cards.
“I see ignoring me is something you and Twilight have in common,” the dragon muttered under his breath.
“Sorry,” Trixie looked at him, her voice sincere, “I’m not… good at this friendship thing, yet. Starlight was literally my – I mean – Trixie’s first friend. If it helps, Trixie isn’t too thrilled with Twilight ignoring her, either.”
“It’s hard on all of us,” Spike said, noncommittally, “Starlight probably feels like she needs some guidance now, what with being a new leader like Twilight was. She’s always looked to Twilight for mentorship before…”
“Have you spoken to her?” Trixie asked, dealing out the cards, “Trixie knows you two were close for a while; it seems odd for both of you to suddenly stop.”
“I haven’t,” the dragon confessed, “I don’t want to go to the mansion.”
“Spike, you can’t keep avoiding Starlight because of your silly romantic troubles,” Trixie snorted.
“It’s not her I’m trying to avoid…”
The magician looked at him, eyes widening as she pieced that together. So, the relationship between the dragon and the farm-filly was already falling apart? The magician found that impressive. Hadn’t they only been dating a week? Less than a week? Hadn’t they only been on one or two dates? Trixie knew that the differences in views had been a problem. Spike had, for whatever reason, taken to Trixie for dumping emotional baggage on and seeking advice. While it secretly made her day, the magician wondered why exactly the dragon turned to her for life advice, considering her life was so derailed.
“It’s not your crush on Starlight ruining things with Apple Bloom, is it?” she asked, pretending to be more focused on the card game rather than the dragon towering over her across the table.
“I honestly think…” he frowned, “I honestly think I’m over that crush, too. I’m just not interested in a relationship at all at this point. I’ve got so many other things I’m worried about, and even though we haven’t dated long, my time with Apple Bloom has made me realize I’m just not ready for a relationship.”
“Wow,” Trixie couldn’t pretend to be distracted once she heard that, “that’s… astoundingly mature.”
“I think my sudden growth spurts have something to do with that,” Spike grunted, “something about changing brain chemistry in relation to my physical growth…? Cinder Crisp mentioned it.”
“Is it normal for a dragon to be so large without wings?” Trixie asked.
“I don’t think it’s normal for a dragon to grow so quickly without acquiring treasure,” Spike confessed, “I don’t think any of this is normal. I won’t know until I talk to actual dragons, but… well, y’know.”
“Yeah,” the magician sighed, “I hear you’re going to Ponyville in a few weeks?”
“Apple Bloom wants to visit her family – so does Flim,” the dragon chuckled, “Would you like to come along? If we both go, maybe we can convince Starlight to do, like, a diplomatic mission to Ponyville or something. She needs to get away for a little bit.”
“For someone who no longer has a crush, you sure worry about her a lot,” Trixie snorted in humor, “Spike, Starlight might be stressed, but she’s actually happy and excited by her job. Is Trixie upset Starlight isn’t spending as much time with her? Yes, but at least she is happy.”
“I just hate that Starlight – who I had a crush on – and Apple Bloom – who I’m in a relationship with – are so absorbed by this thing,” Spike confessed, “And… then there’s the other ponies.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Trixie groaned, “I know! All they do is go on and on about politics!”
“I meant more how they’ve been treating me lately,” Spike said, quietly.
“What?” the magician’s head snapped up, surprised and then scowling, “How have they been treating you?”
“Like a dragon,” Spike fumed, smoke leaking from his nostrils as his anger built, “I thought everyone ignoring me or looking at me like a kid brother or pet was bad! Now the ponies glare at me wherever I go, and the few businesses I can squeeze into refuse to serve me! They look at me like I’m a monster, and they say things behind my back when they know I can hear them! It’s infuriating!”
“If Trixie were you, she’d just roast those fools,” the magician snapped, then frowned, thinking that advice over, “Er… don’t tell Twilight I suggested that.”
“It’s probably the best advice I’ve gotten in a while,” Spike chuckled, calming down, “I suppose I shouldn’t do that, huh?”
“Probably wouldn’t help ponies’ views on dragons,” Trixie agreed, “Maybe… maybe you should take a vacation to the Dragon Lands, instead.”
“What?” Spike blinked.
“Well, something’s happening to you that no pony has answers for,” the mare shrugged, “and this Order or whatever they’re called are supposed to be inclusive, while around here all you’re getting are ponies judging you… Trixie isn’t saying you should leave because you don’t belong!”
“I understand that’s not what you meant,” the dragon smiled to show there was no insult taken, then frowned, “I’d feel bad leaving. I mean, I know Twilight isn’t talking to me, and my relationship with Apple Bloom is dying, and everything else, but to just leave before any of that’s resolved feels… wrong.”
“Perhaps you should hold off until your visit with Twilight, then?” Trixie suggested, then smiled, “Who knows? Maybe every pony will have calmed down by then. And yes, this time I mean only the ponies. See? Trixie does pay attention.”
Spike laughed at that until Trixie revealed her hand, beating his own.
“You’re surprisingly dexterous with those claws,” the magician noted as she reshuffled the deck, “They’re nearly as thick as Trixie’s hooves. How can you even manage the cards?”
“I could ask the same things about ponies’ hooves,” the dragon noted, “Seriously, it never made sense to me how you can grip something with hooves.”
“I don’t know,” Trixie shrugged while mumbling, “Passive magic?”
“Are you going to attend the Nightmare Night festivities?”
“Are you nuts?!” the mare gaped, “Trixie tried to put on a show for these hoof-draggers and she was nearly arrested! Something about costumes being banned…”
“What do you mean?” Spike furrowed his brow.
“The Royal Guard, or whatever the hay they want to call themselves now, were arresting foals for wearing costumes. It took Trixie twenty minutes to explain she was wearing what she always wears!”
“That’s terrible!”
“It’s actually quite comfortable,” Trixie frowned, feeling her cape, “These are probably the most expensive things I own, truth be told.”
“I meant the foals getting arrested,” the dragon tsked, “your outfit is fine.”
“Aw, aren’t you sweet?” Trixie joked, “Anyway, Trixie folds. She would like some alone time to practice her magic.”
“I thought you liked performing for artists?” Spike smirked.
“Very funny,” Trixie deadpanned, “Trixie wishes to practice real magic, and others being around makes her… tense.”
“Alright, I get it,” Spike sighed, “Where to go next…?”
“The only other pony you mentioned who isn’t distracted by politics?” the magician pointed out, “The orange one. Scooter, or something.”
“You know who Scootaloo is,” Spike scowled.
“Yes, but Trixie must keep up images of being unmindful of others,” Trixie grinned, “Wouldn’t want anyone thinking she’s gone soft, after all.”
Spike chuckled as he lifted himself up from the table she had set up outside the city proper. Aside from the abandoned warehouse Starlight had cleaned up for him, there were very few areas in the city that allowed for his larger size. Fortunately, he felt his growth nearing its limit. He knew he’d grow larger still – he had grown far larger than his current state, during his greed incident, after all – but somehow he knew that his current growth cycle was ending. Perhaps it was linked to his personal achievement, like Twilight suggested. If that were the case, then it was just one more reason he should return to the Dragon Lands
After Ponyville, of course.
The dragon set out to look for Scootaloo, which wasn’t difficult since only one fruit vendor in Canterlot claimed to have the fastest delivery pegasus on a scooter. The dragon maneuvered his way through the streets, ignoring the glares from the ponies. The store, like nearly every building in Canterlot that day, was draped in Equestrian flags and posters. Most of the posters depicted tragic scenes of Luna’s madness and betrayal, painting Celestia as a pious ruler who did what had to be done. The dragon wasn’t sure how to read into them. They weren’t exactly false, but they seemed to paint the whole situation in a very slanted fashion.
“So you’re that dragon Scootaloo keeps going on about, eh?” the shopkeeper greeted as he exited the shop, raising an eyebrow. Unlike most of the ponies in Canterlot, the shopkeeper seemed largely uninterested in Spike. “I don’t understand mares and fillies these days. What’s with the dragon obsession, anyway? Bah, it’s not worth thinking about. You come here to buy fruit or to see your filly-friend?”
“Scootaloo isn’t my filly-friend,” Spike corrected, “Apple Bloom is.”
“Her farm friend?” the shopkeeper looked genuinely surprised, “Weird, she never mentioned it. Figured something like that would have come up with how much she talks about you and the others, but I guess it’s only been a day or two.”
“Why would you think we were dating?” the dragon asked.
“You’re the only guy she talks about,” the shopkeeper shrugged.
“Probably because I’m the only guy from Ponyville that came here,” Spike chuckled, “Well, except for Big Mac.”
“Meh,” the shopkeeper gave a noncommittal noise, “Scootaloo’s finishing a rather large series of deliveries this morning. Once she’s done, I’ve given her the rest of the day off to enjoy the holiday. Some law or another’s keeping ponies from dressing up and going door-to-door for snacks, so my sales are down anyway.”
“If sales are down because of the law, where is she delivering to?” Spike asked.
“To a royal banquet or some such,” the shopkeeper explained, “Celestia has ordered a lot of fruit to be delivered to the castle and to that weird wooden statue in the center of town.”
“Wooden statue?” the dragon asked, drawing to his full height to look over the smaller shops and down the street towards the center of the city. Sure enough there was some sort of pony-shaped structure being made out of wood. “Weird. Any idea what it’s for?”
“No clue,” the shopkeeper grunted, “My best guess it’s some kinda statue of Nightmare Moon? Y’know, since Canterlot doesn’t have one. A lot of small towns like to pay tribute to statues of her, don’t they?”
“Ponyville does,” Spike nodded, “Makes sense. I guess they’re making it out of wood because they don’t have time to make one out of stone?”
Again the shopkeeper only grunted.
“You gonna buy something in the meantime, or drive away more business?” he asked.
The dragon produced a small pouch of bits and got himself a small crate of various fruits to snack on while he waited for Scootaloo to finish her deliveries. How was the little pegasus doing, he wondered? It sounded like a big delivery, and while he was sure she could handle it, each of his friends – and of course, himself – had suffered confidence issues under pressure. This was her first job, and with nothing else to occupy his mind, he found himself worrying for her. He shook his head, chuckling to himself.
He was overthinking things.
…
The pegasus zipped through the streets of Canterlot, ducking weaving between ponies and carts, her wings straining to pull the massive cart behind her through the streets. It had been even more challenging with the second cart attached behind that one, but thankfully the shop was near the town square, so she hadn’t had to lug that one long. Now all she had to do was make it to the castle without losing the product. A relatively-easy feat, all things considered.
She was there in a matter of minutes, well-ahead of schedule. Looking back at the cart she was pleased to see all the assorted crates were still closed tight and in-place. An Imperial Guard approached her, signed the required paperwork, and took the cart off her hooves. Stretching her tired wings for her final rush back to the store, Scootaloo took off after a few flexes. Rainbow Dash would be so proud of her speed and efficiency! Without either cart, she’d be able to reach the store and turn in her paperwork in a matter of-
Scootaloo slammed her hoof into the cobblestones to brake her speed. Down the street, waiting in front of the fruit shop was the dragon she wasn’t ready to get engaged to.
Engage with! She had meant engage with!
It wasn’t as if she cared about him being a dragon and thought her emotions were wrong, or that she was concerned her attraction was purely some sort of dragon-fetish. No, her concern was squarely on the fact that one of her closest and dearest friends was in a relationship with the aforementioned dragon. Scootaloo couldn’t help but remember when Sweetie Belle had confessed her crush on Rumble. That had hurt a great deal, even though Scootaloo herself had never so much as made a move on the colt. If Scootaloo spent too much time with Spike, she might let something slip and Apple Bloom would find out, then that’d really put a kink in their friendship. It was bad enough in the Rumble situation, but in this situation, Apple Bloom was already dating their mutual crush!
Privately, Scootaloo also worried about her self-control failing. Honestly, she hadn’t been able to get the dragon out of her head since their talk the day before, and she had been arguing internally on whether or not she should interfere in their relationship. It was weird how love – or perhaps some teen lust? – could make a creature behave; she could almost convince herself that sabotaging her best friend’s relationship was somehow the right course of action. Even now, even thinking of how wrong it was, the pegasus contemplated the pros and cons. She spent more time with Spike than anyone else in Canterlot, and they shared many of the same views. Sure, they didn’t share many interests or skills, but Scootaloo thought that made them even more compatible-
What was she thinking?!
Swallowing her trepidation and forcing the thoughts from her head, she approached the store and the dragon, paperwork already in her muzzle. Before the dragon could even finish his greeting, she mumbled around the clipboard in her mouth and hurried inside, eager to get away from him but not wanting to be rude. It was highly suspicious, considering the fact her boss was outside with Spike, but he only went in after her.
“There a reason you just sat in the street for half a minute gawking at that kid?” the shopkeeper asked, almost bored, “I mean, I know he’s a dragon, but you already knew that, so what’s the deal?”
“S-sorry boss!” Scootaloo handed him the clipboard, “I just… remembered what he was like before his growth spurt, and it’s mind-blowing, y’know?”
“Considering I just met him, not really,” the shopkeeper muttered, checking the paperwork, “Alright, everything looks good. You’re free for the rest of the day, kid.”
“Er…” Scootaloo’s eyes darted to the dragon outside, “Are you sure you don’t need me to do anything else?”
“Are you kidding me?” her boss actually chuckled at the idea, “I’ve already cleaned and re-cleaned this place, and done stock. It’s been dead since yesterday. Just go hang out with your colt-friend, or whatever you call a dragon.”
“H-he’s dating Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo exclaimed, blushing vividly.
The shopkeeper whistled, “Oh, you have it bad, don’t you? Don’t worry. Just keep a cool head, don’t make any passes, and in a few days you’ll be back to normal with him.”
“S-so you think this is… temporary?” the pegasus asked, calming down at the idea.
“The freaking out part, yeah,” the shopkeeper smirked, “The having a crush on your best friend’s colt-friend? Not so much. That could be temporary, or maybe it’s Special Some-Pony-ship and it’ll haunt you until you die.”
“That’s not funny, boss,” Scootaloo grimaced.
“Do I look like a clown to you?” the shopkeeper asked, dryly, “Now get out of here so I can close up. You think I want to waste my time here during the holiday?”
Scootaloo sighed loudly before trudging outside and forcing a friendly smile on her face. Spike looked down at her, his mouth splitting into a toothy grin of his own. Scootaloo was surprised she could remain so calm when faced with so many sharp teeth in a maw large enough to swallow her whole, but then again, it was Spike. Somehow, unlike her friends who seemed impressed with his changes, Scootaloo couldn’t help but see Spike at the center of it all. His appearance was meaningless; she found him equally-attractive in either form.
…Which is to say she didn’t really find him attractive at all until yesterday. Ugh, the whole situation was becoming a headache already.
“Hey Scoots,” Spike greeted in his new, deep voice, “Are you finally free?”
“Oh, you know it,” Scootaloo chuckled weakly, “I take it you don’t have plans for Nightmare Night, huh?”
“Not really,” Spike shrugged, “Trixie got bored playing poker, Apple Bloom and Starlight are busy running the Lunar Republic, Big Mac has been acting really weird lately, and… well, I’ve never really liked hanging out with Flim or Flam.”
“Are you sure?” Scootaloo perked up at the possibility of getting out of dealing with him, “Maybe you should try and get to know them better?”
“Even if I wanted to,” Spike chuckled, “Flim is just as busy with the Lunar Republic, and Flam hasn’t left Celestia’s side in a while. I don’t think anybody’s seen him.”
“H-how strange,” Scootaloo said, eye twitching at her one hope disintegrating. Of course those twins would prove unreliable…
“Do you not want to hang out?” the dragon asked, looking a little hurt at the idea.
“Are you crazy?!” Scootaloo said hurriedly, more afraid of offending Spike than giving away her feelings, “I’d sooner give up my scooter than not hang out with you!”
They looked at each other, equally-surprised by the sentiment. Scootaloo’s scooter was her life; it was as important to her as a unicorn’s magic or a pegasus’ wings. Even as a joke, such a statement carried a lot of weight.
“So what did you want to do?” she asked quickly to cover up her near-blunder.
“I’m not sure,” Spike sighed, “Usually I dress up and enjoy the festivities, but Celestia banned costumes and I’m not sure what else she changed.”
“She banned costumes?” the pegasus blinked, “I guess I lucked out forgetting to make one this year.”
“I couldn’t wear one, anyway,” the dragon scratched the scales of his chin, “anything I would have planned by now I would have outgrown.”
“I guess we can just walk around the city and look at the sights,” Scootaloo shrugged, “I mean, these posters are kinda off-putting, but maybe the other decorations will be cooler.”
“I hope so,” Spike admitted, “Do you have any idea what the giant statue is supposed to be?”
“The what?” the pegasus raised an eyebrow, “Oh, that wooden thing in the center of town? No idea.”
“I guess we’ll find out whenever they finish then,” Spike sighed, “It’s hard to believe the Lunar Republic’s only been around for three days. Feels like it’s been forever.”
“That was random,” the filly snorted, “I thought we hung out because we don’t talk politics?”
“So you disagree?” the dragon turned his head to face her on his serpentine neck.
“I never said that,” Scootaloo chuckled, “Actually, it feels like we’ve been here for a year, at least. How long has it really been? I don’t think it’s even been half a month.”
“A lot has happened in such a short time,” Spike nodded, “I wonder how much will change before things finally slow down.”
“That’s assuming things ever slow down,” Scootaloo noted, “I mean, if the Lunar Republic is progress, that means Equestria’s been at a standstill for a thousand years. That’s a lot of time to catch up on.”
“I never thought of it like that,” Spike muttered, “I don’t mind change, but it’ll be weird to come home from the Dragon Lands after all of that.”
“You’re going to the Dragon Lands?” Scootaloo gaped, “For how long?”
“A few months,” the dragon shrugged his massive shoulders, “Maybe years. Who knows?”
“And Apple Bloom is fine with this?” the pegasus pressed.
“She doesn’t know,” Spike said, “yet. I haven’t figured it all out yet, but I need to go. Not now, but… soon. A few months, at most.”
Scootaloo contemplated this, weighing courses of action and their potential repercussions.
“Can I come with you?” she asked at last.
“Seriously?” Spike chuckled, “Scoots, it’s not like the Dragon Lands are the safest place for ponies right now.”
“With a big dragon like you to protect me, I should be safe, right?” Scootaloo smirked, “I mean, since you don’t think I can handle myself.”
“Okay, I wasn’t implying that…” the dragon blushed, knowing full well never to underestimate the martial ability of mares, “Still, I’d be there awhile, maybe even a long while. Are you sure that’s alright with your parents?”
“I’ll just secede like Fluttershy did,” Scootaloo waved a hoof.
“You main claim emancipation?” Spike sighed, “I mean, you could – you’re almost an adult by Ponyville law. I’m not sure if Celestia’s enforcing a universal age, yet…”
“I take care of myself, anyway,” the pegasus pointed out, “Look, it has nothing to do with my parents if that’s what you think. It has to do with how things are going here. I don’t feel safe, not picking a side. Every pony’s flipping their lids! I’d feel safer in the Dragon Lands, and it’s a place I’ve never been to, and… and…”
She trailed off, not sure if she wanted to end that sentence.
“…and?” Spike prompted.
“…and I don’t want to stay in Equestria if you’re not here,” she confessed, trying to look nonchalant but only succeeding at blushing and scowling simultaneously, “You’re the only friend I have left that isn’t obsessing over the Republic or the Empire, and the only friend that doesn’t give me dirty looks for not picking a side. Do you know how that feels to have your closest friends judge you for something like that? To watch them quit talking to each other over something like this?”
“Yeah,” Spike sighed, thinking back to Twilight and the others, “I mean, I can’t stop you, and I would enjoy the company. Plus, now that I’m so large, I’m not as worried about bullies like Garble.”
“Plus you’re friends with the Dragon Lord,” Scootaloo added with a smile.
“Maybe,” Spike muttered, then changed subjects, “Did you want to get some lunch?”
“Didn’t you just eat a crate of fruit?”
“I have a higher metabolism to keep up now,” the dragon chortled, deeply.
“Fair enough,” the pegasus joined in the laughter, “You’re paying, right?”
“You’re the one with the job.”
They continued their tit-for-tat as they made their way to the dining district of Canterlot, trying to keep their eyes away from the somber posters and oppressive banners decorating the buildings.
…
Twilight Sparkle trotted through Ponyville, pleased with the improving relations of her subjects. While repairing the damages from the riots, the Princess had taken the time to listen to the towns-ponies fears and, through meticulous planning and diplomacy, she had devised a compromise between the two extremes. In essence, all she had done was allow the creation of a town council to allow every pony the opportunity to have a voice in government. It all conformed to Celestia’s laws, and the towns-ponies trusted her to be fair and just in her decision-making.
Now they were all working together again at midday, helping Pinkie Pie set up for a massive party she had planned virtually overnight. That wasn’t entirely fair, Twilight thought; Pinkie had planned a large Nightmare Night celebration anyway, and had made some plans to celebrate the Lunar Republic’s creation, but these plans had evolved and merged with a new cause to celebrate: the mending of broken friendships. Twilight had woken up, half-expecting her cutie mark to start glowing at such a success, but the Map still gave no sign of life.
Worse, it seemed to be decaying…
She threw every ounce of her spare time into the Map, but received no answers. She was almost desperate enough to take Discord up on his offer to change it into a fondue machine, but fortunately the chaotic spirit was hiding himself and Fluttershy. There was nothing for it, so for Nightmare Night at least, the Princess of Friendship promised herself not to stress over what was beyond her power to fix. At least for the holiday, she would spend the time with her friends and her subjects, raising spirits and building bridges.
“Hi Twilight!” Pinkie shouted right next to her, having seemingly appeared from nowhere in true Pinkie Pie fashion.
“Hey, Pinkie,” Twilight replied, smiling in spite of the ringing in her ear, “You seem much happier today!”
“How could I not be?” the pink pony grinned, “Every pony is talking again! I mean, they’re still talking politics sometimes, but they’re so civil about it, now! You’re a miracle worker, Twilight.”
“I-I didn’t do anything,” Twilight blushed at the idea Pinkie would think her personally responsible for the improvements, “It was thanks mostly to your parties and all the good memories you’ve helped create over the years.”
“Oh, darling, don’t be so modest!” Rarity giggled as she approached with the rest of their friends, “Pinkie Pie certainly did her part, but it was your leadership that helped us all see beyond our differences in opinion.”
“We’d still be at each other’s throats if it wasn’t for you,” Applejack agreed.
“I was at your throats, too, if I recall,” Twilight smiled sadly, “There’s so much more I could have done…”
“Water under the bridge, Twi,” Rainbow Dash assured her, “I mean, if we can look past my mistakes – not that I make any – then we can look past yours.”
“Thanks,” Twilight deadpanned, but couldn’t help smirking at her friend.
“Sorry I’m late,” Fluttershy said from beside Twilight. The Princess yelped in shock, reeling back at the pegasus’ sudden appearance. “Oh! Sorry.”
“How did you-?” the alicorn began, before sighing, “Discord?”
“Discord,” Fluttershy nodded, “I’m sorry, Twilight, but you know how much he likes getting a rise out of you.”
“Oh, believe me,” Twilight gave a taut smile, “I’m well-aware.”
“Ain’t he joining us for Nightmare Night?” Applejack asked.
“He’s trying to solve a problem about it, actually,” the pegasus said, “You see, he wants all of us to celebrate it together, but a lot of his friends are in Canterlot. I told him it’s okay to celebrate holidays apart, but he just kept talking about bending the fabric of reality so two points can exist in the same space…”
“Is he insane?!” Twilight gaped, then held up a hoof, “Don’t answer that. Can you take me to him? He could-”
“Destroy the universe?” the draconequues’ voice popped up behind her, eliciting another yelp which he chuckled at, “Believe me, I came to the same conclusion, no matter how many times I ran the numbers!”
“I’m not hearing you say you won’t do it…” Twilight noted.
“I won’t do it,” Discord scowled, “Do you want me to Pinkie Promise, too, or is that sufficient?”
“I trust you,” Twilight smiled warmly, “Now, Pinkie what do you have planned for us… tonight… Pinkie, are you okay?”
The pink mare in question was an even greater jittery mess than usual, her frizzy mane and tail violently standing on end and her eyes wide in fear. All her friends looked at her in concern, even Discord. None of them had ever seen such a reaction from her before.
“What’s wrong, dear?” Rarity asked, and this time Pinkie snapped out of her trance a little.
“M-my Pinkie Sense is going insane!” Pinkie explained, managing to regain more self-control, “I’ve never felt something so bad before! It’s like something super-duper big is about to hit everyone in Ponyville!”
Before Twilight could ask for more information she felt a deep rumbling in the ground and saw the sky begin to darken. She looked briefly at Discord, but the draconequues was distracted looking at the cloud that was blotting out the sun. Twilight focused on it, wondering what sort of thing could cause an earthquake and an unseasonable storm at the same time. She recoiled in horror.
The cloud was a wall of dust sent skyward by the tramping of a hundred sets of heavy hooves, spread about by the beats of a hundred pairs of wings. Out of the northwest, a horde of yaks and griffons was approaching at great speed. Over the thunder of their approach, Twilight and her friends could just begin to hear the war cries of what was obviously an Orduud army attacking them.
“Are they insane?!” Rainbow gaped, filled with dread over the suspicious arrival of Gilda only a day earlier, “They have to know this will start a war, right?!”
“I fear the war’s already begun…” Discord said, uncharacteristically somber.
The towns-ponies were beginning to panic, except Bonbon who never seemed perturbed by monsters or villains attacking Ponyville. Twilight looked at her friends, pleased that all six of them were united. She stood tall, wings flared.
“Girls, let’s do what we do best!” she declared before rearing on her hind legs, using the Royal Voice to amplify her volume, “Citizens of Ponyville, rally! We worked hard to repair our town! Let’s not let these bullies ruin our hard work!”
As the Elements of Harmony galloped towards the approaching army, many of the towns-ponies exchanged uneasy looks, wondering what to do. Bonbon wasted no time in following the Princess, a stunned Lyra following closely. Vinyl Scratch, Derpy, and others quickly joined in, their less-aggressive friends following more out of concern for their compadres than eagerness to fight. Soon nearly the entire adult population of Ponyville was behind the Elements, and Twilight briefly felt a wave of pride that can only come when a leader literally leads her people in a valiant cause.
And what could be more valiant a cause than defending one’s home and neighbors?