Oh, dragons totally are hot! Twilight's mind could not stop racing the moment she locked eyes with Spike and Ember.
The latter was dressed in an ornate set of golden armor, excluding a helmet sat under one foreclaw, while the former wore a suit undoubtedly made specially by Rarity.
The blood that had drained from Twilight's cheeks swiftly reversed to a hot blush. Is it just me or is the mud on your face boiling?
"Spike... Ember..." The names were almost painful as they clawed their way from her muzzle, her whole body was twitching, and for once, she was incredibly happy to be bathed in mud as the two dragons cocked their heads.
"That's Dragon Lord Ember to you," Ember corrected, jabbing in Twilight's direction with a wing before receiving an unsure look from Spike. "What, we only talked about ponies. She's clearly a dragon!" the dragoness protested, gesturing at Twilight once again.
"Excuse me, but do we know you?" Spike asked, and realizing he had failed to recognize her, she was also thankful for her change of voice for the first time.
Wow, isn't that ironic, the little alicorn in her head chimed. I hope you're not going to whimsically decide to stay like this in the end, right? Oh, it's magical, I see it now.
Twilight shook her head in an effort to clear her thoughts, all the while looking for any form of method she could use to escape her awkward predicament. Meanwhile, Spike and Ember exchanged glances.
"So I'll take that as a no... We don't know you?" Spike asked, eye crest raised. "Because, I kinda don't think I do?"
He lifted a claw to his chin, seeming to think. Ember, on the other hoof, rolled her eyes, snorting a neat puff of smoke as Twilight made about the biggest fool out of herself she ever had.
Ha, given your track record this is pretty bad... I mean really bad. You'll be known as the crazy mud dragon of Ponyville soon enough, Twilight. Her mind chimed, right before she felt a wing on her shoulder.
Her bones almost rattled as she went stiff, eyes now met with the glare of the dragon lord. Ember's eyes were like hard diamonds, and not the tasty kind. They looked sharp enough to cut rock and felt like they could melt right through Twilight's new scales. The princess gulped, and at that, for some reason, Ember looked even scarier.
Damn, now that's kinda hot too! her mind chirped whistling as the sapphire dragoness finally growled.
"By the fires, just spit it out already... I know every dragon from my kingdom, and I don't know you. So who in the great drake's name are you?" Twilight had thought the Royal Canterlot voice could be loud, yet that was nothing compared to an angry dragoness.
Like some sort of purple scaled angel, Spike was there in a second, nudging his glaring mate aside.
"Come on, Ember, there's no need to be like that... We're not in the dragonlands, honey," he muttered, the latter most word making Twilight's dragon side wilt while the more motherly part of her swelled with pride.
Damn it, stupid mixed emotions. I'm a mare... I'm proud of him, damn it, he's got a family now and everything! Her turbulent mind stated. Yet you still wanna buck him so hard.
It appeared that she was not the only one to soften at Spike's words, however, Ember looked visually disappointed in herself. "Hey... I was just getting to the point. Dragons don't do subtlety."
Spike rolled his eyes. "Oh, I know that for sure, honey."
She shot him a glare, her disheartened expression seemingly momentarily forgotten. "What did I tell you about calling me that in public?"
Those hard eyes seemed to have no effect on Spike as he chuckled. "Actually you said only in the dragonlands." He winked and her cheeks puffed up, muzzle scrunched as she folded into her wings a little.
Ooo, he's so sensible and loving and... handsome and... No, no, no, brain! Twilight's mind battled with itself, only to go utterly blank again as she felt another broad wing on her shoulders. Oh, those muscles, so strong and... Gurr!
"Can't you see she looks terrified?" he asked as he glanced at his mate, then back at Twilight. "I think what she's trying to say is, are you okay? Us knowing if there's something wrong is kinda important?"
Oh, Spike, both parts of me are okay now. Her mind virtually sang, pride and attraction swelling in her chest and head as she was cradled in his wing. How did I ever raise him to be such a gentledrake?
"Okay, okay, yeah that's what I mean, but no need to get all up close," Ember interjected, waving her foreclaws and coming between Twilight and Spike, eying the muddy dragoness dangerously.
Oh, and she really does care about him. She's happy... I, gurr, stupid brain, how could you want me to mess this up! Twilight took a step back, both foreclaws raised defensively.
In the background, Spike frowned, yet before he could beret Ember's lack of tact again, Twilight finally found her voice.
"I... My name... It's..." She looked around, racking her brain for an answer.
Ember raised an eye crest expectantly. Fire, fire, think of fire... Or spikes and scales... Oh, what does fire do... You have to...
"Kindle it... I–I, I mean that's it, my name... It's Kindle!" she blurted, flapping her wings and foreclaws enough to even make Ember take a step back.
"You don't say... Kindle, Spike that's a name we were going to call..." Ember paused and shook her head. "Urg, never mind. For a moment there I thought you'd have been another of Crackle's relatives or something, with all the flailing."
Twilight let out another awkward chuckle as Ember waved a claw at her. "No, no... I'm new here... Been stuck in a cave for a few years, you probably won't know me," she improvised further, and from Ember's skeptical look it didn't look like she had the dragon lord completely convinced.
Nevertheless, it did not seem she was willing to press too far into the situation with Spike around, and she looked back at her mate as if gauging his opinion on the situation.
Spike too, looked a little unsure. Oh, please, please, please don't recognize me, Spike! Her mind raced as the dragon cleared his throat. So what if he does, maybe then you can admit some of these feelings you have for... Shut up, brain!
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kindle," Spike offered, holding out a claw.
Ember marked the outstretched limb with a glare, seemingly a warning to Twilight that if she did anything other than shake it, she'd have no claw left when the sapphire dragoness was done. Regardless, Twilight tentatively reached out, taking his claw in hers and shaking once. There was a definite shift in strength as she did so, the fact that he didn't feel like he could rip her foreleg off with a simple hoof, or claw shake now, for one.
Spike smiled at her and she sank down as she really tried to focus on how good a dragon she'd raised and not that instinctive flutter in her chest. At her shy response, Spike's head tilted, yet it was then that Ember broke the claw shake with a nudge.
"Okay, that's enough of that... pony stuff," she mumbled, glancing at Spike with a snort.
One knowing look from him and she growled before finally looking back at Twilight. "Look, I'm kinda bad at first impression so if you're really not from around here then let's... You know... want to start over? I'm Ember, the dragon lord."
Ember did not catch Spike's impressed smirk, yet from the way it looked, it seemed like he still believed she had a little work to do. When she did look back at him it was almost like a foal would look at their parents after creating a pretty drawing.
Who knew she could be so hot and so adorable... Look she's like a little blue puppy dog to him! Twilight noticed, before mentally barking, Yeah, so let's not mess it up!
"Don't worry about it... We... dragons don't do soft, right?" Twilight responded and Ember smirked before she received a nudge in the shoulder from Spike.
"What?" she asked, looking back only to get another knowing glance from the handsome young dragon. She growled, face scrunched again as she reluctantly turned and held out a claw.
"Yeah, and most of us don't do this either," she huffed as Twilight hesitantly took her talons in a foreclaw and shook.
And here I thought Spike was strong, she's insane! Twilight observed as Ember's grip tightened just a little. Well, she's the dragon lord for a reason. You've seen her father, right?
"So, Kindle, what's the occasion for another dragon to come to Ponyville? We're usually the only two who ever bother," Spike finally asked, as Ember drew back and pressed against his side.
She was almost a head taller than him still, even on all fours. Yet it was not hard to guess that if Twilight were not here she'd be showing just as much puppy dog affection as she was before.
"And why are you covered horns to tail in mud?" Ember asked. "It's bad for your scales, you know, right?"
All the while the princess remained silent, once again searching through her brain for any excuse she could muster.
So awkward, come on, Twilight. You were playing it so well, don't blow it now! her mind chastised as she pressed a foreclaw to her muddy temple. Think, Twilight, think, you're a dragon, why would you be here at somepony's anniversary.
Just like that, her head perked. "I'm here for the ponies... Yeah, Rainbow Dash I think... Oh, and Pinkie Pie, yeah." Twilight nodded rapidly. "Came by my cave a year or two ago, on some kind of friendship mission thing I think for this... Twilight..." Saying her own name like that felt odder than ever, especially with a tongue as long as her new one.
Twilight forced another awkward smile, resisting all of her urges to flee, fly, or try and make moves on the two very attractive dragons she knew she'd regret. Damn it, why do neither of them seem so sex crazy. It's a dragon thing, right?
Ember looked at Spike, and from the look on the dragon's face, it appeared he was trying to recall ever hearing about the obvious lie from either of the two mares in question. He lifted a claw to his muzzle, squinting and biting his bottom lip.
"Wait, you know Rainbow and Pinkie?" he asked as if to confirm what she'd really said.
Twilight's coat of mud was starting to become unbearably uncomfortable as she started to twitch and sweat, claws tapping on the spot.
"S–sure, I do... The pink one even writes me letters sometimes, so when I heard it was Rainbow's second anniversary I thought I should come at least once... Was kinda hard to find the place," Twilight conjured with a charisma skill somewhat lacking compared to that Starlight boasted.
Wow, you sure you haven't become half spider too, Twi. You're spinning lies like silk threads. Her mind declared as she shuffled awkwardly, claw tapping growing more rapid.
"Hmmm, well can't say that surprises me really. Twi's map is always giving them quests together, and Pinkie Pie does pretty much know everypony, dragon or not," Spike finally responded and a small part of Twilight's dread left her in a breath of relief.
"Still doesn't explain the mud though. I'm about as big a party fan as the next dragon..." Ember began then looked at a smirking Spike and huffed. "Except for him. But even I would not show up looking like that." She jabbed a wing in Twilight's direction.
Scratching the back of her neck Twilight coked out a chuckle before adding. "Hehe, yeah... I... I didn't stick the landing too well, kinda crashed in a field just outside of town."
She opened a leathery wing and at Spike's look of concern, she felt warmness inside her once again. Ember, on the other hoof, rolled her eyes.
"Wow, you really must have been all caved up for years, forgetting how to land," she joked, before waving the issues away with a wing. "Really have to make sure I don't get like that." She offered Spike a knowing glance and for some reason, he seemed a little flustered.
"I think the day you let yourself forget how to fly is the day Celestia drops the sun on our heads," he chuckled, folding a wing over her and pulling her close before adding. "Now, about that party, we still have to show our faces, honey."
"Okay, okay... Just forget the helmet, I'll go in like this." Ember gestured to herself, tossing her golden helmet away. "I have hundreds of the things back home anyway."
Spike chuckled again, smirking at his mate before once again setting his eyes upon Twilight. "And you, Kindle? We can help get that mud off and all the dragons can enter together?"
He looked hopeful, and his offer once again made her feelings go at each other like rabid Timberwolves, not to mention causing Ember to frown just a little. It was Twilight's turn to awkwardly chuckle, however, as she waved the suggestion away with a muddy claw.
"No, no, that's fine. I... I think I'll go find a river somewhere and wash first. Bad for my scales if I don't get it all, am I right?" she responded, rubbing a little mud from her horns.
Ember nodded to Spike and he shrugged. "Sure thing, it's your choice. We'll see you later then I guess, it will be good to have more dragons to talk to." Ember grumbled something inaudible at that.
"Oh, absolutely, I'll be over as soon as I can. Would not miss it for the world," Twilight insisted, all the while her thoughts were saying the exact opposite.
No, no, no, no way are you going back there! Back to the castle now before somepony... Twilight's mental rambling was cut off as every dragon's attention perked.
"Rainbow, what in tarnation did ya' do ta that darn bathroom!" Applejack's voice was audible from the open window Twilight had left, followed by another equally loud response from a certain prismatic pegasus.
"W-what... You really think this was me, AJ?" Rainbow pressed before there was a pause and she rapidly added. "I'm not that drunk, damn it!"
"What in Equestria is going on in there?" Spike asked, seemingly half concerned, half humorously curious as Twilight steadily backed away.
"Oh, really sounds like they have their hooves full in there, I better go wash off quickly, don't want to miss the excitement," she offered as both Spike and Ember looked at her with perplexed exertions.
A few newly broad steps away, Twilight finally turned to march off back to the castle. Yet as she did so, she found her limbs smashing through wood, fabrics sneering her muzzle and the odd, squashing sensation of fruit splashing across her scales. Like an assassin that had been stealthily awaiting its moment, the market stall took her down effortlessly. The wooden claws of the splintering stand and a net of cloth snatched her less than gracious steps, causing her to fall face first back into the mud, her butt in the air. Fruit pulp and crimson juices pooled around her as if she'd been scoured through the heart, and she huffed.
Seriously, a damn market stall. By Celestia, why me! Twilight thought as she struggled to free herself from the tangled frame. Clumsiest dragon of Poniville goes to you too, Twi!
"Oh Celestia, Kindle, are you alright?" Just like the good dragon she'd raised, Spike was at her side in a flash, Ember begrudgingly following him. "That looked like it..."
Spikes words died as the pair went utterly silent, and Twilight freed herself enough to glance up to see the two standing motionless, eyes fixed on her raised flanks.
Oh my, they are looking at your butt, they're checking you out Twilight, see it is a dragon thing! Twilight's mind raced as she staggered back. No, no, they're not they're...
The red-hot blush burning on Twilight's cheeks was the least of her problems as she looked back to where Spike and Ember were staring. She felt a chill run down her spine, wings shuddering as she discovered that in the commotion of her fall one neat portion of mud had been brushed away, revealing to all the world her cutie mark.
"T–Twilight?" Spike stammered, looking at the purple starburst before his eyes shot to her face to meet her wide gaze.
Twilight's head was up in a flash, the tattered remains of the cart's roof draped over her horns and muzzle as she stammered.
"S–Spike... I–I, I can totally explain... I..." She was caught halfway between desperately trying to come up with any excuse and even more desperately trying to untangle herself from the mass of wood and fabric.
"Wait, Twilight... I thought she was a pony... Or was that Twinklelight? Urg, they all look the same!" Ember murmured, one foreclaw pinching the bridge of her muzzle.
Twilight's mind was like a war zone, some of her emotions wanted her to stay and try to explain. That small rational part of her mind that was very easily being drowned out by a whole host of new screaming draconic thoughts. Other parts wanted to run as fast as she could, yet where could she go now if not the castle where everypony could find her and see how ridiculous she looked? Another part of her brain was still lusting after the purple dragon trying to help her free of the cart wreckage, and her inability to keep it in check terrified her. Fear that she may do something she'd regret her whole life welled up, and with that dread instinct swiftly took hold.
By Celestia, I'm not used to all these stupid strong instincts. This is my brain not... She took a step out of the tangled wreckage, a rope snagging one foreleg and once again sending her falling flat on her muzzle in the mud. Oh, come on!
Spike was over her in an instant, looking down with concern as he stammered. "T–Twilight... C'mon Twilight, are you okay?"
There didn't seem to be a doubt in the young dragon's mind that it was the mare who'd raised him he was talking to, no matter how far from that mare she now looked. Twilight glanced up, panic welling within her as she saw him looming over her. Alien, blunt and crude draconic thoughts asserted themselves within the former mare's head, aligning into one singular vision. It was like an involuntary flash in her vision
"Just get away!" An ever tight knot of tension that had been building in her body ever since she'd seen the first scale appear on her muzzle came out as she screamed.
Reinforcing the strained cry was the fire that had been building in her chest, yet this time it was not a blast of smoke but a wall of amethyst flame. For the first time she'd breathed fire, and it felt good. It was powerful and relieving, literally a weight off her chest. The instinct to fight what she was scared of still possessing her mind, Twilight shot up, snarling through the fire at Spike. Her new white fangs flashed and smoke jetted from her nostrils. Spike, for his part, looked utterly stunned, at least until Twilight's fearsome stance was mirrored by Ember as she came between her mate and the crazy, fire-spewing dragon-mare.
Twilight's eyes darted from each face, to the fearsome and to the confused. That was when there was a knocking in her mind.
Erm, Twilight... What in Equestria are you doing! the little princess in her head exclaimed, barging through all the mental doors Twilight had erected in her path and screaming at the top of her tiny, imaginary lungs.
The princess felt her mind go blank for a second, her thoughts ultimately crashing. Rebooting, she shook her head, a muddy claw dragged across her face. The blazing fire that had once been the wrecked market stall glimmered in her eyes, the intense heat washing over her scales without burning them. It was an odd sensation, to say the least, but all of her senses were completely dulled as she saw Spike. Her eyes met his, understanding dawning in her own as he looked like he was staring at a ghost. That lack of recognition from the closest thing she'd had to a son washed away every spark of instinct in her like a freezing wave, drawing her right back to the mind of a mare. Yet that made no difference, it wasn't because she was now mostly a dragoness that he was looking at her in such a way.
"S–Spike?" she stammered once, croaking as her throat was still singed.
Spike seemed too dumbstruck to say anything and Twilight took a step back from him, Ember, and the fire she'd blasted right in the middle of Ponyville.
What have I done? She asked herself, taking another step back, then another. Before she even noticed, her knobbly rear hooves smashed through the wall of another stand, and she turned only to have her tail smack the cover off of the town well. You're destroying everything, Twilight, you idiot!
She blinked, feeling tears in her eyes. Funny, she'd really thought dragons wouldn't do crying. No idea what to do, why or how things were still happening to her, she did the one thing she hoped would keep everypony safe from her destruction. She ran, ran as fast as her foretalons and sprouting rear claws would carry her. Her ears, slowly morphing into a draconic ruff, pressed flat at the side of her head, even as she thought she heard somepony cry out her name. She didn't care, she only closed her eyes and ran in the direction of the closest way out of town she knew.
Only when she heard a tremendous crash and felt her forelegs shatter wood once again did she open her eyes and look down. Another pair of stalls lay in ruin at her feet, along with a bench. A trio of ponies were looking up at her, two mares and a terrified filly cowering behind the legs of one of the adults as they all backed away slowly.
She looked at them, then at the destruction she'd caused, tears lining her scaly cheeks. "I... I... I'm sorry."
Look at them, they're looking at me like I'm a monster! Twilight thought as she once again started running, wiping the tears from her eyes with a wing tip. That's because you are one now... Look at what you've done to yourself with that stupid magic! The tiny mental princess responded.
A picket fence almost threatened to trip her up seconds later or at least would have if she'd still been a mare. Right now she just smashed right through it, her coordination with her new, far larger body nonexistent.
It was just a test, some fun to try and push our limits... I never meant for this to happen! Twilight snapped back at herself as she reached the edge of town, almost managing to dodge a lingering cart before one heavy claw went right through it. Well, it has happened, now you have no magic... And what are your friends going to think? You almost just set the town on fire, it was a good job it was Spike and not somepony less fireproof you exploded at!
"Shut up!" Twilight declared, face scrunched and fangs visible as she growled.
Yet before her mind could offer any more snide responses she felt her longer rear legs hit her front, and with no control over her new body, she was once again sent tumbling forward and left sprawled out in the mud.
Her mane fell over her eyes, the last drabs of what she once was. Huffing the strands aside she lifted her head to see she was a good way out of town, and looking back she half expected to see a trail of destruction visible on the road out of Ponyville. What she did see was the last remnants of her pony self bubbling away as her rear hooves steadily completed their transformation into a pair of rear claws. She pressed a foreclaw to her ears to find they too were now leathery and draconic. All that she had left to suggest she was once a pony was the purple mane down her back and the mark on her butt, just enough to tell the world that she was not a normal dragoness either.
Twilight sniffed, wriggling her rear claws. Looking over the town she could see her castle in the distance, and suppressing the urges that came to her upon seeing so much tasty crystal, she shook her head. Where could she go now?
The next thing to catch her attention as she sat there on the muddy road was the sound of voices, a distant commotion emanating up from the town. Given her rather destructive escape she half expected to see an angry mob coming after her with pitchforks and torches.
Need a place to hide, Twilight! Her new draconic instincts insisted and she looked around, eyes drawn away from the town and to the mass of thick trees to her left. The Everfree forest, perfect for a dragon!
Twilight gulped, really wondering if that was it for her now. She rubbed a muddy claw against her chest, that feeling of fire sparking inside again even after so recently being released.
I can't risk letting anypony get hurt... I need to learn to control myself. She decided before her mind added, Well, you can't do that out here, can you?
Swallowing her fear and taking one last look at Ponyville as the sound of commotion grew, voices carried on the wind, Twilight turned to the trees and sighed.
The mare, now fully transformed, took one broad step forward. New life as a dragoness, I guess. Here I go... alone.