//------------------------------// // Elusive and Dusk Shine // Story: Dragon Chronicles // by Aether Spark //------------------------------// In the Carousel Boutique, Elusive was making a new line of suits for Emerald Seaside, while Dusk was reading a book, and Spines was busy gawking at Elusive. “Wow Elusive! Those suits look amazing! Of course, anything made by you is amazing.” Spines swooned Elusive chuckles “Why thank you darling, things are going quite nicely, ever since the wedding, many of Canterlot’s elite have been ordering dresses and suits from me," Elusive said to himself smiling while putting some of the finishing touches on the suit he was currently working on. Humming to himself, he did not notice the door open until he heard his little brothers voice. "I'm back Elusive!" Silver Bell called "That's good darling, have you had something to eat?" Elusive called back to his brother without even looking away. Spines noticed a new smell in the room, she took a couple of whiffs, and her eyes narrowed. "Dusk," Spines whispered. "Yeah Spines?" Dusk said "There's another dragon in here," she said with an on-edge voice. Dusk gave his dragon assistant a questioning look, as far as he knew, there weren’t any other dragons in Ponyville. "No Elusive I didn't, but I'll just have some gems to eat if you don't need them!" The younger voice answered. "No, I'm not using them... Wait; eat the gems!?" Elusive yelled in surprise. The resulting answer from Elusive's little brother caused all three heads to turn, causing them to see a white-scaled baby dragon similarly sized to Spines if not an inch taller, with two small horns on his head, light purple spines, and green slitted eyes. Elusive stared in shock at the dragon, unable to say a word, while Dusk was trying to figure everything out in his head, and Spines noticed that the baby dragon in front of her… actually looked kind of cute, she had to hide a slight blush. "Si-Silver Bell? i-is that you??" Elusive asked, stuttering. "Yep! But I go by Opal now," Opal said smiling. "Silver Bell, how did this happen to you?" Dusk asked. "I'll show you three what happened, follow me," Opal said and walked out of the Boutique, with the two unicorns and other dragon following him. Spines took this chance and ran up to Opal. "So, I-I see that your a dragon now," Spines said with a blush and a shy look. "hehe yeah Spines, that I am," Opal said, also blushing. "Gosh, she sure is kinda pretty now that I take a good look at her. Why didn’t I see it sooner?" Opal thought "W-well you do look cute," Spines complimented, causing the white dragons face to turn bright red. "T-thank you Spines," Opal didn't know why, but when Spines complimented him, he felt happy... no, he felt like someone truly cared for him. Spines, on the other hand, was freaking out in her head. "Gah! Why did I say that?? I love Elusive, not his little brother, Elusive is the most handsome pony ever, while Opal is… he makes me feel warm inside, and he is rather handsome... No! Bad Spines! you like Elusive, Elusive!" She thought frantically while trying to hide her reddening face. Elusive couldn't help but smile and chuckle at the two baby dragons. "Don't they look adorable together Dusk?" Elusive asked. "Yeah, they kinda do," Dusk answered honestly, hoping that Spines has finally gotten over her crush with Elusive. “Think he should stay a dragon once we find out what the problem is? I mean, they do look like their falling for one another.” “Well… I’ll think about it. But I’m not sure how mother and father would take it.” Elusive mused After walking for some time, Opal led the three to Butterscotch's cottage. "Butterscotch’s cottage? What happened here that could have turned you into a dragon?" Dusk asked. He noticed that all the animals were gone as if they stampeded away and that he didn't see Butterscotch anywhere. “Oh you’ll see,” Opal said with a grin. Before they could question his words, the ground shook, and they turned their attention to the forest when a voice called out. "Good job Opal, you got the last of my friends," a voice said, and out from the Everfree Forest, was a giant cyan drake. Dusk, Elusive, and Spines all got into defensive positions, or rather Dusk got into a defensive position, Spines hid behind Dusk, and Elusive just stood in place with a nervous expression. "Whoa! calm down there Dusk, nopony else was defensive with me," the Drake said quickly. Dusk stared at the drake, and it took a moment before he realized that the voice sounded very similar. "Rainbow Blitz?" Dusk said shocked "Yep Dusk, it's me," Zircon said with a smile. "What happened to you?? And to Silver Bell?" Dusk asked "Well you see Dusk, it was a potion that I found the instructions to in your library, I used it, and this happened" Zircon answered, gesturing to his body while smiling at the face Dusk was now making, a face of shock and fear. "No… th-that can't be! I didn't even know that potion existed!" Dusk said nervously, how was he going to explain this to Prince Solaris? He felt a hoof on his shoulder and saw Elusive looking at him with worried eyes, he then looked to Zircon and spoke. "So then… um Rainbow Blitz-" Elusive said nervously "Zircon, I go by Zircon now," Zircon cut him off. "Oh, umm… well then. Zircon, what are you planning to do now that we’re here?" Elusive asked Zircon chuckled, causing the two stallions to look at him confused. "The same thing I did to our friends, Red Gala, and the Crusaders, I’m going to turn you two into dragons, then we’ll be a true pack" Zircon answered. “T-turn us? Into dragons!?” Elusive said shocked “you can’t do that!” he shouted before leaning in towards Dusk “he can’t right?” Elusive asked quietly “I-I don’t know” Dusk was afraid too, but he shook his fear off and stood defensively in front of Elusive and Spines. "You can't do that Rainbow! We won't let you!" Dusk yelled, his horn glowing in purple magic threateningly and Zircon put his claws up defensively. "C’mon think about it Dusk, if you became a dragon, you won't ever have to worry about checklists, reports, or even being late for something ever again, you would be free to do as you please as a dragon" Zircon pointed out, he then turned to Elusive. "And as for you Elusive, you won’t have to be stressed about designs, deadlines or dresses, suits, or anypony’s critical opinions and you can still be with your little brother, it’s a win-win if you ask me," Zircon said smugly, inching closer when they weren’t paying attention. Dusk and Elusive stared at each other thinking about what he said briefly, but while they knew what Zircon said was true, they didn't want to become dragons, they still had lives and family here. Zircon took this chance to exploit their distraction and darted forward grabbing the stallions, and gave Dusk a quick lick, and Elusive a big slobbery one, then he put them back down. "UGH! by Solaris’s beard! That is by far the most revolting thing that you have ever done Rainbow Blitz!!" Elusive scolded the cyan dragon in front of him as he frantically tried to clean himself of the saliva. Zircon just gave a smug smile and folded his arms "Sorry Elusive, but it was the only way that I could turn you two into dragons.” The two stallions stared at Zircon in shock while Opal gestured for Spines to stand back, which she reluctantly does. “W-what?...” Dusk whispered nervously “Welcome to the pack fellas!” Zircon said with a big smile and wide arms. They were about to respond, but they were suddenly hit by a huge wave of pain, causing them to fall on their haunches. "AGH! Z-Zircon! please make this stop!" Dusk begged. Zircon just shook his head. "Sorry Dusk, but I can't, just gotta deal with it." Zircon said The two stallions felt their horns split into two and move to the opposite sides of their heads and curl upwards a bit. Their pupils became slitted, and their teeth became carnivorous. Muscles bulged out all over their bodies, and a pair of wings grew from their shoulder blades. Spines watched as her crush and her father figure turned into dragons, horrified that they were becoming dragons. But at the same time, she was happy because she knew that she and Elusive would not be separated by species now at least. Dusk stared at Zircon with anger while his fur turned into scales though Zircon hardly noticed. “How dare he!? This is my life he’s messed with! He’ll pay for this! …he’ll pay…” Dusk growled in his head Elusive felt oddly more handsome as his forelegs morphed into arms with clawed hands. In fact… he couldn't wait to become a full dragon! While Elusive was being covered in scales, Dusk's forelegs morphed into arms with clawed hands. Both their hind legs became dragon legs with clawed feet, and their mane and tails fell out, and they grew scaled tails. Dusk grew dark purple and pink Spines from his back, while Elusive grew purplish blue spines. Their necks lengthened, and then they grew in size until they were about the same size as Zircon. Zircon gave them a moment to adapt to their new bodies "So Dusk, Elusive? how do you two feel?" Zircon asked. Elusive took a look at himself and his wings and then his claws before looking to Zircon "Why I feel absolutely perfect Zircon, and I think I'll dispense with that old name of mine while I’m at it. From this point forth, call me Azurite" Azurite answered smiling. "Ok, and what about you Dusk?" Zircon nodded to Azurites new name before turning his head to the purple dragon only to jump a little when he saw that Dusk was glaring at Zircon with fire in his eyes. "It's Pyrite now, and you should mind your own business!" Pyrite said with a low growl, causing Zircon to recoil, what caused him to become angry? Out of everypony that he turned, Pyrite was the first that was mad at him. "Umm… Ok, We should probably get going to the forest now to meet the others then. Follow me," Zircon said. "I think I can find them on my own, come along Spines," Pyrite said going right past Zircon while not so subtly bumping into him roughly. Zircon, Opal, and Azurite stared at the leaving Pyrite with confusion, wondering why he was so angry. "Um... You all go on without me, I'll catch up," Spines said. Zircon nodded in response “ok, don’t take too long though, don’t want to leave you behind, k?” Spines nodded, and with that, he walked away, Azurite followed, with Opal on his back. Spines ran into Butterscotch's cottage, and stumbled past Angela who was hiding behind a couch and found some paper and a quill and wrote on it, she then blew fire on it and sent it to Solaris, as she ran out of the cottage, she glanced back at Angela who looked at her pleadingly and she nodded understandingly. “I’ll bring him back Angela, I-I can’t promise if I can, but I’ll do my best.” And with that, she ran into the Everfree Forest.