//------------------------------// // 142 The Penitent, Part Three // Story: Continuity Disrupted // by Doug Graves //------------------------------// Doug scratches Sweetie Belle’s curly mane as he glances over at Twilight. “You seem pensive. Bit for your thoughts?” “Wow, that’s pretty generous,” Twilight says, dropping her quill and snuggling closer. “You must really value what I have to say.” She grins, slipping her horn inside Doug’s jacket to lightly scratch his stomach. She sighs as she lays her head on his leg, hesitantly admitting, “I had some of the same fears that Rarity did, actually. I worried about how my own foals would, well, turn out.” Her eyes flick to the sides. “What my dam would say.” “She did strike me as awfully concerned about that, at least initially,” Doug returns, somewhat sorry that is the case. “I’m guessing she was pretty strict about your studying?” Twilight snorts. “Pretty strict doesn’t even begin to cover it. She got me textbooks for every Foal’s Week and Hearth’s Warming. I mean, not that I don’t love books and they’re just about my favorite present ever, but it’s certainly indicative of what growing up in the Light household entailed.” “Yeah,” Sweetie Belle snickers, “Spike complains that you get him a book every year, too.” “Oh,” Twilight replies, her face falling. “Um, I guess I better get him something different in February, then. Maybe comic books?” “Way to go right up to the line and stare at it,” Doug retorts. Twilight ignores him. “And, speaking of Spike, I think we should head to the library. Sweetie Belle, did you want to come with us?” “You think he’s going to be okay?” Sweetie Belle cautiously asks, worriedly looking at Rarity. “I really don’t want him to have to leave…” “I think you’ll be fine, darling,” Rarity says with a smile, nuzzling her filly. “Besides, what’s the worst that can happen?” Rarity looks around as Doug slaps a hand to his face, followed by Twilight slapping a hoof to her face, and then Sweetie Belle burying her face in her hooves. Which probably counts. “It’s Twilight’s fault!” Rarity exclaims as Doug rudely dumps her to the side, carrying both Twilight and Sweetie Belle to the door. “She’s rubbing off on me or something! I swear, I didn’t make those kind of foalish statements before she came around!” Rarity frowns as the door slams shut. “Well, it’s true!” Unable to help himself as soon as they get outside Doug asks, “So, what do you think is the worst thing that can happen?” as he carries the two ponies through the snowy streets. “Well,” Twilight says, raising a hoof to point behind them. Then, upon realizing that Doug doesn’t have eyes in the back of his head, or if he did they’d be covered by his hat, explains, “That.” Many of the surrounding ponies - already quite intrigued by the human carrying a pony around like a sack of apples - follow Twilight’s hoof pointing to the sky. They quietly gasp, exchanging looks of horror, before bolting off to barricade themselves inside their homes. Doug turns, spotting the fleeing ponies, but not the reason. “Great. What is it now, some Everfree monster again? Or Nightmare Moon? Or Zecora?” He sighs, turning back to keep walking towards the library, though at a little faster pace. “I meant what was the worst thing that could happen with Spike, but I guess dying to a monster attack probably counts.” “No!” Twilight exclaims, huffing. “Didn’t you see?” “Um, no?” Doug says turning around again. “What am I looking for?” “Up in the sky.” “I see blue. And white.” “Exactly!” Doug sighs exasperatedly. “The sky and clouds?” “No, it’s-” Twilight sighs heavily. “The other blue and white thing approaching?” “Celestia and Luna?” Doug glances back to Twilight before resuming his scan. “Wouldn’t they just teleport?” “Are you being deliberately obtuse? There’s no way Luna ate that much cake!” Sweetie Belle groans mightily. “Stop it you two! There’s a giant blue dragon flying towards Ponyville and Princess Celestia is flying next to it!” “See, was that so hard?” Doug says, adjusting the two ponies and resuming his walk to the Golden Oak Library. He nearly misses a step as he says, “Wait, Dragon Lord Torch is coming here?” “It appears that way,” Twilight says cautiously. “It’s a good thing the library is on the edge of town, or ponies might start to panic when another dragon appears!” “A DRAGON IS COMING!!” “What do we do?” “This is the perfect time to panic!” A pegasus flies to the clock tower, and seconds later the loud klaxon blares through the town. This merely sends the ponies into more of a panic, shouting and screaming as the colossal blue dragon wings overhead. Two great horns curl upwards from each side of his jaw, which is easily large enough to devour three ponies side by side and not cut them on his massive fangs. “Ah ha!” Dragon Lord Torch exclaims from above town, letting loose a massive gout of flame. “Leave it to a pony to perform a proper greeting! I am pleased with your efforts!” Torch basks as the ponies continue running about in terror. He seems to get bored of basking, quickly growing less amused. He bellows, “This display tires me! Cease your greeting and go about your day! The Dragon Lord Commands It!” Princess Celestia’s horn glows and silences the alarm. Doors slam shut, windows shutter, and eyes peek out from cracks to follow the dragon’s movement. Dragon Lord Torch drops down on the north part of Ponyville, landing next to Doug, Twilight Sparkle, and Sweetie Belle. He looks around the deserted town, eyes narrowing. “Is this normal pony behavior for the middle of the day? I commanded them to behave normally!” “Well, normally Zecora comes at the end of the month,” Doug starts, nodding to Princess Celestia as she lands, “so it’s not unheard of.” Torch snorts, a small burst of flame expelled from his nostrils. “And what of Spike? I demand to see that he is unharmed!” “What?” Twilight gasps, looking to Celestia. “Why would we harm him?” “Of course we would not harm him,” Celestia responds gently, yet forcefully, the slightest flick of her head towards the library. Twilight nods, contrite, as she teleports out of Doug’s arms. Celestia turns back to Torch, “I think you may have heard a few too many rumors, and not enough facts.” Dragon Lord Torch’s eyes narrow as he stares down at the alicorn, “So help me, if even one scale on his body is so much as scratched, then war with the dragon lands will be the least of your worries!” “And need I remind you that even dragons burn.” Celestia matches Torch eye for eye, staring up without a hint of remorse. A deep rumble echoes from the dragon’s throat as the two rulers stare each other down. It slowly turns to a low chuckle as Twilight exits the library, Spike on her back. “Well,” Torch says darkly, his maw turning to a tooth filled grin, “they did have that delectable char.” “Mm, that was a fun day, was it not?” Celestia replies, her bright demeanor returning instantly. “I miss those days, sometimes. It’s not every century you’re able to help unify a country!” “Yes, and my century of glorious rule is nearly up. Perhaps then we might again ravage the lands of our foes.” Torch sighs. “But we are nearly out of elders who have not already held the scepter. Perhaps one of the younger crop will be able to keep that rabble unified during our absence.” Celestia grins. “Yes, I was thinking the same thing.” She coughs, then motions a hoof towards Twilight, “As you can see, Spike is alive and unharmed, no worse for the ordeal he went through.” Dragon Lord Torch grunts, focusing on Spike before bellowing, “You! Little One!” “Yes, Dragon Lord Torch?” Spike says, dropping off Twilight to a bow. Dragon Lord Torch snorts, eyes furrowing. “I did not tell you to bow! If I wanted you to bow, I would say, ‘KNEEL BEFORE ME!!’” The gust of wind blows Spike back, sending him tumbling. He rushes back into position, dropping to a knee. “Yes, Dragon Lord Torch! I’m kneeling!” The massive eyes shift to Twilight. “You ought to teach him proper discipline. Games of ‘Dragon Lord Commands!’ until he knows when and how to obey.” “What now?” Spike asks as Twilight looks confused. “I’ve never heard of that.” “You know,” Dragon Lord Torch explains, caught off guard by the admission. “I say, ‘The Dragon Lord Commands You to Stand!’ and you stand.” Spike stands up. “And then I say, ‘Sit Down!’ and-” Dragon Lord Torch sighs as Spike sits down, covering his eyes with his massive claws, grumbling to himself. Twilight leans over, whispering to Spike, “You weren’t supposed to follow his command because he didn’t say ‘The Dragon Lord Commands’.” “Oh,” Spike says, yet remains seated. “But he is the Dragon Lord. So I need to obey his commands whether he says that or not.” Dragon Lord Torch grumbles to himself a little more before rising. “Yes.” He looks around at the assembled creatures. “Well. It is good to see that he is safe. I should have known better than to trust the word of griffons.” Celestia smiles to Twilight and Spike. “Since Spike was put under house arrest at the request of the dragon ambassador for his own protection, I do believe we can bring it to an end. Spike, you are again a free dragon, as I know of no pending charges against you.” Spike stands only to bow his head to Princess Celestia. “Thank you.” Princess Celestia turns to Twilight. “I do believe this has taken up enough of my time, though blame can hardly be put on your withers. Do try to keep it from happening again.” Twilight bows, “I will, your Highness.” Celestia’s eyes linger on Doug for a moment before she turns to Dragon Lord Torch. “If there is nothing else?” Dragon Lord Torch takes off, hovering a few feet off the ground, his wings blowing the snow off the grass. “Invictus, I hear you have been working on a weapon to help capture those renegade dragons.” Celestia takes off after him. “Yes, we call it a ‘Lightning Storm in a Box. We’ve managed to pack nearly an acre-foot into one pony sized canister. Unfortunately, we’re still working on the distribution problem, as it comes out in more of a ball shape at low speeds.” “Really?” Torch ponders as he flies off. “How many pegasi, and how many canisters, would I need to cover, say, Canterhorn?” Twilight turns to Spike, laying down next to him on the soft grass. “How are you doing, Spike?” Spike sighs, watching the dragon fly away. “I’m sorry, Twilight.” Twilight smirks as Sweetie Belle and Doug lay next to them. “Torch was right, we do need to work on your listening skills. I asked ‘how are you doing’; I didn’t demand an apology.” “Oh. I’m sorry, Twi-” Spike cuts himself off, chuckling slightly. He swallows, trying again. “I’m glad that this is all behind us.” He looks over at Doug, then past him towards Sweet Apple Acres. “I’m disappointed in myself, that I allowed my greed to overtake me so easily. I’m a little sad it happened at all.” “Well, Spike,” Twilight says, nuzzling the purple dragon, “just know that we won’t abandon you just because you messed up. We’ll work with you to try to make it better, to fix whatever problems you can’t hoof.” Her eyes draw towards the Everfree Forest, a slight smirk. “I imagine you’ll have quite a number of field trips with Rarity to help pay back Applejack and Trixie.” A gloomy look spreads over Spike’s face as he sighs. “Yeah, kind of hard to build up a hoard when you’re so far in debt.” “Don’t worry, Spike,” Sweetie Belle says cheerfully, if a touch subdued, “we’ll be there to help out!” Spike nods, though he avoids eye contact with Sweetie Belle. “Thanks.” “Now, I have to know something,” Sweetie Belle says firmly, glancing up to Twilight. “Um, can you make sure he doesn’t, like, you know? Rampage through town again?” Twilight smiles. “I’ll try.” “Okay.” Sweetie Belle walks over to Spike, a hoof turning his head to meet hers. She kisses him on the lips for a full second before pulling back. “There. So, do you want to go capture me and take me to a deep, dark cave?” “Well, yeah, but that was true before you kissed me.” Spike smirks as Sweetie Belle glares at him. “Just foaling with you! I mean, not really, because I really did want to do that, but not enough to, you know, actually go out and do it.” He looks up at Twilight and Doug. “I’m just digging myself in deeper, aren’t I.” “Yeah, save that for Rarity,” Doug says with a dearth of joviality. “Make sure to let us know if you get any of those thoughts again. And you better keep to kissing, got it?”