//------------------------------// // Draconic Studies // Story: When a Good Mare Goes to War // by Sam Cole //------------------------------// Chapter Two: Draconic studies “My dear Ponies, it breaks my heart what befell our nation last night,” Celestia spoke to the assembled ponies and various concerned parties. “Times like this, it is needed of everypony to stand together, to present a strong face, a wall of faith and hope. But I am afraid that this- this thing from the stars, is no longer our biggest concern.” A murmur ran through the crown as ponies looked to one another, each unsure they had heard the ruler correctly. “My Sister, Princess Luna, went with our guard contingent and scientific research teams to the crash site this morning. What she found was- was most, I’m sorry,” Celestia cried looking at the report. She could not bring herself to say this. She needed to. She needed to be strong right now in the face of adversity, to be a moral rock for her ponies. But she could not, knowing what she knew. A servant and old friend of her’s stepped forward, placing a hoof on her shoulder. The picture of that scene would grace many newspapers, the leader being consoled. It was a nice touch actually, humbled the ruler and drove home how much she cared. Celestia was lead over to a large pillow laid out for her, and nestled down while Captain Shining Armor finished the report. Celestia looked out over the scene, what had been meant as a press conference had grown to a national broadcast in one hours time. “Our teams found the impact last night to have been caused by some sort of militaristic craft from another world,” Shining Armor said to an outburst from everypony assembled. They all raged as he sat there, fuming. “Quite!” He bellowed, as if talking with unruly recruits. The temperance worked well for the cause. “As I was saying, we discovered the object to be not of this world. We were unable to gain further information to the origin or purpose of the craft though, as the area is contaminated with lethal amounts of radiation. But that leads us to our main problem,” Shining said to another outburst, just one. “What do you mean, main problem? Is there another health hazard from the craft?” One pony asked. “Not as we would have it, no. But our teams discovered a group of twenty dragons at the site,” Shining said as more whispers roared through the crowd. “Ponies, please. The dragons are, immune we shall say, to the radiation, and actually appear to feed on it,” Shining reported. He had expected to lose them there, to be unable to get a word in edgewise. But no pony moved even. No pony breathed it seemed. They just gaped at the Captain, hoping he was joking. “Are they- are they getting stronger from it?” One pony finally asked. Shining sighed before he answered, not wanting the news to be true himself. “Yes. They are in fact gaining strength from the radiation at the site. One mile out is our cordon, where we are already experiencing over 20 rads in background radiation, with the numbers increasing almost exponentially from there, to unknown levels. The dragons have no issues with the high rad count to our knowledge. Three of them attacked our guards, killing them all along with our scientist. Princess Luna escaped the field, and has since been hospitalized. She will not take any-” Shining continued into the storm of reporters now, giving the typical breakdown he dealt with from time to time. “Ponies of Equestria,” Celestia said stepping forward, her face set in resolve, “I hate to ask this of you, but know this action is of the most importance to our national security, neigh, our lives. I am forced today to institute a draft. The dragons have made clear their intents for a war with us ponies, and I refuse to let them have an easy go of it. I would also like to request any military or ponytarian aid from our allies and friends. Please, Equestria is in a dire situation. We have our best minds researching the dragons now, but we need help. We ponies have not had a war in over two thousand years. It is a lost art to us. I had hoped war would never find us here, but it has, and it will not be dissuaded. I will not rest till my ponies are safe.” “There she is, welcome to the party!” Pinkie sang as Rainbow was wheeled into her new recovery room. She was getting to share the room with Twilight and Rarity now, a vast improvement in some regards. Pinkie, Applejack and Fluttershy had been discharged earlier, and were now visiting everypony here, trying to lighten the mood some. “Hey AJ, can you finally hear Fluttershy with that fancy hearing aid?” Rainbow joked, laying eyes on Applejack’s new earpiece. “Oh yeah. She says yer jokes are lame by the way,” Applejack smugly replied. “No I didn’t!” Fluttershy shouted at her loudest, which was everypony elses normal. “Aw, sorry Shy. Didn’t mean to worry ya, twas a joke sugarcube,” Applejack blushed. She was normally more tactful around the shy mare. “Oh. I’m sorry I ruined the joke...” Fluttershy squeaked. “Tain't nothin,” Applejack smiled. “So Twilight,Rainbow,” Rarity asked looking at her friends, “What exactly happened to you two? I apparently lost a lung. Which stinks, because now they want me to quit smoking,” Rarity growled. She was a light smoker, about a pack a month, but that pack often meant some rude customer did not get their flank beat for back talking her. Everypony hushed at the comment, remembering how close they had come to deaths door last night. Rainbow answered first, almost laughing. “I lost my lunch and they cut me open. But seriously, I had to get my guts rebuilt. They say if we had been subject to the whole force of the hit, we would all be dead. What happened with that?” Rainbow asked looking at Twilight, able to put two and two together. “I, um..” Twilight began, blushing a bit and feeling a slight pain as her magical heart beat faster. It was now or never. “I put up a force field to save us all, by reflex. But the strain did some damage...” “I remember Spike yelling ‘No you don’t Twi!” and ‘Come on Twi! Don’t die on me!’ How much damage did you take?” Rainbow asked. Twilight began to silently cry as she swallowed and spoke. “My heart was destroyed. I have an artificial heart now, but it’s projected to only last ten years, at best,” The lavender mare said breaking down. The ambulatory ponies walked over and hugged her, whispering their encouragement. “Twi, I- I’m sorry...” Rainbow flushed, guilt washing over the mare. “Don’t. I needed to tell you. I just- I-” Twilight tried but choked on the words, tears rolling more with every word. “Darling...” Rarity said, a tear in her eye as well. “No, I’m- It’s... Please, don’t let me go like this girls, stuffed in a bed, looking out the window,” Twilight begged. “Of course sugarcube. Ten years is a long time. We’ll have all sorts of adventures,” Applejack said with a laugh. “Yeah. Nothing’s going to keep us from living it up now!” Rainbow rallied. "Twilight, just how did ya survive then?" Applejack asked, confused. "Spike. Tapped my magic. Made- Made it work," Twilight gasped and sobbed. “Um, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, “Does, does Spike know about your heart then?” “Not yet, I had him go get my folks. I wanted to tell them all at once,” Twilight sniffed and heaved, her crying subsiding a little. A gentle knock told them they had company, and it was not the kind that wanted to see them in a hospital, judging by the murmuring from outside. “Come in,” Twilight called, her voice breaking. “Twinkle!” Twilight’s mom, also named Twilight, cried as she rushed in, laying hugs and tearful kisses on her daughter's forehead. “What on Equis happened to you?” Night Light, Twilight’s dad, trotted in with Spike on his back, the dragon holding a ice pack to his right eye. “Baby girl! Look at you! Oh damn it all!” Night cringed looking at his little girl laying in the bed. “Me? What happened to you Spike?” Twilight asked looking to her hero. “We’ll get to that in a minute deary. Oh my goddess, you look like you had surgery!” Twilight senior sobbed. Twilight breathed, and shook, her eyes closed. She felt a hoof slip over hers, and knew that she had the love and support of everypony there. She opened her eyes and saw her mom holding her hoof, and began to tell the horrid truth. “Last night, I used my magic to protect everypony, but at a cost. I couldn’t stop so much power, and it damaged my heart...” “Oh my goddess, Twinkle!” Twilight senior cried. “How badly were you hurt?” Twilight had just stopped crying to, damn it. But now the tears flowed again, her breath caught in her chest. Twilight hugged her mom, and cried harder than ever. “Twinkle?” Night asked. sitting on her other side. Spike sat at the foot of her bed, just watching in agony as his family felt all this pain he had almost not been able to stop. Nor did the dragon look around, not wanting to see Rainbow now. Rarity coughed, though it sounded polite at first, the action spiraled down to the most painful bout Rarity had ever faced. Pinkie and Fluttershy went to her aid. “Thank you both. I’m fine,” Rarity lied horsley, “But I wanted to say, Mr. and Mrs. Light, your daughter saved my life and everyone else here last night, along with Spike. You should be proud. This is hard for Twilight to say, so may I? I don’t want her to have to again,” Rarity asked. Twilight could not stop crying, so she continued. “Her heart was completely destroyed last night.” “What!?” Spike and Night asked. Twilight senior just hugged Twilight tighter, and began to cry herself. “Yes. Spike somehow accessed her magic or something, and got it to pump blood. But Twilight here,” Rarity said, her voice breaking again, “Has an artificial heart now, one that runs on magic. It’s really good I hear,” Rarity said as she dissolved back into a coughing fit. “Twinkle?” Twilight senior asked, shakily. “I have about ten years they think,” Twilight sobbed, wiping at her eyes. “This is the worst day ever,” Spike groaned, moving up to hug Twilight along with her parents. Twilight nestled the dragon in her lap, wanting him to feel welcome, to stop distancing himself. “Baby girl, I’ll tell Shining when I see him later, okay, you don’t have to worry about that,” Night said, kissing her forehead. “Thanks daddy,” Twilight said. “So Spike, what happened to you?” “Some pony threw a rock at me,” Spike grumbled. “Yelled something about a dragon killing all those ponies, and that I had to die just like them.” “Oh my bucking goddess,” Rarity said, covering her mouth with a hoof. “Pardon my french. Why would somepony say that?” Spike, Night and Twilight senior lead into the breakdown of the press release that morning, about the new dragon threat. Twilight junior just stroked Spike’s ridge, listening but not believing. The world had officially gone nuts. “War?” Fluttershy squeaked, surprisingly the first to say a word about it. “Yes my friends,” Celestia said from outside, stepping in. It might have been the light, but she looked older now, closer to her true age. “I came here to check on you all. And tell you the positions I have lined up for you when you’re ready. I am sorry to ask this, but I have to put my nation’s security above any friendships. You are all amazing ponies, but those talents also make you key player I believe.” “Whatever it is yer majesty, we’re on it like red on apples,” Applejack said for the group. “Thank you all. Rarity, I need you to make a fast recovery, we need armor, something that blends in with nature, is light, but strong. Think fire retardant and tear resistant,” Celestia said. “Yes your highness. I hate what you imply about the fashion to come, but I’ll make it happen,” Rarity said. “I thank you. Pinkie, you’re in charge of the morale, welfare, and recreation of the ground troops. Think of it as a giant party,” Celestia said. She was trying so hard to be brave, so hard. “I think I can handle that,” Pinkie said with a smile. She had no concept of the word war, a trait everypony else envied right now. “Applejack, Rainbow Dash, you two-” Celestia began. “We’re on it, right pardner?” Applejack asked, smirking to her friend. “Right!” Rainbow confirmed, “We're gonna kick dragon butt!” “No you two,” Celestia said, her kind tone gone, a fire in her eyes. “None of you are going anywhere near the frontlines. I refuse to lose anypony that close to me like that, never again.” “Princess, Ah-” “It’s alright, but know that I need you at your cousin's farm Applejack. We need food, lots of food for the troops, and all the displaced citizens. Rainbow, you’ll help her,” Celestia said sternly. This was not open for debate. “Of course,” Rainbow said awkwardly. “We’re happy to help however we can,” Applejack nervously smiled. “Thank you both,” Celestia said letting her tone soften again. “Fluttershy, I would like you to work at the Red Cross in Canterlot here, help the Ponies get well,” Celestia said. “Of course, but... Um...” Fluttershy began. “Ponyville is too close ‘Shy,” Rainbow said, looking out the window. “The dragons are at the crash, right on top of town basically.” “But- buy my friends? The animals? What about them?” Fluttershy begged. “We’re doing all we can Fluttershy,” Celestia said. “Twilight, that leaves you and Spike with my most important task.” “Anything. How can we help?” Twilight asked. “You two are in charge of the dragon research team. I need a weakness, and I need it now. If they get to rally their forces and all of them feed, we are done for. I know you are still recovering, but please, start with whatever research you can. That knowledge will save millions, so it is top priority. You’ll have whatever you need.” “Yes ma’am,” Spike said saluting before he deadpanned, lowering his claw. “Buck me, I’m the guinea pig, aren't I?” Celestia giggled, "Think of it as your the Dragon Spy, Spike. You are the only dragon even talking to ponies right now, so we can not afford to pass up what ever chance we have." Twilight watched as Celestia bowed, and made her way to the door. "Princess," Twilight called, "What was the old saying from the last Dragon War? Dragons flee, when a good mare goes to war." Celestia never turned around, never let her friends see the tears running down her face. “Lord Razorfin! Hail to thee!” A dragon saluted, his claws stained red with what could only be blood. “My child, I am pleased to see you have the power in control. Come, let us feed,” The leader said as he landed. He was a large dragon, even by their standards, and looked as strong as he did fierce. “My lord, I think it is best you stay here. we ran into a.. unforeseen issue,” The dragon said, looking over his shoulder to the craft. “You dare refuse me power? You think you’re little sample will allow you to rule?” The dragon leader cried, arching back his massive arm. “No my lord, but... look at them,” The dragon offered. Razorfin looked past the guard and saw a long stretch of field, the craft jetting out of the earth like a tower of death, and seventeen mounds. Mounds that looked like- “By the elder God, Zilla, What happened to them!?” Razorfin bellowed. “It seems even we mighty dragons have a limit to the power. They died of overdose my lord,” The guard said. “How did you survive?” Razorfin asked, seeing nothing but red. “We were on the edge, by the pony cordon. We did not absorb as much as they did. We spent a lot of time close to the object though,” The guard informed. “What do you mean to say?” Razorfin asked. “Well, Shellcracker is nearly dead, and soon me and my brood brother Naitail will follow. We can’t handle this power for too long. Whoever fights,” The guard said solemnly, “Fights to the death.” “Tell thee, what is thy name?” Razorfin asked. “Blowtorch, my lord,” Blowtorch said, his last words to anydragon beyond his two guards. “My son, I will not forget this. You will be honored when this land is mine,” Razorfin sid taking off, and flying as far away as he could. That night was rather cold, but three dragons never felt the bitter sting of the cold. They felt nothing at all actually.