“Stupid ponies… stupid dragons… stupid Spike!”
A spiny tail sliced at the underbrush as a red and yellow dragon thrashed his way through the dense foliage. Scowling at the thorny plants, Garble wiped away the dirt coating his scales and pushed through the newly-cut path.
Panting, he took a large breath and tried to burn the remaining shrubs out of his way.
Nothing happened.
Instead of flames, a wheezing cough dragged itself from his parched throat. Adopting another grimace, he clenched his torso as a large growl erupted from his emaciated stomach.
After numerous fruitless attempts, he was forced to concede that his starving body flatly refused to waste energy until he found another meal.
“Ugh… where is that damn mine?”
Gems were far from rare, but most major dig sites were operated and used by other species, which meant trying to snag some stones without being seen was going to be near-impossible.
Being a fugitive didn’t bar him from using the mines in Equestria, but a dragon digging for gems in a pony-run site was going to raise a lot of questions he didn’t want to answer. Now, however, he didn’t have a choice.
Peering down at the cave entrance, Garble saw several ponies with pickaxes entering the shadowy depths. Even from a distance, his draconic nose could smell the alluring scent of gemstones emanating from the cavern. Wiping the drool from his mouth, he flexed his wings and prepared to make a dive for the dig site while avoiding as much attention as possible.
Before he could take off, a movement from the cave exit caught his eye. A large grey and purple earth pony emerged from the rocky depths, shaking dust and soot off her plain coat. As he watched, she turned around and gripped the handle of a wagon before pulling it to the surface.
“H-Holy dragon scales…”
As it emerged, Garble’s eyes were blinded by the dazzling gleam of hundreds of beautiful, appetizing jewels. From what he could see, there were at least seven different kinds of gems all piled into the sturdy wooden cart. Each crystal had been expertly excavated with symmetric facets, no inclusions, and just the right size to fit comfortably into the starving dragon’s gaping maw.
Adding the cherry on top, Celestia’s shining sun reflected off the gemstones’ flawless visage to give them a mystical glow that called out to his aching stomach.
Garble felt his insides churn as the tantalizing sight of a pony with a wagon full of delicious gems became too much to resist.
Flapping his tired wings, he slowly descended from his rocky perch and stalked towards the lone mare with claws and teeth at the ready.
His eyes narrowed as he forced himself to remain hidden despite his gnawing hunger. The mare was still surrounded by guard ponies who would surely come to her aid if he launched an attack within the site.
A wicked grin split across his toothy maw. It would be much easier to steal the delectable gems when the oblivious mare was alone on the road. Even in his weakened condition, it shouldn’t be too difficult to overpower one measly little mare.
How much could she fight back?
As the last golden rays of sunlight disappeared over the horizon, the sound of trotting hoofsteps came to an abrupt halt. Maud Pie gazed imperceptibly at the fading light before unlatching her wagon harness. As she began to set up a makeshift campsite, a loud rumble rocked through the darkening sky.
Glancing up, she blinked her emotionless eyes before mumbling, “Hm… looks like rain.”
With the finesse of a seasoned expert, she erected her camping gear and locked her bounty inside the wagon. Not wanting to get caught in the rain, she slipped into her tent and bit into an apple to settle her empty stomach. “That was good. I’ll have to thank the Apple Family for the food.”
As Maud took another bite, the crunching of the apple was accompanied by a different, more concerning sound. Her ears perked up as grunting and cursing drifted through the thin tent flaps. With her usual unwavering expression, she got to her hooves and unzipped the entrance to peer at the source of the disturbance.
A dark figure was standing in the torrent of rain while trying to break into her gem wagon. With another soft grunt, the shadowy thief attempted to smash open the cart with a heavy rock, but the boulder reflected back at the would-be robber, sending him tumbling into the muddy sludge coating the ground.
As the stubborn intruder got to his feet, Maud stepped forward and called out in a steady, monotone voice, “It’s not going to work. Princess Twilight enchanted my wagon with an anti-theft spell, so don’t bother.”
The thief whipped around in surprise before fixing her with a snarl. Now that he was facing her, she could make out the distinctly sharp features of a red and yellow dragon glaring down at her with a set of cold purple eyes. His gaze flashed with alarm as he held the heavy stone above his head.
A jolt of recognition caused her eyebrows to raise a fraction-of-an-inch. “Is your name Garble?”
Instead of replying, he let out a roar of aggression and hurled the boulder straight at her head. Without missing a beat, Maud lifted one of her hooves and struck the oncoming projectile, shattering it to pieces and showering her attacker with rubble and debris.
Garble couldn’t hold back a look of astonishment. It was common knowledge that earth ponies were the strongest of the three Equestrian races, but he never imagined a pony could have that kind of strength.
Shaking his head, he let out a growl and extended his claws, intent on doing whatever it took to get those delectable jewels for himself. With a resounding battlecry, he rushed forward and attempted to slash open her neck and chest.
Maud acknowledged his murder attempt by sidestepping his strike and countering with one of her own. Pivoting to the side, she shifted into a bucking stance while her back legs raised to be level with her attacker’s torso. As his forward momentum brought him closer to impending doom, she tensed the toned muscles in her body and ended the skirmish with one savage blow.
CRACK
Garble felt as if all the bones in his chest had shattered simultaneously. Her buck sent him flying through the air, smashing his injured body against the unyielding wooden cart.
Reeling with shock, he desperately flapped his aching wings, but a sharp pain forced him to his trembling knees. As his vision faded, the last thing he made out was Maud’s blurry figure slowly approaching before the world went dark.
The first thing he heard was the pounding of rain against some sort of fabric. Even with his fuzzy mind, this struck him as odd since he didn’t have a tent of his own to shield himself from the torrent.
Wondering how he managed to acquire a camping tent without remembering, Garble tried to shift into a more comfortable sleeping position.
“ARRRGH!”
A bolt of pain shot through his body as the nerves in his torso screamed in protest. His soft underbelly burned while he writhed in agony, intensifying the already unbearable torture. Freezing in place, he tried to remain as still as possible, desperate to avoid any further torment from the searing lashes emanating from his tender wounds.
After several minutes of mimicking a statue, he felt the scorching pain abate from his quivering form. Breathing a sigh of relief, he relaxed his aching body, wincing as the sudden movement brought a fresh wave of discomfort.
A bright light illuminated the insides of his eyelids as something in front of his head moved. The spines on the back of his neck rose with anticipation. Some creature was watching him.
“You shouldn’t be moving. I don’t think you broke anything major, but the damage is still severe.”
His ear flaps jerked up as the familiar monotone voice sounded from somewhere above him. Ignoring its advice, Garble blinked several times before locking eyes with the dull green orbs of his latest target.
Clenching his jaw, he lowered his gaze with a sigh of defeat and muttered, “Go ahead and finish me off. I’ve got nothing else left…”
Silence permeated the tent as rain continued to pound on the roof. For several moments, neither creature did anything but stare as the tension between them grew. Then, a loud clunk sounded as something hard landed close to the dragon’s bowed head.
Glancing up, Garble expected to see the mare’s hoof or perhaps the blade of a pickaxe descending on his helpless form. Instead, he was greeted by the bright glimmer of a large ruby dancing tantalizingly in front of his startled maw.
Blinking back a look of surprise, he shifted his gaze from the delectable gem to the grey mare who was now flattening out her sleeping bag. “What is this?”
Her cold, dull eyes peered back at him without any trace of emotion. “It’s a ruby.”
Garble flapped his wings in annoyance. “Yeah, I know it’s a ruby. Why are you giving it to me?”
Her stony gaze never faltered as she deadpanned back at him, “It’s a gem. Dragons eat gems. You’re a dragon.”
At this point, he began to lose his temper. Gripping the immaculate ruby with his claws, he staggered to his feet and shook the offending jewel in front of her face. “Why are you giving this to me!? I just tried to rob and kill you over your gemstones! Why did you take me into your tent and give me food after I almost slashed your throat open!?”
She blinked at the shining ruby before shifting her gaze to the infuriated dragon. “I saw you were hurt, so I helped you. That’s what friends do.”
Garble reeled back from her as if he were afraid of catching some horrible illness. Glaring at the stony mare with a look of repulsion, he barked, “I am not your friend. I would never lower myself to being friends with a stupid pony like you!”
If Maud was offended by his insult, she didn’t show it. After his violent outburst, she merely blinked again and resumed preparing her sleeping bag for the night.
Seeing how little effect his words had, Garble let out a snort of disgust and threw the ruby onto the floor, which thunked until coming to rest near the grey mare’s hooves. “Take that thing back! I don’t want anything your pony hooves have touched. I’d sooner starve to death.”
He made his way towards the tent exit, but a flash of agony crippled his pace and brought him to his knees. Gripping his torso, he saw the fresh wounds starting to bleed again, creating bright spots of red against his normally muted maroon.
Panting with the effort of staying conscious, he glanced at the muddy expanse of forests and deserts before grudgingly stumbling back inside.
Embarrassment and shame flooding his body, he stalked over to the corner farthest from the stony mare and planted a claw on the tent’s floor. “This is my area now. Don’t even think about coming over here, or I’ll slice your head off!”
With his territory sufficiently marked, he settled down and collapsed into an exhausted heap. Shifting into a more comfortable position, Garble grimaced as another resounding growl emanated from his empty stomach. As the clawing sensation in his gut intensified, he curled into a ball and gripped his tail to endure the pain.
Closing his eyes, he forced himself to not think about food while his starving body begged for any form of sustenance.
A dull thunk sounded from somewhere to his left. Peering up with bleary eyes, he was met with the sight of Maud’s grey flank turning away from him as she proceeded back to her own bunk.
His gaze lingered on the stony mare as her retreating form brought a rush of heat to his cheeks. The alluring smell of gemstones mixed with the mare’s scent and flooded his senses, bringing a fresh wave of drool to his muzzle.
Glancing down at his claws, he saw the red glint of the delicious ruby resting perfectly in his grasp. Shaking his head, he snorted and flicked away the offered jewel with a hostile glare. “I’m not eating the stupid gem, you dumb pony! Take your fat flank back where it belongs!”
Maud didn’t reply.
As Celestia’s glorious sun cast its beautiful rays across the earth, the shrill cry of a cockatrice broke through the air like a gunshot.
Maud’s dull eyes blinked open as she brushed her mane out of her face. Getting to her hooves, she glanced at the corner where her unexpected visitor had camped; there was no trace of the maroon dragon anywhere.
After a few seconds of silence, she let out a sigh before packing up the contents of her campsite. Tent poles, sleeping gear, and more bags of rocks were piled into the already stuffed wagon. As the harness fastened itself to her frame, she gazed into the cart’s confines to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.
Nothing seemed to be missing from her vast assortment of camping supplies, pet rocks, and gleaming treasures. Nothing except the first fire ruby she had ever found.