“All of you are changing differently,” Twilight began. She and the drakes sat around the library table once more, this time with Spike sitting beside her atop a wooden stool. “As to the full extent of what those changes and differences might be, I cannot say. The books you've been given will help you part of the way, but there’s little more I can immediately offer you.”
Twilight placed her hooves onto the table while she panned her gaze across them. “This magic is old, originating before Starswirl's teachings and the standardization of magic we use to this day. As difficult as it is to believe, this magic has deeply affected your souls. And after having looked at each of your souls, it is clear to me that this magic is still developing, and its growth varies from moment to moment. Right now, portions of your souls are becoming encased for eventual changes. Some of those changes have already taken effect, some are even actively spreading, but there is a lot that has yet to happen."
Twilight noticed the furrowed stares some ponies began to give her, and so she politely coughed before beginning again. "It's as if portions of your soul are being encased for later inflammation, almost like a kiln, so to say."
"So souls are a bit like pottery?" Tailwind interjected in fascination. "Like, you can mold them if you apply enough energy and pressure?"
Twilight blinked in surprise. "Yes, in a manner of speaking."
Tailwind wore a proud smile, while the rest of the drakes furrowed their brows further as they digested the analogies.
"While there are plenty of documented cases of magical transformation within Equestria," Twilight continued, "none of those magics affected the soul. What little Ruby and I have learned about souls is that they are dynamic, flexible structures. This magic, for it to change your soul, seems to imprint itself periodically over time with tiny adjustments. And in time, it's possible that significant changes will have occurred, the extent of which may make you feel like an entirely different pony."
Twilight brought a hoof to her chest. "Trust me when I say that the notion of something changing in such a deep part of yourself, feeling your… feelings change… it can be scary."
She then gathered her hooves toward herself and beamed them all a reassuring smile. "After having looked over each of you, it doesn't look like you need to worry about any sudden or drastic changes. While you may have a flare up in any particular draconic behavior, I'm confident each of you will be able to handle the growth spurts. Any questions so far?" Twilight asked as she looked among them.
Breezy Lace's hoof rose first. "As this… thing progresses, are we still going to retain ourselves, or are we going to become dragons in more senses of the word?"
"You'll be yourselves," Twilight replied. "While the draconic influence will be great in the end, you're still a pony at your core, and you'll still be you."
Twilight looked about for more questions, and when no pony was immediately forthcoming, Dust Cloud eventually rose a hoof.
"I understand that we're going to be living longer than most ponies, but how long do we have?"
Twilight was silent for a moment as she considered the question and the nature of his asking, but she soon answered, "I can't say for sure. A dragon's full lifecycle exists on a timeline that's closer to a geological scale than anything pony-like. While I doubt you'll experience the full length of what a dragon would live, I would say it's a safe bet that you'll be around for a few millennia at least."
"I see," Dust Cloud merely replied. "Thank you, Princess."
Twilight nodded, letting her gaze linger on him for some moments more before turning to the rest of the group. "Any other questions?"
Tailwind appeared to have a few, but seemed to have decided otherwise on asking them after nervously glancing at the other drakes. Breezy Lace and Dust Cloud shook their heads when Twilight's eyes met theirs. Rainbow Dash and Sea Drop, however, merely sat back in their chairs indifferently and with hooves crossed as they listened, neither paying anypony a look as they kept their gaze downcast or upon some random spot within the room while they listened.
Twilight frowned a brief look of worry towards the two, but then clasped her hooves together as she smiled. "As all of you progress, I'll be here to monitor your growth and help guide you along. Unlike the drakes of the past, you'll have access to all of Equestria's magical knowledge to assist you. Coupled with my ability to soul sight, we'll be able to track your growth and catch any potential bumps on the long road before you. And you won't be alone through these changes. We have a town full of helpful ponies." Twilight then extended a hoof towards Spike. "As well as a real dragon to speak with. But most importantly, you'll have each other."
Breezy Lace, Dust Cloud, Tailwind, Sea Drop, and Rainbow Dash all glanced at one another. While looking more closely, they took in each other's draconic appendages before noting their pony features. Yet, when their eyes did eventually meet, tension filled their muscles, if ever so slight.
Even as their eyes started to narrow in the sharp looks they began to receive from one another, Twilight coughed into her hoof. "As you can see, you'll find it easy to become on guard, even among each other."
Each drake blinked away the tension, and their ears fell as they looked back to Twilight. From the corners of their eyes, they still glanced at one another, but it was now in confusion and curiosity. Rainbow Dash and Sea Drop even sat a little more upright in their chairs as their glowers lessened.
"This is perfectly normal, and you will overcome it," Twilight said warmly.
"Classic dragon behavior," Spike chimed in. "When I spent time with the teenager dragons, all they ever did was try to size up and one up one another. Everything was a competition on proving who was the strongest and the best."
Spike rubbed his claw on his chest before raising it to blow across his finger tips. As he examined the points he continued, "Of course, at the end of the day what matters is how smart you are. And let me tell you, I was waaaaaay smarter than-"
"Ahem," Twilight coughed into her hoof.
"Right. Anyways, what's important to know is that it's okay to get a little riled up if you feel like it. Dragons are naturally competitive, and you might find yourselves thinking it's really important to be the best at something all of a sudden." He then placed his hands onto the stool as he stood himself up, and he raised an open palm claw to them. "But no matter what happens, we've got each other's back. The point isn't to be the best, but to be the best together!"
While Spike stood proudly at nailing the speech he had rehearsed all morning, the drakes looked amongst themselves once more.
Rainbow Dash and Sea Drop both peeked at each other from the corners of their eyes, but otherwise remained sunken in their chairs with their hooves crossed. Breezy Lace chuckled at this, and began to look to them all in more interest. Dust Cloud had a puzzled look, but nonetheless began to smile at the prospect of something so new and interesting. And Tailwind also let himself smile as he sheepishly made longer bouts of eye contact, finding his racing inner thoughts calming at the growing familiarity.
Twilight's smile widened at the reactions, and she shuffled forward ever so slightly in her seat in excitement.
"While differences may arise at times," Twilight began, "I know that you'll be able to conquer anything through the power of friendship. For the next millennia, the five of you will be the only ponies who can truly understand what has happened to you. And together, you will become great ponies."
Twilight sat more formally in her chair, and while her smile did not fade, her voice took on a more regal but still compassionate tone. "As drakes, your destinies have become entangled into something larger. But you must remember that they are still your own to command." Twilight's eyes then narrowed ever so slightly as she gave them a remorseful smile. "Ponies who have become like ourselves inevitably end up in events they do not ask to be in. But we must still trot forward. I can personally assure all of you that it is worth the struggle to keep moving forward."
When no pony replied at first, Twilight took a quick glance at the clock, and then brought her hooves together. With a lighthearted tone, she said "If you have any more questions, please feel free to bring them up at any point, but for now we really must get moving." Rising from the head of the table, Twilight flashed them a toothy smile. "It's time for you all to meet Applejack."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Wow, there are so many guards this morning."
"We should check those ships out! I heard they landed on the south-side of town."
"Yup, signed up in Vanhoover. I'm glad my folks were visiting relatives these last few days."
"Think they're here to protect Ponyville? The Princess does live here."
"Trust me, it's the best sweet store in all of Equestria. I just need to remember where it's at."
"Can you believe it? Her and him? It's scandalous!"
"I'm telling you, she ate over four dozen pancakes. I've never whipped so much batter in my life."
"Well, I was chasing him all night! He even ripped through some paneling and got into the Hackney Tubes. My shins still hurt."
"Shh, shh, here they come."
"Look at their wings."
"Well, the princess is here. I guess it's safe."
"Woah, do you think it's a magical experiment? What if it's contagious?"
"Is there another new town of ponies?"
"What do you think is going on?"
Twilight's ears twitched at the hushed conversations around her. Peeking from under the brim of her sunhat, she saw both guard and local alike giving curious attention to her entourage of trailing drakes.
With over four airship's compliment of guard in town, the main streets and vendor lanes were a gaggle of moving masses spilling over even into the side streets. Ponies found themselves bumping shoulders while gathered at vendor stalls, but the atmosphere was lively enough to cast aside any ill notion of discomfort.
And while no pony was outright staring, it was quite obvious that the group became the center of attention wherever they passed since they had left the library.
Dust Cloud walked ahead of the other drakes, taking in the town itself as he strolled casually. His tail twitched at the spring his muscles were beginning to find, and a youthful excitement took him at having a crowd's interest once more.
Breezy Lace, Tailwind, and Sea Drop, however, kept close behind as they warily looked at their discreet spectators.
"Don't worry about it," Spike said as he walked beside them. "Nopony could keep their eyes off me when I first arrived. It took some time but they'll get used to you. I'm sure everypony is just curious to meet you is all."
Sea Drop quickly leaned towards Spike and pointed in the distance. "Psst, hey, what kind of pony is that?"
"Oh, that's a batpony," Spike replied. "Yeah, they have a town over in the Everfree Forest."
Sea Drop smiled as she stood straighter. "So they can become vamponies?"
"Yup. We should head over to the town one of these nights. The castle is really coming along."
"A castle?" Sea Drop asked excitedly.
As Spike dove into the details of the restoration project, Rainbow Dash trotted forward to Twilight's side.
"So why are we heading to AJ's?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Twilight pulled her gaze from the crowds and turned her attention to the street before her. "The girls are pitching in. They want to help you and the rest of the drakes through this, even going so far as to offer their properties and services."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at Twilight’s statement. "I'm sure the girls mean well and I'm grateful, don't get me wrong, but how exactly is all of their stuff going to help? Some apples, dresses, animals, and cupcakes aren't going to make this better," she said while extending one of her leathery wings.
"Of course they can't," Twilight replied in a sympathetic tone, turning her gaze towards Rainbow Dash while they walked. "But they can help in other ways."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes while curling her lip at the response, but she quickly shut her mouth as her gaze fell to the road. With a quieter voice, she said, "I'm sorry. I'm just… still getting used to this."
"Hey, it's okay. It's a lot." Twilight replied with a supportive smile. But she tightened her jaw for a moment in recollection of their brief soul sight check up earlier. After a pause, she spoke again, “You don’t have to beat yourself up for feeling angry. It’s okay to be angry.”
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, recalling the damage her hoof caused to the wood. She had slammed her hoof on that floor a hundred times before in anger at one thing or another, and the thought that it wouldn't even survive a few more from her now made a chill run down her spine.
While she generally didn’t hold much of a sanctity towards objects, she knew a pony was far more fragile than solid oak wood.
Rainbow Dash sighed before replying,“Yeah, maybe. But right now I don’t think I can afford taking a chance. Just… let me try to keep my head cool for a bit.”
Twilight nodded as she turned her gaze forward, but she couldn’t help but tightened her eyes in concern.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Howdy, y'all! I’m Applejack.” With a tipped hat and small bow, Applejack gave a welcoming smile to her guests.
Standing altogether at the archway of the main entrance to Sweet Apple Acres, the group of drakes gave a collective hello in return.
“I hear drakes have an appetite,” Applejack began. She looked to each of them, taking in their faces in earnest. Beside her was a bucket of apples, and without looking at the pile she deftly kicked one up and caught it with her front hoof, revealing a perfectly fine, red apple.
"Lucky for you, this here is the best apple farm in all of Equestria, with over five-hundred acres of land you can romp around. Just mind the trees and property."
Twilight stepped forward and turned to the drakes. Extending a hoof towards Applejack, she said, "With royal compensation, I've solicited Applejack's farm during your stay in Ponyville. You'll have free access to the apples whenever you are in need of food such as when the stores are closed, as well as a private space to exercise your growing strength."
Applejack chimed in, "And if you're looking for harder work for your muscles, we've got some chores that will make any pony sweat."
Breezy Lace nodded approvingly as she eyed the rolling acres beyond the fence. "I appreciate it. You can count on seeing me every day."
Applejack grinned. "Then have your first taste." She tossed an apple to Breezy Lace, who in turn caught with a hoof.
Giving it a sniff, she found the smell to be more than pleasant, and she took a hearty bite. After a few slicing munches, she swallowed, and then gave Applejack a large grin. "That is a tasty apple."
"Come on, y'all try some," Applejack said before tossing Spike and the rest of the drakes an apple. Spike dove into his right away, and the others soon found themselves following suit as they too fervently munched on their apples. While Rainbow Dash's mood didn't brighten, she nonetheless hungirly chomped on hers, swallowing even the stem and core, and finding little difficulty doing so.
"Oh my gosh!" Sea Drop exclaimed. She wiped the juice from her mouth and looked to the orchards fields with sudden interest. "I've never eaten an apple so tasty! The coastal wares never have anything so juicy."
Applejack chuckled in pride as she kicked up another apple and threw it Sea Drop's way. "No surprise there. We Apples have been growing these plots since Ponyville's founding, and we've taken care of the land and trees as if they were family."
"Can we go explore some of it now?" Sea Drop asked excitedly.
"Unfortunately, we are on a timetable," Twilight answered. "But starting tomorrow you'll have full access to the land."
Sea Drop looked to the orchards somewhat saddened, but she soon smiled at the sight of a red apple flying her way.
"Have another for the road," Applejack said as she went to under throw another apple to each of them. "And farm work starts at 4am."
"I'll be there," Breezy Lace replied before taking a bite.
Twilight gave Applejack a thankful nod, then turned as she motioned the group to follow.
As Rainbow Dash began to move, she saw Applejack give her a supporting smile before throwing an extra apple her way. Rainbow Dash gave a small smile as she nodded thanks in return, and then brought up the rear of the group while she chomped down on one of her apples.
"Our next stop is for any apparel needs," Twilight announced to them.
Rainbow Dash wiped the remnants of her apple from her lips before muttering, "Oh great..."
Twilight flashed a glare at Rainbow Dash who in turn busied herself with her second apple more slowly.
As Twilight turned her attention forward again, Tailwind came up to her side while he wiped away the juice from his mouth.
"So Princess Twilight, I was wondering."
"Yes?" she replied, turning her head to him with a cheerful smile.
"This soul magic, where is it drawing its energy from? There has to be a source, right?"
Twilight blinked before replying, "Well, it uses the natural ambient energy of the soul, as it is a part of you now. But I do suspect there is something external occuring during the imprints."
"Really?" Tailwind asked in interest. "What do you think it might be? A reflective boundary firmament, or-or maybe a spatially warped rune?"
Twilight blinked twice this time before replying, "Wow, you really have read up on magic."
Tailwind pawed a hoof slightly. "Well, I've had lots of spare time at the weather factory. I just try to read what I find."
Twilight chuckled as she looked back to the road. "Well, let me know how in Equestria one of Marble Door's copies of Extra-planar Spell Casting managed to end up in a weather factory. It's a rather obscure book, so I must say I'm surprised you've managed to track down one of the three remaining copies."
Tailwind chuckled nervously. "Well, that one may have been read in the archives office in the Manehattan Magical Museum, b-but I do read a lot when I have time for it at work."
Twilight smiled. "So I've been told. Your manager says you practically have a library built under your desk."
Tailwind gave her a confused glance for a moment, but then said, "Ah, right. You spoke to our workplaces." He turned his head away as he spoke more quickly. "You already told Breezy Lace that, I just forgot. Sorry, I should have remembered. I guess I'm just a little-"
"Tailwind," Twilight said in a simple tone. Pausing his verbal momentum, he turned to her and saw her smiling calmly at him. "It's okay to not think about something and let it go. Trust me as a fellow book nerd, our problem isn't not thinking, but learning that it's okay that things play out unexpectedly and beyond our control."
Tailwind's pace fell for a moment as he opened his jaw in astonishment, and shortly he turned his gaze to the road. He chewed on the advice silently for some steps, but then sheepishly turned back to Twilight.
"I-I get the advice, but I have to break it for a moment and ask… How did you know that I needed to hear that?"
Twilight softly giggled. "Being able to soul sight has its perks. I saw a few similarities between your personality and mine, and I figured you could use the heads up instead of stumbling upon the answer by yourself like I had to."
"Wow, that's amazing," Tailwind said in awe. "You must have the most zen mind-space of any spell caster in Equestria."
"Well, magic has always been my passion," Twilight said with a blush. "But let me tell you, I still obsessively over think things all the time. Believe me when I say it's more of a process than a revelation."
Tailwind nodded, but fidgeted as he stepped. Eventually he asked, "W-Would you tell me what kind of space you imagine?" When Twilight gave him a sidelong look, he quickly added, "I-I'm just academically curious as to what the Element of Magic uses to assist her casting."
"If I had to hazard a guess, it sounds like you want to cast spells," Twilight replied.
He gave her a shallow nod before looking back to the road. "Don't get me wrong, being a pegasus is great. But if I could have a horn… I think magic would be the only thing I could think about."
Twilight gave him a sympathetic smile, and told him, "A mirrorscape."
"Excuse me?" Tailwind said, turning back to her.
"I use a mirrorscape for my mental space. I didn't always mind you. Before I did, I sort of had a formless-like focus towards spell-casting that I suppose most unicorns do for common magic. I never really needed a mindscape for more advanced casting, but lately, I've come to use it quite often." She gave him an encouraging smile. "When you can't envision a goal, sometimes it helps to see yourself accomplishing it."
"A mirrorscape," Tailwind repeated into memory. "Okay, and uh, what does a mirrorscape look like?"
"That's up to you," she replied.
"Right, of course." Tailwind took on a much more serious tone as he digested the golden nuggets of magical advice.
Twilight, on the other hoof, simply gave a supportive smile at the impossible dream the stallion chased.
Who's to say, we don't know what kind of magic has affected them.
If such a thing does happen, then we know even less than we thought.
We need information, something that could give us more clues.
We need Gale, Twilight finished for Ruby, though it came with a knot in her stomach. There wouldn't be much of an opportunity during the fight.
We'll have to be quick then after the final blow, and figure out what we can before he fades away.
Twilight narrowed her eyes, recalling the only moment she could remember watching a soul die. The pulses of light dimming until they no longer twinkled, and the subtle vibrancy of life that played across the white fibers before becoming still and rigid. A beacon of life in an otherwise void realm of senses, fading into the background of the surrounding darkness until nothing shined.
Though it had been such a short experience, Twilight and Ruby could still vividly recall the last moments of Night Walker's life.
Twilight walked silently for some paces, and eventually closed her eyes for a moment as she let out a sigh. Her ears softly flicked at hearing Tailwind swallow, and he soon asked, "W-Were you in your mirrorscape?"
The question brought a smile to her lips, and she turned to him. "Not precisely, but in a manner of speaking, yes."
Tailwind's eyes shimmered in pondering at the sagely answer, and Twilight felt a twinge of sympathy within her chest from Ruby.
Great, he's mistaking your social awkwardness for mysterious wisdom.
Well, there's little I can actually offer him. If he does one day learn to cast magic, it'll be because of his choices. No pony else can show him the path he seeks.
Just as Twilight and Ruby began to delve deeper into the theoretical possibilities of such an endeavor, the boutique came into view while Twilight and the group rounded a corner.
Casting a quick glance behind her, she took into every detail she could within the moment.
Tailwind had fallen back a few steps, looking at his reflection in a passing store window. Behind him was Spike chatting with Dust Cloud about the town, while Breezy Lace and Sea Drop looked about in interest while half listening. Overall, they seemed to have become less bothered by the discreet attention they still received. And Rainbow Dash was still at the rear, her glower apparent to Twilight's notice. Although she seemingly walked confidently, the drop in her tail and the subtle tilt of her head told Twilight otherwise.
Twilight's brow tugged on her forehead at seeing the demeanor, but then she then saw that her friend's eyes were looking over the other drakes. While she hadn't actively participated with the others all that much yet, Twilight had noticed that Rainbow Dash had been keeping close attention to them ever since their arrival.
But when Rainbow Dash caught notice of Twilight's stare, Rainbow Dash averted her gaze, locking onto an unfortunate passing guard who flinched at the sudden and intense scrutinizing gaze.
Twilight tightened her lip in worry, but after a few steps recollected herself, and she beamed the group a wide smile before announcing to them. "May I present our next stop, Rarity's Boutique."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Welcome! Do come in. It's a pleasure to meet you all." As Rarity trotted jubilantly towards the center of her shop, she extended a hoof to her work around her. "My name is Rarity, expert fashionista and designer. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances." After one passing glance across her guests, her eyes sparkled at the one piece of fabric among them. "Ah, I see that one of you likes to sport headwear. May I have your name, sir?"
Dust Cloud lifted his weathered duster hat and brought it to his chest, and he bowed low to Rarity. "The name's Dust Cloud, miss. Pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," Rarity replied, letting out a soft giggle at the formality of his greeting. "Might I ask if you are particularly sentimental about that hat?"
He chuckled before replying, "It took sometime to break this one in, but I've gone through a number of 'em."
"Well then," Rarity said with excitement. "It would be my pleasure to make a new one for you. May I?"
Rarity's horn twinkled, and Dust Cloud looked to his left, seeing a floating measuring tape that had snuck up beside him. After he gave Rarity a nod, it immediately flew about him, zipping and snapping its tape in a series of fwicks.
With a careful eye, Rarity counted the measurements in her head before turning to a pen that jotted it down.
"Excellent. Anything else you'd like? An ensemble perhaps?"
He let out a soft laugh. "I'm afraid I'm not in the financial position to buy myself anything fancier than a new hat."
"Not a problem at all, dear. I shan't accept a coin. Consider it a gift!"
Dust Cloud rubbed his chin before extending his hoof. "In that case, I suppose I could do with a new suit for formal occasions. Weddings, celebrations, and such. I reckon my last few's wing slots wouldn't fit anymore."
"Say no more!" Rarity replied passionately, and the measuring tape maddeningly flew around him like a hummingbird, taking in every measure while the pen jotted down slashes of numbers.
While Spike and the drakes were captivated at the spectacle, Rainbow Dash slid up beside Twilight and whispered, "What gives? Are you paying her, too?"
"What? No," Twilight whispered as she sharply turned to her. "She's doing this pro-bono. She came to me and insisted that I let her do this!"
"Oh," Rainbow Dash said with a blinking stare.
"But I am paying the Cakes, if you must know," Twilight added, gauging her friend's reaction.
"I don't care," Rainbow Dash replied dismissively as she moved gaze back to Rarity..
"Rainbow Dash, is everything okay?"
Rainbow Dash turned her head away while narrowing her eyes. After a moment, she merely whispered, "Later."
"Rainbow," Twilight said softly. "If you need to talk, we-"
"I said later," Rainbow Dash harshly whispered with gritted teeth.
Twilight gave her a concerned look, feeling as though the expression would become plastered on her face by how often she was making it. But she closed her eyes and gave a soft sigh. Opening them again, she gave Rainbow Dash a respectful nod before turning her attention back to the captivated group.
Rainbow Dash blew her nostrils, and forced herself to listen to Rarity, finding the familiar voice somewhat soothing.
"And that's all I need. Thank you, dear." The pen was laid down, but the measuring tape still remained aloft in magic. "Now," Rarity said, her horn holding the faintest trace of using magic despite the rapid use of levitation. "Who else would like something?"
Breezy Lace stepped forward. "Whelp, you only become a drake once. I might as well cash in. But do you think you could make a parcel bag? You know, something personal that I can use on the easy mail routes. Doesn't need to be too fancy, but durable would be nice."
Rarity's smile perked as she brought a hoof to her chin. "Your mane has a lovely golden color, what do you think of a matching face and cover satchel, with the usual grey for the bordering?"
Breezy Lace smiled at the image. "That sounds lovely, but do you think you could add a lace design on the edges?."
"Not a problem at all, darling. May I?"
Breezy Lace nodded, and the measuring tape she was certain that was nearby suddenly zipped into view and all around her, making a series of soft fwicks while the pen jostled the paper.
Rarity raised an eyebrow as layers of imaginary fabric fell onto Breezy Lace's form. "Are you sure you wouldn't want a dress as well? Or perhaps an outdoor jacket?"
"Just the satchel is fine enough."
"If you insist. But should you ever change your mind, you know where to find me," Rarity added with a wink. She then set the pen down and looked to the rest of the group. "Anypony else?"
When nopony was forthcoming, Rarity finally rested the tape onto the table. "Well then, shall we head off to the next stop?"
"You're coming with?" Breezy Lace asked in surprise.
"Of course, darling," Rarity replied with a wave of her hoof. "While I may be a fashionista, I'm also a social butterfly, and a good friend once you get to know me."
"I've never been friends with a tailor before," Sea Drop said.
Dust Cloud chuckled beside her. "The best ones stick closer to you than their clothes." Turning to Rarity, Dust Cloud added, "I can only imagine what my old tailor would say if she learned another pony was making me a suit."
"Perhaps I've heard of her," Rarity asked in interest. "What was her name?"
"She went by Madam Sunseed, but she was always Sunny Seeds to me."
"Well, she may not have had the spotlight she deserved, but I'm very familiar with Madam's styles. Oh! Tell me, what did she design for you?" Rarity asked while making her way to the door.
As Rarity waited for each pony to depart so she could lock up, Dust Cloud spoke all the while. "She was one of my first fans at the Dirt Bowls. After one of my scarves blew off, she made me a new one. And another, and another." Dust Cloud chuckled as he waited outside. "Eventually I realized I was her guinea pig for her designs. Should have charged her sponsorship fees, but she made the tastiest carrot pies you could eat."
Rarity let out an excited giggle. "I should know. I also bought her cooking book." Closing the door behind her, Rarity locked her shop, and then trotted to the head of the group. "Shall we, Twilight?"
"Lead the way."
"Very well. Dust Cloud, please do continue." Her eyes sparkled as her inner muse screamed. "Seeing as I'll never have the chance to meet her, I'd loved to hear more about what kind of pony and fashionista she was."
"Ah, Sunny," Dust Cloud said as he trotted to Rarity's side. "She was a quiet pony, but she had the loudest voice when it came to pitching her designs. I think out of all her passions, fashion was one of her favorites."
As Dust Cloud recounted tales, the rest followed suit, listening and looking around at the sights around them. Meanwhile, Twilight fell to the back beside Rainbow Dash, who in turn kept her gaze averted.
All together they walked through the streets of Ponyville, slowly making their way to the fringes of the town's edge where less and less ponies appeared.
"Let me guess," Rainbow Dash eventually asked. "We're going to Fluttershy's for animal cuddling time?"
"If anypony wants to cuddle an animal, then yes," Twilight responded neutrally.
The reply made Rainbow Dash scowl slightly, but she quickly stoned her expression.
Twilight peeked out from beneath the brim of her sunhat, and saw the tightness in Rainbow Dash's jaws. She then asked, "Is there anything I can do right now to help?"
"No," Rainbow Dash replied flatly.
Twilight stared at her for some moments longer before looking forward again. Soon enough, the cobblestone path turned a corner past a bend of trees, and a small cottage came into view.
Before was a dainty wooden bridge resting over a babbling brook which ran behind the house. Aside from the remarkable lawn space, unlike the other houses of Ponyville, the cottage’s rooftop was an expanse of greenery. While windows did poke out here and there between the leaves, the majority of the foliage was filled with bird houses tucked between branches, neighbors to the squirrels that could be seen darting about.
Butterflies gently fluttered about the property, bringing a serenity to the already peaceful scene of bunnies laying in the grass. However, as Twilight and the drakes approached, the bunny's ears all perked, and they scattered within moments.
"Aww," Sea Drop exclaimed.
"Don't fret, darling," Rarity said. "There'll be plenty of chances."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Angel, dear, you're shaking awfully bad. Just-oh my! Why don't you-GOODNESS!"
With a scattering of cups and plates, Angel's white, furry form was a blur across the table and into the kitchen.
Twilight and Rarity's horns were aglow having caught the flung cups and plates, and they both exhaled with relief while they settled everything back into place.
The drakes and Spike, who sat on comfy couches and cushy chairs covered in doileys, looked to the kitchen way in surprise.
"I'm sorry, he's normally not like that," Fluttershy apologized from her sofa chair. "I'll talk with him later. Now then, it's so nice to meet all of you. My name is Fluttershy." With a gentle demeanor, she looked towards her guests kindly. "Would anyone like a cup of tea?"
"That would be nice," Breezy Lace replied while a hat-less Dust Cloud nodded for one as well.
"Allow me, darling," Rarity said. With a smooth motion, she magically poured a cup for the two drakes, and two more for Fluttershy and herself.
"It's nice to meet every pony," Fluttershy repeated. Holding her cup in her lap, she looked about the drakes. "If any of you ever need any pony to talk to, you're more than welcome to come visit me. And if you don't want to talk to anypony, there are plenty of animal friends here to keep you company."
Fluttershy looked about her home for an animal in sight, but after a few nervous sweeping glances, she looked back to her guests with a wider smile. "They must be busy right now. But never mind them, I'm sure there are some animal friends who would love to meet you."
"Which reminds me," Rainbow Dash announced. Jumping up from the couch, she made her way to the door. "Gonna go pay my guy a quick visit. Is he at his usual spot?"
Fluttershy nodded. "Hmhm, I'm sure he'll be excited to see you."
Sea Drop sprung up from her seat. "Oh! Can I come with? I wanna see more of this place."
Rainbow Dash plopped her hoof onto the doorknob and slowly drug it open
"...Yeah, sure."
Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight's ears had flicked the tone, and they glanced amongst themselves.
"Great!" Sea Drop said as she lightly trotted over.
"A-Actually, I'd like to come, too," Tailwind said. He quickly sat up, but remained beside the couch as he looked with questioning eyes towards Rainbow Dash.
"The more the merrier," Rainbow Dash replied with a scrunched smile. Turning away from the living room, she swiftly exited through the door and made for the back of the house.
As she passed the frontrow flowerbeds, Sea Drop jogged up to her side all while Tailwind hurried to shut the door behind them.
"So... have you lived in Ponyville your whole life?" Sea Drop asked as she looked to Rainbow Dash.
"Moved her when I was old enough to get out of the house" Rainbow Dash replied without turning to her. "But I was born in Cloudsdale."
"You've been to Cloudsdale?" Sea Drop asked in excitement. She bounced as they walked, her fiery mane jostling over her teal coat. "What's it like? Is it as huge as they say and full of cloud buildings?"
Rainbow Dash turned her vision to the blue sky. "Yeah, it's pretty awesome."
"There's no city like it!" Tailwind added as he jogged up beside them. "I should know since I work there."
Rainbow Dash turned her gaze to him all while raising an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Where at?" she asked, briefly glancing to Sea Drop now and then who walked between them.
"The weather factory, storm research," Tailwind proudly replied.
Rainbow Dash whistled as they rounded the first corner and walked the side path, entering the cool shaded side of the house. "I guess you are egghead smart."
"Well, I did study pretty hard for the job," Tailwind admitted as he broke eye contact. "T-To be honest, it's something I've wanted to do since I was a colt."
"Oh," Rainbow Dash replied in surprise. "That's pretty cool, actually."
"Wow, same here," Sea Drop added. "I've been doing my dream job for years!"
"And what's that?" Tailwind asked.
"Diving for treasures," she replied happily. "And now that I got wings like these, it's only gotten better!"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
"What about you, Rainbow Dash?" Sea Drop asked. "What's your dream job?"
A toothy grin appeared on Rainbow Dash's face. "Me? Pssh, easy. The Wonderbolts."
"The Wonderbolts?" Tailwind replied in surprise. "The most elite pegasi unit in all of Equestria!?"
"Yup," Rainbow Dash replied smugly. But as they entered the sunny backyard, Rainbow Dash turned her gaze upward again, and her smile fell at the mental sight that came to mind of her flying among them.
Would they even accept me now?
Before she could ponder further, Sea Drop skidded to a halt and pointed a hoof forward. "Whoa! Is that a bear?"
"A bear!?" Tailwind exclaimed as he jumped behind her.
In the spacious green backyard that was an inlet for the enclosing forest yonder, a bear sporting sunglasses laid stretched out at the center as it soaked up the sun's rays.
"Yeah, that's one of Fluttershy's regulars," Rainbow Dash replied nonchalantly. "Poor guy needs chiropractic work so often he hardly leaves."
Rainbow Dash trotted forward to the back of the yard, where the ground rolled down and out of view. "Just don't block his sun and you'll be fine."
Sea Drop trotted after her while keeping a fascinated look at the relaxed bear, with Tailwind meanwhile keeping her between him and the pile of furry muscle.
While they passed, the bear's nose sniffed once, then twice. Scrunching its nose, it suddenly propped itself up on its elbows and turned to look at them. Raising its sunglasses with a claw, it gave them a concerned stare.
Tailwind gulped as he hugged closer to Sea Drop, who in turn simply waved a hoof.
"Hi!" Sea Drop said with a toothy grin.
The bear kept its unblinking gaze upon them, but halfheartedly waved a paw in return. It then sat itself up more in a sitting position, scratching its back while keeping an eye on them.
Rainbow Dash lifted her head for a better look as she crested the hill and saw a pond down the short hill, the place where the front creek wound its way back before vanishing into the woods later downstream. But the moment Rainbow Dash appeared before the idyllic pond, the water exploded into a flurry of panic.
Ducks scrambled into bushes or further downstream and into the woods, while startled frogs dove into water, plunging themselves deep within the pond along the fish who swam into hiding.
Bobbing at the center of the rippling water, and surround by a pink inflated ring, a hard shell floated in circles while alarmed eyes peeked out.
"Tank!" Rainbow Dash shouted with a nervous but joyous smile.
With a slow motion, Tank poked his head out, and slowly swam his paws to turn and face her.
Rainbow Dash rushed to the water's edge as Sea Drop and Tailwind crested the hill. "Tank, it's me! Come here, buddy!"
Tank blinked twice at what he saw, but otherwise gave a drawn out smile.
"Come on over!" Rainbow Dash said as she patted the water's surface.
With a bobbing motion, Tank lazily swam towards her, kicking his feet below the water as he pushed the flotation ring to the shore.
"He's so cute!" Sea Drop said as she and Tailwind flanked her sides.
"Isn't he?" Rainbow Dash agreed.
"I've never seen a tortoise, or even a swimming one for that matter," Tailwind said. "How old is he?"
"I think he's coming up on his thirties," Rainbow Dash replied. She leaned forward as Tank approached the shoreline. "That's right, bud. Ponyville's been your stomping grounds before any of us. Ain't that right?"
Tank blinked as his grin slowly widened, and he swam closer for Rainbow Dash to scoop him up out from his floater ring.
"Aww, I've missed ya, pal," she said while cradling him.
"So cute!" Sea Drop said while tiptoeing on her hooves. "I wonder if I can befriend a sea turtle?"
"A sea turtle?" Tailwind asked.
"Ya, a bunch pass by where I live," Sea Drop replied. "They like to visit the coral reef beside my shore. Over at the east coast, north of Manehattan."
"Beachfront property, eh?" Rainbow Dash replied. She doddled a hoof in front of Tank who bobbed his head against it. "I bet it's got a good view."
"You should visit sometime," Sea Drop said. Smiling, she turned to Tailwind. "We should all go. Maybe even do a home tour across Equestria!"
Tailwind averted his gaze as he rubbed one of his legs. "W-We could probably skip mine. It's just a small flat in Cloudsdale"
"Are you kidding?" Sea Drop replied. "I'd love to see it and Cloudsdale. Going on a road trip would be so much fun!"
Tailwind looked back with a small smile. "I could give everypony a tour of the weather factory, if we have time that is."
"Are you kidding!?" Sea Drop repeated, loudly this time in jubilation. "We're drakes, we have all the time in the world!"
Rainbow Dash's smile fell as she looked at Tank, and she set him down beside her on the grassy shoreline. "Just because we have time doesn't mean we should waste it."
Sea Drop and Tailwind both looked to her with blinking eyes.
"What's that mean?" Sea Drop asked.
Rainbow Dash sighed as she turned away from them. With Tank beside her, she slowly walked away from the pond. "It just means don't waste time just because you can and other ponies can't."
Sea Drop's eyes narrowed at the advice as she looked at Rainbow Dash's back.
Tailwind on the other hoof, looked to Rainbow Dash in reverence. "That's just what I'd expect from an Element of Harmony. You've must have already thought about everything."
"A what now?" Sea Drop asked, turning to Tailwind with a sharp but puzzled look.
"Wait," Tailwind said, shaking his head as his mind reeled on the fact in acute detail. "D-Do you not know about the Elements of Harmony?"
Rainbow Dash paused as she looked back, to which Tank used as he waddled up beside her.
Meanwhile Sea Drop's wings flexed upwards as her eyes bounced between Rainbow Dash and Tailwind.
"I've… heard of them once or twice. They're a… military group, right?"
A 'pffft' escaped Rainbow Dash's lips as she continued her slow trek with Tank.
"You're kidding," Tailwind said in deadpan.
Sea Drop dropped her gaze. "The dock merchants don't talk about much besides wares and the ocean."
"So you don't realize who we've been meeting?" he asked in disbelief.
"I don't get into town much, okay?" Sea Drop replied defensively. "Just… explain it straight."
"Okay, a lot to unpack here," Tailwind said as he sat on his haunches. "Where to even begin? For ancient, magical artifacts, the Elements of Harmony are one of the most powerful and mysterious forces in Equestria. They were thought to be a myth by pretty much all of magical academia who-"
"To put it shortly," Rainbow Dash interrupted with an annoyed look, "now and then my friends and I team up to save the world when it needs it. Sometimes we use these awesome artifacts, and sometimes we use these." She pounded her front hooves together. "If a big bad villain threatens Equestria, then we're the ponies that get called."
"Woah," Sea Drop replied in awe.
"Wait a minute," Tailwind said. He hopped onto his hooves and looked to Rainbow Dash. "What about the Elements of Harmony? Couldn't we use them?"
Rainbow Dash shook her head as she continued to the crest of the hill. "Can’t. They're stuck in the Tree of Harmony."
"Wait, what!?" Tailwind exclaimed. Rushing up the hill he jumped in front of Rainbow Dash with splayed wings. "There's a Tree of Harmony!?"
A scowl crossed Rainbow Dash's face as she raised her hoof while sidestepping him. "Dude, personal space."
"Sorry," Tailwind said as he tucked his draconic wings. "It's just-There's a Tree of Harmony? How-When was this a thing?"
"Like a few months ago I think? Whenever Discord's vines showed up in Ponyville."
"What's it doing? How long are the Elements going to be stuck?"
"I don't know, ask Twilight about it," Rainbow Dash replied testily. Scooping up Tank again, she walked a normal pace towards the house.
Tailwind's gaze fell as he blinked profusely, mentally shuffling his knowledge in accordance to the new information. "If there's a tree, then Leafbin's theory on organic magic may have some weight to it after all. Could the materials be-"
Sea Drop gave the mumbling Tailwind a puzzled look as she trotted past him and to Rainbow Dash's side. While admiring Tank's shell, she asked, "So I'm guessing you have a lot of fans?"
Turning to her, Rainbow Dash gave a dashing smile. "Yeah, but not because I'm an element. It's because I'm an awesome flyer. Ponies can't get enough of my stunt flying." Her smile then fell. "That and my hair clippings."
"What!?" Sea Drop exclaimed with a laugh in both disgust and disbelief. "You can't be serious, ponies buy that?"
"Hey, I can't blame them for wanting this," Rainbow Dash replied as she swung her mane. "And if somepony is gonna' offer me bits for some hair that falls down at the barber then I'm gonna' sell it."
"Huh, selling hair," Sea Drop replied. "I guess even when you're famous you still have gotta run your own business."
"Well, my actual job is weather management," Rainbow Dash replied. "It's enough for a living, and Ponyville's weather ain't that bad."
Sea Drop looked upwards. "It's a lot rougher over at the coast. Sometimes we get these huge storms. The wind can get so bad I gotta spend the night in the cave."
"A cave?" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief.
"Hmhmm," Sea Drop replied. "Just deeper in the woods from my place. As for my usual house, I've put in sturdier logs for the walls, but the roof always seems to go."
"Must be bad storms to rip a roof off," Rainbow Dash said.
They reached the back of the house where an open flower garden resided against the wooden wall. An assortment of edible plants freshly potted laid bare to the backyard for animal use.
With Rainbow Dash at his side, Tank slowly reached forward to tear off a leaf of lettuce and began to chew contently.
"Uh, R-Rainbow Dash," Tailwind said, suddenly trotting up to them. "Do you know where the Tree of Harmony is?"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "If you want to see it so badly just head over to the bat pony town."
"The bat ponies?" Tailwind replied with a jovial smile. "Well, I guess I'll be taking Spike's advice sooner than I thought on visiting." His smile then fell. "A-Are bat ponies, or rather um… vamponies, well tempered?"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes again, but softly laughed as well. "Just don't step on anypony's hooves and you'll be fine, dude."
After a moment, however, Rainbow Dash blinked with a serious gaze, and looked to Tailwind directly. "Avoid the construction zones."
Tailwind nodded fervently and opened his mouth to ask more questions, but he paused as another pony caught his attention.
Rainbow Dash and Sea Drop followed his gaze, and saw Twilight standing beside the house corner.
"We're heading over to Sugercube corner now," Twilight called out to them.
“About time for some grub,” Rainbow Dash replied. Bending down, she patted Tank on his shell. “I’ll come visit later, alright buddy? I promise we’ll be back at our place soon enough.”
Tank slowly turned his head, chewed once, twice, and then nodded.
As the three of them moved to join Twilight, Sea Drop asked, “So what’s this place we’re heading to?”
Rainbow Dash answered with a small grin, “Just the best bakery in all of Equestria.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“And she’s the element of generosity,” Tailwind finished.
“Makes sense,” Sea Drop replied. Lifting her milkshake, she took a long sip as she glanced around the place. The cheerful decor of balloons and pleasant smells that was store was the cherry on top of her day so far. After smacking her lips and setting her glass down onto the table she and Tailwind sat at, she asked, “But isn’t that only five?”
Tailwind blinked, and looked around the store again. Among the small crowd of ponies, he spotted each element they’ve met so far. And after a second sweeping pass while mumbling titles to himself, he clopped his hooves together. “Laughter.”
“Did some pony call?
Tailwind and Sea Drop whipped their heads at the pony suddenly sitting between them. With an ample smile and a platter full of treats, a pink pony presented them a smorgasbord of candy delicacies.
“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight exclaimed, also seemingly appearing from across the table of the party mare. “They need nourishment, not sugar. That’s way too much.” Twilight glanced between Tailwind and Sea Drop. "A few treats are fine, but I strongly encourage you to not gorge yourself on treats. Reasons explained in chapter fifteen of your books, relating to giant growth via greed."
Tailwind coughed as he spat out his straw, and he nervously pushed away his milkshake.
Pinkie Pie took on a serious gaze as she locked eyes with Twilight, and with her free hoof from the platter of treats, she pushed the milkshake back to where it was and slapped the straw into Tailwind's mouth.
"They're fine, Twilight. And besides," Pinkie Pie said as her expression became a pleasant smile. "Who could blame any pony for getting addicted to my treats when they are so tasty?"
Twilight raised her hoof and gently pushed the plate of treats down onto the table. "All I'm asking is that you don't overextend your offers. Do you know how many pounds Spike has gained since you two have began cooking together?"
Pinkie Pie propped herself onto her elbow as she waved a hoof. "He'll shed that weight off in no time. It's just baby fat after all."
Twilight sighed, but before she could reply Sea Drop butted her head in.
"So you're the Element of Laughter? How does that work?"
Pinkie Pie giggled. "Well sometimes laughter can get you through a tough situation. And remembering what we laugh for will get you through even worse!"
Sea Drop raised an eyebrow. "And what do we laugh for?"
With a wide grin, Pinkie Pie wrapped both her hooves around Sea Drop and Tailwind's necks, and leaned forward across the table as she directed their attention passed Twilight.
The store was a rife with conversation and laughter. Locals and guard alike were either browsing wares or enjoying them in the tables and booths. Smiles were on everypony's faces, and the scene was lively with jubilation.
Then, the store's doors were thrown open, and the entering guard gave a relieved laugh. "I told you we'd find it!" he said to his companion behind who looked around curiously. "The best sweets in all of Equestria!"
Pinkie Pie slinked her hooves off the two drakes and shrugged her shoulders. "More guests to greet," she professed. And with a whirlwind of speed, she dash off, leaving the table spinning before it settled into place with milkshakes still in front of their proper owners.
Twilight gave a small glare at her departure, but quickly recomposed herself and looked to the drakes with a smile. "Feel free to sample, but please don't over indulge."
After receiving a nod from the two of them, Twilight scooted herself off her stool and walked further into the crowded store. Looking around, she accounted for her remaining guests.
At the window booth, Rarity appeared to be glued to Dust Cloud's side as he regaled tales. Breezy Lace and Spike were at a nearby table chatting together. The drakes still caught the stores attention, whenever ponies weren't distracted with Twilight herself or their delicious treats. And to Twilight's relief the mood of the crowd was receptive to the drakes, if not still eagerly curious. But to Twilight's concern, Rainbow Dash resided against the wall besides the stairs, chewing on some treat as she looked about idly from the corner nook position.
Twilight sighed, and made her way towards her. Rainbow Dash caught sight of her, and to Twilight's surprise, didn't show a flare of irritation at her arrival.
Rainbow Dash simply chewed and swallowed the remnants of her treat as Twilight came beside her, then lifted herself from the wall and looked across the store at the other drakes.
"I don't get why I need to stay here," Rainbow Dash said quietly. "They're clearly doing just fine."
Twilight looked to the other drakes as well before turning back to Rainbow Dash. After a forlorn look, she replied, "No, they aren't."
Rainbow Dash's ears flicked, and she gave Twilight a sidelong gaze.
Twilight added, "None of you went through this unscathed."
Rainbow Dash scoffed and looked away, but Twilight continued, "Trust me when I say they need you, Rainbow. And-"
"And let me guess, we all need each other?" Rainbow Dash replied, giving Twilight a scowl all the while.
Twilight fluttered her eyes with an open mouth as she processed the reaction, and replied, "Rainbow, what's wrong?"
Rainbow Dash flicked her ears in response and whipped her head away. As Twilight waited for a reply, the sound of laughter in the store filled the silence as ponies celebrated.
Eventually Rainbow Dash spoke with a tightened jaw, "Just… use your dam soul sight…"
With only a moment's pause for worry, Twilight closed her eyes, and kept them closed in discretion. As her friend's soul appeared to her and Ruby through the otherworldly sense, Twilight's mouth fell at what she saw.
Dismissing the soul sight and opening her eyes, Twilight looked to Rainbow Dash pleadingly. "Rainbow, you aren't useless or broken."
Rainbow Dash bit her lip as she looked away, blinking away the bit of water that appeared in her eyes. After a few breaths, she looked back to Twilight, meeting her eye with a gaze of apprehension. "Twilight… I hate feeling like this, especially when everypony else isn't."
Twilight's eyes watered, and she blinked it away as she stepped forward and wrapped a hoof around Rainbow Dash.
Though Rainbow Dash leaned into the embrace momentarily, she gently shrugged Twilight off and wiped her face. "I-I'll be fine," replied. "I'm going to be fine, and I know it."
"I know," Twilight softly replied. "Just… Remember ponies are here for you if you need them, okay?"
Rainbow Dash slightly nodded in affirmation, and looked to the other drakes again, watching their expressions and eyeing draconic features.
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but found nothing coming to mind as to what more she could say.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I hope today was exciting, and informative," Twilight said. Once again, she, Spike, and the drakes were back inside the library. The sunset's rays shined through the colored curtains, casting a glow of soft colors within the room's high arched ceilings and shelves of differently colored books.
"I'm sure this adjustment is a lot for each of you," Twilight continued, "but there is plenty of time to adjust. For the time being, you'll find Ponyville more than accommodating for your growth." Twilight placed her hooves onto the table and brought them together. "As for lodging accommodations, you're all welcome to use the library's spare rooms. But if you feel the need for more of a private space," she said while motioning to the public sign currently flipped to 'Closed', "then there's additional lodging at the edge of town that can house you all if needed."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow from her crossed arm sitting position. "You mean that place?"
Twilight's smile noticeably lessened as she nodded.
Rainbow Dash let out a 'tsk. "No thanks."
Breezy Lace raised an eyebrow as well. "So what's that place?"
Twilight turned to her. "Just the residence of a previous tenant whom Rainbow Dash and I didn't like. But don't worry, the house has been refurbished, and it's near Applejack's and Fluttershy's, as well as the woods."
Breezy Lace nodded in approval. "Well, that sounds good to me. I'll guess I'll visit it later and see if I'll lodge up there."
"I'll go with," Dust Cloud said.
"I prefer the library," Tailwind added.
Twilight's head turned to each answer, and then settled on Sea Drop.
After a moment's consideration, Sea Drop placed her hooves onto the table and asked with a toothy grin, "Do you think they have room at the castle? It's not far, is it?"
Twilight smiled. "I'll look into if a room can be found for you, and no, it's not that far from town."
"Yes!" Sea Drop replied as she sat back in her chair.
"Now then," Twilight said after glancing at the clock, "Unless there are any other questions you want to ask, I'll be preparing for my departure."
When no-pony spoke up, Sea Drop scooted her chair out and stood up. "Well then, is it alright to explore on our own now?"
Twilight blinked in surprise, but was pleased by the initiative. "Feel free."
"Alright, who wants to find a castle?" Sea Drop asked excitedly while looking at the other drakes.
"That sounds fun," Tailwind replied.
"Sounds like an adventure," Dust Cloud replied as he too sat himself up. "Lemme' get my hat."
"Breezy Lace?" Sea Drop asked.
Breezy Lace gave a polite smile. "Thanks, but I want to get ahead on what's going to happen." Standing up from her chair, she hugged her draconian guide to her chest. "I'll be spending the evening in a nook somewhere around the library. But why don't you show me it another day when you all get back."
"Alright." Turning to Rainbow Dash, Sea Drop asked, "Wanna come?"
Rainbow Dash's eyes met hers, and then briefly flickered to the others. Eventually, she responded, "Tonight… I want to be by myself."
"Oh… Okay," Sea Drop said, though her smile strengthened after. "Well then, see you tomorrow."
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash replied, and she scooted out from her chair. Without making eye contact, she made her way for the stairs and guest room.
Twilight looked towards her in worry while the rest of the drakes began to move.
"So just ask a bat pony?" Sea Drop asked.
"Oh," Twilight replied. "Yes, I'm sure you'll fine some in Ponyville throughout the night. They'll be able to point you to the castle."
"Alright," Sea Drop announced. "Ready?"
Tailwind quickly scooted out and pushed his chair in. "Ready."
Dust Cloud returned with his hat and he nodded chirpily.
"Let's go!" Sea Drop declared, and the three of them began to exit the library.
"Have fun," Twilight said while waving them off from her chair. After they departed, Twilight quickly turned her attention back to the stairs, but saw only the edge of Rainbow Dash's tail before vanishing upstairs.
"Well, I'll go find my nook, then," Breezy Lace said as she scooted her chair back in. "Thank you again, Princess, for everything you're doing."
Twilight beamed her a smile. "Of course, I'm happy to help."
Breezy Lace nodded, and turned to leave, but paused as she looked back. "And… please be careful. By the sound of it, he seems really dangerous."
Twilight gave an appreciative nod. "Thank you, I will."
Breezy Lace returned it, but before she could move away, Spike spoke up. "Would you like a cup of tea while you read?"
"That sounds lovely," Breezy Lace replied. "And maybe some of those cucumber snacks you mentioned earlier today?" she asked hopefully.
"Sure thing," Spike replied while saluting, and then looked to Twilight. "And I'll be right back with your drink."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight shut the library's front door behind her, and sighed.
Closing her eyes, she took in her surroundings. The gentle murmur of conversations in the streets where but a whisper even to her ears, hidden behind the cool night breeze that whisked through the leaves. The atmosphere in the town was pleasant, jovial even. Yet, it’s lightheartedness felt pale to the bundle of worry growing within.
Twilight took a deep breath, and exhaled as she opened her crimson eyes.
Turning away from the library, she set off at a brisk pace towards the airfields. Hardly a pebble was disturbed despite her swift passing, and her trots gave naught a noise as shadows darkened beneath each step.
Passing only momentarily beneath streetlights, Twilight was all but a shadow outside their illumination. As the town’s light sources lessened on her approach to its edge, more and more ponies found themselves unnoticing of Twilight’s passing.
Soon enough she found herself in front of the clover field. It was barren of guard and airship; the town’s visitors had already departed in continuation of their assignments. Twilight looked across the field, and saw hardly a clover remained standing after the day’s work. Four grooves of dirt were seen stretching across the field, dug in by the many hooves walking across the forward ramps that had chopped into the ground.
It was only this morning that the idyllic clover field sat peacefully covered in dew, and now, was the trodden and scarred remains of movement for battle. While grass regrew, ponies did not, and it pained Twilight to know that in the future she would have to ask even more of them.
Eventually, here at the town's edge in shadow, beneath the starry sky above, Twilight was quietly joined by silent hooves. One by one they came, forming rank and file with amber eyes. And soon with them, a crackling hum sounded across the field once more.
A soft light did suddenly break over the ground as an airship swung pass the tree tops, revealing Twilight and the hundred bat ponies that stood behind her with a bright light. The crumpled clover field swished about what more it could as the airship swung about for landing, and its crew came flying down to secure its landing; each of them bat ponies as well.
The airship’s dark purple coloring and single magi-tech-sphere nestled in the center of the top deck made it apparent that this ship was like none other in Equestria, and Twilight could hear the awes behind her.
Turning around, a hundred pairs of amber eyes snapped to hers, and their faces became stoic as their postures straightened. With each of them believing this to be an historic moment, the eve before their military service, they stood at attention with bated breath before their Princess and Commander.
Twilight’s eyes passed across them, taking in faces and equipment. Their uniforms were a midnight blue tunic and pants from neck to ankle, with a dark purple lining its seams at the shoulders and down the chest. Resting slack behind their necks were hoods attached to the tunic, able to be drawn and fastened tight while shading the face. And wrapped securely around their waists, magically enchanted satchels held precious gear, the most important of which being the vials of donated blood that neither clinked among themselves nor felt the impactful presence of the outside world.
And behind these ponies, were more bat ponies; family, friends, and loved ones who came to see them off.
Twilight smiled, and with a nod of approval, she dismissed them. Some of the soldiers broke rank to be by their supporters, while others quickly dashed across the field to admire their transport, with the rest of the crowd slowly working its way towards it.
Despite the speech last night, they’re still taking this eagerly.
They’re vamponies, can you blame them?
Technically, only seventy-seven of them are vamponies, but I suppose we’ll be up to one hundred after we land.
What’s a few transformations a day?
Twilight smirked, and began to walk to the forest’s edge all while watching the commotion of her forces. The watching bat ponies and dismissed vampony soldiers stood a respectful distance from the airship, excitedly whispering among each other as they gazed upon its sleek and dark form. While smaller than the flagships that arrived earlier in the day, the Midnight Breeze was a swift and magically powerful airship; an experimental prototype of Twilight’s latest improvements with the new technology.
Among the bat pony crew that walked its decks and managed its cargo loads, delivered by tired local store keepers that slowly arrived with wagons of goods, unicorns could also be seen maintaining the magical equipment of the airship. With portable machines of dials and needle pointers hooked up to coiling tubes plugged into ports, they ran tests on the magi-tech sphere, the cannon armaments, and the small blackened brass flaps that adorned the ship’s hull, each metal piece covering the exit hole of hollow tubing that snaked up into the ship's internals.
Sitting in front of the forest's edge, Twilight looked at all these ponies who worked with determination, and she steeled herself inwardly for the long and arduous road of command ahead.
When at last Twilight heard the soft sounds of thudding knee drops from the forest behind her, she lifted her chin higher as she kept her gaze towards the lit up field of ponies.
“Do you understand your mission?” Twilight spoke, just loud enough for the ponies within the shadows to hear. The rustling of their uniforms told Twilight enough of their fervent nods. “Good,” she replied, and raised her hoof.
Shadows coalesced up her body and over her hoof, leaving three small bags in their wake. Swiftly tossing them over her shoulder, she heard the noise of them being caught. “In the event that you need them, these vials of my blood will help you. Use them sparingly, for you each only have three.”
Twilight waited as she heard satchels become unlatched and shut, and after some moment's pause, she then gave the command, “Begin your mission.”
And with that, three shadows departed into the night.