~ I ~
Claws and Horns
The nightmares had come. That house on the burning hill. A family of canaries before it. Into their view entered the massive claw. Falling and closing and collapsing into the structure. The whole and the home. Crunch into an explosion: nothing but jutted walls sprouting from the ground.
The little yellow filly shivered behind the tall leg of her father. Barely seeing out from underneath his barrel. Blocking her sight but not protecting her from it. That screech and roar. Loud and rolling around. The brewing of fires swirling in a throat.
"Feast feast! The delight... deeeliiight! Burn... burn... BURN!"
She shivered from the voice.
They rattled from the roars.
Until the filly couldn't take it anymore.
She sprinted out from her father's legs up the hill in the blackened night. It rained—coldness pelting her coat. A yucky, draining feeling, extinguishing the will to live. The ingrained prayer for closed eyes to be followed by the end.
Fluttershy's mane whipped behind her head, staring up at the dragon, unable to tell his figure from the rest of the night. Strikes of lighting teased only his floating silhouette. Pouring of fire leaving the corners of his jaw.
"P-Please! Please... don't do this.” Whimpers followed by a choked-back cry. "Please don't do this."
In the lightning flashed two more devils of the mountains. Hovering to the sides as hell itself circled around. Frozen winds struck the scene—chilling skin with an icy lick. Enough to make one desire to charge into the dragon's fires for warmth.
"Cowardly... cowardly! Coward... COWARD!"
Fluttershy shivered. "M-Maybe! B-But please.”
It stopped. Lava came from its lips. Everything froze for a second. Then enraged was it as fire blasted from the backward-tilt of its head. Rolling around... until it would come down. The poor little filly couldn't only shiver as her father rushed in front of her.
Before the flames could sweep across them, however, something swung in the darkness. Flash of a claw as its purple motion had blurred in the lightning. It socked into the underside of the jaw shooting fire. The second dragon clambered onto the first as it fell to the ground.
The back of its head rose, roaring a cry, a usual assertion for dominance.
Except.
"Run... Little One... Run.."
Fluttershy felt a hoof sweep over her chest and lift her onto her father's back. Her family turned and ran at once from home. Limp was she, splayed over the barrel, fighting to rise, weak in lifting—falling easily.
She looked behind her into the blaze of their previous home. It was swallowed beneath the giant dragon as he fell into it. Wood exploded from underneath him as he wiggled to rise.
The two other giants pounced on him. The following tussle rocked the land. Their fight dipped beneath the hill as more joined into the pile.
The murder of a traitor.
The family escaped.
"Ack!" Fluttershy launched out of her chair, groaning in so doing, needing to collapse into her seat from the sore back. Twisting her neck, slowly, in persevering over the aching muscles. Wooden chairs were lousy beds. "O-Oooh. Mmmhmmm. Oh no"
Settling back into the wood eased the soreness of her spine. She rolled her head on the rocking chair, looking over the side of her mane, through the waterfall, to the bed consumed underneath a mass of scales.
From the window on the wall came the pouring of sunlight. Washing across his body and hopefully warming it from the cold night. She looked across the bulk in the blanket. Letting her view travel to his head.
Which was on the pillow, on its side, eyes open, set on her.
Fluttershy blushed and wiggled into herself, crossing forehooves over her chest, blinking, needing to look away. Taking a few heavy breaths to steady her heart. She looked back again. He hadn't looked elsewhere. Maybe not even blink.
Her forehooves pushed on the rests of the chair to rise, coming to groan and ache again, fighting through it—to a shifting on fabric. Looking to the dragon to see his head shaking. An eye narrowed in the view of her pain.
Fluttershy stopped. Not sure what to do. Though pain urged for her to rest back.
Which she did.
The two looked at each other: the intense dragon and the shy mare. Not saying anything. Nothing to be done. Awkwardness was a forgotten concept in their stare. There wasn't feeling to it. A mood that could be assigned.
It was like seeing a foreign creature one saw in paintings alone. Given a chance to see them for real. Watch them breathe and the little things they did. Amazed they could exist. That they were here one. Eyes examining the other.
Until Fluttershy broke the silence.
"Um... hi?"
Her eyes shut tight in the sudden disdain. Smiling through the pain that was not caused by her sore body. Sometimes the shy girl could hate herself—even more for her massive blush. Dear oh dear! Out of ALL the things I could have said! I should have... should have.. said what I don't know what I should have said!
Was she supposed to be scared at this moment? That the most dangerous creature in the land was alone in her bed? The poor girl had been a recluse without her friends. Not even a stallion entered her home.
Much less this place. Fluttershy's bedroom. Dragons were known for atrocities that could scarcely be comprehended. But Fluttershy felt no such fear. At least not in danger for her life. Just nervousness. Being scared. Just in finding out not what, but who this dragon could be.
Her eyes reopened to the side of the bed and the side of the dragon in it. His slightly confused expression, partly blocked, in a raised claw. It waved. Waving to a pinch in the nerves. So much told from the wince at the side of his eyes.
"N-No! Not now. Try not to move your claw around—the muscle is still torn underneath."
His explosion in blinking told the amazement in being in communication with another.
It was one, too, as his claw slipped into the blanket.
"You... you understood me there." Fluttershy heaved a breath of subtle and bubble elation. "Understood what I said—didn't you? Think you could do it again? Can you hear what I'm saying?"
The dragon blinked only once this time. He nodded. But it also looked like a shake.
"A-Are you saying you can understand me? Or are you shaking your head saying you can't?"
His wince hadn't been born from pain.
"I... uh, d-don't think a normal pony would have understood me there." Fluttershy sighed and slumped from the seat. "P-Please give me a moment here. I'll think of something. S-So long as you can understand me, of course."
The dragon smiled. Enough to expose a fang. She shook and squeaked. He stopped smiling and slumped at once. Expression drowning in sadness as he rolled beneath the blanket, wrinkling it, turning his back to her.
Fluttershy kept still and silently hated herself.
T-That fang. It was so long and so... sharp. Ugh! But that was no reason to squeak like that! I've seen worse on bears and tigers and even that manticore! Why did I do that to him? Oh. That was so awfully terrible of me. I can't believe myself.
There was no letting that stand. Not when the mare could still do the same. She rose, enduring the soreness, wiggling out her hips, kicking out a kick for a stretch. She walked out of the room, each step a pronounced clop, none drawing a turn from the dragon.
The door squeaked open, and the mare left, time passing, that was, until the door creaked on her return. The dragon laid back onto his pillow, looking out the window. Sunlight washed across him as he sniffed. His eyes blinked. Grabbing the sheets, he raised it to his snout, sniffing, catching the flowery scent.
"I-I'm back!"
The dragon wiggled back onto the pillow and looked to the approaching mare. Fluttershy smiled down at him with a platter resting on a wing. The other pulled a wooden, pull-out table from the corner, stretching it out and putting it before him.
"S-Sorry I took so long! But I got to thinking that you mustn't have had a meal in a while! Especially after late last night." Fluttershy set the platter on the table and pushed it forward. She took the seat next to the bed. Leaning forward, hooves together, smiling at him. "I-I don't know what dragons usually eat. So I prepared what I use for some of my other... predator friends."
His eyebrow quivered while checking the plate. Eggs and hash browns. Few other things were unable to be made out. He looked down at his arm as if watching to see if it could even move. It did. Pulling out from underneath the blanket and reaching forward to the fork.
He managed to grab it... by the metal prongs.
"Oops! N-No! Not quite like that!” Fluttershy giggled into her hoof. At once, he dropped the fork, and it clattered onto the plate. He huffed. "Oh, please! I didn't mean anything by that! It's hard to know something you've never used before—I couldn't really use one myself." She smiled sweetly, and his tension deflated. "At least on the first time around."
Her wingtip wrapped around the fork and stabbed its prongs into an egg. Scooping a piece with a cover of a wing beneath it. She brought it open to his mouth, and his eyes looked at her, with a head turned away, a suspicion arose.
"It's, um, safe."
He blinked.
"I can take the first bite?"
His eyes squeezed without closing and, in a nod, opened his mouth.
Fluttershy exploded in mirth with a sway of mane over her shoulder. She guided the spoon into his mouth and poured the contents. Her mouth was adorably wide-open. Then she closed it. Cheeks puffed. Lips tightly pressed.
The dragon did the same—even puffing his cheeks—and his lips closed on the fork. Fluttershy it back with a smile over her bubbled cheeks. Then she snorted a laugh when she saw him start to chew. His eyes rolled back in pleasure. He even moaned at every bite.
His head leaned back as he swallowed. She squeaked at watching a lump pass down his scaly throat. Her nightmare and the memory of yesterday fused together. Giant dragons. Small homes. Ponies disappearing in maws. Fluttershy's smile vanished as his eyes closed.
Able to return it on their reopening.
And he looked to her, smiling, holding out his arm, claw open for that fork. Fluttershy passed it, and he went for the food. Scooping it instead of stabbing at it. Vacuuming the plate without manners. That didn't matter. So long as the dragon could finally eat.
And Fluttershy was content to keep like that for a while. Watching the dragon woof down the food. Lack of meat... didn't seem to deter him from the meal. That flinched at the eyes. There should have been more of a fight. Maybe issues with digestion.
Though a starving dragon, or a hungry anyone, usually set aside their taste.
It wasn't before long the plate was clean, and the dragon was lying on his back. Looking to the ceiling, still, without talking. No sound or attempt at speech. Was it because he couldn't? Torn vocal cords? Here was a dragon, so far, not dangerous, able to hear, to understand.
But not being able to talk.
Fluttershy looked to the ceiling as well. Clues as to what to do. She slumped into herself. There wasn't anything to be done. Those guards might stop here again. But they would be easy to talk off. Though so many stallions in one room... it made her shiver.
The cooler weather affected the room. Shivers actually from the cold. Her hooves rubbed at her shoulders to warm her coat. There was a snort from afar. Seconds later, a wave of heat rolled over her.
Enough to melt the ice starting on her fur.
Fluttershy looked over to the dragon to find him like a furnace now. Her mouth opened a little with an emerald glow brewing from fire in his chest. She curled into herself again. Though the heat rolling from his body was a comfort. Enough, a little, to lose some of her fear.
"A-Are you... are you warming yourself right now?" Fluttershy blinked, raising from the seat and resting her hooves on the ground. Carefully she approached the bed. Bringing a foreleg to his shoulder. He stared at it—but did nothing more. "Never knew dragons could even do that. You're like your own fireplace! Your own furnace."
Her furs brushed on the smooth scales and pressed in harder. It was a heated sheet. Warmed all over. Spreading flames beneath the current, spreading, that searched her hoof around. Following the roll of his shoulder, over the curve of his arm, mindful of the cuts and wounds, feeling the changes in the different spots of heat.
And the whole time.
His eyes were on her.
"W-Whoops! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..." She shook her head and tried again. "It's just a neat ability you have there. But is the bed cold? Holes in the blanket?"
His eyes kept on her even in shaking his head.
"If you're not cold, then why did you... oh."
Fluttershy's snout bathed in a blush as she took a step back. She looked around and under her own leg. Needing the cover of her own barrel for a bit of a reprieve. It seemed there was a kindness about him.
And he's not to the only dragon to be so.
Her shoulders dropped and peace washed over her.
Until there was a knock at the door.
The dragon pushed into the bed to rise, but the girl turned and ushered him down with a hoof, striding to the door. She pulled back the handle and stepped through—not without looking back at him.
"Rest. Try to keep still." Fluttershy smiled from underneath her mane. "I'll take care of this. It's time for me to help you now." She shook her head. "I won't let any of those ponies touch you. That's my promise."
The dragon was hesitant... but there wasn't anything he could do. He fell back into his bed and laid still. He wouldn't be a problem. Besides, he was too big and too weak to sneak through that window. Fluttershy left the room and through the hall and down the stairs.
Looking to the door from the steps.
Familiar faces gathered at the window.
Fluttershy's body nearly gave out from underneath her in freedom from stress. She went to the door and opened it. Flash of light to the three joined friends. Twilight Sparkle middle. Rarity and Rainbow at the sides.
"Darling, oh darling! You're safe! Safest and sound!" Rarity squeezed through the side of the door and did the same into Fluttershy. Nuzzling her cheek and one that Fluttershy returned. "We heard about the awfulness of that captain! Coming to you during a dreadful hunt, in the middle of the night, and accusing you of such terrible things."
Fluttershy did her best to smile and look at the rest of her friends. "T-Thanks girls... but how did you—"
"Find out? Easy." Rainbow grinned in choosing to lean into the frame of the door. "Someone from the guard wrote to Twilight." Her hoof whirled in the air. "And of course I go through her mail if the library hasn't opened up yet." Twilight perked, but Rainbow focused on Rarity. "And that one has a floating third ear for gossip."
Rarity cooed away from Fluttershy. "Indeed I doooo! And you know that I wrote a dastardly letter to Princes Celestia on the matter."
"Hey!" Twilight stepped through the door. "I was the one that wrote and sent it!"
"And I assisted in all the matters that were dastardly! Do try to pay attention, darling."
Twilight decided to save that verbal battle for later. She turned to Fluttershy instead. "We came right after that to make sure you're okay. There was news of blood on your door. And, w-well..." She pointed a hoof to a dried spray of red on the wood. "It looks like it's still here."
"A-And... some still on yourself." Rarity touched a hoof to her cheek and leaped into a gasp. "And a dot on myseeeeelf! A napkin!" She landed on her hooves and dashed to the kitchen; distant sounds of drawers being pulled. "I must simply have a napkin! Where are they? Where are they!? WHERE ARE... oh!"
A long sigh.
"Found them!"
"Celestia Fluttershy... I didn't even notice it either." Rainbow had leaned on the door with crossed forehooves but, at the first instance of hurt on a friend: dropped the act. Dropping to her hooves and strolling to her friend. “You're bloody. Never seen this much on you before. D-Did someone..."
Fluttershy swallowed as she didn't know how she looked. Glancing to the left at the mirror at the wall solved that problem. Her mane was high over her head. Frizzled in patches with blotches of red. Same on her cheek. Little splatters on her muzzle.
Looking down revealed the rest—puffed tuft of yellow and scarlet with the same travelling down her legs. There shouldn't have been too much on her belly. Yet she looked like a mess. Closest to a surgeon she'd been in all her life.
And looking this way before concerned friends.
Without any concern on the same matter herself.
"Need someone to hold onto? Doesn't look like you knew you had all that on you." Dash talked like she should have been scared. Which she should be. Fluttershy never squealed in such matters. In the blood that came from helping. But even this extent should have pushed her over the edge. "Easy now. Try not to fall. You can hold onto me."
But Fluttershy shook her head, swaying from it, a little light-headed. "N-No. I'll be fine."
Fluttershy was left in the middle of an abyss in how to act. Suddenly on the other side of glass between them. Soaked in blood as though it were a murder. Relaxed and calm. Two things she shouldn't be.
The only tension.
Being the one upstairs.
"A-Are you... are you sure about that?" Twilight coughed and took a step closer, the glass, cracking. “You might still be in shock. How much sleep did you have? Were you attacked at all? Did you—"
A thud crashed from the floor above.
The three friends paused in place, looking up after the impact. Then there was a rustling sound. The hearing of something large crawling across the ground. Smooth in its grind across the floor. Each then looked at Fluttershy.
Who was frozen.
T-Think... lie... don't lie!... help... them or him... d-do... do...
"F-Fluttershy? What is—"
"M-My patient! Oh dear, my patient!" Fluttershy stepped back from them as Rarity rejoined the rest who, on every step the bloody girl took—they covered. Approaching like a guard to a paranoid crook. "I'm sorry, girls. But I'm afraid I must go. I think he rolled out of bed."
Walking back and walking back until the back of her hooves touched the base of the steps. Her rump crashed onto the first one. Leaned back as her friends neared. "Please come visit another time, though! We can talk this over—"
"Is that a bear you have up there?"
Rainbow and Rarity stopped in their trance to stare at Twilight. She had stopped, her muzzle tilted up, her eyes looking down from over it. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Most likely a predator from the sound of that impact. Explains the amount of blood as well. Must be a creature close to that—right?"
It wasn't a friend before Fluttershy anymore. Not with her tallness or the coldness in her tone. Each word was like a snare that built into a coming accusation. Twilight did not need to take this approach, however.
For Fluttershy could hardly lie to anyone.
"Something like that." She nodded. "Yes."
"Like a dragon, perhaps?"
The world ended on its own.
"Dragon! You kiddin' me? Shy's scared to death of them!"
"Twilight! How could you ever be so insensitive?! How could you accuse dear Fluttershy after yesterday's—"
There was a flash of light and a steal of a mare inside of it. Twilight was gone with the lavender bubble. Horror dragged at the bottom of Fluttershy's eyes. She flipped onto her stomach at once, on weak legs and an aching back, dashing up the steps, banging into the wall, to steal herself down the hall.
Hoofsteps thundered behind her, although they did not matter. Only whipping back that door to reveal the horrific scene. The dragon laid forward on the ground, a claw dug into the wood, having dragged himself, and he, glaring up, at the towering mare before him.
Only the side of her face could be seen: her narrowed eyes and an uncaring expression. No thought. No remorse. No anything. She looked down without pity and with a stance of power.
Something that was taken away from her yesterday.
Then the tip of her horn bloomed in a ball of powerful violet. Fluttershy's eyes widened at feeling the winds from the teleportation. Shaking her head and dashing forward, she threw herself behind and into the side of Twilight.
"No! Don't you dare!"
Twilight had been taken into shock at turning, the spell blasting from her horn, its angle changed to the movement of her head—looking at Fluttershy. She panicked and ceased the beam. The start, however, caught the mare and hurdled her back.
The dragon watched, powerless, lying on the ground. Looking into the magical swirl that fizzed with the elements that would be his death. Killed by the ponies that he previously saved. It felt right to him. Expected. No hatred rose within him.
Until the wonderful collection of yellow came in a throw, one shoving aside the threat and, who turned at that—shooting the essence of kindness. The yellow one flew through the air before breaking into the wall. Her back, already sore, done worse, by them.
Lava thickened his blood as steam exhausted out his snout. He lurched up and grabbed the purple one in a stumble, whose eyes were devastated by the act, not knowing of the digits tight around her throat—until she was thrust into the ceiling.
The strain on his spine had threatened to snap the bone.
Yet some pains hurt more than others.
There was a blur of blue coming toward him, and, without hesitance, he caught it with a claw and slammed into the right of the door frame. His dim eyes had ignited to life in a flare of swirling green. The same, building at the back of his throat, in fires being summoned.
"I-I... w-won't... l-let you... l-live.." the purple one said above, not kicking like the other, although her horn started to glow. "Not... after yesterday... not... after my brother... not... e-ever...”
Her horn glowed.
His fire flared.
And the kind one whimpered.
The dragon's eyes widened, and, at once, he whipped the mares behind him—enough to buy a few seconds. Both rolled and would be on their hooves in seconds as the third was still unaccounted for. He dashed at once to the fallen mare, laid back against the wall, her head leaned into her shoulder.
His expression dropped into sorrow, and his shoulders did the same. Snagging his claws beneath her body, he lifted the girl, raising her chest to the side of his head. Still breathing. Strained. Although her heartbeat was strong.
He carried the girl in his arms over to the bed and, casting aside the blankets, gently laid her on it. Brushing aside her mane to check around her head. His eyes narrowed at every mark, cut, and bruise.
Then he blinked at seeing the struggle of her chest to rise.
There wasn't much time as hooves stumbled on the ground and would soon be upon him. Turning his head and licking his palm, he rubbed the latter across the mare's front, as it was a sea of blood—removing his stains from her coat.
Beneath, though, were cuts, ones that, even at the removal of blood, some of her own poured.
Knowing he had not even a second as hooves were behind him, he used one claw to hold down the mare at her collar and, with his other claw, he blew precise flames onto his digit. Little flames burned from the blood.
The hooves stopped in surprise. Only one broke from it quickly enough to do anything. Just as the dragon was about to bring the fire to a wound, a hoof tapped on his claw, holding it. He blinked and looked right and was ready to throw the threat aside.
Until he looked at her face.
There was hatred. Burning in the eyes that would melt him, unlike lava. Yet on their surface was a gleam. One reflected in her friend. Her muzzle shook. Everything else shivered. But she was shaking her head.
The dragon clenched his face until that hoof lifted, tentatively, to see if his arm would move. It did not. Once assured, the hoof lowered to his chest, then came to his arm, tapping on the bandages. Still, he was confused. Yet the girl took a chance in pressing on a wound and, although it hurt, a roar erupting to a rise of magic from her horn.
Neither fired.
The dragon rolled his head and closed his mouth, and looked to his arm. There was a wound there—yet no blood. Not much of a feeling beneath the cover of bandages. His shoulders dropped as he looked to the purple one.
And in seeing how she looked to her bedridden friend. The summoning of tears at hearing the wheezed breathing... he backed away. To the pillow, where he sat on the ground, and leaned against the wall.
He looked at her sleeping face to see the strain on it. His gaze dropped to her hoof and, although he had no reason to, a feeling within compelled him to hold it. He took it into his claw, tracing its rim with a digit. Her sleeping face lessened from the pain.
While the purple one floated over a white box and removed several instruments, going to work on wounds now worsened—another threat blocked the view. The blue one strode close and glared down at him. Like he was a restrained beast that was seconds from being unleashed.
He could feel the fire inside this one.
A fire born in her concern for the yellow one.
The dragon opened his mouth as he could not understand it. These... feelings. Bed and bandages. Homes and furniture. Books and teacups. Or these girls that stuck together. They cared for one another. To get mad when one got hurt.
Such alien concepts.
But the mare sat in front of him, ending her glare to look at the kind girl who, on rolled to them, had both of her hooves out. She took the other one with a soft smile. Then, on turning back to him, with herself leaned into the bed—she glared at him.
And then the blue one asked.
"ِقث غخع ثرهم؟" ط"
The various pounding of hooves composed the hallway's air as the squad burst into the room, coming to spread out to fill it, all with Rarity behind the leader. The kind colt from yesterday took the lead in the absence of their captain.
First to step in, with a spear aimed forward, although, his shoulders dropped at the view.
There was a mare in the bed, unconscious and in a horrible dream, laying back. Twilight Sparkle leaned over her, with alcoholic wipes, dashing at the tiny cuts. Rainbow sat facing a dragon—who was leaned against the wall, patched up, and holding a hoof in his claw.
The rookie blinked with a mouth only the tiniest bit opened. He blinked to his fellow troops to a series of expressions. Raised eyebrows. Exposed fangs. Lowered weapons. None, however, could act before his word.
Twilight turned her head enough only to glare at the troops.
Before she returned to work.
Rainbow Dash continued to stare at the dragon.
Refusing to break eye contact.
The dragon looked to the lot with a hostile look,
Before glancing back, softly, at the mare.
"S-Sir?" echoed a voice from the side of the rookie. "What do we do here?"
"Kill him, of course!"
"But he's not doing anything."
"Dragon's a dragon! Can't be trusted!"
"But this one—"
"What of Captain Shining Armour? Whole group gone because of the silly bastard! Trusting a dragon about a cave to—"
An explosion of violet magic scattered across the room in dots. The dragon did not wrestle from the unknown and possible threat—either uncaring or suddenly trusting. He kept sitting as the rest of the guard stepped back.
"Next one to talk about my brother won't have to worry about the dragon."
The problem guard stepped forward. "But you then should be the greatest supporter of—"
"My friends." Twilight tossed aside a wipe and, on the cleaned cut, rolled a bandage over it. “Anything after comes after.”
The guard was silent.
Though another spoke as the wing of troops filled the width of the room. "Sir! We must do something about this now. More detachments will be issued at the sighting of a dragon. We have to—"
"What dragon?"
The question silenced the room. The rookie looked side to side at his troops, sliding the shaft of his spear into the side hole in his armour. Tucked beneath his wing as he turned. "All I see is one big misunderstanding."
"Sir!"
"An injured mare, scarred by nightmares, talks about a dragon." The rookie exhaled heavily and looked sweetly as he passed Rarity. "This one, out of tremendous concern, races to summon us. Turns out the poor girl never looked after herself during the previous encounter. Overloaded herself with work."
He nodded at reaching the door frame. "Thankfully, her friends are there for her."
The rest of the guard stepped back, unsure of what to say or do, under such a weak command, for such a half-baked lie. Yet the rookie looked back to Twilight—who finally looked back in return.
"Your brother was a good stallion." He lowered his muzzle. "Lead and fought well. Believed in what he did and what he was trying to do." His hoof twisted into the wood. "Which led him into trusting a dragon." His eyes narrowed through the younger mare. "Can you tell me, why, on my return, why I won't be returning to a bloody room of half-eaten corpses?"
Twilight closed the medical box and left it on the ground. She stared at the bed and thought. "I don't trust him. Don't even like him. Not... especially not after the day before yesterday." Fire flared within her chest as the room warmed from it. "I still haven't attacked Celestia for sending us on that. What... what came so close to happening."
She closed her eyes and exhaled. "And the nightmares still from it."
The rookie turned back to the room and, on instinct, braced a hoof over the metal of the weapon.
“My hatred for those creatures is unrivalled by every guard here.” Twilight shivered into herself at the explosion of the feeling inside. "Leaving me without a family. T-Those years I spent alone because of them."
Her hoof struck the bed. "How'd they laugh while eating the deceased!"
Purple electricity broke from the tip of her horn.
Until the anger cooled.
And the sizzles stopped.
"Yet Princess Celestia finally guided me from the darkness of a library and into the brightness of friendship." Even a mare could exhale steam as Twilight had done so. "Before that, hatred would have been the only thing. The only thing. And it came when I saw him lying on the ground."
Her shoulders dropped. "Yet that anger vanished in seeing how he gave us up to help her."
Her eyes looked down. "The only thing that rivals my hatred is my love for my friends. I thought, maybe, that he only let us go then due to the usual greed of dragons sparking. But now I... I..."
The rookie shook his head. "Smaller dragons are more treacherous than the bigger ones."
"He came to her door last night."
"What if to be saved and then devour her once done?" Rookie closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "It's easy treachery to cite. But Twilight Sparkle. Your brother. Betrayed by the trust of a fellow into a cave believed to be containing wounded, he..."
Twilight closed her eyes tightly. Enough of a barricade to stop tears from passing.
From brother to breakfast.
"O-One... one way." Twilight breathed away the weight of her sorrow and opened her eyes again. "One way to be sure." She looked over to her friends. "Rainbow Dash? Move aside."
Finally, the mare looked back. "But—"
“Move aside.”
Rainbow stood and did as she was told.
The rookie blinked and moved closer with his troops as Twilight Sparkle stepped before the leaned-back dragon. He was wheezing. Sweating with closed eyes. He cracked them open to squint at the imposing mare.
There was a purple glow on his chest, which impressed onto his scales, pinning him to the wall. The same glow surrounded his claws. They rose, lethargically, and one snapped to the wall behind him.
"Twilight Sparkle! Are you—"
Twilight lifted his other claw to his throat. His talon sunk into the bed of scales, tearing a cut through them, drawing a trickle of blood. The magic relented, and the bloodied talon pulled back.
Twilight then looked at the sleeping mare, with the dragon following her gaze.
Then the two looked at each other.
Then his claw floated to the sleeping girl, with its sharpness bared, ready to set onto her.
"Twilight! Twilight!" Rainbow at once launched from the floor at her friend. "What the heck are you doing!"
Yet a shield manifested and shot the friend back. The rest of the guards went to act but, at the raise of a foreleg from the rookie—they stopped. All watched. The rookie started to sweat, heart hammering, if this was a good choice, bad choice, as both were currently unknown.
All eyes were on the dragon as he watched his claw pass over the one holding her hoof and, though his body leaned to allow the movement—he was yanking back against it. Each more frantic than the last as he did not have much strength in the tank. Breaking back and back as the strong magic guided him forward.
Would it rest on her cheek or go for her throat?
Twilight would never allow harm to come to a friend, even on a bet, and yet, the dragon had no way of knowing this. Only seeing that his claw that had slashed at his throat was about to slice at hers. That these crazy ponies, despite their care, after helping their friend, was about to let this happen.
The dragon stopped yanking when it would do no good. Hunched more over the bed as to allow his worried expression to look down at the sleeping mare. Now serene. Pink mane layered over the side of her face—those breaths, slow and low, so beautiful to hear.
The dragon looked at the arm being pulled, and, with his eyes closing tight, he opened his mouth. He took the side of his arm into his maw, the force of his jaw, biting to supply pleasure. Then he yanked the arm away, uncaring for the flare of stings, the stems of blood beneath the bandage, earning a stake in the tug of war.
Until the magic ceased.
Twilight seemed dumbfounded for a moment as well. Then she shook herself out from feeling and looked to the guards. "Have you ever met a dragon that would tear off its own arm rather than harm a mare?"
The guards looked at each other. Then they looked to their leader, despite his surprise.
He smiled.
"Shining always told us his little sister was the littlest bit crazy." The rookie smiled and turned around, the rest of his crew, slowly, doing the same. "We'll file our report and check back again tomorrow. You have until then to work all of this out. Don't... let me return to any more blood."
Twilight deflated. Speaking... in a small voice. "Thank you."
The guards filed out of the room.