//------------------------------// // Gauntlet of Firestone, part 3 // Story: Twilight Gets a Puppy, Season 6 // by TDR //------------------------------// Twilight Gets a Puppy Season 6 By TDR Gauntlet of Firestone, part 3 [ Dragonlands] “So what you're saying, is that this was just a mistake due to how the scepter works?” Twilight questioned. “Pretty much.” Bleu shrugged. “He forgot to tune out half breeds as well as Nox-cal. Honestly not the first time that's happened, but Torch's used that call thing so rarely it's kinda understandable.” “Fascinating” Twilight muttered taking notes much to Bleu's annoyance, though the dragon god was weathering it as a curious Twilight was easier to deal with than an angry one. Rahs rolled his eyes as Twilight took complete advantage that Bleu felt bad about them being called out here to get as many questions answered as she could. The way she was going it was likely that they were going to be here for the whole event. Rahs could understand that as Celestia and Luna would need to know about the change in leadership as quickly as possible, and it was unlikely Bleu cared enough to tell either of them. “I refuse to call you uncle.” Rahs glanced to the other group that had gathered. Scootaloo and Spike had been approached by a young blue dragoness who had been wondering what was going on. Bleu had introduced her as her granddaughter Ember. She was the one Bleu supported to win the title, something Torch was pissy about as he didn't want her to enter. They had argued, and Bleu won of course. Ember had been introduced to the Sparkles, Trixie, and Scootaloo. She had ignored Rahs for the most part, gotten confused by Twilight and Trixie until she noticed Twilight's wings, and had been annoyed that Bleu considered Spike older than she was, and then was even more annoyed that they were related. Rahs considered her a tsundere. Twilight had been surprised he read enough of Fluttershy's Japony comics to know the word. Oddly Ember got along with Scootaloo well enough given the pegasus teen was interested in the events of the contest and physical fitness enough to point out the issues some dragons might have with the race and fighting. Trixie on the other claw was snatched up by a fairly large red and gold colored dragon. Before the Sparkles could react Trixie waved them off and looked resigned as her great grandfather, Searing Basalt went on a tangent on how cute she looked and that she needed to visit more often. He then demanded an explanation of what she had been doing since the last time he saw her. Trixie had spent the time regaling him with her heavily embellished exploits though she had managed to get Bleu to admit that ,Yes, Trixie had helped with the Storm King invasion, before Bleu was dragged back into Twilight's research. When Trixie got to the point about Rahs, the dragons eyes narrowed and he stared at Rahs as if he was going to burn a hole through him with just his gaze. Rahs sighed. Between Applejack's parents, Big Mac, Granny Smith, Discord, Celestia, and occasionally Chrysalis, he was used to glares like that. That the glare was coming from a dragon actually made it easier to ignore compared to some of the others. At the end of the day Bleu told Ember to show them to the guest cave and flew off to get away from Twilight. Rahs grabbed her tail as his sister tried to fly after her commenting about how Twilight would likely fly into a volcano if she tried to talk, fly, and take notes at the same time. Ember took off leaving the group alone, Trixie was staying with her great grandfather and Rahs broke out the camping gear from his coat. As the four of them sat around the campfire with Twilight adjusting her notes while Spike cooked dinner, Spike spoke up. “So I'm gonna compete in this thing.” Spike offered. Rahs raised his eyebrow. “Spike, no.” Twilight snapped. “Spike, yes.” Spike snapped back. “Forget it, you're still to young for this sort of thing plus there are a lot of big dragons in this who would destroy you first chance they got.” Twilight snapped. “Please. With everything that I've been through?” Spike huffed. “Yes against ponies, or when you were calling for help, or against things that are not actively trying to kill you.”Twilight ranted. “And the crusaders.” Spike stated Twilight paused. ”Okay one point for you.” “HEY!” Scootaloo snapped. “But still this is too much. I'm not letting you do it.” Twilight pointed out. “I'd like to see you try and stop me.” Spike growled. Twilight narrowed her eyes. ”I can you know.” “BORK!” Rahs interrupted making both of them wince and Scootaloo looked confused. “Right we are guests.... wouldn't want to damage this... lovely cave....” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Wuff?” Rahs asked Spike who sighed. “Simple. These are other dragons in a contest. I want to do this because I want to know how I stack up after living with ponies all my life. I mean I know living with you two has not let me go soft at all, but I want to know how I rate.” “Yeah I'm in too.” Scootaloo nodded. “Wait what?” Spike whirled as did Rahs and Twilight. “I want in on this too.” Scootaloo offered. “Why!?” Twilight demanded. “Not to win or anything but the first events the story telling. I have a few ideas for that, the second is the race, and you're out of your Sparkly minds if you think I'm gonna miss a chance to race actual dragons. Third days the eating thing and the forth is the fights.” Scootaloo explained. “Much as I wanna try the gauntlet thing, I don't think I'll join the fighting. I'm good, but not throw a few hundred tons around by the tail good.” The three Sparkles blink and stare at the pegasus. “You realize both your mother and your aunt would find a way to kill us if something happened to you.” Twilight muttered. “Pfft they can't even control me half the time, what would make anyone think you three could?” Scootaloo grinned as the Sparkles all rubbed their temples. “You realize if you win you'll have to stay here right?”Twilight asked. “Pfft, no I don't. I can go back to Canterlot and force the dragons to integrate with Equestrian society.” Spike grinned.”Can you picture the look on the Princesses faces if I do that? Not only do the dragons get better acomidations, but the sheer volume of paperwork and the screeching of the nobles will be epic. A sure win for the prank war.” Twilight and Rahs looked at each other then back to Spike, before they both grinned. “I taught him well.” “You didn't teach him crap, he gets his smarts from me.” Twilight countered. “Right I'm still doing this and I have a plan.” Spike grinned wider. “And since Scootlaoo's not actually running against me I don't care if she hears this. After all, cheating is supposed to be allowed if you aren't caught.” [ The following Day , Dragonlands] Twilight stared at Trixie. Rahs stared at Trixie. Both Spike and Scootaloo also stared at Trixie. “Whhhhhhhhhhhy?” Twilight demanded of the blue mare. “Mind your own business Sparkle. Trixie has her reasons for joining this event.” Trixie huffed sparing a glance to where her grandfather sat in the crowd wearing a scaled up version of her hat and cloak. Bleu and Torch looked at Scootaloo and Trixie when they were told the pair were joining the competition. Torch looked down at his mother. “Meh they glowed, they're good.”Bleu shrugged. Torch rolled his eyes looking at Spike with a raised eyebrow, but he didn't say anything about him as he flew back up to his perch. “DRAGONS.” Torch bellowed from atop his volcano. “The first event is about to begin There are a hundred dragons participating in this event. The rest of you will go and listen to the story that most entertains you. Once the stories are over you will choose those which you liked the best and the top 50 will move on. Aspirants Move to your places.” The participating dragons and two ponies moved to spread out over the cauldron. Once every one was in position Torch nodded. “BEGIN” Torch roared. Rahs wandered among the groups, his ears perking up as he listened to the stories told with some interest. Some were tales he had heard before, others were new, some were in draconic and he had no idea what was being said, but others were in Equish which was slightly odd but evidently it was a more nuanced language that made the stories easier to tell. Plus Bleu had forced all of them to learn it. Twilight was sitting on a rise with her eyes closed and her horn glowing. Scattered over every story teller was a quill plucked from her own wings and a massive roll of parchment recording all the stories as they were told. There was a lot of strain on her face running that many recording spells at once and keeping them separate and translated from draconic, but she was powering through it for the chance to write down a hundred stories that could be put into books as new stories. Rahs frowned listening to some stuttering and rambling, stories that were the same as others, or those that wouldn't make the cut. There was going to be a fair amount who didn't make it and one or two started out weak and couldn't regain the crowd. But there were some that the speaker emoted the roles, or told the story with such emotion, that even if the story itself was crap those listening were enthralled. Rahs made note of these dragons with a smile. Then there was Spike. Rahs knew what story he was telling as soon as he wandered past. “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat. It was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” Spike offered gesturing as he continued. That particular tale would wind up being a horror story to the dragons, Rahs was sure of it. Scootaloo was doing something as well but she was copying the story Sunset had told them. Rahs could tell it was a space opera, there were a few of them out there. “ Help me Obi-won Kenobi, you're my only hope.” Scootaloo spoke, she had also drawn out a map of sorts on the ground around her, sketching scenes in the black sand as she told the tale. Rahs took note of the enthralled dragons as he moved on. Trixie, well he knew exactly what story Trixie was telling too and he hadn't expected that one from her, though to be fair it was a romance of sort. “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Trixie offered, her horn glowing and showing several images of other characters from the play at once. Rahs grinned as he moved on listening to some of the other stories. The small globes of light on Rahs' ears and the crescent on his tail glowed brightly. Yes. This was a good event.