A New Life: Part 1
Upon a hillside overlooking the town of Ponyville, stood a figure illuminated in the mid-morning light of early spring. Widget frowned in concentration, looking down at her latest project. Using the tips of her claws, she deftly twisted the ends together. Reaching down into a bag beside her, the wyrmkin fished out a red shard and popped it into her mouth. Crunching down, she quickly swallowed it. Her eyes watered as the fire ruby served its purpose. The fire in her belly grew, and she opened her muzzle, shooting a tiny jet of flame to precisely hit the intertwined wires, soldering them into place. Coughing, she reached for her flask, taking a hearty swig. The water, faintly flavored with mint, cooled the burning in her throat. Widget smiled down at her creation. After weeks of work, it was finally done. She set it up next to the others, and then stood back to admire her work.
“Widget!” a voice called out to her behind her.
The wyrmkin turned to watch a small purple and green dragon bumble up the hill behind her. “You’re late, Spike,” she teased gently.
The baby dragon had paused to catch his breath. He flapped a paw at her dismissively. “I… huff… came as f-fast as I could,” he gasped.
“Another crisis at the library?” she asked.
Spike nodded. “Twilight and the others got called away again. I had to help her pack and get all her lists ready.”
Widget rolled her eyes. “Another crisis they need the Elements of Harmony to solve? What is it this time?”
He shrugged. “Not sure. Twilight ran off with the scroll the Princess sent before I could read it. I hope it isn't anything too dangerous.” He looked down at the ground.
Widget nudged him gently. “Don’t worry; I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
The dragon blushed. “I-I know that. I just wish I could have been there to help… not that I’d be much use.” He looked away towards the town.
The wyrmkin swatted him playfully with her tail. “Enough moping,” she declared. “That’s what my newest project was made to solve!” She gestured to the tree line, where several odd shapes could be seen.
Spike picked himself up off the ground and squinted at the tree line. “What exactly are those?” he asked, uncertain. “Are they going to blow up again like--“ He stopped and covered his mouth.
Widget sighed. “No… it won’t be like Winter Wrap-up. I promise.” She stared into the distance, trying not to cry. “Why did things have to go so poorly?” she wondered. “Why do I even bother… even this far away, I’m still a danger to everyone-- ” She flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
Spike was looking up at her in an apologetic manner. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, “I didn't mean it like that.”
Stuffing her negative emotions away, she smiled back at him. “It’s alright. It was my fault anyways. I've been trying not to do anything too dangerous in town… I don’t want to make matters any worse than they already are.”
“I’m sure everypony has forgiven you by now,” Spike reassured her. “It was an accident, I’m sure they understand.”
She laughed humorlessly. “Most ponies don’t have ‘accidents’ that leave giant craters where the town fountain used to be.”
“But you did fix it…”
“That’s probably why they let me stay at all. No, I’ll be keeping the experiments to a minimum for a while longer.”
Spike did not reply.
Widget looked down at him, and saw a conflicted expression on his face. “Well, enough of that,” she said briskly. “Let’s get back to your original question, shall we?” She stood in front of him, and put on a professional-looking smile. “Presenting my latest invention… target training!” She spread her arms wide to encompass the grand structure before them.
Spike blinked. “Umm… what?” he asked after a moment.
Widget’s arms fell to her side. She looked at him carefully. When it was clear he wasn't just pulling her leg, she sighed and rubbed the bridge of her snout. “You asked me to help you with your fire breathing earlier. You see the big metal things in front of you, right?” she asked carefully.
He nodded.
“Those are the targets I built for you to practice on. When I wind ‘em up, they’ll pop up randomly, and move around a bit. Your job will be to shoot your flame at the big red circles on top when they appear. Got it?”
Spike nodded again. “You don’t do things halfway, do you?” he said quietly.
“Where’s the fun in that?” She grinned. “You ready?”
He nodded with a serious expression on his face.
Widget smiled. “Awesome. When we’re done, Twilight will have to take you seriously.”
Widget stared down at the smoking spot in the grass, her mouth pressed into a thin line.
“I’m really sorry,” Spike muttered. His face was beet-red with embarrassment.
“What did you do to it?” the wyrmkin asked distantly. Her eyes remained fixed upon the spot where her project had stood moments before.
“I… sort of sent it to princess Celestia?” he said.
Widget’s heart froze. “W-what did you say?” she whispered.
“I, um, kind of used the magic flame I use to deliver Twilight’s letters to the princess on your target. It was an accident… I’m really sorry!”
“D-does this mean the princess just got beaned in the head by a huge chunk of scrap metal?”
“Uh... Maybe?”
Widget shut her eyes. “Calm down,” she muttered to herself. “There’s no way they’ll trace it back to you… so don’t worry. Just pretend you know nothing about it.”
“Are you alright?” Spike asked cautiously. “Do you need to lay down or something?” He approached her in the same manner he would approach a wild animal…
“...or his housemate in one of her tizzies,” Widget thought to herself. “Don’t worry,” she reassured him. “I’m not about to lose it or anything.”
Spike stood there with his arms crossed. He raised one eyebrow at her, unconvinced.
She smiled at his awkwardly.
He frowned back.
“Hey… what’s going on?” a young pegasus filly called, as she and her two friends came over the hill.
“We saw this big flash ah light,” the little earth pony added.
“What are you doing, Miss Widget?” the young unicorn asked.
Widget smiled down at the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who had rescued her from an awkward situation. “We’re just working on Spike’s combat skills, so he can help the next time that the Elements of Harmony go on an adventure.”
“OOooh,” the three fillies breathed in unison.
Spike blushed and poked Widget. “Why’s you tell them?” he whispered through gritted teeth.
“Why not?” she replied with a frown. “I thought I just wasn't supposed to tell Twilight or her friends about it.”
He sighed. “Never mind… ” he muttered.
She cocked her head and frowned at him. He could be very confusing at times.
“What are ya whisperin’ about?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Nothing,” Spike said firmly.
“Oh-kaay then,” Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Anyways, we want to train too!”
Widget and Spike blinked. “Huh?” they asked simultaneously.
The three fillies grinned. “This might be a chance tah get our cutie marks!” Apple Bloom declared.
“Why not?” Widget said after thinking for a moment.
Spike stared at her as if she’d grown an extra head.
“What?” she demanded. “This will be fun. We haven’t had time to play together in a while.”
Spike sighed and the crusaders bounced abut with joy.
“Since the targets are… out of order for now,” Widget said carefully, making Spike to blush. “We’ll just have to move on to roaring.”
“Roar!” The Crusaders and Spike yelled.
“No… you have to feel it from your gut,” Widget sighed. “I’ll show you again. First, you square your legs like this.” She stood in the grass, legs firmly planted. “Next, you stick out your chest. Then you take a deep breath and feel the emotions build up inside… and then ROOOOOAAARRR!”
Her audience clapped appreciatively.
“Alright then, who’s first?” she asked.
“I’ll do it!” Scootaloo volunteered. The orange filly moved to take the spot where Widget had been standing. She squared her legs and pulled her head back, wings flared. She took a deep breath… and then--
“ ROOOAAAAARRR! ” The noise shook the clearing.
“Wow, Scoots,” Apple Bloom said, “That was amazin’.”
“T-that wasn't me,” the pegasus responded.
“Then... what was it?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Widget tuned out of their conversation. She knew that voice, she’d know it anywhere. Squinting up at the sky, she shaded her eyes with her wings, desperately searching. A large shape passed over the clearing. A huge figure landed before them, throwing up dust and grass. Large yellow eyes fell on the small party, and a muzzle split open to reveal rows of sharp teeth. The large dragon blew smoke from its nostrils, its green hide glistening in the sun. For a moment, the hillside was silent.
Three fillies and a young dragon screamed in fear.
Widget squealed in delight, propelling herself towards the intruder. “Mama! You made it!”
“I guess I should have sent a letter first. I didn't mean to startle you.” The large dragon smiled toothily. She was sitting on her haunches, holding her daughter tightly. She was fairly small for a dragon, only about the length of six ponies from head to tail. Her hide was green, and a shade lighter than her daughter’s. She had a pale yellow crest, and golden eyes. Unlike most dragons, she had filed the ends of her claws away so she wouldn't cause any accidental injuries.
Widget rubbed her muzzle against the soft scales of her mother’s chest. She sighed contentedly.
Spike cleared his throat. “It’s alright, you just… startled us a little,” he said civilly.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders nodded. They had finally decided to come out of the bush they had been hiding in. They smiled hesitantly at the big dragon.
The dragoness poked her daughter. “ Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?”
Widget giggled, and climbed down from her mother’s embrace. “Alright then,” she said. “This is Spike. He works with in the library. And these are the Cutie Mark Crusaders; Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle.” She pointed to each of her friends in turn.
The dragoness grinned at them, making the fillies flinch. “Hello little ones,” she said. “My name is Grumble Belly. You all are so adorable.” She picked up Scootaloo and nuzzled her, despite the pegasus’ frantically buzzing wings.
“Mama…. ” Widget scolded.
The larger dragon blinked. She set the pony down, a blush staining her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I just love little babies. You are just too cute to hate.” She began to pat Spike on the top of the head in an absentminded manner.
“Hey! We’re not babies!” Scootaloo yelled.
Grumble Belly laughed. “I have seen 523 winters… you are a baby to me,” she said.
The orange filly frowned.
“I’m sorry; I didn't mean anything by it. Cheer up.” The dragoness smiled and gave the sulking pony a gentle nudge, knocking her over. The dragon blinked. “Oops…” She picked the little filly up by the tail and set her back on her feet. The pegasus was covered in dirt.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle giggled.
Spike snorted.
Soon, everyone was laughing, even Scootaloo.
“I’m so glad things worked out,” Widget thought. “Everypony seems to like Mama. It’s too bad the bearers are out of town… and Zecora’s off on a trip too. What a shame. Oh well, I know somepony else who’d love to meet Mama…” She turned to her mother, who was lying in the grass talking quietly to Spike as the Crusaders climbed on her, attempting to “get cutie marks in dragon researchers”. The wyrmkin approached her mother. “Mama?” she said. “I’m going into town to go get somepony I want you to meet. Do you want to come along?”
Her mother shook her head. “I’ll stay here,” she replied. “There’s no need to scare the townsponies anymore than we need to.”
Widget frowned. She couldn't understand what her mother was talking about. The town had seen dragons before… in fact they lived with them! The ponies saw Spike every day, so why was her mother so worried. She sighed. She knew better than to argue. Once her mother made up her mind, she was unmovable. Widget was relieved that her mother had yet to bring up their broken promise, so she decided to just let things be. She waved farewell to her mother and headed into town.
“Where is everypony?” Widget pondered aloud as she wandered through the barren streets of Ponyville. “It’s only a bit after lunchtime… maybe everypony is taking a nap?” She approached her destination and knocked on the door.
Nopony answered.
She frowned and knocked again.
There was a rustling noise behind the door, but it still didn’t open.
“Hello?” Widget called. “Anypony home?”
A muffled voice came from behind the door. “What are you doing out there, Widget? Don’t you know there’s a DRAGON near Ponyville?”
“Of course there’s a dragon near Ponyville,” Widget replied in an exasperated tone. “Mama came to visit. That’s why I’m here. I want you to meet her.”
There was a brief silence. Then the door sprang open, revealing a grey pegasus carrying a unicorn filly in her saddlebag. “Well why didn’t you say so in the first place,” Ditzy Doo said. “Come on, Dinky, let’s go.”
When they arrived back at the hill, there was nopony (and no-kin) in sight. “Where are they?” Widget wondered.
Ditzy shrugged. “Maybe they’re hiding?” she suggested.
A shadow passed overhead. Widget looked up just in time to see her mother coming in for a landing, with a baby dragon and three windswept ponies on her back. The dragoness landed, and her passengers tumbled from her back, falling into the grass, where they lay giggling.
“I’m sorry, fledgling,” Grumble Belly said to her daughter. “I was just giving the little ones a ride over the Everfree.”
Widget blushed a deep red. “M-mama!” she stuttered. “D-don’t call me that in public!”
Her mother laughed and hugged her embarrassed daughter tightly. “I’m sorry,” she said in a teasing tone. She glanced at Widget’s new companion. “Who’s this?” she asked in a neutral tone, looking over the pony carefully.
Widget pulled out of her mother’s hold, and waved a paw at the grey pegasus. “Mama, this is my teacher and good friend, Miss Doo. She brought her daughter Dinky along as well.”
Ditzy grinned at Grumble Belly. “Oh boy!” she said. “You’re the biggest dragon I’ve ever seen. You’re wings are so huge, and your scales are shiny!”
“I really like your crest,” Dinky piped up from the saddlebag. Her mother lifted her out and put her down in the grass.
Widget watched her mother puff out her chest at the praise. “Miss Doo always knows just what to say,” she thought. “Mama could never resist a compliment.”
“Well now,” the dragoness said. “It seems my daughter’s teacher is a pony of good taste. It’s nice to meet you.”
Ditzy smiled at the dragon’s response. “I’m a pony with good taste?”
Widget’s mother nodded. She bent down and picked up Dinky gently. “Aren’t you just precious?” she cooed.
Dinky giggled as the dragon nuzzled her.
Widget smiled and went over to talk to the Crusaders, who had finally stopped laughing and picked themselves up off the ground. “Did you have fun?” she asked them.
The fillies nodded.
“That was awesome!” Scootaloo yelled. She frowned when the others looked at her, smiling. “W-what I mean is, it was good practice for when I can fly on my own,” she amended hastily.
The other two fillies tried to hide their grins.
“Well, ah guess we better get goin’,” Apple Bloom said.
Widget’s ears drooped. “Why?” she asked.
“We got homework that’s due tomorrow,” Sweetie Belle said with a grimace.
Scootaloo made a gagging noise. “Ugh, I hate homework.”
“That’s why we’re doin’ it together,” Apple Bloom said firmly. “That way it’ll get done faster. See ya later, Miss Widget.”
The three fillies waved goodbye, and headed off towards Sweet Apple Acres.
After they were out of sight, Widget looked around for the one missing member of their party. She found Spike lying in the grass where he had originally landed. He was staring up at the sky with a distant expression on his face. “Spike, are you alright?” she asked.
He stirred a little and glanced at her. “I’m alright, I guess.”
She frowned at him.
He continued to stare up at the sky.
Widget shoved her face into his view. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
Spike sighed. He sat up and looked around. Grumble Belly was deep in conversation with Ditzy, and Dinky was busy chasing a grasshopper. He looked at her. “You know how I told you about all the stuff that happened during the dragon migration?” he asked.
Widget nodded.
“Well, up until now, I thought I knew how things worked. Dragons were all mean and snooty, and the ponies were the nice ones I belonged with. I knew my place in the world.”
“But I’m a dragon,” Widget responded in confusion.
Spike nodded. “I know, but I told myself the reason you were different from those guys at the migration was because you were part pony. The same way I was ‘saved’ by being raised by ponies…”
The wyrmkin frowned and opened her mouth to make an angry retort.
“… But now I’m not so sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your mother is really nice… it changes things. I can’t just group all dragons as ‘bad’ anymore. I’m not sure where that leaves me.” He sighed and looked down at the ground.
Widget nuzzled him gently. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” she said. “My mama always said she was odd for a dragon. She did marry a pony, after all. Maybe she is different.”
Spike blushed. “Thanks... “
Widget nodded. She turned away and rejoined her mother and mentor, leaving the little dragon to his machinations.
“You certainly have some interesting friends,” Grumble Belly said. Ditzy Doo and her daughter had just left so the mailpony could make dinner.
Widget nodded in agreement. “They can be odd sometimes, but they’re nice to be around.”
Her mother smiled. “’I’ll admit that I was a little apprehensive when I first heard that you had broken your promise.”
Widget stiffened.
“But your little friends are all so cute, and they really seem to like you. That grey pegasus concerned me for a while with that odd face of hers, but she wasn’t too bad either. I’m glad you didn’t end up getting involved with a bunch of wild, rowdy ponies. I would be really worried if you had.”
Widget smiled and had opened her mouth to agree, when suddenly a rainbow-colored blur crashed into her mother’s chest, forcing the air out of her lungs.
“Take that you scaly monster!” Rainbow Dash yelled.
“Wait, you don’t have to-- “ Widget began. A purple light flashed nearby, revealing five other familiar ponies.
“Rainbow, you should have waited for us!” Twilight scolded. She cast a protective shield around the group.
Applejack pulled out her lasso and began to twirl it.
Pinkie produced her party cannon out of nowhere.
Rarity assumed an attack position.
Fluttershy did her best to hide behind them.
After getting her breath back, Grumble Belly rose to her feet and roared at the six ponies.
“STOP!” Widget yelled, positioning herself between the combatants. “Don’t hurt my Mama!”
Six pairs of eyes stared at her in shock. “Mother?” they cried.
Twilight smiled awkwardly. “We’re really sorry,” she said. “When we got back to town, we heard that there was a big dragon nearby that had flown off with some fillies… I guess we jumped to conclusions.”
Grumble Belly glared at her. “Typical pony behavior; you call anything you don’t understand a ‘monster’ and attack it. That’s why you are weak.”
“Weak?” Dash yelled, tensing up for an aerial charge. “I’ll show you weak!”
Applejack grabbed her tail and brought her back down to the ground before she could do anything. “Easy now, Sugarcube. Let’s not go an’ make things even worse.”
Rainbow grumbled under her breath, but settled down.
“This will be fun!” Pinkie shouted. She jumped up onto Grumble Belly's snout and stared into her eyes. “What kind of cake do you want at you’re ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party?”
The dragoness’ eyes widened at the pink equine's sudden appearance, and shook her head sharply, throwing Pinkie to the ground.
“Again!” Pinkie giggled.
Rarity was busy trying to coax Fluttershy out of the bush she was hiding in.
Grumble Belly growled. “Who are all of you?” she demanded.
Widget shifted awkwardly. “These are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony,” she stated formally. She went on to introduce each pony and their respective element.
The dragoness watched the whole introduction with narrowed eyes. “So you’re the Elements. No wonder you seem like such a… rough bunch.”
Rarity made a small, angry noise.
Twilight tried to step in and change the subject. “Anyway, Widget, I’m glad I found you. I was talking to Princess Celestia, and she said she’d like to meet you.”
Widget froze. Her pupils shrunk to pinpricks. “C-C-Celestia? B-but why?”
Twilight shrugged. “I’m not really sure,” she said. “Princess Celestia said it was an ‘important royal request’.” She glanced at Widget, who was visibly sweating. She placed a gentle hoof on the wyrmkin’s shoulder, and smiled reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen. We’ll all be there to help you.” A dark shadow loomed up behind her.
“Little unicorn.” Grumble Belly growled softly. “Why are you acting so familiar towards my daughter?”
“Duh, because we’re all bestest best friends, silly,” Pinkie said.
The dragoness roared angrily, making the ponies cringe. "What did you say?"
"Well, this introduction won't end well," Spike said.