My Little Pony: Nine Elements Book 1

by BlueBioWolf

Chapter 7: Dragonshy (S1:E7)

It had been two days since Trixie left Ponyville. In that time, Snips and Snails were still working off their punishment and were scolded by their parents. Their parents decided to take time out of their schedules to teach them magic so that what happened that day wouldn’t happen again.

On this particular day, everypony in Ponyville felt this would be a day of no particular importance or significance. However, had anypony bothered to look up when it seemed unusually dark for daytime, they might have realized that this perception was wrong. But, as nopony did, they went about their daily business.

Only Fluttershy knew better, only Fluttershy knew that something was wrong. The pegasus mare was frightened with quite a rightful fright. She now was trying desperately to bring attention to what she'd seen, a task made difficult by her timid nature. "Help!" She desperately called in her best speaking tone (which unfortunately was barely more audible than a whisper). "Please, somepony! There's... there's a really horrible cloud of smoke. It's headed this way and-" But, she was soon cut off by the sight of Rainbow Dash bouncing a big red ball with white polka dots.

“No need to be a scaredy pony, Fluttershy,” Rainbow said, not hearing a word the yellow pegasus said. “It’s just me, and I’m soon gonna break the all-time ball-bouncing record. Isn’t that right, Pinkie?”

The pink party mare nodded excitedly. “Yeah! Though, it’s a little weird you and the weather team chose today for an overcast.”

This caused Rainbow to stop bouncing her rubber ball in confusion. “Overcast?” she asked. “We had a sunny day planned.”

“That’s not overcast, girls,” Fluttershy began. But, her words fell on deaf ears.

“Are you sure?” Pinkie asked. “Today isn’t that sunny at all. For daytime, it’s a little dark.”

“Hmm,” Rainbow said aloud, but, still to herself. “One of the cloud machines must be on the fritz.”

“It can’t be one of the cloud machines, because–” Fluttershy tried to warn them, only to once again be ignored.

“You know,” Pinkie pointed out. “You’d think that as the captain of Ponyville’s weather team, you’d be on top of stuff like this, Dashie. Or are you just slacking off so you can clear the skies yourself in under a minute? Again?”

“I promise you,” Rainbow said. “If there was some oversight, I would have caught it before I left.”

“That’s what you said when the weather team skipped a scheduled sprinkle four days ago,” Pinkie said.

Rainbow and Pinkie were so focused on their objectives that they still paid no regard to Fluttershy. It was a very frustrating experience that made her want to scream! But all she could do was let out a small sigh and a groan. "Oh, this is an emergency! Why won't anypony listen to me?" She complained, mostly to herself. "I just need everypony to..."

Yet at that moment, who should interrupt the peace and quiet but Mayor Mare herself? She seemed to look a bit concerned. Well, more concerned than she usually was since she always seemed to be concerned about something. But, even so, all of Ponyville knew that when the mayor was showing up in public that usually meant there was an important announcement soon to follow. And this would be no exception. "Citizens of Ponyville, may I have your attention please?"

Mayor Mare’s outburst caused all of the ponies to stop what they were doing and they focused their collective attention on her.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Mayor Mare said as she adjusted her glasses. “I’m certain you’ve figured out why it’s been unusually dark for the daytime.” When most ponies responded with overcast, the mayor was incredulous. “Really? None of you looked up and saw the smoke in the sky?”

“I have,” Fluttershy said quietly. Again, nopony heard her.

Once Mayor Mare asked that last question, all the ponies looked up and saw the smoke. “How in Tartarus did we miss that?!” one pony could be heard saying.

“Not to worry, everyone,” Mayor Mare said. “The smoke is not coming from a fire. I repeat, the smoke is not coming from a fire.” Ponyville breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Twilight Sparkle has been in contact with Princess Celestia, who has received word of the true cause of the smoke. I'll let her explain everything."

Twilight promptly stepped forward from behind Mayor Mare. "Thank you, Mayor Mare," And she proceeded to speak. "You heard right, everypony. The smoke is not coming from a fire. It's coming from a slumbering dragon. Rest assured, this matter will quickly be dealt with. Ponyville will not be covered with smoke for much longer."

The ponies muttered to themselves about this. Fluttershy, however, felt nervous about this news. “A… a dragon?” She timidly squeaked to herself. “A-as in, a fully-grown dragon?” Once again, nopony heard her.

Fluttershy already had reason to be worried when she had seen the smoke and thought it was coming from a fire. But this was worse, a living, breathing dragon was the cause of the problem. And for the shy pegasus, that was going to force her to come to terms with something that she had gone to great lengths to ignore.

In regards to the dragon being in Ponyville, they were confused as to why that would be the case. They didn’t think it was a plan of Spike’s, though. By now, everypony in town knew that Spike hadn’t met any other dragons in his short life of over 10 pony years. So, he couldn’t very well have arranged for one to come to Ponyville, could he? Many ponies asked what a dragon would be doing in town.

Twilight simply answered in a matter of fact tone. "Princess Celestia has told me that it's sleeping. And when a dragon sleeps, it sometimes snores. And when it snores, it can send out smoke, which is what's happening now." She then turned to Mayor Mare.

Mayor Mare was all too happy to take over explaining everything. "As I said earlier, this will not be a problem for very long. Princess Celestia has already got some very capable ponies working on the issue and several pegasi have been dispatched to try and disperse the smoke so that it won't cover the entire town. Still, for everypony's safety I advise you all to stay indoors until further notice. This inconvenience shall soon pass."

Twilight then declared. "Indeed it will, Mayor Mare. There are five very special ponies I want to see in the Golden Oak Library very soon. I will explain everything to them there." And with that, she departed.

Rainbow and Pinkie figured that two of those ponies would be themselves and they set off for the Golden Oak Library at once. “Come on, Fluttershy!” called Rainbow. “Twilight needs us!” She dragged the yellow pegasus along.

At the Golden Oak Library, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Spike were waiting as Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy came in. “Ah hope y’all can explain what ya need us fer, Twilight,” Applejack said. “Takin’ on a full-grown dragon don’t sound like somethin’ we’re suited fer.”

“It must be a direct order from Princess Celestia,” Rarity said. “She must think quite highly of us after our adventure in the Everfree Forest. I just can’t believe we didn’t notice all that smoke.”

With narrowed eyes, Fluttershy protested. “I noticed.” This time, all present heard her.

“You did?” Pinkie asked genuinely surprised. “Why didn’t you say so?”

Fluttershy grew frustrated. “I tried to, but, nopony listened to me. That’s why I was in the park in the first place.”

“If it was something like an emergency,” Rainbow said. “Speak up! How did you come to notice the smoke before any of us anyway?”

Fluttershy’s response was brief and unusually blunt. “I looked up.”

Rainbow was about to make a remark about it, but, she remembered that she was too distracted with her ball-bouncing to have noticed the smoke before. “It probably says something about my competence as the captain of the weather team if a pony who’s not even on the weather team notices something unusual about the weather before I do.”

“Alright, everypony,” Twilight said. “There’s still the matter of getting the dragon to leave the Ponyville mountain he’s sleeping in.”

“Wait, how do you know the dragon’s a ‘he?’” Pinkie asked.

“An updated report from Princess Celestia came while you three were on your way here,” Twilight explained. “This is a red dragon named Razer. Princess Celestia has encountered him a few times during her trips to the Dragonlands.”

“So, we’re showing the princess how awesome we are again?” Rainbow boasted.

"This isn't about your ego, Rainbow Dash," Twilight quickly corrected the brash speedster. "I specifically asked Princess Celestia to let us handle this. She's very concerned about Razer and about the smoke he’s bringing. It hasn't just affected Ponyville, lots of cities all over Equestria have begun reporting problems due to the smoke. And it's only going to get worse if we don't do something about it."

“Ah repeat,” Applejack said. “Why us? Why not send in the royal guard ta deal with it if we're talkin' about a dragon?"

Twilight immediately explained. “Razer’s not covering Equestria in smoke on purpose. He just chose to take a nap and his snoring is causing the smoke.”

“I suppose that makes sense if it’s a habit of his.” Rarity said. “Though, Spike takes naps on the regular and as far as I’m aware, he’s never produced smoke from snoring.”

“That’s because it only happens when fully-grown dragons sleep,” Twilight explained. “Princess Celestia explained that as well.” She then returned to the previous subject. “Since it’s not being done on purpose, I convinced Princess Celestia to have us resolve this peacefully. Sending the royal guards would be considered an act of aggression. Remember what happened when Rainbow aggressively woke Spike up five days ago?”

A flashback showed Spike napping peacefully against Twilight’s side as the mare laid on her stomach with her front hooves curled at a picnic with the other mares.

“He looks so cute and innocent when he’s sleeping,” Fluttershy whispered.

“He certainly does,” Rarity whispered with a smile. “One would never have guessed that he faced such hardships at a young age. Naps are probably among the few moments of peace he gets in life. It would be a shame to rouse him from his slumber so soon.”

As if on cue, Rainbow flew onto the scene. Unlike the other mares, she was speaking rather loudly and holding Spike roughly.

“Hey, guys!” Rainbow said. “How are you guys doing?”

Spike woke up in a rather grumpy mood. “I. Was. Trying. TO SLEEP!” At the last two words, Spike let out a few embers that lightly singed Rainbow’s mane.

Sensing Spike’s anger, she gently set him down and backed away nervously. Suddenly, her mane started smoking. She sniffed the air. “Does anypony else smell something burning?”

“Yeah,” Pinkie said. “It’s your mane.”

Rainbow looked at her bangs and sure enough, a small flame was lit on the tip. “Whoa!” Rainbow shouted and quickly ran to the nearby river and dipped her head in.

Back to present day, Rainbow had a sheepish look on her face from the memory.

“Would you really want to have a repeat of that with an adult dragon?” Twilight asked the brash pegasus.

“No,” Rainbow said with an embarrassed raspy squeak. “But, if that isn’t the best way to wake up a dragon, then, what is?”

“Nothing you’d normally do,” Spike quipped. “That’s for sure.”

“Why don’t ya join us, Spike,” Applejack said. “Since ya know more about bein’ a dragon than we ever could, ya’d know more about what ta do.”

“I already planned on bringing Spike along,” Twilight said. “Let’s see how the modified Draketongue I taught him compares to the original.” Draketongue was the language of dragons. While somewhat phonetic like Ponish, it was more tonal. No ponies ever truly studied the language in depth since ponies usually ran away from dragons.

“Sounds like a plan,” Applejack said. “Well, we better pack up supplies that we need ta scale the mountain. We’ll meet up again in half an hour.”

“I hear ya, AJ,” Rainbow agreed.

Fluttershy, however, was still nervous about the idea. But, before she could say anything, the other four mares left. Twilight noticed the nervous yellow pegasus as she was packing her own supplies. “Is something wrong, Fluttershy?”

“Actually, Twilight,” Fluttershy began. “There is something wrong. I don’t really like this idea of going up to see the dragon…”

“Why not?” Spike and Twilight asked.

“Well,” Fluttershy said. “It’s not that I don’t want to help… it’s just that… um…” She whispered under her breath.

“Are you worried about your animal friends?” Spike asked. “We could leave them to Dr. Fauna.”

“Um, thank you,” Fluttershy said timidly. “But, that’s not what I was-”

Twilight thought Fluttershy was trying to get out of the mission.

“Fluttershy,” Twilight said patiently. “If there’s something you need to tell us about this, you can talk to us about anything.” She put a hoof on the shy pegasus’ shoulder. “You’re an important part of this mission. You’re a critter whisperer and we can hardly do this without you.”

Fluttershy felt flattered, but, felt it necessary to point something out. “My abilities as a critter whisperer don’t work on creatures with pony-level intelligence. Dragons are in that category.”

“Well, that’s true,” Spike said. “She and I are able to talk to each other.” He then considered something. “Then again, I was raised to speak Ponish, so, there’s that.”

“Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “Is there something wrong?”

“Uh, just forget I said anything,” the pegasus said. “I’ll go pack medical supplies in case Spike or the girls get hurt.”

She shuffled out of the Golden Oak Library, leaving Twilight and Spike visibly confused.

“I may not be a mind-reader,” Spike said. “But, even I can tell she’s hiding something.”

“Give Fluttershy some time, Spike,” Twilight said. “She may not be the Element of Honesty, but, she should know how to be honest. If she feels up to telling us what’s going on, she will, but, we shouldn’t pressure her. Besides, if it were really important, she’d’ve told us.”

“Good point,” Spike admitted. “Since we’re going up a mountain, I’ll need to dress warmly, right?”

“Of course,” Twilight said. “I’ll also make sure to prepare a thermos of hot cocoa for you. And you’re more than welcome to ride on my back so you can stay warm.”

“Thanks, Twilight,” Spike said gratefully. “Maybe pack a blanket for good measure.”

“I will,” Twilight said with a sweet smile.

Meanwhile, the rest of the mares are getting ready. Rainbow Dash made sure to plan out a route to Cloudsdale from the mountain to rally other pegasi to keep the smoke at bay. The other pegasi she rallied saluted her. Rainbow then flew to her cloudominium above Ponyville and dipped her hooves in a rainbow-colored puddle. She smeared the colors on her cheeks like war paint and gave a primal cry.

At Sweet Apple Acres, Big McIntosh and Granny Smith helped pack Applejack’s supplies. They packed not only apples and bottles of apple juice, but, they also packed a lasso and other rodeo supplies. Caramel also pitched in with helping pack, though, he struggled remembering what Granny Smith told him to pack. Once her saddlebags were ready, Big McIntosh hoisted them onto Applejack’s back, though it was a bit heavy even for her. She quickly adjusted to the added weight, though. “Good luck, Applejack,” Caramel said. “I wish I could come, but, I’d probably slow you down.”

“Ah appreciate yer support all the same, Caramel,” Applejack said, giving the stallion a kiss on the cheek.

At Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie packed her supplies, which mostly consisted of random party favors. She stepped out wearing a pair of ridiculously big red-framed sunglasses and her saddle bags full to bursting with party supplies. One of them literally did so. Pinkie giggled at this, but, knowing the situation, she regained her composure. “Oop, I mean… Grr!”

At Carousel Boutique, Rarity had packed mostly clothing supplies. Since they were going to climb a mountain, she knew she had to bring things to keep herself and her friends warm. She trotted by a mirror. She noticed the army helmet she put on her head, but, she didn’t like the look of how it clashed with her mane and coat. After a quick change, she replaced the helmet with a more fashion forward hat. “Much better,” she commented. “Onward!”

At Fluttershy’s cottage, she packed various medical supplies and dressed herself in makeshift armor made of sports equipment. This is one of those times I’m glad my brother leaves his stuff behind whenever he visits, she thought to herself. It’s not much, but, any protection is better than no protection.

Just like that, everypony was ready for action whether they wanted to be or not. And soon, all had gathered outside of the library as Twilight pulled out a map, holding it aloft in the light purple glow of her magic. Spike was wearing a fleece jacket and knit cap, both colored green. “Okay, everyone,” Twilight said. "I already went and mapped out the fastest route possible up the mountain, but, we'll have to keep a good pace if we don't want to have to spend a night camping out."

"Ah thought ya said it wouldn't take more ‘n a few hours." Applejack questioned as she arched an eyebrow upward in suspicion.

“That’s barring unexpected complications,” Twilight explained. "And it'll be too dangerous for us to try and make our way up the mountain at night. So, if nightfall comes and we're not at the top, we'll have to set up camp and start again in the morning. But, it shouldn't have to come to that. If we all do our part, this will be over with soon."

Hearing Twilight’s explanation made sense to Applejack. She even looked up at the mountain where the dragon was taking his nap. “Looks mighty nippy up there,” the farm mare observed.

“It sure is,” Rainbow said. “The higher up you go, the colder it gets.”

“That’s why I’m wearing this coat and cap,” Spike said. “I need to keep warm.”

“Wouldn’t the fire in your tummy do that for you?” Pinkie asked.

“It doesn’t work that way, Pinkie,” Spike explained. “My dragon fire can be weakened in colder areas. My cold blood keeps me at a normal temperature, but, it can’t keep me warm like your blood can.”

“In order to keep Spike warm,” Twilight said. “I have more supplies should he need them.”

“I brought my scarf,” Rarity said, promptly wrapping a lovely pink scarf around her neck.

“Oh, that’ll really keep you warm,” Rainbow said sarcastically.

The fashionista simply swished her tail as she replied in an unconcerned tone of voice. "Please, you think I would pack a mere scarf for a mountain climbing adventure? Of course I came prepared with a full ensemble to match. And despite your rather rude remark, I'd be more than happy to let you 'borrow' it."

“Thanks, but, I’m good,” Rainbow said. “I’m used to higher altitudes, so, I don’t get too cold up there.”

“We have a long hike ahead of us,” Twilight said, levitating Spike onto her back. "So, I suggest we stop talking and start moving. The longer we stand around here, the longer this’ll take."

However, just as the group was getting ready to head out, Rainbow Dash took notice of something. Or rather someone. "Fluttershy?" She questioned, as though shocked that her fellow pegasus would be coming along on such an adventure. "Why are you here again? We both know sometimes you can even be afraid of your own shadow."

“I am not!” Fluttershy said somewhat indignantly. Although, she was still visibly shaking.

Rainbow sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Come on, we both know what's going on here. You don't have to do this. We'll be just fine without you."

Fluttershy shook her head. “I brought medical supplies and I’m the only one who knows how to use them,” she insisted. “Besides, Twilight said I’m important to this mission. If she believes that, I’m going to trust her.”

"As opposed to trusting yourself?!" The brash speedster complained. "Please, just back out already. Twilight will understand. If you tag along, you're just going to slow us down and everypony's going to wonder why. It's none of their business knowing about the things you'd rather keep to yourself."

The yellow pegasus simply insisted. “I won't slow anypony down!” Under her breath, though, she said to herself. “I hope…”

Twilight couldn't help but overhear the conversation between the two pegasi and immediately sought to inquire. "Is there something I should know about? I don't want any arguments or distractions, we're wasting time already."

“Go on, Fluttershy!” Encouraged Rainbow. “Twilight will understand if you tell her.”

But, Fluttershy replied. "There's nothing to tell, Rainbow Dash. If Twilight wants me to come along on this mission, then that's that. She's counting on me and, by extension, so is Princess Celestia. I'm not going to let either of them down!"

“Well, if it’s nothing,” Twilight said. “We need to put it behind us. Come on, there’s no time to lose!”

Reluctantly, the brash speedster said nothing more. But, in the back of her mind she was thinking, Why are you doing this, Fluttershy?! You don't have anything to prove!

Finally, Spike and the mares set off on their quest. They soon reached the base of the mountain where Razer slumbered. Spike looked up to the top.

“Whoa~” Spike said. “That looks like some climb.”

“That it is, Spike,” Twilight said. “For safety reasons, we’ll have to stick together.”

“So much for flying ahead,” Rainbow said.

“With the way you usually handle things,” Twilight reprimanded. “It’s just as well.”

So, some of the ponies started to make their way up the side of the mountain. Twilight looked over the mountain’s map while Rarity couldn’t help but observe something she learned about dragons. "I hear the only thing that sparkles more than a dragon's scales are the jewels they use to build their nests," And an idea soon came to her. "Ooh! Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll be able to convince that dragon to part with some of his less valuable ones. It would save me a lot of hassle having to go out and hunt for gems all the time."

Pinkie saw a chance to playfully tease Rarity, so she said in a gruff voice, “Welcome to my cave, Rarity. Care for a diamond? Well, too bad, because you can’t have one!”

“Well, it’s not like Razer will need them wherever he’s going,” Rarity protested. "I just thought I could do him a favor and lighten his load. I for one would hate having to carry such valuables with me all the time. Far too easy for some no good ruffian to steal them all. At least with me they'd be put to good use."

“Rarity,” Twilight said. “We’re not doing this to get rich or be rude. This is strictly a diplomatic mission. It’s no laughing matter either, Pinkie. Those smoke clouds will block out the sun for 100 years, preventing plantlife from growing. No plants means no food or breathable air for us. This is serious and we need to treat it as such.”

“We’re sorry,” Rarity and Pinkie said together.

“Also, th-that d-didn’t s-sound v-very g-generous of y-you, R-Rarity,” Spike shivered.

Rarity heard the shivering in Spike’s voice. She then removed her scarf and wrapped it around his neck. “I have a feeling you’ll need this more than me, darling.”

“That sounds more like you,” Spike said, the shiver in his voice disappearing as he warmed up. “I was struggling to keep my eyes open on the second halfway here.”

“If you need me to get your hot cocoa open,” Twilight said. “Please don't hesitate to let me know. How are you holding up, Fluttershy?”

But, when Twilight didn't get a reply, she turned around to see that Fluttershy had only just barely started up the mountain. And she was noticeably refusing to fly even though Rainbow Dash was doing so without trouble. "Fluttershy?" The studious unicorn inquired while looking back. "Everything okay?"

“Oh, s-sorry,” Fluttershy said nervously. “It’s just that… the mountain is so tall.”

"Well it is a mountain, you know," Rainbow Dash pointed out. "Last chance to change your mind. You sure you want to do this?"

“Y-yes, I’m sure,” Fluttershy said. “I just need a moment to prepare myself.”

The brash speedster groaned. "Then, what are you waiting for, an invitation?!"

“Ooh!” Pinkie said. “I think I have one in my bag! It must have fallen in when I was getting my supplies.”

“It’s an expression, Pinkie,” Rainbow clarified before turning to Fluttershy. “You can just fly up here. Or should we just go on without you?”

“You know, for Fluttershy’s fillyhood friend and the Element of Loyalty,” Spike remarked. “You’re being kind of a donkey’s behind to her, Rainbow.”

“Donkey’s behind?” Rainbow said.

“Twilight doesn’t like it when I swear.”

“Jackass isn’t a swear,” Rainbow said.

“Either way,” Rarity said. “We don’t understand why you’re being so hard on Fluttershy. Even if her pace isn’t as quick as ours is, this is still a team effort.”

“Eh, I’m not too surprised,” Pinkie said nonchalantly. “Dashie played plenty of pranks on Fluttershy when they were fillies. She told me so herself.”

“I know this is a team effort,” Rainbow said. “A team is only as strong as its weakest link. If Fluttershy isn’t going to back out, she should at least put in the effort to join us.” She directed her attention back to Fluttershy. “So, come on, Fluttershy! Let’s see you flap those wings! Unless you’re scared!”

Fluttershy huffed as she called out. “I’m not scared! I’m not. I’m coming.” She began flapping her wings.

Pinkie encouraged her friend. “Yeah, Fluttershy! You can do it! Flap those wings, girl! Whoo-hoo!”

But, at that very moment there came a mighty roar from further up the mountain. The noise echoed everywhere. And it was so loud and unexpected that it startled poor Fluttershy half to death. As if her body had a mind of its own, her wings suddenly locked up as she opened her eyes and fell to the ground with a thud despite her best efforts to gain altitude.

Applejack saw this and grabbed onto the map. She then made her way down the mountain. Spike jumped off Twilight’s back and landed on Applejack’s tail before she could get far. “What do you think you’re doing?” he questioned.

“Ah’ll need ta borrow the map,” Applejack said. “ah’m goin’ ta find another way up the mountain that’ll be easy fer her.”

“Uh, aren’t you forgetting an easier solution?” Spike said, pointing to Twilight’s horn. “Twilight can just levitate Fluttershy here with her magic.”

“Oh, of course,” Twilight said, practically facehoofing herself. “Come back up, Applejack. I’ll help Fluttershy up here.”

Applejack did so and Twilight focused her magic to levitate Fluttershy up. The friends continued to make their way up the mountain. Rainbow Dash could only frown in disapproval as she observed the whole scene. You're not fooling anypony with that performance, Fluttershy, she thought to herself.

During the climb, Spike started shivering more. “I’m s-s-starting t-t-to w-w-wonder if br-br-bringing m-m-me w-w-was a g-g-good idea,” he shivered. “Th-th-this m-m-mountain air is fr-fr-freezing!” He then let out a yawn and began to look rather lethargic.

Twilight noticed this and she readied a cup of hot cocoa for him. “Drink up, Spike,” she said. “You’ll need it.”

Spike took the cup and sipped the warm chocolatey beverage. “Thanks, Twilight,” he said. “Say, could you bring out the blanket? I don’t want to take any chances.”

“Of course, Spike,” Twilight said, pulling the blanket out of her saddle bag. “That’s why I brought it.” She used her magic to wrap the blanket around Spike’s body before placing him on her back with his own back to it. She then used her magic to tie whatever of the blanket that wasn’t wrapped around the dragon around her barrel to keep him secure. “There. That should do it.”

“Thanks, Twilight,” Spike smiled.

“Aww, how cutesy-wootsy!” Pinkie said. “You look like a bundled up little baby!”

Spike’s mood somewhat soured at that comment. “Don’t patronize me.”

The others continued on even farther, making their way up the mountain at a steady pace. Fluttershy even seemed to keep pace for the sake of seeing the bundled up Spike. They soon reached a ledge, a shortcut towards the top of the mountain.

A small, but, noticeable gap between the edge of two cliff faces presented itself to the six ponies, five of which soon leapt across it with no trouble. But, Fluttershy paused, she was not so easily convinced of the "shortcut." "It's so... wide." She nervously proclaimed.

“It ain’t that wide,” Applejack said. “Ya can just leap over it like we did.”

"I..." Fluttershy began only for another loud roar from further up the mountain to fill her with dread and uncertainty. "I don't know."

Pinkie, however, had an idea to help Fluttershy. “It’s not very far, Fluttershy. It’s just a hop, skip, and a jump!” Pinkie demonstrated the actions she described to Fluttershy. She continued to hop, skip, and jump back and forth until Fluttershy felt sure she could try. “If an earth pony like me could do it, a pegasus like you shouldn’t have any problems.”

“Alright,” Fluttershy said and she readied herself. “A hop…” She got into a hopping position.

“That’s it, Fluttershy,” Rarity said encouragingly.

“Skip…” Fluttershy said as she got into a skipping position. She then jumped. She then opened one of her eyes and saw the trench below her. After a quick yelp, she reached forward. True to Applejack’s word, the gap wasn’t so wide and Fluttershy was in no danger of falling. Somewhat irritated, Twilight levitated Fluttershy over.

The group continued on their way up the mountain. Spike had finished the cocoa in the thermos by then and began to feel warmer on the inside again. Fluttershy nuzzling up to him definitely helped to that effect. “Are you feeling better, Spike?”

“Much, actually,” he admitted.

“Good,” the yellow pegasus sighed in relief. “I wouldn’t want a precious little guy like you getting a cold.”

Spike’s expression went deadpan. “You’re mocking me, aren’t you?”

Fluttershy frantically stepped back, her face blushing red with embarrassment. “Oh, no no no. Not at all.”

“We’re entering dangerous territory, everypony,” Twilight said to the others, her voice in a soft whisper. “The slightest peep could cause an avalanche.”

“Wouldn’t it be safer, though,” Rarity said in a whisper. “To venture to the top on a less dangerous route?”

“Ideally,” Twilight whispered back. “I would’ve planned a safer route before we got here, but, this was the quickest route I could find. I can’t waste any more time planning another route. We need to deal with Razer as soon as possible.”

The friends quietly nodded and carried on through the path as quietly as possible. Rainbow absentmindedly flew through a bunch of tree leaves, knocking two off the branch. One drifted downwards and landed onto Fluttershy’s back, startling the pegasus. In that moment, she forgot about being quiet and started to shout. "AVALA-!"

A horrified Applejack quickly covered Fluttershy’s mouth with a hoof. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. “That was a close call,” Rainbow said in her normal volume.

After that, there was a low rumble which grew progressively louder. They all looked up to see a rockslide approaching them. “Way to go, Rainbow,” Spike dryly commented before directing his attention to Twilight. “Any chance you have enough magic to redirect those rocks?” Twilight shook her head no. “Didn’t think so. RUN!!!”

The others did not hesitate to run, Rainbow even maneuvered through the sky to avoid the falling rocks. They managed to get through the ordeal unharmed, though, the dust kicked up left them coughing up a storm.

“Is everypony okay?” Twilight said, a cough in her throat.

“Feeling stupid, but, fine otherwise,” Rainbow said. “That avalanche is on me.”

“I’m partially to blame, too,” Fluttershy said. “I felt something touch my back and I thought it was the start of the avalanche.”

“You were touched by a leaf,” Spike pointed out. “I saw it fall from the branch Rainbow flew through.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy said, blushing with embarrassment.

“Well, now, we have this pile of dirt to climb over,” Twilight said.

“Actually,” Spike said. “We can just go through it if I dig a tunnel.”

“That might not be a bad idea,” Applejack said. “N’, all that effort o’ yers will help ya ta stay warm.”

“And my coat and Rarity’s scarf,” Spike said as he freed himself from the bundle. He then began digging into the dirt, shoveling clawful after clawful of dirt away. He made sure the tunnel was big enough for the six mares in his presence. He managed to dig all the way through within a few minutes, visibly exhausted from the effort afterwards. “I… did… it…” he said between breaths.

“Thank you, Spike,” Twilight gently said, levitating him back onto her back. “You put in a lot of effort, so, please rest on my back.” Twilight also made sure to levitate the blanket and Rarity’s scarf back so that they wouldn't get lost.

“I must say,” Rarity said. “Spike’s quite skilled at digging. I can only imagine his hauls after gem hunts.”

“He’s never actually gone on a gem hunt before,” Twilight said. “He usually gets gems from stores. Those were NOT cheap.”

Rarity was genuinely surprised. “Perhaps I can take him on gem hunts sometime,” she offered.

Twilight grew suspicious. “You’re not just using him to dig up gems without getting dirty, are you?”

“Of course not,” Rarity said. “That would be terrible. Rest assured, I have every intention of compensating him for a job well done.”

“Hmm,” Twilight said, still not completely certain. “Alright, but, if I allow this and Spike tells me of something off from you, I won’t allow further gem hunts with the two of you. Do you understand?”

“Perfectly,” Rarity nodded.

“Thank you,” Twilight said. “Now, we have to keep going. We’re almost to the top cave.”

The mares reached the top. By that point, Spike woke from his nap. “Are we there yet?”

“Yep,” Applejack said. “We just got here.”

“Alright,” Spike said as he checked one of Twilight’s saddlebags. “Ah, here it is.” He pulled out what looked like a sword with a purple blade.

“My word,” Rarity exclaimed looking over the sword. “Isn’t that the scale that Stephen Magnet gave us?”

Spike nodded. “I made it into this sword using a bunch of sticks and duct tape.”

“How incredible,” Rarity said. “And so creative.”

“But, wouldn’t that be an act o’ aggression?” Applejack asked.

“Don’t worry,” Spike said. “I’m only using it to light my way in the dark cave.”

“Ah, that makes sense,” Applejack said with a sigh of relief.

“I’m going in alone to see if my Draketongue can reach him,” Spike said.

“Be careful, Spike,” Twilight said. “This’ll be your first time meeting another dragon, so, be polite. And, if you need me or one of us to come in with you, please don't hesitate to tell us.”

Spike nodded and entered the cave, holding his makeshift sword like a torch.

Inside the cave, Spike felt warmer as he went deeper into it. Soon, he found himself looking at Razer. He was indeed quite large with red scales and reddish-pink spines. He was snoozing presumably quite happily atop a huge pile of treasure, pausing only occasionally to scratch his stomach with a huge claw.

Whoa~ Spike said in his head. That gives me some kind of clue as to what I might look like when I grow up. But, knowing of his responsibility, Spike cleared his throat. He began speaking in a strangled, guttural roar. The larger dragon seemed to stir.

Outside the cave, the ponies overheard the conversation. “What’s Spike saying, Twilight?” Rainbow asked.

“It should translate from Draketongue to ‘Greetings,’” Twilight said quietly. “Spike should be explaining the situation to the dragon as well.”

A louder, less strangled roar could be heard echoing through the cave.

“That must be Razer answerin’,” Applejack said softly.

Twilight looked a bit confused. “That one’s a bit tougher to translate,” she admitted. “He either said, ‘take back what you said about my mom,’ or ‘I have a brother named Tom.’”

Suddenly, Spike was sent out of the cave and got thrown against a tree outside it. He was visibly shaken and the top of his knitted cap was completely burnt, revealing singe marks on the top of his head spikes.

“Spike!” Shouted the mares in alarm. They quickly rushed to his aid.

“Oh, Spike,” Rarity said worriedly. “What happened?!”

“I don’t know!” Spike cried. “I just told him what was going on and he breathed fire over my head! Then, he said something about insulting his mom or something! I asked him what he meant and he flicked me out of the cave! It was very upsetting!”

Fluttershy wasted no time in dressing Spike’s wounds, since she was the one with the medical supplies available.

“Everything’ll be alright,” Pinkie tried to reassure him.

“Alright?!” Spike snapped, pointing to his singed head spikes. “You call this alright?! My scales are supposed to be fireproof, but, these ones got burnt! Nothing makes sense anymore!”

“I think I can understand how this happened,” Twilight said. “There must have been a misunderstanding and adult dragon fire must be much hotter and stronger.” She sighed. “Clearly, the Draketongue I taught you is too different from proper Draketongue. Looks like we’ll have to resort to plan B.”

“What’s the plan, Twilight?” asked Rainbow.

“Rainbow Dash, you'll keep busy using your wings to help clear the smoke," the lavender unicorn explained.

“Right,” Rainbow said.

Twilight went on explaining her plan. "Rarity and Pinkie Pie, I don't anticipate charm being necessary. So you two will be in charge of a distraction in case we need to retreat or buy time."

Pinkie didn’t really give a verbal answer. Instead, she shook around a rubber chicken she apparently packed in her saddle bag. This left both unicorns looking confused. “Are you sure making us a distraction is a good idea?” Rarity asked.

“Trust me,” Pinkie said. “I have a flawless distraction technique.”

“I wouldn’t really call that flaw–” Spike began, before noticing he had a cupcake in his claw. “Where’d this come from?”

“You’re welcome~” Pinkie replied in a singsong voice before turning to Rarity. “Told you it works.”

“Ooh,” Rarity said. “She is good.”

"Right," Twilight blinked, deciding it best not to question the party pony for the time being. She instead turned to Applejack as she told the farm mare. "Applejack, you've got a lot of apples and some impressive rodeo equipment from what I hear. So, you'll stand by in case we're attacked and need to defend ourselves."

“Ah will,” Applejack said. She emphasized her point by pulling out two apples (one red and one green) and using her back legs to kick them hard against a nearby rock, making them splat ominously.

“And Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “I’ll need you to come with me. Since you’re a critter whisperer, you can possibly communicate with Razer.”

Fluttershy suddenly dropped the gauze she was using to cover Spike’s burns upon hearing that.

“Fluttershy?” Spike said.

"I... I can't go in that cave! I just can't!" Fluttershy declared as she seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"What? Now, yer afraid o’ caves er somethin'?!" Applejack groaned. "It's a bit late ta be tellin' us that now!"

However, Rainbow Dash seemed to realize what the problem actually was as she let out a long sigh. "I was afraid of this."

The others, sans Fluttershy, turned to face Rainbow Dash.

“What do you mean, Rainbow?” Twilight asked. “Is there something you know that we don’t?”

"Yeah, of course I do! You don't know Fluttershy like I do! The two of us, we've been friends since we were fillies in Cloudsdale," Rainbow explained. "We met at flight camp and got our Cutie Marks at around the same time. And growing up in Cloudsdale meant we got to know each other really well: What we were good at, what we struggled with, even what we were afraid of. And Fluttershy, well she has an alphabetical list of things she’s afraid of. But, if there's one thing she's afraid of more than anything, it's dragons."

Pinkie Pie protested. "What are you talking about, Dashie? That's ridiculous. Fluttershy can't possibly be afraid of dragons. She hangs around Spike like it's no big deal."

Rainbow’s already thin patience was stretched even thinner. “Well, go ahead and ask her yourself! It’ll only prove my point.” She turned to Fluttershy. "Go on, tell them already! You should've told them a long time ago! I can't believe it's had to come to this!"

Fluttershy was scared, but, she knew Rainbow was right. So, she took a deep inhale and told the others the truth. “It’s true… I am scared of dragons. I’m not afraid of Spike because he’s young and kind. But, I am scared of huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp-scale having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, could eat a pony in one bite, totally all grown-up dragons! I was exploring the forest one day as a filly and went into what I thought was a cave. It turned out to be a dragon’s mouth.”

Twilight could hardly believe what she was hearing. “But, you deal with all kinds of animals everyday!”

“Yes,” Fluttershy said. “Because they’re not dragons.”

Spike was getting angry at this. “What about Manny Roar?” he asked. “You walked right up to him like it was nothing!”

“Yes,” Fluttershy said. “Because he wasn’t a dragon.”

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say to Spike as he grit his teeth while his face turned red with anger and smoke escaped his nostrils. “He had WINGS LIKE A DRAGON!” he snapped. “SO, BEING A FULL DRAGON IS A PROBLEM TO YOU JUST BECAUSE OF ONE BAD EXPERIENCE YOU HAD?!”

Hearing what Spike was shouting made Fluttershy realize her mistake. She was alarmed at this and she only managed to squeak timidly. Spike’s anger became more tranquil as a tear welled up in his left eye. “I should’ve known,” he said in a voice completely devoid of emotion. “You’re just like those elitists back in Canterlot. Looking down on me because I’m a dragon.” He then looked to Rainbow. “I take back that donkey’s behind comment, Rainbow.”

Hearing this hurt Fluttershy even more. She was upset at herself for her fear, but, she felt even worse because she hurt Spike’s feelings.

“You’re right, Spike…” Fluttershy said sadly, her voice breaking. “I really am a terrible friend. I should have been more fair towards you and other dragons.” Spike didn’t even acknowledge her. He just turned his back to her with his arms crossed and his nose to the sky. This revealed that his coat had been burnt as well, revealing a small burn on it and some of his back spikes bent out of shape from when he hit the tree.

Applejack decided to get back to the previous topic. “If ya were so scared o’ dragons, why didn’t ya tell us before we hiked all the way up here?”

“I knew you and Princess Celestia were counting on me,” Fluttershy explained. “And if I said anything about it, I would have let you down. I brought medical supplies in case any of us got hurt so I could still be useful. I was afraid to do so… but, I did something much worse than let all of you down… I hurt Spike’s feelings because of this.” Her voice began to break. “None of my medical supplies can fix emotional damage.”

Rarity saw fit to point out. "Darling, forcing yourself to do something you don't want to do isn't necessarily brave. It would've been much braver for you to come right out and tell us you were scared. We would've understood."

​​"It would've saved me a lot of trouble," Twilight added with a groan. "But, it's too late to change my plan. We're up here now and we have a job to do. Every minute we waste standing around here is another minute that Razer’s smoke has to spread all over Equestria. So please, I know you haven't been doing your best up until now, but, for the sake of all of us and all of Equestria, can you at least try to be brave and help me out? Please?"

"If it helps sweeten the deal, I'll throw you the biggest hero party Equestria's ever seen when it's all over," Pinkie Pie added in hopeful encouragement.

“I’m sorry,” said the tearful pegasus. “I just can’t. I see now that I was just being stupid. I don't know why I came up here. Just forget about me, you'll all figure out some way to solve the problem without me. I’ll just treat Spike’s injuries. At least then, I’ll be doing something useful.” She sadly trotted to Spike to tend to his injuries, though, the young dragon tried to get away from her. “Spike, I don’t blame you for being mad at me and I don’t expect you to forgive me for what I said, but, these injuries alone will take a long time to heal. If you let me dress them for you, they’ll heal much faster.”

At this, Spike stopped. “Fine,” he said coldly. “But, don’t expect me to be grateful, dragophobe.”

Fluttershy winced at this remark. Knowing how much she hurt Spike emotionally, she felt she deserved that. Once this is over, she thought to herself. I’m going to try to get over my fear of dragons for his sake. I owe him that much at least. Despite her remorse, she continued to tend to the young dragon while the other five mares took watching the scene just as hard as her.

“Oh, dear,” Twilight said sadly, feeling bad for both Spike and Fluttershy. “Well, I guess I have no choice, but, to do what I can.” She took a deep breath and entered the cave. She cautiously approached Razer as he was trying to go back to sleep, but, once he saw her, this caught his attention. Twilight herself was taken aback by the sheer size of this dragon. Suddenly, I’m not so confident Applejack will be able to do much against this behemoth, she internally chastised herself. She cleared her throat. “Do you, by any chance, happen to know Ponish?” she nervously asked.

The red dragon responded in a voice that sounded similar to the noises he made when Spike tried speaking to him, but, despite sounding a bit different from Ponish, could be understood better, albeit roughly. “What if I do?”

“Well,” Twilight said, gaining any semblance of composure. “My name is Twilight Sparkle and my friends and I were tasked with telling you that your smoke-snoring is causing smoke clouds to obstruct the sun. We don’t have any problem with you sleeping when you need it, but, if you wouldn't mind finding some other place to sleep where this won’t be an issue, we will appreciate it greatly.”

Razer looked at Twilight with a flat expression. “I have traveled thousands of miles gathering the treasures you see before you,” he said in his semi-foreign voice. “I am naturally very exhausted as a result. This is not helped by a miniscule whelp insulting my mother and an audacious unicorn like yourself policing me for a medical condition I have.”

“I can explain Spike,” Twilight said. “I hatched him from an egg when I was entering magic school and his egg was my task for my entrance exam. As such, he grew up around ponies and isn’t familiar with genuine Draketongue. I tried teaching him as best I could, but-”

Razer cut her off with a yawn. “Spare me your life story, pony,” he said. “I’m too weary for it.” He then laid back down on his hoard. “Leave me in peace or what happened to that whelp could happen to you. And unlike that whelp, you don’t have protective scales against my low flames that’ll be replaced with more resilient ones after being heated to their limits.”

Twilight heeded Razer’s warning and shuffled out of the cave in retreat. Just in time as the large dragon snored a large burst of smoke. The ponies right outside the cave coughed before Rainbow used her wings to disperse the smoke.

“So much for that,” Rainbow said.

“And apparently, Razer just used a low flame against Spike,” Twilight said.

“That was a low flame?!” Applejack exclaimed. “We’re dealin’ with a mighty powerful dragon here.”

“He also said something about getting more resilient scales after the ones Spike has get heated to their limits,” Twilight said.

“That explains the singing,” Rarity noted. “I suppose it’d be more accurate to say that Spike’s not so much fireproof as he is fire-resistant, meaning he still has a limit.” She then turned her attention to Pinkie. “Well, Pinkie. I suppose it’s time we took a more careful approach on our part.”

“Like what?” Pinkie asked.

“That, I’m not certain of,” Rarity answered. “But, we must come up with something quickly.” She then thought about what she said on the way up. “Well, I suppose I may as well try charm. I’m not certain it’ll work, but, I haven’t a better idea.”

Twilight conceded and allowed it. “Go ahead, then. Besides, there is a chance it will work.”

Rarity wasted no time and strutted up to Razer. The titanic dragon’s sheer size compared to her made her lose confidence in her plan. Well, she thought to herself. I’ve come this far. I may as well go for broke. She cleared her throat. “Oh, Mr. Razer~” she said, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.

Razer heard Rarity’s sultry call and this caught his attention. “Hmm?” He looked at her and grew annoyed. “I suppose you’re going to lecture me or insult my mother?”

“Why, no,” Rarity said in a sultry tone. “It’s just that dragons of your magnitude are very rare around here and I couldn’t resist the chance to get a glimpse of one. And, I must say, I’m quite impressed by what I see before me.” Razer raised an eyebrow, as if asking her to get to the point. Good, the unicorn thought while using her Mystic Eyes to take note of the details. He’s at least willing to listen. I just have to play my cards right. “Terribly sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep, but, I personally think that you should skip it and go out into the world, showing all manner of creatures your beautiful and impressive scales.” Razer seemed to be flattered by the unicorn’s comments. “Splendid. And, don’t worry about your horde. I’ll make sure it’s safe from any thieves who are willing to partake in the riches.” That was Rarity’s big mistake. Razer growled and protected his treasure from this intruding mare.

“You think you could fool me, thief?!” he declared.

“No,” Rarity stammered. “That wasn’t my intent!” She saw Razer lift his free claw and immediately beat a hasty retreat.

Outside the cave, the others were surprised after hearing what Rarity said. Applejack groaned in frustration. “What in Tartarus were ya thinkin’?! Ugh! Listen ta the question! If ya were thinkin’, this wouldn’t’ve happened!”

Rarity sighed sadly. “I suppose the sight of the treasure was enough to blind me from the objective. I do apologize.”

Twilight stepped up to her. “You were supposed to convince him to leave, NOT SWIPE HIS TREASURE FOR YOURSELF! Now, we’re right back at square one!”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” said Pinkie. The others turned to face her, but, she was dressed to the nines in all sorts of ridiculous present decorations. “Good thing I packed my birthday suit.”

“Darling,” Rarity said once she was out of her funk. “You look ridiculous. More so than usual.”

“I know,” Pinkie said. “That’s the point. Sharing a laugh is the fastest way to get someone to be your friend. And once that dragon's my friend, it'll be a piece of cake to get him to leave. Just watch!" She proceeded to stroll right into the cave before anypony could even think of stopping her. But, all she managed to say to the dragon was "Hi." before there came a series of loud roars and crashes.

Pinkie hobbled out of the cave, her “birthday suit” in shambles. “Apparently,” Pinkie said sheepishly. “He doesn’t like laughing… or sharing, for that matter. Who knew?”

Seeing this display was enough to cause Rainbow Dash to lose her patience (not that she'd had much to begin with). "All right, that does it!" She roared at the top of her lungs. "We've tried asking nicely, turning on the charm, and... whatever it is Pinkie was doing."

Pinkie could simply respond by blowing her now damaged party horn.

Ignoring the "feedback" from one of her friends, Rainbow Dash just went on to say. "We've wasted enough time here! If that dragon doesn't leave willingly, we'll just have to make him leave the hard way! Get out of my way!" And before anypony could even think of stopping her, she zoomed right into the cave and came face to face with Razer in all his scale covered glory. "Hey, Mr. Tall and Ugly!" She bellowed. "I got a message for you: It's time for you to leave! So get out!" And then she turned around and delivered a swift kick to the dragon's nostrils/muzzle. Rainbow turned to face him again, only to be met with a smoky sneeze. When the smoke cleared, Rainbow saw that Razer wasn’t hurt, but, just angered and he growled lowly at Rainbow. I think I just made this guy’s sh*t list, the speedster internally panicked. “Uh, sorry?” she said, losing any nerve she had.

Razer gave a powerful roar, the force of which propelled Rainbow backwards into the ragtag group of heroes. They were sent careening into a giant rock, with the force of the sudden jolt collapsing the top half of the rock. “Yep,” the speedster said. “Definitely made that guy’s sh*t list.”

Behind the aforementioned rock were Fluttershy and Spike. She was still dressing his wounds, though he was still clearly hurt and sulking. Once she saw that she was no longer obscured, Fluttershy saw the situation. She saw her friends collapsed and hurt and she saw the dragon looking angrily upon them. Seeing the sight of her friends hurt by the bigger dragon, something snapped inside her.

Her brows furrowed as she said in a soft, yet angry voice. “How dare you?” Her response went unacknowledged. So, she rose her voice. Unlike previous attempts, she was actually shouting this time. “How dare you?!” Her moderate cyan eyes seemed to glow.

Her friends took witness as she flew up to the very muzzle of the large red dragon, completely in shock that the normally timid Fluttershy was actually angry. Even Spike, for his grumpy mood, couldn’t help but notice the sight. Even more shocking was the fact that Razer seemed intimidated by a pony that he clearly dwarfed in size.

“Now, listen here, Mr. Razer,” She snapped. “Just because you’re big, it doesn’t mean you get to be a bully! You may have huge teeth and sharp scales and snore smoke and breath fire, but, you do not… I repeat, you do NOT… HURT MY FRIENDS, whether they be a pony OR another dragon! You got that?” During the rant, Fluttershy’s eyes glowed brightly.

Razer himself was at a loss for words. No one had spoken to him that way since he was a hatchling. Razer could do nothing, but, manage a small, uncomfortable whimper in the intense gaze of the little yellow pegasus with glowing eyes.

“Well?” Fluttershy interrogated. “What do you have to say for yourself about all of this?”

“That rainbow one kicked me in a weak spot,” Razer said weakly. “I have cracked scales there.”

“And I apologize for her that she did that,” Fluttershy said, her eyes still aglow. “But, that’s no excuse to be mean. Two wrongs don’t make a right. And on top of that, you haven’t been the nicest to my friends and they didn’t attack you. At least, not intentionally. They were trying to be nice and get you to leave. You need to understand that your smoke-snoring is causing a problem. It could not only hurt others, but, possibly yourself, too.” She gestured to the smoke he made. “Your smoke will keep sunlight from reaching plants. Even if you don’t eat them, they’re responsible for making the air you breathe. Most of the plants in Equestria need the sunlight to grow. They can’t survive smoke blocking out the sun for 100 years. By then, not even flying creatures like us will be able to breathe the air. Do you really want to wake up unable to breathe the air?”

“No…” Razer said shamefully. “But, I-”

“Don’t you ‘But, I,’ me, mister!” Fluttershy interrupted. “Pack up your things and go somewhere your smoke won’t bother anyone.”

“Y-yes, ma’am,” Razer said, meekly nodding. With no further argument, Razer began shoveling his horde into some loose scales on his sides, said scales functioning like pockets. Spike and the ponies are surprised by such a sight.

“I didn’t know dragons could do that,” Pinkie said.

“Neither did I,” Spike admitted.

Soon, Razer had his horde completely packed.

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said. “Now, don’t you have something to say to my friends?”

Razer faced the others. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m normally more calm and collected than that. But, when I get tired, I get cranky.”

“It’s okay,” Fluttershy said in her gentle voice. “You’re not a bad dragon, you just made a bad decision and that happens to everyone. Believe me, I know.” At that last sentence, she directed her gaze at Spike, who was too far away to see her properly.

“But, I still have a medical condition that makes me smoke when I snore,” Razer said.

“Do you have doctors in your home?” Fluttershy asked.

“Not particularly, no,” Razer admitted. “Dragons don’t typically get sick often enough to justify them.”

“That is a problem,” Fluttershy said. “If need be, I did pack medical supplies. I may not be a doctor, but, I can certainly look you over.” She flew down to get some, her eyes still glowing. The others noticed that the yellow pegasus wasn’t even blinking.

“Whoa, Flutters~!” Pinkie gasped. “Your eyes are all glowy!”

Fluttershy ignored the comment and went about checking Razer. After a quick examination, she gives Razer a bottle of medical throat spray. “I may not know anything about dragons, but, I know a sore throat when I see one. This should help with that.”

“Thank you,” Razer said gratefully. He then sprayed some in his mouth before flying off.

After he left, Fluttershy landed on the ground and finally closed her eyes as the others went up to her.

“Okay,” Rainbow exclaimed in surprise. “Who are you and what have you done with Fluttershy?!”

“I’m still me,” Fluttershy said without opening her eyes.

“Really,” Rainbow said. “But, you just flew up to that dragon like he was a timid little squirrel or something!”

“It just… happened… I guess,” Fluttershy said quietly, still not opening her eyes.

“But, how?” Rainbow asked. “And what was with the glowing eyes?”

“Well,” Fluttershy admitted. “Rarity’s not the only one here with Mystic Eyes. Mine are the Mystic Eyes of Submission.”

“Oh, my,” Rarity said. She then used her magic to levitate a dropper of eye drops out of Fluttershy’s medical supplies bag. “If you need me to apply eye drops, please let me know, darling.”

“Eye drops?” Rainbow questioned.

“Some Mystic Eyes are said to strain the eyes of the user if their powers are used excessively,” Rarity explained.

“That’s part of why I don’t really like using the Stare so much,” Fluttershy said as she finally opened her eyes, revealing them to be bloodshot with shrunken pupils and irises.

“Whoa!” Applejack said. “That does look mighty painful.”

“It is,” Fluttershy admitted. “When my Mystic Eyes are active, they have to be kept open for there to be any effect. Even blinking can turn them off. The longer I keep them open, the drier my eyes get. If my eyes get too dry, I can’t see for a while.”

“Ouch,” Rainbow winced.

“Well,” Twilight said. “We understand the importance of your Mystic Eyes, but, we won’t try to force you to use them if there’s no need for it.”

“Another reason I don’t like using the Stare is because it basically forces whoever I make eye contact with to lose their nerve,” Fluttershy explained. “It just doesn’t feel right to me. So, I only use it as an absolute last resort.”

“We understand,” Twilight said sympathetically. Rarity used the eye drops to help with Fluttershy’s eye.

“After hearing all that,” Rainbow said. “I can se—” She quickly corrected herself. “—uh, understand why you don’t use it much.”

“It’s okay, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said once her eyes were mostly better. “Even if there is a little bit of a sting, it’s still nothing compared to the pain I felt at hurting my friend’s feelings.”

Spike suddenly remembered that he was upset with Fluttershy. “I won’t lie, that stare was impressive,” he admitted. “But, I’m still mad at you, dragophobe.”

“I don’t blame you,” Fluttershy said. “I said to myself as I was healing you that once this adventure was over, I would make an effort to overcome my fear of dragons. It won’t be an easy thing, but, if it’s to understand my friend better, then, I would do anything to make things right.” She felt around for Spike since her eyes were still healing and when she felt him, she nuzzled his left cheek. “I know that I hurt you—”

“That’s putting it lightly,” Spike grumbled. “You were the nicest to me when I first came to Ponyville and that felt like a HUGE betrayal.”

“—But, that’s a mistake I won’t make again,” she continued. “Today, I learned that not all dragons are as bad as we thought since Razer was at least willing to listen. Even if you never forgive me, even if you never trust me, my offer of friendship will be good no matter what.” She hugged the little dragon close, being very careful of his injuries.

Spike felt Fluttershy’s gentle embrace and he listened to her genuine apology. He came to understand that she was just as hurt as he was and admittedly, he said some hurtful stuff, too. So, he gently hugged Fluttershy in return. “I never really liked holding a grudge,” he said. “But, I need time to heal.”

“I understand,” Fluttershy said.

“Hate to break apart a sentimental moment here,” Rainbow said. “But, I’m going to round up the pegasi so we can clear away this smoke.”

“That’s the first good idea you’ve had all day,” Spike said, unable to resist a playful jab.

Rainbow chose to ignore that and she took off.

At the Golden Oak Library, Spike was ready with a quill and parchment. Twilight saw this and she began to tell Spike what to write.

“Dear Princess Celestia,
I am happy to report that Razer has left our side of Equestria. I am also happy to report that it was Fluttershy who convinced the dragon to leave peacefully. This adventure taught me that we must all put our fears to the side in order to do what’s right. Fluttershy learned this lesson as well herself, promising she would overcome her own fear of dragons to be a better friend to Spike.

Always your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle”

Spike set the scroll ablaze and sent it on its way. He then let out a yawn. “Is it okay if I take a nap to warm up?”

“Spike,” Twilight said sweetly. “You don’t need to ask me that. If you’re in need of a nap, you should always tell me.”

Spike headed to the basket at the end of Twilight’s bed and tucked himself in and Twilight headed outside to see the smoke being dispersed by the pegasi with Rainbow leading them.

“Well,” Spike said. “Rainbow kept her word.” He then yawned and cozied up, drifting to sleep almost immediately.

Back outside, Rainbow landed near her five friends after the smoke was dispersed.

“Whew,” Rainbow said, wiping the sweat from her brow. “Clearing smoke is a bit more effort than clouds.”

“Sorry I couldn’t help,” said Fluttershy, who had just recently regained the use of her eyes.

“Don’t worry about it,” Rainbow said. “Your eyes were still recovering.”

“I really want to make it up to Spike,” Fluttershy said. “Maybe meeting his mom will help.”

“There’s a slight problem there, Fluttershy,” Twilight said.

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well, I don’t know where Spike’s mom is,” Twilight explained. “He was given to me as an egg. I don’t know who found him or where.”

“Spike’s… an orphan?” Fluttershy asked.

“We don’t know that for certain,” Twilight said, sensing feelings of guilt and worry from Fluttershy. “Hopefully, we’ll meet her some day.”

Fluttershy headed into the library. “Looks like Fluttershy’s maternal instincts kicked in,” Rarity observed.

“That don’t surprise me none,” Applejack said. “She’s often lookin’ after li’l critters, ‘specially if’n they’re babies..It’d be easier listin’ the critters she won’t mother.”

“Given the circumstances,” Twilight said. “That might come off as desperate.”

In the library, Fluttershy found Spike asleep in his bed. She didn’t want to wake him, so, she was quietly looking around, thinking of a way to make things right for the young dragon. She gently stepped up to him and gave him the mother of all comfort hugs. “I’m sorry for what I said, Spike,” she whispered. “I know this sounds desperate, but, until the day we meet your real mother, I would like to fill in for her.” She gently kissed his forehead. “But, only if you’ll let me. If you do, I promise to do the best job I can.”

In Spike’s sleeping state, he could still hear and feel things that were happening around him. A warm smile grew on his face, even when he slept. He subconsciously returned Fluttershy’s embrace and nuzzled her chest. “Can I get that in writing?”

Fluttershy smiled sweetly and whispered, “Yes. I’ll even let you go at your own pace if you like.”

In his sleep, Spike said, “Thank you.”

End of chapter.