//------------------------------// // Oh Great, Now I'm Going Insane (Rewrite) // Story: Friends Tll the End // by Mystic Sunrise //------------------------------// Pearl grumbled to herself as she heard the soft steps a ways behind her. Turning around the young pegasus looked about. Nothing there. For the last few weeks, she had the feeling something was following her. Whenever she looked into the shadows of a tree or a thick set of bushes there were the same amber eyes she saw that night.  Groaning louder, Pearl turned around and continued on. If she missed her study with Twilight and got home late. She would be in even more trouble than she already was.  As punishment for her little excursion, Pearl was grounded until her father came home. Whenever that was. And she was to take daily study lessons from the top filly in their class. She was just thankful it was Twilight. As if it would have been anypony else.  The sound of a twig snapping caused Pearl to turn around quickly. And there it was. Up in the tree. Those bright amber eyes looked at her curiously. Just like they did that night.  Sucking in her breath, Pearl stomped toward the tree and puffed her face up. “Will you STOP BUCKING FOLLOWING ME!”  Closing her eyes she took a long deep breath. “I don't know if you’re trying to harm me or not but I can’t handle this, you constantly following me around like some kind of lost puppy. So either kill me or go home!” Pearl pointed toward the forested area, only to catch the eye of a fuchsia mare walking with her daughter, a cloud-white filly with dark dark purple mane.  “Mommy? Why is that girl yelling at the tree?” the filly asked leaning into her mom. Pearl recognized the girl from her class and groaned. Rarity Belle. This filly was known for spreading stuff like this around the class. She loved gossip as much as gemstones.  “Oh never mind dear. Just keep walking.” the mare chuckled a little escorting her daughter away. Pearl felt her eye twitch rapidly as she looked down at the bush. “Oh Great, now I’m insane. Or at least others think I am.” Stomping her hooves down she turned and gave the tree a strong bucking. “Thanks a lot.” Pearl left flew away quickly not noticing that the young dragon had just slammed headfirst into the ground with a loud thud. Pearl landed just outside of the schoolyard where Twilight was sitting. Beside her was a small basket and several piles of books. “You're late.” Twilight shook her head. “Ya sorry, I got… held up.” Pearl flopped down on her rump next to her friend as Twilight floated a sandwich and an apple down atop a plate before opening a textbook. “Let me guess your imaginary ‘dragon’ again?” Twilight took a bite of her lunch. She had heard this story several times. And didn’t believe one word. It’s impossible for a dragon to be made of plants. She even had two whole books on the subject.  “I swear Twily, he’s real. And has been a huge pain in my flank. Thanks to him Ponies now think I’m the crazy girl who yells at random pieces of shrubbery and the odd tree.” She looked down at her books. The pages inside were starting to look like gibberish with all that she was being asked to absorb. It was ten minutes before she looked back up, only to see a large hedge bush inching its way past a tree. A long dark blue tail swishing out the back. “Oh great…” Twilight moved up and stood next to her friend, rubbing her eyes. “Are you seeing this too?” She couldn’t believe it. A plant was actually walking towards them. She watched as it bumbled into a tree head first before awkwardly moving within a few feet of the fillies.  With a gentle shake, the dragon shook off the bush he had been wearing and sat down, looking at the two fillies with a wide sharp smile and bright amber eyes hidden in what looked to be an overgrown azure mane. Pearl smirked looking at Twilight. “Still think I’m crazy?” Turning back to the dragon she was about to yell at him again before sighing and just slumped down. “Why bother… he doesn’t understand a word I say.” “This is… he is… This is impossible!” Twilight quickly circled the dragon. He was only a few hooves taller than they were. She poked at his side which only made the dragon shift a little. “Okay okay… Front legs have claws, back have hooves. And he has a cutie mark! Dragons can’t get cutie marks. No wings. But spikes. Lots of spikes.”  Twilight moved about and sat next to Pearl. The dragon suddenly started to spin around and around only to bit and chew on his outer coat near his rump. Making both fillies blink repeatedly  “Well you wanted proof, here he is.” Pearl sighed kicking at her apple which rolled down and bumped the dragon’s paw.  The two fillies watched as he just looked down at the apple for a moment then back up to the girls. The pair could hear his stomach rumbling. “He doesn’t eat ponies does he?” Twilight whimpered.  “I honestly have no idea. I sure hope not?” Watching the drake's eyes move from the apple to her she just sighed deeper and waved her paw, offering it to him.  The dragon smiled and leaned down taking the apple and munched on it noisily. After swallowing he playfully bounded up and down around the girls before dashing off to the nearby river. “Huh, if that’s all it took to get rid of him, I would have fed him an apple weeks ago when he started trailing me.” Pearl chuckled along with Twilight before they caught sight of the dragon dart its head down into the river and pulling up a fish as large as they were. “Oh wow. I thought dragons just ate gemstones.” Pearl marveled along with Twilight. Never having heard of a dragon eating anything else. They then saw as the drake half skipped his way back and sat down in front of Pearl.  The fish in his jaws lightly flopped, and with a swift snap, it went still and dropped it at Pearl’s hooves. With one brush of his large paws, the dragon had cleaned the fish.  “Okay, what am I supposed to do with this?” Pearl huffed poking at the fish with her hoof. “Oh…” Twilight’s eyes went wide and half giggled. “What?” Pearl’s annoyance started to grow. “Well, you shared your lunch with him. I think he is sharing his with you.” Twilight looked at the fish. Pearl watched as the dragon looked at the fish and then at Pearl. Then back to the fish and back up again. The wide smile slowly started to disappear. “OH no. I am NOT eating a fish.” “Don’t Pegasai eat fish?” “Not all the time. And certainly not raw, fresh from the river.” Pearl grumbled. The dragon leaned back a little and just kept his gaze at the fish then back up to Pearl “Pearl. Just take a bite. I think your insulting him.” Twilight nervously laughed. Pearl looked at the fish, already she could feel her stomach twist. She looked at the dragon. He did seem innocent enough. Biting down on her lip she lowered her head. Her teeth gripped the wet flesh and tore a piece off. With her first chew, she slapped her hooves over her mouth. The urge to throw up was strong but she just held it in her mouth. Hoping he’ll just go away at this. She watched as the dragon just smiled and made a swallowing noise. ‘I hate you…’ her mind shouted before swallowing loudly. A shiver escaped her whole body as Pearl flopped to the ground. She took her cup in her teeth and swung her head back, downing her soda to wash the taste of raw fish from her mouth. She was about to kick the fish away when she saw the dragon half bounce up and down before pulling the fish over to himself and start to eat it. With the two girls watching him. “You are eating the next fish, Twily,” Pearl gagged. “Even if I have to force-feed it to you myself.” Twilight giggled as she patted her friend on the back. “In your dreams, Pearly. And here I thought you wanted to know all there was to know about dragons.” Pearl snorted. “I do. But I didn’t want a hooves and mouth on demonstration! I wonder if it’s just his kind, or do all dragons can eat meat? Also, where are his parents? You would think a pony-dragon hybrid would be big news. He seems to be a bit young to be alone. ” Twilight could only shrug. Dragons were not exactly common in Ponyville, no matter that Equestria and Dragon Lord Torch got on rather well from what she knew. There was, supposedly, a dragon egg that was kept in one of the schools. Nopony knew for sure. Twilight had never seen one, and neither had Pearl. Her Entrance Exam for the School for Gifted Unicorns was coming up. While she loved Miss. Sunflower, Twilight knew she could do so much more at the larger school. Moondancer had already moved up to the bigger school, and Twilight missed her old friend. While she loved Pearl, trying to talk magic with her was an exercise in frustration. It would be nice to be able to talk all about magic with another filly, and the both of them being able to understand what was being said. “Girls! Study time is almost over. Time.. oh.” Miss Sunflower called out as all the other fillies who stayed for special lesions had already left for home. “And whom do we have here?” the earth pony teacher walked up and smiled at the dragon. Twilight and Pearl cringed a little trying to come up with an answer as the dragon just smiled up at the mare. “He’s a friend.” Pearl sighed out. “I met him weeks ago during my… ‘adventure’.” Sunflower frowned, she remembered that day vividly and just shook her head. “Poor dear. You look positively neglected.” she lifted a bunch of leaves out of the young drake's overgrown mane and looked into the dragon’s eyes. The dragon smiled and just let out a low purr and brushed up against the teacher like a cat would. Unsure why this mare looked so different from the other two girls beside him. But she radiated an aura of motherly care which relaxed him. “Well. you girls head-on on home. Twilight, thank you again for taking the time to tutor our young delinquent here.” Miss Sunflower smiled and quirked her eye at Pearl who just looked away. Turning back, the teacher just looked at the drake who just cocked his head. “I’m going to have to write to Miss Amber about this.” “Yes, Ma’am.” Twilight smiled. She enjoyed being her teacher’s assistant. Something that brought a groan to Pearl’s lips.