Ponyville was abuzz with activity. Shopkeepers and residents alike flocked the streets in droves in response to a traveling dragon, taking to the earthen paved roads of ponykind rather than the skies.
In the Golden Oak Library, Twilight sat firmly in the center by a table, surrounded by her friends and discussing the encroaching menace that would loom over Ponyville shortly. Only five minutes into the discussion and already they had their first plan, courtesy of Rainbow Dash.
"I say we give 'em a reason not to come through Ponyville!" Rainbow Dash sternly declares with a few jabs. Twilight rolls her eyes at the pony's rash tactics. "A response that wont lead them to destroying the town would be preferable!" The pegasus laughs apologetically as she floats down.
"Couldn't you do somethin', Fluttershy?" Applejack looks to her right expectantly only to find her vacant. Aware their friend is missing, the group scan the room. "Hey!" Rainbow Dash points a hoof accusedly at a shaking pile of blankets. She hovers over to it and hauls it up. Or tries to at least.
"Noo!" The blankets were wailing. The group sighed collectively. Rainbow Dash lands standing on her hind legs, looking dissaprovingly at the pile as a head peaks out. Fluttershy meets Rainbow Dash's expectant gaze for the briefest minute before enclosing herself in the sheets once more.
"Oh, come on!" Her shoulders sag in defeat.
"Its alright Rainbow Dash." Twilight opens a map of Ponyville on the table. "We'll have to make due without her help. At least with a direct confrontation."
"Now, assuming it sticks to the road, the dragon will be arriving by the southern road." She marks the path with a quill and fresh ink. "From there it will then make its way either through the northeastern exit to Canterlot, or the northwestern route to the Everfree Forest. Right now, I prefer the latter."
"What could it possibly be looking for to go through Canterlot?" Rarity worriedly asked. Twilight had been asking herself the same question well before her friends had shown up. She had drawn several possibilities in the short time she had to consider its approach and quite frankly, none of them were pretty. "I don't know Rarity, but for now lets just worry about what we're going to do when it gets here."
"Maybe its migrating?" Applejack considered hopefully. Twilight merely shook her head. "Highly unlikely. A dragon of its age would stop following the migration and would spend the rest of its life hoarding jewels. That aside, its traveling on hoof. Dragons dont do that, especially when migrating."
"Well, they're looking for something, that's for sure." the cyan pegasus remarks with a hoof to her chin. Just then a pink anomaly materialized over her shoulder, joyously declaring, "A PARTY!" Rainbow Dash darted high in the room, alarmed beyond her senses. "It could be looking for a party! A lonesome old dragon scouring the land for a festive communal of excitement and debauchery!" Pinkie continues innovatively.
"Lets not lose sight of reality, darlin'." Applejack attempted to pacify the pony's imagination. Twilight however hummed in intrigue. Not to say she figured Pinkie Pie's assumptions of a party were worth considering, but it was definetely in search of something. Dragon depth perception was not at its pique when in the sky. At most they could make out physical objects given any distance. But if they were looking for something in particular, say an emerald with a darkened core, it would definitely force them to look closely. Far closer than anypony preferred.
Just then an uproar outside the treehouse roused the groups suspicion. Ponies left and right galloped in every which-way with fear in their eyes. Twilights eyes dilated with grim realization. "Oh no." She ran to her window and looked in the direction she'd predicted earlier. Her ears leveled with her head. "Oh no, no, no."
"What is it?" Applejack dreaded her response. Instead Twilight ran back and magically collected a number of objects from her shelves. "It's early, it's early!" A light shriek of alarm came from the upstairs blankets. Ignoring it, Applejack asks, "What do we do?"
"Give me a minute, I'll think of something!" Twilight panicked. Her eyes running through, literally, random books, she forced herself to think of ways of handling the situation. She'd expected at least an extra half-hour to make a plan. Caught unprepared, she struggled to come up with something. The fate of Ponyville rested on her quick-thinking as it usually did, and in the back of her mind she knew reporting to Celestia that she'd allowed Ponyville to be flattened while she was there would not be a pleasant experience.
Instead, she hauled a random book on dragons from a shelf and half-heartedly shouted to her friends. "Come on!"
//
Ponies. Such fragile, short-lived creatures. Watching them run in fear without even approaching him could almost make him cry, if he wasn't so used to it. Snorting flames from his nostrils, the head of the collective continued his walk to the village.
A surprising scene unfolded shortly before he'd reach the bridge to the settlement however. A cutely small animal on four legs, no doubt entailed by its compatriots, prepared themselves by the bridges end. 'A task force of skilled individuals?' he fancied with a smirk. 'Or maybe a group of riled misfits seeking to make their way with the dragons. Snacks, if ever there was a more obvious fate, though the company wouldn't be objected.'
The elder arched one of his wings, trying for a menacing appearance while also stretching. It'd been a long walk. As he approached the small creatures, hardly the size of one of his nails, he fancied the one attempting to dart away in fear while one of its cyan allies held onto its tail forcibly. He stopped short of the bridge, certain it would collapse under his weight and awaited the young emissary's declaration of parlay, as he was so used to hearing.
Her mouth moved. She gave the impression of being polite, as did most of her kind at face value. He waited patiently for her to finish and waited a short while after to finally lower his towering head level to the bridge and meet her eyes with his deep red ones. As he so enjoyed doing every time, he opened his maw and washed them all with a wave of heat straight from the furnace that was his chest. The group looked shaken... and their manes had flattened considerably. The one from earlier had fainted. Still they remained however. He'd consider them.
"I am Barbarossa Grigori Vlanvaruk, creatures of earth, air and magic. In the short time you have left before I make what I will of your town, I will have you know you are the first to remain after I make my presence known. For that you have my counsel. So I will give you a brief moment to tell me as to why I should let you live, and more importantly why I should leave this settlement alone." Lies, the both of them. He did not seek to destroy, nor kill for game or sport. Implying he did however never ceased to bring an amused response.
He'd certainly alarmed the leader of this group. She was at a loss for words but swallowed her fears and answered him legitimitely. "T-This settlement is under the protection of princess Celestia, ruler of these lands. I am one of her students and as such am an extension of her authority." Her ears leveling and taking a half-step back, it was as far as her display went. "So if you'd be so kind as to..."
"...leave?"
"Yes!" Her ears happily perked as she practically bounced at his response. "Why thank you for understanding the situation and on behalf of the kingdom and all of its subjects, I formally thank you and offe-" She had so readily prepared her closure-speech. How adorable.
"I will not leave, 'girl'." He rose himself high once more and gave an impressionably menacing glance across the town as though he were a patron at a buffet. "This town may have what I need. I will find it and if not..." He allowed traces of smoke to escape his jaws. "Well, you'd best hope I find it."
She protested meekly below him. He wondered if ponies ever understood height differences and air obstructions. It anything her words come off as a subtle whisper, no matter the volume. He lowered his head and, while meaning it, added a menacing tone. "What?"
"I-I said, there must be some way we can help. So we can... you know... avoid any unpleasant business?"
"..."
He rolled the idea in his mind. To allow the ponies to search for his object for him. How interesting...
He blew another wave of heat over them. The light, pink-haired one hardly rose from her brief collapse before going under once more. "Find me an emerald. A large, cube-like emerald."
The purple one instantly perked up with a smile. "An emerald! Got it!" She turned to the white beauty. "Rarity?" Rarity...
Fitting.
She looked to the purple one in wonder before suddenly growing aghast. "Me? You want me to-, Twilight I'm certain there are other-" A stern look from all her friends stopped her and she smiled meekly afterwards. "Yes... of course... right away!" She ran off into the distance. All their eyes were back on him and most offered an apologetic smile. He was amused if only briefly. Though he didn't show it.
Such odd creatures.
//
"Give up my emeralds. Why, if I had it my way I would have those rogues digging through the nearest gem grotto! Why, the nerve!" Unsettled, Rarity dug through her assorted chest of emeralds, solely for clients and inspiration. Gem after gem she chucked them over her shoulder and finally settled for the closest thing she had that the dragon had asked for. Ready to depart, she placed it in her sack and prepared for another quick gallop before a fear crept onto her.
"What if he wants an 'exact' cube?" She pulled the object out of her pouch and observed it. It was definitely not an exact cube, though could be passed off as one to a lazy merchant. "What if it does not meet his standards? What if he hates it, and blames me? What if he takes me for a snack! I'm too elegant to be considered a snack! A fine meal really, but a snack!?"
With a creak of the floor, Rarity nearly jumps as she sees the unmistakable spines of a dragon, though it was only Spike, awake from a nap.
"Oh, hey Rarity." the youth yawns. Assorting a room of used material to an orderly condition was unfavorable for a baby dragon. He stretches briefly before catching site of the emerald in mid-air. His mouth waters at the possibility. "wow, is that for me?"
Dragons eat emeralds. Emeralds are gems. Dragons eat gems. Dragons can chew gems. "Why, yes! Yes it is!" She places it in his hands and stops him short of eating it whole with an enticing stroll to his side. "But no need to eat it now. Its only just a snack." The word makes her cringe. "Be a dear and just eat a little. enough to smoothen out the edges, please. I would really appreciate it, Spikey."
He caught on quick and jumping at the opportunity of earning her favor, he did as instructed. Rarity smiled gleefully as in seconds he'd transformed the ill-begotten 'emerald' into a truly unique gemstone. She took note of his crafting for later and took it from his hands with a kiss to his forehead. "Thank you, Spike!" And with it, she galloped away, knowing she'd spent far too much time in the Boutique.
Spike, nevermind how odd the scenario was, fell with weak knees.
//
"Royal flush!" one Pinkie Pie declared victoriously.
With a snort, the cards flew in every direction. "I did not agree to the childish game, creature
Despite her friends counsel and admonition, she blinked at him silently before shuffling another stack of cards on the table. "I see you want to go again." With another stack ready, she stares at him expectantly, puffy tail seemingly wagging. He stared back.
"..."
"..."
"I'm back!"
"Pshht! Not now! I'm in the zone!"
"Pinkie!" the purple one, Twilight, glances back at her friend, who levitated the gem to each other and respectably towards him. Twilight expected the creature to grab it just short of her face, where it floated, but found herself at a loss of words as a field of crimson engulfed the emerald and he raised it to his eye level far above any of the houses in Ponyville. After a brief observation of the gemstone, his hum resonates to all in the vicinity.
"Interesting..."
"So if thats everything you can be on your wa-"
"A sapphire." he announces. His gaze drops to the ponies below and their leader stares blankly at him.
"...excuse me, what?"
"Sapphire." he repeats louder. "Clean cut and triangular." The pony shrinks at his commanding tone, the yellow one surprisingly managing to stay conscious, and laughs nervously. "Yes... sapphire." She turns to her back-stepping friend expectantly and Rarity returns an innocent smile. After a standstill, Twilight clears her throat. "Rarity."
"Oh, come now Twilight! One large dragon looking for gems and I'm the one who has to-"
"Rarity!"
"Yes, why certainly." She forces an air of elegance back on herself before galloping away. Again the group look at him with smiles. He humors them with a display of his own carnivorous ones. This time, the yellow one laughs to herself and remarks his teeth before collapsing with a roll of her eyes.
//
"In all my years, not once have I-"
"Rarity? Whats going on?" The snow-coated mare turns around and notices her little assistant once more. Not even bothering picking out a particular sapphire, Rarity tosses a random, large one into the dragons hands and laughs as calmly as her frustrated form would allow. "You've been so committed, Spike. Why, here's another treat, and maybe if you cut this one triangular I could give you an... added bonus?" she battered her eye lashes.
Whatever it could have been, Spike didn't care. He broke the gemstone with precision anyone would have been amazed with and in a few seconds, he had her prism in his claws.
"Thank you!" she declared and proceeded to kiss him on the cheek this time before leaving. Spike, alone once more, rubbed his cheek dreamily before rubbing his stomach with discomfort. It wasn't good for a dragon to eat two different categories of gems.
//
"Go fish!"
"I will not amuse you further, creature!"
"Pinkie Pie, stop!"
"I'm back!" The words were a godsend for Twilight and without delay, both unicorns presented the sapphire to the elder before them. He took the gem with annoyance and looked over it with great depth. Twilight felt a spark of hope ignite within her as he took longer with this one than the others and felt assured he was finished as he placed it down.
Barbarossa looked to where Rarity had run off to on both occassions and narrowed his eyes on the building. The Carousel Boutique...
A whisper catches his ears. They were attempting to communicate again. He lowers himself and stops them mid-sentence with a last demand.
"Shards of a ruby."
"Shards?" Twilight remarks. The dragon remained quiet and she took it as a confirmation. She turns to Rarity in time to find her trotting her way from her friends. "Rarity!"
"I know!" she shouts back.
The group is left hopefully for the final time with the dragon and it looks as though it dares for them to try something. It was that time however that Fluttershy had decided to be brave and meekly came from behind Rainbow Dash.
"U-um... h-hello. You're not like the other dragons."
He perked his head to her. Despite her rising fears, she held her ground.
"M-My name is Fluttershy."
It was silent for a while. She grew uncomfortable.
"...You're right to assume I'm different, 'Fluttershy'" Despite his response, she felt a wave of calm begin to take hold. She'd been right at least. He was different. Maybe with this she could- "Any other dragon would jump at the chance to devour your scrumptious flesh. Not I. No, I know for a fact you would go well, roasted."
"..."
//
"Spike!"
"H-Huh? Rarity!?"
"No time!" She shot open her chest and chucked the first ruby she could find into the dragons open, confused mouth. He nearly fell back from the force of the toss but was captured gracefully by Rarity. He would have thanked her had she not forced his jaw open and shut at the speed of a blender.
He'd swallowed a few pieces by accident and felt sick to his stomach before being released and coughing out the shards of whatever gem she'd placed there. He had only finished rubbing his mouth with the back of his claw, considering calling Rarity slightly aloof, before being hastily kissed on the lips by the mare in a hurry. Despite being half a second, it dragged on far longer in the dragon youth's mind and even when she left with a quick thanks, it never felt like she'd left his lips.
"...wow."
//
"Wrong again! I'm a lobster at a crab convention!"
"I will see you burn, abomination!"
"PINKIE!"
"Here!" Rarity nearly tripped as she splayed out the shards in the air. Twilight had no sooner engulfed them in her magic than the dragon had in his. Twilight looked up expectantly at the dragon and felt assured her and her friends duties had been completed. But her hoped dashed immediately as the dragon opened its maws and forced all three gemstones to the ground with enough force to shatter them.
All were alarmed. "B-but we gave you what you wanted! Didn't you-"
"The dragon." He lowered his head to the ponies and didn't hesitate to raise his voice. "Where is he?"
It took a second for Twilight to comprehend what he was asking. Her eyes dilated. "T-The dragon?"
"Yes, the dragon." Despite their shattered condition, the gemstones remnants rose above the ground and levitated before the gathered elements of harmony. "These gems were extracted from the earth and modified, not by conventional methods but by draconian. So I will ask you again, girl, where is the dragon?" Again they were impaled to the ground. It was obvious now more than ever that they had uncovered what it was the dragon had been searching for. Not for gems, but for a dragon.
"Spike..."
"Spike?" Twilight backed away in fear. Spike. What did he want with Spike? As she pondered the many reasons, Barbarossa rolled the name around with his forked tongue. "Spike... an odd name... but fitting." He rose himself high above the clique of friends and declared as loudly as he could, "Bring me Spike the dragon. Now."
"Rarity!" a new voice called out. Both parties looked back well behind the ponies to see the small form of Spike walking down the street with more gems in his hands, eager to work on crafting more shapes at the whim of Rarity's command. "I thought maybe we could try some other sha-" He stopped dead in his tracks as he only just noticed the towering form that was Barbarossa the dragon. Not just any dragon, but an elder dragon. One of a vast age and limitless potential.
And he was what his eyes were set after.
"Spike... at last we meet." Barbarossa fondly chimed.