//------------------------------// // Gaining a sidekick? // Story: A Nightmare of a night // by Ethereal Trixster //------------------------------// Moondancer swiftly weaved her way through the palace, to the courtyard; her gait slowing considerably as she stopped outside the door leading to the garden, her hopes rode on this task and she wasn't going to fail anypony today, her hoof slowly pressed against the door, walking through the door's opening. Her eyes instantly falling on two white Pegasus, that were standing in front of what appeared to be her ride to Ponyville. Everything about the two guards was exactly alike to the other, though Moondancer thought nothing of the guards mirrored appearance to one another; instead looking on at the radiant garden, her eyes were hypnotized by the beautiful flowers decorating it, only to snap back to her task, as the realization of the third pony that wasn't present. "There was a pony that was supposed to be with you two, right?" Both shook their heads, neither of them breaking their perpetual silence, as they motioned towards the carriage. "I guess you two have a good point, if he's not here it's not my problem; we have to get to ponyville." Her pace quickened, suddenly rounding the guards, as her hoof stopped shortly on the carriage; her breathing hitched while her eyes fell upon a small purple creature with green scales a top of its head; It was propped against the inside of the carriage, snoring. "What are you?" "I'm a dragon." Her breath hitche, as she fought the urge to scream in terror at the very sound of its voice; her hooves left the carriage, in fear of what this dragon would do to her in such a close proximity. Suddenly, a pair of pistachio colored eyes opened, accompanied by a soft yawn before declining himself to whomever the mare was, Princess Cadenza assigned him to assist; his claws flexed for a second, bones cracking in protest at the sudden movement, his spaded tail coming to life as it swished back and forth on occasion, banging against the golden carriage. His chest puffed out, as his cream colored belly breathed in and out, watching the unicorn shrink under his sleepy gaze. It only took a moment, before he sensed the unicorn's unease. "Hi, I'm Twilight Sparkle's assistant, Spike, and I guess I'll be helping you out. So, do you mind if I ask your name?" Spike hoped it would at least, soften the mare's apprehension towards him. "I-Its Moondancer." Moondancer backed away from the purple dragon, second-guessing the idea of assisting the princess, now that was a dragon was involved. 'Doesn't the princess know dragons eat ponies, even baby ones, so why does gher apprentice have one as an assistant?' Her breath hitched as the dragon smiled at her, his row of sharp teeth sending chills down her spine. "Wh-why are you here li-little guy, aren't dragons supposed to be outside of Equestria?" "I told you already, I'm here to help you out with Princess' party in ponyville, and not all dragons are like that, you know." "Like what? I don't have any idea of what you're talking about." "You know, devour every pony insight, there are gemetarian dragons, too?" "You are a what?" "A gemetarian, is a dragon who eats gem's instead of meat and well anything, it wants." Spike could tell that some of the apprehension that the unicorn disappeared with the fact that he just ate gems. "So, Moondancer, do you have any gems?" "N-no, I don't Spike." "Well it couldn't hurt to ask, I guess." His voice was a little less cheerful than before, despite staring at her with those bright green eyes "That's right. "Her breathing finally startied to settle down, as the small dragon smiled at her. If what he was saying was true then, it really wouldn't be so bad. "How did the princess choose you for this task?" Her voice returning, as she regained the composure she had lost moments ago. "Princess Cadenza;'s apprentice, Twilight Sparkle, hatched me, when she was a filly; and from there, Twilight's family raised me; until her apprenticeship was done. Now, I work at that dusty old library with Twilight, and those other geezers. So, I made a request to the princess to do something fun and well, here I am." His claws wrapped around the carts edge, each digit wrapping against the gold plating as Moondancer passed by him sticking to the other half of the cart. "That's interesting; I didn't think Twilight's family would be too keen on raising a dragon." "I'm sure it was hard for them, but the Princess donated a lot of gems, so it didn't hurt them bit wise, but everything else I don't really know what to say except, that they raised me like I was their own." His pistachio eyes gazed upwards at the floating manila folder above him; he ignored its presence at the beginning, but now, it just seemed to be teasing him, while they got accustomed to each other. "What's with the folder?" Moondancer smiled as the baby dragon reached for it, any concern over him devouring her in the short time the two would be together. "Oh, that? Its what Princess Cadenza gave me to help find the ponies in charge of the celebration." Her eyes descended on to the dragon, his eyes now full of curiosity. "Would you like to see it?" Moondancer watched as the dragon nodded his head in excitement, looking at that face full of curiosity just made the mare forget her ties to Canterlot's social life and think of better times,.spent during her childhood, only to be brought back into reality; with a thud sounding out as he tried to grab the folder. "What are you doing?" "I'm just trying to get a peek at it, and see what's inside." He jumped again, only for him to come that much closer to reaching his target. 'Just another inch and I'll get it.' His legs readied themselves for another spring towards the folder, only for it to be raised out of reach. "What was that for? I just--.never mind." The dragon shrunk under the mare's gaze, not knowing what to say or do. "You didn't ask nor did you even try to." "But you were teasing me." His voice pleaded, hoping the mare's stare would relent on the matter. "I don't care, what do you say?" Her stare increased, her hooves tapping on the floor like a scolding mother. The dragon gulped, not accustomed to being scolded by strangers. "I-I-I I'm sorry." His breath slowing down, as the anger slowly faded from her eyes. "Good. Now, try again." "Can I look at the folder, please?" He smiled brightly; Moondancer contemplated her answer briefly, a smile being drawn on her face. 'I haven't seen it yet so, I guess looking at it before we get there, won't hurt.' Her ears perked up as various photos of ponies flopped out. 'So it's four mares, one for food, music, decorations and the weather. Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy might be a pain to work with, if the poses in their picture have anything to say about it.' Her gaze lingered on Rarity's photo, a sense of familiarity coming from the photo like she'd seen the mare or heard her name before. "The white one's pretty, do you know her, Moondancer?" Spike said as he picked up the mare's picture, his clawed digits adjusting to the photo opting not to rip it. "Her coat is a fine pearl, and no, I don't know her, but her name, it just seems familiar as if somepony said it before or something." The missing photo now put back atop the stack; the mare holding it safely in her aquamarine, magical aura. "Sorry, I just thought you'd be like old friends or something; I mean you, both look kind of similar." The dragon's voice hitched, hoping he didn't offend the mare, again. "I'm not in any sort affiliated with those yokel's, despite the refined look Rarity has, I'm sure she's still just like the rest of them." Her nose twitched at the thought of the two being similar at all. "Wait, how are we similar? You barely even know me and that's the first time you've seen this Rarity mare." "I meant, that both of you look really nice," Moondancer held the smallest of blushes the off-hand comment Spike made. "Oh...well, thanks then,...I think." Her voice still one of concern, as the dragon's chest puffed up once again; this time a belch of fire erupting forward, accompanied with a sealed scroll. Her hooves skittering backwards, as the flames barely missed the top of her mane. The mare took a few seconds to catch her breath and resist the urge to strangle her temporary companion. "Oh, it's a letter." Her periwinkle eyes doing a double-take, as Spike broke the seal; the dragon's mouth moving silently as he read it. "What does it say?" Her question put on hold, as the golden carriage lifted into the air, the startled mare scrambling to the front of the carriage, her hooves wrapped around the railing in fear of plummeting to her death. 'Couldn't they have given me a warning before they took off.' Her mind riddled with complaints, as she glared daggers at the two oblivious guards. "Oh, it's a letter telling me not to eat any ponies gems while in town, or scare anypony either." His voice boomed over the gales of wind that blew in their faces; the dragon dropping the parchment, letting it free fall and landing Cadenza knows where. His voice broke the mare out of the string of unfortunate events, Moondancer wished upon the guards after landing safely in ponyville. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear you?" Her voice a tad higher, hoping the sudden gust didn't muffle the sound of her voice. "It says, to be on my best behavior." His voice rang louder, getting a small wave of her hoof as confirmation that she heard him. Neither of them said anything, as the descent down Canterlot's regal mountain-side began; the two held on to the carriage as the speed increased. The carriage jostled the slightest, as they reached the halfway point of the descent, neither of the passengers noticing the angle increasing, as the two looked at each other, both saying a silent prayer to make it too the town in one piece. The carriage's pace steadily decreased, as they passed over the Everfree forest, the worst of their short journey now over; as the wild howls and such erupted from the forestry. The unicorn steeling herself as her hooves gently let go of the railing expecting the worst of her troubles to be over. She looked at her companion, his cheeks puffing up, his eyes full of concern as the dragon's mouth opened and a torrent of flames shot over her head, startling the mare and dropping the folder towards the forest. Acting on instinct alone, she jumped for the folder realizing the folly of the situation. 'Oh Cadenza, I just jumped off the carriage...'