//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Dragonbrave 
// by superpony55 
//------------------------------//

The Pegasus continued her rant, and Smokey couldn't do anything. He thought he had grown strong, but he had just grown weaker. He watched as the Pegasus stared into his eyes, not blinking. He couldn't look away. It was a nightmare! And nothing could stop it. He stopped struggling and stared into the pony's eyes, accepting that the memories would continue.





..."It sure is."

Thorn sat up, after being silent for a few minutes. "I'm hungry," she complained.

"Then eat some of the gems," Smokey said.

Thorn shook her head. "We need to save them and use them for money. We can eat pony food, it fills us up, it's just not as tasty as a diamond."

"Really?" Smokey asked. He'd never really thought about eating pony food, and he certainly hadn't tried it.

"Yep. I'm particularly fond of cake. You want to try some?" Thorn asked.

"Sure," Smokey said. Thorn walked away.

"Hello."

"AAH!" Smokey screamed again. Why did everyone keep doing that?

"I'm Dro- Dronedo. Nice to meet you," A male yellow and pink dragon said.

"Will you dragons stop scaring me!" Smokey hissed angrily. Dronedo looked taken aback.

"Sorry," Smokey apologized. "Where are my manners? I'm Smokey."

"Nice to meet you Smokey. What are you doing?"

"Running away. You?" Smokey asked.

"Me too! That's so funny!" Dronedo laughed.

"Yeah, funny," Smokey agreed, surprised to run into two dragons who were doing the same thing as as him. "And weird."

"Smokey! I'm back! Would you- Who's that?" Thorn asked.

"This is Dronedo," Smokey introduced. "Dronedo, this is Thorn."

"Nice to meet you, Thorn," Dronedo said politely.

"Nice to meet you, Dronedo," Thorn replied. "Would anydragon like some cake?"





The train slowed to a stop. Smokey opened his eyes and yawned. He shook his companions.

"Guys," he whispered. "Wake up!"

"Mo-mmy!" Thorn said. "I'm not ready yet!"

"Thorn!" Smokey hissed. "The train stopped!"

Thorn looked at him. "You're not Mommy."

"Wake up Dronedo. I'll pack up and meet you outside."

Thorn nodded and started shaking Dronedo. "Dronedo..."

Smokey gathered up their belongings, including Dronedo's suitcase. He turned to Thorn. "Do you know where we are?"

She just shrugged. "All I know it's not home. But it's going to be home!" She looked out the window at the mostly empty landscape. "I hope."

Dronedo opened his eyes. "But it's not 3 A.M. yet!"

Smokey looked at him. "Our train must have gotten here early."

"I guess. I was hoping to get some more sleep," he grumbled.

The three dragons stepped out and the train drove away. Dronedo looked around wildly. "This isn't Las Pegasus!"

Thorn and Smokey looked at him, surprised. "Las Pegasus?"

"That's where I was going," Dronedo explained. He started running across the train tracks. He waved his arm wildly. "Wait! Wait for me!" But the train was out of sight.

"I guess you're stuck here," Thorn said.

"Where exactly is 'here?'" Smokey asked.

Dronedo dug into his suitcase and grabbed out his ticket. "'The Ponyville Colony?' Where in the wide wide world of Equestria is the Ponyville Colony?"

"Here," Thorn said simply.

Dronedo yawned. "Let's just go so I can get some sleep!"





Smokey opened his eyes. Ponyville. PONY-ville. Would they even accept dragons? He sat up. It was time to find something to do. He may just be a kid, but that didn't mean he and his fellow dragons couldn't help!





"We need help apple-bucking," a light yellow pony with a red mane said. "We'll take you- if you promise not to burn down all the apple trees."

Smokey blushed. But Thorn nodded. "We promise, ma'am."

"Oh," said the pony. "You can call me Mrs. Apple."

"Yes ma'am!" Smokey and Thorn called together.





Smokey shook the tree. Apples fell into all the baskets around the tree.

"Hic!" Thorn hiccupped, then held her breath.

"You okay?" Smokey asked. 

Thorn nodded, not opening her mouth. She swallowed and sighed. "Sorry, it seems I always hiccup when I hold in fire."

"What?" Smokey replied.

"For most dragons, sometimes you just need to let fire out. Whenever I keep it in, I get the hiccups," Thorn explained.

"Oh, I understand," Smokey said, although he didn't.

Dronedo walked over. "What's going on?"

"I got the hiccups," Thorn told him.

"Why?"

"Uh! Not you, too!" she said, shaking her head. "Whenever I keep my fire from coming out, I get the hiccups!"

"Oh." Dronedo and Smokey exchanged glances, each not understanding. 

Why doesn't Dronedo understand, after all, he's no runt, Smokey thought. Maybe he just doesn't get the hiccups when it happens. He shot a glance at Thorn, who didn't seem to notice.

"I need more baskets!" she called, waving her arms frantically.

Smokey rolled his eyes at her performance. "Nice performance, Thorn." He picked up his baskets. "Here, I'll get them."

"Thanks, Smokey," Thorn said.

"You're welcome, and look, some apple pies coming out," Smokey told them. "You want some?"

"You bet!"

Smokey put the baskets down and walked up to the counter. "Three apple pies, please."





Smokey remembered meeting Dronedo. The little yellow Pegasus had the same coloring! 

"Dronedo," he hissed, but the Pegasus didn't notice. Dronedo looked past her, down the mountain. He didn't want to be reminded of his old friend. Too much pain. But as he looked down the mountain, he saw a purple-and-green dragon. It couldn't be... But it had to!

Thorn.