//------------------------------// // The Good a Dragon Can Do // Story: Night Fury's Lament // by JumpingShinyFrogs //------------------------------// Weeks pass in a blur as I grow accustomed to my new home. I observe the antics of the Crusaders when I can, read books with Spike, rescue animals with Fluttershy and share experiences with Luna, who visits most nights. My wounds from the fight have healed, and the panic has died down, allowing me to indulge in a semblance of normal life. Right now, I'm sitting in my den, with Spike showing me a book he 'borrowed' from the library. Yeah, news flash, there's no need for a dragon to sugar-coat thievery. It's what we do, might as well embrace it. I've taught him to catch fish, and even though he's obnoxiously loud, and terribly clumsy, he's got the hang of it. He cooks the fish with his strange green fire. It takes forever and a day for it to even start charring them. His fire isn't particularly hot. I suspect it was adrenaline that cranked up the temperature at our first encounter. One time, he ended up making a fish disappear in a puff of smoke. Weirdest thing I've ever seen. Turning a letter to smoke I can understand, but a fish? That doesn't work in my book. That night, Luna told the story of how, that evening, her elder sister, Celestia, was drinking tea and reading by the fire, when a burnt fish suddenly materialised above her and was speared on her horn. They never did figure out where it came from. Even Spike couldn't put two and two together, so in a fit of giddy laughter, which is a rare occurrence for a dragon, I had to connect the dots for them. Still, back to the book. It's about unicorn magic. I don't find this fascinating at all, but he seems very intrigued by it. Sweet Thor, does Twilight not expose him to draconic literature? Sagas of great battles, long forgotten tales sung by the bards and the finest hunting techniques...Spike certainly is a deprived dragonling if those treasure troves of knowledge are denied to him. He can't even speak the language, for Odin's sake! "So unicorns channel magic through their horns by focusing, and drawing on their internal strength," Spike lectures me. "That's real interesting, can we skip to the part with the dragons?" I yawn. "And you called the ponies racist," Spike scolds me. "Don't you want to hear about magic?" "Not unless I can do it myself," I say nonchalantly. "Well, maybe you can. All creatures in Equestria have magic in them. Dragons more so than others. All you need is an outlet to use it. Your wings probably act as magical batteries. If you had a horn or something, you could probably put that magic to use," he ponders. Now I'm interested. I flip up my horns. "Would these work?" "Maybe," he answers, not entirely sure. "Lemme try! Where's the instruction manual?" I ask with excitement. I've kind of sort of envied Luna since I first met her. Being able to use magic to pick stuff up must be awesome. "Ok, um, first focus on this," he instructs, picking up a pebble. I attempt to do so, succeeding to some degree. When he's satisfied the stone has my undivided attention, he continues, "Now draw on the magic." What magic? How am I meant to know what it feels like, or even if I have it? "Um, I can't. I can't find something if I don't know what I'm looking for. I'm not from here, so maybe I don't have any?" I suggest, disappointed with how likely the possibility seems. "No, I think you have something going on. It's magic that let's dragons breathe fire," he says matter-of-factly. "Correction, it's a special organ filled with gas that lets dragons breathe fire," I point out. Fire isn't magic, even the humans have figured that out, and they're more primitive than half the animals here. "Come, let us test this conundrum outside," says a regal voice. Looking towards the entrance to my den, I notice that night has fallen and Luna is here. "Hi Luna, welcome to the party," I say, gesturing to the piles of fish entrails and animal bones. Wings from the strange, big eyed, round, insectoid creatures that occupy the tunnels down here lie scattered as well. They might be small, but they taste great and not even Fluttershy seems to like them. Best of all, as soon as I eat one, another has been vomited up by one of its brethren. Weird, but helpful. "I'm here too...if that's ok with you," says an unmistakable whisper. Peering around Luna, I can see Fluttershy ducking down, the white rabbit (I refuse to call him Angel) on her back, playing with her feathers and tapping her hide impatiently. At a tug on her ear from the rabbit, Fluttershy rephrases, "I meant, I'm here too, and uh, maybe I can help? If you want me to..." The rabbit sighs and gives up, hopping in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage. "Do you not have the ability to fly?" asks Luna, ignoring Fluttershy. "Yeah, I can fly, but what does that have to do with anything?" I ask her in return. "Then you do indeed have magic. Airborne creatures cannot fly without the aid of magic," she states matter-of-factly. I flex my wings and point a claw at the muscles. "No, it's powerful muscles, hollow bones and an aerodynamic body structure that allow me to fly," I correct her. Next I gesture to my tail and flight sails. "All of my flight mechanisms are very delicate. I wouldn't be able to fly if my tail or flight sails were damaged. I would just lose my balance and tip over. No magic involved," I finish. Luna is stunned. I'm not sure if it's because I won the argument or if it's because she didn't know that it was possible to fly without using magic, but she doesn't respond. "Um...I can help..." mumbles Fluttershy. No one pays attention to her though. "That is preposterous, nay, impossible!" says Luna, still shocked by my explanation. Fluttershy is still whispering, but I'm too caught up with Luna to do anything about it. "Maybe you need magic to fly because your wings aren't big enough for your body?" I suggest. Mistake. Fluttershy is still muttering away, but Luna looks thoroughly offended. "Art thou suggesting that we are, how wouldst thou put it, fat?" Luna fumes. Her voice is loud, so loud I can actually see the volume coming out of her mouth. Her manner of speaking changed to one I can't make heads or tails of. Fluttershy cowers even more, and Spike is knocked off his feet from the sheer volume. From behind her mane, Fluttershy still can't form coherent speech. Whatever. I'll worry about her later. Right now I have an angry princess of the night to deal with. "No, you aren't big, but your wings are small," I point out. Luna calms down a bit, though I can tell she's still annoyed. I continue, "They're only about the size of an owl's wings, whereas you are a fully grown mare. An owl has wings that are about the size of his body, and that helps him to fly. You shouldn't be able to fly, because your wings are too small. That's why you must need magic to fly," -I fan out my wings- "My wings are huge, about the same size as my body. They're also very muscular, and I have lots of little sails to help me fly. My bones are hollow, and my scales are lightweight, which also help." I finish explaining and wait for Luna's reaction. She looks satisfied. "We are sorry. We merely took the wrong meaning from thine explanation," she apologises. "Still doesn't solve the problem of how to test if Umbra has magic," points out Spike. "That is true," Luna ponders. We continue like this for about five minutes, when all of a sudden- "LISTEN TO ME!" comes a shout from the entrance. Luna, Spike and I turn to look at Fluttershy. She's standing up straight, with a look of defiance on her face. As soon as she realises we're looking at her, she cowers behind her mane again, "If that's ok with you..." Two claws and a hoof hit the faces of their owners. "What is it, Fluttershy?" I ask the terrified Pegasus. "I might know a way to see if you have magic..." she mumbles. "Pray tell, what is the method you speak of?" Luna asks. I notice she's switched back from using odd pronouns. Maybe that happens when she's angry? "If Umbra can walk on clouds...then maybe she has magic?" Fluttershy suggests. Luna and Spike blink, while I sit there with a confused expression on my face. "Why didn't I think of that?" asks Spike. "I don't get it," I say, very, very confused. "Oh uh...things that can fly can walk on clouds because of magic...if you can walk on clouds then you must at least have some magic..." Fluttershy stammers. "Shall we test it?" asks Luna. "I don't see why not," I agree. We walk outside. The night, though it is young at this stage, the sun only just having set, is crisp and beautiful. Fluttershy and Spike seem a little scared of it, but Luna is relishing in it, just like me. Luna flies up, out of sight for a while. She returns with a small cloud. Fluttershy flaps up, very slowly, and lands on it. Luna joins her. "Come on...if you want to..." calls Fluttershy, her quiet tones almost impossible to hear. I fly up and hover next to the cloud, unsure of what to do. I reach out a claw at the cloud, and to my surprise, I don't pass right through it. Rather, it feels as solid as the ground, but soft, like the down on baby birds. I grip it in my claws. When I'm satisfied it's solid, I tentatively alight on it. I don't fall through. Maybe I do have magic after all! "Well done!" praises Luna. "See, you can do magic!" says Fluttershy. "Nice job!" calls Spike from the ground. "I'm so happy for you, I feel like cheering for you!" Fluttershy exclaims. She takes a deep breath. I'm prepared for another bellow like earlier, so I brace myself. "...yay," she whispers. I stifle a laugh. She calls that a cheer? "It is with regret that I must return to my duties as Princess of the Night," says Luna. "I will see you all tomorrow night." And with that, she leaps towards the moon, becoming the silhouette once more. The silhouette of Luna winks at me, before settling into its position on the moon. Fluttershy yawns. "I might go to bed now, actually. I'm tired and I need to be up to feed the baby animals tomorrow morning," she says sleepily. I glide down to Spike while Fluttershy does the same. "Goodnight," Spike and I say, before returning to my den. Spike attempts to teach me a spell to levitate things. With a lot of pain and time as well as much frustration, I manage to lift the stone about an inch and hold it there for a moment before dropping it. The aura of my magic is a bright green, and surrounds both of my horns as well as the stone. Now that I know what to do, it's a lot easier. I gradually get better at it, and even after Spike has left, I continue practising. Eventually I can hold it there for a long time, move it in different directions, and raise and lower the height of it. I flip through Spike's book. I can't really read it, but the pictures tell enough of a story for me to figure out what the spell does. I find something that piques my interest. It appears to be a spell for stealth, if the pictures are correct. The steps to performing it have illustrations too, and I attempt to perform it. A sudden spark from my horns and a feeling of lightness last briefly before I feel normal again. Did I do it right? I decide to test it on the insect creatures. By now they've learned to flee when they spot me. Not that it makes any difference, I'm far too fast and stealthy for them to get away. I walk right up in the face of one. It doesn't move. I wave a claw in front of it. It doesn't pay attention. I repeat on a few others. None of them seem frightened in the least! I must have got gotten it right. I celebrate by hunting a few of the insects, catching a couple of fish and topping it all off with a nice sapphire. ~~~ I decide to give my new stealth spell a test run by flying out over Ponyville today. I love observing towns, but haven't dared since the incident with Twilight and Rainbow. I cast the spell before I leave. I have no idea how long it lasts, so I decide to renew it every now and then. I fly out over the orchard first. The orange pony, Applejack, as I now know her name, and the red pony are picking apples. I fly low, testing the spell once more. Applejack looks up, but doesn't see me. Perfect! That's confirmation that it works. I approach the Crusader clubhouse. It's been so long since I've seen my favourite three fillies. The Crusaders aren't in there right now. I suppose they're out getting into trouble. As I set off toward the rest of the town, wanting to see what else is going on, I see something strange. Applejack and the red pony aren't picking apples any more. Now they're trying to set a pile of dead branches and leaves on fire, with little success. "Consarnit! This dang pile o' wood and leaves won't light! Can y'all do anythin' about it Big Macintosh?" asks Applejack. "Eenope," replies the red pony, presumably Big Macintosh. They resume trying to light their bonfire. I think back to what Applejack said. Big Macintosh might not be able to do anything about it, but maybe I can... My mind made up, I loose a ball of fire at the pile of wood. It catches instantly, blazing high with a pillar of smoke. Applejack and Big Macintosh are surprised and terrified at the same time. "What in the hay caused that? Was it you?" asks Applejack. "Eenope. Ah think it came from up there," drawls Big Macintosh, pointing a hoof in my general direction. However he's way off the mark, which proves that my spell is working. I leave the two apple farmers to their own devices and set off towards the town, flying low for an astounding view of the streets. A small red school lies in the town. A bell goes off, and lots of fillies and colts come rushing out. The Crusaders are among them. I notice that two earth pony fillies, one pink, one grey have backed the Crusaders up against a wall. I listen in on their conversation. "You're just a bunch of useless blank flanks," jeers the pink pony. "Yeah, we don't need a bunch of losers like you three at the school dance," sneers the grey one. Sweetie Belle looks close to tears, and Scootaloo lays a comforting wing across her friend's back. "We can go to that dance, 'cause we want to, and there ain't nothin' y'all can do to stop us. At least we're actual real fillies instead of fake doll ponies," responds Applebloom hotly. "Yeah, I bet you guys are real disappointed that Daddy couldn't buy you a real reason to be here," taunts Scootaloo. "Seriously, get a life," she finishes. The two bullies are furious. The grey one opens her mouth to say something, but closes it when she can't think of anything. "Whatever! If you three even set so much as one hoof in the school hall tomorrow night, you're going to regret it, big time!" threatens the pink pony. The grey one gives Applebloom a shove, sending her careening into Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. All three collapse in a heap. Sweetie Belle bursts into tears, while the two bullies are in fits of laughter. I've been sitting here this entire time, and my rage has been simmering, stewing, boiling, and now it is smoking hot. How dare these two ignorant, rude, immature bullies verbally and physically attack the Crusaders? The Crusaders are sweet little fillies who deserve every ounce of a dragon's protection. I position myself between the Crusaders and the laughing bullies, and beat my wings, hard. The two bullies are knocked over into a wall by the sudden gust of wind. They groan and stagger to their hooves. Unfortunately for them, I'm not a very merciful dragon. As soon as they're up, I repeat the process. I do this about three more times before settling back. At first the Crusaders were frightened, but now they're laughing, rolling on the ground. The two bullies, dizzy and clumsy, bang into one another before groggily threatening the Crusaders with something to do with ice cream, before wandering off and throwing up in the grass. Satisfied, I leave the elated Crusaders and fly off. I'm just as happy as they are, smiling and humming a tune. Even the rearing filly on my Crusader neckerchief emblem seems to be rearing higher than usual. I pass the same ditzy grey Pegasus who I saw the day of the fight. She isn't using clouds this time. She's delivering mail. A brown stallion with a darker brown spiky mane emerges from his home, probably to receive his mail. The ditzy grey Pegasus somehow manages to send a piano plummeting his way. How she stored that in her bag, and how she flew with it, I'll never know. What I do know, is that that stallion won't be enjoying the sun for long. None of the ponies seem to want to do anything about it. So I guess it's up to me. Swooping, I grip the piano in my claws, and struggle to lift it. It's incredibly heavy, but with a lot of effort, I move it a safe distance away from the stallion, and drop it. "Goodness, what happened?" asks the stallion. "Sorry Doctor! I dropped the piano that was meant for Cheerilee's school dance on you!" calls the grey Pegasus. "Derpy? How did you manage that...why am I asking?" mutters the Doctor. "Some random unicorn must have saved you, because the piano started floating! It was weird, though, there was no magical aura!" exclaims Derpy. Suitable name for the clumsy wall eyed pony. "What? Derpy, that means that it wasn't a unicorn. Are you suggesting that the piano just flew, of its own accord?" asks the incredulous Doctor. Derpy isn't listening. "Thank you random unicorn! Have a muffin!" she calls, producing a baked object from her mailbag, and throwing it into the air. I catch it with my claws, thanking Derpy silently. "See! No aura!" she exclaims jovially. "What? But that's impossible... Derpy, please go fly over to the floating muffin and see if you can figure out what's holding it," orders the Doctor. Derpy starts to fly up to me. I fly away, eating her muffin as I go. It's delicious, very sweet and light. I'll have to ask Spike to ask her to make some for me. ~~~ About 15 minutes after my encounter with Derpy and the Doctor, I start to get a little sleepy. It's true, I have a horrible sleep schedule. I tend to be awake during the day and night, with little time for sleep. I turn and head back to my den. As I pass the boutique, the white unicorn, once again chasing the Crusaders out glances upwards. Shocked she rubs her eyes and looks again. Oh shit, did my spell wear off? Apparently so, as sewing needles, spools and rolls of fabric are thrown at me. Hey, at least it's not burning beams of white hot death that are being fired at me. Either way, I need to leave. I fly away as fast as I can, renewing my spell as I go along. I manage to get home without anyone else spotting me. I curl up in my den and soon fall asleep, my dreams filled with muffins and dazed bullies in front of bonfires. It's impressive, the good a dragon can do when she puts her mind to it. Now, if only the ponies could see that...