Ch 1 The Chryssaling
Twilight Sparkle, newly crowned princess of Equestria, was now privy to many new things because of her station. She could go anywhere in the kingdom, (all with considerable fanfare of course), she could eat the finest of cuisines, and she could enjoy the most diverse of company from around the world.
Currently, her favorite thing was to sit in a library in a small town no-pony had ever heard of until four years ago, with another princess of Equestria that she had known for years now, drinking tea made by her dragonling assistant. “Princess, I’m so glad you could make it today!” gushed Twilight, herself still not used to the title she too bore “I know it must take a lot to get away from your royal duties.”
“Please, Twilight,” replied the lunar diarch, only a hint of exasperation evident, “not only dost thou share our rank, but thou art our liberator, a Knight of Harmony, and our first friend since our return.” She wagged a hoof at her in admonishment. “Thou simply must learn to call us by our name; it does wound us so when thou refuseth to.”
Twilight blushed, still a stickler for the rules. “Sorry, it’s hard to just change my attitude on a dime is all.” She released her embarrassment and straightened happily. “Still, it’s no too often we both have free time like this. It was really nice of you to come all the way out here just for some social time.”
Luna waved the thought away like one might do to a fly. “Twas no true matter, Twilight, as we do rather enjoy the rustic scenery of Ponyville. Verily, we do find this quiet little town a perfect getaway.” Luna sipped her tea contentedly, only to notice it had run rather low. “Our apologies, Twilight, but dost thou have any more tea?”
“Hm? Oh yes, of course, though usually Spike would have caught it before it got low.” She cleared her throat and cupped a hoof over her mouth to call down to the kitchen “Spike! Could we get some more tea?”
The distinct grumbles of a napping baby dragon could be heard from the couch below. While nothing new, they had been growing in frequency lately. In a few short minutes the whelp arrived with a fresh pot of tea, and an equally sour face. “Here’s yer coffee.”
Luna started, and Twilight said tentatively, “But Spike, were drinking tea.”
“Tea, whatever, get off my back!” he continued to grouse and grumble down the stairs.
After a few tentative sips to check that it was indeed tea, Luna and Twilight refilled their cups and began to talk again. “Thy young servant seems a tad testier than usual. Is there something wrong?”
“I wish I knew, Princess.” A raised eyebrow, “I mean, Luna.” Twilight corrected herself meekly. “But, for the last few weeks, he’s been getting meaner and meaner, like some-pony has been spitting in his coffee every morning. He almost reminds me of the nobles back in Canterlot!”
Luna giggled a bit at that. “Forsooth, Twilight, the Gentry of Canterlot do tend to leave a taste most foul in their wake, and young Spike does seem to be emulating that attitude.” But then Luna shrugged as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “The child tis likely entering his chryssaling phase; All young whelps tend to get that way around that age, and in truth, we are quite surprised it had not begun sooner.”
At Twilights dumb look, Luna took on a slightly miffed tone, as though insulted. “Surly thou didst not think Tia the only princess with knowledge of dragons? We are the princess of the night, and dragons have always been primarily nocturnal hunters.” She placed her tea down and looked at Twilight, continuing uninterrupted. “Now, we may assume a space has been cleared for the boy? A highly flammable tree shall be no… suitable…” Luna just noticed Twilights look of sheer dumbfounded-ness. “Surely, Twilight, thou were informed of all of this when the whelp was presented to thee?” a head shake. Luna stood up in alarm “But dragons are volatile at the best of times! Our sister knows this fully, and would not have given one to a mere filly totally unprepared!”
“She told me they eat gems?” the lame statement came out more as a question, as if asking if it was ok. By Luna’s degrading mood on the situation, it was clear that it was most certainly not.
“But what of their care taking needs?” Luna asked hotly. A head shake. “Their nesting habits or their growth cycles?! Their full dietary requirements or courtship protocols?!” Twilight sank lower with each statement, sinking deeper into a feeling of inadequacy she had not felt since she had thought she failed the “test” at the Crystal Empire.
Luna, however, seemed to be on a tirade focused fully on her sister. “That Royal Ninny! Of all the bull-headed, dirty, mean- GRAH!” she seemed to have briefly moved beyond the ability to conjugate full words, though it passed quickly. “We told her everything she might need to know about them! We took great pains with graphs and lectures and- and” she eyed Twilight suspiciously. “Who taught thee thy study habits?”
Finally, a question she could answer! “My mother, Ma’am!” she saluted as though in the Royal guard. Hey, she was already in trouble, what could a little sucking up do to hurt her now?
Luna groaned audibly at the response, as though it were the answer she had wanted, but not the one she needed. “So be it, we shall cover it all ourselves later.” She made a motion as though pushing a pile of books to the side with her hooves. “First, however, we must establish a timetable. The chryssaling starts with a three week prophase in which the dragons’ body will begin to reject the natural magic that occurs in gemstones,” (‘So that’s why he ate them!’ Twilight couldn’t help but think) “then move on to a brief metaphase of irritability, then the anaphase of physical change before the violent telophase begins. When did you say his irritability started?”
Just then a violent gout of green flame erupted beside the banister they were sitting on. “Hey! The fire breathing lizard says SHUT THE BUCK UP!”
“Sister, we shall have words with thee when this has passed.” Luna said darkly, next to a shivering purple alicorn.