“How did you find me?” Spike asked several minutes later, when they had all disentangled themselves and moved to the living room.
“I heard that a young purple dragon with no wings,” Cliff Runner pointed at his own wingless back, “attended the Great Migration this generation. I also heard that he was exchanging letters with a pony princess, so I went to Canterlot to investigate. I bumped into the Immortal Sisters, who directed me here.”
“You met Celestia and Luna!” Princess Twilight smiled broadly. “Aren't they wonderful?”
Cliff still wasn't sure what to think of the rulers of the sun and moon, but it was obvious that this young alicorn idolized them. “They were more helpful than I could have hoped,” he said tactfully.
“You said I have parents,” Spike cut in. “What are they like? Do I have any other brothers or sisters?”
“No.” He tousled the younger dragon's head spikes. “We're the only kids in our family. Mom's name is Scenic Trail. I guess you might say that she's,” Cliff chuckled, “blunt. She gets that from Grandma. You'll never meet a more loving dragoness though. Sure, she'll tell you when you're acting stupid, but she'll also talk with you when you're feeling lonely, or just be there for you when there's nothing to say. Everydragon she meets in her travels knows they can go to her with their problems. Stars, the entire coven calls her, 'Mom,' even Steel Claw, and he's nearly four hundred years old.”
Spike drank in the details with a grin. “How about Dad?”
“Dad's name is Sky Painter. He's really relaxed, but then again, you kind of have to be to deal with Mom's side of the family. He's also... well, honestly, he's kind of a dork.” The older dragon laughed. “Nodragon can figure out why Mom asked him to marry her. At least, not until they get to know him, and realize how thoughtful he is. He paints the two of us with them on all the trips he takes with Mom. He says it's because we're always in his heart. You're an adult with purple spikes, though, but I'm sure he'll change that once he gets back and sees you.”
“Do you want some tea?” the alicorn princess asked suddenly. “I could make something to eat too, if you're hungry.”
“Great idea, Twilight.” The baby dragon licked his lips. “I'll have an oat sandwhich.”
Oh that's right, ponies are herbivores. Cliff was actually in the mood for some fire-roasted rabbit, but he doubted that would go over well. “I'll have what he's having.”
With a nod, the Princess made her way to the kitchen.
“Why do Mom and Dad -” Spike chuckled a little as he said the words “- wander so much? Do they just like to travel?”
“Actually, they're looking for you. They've been doing that since before I was born.”
“Uh, before you were born?” Spike pointed to the top of Cliff's head, and then to his own much smaller size. “You sure about that?”
“Eggs only hatch with dragon-fire or powerful unicorn magic. Yours was dormant for nearly two decades before you were born. Didn't anypony ever tell you?”
The younger dragon shook his head. “No one told Twilight or I anything about my egg.”
Cliff wasn't surprised. “Ponies are the ones that stole you from us. They were probably trying to cover their guilt.”
Spike looked uncomfortable, and paused for a moment before responding. “Maybe bad ponies stole me, but Twilight and her family raised me as one of their own. You have to believe that most ponies aren't like the ones that took me.”
He looked into the younger dragon's eyes, placed a hand over his heart, and cast a spell. Spike's emotions flowed into him. He was excited, a little nervous, and completely sincere. “Do you really trust these ponies?”
“Of course, they really are nice.” More sincerity, and unabashed love.
“...Okay, I'll try to give them the benefit of the doubt.” He ended the spell and lowered his hand.
“Thanks, Cliff. Anyway, are you going to tell Mom and Dad that you found me?”
It was an obvious attempt to change the subject, but the older dragon decided to go along with it. “Of course, but they won't get back for at least another year, so there's no hurry.”
The baby dragon's eyes swelled up like he was about to cry. “A whole year?”
“Spike,” Cliff Runner said gently, “dragons live for centuries. You need to start thinking in the long term.”
The other dragon bit down his tears and nodded. “Okay, I can wait for a year.”
They sat in silence until the Princess returned. “Did I miss anything important?” A tray of cups and sandwiches floated in the air above her.
“Cliff Runner told me that my parents won't be back for another year.”
“I'm so sorry, Spike.” She set the tray in front of them and gave the dragon a hug. “I know how much you were hoping to see them.”
Spike hugged her back. “It's okay, Twilight. I've got a brother now, and that's enough to make me happy.” He picked up a sandwich and took a big bite of it.
“If you don't mind my asking,” Twilight said as she poured their tea. “Why weren't you at the Great Dragon Migration? I was there myself, and I'm sure that I didn't see you.”
So that part of the rumor was true as well. Cliff's first thought was that she had been trying to keep Spike from escaping, but he remembered his promise to the little dragon, and tried not to jump to that conclusion. “Only drakes go to the migration.”
They both looked at him in confusion.
Are ponies really this clueless? “Dragons with wings are drakes. Dragons without wings are wyrms.”
“Just like pegasi and earth ponies!” The Princess pulled over a quill and parchment. “I really should be writing this down.”
“Do you want me to take notes?” Spike volunteered.
Cliff Runner took advantage of the distraction to try some of his tea. It tasted like boiled leaves. He set it aside and tried a sandwich. More plants. He could handle the bread, but was that grass in there? Cliff forced himself to swallow. How has Spike managed to survive on food like this?
“Okay,” the Princess declared. “We're ready. Tell us everything there is to know about dragons.”
He looked from her to his younger brother, who held a quill at the ready. “Okay, but you both need to understand that we're different than the dragons you see around here. We don't collect hoards of jewels because it causes... problems.”
“You mean the exponential increase in size and greediness that results from accumulating possessions?” Twilight asked.
Cliff blinked. “You know about that?”
“I, uh... almost destroyed Ponyville once.” Spike fidgeted uncomfortably.
“How did you snap him out of it?” Cliff asked Twilight. It was nearly impossible to help a berserk dragon.
“I didn't. My friend Rarity did.”
Spike went googly-eyed at the name. “You'll love her, Cliff. She's beautiful, and kind, and graceful, and...”
The Princess rolled her eyes indulgently. Cliff Runner, however, was struggling to come to grips with this latest revelation. Not only was my brother raised by ponies, but he's in love with one of them?! That had to be the case. Only an extremely strong emotional bond could snap a dragon out of a berserk frenzy, and even then the odds were slim.
“Spike,” Princess Twilight interrupted her still-rambling assistant. “I think he understands.” She turned back to Cliff. “Sorry about letting things get off topic. Please continue.”
He nodded and picked up where he had left off. “Redstone Coven is rather small. There are only six families, but we're all very close.” He smiled at the memory of times spent playing in the mountain with friends. “Our nest sits at the entrance to an ancient dragon city, and so we also spent a lot of time studying the ruins.”
“Can you read ancient draconic?” Twilight asked.
“Yes... usually.”
“Amazing, I've been looking for someone to teach me!” This princess was certainly enthusiastic about things. “That is, if you wouldn't mind.”
“...I don't mind.” Cliff had no reason to refuse her. “Anyway, I wanted you to know that we aren't like the dragons that attack Equestria from time to time.” When they both nodded that they understood, Cliff went into the rest of what he knew. Dragon history alone took up several long scrolls, and just mentioning dragon magic left Cliff pinned to the wall as the Princess begged him to teach her everything he knew. He wasn't sure that an alicorn could even use his race's magic, but he wanted to teach Spike anyway, and so he agreed to let her join in their lessons.
Dragon growth came as a shock to both Spike and the Princess. They had assumed that dragons continuously grew larger as they got older. Cliff was happy to explain that most scholarly dragons remained about pony sized. It was only the ones who lost themselves to greed that became giants.
He was just finishing his explanation of a dragon's life-cycle when there came a knock at the door.
The Princess looked out the window, and saw the rising sun. “Oh no, we stayed up all night studying again!” She ran for the stairs. “I'll get the door. Could you get Spike to bed, Cliff Runner? It's the first door on the left.”
“But I'm not tired,” Spike muttered.
Cliff leaned over and saw that his little brother had just written the Princess's comment about putting him to bed, and his own objection to it. “Princess Twilight is correct. Baby dragons need their sleep.” He hefted the little dragon into his arms, and walked to the indicated room. Cliff had seen enough beds during his travels to know how they were supposed to work, even if he would have preferred a nice, communal nest.
After tucking Spike in one of the two beds he found inside, Cliff returned to the dining room to find Princess Twilight clearing away their dishes.
“I'm sorry about that. The palace doubles as our town's library, and Cheerilee wanted to borrow a book for her class today.” She took the dishes to the kitchen, and returned. “Are you tired?”
Cliff shook his head. “I was actually hoping to meet some of Spike's friends today, Princess.” If he was going to give these ponies a chance, he would need to meet them first.
“Well, I was supposed to spend the day researching ancient plagues, but after everything you taught me tonight, I would be a terrible friend if I didn't help you.” She motioned for him to follow her to the stairs. “Spike won't wake up for at least another eight hours. That should give me plenty of time to show you around.”
They reached the ground floor, and moved to the door. “Won't ponies panic if they see a dragon walking around town, Princess?” That was, of course, a nice way of saying, 'won't ponies freak out and attack me?'
“Of course not. They see Spike all the time.” She paused for a moment. “Though it wouldn't hurt to walk on all fours, so you don't seem so tall.”
With a shrug, Cliff did so. Like most dragons, he was comfortable either way. It also put him at eye level with the alicorn princess.
“Where would you like to go first?”
He only knew the name of one other pony in this town, so the decision was a rather easy one. “I'd like to meet this Rarity that my brother thinks so much of.”
-_-_-_-_-_-
Ponies were everywhere, surrounding him like a multicolored river. Dragon scales were an excellent defense against anything sharp, but they wouldn't do much if an earth pony decided to kick him. The force of the blow would go right through to his bones and organs. A bolt of lightning from a pegasus wouldn't be affected by his scales much either. Unicorn magic was an even bigger threat. Energy rays, telekinesis, blasts of freezing cold, the list of ways a trained unicorn could kill a dragon was nearly endless. Cliff's sides itched just thinking about how many ponies could be lining up an attack that very moment.
In spite of his worries though, nopony actually seemed hostile. Nervous would be a better word, but they all greeted Princess Twilight with smiles and waves. A few did ask if Spike was growing again, which explained a lot. Even weaker berserkers were a force to be reckoned with. If they thought he might be transforming into one, then they would have to be crazy not to start rounding up their best warriors to deal with him. It seemed a minor miracle when they made it to their destination without any major incidents.
He didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't a fancy clothing store. Cliff Runner didn't see the point in clothing personally, but his stomach growled at the gemstones encrusting various garments in the front window. I really should have tried harder to eat that sandwich.
“Welcome to Carousel Boutique,” a unicorn with a white coat and an intricately styled purple mane greeted them. She spoke with a slight accent, which Cliff assumed was a sign of nobility. “Ah Twilight, how nice of you to come see me, and-” her mouth dropped when she saw him, but she quickly recovered, “and I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting your friend.”
“That's actually why we came by.” She gestured at her companion. “Cliff, this is Rarity. Rarity, this is Cliff Runner, Spike's older brother.”
“Buh, whuh?” the unicorn stammered, all hints of an accent lost. “Spike has an older brother?”
“Younger brother, technically,” Cliff said. “I just hatched first.” He had forgotten that the Princess was out of the room when he explained that.
“My goodness, I am so thrilled to make your acquaintance!” And like that, the accent had returned. “You simply must allow me to make an ensemble for you to celebrate your visit to Ponyville.”
Cliff barely had time to respond before he was pulled onto a raised platform and wrapped in measuring tape.
“I see you have the same beautiful scales as dear Spikey-wikey,” she crooned as she worked.
Spikey-wikey? Cliff felt ill, and only part of it was from realizing that Spike's feelings were reciprocated.
“It's a good thing I have so many designs for Spikey-wikey, it will make this much easier.” Rarity undid the measuring tape, and wrote everything down on a clipboard. “Now, tell me all about yourself.”
“Spike's egg was stolen from my parents while they were traveling many years ago. We've all been hunting for him ever since, and I finally found him last night.” It was far from everything, but Cliff Runner really didn't feel like repeating his life story again.
“Why, that is so inspiring!” Rarity beamed. “I assure you that you could not ask for more kind or loving dragon than dear Spikey.” She looked around. “Where is he anyway? He was going to come by and help me around the shop today.”
“He's sleeping at home,” the Princess said. “We were up all night talking with Cliff Runner.”
“Now Twilight, you really need to take better care of Spikey-wikey. A baby dragon needs his sleep.”
“I know,” the Princess blushed.
“Well never mind, dear.” Rarity gave the alicorn a quick hug. “I'm sure he appreciated the chance to spend time with his brother.”
Rarity offered them some tea before they left, but Cliff politely declined. One sip of that stuff had been plenty.
“Well?” the Princess asked as they walked away from the boutique.
Cliff tried to ignore the fresh wave of stares he was attracting. “She cares about Spike,” he conceded. “That's the only thing that really matters. I just have one question.”
“What?”
He turned to the Princess. “Spikey-wikey?”
She giggled. “That's just Rarity.”
The young dragon was about to respond, but suddenly his instincts shouted that something was coming. He jumped as high as he could, letting a pink blur shoot under him and crash into the alicorn princess.
“Twilight, you never told me that Spike has a brother!” a high pitched voice said.
Cliff had to pull himself back from breathing fire on the pink pony. The stars only knew what Princess Celestia would do to him if he harmed one of her subjects.
“Sorry about scaring you, Spike's brother,” the newcomer said, giving him a huge smile. “I just saw Twilight walking along with an older version of Spike, and at first I thought that Spike was growing and going all crazy again, but then I realized that you were a different dragon, and you had to be Spike's brother because you totally look the same, and I was so excited that I couldn't help but run over and introduce myself. I'm Pinkie Pie!”
Most of what she said was lost in a torrent of words, but he was able to get the basic idea.
“Uh, I'm Cliff Runner.”
“It's nice to meet you, Cliff Runner! You should let me know the next time you visit for the first time so I can throw you one of my famous 'Welcome to Ponyville,' parties!” A cannon next to her fired a swarm of confetti into the air, emphasizing her point.
“Where did that cannon come from?” Cliff asked. He was sure it hadn't been there a second ago.
Pinkie Pie looked confused. “What are you talking about? What cannon?”
“That one-” He froze. The cannon was gone. “Where did it go?”
The pink pony smiled sympathetically. “Don't worry, I misplace things sometimes too.” She held out a bag, which also hadn't been there a second earlier. “Anyway, here's a little treat for you from Sugarcube Corner. I've got to get back to work now. I'll see you both at Applejack's later. Bye!” And then she was gone.
“Sorry about that,” Twilight said as she shook the dust out of her coat. “Pinkie Pie can get a little energetic at times.”
“I noticed.” Cliff shook his head. He opened the bag. Inside were dozens of sugar cubes with gem fragments mixed into them. “Well, maybe she isn't so bad.” He pulled out several cubes, and popped them in his mouth. “What did she mean about seeing us later?”
“The Apple family is planting a new field today, and we're all going over to help.” The Princess smiled. “We'd love to have you, if you want to come.”
Helping to plant a field wasn't exactly how Cliff wanted to spend his first full day with his brother, but it sounded like Spike had already volunteered. “Okay.”
“Hmm... Applejack will be busy with the farm until this afternoon, and Rainbow Dash has a lot of weather duties today, but maybe we could visit Fluttershy?”
“Sure.” Cliff Runner motioned for the Princess to lead on. As if I'd even know who those ponies are.
-_-_-_-_-_-
The walk to Fluttershy's house took much longer than Cliff Runner had expected. He ran out of questions to ask after only a few minutes, and the Princess said that they still had a while to go.
As they lapsed into silence, Cliff found himself wondering more and more what it had been like to grow up as a different species than all those around you. After seeing nothing but ponies all day, had it been strange to look in the mirror and see a dragon staring back? Was this sort of confusion why Spike had developed feelings for a pony? It's not like ponies were ugly by dragon standards, they were just... different.
“Are you thinking about Spike?” the Princess asked.
“...Yes.”
“Do you want him to leave with you?” she asked in a worried voice.
“...No. He's happy here.” Even though it hurt to admit it.
“You're welcome to stay too, you know.” She smiled at him. “We have a couple of guest bedrooms that we never use.”
Cliff Runner thought about that. The others wouldn't expect him back for at least another year, and he had already promised to teach Spike and the Princess about dragon magic. “Okay.” I wonder how long it will be before one of these ponies tries to kill me, he thought morbidly. I should check back in with the coven when I can, so Mom and Dad will know where Spike is in case something happens to me.
“Is everything okay?” The Princess stopped, and Cliff nearly crashed into her.
“Yes.” He generally avoided lying, and the Princess had been nothing but nice to him, but he wasn't going to share all of his worries with an individual he had just met, especially if that individual was a pony.
“It's just a bit more.” The Princess paused, and put a hoof on his shoulder. “I'm sure Spike will be thrilled to hear that you're staying with us.”
Cliff Runner nodded. The thought of days spent with the baby dragon restored his mood. “I hope so.”
-_-_-_-_-_-
Fluttershy's house turned out to be a modest cottage near the edge of the forest. A number of birdhouses filled the trees nearby, and several more hung from the house itself. Strangely, the roof of the house was covered in green grass. Maybe it's supposed to be a garden of some kind. The thought brought back uncomfortable memories of eating grass last night. Cliff Runner shuddered. He wasn't going to do that again anytime soon.
The Princess knocked on the door. “Fluttershy, it's Twilight.”
…
She knocked again. “Fluttershy?”
…
“Maybe she's around back, taking care of her animals.”
Cliff closed his eyes and cast a simple spell. “Does she have a pet named 'Angel'?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“A spell to enhance my hearing.” He explained. “She's talking to Angel in the back, just like you said.” Cliff opened his eyes and let the magic fade.
“Wow, that must be really useful!” Princess Twilight beamed as she led them around the house. “I can't wait to learn it.”
Cliff decided it would be best not to tell her that he mainly used that spell for hunting wild animals.
“Good morning, Fluttershy,” The Princess said as the back yard came into view. “I brought somepony special for you to meet.”
“Really?” A quiet voice responded. “Who is it?”
Cliff Runner moved out from behind the Princess. The first thing he saw of Fluttershy was a yellow face framed by a pink mane, her teal eyes wide with shock, followed by screaming and backing away in horror. The young dragon sighed. Reactions like this are why I should have worn the cloak.
“Twilight! Run! There's a d-d-dra-” The yellow pegasus stammered. Somehow, she sounded like she was whispering even while trying to shout.
A white rabbit ran at Cliff, jumping up and down on its back legs and making punching motions with its front paws.
He had to appreciate the irony of being threatened by his favorite meal. Cliff sent a puff of smoke and a toothy growl the rabbit's way.
“Just who do you think you are, threatening Angel Bunny?!” an angry voice demanded.
Cliff looked up, and was frozen in place when he met Fluttershy's gaze.
“You may be bigger than he is, but that does not give you the right to attack him when he's just trying to protect me!” She walked right up to the dragon, and leaned forward until her teal eyes were only inches from his own. “Do you understand me?!”
Icy terror crept into Cliff's stomach. He hadn't felt anything like it in years. If his frozen limbs had allowed it, he would have collapsed on the spot. Almost independent of his will, the young dragon found himself nodding.
“Good.”
Whatever force held Cliff in place stopped, and he did, in fact, crumple to the ground.
“Fluttershy, what are you doing?” the Princess exclaimed. “Cliff Runner isn't a rampaging dragon, he's Spike's brother!”
The yellow mare's anger disappeared as quickly as it had come. “Oh! Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!” She wrapped her hooves around Cliff. “I saw you growling at Angel Bunny, and I just snapped.” She pulled back to look him in the eyes. This time her gaze was warm and apologetic. “It was wrong of me to assume the worst of you.” She helped the young dragon to his feet. “I hope that one day you can forgive me for being so rude.”
Cliff took a second to try and figure out what had just happened. One moment, the pegasus had been terrified of him. The next, she had reduced him to a quivering mess. Now she was comforting him. He was honestly afraid of what might happen if he tried to speak to her, so he just nodded.
“Oh thank you, Cliff Runner. I promise to earn your trust.” She scooped up the rabbit from before and held him close. “Thank you too, Angel, for protecting me like that.” After setting her pet down, she turned to Princess Twilight. “I never knew that Spike had a brother.”
“I didn't either, until last night.” She briefly described who Cliff Runner was, and how he had come to ponyville.
“Spike must be so happy.” Fluttershy looked around. “Where is he?”
“He's sleeping back at the palace.” Twilight looked at Cliff Runner, who was obviously still uncomfortable. “Maybe we should get back and check up on him.”
The yellow mare's expression dropped slightly. “Okay, will I see you at Applejack's later?”
“Of course, bye Fluttershy!” The Princess turned to go.
“Goodbye Twilight. Goodbye Cliff Runner.”
Cliff nodded again, and tried not to look too eager as he followed after the departing alicorn.
“Are you okay?” She asked when they were out of earshot. “I never thought that Fluttershy would use The Stare on you.”
The young dragon shuddered. “Is that what happened?”
“Yes. It just happens sometimes when she gets angry.” The Princess smiled sympathetically. “You don't need to feel bad. She reduced a fully grown drake to tears with it once.”
He believed her. “That pegasus is scary.”
Princess Twilight laughed. “I think that's the first time I've ever heard somepony describe Fluttershy that way.”
-_-_-_-_-_-
They walked in silence for a few minutes as Cliff reviewed their day so far. “Can all kinds of ponies cast spells?” he asked at last.
“No, only unicorns like me,” the Princess answered.
Cliff looked at her wings. “Aren't you an alicorn?”
“Oh right.” She blushed. “I'm still getting used to that.” When it was obvious that Cliff didn't understand, she explained, “I was born a unicorn.”
That was a surprise. “Ponies can change their types?”
“Well, no. Not very often, at least. Princess Cadance and I are the only ones to have ever become alicorns.”
“Princess Cadance rules that country to the north, right?” He had planned to go there next, if he didn't find any leads in Canterlot.
“Yes, it's called the Crystal Empire. Princess Celestia gave it to her to rule after she helped save it from King Sombra.”
Cliff had no idea who King Sombra was, and decided that it probably didn't matter.
“Spike helped a lot too,” the alicorn smiled, “but I think he'd rather tell you that story himself. Anyway, why did you ask about spells?”
He glanced at the cottage that was fading into the distance. “That Stare has to be one of some kind.”
The Princess didn't seem to agree. “The Stare is pretty amazing, but it isn't a spell. An extraordinary talent tied to her natural magic field, maybe, but not a spell.”
Cliff's growling stomach convinced him not to pursue that subject either. “Would it be okay if I caught up with you at the palace later?”
Princess Twilight followed his gaze to the nearby forest. “Uh, Cliff Runner, that's the Everfree Forest. What could you possibly want to do in there?”
“... Hunt.”
“You mean,” her eyes widened in shock, “you're going to kill some poor, defenseless animal?”
Now that's just unfair! I didn't make her feel guilty for killing plants to make those sandwiches. “I'm sorry, but pony food just doesn't work for a dragon.”
“Spike has eaten it for his whole life. You had a sandwich yourself last night.” The Princess was speaking faster now, like she was afraid he would run away if she didn't finish quickly enough.
“I only had one bite,” Cliff countered. “Eating grass was just... gross. I need real food.”
“You liked those sugar cubes that Pinkie gave you. Maybe we can get some more. I might have a few gems lying around that you could eat.” She looked like she was about to cry. “Just please, don't go killing little animals!”
“Okay, okay!” Cliff sighed. “What else is there to eat around here?”
The Princess's tear-filled expression immediately changed to a radiant smile. “Thank you Cliff Runner! You won't regret this.”
He seriously doubted that.
“Ponyville is famous for its apples.”
Cliff shook his head. Apples were a snack, not a meal.
“Carrots? Flowers? Cupcakes?”
“No, no, and no.”
The Princess sat down and brought a hoof to her chin. “Rarity showed me how to cook eggs once.”
“Eggs are good.”
“Oh, but I don't have any at the palace. We could go back and buy some from Fluttershy.”
Just mentioning the yellow pegasus made Cliff think about The Stare. “You go. I'll wait here.”
“Come on, I promise that Fluttershy is really nice.”
He sat down very deliberately.
“Okay, fine. I'll be right back.” The alicorn princess turned around and trotted back to Fluttershy's cottage.
She returned a few minutes later with a basket of eggs. “Now let's go make you some lunch.”
Cliff Runner was more than happy to comply. They had only gone a few steps when an unexpected scent reached him. “Is that fish?”
“Yes,” the alicorn shuddered. “Fluttershy thought you might like some.”
He had to remind himself not to drool. “It's one of my favorite foods.”
“That's good. Fluttershy gave it to me because she felt bad for using The Stare on you... Do you still think she's mean and scary?”
He didn't respond.