//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: A New Dragon in Ponyville // by Vedues //------------------------------// As it turned out, Rainbow Dash was a very heavy sleeper. It literally required magic to rouse her in time for breakfast. Not particularly polite magic either, but after they showed her where the restrooms were, the blue pegasus took it in good humor. Cliff was a little shocked that Fire Eyes knew a spell to make the call of nature more urgent. “What do you even use that for?” he asked as they stood in line for the morning meal. “Can you teach it to Cliff?” Rainbow Dash asked. “We could pull some awesome pranks with that.” Fire Eyes laughed. “Why do you think I learned it?” Cliff just rolled his eyes. From her perch atop his back, River Wind giggled. Rainbow Dash was still uncomfortable about the meat, and dissatisfied with her meal in general, but at least she was able to make eye contact with Cliff and the dragon sisters as they enjoyed their chicken and fish. “So what happens after breakfast?” Cliff rose. “I'll go find Egghead. He'll know what needs doing.” He could hear the pegasus snickering as he walked away. Egghead, as his name implied, had a more oval shaped head than normal, but he also had an extremely good memory and a knack for organization. Cliff located him quickly and made his way over. The older dragon looked up from where he was conversing with his wife. “Ah Cliff, come to ask about the daily jobs?” He nodded. “Preferably not in the kitchen. I don't think the pegasus with me would have the stomach for it.” Egghead nodded thoughtfully. “Very well, I look forward to hearing that story, by the way. How long will you be staying?” “We'll leave after dinner, probably.” “Hm... the farm is out then. You could help Steel Claw. He has a lot of tools to sharpen this morning.” “That will work for me, but we'll need to find something else for Rainbow Dash to do.” The forge was kept at extremely high temperatures. “Oh yes, ponies are vulnerable to heat.” Egghead tapped his chin. “Perhaps she could aid Fire Eyes in taking supplies out to the farm? They do seem to be getting along well.” Cliff smiled. “I think they'll both like that. I actually have a few other requests. When would be a good time to talk about them?” Egghead's wife, a red scaled dragoness named Page Turner, spoke up. “We're compiling reports today, but it's nothing that can't wait for a while.” “Perfect.” Cliff settled down across from them. “I actually need copies of the entire library.” They both stared at him in shock. “What under the stars for?” Egghead asked. “By some stroke of fate, Princess Celestia herself has asked me for a written copy of everything there is to know about dragons,” Cliff explained. “I actually came here to get a copy of your records.” Both dragons gave him an appraising look. “I can only assume that something major has changed in your time away,” Egghead said after a moment. “To put it mildly.” Page Turner put a hand on her husband's shoulder and nodded slightly. “If you believe they can be trusted, Cliff, we will accept your judgment. The record will be ready shortly after dinner starts.” Egghead squeezed her hand. “I'll do everything I can to assist you, my love.” Cliff thanked them both. “I only have one other question. My brother is still about five years away from full maturity, but has developed feelings for an adult unicorn. What can either of you tell me that might help him be happy with her?” “That is unexpected, to say the least.” Egghead breathed. “Assuming she is willing to wait, there should be no anatomical problems in their relationship. However, conception would, of course, be impossible.” He turned to his wife. Magic was more her specialty than his. “I could teach you a maturation spell so that he reaches adulthood more quickly,” Page Turner mused. “Transformation spells could be used to allow offspring, and would permit them to live a similar lifespan, but that's not an option to decide on hastily.” Cliff agreed wholeheartedly. Transformation magic was usually one-way, and extremely difficult to pull off in any case. “Finally, life-force transfer magic would let them have a similar lifespan and allow both to retain their original species, but once again, no offspring.” Page Turner shrugged helplessly. “I'm afraid that's all I can offer you. There hasn't been much research in this field, you see.” “I understand.” Cliff arose. “Could you mark those spells for me in the library I'll be taking?” “Of course,” Page Turner promised. After bidding the two farewell, Cliff returned to Rainbow Dash and the others. “I have good news for you, Rainbow, Egghead wants you to help Fire Eyes take supplies out to the farm.” The pegasus gave him a flat look. “How is lugging stuff around all day good news?” “It's only until lunch,” Cliff told her. “Besides, most other jobs would require you to stay inside. I thought you'd welcome the chance to get out and stretch your wings.” “Good point,” Rainbow replied. She turned to Fire Eyes. “It looks like we'll get a chance to talk some more after all.” Fire Eyes nodded. “Good. How about you, Cliff? Will you be teaching again?” “No, I'll be lending a claw in the forge.” River Wind seemed a little disappointed by that. “Don't worry.” Cliff knelt beside her. “We'll talk more during lunch, I promise.” “Okay.” Her smile returned immediately. -_-_-_-_-_- Steel Claw's forge was down a tunnel near the back of the main chamber. Things were every bit as cramped as Cliff remembered, and the smell was far worse. It was no wonder that few dragons volunteered there, except when necessary. The forge's owner stood in the middle of it all, meticulously sharpening a chisel. “Cliff Runner,” he said when the younger dragon entered. “Steel Claw,” Cliff responded. He grabbed another chisel from the pile and began sharpening it as well. Comfortable silence reigned for at least an hour before they finished the stack of chisels and moved on. The next job was to make a new pot for the kitchen. Cliff stoked the forge while Steel Claw prepared the metals and mold. He asked about the parts he didn't understand, even though the older dragon didn't respond. Most outsiders would think of Steel Claw as a jerk, but in truth, he was just extremely contemplative. Several minutes after Cliff's last question, as the metal was cooling, the older dragon provided a list of detailed yet concise answers. Without pause, he grabbed a knife from the kitchen and began sharpening it. Cliff grabbed another tool off the pile and began sharpening it as well. Eventually a voice echoed down the tunnel, calling them to lunch. “Thank you,” Steel Claw said, stretching out his stiff claws. “Go to your friends.” Cliff thanked him in return, and did so. The older dragon never moved at more than a casual walk, and Cliff was in the mood for a brief run. Steel Claw must have sensed it too, if he had told the younger dragon to go ahead. Fire Eyes and Rainbow Dash were already waiting in line when he got there. His grandparents were a few places back in the line. They must have arrived sometime that morning. Cliff exchanged brief hugs with them before returned to his friends. “Hey Cliff,” Rainbow greeted him. “How did it go down at the forge?” He shrugged. “Average. How was the farm?” “A lot smaller than I expected.” “Well what do you expect?” Cliff said ruefully. “We aren't earth ponies.” “Anyway,” the pegasus grinned and pulled some hay and oats from her saddlebags, “we finished early, so we went exploring and found these!” Fire Eyes smiled indulgently. “Rainbow here ran nine loads to my two. I just wanted to repay her.” “Now you know how I feel when Fluttershy drops off eggs and fish.” Cliff paused, and his expression fell a little. “Of course, Fire Eyes isn't afraid of you.” “Actually,” Fire Eyes said, “I think it's pretty scary how fast she can go.” “Well I am the fastest flier in Equestria.” Rainbow returned her prized snacks to the saddlebag. “Anyway, I thought you and Fluttershy were cool now.” “Not quite.” Cliff didn't have time to elaborate because they had reached the front of the line. After settling down where River Wind was waiting, Cliff resumed his explanation. “I talked to Fluttershy right before we left. She was as nervous around me as ever.” “Rats,” Rainbow Dash sighed. “I wonder what the problem is.” “Maybe she's afraid of doing something silly,” River Wind suggested. “Like how you made Rainbow Dash so nervous last night.” The pegasus laughed, and Cliff groaned. “I was hoping to never talk about that again.” “Too bad,” his grandmother's voice reached him. “Because I want to hear all about it.” She took a seat next to Cliff. “Rainbow Dash, this is my husband, Burning Torch.” She gestured to the brown dragon with red spikes settling down beside her, and then fixed Cliff a mischievous grin. “Well?” He looked to Burning Torch. His grandfather patted his shoulder sympathetically. “Just give in, Cliff, there's no stopping her now.” The young dragon sighed. Even Rainbow Dash seemed to be enjoying his discomfort. “Ponies think sharing a bed means an invitation for intimacy. The three of us offered to sleep next to her last night, and she thought we were proposing...” he blushed, “something else. Needless to say, she was relieved to realize her mistake.” All the surrounding dragons, and one pegasus, laughed. “You know,” Rainbow Dash patted his other shoulder, “this wouldn't be so much fun if you didn't get so embarrassed about it.” “You were plenty embarrassed last night,” he reminded her. “Eh, I got over it.” Hoping to put the topic behind them forever, Cliff asked his grandfather how the excavation was going. “We found a number of seashell necklaces,” Burning Torch replied. “They're from saltwater mollusks, which means the dragons that lived here must have had trade relations with a group near the sea, or sent out parties to find the shells, which would imply that they were extremely valuable, or they might have come from dragons that migrated here from the coast. We don't have enough evidence to be sure yet. I could go on, but,” he nodded to River Wind, “I think she would rather listen to your story than mine.” The older dragon was far more scholarly than Cliff, but they both shared a weakness for the pleading eyes of the very young. “Thank you.” River gave the older dragon a radiant smile. “I wanted to know more about Fluttershy. Cliff said that she is afraid of him.” She frowned in confusion. “Why?” Cliff looked to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus shrugged. “She's always been afraid of dragons, and she gets really timid around ponies that she doesn't know. I'm sure it'll pass if you just keep talking with her.” “Actually,” he shifted uncomfortably, “we don't really talk.” “What?” Rainbow stared at him. “You said that you and her are always giving gifts to each other.” “Ooooh,” his grandmother teased. “You never told me about that.” “She drops off normal dragon food for me sometimes,” Cliff explained. “I wanted to repay her back, so I started leaving things on her doorstep too.” “Doorstep?” His grandfather repeated. “In other words, you don't actually speak to her during these exchanges?” “...Yeah.” Cliff suddenly felt rather foolish. Rainbow Dash clapped a hoof across her eyes. “Seriously, Cliff? You thought she'd get to know you better without ever talking to you?” “Okay, okay,” Burning Torch cut off further comments. “I think Cliff has learned his lesson.” He turned to River Wind. “Do you have any more questions?” She did, of course. He spent the rest of lunch going over details about Fluttershy, her cottage, and her pets, to satisfy the hatchling's curiosity. Rainbow Dash covered anything that he didn't know, which taught Cliff several new things about the yellow pegasus. He would never have guessed, for example, that she used to be a famous model. Lunch ran out before River's questions did. She was a little disappointed about that, but dutifully gathered with the rest of the coven in the center of the main chamber to hear Cliff's account. The young dragon waited until everydragon was seated in front of him, and then began. He had told his story twice since arriving, but this time was different. This was the official report. Cliff could see Egghead taking notes on everything he said, which would then be shared with other covens at the next gathering. Unlike the other times, Cliff held nothing back. He explained everything with as much detail as possible, including his theories and beliefs about them. Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped when he first talked about the traditional view of ponies as enemies. From there, her expression went to a little insulted when he admitted to reading her heart. Cliff didn't his best to look apologetic as he continued. He also took a moment to praise her loyalty and warrior spirit, which seemed to lift her mood. Minutes turned into hours as he continued to detail town life in Ponyville, the ponies he had met there, the spells he had seen performed, how many pegasi it took to generate what kinds of weather effects, etc. Eventually Rainbow's eyes began to droop, and soon she was snoring on the ground. Fire Eyes roused the pegasus enough to lead her to Cliff's nest before she returned to continue listening. “...In conclusion,” Cliff said at last. “I will be returning to Ponyville shortly after dinner, and taking a copy of Egghead and Page Turner's records with me. It is my hope that a greater understanding of dragons may lead the ponies to be more friendly towards us, improving relations between our two races as a whole. I will also be living with Spike and Princess Twilight Sparkle for the foreseeable future, as their aid will be invaluable in this pursuit.” He signaled that he was ready for any questions. All heads turned to Silent Halls, the eldest among them, and leader of the Redstone Coven. Her green scales and yellow spikes had dulled somewhat with age, but her blue eyes were bright and clear as she considered what she had heard. “This is a remarkable opportunity,” she acknowledged. “We will gladly provide any assistance we can, but might I request that the locations of our various covens remain secret for the time being?” Cliff nodded. “Of course.” “Thank you. How do you believe the residents of Ponyville would react if more dragons came to live there?” “I'm not sure,” Cliff admitted. “I can't even be sure of their attitude towards me upon my return, in spite of Rainbow Dash's confidence that things will be fine. However, I would certainly appreciate having more dragons around.” “Please ask about it when you can. Do you believe any ponies would be willing to come live with us?” “I'm sorry, but I don't know about that either. Would you like me to ask about it?” Silent Halls nodded. “If you could. We have room for more than one dozen new bodies, as long as they are willing to contribute.” She looked at the others. “Would you all be willing to attempt peaceful coexistence, should the opportunity arise?” The entire coven nodded in response. “Very well, I will attempt to organize a group to live in Ponyville and prepare Redstone for pony residents, in case they are willing to accept either offer. No further questions.” Cliff waited to see if anydragon else had a question for him. None did, and so they adjourned the meeting. It was only a few minutes until dinner, and most dragons went to help with that. Cliff, however, had a few questions for his grandmother. He found her and his grandfather sitting next to Fire Eyes and River Wind. “Let me guess,” Fire Claws said as he approached, “you want to ask me something.” “Yes. More specifically,” Cliff sat next to her, “I want to know how you would have handled the situation with the hydra.” His grandmother was the best combat magician in the coven, and the one who had taught him to fight in the first place. “Illusions and speed enhancements,” she replied immediately, “to keep it from following me to Ponyville in the first place. If I had been required to fight it, then I would have attacked the creature's ankles to immobilize it, and finished it off with focused pressure waves from a distance.” Cliff almost laughed at how easy she made it sound, and would have made it look too, had she been there. He sobered quickly. “How do you think I should prepare, in case something like that happens again?” Fire Claws tousled her grandson's head spikes, a huge smile across her lips. “I'll be right back.” She ran to their nest and returned with a small, metal notebook. “This holds every bit of advice I've ever come up with about how you could be a better fighter. If you're ready to be serious about your training, then you should take this with you.” “I- thank you.” He caught his grandmother in a hug. “I'll give it all I've got.” Burning Torch put his arms around both of them. “Your grandmother has been working on that notebook for years now. I'm glad you're finally ready for it.” After the three dragons disentangled themselves, Cliff roused Rainbow Dash for dinner. It was a pretty standard meal, but that didn't stop Cliff from eating an incredible amount of roast pig. “I'm going to miss this,” he sighed, not even caring that a full stomach would make the run more difficult. “I won't,” Rainbow said pushing her empty plate away. There hadn't been much on it to begin with. “I'm making myself a hay and daffodil sandwich as soon as we get back!” Cliff, his grandparents, and the dragon sisters laughed. “Pardon,” Page Turner said as she approached the group with her husband. “We just finished compressing the library for you.” She held out a metal disc, which Cliff took and placed in the bags Twilight had given him. “Thank you both.” He gave them each a quick hug. “I'll make sure they use it well.” The two dragons thanked him as well, and said their goodbyes. “Will you come back soon?” River Wind asked after they left. “Of course I will,” Cliff assured her. “Spike still needs to meet you all.” “I wouldn't mind another visit either,” Rainbow Dash said. “Just remind me to pack my own food.” “Really?!” The little dragon gave her a big hug. “Thank you!” Cliff smiled at the scene while he gathered their plates. Before he could go wash them, though, Burning Torch lifted them out of his claws. “I'll take care of these,” he said to his grandson. “You two should get moving before night falls.” “Thank you, Grandpa.” Cliff hugged the older dragon. “I'll see you both as soon as I can.” Fire Claws patted him on the back. “I expect to see drastic improvement by next time.” She gave him a hug as well. “Good luck.” While his grandparents walked away, Cliff turned to Fire Eyes. “Sorry we couldn't spar before I left.” She shook her head. “There's always next time. Besides,” she turned to where River Wind was still begging Rainbow Dash to come back soon, “I haven't seen my sister this happy since before the pegasus attack. That more than makes up for it.” They shared a firm claw-shake. “You know I'm going to cream you in our next duel, right?” Cliff joked. She rolled her bright red eyes. “Sure, right after I cream you in a race.” She leaned closer. “Seriously though, good luck out there.” He nodded. “Hey Rainbow, it's time to head out.” The blue mare patted River on the head. “See ya later, tike.” Cliff did likewise. “I'll have a bunch of new stories for you when we come back. Be good until then, okay?” She tearfully nodded. "I'll miss you." The sight was too much for Cliff. He pulled River Wind into his arms and gave her a hug. “Take care of your sister, too. She's nearly as stupid as I am sometimes, and won't have Rainbow Dash around to watch her back.” River laughed softly as she bit down her tears. “Okay Cliff, I promise.” “Good.” He set her down, and made his way to the cave entrance. “Are you ready, Rainbow?” “You know it,” she replied. “Let's go!” -_-_-_-_-_- The return trip was uneventful. Cliff and Rainbow Dash landed in the open fields outside of Ponyville, both panting heavily. “Maybe we... should do that... for our morning runs.” Rainbow managed to laugh weakly. “Let's... start with... Canterlot and back,” Cliff replied. They waited until they could both speak normally before trying to continue. “You know,” Rainbow said. “We probably could go to Canterlot and back for our morning runs...” Cliff shook his head. “We'd never beat Applejack if we focused on wings and magic.” “Oh fine,” she pouted. “I'm going to go pick up Tank from Fluttershy. You should come along.” “I was actually going to go straight to the palace.” Cliff glanced towards Ponyville. “Come on.” The pegasus gave him a noogie. “You said you wanted to get better at talking to her, right?” Cliff sighed. “Okay, but we can't take long. I only have a half hour before the spell runs out and that metal disc Page Turner gave me expands into a huge pile of books.” “Hm, I was wondering about that.” Rainbow Dash started towards the cottage. “I thought dragons just had really small hoof-writing.” “Claw-writing,” he said absentmindedly as he followed. -_-_-_-_-_- The sun was just touching the horizon when they reached Fluttershy's cottage. Rainbow Dash knocked. “Hey Fluttershy, we're back!” The door creaked open, revealing the yellow pegasus. “Oh hello, Rainbow Dash, and... you too, Cliff. Welcome back.” She turned back into her house. Even though it was fairly dark inside Cliff could tell that it was rustic and cheery. “I'll go get Tank for you. How was your trip?” “It was awesome!” Rainbow followed her in. “Did you know dragons dry off using fire? How cool is that?” “Oh my,” Fluttershy gasped from another room. “That sounds... warm.” Cliff remained at the doorway. “Yeah, they didn't even know what a towel is.” Rainbow laughed, but it quickly turned into a yawn. “Sorry about that. It was a crazy day.” The yellow mare reappeared, leading an old tortoise that was flying, thanks to some kind of propeller contraption on its back. “You sound exhausted, Rainbow Dash. Are you sure you'll be able to get home safely?” Rainbow yawned again. “Yeah, don't worry about it.” She nuzzled the tortoise. “Hey there, Tank. Did ya miss me?” Cliff smiled at the unusual display of tenderness, but from the corner of his eye, he also noticed Fluttershy alternating between looking and not looking at him. “Sorry,” he said. “I must be making you uncomfortable. I'll let you two get caught up.” He gave the mare an apologetic look and turned to go. “Hold on!” Rainbow Dash called after just a few steps. He turned back to find the blue pegasus only inches from his face. “I thought you were going to be serious about talking more with Fluttershy here,” she said incredulously. “I'm not going to force a conversation on her if it just makes her feel awkward,” Cliff replied. Rainbow Dash sighed dramatically. “Fire Eyes wasn't kidding about how thick you can be.” She turned to Fluttershy, who had run to the door after the two of them. “Hey, do you want to be Cliff's friend?” The question made her jump and look away, but she nodded. “Do you want him to stop talking to you or bringing you potions?” She shook her head. Rainbow turned back to Cliff smugly. “There you go. Now would you two just knock it off and talk already?” He had needed that. “Thank you,” Cliff whispered as he stepped past her to Fluttershy, who was still at the doorway. “I... I get nervous around ponies,” he admitted, “so I can understand how you feel about dragons. Even so, uh, do you think we could talk sometimes?” “I, um, yes,” she whispered. “I'd like that.” A nervous smile crept across her face. “Maybe tomorrow, when I bring your food?” Cliff smiled in return. “Yes, thank you.” Pushing his luck just a bit farther, he voiced a question that had been eating at him for a while. “I'm really grateful for the food, but why do you bring it?” She blushed. That seemed to be her response to almost anything. “I wanted to do something nice for you, since we're friends. I didn't know that you were the one bringing me Zecora's potions, before that last time, I mean. I thought it was Twilight.” With a visible effort, she met his gaze. “Thank you. They've helped my little critters so much.” It was probably the most that Cliff had ever heard the mare say at once. “You're welcome.” He struggled to find something else to say. “I guess... I'll see you tomorrow?” “Yes, if that's still okay?” It was actually kind of impressive how she could hide behind her own mane. “It is,” he promised her. “Well, goodnight.” She nodded from behind the mass of pink hair. “Goodnight. Welcome back.” Once they were clear of the cottage, Cliff turned to Rainbow Dash, who was walking beside him. “Thanks again.” “No problem.” She lifted into the air with her pet tortoise. “I'll see you tomorrow, okay?” “Yeah, see you tomorrow.” She flew away, leaving a rather exhausted dragon to make his way back to Ponyville. The town was surprisingly busy in the early night, or maybe it was just that Cliff was comparing it to Redstone again. Regardless, Page Turner's spell would be running out soon, so he had no choice but to press through the crowd and hope for the best. The first group of ponies to see him went dead silent as he walked past, as did the second group, and the third. It didn't tell Cliff much about their opinion of him, but at least silence was better than rumors or accusations. He reached the palace without incident and made his way to the living quarters. Twilight looked up from the table where she was reading. “Oh, Cliff Runner, welcome home!” She rose and called to the other room, “Spike, Cliff is back!” The young dragon came running and caught him in a hug. “Welcome back, bro.” Cliff returned the embrace. “Grandmother and Grandfather say hello.” Spike pulled back enough to look his brother in the eye. “You told them about me?” An excited smile lit his face. “Were they happy?” “Extremely.” Cliff gave the little dragon another squeeze before he shrugged off his cloak and saddlebags. “They would have followed me back, but we didn't want to risk causing problems with the ponies around here.” He pulled the metal disc from his cloak before hanging it up. “This is going to turn into several hundred books soon. Do you have an open area to put it?” “Really?” Twilight asked, eying the disc enthusiastically. “Just put it over there. How does it work, anyway?” Cliff did as she instructed. “Imagine putting a rock on a blanket, and then twisting it to make a little pocket, hiding the rock from view. The books are in that pocket, and the disc holds everything in place.” “Warping time-space?” Twilight exclaimed. “Amazing! That's the same principle as some unicorn spells, but nopony has ever thought to use it like this.” “Speaking of spells,” Cliff settled onto one of the couches, “how are you two coming along with your dragon magic?” Twilight proudly levitated a sheet of paper over to him. It had a detailed list of magic training, struggles, and accomplishments for both her and Spike. “Impressive,” Cliff had to admit. “Tomorrow we can start expanding your repertoires.” “Does that mean I can learn your healing spell?” Twilight asked excitedly. “Sort of,” Cliff replied. “That particular version is too advanced for you right now, but there's a simpler one you could learn.” “Okay.” Twilight looked a little deflated, but her enthusiasm quickly returned. “So long as I can learn the basic principles. I'm hoping to develop a unicorn spell that works the same way. It could revolutionize our medical system!” Spike rolled his eyes. “Anyway, how was your trip?” “Exhausting,” Cliff stifled a yawn. “It was great to see everydragon though, and they were all very happy that I found you.” He stretched out. “Rainbow got along really well with Fire Eyes and River. They looked like three sisters laughing and joking together.” “Really?” Twilight sat on the other couch. “I didn't expect that.” Spike had a similar expression of disbelief as he climbed up next to the older dragon. Cliff nodded. “Here, let me start at the beginning...” -_-_-_-_-_- The story was relatively short and simple. It only took Cliff a few minutes to tell them everything, except for a certain misunderstanding about sleeping arrangements. He was more than happy to pretend that that incident had never happened. “...So now we're all hoping for peaceful interactions between races,” he finished. “Speaking of which, how did that meeting go?” Spike laughed. “You should have seen Twilight. She convinced the entire town that you're a hero!” “Not quite.” Twilight looked a little embarrassed. “I simply pointed out that you were rescuing the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and that you attempted to both run from the hydra and draw it away from town before you were forced to kill it.” Spike waved his claws dismissively. “Eh, the point is that the whole town felt like a bunch of jerks for doubting you.” Cliff wasn't entirely sure that that was what he'd sensed on the way here, but he didn't voice his concerns. “So I take it they'll let me stay?” “Yep, isn't it great?” Spike patted him on the shoulder. “Pinkie has already decided to throw a party in your honor.” “How big of a party?” Cliff asked warily. “Big enough for the entire town, of course,” Spike replied. “It'll be the perfect way for everypony to get to know you.” “Sorry,” Twilight said sympathetically. “I tried to convince her to make it smaller, but you know Pinkie Pie. She said it was to make up for not throwing you a proper welcoming party.” Cliff groaned. He could appreciate the hyperactive pony's intentions, but he just didn't feel comfortable in any crowd larger than his coven. Still, if he was going to improve things between ponies and dragons then he supposed that he could endure a party or two. “Okay,” he sighed. “When is it supposed to happen?” “Friday night,” Twilight said. It was Wednesday night, so at least Cliff would have Thursday to recover. He yawned again and started unpacking his saddlebags. “Getting back on topic, how should we handle Silent Hall's offer for a cultural exchange program?” Twilight thought about it. “We should write Princess Celestia. I'm sure she'd know who to send, and we shouldn't be inviting more dragons to live here without her permission either.” Spike's eyes lit up. “Do you think she'd let my parents come live in Ponyville too?” “I'm sure she-” Twilight began, but a loud thump cut her off. She turned around to see that the metal disc from earlier had disappeared, leaving a giant stack of metal books in its place. She looked like a hatchling that had just discovered a pile of gemstones. “Oh wow...” the Princess breathed. “Spike, could you write that letter? I have books to read.” “Pay attention to the way they're stacked,” Cliff called after her. “They're grouped by genre and subject.” “I will,” Twilight promised as she grabbed the nearest book and opened it. “You know she'll be up all night reading,” Spike commented, “right?” “You have to admire her love of learning though,” Cliff chuckled. “Let's get going on that letter.” Spike penned a quick letter to Princess Celestia and sent it in a puff of green fire. Cliff really had to wonder what magic the ruler of Equestria had used to let his younger brother do such a thing. The spell wasn't known among dragons, at least. Their task accomplished, the two brothers began to put the contents of Cliff's saddlebags away. “How are things going with Rarity?” he asked. “I haven't seen her since you left,” Spike grumbled. “Twilight and I spent all of yesterday organizing the town meeting, and Rarity spent most of today with Sweetie Belle.” Cliff took the rations from his saddlebags to the kitchen, followed closely by his younger brother. “I've never been in a relationship, but it seems to me that letting her spend time with her sister was the right thing to do.” “I'm not really in a relationship either,” Spike sighed. “Sometimes I can't tell if she likes me that way or not.” They put everything away in silence while Cliff reflected on the younger dragon's situation. Rarity was often affectionate towards Spike, but it was the kind of affection that could exist as easily between friends or siblings as between lovers. Cliff needed to know more before he could give his brother any practical advice. “Let me talk to Twilight alone for a bit,” he said at last. “You'll never get her to put the book down,” Spike said, but he didn't try to follow Cliff back to the living room. As expected, the purple alicorn was reading contently exactly where they had left her. Cliff tapped her on the shoulder. “Twilight?” “Uh-huh,” she muttered without looking up. “I need your help.” “Yeah.” She obviously wasn't listening. Time for the direct approach. Cliff put his hand over the page she was reading. Twilight jumped, apparently noticing him for the first time. “Oh, Cliff, sorry. What were you saying?” He decided to be as concise as possible. “Are Rarity's feelings for Spike romantic?” The alicorn's jaw dropped. “What?” Cliff returned her incredulous expression with a calm one. He knew that she had heard him. “I...” She looked away. “I don't know. Yes, maybe? Why do you ask?” Hardly the definite response he had been hoping for. “Spike needs relationship advice, and I can't give it to him unless I know how she feels.” “Well...” Twilight blushed. “I didn't want to pry so I never asked. My books say that outside interference often leads to unnecessary complications in relationships.” The dragon sighed. He wasn't qualified to say if that was true or not. “Do your books say what Spike should do if he isn't sure either?” “Most of them say he should ask her himself.” She smiled apologetically. “I don't think Spike could muster the courage to do it though. It would break his heart if she said no.” Cliff had come to a similar conclusion himself. He thanked Twilight and returned to the kitchen where Spike was waiting. The young dragon was nervously twisting a scroll in his claws. It seemed the Princess had already written back. “What did she say?” “She doesn't know either.” Cliff set next to his brother. He took the scroll away and put it on the table. Princess Celestia could wait. “Can't you just use a spell or something to find out?” He shrugged. “I could read Rarity's heart, but if I'm asking for permission to scan her emotions, I may as well just ask her how she feels and leave magic out of it entirely.” Reading the heart of a potential enemy was one thing, but friends deserved more respect than that. Spike nodded glumly. “Yeah, I guess that would be simpler.” They sat in silence for a few moments until he spoke again. “Cliff... what should I do?” “I don't know.” It tore the older dragon up to admit it. “If it were me, I would go tell her how I feel; but the one time I tried that, it didn't work out very well.” “Really?” Spike moved to sit in front of him. “What happened?” Why not? Maybe it will cheer him up. Cliff recounted his disastrous attempt to court Fire Eyes. By the time he got to the end, Spike was struggling, and failing, to contain his laughter. “What happened to the berserk dragon?” “Grandmother scared it off and then spent the next week yelling at me for being an idiot. Quite literally.” Cliff was surprised that he was laughing a little too. “She had me work all the same jobs as her because she didn't want to stop between meals.” Spike laughed even harder, and reached out to pat Cliff's arm. “Sorry, brother.” It was strange how comfortable Cliff felt telling the younger dragon about that part of his life. He could endure having Rainbow Dash know about it, but with Spike he had actually wanted to share the tale. “Thanks,” Spike said when they had both stopped laughing. “I feel better now.” “I'm glad,” Cliff said. “What do you want to do now?” Spike took a deep breath. “I'm going to ask how she feels. Tonight.” It was an hour or so past dinner. Late enough that the boutique would be closed, but not so late that Rarity would be in bed. A perfect time to talk. “I'm proud of you, Spike.” Cliff tousled his brother's head spikes. “I'll be here when you get back.” “Yeah.” Spike's bravado was fading already, but he managed a weak smile. “At least I know that it can't go worse than with you and Fire Eyes.” “That's for sure.” Cliff laughed gently. “If you get in trouble, remember the Stillness.” “Okay.” The younger dragon walked to the door and opened it. Silhouetted against the night, Cliff could see his claws shaking. “Hey Cliff... wish me luck.” “Good luck,” Cliff said. After another deep breath, Spike walked outside and shut the door behind him.