//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 // Story: A New Dragon in Ponyville // by Vedues //------------------------------// After the events of the previous morning, Twilight decided it would be a good idea to keep an eye on the media. To that end, she had gone out and signed up for every major newspaper and magazine that might have dragon-related stories. This turned out to be a very good idea, because dragons were on the cover of virtually everything the next morning. It took Cliff, Spike, and Twilight nearly an hour to read through it all. Most articles reviewed the damage to Ponyville earlier that week, followed by the revelation that dragons were behind it, and some sort of (usually negative) reaction to Rainbow's 'hybrid' status. Phrases like, “mutant,” “freak,” and “crime against nature,” were used far too often for Cliff's liking, which is to say, at all. Apparently healing nearly every pony in the hospital had been completely undercut by helping a single pegasus to breath fire. “Relax,” Spike assured them after seeing Autumn off at the train station. “We knew there would be some backlash when we told them about Rainbow. It isn't much worse than what would have happened anyway after Discord's little press conference. Give the media another week and nopony will even remember this.” His prediction turned out to be overly optimistic. Each day, a new wave of papers discussed the 'ethical quandary' of Rainbow's transformation. Some painted her as helpless victim of dragon meddling. Others claimed that she wanted to abandon her pegasus heritage and transform into a dragon completely. Somepony dug up a photo of Rainbow as a dragoness after Discord's party, and speculation began to run wild about how the experience had affected her. Oddly, even though Rainbow Dash and Spike talked to reporters several times, their interviews never seemed to overturn all the gossip and hearsay. At least the ponies around town seemed largely unconcerned by the media circus. After all, Twilight had once accidentally turned the entire town upside down, literally. Compared to that, a fire-breathing pegasus and an army of paparazzi was no big deal. Spike's visit to Canterlot to spend time with Autumn was, in his own words, “A blast, just don't play against her in Stable Fighter II.” However, his return also marked the arrival of a swarm of protesters, which kind of killed the mood. Disagreements in a wyrm coven took one of two forms. The members gathered to hear both sides of the argument, and then either held a vote on the matter, or more rarely, one side challenged the other to a duel. Pony protests were nothing like either. As far as Cliff could tell, they just stood around, waving signs and yelling at the ponies and/or dragons that they disagreed with. He didn't know what they were expecting to accomplish that way, but as long as they didn't actually hurt anydragon, he and the rest of the Ponyville Coven were fine with just ignoring them. Rainbow Dash actually seemed to enjoy herself. An army of supporters had arisen for her, also employing the useless sign-waving technique, giving the multicolored pegasus a pretty sizable entourage wherever she went. Somehow, she kept finding excuses to show off her new fire breath and heat immunity, up to and including packing uncooked meals for her lunches so she could roast them in public. In spite of everything, the new coven was adapting to life in Ponyville fairly well. River Wind was as close to the rest of the Crusaders as ever, and emotion control made it easy to ignore taunts from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Also, the reporters and protesters largely overlooked the hatchling dragoness. Burning Torch joined a book club, hosted by Twilight, where his brilliant mind and willingness to learn earned him a number of friends; most notably, a brown earth pony named Dr. Whooves, who seemed to be an expert in pretty much everything. Fire Claws, in spite of her forward attitude, had always been a protective and motherly figure to those in need. It was no surprise to Cliff then, when his grandmother told him that she had become friends with Derpy/Ditzy, who was still hesitant to reveal which was her real name, for some reason. The gray mare herself had written Cliff a letter, talking about how happy she was when his grandmother stood up for her during an incident at the postal service break room. Since then, Derpy (because Cliff had to pick something to call her) had spent at least some time with the dragoness nearly every day. “She has been through a lot,” Fire Claws told Cliff one evening. “She just needs a friend to talk to.” Fire Eyes was struggling the most to adapt, but even she was doing well. While her construction job hadn't gained her any friends yet, she did spend a fair amount of time with Rainbow Dash, and listening as River told them about her adventures with the other Crusaders always brought a smile to the white dragoness's face. Cliff was proud of them all, and proud of the ponies who had, for the most part, embraced them. His only real worry, ironically, had nothing to do with reporters, or scandals, or even the future of dragon-pony relations. He worried that he was a boring stallionfriend (even if he wasn't exactly a stallion). It had started as a seemingly minor comment from Spike about how he and Fluttershy never did anything exciting or romantic together. At first, Cliff had shrugged it off as a simple difference in personalities. He kept telling himself that Fluttershy wasn't the kind to be interested in more formal dates, like the kind Twilight had described. However, over a week had passed since he had tried to kiss the yellow mare, and she still hadn't brought it up again. Maybe Spike's right, Cliff decided at length. She would want to kiss me if I was more romantic, or at least not so boring. He had to admit that the urge to kiss her had become more and more difficult to ignore as time went by. The way the light reflected in her eyes when she smiled, or the softness of her fur and the tickle of her feathers as they cuddled made his heart feel like it could burst. Between her sharp mind, pure spirit, and beautiful body, it was rather obvious to the young dragon why he wanted to kiss her so badly. On the other claw, he couldn't think of any good reason that the pegasus would want to kiss him back. Luckily Autumn Gem was visiting Ponyville again, and Spike was off with her somewhere, leaving Cliff alone to talk to Twilight. “I need your advice,” he explained after pulling the alicorn away from her reading. “How can I be more romantic for Fluttershy?” “Huh?” Twilight's jaw dropped. He sat across from the Princess. “I'm afraid I might be boring to her.” Twilight stared at him for a moment, then she put a hoof on his shoulder. “Cliff, Fluttershy loves spending time with you. She doesn't think you're boring.” “I'm not very exciting either,” he returned. “I really enjoy talking and reading together, but what if she wants something more?” Twilight settled back down and tapped a hoof against her chin. “Well, maybe you should try talking to Rarity. If Fluttershy has told anypony about her dating life, it'll be her.” He nodded. “Thanks, Twilight.” “No problem.” She smiled. “It's nice to see how concerned you are with making her happy.” Cliff was a bit ashamed to reflect that he had mostly brought it up because he was hoping to earn a kiss from his marefriend. Am I being shallow? he wondered. The young dragon was still mulling the issue over as he thanked Twilight again and left. There seemed to be more protesters than usual as Cliff worked his way through Ponyville. It was amazing how he had gotten used to them. He wasn't even worried by their shouting and veiled threats any more. Of course, maintaining two defensive spells at all times didn't hurt. Carousel Boutique was one of several businesses that had actually benefited from all the attention. Wearing Rarity's fire-themed clothing had become a statement of political stance as much as of fashion, and most of the town, as well as much of the upper crust in Canterlot, were buying the outfits as quickly as she could produce them. Cliff entered the boutique after pushing his way through another crowd of protesters. Rarity was sitting at a table inside, talking with... Autumn and Spike? They all stopped and stared at him as he entered. “...I'll come back,” Cliff said after a few seconds of awkward silence. “There's no need for that, dear,” Rarity said quickly. “What brings you by today?” Now this was a conundrum. He could triple his feedback, but at the cost of tripling his embarrassment. The young dragon mentally shrugged. Why not? We'll call it karma for being selfish earlier. “I need some dating advice.” Those words set off what could only be described as an explosion of questions and ideas from Spike, Rarity, and even Autumn. Cliff struggled to keep up with them, “Yes... no, she didn- that's what I came to ask... No, but you know how she is... Yes. I don't know... Maybe? What do you thi- Okay, if you're sure... You don't mind? Okay... I'll ask her... No, I can do it now.” He left the boutique, blinking in confusion. Somehow, he had just agreed to a double date with Spike and Autumn that weekend in Canterlot. -_-_-_-_-_- Saturday morning, Cliff climbed aboard the train to Canterlot along with Spike and Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus had been somewhat nervous about the whole idea, but also seemed happy that Cliff had asked. Cliff himself had mixed feelings about the plan. Rarity had assured him that Fluttershy often let her fears get in the way of things she wanted to do, and that she was sure to have a wonderful time in Canterlot. He hoped she was right, but he couldn't stop worrying that the large city would scare his poor marefriend senseless. “Are you okay, Cliff?” Fluttershy asked. “You seem a little nervous.” And now worrying about her has made her worry about me. He laughed softly. “Actually, I'm just hoping that you have fun today.” “Well, I've never been on a double date, but I think it will be nice.” She scooted a little closer. “As long as we're together, that is.” Spike was watching them from the other seat in their compartment, an amused smile on his face. “You two really are cute together.” Suddenly reminded that they weren't alone, Fluttershy turned bright red. “Oh, my...” Cliff reflexively put an arm around her. It always seemed to help when she was feeling uncomfortable. “Strike that,” Spike corrected, “you're adorable.” The older dragon rolled his eyes. “Don't worry, Fluttershy. That's just his way of complimenting us.” “Actually, I was trying to embarrass you.” Spike pointed at his brother. “Fluttershy is way too nice for me to tease. You, on the other hoof...” He spread his arms wide. “Well, what are younger brothers for?” “Technically, I'm the younger brother,” Cliff reminded him. “I go off of who hatched first.” He shrugged. “Anyway, Fluttershy, do you know any good ways to get Cliff embarrassed?” She shook her head. “Uh, no. I'm sorry, Spike. I don't usually try to make him embarrassed.” “Hm, that's too bad.” He leaned back into his seat. “You'd probably think it's cute when he gets all red and flustered.” “Remind me to try that theory on you when we meet up with Autumn,” Cliff said. Spike laughed. “Give it your best shot, bro.” Meanwhile, Fluttershy was giving Cliff a thoughtful look. He had to hope that she wasn't taking what his brother said seriously. -_-_-_-_-_- Autumn was waiting for them at the Canterlot station. As before, Cliff could see why the crystal mare interested his brother. Not only was she a beautiful pony, but her crystalline appearance was rather striking. If he was being completely honest, it made him a little hungry. “Good morning,” she greeted them. “I hope you're all feeling well.” “All the better for seeing you, Autumn.” Spike grinned. “Ready for an awesome day?” Cliff was a little jealous of his brother's gift for flirting. His magically enhanced eyesight was able to pick up a slight reddening in the crystal mare's cheeks. “Of course.” She turned to Cliff and Fluttershy. “Are you two ready to go?” They both nodded. “Alright, follow me.” It was Cliff's first time in Canterlot since the fateful night when he had met Celestia and Luna, and he was forcefully reminded just how large the city was. They walked far enough get from one end of Ponyville to the other and back again before they reached their destination, and that was only to get across one section of the city. Even more impressive than the size was the sheer number of ponies. Every single street was as crowded as the marketplace in Ponyville. In spite of himself, Cliff felt some of his old nerves returning. Fluttershy wasn't doing much better. She moved closer and closer to him, until their sides were pressed together as they walked. Autumn Gem's apartment building was in one of the high class districts of the city, complete with technology that Cliff had never seen before. There was something called an 'elevator,' that took them from the first floor up to the fifth, where Autumn lived. Just being inside the thing made Cliff uncomfortable, but the others all seemed fine with it. “Spike, you and Cliff can leave your bags in the guest bedroom.” Autumn pointed to the second door on their right. “Fluttershy, I'll show you to the master bedroom.” Spike had stayed at the castle during his last visit because of the strange pony stigma against two adults sleeping in the same area, but apparently a larger group meant fewer ponies would get the wrong idea. Cliff didn't understand it. In fact, this whole building was confusing to him. After the concept of an apartment building had been explained to him, the young dragon had assumed it would be similar to a coven, with everything shared except for sleeping quarters. To his surprise, however, it was more like a cluster of small pony houses, all connected by hallways. Autumn had two bathrooms, two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and a study. There was even a video game system in her living room, like the kind at the Ponyville arcade, and a bowl of crystallized flowers sitting on the kitchen table. Overall, the apartment felt like a needless extravagance to him, but Spike and Fluttershy both commented on how nice everything was, so Cliff had to assume it was one of those things that he just didn't get about ponies. After their brief tour, Autumn checked the clock. “We have a few hours before lunch. Would you like to go swimming until then? If not, we can go window shopping in the marketplace.” Spike shrugged. “I'm in the mood for swimming, but whatever you want to do is fine.” “I'm fine with anything,” Fluttershy said. Buying windows didn't appeal to Cliff much. All of hers look fine anyway. “Swimming, I guess.” Autumn led them back into the hallway, down the elevator (it was just as nerve-wracking the second time), and out the back door, where an immense, concrete lined pond waited. No other ponies seemed to be around. “Last one in is a burnt carrot!” Spike shouted as he ran for the water. He jumped and curled into a ball, making a large splash. Cliff was right behind him, though he dove in with as little splashing as possible. “How about a race?” he suggested once they were both above water. “To the far end of the pond and back five times?” Spike laughed. “It's called a pool, Cliff, and you're on!” That the younger dragon was able to keep up at all was a testament to how far he had come in his physical training. Even so, Cliff won by a fairly decent margin. “You should use your tail more as you swim,” he told Spike as they hung to the edge of the pool afterward. “It can push you as much as your legs if you move right.” “You might have to explain how,” his little brother replied. “Pony tails don't work that way.” “Just pull your legs in close to it, and move it side to side.” Cliff glanced towards the shallow end of the pon-, no, pool, where Fluttershy and Autumn were. Now that she had taken out her metal hairbands, Cliff could see that the crystal mare actually had a rather long mane, which glittered like a cluster of jewels around her as she floated on her back. Fluttershy, on the other claw, looked like she was curling up to take a nap. Only her head was above water. Her eyes were closed, and a contented smile had spread across her lips. “Enjoying the view?” Spike nudged him in the side. “Yes,” he admitted freely. “Fluttershy is at her cutest when she smiles like that.” The younger dragon shook his head and laughed. “Bro, you've got it bad.” “And I couldn't be happier,” Cliff replied before he pushed off towards his marefriend. “Hey there,” he said gently as he got close. Fluttershy's eyes popped open. “Oh,” her look of surprise melted back into a smile. “Did you have fun racing?” “Yes,” Cliff settled down next to her. “You can join us for the next one, if you want.” She blushed. “Oh no, I'm not a very good swimmer. I just like to relax in the water.” “There's nothing wrong with that.” Cliff noticed Autumn sneaking glances at Spike as he tried to swim with his tail. “Do you mind if I join you?” Fluttershy shook her head. Cliff wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and the two of them sat in contented silence for a few moments. “...This may be a strange question,” he said at length, “but do your wings help you swim at all?” “No,” she sighed. “They mostly get in the way. Maybe if I had stronger wings, like Rainbow Dash...” Fluttershy had been comparing herself to others, especially Rainbow Dash, more often lately. Cliff wished he knew why, or how to help her. His clawed hand idly stroked the mare's back while his mind ran in circles. She winced. “Ow.” Cliff jerked his hand away. “I'm sorry! Did I scratch you?” “Oh no,” she insisted. “...My back is just a bit sore.” Cautiously, the young dragon moved his hand back to the muscle he had been rubbing. It was one of the ones that connected to her wings. “There's a really big knot here, Fluttershy. I can rub it out if you want, but it will hurt a bit.” The yellow pegasus shook her head. “No, it's okay. You don't have to trouble yourself.” “It's no trouble.” With a grandmother like Fire Claws, dealing with sore muscles was a part of everyday life. “I promise you'll feel much better afterward.” “Well... okay,” Fluttershy looked away self-consciously. “If you don't mind, that is.” “Just let me know if I'm massaging too hard,” Cliff said as he repositioned himself behind her. Only the tips of dragon claws were sharp. Right before that on each finger was a circular pad of soft tissue. Those eight pads were actually among the most sensitive parts of his body. Cliff ran them gently across Fluttershy's back, feeling out a surprising number of knots. She winced as he began to rub, but remained silent. “Have you been exercising more than usual lately?” Cliff asked as he slowly increased the pressure on that first knot. “A little,” Fluttershy whispered. Cliff expected her to elaborate, but she didn't. With a shrug, he continued working. The first knot was eventually rubbed out, but there was another one, just as bad, on her other side. She jerked just slightly and let out a small noise of pain. “Sorry!” Cliff immediately started rubbing more softly. “Is that better?” She nodded. “Thank you.” Minutes wore on, and Cliff slowly moved up to her wings. He discovered a couple of interesting facts about pegasus anatomy as he worked. For starters, there was a tendon on each wing connecting Fluttershy's 'shoulder' to her 'wrist.' He could only guess what it was for. Another surprise was how similar the bones in her wings were to the ones in his own arms. There was even a 'hand' of sorts out at the end. Fluttershy remained silent for the most part, but every now and then a soft gasp of pain or sigh of relief escaped her lips. Strangely, her wings were starting to flutter in the same way that they did when she was really excited. Cliff frowned a little in confusion and leaned to the side so he could see her face. The mare's cheeks were bright red, her eyes were clenched shut, and she was biting her lower lip. Cliff immediately stopped rubbing. “Am I hurting you?” he asked in concern. She shook her head. “N-no. It feels... good.” “Do you want me to keep rubbing?” She bit down on her lip harder and nodded. He went back to work on her wings. How did she get so many knots anyway? Cliff mentally shrugged. Fluttershy seemed hesitant to talk about that, and he didn't want to push her. Besides, even more concerning was her strange reaction to the massage. They had cuddled often enough that being this close shouldn't affect her so strongly. Is it because we're in public? Cliff couldn't exactly suggest they go somewhere private to continue. That would sound... bad. Spike and Autumn had noticed the mare's behavior too. From their spot at the other end of the pool, the younger dragon was giving Cliff a look that could only be described as, Wow bro, I'm impressed. Cliff shot back, Huh? Autumn was blushing slightly. She motioned towards Fluttershy and then moved her hoof in a small circle. Unfortunately, Cliff hadn't spent enough time with the crystal mare to be sure what she meant. He jerked his head towards Fluttershy and exaggerated the rubbing motions for a moment. Keep going? She nodded. According to Twilight, crystal ponies were natural empaths, and Grandmother had told him that Autumn was an especially talented one at that. If she thought Cliff should continue with his massage then he wasn't going to second-guess her. Still, a little information would be appreciated. He pointed to his cheeks quickly and filled his heart with embarrassment, followed by curiosity. Why is she blushing? Autumn made a few gestures that Cliff didn't understand. She tried again with no better success. Eventually she turned to Spike and whispered something. His little brother pointed to his heart and drew a line up to his ear-frill. Turn on a spell to improve your hearing. Cliff did so, surging it as high as he could. He nodded that he was ready. “Can you hear me?” Spike whispered. He nodded again. “Okay, pegasus wings are really sensitive. Rubbing them like that can be very... stimulating.” Stimulating? What does he mean by- Oh stars above! Cliff tried to fight down a furious blush as he turned to Autumn for confirmation. She nodded, the red still visible in her cheeks. Cliff suddenly felt like a very horrible dragon. Does she think I'm arousing her on purpose? No wonder she objected when I first offered to massage her wings. “Uh,” he swallowed, “I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?” Fluttershy shook her head. Her wings were fully extended by then, quivering slightly as the young dragon massaged them. “It's really... nice.” Something in her voice made Cliff blush even harder. He escaped into the Stillness as quickly as he could. I'm just rubbing out her sore muscles, he reminded himself. That's it! Minutes wore on, and Cliff was just starting to relax when a soft groan of pleasure escaped Fluttershy's lips. He froze. “I'm sorry,” she whispered when she felt him go tense. “Did I scare you?” “N-no,” Cliff assured her. “I just...” Don't know how to deal with a public massage suddenly turning out to be erotic, even though we haven't even kissed yet? “... worried that I hurt you.” Close enough. “I'm sorry, it just felt so nice that I made that noise without realizing.” She hunched down a little. “That's really strange, isn't it?” “No. I was just surprised, and...” he sighed, “Fluttershy, is it bad for me to touch your wings like this?” She blushed so hard that Cliff swore her mane went a few shades darker. “N-no! It's not like that!” She turned away. “I mean, yes, it can be, but not always. The spa ponies will sometimes massage my wings, and nopony thinks it's a bad thing.” Relief flooded through the young dragon. So she wasn't thinking about this in a dirty way after all. Now that he thought about it, Cliff wasn't sure if Fluttershy was even capable of dirty thoughts. “Okay, just let me know if anything makes you uncomfortable, and... you don't need to feel embarrassed about making noise if something feels good.” “Are you sure?” Cliff nodded, then stopped when he realized that she couldn't see him. “You said that there's nothing wrong with it, and besides, it lets me know what areas need more attention.” It's also pretty arousing, but I'm not going to let myself dwell on that. “Okay, if you don't mind.” Fluttershy stopped biting her lower lip. A soft “Mmmm,” of appreciation escaped her as Cliff continued to rub. By the time they went inside for lunch, the young dragon had worked out every knot he could find in Fluttershy's wings, back, and chest. “Are you feeling better now?” he asked, trying to ignore the throbbing in his hands. She stretched out her wings and flexed them experimentally. “Yes, thank you, Cliff.” He nuzzled her cheek quickly as they stepped into the elevator. “I'm glad.” “I think you were just enjoying the excuse to wrap your claws around her,” Spike said slyly. Autumn bumped her shoulder into the younger dragon's side. “I mean,” he cleared his throat, “who wouldn't jump at the chance to hug their special somepony?” Cliff gave the crystal mare a grateful look. Autumn's assistant, (she called him a butler,) had prepared lunch for them when they got back to the apartment. He was a tall white unicorn with a brown mane and tail, wearing a tuxedo for some reason. “Would you like me to prepare anything else, my lady?” he asked once they had been seated. “No, this is wonderful, Guiding Point.” The stallion bowed. “Thank you, Lady Autumn. I will return to collect your dishes after you have all finished.” He made his exit. “I hope you like it, Cliff,” the crystal mare said. “Spike warned me that you still dislike most pony foods.” Fruit salad, apple juice, all-wheat rolls with raspberry jam, and quiche, he reflected as he looked at the table. All my favorites. “I'm guessing he also told you which foods I like.” “Yes, he did.” She smiled. “Then I owe you both a thank you,” Cliff said as he dug in. “Dragon eating habits have actually become a popular topic of discussion here in Canterlot,” Autumn said between bites of her salad. “Because we're omnivores?” Cliff guessed. She nodded. “It's stirring up some anti-dragon sentiments, but I've done my best to minimize the damage.” “Hmm.” Spike tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Is there anything we can do to help?” Autumn shook her head. “I wouldn't be too concerned about it. Gryphons eat meat as well, and Equestria maintains excellent relations with their home kingdom. I'm sure it will all die down once the media gets tired of attacking your friend Rainbow Dash.” “That might happen faster if she'd quit riling them up.” Spike rolled his eyes. “She's just happy about her new abilities,” Fluttershy said quietly. “I'm sure she doesn't mean to cause problems.” “I'll talk to her anyway,” Cliff volunteered. “I'm sure she'll understand.” Autumn nodded. “That's a good idea. So long as no new scandals arise, the media should move on soon.” Spike winced. “And that, everypony, is the sound of tempting fate.” -_-_-_-_-_- Just over an hour later, Cliff found himself strapped to a large triangle made of fabric and held together with metal poles. They were standing at the very edge of Canterlot, and by some lapse in sanity, the plan was to jump off! He glanced over the edge at the ground very, very far below. “Are you sure that this 'hang gliding' is safe?” “Yes,” Spike said. “Why are you so nervous anyway? I thought you always wanted to fly?” “I do,” Cliff replied, “but I was hoping to learn from a height that I may actually survive falling from.” “Don't worry,” the younger dragon assured him. “They have pegasi on guard to catch us if we get in trouble.” “It is really high though,” Fluttershy whispered. She had taken one peek over the edge and refused to go near it again. “Are you sure you won't join us?” Autumn asked her. “We thought you and Cliff would enjoy the chance to go flying together.” “No thank you.” She shivered. “It's too high.” Spike sighed. “Anyway, Cliff, you're up.” The older dragon paused to reassure his marefriend that he would be fine, and then he approached the edge once more. “Here goes nothing,” he whispered, and jumped. Almost immediately, he felt the wind catch him, and his fall became a glide. Exhilaration overcame everything else as the wind batted against his scales and he felt the overwhelming freedom of the sky. He leaned to one side experimentally, and the glider swerved that way in response. He completed a lazy circle and then started curving back the other way. This is incredible! Cliff grinned. His mind was already hard at work going over spells that might turn this gliding into actual flight. Momentum Redirection, Speed Bursts, is there a spell to control the wind? I'll have to ask Grandma. Maybe it was being so close to realizing a lifelong dream, but Cliff felt a little giddy. With some work, I might be able to fly like a pegasus! I could soar across the fields and forests. I could follow the wind to the horizon. I could- “Oh no, his glider broke!” Spike shouted. I could fall to my bloody death. ...Everything seemed to be working fine. Or not. Cliff looked up in time to see a yellow and pink blur coming towards him. “Cliffdon'tworryI'llsaveyou!” Fluttershy shouted before slamming into the young dragon and wrapping her hooves around him. High above them, Cliff could see his brother grinning mischievously. “Fluttershy, I'm fine!” he shouted, “Really. Spike was just joking.” To her credit, she had not only stopped Cliff's decent, but actually pulled him partway back to the ledge. “Oh.” She embraced him with a surprising amount of strength. “Thank goodness.” Her wings stopped beating, leaving her to hang beneath him as the glider took over once more. Cliff wrapped his tail around Fluttershy's waist to help hold her up. He was aware that they were still gliding, but if he had to decide between focusing on that and comforting his marefriend... well, the choice was rather obvious. He squeezed her a little tighter. “Sorry if I scared you.” She nuzzled into his shoulder. “I'm just happy that you're safe.” They held the embrace for the rest of their flight. Cliff was paying just enough attention to make sure they landed safely, if in a slight tangle of limbs. Spike landed shortly after them. “Sorry about tricking you, Fluttershy,” he said as he collapsed the glider into a more portable form. “But it looked like you two enjoyed yourselves out there.” Fluttershy nodded through her blush. “It's okay, Spike... Thank you.” Autumn landed a few moments later. She came down with more force than she was expecting and fell on her side. Luckily she only took a few minor scrapes, which Spike healed easily. “Alrighty.” Spike pointed to the lifts nearby, which would take them back up to Canterlot. “We paid for three hours, so let's make the most of them.” Even though Fluttershy was still nervous about the height, she worked up the courage to jump with Cliff every time after the first. Since she was obviously more experienced at flying, the young dragon followed her lead as they glided lazily around the sky. It was... exhilarating, but somehow calming at the same time. Too bad I couldn't buy one of these, Cliff reflected. He loved flying, but it wasn't worth the risk of going berserk. When it came time to go, Cliff found himself feeling oddly peaceful. True, hang-gliding had fulfilled a lifelong dream, and it was also true that he might never do it again, but those facts just didn't mean as much to him as the smiling mare at his side. I think I found a better dream without even realizing it. He caught Fluttershy in a quick hug as they followed after Spike and Autumn. -_-_-_-_-_- Canterlot was famous for its beautiful parks, or so Cliff was told. This was his first time going to one. Statues and fountains dotted the area, as well as small crops of trees, flowers, and shaped hedges. They weren't here for any of those, however, and so he only gave them a passing glance. What they were here for was something called a 'petting zoo.' “Oh, aren't you so adorable?” Fluttershy grinned as she held a small creature. The sign on its pen said that it was a wallaby. Cliff, however, had decided that it was a, 'doesn't-like-dragons.' It had cowered in the corner of its pen as soon as it saw him, and not even the yellow mare could convince it to relax until he backed out. Like the animals back at her cottage, these ones all seemed to instinctively know that Cliff was a predator. However, most of the others in the zoo had been at least willing to endure his presence. Quite a few had even let the young dragon pet them after Fluttershy assured them that he was safe. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, the animals had no such worries about Spike. They flocked around him like any other pony, hoping for treats and belly rubs. He was in a different pen at that moment, laughing as a trio of wolf-like animals licked his face. “It's good to see him enjoying himself,” Autumn said. She was sitting on a bench between the two pens, alongside Cliff. “Yes, he does seem very happy.” Cliff turned to look at her. “What about you? Are you happy?” She frowned in confusion. “Do I seem unhappy?” He shrugged. “Spike is pursuing you, yet he refuses to let go of his feelings for Rarity. That's unfair of him, and you would have every right to be upset because of it.” Autumn paused, and then looked away. “Wyrms really are very blunt.” Cliff took no offense at the observation. “We say what we think and feel. Life is simpler that way.” “Would that the rest of the world was that simple.” She took a deep breath. “Very well. Your brother cares very deeply for Lady Rarity. As the one who saved me, my parents, and my entire race, it seems only fitting that I help him achieve happiness with her.” “Wait, you're courting him... so that you can help him be with Rarity?” “That is the essence of it, yes,” Autumn said without meeting his gaze. Cliff could almost feel pieces of his mind snapping as they tried to wrap around the idea. “Is that something ponies do?” he asked in utter bafflement. “Not usually. In this case, you might think of me as an assistant and adviser to your brother in his pursuit of love. These 'dates' are simply excuses to get together and plan.” “Yet both of you have feelings for each other.” Autumn turned to him sharply, eyes wide in shock. “Grandma felt out your emotions very carefully when you first met her,” Cliff explained. “She approves, by the way.” Much to his surprise, the mare's coat changed, losing its crystalline appearance. “Please don't tell Spike! He would never allow me to continue helping him if he knew that I've become infatuated with him.” “Spike enjoys being with you.” The sudden change in her appearance was a bit unnerving. Cliff resisted the urge to slide away from her before something else strange happened. “I'm just saying that maybe you should try dating him for real.” “He only thinks of me as a friend.” She looked down. “I can't betray his trust by attempting to change that.” Cliff hesitated, then gently lifted her chin so that he could look her in the eyes. “Autumn, listen to me, I've been teaching Spike magic since I arrived in Ponyville. I know his heart nearly as well as my own by now. Being with you makes him happy.” She didn't respond. “So, does being with him make you happy too?” “...Yes,” she whispered at last, “but Lady Rarity cares for Spike as well. I don't know why she continues to push him towards me, but her feelings for your brother are real.” “Why would she...” Cliff shook his head. “Never mind. You just said that you don't know.” Two mares both like Spike, and yet they're each encouraging him pursue the other. Cliff sighed at the absurdity of the whole situation. “Look, I want Spike to be happy, but I don't want anypony making themselves miserable getting him there. Rarity must have her reasons for what she's doing, so you may as well quit feeling guilty about it and just enjoy your time together.” “And what of Spike's feelings?” she asked softly. “Your empathy can only sense the surface of his emotions, right?” Autumn nodded. “The spell I've been using during my lessons with Spike can reach deeper. He hasn't realized it himself yet, but he's infatuated with you, and his heart is beginning to accept that he might find happiness with a mare other than Rarity.” He shrugged. “Frankly, I had no idea why he was courting somepony while he felt that way, but the point is that there's nothing wrong with being honest to him or yourself. Not when even he isn't sure what he wants.” “I will... consider it.” She closed her eyes, and after a few moments, her crystalline appearance returned. “In any case, thank you.” -_-_-_-_-_- It was dinnertime when they left the zoo. Fluttershy was so excited to have met so many new critters that she practically hopped up and down as they followed Autumn through the city. Cliff couldn't stop smiling as he watched her. It was like she had liquid adorableness running through her veins. Soon they arrived at a restaurant. Spike informed his brother that it was one of the nicer ones in Canterlot. Cliff had to trust him. It was a lot fancier than the ones he had been to in Ponyville, at least. A tuxedo-clad waiter immediately led them to a private booth after Autumn checked in. He had no idea what would be socially acceptable at a place like this, so he mostly imitated what the others did. He ordered the same drink as Autumn (a strawberry cocktail), the same meal as Fluttershy (some sort of pasta), and the same desert as Spike (a tiny chocolate cake, with crystallized flower shards provided by Autumn). Surprisingly, Fluttershy and Autumn did most of the talking. The crystal mare wanted to know all about their adventures, and the pegasus was too kindhearted to refuse. In fact, Fluttershy actually seemed to enjoy their conversation. Both Cliff and Spike mostly remained silent and let the mares talk. Cliff had two good reasons for behaving that way. Firstly, he liked listening to the sound of Fluttershy's voice. Secondly, it was nice to see her making a new friend. As for Spike's silence... Cliff could barely venture a guess. He didn't mind admitting that Spike was probably the smarter of the two of them. Not that Cliff considered himself to be stupid by any means, but he knew that he would likely never have his brother's quick wit or ability to read others. Those talents had made the younger dragon invaluable when dealing with the newspapers. He didn't even want to imagine what they would be saying about the Cultural Exchange Program if it weren't for his brother's influence. -_-_-_-_-_- Their final stop for the day was a live theater, which finally gave Cliff a reason to wear the suit Rarity had made for him so long ago. The chairs were a bit uncomfortable (dragon tails didn't fit very well in pony seats), but the play was excellent. Dragon plays were only performed at gatherings, and always depicted famous events from history. This one, on the other claw, was apparently performed every night, and told a fictional tale set in modern times. The plot centered around a rich businessmare who had to choose between paying for an operation that would save her life, and funding a project that would provide food and shelter for hundreds. It was the kind of personal drama that Cliff's mother often wrote, except hers almost always included romance. This play focused mainly on exploring the relationship between the businessmare and her adopted son. Cliff cried a little near the end, when the mare passed away and her son was welcomed into the community she had helped save. Fluttershy was sniffling beside him, so at least he wasn't alone. The young dragon pulled her into a wordless embrace during the final musical number. “That was beautiful,” she whispered after the audience finished applauding. “Yeah,” Cliff smiled as he nuzzled his cheek against her's. Goodness, she smells nice. He couldn't really describe it, but it reminded him of the first rays of sunlight in the morning. Fluttershy blushed a little, but she wrapped a wing around him and turned to face him. Their lips nearly touched as she did so, making them both jump back in surprise. “Sorry.” We were less than an inch from our first kiss... Cliff shook his head. Don't think about it. You'll just make yourself crazy. Her entire face had turned bright red. “N-no, it's fine.” “Dang it,” Spike muttered behind his older brother. “So close.” Cliff ignored him, though he had to take a deep breath and fight down his own blush. “Anyway, I guess we should go.” They talked on their way back to Autumn's apartment, but Cliff's thoughts kept returning to that almost-kiss. What would it have felt like? He shook his head to clear it. Focus on something other than kissing Fluttershy, even though I'm sure it would be amazing and- He shook his head again. She doesn't feel ready yet. Don't push her... unless she was actually trying to kiss me when I pulled back. Maybe I should try to kiss her again- He almost growled in frustration. Seriously, brain, knock it off! Even the Stillness didn't help very much. It kept his emotions in check, but his mind continued to assault him with images of kissing, and his body was fairly screaming with how much it wanted to feel her soft lips. By the time they made it back to the apartment, Cliff just wanted to shove his head in bucket of ice water and call it a night. He had to be satisfied with splashing some water on his face in the bathroom though, because the others all wanted to stay up for a while longer. He stayed in there long enough to run through a few mental exercises to calm himself. Fluttershy was waiting for him when he opened the door. “Are you feeling okay, Cliff?” She looked at him with pleading eyes. “Did I upset you? Back at the theater, I mean. I'm really really sorry if I did.” Seeing her worried about him was too much for the dragon's poor heart. He immediately wrapped her in a strong hug. “You didn't upset me at all, Fluttershy. I was just...” Cliff sighed. He had no idea how to finish that sentence. “You're so cute that sometimes it's hard not to kiss you.” “Oh,” she squeaked, “I'm sorry.” “Don't be.” He gave her a final squeeze before letting go. “I'm the one who needs to improve here.” Fluttershy pulled him back into the embrace. “You're always so patient with me. I wish that I felt ready. I really do.” Patient? He thought. She thinks I'm patient? The young dragon nuzzled deeper into her fur. “I'll wait forever if you need me to.” As soon as he said it, Cliff had the sinking feeling that fate would hold him to those words. -_-_-_-_-_- When they rejoined the others, Spike and Autumn were playing on the video game system in the living room. Spike gave his older brother a sly grin when he saw them. Cliff decided to ignore it. He would explain that nothing had happened later. “So what would you like to do now?” “Actually,” Autumn paused their game and turned to him, “we were curious how dragons spend their evenings.” “Games, songs, and stories, mostly.” Cliff shrugged as he sat on the couch. Fluttershy sat beside him. “What kind of songs?” Autumn asked. “Usually group ballads about old legends.” He smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I can't really sing them on my own. Not that you'd want me to, with my voice.” “And I'm sure you're terribly upset by that,” Spike said. “Cliff here refuses to sing in front of anypony.” “There's a reason for that,” Cliff replied. “Trust me, I'm doing you a favor.” Autumn tapped Spike's shoulder. “Well if he'd rather not sing, we shouldn't force him. Perhaps we could play a game instead.” “If you insist.” Spike sighed. “Well, Cliff, what should we play?” Cliff listed off a couple of dragon games that he liked. The group decided on Glamour, a simple game with no winners or losers. One player was 'it,' and the others all took turns using basic illusions to change his or her appearance however they liked. Luckily Spike knew the spells required, so Cliff didn't have to do all the work himself. Things started simply, and then got progressively more silly as they all relaxed and enjoyed themselves. By the time they finished, Cliff was bright pink with orange polka-dots. Spike was white with black stripes along his body, (apparently he was meant to look like something called a 'mime'). Autumn's crystal coat made the illusion magic behave strangely. As a result, she looked like a crazed rainbow given pony form. Cliff had worked extra hard on Fluttershy's illusions, her coat seemed to have been replaced by scales, her pupils were now slitted, and her wings looked like those of a drake. She seemed to be a dragon-pony hybrid, and she was beautiful. “Is it strange?” Fluttershy as she studied herself in a mirror. “Nah, it's awesome.” Spike laughed. “The rest of us look like rejects from a circus.” She smiled a little at the compliment. “Cliff, uh, do you wish I looked like this more often?” “No.” The answer half surprised him as he said it. “Don't get me wrong. You make a beautiful dragoness, but I like you best as yourself.” Autumn looked from the blushing and grinning pegasus to the dragon with slightly red cheeks. She shook her head in amusement. “You should hurry up and hug her, Cliff Runner.” He gladly did. -_-_-_-_-_- “Hey Cliff?” Spike asked as they were drifting into sleep that night. “Yeah?” The older dragon replied from his bed nearby. “What's it like to be dating somepony?” Cliff rolled over and fixed his brother with a flat look. “You do realize you're dating Autumn, right?” “We aren't dating.” Spike shook his head. “We're just good friends.” He rolled his eyes. “Whatever you want to call it, Twilight, Rarity, and the rest of Ponyville are sure that you two are romantically interested in each other.” “Rarity knows that things aren't like that between Autumn and me,” Spike said quickly. “How?” “Because... she figured it out.” Cliff groaned. His brother was acting so stupid that it was almost painful to watch. “Look, I'm the wrong dragon to ask for relationship advice, but how exactly do you think you're going to get Rarity by pretending to date Autumn, especially if Rarity has already caught on?” “...Good point.” Spike sighed. “I... guess I should go talk to her tomorrow.” “Good idea,” the older dragon yawned, “but maybe you should take a look at your feelings first. Autumn seems like a nice mare. She doesn't deserve to be punished just because she isn't Rarity.” “Autumn doesn't think about me that way.” Spike sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anydragon. “Like I said, we're just friends.” If Spike wasn't his brother, Cliff would have been happy to let the younger dragon continue making a mess of the whole situation. “Just go talk to Grandma when we get back. She can help.” Meaning, she can help you get your head on straight. “Okay,” Spike promised. “I will.” -_-_-_-_-_- They said their goodbyes to Autumn the next morning. She seemed a little nervous, no doubt sensing the change in Spike's emotions, but sent them off with a smile. Fluttershy went to care for her animals as soon as they arrived in Ponyville, and the two dragons had work for Twilight that they needed to get done. True to his word, Spike left to talk to Fire Claws once she finished at the post office. After visiting with her, he planned to talk with Rarity. Cliff stayed at the palace so he could help Twilight with more of her research. It was a decision he came to regret when the younger dragon returned and locked himself in the bathroom without a word. Even after he and Twilight managed to coax him out, Spike refused to tell them what happened. All he said was that he and Rarity had come to an understanding, and that he would continue dating Autumn for at least a while. Cliff and Twilight didn't have long to worry about their little brother, however, because another big scandal hit the very next day.