//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: A Dragon's Duty // by CalebH //------------------------------// “Okay so let’s go through this one more time. You, a frankly scrawny example of a royal guard, are holding me, a big dragon, at swordpoint.” “Yes.” “And you’re doing this why?” “Because you’re a dragon.” “And that matters because?” “Princess Celestia told us to be on the lookout for a dragon.” “And she didn’t expand on that at all?” “No.” “No ‘he used to be a familiar face in the castle’?” “No.” “No ‘Number one assistant to her favorite student’?” “No.” “No ‘I asked him to come here’?” “No.” “Well I bet she thinks this is just hilarious,” Spike muttered to himself and said to the guard, “So here we sit.” “Yes.” Spike gave a huff as he regarded the colt before him. He was the standard white with blue mane and tail but unlike his fellow guardsponies he struggled to fill out the golden armor around him. The greatsword shook as his magic grasp struggled to hold it pointed at Spike. “And you’re sure you don’t recognize a purple and green dragon from any stained glass windows depicting, say, the return of the Crystal Empire?” “Yes.” “You do realize that I could eat you, right? Like you’d think that the armor and sword would be a deterrent but they’ll actually be more nutritious than you.” “I don’t take kindly to threats, sir.” “You’re not terribly bright, are you?” “I don’t know what you mean, sir.” “We’ll I’m not that up to date on protocols but I’m pretty sure the one for taking a prisoner isn’t ‘stand there pointing your sword at him’. I’m pretty sure you should put me in a holding cell and go get one of your superiors or something.” “Are you trying to get to my CO assassin?” “No. I’m trying to get to Princess Celes-that came out wrong.” The guard bristled and redoubled his grip on the greatsword. “Right well this has been fun but I’m gonna go to the other gate and see if they’re more…not you.” “Halt beast!” the guard called out, readying his sword for a swing. “Dost thou call this dragonslaying!?” a voice boomed from above. The guard stood stiffly, his eyes wide with fear, as Spike rolled his eyes. “Guard what are a dragon’s weaknesses?” Princess Luna demanded in the Royal Canterlot Voice as she landed between them. “Their, uh, uh…” the guard’s mouth opened and closed like a fishes a few times before he finally ventured, “their necks?” Princess Luna seized the guard’s sword in her own magic and brought it crashing down onto the base of Spike’s neck. “Ow! That’s gonna bruise.” “Dragons have no weaknesses. If you are faced with one the proper procedure is to fall back and attack with overwhelming force and numbers,” Princess Luna declared. “Now that that is settled, Sir Spike is a knight of the realm, my personal guest, and a face you would do well to remember. Come Spike you have grown too fat to fit through the gate and I have gone too long without flying.” With that the Night Princess took to the skies and Spike stuck his tongue out at the guard before following. “I’m getting too fat huh?” Spike said as they began a lazy circuit around Canterlot Castle. “Oh hush you or next time I’ll use the sharp side,” Princess Luna laughed back at him. “Y’know I sort of have to wonder what you do to the recruits if they’re more scared of you than they are of me.” “I would never touch one of my guarsponies! I simply encourage certain rumors.” Spike gave a chuckling response, “They just haven’t realized they’re all about how you play video games and not real life then.” “Just because you never could play to save your life!” Princess Luna laughed through a particularly exuberant barrel roll. Spike could only roll his eyes in response as he buffeted her with an unexpected downbeat. The late Rainbow Dash would have envied the rest of the flight Spike shared with Princess Luna. The two wheeled about one another in a game of aerial chicken as they tried to drive one another to flinch. Spike’s larger size gave him a clear advantage but Princess Luna was a far more skilled flier and not above teleporting to surprise Spike. The two eventually approached a large balcony outside the throne room, both only claiming minor victories. Princess Luna landed delicately with only a soft click of her hooves before Spike landed heavily behind her with a ‘fwump’. Princess Luna turned and glared daggers at Spike. She brought a hoof up to her lips to signal silence and approached a window to the side of the balcony. Spike followed her over and craned his neck to see what she was looking at. In the room below Princess Celestia sat on the throne and Discord stood before her with one hand resting on the throne as he leaned rather closely in to the Princess. The two were having a whispered conversation but a quick spell from Princess Luna made it to where they could hear. “But you don’t really need him to, do you?” Discord asked. “No, I suppose not. Between you, Luna, and myself I don’t think any threat will be too great but it will give him something to do. When he wakes up he will need something to keep his mind off his loss and he’s a bit too big to serve as an administrator in the castle,” Celestia answered. “But surely you can send to get some ancient artifact or even just on some boring archeological thing. It doesn’t really have to be the elements does it?” “Oh come now Discord, surely you aren’t that scared of being turned to stone,” Celestia teased. “It is extremely contrary to my nature and Spike is just the one to do it.” “Discord you’re reformed. Spike was part of reforming you. He has nothing against you.” “Nothing that he would ever admit to you. The girls held the line but Spike held them up. Every cruel trick and impossible decision I made them face over the years he was there for and he was the one to pick up the pieces. He saw better than anypony else that for years I was just playing at being “reformed” and when my games finally turned to real friendship he was done trusting me with a chance to hurt his loved ones again. Mark my words, as soon as Spike has the elements sorted he’ll find some excuse and its back to the garden with me.” “Then don’t give him an excuse,” Princess Celestia said simply. Discord scoffed. “Celestia I love you, but you can be the most naïve pony in the world sometimes.” “What, so I’m not allowed to believe good things about you?” She asked hotly. “Good, not great,” Discord said. “Celestia I am chaos given form. The only way I could not give him an excuse is if I already were a statue in your garden.” “Fine,” Celestia said relenting, “I’ll talk to him. You’re lucky you’re cute or I wouldn’t put up with you,” She said as she gave him a quick peck on the lips. “I’m lucky for a lot of reasons,” Discord said as he leaned into Celestia. Spike turned away with a blush coloring his cheeks. He had suspected that things between Discord and Princess Celestia went deeper than they let on but some things he did not need to see. “Perhaps Luna might have better luck getting through to him though.” Discords voice brought Spike’s attention back to the throne. “Before Twilight’s health really started to go they were becoming pretty close. A message of forgiveness would mean more from a lover than from a paragon of mercy and grace.” Spike’s cheeks flushed an even deeper red as he awkwardly adjusted his stance. While listening in to the conversation below he had put a claw up over Princess Luna and on the balcony’s railing. At Discord’s words he became very much aware of how intimate he and the Princess appeared and so he brought his claw back to the balcony flooring and made doubly sure that there was an appropriate distance between him and Princess Luna while they watched. Princess Luna seemed to completely refuse to react. She kept her eyes firmly glued forward and did not so much as twitch as Spike readjusted himself. Spike simply assumed that after spending a century living in the same castle as him Princess Luna had grown used to Discord’s teasing. He did not see the slight blush that colored her cheeks or the shy smile she fought to hide. When Spike looked back down at the throne room Discord and Princess Celestia were looking up at the balcony expectantly. Spike saw Princess Celestia’s lips form words but Princess Luna abruptly cut off the spell. “It seems someone got us caught,” She said as she began moving through the arched doorway into the throne room. She paused halfway through a step and turned her head back to Spike. “Fatty,” She teased sticking her tongue out. Spike gave a halfhearted chuckle and followed, his cheeks still somewhat flushed. Princess Celestia’s face brightened on seeing her sister but darkened when she saw Spike. “What are you doing awake?” She demanded as Spike approached the throne. For his part Spike looked properly abashed for all of about three seconds. “And it is simply a pleasure to see you too Princess Celestia. My, what a lovely day you’ve made for us to enjoy,” Spike said back with a toothy grin. “Spike, this is your health. You know how much sleep a dragon needs.” “I know mom. You weren’t the only one Twilight muscled into editing her stuff. Besides I sleep more than I should day to day anyways, I figure it evens out.” “Fine,” Princess Celestia said with a huff. “But when we go flying tonight if you’re even a little bit sleepy I’m going to bury you in a cave for a year!” “And where are you dragging me to this time?” Spike groaned. “If you must know it is tradition that I fly a circuit of Equestria every decade. You will accompany me as my guard,” Celestia said as she rose to her hooves. “Well I suppose ‘dragon bodyguard’ was bound to find its way onto my résumé eventually,” Spike said with a chuckle. "Alright so when do we leave." "In a few moments," Princess Celestia said turning to Princess Luna. "It is time." Power flowed through the room as the heavens advanced along their course and day turned to night. "Come along Spike," Celestia called as she started towards the balcony doors. “We’re going now?” “You just woke up after a week-long sleep, what’s a night of flying?” “Fine,” Spike said with a long suffering sigh as he rose and started to follow. “Play nice you two,” Princess Luna said with a laugh, “and as always I will guard the night.” Princess Celestia and Spike took off into the night sky from the balcony. After a short bout of waving goodbye to the pair Discord disappeared. Princess Luna took her place on the throne. For a moment she was the picture of regal beauty. Sticking her tongue out and making a rude noise at the empty room destroyed this image. As if to further degrade this she lounged across the throne and summoned her old JoyBoy to her.