A Dragon's Journey

by Coldwall

Food for Thought

It was a bright and cheery morning, much like it was yesterday. Only difference is that I didn’t feel something akin to a very bad hangover. Kinda strange, considering that I was at a party last night. The birds sung, the squirrels played, and I was rather content. There is something strangely relaxing in having all those little critters frolicking around you while you are still in that sweet daze after a good night of fitful sleep. With a blissful sigh and small smile, I decided it was time to get up.

I groggily stood up, the little animals clearing my way as I moved. Reaching forwards, I stretched just exactly as a cat would, producing a few satisfying pops as I did so. With a yawn, I laid back down, keeping my neck upright. The woodland critters resumed their usual business, some birds again perching on my back. It is rare for me to be this calm. Most mornings for me are spent rushing through the usual early routine of a college student. Not even on weekends did I get the chance to sleep in, as I had a part time job to go to. I might be in a cartoon world I was not completely happy to be in, but I finally had free time and I was going to enjoy it, dammit!

I didn’t know how much time I spent just sitting there, enjoying the morning sun, before my stomach decided it was time to end it. With an annoyed groan, I hefted myself up again. I looked around, but Fluttershy wasn’t in sight. That’s odd; the sun was well up in the sky at this time, meaning that Fluttershy should be already up and running. I noticed a few animals loitering around the house, waiting for someone. Deducting that Fluttershy wasn’t up yet, I approached the small home to check up on her.

That was the first time I got a good look at the cottage. Underneath the incredibly thick foliage that seemed to be the roof of the structure, was a two story building. It was a half timbered structure, just like the rest of Ponyville. And like the rest of Ponyville, it had that cartoony feel to it. The design seemed more sensible in my eyes, as opposed to the precarious things in the town. Didn’t mean it wasn’t an odd house though.

Once at the front of the cottage, I lightly tapped the wooden door. My light ‘taps’ came out as a set of sharp knocks, a bit louder than I intended. I was expecting a small squeak, typical of the easily startled pegasus. I was slightly worried when I didn’t hear anything. I knocked again, this time calling out.

“Hey Fluttershy, are you alright?”

The door opened, but instead of a yellow pony, a snow white rabbit stood at the portal. The small lagomorph was currently in the process of staring daggers at me, which out of habit, I returned. I was mildly surprised to see him stand his ground. A bunny is the last thing you’d expect to stare down a dragon several hundred times its weight. The stare down ended after Fluttershy walked up to the door, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

“Good morning Angel,” she said. “Oh, um… Good morning Jack.”

“Morning Fluttershy,” I answered with a smile.

Angel just kept staring at me like his life depended on it. He turned to Fluttershy and pointed with back at me as if saying “What’s with this guy?”

“No need to be rude Angel. We went over this; Jack will be staying with us until we find a way to get him back home. So just be nice and try to get along.”

The rabbit just crossed its paws and made soundless huff. He took one last cursory glance at me before rolling its eyes, not unlike saying “Your funeral.” Then he just hopped back inside.

“Not a friendly specimen, I see,” I thought out loud.

“Oh no no, Angel bunny is one of the sweetest there is. It’s just that he can be a bit um… Grouchy in the mornings. But he is really friendly otherwise.”

‘Somehow I doubt it.’

“So Fluttershy, I was hoping that you had some more fish or something. I’m kinda hungry.”

The pegasus suddenly looked apologetic. “Umm… Sorry, you ate all yesterday. I don’t have anymore,” she said as she hid herself behind her mane. She then casted a worried glance over to the river where a few otters were playing.

At that moment, a realization hit me: I was a dragon.

“Yes, we already knew that,” you are saying. Well, shut up. That’s not the point. What I’m saying is that Fluttershy was attempting to feed a dragon of some odd thousand pounds with reserves meant for ducks. I went through a crate that could have fed those otters for weeks in five minutes. If either of us tried to keep up with the current plan, Fluttershy would be broke within weeks, if not days.

That cannot stand.

“It’s quite alright,” I reassured the sad pony. “We just have to go shopping for some. Maybe find a steadier of food supply for myself while at it. There ought to be someone who can help. ”

“Um… Right!” said a perkier Fluttershy.

She went back in the house, and came back with a couple of bags slung over her back. I always forget how those are called. Anyway, we headed to town, making occasional small chatter about the different creatures around Ponyville.

We reached town in about twenty or so minutes. Couldn’t really tell since I didn’t have a timepiece with me (dammit I miss my phone). The townspeople, or townsponies I suppose, were still giving me a wide berth. Then I was pleasantly surprised when a few ponies I met yesterday actually waved me hi. They were still at what I suppose they considered a safe distance, but at least it was progress. I would have waved back, but it’s kind of hard when you are in motion, so a polite nod was their answer.

We walked through town into the market street. You could feel the normal market activity grind to a halt to look at the dragon waltzing its way through the stalls. It only lasted a few moments though, as everything got back on track when everyone spotted Fluttershy with me. In term, Fluttershy walked to a stall started to talk to the salesman. I couldn’t actually hear what they were actually talking about between the market noise and my head being twenty feet of the ground. I did see the mare at the stall look at me before shaking her head, which was met by a dejected expression from Fluttershy. Even so, the mare handed Fluttershy some vegetables while offering an apologetic smile. Even if I didn’t hear a word, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what happened. The same thing happened to all the stalls we went to; Fluttershy makes a request, the stall owner declines, Fluttershy walks away crestfallen.

Then we reached Applejack’s stand. This encounter lasted longer than the rest, for obvious reasons. They were having a lively conversation, smiling and laughing even. I managed to catch something about Applebloom and kerosene. I didn’t know what that was about but I was sure as hell I didn’t want to find out.

Finally Fluttershy asked the question that she wanted to ask. Applejack looked at me with an uncertain look. Her eyes drifted down in thought, before looking back at Fluttershy and giving a tentative nod. Fluttershy just about jumped in joy before Applejack raised a hoof. She said something to which Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically. They discussed something for a little bit longer, and then the pegasus turned my way.

“What was that all about?” I asked.

“Oh! It’s great! Applejack agreed to give us a few apple crates every week to feed you!”

Right. Somehow Applejack doesn’t strike me as the generous type, despite how nice she was yesterday.

“Uh-huh. So what are her conditions?”

“Oh, nothing too big. She just wants some help on the farm in exchange for the lost profit. I um… Hope that’s okay with you.”

Farm work. Something dreaded and yet found extremely familiar. I was raised in a farm after all. Oh yes, the countless hours I spent digging assorted vegetables out of the damn ground. The hundreds of days I spent manually milking cows before dad had the sense to get the carousel. It’s something that I despise, but certainly something I can do.

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

“You will?”

“Yup. It’s not like I have an option.”

Fluttershy giggled. She started to walk, and I kept up with a lazy pace.

“So what else is on schedule today?”

“Hmm. Applejack told me that Rarity went gem hunting today. With luck we might be able to get you some of the gems she doesn’t use.”

“Mm. Sounds reasonable. But I thought Spike usually got those.”

“Oh… I don’t think he’ll mind though. But wait, how did you know Rarity gives her gems to Spike?”

Oh crap.

“Uh… Inter-dimensional intuition?”

“Um… Alright…”

She gave me a weird look before turning to the road ahead. I would like to call that a save, but it was certainly a stupid slip up from my part, with an even more stupid response.

By now we were already on the bridge that leads to Rarity’s boutique. The pony in question was walking towards from further down the road. And it seemed that Twilight and Spike were with her. The first one to spot us was Spike, who waved amiably. Twilight and Rarity broke from their current conversation to look. Both unicorns waved too, Rarity slightly less enthusiastically. They trotted to meet us at the entrance of the boutique.

“Hey guys!” greeted the dragon.

“Jack, Fluttershy! Good to see you!” said the purple unicorn.

“Fluttershy darling! Ah, Mr. Hail, pleasure to meet you again,” said the other unicorn.

“Twilight, Spike, Miss Rarity,” I greeted back, with a nod each.

“Hello,” was all that Fluttershy said.

“What brings you to my humble shop dear? Do you need anything?” asked the alabaster pony.

“Oh no, I don’t need anything. Is just that Applejack told me that you went gem hunting today, and I was wondering that… If you don’t mind… Could you give some the gems you don’t need to Jack? We are having some trouble finding enough food for him.”

“Oh my! I certainly wouldn’t mind giving him a few gems, but I doubt that I would have enough to even nick the appetite of such a large dragon! No offence.”

“None taken.”

Fluttershy hung her head. Rarity seemed just as disappointed. Twilight however, seemed to be thinking.

“Hey Rarity,” the purple unicorn spoke up.

“Yes dear?” Rarity answered.

“Back there you said that there were an awful lot of gems underground, but you didn’t dig them out. And there’s also those too big for ourselves to carry.”

“Ah yes. Those were too deep for to dig with simple shovels. And yes, there were quite a few that were too big to carry. Why do you ask, darling?”

Twilight pointed at me before answering. “He doesn’t seem particularly picky, and it seems he is able to carry a lot.”

Comprehension dawned on Rarity. “You are saying that I should bring him along, so he can dig out gems we can’t reach and haul the heavier gems!”

“Exactly,” confirmed Twilight with a smile. “And in exchange, he can eat the gems that you don’t want.”

Rarity hesitated for a moment before answering. “Well… Alright, I suppose it’s good business, and those larger stones would be useful. Maybe…”

A loud groan interrupted the unicorn’s protests. It didn’t take long to pinpoint it back to me, and more specifically, my stomach.

I gave an embarrassed chuckle before speaking. “You wouldn’t happen to have some gems right now, would you?”

“Hmm… Alright I guess,” Rarity mussed. “I do believe I have a few useless gems on the back of the store. They were so dreadful that I wouldn’t even give them to Spiky-wiky here,” she said as she ruffled Spikes’… Uh, spikes? Whatever.

“But seeing that you are famished, you can have them. I was going to dispose of them anyways.”

“Oh Rarity!” Fluttershy ‘exclaimed’. “That would be wonderful!”

Hmm. Gems. Essentially stone. And usually harder than stone. Excuse me if I’m not completely for this. I mean, they are rocks! No person in their right mind would eat rocks!

But then again… I wasn’t quite a person anymore. And sure, I had already eaten raw fish, skin and everything. But these were rocks. But then again, I was a dragon. I’m supposed to be able to eat gems, right? Right?

“Alright… I’ll have those gems, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, follow me,” the alabaster unicorn said, walking inside. She promptly walked back out again, realizing her little mistake.

“My apologies,” said the slightly embarrassed Rarity. “I momentarily forgot about your size. Twilight, be a dear and help get those gems please. Mr. Hail, if you would be so kind to wait outback, I’ll be there shortly.”

And so, the two unicorns went inside, Spike in tow. I went to the back of the store, Fluttershy keeping me company. It was five minutes before Twilight and Rarity walked outside, a few crates and chests in tow.

Rarity placed one of the chests in front of me before speaking. “Alright, there you go. I apologize for the quality, some of these snuck past my scrutiny. But you’d be surprised how many of these show their flaws after a little cleaning.”

I took one of the gems and took a good look at it. It was a ruby. A fairly large one at that, compared to those back on earth. One side was clean and polished; the other was rough and unfinished. The clean side must be were Rarity began cutting the stone before she gave up. Through the clean cut, I could see an irregular occlusion. That must be why Rarity disposed of it.

Looking back at Rarity, I noticed that she was looking back at me with the hesitant nervousness of an artist showcasing it’s masterpiece to a critic. She seemed to get even more nervous when I turned to her.

Taking my sight back to the red stone, I hesitantly put in my mouth and chewed. The stone crunched under my teeth, not unlike the way hard candy does. I chewed slowly, waiting for the taste to reach my tongue, unsure of what to expect. I waited for a fraction of a second, then…

Wow… Just… Wow.

To this day, I have not found a way to properly convey the way a gem tastes to those who can’t eat them. Rubies taste just like you expect them to taste, yet don’t. It somehow still manages to taste like a rock, but at the same time, it tastes like watermelon…

Watermelon, whose seeds were replaced with grape Skittles.

Yeah, you heard me. Grape Skittles. And even then, it is still an understatement.

Yet this particular one still managed to feel… Off. I couldn’t quite place my finger (or claw) on what, but I knew there was something wrong with this ruby. It tasted great, but I could taste something that didn’t quite belong. It felt… dirty somehow.

But my stomach kindly reminded me that I was in no position to be picky. I looked at Rarity, who was sweating bullets by now. With a firm nod, I spoke.

“This will do. Thank you.”

Rarity visibly relaxed. Wiping the sweat of her brow, she spoke. “My pleasure. Feel free to have as many as you want.”

I happily obliged. Taking one gem at a time, I methodically tasted each one, cataloguing each taste. It was like picking candy from a bowl. It was fun in a way, trying to figure out to what each type of gem tasted like. Some of them where pretty close to something I knew; quarts taste like flat 7-Up in solid form. But some others, like emeralds, defied qualification. Oh god, emeralds. They forever remain my favorites. Yet, each one I tried had a certain flaw of sorts. I suppose that’s what Rarity was referring to when she said these were “dreadful”.

Still, I was quite content. Food was good, and I was with somewhat good company (still partial about Rarity), and it was noon, meaning I still had time to do whatever.

I laid down, shifting to a more comfortable position. I kept picking at the gems from the chest, humming appreciatively. That’s that when I noticed when everyone was staring at me.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing” was the collective response. I snorted, half in amusement, half in annoyance. It was a little too quiet for my taste. Awkward even. Giving it some thought, I came with a good solution that both solved my current problem, and help me get better acquainted.

“So,” I began. “What’s new? I’ve been out of it for a little while and I was hoping to catch up on current events.”

“Hmm,” hummed Spike. “I heard that there is a new dragon living here in Ponyville. Rumor has it that he’s living with Fluttershy.”

“Ha. Very funny. Seriously though, I would like to know what’s going on, here and everywhere else.”

“Well…” Rarity began. “I’ve heard that Lyra and Bon Bon have being a little too close to each other. Oh, the other day I saw them…”

“Wait a moment,” I interrupted. “No offence, but I’m not interested in gossip.”

Rarity seemed a bit miffed, but she nodded. “I apologize. I should have guessed. Now let’s see, current events… Well, there are the changelings, but I’m sure you’ve heard of those.”

“Changelings?” I asked.

“You mean you haven’t heard?” Rarity gasped in (overdramatic) alarm. “The pesky ruffians have been causing havoc all over Equestria ever since the royal weeding! Oh I cannot believe you have not heard of it!”

“Wait, back up. Royal wedding? Who got married?” I didn’t really care, but I’d imagine Cole would flip if he found out Luna got married.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Rarity answered, wide eyed. “The wedding between Princess Cadence and Shining Armor was one of the biggest events ever!”

“Uh… Well, like I said, I’ve been out of it for a long time. Please, do tell me about it.” Again, I don’t really care, but you never know when the information might come in handy.

My request most have set off something in Rarity, because she immediately began a very, very detailed story of what happened at the wedding. Twilight cut in from time to time, adding relevant details. She even relegated the part where she found and rescued Princess Cadence, who I didn’t ever really know existed until know. I’ll skip further description since I know you have already seen this. The gist of it is that the evil Queen What’s-her-name was defeated, Twilight’s brother (who I also didn’t know existed) and the Princess got married, making Twilight a duchess or something, and ever since then, pockets of changelings that managed to remain in Equestria have being major nuisances to the general population. Oh, and apparently they managed to weaponize love. What the hell is up with that?

“Well, that certainly was an interesting story,” I said.

“I know!” Spike gushed. “It’s just as awesome every time I hear it! And I was there! I planned the bachelor party!”

“Uh-uh,” I answered. I still couldn’t figure out what idiot would put a kid to plan a bachelor’s party.

I looked up to the sun. Rarity’s story burned at least a few hours, which meant that Fluttershy and I had to head back sometime soon. From what I understand, her schedule allows for a few hours before the animals start to get restless. Shame too, I wanted to get a bit more info on the Elements.

“So, is there any other news along those lines that I should be aware of?”

“Hmm...” hummed Twilight. “There are a few rumors about a Diamond Dog pack past the northern borders. There is not much information on it, but apparently they managed to become large enough to actually present a threat. There is nothing definitive, but it’s enough to keep the Princess on edge.”

“That’s certainly something note worthy,” I said.

“And then there is that rebellious group down south,” Rarity added. “I’m not one hundred percent clear on the details, but apparently; a small group of ponies that aren’t quite content with the return of Princess Luna have been causing a ruckus on the small settlements surrounding the border. There was something about a bomb on the newspaper a few weeks back, but I tend not to read such scandalous news.”

Well this is certainly interesting. Equestria isn’t the happy little fairy tale it amounted to be. It still has the same problems Earth has, if albeit more fantastical. I mean, look at this: A super powered plague, a raising army, and terrorist cells. I doubt the ponies know what terrorism is, but the concept still stands. I guess nothing is perfect. But I already knew that, and if anything, it just means I might have an interesting stay.

I was about to pick another gem to chew on when I noticed that I had gone through the entire chest. It didn’t surprise me, since I’ve been picking at it for a few hours now. What did surprise me however is that I really didn’t want any more, I was satisfied. And it even wasn’t a particularly large chest, slightly smaller that Rarity herself. And I still had the other two crates! These things were filling! This bode well for me because it meant I could get myself a few gems each week and be set. No more draining on Fluttershy’s pocket. And I still could get a few apples from the farm, for variation’s sake. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel somewhat happy. This proved to be a rather productive day.

Looking back at the sun, I decided that it was time for me and Fluttershy to head back. We had to drop off all the food that she bought today before doing the usual chores. I lazily stood up and stretched, and everyone else followed suit.

“Alright,” I said, cracking my neck. “I really enjoyed this little chat. It was informative. And thank you Miss Rarity for the gems. These should last quite a while.”

“Not a problem dear. I’m glad to be of assistance,” answered the unicorn.

I nodded in response. “Anyway, Flutters and I still have a few chores to attend to. If you’d excuse us, we need to go.”

“Oh! That’s right, I forgot. I’m terribly sorry girls, but he’s right.”

“Don’t think anything of it Fluttershy. Spike and I have some things to attend to too,” Twilight said, at which Spike groaned.

“Hmm. I suppose I should get back to work also,” Rarity said. “In anyway, it was nice to see you all.”

“Likewise,” I added.

Rarity smiled before saying her goodbyes. Spike and Twilight were next to leave, leaving me and Fluttershy to head back to the cottage. I had the two crates with me, awkwardly balanced on my shoulder blades. The rest of the day was uneventful. The critters were taken care of and the supplies were restocked. Fluttershy decided to turn in early, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I thought of home, family, and friends. I thought of whatever might lie ahead. I had to admit, I missed them.

I fell into a dreamless, but easy sleep.

“Is that a dragon?”

“It is…”

“What’s it doing here? They said there was only one! A baby!”

“He seems to be guarding the shy one.”

“Oh, this is bad. This is really bad. What do we do now?”

“We do nothing. We report back, and wait.”

“Oh boy… I don’t like this one bit.”

“Stop worrying. It doesn’t change anything at all. Just another small set back. Nothing we can’t deal with. Soon enough, we will have the tools to rid ourselves of that witch that claims the thrown. Soon enough.”

“… I guess you are right. We will win, no matter what. For the greater good.”

“For the Glorious Day.”