//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Homegrown Blades // by TheMessenger //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash suppressed a yawn as she scanned the edges of the camp. The light of her lamp barely cut through the darkness of night, but she had to make due with what sight she had. There had been arguments over whether to head back to base for more powerful spotlights, but those led nowhere once the all the steps to acquiring such high end equipment had been considered. Ordering, processing, shipping, returning, they would've had to delay the assault for an entire week. So they stuck with personal lamps and placed detection charms in the most vulnerable areas of the caravan and hoped that would be enough to prevent further attacks. Two other ponies were with her, both standard guard members armed with crossbows. Really, if Rainbow had to be honest, they would be doing most of the work if they did spot an intruder, their abilities to take out potentially explosive targets at a distance more useful than her hooves. Still, even personnel who had noncombat positions were assigned watch positions and hours. The recent attacks had spooked those in command, had frightened everyone really. Sombra was getting desperate. The last engagements were demonstrations of that. The dragon beside her squirmed in his sleep, his eyes squeezed tightly as he tried to wave away invisible gnats. Rainbow Dash picked up the blanket he had dropped and draped it back over him. "Should he even be here right now?" one of the guards, a unicorn stallion, asked. "He's not bothering you, so don't worry about it," Rainbow responded in a low voice. "Why is he even here?" the unicorn demanded. "He's here because he wants to help, unlike some ponies." Her glare was obvious. "Well, he's not exactly helping now, is he?" The guard frowned. "What, are you?" The other guard, an older pegasus, coughed. "I see something." Rainbow Dash and the unicorn rushed to their lamps and held them toward the position of the older stallion. "What is it?" the unicorn breathed, his lamp swaying violently as his hoof shook. "What is it? Somepony sound the alarm!" "It was a rock," the older stallion said steadily. He slowly shifted his view toward a new direction. "If the two of you were paying attention instead of arguing, maybe you would've seen it too." The two became silent. For the rest of their shift, the only sounds were the moans and eventual snores from the dragon. At last, their assigned hours passed by, and they were relieved by a new group consisting of two guards with crossbows, a Wonderbolt member Rainbow couldn't recognize in the dark, and a unicorn magus. She gently shook the dragon awake and helped him onto her back before setting off to their tent. "Sorry," the dragon muttered. "For what?" "I couldn't stay up." He yawned. "I couldn't stay up and keep watch." Rainbow Dash found the dragon's yawn contagious, and she began to yawn as well. "Hey, I don't blame you. You've been doing a lot today, being a messenger, carrying supplies." "Everypony's been doing a lot lately," the dragon mumbled, "and they can stay up easily." "Well, I wouldn't say easily." Rainbow Dash gave out a tired laugh. "Besides, you've had a few restless nights." They approached the tent and found, surprisingly, Soarin sitting at the entrance, tending the last remaining embers of their fire. The two pegasi shared a look before Rainbow went inside. She brought Spike to his sleeping bag that was tucked between Cloud Chaser and Cloud Kicker, or should have been at the very least if Cloud Chaser hadn't rolled onto it in her sleep. The two tugged the sleeping bag free and placed it next to an unoccupied one. She waited for the dragon to tuck himself in before turning back outside. "Aren't you going to sleep?" the dragon asked, lifting his head. Rainbow nodded. "I just need to talk to the captain real quick." She gently pushed the dragon back down. "Go to sleep, okay kid?" The dragon rolled over and muttered something. "What was that?" "Nothing. G'night." Rainbow Dash considered the dragon for a moment before getting up and leaving the tent. Soarin shifted to the side, giving her room by the last bit of heat. Rainbow Dash sat and stared into the ash. "How's Spike doing?" Soarin asked as he prodded the dying red embers with a stick. "Well, he finally got to sleep while we were on watch." "Was he shaking?" "A bit at first," Rainbow answered, "but he managed to stop." She sighed. "After what the kid's been through, I'm not surprised he's been having nightmares." "Has he said anything to you yet?" Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Nothing, why?" Soarin shrugged. "He seems closest to you. Whenever we end up pairing up, he's with you. Scouting, the whole anti-crystal beast operations, now watch shifts? The last one was his own decision, by the way." Soarin tilted his head toward the sky. "I just figured if he'd talk to anypony, it'd be you." "Do you think I should start us off?" The stallion shook his head. "Pressuring him isn't a good idea. If he doesn't want to talk, we shouldn't make him. Give him time, and I'm sure he will eventually." "Do we have time? We're getting closer to Sombra." "We might have to leave him behind when we attack, though I have a feeling that'll make things worse." Rainbow Dash turned and blinked, surprised. "What do you mean?" "You notice he's been trying to do a lot more recently?" "Yeah, we were just talking about that recently." Rainbow frowned and rubbed her hooves together. "I couldn't tell him about the complaints." "Yeah. He means well, but he makes a lot of mistakes. I think that's also part of his problem." "So what is his problem?" Rainbow Dash asked. "That he's trying too hard to be helpful, and it's causing problems?" "That's part of it. More like the other way around." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Start making sense." "Okay, see, at first Spike was trying to help just for the sake of being helpful, because it's what he wanted to do. You remember his speech in front of the war council?" "Yeah?" Rainbow said, unsure of the direction Soarin was going. "Well now, he's trying to help because he's afraid of being useless." "Okay, you've lost me." "Let's start from the beginning." Soarin leaned forward. "From what Spike says, it sounds like he saw the source of the first explosion before they actually went off." "Okay, and?" Rainbow gestured to Soarin, motioning him to continue. "Well, it didn't seem like anypony did anything until the second bombing. That's two bombings Spike thinks he failed to prevent." "Wait, you really think that's how he feels?" Rainbow Dash asked. "You think he actually blames himself for those attacks?" "Well, he was the lone witness of the first one. If he had stopped that crystal pony--" "Are you seriously blaming him?" "Keep your voice down," Soarin hissed, motioning with his hoof. "And no, of course not. But think about it, if he had stopped that crystal pony or if he had convinced the higher-ups to increase security earlier--" "There was nothing he could have done. You know this, and he should too." "And that's the problem," Soarin said quietly. "He knows there wasn't anything he could've done. How does that make him feel any better? It just shows how useless he is. That's why he's so desperate to help, so he can prove to everypony, including himself, that he isn't useless. But that desperation's only causing him to make mistakes, which makes things way worse." Rainbow Dash glanced over at the tent behind them. "So, how can we help?" she asked after a moment of silence. "No easy answer," Soarin admitted. "I guess if a task only he could do appeared, then that might help with his confidence." "You're hoping for a crystal beast attack?" "Kind of." Soarin rubbed the back of his head. "It's a huge risk. What if this ends up interfering with his ability to grow? I don't want to throw him head first into such a dangerous fight when he's not one hundred percent there." He got up and stretched. "Tomorrow, take him out on a scouting trip. Maybe a bit of flying'll take his mind off of things." * It was hard for him to describe how he felt about flying. He knew dragons were supposed to have wings, and his lack of such appendages left him uneasy if he thought too long about it. Taking off was always painful, and every time Rainbow Dash kicked off the ground to launched him and herself into the air, the dragon's stomach turned and twisted to the point of physical pain. Landing wasn't much better; the sight of the ground suddenly getting closer at such speeds left him faint and queasy. But he couldn't say he hated flying. Sure, it was a chore getting into the air and landing wasn't fun and getting used to the conditions of such a high altitude was a little painful, but once he was in the sky, coasting along the clouds, everything felt right. He felt so light, so weightless, so free from the troubles below. And when Rainbow would perform tricks, oh, the rush he felt made him feel so alive. Today was hardly any different. While he had been hesitant to Soarin's suggestion and Rainbow's offer, he began to smile as soon as he opened his eyes once Rainbow steadied herself into a glide. He tried not to let the peaceful quiet distract him from his task, but even as he looked down, searching for potential dangers, his thoughts drifted like the clouds that were just out of reach. "So, what's up?" "Us," the dragon responded immediately, not thinking. Rainbow Dash laughed. "Yeah, you're not wrong. I just thought I'd see how you're doing." "I'm fine." "You sure kid? I know you haven't been sleeping well lately." Rainbow felt the dragon's legs tighten around her barrel. They immediately loosened before she could inquire. "Why do you keep calling me a kid?" the dragon asked. "What?" "You keep calling me kid. Why?" "Sorry, k-- Spike. Does it bother you?" The dragon shook his head. "No, not really. I just wanted to know, do you guys really think I'm just a kid? Like everypony else?" "What do mean, everypony else?" The dragon went silent for a moment. "You know, when you and Capt. Soarin had to go to that dinner thing, Capt. Soarin was saying that all the ponies there would think I was a kid, and that'd be bad. Why would that be bad?" "Well." Rainbow Dash ran her tongue against the back of her teeth. "A battlefield isn't exactly a place for children. It's why you don't see any fillies or colts running around here. It's too dangerous." "Because they're useless, right? Because they can't even help themselves." So Soarin was right. Rainbow Dash thought carefully, trying to decide on the best words to use. "I hear a lot of the ponies, guards, they say I'm just a kid, that I shouldn't be here." "You're not useless, Spike. Just, I call you kid because it's what I called you before and never grew out of it. Heck, I still call Cloud Chaser kid sometimes, and she's only a year younger than me. That doesn't mean I see her as a kid, just an immature brat at times." Rainbow smirked. "Don't tell her I said that, okay?" "Okay." The dragon pressed a claw against his lips. "But what about me? Do you see me as a kid?" "Well, okay, bear with me on this, okay?" Rainbow took in a deep breath. "You're still pretty young, and that shows. In a lot of ways, you're still pretty innocent, but in others, well..." She grew silent. The dragon on her back had seen things most adults hadn't. Things anypony shouldn't have to see. He saw them because of her, because she threw him into this war. Rainbow shook her head. Guilt later. "Anyways, um, oh right! Yeah, in some ways you kind of are a kid, but you've been through way too much for me to consider you just to be some child. Besides, do you think I'd let a kid watch my back?" "Well, no, but--" Rainbow sudden jerked around, forcing the dragon to grab around her neck to keep himself from fall. "Crap." "What?" The dragon raised his head. "What's wrong?" He followed Rainbow's gaze. A chill rose up his back at the sight of a red flare. "Hold on, kid!" Rainbow shouted. She flung herself forward, pushing herself against the wind currents as she charged back to the caravan. Where did the enemy come from? She hadn't seen anything in that area when she passed it over. That's when she heard a shrill tormented shriek. Her blood ran cold. "A crystal beast!" Rainbow felt the dragon loosen his grip. "What are you doing?" "It's a crystal beast," the dragon shouted back. "I have to take it down." "Do you think you can right now? Think. This isn't like dropping firewood everywhere or ruining dinner. If you mess up here..." She let the sentence trail off. "But I have to do something!" "Can you?" The dragon grew quiet. "Please, I have to do this." "Can you?" "Rainbow--" "Can you?" Rainbow Dash shouted. They were getting closer to the caravan. They could see the crystal beast approaching quickly. It would reach and run through the entire vanguard within seconds. Ponies around the munitions carts were preparing the cannons, but by the time those would be ready it would already be too late. The dragon's teeth dug deeply into his lips. A copper taste filled his mouth. "I can." "Let me get closer." Rainbow's eyes narrowing as the winds slashed across them. The dragon took a deep breath, then leapt off of the Wonderbolt's back, directly toward the beast. As he fell, he felt his entire body grow hot. He became feverish. It became hard to think, hard to concentrate on anything but a painful yearning. All that matter was satisfying that desire, that desire to crush, to destroy, to protect. To be useful. ...want The dragon landed directly onto the crystal beast. For a moment, the crystal behemoth managed to hold up the scaly colossal's weight. With the dragon on its back, the beast stepped forward toward the carts and ponies. Cracks soon appeared however, spreading from those giant crystal feet and branching off all through the beast's body like veins. The lines deepened. It shuddered and collapsed, the legs shattering under so much pressure. The rest of the crystal body followed a similar fashion as the dragon slammed it against the hard solid ground with his body. The dragon picked himself up, lifted his head, and roared. "Hey, knock it off, big guy! We get it, you won. What are you trying to do, make us all deaf?" Before the hovering pegasus, the mighty dragon scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry," he thundered. His features suddenly brightened, his eyes no longer so frightfully narrow and his lips broke into a smile, doing away with the scowl he had been wearing. "Hey, you didn't call me kid." Rainbow made a show of examining the dragon's body. "No, really? Come on, let's see if there's anything we--" There was a burst of light, a scream, and suddenly smoke drifted up from the other side of the caravan. More explosions went off, spreading golden flames across the wagons and the ponies around them. Red sparks were thrown into the air from just about every end. Ponies wearing metal masks, all with dark black fur to hide their manes and green lights glowing from the eye holes, charged forward. Around the hooves of each were sets of curved blades. Several wore red bundles on their backs. Metal bolts and magic missiles were launched at the charging ponies. The cannons began to sing, blasting apart entire groups. However, Rainbow Dash could see that it wasn't enough. The defense was too disorganized. As the dragon roared, releasing a blast of fire toward the attackers, her eyes followed one crystal pony who had managed to get close to the cannons. She rushed forward, ignoring the strain she felt in her wings, and crashed right into the pony, pushing them away from the vulnerable artillery and nearby barrels of powder. Immediately, Rainbow kicked off the crystal pony, launching herself back into the air just as the pony disappeared into a burst of heat, light, and gore. The force of the explosion nearly knocked out of the sky. As she struggled to recover her balance, something grabbed onto her hind leg and dragged her back to earth. Her head hit the ground hard, and as she regained her senses, she found another masked pony standing above her with their blades raised. Rainbow snapped into action, pulling back her free hind leg and raining blows against the pony's head. If it were any regular pony, the strikes would have at least disoriented them. The crystal pony standing above stood there unflinching, accepting each and every blow without reaction. They began to lower the blades toward Rainbow's unprotected belly. The dragon's tail swung out and whipped across the crystal pony's face. The entire head was flung off into the distance, ripped messily away from its proper place by the blow. The rest of the body crumbled over itself, no longer under the control of Sombra's magic or even its own natural nervous system. Rainbow Dash pushed aside the body and crawled onto her feet. "Are you alright?" the dragon asked. "I--" A crystal pony suddenly latched themselves to the dragon's back. Rainbow reached forward and cried out. Her wings shot out, prepared to launch her forward, but it was too late. The masked pony's package began to glow and shake. The force sent Rainbow back onto the ground. When she looked up, the dragon's head has vanished in a cloud of smoke. With shaking legs, Rainbow slowly rose. "S-Spike. This, this can't--" A thunderous roar dispersed the black cloud. Ash clung to the dragon's face and neck, but she couldn't see any external damage from her position. Her relief was short lived, however, as several more crystal ponies jumped onto the dragon, grabbing his limbs, his neck, shoulders, tail. Blades bounced off his scales. Blows from their heavy shoes only seemed to annoy him. With a flick of his tail, he buried the pony latched to his tail deep into the ground, breaking through the frozen soil along with hundreds of bones. Those on his arms he flung off. Those attached to his legs he kicked away. He reached over his shoulder and grabbed hold of the stubborn pony stabbing away at his neck. The dragon squeezed his hand into a fist. The pony shuddered, then went limp as red fluid dripped through the dragon's claws. The broken pony dropped to the ground, their body crushed to a pulp. The dragon roared once again. For the first time, Rainbow watched Sombra's mindless soldiers hesitate. One wearing the explosive package rushed past the other. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened as she realized that they were moving past the dragon. He wasn't the target. She was. The crystal pony stepped right into a streaming emerald inferno and vanished, completely incinerated. The others that were close by were less fortunate; the green flames licked away hungrily, slowly stripping away flesh from bone until only charred skeletons in melted masks remained. The dragon snapped at the last remaining group, catching one in his mouth. The crystal pony struggled in between the mighty jaws, kicking with all their might as the large fangs pierced through and sunk deeper and deeper into the pony's soft body. Petrified, Rainbow Dash watched in horrific awe as the crystal pony's attempts to escape grew weaker until they ceased completely. The dragon's teeth sawed through, and the pony's haunch and hindquarters, forelegs, chest, and head fell with a sickeningly wet plop onto the ground. The dragon's jaws began to move in an almost circular motion. The crunch of bones breaking against those massive teeth echoed out. A visible lump traveled down the dragon's throat. He grinned, exposing his red stained fangs as he turned the remaining ponies. Bolts from behind struck the last crystal ponies. Rainbow Dash turned to find several guards with raised crossbows. At last she found her voice, noticing that the crossbows were no longer being pointed at Sombra's soldiers but at the dragon. "What are you doing? Stop, don't shoot!" she exclaimed, running to the guard in charge. "He's on our side." "Then tell him to stand down," the guard ordered, doing his best to sound authoritative. "If he doesn't, I have to make sure he doesn't attack the rest of us." "He won't." Rainbow turned to the giant dragon bellowing in victory over the remains of the defeated. She swallowed. "He won't," she said again, more to herself. Rainbow stepped forward. As she approached, the dragon turned to face her. Those green eyes, staring at her with their dark narrow pupils, were dull, almost lifeless. "Hey, kid, it's me," Rainbow said, rubbing her foreleg. She took another step forward. "Spike, it's over. You can stop now. You can relax." The dragon tilted his head and blinked. "Come on, let's get you back to camp. Let's see how Fleetfoot's doing. Cloud Chaser and Cloud Kicker'll probably fight over who gets to hold you tonight, like usual. You know, you can always tell Soarin if they're making you uncomfortable. Heck, just tell me, and I'll set those two straight." "Rainbow." The giant dragon placed his hands over his face and began to shake. He grew smaller. His teeth became less pointed and less visible. His snout shrunk and became more rounded. His spikes lost their tips and were round once more. His limbs shortened. Childish chubbiness returned. The little dragon removed his hands from his face, leaving a large red stain. He stared at the blood caking his palm and fingers. They shook violently. He collapsed to his knees and threw up. * The squad huddled around the campfire in silence. Every so often they would glance over at the tent. The sobbing was over, and now only light sniffing could be heard. Nopony wanted to look directly at the orange fire burning away at the offered wood. A few cans of beans and dried mushrooms had been passed around; they went cold and untouched. Rainbow Dash seemed to embody the restlessness everypony felt. She paced around the camp and trotted in place before sitting down, only to get up again to pace again. The bangle around her foreleg felt especially heavy this evening. Fleetfoot kept an eye out for their captain. At last, in the distance, she saw the light blue stallion approach. Everypony waited expectantly as Soarin took his place by the campfire. "Well, they're not going kick Spike out." The team breathed out in relief. "Yeah, it was kind of obvious to everypony that the only reason we got through that attack was because of Spike. Not everypony's happy about that though." Soarin sighed. "A lot of ponies are afraid of him turning feral like he did today." "He was doing that to protect us and himself," Rainbow protested. "He was being attacked! What was he supposed to do?" "Not everypony sees it like that," Soarin said wearily. "Some ponies just a saw a wild dragon out of control. I mean, it's hard not to blame them. They saw Spike chew up and swallow a pony." "And there's nothing we can do about that," Fleetfoot interjected. "Spike's a dragon. We all know that, we've been using his nature to our advantage for the past two months. No surprise he fights like a dragon." "Yeah, and that works fine against the crystal beasts," Soarin said in agreement. "But when ponies start seeing other ponies being ripped to literal shreds, morale's bound to drop." Cloud Chaser shivered. "I still can't believe Spike, our Spike, did something like that back there." "He looked like he was having a hard time believing it himself." Soarin turned to the tent. "How is he doing?" "He finished crying," Rainbow Dash answered grimly. "Has he left the tent?" "A few times to vomit or brush his teeth," answered Fleetfoot. "I left him some water so he'd recover his fluids." "Has he eaten?" Everypony cringed at the question. "Yeah, I guess not." Soarin sighed. "Alright, ready for some bad news? The vanguard's in no condition to attack the capital. We lost a good chunk of supplies, including the siege equipment." "So what does that mean?" Cloud Kicker asked. "Are we retreating?" Soarin shook his head. "Sombra's still planning something big. He's not going to wait for us to recover. This was his whole plan here, crippling our offense and keeping us away from the Crystal Heart." "Well what exactly is command expecting from us?" Rainbow Dash demanded. "You're not going to tell me that they want us to go ahead." "Actually, yeah, that's exactly what they want." Soarin waved aside the incoming questions. "Remember when I mentioned that the higher-up recognized Spike's importance today? Well, they want him to lead the assault on the capital." "Wait, lead?" Cloud Chaser said. "Not lead as in command," the stallion quickly clarified. "As in, the first one in. They want him to break through the capital walls and have all available Wonderbolts follow him into the city to capture it." "They're not afraid Spike'll go crazy and attack us?" Fleetfoot asked. "Not saying he would," she added as Rainbow started to glare. "That just seems like something command would consider." "Well, uh." Soarin's gaze fixed itself to the ground. "I might have mentioned, ah, Rainbow Dash's contingency." Everypony else turned to Rainbow. "You told them?" "I was panicking! They were talking about Spike being uncontrollable, and then they started talking about getting rid of him, and it just slipped out." Soarin pressed his hooves together. "I'm sorry." Everypony waited for Rainbow Dash to explode. Instead, she simply nodded. "That's still a huge risk. I don't even know how the contingency works, or even if it works at all." "Command's getting desperate," Soarin explained. "After today, with the capital so close, everypony's a little on edge." He sighed. "I'm worried though. Spike's in no shape to fight right now. If he isn't ready by the time of the assault..." "Who knows what'll happen," Fleetfoot finished. The team went silent, each member trapped in their own thoughts. Rainbow Dash stood up. "We need to explain this to him. I'll go get Spike." "You sure that's a good idea right now?" Cloud Kicker asked. "Maybe, maybe not, but we have to talk to him eventually, unless you want to sleep out here tonight. And I've got a feeling if we don't do anything tonight, it'll be too late." Rainbow brushed aside the tent flap and walked in. "Spike?" she called out, looking around. She found the dragon tucked in the corner, his arms wrapped around his knees. He looked up as she approached. "How are you doing?" The dragon sniffed. "Terrible." "Well, you want to talk about it?" He shook his head. "Well, that's fine." Rainbow sat down besides him. "Soarin wants to talk to you though." "What about?" "Well, he wants to make sure you'll be ready for the assault on the capital," Rainbow Dash explained. "Sounds like the higher-ups want you to play a huge role." "Me?" The dragon looked up in disbelief. "But, but I'll just make a mess of things, like today." "Spike, if it wasn't for you, there might not be any of us around at all." "But, but." The dragon rubbed his nose against his arms tears began to form and fall from his eyes. "But I did all those things today. I-I can still taste it." The dragon pressed his hands against his stomach. "It makes me sick. What if I do those things to you guys? I don't want to be a monster anymore." "Hey, none of that now," Rainbow said. "No one here's calling you a monster. You didn't attack any of us today, right?" Slowly, the dragon nodded. "Then why would you attack us at the capital? Listen, Spike." Rainbow Dash gently pressed against the dragon's shoulder. "I think you're a lot stronger than you think you are. If you don't want to be a monster, then just don't. It's no one else's call but your own." She smiled. "Hey, talk to Soarin and the others for a bit if you're still so worried." "If you say so." The dragon got up and made his way through the tent, toward the entrance. Rainbow Dash began to follow. She stopped herself and instead rushed to the other side of the tent, pulling aside blankets and sleeping bags until she reached a large crate. She removed the lid, revealing three brown bottles. She stepped outside. The dragon sat huddled between Cloud Chaser and Cloud Kicker as Soarin explained. The Wonderbolt captain gave the the dragon a smile and patted his shoulder. Rainbow couldn't hear what he said, but Soarin's words brought a small smile to the dragon's face. Soarin turned. His grin wavered a bit at the sight of the bottles. "What exactly are you planning?" "Exactly what it looks like," Rainbow Dash replied as she sat down. "Hey, I think we all could use a drink." "Now, when we're so close to the capital?" "We're all on edge right now," Rainbow Dash argued. "Let's try to forget all that for just one night." "This is a bad idea. A horrible idea. We're going to get in so much trouble. "Soarin sighed. "Man, I really need a drink. Let's try not to overdo it." "What is it?" the dragon asked as he watched Rainbow pull away the cork with her teeth. "Cider. The best thing you'll ever taste," Rainbow Dash answered. The others cheered in agreement. She took a swig from the bottle and smacked her lips together. "Yeah, the good stuff." She passed it to Soarin. "Wait, isn't this from, you actually saved this?" he said incredulously. "I figured you would've finished all three bottles by the time we got back." "Oh har de har." The rest of the tea laughed. "You drinking or what?" Soarin brought the bottle to his lips. The Wonderbolts around him cheered as he took a large sip and passed the bottle to Fleetfoot. "Where'd you even get this?" Fleetfloot wondered. She examined the label. "This is way beyond your pay grade." Soarin grinned at Rainbow. "Looks like that dinner party was worth something, huh." Fleetfoot took her drink, then passed it to Cloud Kicker. The mare shivered as she took her sip. "What about me?" the dragon asked Cloud Kicker started to pass the bottle to Cloud Chaser over him. The Wonderbolts looked to each other uncomfortablely. "I don't know if you should have any," Soarin said. "Why not? I'm part of this team too, right?" "Yeah, but you're still a little young for hard cider," the captain replied. "I'm not a kid." "No one's calling you one. You just, well, still too young to--" The dragon grabbed the bottle. "I want some." His voice had suddenly deepened. His limbs were longer. The baby fat melted away. The features on his face became sharper, sleeker, as his snout extended out and his forehead was pulled back. Soarin flinched as the dragon glared at him. The dragon quickly released the bottle. "I-I mean, please?" Soarin, Fleetfoot, and Rainbow glanced between one another. "Well, he certainly looks old enough now," Rainbow Dash noted. "Dragon growth is so confusing," Soarin turned to the dragon. "Alright, Spike. It's a little strong, so be careful, and try not to drink too much. That goes for the rest of us," he added, turning to Rainbow. Cloud Kicker gave the dragon the bottle. Slowly, he brought it to his mouth. The group watched, their interest captivated, as the dragon tilted the bottle, pouring the liquid down into his mouth. He almost dropped the bottle. The dragon shook his head furiously. The ponies began to laugh as his long serpent like tongue rolled out of his mouth and hung loosely. "Oh, wow." "Told you it was strong," Soarin chuckled. "How was it." "It tastes fruity and sour and spicy." The dragon blinked. "Can I have more?" "Wait for the bottle to come back around." Rainbow Dash patted the other two bottles. "Don't worry, we've got more." The dragon passed the bottle to Cloud Chaser, and the cycle continued, with each member of the circle taking in a mouthful. As the bottle went around, they grew warmer, with more heat than the flames of their campfire provided. As the second bottle began to draw empty, a blush could even be seen past the dragon's purple scales, giving them a bright pink color. The third bottle was beginning its second round. Cloud Chaser rose and stumbled her way into the dragon's lap. The dragon blinked. "Cloud Chaser?" "Sh." The mare reached up and patted the dragon's cheek. "How many times did you get to snuggle like this with me, hm? This is only fair." She giggled and leaned her head against the dragon's chest. "Oh, wow." She ran her hooves along the dragon's body, drawing circles on his chest. "Everything's so, hard. So solid." "Uh?" "Okay, we're done here." Rainbow Dash stood up and pulled Cloud Chaser up from the dragon's lap, ignoring her protests. "Aw, but there's still some cider left." Soarin shook the bottle, only half empty. "Yeah, we've had enough." Rainbow grabbed the dragon's arm and helped him to his feet. She got a good look at his new height; standing, he was a good head taller than anypony here. No wonder she was having trouble picking him up. As her foreleg tightened around the dragon's arm, she found herself agreeing with Cloud Chaser. The chubbiness on his arms had been replaced with hard, powerful muscles. Her eyes wandered across his body. Her blush was from the drink, Rainbow Dash told herself. She found her voice. "Come on, Spike. Let's get you to bed." Cloud Chaser pouted. "You just want him all to yourself." Rainbow's grip tightened. She found herself leaning against the dragon. "Yeah? What are you going to about it?" she blurted out before pulling the dragon toward the tent. "Come on, Spike," she said. Her tone teetered on the edge of seductive, playful but sharp and demanding. The dragon followed her in. Soarin cleared his throat. "So, uh, how much time should we give them in there?"