Beautiful Scales

by Obsidian Ink

Chapter 7: Unfortunate Realities

Disclaimer: This is a non-profit fan work. All characters are owned by Hasbro, and are created by Lauren Faust.

* * * * *

Spike's happiness and relief was interrupted by a derisive snort. A rather loud one, coming from the multi-ton beast standing not far from where he currently was embracing the gigantic dragon Rarity had become. He froze, claws clenched, tearing into the top layer of her extremely pale blue bellyscales and raising small curls of the surface matter, but causing her no pain whatsoever.

“Gods, one would think you were his mother.” Vaeron said.

“Hmpf, I may not be his parent, but that doesn't mean I don't care deeply for him.” Rarity replied.

Vaeron shook his head. “So you really weren't hallucinating?” he said, changing the subject.

“Well, I'm glad you’re ready to believe me now.” Rarity said as Spike lifted his head and turned to look at the great green dragon.

Held to the broad chest of the dragoness Rarity had become, he was now easily saw that the two adult dragons were roughly the same size. Rarity WAS more petite than the male, but that barely counted for anything in the grand scheme. It was a matter of a few feet, out of what must've easily been over a hundred in length, maybe nearing two, but still, the dragon of the everfree forest's head loomed above him, and he had an imposing bulk and those fierce predatory lines to him.

As though feeling Spike's eyes upon him, the big male looked down at him, his eyes narrowing.

“Hello again, child.” he said, his voice level and dangerously calm.

Spike shivered.

“Spike,” Rarity said with a reassuring tone. “This is Mr. Vaeron Thorntail. He tells me you ate some gems of his some time ago.”

Spike gulped convulsively. “Y... yes...”

“Tell him you're sorry.” Rarity said.

Spike blinked. “Uh...?” he looked up at her.

Rarity urged him with her eyes, and a discreet little nod of her great head in the green dragon's direction.

Swallowing hard yet again, Spike turned his head to face the big green and, nervously clearing his throat, he spoke in a quavering voice.

“I-I'm s-sorry I ate your g-gems, sir...”

The big dragon nodded. “Appology accepted, just see to it it doesn't happen again and we'll have no problems.”

Spike blinked. “Wait... you're not angry?”

“Lady Rarity has offered to pay me back in gems from her own hoard to replace what you devoured, with interest.” he snorted. “Uncommon generosity from a dragon, but then I suppose if all this is to be believed, she was a unicorn.”

“Uh, excuse us? Down here?”

All three dragons looked down at the ground before them. Princesses Celestia and Twilight, Discord, and the rest of the knights of harmony stood there... though Fluttershy was cowering behind Discord. In the background, Spike noticed the ranks of the royal guard were dispersing and returning, reluctantly, to the camp.

“Rarity?” Twilight called up.

“Yes Twilight?”

“Could you please tell us what happened to you? We've been worried sick for days!”

Rarity sighed. “I was honestly hoping you could tell me.”

“You mean you don't know?” Twilight said, surprised.

“Twilight, I got home from a very full day, and barely had the presence of mind to drop a can of cat food in Opal's bowl before I went and collapsed in bed. When I woke up, I was like this.” Rarity pulled one paw away from Spike to gesture to her new form.

Twilight subsided. “I was really hoping for some kind of explanation. Now we have to run tests to figure out how this happened.”

Rarity sighed. “Twilight, can we please focus less on how I got this way, and more on me getting back to the way I was? This has been stressful beyond belief, and I’ve got other problems waiting for me after this is taken care of. Like the home and business my transformation destroyed?”

No one noticed the look of anguish that flashed across Celestia's face as Rarity spoke.

“You actually want to go back to being one of them?” Vaeron said.

“No offense, Mr. Thorntail, it's been interesting being a dragon for a day, and this may be perfectly all well and good for you, but I just wouldn't know how to get on like this. No, better for everyone involved if everything just went back to normal, and we go back to our lives, I think.”

“I... guess that may be best, then.” he said morosely, crossing his arms and looking away.

“Is something the matter?”

“Nothing... just mourning the loss of yet another treasure.”

Rarity blinked, then smiled. “Mr. Thorntail, that may be the nicest thing you've said to me since I met you.”

Spike glared at the bigger male, though it went totally unnoticed.

“Ah, Rarity?” Twilight's voice called.

“Yes Twilight?”

“I'm ready to go, but could you put Spike down first?”

“Oh! Certainly.” Rarity said, then gently lifted Spike off her chest and carefully lowered him to the ground in her massive, clawed paws. Once he'd safely reached the ground, he hopped out of her paw and stepped back... and found himself craning his neck back to look up at her.

“Uh, Spike? Could you come over here please? You're in the way.” Twilight said.

“Oh uh... sorry.” he said, shaking his head and coming over.

“Ok, now, Rarity,” Twilight called up to the dragoness. “I want you to just stand on all fours, normal, and just... well, I guess brace yourself.”

Rarity nodded, leaning forward and planting her forepaws on the grassy earth and causing divots to form where her massive weight pressed into the turf. She then pushed her hindlegs up and then spread them out to a normal stance.

“Alright, I guess we're ready. Here goes.” Twilight said, and concentrated hard. A moment later a ribbon of magenta light wove it's way out of the corona that formed around her horn, growing longer and longer as it slowly encircled Rarity in a long oval. It then rose above her, and then the space inside the ribbon became a pane of glowing pink light, before the whole thing lowered itself down the the ground, the light bathing Rarity's body on the way down.

Once it reached the ground, the conjuration, in it's entirety, faded away.

And Rarity stood there blinking... unaffected.

“Well it's flashy if nothing else.” Discord's voice chimed in.

“That... that's not right! She should be a unicorn again! That was one of my strongest counterspells! It should have worked!”

“Uh... why don'cha try that 'fail safe' spell.” Applejack suggested.

“Oh! Oh, yes, right. That's the strongest magic neutralizing spell in the book! Thanks AJ.” Twilight said, then charged her horn up far brighter, and unleashed a massive conical beam of white cored magenta light over the dragoness.

When she stopped the beam, yet again, Rarity stood there, this time looking a little dazzled, but still in her dragon form.

“Twilight, please, give a girl some warning!” She said, blinking. She then felt her snout with a paw and snorted. “Oh for... again? Oh heavens this just isn't my day.”

“Wh... what!? Bu-but the failsafe...!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Didn't work. Again. Like the last time. Sorry Twilight, I think whoever wrote that spell down was playing a prank.” Rainbowdash said.

“Last time?” Discord asked.

“Oh, she tried to use that spell to clean up what you were doing in ponyville the first time. Didn't do anything. I remember 'cause I got to have lots more of your chocolate milk rain.” Pinkie said.

Discord chuckled. “Well of course it wouldn't. Chaos magic doesn't operate on the same principles as unicorn magic. Or alicorn magic, for that matter. It's why you kept needing the elements.”

“Wait, so this is chaos magic?” Applejack asked.

“No, I’d know instantly if it was.”

“Darn, was hopin you'd have sumthin' fer this.” Applejack snorted.

“And why wouldn't I?” Discord said, sounding offended.

“Well... it's not Chaos magic, and Twilight couldn't-” She started to say when discord interrupted her with a sharp laugh of derision.

“Hah! Twilight might not be able to fix this, but I certainly can. All of you, stand aside!” he said, then flew in his undulating 'sea snake in the air' fashion into the field before Rarity.

None noticed the intense gaze Celestia fixed on Discord... not one of her usual glares for him, it was more... expectant, and anxious.

“Eep!” Fluttershy squeaked, before she dashed under Applejack's legs.

“Aw consarnit Fluttershy, wouldja buck up already? It's just Rarity.” Applejack said while Discord put on a show of stretching and cracking his knuckles.

“I-I-I know, it's j-j-just...”

Applejack sighed. “I know, I know. Dragons.”

“Alright, one de-dragonized unicorn mare, coming up!” Discord said, then with a flourish, cast a rather dazzling lightshow around Rarity.

And with a crack and a snap, The massive dragoness was replaced with a rather dazed looking Unicorn mare with a white coat and a purple mane and tail.

A ragged cheer went up from the ponies assembled before him, and Celestia almost began to smile.

“There, see? Nothing to it!” Discord said, turning around...

Right before a crackling, hissing snap of a broken spell and a slight rush of outgoing air ruffled his fur.

“Well that's peculiar, didn't think we were scheduled for a lightning storm today.” Discord said. Then looked at the faces before him. Slack jaws all around.

Celestia... looked disappointed, but there was something more.

“What are all of you...” he said before it occurred to him to turn around.

Standing there, looking over herself, was Rarity, once more in the form of a dragon.

“Huh... that's odd...”

“Did'ja miss?” Rainbowdash asked.

“Of course not! I obviously just didn't put enough effort into it. Now, a little less showmanship this time.” he said, then simply snapped his fingers, and with a flash of light, the dragoness returned to pony form.

“There, nothing-”

CRACK. The dragoness was back.

“-to it-oh for...!” he snapped his talons and she turned back into a pony.

A moment later, CRACK, back to a dragon. “Ugh! Discord, I don't-” Rarity started

“Oh, tough guy eh?” Snap.

Crack.

“This is getting annoying...” Snap.

Crack.

“Let's try something else.” Snap, The dragoness was transformed into a white Camel.

Crack, the camel reverted into a Dragoness. “Discord, really! You can-”

Snap, Rarity was a Minotaur, and she wobbled on her hindlegs before falling on her rump.

Crack, the dragoness was there again, sitting on it's hindquarters.

Discord grit his teeth and growled. “Oh come on already!” another snap of his talons, and this time... there was a white airship where Rarity had been.

“Ah-hah! Beat that!” he jeered at the lighter than air vheicle.

With another thunder-like crack, the airship reverted to the dragoness, who's eyes wheeled in her head. “Ooh! What... what was that?”

Discord stared slackjawed. “Wha...? But...”

“Ah hate ta be the one ta say it, but, I don't think this' gonna work.” Applejack interjected.

Discord rounded on her, causing her and the others to rear up in alarm at the look of fury on his face. “So you think i'm beaten, do you!?” he shouted at her, then whirled around and started snapping his talons rapidly, causing Rarity to cycle through numerous species and inanimate objects, one going directly into the other with no pause.

“Discord! Take it easy!” Twilight yelled over the near deafening noise of the magical flashes.

“I refuse to be beaten by some two bit curse!” Discord snapped, continuing to rapidly snap his talons.

The flashes happened so fast it was nearly continuous, all the ponies and the two other dragons present there had to shield their gazes, but it one could have watched, you'd have seen things like a manticore, a lamp post, a narwhal, a wooden cart full of rutabagas, and a sundry list of other random forms that the thing that was Rarity rapidly cycled through, before he abruptly stopped roughly a minute later, and once everyone dared to look, there was the white and purple unicorn mare, dizzily teetering side to side.

“Ouuuugh... my head...” Rarity moaned.

Discord stared, “Did it...” he pulled out a comically oversized pocketwatch and checked it, then her, then the watch again. Seconds ticked by... a full thirty of them. A grin spread across his face, then he flung the watch over his shoulder as he let out a triumphant whoop, not even noticing as Celestia had to sidestep to avoid having the thing hit her in the head.

“Layered spells! I am a genius!” the Draconequus exclaimed.

“Ugh... Give a girl some warning will you?” Rarity said, dazed.

“Being a little more careful with large heavy objects also wouldn't go amiss...” Celestia commented wryly.

Spike and the remaining five knights of harmony, Fluttershy included, all charged forward and clustered around their unicorn friend.

“Rarity, are you ok?” Twilight asked as nearly the whole group tried to support her simultaneously.

Rarity 's eyes spun a bit. “Y- yes... I think so... Oh, girls, a little breathing room, please!”

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief as they backed off. “Oh good, everything's been so scary, I’m so glad it's back to normal now.” Fluttershy said.

Spike came up and hugged Rarity's foreleg. “I.. we... we were all really worried.”

the rest of the girls shared a not so covert indulgent smile at that.

Back off to the side, Discord turned to Celestia with a grin. “See? I'm perfectly capable of 'helping' when I want to, even if the situation is challenging.”

“I'm certainly glad to see it.” Celestia said, looking at the scene. Her gaze strayed to the great green male. Vaeron looked... considerably disheartened by the whole thing.

A slight commotion back at the group of friends drew her attention. Rainbow was up in her face again. “What was it like being a dragon? Could you breath fire? Why didn't you have wings? What was it like busting out of your boutique because that was-”

Rarity shook her head. “Rainbow Dash, I'd expect that kind of thing from Pinkie-no offense dear.”

“None taken.” Pinkie replied cheerfully.

“But I really don't want to get into all that right now, I have a dragon to pay and a home and business to put back together, and that's all going to be a massive headache so if you-” suddenly stopped as her whole body went rigid. A crackling of bolts of energy flaring from the tip of her horn and arcing all across her body, sending Spike stumbling backwards as it forced him away from her.

“Ack! What was...?” he yelped, then stared.

Everyone stared. Rarity was the epicenter of a growing storm of multicolored magical lightning, she didn't appear to be in pain... quite the opposite, she did, however, look alarmed.

“You've got to be kidding me...” Discord said.

“Uh, girls... you might want to take a few steps back.” Rarity said, only a few seconds before the energy grew too bright to look at, along with a rising high pitched hum.

“Run!” Twilight yelled, grabbing Fluttershy and Spike -the closest to her- in her wings and teleporting, Rainbow let out a yelp and flew off in a rainbow blur, and Applejack turned and started to run. Vaeron leapt backwards, wings flapping and taking him high into the air.

“Ooooh, pretty!” Pinkie said, before Applejack wheeled back, grabbed pinkie's tail in her teeth, and dragged her out of the area as fast as she could past the frozen draconequus and alicorn of the sun, right before a surge of light accompanied a thunderous boom from behind them.

* * * * *
A short while earlier...
* * * * *

The ponies of Ponyville had, for once, bolted their doors and remained in their homes for good reason. By all accounts, even the fully rational would be fearful of a visit by two dragons. Moreso those that had proven to be violent and destructive. Despite their deep, carrying draconic voices, they were still far enough away, and through enough walls, for no-one to have heard a thing that was being said.

In sweet apple acres, on the outskirts of ponyville furthest from the action, three little fillies sat in the kitchen. Applebloom looked at her two friends. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo was here because her parents thought she'd be safer as far away from the 'danger zone' as possible. Sweeite belle was there because her parents were out on another of their many trips, and, this time having decided their youngest daughter was old enough to look after the house herself, had left her alone. All the members of the apple family were well aware of this, so the instant trouble had arisen, big macintosh had gone out to fetch her. So now they were babysitting the cutie mark crusaders, attempting to keep them out of trouble.

Normally, this would have been an exercise in utter futility, as the girls were notorious for getting into trouble even when not looking for it.

Funny how the threat of rampaging dragons got even the most troublesome foals to behave themselves.

The three were currently playing a board game. They weren't particularly into it, but one of the three was even less so than the others.

“Sweeite Belle, you uh... gonna roll those dice?” Scootaloo asked.

“Oh, sorry...” The little unicorn filly said, scoping up the two cubes with both her forehooves and giving them an uninterested, weak toss cross the board. They rolled a few inches then stopped.

A moment's silence passed.

“You uh... gonna see what ya rolled?” Applebloom asked.

Sweeitebelle groaned, looked at the die, then picked up her playing piece and moved it across the board, then slumped back down.

Applebloom and Scootaloo glanced at each other, a look speaking volumes between them.

“Sweetie Belle...” Applebloom started to say, but ground to a halt, not knowing how to phrase it.

“You ok?” Scootaloo asked bluntly.

Sweeite belle lifted her head at her two friends, a look of confusion was quickly replaced on her face by one of anger. “Am I ok? Am I OK!? My sister's missing, a dragon destroyed her house, what do you think?”

Both of the other fillies cringed back.

Sweetie slumped in her chair. “No-pony will tell me anything.”

Sitting in her big easy chair, out of sight but not out of hearing, was the matriarch of the Apple clan, 'Granny' Smith.

“T'aint right.” she said.

“Mm?” her grandson, Big Macintosh, inquired, raising his eyes from the book he was reading.

“What that lil' filly's goin through. 'tain't right. Losin family. Ah should know.” She said, a distant look in her eyes.

Macintosh nodded, his own thoughts going back to his own youth.

Suddenly, there was a sharp whooshing sound that rattled the house, Big Macintosh was up in a second and at the windows, peering out.

“Macintosh?” Granny asked.

“Guards're movin. Left their posts in a awful big hurry.”

“Huh, Ah wonder why.” Granny commented.

“Maybe they spotted the dragon?” Mac said.

Less than a second later, there came from the kitchen the sound of a door banging on a wall as it was roughly thrown open.

“Whuzzat then?” Granny asked. Mac galloped across the room and looked into the kitchen. The chairs were pushed way back from the table, and the kitchen door to the porch as now wide open. He quickly made his way to it and looked out, only to see the dustcloud kicked up by a familiar and rapidly diminishing scooter and red wagon.

“Aw ponyfeathers.” He muttered.

* * * * *

“Sweetie Belle, are ya sure ya really wanna do this?” Applebloom asked her friend, speaking loudly to be heard over the rush of wind and the intense buzzing of Scootaloo's tiny wings as they propelled them forward at speeds not even the fastest earth pony sprinter could match.

“Yes.” Was her reply.

“Ya know, we'd probably hear about it pretty quick anyway.” Applebloom pointed out.

“I need to see this dragon 'bloom! All I saw was my sister's house destroyed, and her gone. I need to know what the thing that did this looks like, and get some answers!”

A minute later, they were at the edge of town, and the guard encampment sat between them and their goal.

“We'd better go on hoof from here. I think.” Scootaloo said, slowing to a stop.

“Why's that?”

“Well, we're really not supposed to be out here right now, if you wanna get close, we can't go in on my scooter with these buzzing away.” she said, gesturing to her wings.

“Right, let's try not to get spotted.” Sweetie Belle agreed.

The trio proceeded to creep, crawl, duck, dive, roll, and scuttle through the camp, eyes peeled for guards. After several minutes of this, they came to a realisation.

“The whole camp's empty!” Applebloom said out loud.

Two hooves, one white, and one orange, came up and shoved themselves into her mouth, along with a reproachful “SHHHHH!”

She Pushed their hooves down with her own and glared at them. “But it's true! There's no-pony here a-tall!”

The other two blinked, then glanced up out of their hiding spot (between a crate and a tent flap) and scanned their surroundings. No ponies.

“Huh, whaddya know. No-pony's here.” Scootaloo said.

“Then what're we waiting for? Come on!” Sweeite said, then ran out from behind the Crate and started barreling down the lanes between the tents.

“Hey, wait up!” Scootaloo called after her.

They'd very nearly reached the end of the acmp when they turned the corner around one tent and promptly ran smack into a large unicorn guard stallion's legs. The stallion was startled and reared, letting out a whinney. The girls, stumbling back, let out a yelp.

“Ahhh!” everyone yelped.

“We're so sorry we didn't mean it!” Scootaloo blurted out, the most coherent of the three as they babbled.

“Fillies? What the... what're you girls doing out here?” the big guard stallion, who happened to be standing at the head of an entire platoon, demanded of them.

“W-we came to see the dragon...” Applebloom said, knowing they were in trouble.

“Gawkers huh? Lieutenant,” the head stallion turned to a pegasus just behind him. “Take some stallions and get these foals back to town and make sure they stay there till we get the all clear.”

“No!” Sweetie belle cried out. “Rarity was my sister, I need to know what happened to her! Please!” She yelled as the three pegasi advanced on them.

“Wait... sister?” All the guards halted, and an awkward look came across their faces.

“My name is Sweetie Belle. Rarity's my big sister. My parents aren't in town and no-pony's told me anything about what's going on. Please...”

The first rank of guards looked at each other.

“You wanna tell her?” the unicorn looked at the pegasus again.

“The hay man? Why don't you tell her?”

“'Cause this whole thing is really weird and I’d rather not.”

“You're both useless.” another pegasus said.

“You want to explain it to her?” the other two shot back.

“If you two aren't, then yes.”

“Be my guest.” the leader said, gesturing to the three highly confused fillies before them.

The last pegasus stepped forward. “I'm happy to inform you that your sister is alive and well.” he said, which caused sweetie's face to virtually light up in joy and relief. “There's a... minor complication that the princesses are currently working on,” he said, which caused Sweeite Belle's face to fall slightly, and the other two fillies to raise their eyebrows in confusion. “but that should be taken care of shortly.”

Just as he finished saying that, there was a colossal explosion of magical energy from the field behind the line of guardstallions. The unicorn lieutenant lunged forward, with the speed of reflex, leaping forward, gathering the three up in his forelegs, then curling around them so his armored back shielded them from whatever the sound was, and for further good measure conjured up a small shield dome of blue light around them.

“What in blazes was THAT?” He demanded.

“I don't know sir! Too much dust to see, but the princess is holding up a barrier shield, and the male dragon is currently hovering at three hundred feet!”

“And the rest?” he said, lowering his shield.

“I can't get a solid count on the rest of the knights of harmony sir.”

“Rarity!” Sweetie squealed, then squirmed out of the guardstallion's grasp from between her two friends, and charged off, dodging between and under the legs of the startled guardstallions.

Within moments she was out in the open. Princess celestia was standing behind a glowing wall of golden yellow light, alongside discord, who was standing there with his eagle and lion 'arms' hanging at his side, and Applejack and Pinkie pie were laid out on the ground to one side, just barely behidn the shield. There was a flash of magenta, and Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike appeared off to the other side. Somewhere up above Sweetie could hear the sound of Rainbow Dash flying around, along with the great wooshing sound of the wings of the green dragon as it flew anxious circles overhead.

Sweetie Belle's mad gallop slowed to a canter, then rather abruptly to a walk as the wind from the dragon's wings blew away the huge cloud of brown dust that obscured everything beyond Celestia's barrier....

Revealing the massive form of the thing she'd only been told of in brief.

The white and purple dragoness.

It was laying in a crater that Sweetie was certain had not been there the last time she'd been out this way, but it quickly stirred. Pushing itself up on one foreleg, one massive clawed paw came up to its face and rubbing around the base of a long, spiraled, gently curved horn that sprouted out of the middle of its forehead.

“Ungh... great, now I have a splitting headache.” the dragoness said in a resonant, deep, yet still distinctly female voice.

“Is everypony ok?” Celestia demanded as she dispelled her shield, casting her gaze about almost frantically.

“We're okay.” Twilight's reply came.

“We're fine, we're fine... a mite singed, but we're fine.” Applejack said. Pinkie pursed her lips and blew upwards, blowing out a candle sized flame that had appeared on the very tip of her mane.

Sweetie Belle Looked around, where was Rarity? What just happened?

“Wha... I... but...” Discord was stuttering.

“What the hay's going on?” Sweetie said to no-pony in particular.

Pinkie's ear flicked her way, and then she looked over her shoulder. “Oh hey Sweetie Belle, when'd you get here?”

Six pairs of eyes snapped to her, Discord still standing there gaping.

“Oh, uh... hello Sweetie Belle.” The dragoness said.

“Guh?” Sweetie, normally a verbose little filly, found her tongue non-responsive. Then, after a moment, she shook her head, looked up at the dragoness again.

The dragoness sighed. “I know, I know, I’m not looking my usual fabulous self, but it really is me.” she said.

Sweetie blinked, then looked around. “Could someone please just tell me what in Tartarus is going on?”

“Sweetie Belle! Language!” The dragon scolded.

Sweetie flinched on reflex. “I'm sorry, it's just-” she froze, then looked up at the dragoness... really looking at her, not just looking in the beast's general direction. Looking AT her.

“Wait... how'd she know my name?” Sweetie asked no-pony in particular.

“Uh... how ta put this...” Applejack said, rubbing the back of her neck with a forehoof.

“Surprise!” Pinkie said, springing onto her hindhooves in an upright stance, forehooves skyward. “Your sister's a dragon! Discord just tried to turn her back but it didn't seem to work.”

Sweetie looked at pinkie as she spoke, but then shot her gaze back at the dragoness.

“No way...!” she breathed. “H-how did it happen?”

“We're kind of trying to figure that out right now, actually.” Rarity explained, while behind her the other dragon slowly came down for a landing.

Suddenly, all eyes were on Discord... who was still gaping at her.

“Discord... are you alright?” Fluttershy asked, coming closer.

Her voice seemed to register, but instead of turning to her, he instead clenched his paw and talon into fists, and ground his teeth. His face turning red with rage.

“N-now discord... please, calm down, you tried your best-”

“I KNOW THAT!” he whirled on her and screamed in her face, fire erupting around him, and his eyes blazing red. “I put everything I had into that! Multi-layering and binding a permanent transformation enchantment, something I never thought I’d have to pull out in the first place on a mere mortal, and it was still broken like a unicorn preschooler's first dabble in cursing!”

“Discord... y-you're scaring everypony.” Fluttershy said.

The draconequus groaned and stomped off.

“Whoah... you mean... Discord couldn't even fix... whatever this is?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Doesn't look like it.” Twilight said, looking after the draconequus as he stormed off... randomly pointing at rocks and turning them into various other objects. Twilight had to weave her way between a grandfather clock and a cotton candy cart to get to where he was sitting, Fluttershy directly behind her.

“Lousy curse.” The draconequus said. “Whoever cast it is probably laughing his rump off at this.” he shifted his voice slightly into a bad mockery of what he assumed to be the perpetrator's. “Oh look at me, I cast a curse that not even the lord of chaos can break! I'm soooo proud of myself!”

Twilight groaned. “Discord, there are no such things as curses.”

Discord looked at her. “Really?” he said, though from the tone it was clear he did NOT agree with her. More of a 'did you actually just say that' really.

Twilight backed up a half step. “Uh...”

Discord sighed. “Oh, Twilight, I would have thought better of you.”

“But... curses are just hocus pocus, charms and rituals that don't have any real power. We went through an entire misadventure with Zecora over all that.”

Discord groaned, then snapped his fingers and a book appeared in his paw. “Here.” he said, tossing it at her.

Twilight caught it in her telekinetic aura and looked at the cover. “The Mareiam-Halter dictionary?”

“I teleported that one from your own shelves.”

“Did you check it out?” She asked.

“Oh!” he groaned. “Just open the blasted thing and tell me what the definition of a curse is!”

Twilight and Fluttershy both blinked, and a second later they were both nose deep into the book. “Curse, curse, curse... ah! Here we go... 'a spell that causes any kind of discomfort, or pain, or disruption to harmonious life. Or secondly, any enchantment of which the recipient does not enjoy...” she ground to a halt. “Wait.. ANY enchantment?”

“Quite. And tell me, does your friend seem to be ENJOYING being a dragon?”

Twilight and Fluttershy cringed back.

“I just... I don't understand.” Discord said.

“Don't understand what?” Twilight asked.

“I mean... well, look.” he said, picking up a rock with his lion paw. It was about the size of an average pony's hoof. “This is a rock, yes?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes... it's a rock.”

“Well now,” Discord said, then snapped his eagle talon, and with a flash, it was a rather dazed looking mallard duck. “And now, it's a duck.” he dropped it on the ground, letting the thing faceplant “And now,” he snapped the lion paw, and a flash surrounded the duck, who lifted it's head entirely unchanged outwardly. It blinked, and then stood up, brushed its chest off with its pinion feathers, then took a deep breath, and started singing in some foreign language with a rich and sonorous voice. “Its an opera Tenor.”

“Who's Figaro?” Pinkie asked.

“I'll tell you some other time.” Discord said quickly over his shoulder. “My point is, these things are stable, the transmogrification isn't breaking down. This is how things are supposed to work. But I tried the same powers on HER-” he gestured at rarity. “And it breaks every time! Ugh!” he threw his paws up in the air in frustration. “I mean it's not like she's a real...” he ground to a halt, his eyes going wide.

“Discord, what're you thinking?” Fluttershy asked.

“Wait... that's... but it can't... I mean she's supposed to be a unicorn! But it would explain...” suddenly he teleported next to Rarity's head. “One moment my dear, I need to take a look at something.” he said, then grabbed... at the air, and pulled, and it was as if he was throwing off an invisible curtain, but suddenly there was a massive black screen infront of the dragoness.

“Ok, now what?” Twilight said, tilting her head.

Discord reappeared next to a oversized dial on the screen, and turned it. Suddenly there was an image on the screen of Rarity, only it was all pale and white. He turned it again, and it was as if her hide was gone, showing all her muscles. “Oh, sorry, sorry.” he turned it two settings and it was just her skeleton.

“I do hope you're enjoying yourself.” Rarity said, though it was rather unsettling watching the image of the skull move to the voice.

“Oh hold your... nevermind.” Discord said, then turned it one more time... and the image was replaced by a silhouette that shined and cast a glow into the surrounding black field. The interior of the glowing dragon shape was filled with color, white and blue and purple, flashing through in an almost kaleidoscopic fashion. Discord looked intently at this image.

“Ooooh, pretty!” Pinkie said.

“Yes, it's lovely...” Twilight said, but kept her eyes more on Discord than the image.

Discord snorted. “Well, that settles that.” he said, then clapped his paws together and the screen disappeared.

“Settles? Settles what? What did you see? I could barely even look at it.” Twilight asked.

“I'm rather interested to know myself.” Rarity said, draconic voice dripping sarcasm.

Discord sighed then looked at Twilight. “Do you remember when you and I had our little contest?”

Twilight glared at him. “It's a pretty big memory.”

Discord ignored the foul look. “Right, well, you remember how I hexed all your friends and pulled out the dark side of their personalities?”

All the assembled knights of harmony looked a little put out about that, besides Fluttershy, but they all nodded.

“Right, well, Twilight, do you remember when you broke my enchantment, by yourself?”

Twilight blinked. “I... well hey, I did, didn't I?” she said, suddenly sounding pleased with herself. Then something clicked in her mind. “Wait, I broke your enchantment.”

“So? What's the big deal?” Rainbow Dash asked, flapping slowly down to the ground.

“So, I was just a unicorn. Discord's power effected me and was making me other than what I was, but I broke through it on my own.”

“But he was just making you ACT different, he didn't turn you into another species.”

“I'm starting to think the two aren't so different.” Twilight said.

“Congratulations Twilight, you're starting to understand.” Discord said.

“Well... I don't think the rest of us are.” Fluttershy said quietly.

“Yeah, could 'ya give us the low down on all this, simple like?” Applejack asked.

Discord sighed. “It's like this, my powers are incredibly far reaching, but out of all of them, my powers of transformation are the most fickle. I could transform rocks into opera singing ducks, give rabbits extremely long legs, turn apples into corn, or turn beavers into vicious little ogre monstrosities all day long and not have them revert, but...”

“But what?” Twilight asked.

“Well...” Discord sighed. “Twilight, tell me, what was the first lesson Celestia taught you?”

“Uhm... how to properly focus my magic so I didn't have another surge?”

Discord rolled his eyes, in the normal fashion rather than in a chaos magic way he normally would have. “Well I suppose that would be the PRACTICAL thing to do... Celestia, help me out here, what's that first lesson you always teach your students?”

Celestia, who had been silent for quite some time now, looked from Discord to Rarity, then closed her eyes. “A unicorn's magic is rooted in their soul, the depth and power they can access is limited only by their own spiritual power and strength. As they grow as individuals, so too does their power in the magical arts.”

“Wait, so this has something to do with Rarity's soul?”

“Yes.” Discord sighed. “That rock had no soul, a natural duck is a simple animal and has a very small and weak soul, which I can craft into an enchantment to mimic one with a minimum of effort, and then further manipulate it into looking or acting any way I want. With regular animals I can transform their bodies and minds and have them be how I want them to be for long periods of time. Even simpler sapients fall to my powers quite readily, like those bison I had in tutus.”

“Wait... Twilight, what's he talking about?” Rainbow asked.

“I think I get it.” she flared her wings. “All free cast spells are powered by a magic user's inner reserves of power, which are rooted in the spirit. More advanced, intelligent creatures have larger, stronger souls, with plenty of room for growth, but some species have larger baseline reserves of power, or greater innate internal magic, which means...” she looked up at Rarity, a pained expression on her face.

“Which means... what?” Applejack asked.

Discord groaned. “Do I really need to spell it out?” he said, looking at the ponies before him. The blank, uncomprehending looks made him roll his eyes, and not in the ultra-literal sense he'd done once before. “Ok, here. When I hex someone, I’m pushing my magic onto someone else and making them look or act the way I want them to. It's a 'push and shove' between my magic and theirs. Between my 'soul' and theirs. Normally, I’m far, far stronger than anything I've ever come up against, but this?” he said, gesturing at Rarity. “The soul of a dragon is far and beyond the strongest thing I've ever had the displeasure of encountering. Stronger than any prodigy unicorn or alicorn in training. It's no wonder she keeps breaking out of it.”

“But I'm supposed to be a pony!” Rarity exclaimed.

Discord chuckled. “Well, admittedly, I did see a few fragments of a unicorn's soul in there when I checked. But you, our beloved dressmaker, now have a soul as vast and powerful as the body you're currently wearing. With a distinctly draconic flavor too. I should know, I’m one sixteenth dragon, and we've got both little Spikey and mister mean and green over there for comparison.”

Vaeron finally came in for a landing, cautiously approaching from a moderate distance. “Are you done flinging spells now?”

“Quite, I think. We're not going to get anywhere like this.” Discord admitted.

“But... I’m not a dragon...” Rarity said, dumbfounded.

“Well, maybe you weren't, but you are now, and I don't have the faintest clue how to undo it.”

A stricken look came over her draconic features. “I'm stuck like this?”

“Looks like it. Now if you'll excuse me, I’ve had enough of looking like a fool today. I mean, I like looking like a fool sometimes, but only when I want to, and I didn't!” he grumphed. “Good to see you again Fluttershy but really, don't call me again for a few days. Ta!” he said, then snapped his talons and was gone.

“Discord! Get back here!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“It's no good, he's gone.” Fluttershy said.

“I'm trapped in a dragon's body...?” Rarity said, voice hollow and eyes unfocused.

“You say that like it's a bad thing.” Vaeron grunted, crossing his arms across his chest.

“I'm trapped in... no, no, NO! T-this can't be happening!” She took a step backwards, pupils narrowing to panicked slits.

“RARITY!” Twilight shouted, landing on the white dragoness' muzzle with enough force to rattle both their skulls. “Rarity, look at me!” She shouted, the eyes nearly crossed, looking at her.

“T-Twilight?” Rarity whimpered.

“Breathe.” Twilight said.

“B-breathe?”

“Like this.” Twilight said, then demonstrated the same breathing exercise she'd been shown by Cadence a few weeks earlier.

Shakily, Rarity copied the motion by putting her paw on her vast scaly chest as she inhaled, then pushing it out with a slow exhalation. After several repetitions of this, the quivering in her breath stopped her eyes returned to a more normal appearance.

“Better?” Twilight asked.

Rarity nodded. “Yes, I think.”

“This is beyond stressfull Rarity, I understand... but at the moment you're a little bit too big to be having panic attacks. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to fix this. You just have to trust me.”

“I... I do Twilight, I'm just a little overwhelmed.”

“I know Rarity, I know. Really.” Twilight said, one forehoof stroking Rarity's smooth scaled snout underneath her. “I mean, look at me. I went from being a unicorn to an alicorn... I know it's not as big a change as suddenly being a completely different genus... and class, but still! You're still here, and healthy. I can fix this. I just need some time, ok? I promise I’m going to do everything I can to figure this out.”

Rarity blinked, then gave a weak smile. “I... yes, thank you Twilight.” she said, lowering herself back down to all fours, and bringing her head closer to the ground and the rest of the group.

“And all our friends will be here for you too, won't we?” Twilight said as she hopped off rarity's snout and flapped gently down to the ground.

A chorus of assent came up from the others, though Fluttershy barely being able to murmur out something when Applejack nudged her out of her wide eyed fugue as Rarity's head approached.

“Anything you need Rarity, I'll be there.” Spike said, coming forward and laying a paw on one of the toes on her left forepaw.

Rarity smiled. “Thank you, all of you.”

“Wow... Mom and dad are gonna freak out.” Sweetie Belle said.

Rarity's eyes shot wide open and her pupils narrowed as a vision of her parent's reaction flashed before her mind's eyes, before she forced a chuckle. “Haha... yes, well... one crisis at a time, Sweetie... please.”

Vaeron chuckled. “Well, I would be remiss if I did not offer my support as well I suppose.”

Everyone glanced over at the green dragon. “Really? Why would you? Not that I'm ungrateful...”

Vaeron snorted. “Despite the fact that you were a unicorn, it seems you will be a dragoness for some time to come. And it is the duty of any male of our kind to see to the wellfare of any female that is in need.”

Rarity smiled. “That is quite chivalrous of you sir. And kind, you have my thanks.”

“You can thank me by repaying what gems your little male friend owes me, with interest.” Vaeron said, turning around in a sinuous circle as he padded back towards the forest on all fours.

“Huh, well that's a fine how d'ya do.” Applejack said, watching him go.

“It's just draconic nature, I'm sure.” Twilight said, then let out a breath. “Well, we'd better go Talk to the Mayor, I'm going to need to set up some things for... oh! Oh, Princess Celestia!” Twilight said, cantering over to her former teacher's side. “I'm sorry, I'm going to have to rework my schedule! I need more time in the day than I'd have with my royal duties and-” She paused as she looked up at Celestia's face and saw... a flash of pain in the solar alicorn's eyes.

“Twilight, It's alright. You don't need to take care of any... 'royal duties' for now... and besides, I’m sure you're going to have plenty of time to figure this problem out.”

Twilight brightened up. “Oh! Oh that's wonderful! Thank you pri-I mean, Celestia.” Twilight bowed. Then turned and lead all her friends, and Sweeite and her friends, off towards town hall.

Celestia stood there by herself for a long moment , Staring at the retreating form of the white dragoness, still visible even over the roofs of the houses of the town.

“Plenty of time...” she whispered to herself.

* * * * *

A short while later, in his cave in the forest, Vaeron pulled a vast roll of parchment out of a stone rack, and carved wooden pole. He dipped the end of the pole in a pot of ink the size of a wagon, and proceeded to write a letter in a language unknown to pony-kind onto it in characters wider than a pony was tall. Once finished, he rolled it up, focused for a moment, and breathed a puff of fire onto the parchment. The huge scroll was consumed, and turned into a floating cloud of glittering ash, which then whisked itself out the mouth of his cave and far, far away.

Author's Note:

This one was, unfortunately, delayed by forces outside my control, and for that i appologize. I should have the next chapter out sooner than this last one. Anyway, i hope you enjoy.

Comments

[hamcon]

I am curious about Vaeron now. How does he know how to do the same thing that Spike can? Or is he Spike from the future. No that is just stupid.

[GroaningGreyAgony]

An update! I'm happy to see this story continued!

5058275
I would say that using dragonfire to send a message is something that dragons in general can do, not just Spike.

[MortDeMuerte]

5058320
Yeah, that's what I took from it too. It's a neat idea. Most authors I've read go with the idea that it's a spell that Celestia cast on Spike, or some weird side-effect of his magical hatching by Twilight. I like the idea that it might be something dragonfire does naturally, which suggests that Spike and/or Twilight might have stumbled on it completely by accident (probably literally). That sets up a nice little story of its own, doesn't it?

[DX-1118 C]

5058275 Isn't stupid. There is a time travel spell, and if used by a dragon, could be permanent.

[JasontheDemon]

Oh my god I'm loving this story, it's like everything good in a 300 mile radius got together with MLP and a dragon then merged into this gem. I have been looking for a good Rarity turning into a dragon fic for weeks if not months. I found a few before this, but they were all horrible. Please answer my prayers again and continue this. I'll be your best friend!~