Chapter 4
A quick scan of the room confirmed it. The yellow pegasus had departed. Cliff embraced the Stillness to calm his emotions. Would these ponies turn on me for upsetting their friend? He didn't know, and he couldn't risk it if he wanted to stay with Spike. I need to fix this, fast.
Unfortunately, that was easier decided upon than done. He didn't know enough about the strange mare to be sure about anything more than the most basic information. She might have run off because of embarrassment, or anger, or fear, or the stars only knew what else. Chasing after her would likely be disastrous. He scanned the room again. Nopony seemed to have noticed anything, which meant that Fluttershy was at least in enough control of herself to make a quiet exit.
He moved to the kitchen, nearly bumping into Princess Twilight as she emerged from it.
“Oh, hi, Cliff Runner. Did Fluttershy calm down like I told her to?”
“Actually, I think I upset her, and she ran away,” Cliff told the Princess quietly. “Who is her closest friend here?”
“You wha?!” Twilight gasped. She looked around the room to verify that her friend had gone missing. “What did you say to her?!” She whispered loudly.
Cliff winced at her tone. “I'll recite it to you later, if you wish, Princess Twilight. Please tell me, who is her closest friend?”
The purple alicorn gave him an annoyed look. “Probably Rarity.” She said at last.
“Thank you.” He bowed, and moved to where the white unicorn was discussing fashion with his little brother. “Sorry, Spike, I need Rarity's help for a moment.” He turned to her. “I believe I accidentally upset Fluttershy, and then she disappeared. Perhaps you could go comfort her?”
“You wha?!” Rarity's gasp was a near perfect imitation of Princess Twilight's. “Where is she? What happened?”
Seriously, don't these ponies know how to be quiet?
“Okay, what gives?” Rainbow Dash demanded, coming up behind the group. “Why is everypony freaking out?”
“Is everythin' all right?” Applejack asked beside her.
Pinkie Pie joined them. “Yeah, and where did Fluttershy go?”
Cliff facepalmed. Death by loudmouthed unicorn. Wonderful.
Strangely though, none of the ponies seemed ready to attack. Applejack even seemed a little concerned for him.
He swallowed and gave the explanation a third time, “I think I upset her. I was just asking Rarity to go talk to her, because I'll probably make things worse if I do it myself.”
Reactions were varied, but thankfully non-hostile. Spike looked concerned, Princess Twilight's expression was somewhere between sympathetic and annoyed, Pinkie Pie gasped loudly with both hooves pressed to her face, Applejack looked concerned, Rainbow Dash folded her hooves across her chest, and Rarity seemed annoyed at everypony else.
It was the white unicorn who spoke first. “Come now, everypony, let's not make this more awkward for Fluttershy and Cliff Runner than it already is.” She maneuvered her way out of the cluster. “I will go find Fluttershy, and clear up this whole misunderstanding. And Cliff,” she turned back to him, “try not to be too hard on the poor mare. I'm the one who advised her to be extra attentive today.” With that, she made her exit.
As soon as the door closed, the young dragon found himself facing five pairs of eyes. “I'll leave too.”
“Ah, C'mon Cliff,” Applejack said, “we ain't mad at you. We're just worried about Fluttershy. That mare'll tear herself up somethin' fierce over the littlest things.” She put a comforting hoof around his shoulders. “Nopony here's blaimin' you for what happened.”
“Thank you,” he told her sincerely, more for the embrace than anything, “but I'd prefer some quiet right now.” He patted her hoof and then gently disentangled himself from it.
Rainbow Dash spoke up when he reached the door. “Hey, Cliff, are you still up for training together?”
“... Sure.” He didn't want to risk upsetting her.
“Cool, I'll come by the palace tomorrow morning at eight.”
Cliff nodded and made his way outside. It was a breath of fresh air, in more ways than one, as he walked to the front gate.
A powerful looking red stallion with an orange mane and several buckets of apples on his back saw the dragon coming. “Fluttershy?” He asked casually.
“What?” Cliff stopped a safe distance away. "No, Cliff Runner, Spike's brother."
The stallion chuckled softly and pressed a massive hoof to his chest. “Big Mac, AJ's brother. Ya lookin' for Fluttershy?”
“Uh... no.” He shook his head.
The stallion accepted this with a nod and continued towards the barn.
Cliff hesitated, and then went after him. He was the one who had asked Rarity to go find the shy mare, and then she had stood up for him to her friends. The least he could do was help her with the search. “Excuse me?”
The large pony didn't seem to mind the continued interruption either. “Eeyup?”
“Rarity is trying to find Fluttershy. Do you know where either of them are?”
“Eeyup.” He pointed again. Cliff was moderately sure that it was in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage.
The fact that he had pointed once for both helped Cliff translate. “Are they together?”
“Eeyup.”
Well, there's that problem solved. “Thank you.”
“Eeyup.”
Applejack wasn't kidding when she said her brother is quiet. She also didn't mention that he's the size of a small manticore. Cliff made his way to the road, and back to the main town from there.
-_-_-_-_-_-
It was a good thing that Princess Twilight's palace was at the edge of town. It meant Cliff didn't have to brave the crowds alone. Without Spike or the alicorn to dissuade them, he was fairly certain that somepony would attack him. Hiding out in the forest would have been preferable, but Spike would worry if he disappeared like that.
He slipped into the palace and shut himself in one of the guest bedrooms. Unlike some of the pony houses he had seen during his travels, this room was sparsely furnished, with only a bed and a nightstand. If not for crystalline walls, which reminded him of gemstones, it would be perfect.
He sat on the bed and closed his eyes. I need to calm down. Spike will be back soon with the Princess, and if I'm not ready to deal with her, I'm just going to make things worse.
Deep breaths, that was the first step. The young dragon closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. His front claws came together to form a circle, and he imagined the flow of energy in his body moving into the space between his claws, spinning endlessly through the circle. All emotions, whether positive or negative, were pulled in, leaving his mind clear to assess them.
Cliff decided to start with the biggest issue conflicting his emotions: Was his race wrong about ponies?
Spike was happy and healthy... yet he had been raised by the equine race. Those two facts just didn't add up. Mind control was always a possibility, the two ponies closest to him were an alicorn and a unicorn, after all, but it couldn't explain his brother's good health. Even if they were using healing magic to cover abuse, Spike obviously ate well. He was a little pudgy, in fact. Keeping a brainwashed slave happy and healthy wasn't impossible, but it did seem rather pointless.
The behavior of Princess Twilight and her friends also didn't make sense. Without his emotions clouding his memories, Cliff had to admit that they had been rather friendly, and with no reward to motivate that behavior. Even when they had him cornered after hearing about Fluttershy, not one of the ponies had moved to attack.
As much as he tried, the young dragon just couldn't make all the pieces fit, not unless he followed through with his promise to Spike and gave ponies the benefit of the doubt.
I can't believe I'm even considering this. Cliff started over with the assumption that ponies actually were as friendly as his brother seemed to believe. The baby dragon's health made perfect sense, as well as the little gifts from Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, the comforting hug from Applejack, and, well, everything. Cliff felt his claws begin to shake. What am I missing? Can we really be that wrong?
Ponies had stumbled across the coven from time to time, and they had all either run away screaming, or attacked. It was the best evidence against ponies that Cliff had, but he forced himself to think about it under his new assumption.
If talking with Twilight and Spike last night had proved anything, it was that ponies knew next to nothing about his race. Cliff didn't want to admit it, but the attacks being the result of a misunderstanding was the most logical explanation.
That settles it, either Celestia did something to me, or we're nearly as wrong about ponies as they are about us. He swallowed, and accepted the second option as possible, if only just, and he wasn't going to behave differently until he could be sure.
Even that much was hard on Cliff. Emotions were created by thoughts, and the young dragon had spent a lifetime thinking that ponies would kill him for little to no reason. He quickly moved on to something less world shaking.
He needed to decide how to treat Princess Twilight and her friends from now on. The alicorn herself deserved at least a little trust and respect for taking care of Spike for so long. She also deserved his thanks for being his guide today, and offering him a place to live. Everything was open to change once he got the chance to read her heart, however.
With that out of the way, he moved on to the other ponies he had met. Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were classified as, 'less likely than a normal pony to attack me.' Applejack and Rarity were put at, 'potentially friendly.' Fluttershy... Cliff had no idea what to make of that one. He moved on.
His emotional state in general had a decent amount of fear. Not surprising, given the circumstances. Cliff smoothed out some of it, but not all. Relaxing at the apple farm had nearly ended in disaster with Fluttershy. He needed to be more careful and more polite.
What counts as polite among ponies anyway? He made a mental note to learn everything he could about Equestrian society from Spike and the Princess.
Next he soothed away any anger he could find, and stamped out a few kernels of jealousy. The first emotion would only lead to problems, and the second was dangerously close to greed.
Satisfied, Cliff allowed his emotions to return. It was funny, even though he knew it was all imagined, the young dragon always felt warmth going up his arms during this part.
Stepping into his newly sorted emotions was like stepping out of a lava bath. Cliff felt clean and refreshed. He also felt tired, which was no surprise, given all that had happened in the last two days.
He had expected Spike and Princess Twilight to be back by the time he finished, but since they weren't... Settling into a more comfortable position, Cliff Runner began a different mental exercise. It wouldn't be as good as actual sleep, but it would allow his body and mind to relax until the others returned.
-_-_-_-_-_-
Sounds downstairs told Cliff that he should get up, but he couldn't muster the energy. They got louder as they approached, turning into recognizable words.
“-don't know where else he'd be.” It was the Princess.
“Maybe he went into the Everfree Forest,” a second voice said. This one belonged to Spike.
“I hope not... Don't worry Spike, I'm sure Cliff is fine.”
“I hope you're right, Twilight.”
“Cliff Runner,” the Princess called. “Are you in here?”
He tried again to rouse himself, but had no more success this time.
There was a slight creak as the door opened. “Hey Cliff! We were really worried about you… Cliff?” Little footsteps approached. “Are you alright?” Something climbed onto the bed.
A claw brushed against his cheek, which finally shook Cliff out of his trance. He opened his eyes, and saw Spike jumping back in surprise. “I'm fine.” He yawned. “I was just resting.”
“Oh, sorry for waking you.”
“I was only resting while I waited for you, brother.” He tousled the younger dragon's head spikes. “There's still more of the day to spend together.”
“Really?” Spike's face lit up. “You mean you still want to do stuff?”
“Yes, very much so.” He got off of the bed. “Did you have anything in mind?”
“Maybe you can teach Twilight and me some dragon magic?” His eyes glowed with enthusiasm.
“Okay, but it takes time to learn. We'll probably only work on the basics tonight.”
“That's fine,” Spike assured him. “Can we get started right away? We still have two hours until dinner.”
Cliff smiled. “Sure.”
They walked back to the living room, where Princess Twilight sat waiting for them. A smile graced her features as she watched her 'Number One Assistant' with his older brother. “Hi, Cliff, I'm sorry I got angry at you earlier.”
He shook his head. “You were just worried about your friend, Princess. Speaking of which, do you want to hear what happened?”
“It's okay, Fluttershy told us.”
That explained why they had taken so long to get home. “How is she?”
“She'll be spending the night at Rarity's, but she's fine.” The Princess smiled fondly. “I'm sure you've realized this, but Fluttershy can be a little... sensitive, at times. She really does have a good heart though.”
“I know." He didn't, but it was probably what she wanted to hear. “Could you help me think of a way to apologize for what happened?”
Approval radiated from the alicorn. “That won't be a problem. She's coming over tomorrow afternoon to apologize for it as well. Just accept her apology, give one of your own, and ask to be her friend.”
“I will,” Cliff assured her.
“Hey Twilight,” Spike said. “Do you want to study dragon magic with Cliff and I?”
“It's 'Cliff and me,' Spike,” the Princess rolled her eyes, even though she was smiling, “and I'd love to.” She patted the spot beside her on the couch.
Spike took it, and Cliff sat on the other couch.
The alicorn's magic pulled over a quill and notebook. “Where do we start?”
“Well, I've heard that unicorn magic comes from the mind. Is that true?”
“Yes.” Princess Twilight nodded. “Study, understanding, and focus are all required for our magic to work.”
Cliff scratched his cheek thoughtfully. “This might be difficult for you, Princess Twilight, because dragon magic comes from the heart.”
She frowned in confusion. “How does magic of the heart work?”
The answer was simple. “Emotions and willpower. The purer the emotions, and the stronger the will, the more powerful the effect.” He held up a clawed hand. “This spell, for example, is tied to positive emotions. I'm creating the emotion of joy in my heart, and I'm throwing my willpower into making that joy seen.” A glowing orb appeared above his palm in response.
“That's amazing!” Spike grinned. “Let me try!”
“Okay, but you'll need to learn how to control your heart.”
The little dragon looked confused. “What does that mean?”
“It means that you can only be feeling the correct emotions, and you have to be determined to make it happen.”
“Okay... and that's it?”
“Not quite. Here, I'll show you.” Cliff moved to stand in front of his little brother, and placed two claws over the younger dragon's heart. “Close your eyes.”
Spike did so.
“Now, think of something that's completely still. It could be a pond in winter, the moon on a clear night, a tree, anything.” As he spoke, Cliff used magic to calm his brother's heart and relax his mind. “Are you thinking of it?”
“Yes,” Spike's voice was soft and peaceful.
“Inside that stillness, think of pure light. No source, just light.”
“Okay.”
“It feels warm, doesn't it?”
“Yeah...” A smile spread across Spike's face.
“It feels real, doesn't it.”
“Yeah...”
“You want it to be real, don't you?”
The smile turned into a slight frown. “Yes...”
“Make it real.”
Spike raised one hand, as his brother had done, but the frown deepened. “There's a wall...”
“Push through it.”
Beads of sweat were forming on the little dragon's head. “It's hard...”
Cliff added another spell to increase his brother's willpower. “You want to share that light with us, don't you?”
“Yes...” Beads collected into drops of sweat. “You two... have to see it!” As he spoke the last words, a flickering ball of light appeared over Spike's hand.
Cliff smiled. “We see it, Spike. Open your eyes.”
Spike's eyes opened, and a look of unmistakable joy spread across his face. “I did it!” He held it up for them to see.
“Good job, brother.” Cliff ended his spells and withdrew his claws.
Snapping out of his trance, Spike flopped back onto the couch. “Ugh, I'm exhausted!”
“Spike, that was amazing!” A glowing purple aura pulled the baby dragon into Twilight's hooves. “I'm so proud of you!”
“We both are,” Cliff added. He waited for the Princess to release Spike so he could explain what his little brother had just experienced. “Focusing on the Stillness is how you get everything out of your heart so that it won't interfere with the spell. Then you need to let the right emotions back in. Light is easy, because any positive emotion will do. Happiness, laughter, contentment, love, they all work. The outlet is also important. If you had focused on a fire or a torch, for example, instead of pure light, and had any emotion other than excitement in your heart, the spell would have fizzled. If you had been focusing on excitement, well...” Cliff looked around. “Let's just say that indoors is the wrong place to practice that spell. Finally, there's the wall. Stronger emotions help weaken it, but to actually get through, you need willpower. The more of those two you have, the stronger your spell becomes.”
Princess Twilight jotted down everything Cliff had said. “Oh this is so fascinating! It's completely different from how unicorn magic works.”
In spite of himself, Cliff smiled at her enthusiasm. “A word of warning, don't use too much willpower, or you'll knock yourself out and need a long night's sleep to recover.” He let the alicorn finish her notes. “Are you ready to try, Princess Twilight?”
She looked equal parts excited and determined. “Yes, I'll give it my all.”
“Good. That's exactly what dragon magic requires.” He moved closer to her, and held up two claws. “I hope you don't mind...”
“Not at all.” She closed her eyes, and let the dragon's claws come to rest over her heart.
He cast the spell to read her emotions. “By the way, I never did thank you for taking care of Spike all those years, or offering to let a wyrm like me stay here.”
The Princess had an overwhelming amount of sisterly love and affection for Spike. Her emotions for Cliff were mostly curiosity and excitement, with the beginnings of real friendship. “It's no problem. I'm just glad to see him so happy.”
The purity of her feelings made Cliff feel guilty for deceiving her. She had the kind of heart that was quick to accept and befriend, that had almost never tasted rage or hatred. He knew he could trust her completely, even if he wasn't sure about the others. “A-anyway, try not to focus on the steps right now. Just create the Stillness, and then relax. I'll guide you through the rest.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
As before, Cliff Runner used a spell to quiet the Princess's heart, and another to calm her mind. “Do you feel the Stillness?”
“Yes...” Her voice had the distant quality of one who was in the spell trance.
Guiding her through the second and third steps, allowing emotions and choosing a focus respectively, was easy. Cliff had taught all the hatchlings at Redstone the basics of magic.
When they came to the final step, the wall, the young dragon felt his excitement growing. Can an alicorn really perform dragon magic? They were so rare, that this might be the first time it had ever been tried. “Push through the wall,” he instructed her.
An orb of light immediately appeared over the alicorn's hoof, and it was far brighter than even the one Cliff had conjured.
Fighting down the urge to laugh, Cliff roused the Princess and let her see the spell before it faded away.
“Whew,” she breathed after her trance ended completely. “I see what you mean, Spike. That is tiring.”
“Ah c'mon, you did great.” He gave the Princess a big hug. “I always told you that you were the best at unicorn magic, and now you're going to be the best at dragon magic too!”
“You did extremely well,” Cliff added, settling back into his seat. It was funny. A few minutes ago, he would have worried about making an enemy more powerful. Now, he was happy for a new friend.
She blushed from their praise. “Thank you both. Anyway, what's the next step?”
“You'll both learn to cast the spell without my help.” Cliff settled on the floor in front of them. “The first two steps are the most difficult, so don't worry if it takes a while.”
-_-_-_-_-_-
For the next hour and a half, Spike and Princess Twilight struggled to achieve stillness of the heart. Cliff remained silent for the most part, reading their hearts as they worked, and giving advice after each failed attempt.
Spike struggled to reign in his emotions, which was common among beginners. Princess Twilight on the other claw, kept trying to clear her mind, rather than her heart.
“The difference,” Cliff explained during a break, “is that a perfectly clear mind could ignore pain completely. A perfectly clear heart, however, would feel pain, but not be controlled by it.”
“Okay, I'll try again.” The Princess took a deep breath and closed her eyes once more.
Spike glanced at the clock. “I'll go get started on dinner.” He slid off the couch.
Cliff started to rise. “Need a claw?”
“Nah, you and Twilight can keep working.”
The older dragon nodded, and placed his claws over the alicorn's heart. “You're both doing well, Princess Twilight.”
“It doesn't seem like it.” She smiled anyway.
Cliff paused to activate his spell once more. The alicorn's emotions were a mix of frustration, determination, and excitement. “Most wyrms learn to meditate from infancy, and even then they have trouble with this. Don't be too hard on yourself, Princess.”
The last word caused a hint of annoyance in her emotions.
He frowned slightly. “Do you not like being called 'Princess?'”
Embarrassment touched the edges of her heart. “Well... it is a little formal.”
“What would you prefer?”
“Just 'Twilight' is fine.”
“Okay... Twilight. I'm going to try something different.” Cliff cast the spell to calm her heart. “How do you feel?”
“Serene...” Came the gentle response.
“I'm going to weaken the spell now. Maintain that Stillness for as long as you can.”
“Okay...”
Cliff hung onto his spell for another minute, waiting while emotions bounced around the edge of Twilight's heart. She was trying to grab onto the Stillness, rather than letting it embrace her on its own. Thankfully, his magic prevented the alicorn's mistakes from snapping her out of the spell trance.
When the struggles finally ceased, Cliff let his spell weaken. Some emotions crowded the edges of her heart, but the center remained calm, which was the important part.
After another minute, Cliff let the spell die completely. Twilight's heart remained clear for an impressive twelve heartbeats before excitement began to pop up, followed immediately by worry as she tried to push the emotion away, and then frustration when she realized that she was worrying, and then the Stillness fell apart completely.
Twilight sighed. “I'm sorry, Cliff. I thought I had it there.”
“Don't be sorry, P-, Twilight. You maintained it longer than I was expecting.”
She smiled at his near mistake, but frustration was still written across her face. “It's amazing that you can do this so easily.”
Cliff shrugged. “I've had time to practice. You'll get there.”
Twilight thought over what he'd said. “How long does it normally take to learn this?”
“Based on how you're doing so far, a day or so for each step, depending on hard you practice.”
The alicorn slumped forward. “I'm going to be busy all day tomorrow. I won't have much time to practice.”
As though any teacher hadn't heard that before. “There are lots of small moments where you can make time. While eating a meal, for example, or walking to an appointment.”
“Don't worry, I was planning on that much.” She sighed. “I'll need to pay attention during my meetings and Friendship Court though, so I can't practice then.”
Cliff was impressed. It was the first time a student had shrugged off constant practice as a matter of course. “I think I underestimated just how diligent you are.”
“Well, it is an entirely new field of magic.” Twilight smiled wistfully. “Anyway, can we try again?”
“Of course, Pri- Twilight.”
-_-_-_-_-_-
Dinner was a welcome relief for both Cliff and Twilight. The alicorn helped herself to a large bowl of salad that Spike had prepared. Cliff tried some too. It wasn't as bad as the sandwiches, but it was still far from ideal. He ate as little as he could get away with, and then contented himself with a tray of fruits.
After they finished, Spike ran back to the kitchen to get desert. “Behold my masterpiece,” he said triumphantly as he placed a gem-encrusted cupcake in front of Cliff. “I put some of my spare jewels into this cupcake for you. I hope you like it, Cliff.”
He noticed the baby dragon placing regular cupcakes in front of himself and Twilight. “Thank you very much, Spike.” He caught his brother in a hug. “I owe you one.”
Spike looked embarrassed. “Ah, it was nothing. I just wanted to do a little something to celebrate your first day in Ponyville.”
He let the baby dragon go, and plucked one of the larger gems off the top of the cupcake. “Here, Spike.” He held it out. “So I don't feel like I'm hogging all the jewels for myself.”
“Nuh-uh, Cliff.” The younger dragon shook his head. “Those are for you.”
He didn't lower his arm. “Come on, Spike. I want to share a jewel with you too, and since I don't have any of my own at the moment...” He shrugged.
“Oh, okay.” Spike took the gemstone, and crunched it in half with a satisfied smile.
Cliff popped the rest of the cupcake into his mouth with a similar expression. There really was nothing under the stars that could compare to the smooth, powerful, mouthwatering flavor of jewels.
“I have a question, Cliff,” Twilight said after he swallowed. “Why did I feel so attached to that orb of light you helped me make?”
He put a hand over his chest. “Remember, magic of the heart. You were feeling the admiration that you put into your spell radiating out from it. Spike and I could feel it too.”
“Amazing.” Her mind fairly buzzed with the implications. “Do all spells have that effect?”
“It depends on the spell and how much control you have over it. You and Spike are just beginners though, so every spell you cast will leak your emotions.”
“Maybe you could use that to apologize to Fluttershy,” Spike suggested. “She can't worry that you're still angry if she can feel that you aren't.”
“That's a good idea.” Cliff scratched his cheek thoughtfully. “I actually know a spell that would be perfect.”
Spike's eyes widened. “Can I see it?”
“Sure. In fact,” he closed his eyes, “I'd really appreciate it if you let me show you this. Just don't laugh if it's kind of cheesy.” A clear bubble appeared in the air in front of him. After using his magic to help Spike and Twilight for so long, Cliff struggled a little to maintain this far more complex spell. “The spell is called Heart's Mirror,” he explained. “It reflects my emotions.”
Warmth and love filled the room. The laughter of hatchlings seemed to echo just out of hearing, and there was an unmistakable sense of rightness and belonging. Satisfaction after a day of hard work touched them all, along with the thrill of learning and discovery. “This is my coven,” Cliff told them. “At least, this is what it feels like to me.”
Neither Spike nor Twilight seemed to know what to say.
He moved to a different memory. This one made the room feel completely safe, and filled with wide-eyed wonder. Admiration touched the three, and a determination to help. Bits of sadness flickered through, followed by a massive wave of excitement and joy. The two sets of emotions seemed to chase each other in an endless pattern. “This is our parents, Spike,” Cliff said.
A gentle sob touched his ears, but he still had one more thing to share. It began with wonder, excitement, and nervousness, all mixed together. Awkwardness followed, but it was only there for a moment. Then, joy. Pure, honest, joy. The surge slowly abated, but other emotions flowed in. There was tenderness, respect, and laughter. Above them all, was a mixture of love and hope. It was the kind of feeling that made each new day an adventure waiting to happen. “And this,” Cliff said, “is what it was like meeting you, Spike.” He let the spell fade and opened his eyes.
Spike ran to his brother, and caught him in the biggest hug his arms could manage. “I love you too, Cliff!”
Tenderly returning the embrace, Cliff looked up to see the Princess in tears.
“That was beautiful,” she whispered.
That's a relief. Cliff had worried that his emotions would come across as melodramatic.
The baby dragon rubbed away some tears as he looked up and motioned for Twilight to join them. And so Cliff found himself in a group hug with Spike and an alicorn princess for the second time in as many days.
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wait. werent they living in the tree still? why are they now living in the palace?
D'aww!
Way to go, Cliff.
MAKE YOUR FEELS KNOWN!!
4461512
I wasn't sure what to call it, so I'm just referring to it as the tree palace/the palace for now. In the original draft it was the library, but then they went and blew that up, so yeah. If I slipped up and called it the library or referred to it as an actual tree somewhere, let me know.
4461610 if i recall correctly when he first met them he was saying how their is alot of books everywhere
That is very cool. This was a interesting chapter. I hope Spike learns The Heart's Mirror and use it with Rarity. Let her feel just how deeply he cares about her lol. I figured Spike would be very good at magic since he has learned such control of his emotions Cliff might make really good friends with Shy once they get over this little phase they are stuck in right now.
4461512 - Didn't watch the epic end to season 4 ey? Go watch it and then come back.
This is so awesome
4461720 ive heard of it and i have been meaning to but i put it off, living in mystery and all that
This is a really great story! I like the idea of dragon magic and how you explained its difference from unicorn/alicorn magic. It seems appropriate that the dragon magic would be more emotion based due to their hoarding nature and how their bodies react to emotions like greed, as opposed to a mind over matter concept for unicorns. I also like the idea of dragons thinking that ponies are just as bad as they think dragons are, it adds a nice dichotomy to the story as well as introduces another viewpoint beyond the usual "ponies are perfect" mentality. It is also nice to see Cliff's growth as a character beyond his mistrust and fear of the ponies.
That last spell... SO EPIC AWESOME! I'm sure Fluttershy will Love it.
See what I mean?
Wait a second... when Dragon Magic uses Emotions and Willpower... does that mean EVERYPONY could learn that? I mean, EVERYPONY has Willpower and a Heart. (Except maybe Blueblood^^)
4458185 hey, maybe another dragon shood be in the story, it would make it VERY interesting
Cliff and Twilight's personalities are actually pretty similar in a lot of ways. It's cute to see them getting along so well.
4462010
Give it time. Cliff might be living in Ponyville for the time being, but he has to go home eventually.
4461618
Oh, my bad... or maybe not. I can't actually decide now if I should leave that in. This is Twilight's palace we're talking about. It wouldn't surprise me if it has books everywhere. What are your thoughts? Leave the observation about books everywhere, or keep it in?
*sigh* you ARE right, i am impatient, but patience is a virtue and it can be learned. (interview ends)
4462068 leave it, i was confused cause i didnt know it was after the season finale
4461657
Unfortunately, Heart's Mirror is a fairly difficult spell. Spike WILL learn it, but it's going to take him a while. This story is meant to be equal parts wyrms and dragons learning to get along, and a sort of coming of age tale for Spike, who I've always felt is underused in the show.
As for Cliff and Fluttershy, things will start to improve, but they're both pretty introverted and a little phobic of each other, so it will take a while before they're totally comfortable around each other.
4461886
I actually owe you guys for that. In the original version, Cliff got over his fear of ponies way too easily. After everyone pointed this out, I revised it to try and make things more believable.
Dragon magic was a lot of fun to come up with. Spike becoming huge when he feels greedy got me thinking that other emotions might have effects as well, and yeah, this is the result. I'm really glad you liked it!
That was fun. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
4461916
Originally, only wyrms were going to be able to use dragon magic, but then I figured that alicorns all seem to channel the power of some emotion/idea (Friendship, in Twilight's case), and are meant to be a living example of unity between different groups, so saying they have some dragon power on top of unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony magic seemed like a fairly logical step.
HNNNNNGGG!
Doesn't make any sense
Makes complete sense
Because of this, it's Spike's wording that is correct.
4461916 I approve of this statement:
4462403
Thanks for that. I'll go fix it.
Cool
I like smart characters too. I also like learning the 101 of something's magic system or special techniques. I always figured that if pony-world dragons had spells that the would be tied to emotions. I also figured that dragons would strongly feel and have to deal with all of the seven deadly sins emotions, not just greed but Wrath, envy, gluttony, pride, sloth, and lust. Lust wouldn't just be tied to sexual desire but to power and immaterial things(lust for life), the twin opposite of greed(material things).
If ponies can use dragon magic, or at least Alicorns, then will dragons be able to use pony magic? Would be cool to see Cliff learning pony magic as he teaches Twilight dragon magic, being a mutual cultural exchange and all. Right now it kinda feels like all Cliff is gaining is insight into how ponies really are and giving away one of the secrets of his people without gaining anything otherwise.
4462944
I considered letting Cliff learn unicorn magic for a while, but then I realized I'd have to make him into the dragon equivalent of an alicorn to justify that, and I was afraid it would make him too much of a Gary Sue (a character so perfect they're boring). You actually will see more of what ponies can offer dragons as time goes by. For example, earth ponies can grow more food than dragons could even dream of. Pegasi and unicorns can also help them out as much as they do with the other pony tribes.
4462782
Wow, that's an almost frighteningly in-depth analysis. Thanks for the links, by the way. I learned a lot by going through them.
4462888
Wow, if greed makes dragons turn into the Hulk, just imagine what lust would do *Shudder*. Cool ideas, by the way!
4462944
Sounds like an awesome idea.
If unicorns use their horns as a catalyst for spells, dragons should also find a way to use magic. As explained in this story, Equine magic was exerted through the mind. It'd also be pretty cool if dragons could exert magic through their flame, like Spike with his ability to deliver mail.
Right in the feels.
These are happy feels. 
I like when Spike and other dragons canm do magic. This is a great story.
4463304 If you want to use it remember not to demonize these emotions. Letting the Seven control you is bad, but even Wrath/anger(the emotion that kills) has its good side; righteous fury and passion, and without those bad things don't really get fought and changed. Best to call the Seven, the deadly temptations and not sins.
Fluttershy x Cliff or Twilight x cliff
4463284
I suppose giving him Unicorn magic would make him a bit overpowered, although Alicorns are seemingly just as gary sue-ish, but they are overpowered by nature so that is forgivable.
But those benefits almost require complete intigration into pony society and possibly a loss of any form of self rule they currently have.
4463332
I think Cliff said that dragon magic manifests in fire in a earlier chapter, i am not sure and i can't remember exactly where it was.
4463679
For this story, I'm operating under the assumption that Spike's fire-mail is the result of something Celestia did. Otherwise, Cliff could just send a letter to his parents, which kind of undercuts the theme of being a lone stranger in a new culture. That said, breathing fire is a magical effect for dragons, granting them more control over it than if they all had flamethrowers installed in their mouths.
4463634
I actually didn't set out writing this with any particular significant other in mind for Cliff. I just kind of let the characters interact, and romance started blooming on its own, (you'll see more of that as time goes on).
Let the D'AWWWWs commence
I'm pretty sure Fluttershy's best friend would be Rainbow Dash...
They've known each other for life.
Rarity just goes with her to the spa.
You know, Twilight NOT being able to use a certain kind of magic would be nice for a change.
4462495 no problem, common mistake. To be honest, the worst in my opinion are the "could care less" mistakes.(it is incorrect (correct is "couldN'T care less)" because by caring less you must already care)
Honestly an interesting premise, but in a very precarious place due to the nature of it interfering with the canon. So far you have done an admirable job in making dragon magic not a ultimate power and instead made it supplemental at best with quite a few restrictions which are believable. Keep going, and remember I can be reached for any grammar-related inquiries.
Rarity's comment defiantly helped. For a moment there I was worried that Fluttershy was crushing on Cliff
PHEW!
Owww it was ptetty awesome !!!
4465272
Thanks, I really appreciate that!
lol that picture
Nice job with this story. I hope you keep it up. You have a lot of potential. I will think on how you can improve your style of writing.
4469350
Thanks! You can expect the next update Friday afternoon sometime.
Beautiful.
That is all I have to say.