Exchanging Volleys
Chapter 7: Exchanging Volleys
Scootaloo yelped sharply as another snowball smacked against her flank. "Hey! I wasn't ready!"
"Then practice your readiness," replied Dawn, his voice seeming to echo from all over the place.
Scootaloo spun in place, shooting her glare in every direction, trying to get a fix on the ebony colt's position. Unfortunately for her, the forest was Dawn's playground. He moved amongst the trees like a shadow, always seeming to hover just outside the range of her peripheral vision. Even her wind-sense wasn't much help, as Dawn kept the air around him moving smoothly and evenly, hiding the eddies that his body would normally generate. Her only warning would be from the very edges of her wind-sense when the next projectile came streaking in.
"You're trying too hard to find me," said Dawn, "Instead, focus on what you're here to practice."
Scootaloo's brow furrowed as she recalled his instructions. She wasn't the move from her spot. When Dawn sent a snowball in her direction, she couldn't dodge it. Her only option was to defend. She could scatter the snowball with a burst of air from her wings. But the real task was to catch the snowball and send it flying back. When they'd started this morning, it had been in an open clearing, with Dawn simply standing across it from her and launching snowballs at will.
Once Scootaloo had gotten used to catching them in her wind without breaking them, then throwing them back (something that was very tricky to do after having just caught it), Dawn had upped the difficulty, leading her into the trees of the Whitetail Woods. He'd hidden himself in their shadows and was now playing a game that was halfway between tag and hide & seek with her. Now the snowballs could come from any direction, at any interval, without any warning whatsoever.
When she was taken by surprise, Scootaloo was rarely able to maintain her control well enough to actually catch the snowball. More often than not, she blew the incoming ball into powder. Twice, she overreacted and accidentally smashed the trunk of a tree, causing it to topple over.
"If you tense up, you restrain your own ability to act," Dawn coached from the shadows, "You know the motions and you know how it feels. Let your body do what you trained it to do."
The orange filly paused, thinking about what Dawn had said. She knew she could catch his shots. In their earlier practice, she'd even gotten to the point where she could do it without hardly thinking at all. It was just easier when she knew when and where those shots were coming from. Closing her eyes, Scootaloo took a deep breath and willed her body to relax, letting out all the tension and agitation she could feel in that breath. Her wings drooped slightly, but she kept them extended, allowing her awareness to fully expand out into the air around her. Almost immediately, her awareness registered the presence of the trees as the air flowed through and around them, curling about their trunks and branches.
There was a strangely steady movement to the air in her immediate vicinity and Scootaloo realized that it was because of Dawn. To keep the air from curling around his body, he had to smooth out the flow of air as it washed over him. The resulting current had set the air all around him into deliberate motion. Tracking the flow of air, Scootaloo found it, the point where it changed paths, as though it were flowing around something. However the motion was so smooth that she'd hardly even noticed it had been there at all. Her lips pulled back in a grin. I've found you.
True to her suspicions, she suddenly sensed a sharp change to the airflow around that spot. Some of the air flowing around the space seemed to suddenly converge onto a single point before bursting outward sharply, propelling another snowball in Scootaloo's direction. She hadn't even sensed it until Dawn had launched it.
Now the feeling was more familiar. She'd sensed Dawn preparing to throw the snowball, she'd known which direction it was coming from. Already, Scootaloo's wings were in motion, her body moving without her even really needing to think about it as one wing began to gather the air around her, increasing its density. She felt the movement of the snowball through the air, feeling its mass, shape, and how tightly it had been packed and was already adjusting the air-cushion that she was preparing accordingly. The projectile hit the wave of air and slowed down, coming to a stop mere inches from Scootaloo's wing. Not waiting for it to fall to the ground, Scootaloo was already in motion, moving the air that was compressed between the snowball and the surface of her wing. Driving the limb forward, Scootaloo launched the snowball outward without breaking it apart.
The snowball shot almost straight back the way it came. Scootaloo's grin became one of triumph as she felt Dawn suddenly leave his concealment, no longer bothering the keep the air flowing smoothly around him. Instead, the colt enacted a near perfect recreation of what Scootaloo had accomplished, catching the incoming snowball on a cushion of air and bringing it to a stop before his wing and then launching it back at her.
Scootaloo grinned triumphantly. Dawn was on the move, refusing to just stay in one place after he'd volleyed her shot back at her. He was also trying to smooth out the air currents around him again, but she had his number now. Rather than try to fully stop the snowball as it hurtled towards her, she instead swept it up in a current of air that she created to alter its course and send it rushing towards Dawn's new location, where the colt had stopped to make a new snowball for himself.
Her ears twitched at the sound of Dawn's surprised yelp as the snowball burst across his blank flank.
"Ha!" crowed Scootaloo as she quickly rushed towards Dawn's location, "I got you that time!"
"That you did," agreed Dawn with a smirk that made Scootaloo pause as a shiver of fear went down her spine.
Uh oh...
"You seem to be getting the hang of it," Dawn continued with a sly look at her. He spread his wings and Scootaloo was horrified to see that, instead of only one or even two snowballs, six projectiles hovered in swirling patterns over his wings as his smirk became a grin. "What say we take it up a notch?"
Scootaloo's shrill screams echoed through the forest throughout the afternoon.
"Okay," said Spike as he sat across the table from Twilight, "What's the verdict doc?"
"Well," said Twilight, looking over her notes, "Your body has been undergoing some major changes."
Spike's growing wings spread and fluttered from his back. "Yeah, duh." He rolled his eyes.
"I'm not just talking about your wings," growled Twilight. She held up an image, a picture from an x-ray. "These are your previous x-rays, from before when you really started growing." She held up a second picture, this one clearly showing Spike's more recent developments. The bones of his wings were plainly visible. The bones of his limbs were looking longer. However, the strangest developments showed in his spine. It was a bit hard to see, but Spike noticed that he had more backbone than he used to...literally.
"The number of vertebrae are increasing," said Twilight, "You've actually doubled the number in your neck alone. You started with seven and now you have fourteen."
"What does it mean?" asked Spike, twisting his neck experimentally. He was surprised to find that his head was able to turn much further than it had before.
"If I had to hazard a guess, it means you're elongating," said Twilight, "A lot of the adult dragons we encountered in the past had proportionally longer necks and tails than you do. The thing is, if your vertebrae didn't increase in number and simply grew longer instead, your neck, tail, and back would be incredibly stiff and inflexible. I think this development is to allow you to grow into a longer, more serpentine form.
"It's amazing! Your body is actually producing new bones partway through your post-embryonic life-cycle. And there's more." She held up a different picture. This one didn't show Spike's skeleton. Rather, it showed an outline of Spike with a web of lines threading through his body. At first, the dragon thought they were veins or arteries, but that didn't seem quite right.
"Those are your meridians," she said.
"Wait! I have meridians?"
"Of course you do," scoffed Twilight, "Practically nearly every living thing has meridians. Not all of them are like a pony's or a dragon's, but yours have the same function that mine do, channeling magical energy through your body."
"What about them then?"
"Their activity has increased radically since you started changing," said Twilight as she set the picture down, "I managed to actually record one of your new bones coming in. When that happened, your meridian activity shifted into overdrive." She frowned thoughtfully. "It actually looked kinda familiar, sort of like..."
"Like what?" asked Spike, sitting on the edge of his seat in spite of himself.
"It reminded me of Flaxseed's Meridians when he made his Eyes appear," explained Twilight, "That's when I realized it. It's magic!"
"Uh yeah..." said Spike, a bit confused, "Of course it's magic."
"That's not what I mean," said Twilight, a note of frustration creeping into her voice, "What I meant is that it's a transformation effect, just like the way the magic flowing through the meridians of Dawn and Flaxseed's eyes triggers their transformation into the Eyes of Nightmare." She leveled her gaze at Spike. "It's not just any magic, it's transformational magic. You're not just growing. You're shapeshifting."
"What?" exclaimed Spike, staring at Twilight with wide eyes.
"This could explain so much," Twilight was saying, having seemingly become oblivious to the dragon sitting across the table from her, "Storm Front and Red River mentioned it before. Dragons come in so many different shapes and sizes. This is why. You're natural-born shapeshifters. It might be that your magic allows you to adapt your form for your environment by actively altering your form through your magic in order to optimize your ability to survive in any environment. Do you realize what this means?"
"Maybe," said Spike, sounding rather uncertain.
"Think about it!" exclaimed Twilight, "We've talked about the things we could try to do when you grew too big to live in the library anymore. We've talked about a cave, or maybe building a giant house for you. But, if my theories are correct, then maybe we won't need to."
"Because growing too large would actually hinder me in my chosen environment," said Spike, the realization dawning upon him. His lips spread into a toothy grin. "I wouldn't get any bigger because I don't need to be any bigger than a pony to live with you girls."
"That's right!" agreed Twilight, nodding eagerly.
"Then I wouldn't ever have to leave Ponyville. I could stay here my whole life."
"And think of what it would mean for you and Apple Bloom," added Twilight.
Spike nodded, tears forming in his eyes. Though they weren't completely certain of the results of Twilight's research, it was hopeful news indeed. Twilight quickly swept her faithful assistant up into a hug, which Spike enthusiastically returned.
Rarity was amazed...No! Amazed didn't quite cover it. She was overjoyed. Flaxseed had said that he was good with numbers, but she had never once realized that he was this good. She had done her own finances and budgets for as long as she could remember, ever since she'd opened her own store. It was the dirty, unpleasant side to running her own business. Sadly, Rarity couldn't spend all her time immersed in a world of fabulous artistry. Materials cost money. There were utility costs, the mortgage, and taxes...oh yes, there probably wasn't a pony in all of Equestria who enjoyed taxes, even though they were a necessary evil. Every year, she had to give up hours, even days of her precious time to work an abacus, calculate percentages, figure out how much she owed and how much she had to work with afterwards. Sadly, Rarity's gift and enthusiasm for numbers both began and ended with physical measurements.
But Flaxseed had barely taken a day to go over her books. In short order, he'd found and corrected several errors in her work, a few of which would actually make her eligible for a refund on her taxes this coming year. He'd looked over the payment plans for her materials, budgeted out her utility costs, and other sundry expenditures. After going through them, he'd recalculated and, so far, he'd managed to put nearly thee-thousand bits back into Rarity's figurative coffers.
"This is incredible!" she gasped as she looked up from the papers that Flaxseed had set in front of her, "I'm so grateful to you."
"It was the least I could do," said the gold-colored stallion with a shrug.
There was no denying that he was a sight better than when Rarity had first seen him. His appearance had obviously improved after the first bath and, with regular hygiene, it was only getting better. His mane was still looking a bit ragged and uneven. But, even though it made Rarity grit her teeth to see it, she wasn't about to suggest that the stallion put himself in the hooves of another pony wielding sharp objects, like a barber. That was a disaster waiting to happen.
He looked healthier as well. Rarity remembered Fluttershy's stories about Dawn's dreadful, lean appearance when she'd first taken him in, fresh out of the Everfree Forest. Flaxseed hadn't been as bad, but the shadows under his eyes from a lack of proper sleep and the slight jitter that came with a constant case of nerves were slowly beginning to fade away.
And then there was his attitude. When he'd first come into the house, the stallion was incredibly cautious about everything he did. He always hesitated, peeking around a room before entering. He still visibly flinched whenever another pony tried to initiate physical contact with him, even Rarity herself. However, now Flaxseed entered and left rooms without pause. He moved with a great deal more confidence. On the other hoof, he rarely went out and, on the few occasions that he did, he never strayed far from the Boutique, perhaps going as far as the library or the teahouse next door, but never any farther...on his own at least. If Rarity or Sweetie Belle were willing to go with him, he would range wherever they were willing to escort him to. But he was always careful to try and not inconvenience his hosts.
"You shouldn't sell yourself short, darling," said Rarity, "You truly have a gift for this sort of thing." She opened her mouth to lament the fact that he had never gone to trade school, but thought better of it when she remembered why he hadn't.
"I wish there was some way I could show my gratitude," she said.
"It's really okay," said Flaxseed, stepping back a little from Rarity's enthusiasm, "You've already given me everything: a place to stay, food, any bits I need..." Flaxseed felt particularly guilty about that last part. Having no gainful employment of his own meant that he was completely dependent on Rarity and her friends when it came to anything money related. He would have looked for a job, but simply setting hoof outside of the Boutique without Rarity or Sweetie Belle was a trial. It was an island of peace and stability in an otherwise chaotic and dangerous world for Flaxseed. Strangely, it had felt easier to venture out of his place of residence when he was less certain that he was truly safe there.
The last part of his statement seemed to have clicked with Rarity though, as her eyes widened. "That's it!" she exclaimed, nearly making the jittery stallion fall over backwards, "This is perfect!"
"What is it?" asked Flaxseed.
Rarity favored him with a positively radiant smile. "You can work for me," she said, "Based on the amount of money you've saved me, I've more than enough to pay you a wage, with an adjustment for room and board." She gave him a wink at the last part. "It seems I could use an accountant if I'm having so much trouble managing my money."
For a moment, Flaxseed was silent, shocked by Rarity's willingness to employ him. Sure, he'd been staying in the Carousel Boutique for the past couple of weeks. But he'd only really thought of it as a temporary thing before now. He'd offered to go over Rarity's books as a gesture of gratitude. But now she was offering him a place to work, even including the room he'd been staying in and the food he'd been eating as part of the compensation.
In short, the temporary thing was becoming less temporary.
Even though he'd never been one to turn down a job, Flaxseed hesitated. Rarity was slowly, gently cajoling him into letting down his guard, opening him up to the possibility of being hurt once more. All the good things that had been happening to him lately seemed, by and large, too good to be true.
What if... he wondered, What if it ends up being like Camellia all over again?
Flaxseed froze for a second before vigorously shaking his head. Stop that! Don't think about her again!
He looked at Rarity, who had been watching him patiently, waiting for his answer. His hesitation had been more than apparent to her. But still, she made no comment and waited silently for his response. She knew that this would be a difficult decision for the stallion to make. It meant investing more of his trust in her than before. Something was clearly bothering Flaxseed, but she knew better than to pry at the moment.
Finally, Flaxseed made up his mind. "Th-thank you...I-I'd like that," he said slowly.
"I'm glad to hear that," said Rarity. She slowly held up a hoof to the stallion. "Welcome to your new job then."
Flaxseed smiled back and reached up to take her hoof in his.
Dawn and Scootaloo took a moment to shed their coats and scarves at the door and hang them up, shaking the remaining snow out of their manes and tails as they did so. Their breaths escaped in short pants as their previous exertions had caught up to them. They'd been playing hard through the afternoon, exchanging volleys of snow, practicing both offense and defense. It had been hard, but fun.
Naturally, Scootaloo had gotten the worst of it. Given Dawn's greater practice and experience, she'd been no real match for him, especially once he'd started launching multiple snowballs at her simultaneously. However, she hadn't gone down without a fight and had managed to land some good hits of her own.
Still, by the end of it, both of them had had more than enough of the play as snow managed to get underneath their coats and up against their fur, where it melted and turned into chilly water. As the sun slowly began to dip towards the western horizon, Dawn and Scootaloo had returned to Caramel's house.
After getting out of their wet winter wear, the two foals moved to the living room. Dawn stacked some logs in the fireplace and set it alight with a bolt of lightning. Once the fire was crackling merrily, he and Scootaloo got some cushions together and laid them out on the floor. Dawn then went to a closet and pulled out a throw-blanket. The two of them laid together, side by side and Dawn wrapped the blanked around them, carefully making sure that the edges were a safe distance from the flames. Beneath the blanket, Dawn extended his wing and wrapped it around Scootaloo, gently pulling her up against him so that the two were snuggled together, warming up with the combined heat of their own bodies as the warmth of the fire seeped in from outside.
With a soft sigh, Scootaloo dropped her head onto the pillow. A few seconds later, Dawn's joining her so that they rested their cheeks together. "Have fun?" asked the orange filly softly.
"Yes," replied Dawn, "It's been a long time since I've been able to do that with somepony."
"Did you do it with your Master?"
"Not exactly," said Dawn, "We never played with snowballs, but we used to spar often. This was good training for you."
"You said that before," said Scootaloo, glancing sidelong at her coltfriend.
"Because it is," said Dawn, "Each snowball is different, from how it's packed to its shape and weight, all the little things that change how you have to use the wind on it if you want to throw it without blowing it to pieces. It's the kind of control you need to develop in order to avoid hurting others unnecessarily. We could easily spar for real now and you wouldn't have to worry about accidentally hurting me by using too much power...not that you'd have to worry about that anyway."
"You really think so?" asked Scootaloo, feeling a little nervous, in spite of Dawn's assurances.
Dawn nodded, a gesture that Scootaloo felt more than she saw. "Soon, we'll do some measured sparring."
"What's that?"
"I'll explain when we start," replied Dawn, "Just as it was with the rocks and the snowballs, the purpose it to learn how to moderate your power. It's actually one of the first things my Master did with me when we moved into more advanced training."
"Cool," said Scootaloo, pausing as she yawned sleepily. The warmth and the feeling of Dawn lying up against her were lulling her into a doze. She didn't think she'd be feeling up to conversing for much longer.
Dawn apparently felt the same, squirming to snuggle up a bit closer to her. Scootaloo moved her head to the side, levering Dawn's chin upwards so that she could rest her head across his forelegs. With a smile, Dawn rested his head atop hers and the two of them fell into a light doze in front of the crackling fire.
Shortly thereafter, the door opened and Fluttershy stepped into the house. She was carrying saddlebags loaded down with groceries. On the way to the kitchen, she noticed the two foals asleep in front of the fireplace. The sight of them made the canary-colored pegasus squeal happily. She quickly went to drop the groceries off in the kitchen before rushing upstairs to get something from the room she shared with Caramel. Coming down, Fluttershy quickly lifted the camera she brought, using her wings to steady her body so that she could aim the lens properly. With a soft click, the image was preserved forever.
They look so cute together, thought Fluttershy happily as she went to put the camera back.
Flitter hated working with snow clouds. Certainly, snow was pretty and the sight of Ponyville after a good, long snowstorm that she'd helped to shape was a rewarding one, but she still hated snow clouds. The insulated mitts over her forehooves offered only so much protection against the chilly masses of moisture. After hours spent hauling the clouds to their destination, setting them into position, and adjusting them so that the snowfall would last just the right amount of time, the cold slowly seeped in through the fabric of the mitts, gradually numbing her hooves. Over time, the chill traveled further up her forelegs. The work never seemed to end until right before she was on the verge of getting frostbite.
To make matters worse, this was the kind of job Flitter was good at. The dragonflies on her flank marking her skill at fluttering about, moving with precision and care, setting up everything exactly where it needed to be. It was one of the reasons Rainbow Dash had always given her so much responsibility with storms like this one, where everything needed to be just right. And Flitter loved seeing the final product of her effort, watching the snow fall down outside the home she shared with her sister and Thunderlane, warming her hooves around a cup of hot chocolate or maybe a warm cider.
But she still hated having to move the snow clouds.
Her body was beginning to shiver as the cold built up. She was lucky her shift was nearly over. While she might have been tempted to break off her work and find a way to let the last few minutes trickle away, the grayish-purple mare was determined to put forth her best efforts. She had her pride as a key member of the Ponyville Weather Team. So, she simply continued doing her job as the feeling in her hooves gradually faded away altogether.
Setting yet another cloud into place, Flitter was almost feeling too cold to even notice the gentle tapping on her shoulder. Turning around, her eyes widened as she saw Storm Front, hovering there quietly.
"Our time's up," he said softly, "Let's go back."
The dark, cloud-colored stallion slowly led Flitter down out of the clouds and towards his house. Flitter had been spending a great deal of time there lately. Though he was quiet and not overly talkative, it was nice to simply relax with him, basking in a comfortable silence that neither of them felt the need to fill. It was a nice contrast to the somewhat noisy atmosphere of Flitter's home, where Cloud Chaser was constantly bantering with Thunderlane, always filling the background with noise. Perhaps that was why Flitter and Rumble got along so well. Thunderlane's little brother wasn't nearly as talkative or noisy as Thunderlane himself. It was one of the reasons Flitter never minded looking after him whenever Thunderlane and Cloud Chaser went out on one of their dates.
Storm opened the door to his home to let them both in. Flitter went through the door first, diving out of the cold as the stallion closed the door behind them. Going through the house, he turned on the lights before turning his attention to the fireplace, where the embers of the fire he'd started earlier in the morning still glowed. A heavy mesh grate hung across the entrance, keeping sparks from escaping outwards. Pulling the grate aside, Storm Front laid down some fresh logs and carefully blew on the embers, rekindling the flames to start the fire anew.
Meanwhile, Flitter stripped out of her coat and hung up her scarf. She took off her boots and mitts, letting them stand off to one side of the door, where nopony would trip over them. Her forehooves were so numb that it was difficult for her to keep her balance as she made her way into the living room. The interior of Storm Front's house was cool, but not cold, as some of the residual heat from the fire Storm Front had lit in the morning still lingered.
Flitter shivered as she settled herself down on some cushions set out near the fireplace. She held her forehooves up to the small flames licking up, trying her best to get warmed as the fire gathered momentum.
"Here, let me see." Storm Front settled next to her and gently turned Flitter to face him.
He picked up a poker from the fireplace and began to feel around near the base of the flames. Using the poker, he levered a small, oval-shaped stone, from the flames.
"What's that?" asked Flitter, gazing at the unassuming rock. Even though it had been pulled out from under the embers, it showed no signs of charing from the fire's heat.
Without any hesitation whatsoever, Storm Front picked it up with his bare hooves, prompting a gasp from Flitter. However, there was no indication that Storm Front was being burned in the slightest. Instead, he gently pressed the stone up against one of her hooves.
It was cool to the touch at first. But, within a few seconds, it grew warm against Flitter's fur, the heat seeming to stream out of the stone and into the skin beneath it. It flowed into her, chasing the cold numbness out of her forehoof, slowly coaxing it back to life. Flitter let out a quivering sigh. "Ohhhh...that feels wonderful."
Storm Front smiled and transferred the stone to Flitter's other hoof, warming it as well. Once Flitter's hooves were fully thawed and warmed, Storm Front once again placed the stone in the fireplace and used the poker to push it down underneath the logs and the still-burning ashes.
"Where did you get that?" asked Flitter as she and the stallion cuddled up together. She tucked herself beneath his wing and nuzzled up against his shoulder.
"Twilight Sparkle made it for me," explained Storm, "After the first snowfall, when I found out about how your hooves get cold easily, I asked her help. She's laid some spells into the stone. It stores heat from the fire and then releases it when its pressed up against a pony's body. What's more, the inlaid spells direct the flow of the heat so that it can thoroughly warm the body more efficiently."
"That's amazing," said Flitter, "You did that for me?"
"Well, Twilight Sparkle did most of the work," said Storm, looking away, seeming a bit embarrassed.
Flitter giggled lightly and nuzzled his mane. "But you asked her because you were thinking about me. Thank you so much."
Storm's lips curled up into a small, subtle smile. "It was the least I could do. You accepted me, even though I lied to you about my reasons for being in Ponyville, even though I lied to you about what I am, even though you know what I am."
Flitter sighed. "Of course I accepted you," she said, "I like you because I know what you are." Leaning over, she kissed Storm lightly on the cheek. "You're a good pony. To me, it doesn't matter what job you have. You're a good pony who fights to make sure that everypony else is safe and happy. What's not to like?"
Storm chuckled. It was a rare sound coming from the normally taciturn stallion. "I suppose, when you put it like that, I can't argue."
The two ponies stepped off the train and onto the platform. Casting their eyes around, they surveyed the scenery of Ponyville in winter, taking in the sight of the snow covering the ground. Even now, the pegasi were beginning to move the clouds into position for another storm, this one a bit lighter than the last one.
Looking at one another, they nodded before taking to the air, their flight taking them up above the level of the clouds. The setting sun hadn't reached the horizon and still shined brightly across the assembled cloudscape, giving the impression that the two pegasi were flying above a fluffy gray carpet. With the sun shining freely, the air above was considerably warmer than below. Of course, with the clouds serving as a barrier, it was almost impossible to navigate across Ponyville, since none of its landmarks were visible from this altitude.
However, that was not an issue for these two pegasi, as they knew exactly where they were heading without having to consult a map. It wasn't long before they dipped their flight, swooping down below the clouds. In the course of their soaring flight, they'd passed the limits of the town proper and were now over the outskirts. Their path took them down towards a small cottage standing a short distance away from one of Equestria's most dangerous forests.
Their shadows crossed over the small bridge that ran over the brook that ran in front of the cottage, over the front yard, before they alit on the steps leading up to the front door. For a moment, they stood there, eyeing the cottage carefully. The building was dark and empty-looking, with no obvious signs of life.
The mare took a step forward, eying the house a little nervously. "Don't you think it's a little late to be coming here. If the lights are out, she must be in bed already."
The stallion snorted softly. "I doubt it. It's still early in the evening. She must be out with her friends."
"But what about...him?" The mare glanced nervously at the stallion. "Do you think he's here?"
"Let's find out," said the stallion before raising a hoof and rapping it against the door.
They waited several minutes, but there was no response from within the silent cottage. "Maybe they went out together," the mare suggested.
"Maybe," replied the stallion, continuing to survey the door.
"Come on, let's go check in at the inn," said the mare, slowly tugging the stallion away from the door, "Who knows, we may see them in town."
"Maybe," said the stallion hesitantly. The two of them began to make their way down the path out of the yard. As they did, his eyes fell on the mailbox and he noticed something. "Look!"
The red flag that normally indicated outgoing mail had been raised. However, a blue clip had been attached to it. It was an item used by ponies to provide an easy visual indicator that the mailbox's owner was going to be away for an extended period.
"She went on vacation?" asked the mare.
"Maybe," said the stallion, moving to the mailbox. Since boxes so marked wouldn't hold any mail while the clip was attached to the flag, the owner could easily leave information pertaining to where she would be while she was away. The stallion opened the box and wasn't at all surprised to see a note containing an address. "It says she's going to be staying there for the season," he said.
"Out of town?"
"No, it's in town. She must be spending the season with one of her friends."
"I suppose that makes sense," said the mare as the stallion slid the note back into the box and closed it, "Should we go and try to find it?"
"Let's go to the inn first," said the stallion, "We may have to look around a little and I want to make sure we have a room before anything else."
The two of them took to the air and were soon winging their way swiftly back into town.
Fluttershy set down the mug of warm cider she'd been drinking with a happy sigh as she lounged on the living room, snuggled up against Caramel, the two of them facing the crackling fire. From the kitchen came the sound of clinking plates and running water as Dawn and Scootaloo cleaned the dishes after dinner, the two of them having volunteered so that the adults could relax together.
In the past, Fluttershy would have been extraordinarily worried about letting Scootaloo anywhere near anything breakable. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were notorious to the point that it was easier to ask what kind of object they hadn't broken yet. However, much like her other friends, Scootaloo's experience at the teahouse had helped to teach her the dexterity and patience necessary to handle most crockery without breaking it. Fluttershy wouldn't be letting the filly touch Caramel's fine china anytime soon, but Scootaloo and Dawn could be trusted with their current task.
Caramel had been reading. However, as the sound of dishes continued from the kitchen, he looked up at Fluttershy. "So..." he said, "Hearth's Warming is coming soon. Have you thought about what you want?"
"Um well...not really..." admitted Fluttershy sheepishly. It was something that embarrassed her a little. She always tended to wait until the last minute to figure out what she wanted for Hearth's Warming, frustrating her friends to no end when they rarely had any idea what to shop for. Granted, there were any number of items that they could probably pick out themselves, but that sometimes carried the risk of getting something that Fluttershy already had. She had the same problem with her birthdays as well. "What about you?" she asked, hoping to deflect the question for the time being.
"Um...same thing..." said Caramel, his blush now mirroring Fluttershy's own, "Besides, I got what I really wanted this season." He leaned in and gently kissed Fluttershy right behind the base of her ear, making her giggle.
"Oh you," she said, gently smacking the back of his head with her wing, "If I was Rainbow Dash, I would've said that was very cheesy."
"Yeah, but you're not Rainbow," replied Caramel with a sly smile.
"No, I'm not," agreed Fluttershy, her smile matching his, "Which is why I think that's sweet." They leaned in and pressed their lips together into a kiss.
"Dishes are done," announced Scootaloo, trotting into the room as Caramel and Fluttershy pulled apart, "Now what?" She and Dawn could always join Caramel and Fluttershy lounging in front of the fire. But she'd had enough lounging for the day, thanks to the nap she'd taken with Dawn earlier.
Caramel tapped his chin for a moment before his face lit up. "I've got it!" he exclaimed. He got up and trotted out into the hall, opening the closet. He had to rear up onto his hind legs to reach the shelf at the top of the closet so that he could rummage around. A few minutes later, he returned with a stack of thin, broad boxes. "How about we make it a family game night."
"Oh! That sounds like a wonderful idea!" exclaimed Fluttershy as she got off the couch. She began sorting the cushions, making room for a board game to be set up between the four of them.
"What game should we play?" asked Scootaloo, eyeing the various games, her gaze glancing from one to another.
"Well, nothing too long," said Caramel, picking out a couple of the more complex games and setting them aside, "It's going to start snowing soon and you still have to head home tonight. Should we let Dawn pick?" He looked at the colt.
Dawn blinked and stared at the games, almost uncomprehendingly. Since the bulk of his experiences with his friends had been outdoors, board games were practically a foreign concept to him. "Um..."
"I'll choose," said Scootaloo, immediately noticing Dawn's dilemma.
Though it was something she hadn't played in a while, she chose one of the simplest games from the pile. It was a rather simple game where the pieces moved forward according to the roll of the dice. The pieces traveled along a path of squares that led to the end point, the goal of the game. Some of the squares had instructions that could lead the pieces to either move forward or backwards. There wasn't too much to explain, so they managed to get playing right away and Dawn was able to learn the rules rather easily.
It was then that they discovered one of Dawn's weaknesses. He apparently had horrid luck when it came to games of chance. The colt looked on with consternation as he always rolled low numbers with the dice, only managing to inch his piece forward a few squares at a time and always seeming to land on the penalty squares that sent his piece backwards. Still, he seemed to be having fun overall, even if he was losing as Scootaloo, Caramel, and Fluttershy pulled ahead of him.
As they played, the group chatted, especially about the approaching holiday.
"Have you decided what you want for Hearth's Warming?" asked Fluttershy, looking at her son.
"Want?" asked Dawn, "I'm not sure what you mean."
"For a present," said Scootaloo, "Everypony gets presents on Hearth's Warming."
"They do?" Dawn sat there blinking for a moment.
Caramel rolled the dice and moved his game piece. "Didn't your Master teach you about Hearth's Warming?"
"He did," said Dawn, "I mean, he used to tell me the story behind it and how it was important. But he never mentioned anything like presents."
"Didn't you celebrate it?" asked Fluttershy, her eyes wide.
"Not really," said Dawn, "I remember decorations for it, but we rarely ended up staying in one place long enough to actually do anything like that for ourselves."
"What did your Master teach you about Hearth's Warming?" wondered Caramel.
"Well..." said Dawn, thinking back.
"Is it really so important?" asked Dawn as he and his Master walked down the street, their eyes taking in the colorful garlands and ornaments hanging from nearly every wall and lamppost.
"It is the holiday that celebrates the founding of Equestria," replied his Master cooly. As pegasi went, he was something of an oddity. His pale-cream coat and grayish-white mane were fairly unassuming. However, both of them contrasted sharply against his wings, which were a dark-gray with flecks of pitch black. It was rare for a pegasus to be born with wings of a different color than their coat.
"Is that why it's so important?" wondered Dawn.
"Yes and no," replied Dark Wing, looking down at his pupil, "Technically, Equestria's founding was more of an afterthought to the true significance of the holiday. For, if we had learned the lessons that truly lay at the heart of this celebration, then we ponies would have never needed to come to this land to begin with."
"Because of the Windigos?"
Dark Wing sighed. "Because of their own foolishness. Given what you've learned about the Gale King from me, it's obvious what question must be asked."
Dawn thought it over for a moment. "If the masters of the Three Pillars were so powerful, shouldn't they have been able to drive the Windigoes back?"
"Exactly," said Dark Wing, "This holiday's significance varies from pony to pony. But for ponies like us, those who follow the martial path, it serves as a reminder that force and violence are almost never the best solution to any problem. In fact there are some problems that simply can't be solved with force. The Windigoes are a perfect example of this. They feed upon anger and strife. They are spiritual entities. Even if a true master can void her heart and deal harm to that which has no body, the Windigoes would simply be rejuvenated by the continued animosity between the three tribes.
"In the end, what saved us ponies from the Windigoes was not our magic, nor any form of martial skill. It was us overcoming the divides we had placed between one another, finding peace with each other and building a nation on the basis of union, rather than division."
"So that is the fire of friendship everypony is always singing about," said Dawn.
"More or less," agreed his Master. The stallion looked around. "Come, we need to find shelter for the evening. Your lessons will continue in the morning."
"Huh...that's uh..." Scootaloo wasn't sure she knew what to say as Dawn finished his retelling.
"It's...profound...I suppose," said Caramel. There was something about Dawn's story that made him uneasy, though he couldn't put his hoof on it.
"So...um...was that it?" asked Fluttershy, "You didn't do anything to really celebrate Hearth's Warming, did you?"
"I suppose not," said Dawn.
Fluttershy frowned pensively, not entirely liking it. Dawn had always given very little in the way of details when it came to how he'd interacted with the pony who had essentially raised him. He'd never shared any specific anecdotes before. If this was how Dark Wing treated such a special occasion as Hearth's Warming, then maybe there wasn't all that much to tell.
Hearth's Warming was a time for celebration, to enjoy the winter season in the company of other ponies and freely share affection with one another. While Dawn's eyes could be attributed to the fact that few other ponies had wanted his company over the holiday, he should have, at least, been able to enjoy it with the one pony who actually cared about him. Instead, it seemed that Dawn's only pertinent memories of the day were probably like those of any other day; another lesson to be learned, nothing special at all. The more she learned of Dawn's Master, the sadder she felt. It seemed that Dark Wing's relationship with Dawn was one of cool aloofness, devoid of almost any real expression of affection and care, a relationship between teacher and pupil, rather than something closer to father and son. In many ways, the flat, bland stoicism that Dawn had exhibited when she had first met him made more sense now than ever.
In her heart, Fluttershy resolved to find a way to make Dawn's first Hearth's Warming with her as special as she possibly could.
The conversation had to be shelved though, as it and the game were interrupted by a knocking at the door.
"I'll get it," said Caramel, getting up and stretching his legs. He opened the door and peered out at the two ponies waiting at the step. "Can I help you two?"
The mare and the stallion at the door shared a confused glance before turning back to look at the tan stallion. "I'm sorry," said the mare, "We must have the wrong address. We're looking for Fluttershy."
"Oh," said Caramel, "No, you have the right address." He blinked and took a closer look at the couple. The mare's coat was a familiar pale-yellow and her mane, that same light pink color. The stallion's coat was an icy gray with a light-blue mane. His dark-green eyes met Caramel's and narrowed with suspicion. Backing away from the intensity of the stallion's stare, Caramel looked over his shoulder. "Uh...'Shy...I think it's for you."
"Oh?" Fluttershy got up and made her way to the door. As she stepped around Caramel, her eyes widened when she saw the two ponies waiting outside for her. "Mom...Dad...?"
It's the moment quite a few of you have been asking about...next time.
Today was something else, particularly since it's actually been one long day since yesterday. We got up yesterday morning, gathered up our luggage, checked out, spent the whole day wandering around the Big Island, visiting all sorts of fun spots in the midst of a near continuous downpour (thank you Hurricane Ana). Still, a Hawaiian rainstorm isn't as bad as some rainstorms, especially when it's not full-blown monsoon level rain. It felt kinda nice. But, all good things must come to an end, so we boarded our flight to the mainland...at 10:00 in the evening, flew across the Pacific to Phoenix before catching our connecting flight back to Denver...during which, I didn't sleep a single wink. I don't know how some people can doze or even sleep on those flying sardine cans. I certainly can't. As a consequence, I've been up for over 24 hours, with only a light nap to sustain me when I got back home. Fortunately, I think I can get back into the groove of things pretty quickly, so there shouldn't be any further delays in updates until the next...thing...comes along, whatever it may be.
Next chapter: Which is more terrifying, Dawn meeting his grandparents...or Caramel meeting the ponies who might become his in-laws someday?
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Dragons being unconscious shapeshifters would explain a lot, and it would help with the living space, etc., like Twilight said. Camellia broke his heart, didn't she? Flitter and Storm Cloud are being adorable. Hard to say. First comment!
..I think the two are going to be very critical of both Dawn and Caramel. Probably being a bit on the stupid side as to Dawn's past.
Told it!
I think now it will be a special Hearts Warming Eve^^
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Curious... since dragons are shapeshifters, can they also be biologically compatible to ponies?
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Im calling it now at least one of her parents is or was a member of cult solar. Id have to say caramell is going to have a much harder time than dawn especially when he inadvertently calls caramell dad in front of them prompting the response of a loud resounding WHAAAAAT! while fluttershy either comes clean or tries to hide under the closest bed.
my second prediction is that her parents are tribalists and take offence to a mere earth pony thinking he had the right to date their daughter.
on a side note bring on the feels i can take it!
5163026
If they were tribalists... Fluttershy will not be happy. And if there cult members... Beware of the Dawn. If their nonot either... Caramel is still in trouble
She wasn't to move from her spot
I asked for her help
Well... this is going to be interesting. Hmm, seems they, or at least her father, harbours some doubts about Dawn.
5162958 shape not genome size yes species no
Oh man, this chapter. Those fireplace scenes with Dawn and Scoots and then Flitter and Storm Front...
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On an unrelated note, I know exactly what you mean about sleeping planes and the exhaustion felt from flying long distance and the exhaustion felt from a long period of traveling without sleep. I think my record is about 36 hours with only a few very light, exhaustion fueled naps for one very long trip overseas.
Awesome cliffhanger.
Darkwing and Fluttershy would have gotten along well I think
5162958 It's fully possible that with both ponies and dragons being as inherently magical as they are that their inborn magic could stabilize the zygote and allow for viable offspring.
5163686
it would be interesting... especially if some ponies find the offspring an abomination
to
_______________
I can sleep in air planes for two reasons.
1) If on the rare chance the plane explodes or crashes, I'd rather go peacefully in my sleep rather stressed out over panicking people. I mean if it's a person's time, it's there time, best to just chill and let go, rather than freak out over something you have no control over.
and
2) Sleeping makes your body relaxed. If you're going to make a hard fall, being relaxed = less damage [at least a higher % chance] than being tense. Well that and some luck [I saw clips where a person survived jumping out a plane when the parachute failed to work].
So yeah, sleep is a good choice for me at least. Anywho glad you had fun. And this was a cool chapter. Thanks for making it.
5163716 Well, maybe it exactly is where the Eyes come from...
Imo, if dragon adapts oneself to where one lives, one may also adapt one's reproductive system, no?
By the way, I wonder what the tribalists would say about a hybrid? Are there any dragon tribalists? (or rather racists?)
5163905
no idea
5163905 kill it with fire?
So everyday I read a chapter at work and between first break and lunch I get done with it so thanks for the amazing entertainment.
So this chapter was hilarious because I could've sworn those were assassins (still not sure) and hopefully everything goes good next chapter.
So its a role reversal for Flax and Rarity. In the comic, shes the one helping him with his business.
5164040 but it's part dragon so wouldn't it be resistant or immune to fire?
5164824 liquid nitrogen? force it into hibernation permanently?
Hints of his past. Nice.
5163716 Look up the term "Kirin" or "Ki-Rin" on Google and you should have a pretty good idea what we're looking at here.
5166125
If that does happen...
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I am loving this.
Ah, and old moguera favorite! The cliff-hanger! Glad to see you haven't lost your touch yet, eh?
I'll be perfectly honest here... I thought that the two pegasi that got off the train where Dawn's parents.... I guess I was sorta on the right track with the whole parent thing....
Now I am wondering what Dawn's reaction would be for actually meeting his biological parents.... Would he be able to keep his cool.... probably not....
Hmm, Fluttershy does have a rather nontraditional family going here, wonder how the parents will react?
I just can't picture Dark Wing as aloof. DarkWing Duck, eccentric as he is, really cares about his adopted daughter Gosalyn; I just can't see a pegasus named after him acting so cold. Then again, Dark Wing is actually competent, whereas DarkWing Duck, well... not so much.
I have this weird headcanon that Dark Wing went to fight the head of the Cult Solar, and in the fight succumbed to mind control and lost his wings... becoming Terra Heart. But that's probably just a ridiculous conspiracy theory... right?
5181121
I'm not going to say it's impossible, but very unlikely. Terra is a renowned master of Mountain Root, which is dramatically different from Gale King. Plus Arkenstone has heard of him. I don't remember how long exactly, but Dark Wing has only been "dead" a year or two I think. Not nearly long enough to become a renowned master of a whole new art. Then again, some crazy shenanigans could have been pulled and you could be right.
*drops plate in shock*........well, this is awkward.
Dun Dun Dun indeed my small rodent friend
When somebody you don't know glares at you for mentioning your girlfriend is living at your house and mention their name, you know that you're talking to their parents.
I have the same issue with bus travel actually.
I am extremely surprised you used the clip from The Croods instead of this one.
Give it a few minutes