Love Hungry

by helmet of salvation

6. Tetchy beast

"If only I'd talked with you all before now. I could have figured out what was wrong in time to deal with it. Oh, but of course I didn't want to talk with any of you, did I? In the end, I didn't want anything to do with you. That's what makes the whole thing so insidious.

"It started with little things. Like when we got that message about the siege at the Crystal Empire. You were all hoping the crystal ponies and Shining Armor and everypony else would be all right, and my only thought was, oh great, now we have to deal with the changelings on our own. I figured it was just shock. Then it happened more often, these little lapses in empathy, and I thought it was just stress bringing my old antisocial self out again and I was too embarrassed to talk about it anyway. By the time I realised it wasn't stress, I didn't care enough to do anything about it.

"Now look at me. A changeling, or possibly even more than one, has drained so much love from me that I hardly care about my best friends and I don't have a clue how those monsters are getting under my guard. A fat lot of good my pretty little speech at the town hall did me."

As Twilight summarised her experiences over the last few days her flat, morose tone punctured her friends' hearts more deeply than a river of tears. Yet they were not about to let this development get the best of them, especially not with their friend in trouble.

"We ain't licked yet, Twi," spurred Applejack. "At least we know they're targetin' yuh. We can get Princess Luna back and set to flushin' 'em out. Yew'll come up with a plan, ah know it."

Twilight shook her head. "First things first. We can't afford to wait any longer for that love wave. We need to go to the Crystal Empire and help rout that dragon ASAP."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Rainbow Dash flew between Twilight and the front door, and held up her forehooves in a 'stop' gesture. "Princess Celestia told us to stay here and protect Ponyville from the changelings."

"We couldn't even protect me from the changelings. That horse has bolted, Rainbow Dash. We have to escalate. Now."

Fluttershy gaped in surprise. "You'd disobey a directive from the princess?"

It was an unfortunate choice of words. Twilight narrowed her eyes at the timid pegasus. "'The princess'? 'The princess'? Need I remind you that I am a princess? Not a sub-princess, not a vice-princess, not a junior princess. A princess. And I rather think I've earned the right to exercise a little initiative, considering the number of times I've saved those other princesses' hindquarters."

Twilight's friends were staggered. True, on more than one occasion it had fallen to Twilight to rescue Equestria from dire situations while her fellow princesses were in no position to help; and, yes, even rescue said princesses themselves. Yet she had never betrayed the slightest condescension nor disrespect to any of them. Certainly not to Celestia, for whom she always had the utmost reverence. Twilight's condition was looking ever more serious.

Spike stammered, "But-but-but are you sure you're in the right frame of mind to make that kind of decision?"

Twilight pondered this question for a moment then defiantly responded, "Why not? My intellect is as sharp as ever. Maybe I can make even smarter decisions, now that my mind isn't so cluttered with sentiment." She turned towards the door, only to yelp in alarm as Pinkie Pie, who had been back with the other ponies not a second ago, suddenly appeared without warning, wearing a baleful expression, in front of her.

"Twilight, that is the craziest thing I've ever heard. And I've heard myself. A lot."

Before the annoyed alicorn could retort, Rarity marched up and firmly put in her two bits' worth. "A second ago you reminded us that you are a princess and you've saved Equestria time and again. Well, need I remind you, Princess Twilight Sparkle, that your 'sentimentality', of which you speak so derisively, has played an integral part in every step of your journey? That love wave you're so desperate to unleash? The one that defeated the changelings at Canterlot? You wouldn't even know about it had you not given Shining Armor and Cadance one last precious moment together when all hope seemed lost. What chance would you have stood against Nightmare Moon, or Discord, had you not understood the meaning and value of true friendship? What chance would you have stood against Lord Tirek, had you not shown friendship and grace towards the most undeserving wretch in all Equestria? And if it weren't for your appreciation of what our friendship means to each other, you certainly wouldn't be a princess. You'd still be holed up in your bedroom feeling sorry for yourself, while we five ground Ponyville into the dirt, trying to fulfil each others' destinies that you and your intellect had mixed up in the first place."

"All right, all right," Twilight shouted. "You've made your point. But if it's true that I can't be what I need to be without love, then it's even more crucial that I get to the Crystal Empire. Cadance is the only one who can restore my love. And she and Shining Armor are the only ones who can save Ponyville from the changelings. I've got a dragon to fight. Who's with me?"

Rainbow Dash hated leaving Ponyville behind but bringing the love wave forward did seem like the better long-term option. Also, she felt compelled to help Princess Celestia and the Crystal Empire. What was more, Twilight was still her friend even if she wasn't acting very friendly. She flew to the purple pony's side. "I'm in."

"Me too." Spike waddled determinedly to his mistress. "I don't know what I can do but whatever it is, I'll do it."

Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity quickly followed suit. Twilight gave a resolute smile. "Excellent. I'll notify the mayor. The rest of you, go make your preparations and meet back here in half an hour. Make sure you don't give away too much about what's happened to me. We don't want to cause any panic."

Half an hour later, the ponies had reconvened at the Friendship Castle and Twilight had magically scanned them to ensure none of them were changelings. Yet there was still no sign of Fluttershy.

Twilight scowled impatiently. "This is ridiculous! We don't have time for delays. What could be taking her so long?"

Pinkie Pie spoke up. "Wait, did she even agree to come?"

Within minutes, the ponies were at Fluttershy's cottage. Twilight hammered at the front door. "Fluttershy, we know you're in there. You're not chickening out of this. The future of Equestria is at stake. Open this door or I'll——"

Before the princess could reveal her intentions, the door opened to reveal not Fluttershy but a brown bear, a wolverine, a billy goat and a bald eagle perched on one of the goat's large, curved horns. The creatures stared uninvitingly at the ponies, who stepped back in instinctive fear.

Except for Rainbow Dash, who took one look and zipped out of sight.

And Pinkie Pie, who broke into a broad, cheerful, ingratiating smile. "Hi, woodland critters. We're here to pick up Fluttershy. Is she ready yet?"

The bear emitted a low, aggressive rumble.

"No? That's okay, we can wait a while," replied the unfazed pink pony.

With her vast array of potent magic spells, Twilight Sparkle had dealt with more formidable creatures than these. Quickly summoning her courage, she stood directly in front of the doorway, braced herself, pointed her spiralled horn at the animals and sternly called out: "Fluttershy, call off your critters right now, or I won't be responsible for aaaaaaaaah! No! Snake! Get it away from me!" Screaming like a little filly, Twilight jumped clear onto Applejack's crest, her legs wrapped like slap bands around the bemused earth pony's face, and fearfully watched the tree snake's sinuous approach along the cottage floor to the threshold.

A noisy commotion from within the cottage interrupted the confrontation. Sounds of hooves trampling and various wooden furnishings being knocked over culminated in a piercing whistle fast approaching the ponies.

"Found her," Rainbow Dash's voice announced. Of course she had not deserted her friends: she had merely darted around the cottage until she located an unlocked, unguarded entrance. Once inside, she conducted a none-too-gentle search for Fluttershy and soon discovered the poor pony hiding under her bed. The whistling was in fact Fluttershy crying out in terror as Rainbow Dash carried her speedily through the air, back towards Friendship Castle.

Twilight telekinetically slammed the door shut and signalled for her flightless friends to gallop away. Instantly, the door burst back open and a motley menagerie of critters swarmed out of the cottage, intent on rescuing their beloved steward. A ball of white light grew from the tip of Twilight's horn and the fleeing ponies disappeared.

Without Fluttershy's guidance, the animals baulked at venturing deeply into the ponies' developed habitat to conduct a search. They returned defeatedly to the cottage to wait for her return.

* * *

"Of course I know how vital this mission is," whimpered Fluttershy, "but it's a dragon, Twilight. A dragon. I'll be nothing but a burden to you."

"Nonsense. You've acted in spite of your fear in the past."

"That doesn't mean I can do it again." Fluttershy's fear of dragons was not the wary, respectful awe that all sensible ponies held towards the gigantic predators. It was a phobia: a crippling, mind-snapping pathology as impervious to reason as a slab of concrete.

Rainbow Dash joined Twilight in her attempts to bolster Fluttershy's fragile resolve. "What if one of us gets hurt? That'll snap you out of your funk smart enough. You'll fly right up to that sucker and put him in his place, just like you've done before."

"Rainbow Dash, this dragon isn't curled up asleep in a cave. He's fighting a full-scale battle. You could get ..." A strangled sob escaped from Fluttershy's throat as she contemplated the awful possibility: "... more than just hurt. And if that happens, the only things I'll be putting in any place will be flowers on your resting place."

Rainbow Dash glided closer to the cowering Fluttershy and urged her ever harder, "Come on, Fluttershy, we need you. Equestria needs you. You have to help".

"Hold on a second there, Rainbow." Applejack stepped protectively in front of Fluttershy. "If Fluttershy doesn't think she's up to it then maybe it'd be better if she did stay behind. Keep an ah on things while we're gone."

"But we're friends," protested Pinkie Pie. "We're a team. We have to stick together."

"Not if it means coercion," Rarity pointed out.

Rainbow, Rarity and the two earth ponies promptly started arguing insistently and at length, talking over the top of each other. Fluttershy shrank down even further, looking more and more indecisive as well as ashamed for being so afraid and causing so much trouble. Twilight could see this was getting nowhere.

"QUIET!"

The bickering ponies fell silent. Doing her best to come across as firm but not intimidating, Twilight walked towards the pale yellow pegasus. "Fluttershy, whether you come with us or stay behind is entirely up to you, but we need a decision now. Which is it to be?"

"Um, well, you see, um——"

"No ums. No excuses. Just tell us if you're coming. Straight answer: yes or no."

"No."

"Horse apples. You're coming."

* * *

Shining Armor and Cadance drew their flushed, straining bodies tight together, the power of their combined mutual love converting into badly-needed reinforcement for their magical barrier. The crystal ponies desperately tried to boost their own communal will so as to power the Crystal Heart if required, which was looking increasingly likely.

The dragon was concentrating his fiery breath into a straight beam, narrow yet intensely powerful, that was in serious danger of breaching the barrier. He grew excited as he sensed the impact he was having. Unfortunately for him, this mode of firepower was particularly draining. What was more, it meant exposing his flanks and rear to the royal guards for prolonged periods. Individually, their attacks did negligible damage to his tough hide. Over time though, they became increasingly irritating, like a swarm of biting insects that he could not swat or scratch. Still, he persisted with his focused fire, determined that the barrier would break before he did.

Yet it did not. Unable to bear the bombardment of weather elements and magic energy any longer, the dragon whirled around with a bellow of impatience and flew off, scattering the ponies in his path. A little ration break and he'd soon be able to bore his way through that barrier, whatever those pony pests threw at him.

A short flight from the Crystal Empire took him to a range of tall, steep, rocky mountains, large and numerous enough to conceal even his enormous body. It was here that he kept his hoard of gemstones. The stones provided dragons with more than essential minerals and calorific energy. They cleansed, renewed and strengthened the igniferous sacs in their lungs, and replenished and reinforced damaged areas of their scales. Dragons also found them delicious, and easy to chew and digest. Small wonder that the pursuit and collection of gems formed a significant part of their lives.

Following a trail meaningful only to a dragon, the reptile picked his way through the maze of mountains until he reached the one containing his treasure. He climbed towards the cave entrance, his anticipation building, only to discover the real danger of turning his back on his adversaries. Princess Celestia—scorched, bruised, scarred and noticeably hampered in her flight—hovered directly in front of the cave entrance, her spiralled horn angled towards the interior. Two pegasus guards, also bearing visible battle trauma, flanked her. For a scout party had earlier made their way past the dragon to the mountain range, found the larder and reported its location back to Celestia.

One of the guards saw the dragon as soon as he appeared and sounded a whinnying alarm. As the three battered ponies lurched around to flee, the enraged dragon launched a house-sized fireball at them. The ponies dodged the worst of the impact but their eyes were so seared and the ferocious heat inflicted such agony that they could no longer maintain their trajectories. Surrounded on all sides by plumes of smoke and sheer walls, they careened into the mountainsides and skidded down, not stopping until they slammed onto the nearest ledges below.

The dragon gazed aghast at the sight within the cave. Only a few dozen scattered jewels remained of the once-proud hoard he had spent his youth accumulating. Celestia's de-crystallisation spell had reduced the rest to their formative particles. Twitching alarmingly and making unintelligible noises of incredulous horror and misery, the reptile repeatedly dug his fists deep into the mound of sand and soot and watched helplessly as the fine particles sifted through his digits.

Weakly, Celestia lifted her head to take in the pathetic scene. It gave her no pleasure at all to witness this mighty, majestic creature brought down to such an abject state. Yet this was far from the most drastic measure she had employed for the sake of her subjects, as even her own sister knew only too well. In any case, he was still young, by dragon standards. Better he should spend more years rebuilding his treasure than risk obliteration by the Crystal Heart.

"How do you weaken an enemy who is too strong for you?" she asked pensively, by way of explanation. "Cut off their supply lines."

Slowly, the dragon turned his contorted face towards the princess. His expression made it clear that he intended to make her pay dearly for her sabotage. Too badly injured to escape, Celestia aimed her horn, ready to dedicate every sliver of magic power she had left into debilitating the dragon as much as possible until the furious vengeance he was about to unleash finished her for good.

Farewell, dear sister. May you rule with wisdom, righteousness and compassion. Farewell Twilight Sparkle, my faithful pupil. Never stop making me proud.

* * *

Ponyville's station master tried not to stare as Fluttershy, suspended upside-down in mid-air, struggled frantically and uselessly to break free of Twilight Sparkle's telekinetic grip.

"I'm sorry, Princess Twilight. All civilian passenger rail travel to the Crystal Empire is prohibited until further notice. Orders of Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance."

Twilight grunted in frustration—she could hardly overrule two princesses—and started to walk around the station in an effort to jog her mind into devising a plan B. She happened across a poster with a diagram illustrating Equestria's railway network. She intently studied it along with the nearby timetables before returning (with the hapless Fluttershy still trailing like a kite behind her) to her other friends, whom she had teleported with her from their castle.

"Okay, we can't travel to the Crystal Empire directly. We need to change at Manehattan, take the all-stopper on the northern line to Stalliongrad and go the rest of the way under our own steam. It's not ideal but at least it gets us there."

None of her friends were impressed.

"Well whoopie-tah-yo," snorted Applejack. "Ah ain't goin' nowhere wit' yew 'til yew slow down and get a holda yerself, Twilight Sparkle. Yer outta control."

"Out of control?"

The jovial, slightly pompous, disembodied male voice caught Twilight and her friends by surprise and they cast their eyes around for the source.

"Discord?" they chorused.

Comments

[Twilight Shine]

Loven this chapter

[helmet of salvation]

5819303 Thanks for the good word, this chapter has some of my favourite moments too. Hope you enjoy what's to come.