Session 104
Session 104.0 Alex Warlorn
(Continued from 103.9)
"Okay girls... " Sci-Twi said awkwardly, with five of her players role-playing as nudist adventurers (except Pinkie Pie doing a fashion obsessed Exiled Modron). "I guess I can still make this work... You all went to sleep one night .. and you wake up in changes ... With fancy dressed people force you to wear green face paint and put on green pointed costume ears. They ignore any questions you give them... But they do say to you.
"'Now remember! Your job isn't to win! It's to provide a entertaining encounter!"
"Your cages are raised into the hot noonday sun... you find cheap sub-par weapons scattered about in front of you in the dirt. You are surrounded on all sides by tall log fences ending in spikes! And behind the spikes on scaffolds are rich humanoids of all shape, sizes, and races, drow, orcs, ogres, goblins, trolls, gnolls... all dressed like nobility and cheering and hollering as a wild crowd!
"There are wooden gates on each side of you with mechanisms at the top of the two story high log fences manned by beefy but lazy and bored looking guards.
"You hear screams, pleads for mercy, mixed in with happy laughter, playful quips, and badass slogans, silenced with gurgled death cries.
The bored guards pull log gate directly in front of you open.
And you see four finely dressed humanoids...
One is a drow dressed like a stereotypical wizard holding a wand. Another is an orc dressed as a golden fighter. Another is a goblin dressed as a stereotypical thief with a darkhood. And finally a ogre dressed up as a cleric wielding the holy symbol of the false idol of greed often worshiped by aristocrats of the Golden Calf. All of them look like they don't have a spect of dirt on them or ever has.
"All around them are the dead bodies of elves, humans, kobolds, and a real goblin, all dressed up in costume like you armed with similar pathetic weapons."
"WHERE'S OUR EQUIPMENT?" Rainbow Dash demanded.
"You see it right next to the guards who pulled open the gate, it's in a pile with the guards throwing dice to decide who gets what, obviously clueless on what they have their hands on.
"The four 'adventurers' say themselves jovially. 'Ah! What a hard fought fight that way! Now let us quest further into this dark dungeon and take back the sacred goblet that the monsters have stolen from the king and earn our reward!' Says the fighters as he picks up a bag of gold from an unlocked chest. You see a similar chest behind you Sunset, that even without a skill check you can tell it's armed with the most pathetic and harmless trap known to man!
"'Let us see what other dangers await us in this dungeon my friends!' grins the goblin thief noble... "
"OH!" Pinkie Pie said, "My bard character knows what this is! We Monodrons did something similar once! We created a simulated dungeon to try and figure out how they work... though now that I'm disconnected from the hive mind I can see we didn't quiet get the details right."
"Except these nobles are doing it for ENTERTAINMENT!" Sci-Twi said.
"Well I'm not as helpless as I look!" Rainbow Dash said. "By the way as a Warforged I don't sleep!"
"Well, they disabled your stream of consciousness somehow." Sci-Twi said in the 'The DM is alway right' voice.
"... Did they search me for my hidden barbarian axe I keep inside my body?..."
"... Uh... No?"
Rarity asked, "Does my Saluki diamond dog sorceress and Fluttershy's lizard-folk cleric remember our spells?"
Sci-Twi nodded, "Yes, you remember all your prepared spells."
Sunset said, "I shout at the Kobold noble, I exclaim my clan name and demand to be let out or they'll be sorry!"
"... The noble kobold laughs at you, 'None of your clan will ever even know you were here!'"
"So much for all Kobolds are buddies," Rainbow Dash said.
"Oh and you're best friends with all warforged?"
"I sent construction-day cards to those from my assembly forge," Rainbow Dash said.
Applejack said, "Well, my were cat thief has one question... are those guard who have our weapons and equipment paying any attention to us?"
"No. Not in the least. You're already dead to them. But the crowd sure has their eye on you!"
"Dangit!"
"On the bright side, since my armor class comes from my tattoos, I'm not that helpless," Sunset said.
"... The adventure noble walk into the section of their mock-up dungeon, and say to you loudly, 'Halt monster! Let us pass!' And before you can say anything they continue, 'So you will not let us pass?! Then there is only one way! Have at thee!' "
(If anyone wants to write the solution of this first counter, then PLEASE go ahead!)
Session 104.1 Ardashir
In between Tiamat trying to 'fifth column' Ponyville with dragonified ponies and assorted catastrophes, creatures still found time for tabletop roleplaying games. Or at least for the latest craze, magic comics versions of the same.
"Okay!" Gallus said as lesser wraiths, life-draining undead, swarmed around him and his friends. A silvery glow from Ocellus' horn (she played a mage like usual) was holding them back as they confronted the creator of the lesser undead, a mammoth cloud of crimson-eyed black shadows, a vile Dread Wraith. It glared at them in fury, unable to attack until they started the melee. "Ocellus has those other spooks walled off, we've got ghost-touch weapons and force spells..."
"Yona have her axe!" Yona cheerfully waved the massive weapon over the head of her horn-helmed barbarian. "But sometimes Yona thinks she is getting typecast."
"Nah, you're great," Smolder said, spellfire dancing over the claws of her powerful and oh-so elegant sorceress. Sandbar stood beside her, silvery light glittering coldly from the tips of his arrows. Smolder called, "Hey, Silver! You ready to start using your music and buffing us?"
"Uh, in a minute?" As her friends groaned Silverstream furrowed her brow over a scroll they'd picked up. "This says that if we kill the wraith that drained all the rest, they'll be set free..."
"GREAT!" Everyone yelled at once.
"Oo-oo-ooh! Can we do this?" The Dread Wraith sniffed in a hollow and prissy voice. "I have so many things to do today after I turn you into more of my lifeless minions! Let's start the mayhem."
"Your wish is our command!" Gallus slashed into the monster with his enchanted blade. As it howled "Oh, you meanie flesh-bag, you!" he added, "Now nail him!"
Spellfire, silver arrows, a swinging axe, and Ocellus' holy magic lashed out. The Dread Wraith collapsed into itself with a final despairing wail, vanishing from sight. The gathered lesser wraiths shuddered and seemed to look more solid as their creator-destroyer dissolved. The Student Six all cheered, high-hoofing each other, as Silverstream read her scroll and gulped.
"Uh, guys, destroying the main Dread Wraith frees all the others..." she began saying in a nervous voice.
"Yeah, and we did that!" Smolder waved a claw at the wraiths surrounding them. "Uh, you guys can leave now -- Guys?" She gulped as they began creeping closer, grinning evilly.
"You weren't listening!" Silverstream waved her scroll overhead. "It frees the lesser wraiths, by turning all of them into full Dread Wraiths!"
Everyone had just enough time to stare and scream before the life was torn from their bodies.
Moments later, a now-undead and incorporeal Gallus was surrounded by his friends, all in the same condition.
"Okay, okay," he grumbled. "Next time we'll listen to the bard first. And yeesh, is it just me or are these latest magic comics modules pretty undead-heavy?"
Down in the basement of the Friendship School Poncererak cackled, gnashing his fleshless jaws as Discord's conjured brain-eating monsters worked frantically at their typewriters and artist's boards.
"You heard me! We need six more pages for 'Into the Tower of Terror' by six so we can get one of those miserable breathers to mail them off to Manehattan." He turned on his pillow, a new one and well-stuffed, to bare now gold-capped teeth at his reflection in a hideous smile. "I still loathe mortals, but if they're willing to pay me for telling stories about the undead defeating them, I'll gladly take their bits."
Session 104.2 Mtangalion
(with some ideas from Alex)
Diamond Tiara settled into her favorite couch in her favorite room of the house for studying, pulled out her homework assignment... and promptly rolled her eyes. “Write a two page essay about a game that dragons can play but ponies can’t? Real subtle, Miss Cheerilee.” Still, Diamond dipped a quill in ink and got to work. Nopony wanted to hear an excuse like “I got an F because the assignment was stupid.”
“I wonder what it would be like if I did turn into a dragon?” Diamond mused to herself. “Heh. The old me probably would have done it in a heartbeat.” She waved a hoof imperiously. “You have something I don’t? I want it too! And I’m in charge!”
She giggled a bit, then frowned at an inkblot on her paper that resembled a flame-spitting dragon. “So how come I haven’t had any of those ‘greed is good’ dreams? Maybe I’ve already got everything I want?” Diamond closed her eyes, letting out a long slow breath. Funnily enough, five pairs of burning eyes did seem to ignite in the dark behind her eyelids, but there were no tempting words, only a sense of… smug anticipation?
Diamond’s frown deepened. “What, you think I’m just going to come to you? Come on, you have to offer something, even if you think you have this in the bag! Pfft, that’s just basic negotiating.”
The slam of the front door jolted her out of her thoughts.
“Unbelievable! Inexcusable!” Mother stalked into the study and fell into a couch, in a performance that even Miss Rarity would have found respectable. “One of those scaly brutes actually approached me in the street and said that I smelled delicious! Of course, he apologized and said he meant my jewelry, but still!” Spoiled Rich groaned, twisting a pillow between her hooves. “I don’t know why Princess Twilight doesn’t make some new Elements and blast all those beastly dragons back where they came from!”
Diamond opened her mouth to point out the flaws in that logic, but Mother spoke again before she could. “Diamond Tiara, I forbid you to become a dragon! Absolutely forbid! Randolph, help me up the stairs! I need to go lie down!”
Diamond Tiara firmly shut her class notebook. “Alright, then.”
Ten minutes later at the schoolhouse, Scootaloo and Rumble watched with bated breath as the dragon potion worked its magic on Diamond Tiara… blunt hooves splitting apart into sharp flexing claws, hair and fur shedding away to reveal elegant swirls of pink and purple scales... A long bladed tail lashed, wings snapped open, and the new dragoness threw back her horned head and ROARED.
Scootaloo grinned, fangs gleaming. “So? How’s it feel?”
Diamond opened cornflower-blue eyes, now slitted like a proper dragon’s, and her serpentine tongue tasted the air. “This is better than I expected, actually. I feel sharp, supremely capable… and superior to everycreature around me, of course.”
Rumble gave her a lazy smirk. “So, pretty much the same as when you were a pony?”
Diamond snorted… then shrugged her wings. “Eh, there’s no reason to be rude and rub it in ponies’ faces. I mean, it’s pretty obvious that dragons are superior.”
Scootaloo pumped a fist. “You said it, Diamond!” She blinked. “Huh, that felt weird. Hey, where are you going?”
Diamond paused at the door to grin slyly back at them. “I’m going to do like Daddy taught me and make some investments, of course!”
At the Ponyville Market, a disguised Flim was counting out yet another bag full of golden bits. “What a marvellous fortune we’ve earned in the dragon potion business! Why, if we became dragons ourselves, our accumulated profits would surely cause us to outgrow this entire town!”
“But that wouldn’t be any fun,” Flam pointed out. “How could we offer ponies such lucrative business opportunities if they ran screaming at the sight of us?”
“Too true, brother mine,” lamented Flim. “Too true!”
“Hey, you guys!” Diamond Tiara loomed over their market stall and purred with a growl in her throat, instantly getting their attention. “Give me a nice volume discount, and I’ll tell you where to find a great untapped market…”
Starlight Glimmer teleported to the long range receiving rune, conveniently placed just outside Our Town. She’d carved it herself, when she got tired of the day-long train rides back and forth. “Hey, guys, I got your message! What was so…” She froze, eyes wide.
Overnight, Our Town had become Our DRAGON Town.
“What.” Starlight pinched herself, then rubbed her eyes and looked again, but the town was still full of dragons. Oh, there were still a few ponies, but most of them were waiting in a line to receive their dose of dragon potion. “What… what… WHY?!”
Two young dragons landed before her, paws thumping to the ground. Familiar dragons, with amused toothy grins. “Why?” echoed Sugar Belle mockingly. “Don’t you remember why we came to you in the first place?”
Double Diamond laughed. “Back then, none of us were satisfied with our cutie marks.” He pointed a claw. “YOU said we should get rid of them, and that’s exactly what we just did… puny little pony!”
Starlight groaned. “But I thought you’d accepted your marks! I even helped pay for your therapy!”
Night Glider folded her arms. “You’re just sore because your magic sucked, and these dragon potions did the job right, made us strong instead of weak!” She held out a bottle, swirling the liquid around. “Wanna join the party? Your old house is still around. You can help us burn it down, with the rest of this pony crap!”
Starlight hesitated. “Well, that time I dreamed I transformed into a dragon matriarch and ruled for thousands of years *was* pretty cool…”
(No!) whispered the voice of Future Alicorn Starlight in her head. (No, no, NO. Don’t even think about it. That doesn’t happen. Didn’t happen. Won’t have happened… you know what I mean!)
(But…)
(Can you say major paradox? Total protonic reverse? Causality itself in a blender set to puree?)
Starlight sighed, huffing. “Party pooper…”
“WHAT did you call me?!” roared Party Favor.
“Eep!” Starlight released a blinding flash from her horn, before galloping for the hills. “Sorry, gotta run! I’ll fix this!” She sighed, looking back. “Somehow...”
Session 104.3 Alex Warlorn
"Hi Silver Spoon," the now dragonified Diamond Tiara said. "Wanna get in on the ground floor of being upgraded to the better species?"
Silver Spoon rolled her eyes. "Oh please Diamond Tiara, just because we made up doesn't mean I'm still your little yes-pony, and I'm certainly not going to be your little yes-dragon!"
"You can beat me up when I get on your nerves and I'll never complain."
-Five Minutes Later-
"So how do you feel?" Diamond Tiara asked with a toothy grin.
"... I'm guessing this is what you feel like all the time," the now silver dragon said. "No wonder you get so drunk on it!" Silver Spoon laughed.
Apple Bloom dragged herself to school, often with a sweat. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw those five sets of eyes in the dark, whispering to her, telling her to join her friends, to join her beloved teacher and classmates, to accept the inevitable, and embrace her family's legacy.
But meanwhile when trying to send messages about joining her friends and classmates in Dragonhood to Sweetie Belle, Tiamat was annoyed when she got a flashing signal that read,
"This pony has fallen under the divine protection of a god of Equestria, please check your network ID and send a request to join this server."
"It seems when you got your talon in the door with Shining Armor, Cadence told the young godling how to avoid a similar happenstance with his other half," Bahamut observed.
"Pst!" Went one of Tiamat's heads, another gave him a glare. "I'm still winning! My new dragons have reached self-propagation at this point! ..." Then another head whispered protectively, "And Celestia will now know better than to meddle with my precious babies unless she wants the same."
"What was that dear?"
"NOTHING!" "NOTHING!" "NOTHING!" "NOTHING!" "NOTHING!" Her heads said slightly out of synch with themselves.
Then her center head changed the subject.
"I wonder how the power of the crystal heart will interact with those con-ponies' potions... it is a shame, they'd have made ideal dragons... Crystal ponies lining up to become like their Hero Spike The Great... crystal dragons... "
"Given how the crystal heart is powered by the joy of living, friendship, love, happiness, kindness, and all those things... maybe the feedback will affect you too."
"... Don't be absurd," said her left most head.
-
Mane Allgood, still in bandages from losing, badly, her epic Custody Battle for Scootaloo (as was proud Pegasi tradition) to a rainbow dragon, snarled, "I just want to say... none of this would have happened... IF YOU HAD TAUGHT MY DAUGHTER YOUR TECHNIQUE FOR FLYING!"
Bulk Biceps answered meekly, "She never asked."
-
"I really hate too say it," Smolder admitted. "But this place is beginning to feel a lot more like home."
"Good for you smolder," Gallus said. "But the way these dragons are all looking at me is beginning to creep me out."
Smolder shrugged. "Meh, they just haven't learned how to not eat out of the claw of everything Tiamat says in their heads. I've had to deal with her in my head since I was hatched, it's so normal we don't even talk about it. They'll adjust eventually."
Sandbar said, "Well... beside the fact that a buncha venerable ponies being influenced by a goddess of avarice, no offense-"
"Are you kidding? It's part of her official portfolio!"
"Boreas REALLY wants that one for himself!" Gallus said.
Sandbar continued, "Well, at this rate, we're gonna end up assimilated, and that's gonna really mess up our whole style of being an multi-ethnic group!"
"Yeah that'll totally ruin our merchandise appeal!" Gallus said. His friends looked at him. "What? We saved Equestria, that legally gives us merchandising rights!"
"I could teach you guys how to keep Tiamat from completely messing with your heads," Smolder said. "If any of you are interested," Smolder looked at Gallus.
"Talk to me when you want to try out being a griffin again!"
"Spoiled sport."
-
"I'm SORRY! But there ARE NO LAWS about transformation potions! They were so rare that nobody thought to EVER put down laws for them before! I'm sorry! The Equestrian Parliament is in discussion on passing control laws regarding it! Ugh!"
Princess Twilight sighed, angry parents at seeing their foals coming home having turned into baby dragons... Diamond Tiara was always charismatic when she wanted to be... Her learning not to rub her privilege in others' faces and not wearing it like a flag had made her MORE effective.
A portal finally opened...
"Uh, Twilight, I'm back with Discord." Fluttershy said, pulling Discord along. Her mane looked longer.
"It's about time! What took so long?! Oh sorry! Sorry! But things have been so stressful!"
"... It's okay... so I got Discord promising to help with the mess he helped cause..."
"This isn't really a prank anymore," Discord admitted. "I never expected Tiamat to hijack my game and turn it into a scheme of hers."
"Well, once again, one of your fun and games has spiraled out of YOUR control-"
"And in a way I don't find very entertaining... I mean, you ponies are WAY MORE FUN than dragons, no offense to Spike of course, but-"
"... Are those wedding rings?" Twilight asked paling.
"Oh no," Fluttershy said blushing. "Engagement rings... Discord and I... well, it took six months to convince him to come along... I... I saw a lot of interesting universes and planes of existence Twilight..."
Twilight remembered the 'thank you' note from Discord and Fluttershy's future foal... And groaned. "Fine! Discord! Snap your fingers and fix this!"
"... I can't."
"DISCORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"I'm serious!" Which itself should have been an alarm. "You made me promise not to meddling with legitimately recognized deities after that prank I pulled on Sun-Butt, I mean Celly, I mean the second hottest mare I've dated, Ugh! ... I mean Celestia."
Twilight's brain threatened to break.
"... Discord wanted us to marry right away... but I told him that it wouldn't be right for our friends not to be there, and it would be rude to pull them out of time and space instead of formally inviting them..."
--
Klugetown. Casonetto's Carillon. The inside of the shop made no sense with the outside, the angles would have broken lesser ponies' minds. For Cozy Glow, Ira, and Mean Twilight, they were (barely) able to simply accept the twisted angles that broke their conceptions of how reality worked.
The ominous dark blob behind the counter said, "Nice doing business with you Miss," he said to what looked like an evil version of Minuette!
"Please, call me The Mistress," 'Minuette' said before walking out.
"Hiii Mister!" Cozy Glow said, "I heard you got this neat book that we're REEEEALLLY be interested in seeing!"
"... Hello Princess Ira. You brought the back-up Anti-Princess with you?"
"BACK UP?!" Cozy Glow snarled.
"I heard through the grapevine that the intended Anti-Princess got corrupted to the side of good." Somewhere, draconic Diamond Tiara sneezed. "So the back-up Anti-Princess was awakened from her sweet innocent life."
"I am the one destined to rule Ponykind with an Iron Hoof and no one else," Cozy Glow hissed. "And I'll make mama and papa so proud!" Cozy Glow said with stars in her eyes. An undead Diamond Jackal Queen and a eldritch horror in a dark cloak somewhere sneezed.
"Of course, of course, I apologize Mi'Lady, Princess of the Burning Void," the dark mass of ... SOMETHING bowed.
Ira said, "We're not making the same mistake Chrysalis made, we're going to know HOW to use our new toy... I trust you can help?"
"Of course Princess, of course. I look forward to when the Umbrum are again lords of the frozen north and I can open up a new shop there. Should be good for business."
Ira and Cozy Glow had already agreed that the Umbrum would get the Chrystal Empire. King Sombra would be pleased. The Storm King would get back his old territories. And Tirek could harvest it all for all the magic it was worth, and Chrysalis could chow down on all the love there and make her own personal war with the symbiotic changelings with her new brood.
Mean Twilight was regarded with the respect and decency of a wagon wheel... Which means she was totally ignored as she read over the fillies' shoulder as they read on the secrets of wielding artifacts of dangerous power that were attuned to a particular individual.
'Wish I knew all this BEFORE that evil tree murdered me and my friends,' Mean Twilight thought. 'We WILL Have our revenge! On you villains for making us, and for Equestria for rejecting us!'
Session 104.4 Alex Warlorn
"THOSE JERKS!" Spike snarled ripping up a piece of paper.
"What happened?" Mina the pegasus asked. The pair having made a stop in Cloudsdale before getting back to Ponyville with Bahamut's staff.
"All of those the ponies who turned into dragons?! They've got contracts now to sell their molts!"
"That's horrible!"
"Yeah! THey're gonna flood the market! It was bad enough when Smolder and Garble ruined my monopoly!"
"HUH?! But a dragon's molt is personal and private! You don't just sell it off!"
"... I've done it most of my life... it's no different than ponies selling their hair..."
"PONIES DO THAT?!" Mina asked feeling a bit dizzy and disoriented. Yes... it was what ponies did... so there was nothing wrong with it... was there? No... no of course not. Everything was fine. Everywhere was harmonious. Everything was happy. "Oh, right, of course, sorry for being rude Spike."
Spike blinked. "Uh... okay."
Session 104.5 Alex Warlorn
Inside Princess Twilight's Friendship Dungeon, the Friendship Cabal was meeting yet again.
Future Alicorn Starlight asked, "So you can guess what comes next."
Daring Do, "When Ahuizotl's brainwashing breaks, and he's the one that reverts to type."
Future Alicorn Starlight nodded, "Don't worry, you kick his flank."
Daring Do said, "I never had that in doubt. He's immortal, so I never have to hold back."
--
"Mina! Mina where are you?!" Spike called, having lost track of her after they'd landed in a crowd of unicorns.
"Oh, hi Spike!" Waved a brown pegasus.
"Mina! What happened to you?"
"I ran into this very nice pony named Neighsay... he was really interested in a dragon that wanted experience life as a pony after being so disappointed at so many ponies wanting to be turned into scaly brutes under the way of a violent avaricious goddess. You know it's funny... I never NOT had Tiamat or Bahamut in my head before... it felt lonely at first... but now... it's kinda liberating... is this what it's like for ponies all the time?" Mina said with a slightly demented look on her eye. "And he even showed me this new board game! 'From The Makers Of Save The Changeling, Kill Chrysalis, now Save the Dragon, Kill Tiamat.' "
" . . . I'm gonna have to get Neighsay some extra therapy."
"But everything he said made so much sense..."
"And that makes me double worried FOR YOU!"
"But I feel so happy! Like... like... liiike I coooooold siiiiiiiing!"
Spike took a step back as Mina broke out into a pony Heart Song right in the middle of Canterlot Square...
Session 104.6 Mtangalion
Spike gave Mina a weary half-lidded stare, even as she whirled and danced around him, singing about how wonderful it was to have hooves and give to the needy and love every forest creature. “Mina? This is going to sound weird, considering that we’re trying to stop ponies from turning into dragons… but I think you need to be a dragon again now!”
“But don’t you see?” sang Mina. “I’m finally free! I can just be me!” She raised her family’s staff in one hoof and casually tossed it over her shoulder. “Don’t need that old thing any more!”
“No!” yelped Spike, watching the staff clatter to the ground and roll away… straight towards a sewer grate. “No no no!” He charged on all fours, then sprang with wings flapping to grab the staff in the nick of time. His claws closed around the strangely cold metal…
And the whole world seemed to dissolve into misty blue sky all around the young dragon, leaving him floating before… himself?
“Um, hello?” asked Spike. The strange copy of him spoke as he spoke, waved an arm as he did, even held the same staff. It didn’t take long for Spike to realize he was looking at his reflection. Then the reflection flexed like a funhouse mirror, and as he drew back, understanding dawned.
He’d been looking at his reflection in a *dragon scale*, perfect and polished to a mirror-smooth finish. One dragon scale, among a whole armored chest plated with dragon scales… belonging to a platinum dragon so huge, he could have spanked *Torch* like a hatchling.
“Bahamut,” breathed Spike.
Scaled lips curled into a vast smile, revealing a hint of gleaming fangs. “None other, my child… Heathspike, seventh of that Name.”
“What’s happening to me!?” asked Spike, in a voice that definitely wasn’t the deep and confident O&O Overseer that he wished he could have projected. “How did I get here?!”
Bahamut chuckled mildly… for him, anyway. “You hold the Tidescale Staff, young Heathspike, twin to my Queen’s Bloodstone Scepter. You need not ask Ember… You should remember what it was like to hold it, brief as that was.”
Spike blinked slowly. “Hey, I’m not looking to become another Dragon Lord! This staff belongs to Mina and her family. She should be the one to…”
“They were fine caretakers,” Bahamut interrupted, “but to truly draw upon my power, a dragon must prove himself worthy. Is it time now, I wonder? After so many centuries, shall the world once again know the wisdom of a Dragon Sage?”
Spike groaned. “Are you listening to me? Um, Bahamut? Sir? I’m not sure you’re listening.” Spike waved his arms, still holding the staff in one. “I’m not a prince or some great ruler. I’m just a number one assistant! I’m protecting my friends just fine without a bunch of crazy awesome new powers and…” He trailed off, then facepalmed. “And I’m just proving myself more worthy by being humble, aren’t I?”
The Dragon Father shrugged vast wings. “Pretty much. Now, go. Take the Tidescale Staff and restore the balance. There will be time later to decide whether you shall keep it.”
Spike came to himself again, still on the same Canterlot street, like no time at all had passed. “Mina,” he spoke, quickly catching up to the pegasus and resting a paw on her back. “Mina, never mind all the greed and the politics and stuff. I need you to forget about that for a while and remember everything that’s *good* about being a dragon… a *noble* dragon.”
The staff glowed in Spike’s claws, and Mina blinked, her breath catching. “Sp-spike?”
Session 104.7 Alex Warlorn
Spike thought. 'Dragon sage huh?... Nah! After this whole mess is over, I bet Mina will be perfect for the job! ... Besides, I'm pretty sure it would be a conflict of interest once I accomplish my goal of becoming an immortal Ryujin with Rarity's own goal of becoming a goddess.'
-
Future Alicorn Starlight said, "Less Experienced and Slightly More Neurotic Twilight-"
"I swear if this is about ensuing the spawning of Spike and Rarity's hybrids babies I'll banish you to the sun."
"That's... rather precise."
"I'd have to be BLIND to not see that one coming!"
-
"I never thought I'd ship potions to the Crystal Empire brother of mine!"
"Neither did I brother of mine!"
-
"Attention Crystal Ponies!... How would you like to be like Legendary Hero Spike The Great who save the Crystal Empire from evil and the Equestrian Games from disaster?"
Session 104.8 Alex Warlorn
Mina's pegasus eyes glowed blue, and her body shuddered. "But... but... but... when those sirens forced my desires to the surface, and I greed-growthed into a giant, and fought over you with Ember and Rarity. It was so humiliating, Dragon Towners don't DO greed growth!"
Spike silently admitted that incident had been a lot more fun in his fantasies than it had been in reality.
"Mina, I went greed growth too and kidnapped Rarity. Being Spikezilla was the least fun thing I've ever had as a dragon. YOU WERE THE ONE who taught me that being a dragon WASN'T something to be ashamed of! Now! THINK OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A NOBLE DRAGON!"
-
'Think of all the jewels that could be yours, all the filthy diamond dogs being clean and behaving themselves ... of being together with Spike for centuries, not being old while he's still young... ' Sang the five sets of eyes in Rarity's mind.
Rarity happily continued to hum to herself as she did the cosplay costumes for her friends next LARPing.
'Oh come on! You fall to temptation every other week!'
Rarity didn't even dignify her with a response.
-
Meanwhile in the Crystal Empire... one of the crystal ponies, swept up in the idea of trying out being the same species as the great hero Spike, drank the dragon potion... resulting in the world's first crystal dragon... however...
"OW! I feel like Malinalxochitl just stung me in the eye!" Shouted one of Tiamat's heads, putting a claw to her face.
"I told you, remembered what happened when Spike got awashed in the magic of the Crystal Heart? And I needed to get you that glacier for the headache ice pack?" Bahamut said simply.
Session 104.9 Mtangalion
“What it means… to be a noble dragon?” Of course, Mina knew that! Every Dragon Town whelp was taught the Noble Dragon Code. At least, Mina *should* have known it. Nothing was making sense… it was like all these pegasus feathers had gotten stuffed into her head somehow.
And hadn’t she been in Canterlot just a little while ago? How had she come to this rocky volcanic plain, with a blood-red dawn sky, and air full of hot ash that made pony eyes water and lungs burn?
Then a living mountain reared up before her, and five pairs of crimson eyes shone like beacons in the ashen darkness.
Dragon fate
Is clear as day
Dragons are better
In every way
Serpentine necks craned, and the five heads of Dragon Mother Tiamat peered down, looming over her.
“Mina,” spoke the central head. “Daughter. You’ve been kept from me for too long. Embrace my gift. Be what you truly are.”
Mina started to resist, but she was shocked by the depth of the *love* pouring out from Mother Tiamat, fiercely protective and greedy and jealous and so very *proud.* Her pony guise burned away in a flash. Instead, dragon paws and claws stamped down on the ash-covered ground, and she revelled in the furnace-hot air, for her flame was hotter still, and her marvelously comfortable scales were tougher than any flame!
“Be as strong as you want!” roared another of Tiamat’s heads. “Do not let weaklings hold you back!” A third head boomed, “Take whatever you want, and have the strength to claim and make your own!”
Off to one side, a sad little platinum salamander waved a claw officiously, lecturing to the even smaller lizards at his feet. “Blah blah blah, noble dragon code! Blah blah, greed is bad! Blah blah, be weak just like the ponies if you want to make friends!”
Mina roared with laughter at the sad little lizards, crackling with power as she grew and grew, stamping around however she pleased!
“Mina…” said a voice echoing in the back of her head.
Mina paused, feeling conflicting impulses. “Spike?” What was he to her now? A friend… or a handsome male that should belong to *her*, not some pampered pony?
“Mina, stop! Look at what you’re doing!”
Mina glanced down, and immediately cringed, realizing that she’d been trampling all over a vision of *Dragon Town*, like some out of control brat giving in to greed growth.
“Oh, thank goodness,” said Spike. “I thought I lost you for a second there…” She could hear the blush in Spike’s voice. “Sorry, I’m still trying to figure out this staff thing… There.”
And just like that, Mina was her usual dragon self, standing in her old grade-school classroom. She poked at one of the whelp-sized desks, amused, until a softly-cleared throat made her glance up. Then she nearly tripped over the desks and fell, seeing the elder in charge of the class… a dragon about the size of her grandfather, with gleaming *platinum* scales. “Buh buh… Bahamut?!”
The elder nodded, giving her a very dignified chuckle. “Welcome back, daughter. I heard that you were in need of… hmm...” He stroked his chin spikes thoughtfully. “A refresher course.”
“Is that an avatar?” exclaimed Mina, pointing a claw. “How can you be so small?!”
“That is what avatars are for,” said Bahamut patiently. “Alas, my queen has sworn that she will never humble herself so. I think it would do her good, but even I do not command *her*.” He rapped a pointer on the chalkboard. “Now! Please tell the class... What does it mean to be a noble dragon? You do know, yes?”
“Of course I know!” Mina wrung her paws, looking away. “That’s whelpling stuff.”
The elder shook his head. “This is not ‘whelpling stuff.’ This is what you and your classmates learned when you were whelps.” He smiled. “Perhaps it will have greater meaning now?”
Mina sighed, then drew herself up. “There was a whole lot of stuff the elder talked about, but I think the important parts were… A noble dragon can become strong without taking from others.”
Bahamut nodded sagely. “Go on.”
Mina spoke faster, more confidently. “A noble dragon can be kind and generous without being afraid that others might call her weak.”
“And?”
Mina grinned. “And a noble dragon can make right with her heart, not just with might!”
Bahamut reached out and flicked Mina’s forehead with a claw, smiling warmly. “Class dismissed.”
“Mina! Mina, wake up!”
Mina gasped, sucking in a huge deep breath as she sat up. They were in… an alley, near the street where she’d gone a little crazy?
“Spike! What happened? Am I… Eeep!” Mina was mortified to discover she'd reverted back to a dragoness and *grown* while she was passed out. She was as large as Spike… and Spike himself seemed taller and more mature, holding onto the Tidescale Staff as he was. “Greed growth! Spike, quick, you have to punch me!”
But Spike chuckled, putting an arm around her. “Mina, calm down! Do you feel greedy? I don’t. I’m guessing that was… a gift, of sorts. Hey, want to get some jewelry for your new look?” He shrugged, gesturing at the city around them. “We are in Canterlot, after all.”
Mina rolled her eyes. “Maybe later. Right now?” She frowned at the dark clouds hovering over Ponyville on the horizon. “I’m thinking we should fly to meet your friends. They’re probably thinking that we’ve fallen off the face of Equestria by now.”
Session 104.10 Alex Warlorn
Spike and Mina arrived back at Ponyville at last... and their jaws dropping.
"Uh... were there this many dragons in Ponville before?" Mina asked.
"No, definitely not!" Spike said. The two quasi-teenage dragons staring at the sight.
"THIS IS NOT EQUAL! THIS IS NOT EQUAL!" Shouted the Flower Trio, in their full Equalist get-ups. They stood on soap boxes holding signs to the increasing population of dragon. "Brother Rumble how could you betray us!"
"I'm just exploring other paths," the dragon whelp Rumble said.
"Don't be led astray from Princess Luna's true path!" Pipsqueak shouted wearing his adorable little blue Luna's Witnesses cloak.
At the dragon potion stand, Lyra The New Dragon wiggled her claws, "I HAVE CLAWS AT LAST!"
Bon Bon sighed, "I'm surprised honestly it took this long for her to crack."
"Care to join me my love?"
Bon looked to see dragons on her left, and turned to see dragons on her right... And sighed. "When this nonsense is over, I know I'll regret not having tried it. Bring it on."
"But I already kicked the habit!" Berry Punch defended.
"But this way you'll be able to drink more hard cider than you've drunk in your entire life and not get drunk..." The dragoness Cheerilee tempted her sister.
Apple Bloom shouted running about and looking around, "Anyone seen Babs?"
Babs the dragon whelp shouted, "Praise be to Tiamat!"
Dragon Diamond Tiara put a claw on her Babs' shoulder, "I knew you'd come to your senses sooner or later. Welcome back to the winning team!" Then hugged her crying. "... I missed us being friends so much!"
Twist The dragon whelp sang, "Praise be to Tiamat, look mom, no wisp! Wanna be friends again Apple Bloom? Just turn into your true self!"
-
Twilight looked at the letter. "Well... the dragon potion has reached Canterlot... Jetset and Uppercrust said they can now enjoy their wealth for thousands of years, and they're the new hot thing. And you know what that means for their trend-brained elites."
A diamond wolf... took off her diamond wolf costume, revealing the dragon underneath. "Dragons rule!"
"Neighsay I think is hiding under his desk," Rarity said.
"The number of dragons in the student body is steadily rising," Starlight admitted. "This has gotten completely out of control!"
"HAS gotten? It's BEEN out of control for too long already! Spike! Mina! Where are you?!"
"The door to the meeting room got kicked open... in stepped Mina and Spike.
"... Got caught in an alternate universe where time flows different?" Twilight asked.
"Actually no, Bahamut thought the other dragons would take us more seriously like this."
"THANK GOODNESS!" Twilight said.
Starlight said, "Oh, and Spike... the crystal dragons converts up north say they want to hold a festival in your honor."
"THE WHAT?!" Spike gasped.
-
"Ugh. No more crystal dragons..." Tiamat said her head pounding, one of her heads wearing a glacier sized ice pack, the magic of the crystal heart stabbing at her brains like an ice-pick.
"What? I thought for a true dragon there was no such thing as 'too much'?" Bahamut teased.
"You know that's a oversimplification," her farthest left head said.
"You know if you delay facing Prince Button Mash for too long, they'll think you're ignoring his challenge, insulting the Alicorns."
"I know I know..." Tiamat's heads moaned.
Session 104.11 Alex Warlorn
"Hey girls! Did you have lots of fun?! Can I join next time in your evil plans?! I'd love to be part of your evil plans!" Exclaimed Chrysalis' eldest daughter, infamous for biting off than she could chew, having all of her mother's arrogance and little of her cunning ... And had never had a chance to interact with girls' her age before who weren't food or servants...
Ira and Cozy Glow looked with weariness at their new tag along... The book on how to bend Grogar's Bell to their own will still safely hidden.
"I loaned you my slave! You two can entertain my little girl!" Chrysalis hissed.
The two gulped and nodded. Queen Rabia of the Umbrum gave Chrysalis the stink eye for ordering Ira's own child around.
Grogar meanwhile, saw the discontent and burning hatred at her masters in the eyes of Mean Twilight, and stroked his beard.
-
"DIDN'T THE OLD BOSS SAY THIS THING WAS A DEATH TRAP AND THAT'S WHY YOU NEVER FLEW IT AND WHY IT WAS NEVER PUT INTO PRODUCTION?!" Grubber exclaimed.
"This whole air-fortress is going to be a death trap for us once they realize we've broken out! Get in and let's go!"
-
Captain Calypso of the parrot privateers (well, there wasn't really any empire to privateer now... so they were kinda in a spot with no one to pirate again who they could retreat and have safe ports with) ... were once again engaged in being trade curriers and escorts for convoys from Weather Gremlins... and spotting a flaming comet crash into the ground.
'This better not be of those evil alien comets that turns us all into zombie slaves, those are so overdone!' She thought as her ship closed in to inspect the impact... finding the flaming mess of a one pony air ship... and Tempest Shadow and Grubber limping from the wreck.
"GET US TO PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE NOW!" Tempest Shadow boomed the moment she saw the pirates.
-
"So Button's done WHAT?!" Spike exclaimed.
"He's challenged Tiamat to a Ogres and Oubliettes game... with no stakes or prizes... his scheme us to get those turned into dragons to remember how to have fun without following Tiamat's 'want, take, have' doctrine and remember being a pony isn't that bad... Oh, and Fluttershy is apparently engaged to Discord now... I've used up the hard cider, and I wouldn't let you have any anyway."
"HEY! I have wings! That makes me a legal adult in the Dragonlands!" Spike protested.
Session 104.12 Mtangalion
Smolder huffed out a large smoke ring, then tried to amuse herself by spitting tiny missiles of flame through it. Most of her shots missed, though, turning the ring into drifting tatters. “Well, this bites…”
Gallus flicked another pebble into the big lake in front of the School of Friendship. They didn’t have much else to do, since the flood of new dragons had completely upended normal life in Ponyville, and their class schedules. “What? I thought you’d be happy.”
Smolder snorted. “Do I look happy?”
Nearby, Yona was stomping out a miniature patrol route, pacing in a square and pausing at every turn to suspiciously glare left and right.
In the center of this, Sandbar blushed deeply. “Yona, I don’t think you need to do that. It’s not like some dragon fanatics are going to *sneak up* and toss a potion at me! Dragons don’t do subtle.”
“Got that right,” muttered Smolder.
“Yona won’t take chance!” declared the young yak. “Yona will protect her ponyfriend!” She hesitated. “Unless… Sandbar *wants* to be dragon…”
Sandbar chuckled and hugged her, as far as his hooves would reach. “Nah. Believe it or not, I’m happy the way I am right now.”
Gallus mimed putting a claw down his throat, but there was a big grin on his beak all the same. “Ponyville might be going crazier than Griffonstone on Grudge Day, but at least we can still stick together… Whoa! Ocellus?!”
A young dragoness wiggled her claws in a sheepish wave. With pastel blue scales, pink fins, and rose-colored belly scales, her identity wasn’t much of a mystery. “Oh, um… hi!” squeaked Ocellus. “I was practicing!” Blue flames swept over the changeling, restoring her usual appearance. “You know, just in case!”
“Aw, I thought you looked pretty cute,” said Silverstream, shocking the others yet again, since she was in the lake, transformed into a young sea dragon.
“Aw, not you too!” exclaimed Sandbar. He blinked, hearing approaching wingbeats. “Huh? Oh!”
The dragon approaching them wasn’t yet another transformed new dragon… it was Ember herself, with Garble hovering at her side. “There you are,” said Ember gruffly, quickly zeroing in on Smolder. “Look, you might want to stick close to me. There’s some major stuff going down soon, and…”
Smolder’s eyes narrowed to blazing slits, catching her friends off guard. “Dragon Lord Ember!” she shouted, claws squeezed into fists. “Where have you been? What are you doing to fix all of this?!”
Ember’s jaw dropped. “I… I beg your pardon!?”
Garble’s cocky grin was gone in an instant. “Uh.... sis? What are you doing?”
Smolder stamped a foot. “All these new dragons don’t know anything about how to be dragons, not really! They’re acting out the worst pony stereotypes of what dragons are like!”
Smolder’s rant seemed to run out of steam a bit, as she remembered who exactly she was ranting at, and that Ember could control her every action with the scepter in her claws, if she wanted. “Look, things are getting way out of claw, and the ponies, they’re not gonna all turn into dragons without a fight, and that’s really not how I want all this to end…” She glanced left and right, and her friends gathered close around her. “Not after all the time we spent learning to work together.”
Ember grimaced, her grip on the Bloodstone Scepter tightening. “What, so us dragons should give up what we’ve taken? Decide we don’t want part of our hoard anymore? Some of what you said… You’re not wrong, but I don’t know if Tiamat’s gonna go for that.” Ember took a deep breath. “Mother Tiamat has been challenged. She’s gonna get involved in this personally, so just watch yourself, okay?”
She motioned to Garble, and they flew away without another word.
Gallus’ beak was still hanging open. “Did you just stand up for us, to the leader of all dragons? Heh, maybe there’s something to this Friendship business after all...”
As they flew back towards the Friendship Castle, Garble folded his arms, sighing. “To be honest? I’m not really digging this dragons everywhere stuff either.”
Ember nearly fell out of the sky. “What… even you, Garble?”
Garble shrugged. “Hey, it’s fun knowing I’m totally superior to every other creature in the room. If all the pathetic ponies turn into dragons, who do we look down on then?”
Ember smirked. “Let’s just meet this Alicorn of Games and get it over with.”
Session 104.13 Alex Warlorn
Dragon Applejack said, "Why ya girls saying this ain't equal? No cutie marks, everyone havin' the same edge, rounds equal to me!"
"BUT THIS ISN'T TRUE FRIENDSHIP!" Rose declared, she and her friends still in her Equalist robes.
"Weren't equalists declared an illegal organization or somethin'?"
Lily said, "Actually, because Miss Starlight's first flock all spontaneously abandoned her on the spot (marking them all as unbelievers)... kinda like how all the changelings spontaneous turned on Chrysalis suddenly after a ten second speech... no pony ever bothered to declare us illegal, enabling us to spread the word against our classist and caste system society!"
Future Alicorn Starlight teleported right in front of them. "I am only here because I was here. When I founded Our Town had no clue what equality actually was, how it actually worked, or the right way to achieve it. I ascended when I realized what Equality truly was."
Session 104.14 Mtangalion
On the path leading to the Friendship Castle, two young dragons stood, gaping upwards at the towering crystal structure. “Oh, Mac,” breathed Cheerilee. “I always thought Princess Twilight’s castle was an eyesore before, but now it looks so…”
“Delicious,” purred Big Mac. A few drops of his drool landed on the paving stones, dissolving holes in them. “Ah could just eat it all up!” He blinked. “Enope! We can’t do that.”
They were startled by mocking laughter, as another group of dragons landed, taking up the whole path like they owned it “Can’t?” said Fume, doing a poor imitation of Big Mac’s accent. “Uh, hello? We’re dragons here!”
Clump pushed in front of Fume and Fizzle, grinning toothily. “We do what we want! I say we’ve played nice long enough! You want a crystal castle snack? Take it!”
Sludge landed last, panting from the exertion of flight... and frowning at the others. “Um, can we not? I practically had those ponies giving me everything I wanted already. Why go to all the trouble of taking?”
Fume got right in Sludge’s face. “Dude, are you for real? Where’s your pride as a dragon? We’re eating that castle, now!” He stomped towards the front door… and ran his muzzle right into a rippling force field. “What the slag?”
A gray-coated unicorn stallion emerged from the castle, wearing purple armor with a familiar starburst sigil, and approaching the dragons with a distinctly military step. “I’ve heard enough! You miscreants are banned from the Friendship Castle, until such time as I’m convinced that you’re prepared to be civil once more.”
Fizzle gasped. “Oh crap! It’s…” He blinked. “Uh… Who are you?”
The stallion scowled. “You cannot be serious. Equal Libram? Captain of Princess Twilight Sparkle’s own Twilight Guard?” He only got blank looks and stares back from the dragons. “Leader of the creatures who tirelessly defend Ponyville, so the Princess and her friends can teach classes… and lead field trips, and go on Friendship Missions, and whatever else it is exactly that they do...”
Big Macintosh blushed. “Er… Sorry? Still doesn’t ring a bell.”
Captain Libram sighed, rolling his eyes. “Of course. Do you ever think that perhaps we’re a little too good at our jobs, eh, Gabriel?”
“Gabriel?” echoed Cheerilee.
There was a swoosh of feathered wings, and a heavy thump from behind, which caused all of the dragons to look over their shoulders… then back up in a hurry, gaping at the biggest griffon they’d ever seen, also wearing Twilight Guard colors. “I’m as good as I need to be,” said Gabriel, in a deep, gravelly voice. Then he slowly grinned, as if *daring* them to try something.
Fume blinked first. “I- I’m not afraid of some overgrown kitty-bird!”
Gabriel grinned a notch wider, smacking a heavy clawed fist into a palm. “I like dragons. They’re tough.” He leaned closer to Fume. “I don’t have to hold back as much.”
Fume opened his mouth to deliver a seething retort... then abruptly spun on his heel and walked *away*. “I could totally take you, but I’ve decided to let you off easy! For now!”
Big Mac and Cheerilee watched the other dragons leave, dumbfounded. “Ah don’t get it. They didn’t try anything, not a one of them?”
Equal Libram trotted closer, seeming amused. “Dragons who grow up in the Dragon Lands know better than to start a fight when they’re not sure they can win. Do you new dragons have as much sense?”
Big Mac gulped. “Well, Ah don’t know about a fight, but… a friendly wrestling match, maybe?”
The huge griffon warrior grinned broadly indeed.
“Me and mah big mouth!”
Session 104.15 Ardashir
Dragonjack raced away from the center of Ponyville -- soon to be renamed 'Dragonville' if she and the other upgraded ponies had anything to say about it -- with Apple Bloom galloping at her heels. Muscles worked under her scales, claws digging chunks from the newly paved road, the furnace in her belly pouring more strength into her as she ran. Dragons stared and ponies scattered.
"Apple Bloom!" She gasped out as she raced for the Friendship Palace. A forked tongue ran over her lips as she realized how delicious the place looked; why had she never noticed before? "Ya sure what ya saw? Ya ain't fibbing ta me?"
"Yeah, big sis!" Bloom's little pony legs took two steps to every one of Applejack's. She panted for breath. "Ah saw -- that big griffon o' Miss Twilight's -- fightin' with Big Mac! An' he was winnin'!" In an angrier tone: "An' ya never called me a fibber afore ya turned into some nasty ol' lizard!"
Bloom skidded to a stop as Applejack wheeled on her. Razor fangs gleamed as her sister snarled.
"Don't call ME no lizard, little pony! Don't ya never forget that!" The Friendship Palace stood before them. "Now show me where ya say some catbird was beatin' on Big Mac, the strongest dragon in Ponyville?"
Before she could say anything else, they both heard an almost-familiar howl, coupled with the victorious screech of a griffon.
"So! Ya wanna give up, ya walkin' suitcase?"
"OW! Yeah, griffon, Ah do already! Now let me go, darn ya!"
Applejack ran to the point where the noise was coming from. Dragon-Cheerilee stood there, watching in open-maw shock. Applejack was about to ask her what was wrong when she saw for herself. And froze.
Big Mac, her unbeatable big brother, the strongest pony -- dragon! -- she'd ever known, was on his belly in the dirt. Wings outstretched and flapping wildly, whipping up the same dirt he ripped at with one claw, while his other arm was stretched up behind his back in a classic, and painful, wrestling grip. Equal Libram apparently served as referee, watching as Big Mac slapped his free claw against the ground in submission.
"Like I told you, dweeb," Gabriel said as he stepped clear, releasing Big Mac, "strength itself counts for nothing when ya can't get leverage."
###
Big Mac glared up at the cocky catbird. The thought suddenly occurred to him as five angry pairs of eyes gleamed in his mind: He could kill this vermin with a single puff of fire. Set him ablaze for shaming him before mate and family, roar hugely with laughter as he died screeching, then invite them to feast on his flesh --
No. Wait. He beat me fair an' square. This, this ain't me.
What's wrong with me?
###
Cheerilee looked on in confusion. Part of her felt, not dismay over seeing Mac lose, but scorn. Her mate had failed her. In public, no less. He was a flawed gem, a false treasure, not worth having. The voice belonging to those five paired eyes in her head hissed their rage and contempt. She ought to slap him with her tail to show her refusal of this weakling and find a better mate --
No! She shook her head in horror. I love Big Mac. I don't want to thrown him away like, like some broken gemstone! She ignored the chorus of five draconic voices telling her to leave him. This isn't me!
###
Applejack never felt more torn in her life.
Part of her wanted to tear the mocking Griffon apart. Part of her wanted to tear Big Mac's wings off for disgracing the family like this. The voices in her soul approved of both those ideas.
And the smallest voice of all told her that this was her brother, that he'd lost in a fair contest, and that she'd love him and Apple Bloom even if they weren't the strongest dragons ever. That maybe, just maybe, she'd love them more if all they all stopped being dragons and just went back to being ponies.
She and Cheerilee stepped up to Big Mac. He turned an angry glare from the wary Gabriel and Libram to them. All three looked at the exhausted and terrified Apple Bloom. Terrified of them. Of being hurt or worse. By them. Her own family.
"Oh, Bloom," Applejack held her scaly arm out to her. "Little sis, ah'm sorry for every durned thing we done --"
A roar, five roars, louder and more piercing than a lightning bolt striking the ground right in front of your face, tore through Ponyville.
"I AM TIAMAT! GODDESS QUEEN OF DRAGONKIND! THE FIVE-IN-ONE, TRUE ESSENCE OF ALL DRAGONS!" They turned to look as one as a living mountain of scales and fire and fury, more massive than even Dragon Lord Torch, descended from the sky above Ponyville. Clouds were pushed aside or simply vaporized as she flew, sending rain cascading down her scaly sides. Looking at her length gave them the idea that she extended on forever. Ponies and dragons scattered as she landed on the ground, sending a shockwave through Ponyville and into the Everfree. The Friendship Palace groaned and shook to its roots. "I AM SHE WHO MADE WAR WITH THE PRIMAL GODS! WHO GAVE DRAGONS BLOOD OF FIRE AND POISON! SHE WHO SET UPON THEM MANTLES OF BURNING RADIANCE! THE BRINGER-OF-DESTRUCTION AND CREATOR-OF-WORLDS!" Five huge and terrible heads, their eyes glowing in a way every Ponyville new whelp instinctively knew, looked down around at her feet, themselves as massive as fortresses. "NOW WHERE IS THIS ALICORN WHELP WHO SEEKS HIS OWN DESTRUCTION BY CHALLENGING ME?"
Barely audible the answer came to them on the wind as the echoes of Tiamat's roar died away. "Right here I am! Ma'am."
Tiamat laughed short and fierce, and her amusement crashed down on eyerycreature like an eruption. "WELL THEN WHELP LET US SETTLE THIS. BUT FIRST? HATCHLINGS!" Apple Bloom cried out as she saw her big brother and big sister and Miss Cheerilee rise and stiffen, their eyes glowing crimson and gold. "COME TO ME, MY PRECIOUS TREASURES, MY HOARD WITHOUT EQUAL, AND GLORY IN THE VICTORY OF YOUR MOTHER!"
And like that every transformed pony in Ponyville flew to celebrate at the feet of Tiamat. They noticed nothing else.
Least of all a little Earth pony filly sobbing like her heart broke in pieces.
Session 104.16 Alex Warlorn for Jarkes
"So... Double Diamond, why aren't you challenging Sunburst to prove your worth as Starlight's mate?" Asked Nightglider, now a dragon like the rest of Our Town, quick to paint a five-eyed symbol on their hips in place of their cutie marks (the more things change). "Or maybe share like Sugar Belle, Cheerilee, and Mable Pie are now?"
"Dragons don't rob other dragons of their hoards."
"But they aren't dragons."
"Starlight fought a goddess on equal hoof to a stalemate. If she isn't as strong as one, I don't know what is."
"But it's Sunburst I ask about you proving your worth as a mate!"
Future Alicorn Starlight teleported in front of them, making their draconic jaws drop. "Don't bother, I already have a filly with Sunburst. And if I was powerful enough to fight Twilight as an equal before, how powerful do you think I am now? The blood of Queen Majesty flowed through me even before my ascension. I'm just here to make sure Discord's stupid antics with the Apple Family and time and space don't completely upend reality."
Session 104.17 Mtangalion
In a park halfway across Ponyville, Mina gaped upwards at the beyond majestic view of Queen Tiamat looming over half of Ponyville. Mina trembled and even whimpered a bit, but she was standing on her own two feet. “How are my legs not turning to jelly now? Why aren’t I throwing myself on the ground and begging forgiveness for even *thinking* I could go against Tiamat?!” Mina blinked, glancing at Spike. “Did you use the staff on me again?”
Spike beamed, twisting the Tidescale Staff in his claws. “I didn’t need to. I think the staff is trying to tell me…” His brow furrowed for a moment. “... that your link to Bahamut has gotten stronger! Remember, Tiamat might seem like she’s totally dominant over everything right now, but Bahamut has always been her equal!”
“Yeah…” Mina took a deep breath. “Yeah! Let’s hurry over there. They’ll be expecting us!”
“Holy…” Garble whistled softly, craning his neck to gawk at Tiamat. “Heh, showoff…” He snacked on one of the gems they’d harvested from that cave, before they abandoned that plan to get away from Maud Pie glaring at them. “Why couldn’t I have been all ginormous like that?”
Dragon Lord Ember arched a brow ridge. “You, a ryujin?” Had it been any other dragon, she probably would have thrashed him for the casual blasphemy, but instead she laughed, elbowing Garble. “What would you even be god of?”
Garble twirled an imaginary beret and mimed playing his bongos. “I’d be the god of awesome sick beats, yo!”
Ember smirked. “Or maybe you’d be the god of hugging creatures and running away without explaining why.”
“Hey, hey!” protested Garble. “Ugh, I thought we agreed to never speak of that again!”
“I don’t remember agreeing to anything. Are you contradicting your Dragon Lord?!” Ember chuckled and shook her head, quickly turning more serious. “Come on, She’s calling for us.”
With all the chaos in the streets, dragons rushing towards the castle and ponies stampeding *away*, perhaps it was inevitable that both parties would come charging around blind corners and crash right into each other.
Ember recovered the quickest, groaning. “Watch where you’re… You!” She sprang to her feet and hissed at Mina, wings spread.
Mina grinned. “Is this where I call you a tyrant and you call me rebel scum… your dragon lordship-fullness?”
Garble sat up, right in the way of the dramatic confrontation, of course. “Did anydragon get the number of that… Spike!?” His eyes bugged out, seeing his rival/dragon pal/still not calling him my friend Spike, grown as big and muscular as himself, and carrying a very shiny staff besides. “You got another ancient dragon relic?! That is so not fair!”
“Uh, hey Garble!” said Spike sheepishly, waving a claw.
“That’s Spike?!” exclaimed Ember, eyes wide. Her gaze seemed sharply drawn to the Tidescale Staff, and she shuddered, clutching a claw to her stomach. “I don’t know what that staff thingy is… but I don’t like it!”
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Sleipnir: If Button Mash or Discord isn't able to fix this, I'm going to have to go and ask Urd, Belldandy, and Skuld to fix it. I really don't want to think what they are going to charge me for that.
I always liked the idea Sleipnir was Celestia and Luna's dad. So as last resort they can always ask Great Grandpa Odin for help! Grandpa/Grandma Loki wouod just laugh at it.
I can also only assume Future Alicorn Starlight is strong than current Twilight and not the Twilight from her own time. After all present Twilight isn't a mature Alicorn yet.
Also the idea Twilight's guard would be so good at their jobs no one really notices them is kind of fun.
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Pretty sure this is outside their jurisdiction! Thanks for the comment!
Tiamats starting to become the attention of Harmony, which if she carries on, is going to lead to so big a headache then its going to take Bahamut a millenia to help her with it.
Typical, between Tiamat and Bahamut theres two magic staffs of wood for control.
tiamats got problems as she has Dragon Magic. But Twilight is Princess of ALL Magic?. Therefore Tiamats power is a subset? And Spike is a Magic Dragon, Of Knowledge, and even without becoming a Gamer, his Hoard will eventually be that of L-Space, which is an arbitary dimentional superset of all possible realities and cannot be described in normal mathematical nomenclature?
Just hope that Discord never tries to feed Spike, a Grahams Number Oreo.
Lets see Button Mash use that Level 1 Rattata.
Love Bahamut meddling to even the scales, and places like the Crystal Empire and Our Town getting the potion.
You know who else likes dragons? The Buffalo! Not a lot of people remember this, but they have a tradition of treating dragons as honored guests because they respect them.
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That's not hard to forget given that the poor Buffalo have been mentioned maybe once in the show and once in the comics.
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They were able to appear ONCE in the comics.
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hey man hope your doing ok can people still submit stuff for games done on here because i have one for darkest dungon with discords help
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Do you know how to use the PM?
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Yes but I was not sure if you was offline recently or had bin for a while and that you could of had a build up in pm
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https://www.deviantart.com/alexwarlorn/art/Ponies-and-Dragons-Just-Have-Fun-CV-846641558