Chapter 22: Dragon Quest (S2:E21)
My Little Pony: Nine Elements
Book 2
Written by Brandon Nell and Blake Hawkins
Chapter 22: Dragon Quest
Two days after the Future Twilight fiasco, Spike and the Guardians of Harmony received a letter from Princess Celestia. The letter had explained that the Great Dragon Migration was going to happen.
“This could be my chance to learn more about dragons!” Spike said.
“Don’t you already learn a lot from Zecora?” Pinkie asked.
“Learning from a zebra is one thing,” Spike said. “Learning from actual dragons is another.”
“Says here,” Applejack said, reading from the letter. “That in order ta watch the Great Dragon Migration with caution, ya gotta be in a safe place, preferably a trench. Ah’m sure ah can dig one fer us ta be in.”
“Can I help?” Pinkie asked. “I have a lot of experience digging from my family’s rock farm.”
“Sure thing,” Applejack smiled. “Together, we’ll make somethin’ that all seven o’ us can be comfy in.”
“Uh, I think you mean six of us,” Rainbow said, gesturing to Fluttershy.
Fluttershy didn’t appreciate the insinuation. “I’m going,” she asserted.
“What?” Rainbow gasped.
“I must,” Fluttershy said. “If I don’t, I could end up hurting Spike’s feelings again. Besides, if I’m to get over my fear of dragons, I have to take all the steps I can. I’m not backtracking after over a year of progress. I also know you’d try to blackmail me that I owe you after taking you to see the butterfly migration.”*
“No, I wouldn’t!” Rainbow said.
“Yeah, she would,” Applejack said flatly.
“Tattletale,” Rainbow muttered.
Later that day, Pinkie and Applejack were digging a trench by Fluttershy’s cottage. Fluttershy was available close by in case either one of them needed more supplies or a cold drink of water or lemonade. Within an hour, the trench was done.
“You two made a nice trench,” Fluttershy said kindly.
“No dragon’ll be able ta see er torch us,” Applejack said. “Not without crashin’ inta the ground, anyhow.”
“I better grab some snacks,” Pinkie said. “Since we’re going to be in the trench for a while, it’ll be good to have some food to keep our tummies quiet. Twilight and Rarity should be here soon with the other gear.”
“Spike’s making us snacks as we speak,” Fluttershy said.
“Oh, okay,” Pinkie said.
Soon, Twilight and Rarity arrived with the gear. Rarity was a bit disgruntled with the drab camouflage.
“I do understand the functionality,” Rarity grumbled. “But, earth tones like these don’t match my aesthetic at all.”
“We’ve been over this, Rarity,” Twilight said in annoyance. “The point of camouflage is to blend in. Wearing one of your more glamorous outfits is the same as holding a big sign saying, ‘Go ahead and set me on fire.’”
Rarity sighed. “Fair enough. This may not be something I would wear every day, but, I’ll make an exception to ensure our safety.”
Minutes ticked by and nothing happened.
“Are they even coming?” Rainbow asked impatiently.
“Be patient, Rainbow,” Twilight said. “Princess Celestia’s letter said that the Great Dragon Migration is starting today, but, she never specified the time.”
Suddenly, in the distance there came a tremendous roar. The mares recognized it in a heartbeat.
“Sounds like we got dragons a-comin’!” Applejack called.
Within seconds, they saw dragons big and small in a variety of colors. Some had ear fronds like Spike, some had horns, some had antlers, some had dog-like faces on snake-like bodies, some had hair and mustaches, some had wings on their backs, some had wings as part of their arms, and some had no wings at all, but, could fly just the same. The ponies were amazed by what they saw. Even Fluttershy found herself captivated by the unique dragons that were flying overhead.
“I must say,” Rarity said. “Dragons are quite a diverse species.”
“Indeed, they are,” Twilight replied, jotting down what she was observing in her notebook. “I’m amazed that those snake-like ones can fly without wings.”
A short time later, Spike arrived with the snacks. “Did I miss anything?” he asked.
“It just started,” Twilight said. “I took notes about the unique dragons we had seen so far.”
Rainbow helped herself to a snack when she noticed Spike looking at her in deadpan expectation. “What?”
“I know you’re going to make fun of my apron,” Spike said. “So, get it over with.”
“I wasn’t going to,” Rainbow said.
“She’s tellin’ the truth,” Applejack said after activating her Mystic Eyes of Truth.
“Why would we make fun of an apron?” Pinkie asked. “They’re functional. And yours is even camouflaged, so, it’s functional in that way, too.”
“Besides,” Rainbow said before taking a bite of a danish. “If you can make snacks this good, I don’t care if you wear an apron or a ball gown.”
Spike was caught off guard by the response. “Well, uh… thanks, Rainbow.”
Rarity took a bite of a muffin and was amazed by the taste. “My word, it’s heavenly~! Where did you learn to make such a delicious pastry?”
“One of the royal chefs if you can believe it,” Spike said.
“The efforts certainly paid off,” Rarity smiled. She patted his head, causing him to blush. “Why darling, you are turning the most adorable shade of red."
“Stop teasing him, Rarity,” Twilight said.
“It’s okay, mom,” Spike said. “She’s not harming anything.”
“She was trying to be nice,” Fluttershy said.
Spike looked up at the dragons flying overhead. His smile started to falter. Twilight noticed.
“Is something the matter, Spike?” she asked.
“I thought watching so many dragons would answer some of my questions,” Spike said. “Now, I just have even more questions.”
“It would be kinda hard ta hear what the dragons have ta say when they’re all the way up there, n’ we’re all the way down here,” Applejack said.
“My whole life,” Spike said. “I’ve known next to nothing about my own species. It’s so frustrating.”
“It can be hard to know exactly how to be a dragon when they’re pretty rare to come by,” Rarity said. “So, I do understand how you feel.”
“I don’t even know how dragons usually act,” Spike said. “It’s making me question who I am.”
“I don’t know if who you are is the same as what you are,” Fluttershy said. “We know who you are because you were raised by Twilight and her family.”
“And you’re perfect the way you are,” Rarity said. She then used her hooves to rub both of Spike’s cheeks simultaneously. "Why just look at you. You have the cutest widdle pair of chubby cheeks."
“Rarity, please,” Spike said. “As much as I appreciate a face smush, I’m not in the mood for one right now. I have a lot on my mind.”
"Rarity has a point, Spike," Pinkie commented. "You're perfectly fine as you are. Why would you want to be anything else? You're a one of a kind, no matter who or what you might be."
“Yeah,” Applejack said. “Yer our friend n’ that ain’t goin’ ta change.”
“All the same,” Spike said. “I wish I could feel like other dragons. I… I think I need to go back home.” And with that, Spike turned around and trundled sadly.
“Poor Spike,” Twilight said sadly. “If only there was some way we could help him.”
“I don’t know if he would want our help,” Rainbow said. “Sure, we’re his friends, but, I think he wants some way to feel more like a dragon. Since we know as much about them as he does, I doubt we’ll be much help.”
“Still,” Fluttershy said. “We should be there for him, whether he wants us to or not. First, he needs a moment.”
“Aren’t there books on dragons in the library?” Rainbow asked.
“If there are, I haven’t found them,” Twilight said. “Why do you think Spike had to resort to learning from Zecora?”
“Hmm, good point,” Rainbow said.
If Twilight had any doubts about whether or not Spike would continue to obsess over how little of a dragon he thought he was, they were erased that very night.
“What am I?” Spike questioned himself. “Where am I from? Who am I supposed to be?”
Twilight, who was trying to sleep, took a deep breath to avoid losing her temper. She knew from the Owlowiscious incident that losing her temper with him leads to really bad results. “I don’t know,” she said as calmly as she could. “You were given to me as an egg. Princess Celestia didn’t say where your egg came from.”
“I feel as if I may as well be a pony,” Spike said sadly.
“I’m sorry, sweetie,” Twilight said. “I wish I could give you the answers you seek, but, after the Future Twilight fiasco, I vowed not to dabble in time travel again.”**
Spike looked out the window. The Great Dragon Migration had long since flew out of Ponyville’s range, but, he could still think of them. The fact that they were still visible didn’t help.
“Maybe my answers aren’t in Ponyville,” Spike said.
Twilight could tell at once what Spike was thinking. “How about some late-night research?” she suggested.
“You’d do that for me?” Spike asked.
“Of course,” Twilight said. “It’s high time we started looking for books on dragons in this library. What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t try to teach you more about your species?”
“Thanks, mom,” Spike smiled while hugging Twilight.
Unfortunately, what information they managed to find out did nothing to satisfy Spike's curiosity. And even after Twilight decided that it was best to call it a night and get some sleep, Spike was still very unhappy. He felt just as bad the next morning, which did not go unnoticed by Twilight. "How is it that we've searched through all these books and there's still nothing about dragons that can answer my questions?" he complained.
“I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight said. “It’s just that dragons are so rare that hardly any pony has come close enough to them to actually study them.”
“Now, I’m even more confused than ever,” Spike said, disheartened.
Twilight sighed sadly. “If only I actually was a dragon, I would be better help towards you. Maybe we can pay another visit to the Canterlot Archives, maybe they'll know something we don't," Twilight suggested.
"I doubt it," Spike muttered glumly, a tear coming into his eye. "I wonder if dragons cry...”
“Oh, Spike,” Twilight said, comforting her dragon son.
Spike remembered that he could still see the dragon migration from a distance the night before.
“Well,” Spike said. “I think I know what I have to do.”
Just then, there was a knock at the front door. Twilight went to answer it and when she opened it, in walked her friends.
“Good morning,” Rarity said before directing her attention to Spike. “We came to see how you were doing, Spike.”
“Turns out this library doesn’t have any books on dragons,” Spike said.
“We’re sorry, Spike,” Fluttershy said. “We’re not sure how helpful we would be towards you.”
“That’s okay,” Spike said. “I’m getting a head start anyway.”
“A head start?” Applejack asked. “At what?”
“I’m joining the Dragon Migration!” Spike announced.
Most of the guardians of harmony gasped in surprise.
“What?!” Pinkie squawked. “You’re going out there all alone?!”
"Spike, that's nonsense talk!" Applejack said seriously. “Ya’ll be goin’ out ta join in with a bunch o’ strangers. Dragons er not, ya don’t know ‘em!”
"Applejack has a point, those dragons mean serious business. They're big, tough, and scary..." Rainbow Dash added.
“And I’m small, weak, and I like to wear aprons,” Spike snorted. “This is exactly why I need to go!”
"All I'm saying is, you could get hurt,” Rainbow said. “Do you have any idea what you're getting into?"
"Big words coming from the mare who charged headfirst into a fight with a dragon several times bigger than her and got her tail kicked pretty badly," Spike said, brushing off Rainbow Dash's concerns.***
“Twilight~” Rarity stage-whispered to her fellow unicorn friend. “Can’t you talk him out of this?”
“I don’t think we should talk him out of this,” Twilight said after a pause. “I think Spike should go.”
“You can’t talk me out of–” Spike began before Twilight’s words sank in. “Wait, what’d you say?”
“Did you say you want Spike to join the Great Dragon Migration?” Fluttershy asked.
“It’s clear that Spike has questions about himself,” Twilight said. “And we don't have the answers for him. I feel that if he does join in, he’ll be able to actually talk to other dragons and they will be able to answer his questions and queries better than we could. So, that’s why I think he should join them. After all, there are times where we have to travel to learn who we are.”
“I suppose that makes sense,” Rarity admitted before stepping close to Spike. “I’ll miss having you around, Spikey-wikey.”
“We’re all going to miss you,” Pinkie said. “But, we wish you a safe voyage.”
“I still think this is crazy,” Rainbow said. “But, who am I to talk? I’ve done plenty of stupid stuff.”
“Thanks, everypony,” Spike said. He put his bindle over his shoulder and he prepared to step out of the Golden Oak Library. “I’m going to miss you guys, too, but, this will help me realize who I really am. I can feel it. Goodbye, everypony.”
As he set off, the mares waved goodbye.
“Goodbye, Spikey-wikey,” Rarity said.
“Happy trails, li’l buddy,” Applejack said.
“Go get ‘em, big guy!” Rainbow said.
They continued waving and sending valedictions until Spike was out of earshot.
“We’re following him, right?” Rarity asked.
“Of course,” Twilight said. “Spike means so much to me. If something happens to him out there and I can’t do anything about it, I’d never forgive myself.”
“It would be risky,” Fluttershy said. “But, we must for him. Though we’ll have to keep out of sight so Spike doesn’t know we’re there. He would think we’re trying to stop him from his journey.”
“I’m surprised you’re onboard with this,” Rainbow said. “Aren’t you still afraid of dragons?”
“Yes,” Fluttershy said. “But, I’m more afraid of something bad happening to Spike.”
“Hey, Rarity,” Pinkie said. “You wouldn’t happen to have dragon costumes we could wear, do you?”
“I can make them on the way,” Rarity said. “Though, they won’t be my best work.”****
“As long as we believably look like dragons,” Twilight said. “That’s all that matters.”
Spike traveled for nearly a day, stopping to rest periodically. He followed the path of the dragons as they flew overhead. He crossed a river on a raft courtesy of Cranky Doodle Donkey. Soon, he came upon a large volcanic area where most of the dragons were mingling. He could see that a majority of them were roughly the size of Razer, which intimidated him. He shuddered a bit, but, he continued to look around. He then saw a group of smaller and younger dragons. They were older than him, but, they weren’t too much taller. He reasoned that they must be teenage dragons.
“If I’m going to learn what it’s like to be a real dragon,” Spike said to himself. “Those are the dragons to hang out with.” He made his way to them, unaware of his friends behind him in poorly-made dragon costumes.
“I did say they wouldn’t be my best work,” Rarity whispered to her friends.
“Never mind how it looks, Rare,” Rainbow whispered. “We need to stay incognito.”
“We’ll never pass if they hear six voices coming out of two dragons,” Twilight silently lectured.
The friends quietly nodded and they kept their eyes on Spike. They passed a female winged dragon half a head taller than Spike with grayish scarlet scales with a grayish cornflower blue underbelly, horns, and wing membranes, light rose hair, and moderate turquoise eyes. She took a good look at them.
Meanwhile, Spike made it to the teenage dragons. He cleared his throat to get their attention.
“Excuse me,” Spike said, timidly yet politely. “Hi, I’m Spike.”
This caught their attention.
“You sure your name is Spike,” a purple dragon asked. “Or is it Shrimp?” They all laughed.
“No, it is Spike,” Spike said.
“Look more like a Peewee to me,” said a brown dragon.
“Hey, guys,” a red dragon with a noticeable overbite of fangs said, feigning sympathy. “Leave him alone or he may fly away.” Then, in a mocking tone, he said. “That is, if he had wings!” He laughed harder. “This guy’s a whelp!”
“So, how’d ya get here,” the brown dragon asked after a laugh. “Fly in on your mommy’s back?”
“I came here on my own!” Spike said. “And I don’t appreciate the way you insulted me by calling me a whelp!”
The dragons stopped laughing in confusion.
“Whelp isn’t an insult, dumbass,” the red dragon said. “Don’t you know that’s the stage between hatchling and green wing?”
“Uh…” Spike said. He then cleared his throat. “Like I said, I came here on my own. I was mostly living in Canterlot and then I moved to Ponyville.”
“No wonder you don’t know anything about dragons!” the red dragon snarked. “They don’t know crap about us! If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were part pony!”
“I’m not part pony,” Spike said. “I’m all-dragon! Watch this…” He then attempted to roar like a dragon. The teenage dragons just laughed harder.
The Guardians weren’t enjoying the sight. Twilight took it particularly hard since she knew Spike really was part pony.
“How dare those brutes speak to Spike like that,” Rarity whispered.
Fluttershy noticed something vaguely familiar about the red dragon.
“Or maybe,” the red dragon said. “Maybe you’re a pony in a dragon costume!”
The dragons laughed. The purple one unknowingly nudged one of the costumed dragons.
“A pony in a dragon costume,” the purple dragon guffawed. “Isn’t that silly?”
Twilight grew nervous. “Yeah,” she said in a deep voice. “Hilarious.”
Spike began to grow angry. “I am a real dragon!”
“Pickin’ on whelps again, Garble?” a female voice said. They turned to see that it came from the dragon who saw the costumed ponies enter.
“Butt out, you pony-lover!” the red dragon, whose name was Garble, said. “This doesn’t concern you!”
“Neither does messin’ with new guys, but, that don’t seem ta bother you, does it?” the female dragon snarked.
“Clump, Backdraft!” Garble said to the brown dragon and a violet one. “Go rough up Mina.”
The brown and violet dragons, Clump and Backdraft respectively, charged at Mina. However, she casually stepped aside and let the two fumble on their faces.
“Typical,” Mina said. “Sendin’ your Mountain Horn goons ta deal with me because youse don’t have the balls ta do it yourself.”
Garble growled with annoyance. Mina then calmly walked up to Spike.
“You okay, kid?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Spike said after taking a moment to calm down. “Uh, thanks for that.” He then saw Garble attempting to punch Mina from behind.
“Hang on,” Mina said before delivering a punch to Garble’s stomach. The red dragon winced in pain before Mina calmly said. “Take your goons somewhere else or I’ll punch lower. Get the picture?”
“Got it,” Garble said in a winded tone. “Come on, boys.”
The seven big dragons scurried off to a different part of the volcanic area.
How Smolder turned out so chill n' Garble so awful is beyond me, Mina thought to herself. “Hey, youse mind if I speak to those two dragons behind you in private?” she asked Spike.
“Which two dragons?” Spike asked, looking behind him. He then noticed the costumed ponies, but, didn’t recognize them. “Oh, go ahead,” he answered.
“I shouldn’t be too long,” Mina said as she walked over to the costumed ponies. She led them to a cavern. “Okay, ponies, you can drop the act here.”
Pinkie gasped. “How did she know?”
Mina crossed her arms. “I see ponies in dragon costumes parade the streets of Fillydelphia every new year,” she said. “You six? Worst costumes ever. Though, you might pass for Crackle’s cousins.” Mina pointed in the direction of a dragon who looks identical to the costumes that Rarity made.
“Blaugh!” the dragon named Crackle said. She then scratched her side with two of her eight legs.
“I didn’t even do that intentionally,” Rarity said. “Crackle looks different from other dragons we saw.”
“Yeah,” Mina said. “We’re not really sure which race she is, either.”
The ponies were surprised at the revelation that Crackle was female.
“Anyway,” Twilight said. “We’re friends of Spike. I hatched him from his egg during my entrance exam, so, I’m Spike’s mom.”
“Okay,” Mina said. “Now, before you say anythin’, don’t lump me with Garble n' his goons. Not all dragons are like that. Well, most Wyverns are like that, but, that’s not the point.”
“We saw firsthoof how willing you were to make sure Spike was safe from those seven bullies,” Rarity said. “We can see that you are quite kind.”
“Yeah,” Mina said. “Now, I feel you should know who Garble and his goons are.”
The ponies followed Mina’s pointing as she pointed at the purple dragon.
“The purple dragon with the hair over his eyes is Fume,” Mina said. She then pointed at a dragon with light gray scales with a light amaranthish gray underbelly and wing membrane, light amaranth spines, and light amaranth sclera with moderate amaranth pupils. “That pale one is Fizzle. You already know Clump and Backdraft.” She then pointed to a dragon with dark gray scales with an apple green underbelly, moderate lime green hair, light goldish gray horns, and black eyes with brilliant orange sclera. “That’s Charcoal.”
“I feel as if I’ve heard Garble’s voice before,” Fluttershy said.
“How so?” Applejack asked.
“I don’t know exactly,” Fluttershy admitted. “Though, his tail looks familiar, too.”
“Excuse me, Mina,” Rarity said. “I couldn’t help but notice that some dragons have hair. Before seeing the migration, I wasn’t aware that it was even possible.”
“Well,” Mina said. “Most dragons can’t have hair. The ones that do are at least part Longryu.”
“Longryu?” Rainbow asked. “What’s that?”
“There’s four main breeds of dragon,” Mina explained. “Each one from a different area of the world. You see those dragons with ear fronds?”
The ponies nodded and made affirmative noises.
“Those are Bulk Busters, northern dragons,” Mina explained.
“Oh!” Twilight said. “Is that the kind of dragon that Spike is?”
Mina nodded. “Bulk Busters is named for both their physical strength and the fact that some get pretty fat in their later years. The fat keeps them warm in the colder regions they usually stay.”
“Fascinating,” Twilight smiled. “Truly fascinating.”
“See those dragons with horns?” Mina asked.
The ponies nodded again.
“Those are Mountain Horns, southern dragons,” Mina said.
“What’re they like?” Applejack asked.
“Well, some sometimes walk on all fours like youse ponies,” Mina said. “Sometimes, they walk upright. They’re named ‘cause they have horns and usually live in mountain regions. They usually have a ‘might makes right’ mentality, but, they can be reasoned with. Though, reasonin’ with a Mountain Horn’s harder than with a Bulk Buster.”
“Intriguing,” Rarity nodded.
“Those dragons with wings as part o’ their arms,” Mina said. “Are Wyverns, western dragons.”
“I bet they’re pretty fast fliers,” Rainbow guessed.
“Not only that,” Mina said. “They can survive in temperatures too hot for other dragons ta handle.”
“Whoa~” Rainbow said. “That’s hardcore.”
“Their fires can melt even the strongest metals,” Mina said. “They’ll eat anythin’ n’ attack any creature. Their scales can’t be penetrated. If that ain’t enough, they got venomous stinger tails.”
“They sound dangerous,” Fluttershy said. “Is there a way to console them?”
“Not a good idea ta try,” Mina said. “Wyverns is prejudiced against all creatures n’ rarely interbreed with other dragons.”
“Oh, dear,” Fluttershy said.
“The most civil Wyvern I’ve ever met was still a total grump,” Mina said. “Even on a good day.”
“Yikes,” Pinkie said. “And I thought Gilda was bad.”
“Well, she was,” Rainbow said.
“Unlike Bulk Busters n’ Mountain Horns,” Mina said. “Wyverns is born with their wings.”
“Interesting,” Twilight said.
“See those dragons with dog-like faces, snake-like bodies, hair, n’ antlers?” Mina asked.
“Yeah,” Applejack said. “R’ those the Longryus ya mentioned?”
“Yep,” Mina said. “Eastern dragons. They’re just about the friendliest dragons ever.”
“Wow,” Pinkie smiled. “I wonder if any of them like parties.”
“You kiddin’?” Mina said. “They love parties. They’re pretty much the only dragons with no beef towards other creatures.”
“I wouldn’t mind meeting a few of them if we weren’t busy keeping an eye on Spike,” Fluttershy said.
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Mina said. “It’s in a Longryu’s nature ta look out for defenseless creatures.”
“Thank you, Mina,” Fluttershy smiled.
“Now,” Mina said. “Longryus go their whole lives without wings, but, they can fly just fine.”
“I’ve been wondering about that,” Twilight said. “How do they do it?”
“Well, you know how eyesight works?” Mina asked.
“Of course,” Twilight said. “When light hits the retina, special cells called photoreceptors turn the light into electrical signals.”
“Basically,” Pinkie simplified. “Light from the sun bounces off stuff and into our eyes so we can see color.”
“Right,” Mina said. “The bodies o’ Longryus can intercept that light n’ float around on it. If they want it to, that is.”
“That is so cool,” Rainbow said. “So, which breed are you?”
“I’m half n’ half,” Mina said. “My mom’s a Mountain Horn n’ my dad’s a Longryu.”
“Interesting,” Fluttershy said.
“Now, a Longryu’s antlers ain’t just for show,” Mina said.
“No?” Rarity asked. “Are they magical like unicorn and alicorn horns are?”
Mina nodded. “Longryus can even use elemental magic.”
“Truly captivating,” Rarity said.
“In Chineigh,” Mina said. “There ain’t many Pegasi, so, wind Longryus control the weather.”
“Wow,” Rainbow smiled.
“All Longryus have elemental magic,” Mina said. “Some can channel it through their breath. You can tell which is which by their main scale colors.”
“That’s neat,” Pinkie said. “Would you mind telling us what they are in rainbow order if possible?”
“Sure,” Mina said. “Red’s fire, orange’s lightnin’, yellow’s earth, lime’s wood, green’s wind, blue’s wooder, purple’s energy, cyan’s ice, white’s light, black’s darkness, n’ silver n’ gold’s metal.”
“‘Wooder?’” Twilight asked.
“Yeah,” Mina said. “You know, the wet stuff.”
“Oh,” Rarity said. “You mean water.”
“That’s what I said,” Mina said.
“Cool,” Pinkie said.
“My dad’s a metal Longryu,” Mina said.
“That’s mighty intriguin’, Mina,” Applejack said.
“He taught me everythin’ I know about Longryus,” Mina said. “Even how ta fight like ‘em.”
“Fight?” Fluttershy asked.
“Never said Longryus was pushovers,” Mina said. “They usually only fight in self-defense or defense o’ others.”
“Ah, I see,” Fluttershy said, nodding with understanding. “We better check on Spike.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” Mina said. “But, I’ll stick around in case youse slip up.”
“Thank you,” Twilight said. “We might need the help.”
They made it in time for Garble to issue a belching contest. While they stood a safe distance to see Spike while none of the dragons could hear them, Fizzle stepped up first and belched blue flames. Fume then belched green flames. Clump belched a torrent of orange and yellow flames that practically engulfed the other dragons. The belch endured for several seconds.
“Okay, Spike,” Garble snarked. “Let’s see you top that.”
Spike nervously gulped and stepped up. When he burped, his flames materialized a scroll. The other dragons looked utterly surprised.
“Whoa~” the dragons, sans Garble, said enamored. Garble picked up the scroll.
“How the hell’d you do that?” he asked.
The ponies saw that Mina was equally surprised.
“You’ve never seen a dragon send scrolls with their fire breath either?” Twilight asked in a whisper.
“No,” Mina whispered back. “Even the most magically-gifted Longryus alive can’t do that. The only way it’d even be possible is if the dragon was born with unicorn blood in his veins.”
Twilight began to chuckle nervously.
Garble opened the scroll. “Hey, Charcoal!” he said. “Get over here and read this!”
Charcoal walked over to read the scroll Garble was holding. “From the desk of Princess Celestia, Dear Spike, please te–…”
“Eh, the rest ain’t important,” Garble said, crumpling up the letter. He then attempted to toss it into lava, only for a green Longryu with a white underbelly, white hair, blue horns, and yellow eyes***** to swoop in and grab it before it touched the lava. She landed gently on her feet near Spike, who was a full head shorter than her.
“This scroll is important to him,” she said in a stern, yet demure, voice. “You bullies have no right to read it when it’s his to read.” She gave the scroll to him. “You better store this in your loose scales for later, little one.”
“Thank you,” Spike said, enamored by this brave yet gracious dragon. “Can I have your name?”
“Windyllyn,” the Longryu said. “But, you can call me Windy.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Windy,” Spike said gratefully.
“Stay out of this, you flying snake!” Garble said to Windy.
“You can threaten me as much as you like, Garble,” Windy said. “But, I still won’t tolerate your bullying ways.”
“Feh, whatever,” Garble said, rolling his eyes. “You Longryus are a disgrace to dragons.”
Windy didn’t show the tiniest bit of shame. “We have very different ideas of what disgraces a dragon, Garble,” she said. “After all, did you not attempt to trick a pegasus filly into absent-mindedly wandering into a sleeping titan wing’s mouth?”
“Uh-huh,” Garble said. “Your point?”
Wait, Spike thought to himself upon hearing this. Fluttershy never mentioned that… although, I was still upset with her and I probably would have thought she was making excuses. Even so, I’m going to apologize to Fluttershy when I next see her.
Windy could tell she wasn’t going to win this argument and flew away instead of wasting energy continuing it. With the other ponies, they could hardly believe what Garble had said.
“Such callousness,” Rarity whispered.
“That’s why Garble’s voice sounds familiar to me,” Fluttershy whispered. “And why his tail also looks so familiar. I saw and heard them when I went in that dragon’s mouth.”
“And the fact that he has no shame in admittin’ that,” Applejack said. “He’s a might nasty character.”
“No kiddin’,” Mina said. “Sometimes, I wonder if he’s part Wyvern.”
“So, Spike,” Garble said. “You think you can handle a tail wrestle contest?”
The other dragons in Garble’s group cheered. First up was Charcoal and Backdraft. They turned back to back and they interlocked their tails.
“Ready…” Garble said. “GO!”
Charcoal and Backdraft pulled and tugged as hard as they could, making sounds of exertion as they strained. Backdraft soon made one last effort. He knocked down Charcoal with his force.
“Backdraft wins!” Garble said, holding Backdraft’s tail tip.
Spike watched on. He did admit it looked thrilling, but, at the same time, it looked dangerous.
“Good ol’ tail-wrestling…” he said nervously.
“We can’t let Spikey-wikey wrestle one of them!” Rarity whispered loudly. “He’ll get clobbered!”
“I have an idea,” Twilight whispered. “We’ll have to be sneaky, but, we have to try.” The costume containing herself, Fluttershy, and Pinkie stepped forward. Twilight deepened her voice as low as she could go and she said, “I challenge Spike to a tail-wrestle!”
“Same with me,” Rarity said in a deeper voice as the costume containing her, Rainbow, and Applejack stepped up.
“Who are those weirdos?” Garble whispered to Fume.
“I think they might be Crackle’s cousins,” Fume said.
“WHAT A LOVELY DAY!” Crackle shouted.
“Huh,” Garble said. “That would explain it. One at a time!” The costume containing Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie stepped up.
“Remember,” Twilight whispered as quietly as possible so that only Pinkie and Fluttershy could hear her. “Go easy on him and let him win without looking like it.” The other two mares nodded.
The two competitors set up, ready to match.
“Ready…” Garble said. “GO!”
Spike and “the dragon competitor” pulled and tugged. Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy made it look like they were giving a good show. They deliberately fell over in a way that still hid their identities. The dragon competitors cheered.
“Spike is the winner!” Garble announced. “Now, for the other one who challenged him!”
Spike and the “other dragon competitor” got into position.
“Remember,” Rarity whispered. “Let him win.”
“It won’t be easy for me,” Rainbow whispered. “But, I’ll do it for him.”
“Ready…” Garble said. “GO!”
Spike and the other dragon competitor pulled and tugged. Just as before, the ponies made it look like they lost.
“Two wins in a row for Spike!” Garble announced. “I got to hand it to ya, you’re more impressive than I thought.”
“Really?” Spike asked, hopeful.
“Yeah!” Garble said. “Any dragon who can tail-wrestle against two big dragons like that has got some real guts.”
“Great show youse put on,” Mina whispered to the ponies.
“Thanks,” Twilight whispered back.
“Alright,” Spike said. “Who’s next?”
“Getting cocky, huh?” Garble smirked. “I like that. So, how about you wrestle… him?”
He pointed to a grayish turquoise dragon with a brilliant apple green underbelly, horns, and spines, brilliant tangelo hair, brilliant apple green sclera, and black pupils. Spike looked at his opponent and seemed confident when he saw that he appeared smaller than him.
“Oh, crap, he’s got Whip,” Mina said.
“Uh,” Applejack said. “Do we want ta know why he’s called that?” Some dragons stepped back, revealing that Whip’s tail was not only longer and thicker than the rest of his body (being at least three heads higher), but, could unfurl to reveal sharp spikes coming out of it. “Reckon that answered mah question.”
“Go!” Garble said.
Within seconds, Spike is propelled through the air by Whip’s tail. Luckily, Mina was able to catch him before he hit a rock.
“Thanks,” Spike said after shaking off the whiplash feeling.
“No problem,” Mina said as she put him down.
“Stay out of this, green wing!” Garble said.
“Big talk from a long wing puttin’ a whelp in contests with other long wings n’ a terror-sage like Whip!” Mina said.
Later, after Spike had a chance to fully recover, he and Garble were climbing a mountain of gems.
“Okay,” Garble said. “This next challenge should be more fun.”
Sure, Spike thought to himself. Because those last challenges weren’t already ‘fun.’
“King of the Hoard!” Garble shouted from the top of the gem pile.
The dragons cheered as they started to participate. The object is to be the only dragon on the hoard of gems. So, various teenage dragons were pushing and shoving each other left and right, each one determined to be the one to reach the top. Spike carefully made his way up.
“This is my chance,” he said to himself.
The costumed ponies tackled dragons getting near Spike.
“Oof!” One dragon interjected.
Before he realized it, Spike found himself at the top.
“King of the hoa-” Spike was about to declare before losing his footing and falling to the bottom of the hoard. He landed right in front of Garble.
“Looks like another fail, little Spike,” Garble said teasingly. “Can’t wait to see you fail at lava cannonball, too.”
Spike gulped. He’d never been in lava before. The ponies had heard this and they knew they themselves couldn't survive in lava.
“Spike’s on his own there,” Twilight whispered. Though, she was deeply afraid Spike wouldn’t survive.
A short time later, various dragons gathered around a large lava pool.
“Whoever makes the biggest lava splash is the ultimate dragon!” Garble said. He then jumped off of the stone ledge. “Cannonball!”
Garble made an impressive splash in the lava. His group followed suit with Clump being last and making the biggest splash. Spike looked on and he appeared hesitant. However, he leaned too far forward and fell right into the lava pool.
“Ooh~!” various dragons winced at Spike’s impact.
To Spike’s surprise, the lava didn’t hurt. If anything, he felt like he was taking a warm bath.
“Was my fall that bad?” Spike asked when he resurfaced.
“No way, that was awesome!” Garble said. “No pony could’ve survived just touching lava, let alone falling into it like you did.”
Garble’s entourage made approving noises, among which were compliments saying that Spike is awesome and best dive fail ever. The other teenage dragons made noises of agreement. After they enjoyed their lava swim, Garble stood before Spike as if he was the leader of a fraternity house.
“Spike,” he said. “By surviving falling into lava, you’ve proven you’re a real dragon.”
“Spike! Spike! Spike!” various teenage dragons chanted.
“Now, let’s party dragon-style!” Garble said.
“Yeah!” various teenage dragons shouted.
Mina and the disguised ponies kept their distance during the party.
“Honestly,” Rarity said. “I can’t see any of those male dragons–”
“Drakes,” Mina corrected.
“Right,” Rarity said. “I can’t see any of those drakes getting together with any self-respecting female dra–”
“Dragonesses,” Mina corrected again.
Rarity finally finished. “I can’t see any of those drakes getting together with any self-respecting dragonesses.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Mina said. “I just hope Spike doesn’t let ‘em turn him stupid like ‘em.”
“I’m curious,” Fluttershy said. “Can you explain how dragon fire works?”
“Well, how do you think it works?” Mina asked.
“By breathing out harsh enough?” Fluttershy asked.
“Well,” Twilight said. “Spike’s stomach works kind of like a furnace. When he uses his fire breath, he’s expelling extra fire from his body so he doesn't get too hot.”
“Congratulations,” Mina said in seeming pride before going deadpan. “All o’ that was wrong.”
“Okay,” Twilight said after a pause. “So, how does it really work?”
Mina reached into her loose scales on her hips and pulled out what looked like a metal board with a glass middle. She then held it in front of her torso. After a few seconds, it gave an x-ray view of her innards, revealing her stomach to be where it’d be expected to be and a strange organ attached to the side that had tubes connecting to her lungs.
“Whoa,” Rainbow gasped. “What’s that thing?”
“That’s my flame sac,” Mina explained. “All dragons what breathe fire have ‘em. As youse can see, it’s connected ta my stomach n’ lungs.”
“This is a real anatomy lesson,” Twilight gasped.
Mina then picked up a gem that landed near her feet and ate it. “Here’s how it works,” she said. “As youse can see, the gem goes down my throat ta be digested in my stomach. Pretty standard, but, look what happens ta half the digested mush.” Half of the digested mush was sent to Mina’s flame sac to be digested again.
“Oh, my,” Rarity said.
“Right now,” Mina said. “My flame sac’s turnin’ what went in inta a combustible gas that’s pumped ta my lungs.”
“That’s really somethin’,” Applejack noted.
Mina then gently blew a small, steady azure flame from her mouth. The ponies fully understood then. “Sometimes, gas or drinks from the stomach get in the flame sac,” Mina said. “Without trainin’, that can mess with the fire breath.”
“I see,” Twilight said. “That must be why Spike has trouble breathing fire after drinking something and why he sometimes burps when he does breathe fire.”
“The best way ta help is ta give him dragon milk,” Mina said.
“That’s a thing?” Applejack asked.
“It ain’t actual milk,” Mina clarified. “It’s actually brandy mixed with chicken blood.”
Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel lightheaded at the mention of chicken blood, but, Twilight and Pinkie helped to calm her down.
“How does that help?” Rainbow asked.
“The brandy acts as fuel ta mix with the gas while the chicken blood coats the flame sac with a hydrophobic layer o’ mucus,” Mina explained.
“Since it will help him,” Twilight said. “Then, I’ll do it.”
“I don’t like the idea of sacrificing chickens,” Fluttershy said.
“I didn’t say nothin’ ‘bout sacrificin’ chickens,” Mina said. “Just use a syringe ta pull some blood out.”
“I think I can be able to help with that,” Twilight said.
A while later, the party was over and Spike was stuffed with gems.
“Whew!” Spike panted. “This is one great party!”
“Great?” Garble scoffed. “By Ponyville standards, maybe. Stick with us, kid. We got plenty to teach you about being a dragon.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Spike said. “The way I feel right now, I could hang out with you guys forever.”
“Forever?!” the ponies whispered loudly upon hearing that.
“Spikey-wikey’s going to stay with those delinquent dragons?” Rarity asked. “Forever?”
“I should have stopped him from following the dragon migration when he was still in Ponyville,” Rainbow said.
“No, Rainbow,” Twilight said. “This was my fault. I encouraged him to go.”
“It don’t matter whose fault it was,” Applejack said. “What does matter is makin’ sure Spike ain’t hurt.”
Garble stood up. “Y’know, Spike?” he said. “I think you might be ready for a real dragon raid!”
Mina had a look of horror on her face.
“I’m sensing that’s a problem,” Rarity asked.
“Each time Garble n’ his goons go on a raid, they smash phoenix eggs!” Mina said.
Rarity gasped. “That is a problem!”
“What exactly does this raid entail?” Spike asked.
“There’s a nest full of phoenix eggs nearby,” Garble explained. “And we’re going to swipe them!”
“Aren’t you totally psyched for this?!” Clump said.
“Yeah, I’m excited,” Spike said, before he corrected himself. “I mean, psyched!”
“Alright,” Garble said. “Let’s fly!”
“Uh, guys,” Spike said. “I can’t fly. So, I can’t really join in this ra-”
Spike was interrupted when Clump flew by and picked him up.
“I ain’t sittin’ by ta watch this,” Mina said. “I’m gettin’ my dad!”
“You do that,” Rainbow said determinedly. “We’re following them!” She started chasing Garble’s entourage.
“Whoa, Nelly!” Applejack yelled. “Rainbow, haven’t ya forgotten that we’re all in here n’ can’t fly?!”
Rainbow stopped just in time. “Oh, right. Sorry, I was just so dead set on making sure Spike’s okay.”
“We all are,” Twilight said. “So, we’re going to have to hoof it. Let’s go!”
The dragons soon reached the phoenix nest. When they peered inside, they saw that the nests were not filled with eggs, but, rather with phoenix chicks.
“Dammit!” Garble said. “They already hatched!”
The phoenix chicks, seeing the dragon invaders, screeched loudly to alert their parents. Two adult phoenixes flew in and began attacking the invaders. The teenage dragons yelped with pain and scrambled to get out of sight. While this was going on, Spike found himself near Mina, who held an egg with a flame pattern.
“Mina?” Spike asked. “What are you doing here?”
“I beat Garble ta the phoenix nest,” Mina said. “My dad’s on the way.”
“Where’d you get that egg?” Spike asked.
“I accidentally knocked it out o’ the tree before it hatched,” Mina said. “Caught it before it hit the ground.”
“Oh,” Spike said. “We better make sure this gets back to his or her parents in a way that doesn’t let them think we stole it.”
Just as they made it to the nest, Garble, Fume, and Clump landed around them.
“Hey!” Garble said. “You stole an egg, Spike?”
“No, he didn’t!” Mina said.
“Oh,” Garble said. “So, you stole it! Hah, guess you’re a real dragon after all, Mina!”
“I ain’t like youse, Garble!” Mina said. “I don’t smash phoenix eggs for sh*ts n’ giggles!”
“Wait,” Spike said. “That’s why you guys wanted to swipe these eggs?”
“Yeah, so?” Garble said callously. “More phoenixes mean more immortal birds, which means overpopulation. Smash the eggs before they hatch, the population stays in check.”
Spike looked at the phoenix egg. In an instant, he remembered who he really was.
“No!” Spike snapped. “This is just a defenseless egg like I was and immortal bird or not, I’m not going to let you hurt it!”
“What did you just say?” Garble said.
“You got cotton in your ear fronds?” Spike said. “I said, ‘no!’”
Garble was furious. “No creature says no to me! If you’ve lived around ponies so long, you’ve probably never eaten meat a day in your life. That about right?”
“Not until around a year ago,” Spike said. “And even then, I still felt guilty… like you would if you even had half a heart that I do!”
“Since you’ve never eaten meat intentionally,” Garble said with a sadistic grin. “My jaws can easily bite right through your squishy scales!”
Mina stepped in between Garble and Spike, protecting the latter. “Oh, no, ya don’t! Youse ain’t revertin’ ta cannibalism ‘round here!”
At that moment, the Guardians of Harmony arrived and discarded their costumes. Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie directly faced the dragons while Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy stayed close to Spike.
“Guys?” Spike asked in a surprised tone.
“You scaly-ass bastards aren’t laying a claw on him!” Rainbow said.
“That’s right!” Applejack snapped. “Back off!”
“I’m not usually a fighter,” Rarity admitted. “But, if you hurt so much as one scale on his precious little head, I’LL RIP YOU REPROBATES LIMB FROM LIMB!”
The dragons laughed at the pony guardians, but, Garble suddenly stopped once he noticed Fluttershy.
“Wait,” Garble said. “You’re alive?!”
“That’s right, Garble,” Fluttershy said. “And now that I know you’re behind my fear of dragons, I’m not going to let you harm the sweetest little drake I know!”
“Spike,” Garble said. “Are these namby-pamby ponies your friends?”
“That’s right,” Spike said. “And they’ve beaten more powerful creatures than you’ll ever be.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow said. “So, if you don’t back off, we’ll give you a demonstration of our efforts!”
Garble laughed, not noticing something looming overhead that Fume and Clump saw. “You think you ponies can intimidate me?”
“GARBLE!!!” a booming voice echoed.
“Maybe he could,” Pinkie said, pointing at the figure above Garble. All looked up to see a silver Longryu drake easily half a mile in length with a bronze underbelly, golden hair and a mustache that defied gravity, yellow eyes, and brown antlers with flecks of metal embedded in them******. The enormous dragon seemed to radiate wisdom and a vague sense of menace.
“Uh…” Garble said uneasily. “Hi… Mr. Jinshu*******.”
“Do not take my presence lightly, long wing,” Jinshu scolded in his booming voice. “My daughter has informed me of your intentions to slaughter unborn phoenixes.”
“I-It’s only because phoenixes are immortal,” Garble stammered.
“That does not justify your plans,” Jinshu scolded again. “Smashing a phoenix egg would be no different to smashing a fellow dragon egg. Life is sacred.”
“But-” Garble started, only to be interrupted by Jinshu.
“No buts,” Jinshu said. “Your little sister looks up to you. Is this the kind of example you want to set? A shameless poacher?”
Garble looked down sadly. “No…” he said softly.
“Now,” Jinshu said. “Call off this raid before I get the Dragon Lord involved.”
Garble nodded. He then called his friends to follow him back to the volcanic area. Once they were out of sight, Jinshu directed his attention to Spike.
“Thank you,” Spike said, genuflecting respectfully.
“You are an interesting specimen, young drake,” Jinshu said gently. “No doubt you have many questions about dragons.”
“I do,” Spike said. “But, after this, I don’t think I’m in too much of a rush to have them answered. I know who I am.”
“I understand,” Jinshu said before his antlers seemed to shine like silver and one of his scales came off and levitated before him. He closed his eyes and focused while chanting, “Ràng zhège chèng chéngwéi yīmiàn zhānbǔ jìng.********” The scale was transfigured into a grip mirror that gently levitated to Spike. “Should your curiosity come about, this scrying mirror made from my own scale will allow you to contact me no matter where I am and I will do my best to answer your questions.”
“Thank you,” Spike said, gently holding onto the mirror. “This will be helpful and I will take great care of it.”
Jinshu inspected the egg. “That egg needs help hatching,” he said. “Can I trust you to do that in your own home as well?”
“Yes, Mr. Jinshu,” Spike nodded.
“Very well,” Jinshu said. “Come along, daughter.”
“Comin’, Dad,” Mina said before turning to Spike. “Hey, it was real nice meetin’ ya n’ your friends, Spike. Hopefully, I can come see youse in Ponyville or youse can come see me in Fillydelphia someday.”
“I’ll be looking forward to either,” Spike said. “But, for now, I want to go back to my real home.”
“Go for it,” Mina said before flying off with her father.
“You all followed me?” Spike asked.
“Yeah,” Twilight said somewhat shamefully. “It’s not that we didn’t trust you on your journey of self-discovery. It’s because we wanted to make sure you were safe.”
“Well,” Spike said. “I’m glad you did. You’re more than just friends.” Tears of joy welled up in his eyes. “You’re my family.”
The ponies gently hugged Spike lovingly. Once they had a good moment to hug, Twilight put Spike onto her back and they started on their long journey back to Ponyville. It was midnight by the time they arrived.
The next morning, Twilight found Spike already awake and writing a letter to Princess Celestia.
“Dear Princess Celestia,
Seeing the Great Dragon Migration made me wonder what it was like to be a dragon. But, I’ve come to learn that who I am is not the same as what I am. I may have been born a dragon, but, Equestria and my pony friends have taught me to be kind, loyal, and true. I’m proud to call Ponyville my home and to have my pony friends as my family.
Yours truly,
Spike”
Spike rolled up the scroll and sent it away. Just as he did, the other guardians came to invite them out to breakfast.
“Hey, guys,” Rainbow smiled. “Want to join us for breakfast?”
“Before I answer,” Spike said. “I have something to say to Fluttershy.”
“Yes?” Fluttershy replied.
Spike took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I called you a dragophobe so long ago,” he said. “Now, I know that you got your fear thanks to that bully Garble.”
“Oh, Spike,” Fluttershy said. “I forgave you for calling me that a long time ago. Thank you for apologizing, but, it’s because of you, Mina, and her father that I’m not too afraid of dragons anymore.” She hugged him close. “Mina told us a lot about dragons.”
“You’ll have to tell me at breakfast,” Spike said. “After yesterday, I’m ready for a proper meal.” Suddenly, the phoenix egg started cracking. “Oh! The egg!” He and the mares gathered around as a tiny phoenix chick came out of the egg.
“Aww~” the guardians cooed. Spike gently held the chick in his claws.
“Welcome to the world, little one,” Spike smiled.
“Happy birthday, Peewee!” Pinkie said.
“Peewee the phoenix,” Fluttershy said to herself. “That does have a nice ring to it.”
“Yeah,” Spike said. “It’ll be a reminder of all that happened yesterday. Now, let’s take him with us to breakfast.”
“Ya got it, Spike,” Applejack smiled. “N’ let’s get this li’l feller some food.”
And so, during breakfast, the guardians relayed all the information on dragons they learned from Mina and Spike listened to every word.
End of chapter.
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Ah, this was REALLY wonderful. A episode really been looking forward to by a lot, and didn’t disappoint. This was really well done, showing some character growth and also some new characters as well for this.
You did an excellent job on this my good friend! And now, next week it’s the very VERY long awaited original episode, and oh boi, I’m looking forward to seeing what you have planned for it
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Thanks.
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You’re welcome, next week definitely gonna be worth the wait
Any voice ideas for the new dragons?
What about that dear Spike letter?
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Mina: Andrea Libman.
Charcoal: Ian Hanlin.
Crackle: Lee Tockar.
Jinshu: Garry Chalk.
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Letter?
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Oh. I think I’ll address that in the next chapter.
I love how you rewrote the entire episode. It was better than episode ever will be. And I love how Spike was in this chapter and the main six. And how you give Fluttershy her fear of dragons from Garble. And I love how futtershy is overcoming her fear. And keep up the good work I love your stories. And I love how introduce a new dragon and her father and explain the different species of dragons. And how the main six were nice to spike and didn't tease him like in episode. And how you had futtershy there instead of hiding in her home.
11823351
Mina’s from the comics.
Much better than the girls unintentionally insulting Spike and making him feel bad about not being like other dragons. And it was good to incorporate more other types of dragons from regular lore instead of the ones typically portrayed in MLP. Mina was a good character from the comics and helped Spike and the girls learn more about dragons. Kinda made me wonder why Spike only saw teen dragons at the volcano and not ones more his age range. But then again, it was all for the sake of Spike almost falling in with a bad crowd
11823370
Yeah. How about Mina’s father?
Pretty good adaption of the episode. Glad seeing the dragons being better portrayed here (especially with the added hindsight of how season 6 and onward portrays them in a better light). Love the new dragon characters you add too plus bringing in Mina from the Friends Forever Issue 14 comic.
Good idea of Garble being the reason why Fluttershy was initially terrified of adult dragons and her ending up finally conquering her fear earlier than canon.
Wonder if Smolder will ever find out about her older brother Garble scaring Fluttershy and causing her adult dragon fears later on when she meets Fluttershy in season 8?
Given there are different types of dragons here, what type is Ember? I know you confirmed that Garble (and by extension his younger sister Smolder) are Wyverns.
Next week: An original adventure with Rainbow Dash and Spike.
So, who's the hypothetical voice for Windy the dragon?
Also fun fact, this was posted on Tara Strong's (voice of Twilight) 51st birthday.
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Garble and Smolder are Bulk Busters, not Wyverns. Ember's a Mountain Horn.
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Maybe Kathleen Barr.
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Wait, is the original episode Rainbow Dash and Spike related? Did he confirm that
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Okay.
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He said it here: https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/1019430/book-2-chapter-order#comment/5742202
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Yes.
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Thank you.
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He's quite a guy and so responsible. He'd make a good dragon lord
This was a really great! Loved everything in this chapter! Even I liked the dragon OCs of yours and the explanations on dragons!
Can't wait to see the original chapter you've got that replaces "Ponville Confidential"!
11823402
Wow!
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He prefers to be a scholar.
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Thanks.
Great, Mina and Windy make good friends for Spike.
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Yep.
Hey there. Thanks very much for getting this next chapter up. Not much I can say that other reviewers haven't already said better, but I absolutely love the work going into the dialogue, characterizations and future chapter set-up. Naturally, I really liked the work you went to concerning the additional information on dragons, including the use of Mina from the IDW comics AND several Dragon OCs to give dragons much more fair representation. And, yeah, the stuff about Garble being behind Fluttershy's phobia of dragons in the first place and also the really good reason she overcame it.
Definitely looking forward to the Original Episode next week.
I wonder how many species of dragons there are. I'm glad Garmble was put in his place.
When will Twilight tell Spike about his origins?
Finding out about a bunch of info on dragons was amazing.
Definitely loved that its shown that not all dragons are greedy brutes(unlike what the actual episode in show had done)
And the appearance of Mind(and mention of Smolder) was sweet too.
That is wondeful chapter. I hope Garble will learn his lesson in future episodes.
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Thanks.
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Later.
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Thanks.
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Fat chance.
Why you say fat chance?
DULCY: I'm here! I'm here! *Crash lands* (Dazedly): I'll clean my room in a second, Ma. *Shakes head; looks around* Where is everyone? ...they did the Migration without me, didn't they?
Wow. I kinda feel pointed at.
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Because some things don’t change.
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BRANDON: Afraid so.
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Explain.
Okay, now I'm really excited to know about the information of the next chapter.
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My character for this site would be one of the Mountain Horns.
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Okay.
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There’s less stubborn Mountain Horns, but, they’re a generally pretty rare.
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STORM: In all seriousness, this chapter was fine (though I was seriously hoping for Dulcy from SX:HF/SatAM Retold to appear to see how similar and different your versions of Mobian and Equestrian dragons). Couple things:
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BRANDON: First, Wyverns are the western dragons. Second, what’s her name? Third, what documentary? It doesn’t really matter what they eat, anything can be digested for fire breath. Fourth, I plead the fifth.
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STORM: My OC's name is Torai-Zah. It's an Orc word of my own making meaning "Sky Queen" and is also just the term for a female dragon among orcs (it's a mainly HTTYD (Dreamworks, not books), mixed with Monster Hunter and Inheritance-inspired thing). As for the documentary, it's got three names: The Last Dragon (2004), Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real, and outside the US, Dragon's World. It can be found on YouTube under the second name.