Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

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The sound of birds chirping draws Butterscotch out of his deep, restful slumber. It takes a second for him to get his bearings, after all the majority of his dreams are filled with animals, so hearing the singing outside of his window is nothing new. Granted, he wouldn't change his way of starting the day for anything.

He carefully pushes his body upright, and shifts the handmade quilt serving as his duvet aside. Unfortunately, this causes him to shiver due to the cool air blowing through his cottage. He sighs, 'Looks like I'll have to relight the fire before I can get much done this morning…'

Thus, Butterscotch slides off his plush bed that has way too many pillows and blankets according to some people (i.e. Rainbow Blitz) and slips on the pair of fuzzy slippers he always has by his nightstand. One thing he has learned, especially after living alone, is that in order to start the day right you need to prepare to have a great day the night before. In this case, it was placing his favorite slippers in the spot he always places his feet upon getting out of bed.

Once the pegasus stands up he brings his arms up and reaches to the ceiling, while at the same time allowing his wings to expand to their full wingspan. The small cracks and pops he hears from doing so signal that the night's stiffness has been dealt with properly and he is now capable of continuing his morning.

Not stretching your mussels—especially the ones in your wings—before performing any heavy manual labor or exercise is a recipe for disaster. This is even more important for pegasi as they have hollow bones, kind of like birds. Butterscotch likes to think that it is part of the reason why one of the first animals he felt like he fully understood were the small avians.

Like attracts like after all.

Upon gently flapping his wings a few times to make sure that they are nice and warmed up (though he admits that he doesn't use them as much as other pegasi, considering he enjoys walking just a smidge bit more). Butterscotch then proceeds to turn around and begins to make his bed, even taking the time to retuck the edges of his sheets under the mattress and fluff up the various pillows scattered atop his bed due to his slumber.

As his fingers smooth the final wrinkle disrupting the quilt resting on top of his bed, Butterscotch smiles. Starting the morning off right is a valuable thing indeed.

Back when he was younger and living with his parents in Cloudsdale, he would always find a sense of peace in his parents' morning routines. His mother would always be up bright and early in order to tend to her beloved garden that not only spanned the entirety of their backyard, but also the front porch. He remembers the sound of his father's footsteps coming down the stairs, the steady beat pairing with his cheery whistling.

The only break in his father's tune would be when he would ruffle Butterscotch's hair and laugh joyfully at his son's complaints in regards to the action. Butterscotch's mutterings would then reach his mother's ears and she would enter the kitchen from the door leading to the back garden. He remembers the way her eyes would crinkle at the edges while watching her husband and son in the morning light.

She would then remove her gloves and approach the sink to wash her hands. After all, even with the extra layer of fabric between the soil and her skin, somehow a couple specks of dirt would manage to get underneath her fingernails. As a mindless tune slips past her lips his father would embrace her from the back drawing melodious laughter from her lips.

It was practically perfect.

Unfortunately—at least for Butterscotch—he was never able to find a proper place in Cloudsdale, or really the skies at all. He went with his father to the Weather Factory several time throughout his childhood and diligently listened to his father's ramblings in regards to the different types of clouds the factory produced. Yet he was never able to fully understand why his father had such a deep passion for the subject. Perhaps it was his name, Cumulous Cloud; a very fitting moniker for someone like his father.

He supposes the same could be said about his mother, Floral Breeze. She was well known in his neighborhood for always having the most impressive and expansive garden. While she and many others had gardens and greenery on their properties, growing plants in the clouds isn't exactly an easy feat.

At least here on the ground it is far easier to not only grow flowers but fruits and vegetables as well. Or, it is during the Spring and Summer, the snow during the Winter months make it impossible to maintain a garden.

That is part of the reason why Butterscotch continues to wake up early every morning during these short, cold days. Without access to the produce of his garden or even grass and leaves many of his animal friends who forgo hibernation would struggle to even find something to eat. Thus, the pegasus stores food in his fridge and pantry for any creatures who need a snack during the Winter season.

He shakes his head to focus his thoughts once more grabs a knitted cardigan that was draped on a plush chair in the corner of his room. As the woolen garment is pulled onto his lanky frame Butterscotch instantly relaxes and curls into himself. The heavy, warm cardigan practically embracing his form.

After stepping into his slippers Butterscotch makes his way out of his room. The hickory floors creak beneath him as he makes his way downstairs. Rather than head directly to the kitchen, Butterscotch makes his way to the living room to complete the first task of the day.

With some effort Butterscotch lifts a couple of dried up logs from the stack next to the fireplace and adds them into the aforementioned hearth. Once he is satisfied with their arrangement and certain that there will be no unaccounted for moving, the pegasus strikes a match and tosses it into the logs. In less than a minute a fire sparks to life, creating a sense of warmth in the living room while also painting the furniture with its yellow glow.

Butterscotch basks in the warmth for a few minutes before heading over to the kitchen. The faint crackling of the burning fire is soon paired with the sound of various pots and pans clinking against one another as the pegasus sifts through various cabinets trying to find what he needs.

Eventually, he manages to find enough bowls to fill with food for his various feathered and furry friends located outside. Some of the bowls are filled with a mixture of seeds, nuts, and berries while others are simply filled with washed vegetables.

Thanks to his repetition of this routine Butterscotch manages to balance the various dishes along his arm as he makes his way out of his cottage and to his backyard. Granted, he still sucks in a breath of air at the vast difference in temperature between the outside and inside. It may be early Winter in Ponyville, but that doesn't mean it isn't chilly.

Nevertheless, the pegasus smiles. It would be a shame to dismiss such a peaceful morning just because the winds are blowing slightly harsher today. Besides, he is much less affected by the seasonal shift in temperature as unlike unicorns and earth ponies pegasi—like him—grow some extra feathers on their wings as well as on a couple areas of their bodies in preparation for the snowy weather. While the extra plumage located on his upper chest, back, and arms may be a bit difficult to take care of at times, at least it serves its intended purpose of keeping him warm—and dry—amidst any Winter snow.

Granted he has to agree with Rainbow Blitz in terms of the subsequent Spring shedding being a nightmare. Creams and lotions can only do so much for the dry and sensitive skin that comes with the feathers falling off.

Butterscotch is brought out of his thoughts by a cardinal landing on top of his head. A soft laugh escapes his lips, "Why hello there Mister. Would you like some breakfast by chance?"

His response comes in the form of a whistled tune, signaling that the answer to the pegasus' question is a yes.

"Lovely," Butterscotch hums as he places a couple of bowls on the picnic table he keeps outside. The red cardinal hops off of his head and onto the table where he begins to eat. Butterscotch rubs his index finger along the cardinal's head, "I'm glad you are enjoying it."

Soon, several other birds descend from the skies above and begin indulging in the free buffet. Another giggle escapes the man's lips though he doesn't stay where the birds are. Instead he heads over to the edge of his yard and places another two bowls filled with berries on the floor. This action is followed by a couple of foxes bounding over and rubbing their bodies along his legs.

Butterscotch abides by their silent request and runs his fingers through their fur, "It seems you all are in high spirits," his words are met with several yips by the foxes, "Enjoying the colder weather, I see. Granted, you all might have done away with your Fall coats a bit early. There hasn't been any snow in Ponyville, yet you all have decided to exchange your rustic browns and oranges for white."

A whine is his reply.

"Oh, don't worry. There's nothing wrong with growing a Winter coat ahead of time, in fact my Winter feathers have come in since a couple of weeks ago! See?" He brings his finger up and pulls the collar of his shirt down, revealing the various down feathers covering his upper chest.

The extra plumage is soft to the touch as rather than having flight be its intended use the feathers only serve to strive off the chill associated with these short Winter days. All pegasi may grow these types of feathers, yet depending on the pegasus the feathers may take on different colors and patterns.

Butterscotch's feathers are a light yellow that feature a barred pattern made up of the previously mentioned color and a shade of copper brown. Some would equate it to the pattern on a sparrow's feathers.

The trio of foxes noticeably brighten at the new information in regards to their dear friend sharing a trait with them. Butterscotch takes their wagging tails as a sign to adjust his shirt so that it lays normally once more. With a final goodbye to the young foxes the pegasus makes his way over to the final spot he frequents for his feeding route.

Upon arriving at a hutch located at the corner of his yard underneath a large oak tree Butterscotch places a bowl filled with a couple of carrots in front of it. He raps his knuckles against the roof a couple of times and is rewarded by a small, white rabbit hopping out of the enclosure. The rabbit takes note of the food in front of him and begins to quickly scarf the vegetables down.

"Not too fast now, Angel Bunny. You don't wanna get a tummy ache," Butterscotch cautions. Unfortunately, the small mammal takes offense to his words and ceases eating all together. The pegasus lets out a worried chuckle, "You really should eat more than that, don't you think?"

Much to Butterscotch's chagrin his words are ignored and the rabbit bolts off, "Hey! It's not play time yet!" He grabs the bowl of unfinished foot and flies over to where his companion ran off to, cutting the rabbit's path off.

The pegasus places the bowl of carrots in front of the rabbit and crouches down in an attempt to reason with him, "I know you want to run Angel, but could you please just take three more bites?"

His answer takes the form of an ear flick.

Thus he tries again, nudging the bowl closer to Angel, "Two more bites?"

Another ear flick, though this time it is paired with a twitch of the rabbit's nose.

Butterscotch nudges the bowl even closer to the rabbit and attempts one more attempt at compromising with the irritated rabbit, "One more bite? Pretty please?"

His rejection takes the form of Angel stomping his hind leg against the ground before pivoting and hopping away. Butterscotch does nothing to hide his disappointed sigh as he picks up the left over bowl of carrots.

Though his melancholy state is quickly pushed to the side when he hears a cough coming from the rabbit. The pegasus rushes over to Angel, placing the bowl next to him and asks, "Oh, goodness! Are you okay?"

Considering the fact that Angel continues coughing Butterscotch assumes the answer is a resounding no. Then the question becomes: Why is the poor rabbit having issues with his respiratory system?

So he begins the process of elimination, "Are you coughing because there's a carrot stuck in your throat?"

Angel's ears twitch.

"Because you need some water?"

The rabbit stomps his hind leg once more, another no.

As Butterscotch is running through the possible causes of such a predicament he picks up a certain smell. It is reminiscent of a burning fire, yet far less woody in nature, rather the sent of ashes is far more prominent. Looking up at the sky Butterscotch is greeted by the sight of a large black cloud covering the majority of the sky.

He licks his lips, "…Because of that giant cloud of scary black smoke?" His answer comes in the form of Angel kicking his bowl of carrots into the air towards him, which he manages to catch.

A heavy sigh escapes his lips and presumably takes off years of his own life, "I'll take that as a yes."

The pegasus grabs one of the carrots from the bowl and takes a bite out of it. If Angel won't eat them then Butterscotch will, he isn't a fan of letting things go to waste. Plus, looking at the looming cloud of black smoke that shows no intention of dissipating anytime soon is enough to make him question his life decisions.

'I'm only twenty-seven!'

Oh well, it looks like he ought to get dressed and head into town to see what can be done about the incoming disaster…

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The smell of coffee overtakes your senses as you mix the mixture of dry-roasted coffee grounds into the steaming mug of milk you prepared prior to this moment. As the ivory white color of the milk shifts to a much darker, richer, russet brown you purse your lips. In a spur of the moment decision you use your magic to summon the jar of cinnamon from one of the kitchen cupboards.

Upon uncapping the jar you sprinkle some of the spice into your drink and proceed to mix it in. The mixing process allows the scent of cinnamon to join in with the lingering smell of coffee in a harmonious fashion. You can feel your shoulders relax as you allow yourself to bask in the comforting aroma present in the kitchen.

Bringing the mug to your lips, you tentatively take a sip of the beverage. The initial taste of the drink is nutty while afterwards it ends with the semi-sweet yet spicy nature of cinnamon. It was just the way you like it.

"Trying out a new mixture today?" Comes a voice from behind you.

Your shoulders tighten at the interruption before relaxing once you realize it is simply the beloved librarian of Golden Oak Library and you dear friend—as well as technically roommate—Dusk Shine. You let out a chuckle before waving your hand and sending the spice back to its original location, "Not exactly…"

You hear a good-natured sigh followed by the low creaking of floorboards, signaling that Dusk Shine has actually entered the kitchen rather than continuing to hang out by the doorway, "A pity," he begins, "And here I thought I could convince you to finally try some tea."

A smile finds its way onto your face, "I've tried tea before."

"Oh?" Dusk arches one of his eyebrows as he fills the tea kettle with water and places it on the stove, "Do tell me more."

"I just didn't like it as much as you do," you bring your mug to your lips and take a sip, "Plus I need the extra caffeine coffee provides when compared to tea."

The librarian shakes his head at your antics, "Of course you do…"

A comfortable silence settles over the two of you, only being broken by the kettle whistling when the water reaches a boiling point. As Dusk Shine takes the tea kettle off of the stove you use your magic to levitate his favorite mug over to him. He rolls his eyes yet takes the handle of the mug and drops a tea bag into it, pouring the steeping hot water over top.

The other unicorn has been wearing his glasses more often in the early mornings and evenings ever since the Ursa Minor incident with the so-called "Great and Powerful Trixter" (or as you originally knew him: Winter Gust). A part of you feels warm at the notion that Dusk Shine has gotten more comfortable around you and Spike to the point of wearing his glasses more regularly around the two of you.

As you have come to know Dusk Shine is farsighted, meaning that he can only see far away objects. While you are unsure as to why he prefers contacts over glasses, you try to remind him to take out his contacts when the library closes to prevent him from over wearing them by accident. (You were rather miffed at his confession that this "over wearing contacts" problem occurred much more frequently that you originally expected.)

Nevertheless, you are quite happy that things have calmed down since last month. So far you have really only had to deal with the normal paperwork assigned to you as the princes' advisor. Though, you have been getting more documents from Prince Artemis as of late. Technically it makes sense as his shifts have only gotten longer with the shorting days associated with the month of December.

'Besides, the heavier paperwork will come into play as Hearth's Warming Eve approaches…' You muse.

While you may have the holiday itself off—you do want to celebrate it with Spike after all—there are many duties you need to take care of for the crown in regards to the event. Hearth's Warming Eve celebrates the founding of Equestria, thus there are many responsibilities that fall onto Prince Solaris', Prince Artemis', and your shoulders.

For example, you will need to organize a couple of dinners, balls, and charity events for the nobles at Canterlot while also ensuring that the bazaars and markets held at the Canterlot Square are functioning properly. Plus, that doesn't even cover the amount of your own shopping, cooking, decorating, and baking you will have to do for your own celebration with Spike! (And maybe Dusk if he isn't planning to visit his parents for the holiday.)

You take another sip of coffee and clear your head. As you have come to learn stressing about future issues only leads to more exhaustion in the long run. It is far better to focus on what needs to be done in the immediate future rather than in the next couple of weeks.

So with that you push yourself off the counter and wrap the fuzzy cardigan you are wearing tighter around your body; it is far to cold for a simple shawl these days. Dusk furrows his eyebrows at your sudden departure, "Something wrong?"

"Not necessarily," you answer, "I just have a lot of work to take care of today."

"Ah, I'm assuming that this is due to the fast approaching holidays"

"Mhm," you nod, "When I woke up there was a pile of letters on my desk from the crown. They are probably a bunch of documents and lists I need to look through in preparation for the festivities the capital and castle are known for."

He chuckles lifting his mug to you in a form of salute, "Well, I wish you good luck with that."

"…I can hear your sarcastic tone," you mutter, already heading out of the kitchen.

"Good. I wasn't trying to hide it," Dusk Shine replies. Though his voice is muffled by the kitchen door closing behind you.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Upon reentering your room, you head over to your desk. Just like you told Dusk there is a heap of letters positioned precariously on your desk to the point where you feel like a gust of wind could lead to them spilling all over the floor. You kiss your teeth, 'I think the amount of them doubled since I went to grab coffee…'

[Talk about starting the day off on the wrong foot…]

'Which is why I haven't opened any of them yet. I wanted to at least get some level of caffeine into my system before dumping myself into the trenches of paperwork and red tape,' you answer and take another sip of coffee before placing the mug down on your desk. (On top of a coaster obviously, you are not a heathen.)

You grab one of the letters and the paper knife you keep in a drawer of your desk. Using the blade you break the wax seal on the envelope and take out the piece of folded parchment. Unfortunately, rather than the words on it detailing anything related to the upcoming holidays you are met with a very worrying matter.

My Dearest Advisor Miss (Y/N),

It is my deepest displeasure to inform you that there is a pressing matter I would like you as well as your friends to take care of.

It has come to my attention that there is a dragon who has taken up residence atop of a mountain near Ponyville. While normally I would find no problem with this development, in this case it is different.

The dragon has elected to hibernate in a cave at the top of the mountain and it appears that the dragon's snores have been omitting a heavy smoke.

As I am sure you can infer, this is not only disastrous for Ponyville itself but for all of Equestria. The smoke will make it harder for people to breath as well as hinder the season of Winter through disrupting the scheduled snowfalls Cloudsdale has already prepared for Equestria.

Furthermore, if my calculations ring true then if this dragon continues to nap as he is now, then Equestria will be covered in smoke for the next century.

Thus I formally ask that you and your friends who have managed to defeat the Man in the Moon and returned my dear brother to me aide me in this predicament. You must travel to the mountain's peak and wake the slumbering dragon, then ask him to find somewhere else to spend these Winter months.

I am well aware of the fact that this task is far more momentous in practice than what I make it out to be in writing, but I truly believe you can accomplish it.

I extend my thanks to both you and your companions ahead of time.

Sincerely,

Prince Solaris

P. S. Will you be spending Hearth's Warming Eve back in Canterlot this year, or will you elect to stay in Ponyville? I simply wish to know whether to prepare an extra plate (or I suppose two) if you and Spike are to return for the holidays.

You are well aware that you both are more than welcome and your old apartment is still fully under your jurisdiction.

Finishing the long-winded letter you feel the weight of the situation press down on your shoulders. "A dragon," you mutter, "Of course it's a fucking dragon."

Now technically you have some level of familiarity with the species, you did raise one after all. Granted, you wouldn't consider Spike to be the best example of a dragon in the world of Equestria.

According to the limited sources detailing facts about dragons they are rather aggressive, greedy, and dangerous creatures. Obviously Spike doesn't fit that model. But having raised Spike—and witnessing the chaos that comes with young dragon spawn—you probably have more experience with the species than any other member of the pony tribes.

So you can see at least why you were chosen for this mission. That and being the only royal advisor to the princes while simultaneously being the physical manifestation of the Element of Magic.

Then of course the rest of your friend group would be included. After all, they do represent the other six Element of Harmony. 'Plus Butterscotch has a natural affinity with other creatures, so he can probably reason with the dragon the easiest,' you muse.

[Already forming a plan?]

'Yeah,' you sigh, heading over to your bedroom window.

[What are you doing?]

'Seeing how bad the situation is,' you respond as you pull the curtain to the side. The sight outside makes you wince.

While the Sun has yet to fully rise, the limited beams of sunlight that are available are practically useless. Instead of bearing witness to the rosy hues associated with dawn you are greeted with a cloud of pitch black smoke covering the entire sky. Your nose wrinkles, 'No wonder Prince Solaris knows about it. I bet you can see it from Canterlot!'

You shut the curtain and return to your desk where another letter has appeared. The enchantment you placed on it so all the letters sent to you from his highness whenever Spike is asleep works perfectly, but as of right now it is getting on your nerves.

Nevertheless you open the envelope once more and skim the letter's contents. It is simply the same thing as the last one. Thus you can assume that the rest—or at least a majority—of the letters on your desk are also duplicates.

[I guess Equestria has it's own version of spam mail…]

You hum in acknowledgement at HERMES' comment and light a candle on your desk prior to reaching for your own parchment. Dipping your quill in a pot of ink you begin writing your own letter to his highness, mainly to stop the onslaught you have been subjected to thus far.

Your Highness,

I will be curt with my message as time is of the essence.

Thank you for notifying me of this threat to the safety of Equestria. I will begin making preparations for the journey as soon as I send this letter off.

I am certain that this matter will be resolved by sundown this evening.

Though I would like to request that Spike is given permission to stay at the castle today. I do not feel comfortable leaving him alone at Golden Oak Library, especially because of his draconic nature. I am sure you know how fast some people can jump to conclusions.

Your faithful advisor,

(Y/N)

P. S. As of now my plans are to remain in Ponyville for the duration of Hearth's Warming Eve. Nevertheless, I extend my gratitude to your grace for extending an invite. I hope you understand.

You place your quill down and fold the paper into thirds. Placing the letter into an envelope you close it, take the burning candle you lit, blow out the flame, and drip the red wax onto the letter. For the final touch you take a seal and press it onto the cooling wax. Upon lifting it the wax now shows the imprint of your cutie mark, declaring who the letter is from.

You grab your coffee and head out of your room. In a couple of strides you are standing outside of Spike's room. Knocking on the door you call out, "Spike, sweetie, you need to get up."

Your response comes in the form of a groan and words that sound similar to, "Five more minutes…"

With a sigh you turn the doorknob and flick on the lights causing the young dragon to lift the covers over his head. You cross the room and sit down on his bed rubbing his back, "I know it's early Spike, but I need you to send a letter for me. Please?"

There is some rustling beneath the sheets and eventually Spike's head pops out. You hold the letter out and after taking in a deep breath Spike lets out his fire, taking the letter straight to prince Solaris.

"Thanks Spike," you ruffle his hair.

"No problem…" He mumbles, "Anything else?"

An apologetic smile makes its way onto your face, "You should get up and get dressed."

"Oh?" He yawns, "Are we going somewhere?"

"Something like that…" You choose your next words carefully, "I need to go and take care of something for Prince Solaris with the boys."

Spike's face cracks into a grin, "Sweet! Where are we going and what are we doing?"

You lick your lips, "Well, I'm going to be heading up the mountain next to Ponyville while you spend the day at Canterlot Castle," technically the second half of that plan isn't set in stone quite yet as Prince Solaris hasn't given you an explicit "yes". But considering the circumstances you are certain he will allow Spike to stay in the castle for the day, especially because he stated that you and Spike were still considered residents of the palace.

Your son's eyebrows pinch, "Why? I wanna come with you! I've never been up that mountain!"

"Oh, Spike…" You brush his curls away from his face, "As much as I want you to come with me, this is far safer."

"Safer?" He repeats the word, "Wait is this thing dangerous?"

"…Yes," you sigh, deciding to fill him in on the situation, "There is a fully grown dragon who decided to hibernate at the top of the mountain. While this wouldn't normally be a problem, his snores are causing smoke to fill the skies of Equestria. So I'm going to head up there along with the rest of the boys to ask the dragon to move locations."

"Oh…" He mutters, looking down.

"…Is something the matter?" You ask.

Spike mulls over his next words carefully, "You'll be back before dinner, right?"

Your expression melts into a soft smile and you bring Spike into a hug, "Of course I will. We can even eat in Canterlot if you want to."

"…I would rather eat in Ponyville," he mumbles into your shoulder.

"Consider it done!" You affirm, squeezing him tighter. Once a few seconds have passed, "Now why don't you get dressed and pack a few things? We will probably leave Ponyville in an hour or two."

"Okay," Spike answers finally letting go of your form, "But don't you have to get dressed to?" He says, referring to the fact that you are still sporting your pajamas.

"Yeah I do," you admit, "But I need to take care of a couple of other things first…"

"Like what?"

"Nothing you need to worry about Spike. Just focus on getting ready," you say as you stand up and head towards the door. Just before you close it you shoot your son one more smile, "I'll have breakfast on the table when you get to the kitchen!"

Upon making your way over to the kitchen, you see that Dusk Shine is still there. He looks puzzled at your reappearance, "Is everything okay (Y/N)? You normally don't finish your coffee this quickly…"

"You're right. I didn't," you state, placing the still half-full mug on the counter. Crouching down you begin pulling several pots and pans out of the cupboards.

"Then in that case what are you doing? Those don't exactly look like the pots we use to cook food…"

You sigh, standing up and placing a couple of pots on the stove, "Long story. But you might want to put a sign on the library door stating that it is closed for the rest of the day."

"Huh?" Dusk sputters, "Why? It's a normal day, isn't it?"

"…Look out the window."

The librarian's eyebrows furrow in confusion at your dry response, though you don't pay much attention to him as you are too focused on the stove top. To put it simply you are not cooking a meal, you are brewing several potions in order to help the people of Ponyville breath while the smoke hangs heavy above the town.

"Sweet Solaris!" Dusk Shine exclaims.

"Do you see why I told you to place a sign on the library door?" You respond to his outburst.

"Uh-huh," the librarian nods slowly. After taking a long sip of his tea he continues, "So I'm taking it that there is a wild fire of sorts? It's a bit odd for it to happen in early Winter, though I suppose it is not impossible…"

You lick your lips as you add more ingredients into the brew, "It's not a wild fire."

"Really? Then is it some young unicorn that has a spell go wrong?" He asks, coming up to your side and taking another sip of tea.

"A dragon."

Dusk Shine does a literal spit take and you manage to prevent yourself from getting splattered by using a weak shielding spell. His coughing subsides, "What?" He rasps.

"There is a dragon who decided to hibernate at the top of the mountain near Ponyville. You know the one, right? The one opposite from Canterlot."

He pauses for a second before slowly nodding, "Yes. I'm familiar."

You take that as your signal to continue, "Well, as it turns out, that dragon has a habit of snoring. The issue is that his snores lead to him breathing out smoke which—"

"Is now covering Ponyville! Oh this is a disaster!" Dusk Shine cuts you off.

"Mhm," you confirm, "Which is why we need to fix it."

"I'm sorry, we?"

You sigh, "Yes, we. You, me, and the rest of the boys. Spike is obviously not coming."

"…I can't get out of this, can I?"

"Nope! Not unless you want to go against direct orders from the crown."

"Great," Dusk mutters dryly, "At least Spike got out of it."

You click your tongue, "Oh please, if the prince decided to send Spike along with us I would personally throttle him."

"Just like you did after the Tenebra fiasco?" Dusk Shine asks.

You bark out a laugh, "Worse."

He shrugs, "Understandable. So I take it that isn't normal soup?"

"You would be correct in that assumption," you say while turning down the heat, "It's a large batch of a potion that will allow people to breath normally while the smoke cloud remains over head."

The librarian lets out a low whistle, "Impressive," he pauses, "…I'm taking it that this is only a temporary solution to the problem?"

You crack a wry smile, "Mhm, it will only last twenty-four hours."

"…And how long will the smoke last?"

"If we don't stop it, the smoke won't clear for at least one-hundred years."

Dusk Shine kisses his teeth, "Well then, looks like we've got to climb a mountain!"

"Indeed," you affirm, already pulling out another pot to begin brewing another batch.

Dusk Shine studies you for a minute before sighing. He mutters a quiet apology as he reaches over your head to grab a jam jar, "I'll make some toast for Spike while you keep brewing those potions. He likes apricot jam, right?"

"Yes…" You eye the red jar he took down, "So why do you also have raspberry jam?"

"Oh, that's for you."

"Hm?" Your ears flick in confusion.

"Well, I assumed that you would want to eat something before we leave. And based on your habits I thought raspberry jam was your favorite," he tilts his head at you, "Was I wrong?"

Your cheeks heat up at his observation and you begin stirring the second batch of the potion, "No you're right. I'm just surprised you caught that detail without needing me to explicitly state it."

The librarian shrugs his shoulders as a wry smile appears on his face, "What can I say? I'm observant."

"Then in that case, I take it that the fig jam is for you?"

His tail lashes from side to side, "Using my own tactics against me now, are you?"

You feel the corners of your lips curl up, "Who's to say."

Dusk Shine's chuckle at your comment is warm and comforting. For a minute you think that everything is alright once more rather than the looming disaster it actually is at the moment. It's fine, you'll allow yourself to bask in this warmth for a few minutes longer. Just enough to ensure that Spike doesn't panic when he arrives for breakfast.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You are incredibly grateful for the fact that you were forced to take a class in basic potion brewing back in college, and that you decided to continue with both the intermediate and advanced versions of the class.

If you didn't have the knowledge on how to brew those potions to aid with breathing amidst the smoke in the sky, you would certainly be coughing up a storm as you walked over to the town hall in order to deliver the potions for disruption for the citizens of Ponyville.

Granted due to the sheer volume of potion you produced you drained quite a bit of your magical reservoir in the process. Even in potion brewing you need to use your own magic to infuse the concoction with the necessary power it needs for it to come together, 'At least it's done…'

As of now you are heading back to Golden Oak Library in order to finish packing. Thankfully, you got confirmation from Prince Solaris that he would love to have Spike over for the day as you and the boys deal with the dragon related issue.

Even with the early Winter chill in the air the atmosphere feels heavy. A sigh leaves your lips as you pick up the pace and attempt to tug your scarf up even more.

In preparation for the journey ahead you opted to toss on a relatively thick long-sleeved black turtle neck and a pair of brown leggings that are lined with fur on the inside. On top of that base you layered on your old Winter coat—which Elusive patched up for you on the basis that it would serve as an emergency coat rather than a fashion statement—as well as a scarf and a pair of knitted legwarmers.

The coat goes down to your mid-thighs and is a shade of faded olive green. Elusive ended up adding pink patches over your elbows and replaced the old, itchy, matted fur trim around the hood with a much softer one in a cream color. The leg warmers and the scarf came as a set, begin made from the same light, pale pink wool, thus helping strive off the biting chill.

Though just to ensure you won't get frost bite you also added a pair of black gloves and practical black boots. Finally, in terms of your hair you ended up styling it into two braids. Simple, practical and out of the way.

While the outfit's purpose is mainly to keep yourself warm, you are happy at the fact that it is—at least in your opinion—still rather fashionable.

As you pass by a fountain you take note of the fact that even with the looming threat of the ash filled cloud in the sky, plenty of families have decided to come out this morning. A frown makes its way onto your face, which only deepens as your ears pick up on a familiar, soft-spoken voice.

"Help! Help! Please? Help? There's—" Butterscotch pauses attempting to catch his breath, though that proves futile due to the smoke polluting the air. Thus resulting in him coughing.

The pegasus is currently wearing a duffle coat in the shade of a deep, rich mauve that also features teal buttons and outlining at the end of the sleeves, collar, and hem. You assume that the inner lining of the garment is the same color. In order to keep his neck warm, Butterscotch also added a scarf in the same teal hue.

His pants are simple in nature, being straight-legged and black. As for his hands and feat, the pegasus added a pair of black gloves and deep brown boots. Then as for his hair, Butterscotch tossed his peony pink tresses into a low ponytail, billowing in the morning wind.

Clearing his throat, Butterscotch continues speaking, "There's a horrible cloud of smoke! It's headed this way and—"

The pegasus is cut off by a ball sailing through the air, nearly nailing him on the head. Thankfully Butterscotch manages to dodge the projectile by ducking and the perpetrator makes his appearance, "Don't be such a scaredy-cat," Rainbow Blitz rolls his eyes.

Ponyville's resident fastest flyer is sporting a varsity inspired jacket in the color of a deep blue reminiscent of a stormy, late night sky with cream sleeves. His cutie mark has been emblazoned atop where his heart would be, a tell-tale sign of how high his ego is. Though perhaps you underestimated it as when he turns around you see the word "Blitz" emblazed on the back in a rather sharp font that makes the letters appear like lightning bolts.

The garment has to be custom made, yet you are unsure who would have made it for the pegasus. Sure you know he has a small fan club—mainly made up of young teenage boys—but you highly doubt they were the ones to make the jacket, considering the high level of craftsmanship needed to do so. You think it might have been Elusive since the unicorn also fixed up your coat. However, the thought quickly leaves your mind as you take note of the very loud design Blitz is wearing, the opposite of Elusive's taste when it comes to clothing.

Nevertheless, the pegasus paired the jacket with a rather simple white hoodie and a pair of black cargo pants with a lot of pockets as well as dangling fabric straps. His shoes are a pair of simple black tennis shoes with blue accents and his hair has been tied up into a high ponytail. You also take note of the fact that Blitz didn't decide to wear a pair of gloves, though that is most likely because he is currently bouncing a basket ball.

A smirk finds its way onto his face as he continues to speak whilst dribbling the aforementioned basket ball, "It's just me, future Equestria ball-bouncing record holder! Three forty six, three forty seven..." He quickly returns his focus to his task as he keeps counting under his breath.

"This calls for a celebration!" Another voice pipes up. This time in the form of one Bubble Berry Pie, who just like Rainbow Blitz and Butterscotch is dressed for the colder weather, albeit keeping his classical, chaotic style on full display.

The earth pony is wearing a holographic insolated vest over a thick buttercream pink sweater and a pair of light blue, wide-leg jeans. The jeans themselves having several embroidered stars all over them. As for his shoes, Bubble Berry opted for a pair of white, pink, and blue sneakers with thick soles, which pair well with the white gloves on his hands.

His magenta curls have been styled into a half-up-half-down hairstyle that features the top half of his hair being pulled into two bubble-braided pigtails with several star-shaped charms and clips placed over the rubber bands. It seems as if he decided to continue with the star theme of his outfit when it came to his make-up, as on his temples lie several pink, blue, and yellow stars with smaller ones covering his cheeks in a way that is reminiscent of freckles.

Butterscotch returns to a standing position as he attempts to explain something to the earth pony, "Oh, no, Bubble Berry, this is no time for celebration. This is a time for panic, for—"

Unfortunately it seems as if the party lover didn't hear Butterscotch's words as he clasps his hands together and exclaims, "Ooo! I'm going to need balloons! One for everybody in Ponyville!"

"There's—" The pegasus coughs before muttering, "There's smoke. And where there's smoke, there's fire. And—"

"Let's see," Bubble Berry begins, ignorant to his friend's plight, "That's one, two, three, four..."

Rainbow Blitz keeps counting every time the basket ball hits the pavement, "Three hundred fifty four..."

"Five, six..." Bubble Berry mumbles pointing at random people in the area.

Unfortunately, Bubble Berry's actions cause Blitz to mess up in terms of his own counting, "Three hundred fifty five, no, wait..."

The earth pony locks eyes with you and a bright smile appears on his face, also showing off his dimples, "Seven!" He exclaims waving at you, and you take that as your signal to walk over to the trio.

"Bubble Berry!" Blitz groans, catching the basketball, "Now I have to start over…" He glances over in your direction and a look of shock crosses his face before morphing into a more relaxed somewhat cocky grin, "Oh, hiya sweetcheeks!"

He flies over to you and tosses an arm around your shoulder. All the while Butterscotch keeps mumbling under his breath, "We're all going to have to start over, in a new village. 'Cause ours is gonna be—"

You can't pick up on the rest of his words as Bubble Berry also bounds over to where you are, "Hey, Rainbow Blitz, wait up!" When he finally arrives he embraces you in a tight hug which you let out a low laugh at.

When he lets you go you offer both of them a nod prior to shifting your attention to the nervous wreck that is named Butterscotch. Slowly approaching the pegasus you are able to make out some of his words, "Oh, please, this is an emergency. I-I need everybody to—"

A sigh leaves your lips. You know exactly what he is talking about, but based on the fact that his wings are twitching with barely contained anxiety and that nobody is paying any mind to his words you decide to take over.

"Listen up!" You shout, drawing the attention of the crowd, "Smoke is spreading over all of Equestria."

"What?"

"Oh no!"

"That's awful!"

People start whispering amongst themselves as they gaze up to the sky. You see people's ears begin pinning back against their heads as their tails lash back and forth in worry.

Butterscotch sighs from behind you, shooting a look of gratitude your way, "That's what I've been trying to say…"

You send him a smile that doesn't quite reach your eyes as you continue addressing the crowd, "But don't worry. I've just received a letter from Prince Solaris informing me that it is not coming from a fire."

"Oh, thank goodness," Butterscotch visibly relaxes as do many of the other citizens of Ponyville.

You suck in a breath as you tell them the bad news, "It's coming from a dragon."

Gasps echo out through the crowd and you hear the pegasus behind you squeak, "A d-dragon?"

"Yes," you continue, "A dragon. But don't worry his highness has already begun preparations to ensure the safety of not only Ponyville but all of Equestria. In fact, as this problem is being addressedd I would advise you all to stop by the town hall in order to pick up some potions that will help you all breathe while the smoke still remains heavy in the sky."

Your words do their job in terms of calming down the citizens of Ponyville and directing them towards the town hall where they can pick up what is basically a magical version of an inhaler, but for everybody. As the crowd disperses you call out to both Rainbow Blitz and Bubble Berry, telling them to grab Applejack and Elusive respectively before meeting you at the library.

The two of them agree and dart off in opposite directions to grab the other boys. Though before Butterscotch can leave for the town hall you stop him, "Hey Butterscotch, why don't you come with me? I'm already heading back to Golden Oak Library and I can easily brew a potion for you there. Hell, I'm pretty sure I still have some left over from my previous batch…"

"Oh," he flinches before rubbing the back of his head, "Sure…"

"Great!" You chirp, heading back to the library with the pegasus in tow.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Once everyone is back at the library and has been debriefed on the situation questions still linger. This is made evident by none other than Applejack as he asks, "What in the name of all things cinnamon swirled is a full-grown dragon doing here in Equestria?"

"Sleeping," you reply whilst also packing a bag to take on the journey.

Though upon glancing up and seeing everyone's confused expressions you realize that perhaps the details that you gave your friends—at least in terms of Applejack and Elusive as they were not in the crowd you addressed earlier—were a bit too bare bones to satisfy their curiosity. Thus you offer more information, "According to Prince Solaris, he's taking a nap. His snoring is what's causing all this smoke."

Bubble Berry wrinkles his nose and shakes his head, "He should really see a doctor. That doesn't sound healthy at all."

Elusive sighs picking a piece of lint off of his coat, "Well, at least he's not snoring fire," he glances up at you, "What are we meant to do about it?"

"I'll tell you what we're meant to do: give him the boot!" Rainbow Blitz interjects before diving down and kicking a spare statue nearly causing it to fall. Thankfully, you manage to stop the piece of ceramic from shattering all over the floor by using a levitation spell. Though that doesn't stop Blitz from shouting and continuing to fly around the library as he tries to kick the statue again and again, "Take that! And that! And that!"

Via some quick thinking and reflexes on your part you manage to keep the statue from being damaged by a certain pegasus. As for Rainbow Blitz, well his determination to destroy the poor ceramic is him colliding head first with one of Golden Oak's various bookcases and ending up buried under a pile of books.

This commotion causes Dusk Shine along with Spike to come downstairs. The latter of the two snorts at the pegasus' predicament while the former merely face palms, though you are pretty sure the librarian is hiding a small smile behind his palm.

A sigh leaves your lips as you approach Rainbow Blitz's form. You your magic to pick up the books on his body and the floor, reshelving them with a simple spell. He offers you a lopsided smile which you roll your eyes at but nevertheless offer your hand to the pegasus, which he takes, "We need to encourage him to take a nap somewhere else. Prince Solaris has given us this mission, and we must not fail. If we do, Equestria will be covered in smoke for the next one hundred years."

Butterscotch's gasp is cut off by Elusive, "Hmph. Talk about getting your beauty sleep. Anyways, my dear, how long do you assume this trip will take?"

"Probably the rest of the day," you say, "If all goes well we will be back by sunset."

"So please pack light," Dusk Shine states, narrowing his eyes at the fashion designer.

"Pack light?" Spike echoes, "But I packed ten comics! Should I pack less?"

You snicker at your son's words, "No Spike, you're fine. Dusk was referring to the rest of us as we will be heading to the dragon's cave. In fact, I would suggest you pack two more!"

"Really?" Spike asks.

"Mhm!" You nod.

"Okay!" Spike shoots you a smile before bounding back up the library's stairs.

"Wait," Applejack begins after Spike isn't in hearing range, shooting you a worried look, "Where is Spike headin'? I mean does he really need to go somewhere if we're gonna be back by sundown?"

Your ear flicks and you look to the side, "…I'm sending Spike to Canterlot."

"But why sugarcube? If you're worried about someone looking after him, I'm sure Granny Smith wouldn't mind—"

You cut the cowboy off, "It's fine Applejack. I've already made preparations and have informed his highness that Spike will be under his care in the castle for the rest of the day."

"…Alright sugar," Applejack concedes. He obviously knows you are not offering the whole truth, yet he doesn't pry further than that. Something you are grateful for.

Noticing that everyone's eyes are on you, you take in a deep breath and straighten your posture, "All right everybody, I need you to gather supplies quickly. We've got a long journey ahead of us," you glance at the clock on the wall, "Let's meet back here in less than an hour."

Rainbow Blitz tosses his arm around you and exclaims, "Okay, guys, you heard her! The fate of Equestria is in our hands. Do we have what it takes?"

His declaration is met with various affirmations from the rest of group. You have to admit that while Blitz may have quite the ego, there is a reason why he is the Element of Loyalty.

As everyone clears out of the library and Dusk heads upstairs to continue packing you take note of the fact that Butterscotch has decided to linger. You tilt your head to the side, "Butterscotch, is something wrong? Did the potion I give you not work?"

"Oh!" He startles, "Um, no. The potion worked fine, at least I think it did…"

You nod, slowly, "That's good…"

"Mhm…" The pegasus licks his lips, seemingly steeling himself for what he is about to say, "Um, actually (Y/N)..."

Your eyebrows furrow in confusion as you try and think of why Butterscotch is acting like this. Then it comes to you: his animal friends!

"Of course!" You exclaim, clasping your hands together.

"Huh?" Butterscotch mutters.

You bolt upstairs and grab some left over samples of the potions you brewed earlier before making your way back downstairs. You give Butterscotch the left over potions, "Here, these are for your animals. Just place a drop of the brew on top of their food and they should be able to breath normally as well."

"Oh, um, thank you (Y/N)…" His expression becomes flustered due to your actions but you don't pay it much attention. He seems to want to say more though he bites his tongue before leaving

[Hey darling, are you sure he's okay?]

You quirk an eyebrow at the system, 'Why wouldn't he be? He's already gone against the Man in the Moon and he even managed to tame a manticore while we were heading to the Castle of the Two Brothers. He was probably just worried about the woodland creatures around his cottage.'

[…Fair enough I suppose.]

You purse your lips trying to come up with any other reasons as to why Butterscotch was strangely quiet. While the pegasus might not exactly be the most outgoing person in Equestria, he isn't exactly silent.

Whatever, you're sure it's fine. Besides you need to finish packing and make sure Spike has everything he needs before he leaves for Canterlot.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

It feels a bit odd to see the golden carriage before you. Now while there are a couple of carriages that make their way through Ponyville they are not nearly as ornate as the ones you often saw in Canterlot. Even the carriages that the noble's used were never in the same field as one of the royal chariots.

No matter how many bells and whistles some noble families would add on to their carriages the golden shine and expertly performed detail work that the royal chariots were known for could never be topped. And to think that you have ridden on these carriages numerous times in your life.

Spike comes up behind you and tugs on your coat, "So I guess this is goodbye?"

"Just for now," comes your answer as you ruffle his hair, "Besides, I'm sure you'll have a fun time at the castle. You have about twelve comic books to read, right?"

"Well, actually its thirteen," he rubs the back of his neck, "Dusk Shine gave me the newest addition to the series."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he said it just came out."

You smile, "That was very thoughtful of him."

"Mhm!" Spike nods before fidgeting with his fingers, "Hey Mom?"

"Yes, Spike?"

"Can we," he pauses, rethinking his words, "Can Dusk come to dinner with us?"

A look of shock overcomes your face though you are quick to dispel it, "Oh, um sure! I mean we will have to ask him first, but I don't see why not…"

You may be a bit shocked at Spike's request but you don't exactly have much of a problem with it. You are happy that the two of them are getting along more. Plus, the bright beaming smile on Spikes face makes all your worries melt away, "Yay! Oh and here!" Spike places something in the palm of your hand.

Upon closer inspection you realize that it is one of his scales, "Spike, what is this for?"

The boy tugs at the cuffs of his coat, "It's a safety charm. Or at least that is what Dusk said. He cast a spell on the scale after I asked him to, it's the reason why its shinier!"

You turn the shedded scale over in your hands and use your magic to see whether there is an actual spell on the object. As it turns out there is and you feel your heart melt. You turn the scale into a necklace with a simple charm, looping it around your neck, and tucking it under your scarf.

Crouching down you pull Spike into a bone-crushing hug, "Thank you Spike."

"…Just make sure to come back," he mumbles into your shoulder.

"…I will."

Upon releasing him from your arms Spike climbs into the carriage and the two pegasi pulling it take off in the direction of the capital of Equestria. As the chariot becomes nothing but a speck in the sky you hear footsteps coming up on your left, "A simple luster spell, huh?"

A sigh comes from the librarian's mouth, "So you knew?"

You shrug your shoulders, "I attended magical university, I know how to tell what enchantments an object has."

"Of course you do."

"…But still, thank you."

"…Don't mention it."

Glancing over at Dusk Shine you take a minute to observe his outfit. Due to the cold weather he is wearing a cream sweater underneath a pea coat in the shade of sienna brown featuring a gingham pattern. As for his pants he is wearing a pair of straight-legged dark brown slacks.

In terms of accessories he has kept it simple with a pair of gloves in the same shade of brown as his pants and a pair of brown boots. A black cross-body bag is slung over his shoulder and his hair has been tied up into a low bun for the sake of convenience.

This may be a rather simple look that he threw together for the sake of convenience, but you have to admit he still managed to look put together. Come to think of it, Dusk Shine's clothes all possess a rather high quality when it comes to both materials and craftsmanship…

"Are you okay?" He asks, snapping you out of your thoughts.

"Oh, yeah," you nod, "Just trying to think of the best route to get to the top of the mountain."

"I might have a tool that can help with that," Dusk says as he opens his bag and sifts through his things. Eventually he pulls out a rolled up piece of parchment, "It's a map," he clarifies upon noticing your confused expression.

"That's great!" You exclaim. Though before you are able to say more you see that the rest of your friends have arrived.

Bubble Berry, Rainbow Blitz, and Butterscotch are all wearing the same clothing as before, only now each carrying a bag filled with supplies for the trip up ahead. Meanwhile Applejack is now sporting a navy blue quilted jacket with a pair of wide-legged russet brown pants that you know have seen better days.

His neck is covered by a knitted light green scarf which you have seen Granny Smith working on whenever you visited Sweet Apple Acres while his hands are covered by a pair of black woolen gloves. His footwear takes the form of a pair of old navy snow boots that have various mud stains on them.

Of course it wouldn't be Applejack without his signature cowboy hat tossed lazily atop his head, though he opted to braid his hair today in preparation for the journey up the windy mountain.

As for Elusive he is wearing a pea coat in the shade of a light powdery blue on top of a black turtle neck. His pants are a light gray color, though upon closer inspection the fabric that they are made out of is features several different colored threads that give off the illusion of such a color.

His hands are covered by a pair of high-quality black gloves made out of fleece rather than knit. Then as for his shoes he is sporting a pair of black Winter boots, that are much higher quality and far newer than Applejack's pair. In terms of his hair, Elusive has elected to pull his hair up into a short, but high ponytail.

Seeing that everyone is here you begin speaking, "All right boys, listen up. I'm mapping out the fastest route up the mountain along with Dusk, but we've all got to keep a good pace if we expect to make it up the mountain by nightfall."

"M-m-mountain?" Butterscotch stutters.

"Mhm," you nod before pointing up at the mountain's snowy peak, "The dragon is in that cave at the very top.

"Looks pretty cold up there," Applejack crosses his arms as he assess the location.

"You bet it is," Rainbow Blitz affirms, "The higher you go, the chillier it gets. Trust me."

"Well it's a good thing I brought my scarf!" Elusive chimes in as he pulls out a fleece scarf with a black and white houndstooth pattern over it, wrapping it around his neck.

"Ooo! Pretty!" Bubble Berry pipes up.

"Heh," Rainbow Blitz scoffs, sarcasm evident in his tone, "Oh yeah. That'll keep you nice and cozy."

You and Dusk take that as your signal to unfurl the map and try to decide on a suitable route to take in order to reach the dragon's cave. In terms of this mission you need to balance both time and accessibility to ensure that not only is the journey swift, but also safe.

Butterscotch coughs into his fist as he comes up on your left, "Um, excuse me, (Y/N)? I know you're busy, but..."

"Uh-huh," you mumble absentmindedly before pointing to a trail on the map, "Well, we could go this way."

Butterscotch tries again, "But if I could just have a second..."

"Uh-huh," comes your voice once more.

Though your attention shifts back to the map as Dusk Shine points out a chasm in the mountain, "No, we want to avoid that," he mutters.

"So, um, I was thinking that, um, maybe I should just stay here in Ponyville," the pegasus combs his fingers through his hair.

"Uh-huh," you nod, referring to Dusk's advice regarding the route.

Unfortunately, Butterscotch thinks you are talking directly to him and clasps his hands together in elation, already backing away from you, "Oh! Good. I'll stay here and—"

This causes you to realize what he said and you immediately turn around, "Wait!" You shout, before approaching him, "You have to come! Your way with wild animals will surely come in handy."

His ears flatten against his head as he shrinks into himself and takes another step back, "I don't think I—"

You take another step forward and place your hand on his shoulder, after all you need Butterscotch for this task, "Butterscotch," you begin, keeping your voice soft, "I know that you must be nervous about this quest, but it is imperative you come with us. And don't worry about your little friends in the meadow. My magic will hold for twenty-four hours. You did give them the potion, didn't you?"

"…I did," he admits, "But I'm still worried about them in regards to the smoke."

"And I fully understand that," you state before continuing on with an admittedly bitter truth, "But my magic isn't a permanent solution to the problem. The only way we can insure the safety of Equestria as a whole—including the health of your animal companions—is to climb up the mountain and to talk to the dragon breathing the smoke."

Your words seem to cause Butterscotch to contemplate something. He attempts to open his mouth to say something, but he stops himself by biting his lip. Before you can get a proper answer out of him Blitz comes up to you, "Pst, sweetcheeks," he whispers, motioning with his head for you to come over.

You bite back a sigh. Muttering a quick apology to the other pegasus you head over to Rainbow Blitz and cross your arms over your chest, "Do you need something Blitz?"

"Not really…" He begins, trying to put his thoughts into words, "Sweetcheeks, are you really sure you want Butterscotch to come along? I mean, that guy's afraid of his own shadow. He's just going to slow us down."

You tilt your head to the side, "That's a bit rude Blitz. Besides, he came along with us during the whole Man in the Moon fiasco."

He scratches the back of his head, "I know… I'm not trying to play that down."

"Then what are you trying to do?"

"Nothing!" He exclaims before deflating, "Look, sweetcheeks, I've known Butterscotch far longer than anybody else here. I know he's a good guy and super selfless, but he is also really, really, really easily spooked. In fact, I was really impressed that he managed to make it through the Tenebra quest in the Everfree Forest! It's just…" He glances over at the other pegasus' fidgeting form, "…I haven't seen him act like this in a long time."

You purse your lips together as you weigh the variables. You don't like forcing people into uncomfortable situations—especially those you consider friends—but that doesn't change the fact that the snoring dragon is a urgent problem that needs to be solved as fast as possible, and Butterscotch might be the best suited for the task. Thus you make the decision an advisor would, "Oh, he's just a little nervous. Once we get going, I'm sure he'll be fine…"

Blitz stares at you for a but with an unreadable expression before finally nodding, "Alright, it's your call."

His words make you second guess your decision for a split-second. Though after looking up at the smoke covered sky you steel your resolve. Placing your hand near your mouth you shout, "All right boys! Let's move out!"

And with that you are heading off to the mountain.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Upon reaching the base of the mountain a loud, rumbling roar sounds out and shakes the ground; somewhat reminiscent of the clap of thunder during a heavy rainstorm.

"Whoa!" Blitz exclaims, "What was that?"

You adjust your scarf, "That is what it sounds like when a dragon snores."

"…And I thought Spike was bad," Dusk Shine remarks as he brings his hand up to shield his eyes while looking towards the peak of the mountain.

"It-it's so... high!" Butterscotch mutters, combing his fingers through his hair.

"Well, it is a mountain," Blitz says dryly before spreading his wings and taking a firmer stance, "I'm going to fly up there and check it out!"

Unfortunately for the pegasus Applejack grabs ahold of his jacket preventing Blitz from shooting up into the sky, "Hold on, now. I think we should all go up together. Safety in numbers and all."

"Oh, all right," Rainbow Blitz sighs but nevertheless concedes. He plants his feet back onto the ground and shoves his hands into his pockets as he begins making his way up the mountain, "You guys coming?" He shouts over his shoulder.

You nod at him and with a split-second of hesitation you place your foot on the side of the mountain, following with the other, "Mhm, just trying to be careful. Not all of us have wings to serve as a backup plan incase we fall."

The rest of your friends copy your actions and the next thing you know is that all of you are climbing up the mountain while talking about the mission as if it is a regular errand. You think it is a coping mechanism, which to be honest fair.

"I hear the only thing that sparkles more than a dragon's scales are the jewels they use to build their nests," Elusive mentions. He gasps as his words gave him an idea, "Ooo, if I play my cards right, I might be able to convince him to part with a few!"

You personally know that such a thing will never happen and is a foolish idea to have in the first place. If there is one thing you never want to do to a dragon is to mess with its hoard. Granted the rest of your companions don't exactly realize what the consequences of such an action will be—or perhaps they do and they don't wish to acknowledge it—as Bubble Berry—in a lower, more raspy voice—declares, "Welcome to my cave, Elusive. Care for a diamond?"

He punctuates his performance with a roar causing the rest of your friends to laugh, will a simple smile tugs at your lips. Catching yourself, you shake your head and attempt to refocus everyone on your task, "Guys! This is no laughing matter!" You grip the strap of your bag and take in a deep breath to calm yourself down, "Look, I know that this task isn't exactly a walk in the park, but at the same time we shouldn't be joking around aimlessly. No offense Bubble Berry…"

The earth pony speeds up his pace and is now standing right by your side. He flashes you a smile and pats your shoulder, "None taken pumpkin! And you're right, there is a time and place for everything. Laughter may be the best medicine, but there are times where it can be seen as disrespectful. So don't sweat it sugarplum!"

Murmurs of agreement follow his words from the rest of your group, and you feel the tension in your shoulders dissipating. Upon reaching a relatively flat ledge you pose a question to the Element of Kindness, "Butterscotch, you're the expert on wild creatures. What do you think the dragon will be like?" After not receiving an answer you look behind you, "Butterscotch?"

That is when you realize that he didn't follow the rest of your group and is instead still stuck at the bottom of the mountain. Before you can say anything Blitz beats you to it, "Hey! What are you waiting for? An invitation?"

"Ooo, I think I have one in my bag!" Bubble Berry chimes in, rustling through his belongings and pulling out an envelope which proceeds to explode into confetti. It also manages to have the sound effect of a party popper. You suppose that even without using his hammer space the earth pony still manages to find ways to bend the rules of reality, it's pretty impressive if not a headache.

"I-it's so... so... steep," Butterscotch gulps, folding even more into himself.

"Well, it is a cliff," Blitz points out, his voice laced with sarcasm, "You could just, oh, I don't know, fly up here?" Spreading his own wings for emphasis.

"Come on, Butterscotch, you can do it!" Bubble Berry calls out while waving his arms up and down to mimic flying, "Flap those wings!"

"Oh..." A rosy hue paints itself over the pegasus' cheeks as his feathers ruffle against one another. Butterscotch unfurls his wings and begins to fly up to where you all are standing. Unfortunately, his progress is halted by another loud snore from the dragon. Butterscotch whimpers as his body locks up in fear, causing him to fall to the ground.

That action makes you wince while Blitz simply facepalms, "We don't have time for this…" You mutter, pinching the bridge of your nose. Though your attention quickly shifts to Dusk Shine and Applejack as you see the unicorn giving the earth pony the map, "What are you doing?"

Applejack studies the map for a minute before beginning to head back down the mountain, "I'll need this if I'm going to take him around the mountain another way."

Blitz groans, "Around the mountain? That's going to take them forever."

You elbow the pegasus in the gut causing him to wheeze. While you might also be annoyed at the slow progression up the mountain criticizing Butterscotch's slowness isn't going to make him go any faster, if anything it might make him slower, "Stay safe," you say.

The cowboy tips his hat at you and winks, "Don't worry, sugar. We'll be there lickety-split."

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

It's been an hour.

It's been an entire hour since Applejack climbed back down the mountain and took Butterscotch another way around. Gazing up at the sky your eyes narrow, the smoke has gotten even worse. You know that your enchantments will hold but they are still on a time limit, and with every hour wasted there is the chance of people getting sick or perhaps worse…

'Maybe I should have just teleported him up here…'

[We both know why you didn't.]

As much as you are loath to admit it, HERMES has a point. Not only did you use quite a bit of magic to create the potions that would ensure the safety of Ponyville but you also want to hold onto enough of your magical reservoir incase there is an actual emergency up ahead.

Besides, teleportation magic has a habit of being finicky. While you are relatively skilled at it, you mostly use it in emergencies as it takes a lot of concentration and magical energy to perform. Plus, the consequences of the spell going wrong are numerous. There is a reason why it is only taught in the final year of magic school.

"Whoo-hoo! I win again!" Bubble Berry cheers, causing you to be pulled away from your thoughts. While your method of passing time was stewing in your mind, Bubble Berry and Elusive have made themselves busy by playing several rounds of tic-tac-toe as evidenced by the various grids drawn into the dirt.

"Ugh!" The fashion designer bemoans at the earth pony's win, "That's thirty-five games in a row," his tail lashes, "Best of seventy-one?"

You close your eyes and will yourself to calm down. It will be fine, you just need to keep a positive outlook on things. Granted, you are a pessimist at heart so that might prove to be rather difficult.

Rather than the mindless chatter between Elusive and Bubble Berry as well as the steady banter between Dusk Shine and Rainbow Blitz your ears pick up on another sound.

Opening your eyes you look over to your right and around the bend emerges Applejack with Butterscotch thrown over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. The farmer grunts as he sets the pegasus down, "We. Made. It." He says panting, before grabbing a water bottle out of his bag and gulping down the water.

"Told you it was going to take them forever," Blitz mutters into your ear.

You sigh, feeling a headache forming, "At least they are here. Finally."

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

After Applejack catches his breath, you all continue on your journey. At this point the path up the mountain while becoming less steep, also becomes narrower. Forcing your group into a single file line, well except Rainbow Blitz as he took to flying alongside you.

Eventually you all reach a gap in the path forcing you all to stop. Rainbow Blitz decides to land beside you and with a running start, he manages to leap over the miniature chasm. You are quick to follow, along with Elusive, Dusk Shine, Applejack, and Bubble Berry. The only one left on the other side of the ravine is none other than Butterscotch.

"It's your turn, Butterscotch," you try to gently remind him.

"But... it's so... wide," he mutters, pressing himself further against the wall.

"Come on, Butterscotch," Dusk Shine begins, "We should be much farther along by now."

"You could just leap on over," Applejack attempts to sooth the petrified pegasus.

"I—" Butterscotch's words are cut off by another, much louder, dragon snore. Once it passes he gulps "…I don't know."

Thankfully Bubble Berry Pie came along on this journey and as the Element of Laughter, he is incredibly skilled at deescalating certain situations, "There's nothing to be afraid of," he reassures the pegasus, "It's just a hop, skip and a jump," he leaps over the gully to prove his point, "See?"

As Butterscotch has yet to show any signs of proper confidence in his abilities to by pass the gap, Bubble Berry switches over to his other tactic: a song.

"It's not very far. Just move your little rump! You can make it if you try with a hop, skip and jump!" The earth pony punctuates his words by performing the actions once more, leaping back over to your side.

"We don't have time for this," Dusk grumbles under his breath.

"I know…" You reply, "But it might be working…"

"A hop, skip and jump! Just move your little rump!" Bubble Berry repeats bouncing back over to Butterscotch, who is slowly but surely pulling himself away from the wall and towards the ravine. The party lover takes notice of this and doubles down on his strategy, singing the lyrics in time with each leap over the gully, "A hop, skip and jump! A hop, skip and jump! A hop, skip and jump! A hop skip and jump! A hop skip and jump!"

"O-okay. Here I go," Butterscotch takes in a deep breath, "A hop..."

"That's it," Applejack encourages.

"You've got it," you nod.

"Almost there,"Elusive adds.

"Skip..." Butterscotch takes another step closer to the ledge.

Unfortunately Dusk in his attempt to be helpful says, "Just don't look down."

Butterscotch of course does the opposite of the advice and glances down at the ground. His muscles lock up and rather than end up with both feet on the other side of the small chasm he is left with one foot on each side.

"Ugh," Blitz rolls his eyes before grabbing onto Butterscotch's hands and yanking him over to the rest of you.

Butterscotch chuckles nervously, "I guess I forgot to jump…"

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

As you all continue on you take note of where you are on the map. Based on the steep cliff on your right and the winding path before you, a sinking pool of dread begins to form in your stomach.

Handing the map back over to Dusk Shine you turn around and whisper to the rest of your group, "Let's keep it down guys. According to the map, we're entering an avalanche zone. The smallest peep could cause a huge rock slide."

Dusk unfurls the map and nods, "She's right," he murmurs before tucking the piece of parchment back into his bag.

"An... an ava... ava..." Butterscotch stutters while literally quaking in his boots.

"Shhh!" Dusk Shine hisses at the pegasus, who in turn clasps his hands over his mouth in order to muffle his words.

"Damn, I guess your librarian habits are showing egghead," Blitz quips prior to flying off. Dusk simply sighs and carefully keeps walking along the path.

Seeing as you are the other person leading the group you also follow suit, and make your way across the potentially hazardous area. After a couple seconds you hear other purposely softened footsteps behind you, signaling that everyone is making their way along the path.

It's eerie. The entire journey up until now has been filled with some level of conversation, something to strive off the sense of impending doom the quest is characterized by. Yet without mindless chatter to fill the air and minimize the sense of fear that is poignant on top of this mountain, well that only emphasizes how dangerous this mission is. Hell, even Bubble Berry's footsteps lack their usual upbeat rhythm!

Making eye contact with Dusk Shine he nods over at the bend in the path, wordlessly reassuring you that the avalanche zone is almost cleared. You grip the strap of your bag tighter and force yourself to keep up the same pace rather than sprint over to alleged safety. The last thing you want to do is to make anybody panic.

Unfortunately, somebody does panic, and that somebody is Butterscotch. Something seemingly spooks him and he shouts, "Avala—"

You whip your head around and see that thankfully Applejack—who was standing close to the pegasus—placed his palm over Butterscotch's mouth. Thus preventing any extra noise to escape from his lips.

The atmosphere is still and quiet, too quiet. This is the type of silence that is nothing but deadly.

Nobody moves. Nothing moves. Or rather, nothing moved for a couple of seconds.

The sound of rumbling permeates the air and the pool of dread at the bottom of your stomach overflows. Sparing a glance up towards the top of the mountain causes the air to leave your lungs as your ears pin back.

"Avalanche!" You exclaim, seeing as it has already started and right now the only thing you can do is attempt to survive in incoming onslaught.

As several boulders come tumbling down the cliff, you force yourself to let go of the strap of your bag and hold out your hands. Without sparing much of a thought you break down the damn blocking your magical reservoir, forcing the tide of magic through your chest and into your arms. Before you know it a golden, glowing shield forms in front of you.

The first rock ricochets off of the construct, but causes you to be pushed back. You grit your teeth and dig your heels further into the ground in order to stay in place. Shields are only as strong as the conjurer's will to fight. With another thrust of your magic you not only strengthen the shield but also expand it, so that rather than a simple sheet positioned in front of you it curves around your form. Thus, if another boulder hits you head on its momentum will be distributed more evenly and will not feel as brutal.

And thankfully, it works. The next couple of collisions are far more manageable, or as manageable as rocks the size of your body hurling towards you at sixty miles per hour can be. Still, you can tell that your body and your magic are reaching their limits. Your arms are shaking, your legs are quaking, sweat is dripping down your neck, and you can feel vibrations coursing through your body every time a bolder makes contact with your shield.

Several of HERMES' screen pop up in front of you, each with an update on how low your magical reservoir is getting. The countdown paired with a collision every time.

[10%]

Slam.

[8%]

Bam.

[6%]

Then something different: Crack.

[4%]

'What?'

[3%]

Through bleary, tear-stricken eyes you look at your shield and note that the once impenetrable shield has a crack. Your breathing becomes sharper, yet there is no where to run as another rock slams into the shield, fracturing it farther.

[2%]

Your body is aching, and you plead with the weave around you to lend you some of its strength. To allow you to knit it anew, into something stronger, something safer. Unfortunately, it doesn't for in order for you to do so you need to provide it with the magical energy it desires. Something you don't have.

Another boulder hits.

[1%]

Your stance is wavering and your magic is waning. HERMES' screens cloud your vision. And you are barely staying in an upright position.

Just before another rock slams into your shield and shatters it into several shards you are lifted into the air—or rather pushed away—from your impending doom. That is how you find yourself being sprawled over Applejack's form as the dust clears, "You alrigh' sugarcube?" He murmurs, chest rumbling.

[Yeah, (Y/N). Are you alright, darling?]

It takes you a few seconds to get your bearings, "…Yeah," you mumble into Applejack's shoulder while staring at the screen, "I am. Thanks…"

He lets out a low, wheezing laugh, "Glad to hear it."

[I second that! But jeez, I really hope you don't have to go through that again! If you really want to get pelted by things maybe those things can be cotton balls next time. They are much safer!]

Your own—admittedly exhausted—chuckles soon join his, allowing you to forget that your current position prevents the cowboy from standing up. Heat rushes to your cheeks as soon as you realize this, "Sorry Applejack! Here let me stand up—whoa!" The minute you try to stand up you stumble, nearly falling once more.

"Sugarcube!" Applejack exclaims, holding his arms out in case you tumble back on him. Instead of falling onto the cowboy, your body tips backwards. Thankfully you are saved by a certain rainbow haired pegasus.

Blinking up at him with bleary eyes, you see him force his furrowed eyebrows into something more natural. He cocks his head to the side and shoots you a lopsided grin, "Y'alright there, sweetcheeks?"

You flash him a wry smile, "That question was already asked to me."

"And by the looks of it sugar, your previous answer wasn't the complete honest truth," Applejack interjects as he stands up and dusts his pants off.

You bite back a sigh as you are returned to a normal (i.e. upright) position. Seeing as your throat is still relatively dry and there is a migraine threatening to make its stay far more painful in your head you open your bag.

Eventually, after sifting through it you pull out a water bottle. Upon unscrewing the lip you lift the bottle up towards your lips and take a couple of heavy swigs of the cool beverage located inside. Just like physical exercise using a surplus of magical energy leads to dehydration, thus it is quite normal for unicorns to be parched after practically draining their entire reservoir.

You force yourself to stop drinking, and screw the lid back on. Now technically you do have more water, but the issue lies in the fact that your water bottle is enchanted (by none other than you of course). You carved a rune onto the base of the bottle, and every time you tap it while sending in a little bit of your own magical energy, the liquid inside of the bottle will regenerate.

Granted because of how much magic you used today due to both the potion brewing as well as the shielding stunt from earlier, you are unsure of your ability to perform the spell in the first place. Is it anything complex? No. But you are practically running on fumes. If your magical reservoir is normally equatable to a burning inferno, right now you are dealing with the cooling coals of a fire place.

Nevertheless you tuck the bottle back into your bag and call out to the group, "Is everybody still alive?"

Murmurs of affirmation make their way around the group as they all pick themselves up off of the ground.

"Eugh. Blech!" Elusive grumbles, picking off stray pebbles and dust that have gotten on his coat and in his hair.

"Whoo-hoo! Let's do it again!" Bubble Berry bounces in place as the rest of you Blanche at him. He laughs sticking his tongue, "Just kidding! Though I wouldn't be against doing this with something safer. Like beach balls!"

"…Don't you mean dodge balls?" You ask. The entire fiasco did remind you of high school P. E. in the sense that you were trying to prevent being hit by several round things being thrown your way.

Bubble Berry pauses, "Oh yeah, you guys use regular foam balls whenever you play that game…"

"…What do you use then, Bubble?" Applejack tentatively asks.

"Oh, my brothers and I just used rocks!" The party lover chirps much to your horror.

"Bubble Berry!" You shriek.

"What?" Bubble Berry giggles making his way over to you. A shit-eating grin forms on his face as he leans in, "Are you worried about little old me, pumpkin?"

You reach up and pinch one of his cheeks, "I think I have been worried about you since we first met."

His eyes crinkle and his dimples appear, "I'm flattered! But really, I grew up on a rock farm with three brothers who—just like me—possess earth pony strength. Hurling mud and rocks around was just our version of sibling bonding time! Though if it makes you feel better sugarplum I'll just stick to regular foam balls, balloons, and cupcakes!"

You apply a little pit more force with your fingers before letting him go, "Please do…"

"Roger that!" The earth pony salutes you in a joking manner.

"Uh!" Elusive groans, forcing your attention back to him. He reaches towards his neck and you realize that his is now missing his scarf. He clicks his tongue before opening his bag and pulling a duplicate out, "This is why a man always packs extra accessories," as he finishes wrapping the garment around his neck he begins sifting through his things once more, "Oh, please tell me I brought the hat that goes with this."

Rainbow Blitz scoffs pointing to the pile of rubble now blocking your path forward, "Uh, think we got bigger problems than making sure our hats match our shoes."

Butterscotch sighs, "Sorry…"

"Aw, no big whoop, Scotch," Applejack reassures the pegasus.

"Yeah," you nod, "We'll just have to… climb over."

Seeing as you are the closest one to the pile of rocks you start to carefully make your way up. Unfortunately, the effects of draining your magical reservoir persist as your feet ache and your muscles continue to tremble with every step. You try to focus on your breathing in an effort to keep your mind off of the physical torture your body is going through, 'I guess period cramps prepared me for one thing. Then again they still suck ass…'

You manage to reach the peak of the difficult to traverse hill made up of sharp rocks and mud. Looking down you kiss your teeth, 'It's even steeper than the climb up… I guess I need to be really careful where I place my feet as I don't think that even my boots can protect my feet from a sharp enough stone.'

You suck in a breath and steel yourself. Tentatively you hold out one foot and place it down on a protruding stone acting as a ledge. Seeing that it is seemingly strong enough to hold your body weight you lift up your other foot and place it next to your right foot, 'One step down, a shit ton more to go…'

As you continue down the slope Rainbow Blitz flies over to your side, "Hey sweetcheeks!"

"Hi Blitz," you spare him a glance before looking back down at your feet, "Here to brag about not having to suffer like the rest of us?"

"Nah. But theoretically I'm not the only one who is forced to be on foot…" He glances over his shoulders.

You lick your lips, "That may be the case, but solidarity is nice you know."

"Yeah, yeah whatever…" He mutters, rolling his eyes.

A thin silence falls over the two of you and you sigh, "What do you really want?"

He pauses, mulling over his words, "Are you sure you're alright? You don't look like you're doing so hot sweetcheeks…"

"I'm fine," comes your reply.

"Sure, and my hair is not every color of the rainbow," he fires back, tone dripping with sarcasm. Seeing that you won't reply the pegasus lets out a heavy breath and softens his voice, "Look, sweetcheeks, I may not be an expert at magic, but I am an athlete. I know what it looks like when someone pushes their body to its limits."

"So what are you proposing? We can't exactly stop and rest, we've lost a lot of time already. And I don't know about you, but the last thing I want to do is be forced to stay on this mountain during nightfall."

"I know. But you look like you're about to keel over sweetcheeks!"

"…I won't faint."

"What?"

You sigh taking another step, "I said I won't faint."

"How can you be certain of that?" Blitz probes.

You pause, "Because I have reached that point before, and trust me," you look him dead in the eye, "I am still pretty far away from my limit. My magic may be practically depleted but my body has yet to give up on me."

He stares at you, processing your words, "…You are one stubborn woman, aren't you?"

"I take pride in that fact."

"Fine," Blitz shrugs, "If you don't want us to stay still I could carry you."

"I am fully capable of walking on my own. Besides you should save your strength incase we need it against the dragon."

"The same could be said for you sweetcheeks. Besides I carried you twice during the whole Man in the Moon fiasco, what makes this any different."

You roll your eyes, "The difference is that I was literally about to fall to my death those two times. The only threat right now to my health is me stumbling and stubbing my toe."

"That still sounds pretty painful to me…"

"Blitz," you warn.

He places his hands up in mock surrender, "Fine, fine, I'll only sweep you off your feet in emergencies."

"Thanks," you mumble, "Though you could have chosen better words to phrase that."

"Oh?" He leans in smirking, "How so?"

You open your mouth, though before you can reply you are being carried in Rainbow Blitz's arms. As it turns out due to a misstep from Butterscotch he and the rest of the boys ended up sliding down the slope, landing in a pile at the base. Granted you have been spared from this fate do to Rainbow Blitz scooping you up and flying out of the way.

"…I don't think that counted as an emergency."

Blitz lifts an eyebrow as he brings you down to the ground, "That's an odd way of saying 'thank you Rainbow Blitz'…"

"Your ego is already as tall as this mountain. I don't need to feed it any more fuel."

"Guilty as charged!" He flashes you a lopsided smile as he sets you down on the path.

"My apologies," Elusive mumbles as he gets off of the rest of the boys and begins helping the others stand up.

Rainbow Blitz walks over to him and helps him with the task, "Don't worry. It's not your fault," he levels a glare at the other pegasus in the group.

Butterscotch's ears droop, but at this point you are too exhausted to play mediator, "Come on you guys! We are almost there!"

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

The Sun has made its way across the sky and is now hanging a bit above the horizon. The fleeting rays of sunlight encase your surroundings, creating a golden glow atop of the rocky mountain's surface.

Your pace is slower than you would like, but considering the state your body is in you can't exactly push yourself much farther. Thankfully, your mana has managed to recover to a certain extent. Your reservoir is no where near full—or even a quarter full—but you can levitate something or someone if need be.

'Best not to push it,' you sigh. You still need to get back down the mountain, and head to dinner with Spike. Even if this quest has been far from pleasant, you still made a promise you intend to keep to your son.

Your eyes fall back onto the map. Dusk gave it to you as he decided to walk besides Butterscotch at the back of your group. He is used to dealing with the shy types due to his work as a librarian. Thus you were left in charge of leading the group.

Another shadow joins yours on the path, "Still think it was a good idea to bring Butterscotch along, sweetcheeks?"

You spare a glance at the pegasus, "We're about to find out," you come to a halt, "We're here."

The footsteps behind you as well as any lingering conversations cease. The tension in the air is palpable, and full of smoke. All that is left is the awaiting maw of the dragon's cave.

You roll up the map and turn around to address your crew, "Rainbow Blitz, you'll use your wings to clear the smoke."

"Right," he nods, flying up to do just so.

You turn your attention to the others, "Elusive and Bubble Berry, you'll create a diversion to distract the dragon if things get a little hairy in there."

Their posture straightens and Bubble Berry even pulls out three rubber chickens and begins juggling them. A bit unorthodox, but at this point you just want to be done.

"Applejack," you lock eyes with the cowboy, "You'll be ready with the lasso in case he decides to attack."

He unhooks the rope from his belt, "You got it sugarcube!"

"Excellent. But it shouldn't come to that, because Butterscotch will do what he needs to do to wake the dragon up. Between the two of us as well as Dusk, we should be able to get him to understand why he needs to go," you scan your friend's faces, "Is everybody ready?"

You are met with various forms of agreement and once Dusk takes his place by your side you approach the mouth of the cave, "Okay then, we're going in."

Your fingers twitch with the urge to cast a light spell in order to dispel the shadows plaguing the walls of the cave, yet you hold yourself back. Your strength is already waning far more than you would like to admit. Thankfully, Dusk does the honors.

In his outstretched palm is a sphere of light. A bit dimmer than you would like, but it is sufficient for now. He clears his throat, "So, what is the best way to wake up a sleeping dragon without upsetting him?"

"In my experience, there isn't one. Well, unless you count pancakes topped with shaved gemstones."

He chuckles at your comment, light reflecting off of Dusk's cheekbones, "I don't think that is in our wheelhouse right now, (Y/N)."

"True," you admit, "Then again I doubt any of my tactics will be of much use. Spike is far younger than this dragon, and he was raised with pony culture surrounding him. His behavior is probably not the best example to go off of when it comes to dragons."

Dusk Shine sighs, "You have a fair point. Butterscotch what do you think the best tactic is when it comes to waking a sleeping dragon?"

Not receiving a reply you both turn around and realize that the pegasus is nowhere to be found. You face palm, "You've got to be fucking kidding me…"

Thus you both retrace your steps and make your way out of the cave where you see Butterscotch lingering. You roll up your sleeves and storm over to where he is standing. You grab his hand and begin trying to pull him along, "Come on Butterscotch!" You tug him forward, "We have to do this!" Dusk grabs his other arm, "Now! Every—ugh—second longer that dragon—ugh—sleeps is another—ugh—acre of Equestria that is covered in—ugh—smoke!"

At this point the entire group is dragging the pegasus across the landing over to the cave. You are sweating, 'I thought pegasi are supposed to be rather light due to their hollow bone structure…'

Eventually just before you breach the entrance of the cave Butterscotch stops digging his heels into the dirt and proceeds to yank his hands out of your party's grasps. Thus causing you all to stumble, or in your specific case sending you tumbling down to floor.

"I-I-I can't go in the cave!" Butterscotch exclaims.

Rainbow Blitz offers you a hand, which you readily accept, "Oh, great. He's scared of caves now, too."

Butterscotch shakes his head, "I'm not scared of caves. I'm scared of..."

"What's that, Butterscotch?" Applejack inquires.

Butterscotch fiddles with the cuffs of his coat, "I'm scared of…"

"What?" You ask, still not hearing the last part of his words.

"I'm scared of dragons!" Butterscotch confesses.

His statement lingers in the air as another rumbling snore booms out of the cave, paired with more smoke. The pegasus yelps as he takes a couple of steps back.

You lick your lips and approach him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "But Butterscotch, you have a wonderful talent dealing with all kinds of animals."

"Yes, because they're not dragons," he stresses.

"Oh, come on!" Blitz groans with exasperation, "We've seen you walk right up to a horrible manticore like it was nothing. And even more you faced Tenebra with the rest of us!"

"Yes, because neither of them was a dragon," Butterscotch explains.

"Spike is a dragon," Bubble Berry adds, "You're not scared of him."

"Yes, because he's not a huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp-scale having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, could eat a person in one bite, totally all grown-up dragon!" Butterscotch blabbers, gripping onto his forearms tighter with every word.

Yet there is one question lingering in your mind, "But, if you're so afraid of dragons, why didn't you say something before we came all the way up here?"

"I was afraid to," Butterscotch whispers meekly, folding in on himself.

"Ugh!" Blitz groans and mumbles various colorful curses under his breath. His actions only cause the other pegasus to shrink further into himself.

Applejack places his hand over Rainbow Blitz's mouth, "All of us are scared of that dragon, Butterscotch."

Blitz yanks the farmers hand off of his mouth, "I'm not!"

"Almost all of us are scared of that dragon," Applejack corrects, "But we've got a job to do. So, get in there with (Y/N) and Dusk and show them what you're made of!"

"I—I—I just..." Butterscotch's eyes sweep over all of your forms before darting to the side. His ears droop and he turns around, walking away, "I can't."

"Oh, Butterscotch…" You sigh.

"Alright, it looks like it is just us (Y/N)," Dusk Shine notes.

"Right," you nod, though your eyes don't leave Butterscotch's form.

"…Actually, why don't I go in alone."

"What?" Your head whips around to the librarian.

He crosses his arms over his chest, "You're obviously worried about Butterscotch, and considering our experience—especially his—so far on this mountain I'm not sure if we should let him split off from the group."

You mirror his pose, "So what are you insinuating Dusk? That I leave you to deal with the dragon alone and track down the stray pegasus instead?"

"That is exactly what I am insinuating (Y/N). Besides I'm sure the dragon doesn't realize what he is doing. All I need to do is explain the consequences of his actions. Easy enough."

"…This is also because of the fact that I am exhausted, isn't it?"

The librarian shrugs, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "You said it first, not me."

"Alright…" You agree, "Just be careful."

"I know."

You narrow your eyes, "That isn't an answer."

"Fine, I will. Happy?"

"Very," you flash him a smile and turn on your heel.

[I guess you're going to try and track down where he went?]

'Mhm. He couldn't have gone far.'

[Doesn't he have wings?]

'…Shit.'

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Thankfully, Butterscotch elected not to use his wings and it takes little effort to find him. As for where he is, well, he is currently crouched behind a large rock formation gazing towards Ponyville.

His ears twitch signaling to you that he knows of your approach. Good, the last thing you want to do is frighten him again.

You stop when you are standing next to him, "I didn't know you could see Ponyville from here. You can't even see the peak of the mountain from town…"

"You can see a lot more things from up high rather than down low," comes Butterscotch's response.

"I suppose that's true. Plus, you're the pegasus. I would be daft to not take your word for it, considering you can fly."

The pegasus lets out a soft, dry chuckle, "Not that my wings did me much good today…"

You press your lips together and cross your arms over your chest, "You still made it up the mountain."

"Please (Y/N), I just slowed everybody down."

"The avalanche could have been caused by anybody. I mean one of Bubble Berry's party cannons could have gone off, or Applejack's bag could have fallen and make a loud noise. Hell one of the dragon's own snore could have caused the avalanche!" You pause sparing a glance at the pegasus, "Even Rainbow Blitz's existence."

"His existence?" Butterscotch repeats.

"He has a very loud presence," you supply.

A smile tugs on your lips as you hear the man sitting next to you wheeze, "That is true. He has always had a rambunctious personality."

"And an ego higher than the clouds?"

"Eh," Butterscotch shrugs, "It was more like sitting on the clouds when he was younger. It jumping up to the stratosphere is a newer development, I'm afraid."

Now it is your turn to snort, "Aren't you supposed to be the 'Element of Kindness'?"

"I am. In fact I think the kindness Blitz needs most of the time is a check on his personality."

"True."

"Besides I've known him for years."

A silence drapes itself over the two of you. It's not comfortable, but it's not awkward either.

It's stillness.

The split second before a pebble makes contact with the surface of a lake. There is the natural movement of the world around you. Yet your mind is only focused on the undisturbed body of water, waiting for the pebble to create ripples that disturb the rhythm of the ecosystem. This action can either cause an air of unease to fill the area, or insight a beautiful dance of the wildlife that is different from the ordinary routine of everyday life.

You slowly make your way down to the ground, eventually taking a seat right next to Butterscotch. You pull your knees in to your chest and loop your arms around them. Your eyes shift from the small version of Ponyville, to the every growing smoke cloud in the sky, to the bright Sun lowering itself in the horizon.

You sigh, letting all notions and expectations of the mission fade away as your breath condenses into a pillowy cloud. You toss the pebble, "I'm sorry."

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry for dragging you on this stupid quest."

The weight of your words settles on Butterscotch's shoulders. He takes a few seconds to gather his thoughts before responding, "It wasn't your fault…"

"Wasn't it?" You smile wryly, "You were obviously nervous when we were talking about leaving. Hell, you tried to tell me something while I was evaluating the map with Dusk! Plus, Rainbow Blitz—your childhood friend—himself cautioned me against bringing you."

"…So why did you?"

"I…" Your words trail off, being stuck in your throat. You want to say that you don't know, but in reality you do.

The original "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" show in your world ran for what you want to say is nine seasons. While you may not have watched it for about two decades—give or take a couple years—you know that Fluttershy is a main character. Even with her shyness and fear she was able to overcome various obstacles, including taming a certain draconequus.

Perhaps you subconsciously pushed Fluttershy's narrative onto Butterscotch. Something that you were wrong to do. Butterscotch is his own, real person—as is everyone else in Equestria—you can't just assume he and Fluttershy are one in the same. For fuck's sake, she is a straight up pony while he is—technically—a human!

The issue is that you can't exactly tell him that you assumed he would be fine because of plot reasons. Just because Fluttershy managed to get along with Discord that doesn't mean Butterscotch will take kindly to having his entire world be flipped upside down.

Yet there is another—just as real—reason you can give him. Something that you are not proud to admit, "I was approaching the subject as an advisor, not as your friend," seeing that he has yet to respond you hug your knees closer to your chest and bring your hand up to fiddle with the dragon scale necklace beneath your scarf, "…I don't want to get too far into it, but I have a habit of disassociating more than I should. It's gotten better in recent months—ever since I came to Ponyville—but it was pretty prominent when I lived in Canterlot."

Butterscotch licks his lips, "…I know you said you didn't want to get too far into it, but can you at least tell me why?"

Your grip hardens on the purple scale, "I think it was because of my circumstances. It wasn't easy getting to where I am now, and I had to sacrifice a lot."

"Do you regret it?"

You look down at the scale. The luster previously on it due to Dusk's enchantment has long since faded, but the rays of sunlight still make it glow. A watery smile makes its way onto your face, "No. Not one bit."

The rustling of feathers catches your attention and before you know it one of Butterscotch's wings is lightly wrapped around your form. The normally buttercup yellow feathers glow gold as the Sun's rays paint his form in soft light.

"That's good," he smiles at you, "For what it's worth, I feel the same way."

"In terms of growing up or moving to Ponyville?"

"Both," he replies looking back down at the town, "Being a weak flyer in Cloudsdale isn't easy, among my other personality traits. Rainbow Blitz becoming my friend was a surprise to my younger self, after all he was one of the fastest flyers at Summer Flight Camp while I was the runt of the litter. I was the tallest and oldest kid enrolled but I couldn't even take off properly…"

You take note of the way his hands claw at the fabric on his coat, "You don't have to tell me this if you don't want to, Butterscotch. You didn't pry for me, and even if you did I wouldn't do the same to you."

"…It's alright," he whispers, "I want to tell you the story."

You scan his expression, yet find no signs of lying. You lean against his side, "…In that case take your time."

He takes in a deep breath before continuing, "A part of me was jealous of Blitz. He was my exact opposite in every way. Loud while I was quiet, a natural flyer while I could only walk, attention grabbing while I faded into the background."

"But…" You edge him on.

"But he still spoke to me. In fact—looking back on it now—I think I was the only one who would speak to him as well."

"That's ironic," you quip dryly.

"Isn't it?" Butterscotch lets out a soft laugh, "In the end I'm not angry. Sure my childhood and even early twenties weren't great, but they did shape who I am. Besides, Ponyville is a lot nicer than Cloudsdale is."

"The same can be said for Canterlot."

"Here's to surviving the big cities of Equestria!"

You snort, "You can say that again!"

Unfortunately the sweet, serene moment between the two of you is cut short by a thunderous roar and the subsequent screams of some very familiar voices. Scrambling to your feet you take a peek around the boulder you and Butterscotch were leaning against. You are greeted with the sight of your friends scattered across the ground with a giant, red dragon looming over them.

"How dare you..." Butterscotch mumbles under his breath. Though his shock quickly turns into unbridled fury, "How dare you!" He shouts as he shoots up into the sky, "Listen here, Mister! Just because you're big doesn't mean you get to be a bully! You may have huge teeth, and sharp scales, and snore smoke, and breathe fire. But you do not—I repeat—you do not! Hurt! My! Friends!" At this point he is a hair away from the giant dragon, "You got that?"

The dragon whimpers—actually whimpers—as he shrinks into himself.

"Well?" Butterscotch crosses his arms over his chest, cocking an eyebrow.

Under the pegasus' scrutiny the dragon attempts to explain why he took action against the rest of your friends. The dragon points to Rainbow Blitz with his tail, "But that rainbow one kicked me."

His comment causes Rainbow Blitz to smirk and nod, proud of his actions. Though he stops once he meets your glare. Seeing at the pegasus won't apologize you do it for him, stepping forward you say, "On his behalf," Rainbow Blitz whistles as you punctuate your words with gritted teeth, "I am very sorry about that."

"As am I," Butterscotch adds, "But you're bigger than he is, and you should know better. Plus, you should also know better than to take a nap where your snoring can become a health hazard to other creatures."

"But I—"

The Element of Kindness cuts the dragon off, "Don't you 'but I' me, Mister. Now what do you have to say for yourself?"

Not getting a response you repeat the pegasus' question, "He said, what do you have to say for yourself?"

The dragon looks between the two of you, gaze lingering on the scale hanging from your neck, and sighs. His stance shifts from cowering to something more neutral. You watch with batted breath as the dragon exhales another breath of smoke, yet before you can come to the conclusion that this mission was for naught the smoke—rather than join the cloud in the sky—curls around the dragons form.

As the smoke clears a figure steps out of the dark cloud.

She is a couple heads taller than you, meaning that she towers over the entirety of your group including Butterscotch. Her skin is a shade of tawny beige, with a warm undertone that is highlighted by the various gold and crimson scales scattered across her temples as well as forehead. Though that is not to say her skin is flawless, for there are various jagged scars littered all over her visage and other body parts. Even one of her horns has been chipped in half.

Her hair is wild and untamed, a mixture of black and gray. You are unsure if the darker parts of her hair are due to her own soot or if that was her original color before time decided to take its toll on her physical body. Speaking of her body, you can tell that she is undoubtedly strong. Her chest is broad and the muscles on her arms are well defined. If any one of you got into a physical with her you would undoubtedly loose.

Her clothes are relatively loose and rather thin compared to yours, a tell tale sign that her inner fire is doing its job in keeping her body warm. She opted to wear a flowy cream tunic with limited embroidery around the collar that she tucked into a pair of harem pants in a shade of sienna brown.

A belt is wrapped around her waist that reminds you of a fishnet in a sense. It is made up of several woven strands of thin rope and has a variety of precious jewels and even scales hanging from it. The nick-knacks as well as several other pieces of jewelry she has draped over her form clank against one another as she strides forward to meet you.

Her feet are bare, though she shows no pain about stepping on the jagged ground for scales cover her feet. Her wings fold in as her tail swishes back and forth. You take a deep breath in, this isn't a show of aggression. It is merely curiosity.

She stops about a foot away from you and you meet her gaze. Her eyes are sharp, golden in hue, and hold a fiery defiance within them. Still, she is the first to break the staring contest between the two of you, her eyes darting down to the chain where Spike's scale hangs from.

"So it seems you know a dragon," her eyes snap back to yours, "Which one?"

You cross your arms over your chest, "What's it to you?"

She tilts her head, "Merely curiosity. I haven't heard of a dragon willingly communicating with a pony in a long time, least of all give them one of their scales. If my memory serves me correct I believe dragon scales, claws, and even fangs are highly sought after my many of you more magically inclined folk."

'Ah, so that's what she is getting at…'

She is right in the sense that draconic features are—with the lack of a better word—valuable when it comes to the craft of magic. They can be used in brews, enchantments, and some historical unicorns have even worn them. Dragons where the creatures that many unicorns fought over various jewels, gold, and silver the most. Though nowadays, the only way most unicorns gain access to draconic jewelry is through inheritance (i.e. old family relics).

In all honesty you don't like the nature of this topic. It not only shows a much more barbaric nature of unicorn history across Equestria (which you acknowledge), but it also provides context as to why your college had access to a dragon egg. You stopped digging into it after that, the last thing you want for Spike to be seen as is some sort of prized pet rather than your own son.

"I didn't take it by force if that is what you're asking," you respond, straightening your back.

She hums, "Obviously, the scale doesn't show any signs of being ripped or even carved off. Meaning that it was shedded and likely given as a gift."

"Likely?" You echo her words.

"Do forgive me, Miss Unicorn. But there is always the possibility of theft."

You scoff, "I know better than to steal from a dragon. And must you call me that name?"

She smiles, fangs on full display, "You lot have been the ones calling me 'Mr. Dragon'. And as for your lack of desire to steal from a dragon, well, let's just say that you are much smarter than one of the other unicorns of your party."

'So Elusive really did try to get a diamond off of her. Fucking idiot.'

You sigh, "Once more I apologize on my friends' behalves."

She nods, "Apology accepted. Though you have yet to answer my question as to why you have a dragon's scale around your neck. Based on the size of it, I would assume that they are still a hatchling…"

You reach up and trace the shape of the scale with the pads of your fingers. You grip it, "It's from my son."

"Son?" She repeats, as if she is rolling the word around in her mouth in pure disbelief.

"Yes, Spike is my son."

She stares at you for a couple of seconds before a laugh escapes from her mouth, paired with more smoke, "Son?" She wheezes, "Now that's a first. A unicorn taking in a dragon! You, girl, are going into the history books in both of our cultures!"

You narrow your eyes, "I could care less what the rest of the world has to say. He may lack my flesh and blood, but as far as I am concerned he is mine."

The air stills and a much softer smile appears on the dragon's face, "Well said. Some would mistake you for one of us just based on your words alone. Dragons know that we mothers are not to be trifled with."

"We?"

"I have a daughter, though she is back in the Dragonlands. Granted she left my nest a long time ago, even has a son."

"I see…" You mutter, "But if I may ask, why did you decide to slumber in Equestria?"

She shrugs, "I needed a change of pace, besides I haven't seen the nation you ponies built is a couple of centuries. I thought it was about time for a visit."

"…We still need you to leave, even if you came here for sightseeing purposes. The people of Equestria simply can't survive with a century of smoke clouding the skies," you reason with her.

She looks over your shoulder at the cloud of ash she has generated, "Very well. I would hate to start another conflict between our people. An old friend would never forgive me for it," a wistful smile takes over her visage.

"…Thank you for understanding," you utter.

"Don't mention it," she turns around and heads back towards her cave, "Though it may take me a while to pack…"

You glance back towards the ever setting Sun. If you leave now you might be able to make it back for dinner, but on the other hand…

You sigh, "Would you like some help?"

"Help?" She glances over her shoulder.

"Sweetcheeks what are you doing? We finished the mission!" Blitz hisses from behind your form.

You ignore his concerns, "Yes. With packing."

She stares at you for a moment, before exhaling and gesturing you to come along with her, "Very well. But please make sure your friends don't steal anything."

"You have my word."

"And mine," Butterscotch adds, flying down to stand by your side.

Various sounds of affirmation confirm that everyone else also agrees to the rule, albeit there are still some grumbles from one Rainbow Blitz. Nevertheless you all head into the cave and begin helping the dragon pack her hoard.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

It takes around an hour for the task to be done. Thankfully, the dragon didn't fully unpack her belongings. Meaning there was less organizing and packaging you all had to do.

'More interestingly, her bags are enchanted,' you muse to yourself as your fingers trace the embroidered runes on top of the woven bag you are packing with various treasures. Even with the little magic left in your reservoir the runes spark in recognition of your ability with the arcane.

"Curious, are we?" The dragon's voice startles you.

Realizing that you are not in any danger you calm down, "A bit…" You narrow your eyes at the embroidery once more, "Where did you get these, if you don't mind me asking? The runes are obviously old—no, ancient—but they were masterfully done. If I'm being honest I haven't seen rune work to this level in a long time, maybe never…"

She hums, "I got them off of another unicorn a long time ago."

"Stolen?"

She chuckles at your use of her earlier word, "No, she was a friend."

You don't hide your surprise, "A friend?"

"Yes, though she lived a long time ago. Long before you were born. I'm not entirely sure if your nation would even remember her. A pity, she was rather magically gifted," she locks eyes with you, "Much like you."

"…All unicorns are magically gifted. As are earth pony and pegasi, albeit in their own ways."

"I am well aware of my words Miss Unicorn. I may not be familiar with the nature of the magical weave of this world that you unicorns can bind and unravel at will, but I know a large magical signature when I see one."

"Thank you, I guess…"

"Don't mention it," she pauses, "…For the record, I am impressed."

"Hm?"

"'Spike' that's your son's name, is it not?"

"Yes it is, why?" You narrow your eyes at her.

She smiles, "Nothing, it's just that you chose a very draconic name for him."

"Really? Please don't tell me I chose anything offensive…" You just ended up using the name given to him by the original series.

"You didn't, don't worry. In draconic culture, we name our young with 'tougher' names in hopes that they will grow strong and live healthily for many centuries to come."

"Then what's your name?"

"…Blade," she supplies.

You chuckle softly, "Well, it seems as though your name has served you well."

"Indeed it has!" Her laugher joins yours, "Though, may I inquire what your name is, Miss Unicorn?"

You lick your lips, "It's (Y/N)…"

"(Y/N), hm… That is not a common name is Equestria, is it?"

"No, I'm afraid it isn't," you respond. Your name comes from your original world, meaning it isn't an exact fit for the naming conventions among the three pony tribes.

She tilts her head, "Why would you be afraid? In draconic culture, a more unique name is something you would wear with pride!"

"I'll keep that in mind," you chuckle as you finish packing the bag and tie it closed. Turning to face her once more you see that she is holding another bag out towards you, "What's this for?"

She rolls her eyes, "It's for you and Spike."

Curiosity get the better of you and you take the bag out of her hands. Upon opening it you realize that inside are several gems, bottles, and even two leather-bound books. You take one of the books out, "What's this for?"

"That's a recipe book. I'm not entirely sure how familiar the Equestria of this age is with draconic meals, so I thought I would give you one of the ones I made," she takes notice of your worried expression, "Don't worry, I've made these ones so often I piratically have them all memorized. And so far both my daughter and grandson have never complained about my cooking."

"…What about the other things?" You say, glancing back down to the contents of the bag,

She shrugs, "Oh, those are a couple of gems for Spike and I also included some seasonings that are commonly used in the Drangonlands."

You pull out a small jar, "This is just crushed up rubies."

She bares her fangs, "To dragons that particular variety is spicy."

"Spike describes them as sweet…"

"That's because he must be eating raw rubies. Those rubies have been toasted over fire from the Dragonlands and have been mixed with some local plants. Trust me, those are spicy."

"…I'll keep that in mind," you place the jar back in the bag and pull out a book. The writing on the cover makes your eyes widen, "This is written in Old Ponish…"

"Ah," she smiles, "So you're familiar with the language. While the recipe book may be written in the common tongue, that book is not. In fact I was not the one to write it, rather my old friend did."

"The unicorn?"

"Yes, her."

You hug the book closer to your chest, "Why would you give me this! This must be priceless!"

"Oh, it is," she confirms, "That is why it has remained safe in my hoard for centuries. She didn't want it to fall in the wrong hands after her death."

"And mine are the right hands?"

"Who's to say? But if she trusted a dragon with it, then I think I can trust you. Besides, you raised a dragon without the desire to use Spike as a resource bank for magical brews, that is far more trustworthy than many of the other so-called sorcerers and sorceresses spread out across Equestria these days."

"…That's still a pretty low bar, Blade."

"Fine," she sighs, "How about this: I am not a unicorn, I can't really do much with whatever magical nonsense she decided to write down. Meanwhile you can."

You trace the carvings on the cover with your eyes, feeling your gaze soften, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. She was smarter than most people of her age, just consider this me fulfilling her final wishes of 'making Equestria better through spreading magical knowledge' or whatever she said…"

You chuckle as you place the book back in the bag. Looking around the cave you notice that everything has been packed and squared away, thus signaling to you that it is time to leave.

"So, I guess this is goodbye?"

"Yes, I suppose it is," Blade replies, "So are you planning on hiking back down the mountain? If you want, you guys can sleep here for the night. It's a pretty long—not to mention cold—way down if you all go on foot."

You shrug your two bags over your shoulder, "While I appreciate the offer, I told Spike that I would be home for dinner."

"I see…" She pauses, seemingly weighing her options, before she lights up, "How about I give you all a ride back down the mountain. I can even drop you off next to that town you guys came from."

"…You would carry us?"

"Mhm, don't worry I'm plenty strong. I can handle six of you ponies, no problem!"

Your eyebrows furrow, "…There's seven of us."

"Oh, I know," she confirms before pointing to a certain pegasus behind her, "The rainbow one can fly down by himself."

Rainbow Blitz squawks and you are certain Dusk Shine is attempting to stifle his chuckles at the comment. You aren't faring much better, "Deal!" You hold out your hand for her to shake, which she gladly does.

Blitz will be fine, he was itching to fly up the mountain by himself when you all first started this journey so you are certain he can fly back to Ponyville solo.

Thus you find yourself flying bareback on a dragon. The wind whips through your hair and you are incredibly grateful for your foresight in tying it into braids earlier this morning. The clouds rush past you while the sky dances with hues of yellow, pink, and purple.

Your attention is diverted away from the wonder of soaring across the sky by a pair of arms squeezing tighter around your waist. Butterscotch ended up behind you and has taken to burying his face against the crook of your neck. You chuckle patting his arms in a manner you hope is comforting. He glances up at you while you take in the sunset.

Perhaps the fact that you chose to show kindness to Blade by helping her pack up allowed you to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity. You can see why Blitz enjoys soaring through the skies so much, the sensation is as wondrous as it is exhilarating.

What is the saying?

Ah, yes.

What goes around, comes around.

Kindness is something that should be given free of charge. Is it always easy? No, and that is still an understatement. But even the smallest act of kindness can foster can plant a seed in someone's soul which will eventually bloom into a flower with more seeds to spread. Thus allowing the brief moment of kindness to continue to grow as another person continues on with their day.

A smile makes its way on your face. You can't wait to get home, see Spike, and have dinner with him and Dusk Shine.

You fail to take notice of the rosy hue making it's way onto Butterscotch's cheeks as he takes in your expression. And he is certain it is not from the biting evening cold.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

It is the morning after and you are draped in one of your thickest sweaters and woven pants. Your hair has been lazily pulled up so that it is out of your face, and you are nursing a cup of hot coffee in between your hands.

[Aren't you cozy!]

'You're just jealous that I get to be in a nice, warm library while you are stuck in a office building with flickering, florescent lights.'

[…]

'Wait. For real?'

[They can't get a repair man in until next week…]

You snort into your drink, 'Sorry HERMES, that's hilarious!'

[Oh, fuck you darling!]

'You wish!'

Seeing that HERMES has decided to temporarily ghost you due to his own embarrassment, you decide to take out a slip of parchment and begin writing a letter to Prince Solaris.

Dear Prince Solaris,

I am happy to report that the dragon has departed our fair country, and that it was in part due to my good friend, Butterscotch, who convinced her to go. (Yes the dragon was a woman, and for the sake of convenience her name is Blade.)

This adventure has taught me to never lose faith in your friends. They can be an amazing source of strength, and can help you overcome even your greatest fears.

Though due to the nature of the mission, I am respectively asking you to not send me any paperwork for at least three days. Not only does my magic have to recover, but my body has to as well.

(Don't worry, I will still ensure all the preparations regarding Hearth's Warming Eve get done in a timely and efficient manner. Just next week is all.)

Always your faithful advisor,

(Y/N)

P. S. Thank you again for allowing Spike to spend the day in Canterlot. It greatly reduced my worries regarding my son during the mission.

With that you fold the letter, tuck it into an envelope, and seal it. You grab your coffee and make your way out of your room, heading to the kitchen where you are greeted with the sight of Spike scarfing down several waffles.

You chuckle ruffling your son's hair, much to his protests. You place the letter beside his plate for him to send when he is done eating and kiss his temple. You then make your way over to Dusk, who is busy with the waffle iron.

"You're spoiling him," you mutter eyeing the tall stack of waffles on your son's plate.

"Eh," Dusk shrugs, spooning more batter into the waffle iron, "I'm just giving back to the people who treated me to dinner last night."

You narrow your eyes at him, "Technically speaking, I was the one who paid."

"But according to Spike, he was the one who convinced you to let me tag along," he rebukes, dicing up some fruit.

You roll your eyes, "Touche."

He chuckles as he takes the waffle off of the miniature grill and puts it on a plate. Topping it with various berries and syrup. Before you can spoon batter onto the iron to make your own waffle, Dusk Shine snatches the ladle out of your hands.

"Uh-uh," he shakes his head, pointing to the already plated waffle on the kitchen island next to Spike, "That's your breakfast."

You cross your arms over your chest, "What about yours?"

He spoons more batter onto the machine, "It's being made right now."

You snort but nevertheless oblige. Sitting next to spike you cut a piece of the waffle and place it into your mouth, humming in joy, "These are really good Dusk! Can I get the recipe?"

"Of course," he responds, "Though you can also just ask, they don't take that much effort to make."

"Really?" Spike chirps with his mouth full.

"Spike, manners!" You scold.

He swallows before smiling sheepishly, "Sorry Mom… But really, these are great! They might even be better than Prince Solaris' pancakes!"

"…Prince Solaris' pancakes?" Dusk asks, his back facing towards you.

Before you can respond Spike says, "Mhm! The prince would sometimes make breakfast for us when we lived back in Canterlot. He even made me some for lunch yesterday!"

"I see…" Dusk replies as he continues chopping fruit.

"…So not only are you eating waffles for breakfast today, but you also had pancakes for lunch yesterday?" You quirk your eyebrow at your son.

"Yep!"

You giggle, "Aren't you lucky?"

"Says the one who got an ancient magical tome from the dragon yesterday," Dusk Shine rebukes as he places his plate next to yours and takes a seat.

You shrug, "Guilty as charged. Though I must admit, the language is harder to decipher than I thought…"

"Don't you know Old Ponish?"

You scratch the back of your neck, "I mean technically I do… It was a requirement for me to graduate from college. But I haven't had to read it in a couple years."

"…But are you having fun?"

You snort, "Of course I am! I have barely made it through the first page but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" You take a sip of your coffee to calm down noticing Dusk and Spike's stares, "Plus, her writing is really neat and very well preserved for how old the book is."

Dusk Shine smiles, "That's good to hear. Though I don't suppose you can fill me in on the material as you translate it? Just for the sake of my own curiosity, that is."

You nudge him lightly, "Of course I can! I might even teach you a bit of Old Ponish in the process!"

"Oh joy…" He mumbles, tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Please, you'll love it."

He rolls his eyes, "Fine. Maybe I will."

You beam, "Told you!"

A sudden tug on your sleeve gets your attention. Turning to face Spike you see his empty plate, "Can I please have some more, Mom?"

"…Didn't you already eat three?"

"I had two."

You narrow your eyes at the blatant lie, "I'm not dumb Spike. I saw three waffles on your plate when I walked in the kitchen."

Spike's squirming is cut off by Dusk Shine's voice, "He had two."

You whip your head around, "Okay, so both of you are lying to me."

Dusk Shine shrugs taking a sip of coffee, "As far as I'm concerned I have only made four waffles so far."

You can tell that the librarian is using his mug to hide a smile, yet nevertheless you concede, "Fine. But this is your last one."

Spike leans over and gives you a hug, "Thanks Mom! You're the best!"

You chuckle patting his side, "I try to be."

"And what am I? Am I only good for making waffles and getting you new comic books?" Dusk says as he approaches the waffle iron once more.

"Mm, yeah basically!" Spike chirps, causing you to wheeze.

"Wow, I feel so loved!"

The kitchen is filled with warm laughter and the smell of sugar. Though just as you finish up your waffle and take the plate to the sink you hear a knock on the library's door.

"Didn't you close the library today Dusk?"

"I did… I wanted us three to have a day of rest after yesterday," he sighs, "It's fine, I'll go get it."

You stop him, "Don't worry about it. I'll go and see who's at the door. You can stay here with Spike," your nose twitches as you pick up a unwelcome smell, "…Plus you might want to check the waffle. It smells like it's burning."

"Shi—shoot!" Dusk exclaims darting back over to the machine.

You let out a chuckle as you pick up your half-full coffee and make your way downstairs. Upon opening the door you are greeted by none other than Applejack.

He beams once he realizes it's you, "Sugarcube! You gotta come see this! He's just five away from a new Equestrian record!"

You glance over at Rainbow Blitz who is dribbling a basketball and counting under his breath, "Three hundred forty-seven, three hundred forty-eight..."

Though a sound similar to a roar causes him to freeze and the ball hits him square on the nose, "Dragon!"

"Oof," you wince. Yet your sympathy quickly turns to soft laughter as the rest of your friends who have all gathered in front of the library chuckle at Rainbow Blitz's reaction.

"Why are you laughing?" Rainbow Blitz laughs, clutching his nose in pain, "That awful dragon is back!"

Though he is quickly proven wrong once Bubble Berry appears behind him and roars once more.

Rainbow Blitz glares at the earth pony, "Bubble, you scared me! I mean, uh, you... broke my concentration."

You manage to stifle your giggles and approach the pegasus, that is after handing your mug of coffee temporarily to Applejack. Waving Blitz's hands away from his face you gently touch the bridge of his nose and begin to use healing magic. The warmth from it helping you strive off the cold as well, considering you didn't toss on a coat before coming outside.

Just as you finish Butterscotch comes up on Blitz's other side, "It's okay, Rainbow Blitz. Not everybody can be as brave as me, or (Y/N) for that matter."

You snicker, your breath forming small clouds as it exits your mouth. Without the use of your magic to keep you warm you resort to curling in on yourself, 'I should ask for my coffee back from Applejack. At least then my fingers will stay warm…'

Though before you can do so, you feel fabric being draped over your shoulders. Looking down you realize that it is Butterscotch's own coat. The garment is rather large on you considering the height difference between the two of you, the ends of the coat are nearly dragging on the floor.

"Butterscotch you didn't have to do this…" You glance up at him, "The library is right behind us, I could just go in and grab my own coat."

He smiles softly also handing you your own coffee mug, meaning he must have grabbed it from Applejack, "It's fine (Y/N). If it makes you feel better, the cold doesn't bother me much anyways. I've got my feathers to thank for that."

You hum, taking a sip of your coffee, "…Cloudsdale is colder than most of Equestria, right?"

"Mhm," he nods, "Plus we pegasi are used to traversing more brutal weather up in the sky. So a slight breeze is nothing. Most of us just wear heavier clothing for the sake of others not getting worried," he pauses, "And the weight is nice."

"I think this would merit more than the title of a so-called 'light breeze'," you mutter. Nevertheless your words are followed by a sigh, knowing that there isn't a chance for you to change his mind, "Alright. If you say so."

A moment of silence stretches between the two of you. Well silence in the sense that there is background noise of Rainbow Blitz chasing after Bubble Berry for the stunt he pulled earlier. However, this brief tranquility is broken by Butterscotch exclaiming, "Oh, I almost forgot!"

"Hm?" You look over to him quizzically.

He is rustling through his bag and eventually pulls out a little box, "Here!" He smiles offering it to you.

Your eyebrows furrow yet you still take the box in your hands, "…Thanks?"

His cheeks flush red from embarrassment, "Oh, um it's not the box exactly… Though you are more than welcome to keep it if you like! It's really what's inside the box that matters…"

Deciding to end Butterscotch's own suffering you use your limited magic to levitate your mug while you open the wooden box in your hands. Upon undoing the latch and lifting the lid your eyes widen.

Inside of the box rests various claw clippings, teeth, scales, and cut fur. Or in other words: potion ingredients. You blink a couple of times, "Butterscotch, I don't know what to say…"

He twirls a strand of hair around his finger, "It's nothing really… It's just when we were talking with Mrs. Blade yesterday, she mentioned how dragon features are commonly sought after by unicorns. So I assumed that other resources from animals would also be useful."

"Yes… They are," you breath sorting through the various materials before you. The quality of them is excellent and you can't help but ask, "These were willingly given, right?"

"Of course!" Butterscotch nods, "In fact I should tell you that it was my friends that wanted you to have them. They were—and still are—really grateful for your potions yesterday. Oh, and Angel wanted my to tell you that the white fur specifically is from him!"

You wrap your arms around the pegasus who flinches, "Thank you so much! And tell your friends thank you on my behalf as well! Oh my, I need to go and sort through these immediately!" You quickly let him go in favor of grabbing your coffee and darting back inside of the library. Before you head back inside you smile sheepishly. Shrugging off the coat you levitate it back over to Butterscotch, "Here, and thank you once again!"

With that you close the door behind you and dart back up the stairs, passing by the kitchen, and heading into your room. It's been a hot minute since you got your hands on new potion materials so you are looking forward to this!

[Dragonshy!]

[Status: Quest Completed!]

[Objective: Climb the mountain, wake the slumbering dragon, convince her to leave, and help Butterscotch along the journey!]

[Rewards: +200 EXP, +100 Reputation gained among the residents of Ponyville, +50 Reputation gained across all of Equestria, and +150 Magic!]

[Bonuses:]

[+20 Affinity with Butterscotch!]

[+15 Reputation with Blade!]

[+20 Reputation gained in the Dragonlands! (Note: This bonus would not have been given if you didn't gain Blade's respect!)]

[+15 Strength!]

[+10 Charisma!]

[+10 Constitution!]

[Warning: The book you received from Blade is very important. Please keep an eye on it…]

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The Sun has long since set over the horizon and Butterscotch find himself back in his house freshly out of the shower. He has already taken care of diner for his furry and feathered friends as well as cleaned up the mess they created while he was out yesterday.

Meaning that he finally has time to relax.

He pads over to the kitchen where he left a pot of lentil soup to cook while he was previously in the shower. After lifting the pot he gives it a taste test with a spare spoon. His nose scrunches up, 'It needs more cumin and chili powder…'

After adding some more seasoning and deeming it satisfactory Butterscotch switches the stove off and carefully transfers some of the soup into a bowl. He also cuts a lemon in half and squeezes some juice into the soup, just to properly bring out all of the flavor.

He hums in delight at the taste.

Carefully, he places the ceramic bowl on a tray with a glass of wine, a nice napkin, and a piece of homemade garlic bread he baked earlier in the week. Butterscotch picks the tray up and proceeds to take it over to his living room where the fire is keeping the room warm.

He carefully places the tray down on the coffee table. He strides over to a dresser he keeps in the living room to mainly store various crafting supplies. Though more importantly for tonight, on the top of the dresser lies a old record player his dad bought him for his eighteenth birthday.

He opens up one of the drawers and proceeds to sift through it. He is looking for something nice and comforting, yet suitable for the Winter season. Eventually he stumbles across a record that has several jazz tracks on it, albeit blended with some more classical sounding instruments. Undoubtedly perfect for a chilly Winter night spent alone with a glass of wine.

He pulls the vinyl record out of its sleeve, carefully places it on top of the record player, and hits play; causing the record to spin. He then moves the tone arm and gently places the needle on top of the record itself. In less than a second notes begin to play and join with the crackling of the fire to create a comforting symphony in his fire-lit living room.

Butterscotch hums along to the song as he makes his way back to the couch. Though, before he takes a seat, he notices that he left his coat bunched up on the couch. He sighs, yet before he can move it back to the coat rack by the door he makes note of the small, white ball of fluff buried into the fabric.

"Oh, Angel," he coos, moving the bunny rabbit to a pillow much to the creature's chagrin, "Sorry buddy, I really should put this coat away. I don't want to get it full of wrinkles," he squints, noticing some soot along the fabric, "Though maybe I should clean it too…"

He drapes the garment over his arm and makes his way to the back of his house where the laundry room is. Considering the fact that it is rather late and his only plans for tonight are to eat dinner, listen to some music, drink a glass of wine, and maybe work on some knitting or read a book he decides to drape it over a laundry basket.

He wants to enjoy his evening, and besides he is planning to stay home tomorrow so there shouldn't be a need for him to head into town. And if he does for whatever reason he is a pegasus, all he really needs to do is to toss on a thick enough sweater and he'll be able to manage.

Plus he doesn't want to wash the coat and leave it in the washing machine until morning. That tends to leave not only a soapy residue on his clothes but also a odd, musky smell. Something that his friends aren't exactly fond of.

'Though, that doesn't explain why Angel was sleeping on my coat…' Butterscotch muses. If anything he would avoid it as it should smell of smoke, the very thing the bunny was complaining about yesterday morning.

In an effort to satiate his own curiosity Butterscotch brings the coat up to his nose and sniffs. His nose wrinkles, the smell of soot and smog is nearly overpowering, 'Why would Angel Bunny want to be anywhere near this?'

Yet just then he picks up on another scent, or rather scents. It may be faint but there is still the smell of vanilla, clove, and the slightest hint of pepper. Butterscotch blinks a couple of times.

"That should be impossible…" He mutters. Butterscotch only uses unscented products due to the many animals he works with. From laundry detergent, to deodorant, to shampoo, to conditioner, to even dish soap. Really the only lasting scent that may stick to him is any kind of herb or maybe flower he harvests from the garden. Not any of this stuff…

He brings the fabric up once more and takes another sniff. The first thing he smells is the overwhelming sensation of the smoke from the journey yesterday, then it is the vanilla, then the clove, and finally the pepper. Yet this time there is something more: coffee.

That is when it clicks, it's you. He feels his cheeks grow hot and he drops the coat over the laundry hamper as if it burned him. He strides out of the laundry room and closes the door behind him.

Of course it's you! He gave you his coat earlier when Applejack dragged you outside without a coat on. Unicorn's aren't born with feathers that help keep one warm, so he decided to shed his coat in favor of the garment serving to keep you warm.

When he gets back to the living room he all but collapses onto the couch. He murmurs an apology for disturbing Angel and grabs his tray of food. The soup is warm rather than piping hot as he spent his time elsewhere instead of eating yet he can't bring himself to care.

He finishes off his dinner with Angel (who decided to rest against his thigh), his music, and the crackling fire for company. Dabbing the remaining soup off of his lips with a napkin, Butterscotch places the tray back onto the coffee table and grabs the glass of wine.

He took a couple sips as he was eating his dinner, yet the glass is still half full. He swishes the deep crimson red liquid around, observing how the light from the fire reflects off of both the glass and the drink.

Still, his mind drifts back to the blend of vanilla, clove, pepper, and coffee—of course it's coffee—he smelled on his clothes. He groans before tilting his head back and downing the entire glass of wine.

The rich, velvety liquid travels down his throat and he can feel his mind growing hazy. After the last drop meets his lips he removes the glass and places it back on the tray with a clink.

His head hangs heavy in his hands, hopefully the wine will help him forget about what he did by tomorrow morning. Yet deep down he knows it's a lost cause. Because the minute he catches a whiff of whatever perfume, lotion, shampoo, or whatever in Equestria you wear he will be doomed.

Angel thumps his leg. He glares at the rabbit, "Language," he warns before a bitter chuckle overtakes him, "But yeah, you're right. I am fucked."

[+300 Affinity gained with Butterscotch!]

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧