115 Dragons and Burping...
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Ugh...I'm here. It could be better but it is what it is, I just want to get past those dragons haha...Sorry for the delay. Hope you like this chapter more than me And like always EEEENJOY!!!
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"Come on Starfall! Don't be like this! Don't you want to squeeze close to your Ladies?!" Rarity pleaded, while on the side Rainbow and Twilight tried to put on a large dragon costume that didn't look as if it was going to fool anycreature...
"With all due respect Rarity, I'm not wearing that thing, no matter how exquisite you made it."Starfall deadpanned before smirking, turning himself invisible and making her pout.
"I find being unseen a much safer alternative." He added close to her ear startling her.
"Ugh! Fine! But you'll see! It's going to work!" She said self righteously.
"Oh, I didn't say it wouldn't." He replied appearing beside the two other mares and helping them put on the costume. "I'm just not fond of squeezing into this tight thing and loosing all my mobility that could be crucial if we or the kids were put in danger." He explained causing Rarity to stop in her tracks, and even the two mares stopped what they were doing.
"I didn't think about it...You're right, I..."Rarity had a sudden realization and it was clear she was about to blame herself for potentially putting them in unnecessary danger from not thinking, but Starfall stopped her with a hoof on her lips.
"Silence Rar. You had a great idea and put a lot of work into it. Don't belittle yourself for something that might not have even been an issue. It's just my overly cautious nature and unwillingness to wear a fancy dragon costume that speaks here." He winked at her before giving her a chaste kiss.
"Don't worry. Let's go and see how the kids are doing. We've almost reached the Volcanic Plateau. We don't want to miss their first encounter with the older dragons. Who knows what might happen." He said turning to the other two who nodded, and before long the three mares put on the costume.
Starfall couldn't help but find this situation ridiculous. They weren't going to fool any dragon with that thing right?
But just as he was about to point that out, a spell had been cast over the costume which he instantly recognised as a difficult application of illusion magic that made anycreature looking at it to see nothing out of ordinary... This explained a lot...
"Great work Twily..." He said with a smile looking at the Belly if the dragon where Twilight's eyes peeked through a pair of holes.
"That wasn't me." Twilight said surprising him greatly.
"Huh?! Really?! Then-" His eyes turned to the other pair of eyes belonging to Rarity.
"Ehehe... I've been doing some studying with Twilight and had been using your training regimen...I might be a Lady, but I don't want to be useless when we go on adventures..." Rarity explained greatly surprising Starfall.
"Well, that was a pretty advanced spell, I'm really proud of you Rarity." He said genuinely impressed with the mare.
"Ugh, can we go already!? I don't want to listen to your sweet talking!" Rainbow groaned making everypony giggle.
"Ok, Let's go girls. I'll take the lead invisibly. I'll talk to you telepathically if need be." Starfall said before disappearing.
"Sweet...I'd like to learn magic just for that spell. Imagine how much pranks i could do while invisible!" Rainbow sighed remembering her slowly progressing magic training...
"I for once am glad you can't do it Darling. Just imagine the chaos!..." Rarity replied laughing and all the girls joined in laughter as they walked towards the plateau...
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Phoebe was having a relaxing afternoon. The sun was warm, basking the white phoenix in the refreshing beams of sunlight, as she sat on her perch at the balcony of the Library.
She had been annoyed by all the commotion in the morning, with her brother Spike having an existential crisis, but as an older sister, she did a very good job of staying the hell out of it all and watching as the drama unfolds...
She knew that Spike would be alright. Even their "Dad" Left to look after him, and Starfall can do everything so she wasn't worried.
And with both Starfall and Twilight out of the house, she could enjoy a quiet day with nocreature wanting anything from-
"Phoebe! Could you take a letter to my sister! It's on the table! We're going out on a spa day and I was hoping she'd like to tag along! Thank you!" Luna called from downstairs as the doors to the library closed, indicating the two lunar sisters left the house.
Phoebe inwardly groaned...'There's a literal portal to Canterlot in the basement... Why do they have to send me!?'
It took her only three burst of fire and only a single minute to get the letter, bring it to Celestia and return onto her perch, but her mood was still affected...
'At least now I'm really free...No more troubles for today...'She took a deep breath and closed her eyes unaware of the flag she just raised...
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"I...I just have no words..." Starfall muttered to himself as he looked at the scene plastered before him.
He didn't know how they did it, but Spike and the three Cutie Mark Crusaders were currently engaged in some kind of Burping Contents with the teenage dragons...And Sweetie Belle was winning...despite making no fire...
Originally he expected the dragons to instantly go hostile or start by insulting Spike's group, but they were surprisingly civil towards them, despite the clear disdain they felt towards Spike and the three fillies.
It was clear they wanted to embarrass or scare the foursome, bot somehow, they managed to garner a modicum of respect from the dragons through their results in the relatively childish though dangerous games the dragon teens proposed... the Burping Competition being pretty tame in comparison...
*Rubles! You're pretty good 'Burpy' Belle. See Spike? That's how you do it among Dragons! And she didn't even need fire to impress me!" Garble, the red scaled leader of the teenage dragon bunch said while poking the small dragon on his belly.
It was easy to tell that he was making fun of Spike at the expense of the three fillies.
"Well I..." He tried to defend himself but Garble already turned away from him dismissively.
"But what can you expect from a diminutive hatchling brought up by ponies. Those three are better than you at being a dragon, and they aren't even dragons!" Garble laughed mockingly leading all the dragons to laugh too, and forcing the three mares in a dragon costume to laugh alongside the others, all of this embarrassing Spike and angering the three fillies on his behalf.
Apple Bloom was about to retort, but before she could, Garble continued.
"But it doesn't matter. There's still one test to prove you deserve the title of a dragon Spike! Those three fragile Fillies would never be able to pass it, but you...Well... we'll see when we get there. Let's go Guys! Let's show those four how we dragons are better that the Ponies!" Garble said, dragging the foursome up towards the clif...
"Uhh...Garble...What...What is this test exactly?" Spike asked, as Garble pushed him towards the edge, and making him look down onto where a large Lava lake could be seen bubbling peacefully...
"Why lava Jumping obviously! This is the best spot! If you can do it, we'll be happy to initiate you as a real Dragon!" Garble said with a slightly malicious grin, patting the young dragon on the shoulder.
Spike looked down the high slope and shuddered. It was not a height he or anypony would call safe for jumping...not even mentioning the lava at the bottom... He might be resistant to fire, but hitting the lava from so high up is going to hurt...
'Starfall! Do something! He's going to get hurt!' The voice of Twilight resounded in Starfall's head. He repeatedly assured her that it was going to be alright, but it was clear she was slowly starting to panic.
"Spike! You don't have to-" Sweetie Belle also wanted to stop this, but Spike in a surprising show of courage stopped her from speaking.
"No! I-I'm gonna do it!" He said firmly, steeling his resolve and walking towards the edge.
The place was quiet for a moment, but finally Spike stilled himself and jumped, just as Garble was about to kick him from impatience...and causing the older dragon to trip, falling into the lava as well...
Every creature gasped watching as the two dragons fell into the lava, but what happened next, none of them expected.
While Spike fell into the lava claws down, in the proper form of a swimmer taught to him by Starfall...Garble hit the lava like a plank...
Everyone hissed. It was clear that it had to be painful...
