Chapter 8: Dragonshy

Dragonshy

Pony's Log Number 107: Even those who are the least capable can find what it means to be a true hero...

Somewhere just outside of the Everfree Forest, one can find an adorable little tree house stationed near a small creek. It is at this little residence that the sweetest and most gentle pony has made her residence. This would be Fluttershy. Why would such a shy and timid Pegasus live so far outside of Ponyville, especially near the dangerous forest? It has to do with her animal friends, for Fluttershy does not live alone. Her little tree house doubles as a miniature animal shelter, animals of all shapes and sizes visit her sometimes for food, shelter, injuries, and sometimes just to spend time with her. But she does have a few permanent members of her household. At the moment, Fluttershy was busy tending to some of the nearby animals, even spitting out some worms for the nearby birds in her trees. That was when she noticed her little bunny Angel gobbling down his carrot. Angel was quite unique compared to other bunnies. He didn't mind trying to make himself heard and was very smart, but he was also slightly...actually very spoiled. And he had no problem showing it either.

"Not too fast now, Angel bunny," said Fluttershy as she went over to him, "You don't wanna get a tummy ache." Fluttershy chuckled to herself as Angel stopped eating and looked at her indignantly.

"You really should eat more than that, don't you think?" Fluttershy suggested. Angel just looked at the carrot and took off running...or hopping. Fluttershy flew above him and managed to catch up to him.

"I know you want to run, but..." Fluttershy said gently as she set the carrot down and Angel just crossed his arms to pout, "just three more bites. Two more bites? One more bite? Pretty please?" Fluttershy leaned her face closer to Angel's. His only reply was kicking the carrot far away from him and hopping away. Fluttershy just sighed to herself before she heard Angel coughing.

"Oh, goodness," Fluttershy said worried, "Are you okay?" Angel just coughed again.

"Are you coughing because there's a carrot stuck in your throat?" Fluttershy asked worried. Angel coughed again, giving a glare afterward.

"Because you need some water?" Fluttershy guessed. Angel gave a very loud and definitive cough and pointed a paw upwards. Fluttershy gasped.

"Because of that giant cloud of scary black smoke?" Fluttershy replied fearfully and was nailed in the back of the head with the recently kicked and unfinished carrot.

"I'll take that as a...yes," Fluttershy sighed in defeat as Angel just continued to glare at her annoyingly.

It was said he is quite a brat.

(theme song)

In the Ponyville park, several ponies were conversing with each other as Fluttershy raced about to give warning about the oncoming cloud.

"Help. Help! Please?" she tried to call out, but her soft tone wasn't getting anyone's attention, "There's-there's a horrible cloud of smoke. It's headed this way and...EEEK!" Fluttershy shrieked when a pony suddenly popped out in front of her with a ball bouncing up and down on her head.

"Don't be such a scaredy-pony," said Rainbow as she continued to bounce the ball on her head, "It's just me, future Equestria ball-bouncing record holder...three forty six, three forty seven..."

"This calls for a celebration," said Pinkie excitedly.

"Oh no, Pinkie Pie, this is no time for a celebration," said Fluttershy worriedly, "This is time for panic, for-"

"Ooo! I'm going to need balloons!" Pinkie continued, not even hearing Fluttershy at all, "One for every pony in Ponyville!"

"There's-there's smoke," Fluttershy tried to explain, "And-and where there's smoke, there's fire and-" Fluttershy's words were falling on deaf ears as Rainbow kept bouncing her ball and Pinkie got ready to count some ponies.

"Let's see," said Pinkie, as she pointed her hoof to count some ponies in the park, each one looked up at her as she counted them aloud, "that's one, two, three, four..."

"Three hundred fifty four..." Rainbow continued.

"...five, six..." Pinkie continued at the same time.

"Three hundred fifty five, no, wait..." Pinkie counting caused Rainbow to lose her concentration and she lost control of the ball.

"Seven..." said Pinkie.

"Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow bellowed, "Now I have to start over." Pinkie just smiled apologetically as Rainbow continued to glare at her.

"We're all going to have to start over," Fluttershy pointed out, "in a new village. 'Cause our is gonna be-" Poor Fluttershy just could not get anyone to listen to her as Rainbow stomped away without another word.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash, wait up!" Pinkie called out as she followed the blue Pegasus, leaving Fluttershy behind and ignored.

"Oh please, this is an emergency," Fluttershy pleaded to some other ponies but was still ignored, "I-I need everypony to-"

"Listen up!" said a voice in the distance. That got everyone to stop chattering and look in that direction. There on the bridge was Twilight with Mario standing beside her. They both had very serious looks on their faces.

"Smoke is spreading over all of Equestria," said Twilight.

"What? Oh no! That's awful!" the ponies said with worry. Fluttershy looked defeated.

"That's what I've been trying to-" Since Fluttershy was in the back of the crowd, her soft voice still couldn't be heard.

"But don't worry," Twilight continued, unintentionally cutting Fluttershy off, "Mario and I have just received a letter from Princess Celestia, informing us that it is not from a fire.

"Oh thank goodness," said Fluttershy with relief.

"It's coming from a dragon," said Mario. The other ponies gasped and Fluttershy stiffened.

"A...d-dragon?" she spluttered fearfully.

It wasn't much longer before the seven friends had gathered inside of Great Oak Library.

"What in the name of all things cinnamon swirled is a full-grown dragon doing here in Equestria?" asked Applejack.

"Sleeping," Twilight answered plainly as she shuffled through some of her books.

"Huh?" said the rest of the girls in confusion.

"According to Princess Celestia," Twilight explained as she placed another book into some saddle bags, "he's taking a nap. His snoring is what's causing all the smoke."

"He should really see a doctor," said Pinkie to the others, "That doesn't sound healthy at all."

"Well, at least he's not snoring fire," said Rarity, trying to see some positivity in this situation, "What are we meant to do about it?"

"I'll tell you what were meant to do," said Rainbow, "Give him the boot. Take that. And that!" Rainbow began to punch and jab about, nearly smashing a nearby horse head statue Twilight had on a pedestal. She used her magic to move it out of harm's way as Rainbow tried to dive right at it. Rainbow then ended up crashing upside down near one of the bookshelves.

"We need to encourage him to take a nap somewhere else," Twilight corrected as she stood above the dazed Pegasus. Rainbow soon recovered and gave salute with a wing as Twilight continued to speak, "Princess Celestia 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." Fluttershy gasped.

"Hmph, talk about getting your beauty sleep," Rarity remarked.

"Like it would make a difference," Mario muttered.

"All right everypony, I need you to gather supplies quickly," Twilight instructed, "We've got a long journey ahead of us. Let's meet back here in less than an hour."

"Ok, girls..." Rainbow replied excitedly as she held Pinkie and Rarity.

"Ahem..."

"...and extra" Rainbow remarked, making Mario snort, "you heard her. The fate of Equestria is on our hooves. Do we have what it takes?" Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity all gave confirmation that they did, standing on their hind legs before marching out of the Library one by one. Of course Rainbow flew out and Fluttershy was the last to leave.

"Um, actually..." said Fluttershy nervously, but no one paid attention...

...except for Mario.

"Fluttershy, are you okay?" he asked gently. Fluttershy just gave a timid squeak before she left the Library without another word. Mario was worried about her, and planned on speaking to the yellow Pegasus later.

The others spent time getting ready.

Rainbow headed straight for her condominium, put her front hooves into the streams of rainbow colored water that flowed around her living space and painted her face.

"Raaah!" she cried out, making a pose.

Applejack had her family help her gather her saddle bags. Big Mac helped set them on Applejack's back. While they were heavy, Applejack was ready for action.

"Yaaa!" She cried out, giving her own pose.

Pinkie came out of Sugarcube Corner. Her saddle bags were already loaded...with party streamers that made her bags pop whistle. Pinkie laughed before recomposing herself.

"Oh, I mean, grr!" Pinkie tried to make her own intimidating pose.

At the Carousel Boutique, Rarity was finished packing and had put on an army style camouflage hat on her head. She had just walked by the mirror when she saw the hat and made a face.

"Ewww!" She muttered before swapping it for a floppy hat style camouflage hat, "Much better. Onward!" Rarity made her pose.

Fluttershy timidly left her home wearing hockey gear. She had barely opened her door and crawled outside when it slammed shut behind her.

"Squee!" Fluttershy jumped. Sadly, that was her pose.

The six girls stood side by side with a colored backdrop in their respective poses. Then beneath them all a speaker appeared.

"Okay girls," said the voice form the speaker, which later zoomed out to reveal somepony sitting on chasse lounge sofa, but the angle concealed his face, "We've got a mission. Find that dragon and stop him from smoking Equestria. Good luck Ponies!"

"Now hold on a second!" said Rainbow, recognizing the voice, "Mario! What in Equestria are you doing?" His rectangle then showed that he was the one sitting on the chasse lounge sofa using his horn to hold up a microphone.

"What? Just getting into character," Mario replied.

"Who said you could be in charge of this mission?" said Rarity, "Who said you could be in charge of us?" Mario snorted.

"Hey, I'm not that kind of colt," Mario retorted, "Besides, why can't I be the leader for once?"

"No offense, sugarcube," Applejack added, "But you're more of a "Bosley" than a "Charlie"." The others, minus Fluttershy, snickered.

"Thanks alot, Farrah," said Mario as he crossed his fore-legs indignantly.

"Let's go," said Applejack as the other girls zipped away from their backdrops, minus Fluttershy.

"Um...let's...not?" Fluttershy remarked with a light squeak and the above backdrops disappeared, leaving Mario pouting on his chasse until Twilight appeared next to him.

"If you're done goofing around, we need to get going," Twilight told him. Mario sighed.

"I love it when a plan comes together," Mario replied sarcastically with an eye roll. It was a little while later, everyone was packed up and ready to go as they stood side by side before Twilight.

"All right girls, Mario, listen up," said Twilight, "I'm mapping out the fastest route, but we've got to keep a good pace if we expect to make it up the mountain by nightfall."

"M-m-mountain?" Fluttershy spluttered as she noticed a very tall mountain in the distance. It was also the source of where the smoke was coming from.

"The dragon is in that cave at the very top," Twilight explained.

"Looks pretty cold up there," said Applejack.

"You bet it is," said Rainbow, "The higher you go, the chillier it gets."

"Good thing I brought my scarf," said Rarity as she pulled out a pink scarf and wrapped it around her neck."

"Ooo! Pretty!" said Pinkie.

"Heh, oh yeah," said Rainbow sarcastically, "That'll keep you nice and cozy."

"Well I have my aviator's jacket," said Mario as he pulled it out.

"Ooo!" Rarity exclaimed, "That is a genuine Cloudsdale couture. Where'd you get it?"

"Birthday present from Mom last year," said Mario, "It's made for these type of situations."

"How do you fit that big ol' thing in yer saddle bag?" Applejack asked curiously. Mario smirked.

"I have my ways," said Mario as he placed it inside gently and then pulled it back out with ease, "Check it out. Rarity, wrinkle free!"

"You continue to amaze me!" said Rarity. Applejack and Rainbow just rolled their eyes.

"That's my sweet babboo!" Pinkie remarked.

"I'm not your sweet babboo!" Mario snapped.

"Isn't he the cutest thing!" Pinkie gushed. Mario blushed and rolled his eyes while the three girls snickered. Meanwhile Twilight was planning out their path on the map while Fluttershy gulped before attempting to speak to her.

"Um, excuse me, Twilight?" Fluttershy said timidly, "I know you're busy but..."

"Uh-huh," said Twilight, her tone sounding like she wasn't really listening, "Well, we could go this way."

"But if I could just have a second..."

"Uh-huh," Twilight replied, still sounding too focused on the map to be listening to Fluttershy properly, "No we want to avoid that."

"So, um, I was thinking that, um, maybe I should just stay here in Ponyville," Fluttershy proposed.

"Uh-huh," Twilight answered. She was definitely not listening to Fluttershy.

"Oh! Good I'll stay here and-"

"Wait!" Twilight called out, realizing her mistake and seeing Fluttershy trying to leave, "You have to come! Your way with wild animals will surely come in handy."

"I don't think I-" Fluttershy objected.

"Oh, and don't worry about your little friends in the meadow," Twilight added, "Spike's got it covered while you're gone." Spike appeared next to her with Angel on his head and several other small animals surrounding him.

"You can count on me!" Spike said confidently until Angel rudely slammed his foot on Spike's head, making all the little animals scatter, "Oooh! Hey! Hey! Wait!" Fluttershy was more unsure about going than ever.

"I don't think he's up to the task," Fluttershy replied nervously. Twilight didn't seem worried despite Spike's display of chaos. Mario then remembered that he wanted to speak to Fluttershy. He was about to speak up when Rainbow hovered next to Twilight.

"Are you sure you want Fluttershy to come along?" Rainbow whispered, "I mean, that pony is afraid of her own shadow. She's just going to slow us down." Mario looked indignant.

"Oh, she's just a little nervous," said Twilight, "Once we get going, I'm sure she'll be fine."

"True," Mario added to Fluttershy's defense, "She had no problem with the Everfree Forest and Nightmare Moon. Being a little timid isn't a bad thing." Then Fluttershy saw her shadow, she squealed and dove into a nearby push to hide. Twilight just looked indignant and Rainbow smirked as if she say she was right. Mario just gave her a discreet growl at her.

"Alright girls, Mario," Twilight called, "move out!" Everyone then charged forward. Poor Fluttershy was directly on their way.

"But...but..." Fluttershy stuttered before she was scooped up by the collection of mares and carried away towards the mountain. Fluttershy screamed in terror as she bounced about the top of the pack of ponies. Then she bounced off and screamed again as she expected to hit the ground.

"Oomph," she grunted when she found that she landed on Mario's back.

"Don't worry Fluttershy," said Mario as he paced behind the group, "You're going to be okay. Big brother is going to take care of you. Now hold on tight." Fluttershy just whimpered before she wrapped her front hooves around his neck a little too tightly.

"Easy there, big brother's gotta breathe," Mario strained as Fluttershy loosened her grip a bit, "There we go. Now hang on. I'm gonna pick up the pace." Fluttershy just shut her eyes as Mario sped up a bit and zoomed right past the other girls.

"See ya, wouldn't wanna be yah!" Mario retorted as they sped by.

"Oh it's on," said Rainbow as she took to the skies to pick up her pace. The other ponies increased their speed as well, ready for a little race. After a good run, they all managed to arrived at the base of the mountain. Then everypony heard a loud roaring sound that caused the ground to rumble. Fluttershy gasped and ducked behind Applejack.

"Whoa. What was that?" Rainbow asked.

"That is what it sounds like when a dragon snores," Twilight answered.

"A full grown dragon to say at least," said Mario, "Spike never snored that loudly." Fluttershy just nervously looked at the mountain.

"It-It's so...high!" Fluttershy said timidly.

"Well, it is a mountain," said Rainbow as a matter of fact, "I'm going to fly and check it out. Wah!" Rainbow was about to take off when Applejack grabbed her tail to stop her.

"Hold on, now," said Applejack, "I think we should all go up together. Safety in numbers and all."

"Good idea," said Mario.

"Oh, all right," Rainbow agreed...reluctantly. Soon they were making their way up the mountain when Rarity remembered something.

"I hear my only thing that sparkles more than a dragon's scales are the jewels they use to build their nests," Rarity told the group, "Ooo, if I play my cards right, I might be able to convince him to part with a few." Pinkie, who was a pace ahead of her, turned around.

"Welcome to my cave Rarity," Pinkie replied, imitating a dragon, "Care for a diamond?" Pinkie than tried to give a menacing roar. Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, and Rainbow all laughed until Twilight pushed herself between them.

"Girls! This is no laughing matter!" Twilight retorted as she pulled ahead of them, "Fluttershy, you're the expert on wild creatures. What do you think the dragon will be like? Fluttershy?" Everyone looked down to see that Fluttershy was just hiding inside of the bushes. Mario was just outside of the bush, trying to convince Fluttershy to come out.

"Hey! What are you waiting for?" Rainbow shouted from above, "An invitation?"

"If you're the one sending it, I'll decline," Mario muttered quietly to avoid being heard.

"Ooo, I think I have one in my bag!" Pinkie replied, not even realizing the sarcasm in Rainbow's voice. Rainbow and Rarity were then blasted in the face with some of her pop whistles and cheering sound effects.

"I-it's so...so...steep," Fluttershy quivered.

"Well it is a cliff," said Rainbow in a snarky tone, "You could just, oh, I don't know, fly up here?" Mario gritted his teeth a bit before releasing a long breath to keep his temper in check.

"Come on, Fluttershy, you can do it," said Pinkie, "You can do it. Flap those wings!"

"Finally some actual encouragement," Mario said, feeling a little better.

"Oh...okay," said Fluttershy as she slowly opened her wings and began to hover upwards. She couldn't help but give a soft cry as she slowly but surely rose higher into the air. The dragon then gave a loud snore. Fluttershy whined as her wings automatically closed up and she dropped down like a rock. Mario gasped.

"I gotcha, I gotcha! Oomph!" Mario jumped up and caught her, but they both ended up in the bushes.

"Augh," Rainbow groaned aloud as she covered her eyes in annoyance. Fluttershy tried to reopen her wings, but her fear had caused them to stay tucked in and she couldn't get them to budge.

"Ugh, we don't have time for this," Twilight added impatiently when Applejack opened her saddle bag, "What are you doing?" Applejack had grabbed Twilight's map to examine it.

"I'll need this if I'm going to take her around the mountain another way," Applejack explained. Rainbow gave another loud groan.

"Around that mountain?" Rainbow retorted, "That's going to take them forever." Applejack was already making her way down the mountain. Mario was with Fluttershy as she continued tried to try an reopen her wings. Fluttershy squealed lightly as she tried harder when the dragon gave a loud snore. Fluttershy then made a goat bleat and passed out like a dog trying to play dead.

(Insert favorite "lose a life fanfare")

"Don't worry Twi," said Applejack from the bottom of the mountain, "We'll be there lickety-split."

"Umm, AJ," said Mario, "I'm way faster and I could..."

"I'll do this," said Applejack firmly, "You catch up with the rest of the group."

"But..."

"No questions asked! Now shoo!" Applejack interrupted.

"Oh, fine!" said Mario, already feeling irritated, "but I'm going up my way." Mario then used his magic to set up what appeared to be some target patterned trampolines. One was the ground and the others were in midair. Once he lined them up, he walked over to the first one and slammed his back end into it. The trampoline sent him flying as he curled up and bounced from one trampoline to the next. Within a couple of seconds he reached the top of the cliff, and his friends arrived a bit later. Mario was just reclining against a rock reading a book when they arrived.

"What took you so long?" He teased, only to get a dirty glare from the other mares. As they waited for Applejack and Fluttershy to arrive, Rainbow just cruised the air impatiently while Twilight paced back and forth in the same manner. Mario just sat quietly alone at the location Applejack should meet up with the group. Pinkie and Rarity had found a way to entertain themselves by playing tic-tac-toe in the soft dirt.

"Whoo-hoo! I win again!" Pinkie cheered.

"Ugh, that's thrity-five games in a row," Rarity groaned before perking back up, "Best out of seventy one?" Just than a rather exhausted orange pony arrived. She had tied Fluttershy's tail around her head like a band. Poor Fluttershy was still knocked out as Applejack dragged her into view.

"We. Made. It." Applejack reported panting heavily as she plopped down to rest.

"Told you it was going to take them forever," Rainbow told Twilight in an "I told you so" tone.

"It wouldn't have if I had carried her up," said Mario, "But AJ insisted..."

"I...have...no...regrets," Applejack said proudly, but still exhausted.

"You know AJ," said Mario, "You could have just carried Fluttershy on your back. It would have been alot easier than dragging her through the dirt." Applejack eyes bugged out before she groaned and covered her eyes in embarrassment. Mario just rolled his eyes before looking into his saddle bag and pulled out a green and white spotted mushroom.

"Where did you get that?" Twilight asked.

"I grow them myself," Mario said, "They have special healing properties and they can revive passed out ponies." Mario walked over and placed the mushroom inside of Fluttershy's mouth.

(insert favorite "extra life" fanfare) Fluttershy shot up wide awake.

"Huh...wuh..what happened?" she asked startled. Then the dragon snored again and Fluttershy squeaked. Mario caught her before she passed out again.

"Easy Fluttershy," said Mario, "Just calm down okay." Fluttershy just trembled a bit, but felt a little better that her "big brother" was looking out for her. He turned to the group.

"She's fine," said Mario, "Once Applejack is ready, we can move out." The other ponies just exchanged looks as Rainbow rolled her eyes. Mario didn't resist giving the blue Pegasus a death glare as he held Fluttershy for comfort.

Later on, the seven ponies reached a particular area that required them to cross a very steep chasm. Rainbow didn't waste time showing off by jumping and using her wings to glide across with ease. Twilight and Rarity soon followed her across without a problem. Applejack and Pinkie did the same. Fluttershy was too afraid to try and gulped.

"You're turn, Fluttershy," Twilight called out.

"But...it's so...wide..." Fluttershy stuttered.

"Come on, Fluttershy, we should be much further along by now," Twilight protested.

"You could just leap on over," Applejack pointed out.

"I-" Fluttershy was cut off as the dragon snored again and she squatted down fearfully.

"I don't know," she finally said. Twilight and Applejack just shook their heads.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Pinkie replied, "it's just a hop, skip, and a jump, see?" She made a demonstration when Mario felt something familiar was about to happen.

"Oh...here we go..." Mario groaned, rolling his eyes. Pinkie began to sing.

It's not very far

Just move your little rump

You can make it if you try with a hop, skin, and jump

"We don't have time for this," said Twilight and Rainbow rolled her eyes in agreement. Pinkie just continued, hoping across the chasm again and again.

A hop, skip, and jump,

Just move your little rump,

A hope skip, and jump,

A hope skip, and jump,

A hope skip, and jump,

A hope skip, and jump,

A hope skip, and jump!

Eventually Fluttershy couldn't help but smile. Pinkie's little demonstration made the jump look much easier than she had thought.

"O-okay," said Fluttershy, "Here I go. A Hop." Fluttershy did a small hop.

"That's it," Applejack called out.

"You've got it," said Twilight.

"Almost there," Rarity added.

"Skip," said Fluttershy and went to take a leap. Mario smiled excitedly.

"Just don't look down," Twilight shouted. Mario flinched when he heard that. Fluttershy froze in mid-air, looked down, whined, and lost her balance and tumbled...onto the edge of the other side. Apparently the chasm she was afraid of jumping over was only three feet wide. While short in distance, it was still a very long drop if you mess up the timing of your jump. Fluttershy's hind legs stood at the edge of one end while her front legs were on the other. She couldn't move.

"Ugh," Rainbow groaned as he got behind Fluttershy and was going to shove her to the other side. Twilight and Rarity had grabbed Fluttershy's front hooves and pulled her forward to the other side. Since Rainbow was still pushing, she collided with Fluttershy and the yellow Pegasus ended up sitting right on top of her.

"I guess I forgot to jump," said Fluttershy sheepishly as Mario landed next to her.

"It's not your fault Fluttershy," said Mario, "Someone forgot the golden rule when it comes to crossing chasms or bridges that are high up!" Twilight looked puzzled until she realized what Mario was saying.

"Oh right, heh, never...tell them to not look down...cause...they will," Twilight replied sheepishly. Rainbow just rolled her eyes as Mario helped Fluttershy get off her back. Then they reached a certain point along the trail Twilight brought everyone to a stop.

"Let's keep it down," Twilight whispered, "According to the map, we're entering an avalanche zone. The slightest peep could cause a huge rock slide."

"Ooo...I have bad feeling about this," Mario mouthed fearfully. Fluttershy was already terrified.

"An...an ava...ava..."

"Shhh!" Twilight hissed as Fluttershy closed her mouth. Now everyone was on edge as they made their way down the path as quietly as they could. Then Applejack bumped a nearby tree causing it to release a pair of leaves. One of those leaves landed right on Fluttershy's flank.

"AVALA-!" she jumped in shock as Applejack shoved a hoof into her mouth. Fluttershy's shriek echoed throughout the area. For a few seconds nothing happened and they all released a collective sigh. Suddenly, the ground began to rumble and a few pebbles started to come tumbling down. Soon those rocks got bigger. Mario's felt his heart drop to his tail.

"Avalanche!" They all cried out and screamed as they dashed about, well Rainbow flew, to dodge and avoid getting crushed. There were several close calls for everypony. Mario used his spin jump to smash some large rocks before they could crush himself or his friends. Soon there were too many rocks for him to smash and he could only dodge. The timing couldn't have been worse.

"Oh no! Help!" Twilight cried out as the large rocks overwhelmed her. Mario tried to find her, but the large rocks kept blocking his way. Then a large rock was about to fall right on top of her.

"Ooh!" Twilight grunted as Applejack pushed her out of the way just in time to prevent the pony from becoming a unicorn pizza. Eventually the rocks settled down and everyone was coughing from all the dust.

"Oh my!" said Applejack as the coughing settled, "Everypony okay?"

"Thanks to you I am," said Twilight, giving Applejack a friendly head nuzzle to say thank you.

"Eugh. Blech," Rarity retorted as her fur was covered in dust. She quickly shook about to clean it off, but got Pinkie dirty in the process.

"Whoo-hoo! Let's do it again!" Pinkie proposed, not caring she was all dirty.

"Let's not," said Mario as he helped Fluttershy to her hooves and breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Uh! This is why a girl always packs extra accessories," said Rarity as she wrapped her scarf around her neck, "Oh please tell me I brought the tiara that goes with this."

"Uh, think we got bigger problems than making sure our hair bows match our horseshoes," said Rainbow as she pointed towards the now large pile of dirt and rock blocking their path. Fluttershy just sighed sadly. She didn't need Rainbow's death glare to know this was her fault.

"Sorry," she said sadly.

"Aw, no big whoop, sugarcube," said Applejack with a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah," Twilight added, "We'll just have to...climb over." Twilight gave a sigh.

"Not necessarily," said Mario as he walked up to the mess, "In my studies, hedgehogs can burrow while in their curled up state. One shortcut coming right up." Mario began to spin about to charge up.

"No!" Twilight protested and made him uncurl and land on his stomach, "It's too risky!"

"I can find a stable spot!" Mario protested.

"It's not worth the risk," Twilight shot back. Mario could feel his temper reaching it's limit.

"Whatever," he muttered as they began to climb over the hill. Fluttershy was in the back with Rainbow hovering over her. It seemed that every time Fluttershy slipped and whimpered, Rainbow would just roll her eyes and grunt in annoyance. Mario had had enough.

"That does it!" Mario yelled angrily, "I've had it up to here with your attitude Rainbow Dash! If you're not going to help Fluttershy, then just go ahead of us! I'll make sure she gets over this hill in one piece." Rainbow just kept glaring before she did fly ahead of them. Things were fairly quiet after that once they reached the top. Twilight had already gotten to the bottom as they other ponies carefully made their way down. Mario held Fluttershy by the side so he could keep her from sliding down if she lost her footing. Fluttershy did slip, but she slid down too fast for Mario to hold her back and came sliding down with her. They collided with Rarity and then Applejack before crashing at the bottom of the hill.

"Wha! Wha..." Applejack spluttered.

"My apologies," said Rarity.

"Not your fault," said Rainbow, glaring at Fluttershy again, who simply whimpered sadly.

"GRRR!" Mario growled at Rainbow as she flew over to Twilight with a sigh.

"Still think it was a good idea to bring Fluttershy along?" Rainbow asked again in annoyance.

"We're about to find out," Twilight answered, "We're here," There before them was a large cave where the dragon was apparently sleeping in. Twilight looked afraid but her fear was soon replaced with a face of determination.

"Rainbow Dash, use your wings to clear the smoke," Twilight instructed.

"Mm-hmm," Rainbow replied.

"Rarity and Pinkie Pie, you'll create a diversion to distract the dragon in case things get a little hairy in there," Twilight said next. Pinkie and Rarity exchanged some smiles when Pinkie zipped away and started squeaking a ribbon chicken in her mouth. Rarity just made a face that said "okay..." and Twilight just looked a bit stunned before recomposing herself.

"Applejack, you're ready with the apples in case he decides to attack," Twilight continued as Applejack bucked two apples into a nearby tree trunk for practice, "But it shouldn't come to that, because Fluttershy and Mario will do what they need to do to wake him up, and between the three of us, we should be able to get him to understand why he needs to go. Is everypony ready?" Fluttershy just ducked and trembled fearfully while the other ponies gave their confirmation that they were ready to go.

"Okay then, we're goin' in," said Twilight as she headed right into the cave she was about a few yards inside when she asked, "So, what is the best way to wake up a dragon without upsetting him? Fluttershy? Mario?" She turned to see that neither of them had followed.

"Oh come on!" Twilight retorted annoyed as she found Mario trying to get Fluttershy to come, but the poor Pegasus had buried her head into some of the dirt and wouldn't move.

"Come on!" Twilight grunted as she tried to push Fluttershy forward, "We have to do this! Now! Every second longer that dragon sleeps is another acre of Equestria that is covered in smoke!" One by one the other mares lined up behind Fluttershy to make her move forward, but she held her ground. Pinkie was the last to get behind everypony, but all she did was laugh and hugged Applejack, who was at the back of the line.

"I...I...I can't go in the cave," said Fluttershy sadly.

"UGH!" All the ponies behind her groaned and fell into their backs.

"Oh great," Rainbow grumbled, "She's scared of caves now, too."

"I'm not scared of caves," said Fluttershy, "I'm scared of..." The last word was mumbled so softly that no pony could hear her.

"What's that, sugarcube?" Applejack asked curiously.

"I'm scared of..." Fluttershy still could say that last word.

"What?" Twilight asked.

"I'm scared of dragons!" Fluttershy blurted out. Then the dragon gave another snore and blasted the seven ponies with smoke. Pinkie squealed as the smoke made them all cough. Once it cleared, Fluttershy was hiding behind Applejack again.

"But Fluttershy," said Twilight, "You have a wonderful talent dealing with all kinds of animals."

"Yes, but they are not dragons," said Fluttershy.

"Oh come on!" Rainbow retorted indignantly, "We've seen you walk right up to a horrible manticore like it was nothing."

"Rainbow actually had a decent point...for once," Mario added, not hiding his sarcasm.

"Yes, because he wasn't a dragon," said Fluttershy.

"Spike is a dragon," Pinkie pointed out from behind her, "You're not scared of him."

"That is true," said Mario in agreement.

"Yes, because he's not a huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp-scale having, horn wearing, smoke-snoring, could eat a pony in one bite, totally all grown up dragon!" The dragon gave a loud snore. Fluttershy whimpered as she shuddered low to the ground.

"But if you're so afraid of dragons, why didn't you say something before we all came up here?" Twilight asked.

"I was afraid to," said Fluttershy sadly.

"Ugh!" Rainbow just groaned again. Mario felt his temper reach its limit.

"All of us are scared of that dragon," said Applejack sympathetically, preventing Mario from speaking at the moment.

"I'm not," Rainbow said smugly, earning plenty of death glares.

"Almost all of us are scared of that dragon," Applejack continued, "but we've got a job to do. So, get in there with Twilight and Mario, and show them what you're made of." Fluttershy just stood a bit, but lowered her head sadly.

"I-I-I just...can't," said Fluttershy and walked sadly away.

"Oh Fluttershy," said Twilight quietly as Fluttershy disappeared. Mario just walked forward a bit to watch Fluttershy disappear in the horizon.

"Hmph," said Mario definitively, "I don't blame her one bit for walking away."

"What are you talking about?" Twilight asked as the others gave him puzzled looks.

"Well as far as I'm concerned, no pony would listen to her," said Mario, "I found out that Fluttershy was in the park before us. She tried to tell Pinkie and Rainbow about the smoke and was ignored every time!" Pinkie just looked ashamed and Rainbow just rolled her eyes at him.

"She wasn't afraid to tell you about being scared of dragons, Twilight," Mario added sternly, "You were too busy discussing your brilliant plan and reading a map to listen to her either. You all ignored her when she was trying to speak. I'll take some the blame for that too since I didn't know about this until later. But my point is that speaking up isn't one of Fluttershy's strengths, but that doesn't give any pony the right to ignore her or tune her out!" The other ponies looked down at the ground in agreement. Rainbow didn't seem to care.

"AS FOR YOU!" thundered Mario and pointing a hoof at Rainbow, "You've been worse! Not only did you ignore her, but you've been grumbling and complaining about her all day! Treating her like she's nothing but a burden to the rest of us! I know for a fact you've known her far longer than the rest of us and if this is how you've been treating her all these years, it's no wonder she's got no confidence in herself! Some element of loyalty you are!" Rainbow was taken aback by Mario's harsh words and just looked away without saying another word. Mario just breathed loudly. His anger still livid as Twilight walked up to him.

"Look, we can discuss this and apologize to Fluttershy later," said Twilight, "Right now, we still have to figure out how to deal with that dragon. Mario, can you calm down enough to help me try to persuade him to leave? You're the only one besides Fluttershy who has studied Dragon dialect." Mario just released a long breath.

"Okay," he said calmly. Twilight gave him a smile as they headed into the cave together.

"We're goin' in," said Twilight, "He...probably just doesn't realize what he's doing...right?" The other ponies just agreed nervously as they stuck their heads in from outside before disappearing.

"Love that moral support," Mario muttered as they reached their target. The dragon was definitely huge and Rarity had been on point about it using a huge collection of jewels as its nest.

"Mr. Dragon," said Twilight gently. Her only response was a rumble from him.

"Excuse me," Twilight tried again, but all she got was another rumble.

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and hey-bacy!" Mario tried, earning a indifferent look from Twilight. Mario just smiled sheepishly.

"Mr. Dragon," said Twilight a little more firmly. The dragon rumbled again as he opened his eyes and just looked at the two.

"Oh good, you're awake," said Twilight, "Please allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Twilight..." Then the Dragon gave a loud yawn. Twilight and Mario cringed in disgust.

"Ew...where's a breath mint when you need one," Mario muttered as he held his nose.

"Augh! Puh! Sparkle," Twilight continued, covering her nose until the stench subsided, "and my friends and I are residents in Equestria. Ponyville, to be exact. We've come here to ask that you find another spot to take your nap. It's just that you seem to be doing an awful lot of snoring, and every time you do, you send out a terrible cloud of smoke." The dragon just snorted, releasing more smoke on both Twilight and Mario, making them both cough.

"Equestria simply cannot survive a hundred years in a dark haze," Mario continued for Twilight once the smoke had settled, "You understand, don't you?" The dragon simply sat up and gave a loud yawn and a stretch.

"So you'll find another place to sleep?" Twilight asked hopefully. The dragon then laid back down with a loud thump and snorted again, covering the two ponies with smoke. Then it sent another blast that covered the other ponies in smoke. Everyone was in a coughing fit as Twilight and Mario found their way out. Well, Twilight only came out.

"Where's Mario?" Twilight asked.

"Alright listen up," said Mario sternly from inside the cave, "We tried to be nice to you about this, but nobody ignores me or my friends! You're causing smoke and we're not going to suffer from it just because you need your beauty sleep. So get off your big pile of scales and go sleep somewhere else! You hear me!" The other ponies were stunned at how assertive Mario was.

"Now that's persuasion!" Rainbow said impressed.

BURP! The cave then light up.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Mario walked out with an indignant look on his face. The five ponies cringed when they saw Mario. He looked like he had fallen on top of someone's rotisserie grill.

"You girls mind if I smoke?" he asked bluntly as he stood before them.

"Actually, smoking is very bad for your health," Pinkie replied, "especially second hand smoke, which can cause..."

"I WAS BEING SARCASTIC!" Mario bellowed at the top of his lungs when another blast of smoke hit them, sending them into coughing fits again.

"So much for...persuading him," Rainbow coughed as the smoke settled.

"Now what?" Applejack asked as Rarity cleared her throat.

"Obviously, this situation just calls for a little "pony charm". Allow me," said Rarity as she entered the cave and went right up to the dragon. She cleared her throat, "I'm so sorry to interrupt. But I couldn't possibly head back home without mentioning what handsome scales you have. And those have to be hidden away in some silly cave for a hundred years?" The dragon began to flex it scales and grin to himself, clearly charmed at Rarity's words. As Rarity spoke, she began to walk about the jewels and started putting some of them on.

"Personally, I think you should skip the snoozing and be out there, showing them off," Rarity continued. The dragon stood tall, feeling persuaded to do so.

"I would be more than happy to keep an eye on your jewels while you're gone." Rarity ruined the moment as the Dragon growled and pulled all his jewels away from her. Rarity screamed as the dragon appeared to try and swipe her as she dashed away. When she took off, all the jewels she was wearing were left behind and he grabbed them with his large claw.

Back outside, Rarity was most upset as she leaned against a large rock.

"I was this close to getting that diamond," she fumed.

"You mean...getting rid of that dragon?" Twilight retorted indignantly as Mario glared at her.

"Oh, yeah...sure," said Rarity passively. Mario just rolled his eyes and shook his head at her. Then Pinkie appeared wearing a combination of a birthday package, balloons, and a horn in her mouth.

"What in tarnation?" Applejack exclaimed at the sight. Pinkie just blew her horn again.

"Darling, you look ridiculous," Rarity added.

"Exactly!" said Pinkie, "Sharing a laugh is a sure-fire way to get someone on your side!" Pinkie bounced her way inside. It was only seconds later...

CRASH!

Pinkie than limped out, balloons popped, package damaged, and even her horn was busted.

"Apparently he doesn't like laughing, heh," said Pinkie sheepishly, "or sharing."

"All right, that's it," said Rainbow angrily, "We tried persuasion, aggressive negotiation, charm, and whatever it is Pinkie does..." Pinkie just blew her busted horn.

"...it's time to stop wasting time!" Rainbow concluded, "I'm going in!" Rainbow then flew quickly inside the cave.

"Rainbow, no!" Twilight called out.

"Get back here!" Mario yelled, but their cries fell on deaf ears. Rainbow zoomed right up the dragon.

"Get! Out!" Rainbow shouted and kicked the dragon square in the nose. The dragon woke up, gave a light sneeze and growled at Rainbow. Rainbow's determination melted faster than a scoop of ice cream in summer time.

"Heh. Sorry," said Rainbow sheepishly. The dragon roared sending Rainbow flying backwards at high speed curled up into a ball.

"Who-o-o-o-a!"

STRIKE!

And she ten-pined everypony outside the cave. Sadly Mario was the headpin. They all got up, feeling rather dazed until they saw the giant dragon above them. The dragon roared and everyone just screamed as they hugged each other in terror. The dragon then gave another roar, sending a fast current of smoke at them.

"No!" Mario cried out and tried to raise a shield to block the gust, but he was too late. He and everyone else was sent colliding with a nearby rock crag. The impact was so strong that the crag fell apart, revealing Fluttershy hiding behind it. Apparently she hadn't gone back home at all, but rather just went somewhere to hide. Once she saw her hiding place was destroyed, she looked in shock. First she saw the Dragon, who was glaring at her and the rest of the ponies. Then she saw her friends, who were all dazed and bemused as they gave a loud moan from the attack. Then Fluttershy felt something inside of her burning inside of her.

Fluttershy was angry.

"How dare you," she said in her usual tone, but then her voice got louder and her face grew stern as she rose into the air, "How DARE you!" Fluttershy then flew right up the dragons nose and landed on it.

"Listen here, mister," she said sternly as she got into the dragon's right eye and stared into it, "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! You got that?" Her tone was so stern that all the dragon could say to reply was a whimper and he cowered back at her stern glare. The other ponies, who had recovered somewhat, were in shock at seeing Fluttershy so assertive.

"Well?" Fluttershy demanded, wanting an explanation as she hovered above him like a mother scolding a child.

"But that rainbow one kicked me," the dragon protested feebly. Rainbow just smiled to herself and nodded.

"And I'm very sorry about that," said Fluttershy, leaving Rainbow stunned, "But you're bigger then she is and you should know better. You should also know better than to take a nap where your snoring can become a health hazard to other creatures."

"But I-"

"Don't you "but I" me, mister," said Fluttershy, going into full mother mode on him and continuing to stare him down, "Now what do you have to say for yourself? I said, what do you have to say for yourself?" All the dragon could do was whimper and he began to cry. The other ponies just watched Fluttershy in amazement. They didn't seem to mind getting wet by the dragon's tears. Pinkie somehow pulled out a umbrella hat for her head.

"There, there. No need to cry. You're not a bad dragon, you just made a bad decision," said Fluttershy as she made her way back down to the ground, "Now go pack your things. You just need to find a new place to sleep. That's all." The other ponies cheered as Fluttershy landed as they gathered around her.

"You did it!" said Twilight, "I knew you could do it!"

"Bravo Fluttershy, bravo!" said Mario, clapping his fore-hooves for her. It was then the dragon made his way out of the cave and flew away to find a new place to sleep. With their mission complete, they returned home. But not before giving Fluttershy an apology. While Rainbow denied it, she did shed a tear or two apologizing herself. Apologies were exchanged between Mario and Rainbow and all was good between the seven ponies once more.

Back at the library, Angel was still giving Spike a hard time as the dragon continued to chase the bunny about.

"I said come back here!" Spike snapped and finally grabbed Angel by the foot, "Ooh! How does Fluttershy put up with you furry little things." As Spike dangled Angel by the foot, he squirmed constantly to try and get away.

"Spike," Twilight called out with Mario at her side, "take a letter."

"With pleasure," said Spike with a sigh as he dropped Angel on his head.

"Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight recited aloud,

"We are happy to report that the dragon has departed our fair country, and it was our good friend Fluttershy, who convinced him to go. This adventure has taught us to never lose faith in your friends. They can be an amazing source of strength, and can help you overcome even your greatest fears.

Always your faithful students,

Twilight Sparkle and Mario Star."

"Twilight! Mario!" Applejack called out from outside as Twilight finished reciting the letter. She and Mario opened the nearby window to find Rainbow bouncing her ball on her head again.

"You gotta see this!" Applejack called again, "She's just five away from a new pony record."

"Three hundred forty-seven, three hundred forty-eight..."

"ROAR!"

"Dragon!" Rainbow shouted in fright, lost her ball, and with the sound of a goat bleat, played dead. They all laughed and Mario snapped a picture of Rainbow in her frightened state.

"I captured a Podak moment!" he shouted as they continued to laugh. Rainbow then rose to her feet in panic.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked as she panted, "That awful dragon is back!" Pinkie came up to her and gave her another roar. Rainbow then realized she had been tricked.

"Pinkie pie, you scared me!" Rainbow retorted and then realized what she had just said, "I mean, uh, you...broke my concentration." Fluttershy then hovered above her.

"It's okay, Rainbow Dash," said Fluttershy as she gave the blue Pegasus a pat on the back, "Not everypony can be as brave as me." Rainbow snorted as she blew a falling leaf away from her. That leaf floated and landed right on Fluttershy's back end.

"EEP!" Fluttershy screamed, made a goat bleat, and was now playing dead once again. The other ponies just laughed. They loved Fluttershy. No matter how high-sprung or timid she was, they knew she could be brave when it mattered the most.

Besides, Mario had plenty of green and white mushrooms to revive her.

Sorry, I was absent for so long I'll be uploading more frequently

Peace Pony Fans!