"Angel, you have to eat everything in your bowl." I was on my way towards town when I heard that. The next thing that happened was a white bunny hopped past me. And then Fluttershy flew into me. We both rolled to a stop after a few seconds. I opened my eyes to find the bunny, who must be Angel, standing in front of me. Ignoring Angel's smile, (I'm sure he found the whole thing amusing) I untangled myself from Fluttershy and stood up. She did the same. "I am so sorry Speedy. I was trying to catch Angel. I'm sorry." I smiled. She was always apologizing. "It's okay Fluttershy. I should have seen you coming." She turned her head, hiding her face behind her mane. "No. It was my fault. I should have watched where I was going." I walked around until I could see her face again. "Hey. We were both having a clumsy moment. That's all." I smiled, trying to get her to feel better. And it worked. She smiled too.

Fluttershy turned to Angel and calmly scolded him. The bunny frowned and hopped away. Fluttershy shook her head and turned back to me. "Where are you off to today?" I tilted my head towards Ponyville. "I've been meaning to go and take a look at Rarity's boutique. I'm told she has the finest designs in all of Equestria." Fluttershy nodded. "She does. Rarity is a great fashion designer." We stood there for a moment in silence. Finally, I got up the courage to say something. "Would... would you like to join me? I think if I'm alone with Rarity she'll keep me prisoner until she's shown me every last piece of clothing. I might be able to break free if you're there." Fluttershy smiled. "I wish I could, but I have some chores to do around home. But I hope you enjoy the boutique." I chuckled. "Alright, but if you don't see me after a day or two, send a search party. You'll find me under a pile of dresses no doubt." She giggled! She giggled at my stupid joke! I had to stop myself from jumping into the air with delight.

I hadn't gone far before I fell to the ground. Nopony had crashed into me this time. Something had shaken the ground. And it was followed by a loud 'boom'. What in Equestria was that? I looked around for any sign of the sound's source, but everything seemed fine. Then I heard Fluttershy scream. I turned around and ran for the cottage. I found her standing outside, her entire body trembling. I ran up to her. "What's wrong? What happened?" Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. She was trying to form the words. I watched her lips, but it wasn't making any sense. She was saying the same thing over and over; 'Dra, dra, dra'. It was then when I noticed her eyes, wide in fear, as she stared in the direction of the Everfree Forest. I followed her gaze and caught a glimpse of a scaly wing disappearing below the treetops. I knew what she was saying now. Dragon.

As if the wing hadn't been enough, I realized that it hadn't disappeared below the treeline, but had folded against the dragon's dark green body. I couldn't believe it. This dragon was laying down and still had to be over a hundred feet tall! Where in all of Equestria could such a monster have been hiding?

In the distance I could hear ponies screaming. Everypony had to have seen the wing descending to the forest. Now there was panic. I turned to Fluttershy. "Come on, we should go to Twilight's. Maybe she'll know something that can help." Fluttershy didn't move, didn't blink, nothing. All she could do was stare at the dragon, or at least what was visible of it. I stood in front of her, blocking the view. "Fluttershy. Snap out of it!" She didn't. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't just leave her here alone. I slowly turned her away from the forest. I held her head in my hooves and looked into her frightened eyes. "I know you're in there Shy. We need to go to Twilight's. And I'm going to help you get there. I will not leave you. Did you hear that? I will not leave you." I had gotten to her. Her eyes softened slightly and she put a hoof forward. I smiled. "That's it. Just walk. Just keep looking at me and walk."

It took us some time, but we made it. I kept encouraging Fluttershy all the way and she seemed to be calming down, even if it was taking her a long time to do so. We stepped into the library and were met by the others. They were all there. Twilight was whizzing through book after book and the others... The others looked depressed. Pinkie and Rainbow were sitting on the floor, very unlike their energetic selves, Rarity was pacing back and forth, and Applejack looked like she was about to snap. Every pony had fear in their eyes. Twilight looked up as we entered. She sighed in relief. "You made it." This got the others attention and they all came over to say how glad they were that we were safe. Fluttershy winced slightly as they crowded around. Everypony knew her so well and could see she was in a bad way and they all stepped back.

I pressed myself against her and we walked over to Twilight. "Have you found anything?" Twilight lowered her head. "No. There's nothing. I've never heard of dragons this big. The largest we've ever seen wasn't even half the size of this one." She began looking through books again. I moved Fluttershy over to a place she could sit. I had promised I wouldn't leave her, so I sat down too. She still hadn't spoken a word. I looked around the room. The others were preoccupied with their own fears. I leaned in close and whispered in Fluttershy's ear. "You know why I came to Ponyville Shy?" She blinked and slowly turned her head towards me. Her eyes still showed her terror, but I was beginning to see some calm in the storm of her fears. She shook her head. I smiled. "I came here because I had heard about a group of friends that had amazing adventures together. I don't know many of them though, but one of the few I heard about was when you faced down a dragon all by yourself." She looked away. I leaned in closer. "I know that brave pony is still in you." She sniffled. I could see a tear fall from her eye.

I don't know what happened, but the next thing I remember was that I was hugging her. "I'm not saying you have to face this dragon too. I'm just telling you that I know without a doubt that you are brave. And you can make it through this. I'm scared too. More scared than I would care to admit." She looked at me. "You... you're scared?" She was talking. A good sign. I smiled and nodded. "Yes. I only have this brave face on for you. We both needed it to get here." She smiled and hugged me back. I closed my eyes and we stayed like that for several minutes.

Twilight slammed the last of her books closed. "Nothing!" We all looked at her in shock. Rarity stopped pacing. "You couldn't find anything to do with that horrible creature outside?" Twilight shook her head. Rainbow jumped into the air and began hovering. "Then what are supposed to do?" Twilight shook her head again. "I don't know." Pinkie seemed to gain back some of her spontaneous nature because she got up and hopped over to Twilight. "Why don't we make him a cake and ask him if he'll go away? Anypony would do anything for cake!" I smiled. I guess it takes more than a giant dragon to damper Pinkie's spirit for long.

Ideas were given and dismissed and regiven. How do you get rid of a dragon? Of course I had no idea. I sat by and listened to the discussion. I only gave a few comments which basically went unnoticed. I sat next to Fluttershy the whole time. We were pressed together and neither one of us ever moved. I think that we were both anchoring each other so that we wouldn't go crazy.

It finally got to the point that everypony realized that we were no closer to solving the problem. And then Twilight put up the idea that I had hoped not to hear. I knew Fluttershy could feel it coming, because she pressed even closer to me. "Fluttershy?" Twilight turned to us. I didn't exactly like all the staring eyes, but what could I do? Twilight sat in front of Fluttershy. "You've done it before. I'm sure you could make this dragon leave like you did with the other one." Fluttershy lowered her head to my shoulder. I felt her tears against me. I looked at Twilight and shook my head. She and the others looked crestfallen, but they weren't about to force their friend.

Twilight motioned for the mares to gather on the other side of the library. She looked at me. "We'll keep trying to figure it out. If you come up with anything, let us know." She joined the others leaving Fluttershy and me alone. I still felt the falling teardrops. I put my chin against her head and whispered. "We're going to figure it out Shy." She pulled away and looked at me, tears still rolling down her cheeks. "You k..keep calling me that.." I smiled. "It's a nickname. I like to give nicknames to the ponies I really care about." I could see the faintest hint of a smile. She nuzzled my cheek and stood up. Before I could ask what she was doing, she spoke up. "I don't know if I can make this dragon leave, but I bet if we work together we can do it." Every pony in the library looked at her, mouths hanging open. Where had the bravery come from? I got my answer as she looked at me and smiled. It was me. Somehow I had given her the strength she needed. I stood up and stepped next to her. I looked at the others. "Time to make that dragon sorry he landed in Ponyville."

The Everfree Forest was dark. Did sunshine ever touch the ground here? Or maybe it was simply the fact of the giant dragon shadow. As we neared the dragon we came upon a new problem. Where was the head? The dragon was so huge we didn't know where to look. The head could be all the way at the other side of the forest for all we knew.

We finally came upon some part of the dragon. It was lucky we didn't run into it. Those dark green scales blend in with the trees. Oddly though, this part of the dragon wasn't too tall. Maybe ten or twelve feet. I tired to make heads or tails of it. Wait... Heads or tails. I turned to the others. "I think this might be the tail." Everypony stared for a moment. Rainbow was the first to break the silence. "Well that's just great! We come all this way only to wind up at the wrong end of the dragon!" Rarity stepped forward. "Do you mean we'll have to walk all the way to the head?" We were all beginning to look depressed at that thought.

That's when Applejack stepped forward. "Wait. I think I've got an idea. Speedy. Wanna help me buck some apples?" What? how could she be thinking of bucking... Oh! My eyes brightened in understanding. "Let's do it." Applejack and I walked up to the tail and turned around. She looked at me. "Ready?" I nodded. We kicked with all our might and bucked the tail. The scales rang like a bell from the impact. But it did the trick. The scaly behemoth shifted. And then the loudest roar you've ever heard pierced the sky.

We would have run and hidden had we not all been frozen in fear. The tail moved upward, leaving the ground, and slid away into the trees. As soon as it was gone, we discovered that the dragon's head had been right behind it the whole time. It appeared to be asleep, but after that roar we knew better. From our point of view, all we could see was one side of a head that towered at least twenty feet over our heads.

"You dare attack me?" The voice was a low rumble. I'm sure the dragon thought he was whispering, but it was pretty loud to us ponies. Twilight slowly stepped forward. "We;re sorry to disturb you, but we wanted to know why you've come here?" A huff of black smoke left the dragon's mouth and blew right into Twilight. She began coughing and backed away. "I live here you stupid creature. I have lived here for hundreds of years." Pinkie jumped forward, looking at the dragon quizzically. "Well that can't be right. We've lived in Ponyville all our lives and we never saw you once. Unless of course you were playing hide and seek with some of your other dragon buddies. I bet you're winning." The dragon was silent for a few moments. This seems to be a normal reaction when you first meet Pinkie. I'm sure the dragon didn't know what to think. "I am not playing any game little hatchling. I have been asleep in a cave for 200 years. And now I come to my home and what do I find? My nest has been overrun by a herd of ponies."

This was bad. Really bad. Ponyville had been built on an old dragon's nest. And it seems the former resident wishes to move back in. While most of us were absorbing this news, Rainbow Dash flew up to the dragon. I mean right up to where the dragon's eyelid is. "So if this is your home, why didn't you just crush Ponyville when you got here." The eyelid stirred and flew open to reveal a milky white eyeball. "Do you see now?" Rainbow had, but only just since the opened eye had spooked her into retreating. The dragon was blind. "I lost my sight long ago. Ever since then I have been trying to find my way home. Now I have arrived and I cannot live there...yet." I didn't like the sound of that. The massive, unseeing eye shifted down to us. "But just because I am blind, does not mean I am without my other senses. I have been lying in this forest listening to your town. Trivial nonsense. Every last bit of it."

The dragon turned his head towards us, revealing his other blind eye. "There is a positive side to my dilemma however. I get to have a welcome home feast." My eyes widened in horror. He was going to destroy Ponyville! I looked at Fluttershy. Her eyes were wider than mine. I put a hoof on her shoulder and she seemed to snap back to reality. She looked at me. "I...I don't know what to do Speedy. I don't think I can make him leave." We fell over as the ground shook. The dragon was laughing. "Leave? You thought you could persuade me to leave my home? You're more naive than I thought." His head lifted off the ground and began to rise, revealing the rest of his emerald body. Towering over the trees, the dragon's head was pointed in the direction of town. "You're precious Ponyville will crumble and your friends will quench my appetite." He looked down at us. "But what would a meal be without an appetizer?" His head shot for the ground and we scattered.

For a blind dragon, he sure had a good sense of where we were. Everypony ran for cover in the forest. But it didn't matter. Trees were ripped out of their roots as the dragon pursued us. I could see Fluttershy just ahead of me, running at full speed. That's when the tree flew over my head, continued flying, and crashed to the ground ahead of Fluttershy. That couldn't stop her though. She was so terrified that her wings opened and flew her over the tree without a second thought. I had to skid to a halt before I slammed face-first into the trunk. A shadow passed over me. The dragon was after her! I heaved myself over the fallen tree and ran after the dragon. I loud boom shook the ground. He must have landed. I broke into a small clearing to find Fluttershy cornered. The dragon chuckled. "You first my dear." Fluttershy didn't scream. She didn't move. All she could do was silently cry, the tears flowing freely to the forest floor.

That was the last straw. I pounded my hoof against the ground. "Leave her alone!" The dragon froze and turned in my direction. "The brave, young stallion. Come to rescue your lovely mare?" My teeth clenched. "If you touch her-" The dragon's laughter cut me off. "What? What will you do to me little pony?" I noticed a faint glow on the opposite side of the clearing. I smiled. "Not me. Her!" The dragon was lifted into the air. Twilight stepped out of the trees followed by the others. "Rairty, I could use another unicorn on this." Rarity's horn lit up and together the two unicorns held the dragon. How, I could never say, but they did it. I began to see sweat on Twilight's face. What was she doing? And then the roars began. The dragon was attempting to escape. I ran over to Fluttershy, who was still curled up against a tree. "Come on Fluttershy! Get up!" She opened her eyes, looking at me and then at the dragon. I turned my head to look back and saw something I never thought possible. Twilight and Rarity were slowly shrinking the dragon.

The roars continued, but with each passing second, the roars became quieter as the dragon was shrunk down.Everything was going to be fine.

I was wrong...

The dragon was just under half his original size when he broke free of the magic. Twilight and Rarity fell backwards from the break. The dragon blinked and looked at me. He...he looked at me! The milky white film was gone and had been replace by piercing yellow eyes. The dragon seemed just as surprised. He began to laugh and turned to Twilight. "I thank you young one. Your attempt at stopping me restored my eyesight. For that I'll spare your life until last. But you two-" He turned back to me and Fluttershy. "You will be first." With that he took a swipe at us with his claws. Before they could hit though, Rainbow flew in front of the dragon's face. The dragon became distracted, giving me enough time to shove Fluttershy out of the way. I dove after her, but was too late. I felt the claw in my back leg.

I rolled a few times landing just beyond Fluttershy. She was shaking her head to make sense of what had happened. Then she saw my leg "Speedy!" She crawled over to me and grabbed my head, locking her eyes with mine. "Hold on." My vision was blurring, but I saw the dragon coming closer. "Sh...Shy. Behind..." I couldn't finish it. But she turned around to look at the dragon. The dragon smiled. "Don't worry my dear. You'll be joining him soon enough." Fluttershy shrunk back and pulled me up into a hug. I hugged her back with what little strength I had left. And then...

I felt something. My vision cleared. Was i dead? No. I was still in the Everfree Forest. The dragon was still coming closer. So what had happened. That's when I noticed the slightest glow around Fluttershy. Magic? But she's a pegasus. And then I looked at myself. I was glowing too. I felt like I had energy again. I looked at my leg. It still had a gash torn in it, but I couldn't feel a thing. I looked up at the dragon. He laughed. "Your tricks won't work with me stallion." I stepped away from Fluttershy. "You will not hurt her." The dragon grinned. "And how do you plan to stop me?"

I charged him. I jumped. I heard a loud CRACK!. The dragon fell.

I landed on the ground next to the dragon. As quickly as my strength had come, it was gone. I fell over onto my side. The last thing I remember is Fluttershy and Twilight running up to me....

It's been a month since the dragon was killed. I'm laying on my couch at home.

All I remember was I woke up in the hospital with the mares surrounding my bed. They told me I had been asleep for two days. Fluttershy was going to help me get home and had volunteered to be my personal nurse. I asked what had happened, but nopony would say. I can't put any weight on my hind leg. It's too painful. But I do have a lovely scar as a souvenir. It goes from my hoof clear up to where a cutie mark belongs.

Fluttershy came into the room with a bowl of soup. "Here you go Speedy." I closed my journal and took the bowl. She sat next to me on the couch as i ate. We didn't speak. There was no need to. Next Chapter: Twilight's Side Note Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 29 Minutes