"Do all the dragons eat fish?" Twilight had asked Hiccup that morning at breakfast.
"There's a bit of variety, surprisingly. Some go for red meat, others go for foliage. Gronkles eat rocks, for example"
"That's it!" Fishlegs snapped his fingers, "is there some quarry or mountain rich in minerals? When Meatlug finds a good rocky area, she stays there to browse for a long time"
"Ooh! Ooh! I know! A rock farm! My family has one! That's where I was born!" Pinkie had bounced up and down in excitement.
"Does she go for gems, or does she just eat any kind of mineral?" Spike asked.
"She's not picky. That's not how I raised her. We're versatile" Fishlegs looked proud.
"Well, the rock farm idea has some merit. We'll start there, then try the surrounding farms. We'll take the southwest line, get off before we hit Applewood. There's a mountain range there by the farm that causes the San Palamino desert" Twilight mused
"Mountain ranges and deserts? I can't wait to see those. I've only imagined them back home" Hiccup's eyes widened.
"Yeah, and wait til you meet my folks!" Pinkie Pie chimed in.
"What kind of farm was that again?" Astrid asked
"A rock farm! The finest in the county!"
"Who would want to farm rocks? They're rocks!" Snotlout scoffed
Pinkie just glared at him, chewing her muffin angrily.
"I dunno-I've seen some really cool rocks before" Ruffnut argued.
"Yeah, like remember that one that looked like gold? Only it was all cubes and crystals and stuff? I can't believe trader Johann didn't want to buy it!" Tuffnut joined in
"It's called pyrite" Twilight rolled her eyes
"FOOL's Gold. Appropriate" Hiccup quipped.
"It looks cool!" Ruffnut turned to him
"If you set it in silver, it does have a very nice metallic effect, but that's because the silver is there to complement the color and sheen" Rarity said thoughtfully
"It has its own little flavor. Tastes a little like kale" Spike added
"I-I like kale" Fluttershy said awkwardly.
"I can't believe we've changed the subject from dragons to lettuce" Rainbow Dash placed a hoof on her face.
"Isn't it a nice change though?" the other pegasus offered
Rainbow Dash and the Vikings spoke in unison, "No"
Fortunately, no accidents interrupted the journey to the rock farm, and the conductor was surprisingly understanding about letting them off halfway to Applewood.
"I think it helps knowing a national hero" Hiccup smirked at Twilight
"With foreign dignitaries" she smirked back as they got off the train.
"Dignitaries imply dignity" Spike muttered, looking at Pinkie and Snotlout in their debate on the merit of rock farming.
Hiccup and Twilight both cracked up at that one.
"And my dad's name is Igneous Rock but don't call him Iggy; Only close personal friends can call him Iggy-Clyde too, so just call him Pa or Mr Rock or Mr Pie; I know there's other ponies named Mr Rock and Mr Pie but dad'll understand if you call him either of those: not the nicknames, I mean, Mr. Rock or Mr Pie. Mom can be Mrs Pie or Mrs Rock; she considers it too flirty to call her Pearl or Sue and she's a married mare after all; just make sure they're both Pie or both Rock 'cause calling one Rock and the other Pie doesn't make any sense, I mean who thinks rocks and pies go together? I guess that makes my family really special-"- Pinkie led their way through the mountains, completely oblivious to the point of the whole trip.
Meanwhile, Twilight and Hiccup took turns at the telescope she packed, Rainbow Dash flying above them with her eyes peeled.
"Darling, it's fine if you took my binoculars. I don't know what your dragon looks like" Rarity offered them to Fishlegs, who accepted them gratefully
"She looks like this", Hiccup took out a sketch of Meatlug from his bag.
"Oh. How…charming" Rarity tried not to grimace.
"Isn't she adorable?" Fishlegs cooed, "She's such a sweetheart"
"She is cute" Fluttershy admitted, "Like a big puppy dog!"
"Hiccup, are you an artist?" Rarity changed the subject
"I guess so. I sketch in my spare time. Helps me remember a lot, and it really helps Gobber out when we have to design something." He explained
"Ooh! A fellow artiste! I certainly know how sketches help with design. The design of the dress itself needs to be sketched out, the patterns, et cetera…May I look at your sketches?" the unicorn perked up
Hiccup hung his satchel onto her saddle as they made their way through the pass before returning to the telescope.
"I'm just glad you know how to use a telescope" Twilight admitted
"Trader Johann got me one-believe me, they're really helpful."
"Have you ever used them on the stars?"
"For navigation, yes. I'm not that bad at this Viking thing"
"I just prefer astronomy for its own sake, but I certainly understand the navigational use"
Before Twilight had to explain what Astronomy was, Pinkie squealed out in happiness
"There's our farm!"
Most farms have silos. So did this one. Most farms have barns. So did this one. Most farms have crops in the field. This one did not.
"Oh gods it's a real rock farm" Hiccup's jaw dropped
"Yep! Got a good crop of flint this year! " Pinkie looked proud.
"So do you guys actually eat the rocks?" Astrid just stared
"Don't pretend you haven't tried 'em." Tuffnut scoffed at her
"Yep. They don't taste very good, but you can use rocks for more than food-" Pinkie stopped talking to duck a thrown stone, courtesy of Snotlout, "-ooh, good example!"
As they approached the farm's closed gate, Pinkie called out.
"Mom! Dad! Maude, Limey, Marb!"
No response.
"That's funny-they get angry when I don't call them their full names. At least, I know Limestone Pie gets angry. Hard to tell with Marble and Maude"
"They're either gone or hidin' from somethin'" Applejack concluded, "wonder what's up"
"Maybe we should keep our distance?" Fishlegs suggested.
"Don't be silly. Distance belongs to everybody! You gotta share it!" Pinkie scoffed before pronking her way to the house to knock on the door. Reluctantly, the others followed, Spike already looking around nervously.
"Hey everypony, it's Pinkie!" she squealed.
Cautiously, the door opened.
"Pikemena, my daughter", a grey-maned pony slowly nodded, "what brings thee to our farm on this occasion?"
"Hi daddy! I met some new friends, well, a lot of friends, some of them are old, they just haven't met you. Anyway, we're all here to help." She bounced out of the way.
"What creatures be they?" a grey mare gasped from behind the stallion.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, a pupil of Princess Celestia. These are my friends from ponyville…and a far off land."
"My name be Igneous Rock Pie, pupil Twilight sparkle, son of Feldspar Granite Pie. This be mine wife, Cloudy Quartz. We be doth honored by thine presence and may the princess' blessings be upon us all." He bowed.
"Um, hello. My name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock" Hiccup tried to be formal but his wave and bow were even more awkward than usual, "son of Chief Stoick the Vast from the Island of Berk in the Northern Sea. I'm here to fix your…dragon problem?"
"Aye, the beast. Son of Stoick, I know not what creature be thee, but the Pie family would be honored if thou hath the ability to save us from this blight"
"Why should we trust you?" A white maned mare suddenly galloped forward, eyes narrowed, "How would we know you are thieves to steal our crop? Is that a baby Dragon with you? You're here to help the dragon, aren't you?"
"Of course not" Spike hopped off Twilight's back, "My name's Spike, and believe me I don't want to eat your rocks. I'm here so maybe I can talk that dragon out of it. I mean, I've been greedy before, but not anymore"
"He is obviously not the same species as the dragon in the mountain, Limestone. His scales are completely different their geometry and texture, and his proportions are infantile instead of adult" a monotone voice interrupted them.
"Limestone! Maude! Great to see ya, sis and sis!" Pinkie grinned at them, "Don't worry about Spike here. He's a-okay. The only rocks he eats are gems, and he knows when to stop most of the time"
"Beloved Quartz, please lock up the gemstones" Igneous turned to his bespectacled wife, who went back inside the house.
"Sounds like Meatlug all right. I hope she's okay" Fishlegs turned to Hiccup
"I don't think they hurt her; Gronckles burrow, don't they? Obviously we can track her if she's actually in the mountain."
"The dragon has already devoured the top layer of rippled Cretaceous sandstone. You can see the ammonite fossils to date the layer" Maude turned to the Vikings, "It has moved onto the mountain, eating its way through the obsidian deposit and the underlaying porphyritic granite, and has made a tunnel through the next layers of basalt. If he reaches the metamorphic section at the base, the weight of the remaining basalt and overlying breccia will collapse, and incur a rockslide. Rocks fall; everybody dies" Maude concluded.
"Ay ya yi! The whole farm's in danger!" Pinkie Pie's cheer turned to horror.
"Then it's definitely Meatlug. I'll go in-" Hiccup started towards the mountain.
"No, she's my girl, Hiccup, my responsibility" Fishlegs sighed, "If I can't get to her, nobody will. Just cave in the tunnel behind me if I don't make it; it'll make the rocks go straight down."
"Wait, I'll go with you" Spike volunteered, "I've always wanted to meet your dragons, and maybe I can help talk her out of it"
"Be careful, both of worst comes to worst, I'll have to take her myself." Twilight said gravely.
"Please take care of yourself, Spikey" Rarity kissed his top spike as Twilight lit some branches for the two to use as torches.
"Sounds like things are getting' sticky. Mr. Rock Pie, what say ya'll move to the other side of the farm just in case?" Applejack suggested as Fishlegs and Spike made their way to the mountain.
"Indeed, my property has been given to me by providence, and if providence hath decreed I lose it, so may it be" he looked sadly at the ground.
"The plan is sound enough" Maude droned, "If they manage to at least redirect the path, the slide will miss the farm, and we can plant with the debris. My only concern is that some of the layers are a matrix of conglomerate, not uniform deposit."
"And at least they're going in there instead of us" Limestone sniffed.
"I like her" Snotlout nodded thoughtfully.
"What be thine friend's bond with the beast?" Quartz asked Hiccup as they left the farmstead.
"Well, when we each decided to tame a dragon as our own, Fishlegs chose Meatlug. He really loves her…. sometimes too much. I know he'd do anything for her, so if anyone can get to her, it's Fishlegs. "
The cave itself was easy to find-Meatlug was a messy eater to say the least. Fishlegs and Spike took a deep breath in unison, then entered the cave, following the trail of broken rocks. The sunlight became dimmer and dimmer as they went deeper.
"I hate caves" Fishlegs admitted, the darkness enveloping them.
"Yeah, I used to be scared of them. Turns out there's usually nothing but bats. Twilight hates bats, but Fluttershy got me over them"
"On Berk, it's usually dragons in them more than bats. I'd say that's a bit more dangerous"
"Are there bat dragons?" Spike wondered aloud
"I guess there's the Terrible Terrors, but they're more annoying than scary. I guess you could call a Horrendous Nightmare a bat-dragon, but they're not exactly that batty. More like spikes and fire and a lot of nastiness"
"Let me guess, Snotlout has that one"
Fishlegs laughed, "Ooh, good catch"
"Gronckles are cute and cuddly. I'm more scared of a Whispering Death. Mostly head and mouth, covered in spikes, eating everything in their path. " he shuddered at the memory.
"That sounds totally awesome and totally terrifying at the same time"
"Terrifying, yes"
Eventually the sunlight almost faded entirely. By then, both Fishlegs and Spike now could hear a faint crunching sound.
"That's the noise of eating rocks. Is that her?" Spike asked.
"Pretty sure"
Slowly, they closed in, trying to be as quiet as a chubby Viking and baby dragon could be. There was a brief pause when they finally saw her macelike tail flailing happily.
"Hoo boy" Spike remembered his own bad experiences with tails like that.
"Yeah, she can snap a sword in half that way. She's so cute" Fishlegs cooed.
"I'll take your word for it." Spike deadpanned as they closed to just outside tail range.
"Oh Meatlug? Meatie?" Fishlegs whistled. Spike clapped his hands, really out of ideas.
The tail stopped flailing.
"We've got to distract him. Does he eat gems?" Spike pondered.
"One little gem isn't going to grab his attention. Unless" Fishlegs scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Do you have a gem on you?"
"Yeah…I was hoping for a snack," Spike sheepishly took the small stone from between some of his back spines and handed it to the boy, "but I guess it'll make bait. "
"Here goes," taking in a deep breath, Fishlegs struck one of the fallen pebbles with the sapphire. It made a barely audible thud, but it was enough.
Suddenly Spike was faced with a wide maw, the twitching ears, the alert eyes, and the huge jaws of the Gronkle.
"Meaty" Fishlegs sang out.
The big dragon grinned, his tongue lolling out.
On the other side of the field, the humans and ponies strained to hear what was going on.
"What I wouldn't give for Granny Smith's ear trumpet" Applejack muttered.
"I made something like that, but it's still at my forge. " Hiccup struggled to strain his ears.
"HEY SPIKE! FISHLEGS! HOW'S IT GOING IN THERE?!" Pinkie yelled into a megaphone, rattling the other onlookers and making Rarity drop her binoculars.
After Pinkie's outburst, there was an eerie silence for the next minute.
"Hold on-I see Spike, and Fishlegs, and….what is that?" the keen eyed Rainbow Dash struggled to identify the figures leaving the mountain.
"It's Meatlug!" Hiccup cried out in relief.
"Aye, they hath subdued the beast!" Cloudy Quartz was in shock.
The Vikings were the first to approach the big brown dragon, the ponies, especially Fluttershy and the Pies, keeping their distance.
"Wow, I guess the dragons of Berk really are different" Twilight tried to take in Meatlug.
"Oh, she's pretty ordinary for a Gronkle" Hiccup explained.
"She is not! She is the best Gronkle" Fishlegs cooed, scratching the dragon behind the ear and receiving a slobbery lick in response.
"Spike, are you all right?" Rarity looked worriedly at the much smaller dragon.
"Yeah, it wasn't that hard" he blushed, "We just lured her out. Turns out she likes gems as much as I do"
"That was great, guys" Hiccup congratulated them, "good thing you were able to get her back out"
"We will still have to repair and reinforce the mountain" Maude droned.
"WHAT?!" the relief vanished instantly.
"Erosion. The dragon went deep enough so that if a cave forms through the damage of moisture and other forms of cumulative molecular hydraulic erosion as well as reaction of alkaline minerals with carbonic acid, it will still bring down the mountainside. "
"Maude, it takes thousands of years for that to happen. You know that" Twilight groaned.
"It is still an eventuality" the other pony's voice didn't change tone.
"What if Meatlug just repaired it herself?" Fishlegs pondered.
"That's it!" Hiccup snapped his fingers, "Fishlegs, how much lava do you think you can get out of her?"
"Well, it looks like she hasn't fired for a while now."
"Twilight, we can fix the tunnel" Hiccup turned to the pony.
"I think I know exactly what you mean!" she clapped her hooves on the ground in excitement.
Pinkie just turned to the audience, "Did anyone catch ANY of that?"
Meanwhile, Fluttershy had slowly come up to the discussed Gronkle.
"Um, Meatlug? I'm Fluttershy. I'm scared of dragons, and I was wondering if we can still be friends" she squeaked out quietly.
The big brown creature sniffed her, making her whimper in fear….then gave her a big lick. When Fishlegs and Twilight came over, they found the yellow Pegasus cooing and rubbing the rocky stomach of the upside-down dragon.
"Fluttershy, can I have my dragon back?"
"I'm sorry, Fishlegs" Fluttershy blushed but her smile never left, "She's a lot sweeter than I thought she'd be. I'm glad I was wrong"
"Looks like you made a friend, girl!" Fishlegs scratched the Gronckle behind her ear, "Now, are you ready to throw up some lava?" Meatlug gave her trademark basso growl.
"You can do it" Fluttershy encouraged her quietly, happier with a grown-up dragon that she could have imagined.