It didn’t take too long for Night Strike to arrive at the cave, the frigid night air keeping her alert as she kept Thumper held at the ready. Se was going to hear this dragon out, for Static, but at the same time she couldn’t be too careful… A small laugh came from deep in the cave, before that strange droning started up again, though this time it sounded… different. Amplified. like there were more than just the one… and what’s worse, it was only just barely offset by the resurgence of ringing in her ears.
 
Night Strike felt herself land hard against the snow as she moved her forehooves to cover her ears, the sudden shift (and motion of the grenade rifle smacking into her wings) causing her to plummet. She let off a loud scream, half pain, half frustration, the droning coming to a sudden, confused stop. And yet, for a short while, the ringing persisted.
 
Heavy footfalls and errant parps came from the cave as the pegasus regained herself, eyes already blurred from being wrenched shut for so long, trying to bear through the ringing. Slowly, sounds came back to her, and by the time she’d retrieved her grenade rifle again, the huge plaid dragon was at the cave’s entrance to meet her. He leaned back slightly, looking down at her, a hand coming to rest atop his tartan stomach. “Oh, are you alright, lass? That sounded like a nasty crash ye had, d’you need somewhere to lie down for a while?”
 
Her hearing finally back to her, Night Strike stared up at the dragon, teeth already gritted. Hear him out first… do it for Static… She drew in a breath, the cold air stinging her lungs as her eyes met his. “Where… where are my friends?”
 
Hylund blunk. Well, that was an odd thing to ask… unless… oh, so that’s what they were doing out here, then! He let off a soft chuckle, his hands gently patting against his stomach. “Lass, you’ve nothing to worry about, your friends’re all safe and sound. Did have a little bit o’ trouble making sure they were all comfortable, but they all calmed down after a while. Heck, think the white one was even enjoying it after he followed the gold one~~”
 
An unhinged scream left Night Strike’s mouth as she bolted up off the snowy ground, arcing herself forwards so her hind legs were free to connect with the dragon’s face. The suddenness of the attack sent Hylund sprawling backwards, handing against the ground with a heavy thud and long, loud parp, the noise echoing off the cave walls and causing the ringing to start in the pegasus’ ears again. Hylund laid there, dazed, as Night Strike righted herself and landed square in the center of his face, Thumper’s barrel pressed clean between his eyes.
 
Rapid, pained breaths left Night Strike as she blunk tears from her eyes, the ringing starting to subside enough that she could hear herself again, the blood thudding in her head being the first clear noise. Hylund eventually managed to ficus his eyes on the pegasus atop him, only just now registering that she had something pressed flat against his head. Voice filled with pain and rage, Night Strike finally spoke. “You’ve got five seconds to spit up whatever’s left of my friends before I blast a hole in your head and dive in to find them myself! They… they… I just want my friends back…”
 
The anger ebbed off of the pegasus slowly, soon to be replaced with plain despair, her grip loosening on the grenade rifle. She hadn’t even turned off the safety. Her hind legs gave out beneath her, and she fell back against the top of Hylund’s muzzle, chest heaving under her jacket as tears streamed over her cheeks.
 
The old dragon only watched her for a few moments, before slowly, gently righting himself, one of his hands moving to allow the confused, frightened pegasus to climb down, the pony collapsing into another bout of tears. This mare… oh… Hylund, you dumb, fat oaf. You’ve gone and messed up again. Carefully holding the pegasus in an open palm, the old dragon leaned himself back against the cave wall, a small parp leaving his pipes as he did. The pegasus winced again ~~ and Hylund joined her that time, looking at himself. Caves and pipes, sure there can’t be much that’s louder in the world than that… pausing for a moment, the old dragon fell to his thoughts. There was that old thing he learned during his early days, wonder if he still remembered it…
 
Slowly, carefully, Hylund lifted up his other hand, pointing one of his fingers outwards to start moving it around the pegasus in his palm. Three turns to the left, then make the arch… his thumb and finger rested on opposite sides of the distraught pegasus’s head, slowly coming together as he lifted them. With one last bit of concentration, and a small, slow blow onto the pony, a quick flash of blush light filled the air for only a moment. Hylund sighed - heh, guess that sorcerer knew what he was rambling about after all. He shifted himself again, the pegasus noticing and bracing for the loud parp - but, to her, it didn’t seem loud at all. Matter of fact, as she rubbed her eyes… the ringing was gone, too. blinking a few times, she looked up to Hylund, the old dragon wearing a gentle grin.
 
“Hope that’s a bit better for you. I think I… might have given across the wrong message, earlier. Your friends are all fine, they’re just… well… they’re just a little bit more tartan and bagpipe dragon-y than ye might recall. O-only temporary, though, just for tonight…” Hylund let off a short chuckle, one that died off quick as he lowered his head. “Just… I just wanted a bit o’ company. Didn’t mean to scare anyone.”
 
Night Strike blunk as the dragon spoke, moving herself into more of a sitting position in his hand. So… big, scary, loud dragon just wanted a bit of company for tonight? He didn’t eat them, they’re just… bagpipe dragons too. On the one hoof, that’s a bit hard to believe, but on the other, he definitely does have some magic, so… the pegasus nodded gently, resting herself. “Erm… thanks. You know, I… uh… I think we just got off on the wrong hoof. I’m… I’m Night Strike.”
 
A soft grin came to the old dragon’s muzzle, as he looked down at the pegasus in his hand. “Hylund. Now, how about I let you see your friends, eh? Just in the back o’ the cave, we were puttin’ on a little concert when ye landed.” Night Strike nodded once, her wings spreading as she took off from the bagpipe dragon’s hand, hovering towards the rear. Hylund hefted himself back onto his legs, following her in, stopping only when she did to stare at the sight before her. Well, he wasn’t lying…
 
“I, uh… huh. Well, I guess I know what they look like as dragons now… and in plaid.” Hylund chuckled as Night Strike continued looking over the group of dragons, Minty and Twintails cuddling and parping away while Featherweight tried to make his much larger self comfortable in the cave, and another, much shinier dragon seemed much more interested in playing with her huge squeaky belly than actually playing any music. Night Strike looked to Hylund, scratching against the back of her head. “Well, they seem to be having fun, at least… hey, uh, I gotta go, check in with another friend so he doesn’t start worrying like me. I can probably come back later, though, if you wanna chat some more… you’re definitely gonna turn ‘em back into ponies later on, right?”
 
Hylund loosed another chuckle, following the pegasus back towards the cave entrance. “Lass, my days of turnin’ whole villages into dragons like me for months at a time are long past, I tuckered myself out just turnin’ the big grey one and the golden one into some proper plaid pipers. Would be surprised myself if they even managed to stay this way through to sunrise…” The old dragon wore a grin as he let off a short sigh, nodding gently. “Either way, aye, I understand. You’re always welcome to come back, is just nice havin’ someone to chat with that isn’t parpin’ every other word. My door’s always open for ye…” The old dragon tried, and failed, to hold back a snicker. “Least of all because I haven’t got one yet!”
 
Night Strike joined him in his small laugh, pausing for just a moment. Was she forgetting something… her eyes went wide, and she rushed back into the cave, scanning for her grenade rifle. After just a quick search, she located it, picking it up in her hooves again, Undoing the latch on the barrel, she reached in and puled the unspent round out, looking at it for a moment. Yeah… one mistake, very thankfully averted. Closing the barrel shut, she put the spare round full of her silverware into her jacket pocket, flying back up to Hylund. “Eheh, sorry about that. But, yeah, I promise I’ll be back, at least tomorrow morning. Hope your night goes well, Hylund.”
 
The old dragon nodded, giving a small salute as the pegasus grinned back at him. “Aye, and t’you too, lass. See you tomorrow!”
 
Night Strike gave a wave of her hoof as she flew off back to her home, a gentle smile on her muzzle. It’ll be better news than Static was expecting, at least… and, she was definitely happy she didn’t pull the trigger, either. Good news all around tonight.
 

 
…now, to just get this silverware back into the drawers, and the cordite disposed of…