Author's Note

Sorry about the quality on this one, laptop decided to crap itself so I'm stuck on my phone, so be gentle please. Next chapter will be better I promise. Also, needing names for Dragon cities for later chapters, hint hint, place them in comments and if I like it I just might use it. Next chapter coming soon.

Trouble

The last three months had actually gone by surprisingly fast. Jitter regained her title as my personal guard on the condition that we kept it a professional relationship, save for her habit of rubbing herself on me. Luna and Jitter had a rough start at first, but after several times where I had the two alone they quickly became close friends. Ruby found a mentor in Jitter, often going to her for advice about things she had trouble discussing with myself and Luna. Of course, this didn't come without problems from the Canterlot elite. Moaning and groaning about who should be with the princess, and why it's not acceptable to have a dragon amongst ponies. Not to mention the constant string of wanna be suitors begging to rethink her choice and attempting to scare me away.

One day I laid on my sun bathing rock enjoying the late October weather, not a single thing could've distracted me from my half sleep, half awake daze as I blissfully basked in the sunlight. Even though there was a slight buzzing noise ringing in my ears as I lay there. "Hey!" I don't hear you. "Hey!" I partially opened an eye to see what was bugging me, hoping it was just a blue fairy playing around, but as fate would have it, it wasn't. "About time you no good overgrown lizard!" Sighing as I sat up on my rock, billowing a plume of smoke from my nostrils as I prepared to hear yet another noble.

"Apparently you nobles haven't heard that it is unwise to disturb a dragon." More smoke from the nostrils for effect. I glared down at the noble and his lackeys, a dark red unicorn stallion with a combed back blonde mane, his golden eyes were partially showing as he stood snobishly as most nobles do. The two unicorns behind him were basic; white coats, blonde mane, blue eyes. The uniforms they dressed in must have had the same magic as the guards armor. The only difference being a scar over one of the stallions left eye.

You do not scare me, Dragon, I will not stand idly by while you take my princess for your own."

"Oh? And just how do you plan to do that?" I prowled closer to the noble, a slight growl in my voice as my patience with these nobles had worn thin, the lackeys, or guards in their case, slightly backed away as I crawled closer. "If you plan to use brute force then you're either blind or dumber than you look, and what makes you think Luna would accept your permission for courtship? If I recall correctly, you tried to argue that Thestrals had no belonging in pony society, in front of Celestia of all ponies. I'm certain they spoke together about that, considering Thestrals were her children of the night."

"T-that's before I had the chance to see the princess!" He objected with a stomp of his hoof, "I'm warning you, Dragon, if you don't leave Luna's side, then you'll leave me no choice but to take action." Apparently he didn't notice that his bodyguards were missing, nor that I snuck behind him. With a very audible growl I made my presence known.

"Try me. Be thankful that you haven't found yourself in my claws, Mollycoddled, because a threat to a dragon is the same as a decree of war. However," a sweep of my tail turned him towards the castle gates, "I am willing to forgive and forget since this isn't the Empire and I don't want to dirty my claws with an honorless foe, on the condition that you leave and not disturb myself, Luna, or our daughter. Midnight, please escort this young noble out." 'Midnight,' Jitter in disguise made her presence known with a flap of her Thestral bat like wings as she landed in front of Mollycoddled, her dragonscake armor shimmering brilliantly in the sun. I chuckled inwardly at the little changelings disguise, a midnight blue Thestral, black mane, and piercing bright red eyes. Her disguise was a choice Luna came up with. Her armor was made of actual dragon scales I donated long ago when we lived in the Dragon Empire, the only modification was the Azure jewel that was infused into the armor by Luna that enhanced the armor's defense and marked her as my guard.

When Jitter made her appearance so did two other guards that were nearby that heard what was going on, and after a few huffs and puffs from the noble, he smartly decided to follow her to the gates. After a quick stretch to loosen up, I started walking back towards the castle in order to prepare for our journey to Ponyville for our Nightmare Night visit. But I was stopped short when the sound of hooves galloping behind me hit my ears.

"Must you really be so tough on them, Master? I mean he was just a jealous noble."

I sighed slightly as Jitter took her place by my side, her calm and inquisitive voice calming my nerves as we made our way through the garden. "A jealous noble he may have been, Midnight, but he needed to be reminded that we don't not tolerate any form of threat, whether it be empty or sincere." We went through the doors of the large castle, acknowledging the guards stationed there after a salute, and turned the corner towards the throne room.

"But this makes the fifth noble this week, not to mention the countless complaints coming in. Why can't ponies just accept the fact that Princess Luna had made her choice and be glad for her." She paused once we made it to the door of the throne room, looking up at me in confusment. A motion of my claw stated for her to lead the way in, and follow me to our usual spot by Luna's throne. Day court was going on so our entry into the room didn't go unnoticed by some, mostly a few nobles, and ponies that were waiting to plea their cases to Celestia. Sitting down next to the Throne I turned to Jitter and spoke again.

"I wish it were that easy. You see, Luna being a princess makes her practically untouchable in the eyes of most ponies, others still fear her as Nightmare Moon; even after she was defeated by Princess Twilight and her friends." We silently coversed as two unicorns bickered back and forth about some trivial argue net about cabbages and a damaged cart, "Ponies hearts hold emotions darker than even the darkest caves; hatred, jealousy, empathy, they can't help what's in their nature. When they learn that their beloved princess has a new suitor, they feel like they've been cheated, like it was supposed to be them by her side. Lives have been ruined, even destroyed because of a ponies jealousy of Luna's choice of suitors." Jitter adjusted uncomfortably in her spot, the thought of a pony murdering another leaving a bad taste in her mouth. I stared into the crowd of ponies before us as we sat. A noble that I recognized as Hoity Toity was presenting building plans for a new boutique based off one in Ponyville, stating that the amount of time and effort this mare puts into her work demands recognition by the Canterlot Elite.

After watching several more ponies make their cases, we decided to exit the throne room. But not before I overheard another noble making a rather personal case. "That dragon does not need to be amongst ponies, it should be locked up and chained where it won't be a danger to any pony." I paused midstep, claws slightly scraping against the tile floor. The room itself went quiet as the noble began speaking again. "My fellow ponies, surely you must all see what is going on here. This is an obvious attempt by the Dragon Empire to extend their claws into Equestria!" Princess Celestia sat on her throne, looking at myself and the noble before speaking up.

"Why do you say that, Prince Blueblood, what evidence do you have to present to us that he is guilty as you claim?" I started moving towards the throne again, telling myself to stay calm. Jitter was already by Celestia's side at attention.

"As I said it's obvious, we all know of a dragon's greed and taking things for themselves. Have we not Witnessed this several years ago in Ponyville?" Shushed murmurs rang through the throne room, "he has ceased control and taken the lovely Princess Luna for himself and has used her influence to slowly turn our society to accommodate Dragon law, and he stinks." He then turned his attention directly towards me, "Isn't it true, Dragon, that our captured a disgusting changeling that claimed to have ties towards you?" My gut wrenched at the insult he indirectly aimed at Jitter.

"Yes, it is true." I spoke in honesty, casting a glance towards the princess, I could see her whispering in Jitter's ear, the latter giving a nod and leaving the room in a hurry. He wore a smug grin as he continued after more mutters were heard.

"Then it was also true that you ordered the release of said changeling, who I hear is still in Canterlot as we speak."

"Yes, I ordered her release. She was acting as an emissary from the Dragon Empire. Coming in peace with no Ill intent, her capture was lucky enough not to be noticed by the Empire." I turned towards Blueblood and started making my way towards him, claws coming down heavily one the tiled floor. "My father sent her to see how I was doing, to even see if I was still alive. Now believe what you wish, but it's time for me to educate you, you pathetic excuse of a stallion, of how we dragons handle false accusations!" With a loud roar and a spout of flame towards the ceiling, I stood on my hind legs and spread my powerful wings to their maximum wingspan. "When the Empire wishes to conquer a land, we do not perform cowardly acts as you claim. The honorable field of battle is how we claim our land. If what you claim were true, Equestria would be a burning sea of dragon fire!" Each word I spoke shook the room and every pony in it to the bone, all stood in fear as I toward over Blueblood, who looked like a scared little filly. With a single hand, I lifted him into the air eye level with me, "If I hear of you spreading false knowledge about me again, it will be the last we meet."

"Nightwing!" The sound of Luna's voice hit my ears, causing the redness of anger I let overtake me to fade away. "Put him down." I did just that, turning torwards her I could see the disappointment in her eyes as she entered the throne room. Head hung low I backed away, ignoring the talk that was going on, Jitter and Ruby stood behind Luna with fear plastered in their eyes. A familiar fear that sent me here when I crashed that night, and without thinking I did the only thing that came to my mind. Run.