The Black Flames

Adoption

I'm not sure what woke me up. Maybe the severe pain that ran through me every time I moved, or the sound of a tree branch breaking. Most likely, however, was that something of decent weight had dropped on my chest. Whatever the reason I woke with a start. I flapped around like a fish. When I finally came to my senses I remebered that I was in pain. I immediately stop moving and just lay there, the pain had frozen my mind. My body was feeling every bruise and ache from the beating I got from the Changelings. Plus, I felt a warm, wetness all over my right leg. I couldn't feel what exactly caused the bleeding, just that I was.

"Are you okay, Mister?" I hear a small, feminine voice say. I was broken out of my pain filled daze and finally took notice of my surroundings. I turn my hide from side to side, taking in the scene I was in. I was in a forest. The forest didn't seem to be too thick, or too scary. I probably wasn't in the Everfree so that was some good news, but if not the Everfree then were? More importantly, how did I get here?

"Uh, Mister?" I heard the voice again. I turned my head forward, towards what would be the sky if it hadn't been blocked by a round, scaly red face.

"AHHHHHH!!!!"

"EEEEEEEK"

My chest shot up as I dragged myself backward into a tree, away from whatever had just screamed in my face.

Then I saw what 'it' was. There, rubbing its head, was a baby dragon. It could be no bigger than Spike himself. It's spines were triangular, rather than rounded like Spike's, and it's scales were a bright red. It also had a pale yellow underbelly. The small dragon looked a little thin around the middle. When it stopped rubbing its head it saw my gaze and quickly ran behind a tree, peering out.

It was kinda cute.

"Hey, sorry for scaring you. Will you please come out? I have to ask you something." I say. Maybe the dragon knew were I was. "Can you tell me where I am right now?"

"The Woods." It said in that small voice. She (at least I think it's a she) was slowly coming out from behind th tree.

"Yes, but where are the woods?"

"Here." She replied, she was now completely visible.

Guess I wasn't going to be able to get any thing from her.

"Are you going to hurt me?" I heard say. I finally notice the fear in her voice.

I remove the beat helmet from my head. "No, I won't hurt you. Even if I did I don't think I could" I say, Chuckiling at my last comment. "I've been beaten up pretty bad. Don't know where I am, what to do or even if anyone is looking for me. Celestia was right, first day on the job and here I am"

"Who's Celestia?" The dragon asked.

"My friend and superior."

"What's that?"

"A superior?"

"No, a friend. What is that?"

"You don't know what a friend is?"

She shook her head. All her fear seemed to have vanished, replaced by wonder.

"A friend is someone who cares and respects you. Who is there when you need comfort. They laugh with you, and they cry for you. A friend is a person who, no matter what, will be there for you. Don't you have someone like that?"

Tears brimmed in her eyes, and her body shaked. "I used to." She whispered. She broke down sobbing uncontrollably. It was heart-breaking, seeing the small thing cry like that. I shakily stood and walked over, each step with my right leg sent pain up my body. Yet I kept moving forward till I was right next to the small thing. I sat back down and pulled her into my arms. Her sobs broke for a moment, then she continued to cry into my soldier.

"It's okay, it's okay." I say softly. "You're okay. Just let out."

"M-mm-mommy!" She said in between her sobs.

"What happened?" I said, shifting her to my lap.

She spoke when she had control over her sobs, "M-me and m-mmommy were looking for food when a manticore hurt m-mommy." She said. "I ran, and w-when I came back mommy was s-sleeping and wouldn't wake up. Then the manticore came back and he... he, he started to eat my m-mommy!" She said, crying once more.

"How long ago was that?" I asked.

"A-about two months ago." She said, getting a grip on her crying.

I held the small little thing close.

"I'm sorry for your loss." I say. "What about your father?"

"Mommy said he died protecting me and mommy from an avalanche when I was a hatchling." Her voice was quiet and sad, every word a heart broken whisper.

Her stomach growled.

"Sound's like your hungry. When was the last time you ate?" I asked.

"Two days ago." She said before something caught her eye. She stared at the hand I had on her shoulder. I looked as well and realized she was staring at my bejeweled bracelet. The accessory had survived the battle and was still attached to my wrist. I removed my arms and removed the gold and emerald band from my wrist, placing it in her small hands.  "Here you have it."

She held the small token in her claws, staring in disbelief. She gave me a quick and gracious hug before biting into the apparently delicous bracelet.

I stood as she ate and walked to the spot I had been lying. The tree canopy above had a hole in it. It looked like someone had fallen through the trees.

Then I remembered what had happened. How I had fallen unconcious before falling into the forest where I was know. I was just below the castle. But how long had I been out? It was still daytime so it was possible I wasn't out that long.

I shot a single magic flare as high as I could. If It reached high enough, the black marker would alert people at the castle of my location. Now I just wait.

"What was that?" I hear the small dragon ask.

"A signal flare" I answer. I turn her way. "By the way I never got your name"

"Mommy called me Garnet." She said sweetly, a smile on her face. She seems to have recovered from her breakdown.

"Nice to meet you Garnet. My name's David." I said as a response.

"That's a funny name. David." She said. "You also look kinda weird. Is that why you have a weird name?"

"Guess you could say that. " I say, chuckiling at her words. "Where I come from my name is common as your scales."

"Really? Where do you live?"

"Well I used to live in a country called America till I was brought here."

"So where do you live now?"

"I live in a Canterlot Castle, a palace located in the this country's capital, there I live in luxury. Nothing to worry about except my studies."

"What's 'study'?"

"I study magic with the Princess."

"Cool"

I waited for about an hour for a response from my distress beacon. I passed the time healing myself in whatever way I could whilst talking with Garnet. I learned that Garnet had been surviving on her own in the wild. She had no one else to look after her. She had been close to starving when I had found her. With so little survival skills it was amazing she had made it so far. She was alone out here, an orphaned child on her own.

Help arrived in the form of a carriage. Two pegasus guards came dragging the flying carriage along. I whooped with joy at their arrival. As I climbed in the carriage I heard a light sniffle. Garnet was crying again, walking back into the forest she has called home.

"Hey Garnet!" I yelled after her.

She turned her heads torwards me, her expression filled with sadness.

"I said friends look after eachother," I say, "I can't look after you when your all the way out here can I?"

Her expression turned to shock, then joy. The tears she had been shedding became tears of joy.

"You coming or what?" I say as a finalizer.

She runs straight into me and the carriage, knocking me over with her fervent hugs. Out of the corner of my eye I see the two guards smile at eachother. Guess they weren't as stone cold as I thought.

"Can I call you daddy?" I hear Garnet ask. Her request shocked me to say the least. She wanted to call me her father?

"Why do you want to?" I ask.

"I never knew my father, and your the only family I have now." She whispers. "We've just met, and you've shown kindness and caring that I've never recieved from anyone except my mommy."

"Then I guess I am your daddy, huh?" I whisper back.

She fixes me with the most cute, loving stare I have ever seen. She hugged me and I hugged back. At that moment I swore to never to protect and care for her, in honor of her lost parents.

Nothing would keep my daughter from happiness.