“Mommy.”

Everybody froze, well almost everyone. Ranko face palmed as she sighed, “I knew I shouldn’t have taught him how to read parental auras.”

Everyone turned to her, “you mean that there is princess Luna’s kid? But how she’s been on the moon for like the past thousand years,” Rainbow Dash gave an accusing glare.

“Well, I did say it was urgent,” Ranko chuckled nervously while twiddling her claws.

Everyone turned to look at the young pony hugging one of their country’s leaders while said leader just laid there mutter “my daughter” over and over again.

“But… but…” began Celestia.

“Yay, I have to plan the best family reunion and end to tyranny party ever,” shouted Pinkie. “but someone will be missing…” she looked a little sad.

“How do you know that?” Ranko looked at her in disbelief.

“I read ahead and …”

“Now hold yer horses, how do we even know there’s a lick of truth to this?” Applejack asked.

“Maybe I should begin at the beginning?” asked Ranko to which everyone else just nodded dumbly. “Okay but it won’t be pretty.”

“It started on the day of Nightmare Moon’s birth…”

“There can only be one princess in Equestria and that princess will be me…” shouted Luna as she moved her moon in front of the sun. Immediately being engulfed in a sphere of shadow. As the shadows condensed what emerged was not Luna. An alicorn mare twisted by shadows with a midnight black coat, the whites of her eye were turquoise with cat slits for pupils, the wings going from soft and elegant to sharp and dangerous, and the colors of her mane, tail, and cutie mark inversing with the crescent moon becoming a stark turquoise. She wore full regal battle armor with the turquoise crescent moon as a crest in the teal neck piece. “hahahaahhahaha…”

The battle raged as her sister Celestia pleaded with her to come to her senses. But the newly minted Nightmare Moon was relentless and unmoving. With a heavy heart Celestia realized there was no way around it, saving her sister was beyond her, but saving her subjects was her duty. And so, using the Elements of Harmony she banished her sister to the moon. As it tore at her heart and soul her only hope was that the day her sister returned the bearers of those elements could free her sister of this madness.

Two things were unknown to both the princesses. The first being a young dragoness had bore witness to their fight. Its devastation, its destruction, its tragedies, and the once majestic princess of the sun breaking down and curling into the fetal position as she cried herself to sleep.

The other, and by far more important, was that prior to her banishment the princess of the night had been pregnant for just over two months. Of the only two beings who knew this, one was lost to madness some time before and the other had bore witness to the night princess’s banishment. Had the elements banished her with her mother she would not have survived. So using the moon as a focus they sent the unborn child to the only available place. The dragon on the other hand was to protect the child and so she used the only means she could to follow. An artifact acquired from a mad god by the dragons long ago.

And now we come to a new tragedy. When one travels to a new dimension they and their fate becomes intertwined with that dimension. Mind you, that it doesn’t always leave a way to return. The other thing to remember is that travel between realities by undefined paths can be unpredictable.

A young warrior, as he would call himself, thief is what most would call him, was running through a forest. His goal the valley ahead and the mountain beyond. He had finally found it and all it took was to have betrayed everyone and everything he had ever known. None of it mattered to him, no, absolute power lay before him and all he had to do was grasp it.

Oh there were a few things he still needed but they could wait. What he needed now was time and what he had planned would insure him all the time he needed.

For what he carried was his people’s greatest treasure and their greatest secrets. Guarded by myths, legends and magics both old and powerful. The artifact and its tome were both relics of an ancient war. A war remembered and told as a warning. They were separated, buried, and sealed. His people, or at least their founders, had hoped that the truth of their existence would die but the teachings of their misuse and the lessons they wrought would live on.

And like most of the truly ambitious he failed to heed either of these warnings. With patience, he had betrayed his teacher who guarded the truth. With skill, he betrayed his people who guarded the secrets. And with blind ambition he would bring about many, many years of suffering.

In a valley, beyond the reach and scope of the castle the young dragoness had been standing, she reappeared in a blinding flash. She was lost, she was scared, and she was alone but she had a duty to perform, a promise to keep, and a charge to protect. First though she had to find her charge and that required her to find out where she herself was. That did not of course keep her from sitting down, holding her knees, and having herself a good, long, and much needed cry.

Unfortunately her cries attracted the worst kind of monster. “may I help you?” it asked with a grin that could rival that of any demon and was only surpassed by the devil‘s. The naïve dragoness notice none of this. Her only thoughts were someone, anyone, to help and be there with her. Hope etched itself on her face. False hope? Sure, for what was to come. But, she would never know until it was too late for she was desperate. She rushed to the monster and begged it for help. Condemning herself to a fate worse than death.

They walked to a mountain. Along the way the monster told of himself, his life, and his goals. All beautiful, hope inspiring, and glorious. All lies. She was happy, though her journey had only just begun she had been saved by a truly great and wonderful being. She was safe, she had help, and most of all she had company.

He slithered, he deceived, he plotted, and he grinned. His grin malicious, malevolent, cruel, and joyous. Oh, so joyous almost gleeful. He thanked whatever gods or demons he seemed to have pleased in this life or his last. For fortune seemed to smile on him endlessly. First, he happened upon that battered and age worn scroll written by that obsessed madman. Second, he had managed to do his research without raising suspicion. Third, he had found and mentored under the one person who had the knowledge he needed. Fourth, that same person truly trusted him and past the secrets he sought before dying of natural causes which kept him from even having to plot his master’s demise. Fifth, he found the secrets and had managed to hide their removal. Sixth, his escape and abandonment of his post was successful. Seventh, he had found the valley and more importantly the mountain. Eighth, of the last few things he truly needed one not only fell in his lap but was asking, no begging for his help which he would give if she but does him one little favor first. He chuckled with the true mirth of one who has been just given the world on a silver platter. Truly the fates were smiling on him and the world itself was moving for his success. But he would proceed with caution for, “He who strives to touch a star often stumbles on a simple piece of straw.”

She was perfect for his plans too. Not just a dragon but a young naïve dragon looking for someone. Even if he was mistaken, she was too perfect of an opportunity to past up…

“whoa, whoa, whoa…” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “I know your trying to be all dramatic and stuff with your story. Which was okay but a little heavy on the drama in that last part. But, why would you ‘a young naïve dragon looking for someone’ be perfect for his plans? What does that have to do with anything?” Rainbow ended in a huff.

“I must agree with Rainbow Dash I am a little confused. Why is that so important?” asked Twilight.

“You seriously don’t know?” Ranko asked the collection of ponies, all of whom, expect an anxious looking Pinkie, shook their heads. She turned to the only other dragon in the room, “you know at least, right? Please tell me you know!” she pleaded to Spike desperately.

At Spike’s head shake in the negative she slumped in resignation. “You really don’t know anything about dragons,” she added in a whimper.

“Come on, you need to relax. I mean what’s the worst that could happened?” Rainbow Dash stated in her usual bluntness.

“The last time everyone forgot why, dragons went extinct,” Ranko wailed as everyone gasped.

“Surely not all of them?” Celestia asked as horrified as the others.

“Only the unhatched eggs and those who would face a fate worse than death.” Ranko answered darkly as she started crying. Before she could fall further into depression she was enwrapped in a tight hug. She looked down to find Ranma hugging her. Fluttershy and Spike immediately joined them. After awhile she smiled, “it’s okay, thank you. Now, why don’t you go back to your mother while I explain this to them?” she nudged Ranma back to Luna as Fluttershy and Spike moved away so she could speak.

“Now, where to begin?” Ranko started after taking a few deep calming breathes. “Do you at least know about dragon hoards?” Ranko asked and when they nodded in the affirmative she continued, “would one of you mind elaborating?”

Fluttershy spoke up, “um, dragons collect hoards to make their nests out of gold and jewels, I think?”

“Firstly, as you might know,” Ranko indicated Spike, “dragons can eat just about anything including jewels.” At the collective nod she continued, “the only way to acquire jewels without stealing them is to grow them or harvest them from the deposits that grow in nature. Unlike rock farming earth ponies a dragon’s natural magical aura isn’t enough to grow jewels alone. So they hoard gold coins to use as foci for their magical auras as well as the ambient magic which is why they nest in magical enriched areas. As you know, gold is great for holding and redirecting magical energies. The reason they don‘t melt down the gold or collect raw ore is because circles are the most basic form of indirect magic manipulation. The more enriched the area or the more powerful the dragon the less they have to hibernate to grow the jewels . The reason for the consumption of jewels is simply. Dragons are beings of magic which simply means they are more attuned to the planets magical influxes. The only way dragons mature though is through enhancing their magical auras. The two ways one does this is through the absorption of ambient magic or the consumption of minerals that enhance magic both are integrated into the magical and physical auras.”

Taking a breath to let those facts sink in, Ranko continued, “secondly, the reason why it was important that I was looking for someone is a bit tricky. You see dragon hoards come in two varieties. Those that seek something and those that seek someone. The reason why dragons seek is to protect magic. So attuned are dragons to magic that should it cease we would cease. ‘Never to be born, never to live, and those that are would be no more.’ A quote from the first elder dragon’s prophecy of a world without magic. The magic doesn’t have to be strong but merely exist. ‘For any seed can grow into a forest and if uncared for can grow wild.’ Again, from the first elder dragon’s prophecies. Those who seek something tend the gardens. These dragons use their hoards to supplement and strengthen the ambient magic. Thus, grow the magic of the world. They are only limited by the output of that which they guard and any other enchanted items they‘ve acquired. Those who seek someone tend the forests. These dragons guard not just the being they seek but their whole line. Whether that be their bloodline, those they teach, or even those they rule. The ambient magic is far more potent coming from both nature and the excess run off of the magical auras. Though they still feed the run off into nature first. Now we get to the heart of the matter. ‘Wisdom is the true source of power and is formed from the river of knowledge and the soil of understanding. It is through wisdom that magic shall flourish.’ As the first elder said without wisdom magic would rot or destroy itself. And so, the other thing dragons hoard is knowledge which they continuously strife to understand. Those that seek someone usually have a greater capacity for knowledge and understanding. Hence, why I was important to him.”

Realization struck the faces of several of her audience while others ranged from confused to semi understanding. “Thirdly, the reason why they went extinct was simply. The dragons that remained were unhatched or were powerful enough that they could sustain if not repair the ambient magic of their lair. The former would appear as nothing but rock. The latter would rescue those with potential. Yes, they would kidnap these potentials but after the dragons explained, the potentials were allowed to leave or be returned if they choose. There was only three results to this. First, the potential would betray the dragon and slay them before they had a chance to see this evil. Second, the potential would be slain by their own kind as a heretic and the dragon would, again, be slain while they recuperated. Third, since the sharing of all their wisdom requires the dragons to hibernate, the potential would be ‘rescued’ and the beast, once again, would be slain in honorable combat while they slept. The last one would go on to live ‘happily ever after,’ the poor sods. The only exception to these was a potential by the name of Merlin, he almost succeeded where everyone else failed. Oh, well.”

Her audience was silent with horror on some of the face, outrage on others, and Fluttershy was weeping slightly. “Shall I continue?” Ranko asked. They reluctantly nodded.

And so with his prize they made their way to the mountain.

As they approached the monster explained that the spot they were headed for was a node of the planets magic matrix. At the young dragoness’s blank expression he explained that a node in this sense was an intersection of ley-lines. He went on explaining what ley-lines were as well as other magical terms. As he continued he pointed out this node was a very important one as it had been a keystone node for not just the magical matrix of the planet but the spiritual and physical one as well. Unfortunately it had been all but destroyed when it was misused in a war a few millennia earlier. With the keystone destroyed, the matrix all but fell apart and so went most of the magic.

His goal, a lie, was to repair the node. She helped him dig to the remnants of the physical manifestation of the node. She helped dig the complicated seal line. She used her fire to melt the gold into the seal line trenches. Gold ‘donated’ by his people and others. They carved the tunnels and the waterways. They worked for several weeks, all the while she feared for her charge. She would more than likely not find her until after she was born.

Finally they were finished. All that remained was the ritual itself. He need dragon magic, not much just a good breath and the seal would do the rest. The alignments he been planning on using for just the first part of the ritual would occur within a week. Thanks to her help he was able to get everything he needed and they could do every part of the ritual at once. When he gave the signal all she would have to do is breathe the fire and wait as to not disrupt the magical energies.

The day came and the time approached. He gave the signal and she breathed. As she kept her breath up she failed to notice the monster’s smile turn sinister. Then it happened. She had breathed as long as he had told her to and went to stop when it would not cease. Even after she had ran out of air, the fire still came forth as it pulled on her lungs. The young dragoness started to panic when she noticed that she began to fade as the fire continued to pour forth. She managed to glance at the monster who showed his true face as he laughed with true glee at her predicament. Then all was black.

“Fear not child,” said a soothing voice.

“Who’s there,” asked the dragoness.

“I’m the one you have come to help and he has come to use. I am sorry for that,” answered the voice.

“What's happening, where am I?” asked the dragoness.

“To answer your question, unfortunately I do not know what that monster has planned. As for where, you are currently in the realm of my consciousness and I will try to protect you but, that seal will limit my aid,” replied the voice.

The dragoness would soon get her answers. As the monster finished his twisted magic it all became clear. She was to be used as a repository of knowledge for which she would also decipher it for his understanding. The knowledge would come from his victims and all the unprotected beings they interact with, as they are cursed in the very water she helped redirect. His followers will seek out as many as they can from all walks of life and curse them without them even knowing. Every time they touch water their knowledge will be stolen and they won‘t even notice. She knew this for his first victim the one in which the waters had imprinted was himself. He would become like a phoenix and rise from his own ashes again and again. Every time he would ascend in the waters he would reabsorb the knowledge and understanding. Every year after his ascension he would bath in the springs wisdom. All the while the breaking of the seal will be beyond the dragoness.

The only thing that kept the poor, naïve dragoness sane was the being that had promised to protect her. She feared her charged lost forever. And so, with only the Tree of Harmony as company she would bring suffering for nearly five thousand years.

“Wait. What do you mean the Tree of Harmony? It’s perfectly fine with no curses, I know I saw it, like a few months ago,” Rainbow Dash nearly shouted.

“Um, I did say ‘alternate world’ didn’t I?” asked Ranko.

“Not exactly, you only mentioned that you came from somewhere else,” answered Twilight. “Also, if you wouldn’t mind explaining what you meant by ‘nearly five thousand years of suffering,’ because I’m a little confused since the incident with Nightmare Moon occurred a thousand years ago and you don’t seem much older than Spike… ”

“For the first part both Ranma and I crossed close to the singularity of the dimensional nexus resulting in a temporal flux. This resulted in Ranma arriving about eighteen to nineteen years ago and me arriving nearly five thousand years ago. As to my not aging, the seal suppressed my physical aura so he could keep me from maturing regardless of the growth of my magic and wisdom. This would limit my power and prevent me from freeing myself,” Ranko explained. “Okay, so as I was saying…”

As for the child, she was sent to the one place she would be safe, for the most part. The only way to insure a healthy birth was to merge the unborn child with an unfertilized egg from the most ancient magical bloodline available in order to stabilize and strengthen the child‘s aura. Fortunately the bloodline was the most powerful if only because it was sealed for its own protection. Unfortunately it was unknown and therefore unguarded. And like so many in the past her potential drew the worst to her. She had been married to a sterile man who was apprenticed to a monster.

The mother loved the child.

Then the child turned five. The home was broken, when the ‘father’ decided to take the child on a training trip. The mother refused, she knew something was wrong. The ‘father’ persisted, he would not have his child weakened by the mother’s coddling. He tricked the poor mother and all she was left with was a promise. As the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years, the mothers love slowly shifted from her child to the promissory note for that was all she had left.

The child would face a hell far worse than all but a few could imagine. The ‘father’ would think up more and more absurd training methods. True, they were effective but also dangerous and ridicules. The child faced injury, dismemberment, and death daily. All the while the ‘father’ raised the child to be ignorant and arrogant as the ‘father’ slowly became a monster that far exceeded the one he apprenticed under.

The child would never completely succumb to the monster.

Eventually they came upon a valley of springs. These springs were fed water from a mountain and cursed. The foolish monster fell into a spring and came out a panda his secrets stolen. The child fell into a spring and came out a girl her knowledge stolen. There was more, her charged lived and had come to this dreaded place. The dragoness worried what he would do when he found her. Even though he had given up on the charge centuries ago she had been delivered onto his doorstep. But, something was different. When she touched the water the dragoness could feel a surge of energy. Not enough to free herself but, enough to alter the seals.

Over the year the dragoness watched unable to stop the suffering of her charge. She watched as the child suffered from misunderstandings, betrayals of old friends, and abuses. Then came the fight with him and his ascension. Though he had achieved his ascended form he was denied all of the springs wisdom for the seals had been altered. The child in a fight for her life then slew the phoenix king and to save another destroyed the springs tap.

This destruction destroyed the rest of the seal. The dragoness was free. She was weak, but free. In her weakness she could not follow her charge. When the dragoness had final track down her charge again, it was too late. The details of the betrayal are personal and private but, very, very painful. Even if the charge refuses to admit it. The dragoness then explained everything to her charge. Afterward, they agreed to return to Equestria as soon as they sorted out some things.

They agreed, among other things, that in order to help her adapt to her new life and new family that they should use a particular magical fungus to decrease her age. As well as seal her magics until she grew into them. With her magic, they also suppressed some of her more traumatic memories and emotions until she was more mature and more importantly emotionally stronger. However, the memory suppression was only a minor one for her benefit and as such can and more than likely will have leaks.

“The rest you know more or less…” Ranko finished.

As the story ended, Luna was holding on to the small filly for dear life. Everyone else had varying expressions on their faces.

“And who is the father?” Luna asked nervously. After a moments thought added, “the ‘actual’ father?”

“Discord.” Ranko whispered just loud enough for only Ranma to hear. She was happy to finally know her father’s name.

“I’m sorry I didn’t quite hear you.” said Luna.

“Discord.” Ranko repeated loud enough for everyone to hear.

Author's Note

A. n. anyone saw that coming?

A. n. after watching “Bridle Gossip” for the second time I realized that if Pinkie was Ranma it would make sense that she would fear Zecora after dealing with Cologne.

A. n. I was fired recently and at first I was elated, it wasn’t the kind of work condition you enjoy. I recently found in a Ranma fanfic a word that accurately express my opinion of my former boss, superciliousness. Words like this confound at first and then help increase one’s vocabulary. Once the elation wore off I found myself slightly depressed and that was when I realized I fell victim of the greatest weakness of the human race. Some time ago I figured out that the greatest strength of the human race is its greatest weakness. Adaptability the strength and the flip side complacency its weakness.

A. n. just watched “Keep Calm and Flutter On” again and notice that Discord really doesn’t bother Pinkie. I wonder if their setting something up with them or if it’s just carry over from when Discord said that laughter was his favorite element.

A. n. over 4000 words yay.

A. n. because it has been on quite a bit lately got an idea for another story with Pinkie as a top gun pilot. What do you guys think?