A Dragon in Shining Scales

Chapters

Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 1/15> [EDITED]
Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 3/15> [EDITED]
Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 4/15> [UNEDITED]
Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 5/15> [UNEDITED]
Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 6/15> [UNEDITED]
Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 7/15> [UNEDITED]
Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 8/15> [UNEDITED]
Prologue [EDITED]
Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 2/15> [EDITED]

Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 1/15> [EDITED]

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. The air was starting to cool and the desert sands began to settle. Hardly any pockets of warm air remained to disrupt a good flight just before the last of dusk ended. The moon was just about to rise, everything seemed to calm. The day's dust storms had settled, everything was seeming to calm down.

Sülvahn, a brave and strong dragon flew over the land he took pride for protecting and claiming it all himself. Many small cities and villages passed below him. No one saw him, the night sky hiding his shadowy black form. His spines were a deep blood red, with eyes as green as the Everfree forest. Sülvahn felt as though he had completed another successful defense against one of his strongest rivals, Valkoris, a dragon twice his size. For Sülvahn, his size was that of a runt, but he chose not to grow anymore. His spines were sharp and ever so slightly curved towards his tail. His wingspan was two carriages long from his body, and the flaps in between them matched his spines.

Unlike most dragons, Sülvahn had the ability to control his size, but after staying so small for so long, he’d lost it. Now, he was only the size of a two story building, and as long as a seven wooden apple carts at Sweet Apple Acres. He was very proud of his strength, and he was happy to defend the horses who lived in his land. His old friend, Scorpan, helped as well after his brother was banished to Tartarus once again. The creature had trouble trying to track down Tirek and had to leave for a couple years. Sülvahn and Scorpan were always keeping the trade routes safe for travelers. Doing this gave them free meals, it was very much a win-win situation.

Sülvahn could speak many languages. His tongue was able to speak up to seven including his own. He learned these languages from the traders and those who were banished from their homes. Unknown to the rest of the world, the Wastelands were a new home for those who regret the crimes of their past. Of course, there are those who wish to restart their crimes once more in this land, but the Wastelands were protected. Any who broke a law were forced to see Sülvahn for their judgement. Thieves were forced to polish every gem in his cave, including the crystal pillars that supported the expanse of his cave. Murderers were killed instantly, as a mercy for their crimes against the Wastelands by Scorpan’s quick acting poison.

When Sülvahn was hatched, Scorpan had taught the dragon of many things that were kind. He told him that there is more to the world and the draconic nature than just stealing and killing. Scorpan told him that mercy was something they could use as a tool to keep everyone who lived in the Wastelands under their control. Sülvahn didn't understand his words at first, he often killed those who wouldn't bow to him when he was a young drake. But now, he understood. If he wanted them to bow, he had to bow in return. He had to be stronger than his own nature, and he became very wise after a hundred years.

Generations passed by as he grew into young adulthood. The horses of the past told of his actions, but the newer generations only saw his kindness as it was. Kindness was the dragon's new goal. He helped whoever called, he protected those who were close to death without a blink of an eye. But everyday Sülvahn keeps himself in the air. The longer he’s alone the more time he has to think. The more he thought, the wiser he became. The wisdom he had made is pride swell, something dragons had no issue having too much of.

The sun had now completely set and the moon was now rising up into the sky. There was another twelve hours of night to fly, but he was starting to feel tired. He had been flying the whole day to get to the Capital of the Wastelands called Spargas. It was the capital of the Wastelands and was the first settlement made by a group of banished settlers. They were banished for trying to overthrow their king to save their kind, but in the end, they failed. However these settlers did what their king hadn't, saved those who were in need of sanctuary.

Spargas could be seen throughout most of the Wastelands. A large burning beacon was at the top of a massive pillar that threatened to touch the heavens above. Sülvahn helped create this pillar three hundred years ago to repay his debts to the horses he once tried to kill if they didn't bow. He's killed thousands of horses before Scorpan intervened. After a heavy fight that lasted three days, Scorpan came out on top. His sharp scorpion tail aimed right at Sülvahn's heart. The dragon was forced to stop, and ended up becoming a more benevolent being years later.

His transition was rough. Many of the horses tried to kill him themselves, the banished Griffons also tried to kill him for his teeth or claws. Other races wanted his hide to make armor. Some tried to kill him during his sleep, but his first slave who he spared from the fate of death saved him, earning freedom the next day. Sülvahn had many slaves, some hated him, some actually loved his company, and served him until their unfortunate deaths.

A sudden flash caused him to jump back in surprise. He roared with panic but he kept himself in the air. A scream unknown to him caused his panic to turn into curiosity. Down below him by several dozen meters was the source of the screaming. His strong eyes allowed him to see a small white dot next to a rock. Then came the smell, it was different. It was something he only smelled once before, long ago. It was a strange scent though. Mixed with dragon magic similar to his own. The dragon magic was faint, but there.

Narrowing his eyes and expanding the organs around his head to increase his senses. "Magic...?" He said in his own tongue. He turned into a controlled spiralling descent. Each turn he made he saw more of the white dot. It looked like a horse in Spargas. "Was it abandoned?" Thinking out loud was something the drake did often. Living alone most of the time had left him to think out loud to cure the silence for most days and nights he spent alone.

He landed, shaking the area around him. The small horse below was screaming, covering her face with her forehooves, but it didn't seem to be helping much with the pain that was apparent. Something on top of its head caught his attention. A small white horn was sticking out of her head. It looked slightly fractured, and it had a green liquid coming out.

Sülvahn nudged the horse with his snout gently. The small horned horse stopped screaming in a near instant. Removing one of her forehooves from her sore eyes showed her a dragon as black as night staring at her with its green eyes. He saw her face was badly burned, and it smelled like her flame was very dim. Sülvahn could easily tell if something was about to die, and this thing he was looking at looked very scared of him.

Not a moment later the small horse tried to run, but failed to get up. Her eyes began to look very heavy, and soon she was out cold. Sülvahn smelled her life force escaping her.

"NO!" He screamed once again in his native tongue. Sülvahn rushed to pick the small horse up. "Live little strange horse! You shall live yet!" With one massive burst from his wings he shot in the direction of his cave. His wings gave him another burst of speed. A shield of wind formed around his expanse. Yet, this wasn't fast enough for the dying horse, her heart was slowing down with her breathing. "No! LIVE!"

He felt the fire inside of him grow. His spines started to whistle and vibrate as his energy started to make him give off a faint red glow. His wings started to shine a pure red light. Sülvahn felt his energy reach its max, then he flapped his wings one more time causing an explosion equal in sound to the sonic rainboom. A large ring of red and black echoed behind them, leaving a trail. Sülvahn felt his flame burn bright, as well as some of his own life force being given to the small horse.

Sülvahn was using one of his powers used only when he needed it, this was one of those times. The horse was in his hands now, dying. He wasn't going to let this happen. This was the first time he'd seen such a creature. He’d have plenty of questions once he learned what it spoke, like most when first entering his land.

There wasn't much time left when he nearly crashed into the side of the mountain where his cave resided. He quickly corrected his course. His wings ended up clipping the entrance of the cave, making him grunt in pain. In the back of his cave rested a crystal that glowed with life energies. It was his last one, until he found another, but it would make due. He gently rested the filly on the ground. Her breathing, merely small little puffs of air, hardly keeping her body alive.

"Please make it hatchling..." He placed the crystal onto her chest. Nothing happened and Sülvahn was about to scream in rage. Was he too late to save her? Was he using his own life force to keep her alive, for nothing? Did he use a great deal of his own energy to fly her here, only not to save her? Sülvahn nudged the filly. "Wake up...please little one. I have so much to ask..." He blew a little spark into her face and the crystal began to glow. His heart made him jump back with a beating pride as he saw the crystal begin to glow brighter, which marked the crystal was now working on healing the small horned horse.

Small pink tendrils of light started to flow gracefully out of the pink crystal. Sülvahn started to smile, already the small horse's life was returning to her. For once, he had actually saved something that looked so rare. If he hadn't seen it before, it was rare for sure. No way could such a creature, like this one, have another or more.

Sweetie Belle's body flew up into the air gracefully and the pink tendrils grew bigger. They began to crawl into her through her nose, mouth, and ears. She gasped inwardly in shock, but was still very much asleep. That's when the crystal started to crack, and began to turn slightly green. Sülvahn grabbed the crystal before it began taking her life back. He stomped on it until it became nothing but fine gray powder.

Everything was quiet now. Sülvahn sat down and gave a long relieved sigh. "Thank the elders..." He felt his own body begin to fail. First his legs fell limp, then his neck. The last thing he saw was the filly sleeping calmly with new life running threw her. She looked so calm, but her scars remained. Exhaustion finally took him into a deep sleep he hoped he would wake up from soon so he could talk to his new company.

When morning came, Sülvahn saw that the small horse hadn't moved at all. She stayed right where she was when he saw her last before passing out from exhaustion. Her body had a fresh look to it, death having no longer a hold on her soul now that she was healed and some of her energy restored.

Sülvahn felt proud of his accomplishment, even if it was as a close call. He saved a new creature to the Wastelands. However that's when the soreness of his efforts of last night. He groaned loudly which made nearby company aware of him being quite awake, and in a little pain.

"I see that you are awake Sülvahn." Sülvahn raised his head to see one of his servants looking towards the filly. "What's that?"

Sülvahn gracefully jumped in front of the filly, but made his point clear. "What are you doing here?!"

The horse bowed low, taking a few steps away. "I'm sorry master if I am bothering you. Please, forgive me. I had smelled something different and saw this." She motioned to the resting filly sleeping with her head resting on a small pile of hay. "It's also sleeping on my food. Can I move it?"

Sülvahn shook his head, and bared his teeth. "This isn't a thing you worthless thief. It is a rare breed of horse, I believe." He turned his head to look at it. Long pink, fresh scars running all over her face. One went right over her eye. He breathing was slow but it was much quicker than how it was last night before he put the crystal on her chest. He was sure the crystal did its work to help save her. "I found her last night, abandoned." Sweetie Belle stirred a little in her sleep which made all of Sülvahn's scales spike up. He looked closer at the filly with narrow eyes, after a moment, he relaxed. "Please slave, lower your voice." He said quietly. "It has magic inside of it. Last night I found it nearly dead. It tried running, but fainted before it would speak."

"You sound weak my master. Do you wish for me to get you some entropy crystals or some meat?"

Sülvahn thought for a moment, looking at the small horse with curiosity. "I would like some crystals or gems, thank you Farklesi. Get this horse something to eat as well. When she wakes, she will need to start trying to feed herself. Does she look old enough to live without milk?" Sülvahn asked, looking at his slave with a little hope in his eyes. "I cannot wait for her to wake Farklesi." He said, with much anticipation in his rough voice.

Farklesi stepped up to Sweetie Belle maintaining eye contact with her master. She sniffed it a few times, then moved the filly's lips with a gentle hoof. When she saw teeth, she smiled up at her master. "She can eat master. It seems she will be a little shorter than us, but a horse nonetheless. A runt I suppose, if anything."

Sülvahn sighed in relief, feeling a huge weight lift off his chest. "That is good Farklesi. Thank you. Please, take what you need to Spargas and buy some supplies for her. Be quick, and I might give you a diamond."

Farklesi bowed low to Sülvahn with a gentle smile on her lips. "Thank you master! I shall hurry, for the fillys' sake." She turned and ran out the cave, making a great effort to keep her steps soft so she wouldn't wake the filly or risk her master's wrath.

Farklesi knew her master well. When she was but a filly herself she was taking things from houses in the night until one night Scorpan saw her. He took her to Sülvahn where he made the decision to keep her for himself. He made sure she learned her lesson, but she still hadn't paid her debt. She still had five more years to serve for him. She had already served six years but she still didn't know exactly what to think of him. Sülvahn was strange, even for a dragon. She expected him to be much more greedy, even with the wisdom he held onto. She didn't like him, that's for sure, but...she didn't hate him. He did save her from a life of crime. Because of Sülvahn, she had a job outside of his cave and even had a stallion to look forward to meeting every night she came home.

Sülvahn once again felt as though he was weak. He had every right to be, it was just another side effect for his deeds. His curiosity getting the better of him was not something that happened often, but when it did, he never regretted it. He never did anything he regretted, now that he knew better. When he was young, that was a much different tale. He was much older now and with that age came wisdom. Wisdom blessed him to understand and respect all forms of life as they were. Even dragons in the beginning were nothing but small lizards. Everything had its lowest point, even him. But now he was beyond that, he was strong and a force to be reckoned with. His teeth could break bones like he was biting air, his claws were able to cut even the air with every swing. At the end of his tail was a double edged blade, made of his own bones, covered in a black indestructible leather like material, he wasn't even sure what it was. All he knew was, it was good to use when fighting something big.

It became quiet again. It was going to be another day,maybe even a day and a half, before Farklesi returned with the gems he needed to regain the lost energy and life force that got him back to his cave. As well as the food for the small horse that lay in his cave, resting to regain her lost strength. Taking his time to make sure his steps didn't make too much noise, he moved to the entrance to the cave to get some air. The cave air was damp and warm, but the outside felt much nicer on his scales. The sun seemed to pulse new energies out onto the land, but...it felt different.

He looked up to the sun, his draconian eyes allowing him to stare directly at it without any harm to be thought of. It had a darker glow to it, in the heart of the sun he felt it give a sadder energy. He looked to the filly back in his cave. The sun wasn't like this yesterday, if he recalled correctly. Now that he thought about it, the moon felt different as well. The energies of both made him sad. The organs on his head fell when he looked back out onto his land.

"All this land, mine...but why is the sun and moon so sad? Are the goddesses not pleased with my work to protect life? Am I not doing my job, like Master Scorpan asked me?" He lowered himself down closer to the ground where he decided to lay his long black body. A small tear slid down his face. "Am I not good for saving the creature's life?"

Back in the cave, Sweetie Belle heard a strange voice talk in an even stranger language. She didn't want to move, but then again, she had no idea where she was. It took her a great deal of time to open her eyes which wished to remain closed, but she saw that she was in a cave and not Princess Twilight's castle.

Her head moved about while she struggled to get up. Her body felt weak, and her horn felt like she was hit by a train. "Oh....my horn..." She said in mild agony.

She took a few steps forward before falling on her face. Something hit the rocks behind her, making her freeze in place. Remembering the last thing she saw before she passed out, she saw a pair of green dragon eyes with a black face. Her own eyes shot open once again, and all her joints locked up. Sweetie feared what was behind her.

‘It took me to its cave to eat me!’ She thought through her panic. “I need to find somepony!” Sweetie Belle turned around, only to see a dragon face in front of her own. "EEEPP!" She jumped back screaming. "DON'T EAT ME!"

The dragon tilted its head in confusion then spoke rough grounded words that didn't make any sense to her. It tried speaking again and again, all different tones and words, but nothing she couldn understand. Sweetie Belle could tell the dragon started to look angry almost frustrated that she couldn't understand him.

"P-please....don't kill me! I just want to go home!" She begged him. "I-I won't even tell a soul that you foalnapped me! Just please! Let me go!"

It narrowed its eyes, moving his head closer to her. The small black things around its neck started to vibrate rapidly. "W...o...r...es..t." He coughed a few times, but she had no idea why. Was the dragon sick and looking for help? She couldn't do anything, she hadn't started her studies on dragons like Princess Twilight had told her to do.

Sweetie Belle backed away slowly, but it moved closer. "P-pl...please...leave me alone..."

The things started to vibrate again, and he looked even more confused. "Why?" It said at last, sounding a little sad. Its eyes relaxed into a very unnatural sadness she hadn't seen before. "Why would I kill the creature I saved?" He smiled at her kindly. Sweetie proceeded to faint once again.

Sülvahn sat back away from the filly with an even sadder expression. "Did I not say the right words?" He asked himself, turning back to the entrance to his cave. "What kind of animal is she?"

He sat at the entrance once again, letting the sun hit his black scales. Out in the far off distance he saw the Spargas beacon shine like a second sun with a purple hue and a blue after glow. During the night, it shone much brighter, turning into what the Spargonians called "Midnight Sun". It gave off life giving light. It helped plants grow, and allowed the citizens of Spargas see.

Sülvahn loved looking at his work. Creating a flame that burns forever takes a lot of time and a massive amount of energy. He infused the flame with his very life force. The first king of Spargas, Kalikorik was there when he lit the flame, and every king after visited Sülvahn to thank him for the light that guides all others. Sixteen kings have come to see Sülvahn, and he was very sure more would come to give him their thanks.

Sülvahn put his head over his arms and gave a tired sigh. "Hurry Farklesi, you are my only chance to speak to the horned horse creature... "

Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 3/15> [EDITED]

Sweetie Belle was thinking, it was the only thing that she felt that she could do at the time. She didn't want to bother Sülvahn, he sounded angry, she couldn't understand why. He had been shouting some strange word for hours now, over and over again non-stop. What he was shouting was unknown, but the sound of his voice carried feelings she didn't know was possible for a dragon that wasn't Spike.

Sülvahn was starting to turn into an enigma to her. He was so strange, so dark, so kind, she didn't know what to think of him. He had saved her life, but refused to help her because Scorpan was keeping him in the Wastelands. She had no way of speaking to him while he was like this. School and lessons from Twilight told her to stay away from angry dragons. Sweetie felt powerless to help even a little bit.

Even though she had just met Sülvahn, and only began talking to him, she could tell there was something inside of him. It was a strange feeling she had when she looked into his deep green eyes.

The mountain shook again, a few more crystals had fallen, and the cave was getting slightly darker as they lost their collected power. Sweetie was sitting in a corner in the back of the cave, far from the entrance. The thunder outside made her ears ring every time Sülvahn's voice grew louder with force. She was scared, very scared.

Eventually, the shouting stopped, Sülvahn grew tired, his eyes began to have deep bags under them. His breathing was off pace and erratic, and the rest of his body, but mostly his legs, was shaking uncontrollably. He couldn't even spit a little spark from his internal flame, he was so exhausted. He fell over with a long groan.

"Scorpan..."

Air rushed around a heavy body that landed close by. He couldn't even open his eyes now, but something had lifted his body up. He didn't feel a hand on his head or tail or the rest of his body, but it had somehow lifted him. With one massive struggle Sülvahn managed to open his eyes long enough to see a long balled and pointed tail wave around with a light brown aura. Then, his body went limp. He couldn't move or see anymore. Under his eyelids all he saw was a growing wave of darkness growing.

Sweetie heard something enter the cave with Sülvahn floating ahead of it in a light brown magical aura. She hid behind a column of rocks and heard something with a deeper yet softer voice speak the same gibberish Sülvahn spoke at first. The words were few, but her nerves were starting to climb. She didn't know what carried him into the cave, but from what she could see and what was happening for hours on end, he didn't look so good.

"Unicorn..." She heard another voice speak to her. "I know that you are in here. Come on out, I shall not hurt you."

Sweetie squeaked behind the rock, curling into a tight ball. She took a deep breath to try to calm her nerves like Rarity and Twilight had taught her. "N-no!" Sweetie protested, not wanting to move anywhere from the rock she was hiding behind. "You d-did something to Sülvahn! No w-way!"

She heard a sigh. "Please unicorn, I do not want to make this hard on both of us. I actually need your help with my son."

"S-sc...Scorpan?" Sweetie asked softly, poking her head from the rock she saw a creature like Discord standing up over Sülvahn. A Chimera, is what she read in her books Twilight gave during her first few weeks of "Twilight Time". In the list of books she saw Discord as the picture for a Chimera. She didn't know if it was he himself who put the picture in there, but Twilight had said he was an excellent example of a Chimera.

He nodded slowly to her, not wanting to move quick. He knew how ponies reacted to quick or sudden movements when they were in fear. Scorpan was making sure he wasn't trying to cause fear, but with his size and body shape, there wasn't much in terms of not striking fear into the hearts of the fearful. "It is I. Now please, I need your assistance." Sweetie started to move out of her hiding spot. Scorpan was tall, he had to bend down inside the cave while he was standing. His lion like mane was pressed up against the cave ceiling. "Ah...You are young. How old are you little unicorn?"

"I'm ten..." Sweetie said softly. "I...I'm not good with magic....So I don't know how to help you..."

Sweetie was lifted over to Scorpan in the brown magic. "That's fine little one. We only need a little magic to help him out. Dragons are naturally immune to magic anyways. Their scales are made of sins that your holy magic cannot touch. Especially Sülvahn, he is sin made good."

"Sin made good? Who's Sin?"

Scorpan let out a light hearted chuckle as he placed Sweetie Belle onto the ground. "Ah the youth of you ponies. It is why I left Equestria. I deemed it to be a land where all is holy and should be untouched by evil." He smiled down at Sweetie Belle kindly. "My brother was always so foolish to think that magic should be for those of dark hearts. What I mean is that Sülvahn is the embodiment of Sin, all of it. Greed, Lust, Pride, all of it. His brother sadly has become what I tried to take away from them both. My efforts were for not, but at least Sülvahn has his sins tamed."

"So, why do you have magic? I saw you lift him over into the cave."

"The pony I had taken the magic from had died before I could return it to him..." His ears had fallen back, and his smile vanished. "Night Skull was his name, the captain of the Lunar Royal Guard before Princess Luna was banished to the moon."

"You seem very smart for a weird creature...Sorry..thinking outloud."

"As was I, my son has that effect on people. He is exactly one-hundred percent right. He never lies about anything. If he doesn't know it, he finds out then tells you when he knows everything about it. He'll look to the end of the Entropy Valleys, and his truthfulness literally attacks your head, making everyone around him speak what he wants to hear if he really tried.. When he is like this, he can't control it at all."

Sweetie tilted her head. "Why?"

Scorpan sighed once again. "Because he used all his energy to summon me. When he is too exhausted to tame himself, he will fall like his brother. " He smiled once again. "I am very glad that he still has his crystals unlike his brother who's lost his. " He looked to Sülvahn and sighed. "See those crystals?" He asked pointing to the crystals with the black balls. "Give me one...no...three of them, quickly now!"

Sweetie rushed over to the where she had seen them. She turned sharply to the left, and began gazing into the crystals. They weren't black anymore, they were red, and they were much bigger. They shook the crystals in their place, but somehow stayed silent as air. She picked one up and felt a rush of energy shoot out of her horn, causing her to fall back in pain. Holding her horn, Sweetie Belle cried a little.

"Don't touch them! They will drain all of your magic by pushing it all out! You need to lift it! You can do that right!?" Scorpan shouted. "Hurry! He's falling quickly!"

Sweetie Belle looked at the crystals shake a little louder, and started to crack. She sprinted into action, and as her horn began to light a pulse of pain spiked up in her head. She had to ignore it, it hurt yes, but if her only hope of getting home was going to die, she was on it. Her horn protested angrily, sending waves of energy into the air, causing her to pant heavily.

The crystals floated up, shaking in place. Sweetie was unaware of the fracture in her horn, but if the pain hadn't made her realized this, it was how dark the world was getting. She struggled to keep her eyes open and her breathing steady. She was half way before she dropped them a few feet away from Scorpan.

She then realized what was causing so much pain. Once she was able to open her eyes, she looked up at her horn to see it cracked in a few places. When she charged her horn more liquid flowed from it. She winced once the pain started to settle back in. Her head dropped along with the rest of her body.

"I...I'm sorry..." Sweetie said in between tired pants. "My horn..."

Scorpan picked up the crystals once they were in reach, and set them on Sülvahn's chest, back and head. "Be free from the darkness. Your flame is purer than light."

Scorpan's hands began to glow brightly as he closed his eyes. He moved his hands over Sülvahn in small circles were the crystals lay on his body. Black tendrils swirled out of Sülvahn, like tiny little wisps, and into the crystals. They were directed my Scorpan's hand movements and spun right into the center.

Sweetie watched with amazement as the balls inside the crystals shrunk, and the cracks started to mend themselves. Sülvahn began to cough out black fire which seemed to absorb all the light in the room but the light of Scorpan's hands.

"Hide Sweetie Belle...When he is like this, you should not been seen."

"What about you?" Sweetie asked, deep concern in her voice.

"He still sees me when he is like this." Sülvahn began to move. "Quickly now!" He hissed angrily. "HURRY!"

Sweetie Belle jumped behind the rock she was hiding behind before. She heard Sülvahn move, but she didn't know which part of his body. In a dark crawling voice she heard him speak. Only by the tone of his words could she tell that it was Sülvahn that was speaking. Then Scorpan spoke.

"I smell another..." Sülvahn said darkly, standing up, but Scorpan jumped in his way. "I am hungry master. You brought me food."

"It is not food Sülvahn!" Scorpan barked. "Wake up!"

Sülvahn smiled widely, looking back at Scorpan. "And why would I want to wake up?"

Scorpan frowned at Sülvahn and his eyes narrowed. "Because you have a creature in your care." He pointed to the rock Sweetie Belle was hiding behind. "If you can smell her, you can smell how weak she is. It wasn't I who brought her here, you took her under your care."

Sülvahn's eyes opened wide while flashing back green. "Sweetie Belle...." He said outside his native tongue. As he began to see color again, he nearly collapsed onto the ground on his knees. "Master...thank you."

"Scorpan? Is it safe?"

Sülvahn gasped inwardly. She wasn't supposed to see him like that, no one was, yet he let himself get careless. "I could have killed her..."

Scorpan knelt down, moving his paw down Sülvahn's spines. "It's alright because you didn't. You saw the light, I am glad you heard reason."

"But I almost killed her! The only unicorn in the wastes! AND I ALMOST KILLED IT!" He slammed his fist into the ground in rage. "I failed you once again master...I let my rage get the best of me...and now what?" He flung his arm towards Sweetie who was sticking her head out from the rock.

"But you didn't Sülvahn. You recognized her." He held Sülvahn's face towards him. "I know where she's from. The Holy Land, I'm sure you've spoken about it before. It must be why you care so much."

"She is a rare jewel here." Sülvahn sighed. "Sweetie...I'm sorry you had to see that."

Sweetie took a small step forward. "W-what happened? What happened to you? Why were you like that?"

Sülvahn smiled like nothing had happened. "Master... I wish to help her get past at least Entropy Fields. Then she could take a ship to her home."

"Is this what you want? Are you sure?"

"If you bring me all the way-" Sweetie jumped forward to Sülvahn with a huge grin across her tiny muzzle. "-I'm sure the princesses will give you a huge reward!"

Scorpan watched Sülvahn's eyes grow wide at the word. "R-...Reward?" He asked her with hope gleaming in his eyes. "H-how big? The Holy Land is far. At least a month of constant flying..."

"I'm sure the princesses would give you full access to the Crystal Mines under Canterlot."

Scorpan scratched his beard slowly, humming in thought. "I think I remember those mines... The walls, the floor, everything is made of crystals. I'm sure their treasury is massive as well. They are a very rich nation because of that mine."

Each passing word was making Sülvahn go crazy. His draconian instincts were telling him to just raid the place and come home with a fully belly that'd last for years. His mouth began to water as his mind began to wander. Day dreams of him swimming in gems until his scales turned gray from old age. A large smile was plastered across his face, Sweetie Belle and Scorpan chuckled.

"I think he likes that idea!" Scorpan chuckled. "I'll stay here-"

"MASTER! I'M BACK WITH THE FOOD FOR THE SMALL HORSE!" Sülvahn looked over to the entrance to his cave to see Farklisi holding a bag in her mouth. When she saw Sweetie Belle awake her expression softened a bit.

"Oh, how cute. Her eyes are so beautiful."

"What's she saying?"

Sülvahn chose to reply. "She said you have beautiful eyes. Farklisi never learned basic. I forgot about basic, never spoke it."

"Master?"

"Forgive me Farklisi, but you don't speak basic."

"This is going to get confusing very quickly..." Scorpan sighed, and snapped his fingers.

"AH!" Farklisi shouted, dropping the bag. Her throat began to burn with an intense heat, and her head began to pulse waves of agonizing pain. She banged her head against the floor, trying to find a way to get the pain out of her head. "MIGH! HEATH! MY HEAD! OH DAMN YOU SCORPAN!"

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!?" Sülvahn snarled at Scorpan who happened to take a step back for good measure. The slits in Sülvahn's eyes narrowed down to fine points. "TELL ME!"

"Sülvahn, be calm! She is fine. I only gave her words that I know in basic! Her vocal cords needed to be stretched, and her brain needed the information, so I gave it to her!"

Sülvahn seemed to relax a little, but punched Scorpan in the face. "Don't do that again...." He looked over to Farklisi. "Are you okay? Can you understand me as I speak like this?"

Farklisi nodded, rubbing her throat. "It.....feels weird..." She coughed a few times and a few drops of blood flew out. When she saw it, she began to tear. "Am I?"

"No Farklisi, you aren't. Just a side effect." Scorpan said, easing her worry. "Just stay calm, speak a couple words at a time."

"So everypony can speak Equestrian now?"

"Correct Sweetie Belle. Everyone can now."

"Why'd you say everyone?"

"Because not all of us are ponies, and not everyone you meet will be." Scorpan turned to Sülvahn. "Let us feast one last time before you leave Sülvahn."

"There....isn't any....for you." Farklisi made a note. "What...wi-ll...you eat?"

To make his point, Scorpan reached up a little bit to a crystal. Smiling as he felt the crystal in his paw, he pulled it from the wall. He took a moment to examine it, even flicked the side of it then placed it to his ear. Then in a quick motion he threw it into his mouth with a very loud crunch.

"Do I make myself clear?"

Sweetie Belle and Farklisi nodded very rapidly while Sülvahn smiled smugly at Scorpan. "You knew?" Scorpan asked.

"Father, the moment I saw you when I hatched I knew. You reek of dragon...well....part dragon." Sülvahn shrugged, taking one of the crystals that took his darkness. "I wonder what'll happen if I go into that again."

Scorpan took it from Sülvahn. "I will teach her how. She has it in her." Scorpan looked to Sweetie Belle while she was talking to Farklisi. "She has a destiny. I see she used magic to get herself here, but no means back. Teleportation is a dangerous art of magic most can't master. The fact she teleported to this side of the world amazes me. To see that she is still alive amazes me even more. The burns on her face... do you recognize them?"

"I do not."

"A dragon sent her here. There are three magics that are around her. Dragon magic, a magic I haven't seen before I tried to conquer the holy land, and her own. That scarring is dragon fire, and I am not sure if it will heal and her fur will grow back." He rested his paws on Sülvahn, looking deep into his green eyes. "Sülvahn, protector, my son...You will take Sweetie Belle to Equestria and claim your prize."

"Is that an order?"

Scorpan pulled Sülvahn close, hugging him. "A request, not an order." He replied. "Will you?"

"I will..." He looked up at him, not as his master, but a father figure. His eyes shone with purpose Scorpan hadn't seen in a long time. "I swear..."

Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 4/15> [UNEDITED]

Much later that night Sweetie Belle was still awake, excitement getting the best of her. After convincing Sülvahn she wouldn't leave him, she was finally allowed to leave the cave. She was sitting on a rock, well the mountain was a huge rock, this rock was one much smaller, about the size of her, more or less. The stars were very different from the stars in Equestria. These stars didn't seem to have the glow Luna's had, these were faint, and hard to see.

The moon wasn't different, which gave her some peace. Her and the rest of the CMC were good friends to Luna, and in return Luna ensured no evil dreams would ruin their sleep. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in. Luna, I'm alive. She thought deeply. I don't know if you can hear me or if anypony thinks I'm dead, but if you can... I'm coming home.

Luna shot up from her bed, she felt the largest tug in her mind that she's ever felt since her return. "What was that?" The only thing that she could feel was a pain in her heart, and only a single word on her mind. "Who's coming home?"

Sweetie sighed after feeling nothing trying to speak to her. "I guess being a half a world away she can't hear me..."

"Who can't hear you Sweetie Belle?" Sweetie turned on her rock and saw Scorpan, but for some reason he looked a lot smaller.

"I....I was hoping Luna could hear my thoughts?" Sweetie answered, looking back towards the moon. The moon shined over the flat wasteland around the lone mountain. "She taught me this meditation that takes me into a dream-like state while also staying half-awake."

"A day dream." Scorpan said simply. "She just taught you how to control it. You seem good at it."

She shrugged with a simple chuckle. "Only a little. Luna teaches me things Princess Twilight doesn't know?"

"Princess Twilight?" He asked. "Who is that?"

"Right, you can't go to Equestria... Princess Twilight has only been a princess for a few years now. She's got a castle in Ponyville she calls the Tower of Friendship." Sweetie explained to him the events of Nightmare Moon's return, and the rediscovery of the Elements of Harmony by Twilight and her friends. Then she went on to how Twilight became a princess and what she did the first few months.

Scorpan sat cross legged next to Sweetie Belle, keeping his attention on her throughout the whole explanation. When she got to his brother, Tirek, he paid so much more. Then she told him of what the battle between Twilight and Tirek and how half of Ponyville Fields was incinerated and mountains had pony sized holes through some of the peaks. Next came the aftermath, but that was blaring clean-up details and a long parade.

"Sounds like you've had quite the excitement little one. I must admit, this new princess is strange, Twilight Sparkle is it?" Sweetie nodded. "Well, if she is an Alicorn now she must be immortal too, though I fear for the other elements."

Sweetie lowered her head in sadness. "For all everypony knows, I'm probably seen just as dead as they will be...." She looked at her hooves and gave a long sigh. "I still feel like I'm burning up, like I'm in the sun or something."

Scorpan noticed the gaze around her, it was green in color. "Is there a dragon where you live? One like Sülvahn?"

She nodded. "His name's Spike. He's my best friend! While I was casting a spell, he burped up something... Maybe from Celestia..."

"The fire connected with your horn..." He began to smile. "Which in turn triggered a Flash Magical Burst. You were trying to teleport yes?" A nod. "How far?"

"Fifty feet..."

"You ended up teleporting five thousand miles instead." He said almost with a chuckle. Then saw how sad Sweetie looked. "I can fix your horn Sweetie Belle."

"Y...you can?"

"I can, but if I do, I want you to use this magic for good and to help Sülvahn on your quest home. If he becomes that demon he represses it can get dangerous for you and everyone around you."

"I Pinkie Promise!" She smiled at him then did the exact motions she needed to do to finalize the super promise.

"I have no idea what is a Pinkie Promise is or what you did with your hooves." He chuckled softly. "However, I see that you aren't lying. That promise must mean something I may never understand." He closed his eyes, taking a deep, powerful breath in.

Sweetie Belle began to feel very cold around Scorpan. When she started to see that he was shrinking, her mind went to what happened to Tirek. She gasped in shock, finally realizing what Scorpan was doing. When he exhaled, Scorpan held his paws in a cup-like shape, and out came a ball of brown light. Now, instead of the massive Chemira, was one the size of Celestia.

He smiled down at the ball of swirling brown magic and sighed. "I've been longing for a creature to take this." Scorpan had started to cry, but a smile was on his face. "Now, I can. Here-" He held the magic towards her. "Touch it with your horn."

Sweetie did as she was told, and lowered her horn to the ball. It suddenly jumped into her and she yelped in surprise. She closed her eyes, trying to figure out what to make of the magic. It fought with her own magic, swirling around each other, creating a white light in the center.

"Let it meld with your magic." Scorpan directed her softly, keeping his voice low, allowing Sweetie to act on his words. "Your magic will always fight it, but you must allow it. It is the only way."

There was something about this magic. It was very different from unicorn magic, no wonder it was fighting her own. She looked deeper, turned her magic and the new magic into ponies like Twilight had explained how magic worked.

Your magic is like...no, it IS you. Close your eyes and imagine your magic is a unicorn or a regular pony. Feel how it stands by itself. Unicorns stand upright, to allow fluid motion when a spell is in work. Pegasi stand ready for action, in a aggressive stance. Earth Ponies are the most relaxed. Their magic is how they are. How they move, stand, even sleep! Earth Pony magic is the most lax because it is innate magic that lives in the land they meld. She said. Think it like a smithy: The unicorns are the swords that direct the magic of the world, pegasi are the hammers that shape the weather, and the earth ponies are the anvils that support the hammer and sword.

As the images started to take shape, she saw hers butting heads with a...Pegasus? They were fighting for control and it looked like her's was losing. No! She shouted at them. Stop it now! The two had stopped fighting, and were looking at her with glowing white eyes in contrast with their green and brown bodies. Ponies are supposed to be in union! Not fighting like foals!

I was here first!

You call yourself a child of night!? HA! Let me lead us!

"Sweetie they will fight over control. Find a compromise between the magics."

Princess Twilight turned from her board covered in notes for Sweetie. The issue with magic is that it is like it has a mind of its own, but it needs direction. Unicorns are wise leaders, Pegasi are wise in combat, and Earth Ponies are wise farmers. When I took in the other princess's magic, it was an all out war until I gained control.

How'd you gain control?

Everypony has a common goal. The magics I held wanted to be returned, but I told them they couldn't until Tirek was defeated. Then they worked with me....and....hehehe.... Ponyville fields was destroyed.

Sweetie watched the two fight for another moment as she stewed in her own thoughts. New magic, what do you want? She asked it.

To return to my princess! It answered.

What about you my magic?

To get home!

She hummed in thought to herself. This was an easy solution. Both wanted to return to Equestria, but for different reasons. New magic? I want to go home too. I want to see Luna, my family, and my friends. So does my magic, so why can't you two stop fighting?

It paused for a moment, looking down in the void like world they were in. I....I see. Thank you for helping me see clarity. I will blend.

As will I. Ponies should work together. The more that is in our herd, the more powerful we are.

Sweetie watched as they knocked their hooves together, smiles on their faces. Then all she saw was a white void that nearly blinded her. All she saw that was different was a singular pony sitting calmly in the center. It was a green pony with brown mane and eyes of both swirling around like a pony who was dazed in the comic books she read with Spike. United, *we** are one.* It said to her, then she opened her eyes to see Scorpan smiling at her.

"You find peace?"

Sweetie nodded, feeling much better. When she looked up to her horn , it looked like it was a little longer. "My horn! It's so long!"

Scorpan had just noticed it. Sweetie was still for more than a half hour trying to find peace with her new magic. "Yes, it is longer isn't it? Is this normal?"

"I-...I don't know...." She said with much uncertainty littering her soft voice.

Scorpan rested his paw on her head. "You should sleep on it. It might help."

"...Y-yeah... Oooohhhkkkaaaaaaayyyyyyyyya...." She yawned loudly, then giggled. "I guess you're right. That took more out of me than I expected."

"Safe dreams." Scorpan said, lifting off and flying away to return from wherever he came.

Sweetie had realized Scorpan had forgotten something. "Wait! How do I heal Sülvahn?!"

Scorpan stopped, and turned with a large grin on his face. "Happy thoughts!" Was his reply before vanishing off into the night sky.

Sweetie Belle slumped over on her rock and sighed greatly. "What does that mean?"

Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 5/15> [UNEDITED]

You still haven't brought us what we wanted! Shadows screamed in rage. They had waited too long for real food, and were getting impatient.

"I will not kill my brother. He spared my life with banishment an-"

Don't you forget foolish dragon? You made a deal with us to get the power to control what you once lost, in exchange we get to feed off of you. You still haven't given us reason to stay. They interrupted him with their cold collective voices.

Valkoris narrowed his eyes at the bending shadows in the light. Evil smiles and horrific eyes littered the cave walls and floor like a filled trashcan. "I have not fogotten... My code-"

YOU ARE A DRAGON! YOU HAVE NO CODE! The shadows screamed at him. We will feed on the land you will get, and we will consume the last bit of your... code. They began to creep close. Some started to hold him down and began to laugh. Heh-hehehehehe! We'll get what we both want! The shadows began to crawl into Valkoris's nose, mouth, and other parts of his body.

"NNNOO!!!" He screamed, trying to tear the shadows off of him. "NO! NO! NO! BROTHER!" Brother was the last word he had said as the shadows had taken his body over.

Standing from the rock and gold coined throne the once beautiful red dragon was now a shadowy black, and spines were blood red. A perfect mirror of Sülvahn except for the eyes. Those were hollow purple shells without their draconian slits.

We will return what is ours soon enough... It laughed, and looked around the cave noticing more demons rise from the shadows around it. Muh-hahahahahaha! RISE DEMONS FROM THE SHADOWS! WE WILL RISE! AND RECLAIM WHAT WE LOST HALF A MILLENNIA AGO! The Shadows began to laugh and jump for joy as they crawled out of swirling black clouds of darkness and despair.

Sülvahn is a happy dragon, well a content one, or well, he was one. He had no idea Sweetie Belle could be so loud. She was running around the cave he was trying to sleep in. He carefully opened an eye and watched her trot in place and a huge smile across her face. Then both eyes opened as he saw his gems and crystals fly around the cave.

"What are you doing!?" He barked at her and in that instant every gem and crystal fell to the floor, many of them breaking. Sülvahn being angry was just the beginning.

"I-I'm sorry!" Sweetie said. "I was just seeing if I could use my magic again!"

Sülvahn relaxed a bit. "Magic? You can use it now? Show me what you can do."

Sweetie lifted a gem off the ground, a ruby that was shattered in the fall. "Basic elemental repair. Earth Class spell, level two." She closed her eyes and her horn began to glow once more. Sülvahn watched in awe as the gem started to reshape into its previous unbroken form. It flashed allowing Sweetie Belle to end the spell. She looked at it with a smile. "There!"

Sülvahn started to smile. "That is a neat trick."

Sweetie Belle blushed softly, looking away as she heard the small complement. "I know more, but lifting things and repairing them is all I can do."

"So it is a matter of training when it comes to magic?" He asked, scratching his chin with interest.

"Sort of...A unicorn is limited to their horn. Each rank is the number of lines on a horn." She looked up at her horn. "I had five, now I have seven when I got Scorpan's magic. He gave it to me to fix my horn."

"It is too bad he could not heal all of you." He pointed to the scaring on her face. "Perhaps a healer could. There is one a day's flight away."

"How big is the Wastelands?"

"Square mileage equates to ten thousand. Highest altitude for a mountain, eight thousand feet. My mountain is the second tallest, seven point five thousand." He knew this well. Being a dragon and had no work to do during his free time, he measured all of the Wastelands

Sweetie knew dragons were smart, but this was way much more than she understood. Never liking math unlike Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle hated it. It was too complex for her, magic was easier to understand then math. Sülvahn must have learned a lot from Scorpan.

"You're very smart." Sweetie said. "The dragons were I'm from don't know much more than to count their gold."

"Six billion..." Sülvahn sighed. "In gems anyways. Coin...? 7,469."

Sweetie was shocked. Six billion bits could buy all but the castle in Canterlot. "How fast is the speed of sound?"

"Roughly three hundred and fifty meters per hour." He answered. "At thirty thousand feet, speed of sound is reduced due to lack of air pressure and resistance. My top speed is four hundred eighty meters per second." He stretched his wings out wide and began to glow as he focused energy into them. "Energized, eight hundred meters per second. I used Energized Wings to save your life."

"Ooohhhh.....my head...." Too much math...Sweetie didn't enjoy it. "No more math please..."

Sülvahn laughed a little. "I don't think a healer would enjoy taking care of a headache as she would a nasty scar." Sweetie's head hung low. "Now then, do not be down little one...You will return to your home. If I used Energized Wings to leave the Wastelands, we'll arrive at Entropy Fields in a week. However from there we'll need to walk until we reach the Celestial Sea."

"And from there you'll fly again?"

"Exactly. Total time... Maybe two months if I wish to keep enough energy to continue flying, or at least gliding." He flapped his wings a couple times. "Perhaps three to train you."

"Train me?"

"In magic. I may not be able to use more than to send a message, but Scorpan taught me about it. And now that you told me you need training to become more powerful, then I will aid you. In return, you will tell me about the Holy Land you call Equestria. Deal?"

Sweetie smiled wide. "A dragon who knows magic!? Amazing!" She jumped over to him, and hugged his leg.

Sülvahn felt a jump in his heart he rarely felt beating. His eyes were wide, what was this? He pushed her off gently and tried to hide his shock. "Enough of that, do we have a deal?"

"You bet!" She grinned. "Let's go!" Her eyes closed, and she imagined her home. "Equestria, here I come..."

Sülvahn smiled at her. Sweetie Belle was an interesting gem to have. There was no way that he owned her, she was alive, he was only borrowing her. Still, he felt a twinge of pride swell in him. There was no dragon this side of Terra that had a unicorn under his protection, and in his claws. He didn't know much about magic, but he did know how to focus his energy.

"Sülvahn,-" Scorpan said, lifting his head high and pacing back and forth. "You have a job here in the Wastelands, a very important one. The people of our broken world need us to protect them from those who wish to spread darkness."

"DARKNESS BAD!" Sülvahn cheered, flapping his tiny wings. "I WILL CRUSH DARKNESS!"

Scorpan chuckled at the small drake. "Now my son, calm down. How can you 'crush darkness' when you can't even sit still?" Sülvahn stopped moving his wings, and sat straight up. Scorpan felt the need to chuckle. "Alright...When darkness comes, you need to be calm. You need to understand how it works."

"How does it work master?"

"Darkness leaves....scars... It tears through everything that isn't evil or its own. You are scarred, I healed you as best as I could."

Sülvahn looked a little depressed, his Alkits fell low. "I am evil...?"

Scorpan bent onto his knees, and rested a paw on his head. "It is alright... I was evil too. Then, two powerful goddesses and their kind showed me what being good feels like."

"Nothing is more powerful than me!" Sülvahn gazed upwards at Scorpan. "Except you master! You're the strongest! Then me!"

"Yes, yes...you are." Scorpan said with a light chuckle, and sat down. "Close your eyes Sülvahn." Sülvahn did so, and when Scorpan did, he opened them back up. "Close them!" This time he barked the order, and Sülvahn kept his eyes closed. "Everyone has their own energy, and their limit, even you. Thankfully as we grow and train our energy, we can hold more."

"What can energy do?!"

"Energy can do....Well, everything you can think of. Dragons have the energy to no only protect themselves from fire and lava, but breath said fire. You have wings, your energy lets you use them. "

"But I can't.....fly..." Sülvahn whispered softly in a saddened tone.

"With my help, you will fly faster than sound can travel." He opened his eyes and saw Sülvahn's wings faintly glowing red and smiled. "And that may be sooner than you may think."

Sweetie Belle poked him. "Hello~! Terra to Sülvahn? You there?"

Sweetie watched him nod to the cave exit. "I'll be out in a moment. I must do something to my hoard before I leave." Sweetie nodded, and ran out of the cave.

He sighed, putting his back against the cave, he moved the pillar in the center of the cave. Under the crystal pillar was a small enchanted bag, his most prized possession. Picking it up slowly, he opened it. Inside was like a whole other world, filled with gold, gems, and crystals.

"Gilded Gold Glide Gracefully into a Globe of Gold." He said the rhyme softly. Suddenly, all the gold in his cave began to swirl around him. He laughed a little, always enjoying his collection fly into his magical bag. And when it was all in, his cave was empty except the solar crystals.

Sülvahn turned to the cave exit when he felt a tug in the back of his head. His vision went blurry, but went back to normal. "No..." He shook the feeling off, and walked on.

He wasn't sure what the feeling was, nor did he really care. It hardly mattered when he felt a small tug on his mind whenever it happened. Normally it was just an energy surge within himself or something else near him, and because Sweetie Belle was not far from him, he assumed safely it was her. Turns out, it was.

Sweetie was trying to lift a rock but she was failing once it got up. She huffed angerly, then bucked it.

"Oww...." She groaned. "Stupid...So stupid."

"Even I wouldn't punch a rock... Perhaps you aren't done with your education either..." He got down on all fours, and used his tail to pick Sweetie Belle up. "You will sit on my back. I must hold on to our coin."

"Our?"

Sülvahn nodded. "Our coin. You will earn it, but for now. You are still weak so I must take care of you." He placed her on his back and spread his wings out wide. "If you can use your magic to hold yourself down, now would be good."

Sweetie's horn lit up like a fire as she created a magical rope to hold herself down. "Is that good?" Sülvahn nodded, and took off.

Now, unicorns are never ment to fly. Rarity did, but look where that got her? Sweetie realized why, the feeling was too amazing. The cool wind hardly touching her from Sülvahn's body heat protecting her rushed through her mane, making it flap around wildly. She started to laugh, a feeling rose up from her lungs, and she cheered happily, whooping and hollering at the speed.

Sülvahn dove down sharply, making Sweetie scream in excitement. It was like riding a rollercoaster in Manehattan. He made the feeling much more real by curving in sharp and some easy turns. Sweetie cheered him on more, shouting, "This is amazing!", and it was. He felt something so pure, happiness of a young child. It was like hearing Jakli laugh for the first time when she was but a foal. It brought good memories, ones he liked more than others.

It had been years since Jakli left his cave to find a love, a purpose. He knew, At least for the next couple months, he wouldn't be alone. Sweetie had felt the same.

"Sülvahn?" Sweetie asked as Sülvahn had slowed down. "A....are we friends?"

Sülvahn turned his head as they flew. He smiled and with a nod, he said, "Yes, I suppose we are."

Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 6/15> [UNEDITED]

Sweetie didn't remember when she had fallen asleep, but she awoke in what she thought was a dream. She was back in her room, watching Rarity walk around in circles for whatever reason.

"Sweetie Belle..." Rarity said sadly, picking up a small unicorn plush. She brought it close and broke down into tears. "I'm so sorry we had that fight....I'm...I never meant to make you so angry with me... I'm so sorry Sweetie..."

"R..Rarity?" Fluttershy had made her expedited silent entrance into her room. "Please Rarity, come down stairs. We need to start dinner before the girls arrive."

Rarity sniffed in Fluttershy's hold. "Y-...yes you are right..." She held the plush close. "But I'm taking this."

"That's quite alright." Fluttershy said with a soft smile. "Now come, the girls are waiting."

Rarity in toe, Fluttershy walked out of the room. Sweetie was wondering if her thoughts were true. It was unsettling for her, to see Rarity to look so broken. Her mane was in a disarray, her coat looked unkempt, her eyes had heavy bags under them and the mascara her sister loved so much had stained two long lines under them. The sight made herself sad, and when she tried to wake up, she found that she couldn't.

"Luna?"

"No, not Luna." A voice said calmly.

"Who are you?" She asked the voice. "You sound like Luna."

The voice made a huff. "But I am not this Luna. Not only one goddess controls the moon, or the water."

Sweetie's eyes opened more. "The Water Goddess?"

"I prefer River Spirit, but yes, I control all water on this world. I am one of the life lines their world relies on." There was a distant sigh as the scene changed.

Rarity was sitting at a table with a long tube going into her right foreleg and a greenish fluid was flowing into it. Next to the machine that was pumping the fluid into her was Fluttershy, watching the meter closely. Twilight and along with the rest of their friends looked very distressed. Twilight mostly because she looked very similar. Sweetie knew well that there wasn't a thing she could do, it was a dream. However, this didn't stop her from feeling sad.

"I can't believe it..." Scootaloo's voice said sadly. "There's no way she can be dead." The scene rotated to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom talking behind the door.

Apple Bloom looked very weak, she could hardly stand alone. It had looked like she was extremely exhausted. "Well believe it!" She snapped. "It's all Celestia's fault!"

"How could you say that?!" Scootaloo shouted, pushing her friend on her back. Apple Bloom tried to move, but she was too tired. "While you work on your stupid farm, I'm looking for Sweetie Belle! We were friends! How could you-?!"

"BECAUSE!" Apple Bloom shouted tiredly. "Princess Twilight had said it herself! Spike's fire amplified her spell! The heat of the teleport and his fire caused to to reach the surface temperature of the sun!"

Scootaloo snorted, turning away from Apple Bloom. "I don't think we should be friends...not if you won't believe..."

"Then fine..." Apple Bloom had begun to cry. "I'm not look'n away from the truth."

Sweetie looked up and away from the scene. "I don't want to see this anymore..." She said.

"Why not? Do you not wish to see the truth?" A watery figure fell from the ceiling, and turned into a horse. It had still retained a watery look, still all very blue and see-through. "Water bends light, but not the truth. You still see the fish and the fish still see you. That is the truth. What you see now happens within three weeks from now."

"I don't get it though! Why are you talking to me!? Why not tell them I'm alive?!"

"Because all but your companion Scootaloo believes you are dead when in fact, you are alive." She waved her hoof and Sweetie Belle found them both in a large body of water. "Sound travels through air better than water. I cannot speak unless one is dreaming of truth, or hope. Spirits like me are unable to speak to the physical world unless one is in true distress."

"So, why can't you talk to my sister?"

"Because she thinks you are dead. She knows nothing of true magic like Twilight, but even she is blind from true magic."

"What's true magic?"

"True magic is unable to be defined. One cannot express it's meta-physical abilities or refine it. Your Solar and Lunar Diarchs are able to use it, but unable to define it because they themselves do not know they use it." Within the water, the spirit walked over to Sweetie Belle and put her hoof under her chin. "Because I see you and you see I, I shall help you."

"How?"

"Within Entropy Fields there is another Spirit. You alone will be able to see him. Along the path through the Valleys there will be two that split off. There, you will follow the flowers of truth. Eat one."

"What then? How will they help me? Is it to help me get home?"

"No they will help you learn your future, but he will tell you where to find the Spirit of Flame, but be weary. The Spirit of Flame is passionate and hard to convince, and requires a sacrifice." The water had started to drain. "You are waking. I will not speak to you again. Good bye, Holy Belle."

Sweetie saw a wave of water crash over her, and made her jump awake. She was sweating, but saw that she was still in their air. Sülvahn turned his head, noticing Sweetie's sudden movement. He smiled at her, then looked on ahead.

"We're ten minutes out." He said, voice sounding a little tired. "You slept for a long time."

Sweetie rubbed her eyes. When they had left the sun was in the eight'o clock position, now it looked like it was a little after five in post meridiem. "How long was I out?"

Sülvahn waved his hand a little. "Nine hours, eh, give or take. We'll fine out when we reach Haven City."

"What happened to Spargas?" Sweetie asked, stretching her hooves with a long yawn. "I thought you were going to fly until we got there."

"I would like to buy you a proper seat on my back." He said. "Your magic is affecting me in the strangest of ways."

Dragons, like Scorpan had said, were creatures of Sin. If her 'holy' magic was affecting him, it might not have been in a good way. So she nodded in understanding even though Sülvahn couldn't see it.

Already Sweetie could see the city from the altitude they were at, and ten minutes didn't seem so long, not as long as two or three months of flying and training. The city seemed to be made of sandstone and scrap wood, but that was all she was able to see. Sülvahn might have been able to see the city much better with his eyes being able to see miles away.

Haven, it sounded like a city from a game she played with Button Mash one time. It was called Jake and Dexter, or something like that. She remembered the fun she had with him, and beating the Colossal at the end of the game. She started to smile. He was her friend, Button and her hung out from time to time when she wasn't studying. Twilight had made it a point to have time set aside for herself to not let the stress of constant studying get to her. Sweetie knew well where that would've gone, or Ponyville would have had another mass panic over a doll...

Sweetie shook that negative thought from her head. No, that wouldn't help her at all get back to Equestria. To prove that Scootaloo was right! She held onto hope that no pony had else had. Scootaloo was one of those ponies, always hoping. Scootaloo always hoped one day she would fly, and she was right, now she was hoping she was alive.

Sülvahn's Aktis shifted to her, and he turned his head. "You are upset?"

"A little, but I'm alright."

They began to hum. "You can tell me."

Sweetie's head started to feel like something was pulling her to speak, but she shook her head. "Maybe later."

They stopped, and he sped up a little. "That is fine, but do not dwell on it. If you think you need to tell me what upsets you, you may. You have my word."

Sweetie Belle knew well that a dragon's word was set in stone. Spike, even though he didn't know much about himself, knew at least he had to follow what he promised. It was like it was carved into their heads, even newborns like Spike seemed to understand at least this. "Okay... I'll think about it."

Sülvahn turned his head to smile at her. "That is all I ask, friend." He started his decline now that the city seemed to be below them. Sweetie didn't realize how long she was trapped in her own thoughts until now. Those ten minutes and his speed up seemed to make time fly much more quickly. The pauses in their talks didn't change this.

"I must warn you Sweetie Belle." Sülvahn said in a serious tone. "There are horses here much like you, in size I mean. They do not like each other and often get into massive fights. Stay by my side, do not follow anything other than me. Do I make myself clear?"

"Okay, I understand." Sweetie said, holding herself down tighter with her magic.

And as they landed, the city was clear now to Sweetie Belle. She saw everything it had to offer, which wasn't much at all. Sandstone and logs of wood set the frames and walls for every building. Then, things got too real for Sweetie Belle. What Jakli had said was right. There were ponies all over the town with stubs on their backs and heads. She gasped in horror and teared up.

"Why...?" She said in a shaky breath. "Why would Celestia do this?"

"Most of them were born here Sweetie Belle." Sülvahn explained. "They do not know of Celestia, do not tell them of her. Their ancestors were most likely traitors." Probably to Nightmare Moon... Sweetie thought. "Some do not speak basic, some do. Be careful and you will be safe."

Sweetie wasn't liking the sound of it. "Is this place the worst to be at? Why couldn't you just fly to Spargas? I could have just held on with my hooves."

Sülvahn sighed. "Becuase Sweetie Belle... I perfer that you would sit on something more suited for you. I am sure my scales aren't as soft as your mane."

Sweetie caught the complement how she saw it. "Aw...thanks. You big softy."

Sülvahn snorted and shook his head. "I am not soft. I am simply looking after you." He turned down an ally, he was starting to gather unwanted attention. He could sense movement following him, it wasn't just a couple citizens, more like dozens. It wasn't like he was traveling in the night, it was day, Sweetie Belle was white, she was in danger. "Sweetie Belle. I want you to get under my belly. NOW!"

Sweetie Belle rushed to comply with his direct order, only asking why when she was there. "What's wrong?"

"You are in danger. There are sixteen coming from the east, ten west, seventeen south, twenty north." His Altis started to vibrate faster, Sweetie's ears had begun to pick up on the vibrations. They were quick yet low, like he was using more of an advanced form of echo location bats or dolphins used to see. He used his wings to cover the exposed sides while moving his tail to protect from behind.

That's when they appeared in mass. Dozens of horses, ponies, Diamond Dogs, and what looked like Cat versions of Diamond Dogs. They jumped from the roofs, crawled out of buildings, and some did over exaggerated parkour. Sülvahn made a sound out of a hum that almost made it look like he was in panic. It was strange, but he seemed to brave it off by firing a harmless bolt of fire on the floor.

"Back off!" He shouted angrly. "She is not yours!"

A 'Diamond Cat' jumped ahead of the burned spot. "We know what she is! I we all smelled her!"

"And she is mine! Back! OFF!" He barked, spitting a fire ball right in front of the 'Diamond Cat'. She hissed her frustration. "I wonder how many you can take Dragon.."

More were coming, Sülvahn kept sensing more and more of them coming. His vision shook a little, everything had started to get a little red. He had to act quickly. "A-all of you!" This wasn't good at all. His voice had started to shake, that much was clear. Haven wasn't a large city, population maxed out a close to five hundred.

Then, there was this one portion of the group. He narrowed in on it. Five hundred feet north, north-east was a group fighting each other. He didn't see, but the smell of blood was clear.

"I have business to take care of. Leave, and I will not kill you all." Sülvahn had managed to get a hold on himself, keeping his mind on protecting Sweetie Belle and dealing with the issue. "BEGONE!" His wings charged up. "Sweetie Belle, cover your ears!"

She didn't have enough time to react. In a single flap there was a wave of red destruction. It completely obliterated everything around them, and knocked everyone else back. With this, Sülvahn made his move, grabbing Sweetie with one hand and jumping over the still recovering enemies.

He zoomed around a corner. "Sweetie Belle, are you alright?" He asked her as he ran on his other free legs. Some of the citizens were giving chase while others let him be, fearing they would die if they had tried anymore.

Sweetie couldn't answer. Her ears were rining, and her head was pounding. The sudden sound had popped her ear drums, and a little blood was seeping. The blast wasn't enough to make her deft but it still hurt like a bitch. She had to do something in order to speak to him.

"My ears..." Her voice was very muffled, barely hearing it, but she didn't care. She could hear, that's all that mattered.

Sülvahn grunted in anger, he moved too quick and he knew it. The only thing was thinking about was her safety, but he didn't think about the finer details. Yes she moved quick, but not as quick as he. He jumped over a cart of cabbages remembering a horse throwing a bit of coal in front of his cave the next day. He loved diamonds, hated coal. He knew well by the smell of them both that they were the same thing, but also different. So placing a piece of coal in front of his cave made him think he had a diamond waiting for him.

Only two hundred more feet, and more had stopped the chase and were well out of his sense range. He started to slow down, he was clear, for now. There was still that Ketath following him though. He had her sent and she had his. It was only a matter of time before she caught up to him. He continued onward however, ignoring the stalking Ketath.

As he turned the corner he saw a group of Ketath looking over a dead Diamond Dog. Blood was everywhere. On the walls, some in the water fountain, and on some windows.

"He should have remembered...."

"Remember what Ketath?" Sülvahn said in a low growl.

"Oh bug off!" She shouted. When she turned her head, he saw that she was crying, and the other Ketath were trying to calm her down. "I'm not going to lie about killing him! He killed my children!" She collapsed onto her knees. "And I'm too old..."

"No you aren't..." One had said. "You still have another season. You can Lefal, you can.."

Sülvahn approched her, putting Sweetie Belle back on his back, but held up by his tail. "What happened. Tell me everything."

"I told him that if he looked at my kittens again, he would regret it. Then he picked one up and threw it into the fire next to him." She sobbed. "I watched her burn! I charged at him, but he jumped out of the way, and threw the rest in!"

Sülvahn put his hand on the Ketath. "I am sorry Ketath. Perhaps something, logical can be used to solve this feud without violence. Perhaps a full separation?"

The other Ketath nodded in agreement, Lefal watched them. "O-okay..."

It didn't take long before all of them jumped out of view. Their quick and nimble frames giving them the ability to get out of sight like they were quicker than light. Sülvahn sat down and moved Sweetie Belle right in front of him. He carefully brushed her mane with a single claw.

"Are you okay Sweetie Belle?" Sweetie noticed she could hear again. She looked up at him and with a light nod she gave him her answer. "I'm sorry I hurt you." He said sadly. "It was never my intention to."

"It's okay." She said in a weak voice, still unsure about her hearing. "I'm alive right?"

She was right, yet, she wasn't. She was weak again, he smelt it. Sülvahn blew a little spark into her face, and looked around. "I will keep you safe little one." He stood up in time for the Ketath following him to jump in his way.

"Not this time dragon." She sneered as a black aura started to form around her. "Our new master wishes to have you alive or dead when he sees you."

"Who is your master?!"

"That is none of your business dragon! All I was given was to kill you now di-!" Sweetie Belle had panicked and used her magic. Surely if Twilight was watching her, she would have gotten a two hour long scolding. Sülvahn was in trouble, so she used a little magic to blast the Ketath back into a wall across the courtyard.

"Run..." Sweetie said softly.

Sülvahn didn't need to be told twice. Sweetie's life force was failing. The crystal didn't do enough. It was only a matter of time...NO! Sülvahn thought with rage surging him forward. You will not! He only knew one place to go to get a more purer crystal to heal her.

"Sülvahn... I don't feel so well..." Sweetie said softly in a whisper. "What's wrong with me...?"

Sülvahn stopped and looked down at her. "Sweetie Belle. I want you to listen to me. Do. Not. Die. Don't close your eyes."

Sweetie smiled weakly. "Alright, I'll watch you save me then..." She looked on waiting for him to move.

Sülvahn jumped into a sprint, running on all fours. He didn't care anymore, everything around him that was in his way was destroyed into dust or burned to the ground. He had a job, he wasn't going to fail this time or ever. Knowing he wasn't far now, he sprinted faster and crashed through the double wooden doors.

"WOAH!" A horse screamed, getting out of the way from the blast. When she looked from the counter, she saw Sülvahn panting heavily. "Sülvahn? Any reason wh-?" Sülvahn grabbed Sweetie Belle and pushed her into the horse's face.

"She is weak! Hurry!" He threw some gold onto the counter.

"I've never healed her kind before....but I'll try."

He looked down at Sweetie Belle and stroked her mane softly. "You will be okay Sweetie Belle..." Sülvahn said softly. "Can you get Max to aid you?"

"He's in Spargas getting supplies. He won't return until tomorrow. But I can do just as good." She began to pull all sorts of minerals and crystals. A couple candles and a stick of white chalk later they were in a very empty room in the basement.

Sülvahn sat in the corner eyeing Sweetie Belle with concern. The horse was drawing a pentagram with the chalk, a few candles on each point. The air was damp, making the light flicker dimly. He wasn't aware what was going to happen next, it... scared him. She was his only hope of getting food for the rest of his life. No longer he had to relay on shipments from traders or the Diamond Dogs hitting their next cashe of gems.

Another thought came forth in his expansive mind. Sweetie Belle had called him her friend. For dragons, allies were rare, few and far in between because greed consumed most of them. He hadn't thought about gaining a...friend[/i. Allies weren't worth the trouble in finding them, but it seemed that Sweetie had found him by some rare chance.

Sweetie Belle was like a gem or jewel to him. She was rare in the Wastelands, and it was known that unicorn blood had powers. It was no wonder why the Ketath was so eager to go after her. But the shadow aura was around that one. Telling him he was needed... He had put Sweetie Belle in a spot he wasn't thinking about before, but now that he was, he wasn't sure about going on.

"How long will this take Lokist?"

Lokist sighed, looking up from her books. "I've never done a unicorn before. This is new, and I'm searching for another mean to heal her. There are two strange energies surrounding her. The only thing I can think of is to find a way to stabilize it with my own..."

"Will it take it away?"

"Not all of it...Only a small fraction will be needed. They are stable for now, but that might have to do with being around you."

"She has her own and Scorpan's magic Lokist."

"Let me work please." She said in a deadpan voice. She looked back down in her books, and a light pink aura surrounded her hooves. She walked over to Sweetie Belle. "She's weak. She shouldn't be using her magic yet.* Her hooves moved over her body. "There's a connection to her life force and her magic. Her magic must be trying to heal her, but her life is weak. No magic for at least two more weeks. Her horn also shows scars. If it was broken or fractured, there is a good chance it was leaking most of her magic."*

The more Lokist spoke, the more Sülvahn wanted urge her to hurry. "Will she be alright?"

Lokist looked up at Sülvahn. "She's fine now.." She smiled and stepped away. "My father would be proud, I'm sure. I just healed a unicorn and saved her future."

"How are you sure?"

"Because big guy, she's not ready to die, and she has you to protect her. With my help, she'll get back to wherever she came from."

Sülvahn breathed a sigh of relief. "That is good to hear...Thank you Lokist."

"If you came here for something, I can keep an eye on her. Still some things I'd like to look at."

He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Keep her down here. There is some trouble outside I don't want her a part of."**

Lokist bowed low. "I will protect her with my life"

"You must know she speaks basic."

She smiled. "That's fine. I do too."

Sülvahn pushed the large doors above him open. He was glad they had installed those doors for him. They must have been tired of him blowing holes in the floor, didn't blame them, but Sülvahn always wanted to keep an eye on the weak. Wanted to make sure they got well right.

And on he went, to find a proper seat for Sweetie Belle. Perhaps, the smith had one already...

Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 7/15> [UNEDITED]

"And you are sure you want...a saddle for a what?" The Ketath Smith asked, ironically, his name is Smith.

"A unicorn. She is the size of a newborn foal and has a horn on her head." Sülvahn explained, feeling rather exhausted. "How long will it take and how much should I pay you?"

Smith waved his paw as he walked away from the high-temperature oven. "It'll take me a couple hours. I already have your measurements from the last time you asked for a saddle for your daughter. Is this... unicorn your new daughter?" He asked, grabbing a glass of water from a small barrel and drank a few gulps.

Sülvahn shook his head. "No, she had her own family. She's from the Holy Land."

"The Holy Land?" Smith raised a brow and turned his head with curiosity. "You say'n she's a goddess?"

"I am unsure Smith. But I need this done quickly. There is something trying to track me down, and I need to get out of the Wastelands as quick as possible. If I can make it to the Entropy Valleys, the Hyperions will keep whatever is chasing me away."

Smith nodded in understanding. "For saving my little girl, anything for you Sülvahn. The saddle will be ready before you can take off." Sülvahn started to pull out coins, but Smith put his paw over the bag. "It's free Sülvahn. To be on a goddess's good side, anything."

Sülvahn nodded and smiled at Smith. "I am thankful that you are willing to help me Smith."

"Anytime my friend." Sülvahn's vision flashed back to Sweetie Belle.

'Are we friends?' He shook the memory away. "Yes...Friend..."

Smith almost looked shocked. "Woah! You sure you aren't a Hyperion?! Who are you and what did you do to Sülvahn?" Sülvahn knew well this was an intended joke, and chuckled.

"The unicorn...She is my friend too..."

"Ah, so I see that you've been put under the good graces of a goddess too. What is her name so that I may pray to her."

"She does not need your prayers. But...Her name is Holy Belle." He there wasn't an exact word for 'Sweetie' in their toung. Yes, he's managed to combine a couple words like Sweet and Eve to try to make it as close as possible to her name. Holy was a very defined word, easier to say.

"I'll see you around Sülvahn." He waved him away with a smile. "Time to get to work..." Oh yes, the best smith in all the wastelands was about to work on the best job he's ever done.

As Sülvahn walked out, he saw that it seemed things had calmed down. He was thankful for at least that, but he was still worried about Sweetie Belle. Moving on, he decided to think more on the trip. It was going to be long, and now that he had something after him, or...Sweetie Belle, he had more to worry about than just Sweetie getting better.

He wasn't quite sure now. Sweetie Belle was in a bad spot, and so was he, which made Sweetie's position in this a whole lot worse. With a sigh, he continued on, keeping his bag of gold in his mouth. He could do a few more things. Needed a way to keep Sweetie's food kept well. She wasn't like him, at all. She was a herbivore, he was a carnivore.

A few citizens passed by while he was thinking. Of course, they bowed to him as they passed, those who respected him did. He had plenty of time to think on what was on his mind, he had a few thousand years to think for that matter. His life he knew was still young, he had at least 9,500 more years to live on average.

"Perhaps I should focus on myself..." He thought aloud, moving on. It was rare he walked, walking helped with his thinking. He thought about himself, as selfish as it was. Sülvahn was a dragon after all, being just a little selfish kept what was most of him there.

Sülvahn always got what he wanted, how he wanted it, and he always got it quickly. Even if he had to force himself to do it, he got it done. With this whole situation with Sweetie Belle, he felt bogged down greatly. He hadn't taken care of his own in ten years. Jakli was thirty if he remembered right (and he was sure he was). Now that he found himself taking care of another foal, he had to get back into it, even if she wasn't his daughter.

As he walked on, he felt the earth hum with energy. There was going to be an event today somewhere.

Princess Twilight sighed, looking out the window. It's been a week now... "Princess Twilight?" Mayer Mare asked. "Are we going to do the Summer Sun Celebration this year after..."

Twilight looked towards her, giving the mare a fake smile. "Of course Mayer Mare. It's a very important even we ponies celebrate...Start the decorating soon so we can have it done by tomorrow."

Mayer Mare bowed to Princess Twilight. "Yes princess, we'll have it done quickly."

"Take your time...."

The humming stopped as he looked to the sky, the sun had looked only a little dimmer than it was. What was causing the stars to dim in his sky. They had only started to dim when he found Sweetie Belle. Could it be that she was from the stars, and the gate was in Equestria? Could Sweetie Belle be the spirit that strengthens the stars?

"Sweetie Belle...who are you really?" He shook his neck and head to shake the impossible idea away, and to get rid of a pain in his neck. Thinking on a larger scale didn't hurt, it was thinking stupid ideas. There must be a more reasonable explanation for the stars to dim. Perhaps it was a very simple one. He nodded at the idea, that was a much if anything. However, his idea was more than not forgotten, just locked away...

Sweetie woke up, feeling much better. That magic burst was more than enough for her. She had to protect Sülvahn if she was going to make it home to prove Scootaloo was right. That's when she realized who wasn't around her.

"Sülvahn? Sülvahn!?"

"Calm down Holy Belle." A voice said from behind her. Sweetie turned around to see a earth pony standing off to the side. Her coat was brown and mane black. "Hello...I am so very glad you are awake. Sülvahn will be very pleased when he returns."

Sweetie rubbed her eyes. "You're a pony!" She ran up an hugged her. "Oh I'm so glad to see another pony!"

She laughed and nodded. "Well, half pony, half horse descent Holy Belle."

"My name is Sweetie Belle, not Holy Belle." Sweetie said with a huff. "Why does everyp-...everyone...call me Holy Belle?"

"Because you are of divine descent." She said, sitting up straight, glad Sweetie Belle had let go. "I sense it, so you are."

Sweetie rolled her eyes. "Trust me, back home, they had to have a separate repair fund for just me and my other two friends." Sweetie chuckled a bit. "We'd always go on crazy and whacky adventures just to find our talents."

"Have you found your calling?"

She shook her head solemnly. "No....we haven't." She turned her gaze to her flank, still white and bare. "When a pony finds their one true talent, one that is super special, they get a mark to prove it."

"On your posterior?" There was a light snicker. "I chose my own talent. Father helped me reach my goal. No, I am a healer who's very good on her job."

Sweetie was so glad she had someone who was also a pony to talk to. While she was just a little shorter than Cadence, she was still a pony. A eased sigh escaped her lips as she slowly laid down on her side. Things seemed so calm.

"Are you hungry Sweetie Belle?"

"A little..." She said, trying to hide a slight blush when her stomach answered for her. "You have any apples?"

Behind her was a sack of apples, and she pulled it over to her. "More than enough for both of us." She pulled an apple out and gave it to Sweetie Belle.

Cautious of the apple, Sweetie sniffed it to make sure it was still good. It smelt good, that was very much clear to her, but the color of the apple was just a little off. Sweetie looked up at the mare. "You know, I never got your name."

She smiled at Sweetie Belle, taking a bite of her own apple. "It's Lokist, daughter of Max, Medical Max."

Seeing how Lokist bit into her own apple with its strange redish color, Sweetie bit into her own. She was suddenly hit with intense flavoring that literately knocked her on her back. Her eyes wide, taking in all of wonderous flavor. Sweet and yet bitter, sour yet very much flavorful, and very juicy. "Woah!" She said when she swallowed down the first bite.

Lokist giggled. "First time eating a Wonder Lust Apple?" She asked her, taking another bite. "You get used to the blast, but the first bite is always the strongest. Packed with every vitamin used to keep us moving, these apples are also known as Ration Apples when the Ketath and Zorgians were at war."

"What are Zorgians?"

"Half Lizard, half fish. They walk on two legs and can breath in water."

"Why were they at war?"

Lokist almost looked exhausted at the question, as if she was asked the same question a million times. "Why is anyone at war?" She asked Sweetie Belle by way of answer. "Resources, land...slaves... Thankfully, the Ketath won. Their large bodies and swift movements made it not only a quick war, but only two hundred died while the Zorgians only had one hundred remaining in their army."

"Are the Ketath those big cats? They're bigger than Celestia!"

"Their average height is seven feet, the tallest recorded is seven six." She smiled. "Very impressive creatures, like you. They can run up to twenty five miles an hour on two legs, and seventy five on all fours!"

"They're faster than a cheetah!"

"Their race name means 'Spirits of Wind and Earth' because they are so swift and agile despite their massive bodies." Lokist bit into her apple again, taking a moment to think. "So -mmmfmm- are there -mmmm- more of you?" She swallowed.

Sweetie nodded. "There are four types of ponies. Unicorns like me, earth ponies like you, and pegasi. Then there are the princesses who have all three, horns, wings and strength."

"That's very interesting, but...what's a pegasus?"

"A pegasus is a pony with wings. They can fly in the air and move clouds to change the weather!"

"A horse with mastery over the elements...how strange... Here in the Wastelands, it is rare we get natural rain. We rely on the Water Spirit Aqua to help us get water. But, no one has been able to talk to her."

"I have." Sweetie said. "She told me to go see a Earth Spirit in the Entropy..."

"Zone. The Entropy Zone is the entire area of all three Entropy Vally, Fields, and Forest. The Forest is the most dangerous because many evil creatures live there."

That sounded much like the Everfree, in fact, most of what she was saying had sounded like it. Was she as far from Equestria as she thought she was? She shook it away mentally, that was preposterous to think that in her opinion. Sweetie knew exactly where she was, and it wasn't anywhere near Equestria. Most of these new animals she was meeting were very sure on not even knowing what exactly she was.

"So tell me. You mentioned a princess I believe...Celestia?"

"Sülvahn told me not to talk about her while we're here." Sweetie said sadly. "I don't know why though. She's a nice pony!"

"She must be...it is strange though. To think, Sülvahm wouldn't want your knowledge of your home known in our home."

"Why?"

"Because! Sülvahn would look to the end of the world just to find out what it is and what it does. He knows so much, even spent a hundred years flying around trying to figure out what creatures were under his skies. He knows everything there is to know. It baffles me he doesn't want you to teach us."

"Perhaps he doesn't want anyp-one to know until he know."

She sighed knowing Sweetie had a point. "He is Dragon...it makes sense...Wants it first..."

"I'm sorry..." Sweetie said sadly, looking to the ground and scratching the floor with her hoof.

Lokist put a hoof on her shoulder. "It is alright. It isn't your fault Sülvahn is who he is."

Sweetie made a quick note to ask him why when they take off again. It was a long shot that he would tell her, but if he did, she knew he wouldn't lie. Taking a deep breath in, then out she tried lifting the apple into the air. It got up two feet before it dropped to the ground, and she sighed in defeat.

"You shouldn't use your magic Sweetie." Lokist said softly. "Your life depends on it right now."

"W-what do you mean?"

"You magic is the only thing keeping you breathing. Your whole body is broken and your magic is trying to repair it." She explained. "The more magic you use, the less you'll be able to heal yourself."

"What happens if I use too much?"

Lokist put on a very serious expression. "You will die. Your body will fail itself and its primary functions. Luckily you have so much magic inside you, you have enough to lift that apple without fainting."

Sweetie Belle gulped. "S-so how long do I need to wait."

"Roughly two weeks. If I were you, three to be safe."

That didn't sound long, and it would give her more than plenty of time to rest. Lokist stood up after hearing a bell ring upstairs. "Are you coming back?"

She giggled. "I suppose I can Sweetie." She smiled at Sweetie for a moment, then sighed. "You're to damn cute....you know that?"

"It's how I get most things back home." Sweetie playfully sighed.

"Cuteness weaponized...huh..." She soon left, leaving Sweetie Belle alone in the dim candle-lit room.

From the window, she could see they sky closing for the day. She gave a long yawn despite sleeping for so long. That's when she noticed time itself was moving much faster than it was for her. The sun and moon seemed to leap across the sky like dancers on a stage...

"♫Tip-hoof-tip-hoof,

who is that walking in the night,

a shadow who's night is so bare,

a shadow who's long from home and does not know where to go...♫"

In a low voice came a reply. "♫A light, from a star above

can show this shadow a way.

A land filled with goddesses and sweet gems.♫" Sweetie Belle looked around for the voice, but she couldn't see a thing.

"W-who's there?"

It continued singing. "♫A heart so pure, a soul so broken, a body so fragile~...♫" From the window, a Ketath jumped down. It wore green belts all over it's large gray body. It bowed to her, a wicked grin on his face. A scar covered his right eye which seemed to be closed, but the other was open and a scary yellow shot right into her soul. "♫You will see me again, but I want part in your return.♫" He sighed, sitting down. "Hello..."

"Who are you?"

"My name is unimportant Holy Belle, but your name speaks more than my name ever could." He pulled a pipe out from his satchel hanging on the left side and a green plant. He broke it apart and a strange smell started to fill the room. "I want part in your quest, but there's a problem. See, your 'protector' Sülvahn, he-" He snapped his claws together and made a spark that lit the plant instantly. The Ketath inhaled sharply, and laid back against the wall. He breathed out a plume of smoke, purplish in color. "-hates me. Like, really hates me."

"Why does he hate you?"

"Because I have an item of importance that I just happen to borrow forever without permission."

"So you stole it?"

The Ketath looked shocked, gasping and putting his free paw to his chest. "I would never steal!" He retorted. "Like I said, I borrowed it without permission. It's called the Pyroclast Ring. It was made by my kind to defend themselves from fire based attacks. Made out of vulcanized iron and a fire stone, it gives it the natural enchantment of fire immunity! Perfect for getting away from Sülvahn's annoying fire."

Sweetie was trying to wrap her head around this strange creature. The smell of his pipe was started to flood the room with the smells of blue berries and skunks. She covered her nose, and winced. "What is that smell?!"

"Ah! You've never heard of Cannabis? It's a wonderful little herb that helps us Ketath to relax. I supposed it might pull the stick out of Sülvahn's ass..." His eyes looked distant for a moment, and were starting to look a little blood shot. He smiled, feeling the wave of dopamine. Wanting to feel more of this, he took another hit. "You want a hit? It's not bad for you. It's a natural anti-depressant.." Suddenly he looked a little sad. "Especially if you're the last of your tribe..."

Things went silent in the room. He looked directly across the room into her eyes with his right yellow eye. "Are you serious?"

He gave a grave nod to Sweetie Belle. "And would you like to know who killed them all? Exactly two-hundred and fifty years ago?" Sweetie shook her head, fearing the only being she felt that she could trust. "Sülvahn..."

She started to tear up. "You're lying!" Sweetie shouted angerly. "THERE'S NO WAY HE-"

"KILL AN ENTIRE TRIBE OF DEFENSELESS KETATH!?" He screamed, jumping up on his back paws. "Yes! He did! HE KILLED EVERYONE I KNEW AND LOVED!" At some point when he was yelling, his left eye had opened. Sweetie stared into it in complete fear. It didn't have a pupil, and he even pointed to it. "He did this to me before my parents sacrificed themselves...all of their lives to save me...a total of fifteen times..." He fell back on his butt, and took another hit to prevent the pipe going out.

Sweetie Belle was in tears. She couldn't believe it at all! Sülvahn? He killed them, and he lost his parents. "My kind can live up to a thousand years...everytime we die, we lose fifty years of our life, and our natural 'magic' regenerates every last part of our bodies...Then, we move on."

He emptied the pipe, and threw it into his bag. "It's time for me to go."

"Are you going to hurt Sülvahn?"

As he was about to turn to climb out the window, he paused to look at her. "No, killing him won't bring my tribe back, and it won't get me to the Holy Land. I have your sent now, I will follow you, but I will be far behind. I know which direction you're going to, so it won't matter much to me." He jumped out without allowing Sweetie to respond, as if she could.

She was hearing too much. How could things be so violent?! Back in Equestria, murder was rare, very rare, almost unheard of. Sweetie laid her head down on a small bed of hay she found herself used to. The room was slightly cold, which gave her a darker feeling. That's when it hit her: she was alone.

She was a very vocal filly, even as a young foal, she always made noises (which pissed her elder sister off more than once). But, there was a reason why she had friends, there was a reason why she was always around her friends. She hated being alone, no...afraid. Something hit the window, and she looked up and saw nothing. Her biggest fear, coming to life.

Being alone was always her fear. It wasn't the dark, or clowns that she was afraid of or didn't like, it was being alone. Sweetie felt the urge to always have someone by her side at all times. Now that she wasn't talking to someone, the quiet started to creep her out. The candles were starting to dim too, and the darkness of the sky was getting darker. And then she whimpered, hiding under her hooves.

♫ Fear not little child, the lunar mother watches over thee. And in the night thy heart is that if purity. Shadows may creep and scare, and in the night there is much to beware. But she hath thine heart and mind watched quite over. In thy mind, she is always....there.♫ Sweetie smiled, closing her eyes, thinking of Luna. ♫Here we are~!! In the summer night shaaaadooowwwwssss~! THE MOON WILL GLOW! And brighten your night! The half moon give you a bed! And the full gives you a home! Beware not young child! You will return hooooommmmeeee~...♫

♫It's okay~...To be scared...It's okay~ You will return home~...

She couldn't understand what was happening. Could of it had been her imagination? She didn't care, she didn't think much about it. Sleep quickly took her, with only the princess of the night completely on her mind.

Meanwhile, sitting outside of the building Sülvahn and Lokist were sitting and staring at Sweetie Belle. Both of their eyes were wide open as they saw two other ponies sitting around her and creating a green bed and a brown dome around her. They were looking up at them, all four locked in a staring contest which seemed to end when both of the ponies nodded at them.

"What was that Sülvahn?"

Sülvahn couldn't answer her. He had no idea what he was staring at. "I...I have no idea..."

Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 8/15> [UNEDITED]

That night, Sweetie Belle felt like that was the best sleep she had in these very few days. She awoke alone, but it seemed last night someone or something had left her a few of those "Wonder Lust Apples". Those apples had a flavor she never had tasted before, and she was sure that the Apples had to get these apples on their farm. They'd be rich after the second harvest.

Her mouth began to water as she began to imagine the cider being even better than before! It was hard to believe that a wasteland grew apples that had every important mineral to sustain life in such a compact space. She got up slowly, not wanting to ruin her new found energy. A quest was ahead of her, unlike any other before her.

She picked an apple up and took a bite. A wave of flavor made her whole body tingle happily, and a great smile flashed on her face. Loving the salty and sweet flavor was something she never thought of before brought new found wonder. Sweetie gave a long sigh of relief as she sat down, continuing to munch on the Wonder Lust Apple. The color of it was a dark red and the stems were a pinkish color which reminded her of the crystal.

Back home, Twilight taught her to find patters in spells and everyday life. Everything so far that was pink, gave life. The crystal that saved her life, now the stems of those wonderful apples she enjoyed eating. What was this? Was it because that since everything was dead, things that found their own ways to grow, had that pure aura that radiated life? She studied them for a moment. The remaining six apples all were a deep red, and all had that same pink stem. Taking a few notes, she bit only partly into one. She took notice of the core of the apple, it too had a pinkish color like the stem. The seeds were a lighter pink.

"So pink must mean life..." She thought to herself aloud. "I thought it meant love..." During the Canterlot wedding, or after the attack ended, there was a pinkish hue to everything. Everypony had seemed to love one another, and no one had found a reason to fight. Even the Canterlot nobles didn't think of feuding with even their most hated rivals. Love was quite literately in the air, and infected everyone like the plague.

She took a look outside once she finished eating the apples. Finding herself more than full, it looked like her belly was bulging like a pregnant mare's. She even waddled over to the window, though it was still a few feet higher than her. There were a few Ketath roaming about, none had the green belts that one Ketath had that visited her last night.

Sweetie had found all sorts of colors these Ketath had for their fur coats. Some brown, some very tan, others seemed to be pure white. None like the grayish Ketath.

"Sweetie Belle? Are you awake?" She heard Lokist call from the top of the stairs.

Sweetie turned around and said, "Yeah, I just woke up a few minutes ago."

"Have you eaten? Sülvahn would like for me to escort you to the town gates once you have."

She yawned a little, and nodded. "Coming!"

"Is that the last strap?" Sülvahn asked impatiently. When he saw the saddle for Sweetie Belle he hadn't realized that there would be that many straps to tie on to him. Had he grown and not realized it?

Smith finished pulling the last strap into place, and took a step back to be proud of his finest work. "Eeeyup! That's the last my friend."

"You may go now."

Smith put his paws up in defense. "Woah now Sülvahn. I want to see if it fits Holy Belle before you go on." Sülvahn gave a long sigh and a roll of his eyes. "And yeah, I know. She ain't no goddess, but I still want to see 'er.""

"You Ketath are so curious. It is going to kill you all one day." He said under his breath, and looked to the sky. The sun was less dim today from what his eyes could tell. Which meant more hot air above a couple thousand feet.

The saddle Smith had made was tied all around Sülvahn. It had two bags on each side making it a total of four. It was made out of leather, (which may have not been a good idea now that Sülvahn thought about it, but it was much too late), and it gave him just enough room to reach top speed without slowing him down too much to use more energy. It was also a light brown color, and the metal bolts that tied the straps together was clean steel, reflecting the sun's rays on the ground. Smith tried to step around those spots, fearing it might burn his paws much more than the hot sand and rock ground he was standing on.

Smith shrugged. "And when that day comes, you can laugh from the clouds you love to fly through so much." He sat down next to him and sighed. Looking up at the dragon at least twelve times his size, he asked quietly. "Are you returning? You know, back here?"

Sülvahn looked down at Smith who seemed to have a sad look in his eyes. Those Ketath eyes always hit him where it mattered, even if they didn't try. He made a long sigh, looking out over the stretch of land he was about to fly over. "I cannot answer that Smith..." Sülvahn said, a hit of sadness showed only a little bit. "You all do not need me, yet I wish to return. If I cannot, then so it shall be." He started to grin, and looked back down at him. "I can however, if I cannot return, message you."

Smith scoffed playfully. "I am not that important Sülvahn." He laughed a little, returning his gaze back to the wasteland. "It would be nice though...Say, how long has it been since we've met?"

"When my search for the Pyroclast Ring ended....so, two hundred years?"

"I wish I could have that ring though." Smith stared at his paws. "It would've been nice to not worry about burning my paws on the forge anymore."

Sülvahn chuckled a little bit. "Ah yes..." His senses told him that two creatures, hopefully Lokist and Sweetie Belle, were exiting the gate nearest to them. "I am sorry I must leave you my old friend."

"As the greater Wizers say: Born apart, all friends are part of our own litter. I am proud to have you as a friend."

Sülvahn looked rather confused. "What do you mean?" He had never been called a brother. It left a strange feeling inside of himself. He put his hand to his chest after sitting back on his back two legs. "I am not part of your litter, and we used to hate one another.... I do not understand."

Smirking, Smith lightly punched Sülvahn, not that if he hit him any harder would matter. "You're too serious! Besides...All friendships have their bumps, much like your scales. Its the job of both of the friends to get over it together...Look, I know my kind doesn't have much by way of good....relations with you. After that attack in the mountains..."

"Sülvahn!"

"Sülvahn!" Sülvahn turned his head with a smile, and saw Sweetie Belle completely fine. She had a large smile on her face, and seemed to prance with each step. Then she paused, looking a little strange for a moment. He couldn't tell if it was anger, or sadness, just a look of disgust. Then, it went away as she approached him, and asked. "Sülvahn, are you evil?"

"So she speaks basic eh?" Sweetie's attention was temporarily the Ketath sitting next to Sülvahn. "Hiya little thing! The name's Smith, and I am the one who made this beauty!" He motioned back to Sülvahn.

Sülvahn paused for a moment, trying to think on why Sweetie Belle would ask that question. Instead he answered with, "I am reformed." He looked to Lokist. "You can go back now. Your father should be back by now. Tell him he might not be seeing me again."

"Any reason why?"

Sülvahn shook his head slowly. "Just do as I ask please."

Lokist made a quick bow to Sülvahn before turning to Sweetie. "It was wonderful meeting you Hol-Sweetie Belle. I hope we get to see one another soon."

Sweetie Belle jumped to hug her. "Thanks for helping me get better!"

Lokist giggled. "So cute..."

Sülvahn nodded. "Yes, quite." He lifted Sweetie Belle onto his back with his tail and rested her on the saddle.

This is where Smith jumped up high onto his back to explain how the straps went around Sweetie Belle. He explained slowly, and made sure not to leave out even the lightest detail. His father before him was keen on making sure nothing was left out of their inventions, making them perfect in every way. Only, Smith had wished all Ketath followed simple lives. And once he was done he jumped off and gave a long respectful bow to both of them.

"I'd wish you good luck, but you're going through some dangerous places were that luck can be turned around. So I shall just say luck so I don't take the fall for any at all failures that may come your way." His smile was devilish to a point, but still held some if any value. "So luck~!"

It was sometime later after they had said their goodbyes, Sülvahn not wanting to be the one to stall time, it ended fairly quickly. The ground far below them now, it was nearly completely quiet except for the air rushing past them and Sülvahn's wings beating every so often. Sweetie was doing her best to hide her uneasy feeling.

It was burning her now, not the heat of his scales, but his past. Could he really have killed all of those Ketath?

"Sweetie Belle...?" She heard his voice hinting at her uneasiness.

"Y-yeah?"

He took a deep breath and said, "Why did you ask me if I was evil? Do you know what that implies....on me?" Was it sadness in his voice? Sweetie shook her head. "It implies that you have fear, towards me in particular...Do you?"

Sweetie's ears sprayed back as she nodded. "Y-a little..."

His lips pursed shut. "I will ask you once, and it will not change my mind about taking you home." There was a long painful silence, and there was a noticeable decrease in his speed. "Why? Why do you fear me? Why do you...hate me?"

"I don't hate you!" She shot out in almost a second. Then, she looked away, tearing up. "Someone told me last night you....killed his...entire tribe."

Sülvahn would have stopped if he weren't flying. Instead, he angled his wings to slow down much more. He was skilled in his own flight control, so he was able to descend but still maintain a very acute flight. "His name is Athiss Valsith." He said, his voice rasp. "And he does not lie..."

"Why?"

"Two hundred years, seven months ago, it was early spring. A group of sixty-eight adults, and twelve below fifty."

"What does that mean?"

"Twelve below fifty? Ketath cannot regenerate before age fifty. Anyways, they were on a mission to steal a special ring that gives one the immunity over fire based....anything."

"He told me they made it."

"They did, they were taking it back. I was on my way to get them...To at least, make a deal to return it. They acted out in violence..." He sighed, speeding back up. "They struck first after I had given my warning."

"So you were only defending yourself?"

Sülvahn nodded. "Athiss Vasith was in a carrage that was covered when it was burned down. It turns out his parents had it with him. I told them to give it to me before more lives were lost. Alass...They fought me to their deaths. Athiss ran for it, the ring vanished somehow, so I asked him to tell me where it was. He refused and attacked me as well... I had thought he died. He wasn't fifty yet." Another question appeared in his head as he spoke. "Was he the one you spoke to last night Sweetie Belle?"

"So, you tried being nIce?" He nodded. "Then yes....he did, but he said you attacked them without warning."

"Did he say anything true?"

Sweetie looked down. "I don't want you to hurt him..." She said, in her teeth. "I don't care! Let him keep it!"

Sülvahn stopped competely, maintaining a hover by using his energy to stir the air around him. So they started to glow a deep red color, and his alktis started to hum around his neck. "Tell me...now!"

Sweetie Belle's head started to hurt as her eyes opened wider. It was like he was drilling into her like diamond dogs. "Sülvahn! P-please! Don't hurt him!" She begged and shouted at him. She was starting to tear up as the pain got worse. "Please!"

"Tell me if he is doing anything!" He shouted back. "He has stolen something of vital importance of my brother's. There's seven for each of us. I have mine..." He motioned to his bag on the right. Seven different crystals."

"What are they for? They made you better...when you got angry..."

Sülvahn wasn't going to let the topic fall off track. "Sweetie Belle, tell me if he is going to do anything. Now that he might know where we're going." He said quieter. "Sweetie it is important I protect you. If he has you on his mind, that is not good. Athiss is a master assassin, and is a lier to his bones."

"He said he knows where we're going..." She looked at him directly. "Please....don't hurt him...It's fine.."

"How can you trust him!?

"Because I know when someone's lying. I know that you aren't telling me the whole truth..." It was a bold face lie that she had said that, but it did sound like he was leaving some things out. "Besides! You said you changed! While you're protecting me, I don't want you to hurt him. He's following us yes, but leave it be..."

He looked away from her, flying on. "As you wish...This once I will do what I am asked. Perhaps he has changed...like I."

Sweetie smiled a little and leaned in the saddle, wrapping her hooves around his neck. "Thank you..."

"You are welcome."

Down below, Athiss looked up at them flying away. He had stopped to catch his breath. He shook his head and huffed.

"I'm an assassin....why am I so out of breath!?" He stepped off again into a full sprint. This was going to be much harder than he had predicted..."Stupid, stupid, stupid..."

Prologue [EDITED]

Thanks to my editor: adanger2all !

"Scootaloo! Scootaloo! SCOOTALOO!!!" Apple Bloom called impatiently up to her friend's cloud. It hung in the sky like a small freeloader. The fluffy white cloud hung in the sky simply letting the air and pegasi do whatever they wished to it. Of course, it was just a cloud; it isn't like it has feelings or anything important to do. Apple Bloom did however, Sweetie Belle had something important planned today.

Today was the day, Sweetie Belle was going to try out teleportation for the first time, (under Princess Twilight's strict watch inside her castle. In a location that can withstand any magical blast, in case anything went too far or was going to go downhill of course). Sweetie Belle felt confident that she could teleport, but Princess Twilight was the only one to say, "No one does it on the first try." and also thought the filly's confidence was at an all time high for somepony training under a princess, speaking from personal experience of course. No pony mastered any spell of any kind without proper training and supervision which was why Princess Twilight was willing to watch her student when she wanted to try.

"What!?" She yelled back down, not moving from her favorite spot in the sky. After finally learning how to fly after two years of hard training, after Rainbow Dash 'adopted' the enthusiastic filly, she just wanted to relax on her cloud. It was hard work, but with plenty of training and drinking enough milk Scootaloo's wings started to show rapid growth, as did her height. In fact, all the fillies looked much more grown up and nearly ready to get their cutie marks. They decided to take their crusading slower so they didn't destroy the town right after the repairs were just done. All in all they were happy and so was the mayor, she could cancel the repair funds sent from Canterlot. Not even Princess Celestia herself could figure out how three fillies could cause two million bits of damages in only two days.

The orange filly was enjoying the early summer day as it was. Up in the clouds, the air was cool, and the summer sun was keeping her warm even though pegasi didn't feel their higher altitude coolness. Evolution had favored pegasi. Giving them not only strong but light bone structures, but a higher tolerance to temperature differentials to deal with the higher altitudes and landing again. When Rainbow Dash explained this to Scootaloo, Twilight was around in the library to make sure that Rainbow Dash was spot on and that there wasn’t any incorrect information. Which was a strange sight for the athlete to be found in. Rainbow Dash hated libraries, and books in general if it wasn't a Daring Doo novel. So, finding out that Rainbow Dash loved to teach not only how to fly, but different and more complex parts of the pegasus was something short of a paradox.

"We need to go see Sweetie Belle! She's goin' to try teleportin’ today!" Apple Bloom wasn't willing to wait for long. She wasn't going to be late because Scootaloo didn't want to leave her place in the sky. It was almost funny when everypony found out that Scootaloo saw Rainbow Dash as her true mother. After her mother died when she was a filly she didn't have anypony to look up to, and it was Rainbow Dash who took her place. "Come on!" Apple Bloom’s voice showed great need for her friend to listen and go with her.

Scootaloo turned over on her cloud and smiled down at her friend. "Why today? I thought it was going to be when we saw Princess Twilight on Tuesday?"

Apple Bloom snorted, stomping her hoof. "Did ya really forget Scoots? Sweetie Belle told us two days ago that she was going to do it on Friday because she won't be here. She's going to be with her big sis' in Canterlot!" Apple Bloom hated how Scootaloo always forgot about important things like this. This was going to be Sweetie Belle's first actual teleportation she wanted to do.

When Apple Bloom told her this Scootaloo did remember, after a little thought, that Sweetie Belle did make that a thing with Princess Twilight's approval. "When do we need to get there? I can fly us there, if you want." She offered kindly in order to arrive there sometime quicker than just walking.

"In ten minutes, and yes, if Ah'm not too heavy..." She said meekly. "Ah've been gaining a bunch from learnin' how to apple buck." Now that Apple Bloom was older, it was time for her to start helping more on the farm. She started with simple chores, but she wasn't quite big enough to apple buck. She could do everything else but apple bucking. Now that she was helping with the more difficult chores, Applejack could focus more on the on coming Zap Apple harvest.

Scootaloo flexed her wings proudly and stood on her back legs. "I'm sure I can! Don't you worry!" She swooped down with an orange and purple trail behind her in a short frenzy. Then with one sharp turn up she held Apple Bloom in her hooves, flying in the direction of the castle.

Sometime later, somewhat closer to the ground encase she dropped Apple Bloom, Scootaloo was finding that she was in over her head. Her friend was in fact heavy, if not heavier than they both thought. Apple Bloom felt sorry for her winged friend, though she figured it's what she gets for not remembering her friend's debut.

The slightly grown filly was about ready to call it quits when she saw Rainbow Dash flying by. Instantly, her energy boosted, and her wings found new strength to go on. Apple Bloom only laughed to herself seeing how she knew well the feeling behind working hard to impress somepony. Her somepony was her big sister Applejack who was one of the best apple buckers in all of Equestria. Her medals didn't lie and neither did the Element of Honesty.

As soon as Scootaloo landed, she nearly dropped her friend. Gasping for air while laying on her back, she found it hard to breath. She held a hoof in the air saying, "I see the light..."

Apple Bloom giggled. "Come on Scoots! We gotta get goin'!"

She struggled to get up, but Scootaloo managed to stay up though her legs wobbled like crazy. Her whole face was flushed from exhaustion as she panted heavily, grabbing as much air as she could in one breath while trying to keep a quick pace to not pass out on. Apple Bloom helped her friend onto her back and made sure she wasn’t going to fall off. Many of the ponies around them saw this act of kindness, and awwed wonderfully at them, some even cheered happily.

"Don't *pant* tell *pant* anypony!" Scootaloo wheezed out nearly turning blue now.

"Keep breathin’ Scoots, yah look kinda blue." Apple Bloom gently scolded Scootaloo, who seemed to take heed of her warning. Her voice taking on almost motherly tone to it. "Besides....A couple dozen saw me do it anyways."

Apple Bloom felt a swell in pride for her admiration. Everypony saw her do it, and all of them cheered for her. She didn't know why they did, but she knew this town loved heroes. She wasn't thinking that she would be thought as a hero. The whole time she made her way into the castle, Apple Bloom thought about how big this was for Sweetie Belle as well.

Her friend has been learning how to teleport for the past seven weeks, she said that today was the day she knew she could do it. The white filly had done it a few feet, but it was still a full teleport. A few inches would have also counted as well, but the filly claimed that she was trying to pick up a falling piece of fine Piena that Rarity loved to death. To have it break would mean for the whole town to suffer Rarity's wrath until she found who ever did it. What Sweetie Belle did was a massive favor for the whole town. What led the Piena falling was still very much a mystery nopony had any need to solve.

Twilight didn't want to believe it at first, but eventually she had thought about how hard Sweetie Belle was trying to teleport things. At first it was a small ball, then it moved to heavier things, then after about four weeks she started to move to small logs as heavy as a newborn filly. It was very possible that the filly had managed to do it by some whim. Princess Twilight had a reasonable theory on how the filly managed it. With a combination of absolute need and being almost ready to do it, there was a good chance it was a simple teleportation to keep the Piena in one piece.

"Ah, girls! Welcome!" Princess Twilight smiled happily at the two incoming fillies. Then she realized Scootaloo was laying on Apple Bloom's back, she giggled for but a moment, trying her hardest not to laugh out loud. She covered her mouth, suppressing her laugh. "Well now, looks like someone is the hero of the day I suppose." It was such a cute sight to see. Twilight had also instantly thought of a lesson to tell her former mentor. What she saw was a perfect friendship between all three races. The CMC was a perfect example of the union of pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns.

Apple Bloom gently placed her friend down on her hooves. "Can ya stand now Scootaloo?" She nodded, and Apple Bloom took a moment to crack her back. "Ahhhhh.....Thanks Princess Twilight, She flew me here from her cloud outside town."

Twilight quickly ran over to Scootaloo, her horn lighting up like a Hearths Warming Eve night in Ponyville. She rapidly doused the filly in medical spells to make sure the filly didn't strain herself too harshly. Twilight also helped restore some lost stamina by putting her in an small adrenaline rush to keep the filly awake. She then moved on to return her heart rate to normal and put pure oxygen into Scoots’ lungs, which made the room smell a lot like ozone.

After a few moments, Twilight got her on her hooves, standing right. She sighed in relief. "Are you okay Scootaloo?" Twilight had a few driblets of sweat running down her face, and her wings looked limp as well. Twilight wasn't a master at healing spells. Her area of practice was Combat and Defensive magics, and she was alright in support magic. Her magical blasts were powerful enough to wipe an entire country side, and her shields put her brother's to shame . Not even Shining Armor could protect against Discord's magic, somehow, Twilight's could.

"Princess are yah goin' to be okay?" There was more than a hint of concern in Apple Bloom's voice. She approached the princess in case she needed help to stay steady.

Twilight nodded slowly, taking in a few deep breaths. "Yes, thank you for asking." She said with a kind smile, hugging the filly with a gentle squeeze. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were such good friends and students, she couldn't think any less of them if they helped out one another. It was wonderful that she could write about what she learned to her former teacher. It was a habit she didn't think of quitting any time soon. They cared about anypony close to them and always made sure that they were fine before doing anything else they wanted to do.

"Where's Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo said at last, finding herself back at a steady breath. Her face was still flushed a bit, but she was glad she wasn't blue anymore.

"She'll be here in a moment. She needed to do something before she started." Twilight explained, catching her own breath. Sweetie Belle had to get Spike so he could write down the results of her teleportation. Because dragons could smell the level of magic within ponies, Spike was the only one who could accurately measure magic used.

"Princess Twilight, we're back!" Sweetie Belle shouted, walking in from the other side of the hall. Spike stood next to her waving his claw with a smile. "Ready Spike?"

"I am!" He gave a stern nod. "You ready girls?!"

"We are, Spike!" Twilight called back with an quill and parchment. "You may start when ready Sweetie Belle! You can do it!"

Spike placed his claw on Sweetie Belle, and smiled softly at her. "You can do it Sweetie Belle. Have faith."

Sweetie Belle looked back at Spike. "You really think I can?"

The drake nodded, throwing a thumbs up. "You got it in you. You just got to find it, y'know?"

She inhaled deeply. I sure hope so... Sweetie Belle thought, taking in another deep breath. She wanted to be as calm as possible. The room was so quiet, she could hear her breathing so clearly. It was a little strange to have the hall so quiet. Normally it was filled with Twilight ordering her around, telling her which spells to use during practice. But now, she was in control, this was her moment.

Sweetie Belle's horn lit up, so did Twilight's as she began using a magic spell to scan Sweetie's. So far, everything was normal. Sweetie Belle imagined herself fifty feet away in front of Twilight and her friends. First time teleportation, when done right with proper calculation, Twilight knew this well. You had to think of yourself there, feeling everything around you like you were already there.

Twilight saw a spike in her magic flow, but this was natural. Once the image is created, you must begin to feel the movement of the teleport. Then~

BBBBUUUURRRRPPPP!!!

Sweetie's eyes grew wide and white as the first wave of magic blasted outwards, but the ponies and dragon were able to keep themselves steady. Twilight tried to put a shield around the filly, but it was too late, she was already in a magical overload.

"GET DOWN!!" Twilight screamed as the sudden noise had caused Sweetie Belle to go into shock. Her magic spiked to dangerous levels. She reacted just like her mentor had when she had misstepped. Twilight quickly placed a tracker on her, shielded them all, and moved Spike over all in the matter of seconds which seemed to be all she had.

Sweetie was screaming in so much pain, the magic had overloaded. The magic was so super heated it started to turn to a semi-liquid form that dropped onto her face as she rose into the air. It was so heated it began to burn the white filly's face. Windows began to break as the scream reached a sickening pitch.

Everything went white for Twilight and the others as she vanished with a loud explosion. They were all pushed back violently as Twilight's shield shattered, they all screamed as they flew back against their wills. Twilight hit a pillar after managing to grab the fillies but not Spike. She knew the drake was as strong as she was when he hit the other pillar next to her.

Twilight woke up a few moments later. Her body finally allowing her to move around. The fillies were out cold and Spike was still down, but he was fine from what her spells showed her. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief before moving on Twilight began to use magic to move the dust out of the way.

"Sweetie Belle!" Twilight cried, not hearing an answer. "SWEETIE BELLE!" The smoke was clear, and in the center of the creator, was a pile of ash. "SSSSWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTIIIIEEEEEE BBBBBEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She fell onto the ground, and began sobbing uncontrollably. The only thing that was passing through her mind was, I'm a failure as a teacher...

The next day Rarity had came to see the destruction, in fact all of Ponyville had. The princesses, all of them, and Discord arrived later. They didn't say a single word, not even Discord had anything to say, but he watched, the only thing that didn't move from his spot.

Spike was sitting right next to the ash pile, tears running down his eyes. "I failed...I....I could've...done something...." He murmured to himself sadly. He sat there in a ball, looking at the ash. "I couldn't even say it....I should have....but..."

Seeing the small dragon so distraught, Rarity of all ponies walked over to him. She hugged him tightly. "You loved her didn't you?"

Spike blushed a little. "Yeah, a little..."

"Is that why you're sitting here, alone?"

He looked away from Rarity, frowning. "I'm sitting here because I told her she could do it..."

"And she did...This isn't your fault Spike." He looked to Celestia who had overheard their conversation. "I don't know whose fault it is, I wouldn't like to think it was somepony's fault...but, maybe she's alive.

Spike curled up into a very tight ball. "I sure hope so..."

Two weeks had passed. There was no sign of Sweetie Belle that could be found within Equestria. Not even four princesses could search the entire world for one pony. Their range was affected by where they ruled, meaning they could only go only five thousand miles from Canterlot in every direction. They poured their magic into Twilight once again so she could use every bit she could to find the small white filly. The tracer that Twilight had placed on her was magically burned away by the superheated flash. Twilight did every calculation possible, but they all ended up the same: The flash was too hot, it killed her instantly the very moment of the explosion.

When she broke the news to Rarity, she refunded every client, and recommended that they go see Coco Pomel. Rarity closed down her shop the day she found out. Twilight pulled some princess moves, keeping the whole home working fine. Water, heating, electricity, etc. She made it a royal order until Rarity was once able to take care of things herself. Of course Mayor Mare was more than happy to help Twilight and offered to help check on Rarity when she wasn’t busy.

Pinkie Pie convinced the Cakes to help keep Rarity stocked with food. Rainbow Dash got a friend to drop her mail inside her house. Fluttershy stayed with Rarity to make sure that she wasn't going to do anything bad to herself. Rarity was almost killed by her grief, but thanks to Apple Jack and Big Mac they moved everything into their cellar to make sure she was safe. She cried for days. As each day passed she looked worse and worse, not even caring about her make-up or cleaning up in general. Thankfully, Fluttershy was also on top of taking care of every need Rarity had. Food, she cooked it to precise measure, and water, she made cold. Baths were always a nice soothing warm with some herbs to help her relax.

However, unknown to them, Sweetie Belle wasn't dead at all...and not even Discord knew this.

Chapter 1 - The Wastelands <PART 2/15> [EDITED]

Sweetie Belle opened her eyes once more. This time, she was ready to face the dragon. She got up slowly, her muscles protesting with aches and pains, screaming at her to go back to sleep or at least stop trying to move. Ignoring the pain, she gritted her teeth through the aches. It was took a lot of effort on her part to get to a steady standing position, moving was a different story.

*Grumbling noises* Sweetie looked down at her stomach and mentally shouted at it. She didn't know where the dragon was, but she was lucky it wasn't in its cave. Looking around she saw it was littered with rare gems she hadn't seen before. Above her were large crystal like structures that glowed, giving light to the cave that enabled her to see. Red gems, blue gems, green gems, and more all around her. Over in a corner were gray gems, she hadn't quite figured out what to make of them.

Small black orbs bounced inside of them at impossible speeds. If it wasn't for her amazing eyesight, and not blinking, she wouldn't have seen this strange sight. Then, she moved on to pile of gray gem dust on the floor. She poked it, feeling a zap, she squeaked and backed off. Sweetie Belle licked her hoof gently, trying to ease the stinging pain.

"You are awake?" Sweetie Belle looked over to see a very tall horse standing over her. It had a gentle smile on her face. There wasn't a cutie mark to be seen, but her solid gray coat and black mane stood out from her pale brown eyes. She bowed low before laying on her stomach. "Excuse me...I am still trying to figure out what exactly you are. My master wishes to know as well."

"W-who are you?!" Sweetie started to take a few steps back, but the horse didn't dare to move any closer to her.

"Calm down, little one... please, lay with me." She gently tapped her hoof on the hard cave floor. "I am a friend, please don't be afraid. My master sent me to speak with you."

"I-is the black dragon your master?" Sweetie asked, stepping a little closer before sitting down. "You sorta look like my princess, but with no horn or wings."

The large horse looked around herself and laughed. "Yes, I don't have those. Unlike you, I am of Saddle Arabian decent, but I was born in Filis. It's just west of here, give or take a few dozen miles of barren desert." She sighed, looking peacefully at Sweetie Belle. "Forgive me once again...What is your name?"

"My name is Sweetie Belle, what's your name?"

"My master has raised me since my birth mother died. He called me Jakli, it means Safe One in his tongue." She rubbed her chin, pondering deeply. "So, what are you? I haven't seen your kind before."

"I'm a unicorn!" Sweetie said proudly, sitting up straight. "I can cast cool spells, and..." Her ears dropped low behind her head. "But I still can't do anything right..."

Jakli frowned. "Now, little Sweetie Belle...Failure is just another way of not doing something the right way. My master, despite his size and power, fails quite often. I believe he nearly failed to save your life."

"He what!?"

"Yes, he used a great deal of energy to get you to his cave in time to use his last Crystal of Regeneration."

Sweetie snorted quite loudly in disbelief. "Yeah right...Dragons, where I'm from, are nothing but greedy good-for-nothings..."

Jakli snorted into a laughing fit. "Well of course they are!" She laughed, trying to keep her breath in her lungs. "But my master Sülvahn is not your everyday dragon. See, he protects this land with his master Scorpan."

"S-scorpan!?"

"Why yes, Sweetie Belle. Have you not heard of the Wastelands?"

Sweetie Belle looked away from Jakli. "In school I have...A desert where nothing can survive."

"What a crude joke..." Jakli said harshly. "There are cities, dozens of them."

"Where do you get food and water?"

"We get food from our farms inside the safe town walls. Our water comes from our moon goddess."

Moon goddess? Sweetie thought with interest. "How does she get it to the towns?"

"Through rain. The moon goddess brings the water up from the sea in big orbs of water. We don't know how she does it with no horn or wings as your princesses have. She is the great horse. One of four I believe." Jakli said, drawing circles in the cave floor. She gave a long sigh. "I'm sorry for what happened to your face...does it hurt?"

Sweetie gently touched her face where she felt a slight tingling sensation. When she touched it, it began to burn, and it made her wince. "Yeah...a little...Say...If that dragon is your master, why did he have a hard time learning to speak Equestrian and not you, if he raised you."

"Ah, yes... I've traveled to many cities. I have seen your kind before, but not with a horn or wings. Some had stumps on their sides, and others had big bubbles on their heads. Strange sights indeed...You are a pony, are you not?"

"I am..." She said, sounding a little sad.

"Where are you from?"

"Equestria..."

"The holy land?" She asked, turning her head to the side. "You're from the holy land?"

Sweetie Belle smiled a little with a tiny nod. "I guess if you want to call it that."

"Can you tell me of it?"

"Perhaps another time..." Sweetie yawned loudly. "I'm tired...do you think I could get an actual bed?"

"That pile of hay is the closest thing you might get. However, I must be getting back to my father." She stood up, and nuzzled the filly. "I wish you well Holy Belle. I hope you find your way back to the holy land where you belong." She turned to leave, but Sweetie bit down onto the mare's tail. "Yes?"

"Is the dragon good?"

Jakli nodded, smiling widely. "He's my surrogate father Holy Belle...Yes, I suppose he is nice. A little strict, but then again...." She knelt down to the filly's ear and laughed a little. "Aren't all parents?"

Sweetie giggled into her hoof. "Yeah, you're right... So this means he won't eat me?"

"You're strange to think a dragon would eat something as small as you Holy Belle. My father said the same thing to me when a enemy of mine, in my own school, told me he was going to eat me when I got in trouble." She laughed, remembering that night. " ‘Eating you is too much work to digest Jakli. I wouldn't even get enough energy to make up for killing you.’ That's what he said to me. He's nice, trust me if you can."

"I'll try..." Sweetie sighed.

"Would you like to speak to him? He's waiting outside until you're ready." She turned to leave once again, and out she went from the cave.

Jakli walked slowly out of the cave where her father was waiting, his back against the cave. She walked up to him and set her head on his thigh and gave a long wistful sigh.

"Something troubling you my little hatchling?"

"I spoke to her, and you were right. She is like the smaller horses in Malitik and Borark."

"So what should I do?" He asked her. He was never afraid to ask for assistance when he needed it the most. His daughter knew things that he never had the time to learn. She was free to roam through the Wastelands and, with all her free time, she studied many things. She knew how to read the stars, and knew when the next rainfall would come. "I am worried...should I be worried?"

"Father, the only thing you should fear is your own greed. Her name is Sweetie Belle and...she's from the Holy Land."

Sülvahn looked down at his daughter. "The Holy Land? What is this place?"

"She calls it Equestria for some reason, but if she is from there, there must be more of these unicorns..."

Sülvahn sighed, looking out in a random direction. "I am lost...What is a...uni-corn?"

"A pony with a horn. Apparently her princess has both a horn and wings. I think her injuries are messing with her mind. There is no way she is from the Holy Land."

"What if she is?" Sülvahn asked her.

"Then she is, but I don't believe her. There is no way she could be. No way a creature such as her is from there. You must have great honor to get there. A record showing your worthiness. "

Sülvahn hummed quizzically to himself. "Can I talk to her?"

Jakli shook her head. "Father, she is still very afraid of you. She's seen a dragon before, most likely...she's escaped her former master."

"I was trying to avoid thinking about that, Jakli. I did smell dragon on her, but I didn't think she would escape her master so easily."

"What will you do with her?" Jakli asked with concern in her voice. Something within her was acting out to defend the small filly. It was a strange feeling deep within her that was very different to her. She held her hoof up to her chest, feeling her heart pulse with every thought for the well being of this small horse. "What is this..." She asked quietly under her breath.

"I shall wait until then, Jakli. If she does have a master, he'll smell her if she's close by." He looked down at Jakli, and saw her in mild distress. He could hear her heart beat heavy. "Are you okay?"

"I...I feel as though I should be taking care of her father. She is small and but a child." She sniffed loudly as Sülvahn wrapped his wing around her. "Father....dad...what will you do with her? Please...promise me you'll take care of her well. Like you did with me after my mother's death."

"I don't know where she truly lives, Jakli. If she does live in the Holy Land, then she must get there by herself. Dragons are not allowed there. It would be a crime against the moon goddess to do so." He sighed loudly, breathing a little fire to cool himself off a little. "I cannot promise to take care of her. I don't know if she has a mother or father to speak of. We still don't know if she has a master or not. I'm sorry my daughter... This is an oath I cannot keep."

Jakli stood up from her father, and took a few steps forward. "I understand father. You only mean what's best for her and what's best for the land you protect."

Sülvahn smiled. "I am glad you still know this as well as I. I can only leave this place if Scorpan allows me." He looked up to the sky, feeling the sad sun. "Why is the sun so sad...?"

"Because it must watch the pain of all who suffers, and cries when a life never sees the light."

"Good answer..."

Jakli yawned for a moment as she stood up. She hugged her father's leg and looked up at him."I must get going now father...Lorel must be getting worried by now. I ran over here as soon as you sent the message. He....doesn't like it when you summon me without much of a warning."

Sülvahn nodded, gently rubbing his hand down his daughter's hair. "It is fine. You aided me how you could. Go on, go speak to your lover."

Jakli blushed up, her face began to glow red. "F-father! He isn't my lover!" She looked away from her father, trying to hide her face from him. But it was to no use, as Sülvahn moved his head with his long neck to look directly into her eyes.

He sighed with a soft smile, poking her stomach. "I smell it...How come you didn't tell me?"

Jakli's head dropped in defeat, her secret now out. "I forgot you had such a good nose father...I..I-...I was going to tell you...Just...I wanted to make sure..."

Sülvahn's expression softened up more. "Sure of what? That I wouldn't be mad?" He smiled wider now, picking her up gently with both of his hands. "Jakli, as a father, be-it I am not your true father as he abandoned you, I still love you. You are mine, I chose to take care of you, knowing full well that you would grow up someday. I am wise, and kind... I am not mad Jakli. I'm glad you've started your own life outside of this cave that was your home."

Jakli was starting to tear up from the unexpected reaction she received from him. This was the first time he was happy with her choices, a very unexpected turn of events. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"Nonsense, Jakli! This is what I wanted of you. I wanted you to do something like this. As a dragon, we must fight for what we think is right for our own intentions. I have fought my own greed to keep you alive, that was my goal from the very beginning. I wanted you to live, grow, and start a family." He chuckled a little, gently resting Jakli on the ground. "I see now why you feel so strongly for the pony in there. You are feeling what most females feel when they have children....or about to get one I suppose."

"I'll see you again soon father...Thank you."

Sülvahn watched his daughter walk down the path from his cave, down to the Wastelands below. She wasn't too far along in her pregnancy, maybe a month. There was hardly a change in her shape, but the smell of her was that of two beings in one body. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle had watched the whole confrontation.

She watched as her new friend was picked up gently, and how the black dragon had just let her go. Seeing this put her in a strange mindset. Never before had she seen a dragon other than Spike have the compassion of life, most other dragons didn’t have that. Most sought to destroy and conquer. This dragon had something inside of him she didn't see, but knew was there.

As she watched Jakli leave, she saw Sülvahn watch her go with a silverish tear running down his face but it confused her because he was smiling. Why did he poke her stomach? Why did he let her go? These were questions that were causing her rattled mind to hurt. Her horn began to sting, and she began to rub it slowly to help ease the pain.

Stepping back deeper into the cave Sweetie Belle felt her stomach squeeze from hunger. How long had it been since she'd eating was unknown to her, but her stomach had never lied about her needing food. If she was going to get any better, food had to be a priority. However, this was going to be a problem. All she had was the very thing that was keeping her off the cold cave floor during the night when it came. She didn't know any transmutation spells, yet, or anything much that could help her. She couldn't even do spells with her horn fractured, and only a unicorn doctor knew how to heal a broken or fractured horn. Although, she hadn’t yet noticed this as she was trying to figure out where she exactly was. Her mind was on more important matters than her horn.

"UGH! This is stupid! Why did I try that!?" She yelled kicking a green gem across the floor. She felt like all she could do right now was to yell at the top of her lungs, but that would only worry or anger the dragon guarding her at the entrance to his cave. " The Princess was right... I wasn't ready..."

She sat down and slumped over onto her 'bed'. Burying herself under her hooves, Sweetie began to cry. She felt so stupid for trying something she wasn't ready for. The teleportation was an accident, yet she went on with it anyways. All she could think about was how badly she had failed. She was in the WASTELANDS! ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD! How was she going to get back to Equestria now? It wasn't like she could leave where she was now. From what the globe in her classroom in Ponyville had told her, or shown her for that matter, there was a whole sea in between the Wastelands and Equestria. And there would still be days of walking where she could get foalnapped.

"I'm a failure... Princess Twilight shouldn't have ever taken me as her student..."

"Failure?" She heard the low voice of the dragon enter the cave. She looked up from her bed, and saw the dragon sitting a few meters away, a soft look across his face. "What did you fail?"

"My only chance to show how good I was at magic..."

"Y-yes...my daughter told me you could cast magic. I guess that is why I smell it on you." Once he got a good look at her wet face. "Your face is wet, little one... Are you sad?" Sweetie Belle only nodded. "Why?"

"Because I can't do anything right."

"You are wrong." He said, sounding a little mean, but his intentions shown through. "I bet you have done something right at least once. Even if it was something small like learning to walk, you still walk, you still move, you still have succeeded. Tell me I am wrong." She didn't, only stared at him as he began to smile. "When I was but a hatchling I failed many times learning to fly. My wings were never big enough to lift me off the ground, nor did I have the energy to fly for a long time." He chuckled, shaking his head low. "I fell off dozens of mountains, fell in very hot lava trying to show my master I could fly, that I was worthy to him. Then, I flew, I flew when I saw myself flying, not when I felt it."

"What did it feel like? To see your master see you succeed?"

"He was proud, he saw his apprentice learn the one thing I was supposed to do. I wasn't able to fly until I was sixty years old because all I thought about was my failure and the fear of failing him once again. I was not a good dragon when I was young. My master feared I was going to follow the path of greed and hate to gain power. I nearly did until he almost killed me."

"Why? What happened?!" Sweetie was starting to listen to him, she didn't know why, but something he was saying was reaching her.

"Easy, little one. Now tell me, what troubles you? Why are you afraid of your failure and how did you fail?"

Sweetie began to explain everything to him. She told him how she learned how to teleport herself to save something of her sister's. She then told him how she thought she was ready, how she thought if she'd done it once, she could do it again. She knew she was very wrong for thinking such a thing now, but she let the excitement of her first time get to her head and blinded her from seeing it was wrong for her to think that she could do it.

Sülvahn sat silently, pondering many things that was going through his head when one question came up. "My daughter told me that you are from the Holy Lands or Equestria...Is this true?"

"I'm not going to lie about my home Mr."

"My name is Sülvahn, please call me by that if anything at all."

"Sülvahn then... Yes, I am from Equestria. I was born there ten years ago."

"Then you are ten? A little young to try something so advanced eh?" Sweetie saw one of his eyes raise with his question.

"That's why I said I failed. I thought I could when I really couldn't." She looked down. "I just want to go back home..."

"Then why don't you?" He asked her with much confusion in his voice.

"Because it's too dangerous, and it'll take days to get there, maybe a year! AND that's IF I have enough bits..." Something clicked in Sweetie Belle's mind. She looked up to Sülvahn with hope gleaming from her eyes. "Can you?! Can you take me home?! I'm sur-"

"I cannot Sweetie Belle." He said in a very low voice. "I am not allowed to leave unless my master says I can."

"But you're a dragon!"

"AND!?" He roared, shaking the whole cave under the command of his voice. "Just because I am a dragon, does not mean I am powerful enough to strike against my master! I owe him my life! He hatched me! He fed me! I CANNOT BETRAY HIM!" Sülvahn stomped on the cave floor. Rocks shook in place, but did not move.

Sweetie had backed herself to the cave wall. Sülvahn was starting to scare her. "I'm sorry!" She cried, tears beginning to streamline down her face like two small rivers. "I'm sorry for asking you! P-please don't hurt me!"

Sülvahn sighed, falling back on his butt. "I am sorry little one... I let my anger once again get the best of me." He looked to the entrance to the cave. "I'm just going to leave you to rest now..." He left her just as quick as he’d joined her.

He stepped out of the cave, then with one large inhale he shouted only one word as loud as he could. Calling the one being who he had looked up to and revered all his life. The one he called his father from birth but held the position of master and he apprentice.

"SSSSSSSCCCCOOOOORRRRRRPAAAAAANNNNNN!!!!" With just one word, he made the entire mountain tremble at the sound of his voice, the air around vibrated with such force that there was a thunder-like shock that rumbled. It was like the very elements were bending to his anger, his rage. He couldn't help Sweetie Belle because he was following a code deeper than the relationship with Scorpan. The dragon code was keeping him from doing the one thing Scorpan swore him to keep. To help those who are weak and helpless until they are safe. Sweetie Belle wasn't safe in the Wastelands, not for long anyway as forces began to turn.

Across the Wastelands, sat Sülvahn's rival, Valkoris as he saw his spy approach him. She bent her head low. The cave was much different from

Sülvahn's. It was much emptier and gave off a dark undertone that brought shivers down her spine whenever she entered it. It was most unsettling.

"I did what you asked master. As it turns out, he is protecting a creature of rare horse breed. It has a horn on its head." She looked up to him, fear running down her spine. His deep red scales and black spines struck fear into those who respected Sülvahn. His emerald green eyes shining red with hate as the dragon had sworn his soul to dark forces. "What will you do with this information."

He smiled. "Cripple him....I will use this creature to my advantage, but in due time. Return with what tasks he's given you. Begone before my scent is trapped with you."

"Y-yes master!"

Valkoris sat back in his chair, his makeshift throne deep within his own cave. "I will gain what is mine. Even if I must kill my brother to do so. I will get my master's attention from that damned fool..." A dark aura started to shimmer around him and he smiled wickedly.