A Dragon in Shining Scales

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..."