A Dragon in Shining Scales

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..."