The small rock fell down, sliding down the side and into the dark before in the cavern. Anywhere else it wouldn't be much of a bother. Yet in this cave, it was like a explosion setting off in a silent area. So loud here.
She mentally cursed to herself and lowered herself, freezing on the spot. Waiting for another sound to be heard..
After almost a minute of nothing she brought herself up on her hooves and slowly made her way deeper inside the dark of the cave. Careful not to make any unnecessary sounds besides the sound of her hooves against the rocky ground.
Clopping of her hooves barely sounding off the walls.
Closer to her destination and she knew she could turn back. Just turn back. But no- she will not. She had come here for a reason and there's no way she will go back.
Spotting the first glint of gold in the dirt finally began to show she was indeed closer. Her magenta eyes followed the path. The cavern had closed in on itself and now she had nothing to worry about if she stumbled. No where to fall to aside from the hard ground.
The gold, gems, and jewels began to show more and more with every few steps she made. It began to light up the cave more. She often wondered if the jewels in Equestria held a sort of magic of their own. But she digresses.
And there was a sudden growl that once again made her instantly lay on the ground, hooves over her head.
She heard the intake of breath and another growl, longer. Some shifting sounds of something against rocks. She assumed and confirmed he was sleeping. Rather soundly as a matter of fact since the growls were snores.
She didn't want to dare know what this creature sounded like when awake and growling. It'd probably be more terrifying than his snores could ever do.
Her fluffy lavender ears lowered and nearly flatten against her head and her head lowered, once again resuming her journey that was feeling like an eternity. Who lives in such a tedious cave anyway? It was hard enough just climbing up this mountain.
Finally she saw the creature, in all his magnificent being. The ponies said his height was large.. That was an understatement in itself. Maybe enormous was a better word.
Black leathery wings reminded her a bit of the Pegasi wings, not in leathery looks or having the claw/thumb like one would see on a bat- but how they were held, folded against his sides. The scales were a mix of auburn and black going down his back towards his tail and some red along his belly and legs if the lighting was right. His talons were a black color as well, sharp and well kept and sharpened, almost like he was ready for a fight for his treasures.
Two horns each on the side of his head, bent slightly and almost flat against his neck. Black spikes that seem to become a red color as one looks down his back.
A Dragon
She was so awestruck by this. Here a dragon lay, sleeping and hadn't even smelled her yet? Wasn't he worried she'd take his treasure? Or did he assume he could catch her before she left the cave (which would happen if she intended such a thing she was sure.) But no, she wasn't here for the treasure, nor to flatter him in order to take some.
No, she came here for a certain kind of treasure she had been searching for all her life..
"Um.. um excuse me?" She stammers.
Another snore that hurt her ears--
She finally looked down at the gold and with a snort, began to stomp her hooves against the gold. Making some noise. "Excuse me!" Louder.
"I heard you" The voice mixed with a deep rumble from deep within the dragon. His left eye opened and looked upon her.
The gaze made her freeze in place, some shivers felt through her small form. "I'm sorry to wake you from your sleep but I don't know if I will be able to say what I want to say now" She found her voice, her words flowing. "Will you.. Will you listen to me"
The eye was a blue color and held the obvious annoyance and tiredness in it. The dragon had a half-mind to just crush the little pest of a pony between his teeth and sleep again with a snack in his belly. But call it boredom or some curiosity that he wanted to hear what the little thing had to say. "You have my attention, I suggest you do not bore me more than you already are"
She felt amazed he didn't just toast her there. Instead he gave her a chance to say what needed to be said. Yes! "Well. I want to know how it feels to.. fly..."
___
Silence between the two. A confused dragon and a confident and scared mix of a pony.
"Why would you ask me such a useless question? I see those wings of yours. You know what it is like to fly.. Why come bother me with such silly questions?"
Her ears that had been up again had once again found themselves against her head. His words had hit her heart harder than what his fire could ever do to her. He couldn't know, could he? "Please, look closer.. I can't fly. I never could and every doctor in all of Equestria I have seen stated the same thing."
He noticed the look she gave. And humored her by moving up more into a sitting position and after a few stretches and good bone cracks, he moves his head and leans towards her. He looks upon her back and it was confirmed. Plain as day, no lie or some feather loss could hide the truth.
Her wings weren't healthy in the least. The feathers were severely unkempt, the barbs broken in some places. Some feathers were missing as well. The wing itself was skinny, looking barely used. Next to a normal Pegasi's wings, these were a broken shadow in their wake.
"It seems you are telling the truth, Pegasus. But why should I care? Why not have your friends tell you what it's like?"
"Cause they poke fun at me." Sometimes unintentionally, sometimes very intentionally. What good are useless wings, she was no better than an ordinary Earth Pony some would say. "Also most just say it's fun and awesome.. But that's about it. I wish I had something to give you but I've got nothing. I can search for a jewel for you-- I mean, if you tell me what it's like--"
"That won't be necessary." His words cutting off her deal. He stretched out his own wings, revealing just how large they were. "I will tell you what it is all like in my opinion. But.." A smirk stretches and some of his sharp, white teeth shows. "In exchange for me telling you. I will eat you."
Her heart nearly stopped in her chest. He will tell but she would have to die. Her eyes widen. And her head lowered to the ground.
"Now, unless you want to bother me further I suggest you get lost-"
"--Yes"
"What?" He turns his head to look at her. Did he just hear what he thought he heard?
"Yes." She repeated. Her head looking up again, eyes tearing up. "I must know. I've been living with this question in my heart! I must know"
"You realize I would eat you right after, making you getting your answers pointless-"
"They won't be pointless. I have to know.." She was scared, but she rooted herself to the spot, forcing her hooves not to leave nor instinct to take over for her to flee from the fate she was going for.
Now this was a truly interesting pony. She would accept death for knowledge. Something her kind rarely if ever did. "Come here, my little pony and I will tell how what is like to fly" After her slow steps and few glances back towards the cave tunnel's exit- she managed to climb up his hoard of treasures and lay comfortably down did he breath in and let out a puff of smoke.
"It is a wonder and adventure in itself. Seeing how far you'll go, where the wind wants to take you. You're free, your spirit and soul feel free.. It's a feeling Pegasi don't grasp as much as they should.
It's always there, a need to touch the sky. I'm sure you know the feeling. You fly and test yourself, test your muscles and spirit at how far you can go.
Flying is meaning you have no limit. The sky's the limit perhaps is used for a reason." He looks at the cave's ceiling. "None of your kind can ever feel the way you do. They use it like it's nothing, when really they should always feel grateful to be born with wings. Instead they use it all for tricks and fun. We, ourselves use it for reason." He leans down. "I will show you" His talons wrap around her.
She listened, imagining the idea of flight. Pegasi had used it for tricks and all, sure The Wonderbolts are perhaps higher up. Sure they use tricks but they also are guards and protectors of the throne and Equestria if she could remember right.
Suddenly the talon closed around her middle which made her whine out in the instinct fear.
Holding her in one of his paws, he made his way out of the cave. If any beast foolish enough believed they could steal his hoard while he was gone, he'd have no trouble in eating more.
His wings began to spread out when he saw the light of Luna's moon shone outside the cave. And with the small pony in claw and a harsh flap of his leathery wings he took off into the night sky.
She was carefully held in the secure talons. Still her wings flapped uselessly on instinct, losing another feather or two in the process. But soon the flapping of her unhealthy wings slowed and she breathes out, tired and finally able to calm down to feel and see what was going on around her.
The mighty wings blew the wind down as if the wind itself thought the dragon as it's master. He controlled the beat, but also took any sign of the time the wind decided to switch direction. Soaring on the wings back was something he always found a pleasure in, taking in the clean and fresh air. Gliding over forests, meadows, trees and of course the nervous equines below that hid or stood still as if he'd not notice them.
Killian was a lone dragon. Few were, but during the Dragon Migration they all came together. He preferred to remain in his cave though. The cold of Winter could not touch him in the cave. If it attempted, then just a great breath of flame would show it otherwise. He also needed one more flight before his hibernation so why not flight and a little food as well. He wins either way. Plus he, oddly, makes this equine happy so that was good.. he guessed. Still odd in his mind but he let it go.
Her boysenberry colored mane and tail got messy and blown around in the wind from both the speed they went and the dragon's own wings. Her legs couldn't help but stretch forward and back, pretending and believing it was all her. All her flying, conquering the sky.. Her dream come true. And the warmth was felt but ignored as her tears were lost in the wind.
____
It felt like both an eternity as well as only seconds before the reptile descended back towards their destination. To the cliffs and cave where while it was hard for her to climb it was pitifully easy for him.
He lands at the edge and sat her down before him.
The adrenaline was still pumping through her, so as soon as he landed and let her go. She began running around in a circle, laughing and crying. Her wings stretching out again best they weakly could as she ran around to savor the feeling of the wind blowing past her fur and mane and tail.
He had silently allowed this and even chuckled at her running around. "Having fun I see"
"Just working it all out~" She had looked up at the dragon with a smile she never thought she'd use again. "Thank you! Celestia thank you"
"Celestia didn't help you fly, little pony"
"I know. It's a figure of speech for our ruler" She finally had to sit down, breathing quickened by the rush and the run. And realization had come at last. "... So this is it huh?"
"Yes" Simple.
She breathes out and looks out towards the city that was so far yet so near. Canterlot. Her family was there, asleep, unknowing of her intention. Celestia will be raising the sun soon as well.
"Having second thoughts now, are we?"
"It's not that. Just.. I will miss everyone, even those I just passed by-- Even if I did, what would it matter. I agreed and a pony sticks to their word always." Her ears were flattened again and her now messy tail went around her hooves.
The orange-yellow light was beginning to peak over the mountains and slowly ascending into the sky. "It's beautiful" She never could recall sunrises to be like this. Not even at the Summer Sun Celebration. It was like she knew somepony would see this as their last.. Did Celestia know?
"I'm ready" She finally said and stood up on her four legs. Looking up and standing tall.
Such a courage this one had. Ponies were foolish, yet here stood one that stands by her word. And more so, stands tall, ready for the end. "What is your name, my little pony"
Her auburn eyes look at the dragon now in the light in Celestia's morning. He was magnificent. "Your scales are so beautiful in this light. Such a majestic creature you are, dragon. I'm Hazy Breeze"
He does have to admire himself for that flattery since it was spoken from the heart. No pony said it and ever meant it when around him. Foolish Unicorns that want jewels, Pegasi that do it on dares or for sport and Earth Ponies that just believe them to be interesting. Some even stating at times the name of the 'rock' they hold. "Hazy Breeze."
He repeated with a tongue that went around his chops, a delicious little name for a delicious little meal. "I am Killian" There was no reluctance in what he was about to do. Food was to be eaten, not attached. She got a good deal out of it to.
And he opened his mouth, revealing the sharp teeth.
She stood, standing tall. And the last thing she felt was the hot breath of Killian. The last thought though was only happiness.
Her dream came true.. That's all that mattered.
Author's Note
Killian belongs to a friend of mine and have given me full permission to use him.
I thank you for giving this a read and while I attempted to make this like a New Years-ish story, I kind of slacked.
Anyway, first sad fic. Tell me what you think and once again thank you for reading.