Deep in the isolated mountains marking the boarder of the Badlands and the vast ocean, atop the largest mountain was a cave that lead into a grand cavern. It was here a pair of dragons stored their vast horde of gold, gems, and treasured objects. Yet among the treasure was their prized possession, an egg red as fire rocked back and forth as the little one inside kicked at its shell.
The large dragons watched with anticipation as their spawn broke free of its confines. The female, the newborn’s mother, assisted the removal of the shell and cleaned their child as the father looked on proudly. ‘Yes,’ he thought, ‘I have sired a strong child of fire, he shall be well renowned and feared just as I.’
The little one looked around with wide-eyed wonder, smiling and reaching out to his father. As the proud father leaned down, a spear suddenly protruded out the front of his neck. He reared up and roared angrily, but was pulled off balance. A chain was attached to the other end of the spear and pulled him back.
The mother rose to assist, fire curling up around her maw, but a powerful dark magic grabbed hold of her and pulled her away. Her eyes spun around wildly in search of her foe, soon settling on a league of thirty ponies adorned in dark cloaks, their horns glowing darkly as their eyes burned with a fel energy.
The black magic began to press itself into her eyes, shriveling them as it poisoned her, spreading quickly throughout her body. She roared and screeched in pain as her body shriveled and died. The energy soon reached her brain and her pain was put to an end.
On the other side of the cavern an equal number of earth ponies and pegasi were working to restrain and skewer the much larger male dragon. A lucky shot from a Pegasus destroyed one of its eyes, and as he roared in pain the others struck at the opening, piercing his heart.
As the dragon lay in a pool of its cooling blood, the group re-gathered, celebrating their victory.
“Alright! We got em!” One of them cheered.
“Yea!” Another echoed.
“Anyone get eaten?” Somepony asked, a checklist of names in hoof while making a headcount.
“I ate your mom last night!” One of them yelled.
“Shut it!” He replied. “Let’s get what we came for and head back to the camp.”
“Just what we came for? Why not a bit of treasure?” One of the more greedy ponies was eying the vast pile of gold.
“Boss says anything not part of the ritual will fuck it up, besides, once we get our immortality we can have as much treasure as we want!” The one with the clipboard stated.
“Aha! That makes sense!” Another random pony exclaimed.
“But what if our lord doesn’t want us to be rich?” The greedy one asked.
“Obviously he does or he wouldn’t grant us immortality when we summon him.” The clipboard pony reasoned.
“Alright, let’s nab the wee little babe!” A large earth pony yelled out.
As the others were forcing a sleeping potion into the newborn dragon’s mouth and placing it in a bag, the greedy pony snuck around the pile of gold and out of sight. He looked over the pile of coins with a keen eye, some of the coins were dated back to before the time of the Princesses! Knowing those would fetch a fine price, especially for being in like-new condition; he grabbed a few and shoved them in various pockets so they wouldn’t clink together.
He casually walked back around and re-joined the others as they were heading out of the cave. The group chattered amongst themselves as they made their way to the camp at the base of the mountain, where their leader was making the final preparations for the ritual.
The pony with the clip board walked up to another dressed in a deep red cloak, “Sir! Preparations A through G have been successful!”
“Good, Preparation H is nearly ready for application.” He responded. “Place the infant on the altar.”
The other cultists did as instructed and placed the still sleeping child on the stone pedestal, then took positions throughout the magic circle, magical components rested in several bowls around the altar. As they waited for their leader to finish applying preparation H to the sacrifice, one turned to the other.
“Exciting, isn’t it? Hours of planning are finally coming together. Great changes are going to come to this land, and we will share in the power of our lord. I’m kind of bummed about my family but whatever, you know?”
“I’m just thinking about what I’m going to do with my immortality.” The other pony replied.
“Joke’s on you, I’m getting double immortality!” Somepony from the back yelled.
“Shut up you idiots, the ritual is almost ready!” The leader commanded.
Silence fell on the camp as the leader began the ritual; He took several herbs and pastes from the bowls and mixed them together, and used the resulting sludge to write several runes on the infant. Once he finished he cleaned off his hoof and spoke out.
“Our Lord Tikbalang, we summon you! Hear our prayers as our magic gives you form! Walk this earth and lead us to a new world! All will tremble before your might and wrath! Grant us immortality to serve you in everlasting life!”
A dark cloud of smoke seeped up from the ground, the sounds of tortured screams emanating from it as the cloud hovered over the infant.
“With the sacrifice of this innocent, you will be given form!” The leader raised a dagger of bone and prepared to plunge it into the child’s chest.
It was at this moment the greedy pony was beginning to feel warmer than usual; the gold in his pockets became super-heated with the energy from the ritual and set his robes on fire. He yelled in panic and tried to put it out, leaving his spot in the circle and shoving others from theirs. He threw himself upon the ground and rolled to put out the flames, breaking the powerful summoning circle while doing so.
There was an explosion of energy from the circle as the infant rose from the altar, the leader of the cultists cried out in anger as the power rushed back, absorbing into the infant. The cultists felt a pull as they seemed to slip from their own bodies, their souls being sucking into the infant’s own soul. The demon resisted the pull at first, but was soon absorbed as well. The last of the magic converged in the child, converting the absorbed souls and the demon into power.
The child writhed in agony as his body was changed on every level, changes that would only become apparent as the child grew and matured. And on the boarder of the camp, several survivors looked on in horror and fled.
17 years later
The town of Ponyville was bedazzled in decorations of all sorts as a party of some sort was being held throughout the town by none other than Pinkie Pie. On the edge of the festivities just entering town by the main road stood a teenage dragon. His scales were red on his back, face, and arms while his chest, belly, and neck was a light brown. His silted gold eyes took in the sight of the party with a hint of amusement. He, unlike many others, wore a hooded sweater and pants, preferring to walk upright rather than on all fours.
Briefcase in hand and a smile on his face he walked into town with confidence. The ponies for the most part were wary of his presence, but a dragon in clothing was such an unusual sight it gave them pause. Spike the Dragon ware clothing from time to time, being raised by ponies, perhaps this drake, though older, was also raised by ponies and no doubt did not have the attitude of the wild dragons?
They watched and some followed as he made his way closer to the stands. He casually looked over the various wares, and seeing there was no order to which stands were set up, as evidenced by an apple stand next to a confetti stand then a stand selling pre-made and blank signs. He found a small open area between the apple stand and the confetti stand and opened the briefcase.
It folded out into a small table, upon which he placed several vials and bottles of liquids of various colors. He sat down behind the small stand, his head now about level with that of a pony and the table level at the pony’s chests. It clicked all of a sudden – he was a traveling sales dragon! Of sorts.
The young drake smiled and nodded as various ponies eyed him and his wares, but was yet to be approached by anypony. The orange mare in the stall next to him kept shooting him glances out the corner of her eye for a few moments before she mustered up the courage to speak.
“Well howdy there partner,” She said with a forced smile, “what brings you to this fine town?”
The drake looked back at her and shrugged, “Gut feeling. Never lets me down.”
“Gut or instinct?” She asked.
“Probably both in my case.” He chuckled. “The name’s Vukan by the way, but I settle for Vulkan because it rolls off the tongue better.”
“A pleasure, mine’s Applejack, I grow and sell the finest apples in Equestria!” She said with pride.
“Oh, cool. I’ve heard mention of you I think, I forget the name but it was in a small town on the edge of the badlands.” He said.
“Appleloosa?” She guessed for him.
“Probably. I’ve been to a lot of towns and I’m not that good with remembering places.” He shrugged again.
“Ya know, I’ll be honest, you don’t strike me as the sort of teenage dragons I’ve heard about.”
“What? The aggressive ‘prove you’re a dragon’ and various competitions and fights? Nah, I’m not like that. It’s not who I am and it’s not who I choose to be. Besides, I have my own goals in life, beyond their obsession with shiny objects.” He chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong, I love gold and gems as much as the next dragon, but it’s not my ultimate prize. Besides, working for your gold is more rewarding I think.”
“A dragon making an honest living? If I didn’t know any better I’d call you a liar.” AJ chuckled. “So, what’s your business then? Medicines? We get a few of those scammers now and again, telling that some such plant or drink can cure all sorts of things.”
“No, no, these are alchemical potions based on herbal medicine. I’ve got one that will heal small cuts and bruises, headaches, fever, joint pain, anxiety, several ability enhancements, and one that will regrow lost limbs.” He said as he pointed out each one. “And I made up one of them.”
“I would assume the lost limbs one?” AJ asked.
“That’s the one, farfetched of an idea isn’t it?”
“A tad.”
“Sometimes ponies want miracle substances and believe in them bad enough to fall for such things. Those taking advantage of their hopes are low lives.” He said as he leaned back on his tail.
“Don’t ah know it, we had ponies here not long ago selling glorified apple juice as a miracle cure, and things got out of hand with my granny thinking she was fifty years younger all of a sudden.”
“To be fair I have heard rumor of a potion or fountain of youth, said to be able to reverse aging. But whether or not it’s permanent or temporary remains to be seen.” He said.
“Ya speak like you HAVE heard of it.” AJ said skeptically.
“Just an old story from a dying mare. At that point I’m not sure if she was growing delusional, desperate, or trying to tell me something. I figure if I keep practicing my alchemy I would discover the truth eventually, but I’m not holding my breath.” He reasoned.
“Ahm sorry to hear that, was she a good friend of yours?” She asked.
“Something like that.” He said as he turned his attention back to his stand.
AJ pondered him for a moment, sensing his discomfort with the conversation. She has several ideas why, but without more information they were all baseless. Her thoughts were derailed when she saw Pinkie happily bouncing along. Predictably, she saw the new guest in town and ran up to greet him.
“Hiya Mr. Dragon! I don’t think I’ve seen you before! Are you here for the party?”
“Hello Miss Pony! No I’ve never been here before, and this party is amazing but I’m just looking to make a few bits.”
“OOHhhhh, a SALES Dragon!?” She asked excitedly.
“You could say that.” He replied with a grin.
“My friend Twilight knows all sorts of things about dragons, but I bet even she’s never heard of a sales dragon!”
He chuckles, “I bet not, care to browse my wares?”
“Sure!” She takes a moment to look them over, “OOOooooo! Colorful! You sell paint?!”
“Not quite, the color won’t stay as vibrant outside the vials I’m afraid. These are actually potions for various ailments.” He replied. AJ took note how calm he was when faced with Pinkie of all ponies.
“Wowie zowie! You got all sorts of things! I KNOW! You should name your stand ‘Paints and Potions’ and set it up next to ‘Quill’s and Sofas’!” She said.
“Hm. Well the only problem is I don’t sell paints though, so how could we get around that?” He asked with amusement.
“YOU DON’T SELL PAINT!? Shoot! Why didn’t you tell me that sooner?”
“Apologies, but yes I do in fact only sell potions.”
“Hmm, in that case, do you have a potion to make me a dragon made of lava that’s a hundred-no, three hundred feet tall!?”
“I’m afraid that is a different branch of magic, though I do have one that brings forth your inner rage.”
“Hmm. Na, how about one that turns me into a dog? No! Better yet, a pony!”
“I think you might have found that one already, you look like a pony to me.” He replied with a grin.
Pinkie took a moment to look herself over before gasping in amazement. “OH. MY. GOSH!!! That was amazing! What do I owe you?!” She said and pulled out a pouch of bits.
“Hmm…” He thought for a moment. “How about a kiss from a pretty mare?”
“Okay! I’ll go find one!” And with that Pinkie was gone.
AJ gave him a sour look, “And just what are you trying to pull?”
“Nothing, she’s funny and I wasn’t serious about the kiss. I’m more interested in who she decides to bring back.” He replied.
“Knowing Pinkie it could be anypony.”
From the other side of town Pinkie’s yelling could be heard clearly, “BE MY PRETTY MARE!!” followed by confused murmuring from other ponies. Before long Pinkie returned with quite a few ponies and some non-ponies in tow, then stopped in front of the stand.
“I found a pretty mare!” She declared and listed Twilight off the ground and presented her to Vulkan.
“Pinkie! Put me down, he could be dangerous!” She cried out as she struggled against her friend’s impossible grip.
Vulkan simply sat there and laughed, “Who else did you bring?”
Pinkie took a moment to set down Twilight and introduced Rarity, Spike, Matilda the Donkey, Mooriella the Cow, Fluttershy, Iron Will the Minotaur, Bulk Biceps, and of course Gummy.
“Wow, this is quite the turnout! You sure helped my business!”
“OH! OH! I helped a business, what do I get!?” Pinkie asked as her friends looked at her in confusion.
“How about a sticker?” He said and pulled out a sticky note, writing, ‘I HELPED A BUISNESS!’ and sticking it to her chest.
“WOO-HOO!! I helped a business! What did you do today Twilight? Not helping a business!” She said then bounced off to parts unknown.
Everypony watched her bounce off as an uncomfortable silence fell around them. Vulkan cleared his throat, “Care to buy a potion?”
“What the heck was that all about?” Twilight asked nopony in particular. “And another thing, what are you doing in Ponyville? Didn’t you dragons get enough bullying Spike already that you have to come here and pretend to sell fake potions?!”
Vulkan became very confused, “I’m… sorry? I have no idea what you’re talking about. And these potions are quite real, thank you.”
“I’m talking about the last dragon migration! You and your teenage dragon buddies tried to goad Spike into being a bully like you, and even went as far as to attack us!” Twilight said as she took a defensive stance and lowered her now glowing horn at him.
“Whoa! Easy! I didn’t do anything, I just got here! I’ve never met any of you and I don’t participate in the migrations! Please just here me out!”
“Likely story! Why shouldn’t I just blast you back to the mountains anyway?!” She yelled.
“Because all your magic is going to do is wreak my goods and burn my sweater, and these are hard enough to come by in my size!”
“Twilight! Stop this! He isn’t one of those dragons!” Spike yelled and stood in front of her, his arms wide. “Yea he kinda looks like Garble with the coloration but the fins and wings are different!”
Twilight looked from him to Vulkan and looked the older drake over with a hard glare, soon spotting the differences Spike had mentioned. She quickly relaxed and let her magic fade. “I’m sorry, teenage dragons have a bit of a bad reputation around here.”
“Apology accepted.” He said with a smile.
“Just like that?” She asked in confusion.
“Well yea, nothing was damaged and the harsh words were a misunderstanding, so nothing to be upset over.” He said with a nod.
“But I could have seriously hurt you!” She exclaimed.
“I highly doubt that, and I don’t mean that as an insult. Magic just doesn’t have an effect on me.” He said.
“What?! But magic affects everything!” She exclaimed.
“Not me. Anyway, interested in a potion?” He asked as Twilight went off to the side to think of a way around such a statement. “How about you little guy?”
Spike looked up at him and seemed to shrink back nervously. “I… I don’t know…”
“No worries, I got something for just about anything. Let’s see… how about something to make you stronger for a bit? How about going invisible? Or for your friend there I have something that will boost her smarts for a bit.” He said, listing off a few of his products.
“Huh, well that does sound interesting. How long do they last?”
“The invisibility potion is about fifteen seconds; the others are for an hour.” He said.
“Okay… and how much do they cost?” Spike asked.
“Well, I have several versions, the more potent and powerful the higher the price. For a simple one I would say about 30 bits, and for the more hardcore version I would say about 300 bits.”
“What?! That’s ridiculous! No way anypony would pay that kind of price!” He exclaimed to murmurs of agreement from the others.
“Hm. How about a sample? These are basically the cheaper versions, but only last about two minutes. Mostly it’s leftover from making the other potions. Care to try one?”
“Well… I suppose it won’t hurt.” He reasoned.
“Alright! One Elixir of Lion’s Strength sample coming right up! Now, before taking the potion try and lift up the large minotaur.” Vulkan said as he produced a small vial of brown liquid.
“There’s no way I can do that, but alright…” Spike said as he went up to Iron Will. “Uh, do you mind?”
“Iron Will allows this test of strength!” He responded, then sat down to Spike could get a better grip on him.
“Alright, well here goes…” Spike got a grip and lifted with all his might, but Iron Will remained where he sat.
“Okay, take a swig of this.” Vulkan said and tossed the sample to Spike.
He caught it and pulled out the stopper, then poured the small amount into his mouth and swallowed. “I don’t feel any different, how long does it take to kick in?”
“Almost instantly, go on and try again, you got about two minutes before the effects wear off.” He said with a smile of anticipation.
“Alright, here goes nothing!” Spike once more bent down and gripped Iron Will, but this time he actually managed to lift him clean off the ground, though he was still struggling a bit. There was no doubt, the potion was working! Spike held him for as long as he could, amazed at his new temporary strength. But soon the potion wore off and Iron Will slipped from his grasp and landed on the ground with a thud.
“So, how was it?” Vulkan asked.
“That was amazing!” Spike exclaimed, “And you have ones that make you even stronger than that!?”
“Yep, that was about a four percent increase in strength, the strongest I can make is about twenty five percent increase. My master could make them up to over three hundred percent if you can believe that!” He laughed. “The same goes for the intellect and reflex potions as well.”
“So you’re saying,” Twilight spoke up from off to the side while Spike was daydreaming about showing off to Rarity, “That if I get the stronger intellect potion I could be able to figure out why you are immune to magic?”
“It will make you smarter, but there are questions even the smartest can’t solve. And I’ll have to charge you for the stronger ones.” He said sternly. “And if you by some chance do discover my secret, I would like to request you keep it a secret, I would be happy to answer your questions in private as I won’t say anything here.”
“Alright, I can respect that, but I hate not knowing things.” She said as she fished out 600 bits. “Spike? You’re not getting a snack this week; this will be your gift instead, alright?”
“Alright!!” He exclaimed in excitement, “This is totally worth it!”
“I will have your strongest intellect and strength potions please.” She said to Vulkan as she handed him the bits.
“Elixir of Greater Intellect and an Elixir of Giants, coming right up!” He said as he slid the bits into a bag. He pressed a switch on his side of the table and opened a small compartment with several more vials inside, pulling out a bright glowing blue vial and a pulsating brown vial.
“Here you are!” He said, passing the blue potion to Twilight and the brown one to Spike. “Now, these last for 1 hour, use them with care and don’t waste them.”
Spike carefully tucked his potion away while Twilight didn’t waste a moment in downing her flask in a gulp. Everypony present watched Twilight with baited breath, wondering what would happen. Soon static began to leap from her body to the ground as her eyes went solid white. Her mind felt absolutely free as she was able to see the fabric of reality and how the natural magic was interwoven through it. She looked to her friends and noted that there were numerous magical connections to each of them and many more branching out to others, forming a complex web of magic. She knew she was seeing the magic of friendship that apparently literally ties everypony together.
She turned her attention to Vulkan, but took pause. He sat there, physically, yet emanated no magic of his own, nor did any magic go near him. Her horn lit up as she attempted to probe the dead space around him, but as she thought her magic was nullified by something… something within him. She looked closer into his being, focusing her sight on the dark void within him. She suddenly felt something, not unlike a presence, but a power without a master, a dark power, tainted by evil. She understood.
She looked up and peered into Vulkan’s mind, seeing who he is in a series of emotions. On the surface he was happy, kind, yet reserved. But deeper was hatred within him, not at anypony in particular, but at himself. He knew what was wrong with him, and it made him furious inside.
Then she remembered his warning, his wish for privacy, so she told him directly to his mind. “I know. Meet me in the castle library when you can.” He seemed started a bit but hid it well. Now that she knew she had less than an hour remaining of the potion, she teleported back to her library. There were tests to run after all.
The others watched Twilight go into what they called “Surge Mode” and start looking around with piercing white eyes that soon settled on Vulkan for a moment. Then without a word she vanished with a teleport, presumably back to the library.
“Okay, she has a lot more magical ability than I thought she had.” Vulkan commented.
“Well she was the prized pupil of Princess Celestia before she became the Princess of Friendship.” Spike informed him.
“Huh, I wasn’t aware of that. Anyway, anyone else want a potion?” He asked.
The rest of his day went fairly smoothly, selling several more potions of various effects and several healing potions of various strengths. As the sun began to set he packed up his remaining potions into his now much lighter briefcase and placed the now much heavier bag of bits into his pack, it was quite a good day for him.
He took some time to walk through the town, seeing other stands being put away for the night as well. He did find several places of interest for his trade, a flower shop might have some herbs he could use while a general supply store could supply some veils and a few new beakers for his chemistry set. Another was a blacksmith and a boutique of some sort, no doubt one of them could provide a certain gem he was looking for.
The sun fully set and the last of the ponies heading home, he started making his way to the very large castle outside of town. As he approached he noticed a lack of guards or anything that would accompany a castle, noting that the exterior, although appearing as a crystal of some sort, was rather dull and lacking.
Not paying it any mind he pushed open the main doors and headed inside, He was greeted with a very long empty hall that echoed his clawed footsteps back to him, the cool floor comforting to his feet. He followed the hall to what appeared to be a main circular room, consisting of a round table and seven thrones that seemed to have been grown from the crystal floor.
He paid them no mind as he found a sign directing the way to the library. He left through the door to the right and after a short walk through another desolate hallway he opened the door into probably one of the only furnished rooms in the castle: the library.
The walls were lined with shelf after shelf of books, some overflowing while others were bare. Stacks of books were piled high all around the room, while the rest of the floor was covered in a fluffy carpet and several beanbags, cushions, a sofa, and a number of other sitting furniture for pony comfort. Vulcan walked over and helped himself to an overstuffed recliner that was friendlier to his bipedal needs.
He looked around but there seemed to be a lack of Twilight, so he pulled out his briefcase and herb bag and got to work making a few more potions to re-stock what he had sold. Before long he ran out of vials and cleaned up the table, putting everything back in its place.
“That’s an interesting brewing technique.” A voice said behind him.
His spiked fins straightened out as his body went rigid in shock for a moment before he managed to calm down. “You know it’s rude to sneak up on others.” He said, turning to look at her.
“I’ve been here the whole time, over there.” She pointed to a pile of books, behind which was a cushion and a coffee machine. “Sorry you didn’t see me. I was about to call out to you when you started working, but knowing how I hate being interrupted in my work I let you be. Interesting use of fire by the way, for someone who can’t use magic.”
“Thank you, years of practice and self-control can teach a lot.” He said.
“I want to thank you for the potion, I had my doubts about its effects at first, but I was really caught off guard. Where did you learn to make such unique potions? And from plants no less? I mean, I know of a few mages that can store a spell in a special brew but this seemed to be all natural. I took some time to study how it works while I had the chance, it seems that the plants react with the body to influence the flow of magic to get the desired effect, and I would assume different combinations can produce similar effect but at weaker or stronger rates?”
“… You talk a lot, but yes that’s how I understand it. It’s a bit more complicated than that but you got the idea. And I was taught by my mentor for fifteen years. Basically all my life.” He said.
“So by that reasoning then these potions would have no effect on you at all?”
“Most don’t, others react to the body’s natural processes to create the effect, such as healing potions; they provide the energy to accelerate the healing of the body. Others induce a chemical imbalance to cause an effect, such as overbearing rage.”
“Who would want that?” Twilight asked in confusion.
“Primarily griffons and minotaurs to fuel their passions for battle and combat, known as berserkers. Rage, used properly, is quite the power.” He said.
“Like your rage?” She asked, finally breaching the subject on why he’s here.
He thought for a moment, “Yes, I guess you can say that. So, I take it you were able to actually perceive my secret?”
Twilight blushed in embarrassment, “Yes, at least, I assume so. All I can make out was some darkness within you that seemed to change how your body interacts with magic, and it felt evil.”
“Well you’re right, I do have an evil being inside me, and it ruined my life.” He said bitterly.
“What happened?” She asked.
“What I’m about to tell you must be kept a secret, alright? I’m only telling you because we made a deal.” Twilight nodded. “From what I’ve been able to learn, my parents were murdered the moment I was born by a gang of cultists. They stole me, and prepared me to become a sacrifice to a demon who I shall not name, and in doing so allow the demon to roam this land and grant them all immortality. But something went wrong and the circle was broken, causing a backlash in magic. I was a newborn and had the souls of 40 cultists and a demon absorbed into my own soul. Because of that, I became immune to magic, and I lost the magic of the dragons.”
“You mean…?”
“Yes, I am a dragon incapable of breathing fire. Surely your interaction with those other teenage dragons showed how important it is to be able to breathe fire. Because of that I was never welcomed back with my own kind.”
“What about your mentor?” She asked.
“Oh gods she was a crazy zebra, I have everything to be grateful to her for but she was as old and cranky as they come. She was a shaman that lived in the desert oasis, and her knowledge of herbs was only something I could dream of. She took me in, weather out of pity or because she needed a helper in her old age, I’m not sure. But she was as mean as she was smart, right up to the day she died. She told me I would be a complete idiot if I took her work and tried to surpass her, because it would be impossible to do so. But she knew I could never back away from a challenge. I think.
“I also have her to thank for learning to control my anger. Every time it got the better of me things would catch fire, and she would beat me with her cane. Of course that made me even angrier and I would try to burn her, but she would barely move to dodge and hit me again anyway. Saying something that I was 100 years too early to think I could use the elements against her.”
“Wow, she seemed like quite the mare.” Twilight said with a soft smile. “You miss her?”
“Sometimes. Every time I think back about her all I see is her stern expression scalding me for having my head in the clouds and to get back to grinding the herbs.” He laughed.
“So is that how you control your fire then? Anger?” Twilight asked.
“Sort of, it’s more like my inner fire given form. I don’t know how it works exactly, but I can channel my anger without it clouding my mind to make the fire.” To demonstrate Vulkan held up a claw and it burst into flames before their eyes.
“I can also control it pretty good, choosing what to burn and what not to. It also works well at parties.” The flame took the shape of a dragon and started to dance for a few minutes before he dispelled the fire. “I can’t hold it very long though, just about ten minutes then I have to wait about a half hour to recharge.”
“Well that does sound entertaining!” She laughed, “But seriously, can you control the demon inside you? I know it’s subdued but I feel that could change.”
“Honestly?” He asked, to which she nodded, “For the most part, yes. There has been a few times that if I’m fighting that I feel it well up, but that’s as far as it’s gotten. Since then I’ve been avoiding fights if I can, luckily not much wants to pick a fight with a dragon.”
“Yea I can see that. Anyway how about spending the night here in the guest room? As repayment for sharing your story with me tonight, besides, you might just like it here in Ponyville!” She said with excitement.
“Yea we’ll see. Not many places take comfort in a dragon amongst the populace.” He said as he collected his gear and stood from the chair.
“Well even if it’s just for a few days, I would hate for our gust to not have a good time. If you’re up for it tomorrow I’d be happy to show you around.”
“I’d like that; I have some things I want to look into anyway.” He replied.
“Perfect! Oh, your room is straight across the main hall, if you need anything I’ll probably be here for a few more hours.” She said.
“Alright, night then.” Vulkan said as he made his way out the library and found what would be his room during his stay in town. “Better than a hotel, that’s for sure.” While the room was still rather bare, it had all the furnishings he would need.
He set his case on the night stand and removed his sweater, the air cool on his bare scales. But if one were to look closely, they would see something moving beneath them, just under the skin, waiting to come out.
Author's Note
Another back story for my newest DnD character! And probably one of my favorites too. The potions are actually from World of Warcraft alchemy, with slight modifications to the effects.
He was running…
DANGER!
Where?
Not here, there, ahead.
Running faster.
Trees, bushes, a river, a large snake, no, the danger was further ahead.
Must keep running.
Faster.
FASTER!
Vulkan awoke with a start, looking around wildly as his chest pounded with the beat of his heart. Already he could feel the nightmare fading, but the lingering fear of danger remained. He shook his head; it was just another nightmare from his childhood, nothing more.
He stood from his bed and looked out the window at the sun rising over the horizon, noting the time as just past nine in the morning. He returned to his night stand and dressed in his usual attire, grabbed a small sack of bits and placed them in the bag he slung over his shoulder. He took a moment to hide his remaining bits and briefcase containing his work behind the dresser before leaving the room.
Just a short walk later and he was back in the room with the thrones and the large table. He placed his bag next to one of the thrones with a weird lightning bolt on it and headed back toward the library, if only because it was the only other place he had been to so far. As he approached he heard the sounds of things being shoved around and a low murmuring.
He entered the library to find it in a much more presentable condition; over half of the books he saw strewn about last night had been placed neatly on the shelves. He followed the sound of unmistakable grumbling and soon found Spike putting away several more books, staking them in his arms and precariously climbing a latter to the taller shelves.
“Sup little guy?” Vulkan asked, announcing his presence.
Spike stiffened and froze for a moment before shooting him a glare. “You’re lucky I’m used to distractions, I would have fallen off the latter!” He said loudly.
“You and I both know you would have been fine. Dragon scales are dragon scales, no matter the age.” He reasoned.
“It’s not me I’m worried about; Twilight would flay me alive if I damage her books.” Spike said, shuddering at the thought.
“Yea I know the feeling. Not being flayed but rather bearing the brunt of a mare’s rage.” Vulkan said as he picked up a few books and glanced at their covers. “Got anything besides history or magic in here?”
“Not in that pile, this section is the History of Magic. Pretty boring stuff I think.” Spike said as he finished sorting his handful of books.
“You and me both, so what do you do around here for fun then?” Vulkan asked as he passed a few more books up to Spike.
“Thanks. Well I have my own comic collection and a bunch more in the graphic novel section, there’s a fantasy book section and more history books all over everywhere else. Personally I think Twilight stocks a bit too many history books in here, and not enough comics.” Spike said as he began sorting again.
“Hm, got anything for the herbs in this region?” Vulkan asked as he prepared to pass up another set of books.
“Nah, those are checked out for a bit. Zecora stopped by and wanted them all for something.” Spike said as he grabbed the next set.
“Zecora? Sounds familiar...” He said, trailing off in thought.
“She’s a bit reclusive and lives a bit into the Everfree Forest; I think Ponyville is the only place she visits.” He said as he finished sorting the last of the books.
“So what else do you do? Surely you don’t read all day.” Vulkan asked as Spike hopped off the latter.
“Nah, even I get bored reading comics eventually. Twilight’s the one that can read for a week straight and swear it’s only been an hour.” He snickered.
“Hey! I’m not that bad!” Twilight said from the entrance to the library. Spike merely raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “… Okay fine, it happened twice but that was it!”
“More like it will keep happening until we drag you out of the library kicking and screaming. Snakes usually work for that!” Spike giggled and held up a rubber snake.
“Spike! Put that away, it’s freaky!” Twilight said, hackles rising in fear.
Spike hid the snake back behind a shelf as Vulkan looked over Twilight. “That’s quite the phobia.”
“I was bitten as a foal, hospitalized for about a week because of it and I don’t plan on a repeat.” She said as she shook her fur straight.
“I do sell cures for poison; snake venom is easy to cure.” He said.
“I’ll think about it, but I was hoping to start our tour early and hit up Sugar Cube Corner, I haven’t eaten yet and I’m getting kind of hungry.” She said as she teleported a pair of saddlebags on herself. “And I need more quills.”
“I’m told there is a store called Quills and Sofas.” Vulkan said as they made their way back.
“There is, and they literally only sell two things.” Spike informed him. “And they are always out of quills for some reason.” He looked pointedly at Twilight
“Really? He always has quills when I go.” Twilight said, ignoring the accusation.
“That’s because you go buy quills when he gets the shipment in and you buy the entire shipment the moment he unlocks the door.” Spike scolded her as they entered the main room. Vulkan took a slight detour and grabbed his bag before catching back up.
“What? Don’t be silly Spike. Anyway...” Twilight said, starting to go into a long winded exposition.
Spike cupped a claw around his muzzle and looked up to Vulkan, who leaned down closer, “She says that, but watch her, she basically opens the door the moment it unlocks and goes in almost smashing the sales pony every time.”
“Doesn’t he get mad?” He asked quietly.
“Not really, he expects it at this point, and she is his best customer.” Vulkan nodded in understanding and stood back up to hear Twilight finish her speech.
“… and that was how this wonderful town was founded!” She finished with a smile.
Vulkan smiled nervously, “Wow, that’s uh, great!”
“… You weren’t listening at all, were you?” Twilight sighed angrily. “Am I the only one around here that cares about historical events!?”
“Eh, probably.” Spike said casually and walked past her outside into the morning sun.
Twilight stood there and ground her teeth for a moment before sighing again and following out, Vulkan not far behind with a wide grin.
“Anyway… I thought today we would start and Sugar Cube Corner and basically circle the town.” Twilight said as she led the way into town.
“Sounds good, I have a few places in mind I would like to stop by anyway.” Vulkan said.
Twilight led them through the streets toward their destination while Vulkan took the time to look around the town in the growing light. Compared to the cities the town appeared to be rustic, but with a definite charm to it. Already several ponies were milling about waving greetings to Twilight and several even to Vulkan, to his surprise. He recognized them as customers from the day before, but he didn’t think he left that big of an impression on them.
“Huh.” He muttered.
“Hm? Something wrong?” Twilight asked.
“No, no, I’m just… is everypony this friendly?” He asked, “Usually my customers tend to forget me until they need more potions.”
“Well it’s not every day we’re visited by well-mannered dragons, so that alone is quite the impression. But yea the town for the most part is very friendly.” She said, stopping in front of a large building. “Well here we are, Sugar Cube Corner!”
Vulkan looked at the odd building in confusion, “Why would they make it looks like this?”
“Because why not silly!” Pinkie said, now suddenly in front of him. His fins stood on end for a moment before he calmed down. “Are you here to try some of my tasty treats? We got aaaallllllll sorts of sugary goodness inside! Come on, a fresh batch of cookies are coming out of the oven.” And like that she was gone, presumably back inside.
“Well, I see she’s as energetic as ever.” He commented.
“Yea, the day she’s not bouncing off the walls is when you need to be careful, she’s like a completely new mare.” Spike said. “Rainbow told me some stories about her surprise party, gave me nightmares.”
“Oh come on spike, I’m sure Rainbow was making that stuff up.” Twilight said.
“I’m sorry, but a rainbow told you this?” Vulkan asked in confusion.
“Rainbow Dash, she usually sleeps in until noon so we won’t see her till around then. Anyway come on, let’s eat!” Twilight said as she ushered them through the doors.
Vulkan looked around the mostly pink interior, noting the child-like charm the dining area exuded. The scent of freshly baked goods drew his attention to the counter, where behind a glass counter various treats were on display. He took a moment to look over each of them, from cakes to cupcakes, muffins to cookies, and everything in between.
“Wow, quite the spread.” He noted.
“I know right?” Pinkie said from right next to him, face pressed against the glass like a filly. Luckily he was expecting her antics this time and managed to remain calm. “It’s always been my dream to make ponies happy, and what better way to do that than with cake?! Well, cake and something else, but that’s SPOILERS!” Then she whispered softly to him, “It’s a secret…!”
“So what can I get for you?” She was now behind the counter, donning a chef’s hat and suddenly covered in flower. If he didn’t know any better he assumed she rolled in it to make it look like she was literally just working.
“Spike and I will have our usual.” Twilight said.
“Hey yea! You should totally try a sapphire cupcake; they are the most delicious thing this side of Equestria!” Spike said from beside him.
“Sounds good, but I think I’ll settle for a few regular cupcakes, some cookies, and let’s see…. that cherry one.” He said pointing to each item.
“Three of each sound good for the big teenage dragon?” Pinkie asked. Vulkan laughed and nodded, “Coming right up! Go ahead and find a spot, I’ll be right out!” Pinkie ran back into the kitchen where the sounds of heavy machinery and explosions could be heard, amongst lots of yelling to some Commander Gummy for more flour.
Vulkan looked between the kitchen door and Twilight, who seemed to not notice the commotion or this was simply the norm. Assuming the latter he shrugged and followed her to a booth not far from the entrance.
“That mare has a really interesting way of doing things.” He noted as he slid into his side of the booth, across from Twilight and Spike.
“You get used to her antics.” Twilight asked, “But why turn down a gem cupcake?”
Vulkan glanced to Spike for a moment, “…Gems give me really bad indigestion.”
“Man, you’re missing out!” Spike said as he bounced in his seat with anticipation.
“WHAT?! THERE'S A NEW DRAGON IN TOWN AND HE CANT EAT MY SPECIAL GEM CUPCAKE I WAS MAKING JUST FOR HIM?! THIS IS AWFUL!!!” Pinkie appeared right next to him in the booth and hugged him tightly while bawling into his sweater. He also took note that their table was now bearing the sweets they had ordered. “This is the WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!”
Pinkie then proceeded to faint in an overly dramatic fashion, where she lay on the floor for a few moments before standing back up in a flash. “That was my impression of Rarity! How did I do?”
“I have no idea but it was amazing!” Vulkan said with enthusiasm and applause.
“Awww thank you! Wanna hear my impression of a dragon?” She asked.
“Sure, go for it.” He said.
Pinkie proceeded to take a deep breath, and then inhaled a bit more, then more still. She seemed to inflate like a balloon up to the point it would look like she would pop, then said, “Wanna buy some potions?” in a deep but otherwise normal voice.
Vulkan was caught completely off guard, as were Twilight and Spike, but right when they were about to laugh Pinkie let loose a monstrous roar that shook the entire store. After nearly thirty seconds Pinkie had deflated and was smiling at them expectantly. “Well? How did I do?” she asked innocently.
Vulkan was close to panicking, how had she done that? Was that even her? This mare is beyond anything he had ever encountered. Looking across from him he could see Twilight pressed against the wall and fear plastered on her face, while surprisingly Spike seemed immune to it.
“Eh, needs some work, sounded a bit like a bear.” He said.
“Shoot! I was sure I had it that time! Don’t worry guys, I’ll get the roar down pat!” and with that she bounced off and vanished from sight.
“Spike… what…” Vulkan tried to speak but words seemed to fail him.
“I’ve been giving her roaring pointers for about four years now; at this point I’m just seeing how far she can go.” Spike said as he continued munching on his special cupcake.
“Spike. You will tell Pinkie she has mastered the roar before this gets out of control.” Twilight said sternly.
“Alright, alright, fine. I’ll tell her she’s perfect next time.” Spike said as he finished off the last of his food and started eyeing Vulkan’s share.
He saw Spike eying his food and quickly popped a few into his mouth. The sudden explosion of flavor made his eyes roll back and he nearly lost consciousness as he was whisked away by the most amazing thing he’s ever eaten.
A giggle returned him to the land of the living to see Twilight laughing at his euphoria. “Pretty good?” She asked. “What happened to the ‘calm and collected’ act?”
He narrowed his eyes at her but was preoccupied with eating more of the sugary sweets to come up with a suitable reply. He soon started on the Cherry-Changas and his heart nearly stopped, no food should taste this amazing. He had to figure out how these were made. A flavor enhancement potion mixed in? No… this was all natural cooking professionalism.
“It’s alright, everypony has the same reaction.” She said.
“Not Twilight though, she accidently drank hot sauce instead!” Spike said and burst out laughing.
Vulkan raised an eyebrow at her as he kept savoring his food.
“It was an accident! Pinkie was distracting me and I thought it was a juice of dome sort!” Twilight blushed in her defense.
“Really? You didn’t mean to drink the hot sauce?” Pinkie said from her spot next to Vulkan “But it’s soo good and you gave me the idea to drink it like juice! How about you Vulkie, care for some Pinkie Patented Fire Sauce?” She slid a cup of bubbling red sauce toward Vulkan.
He eyed the cup warily, usually a bit of spice is a nice addition to food but he’s never straight up drank it. He glanced to the others; Spike seemed all for him drinking it while Twilight was face hoofing. He glanced back to Pinkie and she was staring at him with the intensity of a predator. He chose the lesser of two evils and drank the concoction, much to Pinkie and Spike’s delight.
He quickly felt his mouth heat up and tasted the zing of the spice, but felt no pain from it. It was rather nice. “Not bad actually. Though I think it would go better as a topping than an entree.” He said. He felt the molten liquid settle in his stomach, where it still broiled and churned, mixing with the sweets to form a deadly concoction.
“Hmm… yea I guess you’re right. But how about the after taste?” She asked.
“What after-” He was interrupted by a loud belch as the gas produced by the sauce expelled itself from his stomach.
The others, Spike included, hit the deck expecting a massive flame to erupt from his maw and start setting everything on fire, yet there was no heat. They cautiously looked back to see Vulkan giving them a puzzled look, “What?” he asked.
“I thought dragons belched fire!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“Yea! The other teenage dragons could!” Spike echoed.
“Pinkie, Spike!” Twilight tried to chastise, but Vulkan held up a claw.
“I’m able to control my fire, and I didn’t want to burn anypony or set the place on fire. That is all. Of course I can breathe fire and belch fire if I want to; I just don’t feel like it most of the time.” He said dismissively.
“OOHhh!!” Pinkie exclaimed, “Neato!”
“You can!?” Spike asked. “Can you show me?”
“Oh! Oh! Show me! Show me! Me meme mememe!!” Pinkie said, bouncing in her seat.
“Alright calm down, I’ll show you.” He said.
The others settled down and Vulkan made a show of covering his mouth with his claws, making it appear the fire originated from inside him. He pulled his claws back to show they were on fire. “Here, feel it.” He offered to the others. Pinkie was the first to act and shoved her hoof in the flames and started screaming, scaring Spike and Twilight.
“AHHH IT BURNS!! I can feel my flesh turning to charcoal!” She exclaimed, and then pulled her hoof free. “Just kidding!” She said as she toppled over in a fit of giggles.
“Ha ha, very funny Pinkie. Twilight deadpanned.
“I know! Wasn’t it the best?” She called up from the floor completely missing the sarcasm.
“I thought it was funny.” Vulkan said as he let the fire die out.
“You would say that you old charmer you~!” Pinkie said, suddenly flirting with him.
“Why wouldn’t I? I never got my kiss from a pretty mare yesterday.” He responded in kind.
“Well then, we’ll just have to fix that, wont we?” She said and leaned in closer to him.
“Looks like it, what did you have in mind?” He asked, leaning down so their noses almost touched.
Pinky blushed and looked away a moment, then looked deeply into his eyes. “How about right here, right now…” she trailed off for a moment, letting the tension build, “We have a cupcake eating contest!” she declared, jumping onto the table.
“Yes! I’ve been craving cupcakes since I ate the last one!” Vulkan agreed.
Spike and Twilight looked between them in confusion. “You know, you two together are scary.” Spike commented.
“No Pinkie, we don’t have time for a cupcake binge. Besides, don’t you have a huge work order to fill?” Twilight asked.
Pinkie gasped, “Oh my gosh! That’s right! I almost completely forgot about that! ThanksTwilightIgottagobye!” She rattled off and ran back into the kitchen.
“Well that’s one distraction out of the way. Shall we get going with the tour?” She asked.
“Sure, lead the way.” And with that said, their small group stood from the table and departed the bakery, an explosion of flour from the kitchen in their wake.
Author's Note
Funny typo, Pinkie: "Are you here to try some of my tasty treats?" was 'tasty teats' until the final read through.
Shipping!! Who do you think he's going to fall for? Who would be a good match for him? Comment below!
