Tales of a Dragon Clan

by Rammy

Rating: mature
Tags: Romance, Drama, Original Character, Spike, Dragons, Adventure, Violence, Sex, Twilight Sparkle, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 108014

A book about Spike and his rag tag dragon clan... this should be interesting...

A little over two thousand years ago a devastating global war was fought against the progenitor of evil itself. Though Equestria and a rag tag group of dragons that Spike brought together managed to defeat the evil it came at great cost. Equestria was devastated on multiple fronts and quickly faded into obscurity while Spike fell to into a prolonged Slumber after his psyche was torn asunder at the conclusion of this war.

The rag tag group of dragons, which had formed into a clan, was forced to wait patiently for him to wake, waiting and hoping for their leader to awaken.

When Spike did finally wake the orphaned and only daughter of two of their members killed in the closing hours of the war was given into the care of the ponies to be hatched and raised as the clan was unable to. Now that orphaned child is returning the past that haunts the clan and Spike will come crashing down on them even as they now feel ready to build the future they had dreamed of long ago...

Edited by: Ryunaker

*Technically a sequel to the Keeper Trilogy but this story will be written in a way that it will not be necessary to read the Trilogy beforehand.

*SPOILERS IN COMMENTS*

Published 2016-01-31 13:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-09-15 00:30:30 UTC

The Voices in My Head

A deer stag bent down and nibbled on some sweet grass near a small bubbling creek, oblivious to the danger that was stalking him. The snap of a twig caused the stag to snap to attention and look around in fear. For a while, the stag stayed tensed up, ready to flee, but nothing approached, and the deer could neither see nor smell anything. Soon, the deer went back to eating.

A young red female dragon whelp continued to watch the deer from high in a tree, waiting for the right time. The deer then moved from the grass to the creek and began to drink, putting himself in the perfect spot to be ambushed from above.

The deer bleated in alarm as he was forced violently to the ground by the sudden weight of the dragon jumping on him. His protests were quickly ended as the dragon silenced him with a well placed throat slash. The now dead body crumpled to the forest floor as the dragon roared in triumph.

The dragon huffed some of her long reddish-orange hair-like spines out of her eyes so she could admire her kill before she went about eating. The sound of a very sinister laugh put the dragon on edge, and she whipped her head around, trying to see or smell who would dare interrupt her meal. Neither seeing, hearing, nor smelling anything, she turned back to her meal.

The laughter started again, and the deer impossibly turned its head towards the dragon. She could hear the sound of the neck breaking. The dragon backed away from the deer in shock, stumbling backwards over a root. The soulless and sightless eyes continued to stare at the dragon, and an unearthly echo came out of its mouth. Why fight it?

Wouldn’t my blood taste heavenly on your lips? Come on... once you have a taste… you will have to have more and more… And the sound of my bones breaking? So very soothing and relaxing... Like the world's best massage.

The dragon let loose a flame to burn the abomination alive. She didn’t want to hear anymore from the undead deer.

Besides, no one will want you. Still the deer spoke. Who would want a killer around?

Nopony...The deer suddenly morphed into a pony, a very familiar tan furred and dark blue maned unicorn pony. It was her brother, and she had just sentenced him to death by claw, and now flame.

“No…” The dragon whispered, backing up in fright and horror.

Can’t you feel the rush of power when you breath flame? To see the light of life fade away… The flaming skull continued, even as the dragon tried to get up and away. Come now, there is nothing to fear.

“No, no, no... NOOOOOOO!” The dragon finally managed to get to her feet.

That’s right, run! The voice mocked as the dragon began to flee.

A beast! The voice shouted from everywhere, panicking the dragon even more.

A explosion of fire filled the dragon’s eyes, and the sounds of cruel laughter drowned out all other sounds.

ബഐബഐബഐ Ruby ബഐബഐബഐ

“AAAH!” I snapped awake, screaming, a bit of my red flame escaping. I quickly shut my mouth, not wanting to set anything on fire, not that my room had a lot that was flammable. A fire-breathing dragon like myself learns really fast to not have anything flammable nearby for cases just like this… Or at least, I think so... I have never seen another dragon in my life. Heck, I’m the only known dragon in all of the Equus Nation. I was such an unknown that I was a scientific curiosity for a while.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was still late at night. I shivered as I tried to get the horrible vision and terrifying voice out of my head. Somehow, I managed, after some time of tossing and turning, to fall back into a restless sleep.

I woke up with a start just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. I sighed, as I knew that I would not be able to get back to sleep now. I got up, made myself breakfast, and went about my chores for the day. All the while, trying not to dwell on the night before, which was easier said than done.

I finished the last chore, just as the sun reached it peak. I half-heartedly congratulated myself, as I managed to get my chores done in record time. “Time for lunch, I guess,” I muttered as I went back inside, making a light lunch with a salad and an apple jam sandwich.

“Hey Dowsy!” I greeted my brother, Magic Dowser, or, to his ‘annoyance’, Dowsy, as he came in the door, just as I was finishing up my lunch. His saddle bag was filled with who knows what.

“Can you not call me that? I hate that nickname.”

“What brings you back? I thought that…” I stopped midsentence when I detected something very interesting. I took a stronger sniff, and, as I did, I noticed that my brother was starting to sweat. “Magic Dowser, do I detect a hint of a marefriend?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about, sis.”

I raised an eyebrow. It had been a while since I last saw him, but I didn’t think my brother would have forgotten that I have an excellent sense of smell. He may have masked it with shampoo and soap, but I could clearly smell the unmistakable scent of pony bucking.

“Okay… So who, and how long?”

“You and your fucking sense of smell.”

“I’m waiting…” I tapped my foot to accent my impatience.

“Fine!” He finally relented. “It’s a girl from school.”

“No fucking duh…” I rolled my eyes while grinning ear to ear. “So... what’s her name? And better yet, is she good in the sack?”

“RUBY!” Dowsy blushed hard. “Must you!?”

“Hey! I need something to fantasize about, because you know I got a lot of time…” I twiddled my claws, suddenly embarrassed, myself. “A lot of time to think, and all...”

“Damn it. This again, sis?” Dowsy shook his head. “Did you have that nightmare again!? Spill.”

“Yeah…” I admitted. I have no idea how he figured that out, but I knew better than to lie to Dowsy, especially about the nightmare. He could always tell when I’m trying to hide the fact that I had one. “But there was something new that happened.”

After he had grabbed a glass of cider from the fridge, Dowsy sat down across the table. “Okay, lay it on me.”

I sat down and began to describe the dream, and more specifically, the mocking voice. Dowsy never once reacted during the whole time that I related the dream, other than a few nods and sipping on his cider. After I was done, he stayed quiet for awhile, but I could see the gears in his head spinning.

“I suggest you go hunt, and use your flame…” He finally said.

“What!?” I screamed, gesturing towards town. “The town ponies are already leery around me, as it is!”

“I know that, Ruby! But you are my sister… forget what the fucking town ponies think!” Dowsy sighed, rubbing his head. “There is not much known about dragon biology, given that you are the only dragon to ever be seen or set foot in the E.N.… but, you know what I think? I think these dreams are your instincts saying you need to hunt, and that you need to use your flame…”

I sighed. If there ever was a reason that I should suppress using my flame, it was right in front of me. There, blazing across the right side of my brother’s muzzle and down to his neck, were splotches of scars, places where his fur never grew back. The places where his fur did grow back, it never grew back properly. It had been a miracle that his eye wasn’t blinded.

It all started the day I grew into a whelp. My third birthday… He had hugged me a bit too much after I changed... I was still reeling from the change and… the smell of burning fur and flesh… was bad. That same night, the nightmares began.

Dowsy was in the hospital for weeks, recovering… always asking for me, but I was too guilt-ridden, too horrified at what had happened. What I had done… It took months before I could see him, much less talk to him without constantly apologizing. It’s much better now; our relationship is like nothing ever happened, though I still feel guilty about it.

“When was the last time you used your flame? And I don’t mean by accident, after one of your dreams, or when you were sick.”

I tried to maintain eye contact, but couldn't. I could hear my brother sigh again as I did.

“Look, I’ll be honest, I don’t know if holding back your flame or desire to eat meat is healthy, or not… But clearly, it's eating you alive from the inside. You need to get over the guilt from what happened. It was an accident. You need to stop being afraid of your own flame.”

“But what if…”

“Ruby…” Dowsy cut me off. “The voice you heard… now, please hear me out... I think it was right. Dreams, especially nightmares, are the subconscious, trying to deal with issues that aren’t being worked out in the waking world. I think your nightmares are just your instincts, telling you that you are denying who you are as a dragon. Shooting out flames and hunting for prey is a part of who you are.”

“Yes, Professor.” I rolled my eyes. So, just because my brother is working on his graduate degree, suddenly, he’s soooo smart. “It’s just that...”

“Are manticores and wolves evil, just because they need to eat meat to survive?”

“Uh...no, but…” I tried to object; manticores and wolves had been known to attack ponies.

“Or pet owls? Cats?” Dowsy pressed his point harder. “And what of pet snakes, which are reptiles, such as you, yourself are?”

I closed my mouth, my protest dying. He had me, there… There were many animals that had to eat meat, and I knew there were several ponies in Castle Town that had animals like the ones he described as pets. Still, those were animals, and were not sentient… I could feel a headache coming on. Forget this… I was not going to deal with this anymore, right now.

“You know what...” I gave an exaggerated yawn, “I think I'm going to bed early; I really didn’t sleep well last night…”

“Ruby, putting off reconciling who you are is not…”

“I know, I know…” I waved my brother off, yawning for real this time. Not surprising, as I really didn’t get a restful sleep. I made my way to my bedroom, wrote in my diary, and was soon fast asleep.

Dear Diary,

I had that recurring nightmare again last night, though this time, something was different. A voice called out to me, mocking me. I woke up, screaming and spewing forth flame. I guess I should be thankful that my room is not only on the far side of the house, but also made from cinder blocks. It prevents Mother from hearing my screams, or seeing anything aflame. The last thing I want to do is explain that I’m having those dreams again. And Tartarus no on telling her that the dream brings feelings of power from shooting out flames and killing animals. (And double Tartarus no on telling her about that voice, or was it voices?) Not that I want to use my flames… not since that one day… I can’t; I’m afraid of hurting the ones I love... Even worse, my cravings for blood have been getting stronger and stronger…

Dowsy is worried over me, but… I know he means well, but I can’t. I just can’t use my flame or hunt… I’m so worried that once I start, something would break in me and… No. I can’t even write about it...

I hope I don’t have that dream again tonight. I don’t think I can handle it anymore.

Author's Note

For those in the know shush and spoiler tags, please.

For those not in the know spoilers in the comments

Happy reading and up vote and comment :puppy eyes:

The Crazy Old Stallion of Castle Town

I awoke once again from the nightmare. This time, I managed to not wake up screaming and spewing fire. As it was approaching sunrise, I went ahead and got up, and made breakfast for three. I figured that Dowsy was going to be home for a bit, though there was the nagging thought of why he hadn’t let us know that he was coming home. I know it had to be more than ‘I have a marefriend now…’ Maybe it was for school. Last I heard, all he had left to go was his doctoral thesis.

Speaking of Dowsy, I watched him as he slowly entered the kitchen, and poured himself a cup of coffee. I had to stifle a giggle, as his blue and white striped mane was a complete mess, and his tan fur was matted every which way. He was never a morning pony, and, for some reason, it only got worse the older he got. After taking a sip of his coffee and sighing contentedly, he sat down at the table. I quickly placed a plate of eggs and hay bacon in front of him.

“So…” I slyly asked as I sat down. My mom, a unicorn like Dowsy, whose red mane and light pink fur was beginning to grey, probably from stress, walked in, grabbed her own plate of food that I had previously made for her, and took her place as I continued. “What brings you home? Besides you know what...”

“I’m here to do research on the Everfree Forest, for my doctoral thesis.” Dowsy stated simply, as he glared at me.

“What!?” Mom yelled in shock and horror. It was clear to me exactly what was going on in her head. Her only son going into the Everfree! Of all the things her son could say, it had to be that!

“What kind of research?” I asked, ignoring the overreaction of my mom.

Unlike my mom, I was not as concerned about Dowsy. If anyone could figure out the Everfree, it was him. I learned really fast to never try and play hide and seek with him. His talent to find magic signatures of ponies, spells, or ley lines made it so that he always knew where I was, no matter how much, or how well, I cheated. That was how he was able to hatch me, because he could see exactly how to break the shell of magic that protected my egg. Or something like that… I never could understand him when he explained it to me, so he eventually gave up and simplified it to that.

“Ley lines of the Everfree, more specifically how and why it causes leyonic interference with pony magic.”

“Honey, are you sure?” Mom asked. Clearly she hoped she could persuade him to find something else for his thesis, something a bit safer. Like how that ancient ruined city on Canterhorn Mountain managed to remain on the mountain, and not fall into the valley below? “The Everfree is not very safe. Over the years, a lot of ponies have entered that forest and never returned. Between the beasts that inhabit it, and the tales of how the forest seems to be alive and actively expels those who enter...”

“That why I want to do this, Mom. If I can find out more on how the Everfree functions, I can hopefully prevent others from needlessly dying…”

Dowsy continued on with Mom trying to rebut his arguments. During that, I became increasingly uncomfortable. All this talk about the dangerous Everfree and beasts only reminded me of the insults that were whispered or yelled at me. ‘A beast like her should go back to the Everfree...’ or ‘She was so dangerous that even the Everfree rejected her…’ I didn’t need a reminder of that, and most certainly not after a second night of the nightmare in a row.

“I’m going out for a walk.” I growled angrily, pushing myself away from the table and stomping towards the door.

ബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐ

“Ruby! Wait, I…” Elegant Prose was cut off by the slamming door.

“Mom,” Magic Dowser sighed, “let her go. She’s the only one of her kind here, and the townsponies don’t know what to make of her, and thus tend to avoid her… I think all this talk of beasts and the Everfree has only reminded her of that.”

Elegant Prose sagged. She knew about the opinions of some of the townsponies concerning Ruby. It was already not all that good when she was a hatchling, but then, when the day came that she became a whelp, and accidentally burned Magic Dowser… They moved to a cottage a short distance from town, just to get them to settle down... Sadly, Ruby was never the same after that. “I worry about her…”

“So do I, Mom, so do I…”

ബഐബഐബഐ Ruby ബഐബഐബഐ

I walked around for a while, until I decided to go to the spot that always helped me clear my head. The crystal tree castle. Something about leaning against crystal was soothing. The heavenly smell, the cool feeling of it on my back... I would hug it, but I don’t need to add crazy to the list of reasons ponies avoid me. Though I guess that could be an improvement… or worse, it may make them think I’m rabid, and increase the chances I will one day get chased out of town… oh who am I kidding…? It’s going to happen one day, no matter what I do…

“Gah!” I jumped with a start when a very old pegasus suddenly appeared right in front of me. “You scared me…” It was rare that someone managed to creep up on me like that, but I must have been too lost in my thoughts to notice, or maybe it was the fact that he smells faintly like crystal.

As I got my heart rate down, I got a good look at the pegasus that startled me. His fur was a faded tan, and his mane was a very light grey, with sections that were pure white, expected for a pony his age. The emblem on his flank was a scroll with a compass inside it. So this is what the ‘Crazy Stallion of Castle Town’ looks like.

The ‘crazy’ old stallion never bothered me before, why now? The way he was staring me down was beginning to creep me out. “Look, if you want me to go, I’ll go. I don’t want any trouble.” I muttered as I backed away.

“You. Come in, inside. Yes, inside…” He spoke in a raspy, stilted voice. Yeah, crazy is definitely right. “Quickly… Mustn't let them see… inside…safe inside… come...”

I sighed, and, against my better judgement, I followed the twitchy and paranoid pegasus inside the castle. The pegasus looked around one last time, before slamming the door, thus leaving me to probably be killed… I think that nightmare is effecting me in ways I haven’t perceived… or maybe it's because no one really wants me around… and he was the only one with the ‘courage’ to end me.

He sighed, before he calmly walked past me. “Come, Ruby, we have some things to discuss…”

“Wait. You. I. But... Wah!!?” Brain malfunction, please restart.

The crazy stallion wasn’t crazy, and he knew my name!? Okay, am I dreaming or something? His reputation was almost as bad as mine, if not worse, depending on who you talked to. The stallion seemed to be amused by this, as he chuckled. This, of course, snapped me out of my shock.

“You're the only dragon in Castle Town, much less all of the Equus Nation. It's kind of hard to not be known.” He shrugged before he continued down the hall

“Oh yeah…” I dumbly responded as I followed and admired the architecture. I knew that halls could have high ceilings, but damn, it still strained my neck just to look at the ceiling in the entrance grand hall. “I knew that… but why the crazy act?”

“Oh, that’s it…” The crazy-not-crazy stallion smirked back at me. “Well, I like my privacy, and I do have artifacts from my days of exploration that, in the wrong hooves, whether evil or ignorant… would not be... ‘good.’”

“Yeah, I guess that is an effective way to keep ponies away from dangerous artifacts...” I said absentmindedly. I can think of at least two ponies in town that fell into the latter category. I’m surprised that they have not attempted to get dragon-capturing emblems, or dragon-killing emblems, or anything dragon related yet...

As the pony led me further into the castle, I made it a point to keep looking around. This had the advantage of helping me remember the way out, if I would have to make a hasty retreat, while also taking in the castle, which was quite beautiful, and smelled tasty. I could feel my mouth watering. Note to self: go gem hunting when I’m done here.

Soon, we were climbing the stairs, stopping a few times for the pony to rest. Thankfully, we left them at the second floor. I don’t really want to go all the way up, and I doubt the pony could make it all the way to the very top.

As we walked along the second floor hallway, I couldn't help but gawk. He wasn’t kidding when he said that he had a large collection. Old maps, vases, musty scrolls and tomes, as well as jewelry lined the hall, and at least one room had its door open enough for me to see inside. I did note, as we walked, an old map that had a spot south of the Everfree marked as ‘Here be Dragons’ to be quite interesting, and strangely familiar…

Why would this seem so familiar? Now that I think about it, the pony, oddly enough, reminded me of somepony long ago, but who, I haven’t a clue...

“I couldn't help but overhear your mutterings about being a dragon in the midst of ponies...” The pony explained as he walked over to a chest, opened it, and began to dig around. “I have something that may be able to help you… If I can just find it.”

Okay, I get that he was an explorer, but what could he possibly have that could help me? A pretty vase? A mummy? I mean really? All I really want is to be accepted, or, at least, not looked at in fear. To understand what I am as a dragon, and hopefully in a way that is the opposite of that dream...

“Damn it! Where is that fucking piece of shit!? It had better not think it was fucking funny to leave now of all times!”

I had to sidestep, as numerous sextants of various sizes and types started flying by me. I knew he said he was explorer, but really? How many sextants does somepony need? For that matter, why would I even need one of those things? You know, I think maybe my earlier reassessment may have been wrong.

“Sorry about the language…” The old pony suddenly stopped digging in the chest to apologize to me about something that, quite frankly, I don’t give a shit about. “I picked up the habit from a good friend of mine… he could impress any old salty with his ‘eloquent’ use of curses… and he tended to use them alot…”

“I’m a twenty-three year old fire breathing sharp-toothed dragon that is considered at best, a pet, and at worst, a foul dangerous beast from the depths of Tartarus that needs to be put down… No one cares for my feelings anyway...” I waved it off, even though I was starting to cry. “So bad language is nothing for me…”

“Hey! Hey, don’t cry, and don’t be ashamed of who and what you are…” I could hear the pegasus’ joints creak as he slowly stood on his back legs, wiping my tears with his wings, his forelegs on each of my shoulders. “I know that there are a lot more people that care about you then you realize.”

Yeah, right… I thought, as I was not really in the mood to argue.

“Ah! So that’s where the pain in the ass compass went to.” The pegasus exclaimed as he got off of me. He went to the mantle and grabbed what looked like a very simple brass pocket watch. Must have been one of those that snaps open.

“This may seem like a simple but broken compass, but it’s not.” He handed me the compass. And true to his word, unless I got really mixed up as he led me through the castle, the compass seemed to be pointing in the wrong direction. “You see, this compass helps those in need to find the answer they seek. It’s enchanted to only point to where you are most needed to go.”

“Why are you giving me this?” I asked, not really sure what to make of it. I wasn’t being ungrateful, but I still did not see why he would give me something like an enchanted compass that would help you find things you need.

“Ruby, I’m old.” The stallion smirked. “The Pasturelands will soon be calling me home. I would love it to help someone to seek out the past. For the answers you seek, Ruby, are buried there.”

Why do old ponies have to talk in riddles? But I’m at my rope’s end, and have nothing to lose… I could have Magic Dowser look to see what, if any, spell is enchanted into the compass. I didn’t know the guy, and I was sure as hell that he only knew me from spying on me from one of the balconies. Yeah, I give up, he’s crazy... Though, for the moment at least, I’ll play along. Unless he offers me cupcakes, then I’m out of here.

“Thanks…” I think...

“Come, now, I’ll escort you out… the castle can be a maze, to those not familiar with it.”

ബഐബഐബഐ ???? ബഐബഐബഐ

I collapsed a bit against the door as I struggled not to break down. The visit from Ruby had taken an emotional toll on me, and I was surprised that I managed to not fall apart and tell Ruby the truth… that I was her grandfather, that her egg was given to me to be hatched and raised... But I knew this path was one that she needed to take without me. It would only confuse her more if I didn’t let her find it on her own. Well, not alone. I highly doubt Magic Dower would allow her to go on her own. Those two, with one exception, were practically inseparable...

That reminded me of something I needed to do. I should contact Spike, to let him know to expect her arrival in a few weeks’ time… maybe sooner… After all, they have the answers she is looking for. I just hope that, when the truth is revealed, she doesn’t reject it outright, push them away, or push her pony family away, either, for that matter.

I stopped by a nearby window, feeling not yet ready to do what I needed to do. I watched as Ruby walked slowly back home. Judging by her loopy walking, she had to be deep in troubled thought. Hopefully, she will take what I said to heart, and pay attention to that Compass. No idea why it stayed around this long, but I’m glad it did; with any luck, she will have an easier time in the Untamed Wilds than I did. I shuddered at the memories, or maybe it was from the chill of of the castle. Damn it, getting old is no walk in the park, with the joints that ache...

I took in a deep breath, as Ruby disappeared from view. It was time to contact the clan, no more delays. They would need to know about this. They are her family, after all.

I walked down the grand hall, and into the former Council of Friendship chambers. Inside were seven thrones, six with a cutiemark, or emblem, emblazoned on them: three apples, three ballons, three gems, three butterflies, a tricolor lightening bolt, and finally a starburst, with five stars surrounding it. My destination was the throne next the last one. This one didn’t have an emblem, but, imbedded in it, was metal shaped in a geometric design. I touched the center of it, the part that looked like a spring that one would find in one of those uncomfortable box spring mattresses that rich non-pegasi sometimes use. The metal started to pulsate with a visible aura.

I sat down on the throne with the rainbow lightning bolt and waited. Hopefully, it wouldn't take too long. I don’t usually keep this part of the castle warm. I’m too old to try and keep the whole castle warm, so I just keep a few rooms up in the private sections of the castle, on the second floor, warm.

I really hope I can get Spike, and not Dragon FireWyrm, as I can not understand wyrm… I probably won’t, as he rarely, if ever, answers my call. I could possibly get Scorpion, but he would have only barely gotten up for the ‘day.’

Suddenly, the crystal throne room disappeared, being replaced by a circular white room with a raised bench along one side, like the type one might see in a courtroom. There, in the center of the room, was the dragon I wanted to speak with: Spike.

“What is it, History Seeker?” Spike yawned hard after he greeted me, his tail twitching in mild irritation. His black diamond-studded bowtie was a bit askew. It appeared that I must have woken him up. If the yawn, tie, and irritated expression weren’t big enough clues, I could see black marks on the side of his snout; ink, no doubt from drooling on a book. Most likely his journal, as the rest of his books would have protection spells against drool.

“Spike, you look like I woke you after falling asleep while reading a good book.” I smirked as I pointed out the ink on his face.

“Ha, ha, very funny.” Spike rolled his eyes as he wiped the rest of the ink away. “Except, one, it’s my library and my books, and two, I can nap whenever I want. Being Firstclaw does have some sweet perks…”

“That might have been true,” Twilight interjected entering the Hourglass Council chambers, and thus, the image, “but he kind of fell asleep from getting the city ready for the Migration... and, for the record, Spike drooled on my checklist…”

I started laughing, but soon, I could feel my chest and lungs tensing up, and I began to cough. The coughing evolved into hacking and wheezing and, for a moment, I thought I would pass out. Spike and Twilight instinctively tried to help, but, as they were merely magic images with no real substance, they just passed right through me.

After a few tense moments, the coughing fit faded, and I was able to breathe again, although I felt quite weak afterwards. I wiped the drool that had formed, and noted that it had a slight pink tinge to it. Figures. I grumbled as I put on the special breathing mask that I had been given for when this happened.

“Your cough is worse than ever! What did the doctors say?” Spike looked at me with worry, and a bit of sadness, as well. I knew he knew this was coming, but I don’t think he was ready to watch a friend slowly fade away… I don’t think anyone really ever is… I wasn’t with Belle Flower...

I removed the mask temporarily, so I could be understood. “If I’m lucky, shortly after Ruby arrives…”

Author's Note

Same as before those in the know Spoiler tag please... you know who you are...

What Fun is There in Making Sense?

Mom had left for work some time ago, so for the moment I was only one home. I was using the kitchen table to do some writing. I had some small grants to do the research on the Everfree, but I could use more money. It had been very difficult to get what little I got, as the work I was going to do was so dangerous, few were willing to spend coin on a project that was unlikely to produce anything. At least my marefriend was willing to come along and help.

“Welcome home, Ruby are you…” I greeted my sister, but my question ended on a downturn, as she seemed to be so deep in thought that she didn’t notice nor hear me as she walked to her room. “...feeling better?”

I know that she went out to cool off from what happened earlier, but she was not acting depressed, like I would expect, but lost. Okay, what happened? I put down the grant letter I was writing to follow her. I knocked on the door frame of Ruby’s bedroom door before I entered the already-opened door. Hopefully, this time, she might be inclined to talk. “Ruby... are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine… Um, Dowsy…” She ignored the scowl that I gave her over the use of the nickname, “could you take a look at this compass, and tell me what you see?”

“It looks like a simple pocket watch style compass to me.” I noted with boredom after being handed the compass.

“With your horn, dumbass.” Ruby growled in irritation over my dumb act.

I knew that she knew it looked like a simple compass, but she clearly wanted to know if it really was enchanted, why else would she ask me to look at it? I smirked, acting dumb was payback for the Dowsy nickname, though I would have helped her, anyway. I lit my horn and began to examine the compass.

I could see that it was enchanted, but not with a simple want it, need it, find it enchantment, assuming that it was pony magic. Furthermore, I could feel a massive amount of raw magic buried deep under the enchantment. That made no sense. If this compass was supposed to help one find what they need, or where they need to go, then it would not need this much mana, unless it was designed to have a range the size of the world. Even then, there was no need for this much. A quick mental calculation told me that it had at least thirty times the necessary mana for that.

I nearly dropped the compass from that. That was an unheard-of level of magic. I remember the record for the largest well of mana in a pony at just under a third of the mana in the compass. Why would anyone put that much mana into a compass?

I concentrated harder, trying to get down the thread of the enchantment. I need to find out why. But every time I thought I got it, the thread would change. Several times, I could see that the threads of magic became orderly, only to find that it was merely a mirage. Once, I was even sure that I saw that the threads forming into a familiar prank spell that changed one’s fur color.

I was very familiar with prank spells, thanks to some less than mature ponies at the University. Those ponies figured out real quick that it was hard to prank me, as I could deconstruct a prank spell extremely quickly and efficiently. It got so bad for them that they stopped trying to prank me. Sadly, because of this, the University designated me as the go-to pony when the staff needed assistance dealing with pranks or out of control spells. It annoyed me to no end, even though it did pay for my tuition and books.

After a while, I began to become frustrated. Whatever spell or enchantment was on the compass, it was either extremely well done or an idiotic mess. The more I looked at it, however, the more I suspected that it was both. It was like the enchantment was playing a joke with me, simply because I was trying to understand it. Playing a joke?! My eyes widened as I suddenly remembered something. Could this be one of those?

“Where’d you get this?” I looked at Ruby.

“From that crazy pony that lives in the crystal tree castle.” Ruby shrugged like it was nothing. “He had a whole chest of sextants… who needs that many!?”

“Um… okay…” I blinked. I could not believe that not only had Ruby seen the ‘crazy’ old stallion, but been inside the castle! No one had ever seen him properly. Some had tried on dares (myself included) to get a picture of him, but all either ended up chickening out, or losing the camera. I have no idea how she managed to do what no one else had in twenty years, and get the pony to give something to her, on top of that. Maybe he felt sorry for her. Ruby does have a really bad reputation, in a way, worse then the crazy pony had… One that she most definitely didn’t deserve...

“He said that it would help me, by pointing me to where I need to go…to get answers about myself…who I am... or something like that.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”

“What?” Ruby looked a bit confused and taken back. She had clearly not even decided what to do about the compass, much less how to follow the pony’s directions. Given that mom would not tell her where the her egg came from, outside the obvious lie of ‘family heirloom.’ I think I knew at one time but I may have forgotten. The accident during Ruby's third birthday had messed up my memory, and everything before that is a bit vague. The last time Ruby tried to inquire from mom and push for the truth was met with less than stellar results. Never in my life did I see mother so angry like that. After that, she kept quiet about it.

“Pack for a hiking trip, we leave in the morning.”

“But, don’t you have to do that research of yours?”

“Yes, but I have lots of time to do that,” I shrugged. “Besides, the compass is pointing towards the Everfree. Plus, what kind of big brother would I be if I let my little sister go gallivanting about in the wild without help?”

“Thanks!” Ruby hugged me lightly. “You're the best.”

ബഐബഐബഐ Ruby ബഐബഐബഐ

I spent the rest of the afternoon digging gems from the gem fields about an hour’s walk east of Castle Town. I usually only get a small amount of gems to eat, but, given I had no idea how long the trip could get, I gathered enough to fill my backpack halfway. I managed to get back as the sun was beginning to set.

It was quite an awkward dinner that night. Mom tried several times to make conversation, but it fell flat every time. I was really too lost in thought, and Dowsy was not going to say anything more about his research. He had made it clear after the third attempt by Mom to get him to see ‘reason.’

I wrote an entry into my journal, and then packed it, along with the canteens of water and trail mix that I had packed up earlier. We had agreed not to tell our mother, and to leave very early in the morning, after leaving a note on the kitchen table. Neither of us wanted to leave with a fight, and somehow, I don’t think I could face mom and tell her I was going to wherever the compass led. I might have ended up relenting…

I awoke from something lightly shaking me. I grumbled and turned over to try and get more sleep. After two bad nights, all I wanted was more sleep.

“Ruby.” Dowsy whispered from somewhere nearby. “It’s time to go.”

I groaned and reluctantly got up. The sun had only just started to rise, and, as much as I wanted to get more sleep, if we were going to slip out and make decent progress, we needed to leave now. I rolled my eyes at Dowsy, seeing him smirking at me. I stuck my tongue out as I grabbed my backpack, and then I followed him quietly out of the house.

As we approached the Everfree forest, I could see a unicorn mare waiting for us. She was a light green, with a long flowy blond mane and tail. I noted that her emblem was a leaf above a pestle and mortar.

“Name’s Minty Leaf,” she shook my paw in greeting, which was a bit of a surprise for me, “but everypony calls me Minty.”

“You’re more than assistant, aren’t you...” I smirked as I recognized her smell, even though I had never met her before today. Dowsy’s panicking expression only confirmed it for me. “You’re my brother’s marefriend, aren't you.”

“How…” Minty began, before she giggled. “Oh, that’s right! Dowser told me that you had a very keen sense of smell…”

Telling secrets about me, eh? I eyed Dowsy with an upraised brow. He tried to hide his building nervousness, but was failing, as I could start to smell it. Oh, this is going to be sweet.

“Tell me everything.” I begged, eliciting a giggle from Minty.

“Come on,” Dowsy interrupted us, a little louder then was probably necessary. “Let’s go before…”

“WAIT!!” A scream now interrupted him. It was from the one pony we had gotten up early to try and avoid, Mom. We turned to see my mom galloping faster then I think I’ve ever seen her run, even faster than when I accidently burned Dowsy...

“...Mom wakes up and finds our note…” Dowsy facehooved as he finished his no longer needed plea.

Mom came to a screeching halt in front of me. “Ruby! Please don’t go!” She started to sob uncontrollably. “If you go looking for your past… and find it... I can’t lose you…”

I was momentarily stunned by Mom. Most of all, I had no idea what she meant by the whole ‘If you find your past, I’ll lose you’ part, but Elegant Prose was my mother, and will remain my mother, no matter what I find out. She raised me, after all. Sure, my mom has made mistakes, but she did her best as a single mother. I would never stop loving her.

“I love you mom, but I need to know where I came from. Why I was left in your care...” I leaned down and wiped the tears from my mom’s face. “I need to do this…”

For a brief moment, while I pleaded with my eyes, I thought that maybe she would try to further convince me to stay. But then, she sagged and looked to the ground, defeated. “Okay honey.” She whispered dejectedly.

I honestly wasn’t expecting this. I was expecting a fight of words, where I would have to wear her down, or leave on a sour note. For a moment, I was lost as to what to say or do, before I too teared up.

“Thanks mom.” I hugged my mom, then kissed her on the cheek. I turned back to join Dowsy and Minty.

“Keep her safe, Magic Dowser.” I could hear my mom call out as we entered the forest.

Everfree was everything that the tales said, dark and foreboding, with one exception: the part about the forest being alive and evil seemed to be an exaggeration. We had no issues on our march through the forest. Dowsy did, however, keep an eye on the ley lines, just in case, while, every so often, I would check the compass to see where we needed to go.

After a while, I got tired of the overly tense feelings radiating from the two, especially my brother. Yes, the forest was dark and foreboding, thanks to the thick canopy and overgrown underbrush. And yes, we needed to be on the lookout for predators, but all that fear and tenseness would most assuredly attract them. I knew just the way to lighten the mood: tell embarrassing things about Dowsy to Minty.

“Hey, Minty,” I loudly ‘whispered’ to Minty. “Did my brother tell you his ‘cutey wootey’ nickname?”

“Ruby…” Dowsy warned. He really didn’t like that name, as it was embarrassing. And I knew the last thing he wanted was his marefriend knowing.

“OOoo what is it?” Minty grinned, clearly over a chance to see her stallion turn red.

“Dowsy.” I grinned before I had to suppress a giggle along with Minty over Dowsy’s reaction.

I couldn't tell if Dowsy was being red from anger, or from embarrassment. I'm sure he was angry at me, as he didn’t like that nickname, and probably also embarrassed, over the fact that his marefriend now knew that name. I bet he wishes I had been a boy... Then, maybe, he would have gotten a cooler nickname or, barring that, I would have not told his marefriend such an embarrassing name.

“I’d have been fucked either way…” He grumbled to himself, just loud enough for me to hear. He must have realized it could have actually been worse…

“I’ll tell you the story later… when we are alone...” I whispered to Minty, eliciting another suppressed giggle from the mare, and another groan from Dowsy.

Author's Note

For those in the know shush and spoiler tags, please.

For those not in the know spoilers in the comments

I made a slight formatting change due to a review but I would love to see what others think. Anytime there is a change to 1st person narration this will appear beforehand:

ബഐബഐബഐ (insert character) ബഐബഐബഐ

And when it ends:

ബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐ

Here be Dragons

During their three and a half day march, with how little came at them, the Everfree’s reputation now seemed to be a bit exaggerated. They never once got lost, or ran into a single manitcore, cockatrice, or timberwolf, though those were the three most fierce creatures that were known to live in the forest. They had no idea if it was luck on their part, or something or someone was helping.

Ruby was fairly certain that it had to be the latter. Several times, they had run into a strangely quiet section of the forest, which had made them all uneasy. Forest danger 101: sudden silence usually means that something dangerous is nearby. In these sections, she could usually detect faint traces of one of the three predators, but she could also detect something else. Whatever it was had a strange, slight sulfur smell to it. And it was only in those areas; it never trailed off to other parts of the forest the way she would expect to find with any other animal, including flying ones.

Magic Dowser would use his ability to gauge what was around via his ability to see magic, but he never could find any trace of what could be causing it. He could see the creatures of the forest, and the ley lines that flowed around, but he could not see any unknown creature that could cause what they were finding. The behavior of the magical ley lines of the Everfree was, as expected, abnormal, but he still could not see how they could be causing it, either, and he was an expert on them. He even looked for the absence of magic, in his desperation.

After the fifth time, they gave up trying to figure it out, and just did a cursory glance around before continuing. Doing a thorough search every time was time consuming, and none of them wanted to stick around in the forest for too long. Even Magic Dowser, who had returned to Castle Town to begin his research on the Everfree, was not liking it. His plan was to study in a controlled way, not waltz through willy nilly, as even he knew that that would be asking for trouble. He knew that the Everfree was dangerous, and to not test his luck.

The sun was high on the fourth day from Castle Town, when they broke through the trees and found themselves in an ever expanding plain of grass. All three of them sighed in relief. At least now, they could see danger coming, unlike the dark and thick woods. They took this time to eat in relative peace before continuing on, following the compass as it pointed them southward.

“Those are some big-ass rocks.” Magic Dowser whistled as they reached a line of large boulders, most bigger than a typical house. A small creek went between a pair of them, on its way to the Everfree, no doubt.

“The question is, where did they come from? There doesn’t appear to be anything that could be the source for many, many miles…” Minty commented, looking about for a mountain and finding none within sight.

“‘Here be dragons…’” Ruby gulped after she whispered the line she suddenly remembered from the map.

“What do you mean, Ruby?” Minty cocked her head at the dragon’s words. She had gotten to know the whelp quite well in the past several days, and could tell that she was nervous about something.

“There was a map in the castle, and the area south (or, I think it was south) of Everfree was labeled as ‘Here be Dragons...’”

“Maybe it’s because that is the homeland of the dragons… maybe it’s where you are from?” Minty commented. “Either way, south is where your answers lie. Don’t let fear of them stop you.”

Ruby nodded her head, Minty was right. Even though Ruby was apprehensive about meeting with her own kind, she got his far; she might as well finish it. At least, for the moment, the dream had not resurfaced; it was as if this journey was washing it away.

“We had better fill our canteens now; who knows when we will run into more water.”

Ruby couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Magic Dowser. Every time they ran into water that was clean, he said that. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was a smart move, Ruby would have gotten annoyed. She wasn’t a little hatchling, anymore; she didn’t need reminders like that, anymore… But it did give her an opening to tease her brother some more. “I know I’m a girl and mom said for you to keep me safe, but I’m twenty-three. I can take care of myself.”

Magic Dowser shook his head, trying not to come back at her with a snarky remark. He knew that if he gave her an inch, she’d go two miles. He just went about filling his canteens. While he waited for the other two to fill theirs, he checked out the boulder wall. He wondered why the wall was put out in the middle of nowhere. He wondered if maybe the boulders were enchanted or marked by hidden runes by whatever ancient civilization put them here.

However, something about the other side of the boulders and the ley lines beneath the ground intrigued him. The ley lines, the worldly magic conduits, in the EN were malleable and far apart, which usually never interfere with, and even sometimes were used to help pony magic. In contrast, the ones in the Everfree seemed to resist any control, and seemed to shift around slowly, like a dandelion seed in a gentle breeze. The general direction of the flow also appeared to come from the south. South, and the land beyond this boulder wall. There, the amount of ley lines jumped to a number he thought impossible for ley lines, and, furthermore, they danced frantically around, like a fly or a mosquito!

“Dowsy?” Ruby looked at her brother in concern. He looked like a fish out of water.

“Uh… the um… I uh…” Magic Dowser was at a loss for how to explain what he was seeing. “It’s the ley lines beyond the boulders…”

“Yes…” Ruby resisted the urge the facepalm; she needed for him to talk, so that she could help “What about them?”

“I... err…” By this point Magic Dowser was so befuddled that he zoned out completely.

Ruby snapped her fingers in front of Magic Dowser, who had a far off look in his eyes. “I think his brain went on a vacation…and, as much as I find this amusing…” Ruby commented as she unscrewed one of her canteens to dump its contents on the spazzed out pony.

“Are you alright Dowsy?” Ruby leaned down to see eye-to-eye with her brother after dumping the water on him.

“Yeah, it’s just, um… The ley lines of magic on the other side are very dense and actively shifting, unlike the spread out and semi-dormant ones in the Equus Nation…”

Minty’s jaw dropped. She had some knowledge of ley lines, as she was a unicorn, and dating a pony that was an expert on them, and, even to her, it sounded like an impossibility. Her brain couldn’t even fathom a situation like that. Everfree was already considered to be an impossibility to most ponies in the magicology field.

Ruby resisted the urge to facepalm as Minty started to act just like Magic Dowser was a moment ago. She didn’t dump water on her, as that would just be rude. That, and she figured that Dowsy would be able to snap her out of it without resorting something like that.

Minty tried to reach out with her magic, but, as soon as it crossed the boulders, it went haywire, and instead of just feeling, it changed, as if she was casting a spell. Suddenly, all three could see the grass on the other side being lifted in the air by levitation…

“Uh, Minty, why are you doing that?” Magic Dowser questioned.

“I’m not!” Minty grunted as she let loose her magic, canceling it and making the grass float back to the ground. “I’m just trying to feel with my magic...feel, not levitate!”

Magic Dowser blinked in confusion, before realization hit him. The ley lines where morphing Minty’s magic into something other than what she wanted. It reminded him of the ever-changing magic threads within the compass. It was clear that the reason his magic wasn’t effected in the same way was because he could see the ley lines, so he could counter their effects, if he concentrated enough. Obviously, Minty could not. “Minty, I think, for now, you should avoid casting any spells or using magic on the other side of that wall, at least until I can figure out a way to help you compensate for the leyonic magic interference. Ruby? Can you fly over there and see if it affects inner magic, as well?”

Ruby lifted off and hovered just on the other side. Her wings felt just a bit sluggish, but it was so minute as to not be a bother to compensate for.

“Well it does affect dragons, but not as much…” Magic Dowser noted as he watch Ruby’s mana flow, as she hovered. “Maybe it has to do with the amount of mana one has… what about the compass?”

Ruby checked the compass to see that it still pointed to the south. “The compass doesn’t seem to be affected…”

“Well, for the moment, I’m at a loss…” Magic Dowser admitted defeat as he shook his head. They could theoretically spend a bit of time figuring out the ley lines enough to allow Minty to use her magic again, or they could turn around and come back later with more supplies… Either way, it was a delay, and he knew how badly Ruby needed answers… “Ruby, we are here for you. What do you say we do?”

Ruby sighed as she went over everything in her head. Magic Dowser and herself seemed to do okay, along with whatever enchantment was on the compass, she hoped... The problem was Minty. If they ran into trouble, and she was still unable to correct control her spells… but then, there was the fact they made it this far, and even through the dangerous Everfree, without Minty needing to use her magic…

Ugh, decisions… Ruby huffed. She wanted to push on, but she would turn back if Minty felt uncomfortable, this was her journey not Minty’s...“If Minty thinks she can handle it, I say we push on…”

“I’ll be fine.” Minty said after a moment of reflection.

“You sure?” Magic Dowser asked. He wanted to make sure that she was sure.

“Yea, I’m sure.”

ബഐബഐബഐ Ruby ബഐബഐബഐ

The sun was high in the sky on our fourth day in the desert. It had been hot and miserable and, to conserve our water and sanity, we had been walking silently for the past two days. The two most miserable days I’ve had, in nearly twenty years. I was really beginning to consider saying “screw this” and heading home, but we were so far into the desert that I don’t even think that, if I flew us, we could get out and back to a source of water before dying from thirst… or before I killed one or both of them by dropping them. You try holding on to a sweaty pony with slick scales, and you’ll see what I mean.

“Dowsy…” I tiredly called back to him, as I was, for the moment, in the front. We were hoping that the compass would tell us where there was water, and fast. So far, all it did was trick us by leading us to mirage after mirage. On that line, and why I called back, I could see another one in the distance. “Please tell me that the mirage I see isn’t a mirage.”

After a moment of waiting on my part he called back to me. “It’s not a mirage.”

I stopped in my tracks, irritated. My hands clenched into fists as I turned to face Dowsy. “I’m in no mood for your tricks, Dowsy!”

“It’s an oasis,” Dowsy deadpanned, looking at me with conviction. “An oasis, Ruby, which means there is a source of water, and, most likely, shade. I just hope the water is drinkable, as we are low on water.”

“Forget drinkable water.” I griped as I spun back around to continue the march. “All we need right now is enough cool, refreshing water suitable for swimming. Four fucking days in a hot desert and finally, we will walk into a real oasis…”

“But Ruby, you are a dragon.” Minty countered. “The heat shouldn’t be bothering you as much as it does, us.”

“Yeah, true...” I admitted, but that was not what was bothering me. “But... no offense, you two stink to high heaven.”

“True… Hopefully a strong and handsome unicorn can help me wash my hair…”

I facepalmed as my complaint backfired on me. I sped up a bit to get away from the smell of building arousal. How can they be thinking like that at a time like this!? Just because I like to hear the sexual exploits of my brother and his marefriend doesn’t mean that I want to smell it all the time… I want hear about the juicy details, not witness them, as that is… ewwww.

Thankfully, the oasis was quite close, as, within a few minutes, we found ourselves in an inviting and shaded grove of palm trees. A small, deep blue pond of water laid in the center of the grove. Looking at it all could make one swear it was right out of an adventure book. Except for the dilapidated-looking stone shack on the other side of the oasis. Who would want to live out here?

“Um, that is not a shack.” Dowsy commented.

“What?” I blinked. I don’t recall making any out-loud remarks about the ‘building,’ did I? “How can it not be a shack? What, becuase it’s made out of stone blocks, that makes it a mansion or something? It looks poorly built, so it's a shack.”

“Minty do you know the one spell that every student wishes was possible?”

“Yeah, of course… Are you saying?” Minty looked over at Dowsy with wide and shocked eyes, much to my annoyance. Can someone let me in on the secert?

“That it’s possible… Yes.”

“Hello, a fucking non magic user over here.” I growled out in irritation over not knowing what the two were talking about… I hate inside jokes… Well, actually, I don’t, but it’s been a long four days… “Explain in something other than geeky unicorn for dumb dragon here.”

“A bottomless bag spell.” Dowsy explained, rolling his eyes at my ‘So?’ face. “Somehow, that shack is smaller on the outside than the inside.”

Well, then why the fuck couldn't you fucking tell me that in the first place!? Instead of…

“Very good, Magic Dowser…” A tenor voice echoed across the oasis, interrupting my internal rant.

“A bodiless voice spell. Very funny,” I rolled my eyes, “now quit stroking your ego.”

“Uh, Ruby…” Dowsy chuckled nervously. “I didn’t do anything…”

Yeah, rrrrright... I rolled my eyes in disbelief. This isn’t the first time he has done something like this, though I admit, it has been a while… Thought he outgrew this particular one, when he found out that I could tell just by smell if someone was there or not.

“No, he didn’t.” The voice chuckled as he ‘corrected’ me. “I did.”

I was about to backhand my joking brother when he suddenly cowered down, pointing a shaking hoof to something behind me. I would have rolled my eyes, again, but I could smell the sudden shock and fear on him, and that is something he can’t fake.

We Went All this Way for Nothing?!

There, leaning against a palm tree, was a purple and green scaled male dragon. Unlike my hair-like spines, he had roundish spines, from the top of his head down to the tip of his tail. Green and purple sparks appeared all over his body, before falling from him and disappearing. I would be the first to say that it made him look sexy… The diamond studded bowtie only helped. If I wasn’t spooked out of my mind, I might have said he was cute, but, as it was, I moved in front of Dowsy and Minty.

I got really jealous when I noticed his tail weapon. The end of it looked like a radish or turnip. Why couldn't I have had a tail that ended like his? I keep the spikes at the end of my tail filed down to nubs. I would have ground my teeth flat if I could, all just so I could lessen the hate for me, if only by a smidgen.

At least he was quadrupedal, just I was. Well the way I usually am, I should note, as I can be bipedal just as easily as quadrupedal, but I usually don’t, to make myself less imposing, and to make it so that my family wouldn’t have to go to a chiropractor just so they could talk to me face to face. He was a bit larger than I was, however, and, from what I could see, he could not walk on two feet.

He caught me eyeing him, and his eyes locked onto my own. There was a sort of joyful playfulness in them, but also a world weariness as well. He tried to take a step forward, but that only caused all of us to step back a touch. I glanced around, to see if there was an easy way to escape, but could find none. I could try and fly away, but carrying two ponies would slow me down too much, and, from the look of this dragon’s muscles, I don’t think I would win a fight, either...

“Relax, my little ponies, I don’t eat meat.” The dragon spoke to my brother and Minty, who were shaking behind me. He sighed, seemingly saddened that his initial words did not allay our fears. “I will not harm you this day, Es the üaitēt juls šo tiethu. Please, I merely want to talk.”

Normally, I would have doubted that, but somehow, I knew that he had said something irrevocable. Don’t ask me how I knew, I just knew. He would not harm my brother or Minty. My concern, however, was tomorrow, as he said he would not harm them this day, but that left him to harm them any other day… and if all he wanted to do was talk, then why didn’t he make himself known earlier, and not in a shocking manner…

“Okay, I believe you, but couldn’t you have picked a better way than scaring us like that!?” I relaxed just a bit. I looked over my sholder to see that Dowsy and Minty had also relaxed a bit as well.

“Yeah…” The dragon rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “I think maybe I could have made myself known another way…” No, fucking duh. I crossed my arms. “I... that is we couldn't come up with anything better… even with the advance warning… Your timing was both great and… uh… well… ‘bad.’ ”

Wait, we? Advance warning? Warning bells went off in my head. I didn’t get much time to deal with that, as I was suddenly pulled into a bone-crushing hug by the dragon.

“Ruby… I...You don’t know how long I have waited...” The dragon started to bawl. I could hear gasps of shock, followed by barely contained giggles.

I had no idea who this guy was, but here he was, hugging me and bawling like a baby. Quite frankly, I didn’t know what was more uncomfortable, him hugging me or him crying over me… Two strange encounters in two weeks… Why did I, all of a sudden, have to attract the crazy ones? Murderous, I could get but crazy? No.

“This is all great, but who the hell are you?” I said when I was finally able to extract myself from the dragon.

“I didn’t tell you who I am? Wow… I really need to get out more… Maybe I should have taken Thirdclaw up on his offer… or maybe I should have gotten more sleep...”

It was then that I noticed that he did have bags under his eyes, and they were a bit bloodshot, though I guess that the last one could have been from the crying. However, my patience was wearing a bit thin at the moment. “And your name?”

“Oh, right…” The drake shook himself, obviously in an attempt to wake himself up. (And maybe stop being more creepy than that pegasus from Castle Town…) “My Name is DragonWyrm Heart, and I am the Firstclaw of the DragonWyrm Clan.”

Well that's original, a dragon named ‘dragon.’ I rolled my eyes. I was about to comment on it, when my stomach growled.

“Hungry aren’t we?” DragonWyrm Heart smirked at me, which only made my embarrassment increase. If I wasn’t mistaken, I could hear Dowsy snickering behind me. “Well, come inside. I made some daffodil sandwiches and barley soup. I also have apple cider to drink, and a fresh apple pie for dessert.”

Okay, that is not helping his creepiness... My stomach (and my brother’s, and his marefriend’s, as well) overruled my trepidation by growling louder, this time. Resigning myself to fate, I shrugged a ‘why not?’. It was at this point that I noticed that a certain weight on my neck was missing.

I had tied the compass to my neck, to make sure I didn’t accidentally lose it, and now it was missing. I started to looked around, figuring maybe it got dislodged when Mc-Huggins-a-lot hugged me, but I could not see it anywhere.

“I was beginning to wonder when it would move on…” DragonWyrm Heart noted as I frantically looked around to see if had fallen off the chain, somehow, when we got to the oasis, mumbling about it as I did.

It took me a moment, but it soon dawned on me what he was talking about, he was talking about the compass. Forgetting my unease around the dragon, I angrily stomped right up to him. “YOU… YOU STOLE IT!”

“I would never do such a dishonorable thing as steal from you, much less THAT Compass!” DragonWyrm Heart snapped right back at me.

“Ruby, chill.” Dowsy put a hoof on my shoulder, probably to try and calm me, which didn’t. “DragonWyrm Heart is right. The compass is gone, but not because he stole it…”

“And how the fuck do you know!?” I now turned towards my brother, roughly knocking his hoof off of me. How am I going to find my answers, if the compass that is supposed to help me find them is gone?!

“I took a class of mythical and legendary artifacts, and one of them was the rumored, but never proven ‘The Finding Compass.’ When I examined it back in Castle Town, I had my suspicions, but nothing more...”

“Actually, it was a Compass of Harmony, one of twelve…” DragonWyrm Heart interjected, shaking his head. “Discord, who enchanted them, couldn't help himself and get one last prank in… the Compasses are only ‘found’ by those who are not only worthy, but are needed to find something or someone of great importance to fate, and then leave...yours was in possession of History Seeker for nearly eighty years. If I recall correctly...”

So that was his name… At least now I had a name for that crazy pegasus. Maybe. I am guessing that DragonWyrm Heart, weirdest name ever, was referring to him… The pegasus, History Seeker, did say that he was an explorer in his youth, and it would make sense that he may have met this dragon during one of his explorations.

I looked over at my brother with a murderous expression which I nearly wrecked when I saw that he saw my annoyance. I’m going to have to talk to my brother about leaving out important details again. I should have known something was up, when he was so quick to say that we should go wherever the compass led us...

DragonWyrm Heart clapped his paws together to get our attention. “Why don’t we get out of this heat, eat, and rest, and then I’ll try and answer the questions that I’m sure you have.”

You live for now… brother. I noted as I followed DragonWyrm Heart, as he led us into the shack.

Whoa… My mouth dropped when we stepped inside. I knew Dowsy had said it was bigger on the inside than on the outside, but damn. I wasn’t expecting the size to be on the level of a rich pony (not to mention the decor…). At least the ceiling wasn’t high as the Crystal Tree Castle. All three sides had doors and hallways that led to what I could only assume were a buttload of rooms. To the right side was a large spiral staircase that went up to at least a second floor.

“I would suggest you not wander around the mansion; it was not exactly built with sense in mind…” DragonWyrm Heart waved for us to follow him down one of the corridors.

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

Even though I had used Draconic to state that I wouldn’t harm them, Ruby was still a bit leery about being poisoned when I dished out the food for them. Even more so when I put something ‘special’ into her soup, just for her. When she finally got the courage to take a very small sip, her eyes rolled, and her tongue flopped out of her mouth in a comical fashion. No offence to her mother’s cooking, but I make the best dragonfied pony food. Clearly, she had never thought of using crushed gems as spices before.

All three travelers tried, between scarfing down the food, to ask some questions, but, every time, I would only interject with some variation of “eat, rest, and then questions.” As it was, I was trying not to drown by falling asleep into my soup. After the filling lunch, I showed them to where they could shower and nap for a while. I then curled up in front of the warm fire in the den that could be used to send and receive mail, though I made sure to turn that feature off. There was no need to startle them with a letter, or for them to read a letter they weren’t supposed to.

The next thing I knew, I was awoken by the familiar feeling of someone sending a letter. I was hoping to sleep a bit longer. I opened my mouth and let out a small puff of fire that morphed into a scroll. I grudgingly opened it, to see what it was.

It was a letter from Twilight, checking to see if they had arrived yet or not. I facepalmed. I had forgotten to send her a letter to let her know when they arrived, so she could let History Seeker know via the special communication array in Hourglass that allows live communication between Hourglass and the throne room in the Friendship Castle. Love that array… So handy to keep in contact with my friend… who was dieing… I despise being effectively immortal sometimes...

I flipped the scroll over and quickly wrote back to her. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Magic Dowser was waking up. I rolled up my response and blew a small flame over it, which, like always, turned into magic ash and floating out the chimney.

“Whoa… How did you do that?” Magic Dowser had the same look in his eyes that Twi has when she discovers something new. I just hope that Magic Dowser isn’t as bad. “Usually, I can see spells’ structures when they’re being cast, but I can't seem to read yours at all.”

“Dragon Magic is extremely powerful, and thus, resistant to pony magic. As for the ‘spell’, it was just me using a special flame. Twilight can tell you the specifics of how it works, as she’s the one that made this fireplace work in much the same way as my letter-sending flame.”

“How what works...” Ruby mumbled as she stirred awake. Oops, we must have been talking too loudly.

“How I use a type of my flame to send letters.” I explained. I could see that Ruby seemed thoughtful at what I said.

“Umm…” Ruby rubbed her shoulder. I know that guilty look. Yeah sleeping on something can really bring perspective to a situation, and my guess is, it’s over her earlier leeriness; though, to be fair, I could have introduced myself better. Stupid Twi’s bad habits making me not get any sleep! “Look … you’re not what I expected… I… that is...”

“What were you expecting? A fire-breathing, flesh-eating monster from your worst nightmares?” I joked.

I noticed that Ruby’s and Magic Dowser’s gazes shifted at the mention of monster and nightmare. This piqued my interest. History Seeker had noted that Ruby seemed to be troubled about what it meant to be a dragon in a land of ponies. Which was not surprising, as I had had a similar existential crisis, but nightmares, and monster? I am aware of the less than stellar views Castle Town had for her, but I didn’t know it was that bad… Maybe I should have kept a closer eye on Ruby... I had, for a bit after the accident, but, after a while, things went back to basically normal, from what I was told… Guess that was not true.

It didn’t help that her mother, Elegant Prose, had thrown out History Seeker over telling her about dragons, our history and culture. And without him, it was harder to keep watch over her, and to check for less visible problems...

While I didn't agree with her throwing out History Seeker like she did, when Elegant Prose wanted to raise her as a pony, to the most part, it was okay with me, as I was raised basically the same way. As long as she didn’t neglect or abuse her, I felt that it would be inappropriate for us to remove her over what amounted to a disagreement on the best way to raise her.

“Ooookay…. Clearly I’m missing something.”

“Ruby has been suffering for years from nightmares stemming from when…” Magic Dowser began, as Ruby seemed to either be unwilling or unable to speak for the moment.

“When on her third birthday, she grew into the whelp she is now in mere seconds from the small hatchling she was. You hugged her a bit too hard, and her inability to control her fire caused her to accidentally burp a massive amount of fire, burning you?” I ‘guessed’. I would not be surprised that it would cause nightmares, but not for this long… unless something happened recently...

“How the hell do you know?” Ruby snapped at me angrily. “Have you been spying on us?”

“Technically, but indirectly, yes.” I shrugged as I half admitted to the charge. “A dragon in pony lands is kind of a big thing.”

I could see that the answer I gave was only going to placate her for a while. I just wasn’t quite ready to tell the truth, as it would lead to… No, don’t think on it. Magic Dowser, however, seemed to find my answer acceptable; either that, or he was better at hiding his true feelings on the matter.

“Ruby, you should probably tell him about the dream.” Magic Dowser nudged Ruby.

“What!?” Ruby looked at her brother incredulously. “Why should I? Especially after him admitting to spying on us.”

“And how was that any different from those scientists?” Magic Dowser countered.

“More like veterinarian quacks, if you ask me...” Ruby mumbled angrily to herself, crossing her arms. She grunted in annoyance under the pleading eyes of Magic Dowser, which finally broke her down. “Fine!”

“It all starts with…”

So her wyrm half is coming out… I thought as I listened to the dream, and, more specifically, the return of the dream with the addition of the voice. I think Ruby might benefit from spending some time with Dragon FireWyrm. But there is one problem with doing that right now… “I have my suspicions on the voice and dream, but I am not an expert on Inner Fire matters… However, I can at least say this much: you need to hunt and use your flame.”

“See!” Magic Dowser exclaimed, giving Ruby a ‘I told you so’ smirk. I know that smirk all too well…

“Do you hunt and use your flame?” Ruby countered.

I sighed.This is going to be tougher than I thought… Maybe I should have told Dragon FireWyrm to come home sooner, instead of allowing him to return with the Migration. “I use my flame often. I, however, have never ‘hunted’, though I have watched others do it.”

“If you don’t do it, then why should I have to? Well, fuck this! I can’t believe we went this far to get the same FUCKING ‘ANSWER!’” Ruby roared angrily, getting up and stomping out of the den.

“Now I know how Twi felt…” I groaned as rubbed my head.

“Ruby will be fine, I hope.” Magic Dowser explained reluctantly. I could see that he was worried, so was I. “She just needs to cool off for a while… I do have a question. How did you know we were coming?”

“That’s easy; History Seeker sent word.”

Sometimes Questions are Best Left Unanswered

Night was falling when I made my approach to the Northern Oasis. A couple of hours ago, Firstclaw had requested my assistance with assessing Ruby. As much as I needed to prepare for the Migration that is coming tomorrow evening, Ruby is the daughter of Quartermaster and She of Hourglass, my clanmates, and I would do anything I could to help her. As I made my descent, circling as I did, I could see a red dragon whelp that had to be Ruby, asleep outside.

I had heard the descriptions of her, but to see her with my own eyes was a sight to behold. And I must say, she was quite beautiful, definitely got that from her mother. I can see why they called her Ruby, with such rich, red scales. And her hair-like reddish orange spines accented her scales wonderfully. I snapped out of my gawking to try and remember what I was here for. I pulled out the scroll that Firstclaw sent me.

Scorpion,

I need your help. Ruby has arrived at the Northern Oasis, but she is suffering from a debilitating existential crisis manifesting in her dreams. These dreams entail her hunting and killing a deer that ends up morphing into her brother. If this was all, I would have helped her with the guilt of what she accidently did to her brother, which is obviously manifesting it. However, recently, a voice has entered the dream. (The second scroll is a detailed description of what she saw and heard. I don’t want her having to relive it, but it may help you.) I suspect that it’s her wyrm half trying to speak to her, but it’s only frightening her further.

Given your abilities of hearing one’s Soul Song, I’m hoping you can help her while, hopefully, avoiding setting her off, which is really easy to do. (She found my advice on the dream to be less than helpful.) And if she does go off, cool her rage, so she can at least think over this in a logical manner. I would prefer to take it slow, but with the approaching Migration, I don’t need to tell you the risks for her to be near it. (I just hope that the Northern Oasis is far enough away.)

I sighed as I rolled the scroll back up and put it away. I could at least listen from a distance to her Soul Song, but, to get a better reading, I would have to be right on her, and the last thing I want to do is scare her by having my massive head up against her whole body, if she were to suddenly awaken.

Suddenly Ruby shot up, screaming, startling me. I backed up as quietly as I could, hoping that I didn't wake her and/or get caught by her and scare her. But when I looked harder, and listened, I could tell that she wasn’t even aware of me being here, which meant she must have had another nightmare.

“That smell…” Ruby mumbled as she gazed about the oasis.

Smell? I’m upwind, as well as hidden. I also don’t eat meat, so it can’t be my breath… ah crap… the lava baths…

“Hello? I know you're out there… I remember that smell from the Everfree… I just want to thank you… as it was you that helped keep the predators away, wasn’t it?

Interesting… Firstclaw must have contacted He of Everfree for assistance. Well, since she knows I’m here, I can at least start the conversation with her before I make myself fully known. I projected my thoughts to her. I would talk, but, given my voice’s ‘controlling’ nature, it might anger or frighten her.

Ruby practically jumped out of her scales. “Are... are.. you talking with your mind!?”

I explained.

For a while, Ruby just stood there, doing nothing. After a few minutes, she looked stressed and starting rubbing the sides of her head. Why is she… oh wait… I think I know what she is trying to do, but the spell that allows me to speak to her in her mind does not work the other way.

You know there are times when that gets old, but this is just too rich. If only Quartermaster or She of Hourglass could see her now… Wanderer, not so much… He would never let his little sister live this one down. Oh who am I kidding? Blackmail material right here… or get out of a prank free card...

“Who are you? Where are you?” Ruby looked around the oasis to try and find me. Luckily, I had learned a few tricks from Wanderer to mask my very reflective white and electric blue scales, though, with a dragon looking for me, I wouldn’t last long. Sadly, I couldn’t get down the invisibility spell that Firstclaw uses.

I had to fight not to laugh, giggle, or do anything noisy to give myself away. Which was really hard with the way that Ruby was frantically looking for me.

“Well, at least you aren’t as big of an idiot as that DragonWyrm Heart character…”

DragonWyrm Heart, an idiot? I pondered Ruby’s insult. Okay, what in the Voice did you do, Firstclaw?

“Mind if you show yourself? I really am not in the mood for bodiless voices coming from wherever, and whatever, you are right now…”

I was planning on making myself known eventually… and this may give me a chance to get a good hearing of her Soul Song. I released the masking spell, and stepped through the palm trees, and into the moon's light.

Ruby backed up instinctively as I did. I paused for a second, as I didn’t want her to flee, but her song indicated that she was more shocked than scared. I guess that is to be expected; I am the size of a decent-sized house, after all. Now knowing that she wasn’t scared, I walked the rest of the way into the oasis and sat down.

“Oh great, a dragon that looks like a fucking stereotypical wannabe rocker.” Ruby snarked after she got a good look at me.

I couldn't decide whether to facepalm, blush, or roll my eyes. I would have normally bristled at a comment like that, but I could see a mischievous glint in her eyes, and, even though the tone of her voice was sarcastic, I could detect a bit of awe in it too. Oh my Voice, she is just like her brother, with just a dash of her father.

To be fair, with my title being Scorpion, the jacket, my spikey hairlike head spines, and the metal sand scorpion ocarina on my neck, I can see why she (and anyone else for that matter) would think that. I doubt she could see my scorpion shaped guitar on my back. Which is a good thing, as I think it would only reinforce the ‘stereotypical wannabe rocker’ look that I have, and something tells me that I would never hear the end of it… Scratch that, I know I will never hear the end of it...

ബഐബഐബഐ Magic Dowser ബഐബഐബഐ

DragonWyrm Heart went back to sleep shortly after Ruby left, requesting that we wake him when she returned. Apparently, according to him, he was still exhausted from not sleeping the night before. I guess the nerves got to him, or something. But my question is, why would our arrival do that to him? I had been okay with his earlier explanation of Ruby being a curiosity because of being the only dragon in the E.N., but now, I’m thinking that maybe it's more than that. He had to be hiding something, and now, my curiosity was piqued.

“Gah, you are worse than Twi!”

Oops. I froze sheepishly. I wasn’t even aware that I had begun pacing. “Sorry…”

“Well, we might as well get this over with.” DragonWyrm Heart stretched and yawned. He looked like a large, scaled cat doing that. “What are your questions? If it's within my power to answer, I shall.”

Questions? I didn’t say… was I being that transparent? Well, I was pacing...

“Why are you so interested in Ruby? The truth this time.” Minty sat up straighter; apparently, she must have been wondering as well.

DragonWyrm Heart sighed. “You picked the one with a long answer, but the short of it is, I knew her parents...”

I frowned when I heard him say that he knew Ruby’s parents. I always figured that Ruby’s egg was either stolen from her parents, abandoned, or, finally, orphaned. From the inflection of the way DragonWyrm Heart said ‘knew her parents,’ I knew it must have been the saddest of those three: orphaned.

DragonWyrm Heart’s expression turned sadder as he continued. “They were killed in the closing hours of the Keeper War…”

“Keeper War?” I wondered. Something about that name was familiar, but I could not remember why, or where I had heard it before.

“It was a cataclysmic world war that occurred roughly twenty one hundred years ago.”

“That's roughly the around the same age as the Crystal Tree Castle, and the how long the city on Canterhorn has been in ruins!” I exclaimed. The only reason why I knew that was because that those two had such strange magic signatures, beyond what I, or anyone else, could comprehend. The Ruined City has been studied quite a bit, but the castle has not, as it had an odd way of allowing some in some locations, some in all locations, and some in none. Or at least, that’s what I can recall.

I could have gotten tons of grants by studying either, but neither are as important right now as the Everfree problem. I’m interested in dealing with real problems that are going on right now, not how we can build cities on mountainsides! Or how to build homes for rich ponies using crystal! Such hubris! We are not in such dire straits as to need to build cities or homes like that. While the Everfree is deadly, and moving away from it would rid us of its danger, I have concerns, as do some in the academic community, that pony magic may be holding it back.

“Canterlot, and the Friendship Castle?” DragonWyrm Heart tilted his head at what I said. I wasn’t aware of those names… though apparently that must be what he called them, or maybe it’s what they used to be called. “Well, Canterlot fell into ruin during the Fall of Equestria, which occurred about a hundred years later… the Friendship Castle…’grew’, I guess would be the ‘correct’ word, prior to the war, and was home to the Bearers of Harmony...”

“Wait!” I interrupted DragonWyrm Heart, as something he said casually finally hit me. “You said you knew of her parents, and they died twenty-one hundred years ago!? How long do dragons live!?”

“Dragons, barring injury or illness, are essentially... immortal.”

Ruby is not going to like hearing this...

ബഐബഐബഐ Scorpion ബഐബഐബഐ

“Well you see we followed this compass…”

“I guess, I want to know what it means to be a dragon… to maybe find out why I was abandoned, or whatever exactly happened for me be hatched by Magic Dowser, my brother...”

‘What it means to be a dragon?’ Why does that sound familiar? The first question would take way too long to answer now, but, at the least, I could answer the second one.

“Were?”

“My parents and siblings were killed?” Ruby’s expression fell, along with her song. To be expected, when you find out that your parents, and two of your three siblings, were long dead, much less killed. “They why did you abandon me to the ponies…? I mean, aren’t clans family?”

Scorpion countered.

“But why ponies? Why couldn’t I have been hatched by my brother?” Interesting… she latched onto the question of why she was given to History Seeker, and not the implied longevity… either she didn’t quite catch that part, or she needs to know why she was under the care of ponies more...

“That would leave one… but couldn't you have gotten a mated pair that had less than four to hatch me?”

“That doesn't make any sense!” Ruby yelled, to the point of almost roaring. “Maybe I can get that a dragon could only hatch two eggs, thanks to what Dowsy can remember on how he hatched me…but needing to disown me!? What kind of fucking logic is that? ”

Ugh, Elegant Prose! Why did you have to be so stubborn!? If you had at least kept the dragon raising book, I wouldn’t have had to answer these types of questions!

I could see that Ruby was losing her patience with me but I had to lay this groundwork down so that she could understand.

Think, Scorpion, think! What do you know about ponies that would apply here, and would be easy to explain?

“Just the basics… most of it goes way over my head.”

“Sort of…”

Okay that lost her.

Ruby’s eyes brightened, and her song cleared up. There’s the light bulb I needed, she understands now.

“So, in order for another dragon to hatch me, he has to disown me, no take backs?” Ruby grumbled in annoyance as I nodded a yes. “That’s fucking stupid…”

“But if that was all, then why didn’t you have that non-dragon someone hatch me, then you raise me afterwards…?”

I grabbed a spare scroll and quickly sent a message to Twilight. I knew how to help Ruby understand. I just hoped that Twilight wouldn't take too long.

A moment later, a small letter arrived through my fire mail.

I carefully handed over the letter.

“Dear Gramps, I hatched that egg today! A baby dragon, just like in your stories! I am now a big brother! I love my little baby sis. I named her Ruby…”

“I nearly killed my brother!” Ruby started to cry, dropping the letter. “I nearly flambéed my brother because of my flames… I don’t want to ever risk *hic* that again but I’m supposed to... supposed to use my flame!”

At that point, Ruby fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. I wrapped Ruby in a hug, and let her cry into me. I took advantage of this to get a good listen to her soul song. Melodies of pain and suffering, along with worry of hurting her brother… family. Whoa, it has been awhile since I’ve heard these soul song themes, and so loudly, too...

After some time of this, Ruby finally made a noise akin to an exasperated sigh. “No offense, but being a dragon sucks…”

I shrugged. I heard that line a lot from non-dragons, the one time I went on the Migration right after my Slumber.

That got an amused snort out of Ruby. Hatchling steps….

“Can you tell me about my parents?”

I wasn’t sure she could handle it, but, between her pleading eyes and her soul song, I relented.

ബഐബഐബഐ Magic Dowser ബഐബഐബഐ

“So what can you tell me of Ruby’s parents?” I asked.

“Well, to begin with, Ruby’s parents were Quartermaster and She of Hourglass…”

“She of Hourglass?” I repeated. That didn't sound like a name… more like a very weak and foalish ‘title.’ “I don’t want to sound rude, but that is a strange name…”

“That’s because dragons rarely, if ever, reveal their names. Both Quartermaster and She of Hourglass are merely titles… Magic Dowser, you’ve studied magic, correct?”

I was about to question how he would know that, when I realized that, if he was spying on Ruby, he very likely already knew about what my talent was...

“Have you heard of the theory of true names in magic?”

Of course I did. It was the theory that everything, and everyone, had a magical ‘true name’, and that, if one knew that name, they could have complete control of them. It was quite controversial, to say the least. Understandable, too. “Yea…”

“For dragons, our names, are, in essence, true names. As such, dragons will use titles or territory locations, when addressing each other.”

“So DragonWyrm Heart is a title?”

“Uh no, that is my name.”

Okay, what the…? If what he said was true, why would he trust me with a name that, if it was really a true name, would mean I could control him, among other less than savory...things…? “But you said…”

“To explain it fully would mean explaining a part of dragon culture that you are not yet ready for… but I can say this: every adult dragon alive knows my name, so there is no reason for me to not use it publicly, anyway.”

“Okay, but I am not a dragon, much less an adult dragon.”

“Wouldn’t matter anyway, because you are incapable of speaking Draconic…”

Why do I get the feeling I’m back in class with a snarky, elitist professor?

ബഐബഐബഐ Scorpion ബഐബഐബഐ

I had to stifle a laugh at the eye raise from Ruby when I said Old Guard.

“‘Old Guard’, ‘Nameless one’, ‘Chosen,’ ‘True names,’ those all sound like they came out of some sort of weird ass prophecy thingy... Am I hallucinating myself in a fantasy book?“

Definitely Wanderer's sister…

Note to self: get some poison joke for her to ‘smoke’.

ബഐബഐബഐ Magic Dowser ബഐബഐബഐ

“If I could, I would fucking shred his ass,” DragonWyrm Heart’s sparks turned a dark blood red as his rant continued. I tensed up as green fire leaked from his mouth, Minty leaning into me herself, shaking in fright. “I’d kill the motherfucking bitch of a fucking excuse for a lava shitting lizard again and again...”

That was the most curse-filled sentence I had ever heard… and there are several curses within that rant that I had only heard from my family… I’d rate it a ten for the rage, but a four for the childish use of them.

“Sorry about that…” DragonWyrm Heart suddenly snapped back to his normal self, I think, or at least what, from what I can tell, is his normal self. “That creature is one of only two that makes my blood boil… well more than usual…”

“The other is also a dark magic user… A dragon, that killed She of Hourglass, and smashed two of the three eggs she laid, Ruby’s being the only egg to survive… I don’t know the dragons ‘title’ and really don’t care… all I know is that Dragon FireWyrm tortured the dragon to death.”

I could feel my insides trying to come out at that…Minty had already thrown up over the side of the couch. I get that war is not pretty, and blood and gore are involved, but torturing someone to death!? That’s a bit ext… a lot extreme. “That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

“Considering that he slaughtered two fellow clanmates, one of those being Ruby’s mother, and her eggs, Ruby's siblings, just for the sick pleasure of it? And that is just the crimes against our clan... He got off easy.”

“Okay, so then, this ‘Nameless One’ killed Ruby’s father?”

DragonWyrm Heart nervously rubbed a paw across the back of his neck. I didn’t like the fact that he was being nervous about that question….

ബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐ

An angry roar caught DragonWyrm Heart’s attention before he could answer the question. It appears that Ruby pried the truth out of Scorpion. Damn it… Well I guess it's time… a little sooner, and not in the way I wanted...

“That sounded like Ruby…” Magic Dowser noted. He wondered what got her so riled up… He had not heard her that angry before… Maybe she had the nightmare again.

DragonWyrm Heart used his magic, and slid all the furniture to the sides of the den, hoping that the mess wouldn’t be too bad. Once he did that, he sighed. The final repercussion for my crime is upon me...

“Minty, Magic Dowser, move to far side of the room, and whatever happens, do not intervene.”

“But…” Magic Dowser tried to object. What in Tartarus is going on?!

“DO NOT INTERVENE.” DragonWyrm Heart snapped at the two ponies, who backed up and sat on one of the couches now on the far wall, shaking in true fright. “For your own safety, let whatever happens, happen.”

Both of the ponies nodded, still shaking as the sounds of something could be heard approaching the den.

DragonWyrm Heart laid as flat as he could, with his legs splayed out, the position of shame for a dragon. Whatever Ruby was going to do, he would take it.

The door to the den suddenly shattered, and Ruby stepped through.

“YOU MURDERED MY FATHER!?!” She roared, clenching her fists hard enough to draw blood.

Magic Dowser had never seen her like this before. Ruby was huffing and puffing angrily, a bit of her fire leaking out of her maw, and her wings snapped open in aggression. Ruby had been mad before, but never to this degree. Wait, murder!? He looked at the dragon who remained still as a rock in the face of this accusation.

“Is this true, DragonWyrm Heart?” Magic Dowser dared to question him.

DragonWyrm Heart reminded Magic Dowser by speaking into his mind, startling him.

“Yes. I did.” DragonWyrm Heart sadly admitted, not moving from his position.

“RRRAGH!”

“Rub-mphsh...” Magic Dowser was suddenly cut of by a strange glittering aura, similar to what surrounded the drake.

After DragonWyrm Heart silenced Magic Dowser, he also paralyzed the two ponies. He warned them not to interfere. Ruby needed to release her rage, even if it meant his death. Right now, she was too far into rage to be talked down, even by Magic Dowser.

Tartarus Hath No Fury Like a...

Author's Note

I know last chapter was a bit heavy on the expodumping... this chapter has way less exposition... I hope...

Tartarus Hath No Fury Like a...

Magic Dowser fought against the chains of the spell that was holding Minty and him fast. If only I could see how to knock it out, but I am not familiar with dragon magic. Sure, he had done it once before, but that was twenty three years ago, and he wasn’t under duress, and it was an egg. Before today, he wasn’t even aware that dragons could even do external magic…outside of their flame. Maybe it has to do with what type of dragon one is, just like with ponies...

The ponies couldn’t move away from the horror that was before them, as Ruby viciously clawed DragonWyrm Heart’s back to bits, scales and blood going flying everywhere. Magic Dowser could see now why Ruby was so afraid of hunting; there was none of the Ruby he knew in those eyes, just feral viciousness. He should have never even suggested hunting!

After it seemed like forever, Ruby jerked back, shaking like Magic Dowser had never seen her do, except right after a nightmare. From what he could see, whatever had taken control of Ruby was gone.

“No…” Ruby whispered in horror as she saw the blood and gore on her claws, and the shredded back of DragonWyrm Heart. “I am a murderer!”

She then stumbled out, crying. Magic Dowser tried to reach out to Ruby, to try and comfort her, but the spell that DragonWyrm Heart had put over him prevented him from moving or speaking. He tried again to overpower it, but he was forced to stop, as his horn was becoming inflamed from all the mental pressure. If he kept going, he knew he risked shorting out his magic, and then never getting out and finding Ruby.

Damn it, I can’t get out! Damn it, you dragon! Magic Dowser cursed silently as he tried to find the spell’s weakness. Thanks to you, Ruby is worse off than ever. Why did I ever think it was okay to follow a strange compass from a strange stallion?! This was all a set up by this...beast!

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

<...irs...la..>

Wha? I wondered as I slowly got back onto my feet, and, for a moment, I forgot why I was on the floor like that, until I could feel the pain. Ow, I haven't felt this much pain since never. Did I pass out? I looked around to see that the only ones in the den with me were Minty and Magic Dowser, who were oddly still behind the couch, stuck by my spell. Odd, I didn’t put that much power behind it, did I?

Magic Dowser looked like he was debating between finishing the job Ruby started, or running after her, to wherever Ruby ran off to. Minty appeared to be in a state of panic that I have not seen in awhile, or maybe I should say a long time… I still have not figured out how to ‘categorize’ sleeping for two thousand years into how I reckon time… and that was sixty years ago!

“Minty, what are you doing?!” Magic Dowser finally spoke as Minty appeared to have snapped out of her panicked state. She was pulling out some medical supplies from her saddle bag.

I knew what she was trying to do, and, while I found it endearing, it would be inappropriate for her to help me heal. I started to back up to get some distance, not that there was much in the den.

“DragonWyrm Heart, you need to let me help you.” Minty cooed at me, reaching out to me like Fluttershy would with her animals.

“Minty! That thing is a murderous monster!” I may have finally gotten over my guilt over what I did, but I still cringed at being called a murderous monster. “While I’m glad Ruby didn’t kill him, he doesn’t deserve any help!”

“Minty, you...”

“You shut the fuck up!” Magic Dowser snapped at me. “Or so help me, I’ll finish what Ruby did to you.”

“Dowser!” Minty slapped Dowser. “Enough! Murderer or not, if I don’t do something, those are going to be infected and certainly scar, if not worse!”

“Minty, I told you not to interfere, no matter what happens.” I was running out of room to avoid her, and I never could figure out how to do the healing spell effectively without using my paws to channel it, so it will take a few minutes for it to work. In the meantime, I had to keep away from Minty. I just hope she doesn’t have something similar to Fluttershy’s Stare, or I’m boned.

“I get that you want to be punished for your crime, but this is not the way!”

“Minty, please do not impose your values and systems on another. This is exactly the dragon way.”

“Then help me understand, because, while you need punishment, I don't see how having your back shredded like it was is appropriate for any crime.”

I couldn’t help but grin when she said this. She had a kind heart, and could very well be the Bearer of Kindness. Just as I’m sure that Magic Dowser is this generation's Bearer of Magic. Though the E.N. is currently in a state of peace, so they may never have to bear them. Then again, so was Equestria… though there was a prophecy…

“I’ll try, as I’ll have to give the abridged version…”

“Abridged! Just like you ‘abridged’ over the fact you killed my sister's father!”

“Dowser!”

“You can not be light with a dragon and a crime, we are too powerful, as we dragons are beings of raw might and magic. A single enraged dragon can burn an entire nation to the ground… Magic Dowser, you may be one of few people in the entire world that could take on a dragon one on one and possibly survive…”

“There are ‘rules’ that govern us, known as the Dragon Code. The Dragon Code is written into our minds at our Choosing… which is when we discover our true selves… This Code governs everything, from things as simple as dragon to dragon interaction, to how to hoard, and even to how to deal with murder… A dragon with honor follows the Code, while one without honor is but a rabid beast… thieving and burning and killing without thought or reason… and I’m not saying that just because it sounds noble; it really is what can happen.”

“Ruby did the one thing I needed... I needed to pay for my crime… but the two other dragons, one being Wanderer, Ruby's brother, and the other being Dragon FireWyrm, Quartermaster's hatchmate, both of whom, by right of the Code, were able to punish me, would not…which was also in their right… Ruby would have been justified in having me executed, skinned, quartered, and left out to rot, as an example for others… Ruby has been afraid of becoming a beast… her stopping tells me that she will not.”

I could tell that both ponies, even Magic Dowser, who had been eyeing me with threats of death this whole time, seemed a bit taken aback from what I said. This next part would probably make him like me even less, but I got this far, I may as well go the rest of the way. “Listen, I didn’t just kill another dragon, I killed my kin, a family member... I’m a Kinslayer.”

Minty gasped at what I said. I sighed as I contemplated what to say next. As I did, I could feel the warmth of my healing spell fade. I looked over my back to see my back covered in a crisscross of scars. Some of my spines were shredded, but they would grow back fully, over time. Hmm… from what I can see, the spell has done its work, good.

“Scars can mean a lot to a dragon. These on my back are specifically the type that any dragon would recognize. These scars mean that I have accepted my punishment for a dishonorable crime, in an honorable fashion, and received mercy. Although, if they make you uncomfortable…” I summoned my wings, which sprouted out from my back and covered most of my new scars.

“You have wings?” Minty and Magic Dowser exclaimed in shock.

“Of course.” I shrugged. “I’m just more comfortable without them…”

Scorpion called out to me, mentally. Must be worried about me...

ബഐബഐബഐ Scorpion ബഐബഐബഐ

I was pacing outside, out of worry, when Ruby ran out of the house, in a state of panic. She stumbled as she attempted to flee the oasis. If she noticed me, I couldn’t tell; all I knew was, if I didn’t stop her, she could end up lost, or worse. I didn’t think she had any water on her, and, if she somehow tried to return, and over shot, she could end up in the deadly Salt Flats, and fall into an abyss, and to her death.

Ugh, let’s hope she doesn’t get angry for me using my voice.

Ruby please stop! My siren-like vocal suggestion slowed her down. Good. She wasn’t so far into her panic that she would ignore everything around her. Now, to take it to the next step.

Come, tell me what is wrong.
I’ll be a shoulder to cry on
For whatever troubles you so
To you I incline my ears…

The song affected Ruby like I knew it would, and she stopped, just short of the tree line. I slowly walked over her, so I wouldn't have to continue singing another verse. When you are in that kind of panic, a big lumbering dragon might set one off again, and I wasn’t in the mood to try and play keep away...

I said, though I had my guesses, given that I could see that she was covered in blood.

“I… I… I killed him!” Ruby roared out, shaking violently as she examined her blood-soaked claws. “I… I… was so angry … The blood… I’m a monster… a beast…”

Ruby collapsed, sobbing and muttering non-stop, things like ‘monster’ and ‘beast’. Ruby was no beast, that much I was sure, but she was not in any condition for me to tell her otherwise. Unless I could find out DragonWyrm Heart’s condition that is.

I listened for DragonWyrm Heart’s song, which was difficult, with all the interference from the area’s ley lines, Ruby’s and my own song being so loud, and with DragonWyrm Heart being inside the house. What I could make out, though, said that he was weak, but holding steady. Ruby did hurt him badly, but I’m not hearing any sounds of dying. Better double-check, nonetheless. The only problem was that I was too large to get inside the house, and, as the house had no windows, I couldn't just peek in that way. That left shouting mentally for him.

I didn’t get a response, but I did hear that his song spiked a bit in volume. He must have passed out. I’ll have to try again later. Until then, I can at least calm Ruby down a bit, though I suspect that the best thing I could do was hold her, maybe let her sleep, and explain more in the morning, when, hopefully, she would be more receptive.

I whispered to her.

“How can I not be a monster!? He may have killed my father, but I took out my rage for all the pain I went through because of it, on him… and I KILLED HIM!”

“No…” Ruby looked at me with confusion, which was not a surprise.

I pondered for a moment, as I tried to figure out how to explain this to Ruby. It’s clear what DragonWyrm Heart was doing, but Ruby would not know this…

“HOW COULD MAULING HIM HALF TO DEATH BE MERCIFUL!?” Ruby roared at me, before cringing at her own outburst. “I live with ponies, not dragons! I don’t want to be looked at by them as a monster, or a beast… I want them to see a sentient being that has feelings, and wants to be a normal citizen, like everypony else. But everyone is telling me I need to hunt animals, and use my flame, and both will put them on edge. Mauling someone like I did would only reinforce their notion of my evilness, just because I’m different.”

I sighed. What I was about to say was not going to give her much hope, and this is coming from a dragon that was friends with many ponies.

Ruby started bawling again. Ugh, this is harder than I thought. With barely a flick of thought, my scorpion ocarina unhooked itself from my neck and skittered down to my awaiting paw. I think we both could use the sounds of a soothing ocarina song.

Ruby soon calmed down, after a bit of playing. I kept going, as I myself was too stressed to figure out a way explain things without setting her off. She was just too far gone at the moment, and would need time to process things before more could be laid on her.

“Does my brother know what DragonWyrm Heart did?” Ruby whispered to me during a pause in my playing.

“DragonWyrm Heart murdered my father?”

I responded, though I don’t think she heard me, as I could hear the sounds of soft snoring coming from her. Oh Ruby… If you had only had allowed me to finish earlier, you would know that while your father, Quartermaster, died by Firstclaw’s paw, that it was because Quartermaster was doing everything he could to save Firstclaw from a terrible curse. It nearly destroyed Firstclaw to have become a kinslayer.

I curled around her and brought my head down to nuzzle her, not even caring that I was picking up blood on my snout. Ruby murmured and curled instinctively against me. That's it, Ruby, sleep. I’ll protect you this night. I almost found myself falling asleep, but I first had to check in on Firstclaw.

I tried to contact him again.

I sighed with relief when he responded.

I answered as I nuzzled Ruby again. I really needed to get a mate, and hatchlings of my own, if Ruby is anything to go by.

You had One Simple Job to do

“Interesting dream…” A male voice echoed out in the forest.

The deer’s corpse suddenly fell back down onto the ground, once again lifeless. I blinked as I realized that I was in a dream, thanks to the voice. While I was glad that the voice interrupted the nightmare, I was not happy that someone, or something, had invaded it to do so.

I looked around to find the source of the voice, and found myself face to face with a young red and yellowish tan bipedal dragon. At least, I thought he was still young. I still didn’t have a clue how dragons age, though I knew it was not in the same way as most beings. He appeared to be a bit shorter than I, when I stood on two legs. He might have looked a bit intimidating, if it was not for the fact that his head spines looked like they could have come from a fish, and he had buck teeth. Those just made him look silly.

“Who the fuck are you? And better yet, get the fuck out, you dream prevert.”

My insult/threat seemed to not have the effect I had hoped for, as the dragon smirked. “It’s rare to find a dragon that curses me, but, to be fair, you have been raised amongst ponies. You will know me more fully, soon enough, but, for now, just call me Garble.”

“Well ‘forgive’ my rudeness, Garble,” I snarked as I turned away from the intruding, and strange, dragon. (That makes three strange encounters in the last few weeks. What is with me lately?), “But I have not had the best impressions of dragons, recently…”

“The parallels are uncanny…” Garble mumbled, as I started to walk away. I had no idea how to end dreams, so all I could do was walk away. I was not in the mood to listen to a crazy dragon give crazy reasons for his fucked up mind. The last time I did that, I ended up with a stupid Compass… and... I wish I had laughed off the compass. At least then, I wouldn’t have to deal with the pain of knowing… It feels worse than when I was ignorant.

“How the hell!?” I jumped back a step when Garble was suddenly right in front of me.

“Dream mechanics.” Garble explained. Right, I knew that…. actually, I didn’t. I didn't know it was possible to affect a dream, much less invade one.

I grumbled, as I stepped around Garble. I was hoping this dream would end soon… especially since the drake’s ability to move around unimpeded would make getting away from him nigh on impossible.

“Ruby, you are at a crossroads… The answers you seek about your parents may have already begun to be answered, but, to get the answers about what it means to be a dragon…”

“Not interested, so fuck off already!” I nearly roared out as my frustration built. I’m getting really tired of this kind of talk. OOOOOooo I speak only riddles, with a snarky ‘I know more than you’ smirk...

“You can either head south to Hourglass City, looking for the mountain that is upside down,
or head home. The answers you seek, about what being a dragon is, will come either way…”

After what I’d been through, I couldn’t care less about meeting more dragons… I’m not even sure I want to meet my dragon brother… Though Scorpion seems alright… for a rocker wannabe….

“I see that you are hastily making a decision…” Okay… please tell me he was guessing. I don’t want to find out that he can read minds. With my luck recently, he probably could… “I must warn you, the easy road will still lead you to your answer, but may also led to regret and loneliness, for a dragon’s life is not measured by years. After all, one cannot measure in years the life of one who does not die by age.”

Fucking why can’t anyone tell me anything simply?! I don’t like having to solve fucking riddles!

“Whatever!” I grumbled, as I turned away from the dragon yet again.

“Remember, a dragon's life cannot be measured… Good luck, my child…”

“Ugh!” I screamed in frustration as my dream fell apart, and I woke up.

ബഐബഐബഐ Scorpion ബഐബഐബഐ

I awoke to the the sounds of angry shouting. Whoever it was, it was not someone I recognized; however, I assumed it had to be coming from Ruby’s brother, given how deep it sounded.

“Where. Is. RUBY!”

I opened my eyes, and instantly regretted it, as I hissed in pain from the brightness of the sun hitting my eyes. I blinked a few times, to help clear the sleep from my eyes and get my eyes to adjust to the brightness.

I could see Firstclaw in an argument with a young tan unicorn stallion with a blue and white striped mane and tail. On his flank was an emblem that looked like a dowsing rod, surrounded by several starbursts. If I’m not mistaken, that meant it had to be Magic Dowser. There was a female light green unicorn mare with a flowing blond mane and tail, with what looked like a leaf above a pestle and mortar for an emblem, standing next to him. No idea who she was. Magic Dowser’s marefriend, maybe… I doubt a sister, as I was told that Ruby only had a brother...

It was at this point that Firstclaw noticed that I was awake.

“Scorpion, have you seen Ruby?”

I lifted up my wings to see that Ruby was no longer sleeping curled up next to me. She must have gotten up some time ago. I looked up to see that it was quite late in the day. The sun was already past its peak.

I could see the two ponies flinch at my mental voice.

“I have checked the entire mansion, top to bottom. She is not there.”

“Well, look again!”

Firstclaw and the female pony facepalmed and facehooved, respectively. I just shook my head at Magic Dowser. It seems all older brothers are over protective of their little sisters.

“I did, twice! I even put an enchantment everywhere I looked that would tell me, if somehow we kept missing each other!” Firstclaw hmmed for a moment. “The enchantments will last long enough for us to search the area from the air…”

“I’m not having you fly me, nowhere, nohow. Besides, what if Ruby comes back?”

“Looking for her on foot would be ill…” Firstclaw suddenly paused his counter to Magic Dowser, which I knew had to do with one, getting lost in a desert, and two, the dangers of the Salt Flats, just to the south of the oasis. “Just a moment... I have mail.”

The familiar wisp of fire came out of Firstclaw’s mouth, and formed into a scroll. It wasn’t sealed, so I had no idea who it could be. That, in itself, wasn’t unusual, but what was a bit odd was the scroll. Every dragon that is within his dragon mail network knew that the Migration was coming to Hourglass, and that he would be busy. Whatever it was, it was not good, as I saw his expression turn to panic.

“This is bad! Bad, bad, bad!” Firstclaw started to pace as he read the letter he got. “Let’s see... it’s now three hours to sunset, and Hourglass is still an hour’s flight away. I could get Wanderer…”

“ENOUGH!” Magic Dowser screeched out as he snacthed the letter from Firstclaw’s grasp. “What are you going to do to find RUBY?”

I cringed the moment I saw what Magic Dowser did. I get that he’s angry and panicking, but really? Swiping a letter from Firstclaw like that? Clearly the letter was bringing bad news that needed Firstclaw’s immediate attention, and, even though we needed to find Ruby, Firstclaw wouldn’t panic like that unless it was just as important, or even more so.

Rule One: Never ever steal from a dragon’s hoard. Dragons can be very forgiving to a non dragon, on pretty much any other slight but that. Magic Dowser is lucky that dragons, for the most part, have mellowed, at least when it came to interactions with other races in the last couple of millennia. He just happened to touch the one spot that dragons have remained the most steadfast over. Of course, if Magic Dowser had done this with any other dragon, the dragon would have most likely only gotten annoyed, but this was DragonWyrm Heart. To him, what Magic Dowser did was steal from his hoard, because he treasured every letter he got from friends and family, even if the correspondence was of an official nature.

Faster than Magic Dowser could react, he found himself with his back slammed against the ground, and a paw pressed down on his neck. Firstclaw’s sparks had darkened to almost black, and small flickers of green flame escaped from his clenched mouth, as he glared at Magic Dowser. It had been a while since I’d last seen him enraged like that. “I shall give you this warning once. Never ever steal from a dragon, unless you wish fiery death upon you and your kind. Your relation to Ruby will not protect you from our wrath! GOT IT?”

Magic Dowser was rapidly losing oxygen, judging from the color of his face, and was unable to speak. He did have the sense of mind to nod, ever so slightly. DragonWyrm Heart let go, after growling at him one last time. The mare, who had been watching in horror, rushed forward to attend to him, most likely to make sure that nothing was damaged, as unlikely as it was. IF DragonWyrm Heart had wanted to truly hurt him, he would have not choked him like he did.

“Scorpion, make a harness with this rope.” Firstclaw summoned a coil of rope in front of me, which I immediately took, “and get Magic Dowser and Minty to Hourglass, as fast as you can fly. With any luck, we can head this off, before it’s too late.”

Why would I need to take the ponies to Hourglass? Unless...No wonder Firstclaw was in a panic! It had been no accident that Ruby (and party) had ‘found’ him here in the Northern Oasis, and not where we lived, Hourglass.

We had chosen to meet them here, to protect not only Ruby, but the two ponies that came with her (though we had only anticipated Magic Dowser), from the Migration. If Ruby was male, we wouldn’t have done any of this… we would have met them in Hourglass. (Well, maybe a bit before…) Walking up the stairs to get to the top of Hourglass is no walk in the park. It usually takes a few days, and Ruby would have struggled to fly both ponies up, given that the the air is much thinner towards the top.

“I’m not getting on any of you dragons!”

“Oh, for the love of the Voice!” Firstclaw ran a paw down his face. “Ruby is an unmated female dragoness, and, as such, has no business being near the Dragon Migration, unless she wants a mate! The Migration will be in Hourglass shortly before night falls, which is less than three hours away!”

That got his attention, and, in a flash, Magic Dowser had taken the rope from my grip and tied a makeshift harness around himself and the mare, who I now knew to be Minty.

“No dragon is going to force himself on my sister!”

I would have interjected that Ruby wouldn't be forced upon, but somehow, I don’t think he would have believed me. I just quickly tied them securely to my right foreleg and took off.

I was a bit surprised that I didn’t get the usual ‘I can only speak in vowels now’ routine when Terra Hourglass, the literally upside down mountain, came into view. But then again, Magic Dowser was too busy raging about his sister, and Minty was too busy trying not to lose any more of her lunch. I felt sorry for Minty, but we didn’t have the time for me to make the ride any smoother.

Magic Dowser wasn’t helping in that regard, either, constantly shouting at me to go faster. I can only go so fast! “Faster, before my sister gets raped, you foul lizard!” And I thought Wanderer got worked up about Ruby! Sheesh. I didn’t mind it too much, as I could tell from his Soul Song that his sharp tongue had far more to do with the stress over Ruby, than some deep seeded hatred over dragons.

Not that we, or any dragon, would ever allow Ruby to be… raped. The mere thought of rape is revolting to a dragon… It’s a crime that would send the entire dragon race into a frenzy towards... how did Twilight put it? ‘Vaporizing the offender down to mere atoms.’

Firstclaw seemed to know where to go, as he didn’t land at the library, but headed to the southern part of the city, and to the Dragon Stadium. Not where I would have thought she would be, but, considering the chance for a certain issue to arise, this would be the best place for her.

The Dragon Stadium was a recent addition to our ancient city. It was a large oval open area arena that was used only during the migration. It was large enough to seat about one hundred fully grown dragons in the stands. If I recall what Twilight said correctly, both Firstclaw's library and most of the council building, together, could fit inside it.

I could see Ruby sitting in the middle of the arena. Firstclaw began his descent down, followed by myself. It didn’t take long for us to land. Magic Dowser almost snapped the rope as he zoomed over to embrace Ruby. Minty was in no big rush, and hung back near me.

“What the hell are you doing here, Ruby?” Firstclaw voiced his irritation. Ruby looked none too pleased to see us when we first landed, and the scowl on her face only deepened at the scolding.

“I don’t want to talk to you, MURDERER!” Firstclaw flinched ever so slightly at Ruby’s outburst.

I don’t get it. Last night, she was all upset about the possibility of killing him, but now, she’s yelling at him like she wished she had done it. What is with her?

“Fine.” Firstclaw spoke in a calm voice, though I could see him struggling to not fall apart, as he stoically accepted Ruby’s rejection. “Then listen. You need to leave Hourglass and now! You...”

“No.”

That momentarily caught Firstclaw off guard, and left him speechless.

I decided to speak for him, as we didn’t have the time for this,

“Then he is going to have to drag me, kicking and screaming, because I ain’t leaving!”

“Ruby, I don’t like him, either, but, in this case, I agree! We need to leave now!”

“You too?!” Ruby stepped back from her brother in shock. “What is with the universe, wanting to fucking mess with me!?”

“Ruby, I...”

“Crazy ponies that are not crazy, mocking voices, stupid disappearing compasses that play cruel jokes, and dragons that won’t let me deal with things in my own way; instead, they have to sing and invade dreams!” Ruby roared. “Well, I’ve had it! There have been nothing but riddles and conflicting messages, telling me to go one way, then another, all while everyone is secretly going ‘Hehehe I know more than you do!’ So fuck it! Fuck it all! I might I well stick around, because it doesn't fucking matter, anyway!”

If this had been any other time, I would have laughed, as Ruby was acting just like her father, Quartermaster, overly stubborn… mixed with Wanderer, when he was young... Wait, did she say a dragon came to her in her dreams!? How? The only one alive that can do that is Dragon FireWyrm, and he rarely, if ever, does, and only to clanmates, I think. I suppose it’s possible for another to have gained that ability, but then that leads to the question, why Ruby?

I didn’t get a chance to ponder it too much, as the familiar sound of a rainboom going off caught not only my attention, but the attention of everyone in the arena. I looked up to see a dragon approaching, with a rainbow contrail behind him. It appeared that we were too late in getting Ruby out, as I could also see a very small, dark mass in the sky. The migration is upon us… It didn't take long before we could see the black and greyish blue scaled form of Thirdclaw, coming in for a landing.

Oh, boy, this could get ugly, and fast. Thirdclaw and Firstclaw always fought like rabid diamond dogs, when it came to Ruby. Firstclaw would usually win out, but it would take Secondclaw to get them to kiss and make up… on a off handed remark, he actually literally had them do it one time. Sadly, I didn’t have a camera to capture the moment, but I made sure that Twilight and Caretaker would never let them forget. I know I won’t.

Minty backed into me. I didn’t blame her. Thirdclaw may only be slightly smaller then me, body wise, but his wingspan was, by far, one of the largest, for a dragon. Those alone could intimidate most… until they saw that one of his horns twisted comically into the other… though I didn’t think anyone could get their eyes above Thirdclaw’s furious eyes to see his horns. Magic Dowser did not seem to be intimidated, at least, not that I could tell honestly tell; it was getting too difficult to make out individual soul songs, and there was no way I was going to open my ears. I would prefer not to have a migraine from hearing over six hundred Soul Songs, on top of the background songs that the ley lines in and around Hourglass produced.

Thirdclaw had barely made his landing before he stomped right up to Firstclaw. “You only had one simple thing to do, Firstclaw. KEEP MY SISTER AWAY FROM THE MIGRATION!”

“I didn’t tell her the location of Hourglass! I have no clue how she got here!” Firstclaw roared back.

I quickly stated, when Thirdclaw turned his gaze over to me.

Thirdclaw mumbled something that I didn't quite catch. Ruby, however, must have heard it, as she stomped right up to him in anger. “You dare call my mother a bitch!”

“I dare!” Thirdclaw snapped at Ruby. “Your bitch of a mother thought it was a fucking ‘wise’ idea to not only kick out History Seeker, your grandfather, from your lives, but the book we gave History Seeker on what to expect when raising a dragon, just because of her own fucking insecurities! To think that a fucking pony would deliberately screw over a young dragon.”

“THIRDCLAW!” Firstclaw roared angrily. “Enough! Or, so help me, I’ll hold you down and let Magic Dowser and Ruby beat the lava shit out of you!”

I could see that both Magic Dowser and Ruby were ready to do just that.

“Whatever.” Thirdclaw casually brushed off Firstclaw’s threat. “My point still stands. If Elegant Prose had kept that book, Ruby would not be having such a huge existential crisis...”

By this point, I had heard this argument played out too many times already, so I just tuned it out as I watched the approaching Migration. Please, let there not be any potential mates...

As the Migration got close enough for me to see individual dragons, I noticed that there were a couple of dragons breaking out of formation, and heading straight towards the stadium. This was a clear violation of the protocol for the dragons on the migration. They were supposed to circle high above the city until the entire migration was over the mountain, and then come down in small groups. That had not occurred yet. Of course, Thirdclaw was not up there directing traffic like normal, so it could just be some dragons that were jumping the gun a bit.

“Oh, really? Do you know how many times Twi was burnt by me, or ran into problems, because she didn’t understand the mind of a dragon!?” I heard Firstclaw argue a point as my focus turned back to them.

I looked down to check on Minty and saw that Magic Dowser was trying to help her out. From the looks of it, Minty was still in a state of frozen panic.

“Twilight, at least, did her fucking best, given the circumstances that weren’t caused by stupidity! At least she TRIED to find out information about dragons! Elegant had all that information handed to her on a fucking silver platter! And yet she thought that, by being an ass and ignoring the problems, that everything would work out, and the problems would just go away. That somehow, Ruby would grow up to be a pony in scales!”

By this point, it was clear that Ruby had reached her limit, and was about to walk away when a yellow dragon landed in front of her, growling. It has begun… Ruby backed away, before a green dragon slammed down behind her. Ah, crap, just what we don’t need: a fight between Firstclaw and Thirdclaw; meanwhile, there is a fight brewing amongst two, no, four dragons, so far, over who should mate with Ruby!

Needless to say, Ruby was not handling the whole situation very well, as she had given up trying to escape, and had resorted to the age old ‘solution’ of curling up into the fetal position, hoping it's all a nightmare...

I grabbed Magic Dowser before he could rush off to ‘aid’ Ruby. I took the advantage, and grabbed Minty, as well. I needed to get them away from the arena, into the stands, and away from the dragons landing in the arena. A dragon fight was no place for ponies. Firstclaw and Thirdclaw were already making their way out, still arguing. Which was annoying, as I could use their help, as it was already not going to be easy, given that I’m not built to walk on two legs anymore, and Magic Dowser was struggling with all his might, even trying to use his magic, which was quite strong. If he had his full senses about him, he could break through my grip like it was wet paper.

“Let me go! Let me go!” Magic Dowser screamed as he pounded my paws with his free hoof. “You fucking fire snot, I need to go save Ruby!”

I snapped down at the struggling unicorn.

“But… She’s going to be… I have to...” Magic Dowser’s speech slowed, as his strength was finally leaving him. Not surprising, given that one can only handle being in an enraged state for so long before becoming physically exhausted, and he had been at it for quite some time now.

“You had Secondclaw helping you out!” Thirdclaw countered to something Firstclaw obviously had said while I was distracted, getting the two ponies to safer ground in the stands.

“He was merely an alicorn dragon acolyte, who did not even know about how dragons mated, which he should have been told, given that if he had hatched me instead of Twi, I would have been female!”

I rolled my eyes, before I ignored them once again, and took a look at the developing fight. So far, the dragons had not done much, other than circle each other and posture. From my count, there were going to be twelve dragons fighting for Ruby. I could see that the rest of the Dragon Migration was now arriving, as I saw several dragons landing in the stands to watch.

I yelled out when I saw a certain dragon land in front of Ruby, and between the other dragons.

WHAT!? Both roared at me with enough force to make me flinch.

I pointed towards the dragons vying for Ruby, and, more specifically, to Dragon FireWyrm, who had touched down in the midst of them.

“Well I’ll be,” Thirdclaw smirked. “It looks like Secondclaw may get a mate soon.”

“WHAT!?” Magic Dowser screamed, his coat paling to white, and his mane smoking.

Both myself and Firstclaw facepalmed. Thirdclaw had said the one thing that Magic Dowser would not want to hear right now, though I know that both Firstclaw and I were thinking what Thirdclaw had said.

A Treasure Worth Fighting for

The fight between Firstclaw and Thirdclaw was forgotten, as they turned their attention to their fellow clanmate, Dragon FireWyrm. All three dragons settled down to watch and wait. Magic Dowser pressed himself into a shivering Minty, to help calm her down, if only a bit. Although he too needed her close to him, as even he started to shiver a bit, fearing what might happen to Ruby.

The three dragons felt sympathy for the pony pair. This was not something that was easy to handle, if you were not used to that level of violence. Even Twilight had trouble, the first few times a fight broke out over a mate, and she had been witness to some bloody sights during the Keeper War. The Equus Nation had not been in a war in its young history, as the ponies, as a rule, were peaceful, so neither had ever seen such violence. Scorpion shifted in such a way that his paws could press on them, trying to give them some comfort of closeness that instinctually helped ponies, when in an emotional state such as theirs.

A red dragon had enough of mind games, and pounced on the yellow dragon that was the first to land, slashing a deep gash across the side of the drake. This led to a chain reaction among the rest, with biting, slashing, and plumes of flame.

Three dragons had teamed up to take out Dragon FireWyrm, and an audible gasp could be heard over the roar of the fighting dragons. The three dragons of the DragonWyrm clan calmly waited it out. Dragon FireWyrm was not one to be brought down that easily. They knew that he would survive with ease, even though he was the smallest dragon vying for Ruby.

The air started to thicken, from the ash and dust being produced by the dragons. DragonWyrm Heart quickly put up a barrier around the ponies. While the smoke, ash, and dust wouldn’t bother the dragons, it could cause health issues for the ponies, and he did not want a lecture from Twilight, again. Worst eight hours of his life.

He wondered where she was. For that matter, he wondered where Pheonix Wave, the resident Dragon Acolyte and Captain of the Hourglass Guard, was, along with Caretaker, Wanderer’s mate. Neither was in sight, though it was highly likely he would not be able to find them in the stadium, even if they managed to be there. The stadium was bursting at the seams as it was, full of a sea of dragons, and he knew that there was no way in hell that all six hundred or so dragons, on average, that came to Hourglass every sixty years or so on the Migration, could come and watch. There just wasn’t enough room. A pity, too, as mating was a sacred and shared event for dragons.

“Here, put these on; it will help cut through the smoke a bit.” DragonWyrm Heart handed a pair of Twilight’s dragon smoke goggles over to Magic Dowser. The magic enhancement in them would clear out the smoke by a fair amount. Hopefully, she remembered to charge the crystal, this time.

“If you think this makes up for what you have done, you are sadly mistaken.” Magic Dowser growled, even he took the goggles. He needed to keep an eye on Ruby. It was killing him, as it was, that he couldn't go out there and rescue Ruby.

Scorpion shook his head at the continued hostility the pony was displaying towards DragonWyrm Heart. It was understandable, but really unnecessary, as well. If only DragonWyrm Heart would tell them both, Ruby and Magic Dowser, the full truth… but that will have to wait until the current situation resolved itself.

There was another gasp, and a series of murmurs, as Dragon FireWyrm flung the dragons off of him with a roar. That wasn’t what got them to whisper, it was that Dragon FireWyrm’s tail had trifurcated. Multiple tails was not uncommon for a sea serpent, which was sometimes referred to as a water dragon, but Dragon FireWyrm was a spark dragon. Not something that they were known for. Or at least, not from what little knowledge was left about the legendary spark dragons within the collective Dragon Heritage Memories that all dragons received at Choosing. To the dragons from the DragonWyrm clan, however, Dragon FireWyrm’s tail spitting into three was not a shocker at all, as they knew that Dragon FireWyrm was known to do things or have things happen to him that were completely unexpected.

As much as Magic Dowser was not really paying attention to the dragons, he did notice the murmuring that fell over the stadium. He looked around to see what it was, just in case it was connected to Ruby. It was hard for him to figure out why all of the muttering was going on, given that he couldn't hear any snippets that he could understand. He was about to just shrug it off as nothing, when he saw one of the fighting dragons that he remembered. A white dragon with a rainbow crown of horns and rainbow tail spines really stuck out in the crowd. What he saw confused him: he knew that he wasn’t that large. From what he could tell, the dragon had doubled in size.

“What the hell? That white dragon wasn’t that big before!”

The three dragons couldn’t help but chuckle, much to Magic Dowser’s annoyance. They found it funny, as Magic Dowser should not be that surprised, given that he was there when Ruby went from a hatchling, that was, at best, only as tall as his shoulder, on two legs, to slightly bigger than him on four legs, when she transformed into a whelp.

Scorpion explained.

“Thirdclaw…” DragonWyrm Heart growled a warning when he could make out Wanderer muttering, if barely audible, about throwing away a certain book.

Dragon FireWyrm took advantage of his new tails to spin around, using the barbed tail ends to snag the nearest dragon and rip long gashes along his neck. He didn’t give the dragon any time to recover, as he rushed up to him, using his claw to slash over the same area, hitting an artery and causing a geyser of blood to spurt out and spray all over Dragon FireWyrm. The blood only frenzied him, and, in a flash, he knocked the weakening dragon to the ground and proceeded to rip and bite the dragon open with such fury that flesh and entrails went flying dozens of feet. Dragon FireWyrm then turned his sights to the other two dragons that had piled on him, and proceeded to do the same to them.

By the time Dragon FireWyrm was finishing up with the third dragon, the remaining dragons on the field turned their attention to him. He had gone from perceived easy pickings to the largest threat. A ‘truce’ was silently called, as the other dragons rushed to take out Dragon FireWyrm. Dragon FireWyrm roared in challenge, not even fazed by the other nine dragons coming at him.

The fight then become so furious and fast that not a single dragon in the stands could see anything but a mass of dragons, sprays of blood, and innards flying. The white plume of Dragon FireWyrm’s fire could be seen, on occasion, battling a rainbow of others.

Suddenly, it was silent. The dust and ash had thickened beyond the point of any dragon being able to see. Magic Dowser’s goggles had stopped working from the oversaturation of mana that now hung heavy over the stadium, disrupting magic for everyone.

DragonWyrm Heart raised a paw. As a spark dragon, he had one of the strongest pools of magic within him, so he would be able to overcome the mana saturation that prevented the easy formation of spells, even for dragons. He swirled in a large breeze that quickly cleared the dust and ash, revealing the outcome.

The only dragon left standing was Dragon FireWyrm, who roared loudly in triumph. Out of the nine dragons that had ‘teamed up’, it appeared that maybe three had survived, but not without grievous injuries that would most likely cripple the dragons for life. Once the mating was done, Caretaker would need to step out into the arena to check on the dragons that had fallen. The ones that died would be given proper send offs, while those injured would be looked after.

Now that the fighting was over, everyone could really take a breather, and Wanderer couldn't help but think that Dragon FireWyrm looked badass.

Wanderer had only vague memories of his father, Quartermaster, but, if he was remembering correctly, Dragon FireWyrm would now stand a good two heads higher, making him one of the largest dragons since the ‘Nameless One’... He shuddered at the memory of that dragon. Dragon FireWyrm wasn’t just taller, but bulkier, with rippling muscle visible under his scales, even at a distance. Dragon FireWyrm was already a powerhouse when it came to battle, and Wanderer was sure that this would only make him more so.

Dragon FireWyrm’s eyes and mouth, really his whole face, had become less expressive than it was, already, and now sported what one could categorize as a permanent scowl. Though anyone that knew Dragon FireWyrm would have known that he was not like that. For example, right now, Wanderer could see happy relief in his eyes.

At each elbow, there were new curved claw-like spines that Wanderer was sure were hard and sharp, like a tail weapon would be. They were colored in keeping with the theme of the purple features that were on his right side and the green on the left, just like his eyes, the two horns on the top of his head, and his tail weapons.

The three tails that had been barely visible, due to the frantic battle before, were now in full view. The roundish rainbow spines that had once lined his, at the time, single tail were gone. At the end of each tail was a large barbed hook, one, purple, one, white, and the last, green.

Dragon FireWyrm looked around for his ‘prize’, and didn't take long to find Ruby, who was in the center of the carnage. A swath of ground around her was still undisturbed, as the fighting dragons wanted to attack each other, not Ruby. He walked over, avoiding the carcasses of the dragons, and stood over Ruby’s quivering form for a moment, sniffing and then finally growling. He then looked up at the stands and stared at Magic Dowser.

“Uh… why is he looking at me like that?” Magic Dowser gulped. He had seen (unfortunately) parts of the battle, and the dragon fought with such a ferociousness that it made the tales of the viciousness of the creatures of Everfree seem like tame bedtime stories, in comparison. The dragon had bits of scales and tissue clinging to him and stuck in his teeth, tail weapons, and claws, and there almost wasn’t a part of him not splattered in other dragons’ blood, even after a shaking off that had sent a good amount of it flying.

“Hard to say…” Wanderer squinted as he tried to figure out what Dragon FireWyrm was thinking via body language. “The changes in his body have made his expressions harder to read, and, even if they hadn’t changed, there are still times when he is a mystery.”

“Mystery is putting it lightly, Thirdclaw. Secondclaw is the very definition of mystery.”

Dragon FireWyrm started make his way to them, still growling.

Ruby was glad when the massive growling presence that she was sure was a dragon lumbered away. She had no idea why the dragons had surrounded her like they did, and started fighting; all she knew was she was trapped, with no way out. It was only in the past few minutes that it calmed down enough that she started debating whether it was safe enough to get out of there, until she felt the breathing and heard growling.

The terrified screaming of her brother rang out, and, in an instant, she lost all of her fear. Her brother was in danger, and she quickly scrambled up to try and find her brother. She was momentarily taken aback by the massive number of dragons watching her. Another scream brought her back to the task at hand: finding and saving her brother. It didn’t take her long to find him in the clutches of a large white dragon with a rainbow crown of horns.

The large dragon was terrifying to look at, between his wickedly sharp claws and fangs, and the blood splattered all over him, but she knew she had to try and do something to save her brother. You leave him alone, you monster! She screamed in her head as she rushed at the dragon, in an attempt to reach him before it was too late.

“Magic Dowser!” Ruby screamed as a torrent of white flame from the dragon's mouth bathed her brother.

In that moment, a part of her died. Her brother, her everything, was now gone. Burned by a monster of a white dragon, and it was all her fault. If she had never listened to that stallion, she would have never gotten that compass, and they would have never followed it to the oasis, and if… It was her third birthday all over, but this time, she had really killed him. She collapsed onto the ground, bawling. She hoped that the white dragon would take her next.

She did not know how long she cried, before she could suddenly feel the familiar weight and feel of a pony foreleg on her shoulder.

“Go away, Minty…” Ruby shoved off what she believed to be Minty’s hoof. She wanted to be left alone in her grief.

“I’m not Minty… though I could brush my teeth to get minty fresh breath...”

Ruby’s head snapped up in shock. There, sitting right by her, with his foreleg still in the air, was Magic Dowser, looking at her with concern. She opened and closed her mouth several times, as she tried to speak. She was sure that Magic Dowser had been burnt to ash. But here he was, alive and sitting before her, and further stunning her was what she saw on his face and neck. He no longer sported any scars from when she had burned him. She could scarcely believe it. She had to be hallucinating, or dreaming, or something.

“Dowsy?” Ruby reached out to touch Magic Dowser, to see if he was really there. “Your scars…”

“Huh? What about them?” Magic Dowser reached up with a hoof to feel what she could mean. His eyes went wide in shock and disbelief as he continued to feel around. He could only feel fur. Try as he could, he could find no evidence of the burns, neither scars nor coarse fur. How!?

Magic Dowser spun to look back at Dragon FireWyrm, while Ruby looked up at him, and both gasped. In the same locations where Magic Dowser’s scars had been, the dragon now had scars. Magic Dowser could only find himself in awed filled thankfulness to the dragon, for restoring his face. Though he wished he had given Ruby and himself a bit of warning about using his white flame.

Ruby, however, was now lost in a total mess of emotions and feelings, including some she never had before. It was too much, and, in a panic, she quickly scrambled away.

“Ruby, wait!” Magic Dowser yelled. He then stumbled, as he tried to get to his hooves too quickly, trying to chase after Ruby.

Scorpion spoke as he walked up; the dangers of being mistaken for a rival had passed. He fought to keep the disappointment and sadness out of his voice and expression. He was really hoping for Dragon FireWyrm and Ruby to become mates, but it seemed that it was not meant to be.

Many of the dragons in the stands were displaying expressions of a similar nature. Dragon FireWyrm was well liked by many dragons, and thus, to have Ruby reject him was a shocker.

“But she...” Magic Dowser began to state how dangerous it would be for Ruby to be alone. He had no idea if this would happen again, and he didn’t think she could handle much more.

“She’s no longer in any danger of that…” DragonWyrm Heart shook his head as he joined them, before looking off towards where Ruby fled. “The dragons will leave her be.”

Before anything more could be said or done, an angry growl issued forth from Dragon FireWyrm, and Wanderer found himself face to face with a ticked off dragon. Wanderer stumbled back at the roar that then issued from Dragon FireWyrm’s maw. Wanderer gulped and nodded as Dragon FireWyrm then turned away sadly, in the opposite direction of Ruby.

“What was that?!” Magic Dowser exclaimed at the outburst of the white dragon.

“Oh…” Magic Dowser dumbly stated. He would have normally been a bit more ‘enthusiastic’ about Thirdclaw being chewed out, but he was still somewhat dazed from what ‘Secondclaw’ had done for him and Ruby.

Wanderer watched Dragon FireWyrm as the wyrm slowly walked off, a path forming in the sea of dragons as they parted for him. He had not seen Dragon FireWyrm that down since the war, and back when Medallion was killed. But he also remembered the words that he roared just before he left: ‘make right.’ He had been an ass. He may have been frustrated at Ruby’s mother, but it was not an excuse to curse her, and worse, he did so in front of Ruby...

He looked off in the direction that Ruby had bolted, sighing. He had no idea what had made Ruby reject Dragon FireWyrm’s offer. In all his time, he had only seen this once before, a dragoness rejecting the pull of a mate… though it could just be that that part of Ruby was suppressed, over the long years of not being around other dragons. He wouldn't know until he talked to her.

Can You Give Me a Moment to Breathe?

“Wow, he’s worse than Twi…”

“Doswer…”

“May I suggest smacking him and then…”

Suddenly, a hoof slammed into my face, knocking me out of my stupor. “Minty! Wha..?” My protest died as her lips smashed into mine in a quick kiss. Before I had a chance to lean in and return it, she had pulled away, much to my disappointment.

I blushed in embarrassment when I then noticed that I had not only Minty looking at me in concern, but Scorpion and DragonWyrm Heart, as well. Not that I was all that happy to see those two right now, especially DragonWyrm Heart. I looked around to see that I was still in the arena, an empty arena.

“What happened?” I looked around, confused. How long was I out, to make it so that not only did the dragons in the stands leave, but all the … bodies had been cleared away? I couldn’t even see any sign that there had been a fight where blood was spilled. Did I just imagine all of that carnage? Also I can see that the arena is lit up with a daytime spell of some sort because I know we had arrived in Hourglass near sundown and right now it looks like midday.

“You zoned out, Dowser.” Minty explained.

“I did?” I tried to remember the last thing that happened, and all I could remember was seeing that white dragon having scars… I reached up to feel my face, and felt only fur… “It really happened…”

“If by the…” Minty turned greener and gulped hard. “...death battle? Then, yes.”

It was at that moment that I remembered that Ruby had run off after I was healed. I looked around again, and saw that she was nowhere in sight, and that meant that she was alone, in a city of killers! I needed to find her!

I was about to rush off when I noticed that, even though I was running, I didn’t seemed to be moving at all. I looked down to see that my legs were moving but I wasn’t, which confused me until I saw the same glitter aura that had stuck Minty and me to the couch yesterday.

“Relax.” DragonWyrm Heart gently spoke. “She’s not in any danger. She just needs some time alone to get her head on strai…”

“Let me go, you psycho killer!” I snapped at DragonWyrm Heart, cutting him off mid word. Both Scorpion and DragonWyrm Heart flinched as I said that, but, after what I saw today, both of them deserved it.

I growled in irritation as he lowered me back to the round. As much as I didn’t want to agree with DragonWyrm Heart, he was right. Ruby would need some time alone. It was how she dealt with things, going for a walk and leaning against that crystal castle... Still, I didn't want her to be alone around dragons.

Except maybe with that white dragon… I guess… He never once pushed Ruby to do anything… and he did heal me of my physical deformity. Which I’m grateful for… as it did remove the physical reminder of what Ruby did (sort of). I had looked for ways to fix it myself, and the only thing that I could find that could heal me was a substitution healing spell, which obviously was what the dragon… Although I really wished he had said what he was going to do beforehand, instead of grabbing me the way he did…(and why did he have to use his flame to do it?)

I groaned as my head started to pound from the mental strain of thinking too much.

“That being said, Ruby won’t be alone for too long. I have Thirdclaw going after her…” DragonWyrm Heart started up again.

“WHAT?! That foul mouthed dragon!? If you think I would allow him anywhere near my sister after what he called our mother!”

“He is looking for Ruby because he is going to apologize to her for calling Elegant Prose a ‘bitch.’ In the meantime, I need you three to stay here...”

“Oh, no. I’m not staying here. Ruby might need some alone time to think but I’m not risking…”

DragonWyrm Heart quickly cut me off by pinching my mouth shut between his claws. I would be impressed at his skill of doing that without injuring me with his very sharp claws if I wasn’t so angry at him.

“One, you think all dragons are nothing more than barbaric killers! The city has over six hundred dragons lounging or wandering about. In your current frame of mind, you are liable to snap at even the friendliest gesture. I don’t want you to end up instigating a fight…” DragonWyrm Heart facepalmed. “Why am I even bothering any more… Just stay here, as it will be easier for you to be reunited with Ruby, because the first place she will probably look for you is here. I’ll have Phoenix Wave bring food suitable for ponies… I need to lie down for a while.”

“Good riddance!” I shouted as DragonWyrm Heart took off for the city.

I sighed as I slumped down onto my haunches, physically and emotionally exhausted. “Things are just moving way too fast…. I can neither follow nor remember half of what has been going on or said...” I muttered.

“WILL YOU SHUT UP!” I roared at Scorpion. “I am sick and tired of listening to you and your kind’s honey coated words.”

“Magic Dowser, calm down, you're being irrational!”

“Irrational. IRRATIONAL! How the fuck…” My rant was cut off by another slap to the face from Minty.

“Enough!” Minty glared at me. “Ruby is already in enough turmoil as it is! She doesn't need more from a raging overprotective nincompoop!”

“But I… the… dragons..”

“Now! You listen and think!” Minty poked me in the head with her hoof. “Is a predator evil because it must eat to survive?”

I was stunned. Minty was using the same argument against me that I had used against Ruby just prior to us leaving on this, in hindsight, ill-advised trip.

“But…”

“Does that make them vile, evil killers?”

“Does it?” Minty pressed.

“No…” I finally admitted. My face fell in shame.

Minty pulled me into a hug “I know that you are trying to look out for Ruby, like any good brother… but Ruby is old enough by pony standards to take care of herself… and, as hard as it may be, we need to at least give these dragons the benefit of the doubt… or we are no better than the ponies of Castle Town that make hurtful comments just because she’s different and scary looking...”

“I know…” I sniffed, “and I’ll try... for Ruby.”

Minty pulled my face up with her hoof and kissed me again. “Now that is the Magic Dowser I fell in love with.”

ബഐബഐബഐ Ruby ബഐബഐബഐ

I ran and ran. I didn’t care where I went, as long as it was away from anything dragon. The problem was that they were everywhere, and I think I fled in the direction of the city, instead of the outlining area that I was sure would give me the privacy I need. I remembered, from when I flew in earlier, that the city only covered part of the bottom of the top or bottom of the bottom that is actually the top of the bottom... ugh, headache… Though I do think it's a bit cool that a mountain would say ‘fuck you’ to gravity…

It wasn’t long before the crowds of dragons thinned to nothing, and I was in the middle of empty streets. It did make running easier, but I was soon lost as all get out. I don’t know how long it was before I finally broke through the outer rim of the city, and into an orchard of some sort. What kind I have no idea as the moon had not risen far enough to illuminate it well enough even with my eyes. Nonetheless, I was glad. It was a place that was not likely to have anydragon visit, I hoped, and a place that reminded me, at least somewhat, of home.

After what has transpired in the last few days, I think I just want to go home. Home to the cottage near the Everfree, and on the edge of Castle Town. Hell, the ponies of Castle Town that are semi-hostile sound comforting, right now.

I slowed to a walk as I continued through the orchard until I found a good-sized boulder that I could lean against. It wasn’t the Crystal Tree Castle, but it would have to do. I just needed to get my head on straight, though that was going to be easier said than done. My thoughts were a swirling mess, and my emotions, a mass of confusion, and I had no idea where to begin.

I mean, why did all of this have to happen to me, and why now, of all times?

Why did that voice start mocking me? Why the compass, and why that dragon in my dream?

I cried a bit as my thoughts went to when I found out my father was killed by DragonWyrm Heart… Though I'm still a bit mad at DragonWyrm Heart… thinking back to when I yelled ‘murderer’ at him earlier today… it just feels like I shouldn't have said it… When I found out and … mutilated him… most of it was thankfully a blur… I do remember that I don’t think I had roared out anything, until I busted through that door… And yet, it was like he had already known why I was so rage filled… And he took it all... lying as flat as he could in a posture of someone throwing themselves at the mercy of the court… except he was throwing himself at me… and those three words…. ‘Yes, I did’ held so much pain and remorse…

I didn’t want to be a monster; and yet, wasn’t that what I was, scaring someone like that…? How could revenge not be an act of monsterhood…? I mean, there had been many a time when I wanted to get back at the town for all those hurtful remarks, not just to me, but to Magic Dowser and my mother… but if I did that, then I would really become the monster that they all thought…

And what I did to him… I shook my head, trying to get those particular thoughts out of my mind.

I sighed as I rubbed my face. It seems like everything is conspiring against me… except… That white dragon…

He was scary looking, and had been part of that vicious fight, judging from all the blood and stuff that clung to him… and yet… he didn't hurt me; he seemed to want to help me… by not only keeping me safe, but healing Dowsy of those scars…by taking them on himself!! The scars that were a constant reminder of what I had done to him… and I don’t even know him! Why would a stranger do that for me? And I didn’t even tell him about it, and yet, it was like he knew it was exactly what I needed...

When I gazed into that white dragon’s two differently colored eyes, after he had healed Dowsy of his scars. It was like I could see straight into his soul… I could not see any maliciousness, just love, care, and concern, and all of it directed at, and for, me! That I was the only thing that mattered to him.

I felt strangely drawn to him… to like I had be with him… that he would protect me... yet I was also so afraid… as if I would lose control, if I kept staring… I don’t want to lose control, not again...

Ugh! Why does life have to be so complicated!!

The Truth of the Matter

ബഐബഐബഐ Ruby ബഐബഐബഐ

“Ruby?” A voice called out in the darkness. One that I was not in the mood to hear right now, especially after he cursed my mother… Sure, my mom may have made mistakes, but I knew that no mother is without a few.

“Go away…” I grumbled out to the dragon I only knew as Thirdclaw.

“Look, Ruby, I came to apologize for my behavior. Lath žēl, I’m sorry.” There was that strange language, again. Must be some sort of truth spell with it, as, like before, I instinctively knew that he really meant that he was sorry... “I just was so… frustrated over what your mother had done… Throwing out the book that would have explained to you a lot about the biology and culture of dragons...”

“After what I’ve seen, I really don’t care about your barbaric ‘culture.’ I’d rather live among ponies...”

“We may be barbaric in comparison to ponies, but we are one of the most passionate races you will find. That being said, I have no problem with you living among ponies. Hell, DragonWyrm Heart was hatched and raised by one. The issue was the fact that that book would have explained so much about dragon biology. Our culture would have been handy, but not necessary.“

“You really needed to understand how to control your flame, and how a dragon grows up. Like how a dragon has a mental and physical growth spurt at the age of three, and changes from a hatchling, a baby, to a whelp, or teenager. Then, at around your age, you become an adult, when you choose a name that signifies who you really are.”

“But I like my name!” I protested. What is wrong with Ruby, anyway? I shouldn’t have to change my name, just because some stupid cultural thingie said I should.

“It's not an ordinary name… ironically, it's almost like when a pony’s emblem appears, after they discover their talent, but instead, its renaming yourself, after finding your true self… This name is called a hoard name… it symbolizes who you have always been, inside, and what you treasure above all else.”

I turned to face him, as that got my attention. A name to signify what I treasure the most… that, I could go for, and I knew what I treasured the most. The problem would be that I have no idea how to put that into a name that doesn’t sound stupid.

“I see I got your attention.” Thirdclaw smirked, which made me eyeroll.

It was at that moment that the moon rose far enough that I could see something about Thirdclaw that I had somehow missed before. He had a set of horns on his head, but one of them leaned over to the other, and curled up around it. I tried, and failed, at suppressing a laugh.

“So you think my horns are funny, eh?” He smirked. “Then check this out.” He lifted his head and let loose stream of bright pink flame.

“Pink flame!” I finally spoke, after some time of fighting to get my breathing under control from laughing so hard and long. “What, are you gay or something!?”

Thirdclaw chuckled. “You remind me of myself when I was young… back when my father, Quartermaster, was still alive…”

My eyes widened at this. So this is Wanderer, my dragon brother. I see now why he was so angry my mother… Just what I need, two overprotective brothers. That did leave a certain question that I wanted answered by him. “So you're my dragon brother… Then tell me this, why are you so buddy buddy with DragonWyrm Heart?”

ബഐബഐബഐ Wanderer ബഐബഐബഐ

“What?” I blinked at the question. “I don’t understand.”

“He killed our father! How can you be in a clan with him!”

This shocked me. Firstclaw didn’t tell her the truth? I mean, I know he told her that he was ‘responsible’ for Quartermaster's death. Why else would there be a crisscross of scars across Firstclaw’s back? “Yes, he did kill our father… but there more to it than that... A lot more...”

“Explain, and no riddles and half truths, I've had my fill of them, since a week ago.” The look she gave me told me that she wasn’t kidding, not that I was going to speak in riddles or half truths.

“Dragon FireWyrm and DragonWyrm Heart saved me...” I sighed. “I was a worthless punk ass orphan ‘living’ on the streets of Traxti City. I didn’t give a fuck about anybody… I did whatever it took to survive, not caring if I hurt others... until Dragon FireWyrm found me and DragonWyrm Heart gave me a chance to change. Thanks to them, I was eventually adopted by our parents… it was one of the happiest moments of my life… It was the second to last truly happy moment before…”

“DragonWyrm Heart killed our father?” Ruby whispered.

“No… The Keeper War...” I corrected her as I sighed. This was not going to be easy for me. At least, I could skip most of the details of the war, as they weren’t relevant... at least as far as the circumstances of Quartermaster's death were concerned. Though the death of my father is still the most painful memory of the war… of my life really... it was one that I nonetheless needed to share. “You see, long before the war, the Nameless One placed a curse on dragons, in which any dragon that felt too much rage could become a raging monster that knew nothing. No memories, only a powerful need to spread pain, rage, and death. All of this, with no hope of recovery... Well, DragonWyrm Heart was one such dragon that fell under this curse, and he fought hard against it for years… But the war took a toll on him, and then, after Dragon FireWyrm was thought to be killed by The Nameless One…”

I had to choke back tears as I got to the final part.

“The entire clan was willing to die by DragonWyrm Heart‘s claw to save him… either by ending him, or by finding a way to cure him of the curse. We did manage to cure him, but the cost was high… Quartermaster died keeping the DragonWyrm Heart busy, while Dragon FireWyrm and a few others successfully used a recently discovered and very powerful cleansing magic on him…”

“DragonWyrm Heart lost most of his pony family, his clanmate and friend Quartermaster, and the cleansing left his psyche so severely damaged that he fell into a Slumber for nearly two thousand years… Even though Dragon FireWyrm, his hatchmate, or I, Quartermaster’s son, could punish DragonWyrm Heart… we couldn’t, he was family to us… Family forgives… and he was going to be punished bad enough, as it was...”

By this point Ruby was bawling. Ugh, now Ruby must be feeling guilty for scarring up DragonWyrm Heart. I have no idea how to explain it, that wouldn’t make her feel even worse...

ബഐബഐബഐ Ruby ബഐബഐബഐ

“Hey none of that…” Wanderer cooed before he started licking me!

Licking between ponies was only done as a sign of intimate affection between special ponies. Though I couldn’t explain it, it wasn’t embarrassing at all. Every time Wanderer licked me, I felt calmer and happier. It was confusing, to say the least.

“What, you thought I was trying to get some lady action like some fucking pervert? No.” Wanderer snorted in amusement at my confused and uncomfortable reaction to his licking. “Licking is one of the ways that dragons can calm each other down… Though I wouldn’t recommend doing it with a stranger… it can actually do the opposite.”

“Sorry… it's been a rough couple of days…” I apologized.

“Yeah, sorry about that… Things didn’t quite go as we planned. You were not supposed to come to Hourglass when you did… The plan was to have DragonWyrm Heart meet you initially down in The Northern Oasis, and then, once the migration arrived in Hourglass, I was to join him down there…”

“Yeah, I’m in agreement there; I shouldn’t have come here either…” Why did I have to be so stubborn sometimes?

“Actually,” Wanderer looked away in embarrassment. “I was going to invite you, if you were willing, but only once you understood the risks of being an unmated female, because those dragons that were fighting around you were fighting over you. They saw you as a potential mate...“

“I am not a fuck toy to be bought in a fight!” I growled out, not liking the implication of being told I was a ‘potential mate,’ though I could feel that strange feeling from when Dragon FireWyrm gazed at me rise in me again.

“An unmated female, such as yourself, produces special magical pheromones that can only be smelled by those who are compatible with your inner fire, or soul. It sends any males nearby that are compatible with you into a near feral frenzy, to find and mate with the female that they smell as their mate. But, trust me when I say that no dragon, even in that state, just sees you as something to fuck with animalistic abandon, but one that they could meld their souls with.”

“Wow, soul melding, that sounds soooo much better…” I deadpanned, rolling my eyes.

“Ugh,” Wanderer facepalmed, “when it comes to mating, the female will always win, no matter how strong the male is. Though yours had an rare ending... I've seen hundreds of matings, and yours was only the second that ended in rejection, and from the stories I’ve heard on the migration, in the past two thousand years, there had only been maybe two or three more. It’s that extreme of an unusual occurrence…”

“What are you saying?!” I roared. I was getting so angry that I could see a bit of my red flame coming out, but I was too mad to care right now.

Wanderer sighed. “This isn’t a difference in culture, but biology. Ponies, for example, can take their time, and can even form herds with multiple partners, while dragons are unable to! You fuck with the first person that catches your eye as a possible mate, and you will be incapable of loving any other as a mate! There is no going back! No divorce, or hope of becoming a widow, to ‘open up your options’, if you discover that you don’t love them enough to be mates! Mating rewrites your biology, so that you can only think of that person as a mate.”

“So then, I wait to have sex until I’m positive.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this! You are thinking here, but not here.” Wanderer pointed to my head then my heart. “You can think all you want in your head, but you don’t feel love there, it's in your heart! Ugh... Lets try something else... look into my eyes.”

There was only one word that could suffice: “What?”

“I’m not going to hypnotize you, so chill. I’m just going to look at your Inner Fire.”

I looked into Wanderer’s eyes like he asked, not really sure what to make of it. After a second, though, something changed, and I could see a flame in his eyes, which startled and frightened me.

“Relax!” Wanderer admonished me as I tried to look away. Him staring at me suddenly felt strangely creepy. “Don’t fight me, I’m not that skilled at this!”

“Sorry, it’s just weird... like I’m exposed to you, or something…”

“That’s because, in a way, you are…” I started to squirm again. I didn’t want him know all my innermost thoughts and feelings, it’s just wrong; it's like reading someone's diary, or eavesdropping on a private conversation... “Damn it, Ruby, relax! Just as you are exposed, so am I!”

I fought to relax, as much as I could. As I did, I could feel his brotherly love and concern for me flood my mind. Again, I found myself mentally hitting myself for being so rash. The more I felt it, the more I felt awful over my actions; they, like my mother, had made mistakes… and all I did, in kind, was lash out and hurt them… I don’t want to hurt my family, or anyone else…

“Whoa…” He blinked, breaking that strange connection we had. “Your Inner Fire is as strong as Dragon FireWyrm’s! No wonder he was so drawn to you… But your wyrm half appears to have locked itself up… which is odd… It makes no sense...”

Wanderer seemed to be trying to figure out whatever this odd thing was, about my wyrm half locking itself up… Like I knew what that meant… I didn’t get much in a way of answers from his mumblings, because the few words I could make out, made no sense to me. At least twice, it sounded like he was consulting with someone, but it could be just him being a bit loco… I really hoped that, when he figured it out, he would tell me, because I was still not in the mood for riddles… For the moment, however, I’d wait him out, as even he seemed confused by whatever he saw.

“I see now why you have been having that dream….” I was startled, then annoyed, when Wanderer finally spoke directly to me, after some time of speaking to himself. Does everypo-dragon know about my dream!? “The voice you heard, I suspect, is a part of your psyche known as the wyrm, that was beginning to bleed into your mind. What you were hearing was its nightmare...”

“Dragon Noobie here, speak simple for dumb blond dragoness.” I snarked. Wanderer smirked in response.

“Just think of your wyrm half as the animal within, and the dragon as the sentient.”

My face fell, as I was reminded of all the remarks around Castle Town. I could even hear the laughing voice from my dreams...

“Whoa whoa whoa stop!” Wanderer snapped his claws in front of me to get my attention. “I said animal, not feral beast! There is a difference!”

“How the fuck can there be a difference!?”

“Remember Dragon FireWyrm?” Wanderer asked me. I knew who Dragon FireWyrm was, in relation to Wanderer and DragonWyrm Heart, but not what he looked like. “The white dragon with rainbow horns?” He added when I gave him a confused look.

I nodded after he gave the description. How could I ever forget him…? He restored my brothers face… And then there was something about the way he looked at me. It was way different than when Wanderer looked at me… When Dragon FireWyrm looked at me, it was as if he knew everything about me, and loved me all the more for it… the overwhelming love… a love like I have never felt before...

“He is fully wyrm. He has no sentience in him, and he was not born that way.... he became that way, willingly.”

“Why?!” That shocked me. “Why would anyone give up their sentience, and become a dumb animal?”

“First of all, Dragon Firewyrm isn’t stupid… he is very intelligent… He just doesn't think sentient thoughts… As for why, that I don’t know…” Wanderer shrugged. ”All I know is that he only cared about his family, before... Nothing made him happier than to see his clan just be themselves, and be the best they could be, too… That part of him became stronger to the point of instinctual after he became a wyrm, so that he no longer had any thought for himself, just whatever would make the clan stronger... A weak dragon, or clan, is a dead one…or something like that… Concepts of self want mean virtually nothing to him… he just doesn’t understand it… for that's what a sentient being has: a sense of self outside of instinctual survival.”

That was deep… And he cared so much that he would sacrifice, and has sacrificed, everything, because his family is everything to him… Just as I would for Magic Dowser… And I was as willing to try to take Dragon FireWyrm on, even though he could squish me without a second thought... And, if what Wanderer is saying is right, he had to think of me like family to do what he did, and I… well more than that, a mate… A mate...

Something within me broke free, and I suddenly felt an overwhelming need to have him hold me like those eyes promised… those love filled eyes...

I had to fix this! I realized I shouldn’t be afraid of my instincts making me into a monster… A monster can’t feel love… nor give it... If Dragon FireWyrm could be fully animal, and show that level of love and care... if his instincts included ones to love and protect Magic Dowser, then so should mine.

ബഐബഐബഐ Wanderer ബഐബഐബഐ

“Wait, where are you going!?” I called out to Ruby. She had suddenly gotten up and rushed off, and, for the life of me, I don’t know why. I hoped it wasn’t because that something I said scared her off. We were finally making some progress...

“To find Dragon FireWyrm!” She called back, nearly running into a dragon from the Southern Isle clan, who was reaching up to grab an apple as she ran past.

I rushed after Ruby. I now had a feeling as to why she was running off to find Dragon FireWyrm like she was. She may have found that it was too late though. Once a drake is rejected, his attraction to the magical pheromones of the female fade fairly quickly, and it had been a few hours, now…

“Careful, young whelp!” The dragon admonished Ruby, though I doubt Ruby was really paying attention.

“Sorry about that, He of the South.” I apologize for Ruby.

“Not a problem, Wanderer. Need any help? “ He of the South asked as I ran by.

“No.” I yelled back as I still rushed after Ruby. If I didn’t keep up with her, I would lose her and that was the last thing I wanted right now. If it is too late, I want to be there to help comfort her, if not, well, I don’t want the clan to miss it.

I called out to Phoenix Wave, who I had been linked with telepathically since right after the fight concluded in the arena. He always helps me keep things running smoothly during the Migration stop in Hourglass City. A gathering of over six hundred dragons can get a bit rowdy, and I didn’t want one of the dragons to inadvertently damage the three hundred thousand year old city. It took nearly four hundred to restore it; I don’t want one small incident to ruin that...

There was a pause before he responded back

When Two Become One

Author's Note

Get's slightly cloppy at the end (Just watch for this color) of course this is a M fic so yeah...

When Two Become One

ബഐബഐബഐ Ruby ബഐബഐബഐ

For the second time in one day or would that be night(?), I found myself running like my life depended on it. This time, I had a shadow following me; namely, Wanderer. I don’t care, as long as he didn’t try to persuade me not to try to find Dragon FireWyrm.

I grumbled, as I knew it was not going to be easy finding him… It wasn’t like when I was trying to find a quiet spot. All I had to do then was run in any direction, and I knew I would eventually find a spot. Finding one dragon in a city filled with buildings, however, meant that I couldn't pick a random direction and hope for the best. I also couldn't fly over the city and try and spot something white and rainbow, as Dragon FireWyrm could be inside one of the buildings. Nevermind that even with the magic street lamps it was quite dark. That meant talking with… dragons.

That wouldn't be too hard, as I was soon in the middle of the city, and in the middle of a lot of dragons that were surprisingly still up at this late hour. What was hard was getting them to answer me quickly. I ended up accosting several dragons, trying to find one that could directly lead me to the dragon I was looking for. I did feel a small pang of guilt after I heard Wanderer apologize for me, after a particularly curse filled rant that I had given to a dragon that was not answering me fast enough. It was mitigated, though, when the dragon had given me a general direction of my target.

The directions led me to one of several parks that were scattered across the city. I stopped when I found him lying on a pile of gems, lying with his back towards me, near a water fountain depicting a strange mismatched creature peeing water. A series of magic lights encircled its base, bathing the area in a soft glow. Now that I found him, I could do the cliché, but badly needed, bending over and panting to catch my breath. I had been running nonstop for who knows how long, trying to find Dragon FireWyrm, after all. I think I’ve run more today then I have in my entire life, combined! I really need to get more exercise…

Now that I am not panicking over Magic Dowser, or shocked over what Dragon FireWyrm had done, I could get a better look at him. His scales were not like any dragon I had ever seen, even my own, as, unlike the usual shininess, his seemed almost weathered and rugged. As I slowly made my way around, I got a good look at the rainbow horns, which reminded me of the helmets that some sports ponies wore. It was then I saw a purple spark slowly drift down his back.

I reached out and grabbed the spark. Huh.. he also produces those sparks, just like DragonWyrm Heart...just not as many... I let the spark go, and it floated down and faded away.I wondered if this had something to with the type of dragon he was, as I had not seen any of those sparks on any other dragon. Of course, I had only gotten a good look at a few dragons so far, but I did know that Wanderer and Scorpion don’t have sparks…

A pink flare rocketed into the air, momentarily distracting me, and I looked over to see Wanderer lowering his paw. I wonder why he did that… A semi answer came seconds later, as a flash of light indicative of a teleportation spell blinded me. When my sight returned to me, there, standing next to Wanderer, was a yellow female dragon about the same size as him(but from the looks normal sized wings) with a pink belly and long pink spines that dropped over to one side. On the top of her head was a purple unicorn. The unicorn was sporting a mane style that to me screamed nerd… the only thing missing was a pair of glasses.

I snorted as I rolled my eyes. Of course… a pony... maybe she’s here to study dragons or something… Either that, or she’s one of the dragon spies... what’s next? A music and dance troupe comprised of pink tutu wearing alligators?

To my irritation, though not surprise, there was another flash, and this time it was Minty, Scorpion, Magic Dowser, and a cloaked figure about my size or so, I think. Much to my added frustration, the cloak seemed be enchanted… as I couldn't smell anything from mystery person, even though I was downwind. Another mysterious whatever… figures...

“Ruby, what are you doing?” Magic Dowser called out to me, worry and confusion etched on his face.

“Stay back, Dowsy.” I don't know how dragon mating works, and don’t want him getting hurt. It was bad enough that I was going have witnesses… at least there was no way that it would include fucking… too small for that… I think… I don’t see how a dragon of Dragon FireWyrm’s size would have a comically tiny cock...

“But Ruby!” Magic Dowser’s concern and confusion, I saw, were clearly building into full blown panic.

“Magic Dowser… please...” I pleaded with Dowsy. It was then that I noticed that DragonWyrm Heart had now appeared, much to my irritation. I hope no more show up… it's becoming a circus...

ബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐ

“Can someone please tell me what is going on?!” Magic Dowser shouted to those around him.

“WHAT?!”

“It may not work, anyway…” Wanderer added.

“May... not…” Magic Dowser slowly ground out, not sure whether to rage, or feel relieved...

Ruby looked up to see that Magic Dowser had shouted. She saw that Wanderer was talking with him, so, for now, she could figure this out without worrying about whatever overreaction Magic Dowser had. She was not a young hatchling anymore; she had her own life to live and, as much she loved her brother, sometimes she got irritated at his ‘selective’ overprotectiveness. Boys were bad, but flames and meat were okay. Not that she could ever get near any to begin with…

ബഐബഐബഐ Ruby ബഐബഐബഐ

I slowly continued circling my way around Dragon FireWyrm. With any luck, whatever Wanderer was telling Dowsy would keep his attention away from me for the duration of this… hopefully.

I lost sight of Dowsy as I finally got to where I could see Dragon FireWyrm’s face. Blazing across the top of his snout were golden scales, in the shape of a dragon paw. I had no idea how I missed that… of course, I was kinda more focused on his white flame and Dowsy, than anything else.

Speaking of sight, Dragon FireWyrm was staring off into the distance, and, if he had noticed my approach, or the flashes of teleportation, he didn’t show it. He almost looked depressed… not sure, though. I would have maybe thought that he could have just been one of those creepy types that sleep with their eyes open(it was late at night after all), except that he had just blinked.

“Dragon FireWyrm?” I whispered, feeling even more guilty than before.

“Dragon FireWyrm?” I sighed, after my second, much louder, attempt was ignored. Dragon FireWyrm apparently was not in the mood to talk… and all I wanted was to fix the mistake I made from before, and I don’t even know why I felt such a burning within me to mate with Dragon FireWyrm… stupid dragon biology...

Wanderer said that as a wyrm, his thoughts are animalistic… So how do animals show they are interested? Ugh… I’m getting back at Wanderer for this...

I could hear the shifting of gems behind me. I nervously looked behind me to see if Dragon FireWyrm had merely changed positions to ignore me, like he had been, but there he was, standing, with his head snaking down towards me while staring straight at me. His paw came forward, and gently put my tail down.

ബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐ

“WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING!?” Magic Dowser screamed. Even in the somewhat dim lighting Ruby was clearly visible.

He had seen everything from the top of Scorpion's head. He, along with Minty, who was over on Caretaker’s head, had been lifted up on onto the dragons’ heads so they could see what was going on. Minty had been quite embarrassed, having to watch, but she, like Magic Dowser, was concerned for Ruby, and wanted to make sure nothing bad would happen. She figured that this was just part of their culture, and hoped that they would allow her to face away, when and if the mating got to that part of ‘consummation.’

The entire clan groaned and facepalmed.

“She went the wrong way…” Wanderer shook his head at what Ruby did, though he could commend her resolve. He really wanted to help with the embarrassing things she was doing, but he knew that somehow, Ruby wanted to figure this out on her own. Come on, listen to the wyrm within, Ruby… remember with your heart, not your head...

Scorpion readied himself, as, if Magic Dowser’s prior reactions were any indication, he was about to have flaming hot hair spines… literally.

“The wrong way!?” Magic Dowser growled. “She just...like… like some animal!”

“And did you notice what Dragon FireWyrm did?” Wanderer countered and stopped. Magic Dowser looked just like when Twilight got overly angry, which meant that he better not explain that presenting herself came later...

Magic Dowser hmphed, he did notice, and, while he was grateful for that, he was still ticked. Scorpion sighed with relief, as he could tell that his spines were safe, for now.

Wanderer eyed Magic Dowser for a bit, until he was sure his anger faded to less explosive levels. “Anyway, to initiate mating requires ‘kissing,’ with their flames…”

“What?” Magic Dowser snorted in amusement. “No way. Ruby never uses her flame, specifically because it could hurt someone, and has… and I distinctly recall Dragon FireWyrm using his flame in that fight, which would make no sense unless it can hurt other dragons...”

“Says the pony healed via Dragon FireWyrm’s flame.”

Magic Dowser was about to protest that, but he could not find a way to do so. Wanderer smugly smirked at this, before he turned back to Ruby and Dragon FireWyrm.

ബഐബഐബഐ Ruby ബഐബഐബഐ

I felt a mix of relief, embarrassment, and sadness over what I did.

“Why?” I sniffed as I attempted to reign in my rapidly deteriorating emotions. “Why am I so drawn to you? Wanderer said that I have a strong Inner Fire... whatever that means… This is so fucking confusing...”

Dragon FireWyrm lifted my head up with one of his very large claws. If it wasn’t for his earlier help with Dowsy, I would have flinched away from it. Of course those eyes… the same loving eyes, and yet, I could see that he had the look of one being apologetic for what he was about to do. I was about to back away when he leaned in and kissed me! A very small wisp (even for me) of his flame entered into my mouth.

I always wondered how flame tasted, and now I got to taste it, and it was… I don’t know how to describe the heavenly flavor… All I knew was that I wanted more of it, and that nothing else would ever taste the same. Before I knew what I was doing, I blew some of my flame into his mouth. A shiver went down Dragon FireWyrm’s spine as I did.

Why the hell did I do that?! I stumbled backwards, away from Dragon FireWyrm, the moment I realized what I did. I spun away and was about to rush off when one of his tails slammed in front of me, cutting off my escape.

Relax.

I blinked as I realized that, while I heard a growl issue from Dragon FireWyrm, I knew exactly what he had said. This was similar to when both DragonWyrm Heart and Wanderer spoke in that truth telling language.

Dragon FireWyrm licked my face. It okay.

The licking was even better than when Wanderer licked me. Not sure how. All I could think of was that it was some sort of instinctual thing, linked to potential mates or something… the problem is, how could I relax!?

“How can I… I could have hurt you, like I did with my brother…” I snapped then flinched. I didn’t mean to sound angry. I’m just so confused. “Thanks for healing him, by the way…”

Dragon FireWyrm crooned softly as he leaned down and nuzzled the side of my face. I can see why Dowsy, Minty, and every couple I've even seen do it. Something was soothing about the feel of his scales and his smell. Wait, what? In a panic I pulled away…

Can't hurt mate. Mate hoard. Wyrm never hurt hoard. Mates are one… own fire can’t hurt oneself...

I instantly saw the fire in Dragon FireWyrm’s eyes become a raging, all-consuming fire. I fell back at the hatred that poured out. I somehow could feel that the rage was for anything that threatened, not him, but what he hoarded. Just as suddenly, the flame became merely a harmless lit candle for his ‘hoard.’ The change was jarring. My heart slowed down as I reflected on what I saw, but one thing bothered me, and was something I didn’t like.

“Look, I get you want me to be your mate, but I’m no prize, or thing to be hoarded away…”

Prize? Dragon FireWyrm tilted his head before shaking it. No, gift from Voice… Our soul same so hoard same… rare… beautiful… special… but willing… gift willing, prize forced….

“I might believe having souls that match, but hoarding? No... I don’t hoard.”

Who you hoard?

“As I said, I don’t hoard.” I deadpanned as I crossed my forearms, sitting on my haunches. I’m beginning to wonder about the intelligence of Dragon FireWyrm, as claimed by Wanderer.

Who, what care more than own life?“My brother, Dowsy…” I said without hesitation, though I had an idea where Dragon FireWyrm was going with it… much to my annoyance.

Then Prey Brother your hoard. I growled angrily at my brother being called ‘prey brother’, but said nothing, as it was clear that Dragon FireWyrm was not meaning anything bad by saying it… Probably an aftereffect on however the fuck I could understand his growls, grunts, hissing, rumblings, and other animalistic sounds as words.

What is brother? Dragon FireWyrm questioned before I could object to ‘hoarding’ my brother.

“Uh… “ I stumbled as I tried to answer the question. I almost said Dowsy, but Dragon FireWyrm’s speech patterns so far have been clunky. This meant that what he said needed a bit of interpretation, before I could fully understand him. In this case, he was asking what my brother was to me… which was obviously family, though I knew there had to be somewhere deep he was going, so, for now, I would answer with the word I knew he was wanting me to say. “Family.”

You protect Prey Brother?

“Yeah...”

Wyrm protects hoard. You protect Prey Brother, Prey Brother hoard.

“Dowsy is a living, breathing thing! Not some sort of gold trinket to be locked up in a drawer, or behind glass!”

How that protect? Dragon FireWyrm looked at me in horror. Happy hoard more value. Free hoard happy. Do... be what hoard needs. Always know what hoard needs.

I sighed as I remembered something that Wanderer had said.

All I know is that he only cared about his family, before... Nothing made him happier than to see his clan just be themselves, and be the best they could be, too… That part of him became stronger, to the point of instinctual, after he became a wyrm, so that he no longer had any thought for himself, just whatever would make the clan stronger...

Feeling better? Dragon FireWyrm suddenly said, after some silence on my part.

I blinked at the complete change in topic. But then, I remembered what started this whole conversation: my confusion over my feelings about Dragon FireWyrm. I was definitely feeling a bit a better about why all this was happening… even if I wanted to gag a bit at all the cheesiness… as from what Dragon FireWyrm and Wanderer have said, we were destined from the dawn of time or something... I mean, I’m all for the romantic stuff, but sheesh... I guess this is cosmic payback for all the teasing I did to Dowsy about having a marefriend.

“Yeah…”

Hoarding, what all wyrm and dragon do. A must… like breathing, eating...

“What does that leave us?” I said after a pause. Dragon FireWyrm had seemed content to let me think, after his ‘hoard a must’ line.

Prey Brother yours… Will Prey Brother be mine, Prey Brother ours? He simply asked. To my surprise, there was no pleading in his voice or demeanor, just a calmness. I was honestly not sure if I should be be annoyed that he didn’t plead, or not...

“I don’t honestly know, I… I need more time...” I lied. I so wanted to mate with him and right now. The feelings of needing him had only strengthened since that weird kiss... But if what Wanderer had said was true, I can’t go back on this… This would be so much easier if we were both ponies, as I would have no issue being special ponies… as we could date and see if we were the ones for each other… though, from what I could see, that we could maybe one day be married...

“What?” I pressed as I saw that Dragon FireWyrm seemed uneasy about my statement. Whether it was that he noticed that I lied or not, I couldn’t tell for sure. Seriously, the guy was like on permanent stoic face. Not once did he make but the most subtle of facial expressions. It was only through looking into his eyes that I was able to see how he was feeling…

Time nearly gone… Dragon FireWyrm murmured sadly. Soon too late to mate… when smell gone...

“You dragons have some fucked up rules…”

I wyrm… not dragon.

“Dragon, Wyrm…” I rolled my eyes. “It’s still fucked up about having choose your mate so arbitrarily… and fast…”

Dragon FireWyrm titled his head at me, a bit confused. I guess I could understand his confusion. He and probably every dragon, besides myself, were raised in such a way that deciding on a mate like this would be expected… and to my chagrin, biologically wired into us… but… I can see why my body created ‘fuck me’ pheromones that attracted him to me… we both care or ‘hoard’ family… still not completely sold on that word…

Mate or not mate… I happy if you are…

I smiled at Dragon FireWyrm, though I was still a mess inside… I was glad to see that he was genuine in his statement… He really had actually been genuine this whole time… and patient…

“Uh, Dragon FireWyrm… how long does it take for dragons to find a mate?”

Some wait many pony lives. Some wait one season. Some live many, many, many pony lives die never mate… Not matter… Dragon FireWyrm leaned back and put a paw to his chest. Listen to heart… dragon heart can’t lie…

Dragon FireWyrm laid back down as I went over everything that I was told and was feeling. Normally, I would call out on the bullshit that is ‘the heart doesn’t lie’ line… but if, biologically, we only can mate with one and one only, and are wired to know who our mate is going to be, then our hearts can’t…

“You are thinking here, but not here.” Wanderer pointed to my head then my heart. If the wyrm is the heart, and if it’s animalistic, then, like any animal, it just knows what is a good mate or not...

“...We are one of the most passionate races you will find...” ...Especially with ‘hoards’ I add. Like Dowsy… and he wants to protect him, just like I do...

I sighed I looked up at the sky. It seems like fate brought us together, and frankly, I could see myself mated to him… A gift…. he called it… A gift that I truly wanted… needed, really...

Without warning I leaned in and kissed Dragon FireWyrm. I smirked when I noticed that this took him by surprise. The same urge as before to let lose my flame came over me. Though I knew it wouldn’t hurt him, I hesitated for a moment, before I could feel one of Dragon FireWyrm’s tails curl protectively around me. This gave me the courage to let go.

ബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐ

Ruby was in heaven, as she swallowed the flame that Dragon FireWyrm was blowing into her mouth. Normally, Ruby wasn’t all that greedy, and would be happy to share but as she kissed Dragon FireWyrm’s she started becoming very possessive and greedy. Mine… No one else can have him… Dragon FireWyrm mine.

Ruby didn’t seem to notice that her mental state was shifting. But what she did notice was that her horn was longer than it used to be, and was even growing before her eyes. She pulled away in shock and horror, and looked over herself after she also noticed that Dragon FireWyrm seemed closer to her, somehow. That meant only one thing. I’m growing!? Not again!

Relax. Dragon FireWyrm cooed once again, trying to calm his soon-to-be mate.

I trying… “I just don’t want a repeat of last time…” Ruby unknowingly spoke in both wyrm and normal. She didn’t want to have the same issue as the last time she physically transformed… She didn’t want her mate to take on more scars on her account… even if they did add to his rugged good looks.

Nothing controls fire but fire. Wyrm is fire. YOU are fire. Remember, Wyrm never hurt hoard. Dragon FireWyrm nuzzled Ruby as he spoke.

Ruby returned the nuzzle, after basking in the affection for a moment. She then took a deep breath, and started kissing with her flame, which restarted the mating and her changes.

She ignored the feeling of a tingling sensation going up and down her body, as she continued to grow. The tingling sensation soon left Ruby, as her physical growth finally ended. Her mind kept changing, however, continuing its march towards being animalistic. She was not afraid, anymore, as her mate’s flame was so warming, so soothing. Her mate’s fire would keep her safe and help her protect hoard.

Ruby want sex.. Sex good, mate now. I need my mate to fuck me hard….

Dragon FireWyrm noticed the lust flashing at him from his mate. He had held back his growing lust, waiting for his mate to be ready. With her now being ready, he opened the floodgates and growled feral-like, plunging right into Ruby.

Ruby’s mind blanked out momentarily from the immense pleasure of the penetration of DFW’s length into her vent, the bumps and ridges perfectly stimulating her folds. She of Hourglass twisted around and grabbed Dragon FireWyrm possessively, her claws skittering across his scales. She was not going to let him go, even as her mate began to thrust in and out.

As Dragon FireWyrm thrusted into her, She of Hourglass could feel the rest of her sentience leave her as her mind filled with the knowledge of being a wyrm, and of her mate and clan. She growled in lust over not only the sex, but over the large hoard that she now shared with her mate. Hoard good. Sex good… must have more...

She of Hourglass roared in delight from a powerful oragsm as Dragon FireWyrm hilted one last time into her, and they climaxed. A stream of white fire flew into the sky, accompanying her roar. Dragon FireWyrm also roared from his own orgasm and he instinctively clamped down on She of Hourglass’ shoulder, sealing their fates as mates with it.

When Did this Become a Genderbent Discordian Universe?

Author's Note

~~Sorry for the long delay... Took me awhile to get it right and my editor has been really busy... So much so that it's been 10 days since the chapter has been done and my editor has only been able to get it about half done. I don't want you to wait any longer so... yeah...~~ Now edited..

When Did this Become a Genderbent Discordian Universe?

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

When I saw the look in Dragon FireWyrm’s eyes, I knew he was going to kiss Ruby with a bit of his flame. Enough to kick in Ruby’s instincts on mating, as it was clear that she was trying to do what’s right, but she was using her head, and not her heart. Mating comes from the heart, not the head, especially among dragons.

The issue was Magic Dowser. Beyond the kiss, I knew that the mating would end up going through the full process. During mating, the dragon’s psyche takes a backseat to the wyrm within, meaning that interrupting would not be a good idea… and something told me that he would attempt it, when it came time for the sex part. Plus Ruby, if she decided to mate with Dragon FireWyrm, would lose her sentience permanently, instead of temporarily, like with all other matings, because she would be mating with a wyrm… Like can only truly meld with like. Because of that, something told me that when he found that out, that he would go berserk, like Twilight did when I Chose and seemingly permanently, though actually temporarily, lost all of my memories...

There was one place we could go that would still allow me to view the miracle of Mating, that would also prevent Magic Dowser’s continued escalation from becoming dangerous, for him or others… How Twilight never hurt anyone during one of her magical blowing her top moments is still a mystery, even to me. Hopefully, I could still do it.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on Twi, Magic Dowser, and myself. I could feel my mana and power shift as I, hopefully, teleported all three of us to the Astral Plane. I sighed in relief when I opened my eyes to see that around me was a vast void, with thousands of twinkling stars. I didn’t get any time to wax nostalgic about being back here, though, as I could hear Magic Dowser faintly screaming.

I grumbled. It seemed that I was out of practice...obviously. Not that I could practice anymore, given that this dimensional plane doesn’t just allow entrance, without a purpose. I looked around to try and find him. I saw him some distance away from me, flailing about. He reminded me of the first few times I came here, when I was young, and ended up fighting vertigo. Not hard to get that sensation when there was no ’ground’ beneath you. I rushed off towards him. I wonder where Twi is...

“Calm down, Magic Dowser.” I shouted at him to get his attention, which it luckily did. “You can’t fall here, though I would not recommend looking down.”

“Where the fuck did you bring me!?” Magic Dowser yelled at me as he scrambled to right himself, swatting away the paw that I had held out in an offer to help.

“This place has many names, but it is most commonly known as the Astral Plane.”

“I don't care if it’s called the land of lovey-dovey-let’s-be-friends, you are to return me to Hourglass and my sister… NOW!”

“No. Because you need to calm down.”

“No. No? NO!!!!!” Magic Dowser roared at me, his mane and tail beginning to smoke. It might have intimidated me, if it wasn’t for the fact that I'd faced down dragons much larger than myself. If he had been Dragon FireWyrm, then maybe, just maybe, I would have been intimidated. That, and I’ve seen Twilight do this very thing before. Way. Too. Many. Times.

“Oh, for the love of the Voice.” I facepalmed. ”Will you calm down and listen, for once? You came here to find out about Ruby’s dragon heritage, did you not?”

“Biggest mistake of my life! I can’t believe RUBY is RELATED TO YOU MURDEROUS SONS OF BITCHES! Ruby is better then you foul-mouthed killing machines that love violence and sex!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, the high and mighty moral high ground that is the ponies!” I sneered. “They know everything, and would rather jump to conclusions, instead of hearing everything out, first!”

“SO SAYS THE ADMITTED MURDERER THAT FOALNAPPED ME!”

“DragonWyrm Heart! Magic Dowser!” Twi snapped at us. I sighed a bit, from both her admonishment, and at her finding us. I really was out of practice, to have scattered us in the Plane as far as we were. “Enough!”

“Hey, Twi.” I tried to give her an innocent smile, but had to quickly back off from the daggered glare she gave me.

“Oh, a brainwashed pony! Why am I not surprised!?” Magic Dowser sarcastically droned when he saw Twi.

Wait? He didn’t see her earlier? My eyes widened in disbelief, before I shook my head at my disbelief. Twi wasn’t exactly in plain sight, being on top of Caretaker, and Magic Dowser was paying more attention to Ruby and Dragon FireWyrm than to Caretaker.

“Brainwashed!?” Twilight snorted as she struggled not to laugh. “Wow! It's been centuries since I last heard someone accuse my brother of brainwashing anyone, much less me.”

Okay, Magic Dowser’s mental state was really unstable if he went to brainwashed before illusion/dream. Why am I feeling like I’m dealing with one of Twilight’s mental breakdowns? She always was one to think of the oddest and most outlandish scenarios. Magic Kindergarten… While I’m thinking that, he either didn't notice or didn't care that she was an alicorn.

“And yet you and Ruby are siblings.” Twi countered. I had to bite back a grin as that stopped Magic Dowser, with his mouth hanging comically open.

“Still can be brainwashed.” Magic Dowser angrily countered, after a few seconds of fish gulping.

Okay, that didn't stop him long…. I shook my head. Now that we were in the Astral Plane, I attempted to double my luck and see if I could still pull up a magic screen showing the outside world. A magic screen quickly materialized, showing the events unfolding back in Hourglass, much to my relief. This seemed to stop Magic Dowser, as he turned to see to what was going on in Hourglass. I was a bit surprised, as I didn’t get the some understandable but annoying blah blah spy blah blah speech… Maybe because Ruby and Dragon FireWyrm were currently in the middle of what appeared to be a conversation.

“Look, I get you want me to be your mate, but I’m no prize, or thing to be hoarded away…” Ruby told Dragon FireWyrm.

Prize?Dragon FireWyrm tilted his head before shaking it. No, gift from Voice… Our soul same so hoard same… rare… beautiful… special… but willing… gift willing, prize forced….

I quickly translated that, so that Twi and Magic Dowser could hear what was going on. I didn’t need to give Magic Dowser any more fuel for his rage party.

“I might believe having souls that match, but hoarding? No... I don’t hoard.”

“I agree, she doesn’t hoard.” Magic Dowser smirked.

“All dragons and wyrms hoard. How we hoard depends on what we hoard, and how mature we are. Though, she’s not an adult yet...”

“As I said, I don’t hoard.” Ruby deadpanned as she crossed her forearms and sat on her haunches.

“See!” Magic Dowser smugly grinned.

Who, what care more than own life?
“Who, what care more than own life?” I translated Dragon FireWyrm’s response.

“My brother, Dowsy…” Ruby said without hesitation.

Then Prey Brother your hoard.
“Then Prey Brother your hoard.” Once again I told the others what Dragon FireWyrm said.

“I resent being called ‘prey.’” Magic Dowser grumbled. I didn’t blame him; it’s not the best word, but I will not change the translation just to avoid hurting someone's feelings. I will translate as he says it, to the best of my abilities.

“Wyrm doesn’t have a word for ‘pony.’”

You protect Prey Brother?
“You protect Prey Brother?”

“Yeah...” Ruby hesitantly answered.

Wyrm protects hoard. You protect Prey Brother, Prey Brother hoard.

“Dowsy is a living, breathing thing! Not some sort of gold trinket to be locked up in a drawer, or behind glass!” Ruby snapped back before I could translate.

“Exactly!” Magic Dowser agreed.

How that protect?Dragon FireWyrm looked at Ruby in horror. Happy hoard more value. Free hoard happy. Do... be what hoard needs. Always know what hoard needs.
“How that protect? Happy hoard more value. Free hoard happy. Do... be what hoard needs. Always know what hoard needs.”

“You need to understand something…” I spoke to Magic Dowser, as Ruby appeared to be dwelling over everything said. This was the perfect time to explain something to Magic Dowser that would rock his world, and maybe get him to lay off the overprotective act… I hoped. “Something that you have no idea the full extent of, yet, but, if Ruby mates with Dragon FireWyrm, you will be his brother… before today, the only ones that were his family were Quartermaster and his mate, Wanderer and his mate, Scorpion, and myself.”

“But ‘Twi’ referred to you as brother… if she’s your sister… and DragonWyrm Heart is your brother…”

“There is a difference in acting, treating, or being brother and sister. Twi and I treat each other as brother and sister. Remember when I said our names are like ‘true’ names? Dragon FireWyrm’s name means that his hoard is his family, not those that act like his family, or that he treats as family, but those that are. This means that whatever you need the most, Dragon FireWyrm will work nonstop to provide it. Whether it's a shoulder to cry on, or to take a mugger’s knife, or, for example, when he healed you of your scars.”

“YOU,” I poked him in the chest. “will be more important to him than himself. He has no concept of self. The only wants he will know are your wants, and the only needs, are your needs. His thoughts and actions only dwell on his family, not himself. He will live and breathe your happiness and health, for however long you shall live. Also, whether or not Ruby mates with Dragon FireWyrm, this I’m sure of: whatever her hoard name will be, she will make sure that it will allow you to be in her hoard, because it's clear from her response to Dragon FireWyrm that you are her world.”

Magic Dowser fell to his haunches, stunned. Tears poured down his face. “I… I… Why? I failed her as a brother… I should have known better than to hug her so tight. I should have done more to help her with her dreams. I should have admonished…”

“Wow, did I get sent to some discordian genderbent alternate universe?” I quipped at Magic Dowser listing off his failures, like Twi would.

“DragonWyrm Heart…” Twi facehooved at my joke, though I was being a bit serious, as well. Magic Dowser appeared to be torn between confusion and anger over my remark.

“No, seriously, there are so many parallels between Ruby and Magic Dowser, and you, Twi, and myself…”

“Yeah, right.” Magic Dowser scoffed.

“Oh really?” I raised an eyebrow while smirking. “Both you and Twi hatched a dragon egg, not an easy feat. We all refer to each other as siblings, and not as parent and child. I wouldn’t be shocked if you were a candidate for the Element of Magic. Both Ruby and myself had incidents when we were young. Mine was becoming a greedy, fifty foot, rampaging, thieving dragon, and hers was burning you. Finally, both I and Ruby were afraid of becoming monsters because of those incidents.”

“What does that leave us?” Ruby’s question suddenly got all of our attention.

Prey Brother yours… Will Prey Brother be mine, Prey Brother ours?
“Prey Brother yours… Will Prey Brother be mine, Prey Brother ours?” I quickly translated Dragon FireWyrm’s question. Wow he is really talkative today.

“I don’t honestly know, I… I need more time...” Okay, I can tell that is clearly a lie. Don’t know if Magic Dowser knows for sure. His emotional state has been a bit erratic for the last few days, for obvious reasons.

“You and me both, sis…”

“What?” Ruby questioned the sad look that Dragon FireWyrm was giving her, and I knew why.

Time nearly gone… Soon too late to mate… when smell gone…
“Time nearly gone… Soon too late to mate… when smell gone…”

“You dragons have some fucked up rules…”

I wyrm… not dragon.
“I wyrm… not dragon.”

“Dragon, Wyrm…” Ruby rolled her eyes. “It’s still fucked up about having choose your mate so arbitrarily… and fast…”

“I have to agree on that. Though I have to ask, why did Dragon FireWyrm say he was a wyrm, and not a dragon?”

“It’s biological. We just don’t have have the kind of control that you do in choosing our mates… as for what Dragon FireWyrm meant by wyrm…” I sighed; this was not going to endear Magic Dowser to me, or dragons in general. Not that he was so endeared, at the moment, anyway. But he needed to know, and it probably would be better to explain it now, rather than later. “First thing you need to know is… uh, there is a limitation in your language, or was… probably can make up any word now… anyway… what Dragon FireWyrm is referring to is his psyche, not his physical being. Physically, he is a dragon, but mentally, he is only wyrm. Every dragon has two psyche halves, a dragon, or sentient half, and a wyrm, ‘animalistic’ side... If Ruby mates with Dragon FireWyrm, she will become like him, and her sentient dragon half will fade away.”

“Her sentient half will fade?” I gulped when Magic Dowser slowly spoke that question. I knew what that meant. “Are you saying that my sister is going to be turning into a thoughtless animal!?!”

“No…”

“This is exactly what we both were afraid of!”

“I…”

“Her becoming a vicious killing machine that…”

“WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP and listen!?” I roared at Magic Dowser. He was making it nigh on impossible to explain anything, with the all the interrupting in overreaction, no matter how justifiable the reasons for him doing so. “No… she will not… I made sure of that when I killed the Nameless One! With his death, a whole slew of evil curses that had been plaguing dragons, and the whole world, for that matter, ended. One of those curses was what made me kill Quartermaster, and is also the thing that you and Ruby fear her becoming. Rage growth… becoming a vile killing machine with no remorse, no memories, no feelings other than pain, rage, fury...”

“But you don’t care what I say anyway!” I growled, returning to the mating without checking for Magic Dowser’s reaction.

“Ruby is just transitioning from adolescence to adulthood…” Twilight explained. “And for dragons, it’s a bit more sudden and jerky, rather than the smooth transition than any other race goes though. The closest that a pony has is when they get their emblem... If you think back, and be honest, the way you think and perceive things now are different then they were when you were a colt.”

“I know that…” Magic Dowser grumbled. “Ruby was different after she became a whelp… more than what one would expect, just from being guilty over what happened to me… Ruby explained it to me... It was like being a baby, with very childish thoughts and ideals, to then suddenly being a teenager in the same way… It’s just that she was always afraid that she was some monster… I had hoped that coming here...”

“Her wyrm side is just as afraid of becoming a monster… The voice… in her dream… it's her wyrm half’s nightmare…” I added as I saw that Magic Dowser was acting like a typical older brother. “Her animal half loves you just as much as her sentient half. And you may want to pay attention, as she has chosen.”

“I see she chose to be mates with Dragon FireWyrm…” Magic Dowser sadly muttered when he saw the two dragons kissing, their flames pouring into each others’ mouths.

Surprisingly, Magic Dowser remained silent as Ruby began to grow, with her horn becoming proportionally longer. That was until she suddenly noticed it and, in a clear panic, backed away.

“Ruby!” Magic Dowser rushed forward to try to help Ruby, forgetting that he was merely seeing a magical projection of her. He came to a stop when he went through the screen “Oh, that’s right…”

“Let her mate help her. Dragon FireWyrm will not let anything bad happen to her.” I pleaded, hoping that Magic Dowser would calm down a bit. Luckily, all he did was sigh and nod sadly.

I reset the screen once he walked dejectedly back to us. Ruby now appeared to be fully grown. Along with the now proportionally very long and sharp horn on the end of her snout, there were two ‘nubs’ near her ear frills. She wasn’t bulky, like what most would call a normal ‘fire dragon’ (which never made sense, as all dragons breathed fire…) nor was she long and willowy, like a typical sea serpent. True to her heritage of only being half sea serpent, she was somewhere in between. Actually, she looked practically the same, other than being larger, though Dragon FireWyrm still dwarfed her, at least in bulk. I couldn’t tell yet, but I would hazard a guess that she was just as long as he was.

Ruby then pulled away and presented herself to Dragon FireWyrm, who didn’t hesitate to plunge his length in. Magic Dowser proceeded to throw up from the display.

“Yeah, mating does include the act of sex, and in front of witnesses...”

“I’m never going to get that out of my head.” Magic Dowser groaned as he wiped his mouth.

That brought back memories of the first mating I witnessed, which, ironically, was in this very plane. It was between Ruby’s parents… though that time, there wasn’t any vomit involved. I knew that Magic Dowser would rather not have seen this, but it’s something that he needed to see… partially. I leaned over and whispered. “Just keep your eyes on their heads.”

Magic Dowser groaned again, but did like I recommended, just as the flames from the mating pair switched. Ruby’s flame was now white, and Dragon FireWyrm’s was now red. “Did I just see?”

“Yeah, their flames switched.” I smiled, the mating was nearing completion. All that remained was the climax of the sexual act, which would crystallize all the changes. “Dragon fire usually repels each other… but not for mates, because a dragon’s flame can basically be called an expression of their Inner Fire, or soul. When their souls finish melding, it switches, as an outward expression of being mates… so Ruby’s fire literally is Dragon FireWyrm’s, and vice versa, permanently.”

“What is wrong?” I questioned when I noticed Magic Dowser’s horrified expression. That alone wouldn’t have done it, as he has been cycling around the emotion tree for some time, and just plain horrified would not have made me ask the question in the way I did. His horrified expression was similar to when Twi would realize that she had said or done something, and knew she was about to be teased to no end over it.

“I’m never going to live up to you dragons romantically… Between souls melding together, and sharing true names, and having each other's fire... Ruby will tease me endlessly about it!” Magic Dowser raised his forelegs into the air. “I’M DOOMED!”

I blinked as I processed what he said, and when it hit me, I started laughing so hard that my stomach soon ached. It was just too funny! I would forever stand by my genderbent discordian universe comment. I wondered if I could get away with calling him Magic Twiser. The thought of the nickname sent me further into convulsions. It was some time before I was able to calm down, and when I did, I noticed that She of Hourglass and Dragon FireWyrm had finished the mating, and were on an encore sex session, as I could see that She of Hourglass had the bite mark on her shoulder, near her neck.

Damn it, I missed the end. I groaned as I facepalmed. Well, I know my clanmates will forgive me when they find out. Especially when I let She of Hourglass know her brother’s ‘secret’ concern.

“What?” I asked, when I saw Twilight give me a raised eyebrow.

“I know that look…” Twilight deadpanned.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” I fought to not give myself away by looking away.

Twilight facehooved and shook her head.

The sound of soft snoring drew my attention down to Magic Dowser who, to no surprise to me, was fast asleep. It had been a rough, long day for him, after all. It had been one for all of us, really.

“He fell asleep from exhaustion shortly after you started to give a new meaning to the phrase ‘rolling on the floor laughing my ass off.’” Twi explained to me.

I looked over to see on the image that showed Hourglass. She of Hourglass and Dragon FireWyrm were done with sex for the moment. I carefully picked up the sleeping stallion and teleported the three of us back to Hourglass.

The Bonds of Siblings

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

Twi and I, with Magic Dowser in my forelegs, reappeared back in the park. I carefully put Magic Dowser down in the shade of a tree; even as I did, outside of a bit of muttering, he didn’t wake up. I looked around to see that everyone was still here, outside of Scorpion and Minty.

“Scorpion took Minty on a tour of the city.” Thirdclaw whispered to me when I backed away.

“Did she give you any trouble during the mating?” I whispered back.

“Outside of fainting when She of Hourglass and Dragon FireWyrm fucked, no.”

How Prey Brother? She of Hourglass questioned while looking at him. She appeared extremely tense.

“Threw up... then claimed he was doomed because he never could live up to dragons romantically. Fell asleep from exhaustion.”

“DragonWyrm Heart…” Twilight warned me, in a tone that spoke volumes.

I sighed. “Magic Dowser and I got into a tiff, and I quipped about the parallels between She of Hourglass’ and Magic Dowser’s life, and Twi’s and my own…”

She of Hourglass smacked me with her tail. Firstclaw, stop teasing Prey Brother.

“I deserve that.” I resisted the urge to rub the back of my head where she hit. She may not have a tail weapon, I think, but she can hit quite hard with it, nonetheless.

“Yeah, you do…” Twi deadpanned. “I know you are worn out emotionally, mentally, and physically, but you could have shown a bit more restraint… For example, while there are parallels in our lives, and telling him about them may have helped him, the genderbent discordian universe comment did not.”

She of Hourglass smacked me a second time before she turned her attention back to Magic Dowser. Though, as a wyrm, she was no longer as expressive, her eyes dimmed in sadness. Those two were like two peas in a pod… I was glad She of Hourglass had a mate and clan; I didn’t think she would be able to handle Magic Dowser’s death very well, when the day would come, otherwise.

That thought saddened me, reminding me of the imminent death of one of my hoard, History Seeker. I knew it was coming, and I knew it was going to be painful. It was already worse than any other time that I lost hoard, like with Medallion and Quartermaster and his mate, as the pain has been drawn out, as he has been slowly wasting away from illness for months now...

“Your hoard still loves you.” Twi put a reassuring hoof on She of Hourglass’ paw. “He’s just a bit afraid that you won’t be the sister he hatched and grew up with, anymore.”

She of Hourglass nuzzled Twi in thanks before she went over to Magic Dowser, who managed to remain asleep, even with the whole conversation going on. She of Hourglass tilted her head one way, then the other. Without warning, her serpentine tongue shot out and tickled a spot on his front right shoulder. Magic Dowser tittered from it. I had to hold back a laugh, so as to not wake Magic Dowser up. From the looks of Wanderer and Caretaker, they, too, were struggling not to laugh. She of Hourglass’ tongue snuck out a second time, and tickled him again.

“Stop! You know I’m ticklish there… I… the only one that knew about that was… Ruby!” Magic Dowser looked up in shock to see a very large, red scaled snout. He tensed up for merely a second, before recognition flashed across his eyes. “Bah! Ruby don’t do that!”

Everyone cringed at Magic Dowser using her old name like that… and, as expected, She of Hourglass didn’t seem to like it, either, as she growled angrily at him. Magic Dowser didn’t seem to care as he scrambled to get up. From the looks of it, one of his legs appeared to have fallen asleep.

“You hush!” Magic Dowser bopped the tip of She of Hourglass’ snout. “I spent twenty three years being called Dowsy! It's time for a bit of payback.”

We shared a knowing look when She of Hourglass’ eyes shone with the same glint that Dragon FireWyrm would give went he was being ‘sneaky’ about his playfulness. Without warning, at least for Magic Dowser, her tongue zipped out and tickled him in the same spot.

“You are so getting it for that! And I know exactly how.” In a flash, Magic Dowser had teleported to the top of She of Hourglass’ head. “You know, now that I can ride on you, I can finally get revenge for all the times you used to use me as a mount.”

She of Hourglass rumbled in a strange mix of confusion and horror.

“Oh, you hoped that my memory loss would include that?” Magic Dowser smirked, looking down into She of Hourglass’ eyes, so she could see. If there was any doubt about them being siblings, that would have ended right there. Few can understand a wyrm, and when one considered that Magic Dowser was a pony, it made it all the more special...

Go on. Dragon FireWyrm growled out. She of Hourglass, with Magic Dowser riding her, went bounding down the street, both laughing. I swore I could even hear Magic Dowser scream out “Faster!”

“That brings back memories..” Twi cooed, looking at them with eyes full of nostalgia. Warning bells went off in my head when I saw the look in her eyes

“Oh, no, not going to happen.” I backed away as a grin formed on Twilight’s muzzle.

That grin turned into an evil smirk, as her horn lit up and she summoned a saddle.

Where did she get that!? I thought in horror, trying to find a way out of the embarrassing situation I was about to endure. Sadly, my family seemed to find it amusing, as they laughed at my soon-to-be misery.

“Dragon FireWyrm, help!” Dragon FireWyrm shook his head as I pleaded. “I suppose I should have kept my tongue in check…”

Dragon FireWyrm merely slowly blinked to my admission. I swear I could see an ever so slight upturn on the edge of his mouth.

“Twilight has the right idea. But who needs a saddle when you can hide bareback?” Thirdclaw quipped as he literally mounted Caretaker, the musk of his arousal starting to overtake She of Hourglass and Dragon Firewyrm.

“My clan is a bunch of traitors!” I yelled out as I make a hasty retreat, with Twi hot on my trail, saddle still in her aura.

ബഐബഐബഐ Magic Dowser ബഐബഐബഐ

Ruby was soon running so fast that I had to hold on her hair-like spines like my life depended on it. But the more she navigated the city, the more it seemed like she knew exactly where to go. How does it seem like she knows the streets so well? I was lost within seconds. I could vaguely remember that the streets were laid out in a discernible pattern, but that was from the air, not on the ground, and during daylight… which, judging from the fact that the sky was beginning to lighten, would be fairly soon.

Suddenly, Ruby came to a complete stop. I have no idea why, or what caused her to do that, as, in my rush to keep myself on her, I had wrapped some of her hair spines around me, and now I was in a complete tangle and, I think, upside down now, if the blue that I could see through the sea of orange was any indication.

Scorpion called out. Well, I now had an explanation for the sudden stop. I would have said something, but I was too busy trying to get my dizziness down. I am so going to smack Ruby for stopping with no warning. That is, once I can figure out how to get out of the mess of hair spines I’m tangled up in.

Ruby growled out angrily. I grunted in annoyance. Just what I need to be, the butt of a joke.

“Can we stop teasing my sister, and help me get out of her hair spines.”

“She never brushes them.” I deadpanned.

I was roughly, and slightly painfully, pulled out by Ruby, and she then berated me in her growling language. Or at least, I assumed it. I really had been guessing on her reactions, so far. I sighed. I knew from experience, and from what Twilight and DragonWyrm Heart had said, that Ruby would be different but... with there now being a language barrier, would we drift apart one day, and stop being brother and sister?

Scorpion questioned.

I sighed; I knew I would not escape this, Ruby would not let me. “I can’t understand my sister anymore...”

“But we don’t even speak the same language anymore!”

Words... phrases

To my shock Scorpion started to flippantly list off words… outloud! I could feel a magic power with them… a familiar power...

Chittering... chattering
Howling... growling
Vowels... consonants
All from the mouth is worthless

Scorpion pulled out the guitar that was on his back, and added it to the magic of what I now recognized to be a heartsong, and he was only speaking before! No wonder he never spoke outloud! His voice was… whoa...

Listen to the song of your heart
It knows the truth of the matter
Hear the soaring melodies
Drifting in the cloudless sky

Like two peas in a pod
Two sides of a coin
You know each other better

Words merely tickle the ear
Love transcends the noise
Breaks through to the matter
The matters of the heart

All you need is to listen

I had to hold back tears as the the sound and magic of the heartsong faded away. I could vaguely see that Scorpion was putting away his guitar. He was right; I always understood Ruby, even when she would try to hide something, like her dreams. The joke we shared sometimes was to annoy mom by finishing each other's sentences at the dinner table.

Suddenly, I could feel something long and wet comb my mane and backside. There could only be one thing that could do that, and, with a slight turn of my head, I could see that it was exactly what I thought it was. Ruby was licking me, like a cat or dog. “Oh gross stop!” I yelled, mortified at what Ruby just did.

Meanwhile, Minty was fighting hard not to laugh, and Scorpion was, if I’m not mistaking the look, d’awing. I could feel my face redden from either embarrassment or anger. I was about to berate Ruby, when I realized she was giving me what seemed to be a confused stare. I think. Her expressions were now nigh on impossible to read. It was only because I’d known her as a brother for so long to be aware of her most likely reaction, that I realized that what I was getting was not fake innocence.

“Ruby?” I looked up, worried at the way she was suddenly acting. My annoyance at her actions was gone.

“But she grew up around ponies!”

“Do I look like a dragon to you!?”

“I don’t act like a dragon!” I snapped back.

Scorpion sniggered. Ruby seemed to find it funny, too, as she started laughing along with him.

I mumbled a few choice words. Meanwhile, I could hear Ruby growling out something, followed by some silence. I waited for Scorpion to translate, but he seemed to just stare at Ruby. After a moment, Ruby growled out some more. It was clear by now that she was having a conversation with, most likely, Scorpion as, before a moment ago, he never spoke outloud, but in our heads. I looked over at Minty, who shrugged. She was just as lost as I was.

Scorpion finally ‘spoke’ publicly.

“That’s great!” I snarked. “I have no have idea why, because you two decided to have a private conversation in fron... Hey!”

Ruby wasn’t looking at me, but I knew it was it was her that smacked me. Especially since both Minty and Scorpion were avoiding eye contact in a suspicious manner.

Scorpion coughed.

“What you mean, need to go?”

I suddenly felt like a prey frozen in fright, about to be pounced on by the biggest predator around. I did not like the look that not only Ruby was giving me, but Minty and Scorpion, as well.

“Well I… That is... You see… Ow.” For the third time, I was slapped by Ruby’s tail. “What was that for!?”

“Oh, Dowser.” Minty facehooved.

Scorpion translated Ruby’s ‘growlings.’

“I know… it’s just… I’ve always been there for you, and now, it seems like… you don’t need me any more...”

Scorpion spoke as Ruby grumbled, as she nuzzled me. I couldn’t hold back anymore, and I started to cry like a little foal. I didn’t even care that Ruby was licking up the tears.

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

I held back a yawn. The spell that I was using to keep me awake was beginning to fade. As much as my bed of gems called for me to curl up in it, I sadly had to stay up for another six hours or so. Basically, until night fell again. Then it would be Dragon FireWyrm’s turn to remain awake for twenty-four hours, though it would have been more like thirty two hours for me, by the time that came along. Stupid short straw... A small price to pay for having the Migration here in Hourglass. Though it wouldn't have been so bad if I had gotten a decent sleep within the last few days.

I pulled out my emergency fire ruby when I yawned again. Hopefully, the spiciness would help. I popped it in my mouth, avoiding the urge to chomp down on it, I needed it to last. I had barely had it in my mouth for two seconds, when I heard a pair of roars. It appeared that I would have to break up a fight, again. I sighed as I chomped on the ruby, before flying off in the direction of the roars.

Phoenix Wave mentally called out to me.

I found the offending dragons fighting near Medallion's Museum. I could see that a few dragons had gathered to watch. Must have been a fight over a hoard item, or a playful tiff. Either way, the rules that the dragons had for coming on this leg of the Migration was to have all of those types of fights at the stadium. I was mad, but not overly so. Occasionally, a dragon would forget, in the heat of the moment. Dragons were never ones to live in cities, so the need to be careful around buildings was not something that was ingrained in most dragons. This was why one of us had to stay up in shifts, so that we could help Captain Phoenix Wave in his guard duties, as Hourglass was just too large for him to handle it all alone.

I summoned a magic construct sword and rocketed at the two dragons, at high speed, and in a way that would put me between the two. I roared in defiance, and the air around me darkened in response to my anger-fueled mana. I managed to time and aim just right to land between the two fighting dragons, mana crackling off of me like lightening. Love that trick. It occurred when one sped up to high speed, then very quickly stopped in a short amount of time, using mana. It was a great way to display power, which would immediately stop the fighting and keep the street from being damaged too much. I did not want to have to fix a crater in the street… again.

“Take it to the stadium!” I snapped at the now separated dragons, holding myself and the sword in a ready to attack position.

“Sorry, DragonWyrm Heart.” Both dragons apologized in unison.

“Congrats on the new clanmate.” One of the spectating dragons winked at me as he followed the now retreating dragons.

“Thanks.” I smiled, even though I felt a bit of guilt over it. She shouldn’t have been forced into the situation like she was. It did bring up something that was still puzzling me, how did she find Hourglass? Did she just follow the last direction the Compass of Harmony gave, or did she get lucky?

I sighed as I sat down on the edge of a nearby building’s roof. Only six more hours… I looked over the city once again to look for any trouble, and saw She of Hourglass in a nearby park, sprawled out, with Magic Dowser lying on her side, both sleeping, if I wasn’t mistaken. I watched as Dragon FireWyrm creeped up to the sleeping pair.

I smiled warmly as I watched Dragon FireWyrm lay down next to them, spreading one of his wings over She of Hourglass and Magic Dowser. Magic Dowser shifted in his sleep, pulling on Dragon FireWyrm’s wing like it was a blanket. Dragon FireWyrm gently nuzzled She of Hourglass, and settled down to sleep, himself. I never thought I would see the day that Dragon FireWyrm would warm up to someone that wasn’t a clanmate. Sharing a wing and sleeping together was not something that a wyrm or dragon did lightly. Though I knew it was because Magic Dowser was part of She of Hourglass’ hoard, and by extension of being mates, Dragon FireWyrm’s. Still, it gave me hope. Hope for the future of Hourglass.

“Hey, Twi.” I greeted her without looking, as she landed beside me. I knew it was her, as feathered wings sound very different from leathery wings, and Twi has never been a very quiet flier.

“A bit for your thoughts…”

“I believe you mean coin? Bits haven’t been used as currency in nearly two thousand years…”

“Details…”

“Says the pony that likes to reshelve her personal library using a completely different organizational system than ever before, just as a way to relax.”

Before Twi could quip back, or I could give her an answer to her original question, I could feel the familiar feeling of incoming mail. Given the timing it was most likely… I blew out a flame, and the scroll that was sent to me appeared with a barely audible pop. The scroll was not the normal light tan that was typical of scrolls used to contact me; it was dyed black. I didn't even need to open it; all I needed was conveyed in the fact that the scroll was black.

“It’s time isn’t it?” Twilight sadly asked me, as she noticed the dyed scroll.

“I’ll get the sleeping mates and Magic Dowser. You notify the rest of the clan. Make sure that someone brings Minty.”

I sighed as as I stretched my wings in preparation to fly down to Dragon FireWyrm and She of Hourglass. To think that a day of such great joy would end in great sorrow.

The Shared Pain

Author's Note

NOW EDITED!

Also hopefully I can get back on track (these last few chapters have proven to be quite difficult to write)

The Shared Pain

ബഐബഐബഐ Magic Dowser ബഐബഐബഐ

I stirred as I suddenly felt oddly cold. I opened my eyes and immediately regretted it, as my eyes were assaulted by the rays of the sun. I groaned as I blinked to ease the pain, and hopefully, to quickly adjust. The ground suddenly moved underneath me, and, looking down, I saw red scales. Oh right, I fell asleep on Ruby’s side.

I looked around to see that Dragon FireWyrm was looming over me, but was not gazing at me. I frowned when I saw who he was gazing at: DragonWyrm Heart. “Clan meeting in the Council Chambers in five minutes. You will be needed there, too, Magic Dowser.”

Why would I need to go to a clan meeting!? DragonWyrm Heart didn’t remain long enough for me to ask, as he disappeared in a shower of his sparks. It was a weird way of teleportation, or, at least, I think it was; it could just be him turning invisible. I hated not being able to see magic; it was as if I was blind, or something. I was sure that, if I didn’t have to deal with the overwhelming leylines whipping about, I could probably see the dragon’s magic. Stupid chaotic magic capital of the world.

“What kind of a clan meeting is this? Like a celebration of your mating or something?” I asked Dragon FireWyrm.

Dragon FireWyrm looked down at me and slowly shook his massive head no. Or at least, I’m pretty sure that it meant “no.” Ruby and I didn’t get too far on our ‘lessons’ before exhaustion from the past few days caught up to both of us. Hell, I spent most of that time bawling my eyes out, to be honest. Ugh, I just know Ruby will embarrass me by telling Minty about it…somehow. Though it could be a good thing… I could get some sympathy cuddles from Minty...

I slowly climbed over, and up onto Ruby’s head. Scales and a breathing creature made for a very slippery slope, if one was not careful. Once there, I wrapped some of her head spines around my right foreleg. Ruby growled out slightly, turning her head. I double checked that I was secured. I didn’t want a repeat of last time, of being tangled, but I also didn’t want to have the circulation in my hoof cut off when Ruby took off. I took a deep breath to ready myself. “Ready.”

Ruby growled a second time, and I could feel her lift off the ground. The inevitable lurch that came with it was still a bit much, and I instinctively belly flopped onto Ruby’s head. I half expected a chuckle from Ruby or Dragon FireWyrm, but all I got was a concerned sounding rumble from Ruby, which felt weird and ticklish. A lump began to form in the pits of my stomach. To not have Ruby teasing me like normal was never a good sign.

I stayed belly flopped on her head while she flew us to wherever this council building was. I was not going to try and stand up now. Before long, Ruby lurched again, and came to what I hoped was a stop. Now, if only my stomach would stop moving… Here. Ruby spoke, as her tail wrapped itself around me, and I was gently lifted off of her head and onto the cobblestone street below.

I looked around to see that we had landed in the large open square where that spring tower thingy stood. I knew it was a large tower, but wow. It looked a lot bigger from the ground then the air… couldn’t say for sure, but I’d hazard a guess that it was as tall as the Crystal Tree Palace. This city was so strange. It went from buildings that were so huge that they could easily hold many of the dragons, like the one across the way that looked like a caution cone buried half on its side, to the many small dwellings that even a pony could find homey.

I sighed. Something touched my shoulder, and I glanced back, looking to see that it was Minty. Her eyes shone in concern as she then hugged me. “Still struggling?”

“A bit.” I admitted with a sigh.

“I am sorry to interrupt this moment, but you really should get inside.”

I turned to see Phoenix Wave standing at attention next to the opened door to what I assumed was where the Council Chambers were located. Apparently, Ruby had already gone in… No idea where Dragon FireWyrm went to, as I lost sight of him as soon as I got on Ruby’s head.

“Is everyone here, Captain?” I turned around to see DragonWyrm Heart walking up.

“Yes, Firstclaw.”

DragonWyrm Heart waved for us to follow him inside. Even though I was still apprehensive, wondering about why we needed to be here and the way Ruby was acting earlier, I followed.

We soon walked into an expansive, round room that appeared to be a stereotypical courtroom, given the raised bench along the far wall. Scorpion, Wanderer, and Caretaker were standing on the left, with Twilight standing on Caretakers head. Ruby and DragonWyrm Heart were on the right. I nearly laughed when I saw that Ruby was sprawled on top of Dragon FireWyrm, nuzzling him. Though that changed to feeling my muzzle heat up, upon seeing that their tails were literally braided together.

“That is so romantic.” Minty cooed as she leaned into me.

I would have leaned into her, but it was at that moment that I noticed that there was a massive passive spell emanating from the floor. I looked down, and, using my talent with magic, I could see that it was coming from some sort metal matrix embedded into the floor. Furthermore, it was pony-based, from what I could see, but the complexity was astounding, even if it was nowhere near the level of that infernal Compass! If I ever saw another compass, it would be too soon.

I was about to ask about it, when I noticed that the place was set up like some sort of birthday party. There were streamers and balloons all over, which was nice, except for one glaring issue. The one that was unnerving me to no end. Hung over the raised bench was a banner that had the traditional pony blessing given at funerals. May the crisp grass and refreshing waters of the Pasturelands be forever yours.

“Someone is dying or dead, and they are going to celebrate like it's his birthday!?” I mumbled under my breath in irritation. These dragons had no respect for anything it seems.

“They are not celebrating it like it's some birthday, Dowser…” Minty whispered back.

“So you are taking their side? And how do you know that!?”

“Their side?” Minty sighed, shaking her head. “Dowser, please, stop this…please… I saw what they did to those who died trying to mate with your sister. There was nothing about it that would fit a party. Actually, it reminded me of the traditional funeral ceremonies of the pegasi… After some words were spoken, the dragons’ bodies were cremated, and the ash was then carried away into the wind. What was that ’blessing’ anyway?”

“The blessing is ‘May your voice be added to the honor of The Voice.’” Phoenix Wave responded, shocking me. I had forgotten that he was right next to us. “Also, dragons have excellent hearing…”

I gulped as I looked up to see that every dragon was staring at me. I had forgotten that tidbit. What made it worse was the way Ruby was staring at me. I couldn’t stand to see her look at me like she was disappointed. “Then why all of this?”

“Because History Seeker wanted his last moments to be a celebration, not mourning…” DragonWyrm Heart sadly explained for me. History Seeker? Why does that name sound familiar? “...or as close as possible to one… It is more for me, than for him...”

DragonWyrm Heart tapped the floor, and I could see that the spell that was in the floor was activating. The air shimmered, and suddenly, the room was overlaid by a room that could only be from the Crystal Tree Palace. I may have never been inside the castle before, but there was no mistaking what I was seeing around us, though where inside was anypony’s guess. I could see that the room had a crystal table, with seven throne-like chairs around it. The thrones appeared to have emblems on them, except for one that appeared to have a similar metal spell imbedded into it. A pale, very old, tan stallion was sitting in that chair, a pale blue blanket covering all but his head. Given the blanket, I had no idea if he was a pegasus, or an earth pony.

“History Seeker?” DragonWyrm Heart called out, a hint of worry in his voice.

The wizened pony slowly opened his eyes. “Is that you, my friend?” He croaked out. It was hard to hear him, as his voice was so hoarse and soft. It was clear, even to a medically uneducated pony such as I, that he was near his last breaths.

“Yeah. The entire clan, as well, along with Magic Dowser and his marefriend, Minty Herb.”

“And Ruby?” The pony now identified as History Seeker questioned. Ruby immediately growled angrily over that, though she went silent to a raised paw and slight shake of DragonWyrm Heart’s head.

“Mated with Dragon FireWyrm.”

“Sorry ‘bout that, She of Hourglass…” History Seeker started to cough really badly. He slowly bent down to grab a strange breathing mask, that I had not noticed before, and place it over his muzzle. All the movement shifted History Seeker’s blanket enough that I could see that he was a pegasus.

Everydragon and Minty instinctively lunged forward at the pegasus’ distress. I managed to stop Minty with my hoof and a shake of my head. The dragons, minus Ruby, also stopped right away. Clearly, we were seeing the image of History Seeker, and even if we were somehow magically teleported there, which was not possible, I doubted there was anything we could do.

By the time the coughing ended, History Seeker looked even paler than before. Ruby, by this point, had managed to pull herself off of Dragon FireWyrm, and walked up to History Seeker. Judging from the sounds she was making, she was concerned. Unfortunately, she did the same thing I did when she paused mid-mating, ugh, and found her claws going right through the image of History Seeker.

“Damn my fading eyes…” As expected, History Seeker’s voice had faded further. Although, why would he complain about failing eyes when he was clearly struggling to get any breath, much less speak, is beyond me. “I can’t see you… She of Hourglass, I think…” History Seeker sniffed sadly, to which Ruby rumbled in concern. She was saying something, but I had no idea what. “Sorry, She of Hourglass, but my sight... is too gone to understand you… ”

“She of Hourglass has not seen this spell before, and naturally, your coughing fit is concerning her.” DragonWyrm Heart explained.

“Don’t be concerned for me.” History Seeker waved off Ruby as he coughed again, but luckily, it was only once. “I was dying when… when I gave you the compass…I doubt I’ll.. last the hour… I will see my Belle Flower again soon…”

“I’m sure she has been excitedly waiting to show you the best meadow to cuddle in.” Caretaker cooed, twirling her tail around Wanderer’s tail.

History Seeker chuckled. “Damn straight.”

“Getting the last bit of cursing out before the missus curtails it for all eternity?” Wanderer quipped, nuzzling Caretaker.

History Seeker laughed for a second, before he fell into a coughing fit again. “Can Magic Dowser come closer…”

I wasn’t too sure about this whole thing; while I still had the nagging feeling that I had heard of History Seeker, I could not place where, or why. Nonetheless, I got closer to the image of History Seeker. By the heavens, he looked awful; an hour to live seemed to be too generous.

“Magic Dowser, the ways of dragons are strange and unusual... barbaric, at times, but for the sake of the love you and She of Hourglass have, give them a chance, and be patient. You will not find a more loving set of dragons, or people, than the ones that you see here…” History Seeker coughed as he finished and laid back down. I took it as the signal that he was finished. I was surprised he managed to last through what had to have been a marathon of a speech for a dying pony.

I slowly walked back to Minty, who had already long been in tears. I pressed myself into her to give her comfort, even as I tried to understand History Seeker’s words, and the larger question as to why I was brought here. I didn’t know History Seeker, or at least I didn’t think so. Why is that name bugging me?

History Seeker suddenly started to wheeze badly. His breathing had become extremely labored. It was clear that he was only a few breaths away from death. I sighed. My mind is becoming morbid...

“Dra..rrgn rm Heart…” History Seeker’s words were slurring as he fought to get them out, though, somehow, he was still audible (probably due to a volume change spell). “My ollld frrrien… prromisse… me…tha... you... eep… ma... maaaking friendsss…”

“I… wwwill” DragonWyrm Heart’s voice shook hard, tears already choking his ability to speak.

History Seeker slowly smiled at DragonWyrm Heart, as he slumped in his chair. It was clear that History Seeker had breathed his last. At that same moment, the spell suddenly cut out, and the Crystal Tree Palace disappeared.

DragonWyrm Heart reached out a claw to where History Seeker’s image was before. “History Seeker, I...”

I almost jumped to the ceiling and ran out of there when a loud roar of anguish suddenly came pouring out of DragonWyrm Heart’s maw, but I found that I couldn’t move. The roar was both ear shattering and soul crushing, at the same time, and, though I was not exactly in love with the dragon, I couldn’t help but feel for his pain. His roar was soon joined by the entire clan. I could no longer handle the emotions that ran thick in the air, and found myself crying in earnest for the pony I didn’t know.

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

I sighed as I put back the final ‘Pinkie Pie’s Letters to He of Hourglass’ book into her memory chest. Usually, the letters that my friends wrote to me when I was in my Slumber were soothing, but I could hardly see through the tears, making reading next to impossible. I had hoped it would help with the loss of History Seeker…

“No matter how much you prepare for the inevitable, it is still soul wrenching.” A female voice called out.

I growled in irritation. Someone had not only entered my hoard without permission, but also managed to do so without me knowing. I turned around to confront the intruder, only to go from angry, to doing an impression of a drunk fish. There, standing at the entrance to my hoard chamber, was Ruby.

Ruby snickered at me and, in a flash, I clamped my mouth shut. Okay, either I’m hallucinating or dreaming... I hope dreaming. If I am hallucinating, I have a problem, if I am dreaming, then Ruby is the Voice manifesting in my dream as Ruby...

“The Voice?” I questioned to see if it was a dream, which it could be… hopefully. I wouldn't put it past a grief induced hallucination to answer the way I want...

“I can’t get away with anything with you, can I?” The Voice, as Ruby, continued to smirk for a second more before her, or would it be his, smirk faded to a sad frown. She walked up to me and sat down next me, putting her wing over me.

“Will I ever see them again?” I sniffed, grasping for straws, for an answer that I knew wouldn’t come.

“I am sorry, my child,” Ruby sighed as she pressed a bit more into me, “but there are some things that I can give no answer to, nor comfort for…”

“Why are you here?” I finally spoke again, after a moment of leaning into her/him. As much as the comfort was nice, The Voice wouldn't come to me just to ease my grief.

“Because you needed me, not Metal Claws, Legacy Chaser, or even Harmonious Knight…”

“Still doesn’t explain why you are here.” I reiterated, choosing to ignore the fact that the Voice was being a bit dodgy...

“I’m here because of the situation between you, Ruby, and Magic Dowser…”

“I needed your help long before it got way out of…” My complaint was shockingly cut off by The Voice backhanding me.

“You are a DragonWyrm!” The Voice roared at me, the dream darkening. “Not a fucking average joe shmoe dragon! I shouldn’t have to hold your claws over something as simple as helping Magic Dowser and Ruby, even with your severe mental handicap! You have several clanmates that can help you overcome that, and tried... You knew how ponies can be, sometimes, as you yourself grew up with them. Ruby went through similar things to what you went through, but worse!”

I sighed and looked away, looking down in shame. The Voice was right. I seemed to only able to screw things up...

The dream brightened back up as I could feel The Voice licking my head. “My child, I am more disappointed than mad with the way you handled this situation, DragonWyrm Heart… Inaction only lengthened her needless suffering to the point that drastic and more painful measures had to be taken.”

‘More painful measures had to be taken?’ Suddenly, what Ruby had ranted about just prior to the Migration’s arrival made sense. ‘Dragons that won’t let me deal with things in my own way; instead, they have to sing and invade dreams!’ I slowly turned to gaze at The Voice, who was meeting my gaze with confidence, way too much confidence. “It was YOU! You told her about Hourglass, didn’t you!?”

“Yes, I spoke to her in a dream, as Garble.”

“This whole fiasco with Ruby being forced into a mating situation before she was ready was caused by you pushing her, wasn’t it?!”

“Yeah, I knew that talking to her would get her to do something drastic, forcing you, in turn, to suffer the consequences of your inaction in a way that would hopefully prevent you from doing it again, and risking something far worse than an angry unicorn!… As for being forced into a mating situation, Ruby is thankful for that.”

“What!?” I blurted in shock. This was making no sense. Sometimes The Voice being the collective souls of all chosen, mated, and dead dragons was more headache-inducing than even I could handle, and I was a dragon, and I knew and understood all of this! Still, this begged a question. I could get The Voice punishing me in some way, but why would Ruby have been thankful for the Voice pushing her into a mating situation, unprepared!?

“Are you saying that Ruby, as in the soul of Ruby that is part of you, is thankful for the Voice, aka you, for pushing her, instead of letting her slide into it, if and when she was ready?! HOW THE FUCK would Ruby be thankful?!”

“Oh no.” Ruby-Voice shook her head, her form suddenly beginning to fade. Whether The Voice was losing his/her ability to stay manifested on this plane, or was backing out intentionally, I couldn't tell. “You want to find that out, you can ask me that personally.”

“Fine. But by punishing me, you punished Magic Dowser!” I growled out, still irritated at what The Voice had done. Sure, I got that I needed to learn a lesson about being indecisive, but Magic Dowser should not have had to suffer like he has been, never mind Minty. Both should not have had to deal with the sight of dragons dueling to the death, as had happened. I could have prepared them for the possibility. Ruby wouldn’t have had to struggle to understand what she was feeling when Dragon FireWyrm and her locked eyes...

“I know.” The Voice sighed. “Which is why, on my behalf, you are to grant Magic Dowser any boon he asks for, baring anything impossible, of course.”

I raised an eyebrow at Ruby-Voice. I already kind of knew what Magic Dowser would ask for, and I knew that The Voice would also know, being that Ruby was apart of him. It would be the one thing that would be impossible to fulfill. “Very well…”

How to Infringe a Copyright

ബഐബഐബഐ Magic Dowser ബഐബഐബഐ

For the fifth time in a very short time, I was smacked by Ruby for zoning out. I couldn't help it; I had too much on my mind. I was still struggling with the changes in Ruby… The heartsong helped a lot… but there were things that Ruby did now that were still jarring, and only reminded me that the Ruby I knew was gone... Then there were the words of History Keeper, whose name was still bugging me, that kept echoing in my mind: ‘Magic Dowser, the ways of dragons are strange and unusual... even barbaric, at times, but for the sake of the love, you and She of Hourglass have to give them a chance and be patient. You will not find a more loving set of dragons, or people, than the ones that you see here…’

“Sorry, Ruby...” I whispered out. I just didn't have the energy, anymore, to get angry. I really didn't have the heart for anything, anymore. Well, more just tired of everything than anything… “So much has happened in the last few days, I guess I’m just burnt out at the moment… and yet, I still have so many questions...”

Climb. Ruby suddenly ordered after a moment of silence.

With sad sigh, I climbed onto Ruby and sat on her head. Ruby slowly got up and, on instinct, I grabbed some of her head spines. I knew she wouldn’t allow me to fall off of her, but it's still unnerving to be up this high. I have no idea why I thought it was a good idea to ride Ruby that first time... Stupid adrenaline…

Ready?

“Yes.”

With that, Ruby proceeded to walk back towards the city, much to my chagrin. I really didn’t want to go back there right now. Too many dragons milling around, staring, fighting, whatever. At least in the orchard, there was only the occasional dragon that came by to grab some fruit to eat and leave. Kinda odd for a clearly mostly carnivorous people, but I could see the appeal. The fruits, even the non-extoic ones like apples, were the best I had ever tasted.

Since I had no idea where we were going, and talking to Ruby while on her head was really not a viable option, I decided to take a good look at the city. After all, this was really the first time that I was able to get a chance to really absorb my surroundings. The few other times, either I was too focused on finding Ruby, or it was too dark to really get a good look. And the less said about my entanglement in Ruby’s hair spines, the better.

The colorful painted geometric designs on every building reminded me of the art of the buffalo tribes that roamed the deserts to the southeast of Castle Town. Whether it was inspired by them, or vice versa, or even a happy coincidence, I knew not. Though the strange band of etched metal that went around each building was a bit odd, especially considering every building was stuccoed, and not sided.

I was reminded again that Ruby seemed to know her way around the city as if she had lived here for years, not two days and three nights. There was no hesitation at any street juncture, just smooth, confident walking, even as she seemed to go in what appeared to be random directions. Unless she was just wandering for the sake of it… I really was just guessing, like most of the past few days, really...

Suddenly, Ruby stopped and growled. Figuring we had arrivaled wherever Ruby was taking me, I jumped down onto the cobbled street and looked around. There was only one building nearby, surrounded by a park/gardens/forest. I had no clue why Ruby brought me to this particular building, which I assumed was a home from the size, and the fact that we had passed hundreds of buildings of a similar size. Lastly, we were on the outer edge of the city, and, assuming that this city was planned like most towns and cities, the outer edges would be mostly homes, while the center would mostly contain businesses and government types of structures. The one exception to this line of thinking was that nearly every dragon I'd seen were closer to Ruby’s size than DragonWyrm Heart’s, and this building, like most we have passed, was nowhere big enough to hold a dragon of Ruby’s size, much less for one to live in it.

“Why are we here?”

Ruby’s only response was to lightly shove me towards the door. Given that I knew that there was no way to get out of this, I knocked on the door. A pink aura enveloped the door, and it opened. If I was not mistaken, that meant that this was the home of that pegacorn, Twilight, though it could also be the mysterious Phoenix Wave’s home instead… Of course, there was a chance that they were hiding more ponies around...

“Good afternoon, Magic Dowser, what can I do for you?” Twilight welcomed me as I stepped through the threshold of the door, and into a den. I didn’t even blink when the door closed behind me. Twilight was sitting on a cushion, reading a book next to a crackling fire. No surprise, as every inch of wall space had shelves with books or scrolls on them.

“I’m not sure…” I sheepishly replied, rubbing the back of my head. “Ruby kind of shoved me in here.”

“I see…” Twilight responded, putting down the book she had been reading. “The last few days have been difficult, haven’t they?”

“Yeah…” I sighed. “It’s just… It’s like my whole world has been turned upside down, and I was given no chance to process it, and no one seemed to care...

“Yeah…” Twilight nodded, looking down. ”DragonWyrm Heart could have, and should have, handled it better… but he does care more than you realize. The entire clan does…”

I snorted at Twilight’s assertion. Both DragonWyrm Heart and Wanderer were jerks. Wanderer for the ‘bitch’ comment and DragonWyrm Heart for, well, everything… “No they do not..”

“Do you really believe that?” Twilight questioned, raising a brow. “Scorpion would not have done that heartsong, and Dragon FireWyrm would not have healed you by taking on the scars himself, if they didn’t care. But… I doubt that is why your sister brought you to me specifically… is it?”

“I hope not.” I growled out, my irritation climbing. Two out of five or six is not the entire clan. I sighed as I looked out the window to see a wall of red scales. I took a couple of deep breaths to calm myself down; I was here for Ruby...

“I can tell that Ruby is still there… within that mass of red scale… But then there are things... that are odd… mannerisms that are not like her and more beastial… like when she tried to calm me down by licking me...” I glared at Twilight, who was trying and failing to hide her snickering. “Then there is the weirdness of how she seems to know her way around the city…”

“She of Hourglass is probably drawing from her Clan Memories.”

“Clan Memories… as in the Dragon Heritage Memories?”

“‘Memories’ are somewhat of a misnomer, but basically, the same, but much narrower in focus. When a dragon joins a clan, information related to the clan is imprinted into their minds. This includes, but is not limited to, all of the Hoard Names of their clanmates, information on the clan's territory, and history.”

Well that explains how she knew her way around so well…

“I have a book that I think you should read as a starting point…” Twilight spoke up after a bit, startling me. I looked around to see that she had started to rummage through her extensive book collection. Extensive putting it lightly, as I saw books flowing in numerous lines in the air, coming in and out of the the two doors that lead further into the home, as well as the open window next to the fireplace. I’m sure that, if the fire wasn’t going, there would be books coming out of there too.

After a few moments of this, she apparently found the book she was looking for, as a book was pulled out of the line, and the rest were quickly returned to the shelves. “Here. It’s a bit late now… but…” Twilight hooved over a curious smelling book. I blanched and nearly dropped the book when I realized that the cover was real leather. I’d run into books that used real leather like this, before, in the University archives. Sometimes old spell books, especially ones with advanced spells or dangerous spells, used real leather. It was a great defense from wandering eyes.

“How to Raise Your Dragon: A guide to raising a dragon from hatching to Choosing. Approved by the Dragonwyrm Clan.” Approved by the DragonWyrm Clan?! Is this the book that was referred to before? Before when…

“Yeah, it was written to help non-dragons, if they ever ended up raising of a dragon via adoption or hatching an egg, like you did.” Twilight explained, interrupting my train of thought.

“I, uh… okay.” I wasn’t sure what to make of it, given that, so far, the clan had proven to be less than helpful, and that was putting it mildy. Still, something was bothering me, and, just like with the name History Seeker, I was blanking out. Damn it...

“Come,” Twilight gestured for me to follow as she got up and headed down a hallway to the back of the house. “I have a garden in the back where you can read it and ask any questions, as the book is merely a guide, and not a tell all.”

I hesitated for a second unsure to follow her or not. I just could not process what the hell was going on. Twilight apparently noticed my hesitation as she stopped and turn back to me calling out. ”You coming?”

I paused a second longer, but I remembered that Ruby seemed to think that Twilight would help, so I followed her. Her home was much more cozy than I expected, as the hall only went a small way until it ended at a sliding glass door. As promised, it led to a small patio garden.

“Ruby!” I called out. A second later, the red form of my sister peeked up over the home. Ruby’s head tilted in confusion as she slunk around and joined Twilight and I. “Twilight gave me this book to read…”

Ruby eyed the book that I lifted up for her to see. Book will help.

“If you say so Ruby…”

A dragon pair will have only one clutch of between two and four eggs. Once laid, the eggs are fully developed, and are ready to be hatched. It is uncommon for the parents to hatch them immediately, as there is no rush, as a dragon egg will be viable for an indefinite period of time. Also, it is difficult, so difficult that a dragon will only be able to hatch two in their entire lives…

...The dragon’s sex is determined by the sex of the one hatching them. A male dragon will always hatch a female, and conversely, a female dragon will hatch a male. Whether the sex and number of times hold true for non dragons is unknown, due to the differences in magic between races.

Okay, that makes no sense… I shook my head in disbelief. I could get that the dragon within the egg would be in some sort of magical suspended animation, given that Ruby’s egg had been in the family for some time, but that magic determines the sex?! This book is almost as bad as some of those wacky theories that those whack jobs had over Ruby...

Out of irritation, I flipped ahead a bit in the book. Luckily, Twilight had returned to her own book, and didn’t notice my frustrations. Ruby noticed, however, but thankfully did nothing. I was not in the mood for a debate, or answering pointed questions.

At the age of three, a dragon hatchling goes through a rapid magic-induced metamorphosis into a dragon whelp. In a matter of seconds, a dragon will grow, both physically and mentally, into the equivalent of an adolescent. Physically, they will grow to about triple their hatchling size, and will grow wings. If the dragon is a sea serpent, they also will go from bipedal to quadrupedal. If raising a dragoness, please see female mating, page 197, for important information on female whelps.

Finally getting somewhere! As much as I appreciated some of the information so far, such as what type of dragon Ruby was, what I really wanted to know more about were more recent events, and, more specifically, anything to do with ‘wyrms.’

Wait… I zoomed back onto the word whelp. I knew that she was a whelp; my whole family used that word right off the bat… how did we know that? Nopony knew what she was...right?

...Female whelps produce a magical type of pheromone that attracts only the type of males that could become soul mates. (The term ‘soul mate’ here is literal, unlike the more figurative usage that is used as an idiom.) As mentioned in an earlier chapter on the lifecycles of dragons…

I was half tempted to slam the book shut right then and there. It was a bunch a overly romantic love at first sight or smell, and, while I can see it being a possibility, as I have run into a few couples that were love at first sight, there is no way that it could be that common and necessary! Not wanting to read anymore of that drivel, I decided to check the table of contents for a chapter that I hoped would be somewhat insightful or helpful. Luckily, I saw a chapter that should prove helpful, so I quickly flipped to it.

A Short Overview of the Wyrm

The Wyrm is the one of most misunderstood aspects of dragons. Part of this can be attributed to the somewhat mysterious and hidden nature of the wyrm…

I snorted when I read that line. Wyrms, mysterious and hidden? Try the whole fucking race!

What funny? Ruby questioned me, as I started laughing hard. Twilight, too, was looking at me like I had gone crazy. I thought I had gone crazy. To think I would get any help from these…

“This book claims,” I gestured to the page that I was reading, while trying to control my amusement enough to speak coherently, “that ’The Wyrm is the one of most misunderstood aspects of dragons. Part of this can be attributed to the mysterious and hidden nature of the wyrm…’ No offense, Ruby, but everything about dragons, nevermind ‘wyrms,’ has been mysterious and hidden! I have yet to get a straightforward, honest answer out of any of them!”

Ruby titled her head, clearly confused. Dragons know much. Not all need know... not safe all know… like prey hatchlings from home...

When Ruby mentioned prey hatchlings from home, I knew to whom she meant, and I shuddered. Some of the things I’ve heard about those two. How they haven’t died a million times over is a mystery to me… “Chainsaw juggling emblems…” I shook my head at the stupidity. “I mean what the fuck!? The ideas those two come up with on their own, I don’t want to know what they could come up with, with the wrong information! Now that I think about it, that would explain the odd new ‘restricted’ section at the library when I came home...”

That still was a poor excuse; I was not those two foals, nor some egotistical madpony, nor cutthroat businesspony, nor anything similar. I was, and am, Ruby’s brother! I was not going to argue with her at the present moment, as there was still more of the book to go through, and I wanted to see if they would eventually tell me what I was supposed to know. If not, I could use it as fodder to choke them to death with.

...Dragons are more attuned to their animalistic side than most races, so much so that
their psyche is actually split into two distinctive parts. The wyrm half has been described as feral, savage, wild, beastly, or animalistic, but all of these descriptions are a bit one-dimensional, and none of them paint the full picture of what the Wyrm is.

I shook my head in disbelief. This book can’t make up its mind between being a simplistic, easy to read guide, or being a university level thesis, or being some sort of hippy creed. Sadly, the rest of the chapter really didn’t go over what I wanted to know, and that was why Ruby had to lose her sentience. I could ask Ruby, but that would be a exercise in futility, given the language barrier… At least the book has filled in some gaps… still…

...During particularly difficult or stressful times, the wyrm can come to the forefront, such as in a life-or-death defense of their hoard, mate, or hatchlings. There are two times, however, when it will not only come to the forefront, but overwhelm the dragon: Mating, and Choosing. This switch is a type of protection for the dragon psyche during what can be a very dramatic and intense magical transformation, during which the Dragon Heritage Memories are imprinted into the mind of the dragon. So dramatic is this that, even when the wyrm withdraws in the moments after Mating/Choosing, the dragon will still seem ‘wyrm like’...

...Most dragons will withdraw and hoard during a period after Choosing. During this time, the dragon is mentally unstable and easily irritable, until the settling of the mind and personality of the now adult mind. Some comparisons can be made to the adolescence period of transition, particularly to the period sometimes referred to as puberty, but at a much more accelerated rate. This process usually lasts about 30 days…

I blinked in confusion after reading that. I mean, I could get the whole unstable thing, with the Dragon Heritage Memories. From what I could recall, it had to be a lot of information. And if I suddenly had tons of information downloaded into my brain, I would probably become unstable for some time… I remembered when I lost large sections of memory, that I struggled for some time. But Ruby didn’t exhibit those symptoms, and the way the book was presenting it, it sounded like Ruby should have. The only time she had really shown irritability was her being herself, and not exceptionally irritable. Also, nothing on why her sentient half, or dragon half, had to disappear forever; if anything, this is saying that it should have only faded to the background, and only for a few moments...

...Mating differs a bit from Choosing in this matter. Given the souls of the two dragons having merged, the female dragon does not go through this process… Though she will be imprinted with the Dragon Heritage Memories, just like her mate was at Choosing, the mate will ease the burden of the changes through the connection they share as soul mates...

Okay that explains that… I continued to read and still found that there was nothing on why Ruby had to lose her sentience. Not even a single line on it. I quickly used a skimming spell I used during study sessions at the university to see if maybe I missed some mention of it, but, as I glanced over every other instance of the word wyrm, I found nothing to explain what happened to Ruby.

“Magic Dowser,” Twilight spoke up, seeing my frustrated page flipping, “As I said before, Magic Dowser, the book is merely a starting point, and a guide, not a tell-all. Your sister so elegantly put…”

“What the fuck are you pulling?” I cut Twilight off; I knew where she was going, and I was not happy for it. I was not a young foal in need of coddling.

“Excuse me?”

“The ‘it’s like comparing apples to oranges routine!’” Twilight opened her mouth, clearly to object, but I put a stop to it by shutting her mouth with my magic. “If you want to play that game, then fine. But I think I’d prefer the getting the truth from a dragon’s mouth game. Ruby, shall we?”

Ruby hesitated a second before lowering her head, allowing me to climb onto her head for the ride to DragonWyrm Heart. I was, and always would be, Ruby’s older brother, and helped my mother raise her. We should have had this book. We should have had the help it would have been. I could understand not showing up in the Equis Nation for fear of spooking everypony, but not finding a way to get this book, or a copy, to us!?

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

I could feel Dragon FireWyrm’s gaze follow me as I paced. The conversation I had with The Voice was odd. The Voice was usually somewhat cryptic in what he said. Sometimes, he was almost most as bad as Celestia and Dragon FireWyrm, before he became full wyrm… the make friends letter from just before Nightmare Moon’s return being the best example…

...suffer the consequences of your inaction… I would have thought that it would have been the scars on my back… the reaction of She of Hourglass, in hindsight, was too harsh for merely me killing her father, Quartermaster. She of Hourglass never knew her father. She came looking for answers….. Clearly, frustration boiled over… the pain of that dream, over and over… As I didn't usually keep my wings out, the scars would have been noticed by the dragons here on the Migration very quickly… and given my position as a DragonWrym…

Punish me while simultaneously helping She of Hourglass find a mate that would put her in a clan led by the very dragon she blamed, and rightly so, for all the years...

“HOW THE FUCK would Ruby be thankful?!”

“Oh no.” Ruby-Voice shook her head, “You want to find that out, you can ask me that personally.”

Why would The Voice say that? It made no sense. How would asking the now She of Hourglass about why she was thankful be any different than asking the Voice as Ruby? She of Hourglass wouldn’t care that I got that information from what was essentially herself… Unless there was something underlying… something that, for the moment, was just out of my grasp...

What are you trying to teach!?

“Gah! I take it back! This is worse than Celestia’s make friends letter. I can’t make tails nor claws of what The Voice was really saying!” I shouted in frustration. “I mean…”

I nearly jumped when a wall of white suddenly, and loudly, formed in front of where I was pacing.
It almost looked like Dragon FireWyrm’s old tail, with the way he was holding his currently three separate tails. Those three separate tail weapons almost looked like his old trident weapon.

Does dragon run when hatched? Dragon FireWyrm growled at me questioningly. I found myself fish breathing in response. Obviously, it was a rhetorical question. But I had not heard him speak like this in a long time. And here, he was doing it twice in a span of a few days. Even during the entire debate over Elegant Prose and She of Hourglass, he never said much, other than to cool both myself and Wanderer down. You without wyrm still learning. Dragon fall, get back up after fall and run.

“How…” A faint knock could be heard on my hoard chamber door, grabbing both Dragon FireWyrm’s and my attention, and ending my response.

The knocking was odd; if a dragon needed me, they would usually find a clanmate, Twilight, or Phoenix Wave, and a message would be sent via firemail. Also, most would shout out the standard “permission to enter a hoard” at the library entrance, not this far inside the library, even though I don’t ward the outer library in such a way to require permission to enter while the outer doors are open.

“Enter.”

Magic Dowser and She of Hourglass? I questioned as the siblings walked in. I was not expecting them until the end of the Migration. I had not figured out how to broach the subject of The Voice’s involvement in She of Hourglass’ arrival in Hourglass. Hell, I’m still processing what The Voice said, and didn’t say.

“What can I do for you, Magic Dowser?”

I had to resist the urge to gulp when the How to Raise Your Dragon manual slammed quite loudly to the stone floor. Thanks to that, I already had a feeling where this was going. The two things that were not addressed in that book were Wyrm Growth, and what happened if a female mated with a wyrm, such as Dragon FireWyrm. While I knew those two would come up, I was not ready to deal with it, as it would mean bringing up The Voice’s involvement, and, if the past few days were anything to go by, Magic Dowser could very well give Twi a run for her fiery pony manifestation.

“You are a bunch of oily, conniving snakes, you know that? And I am so sick of it!” I cringed when She of Hourglass smacked Magic Dowser. I really didn’t want to be defended, especially by her. It didn't seem to deter him, though, as he didn't even seem to notice the smack. If anything, he seemed more angry. “Always dangling a poisoned carrot, just out of reach!”

I sighed… and it goes on and on my friend... “Get to the point, Magic Dowser. I have carrots to poison.”

My quip managed to shock Magic Dowser, thankfully. As much I could see Magic Dowser needed to vent, I knew that he needed answers more. If the way his mouth kept opening and shutting was any indication, he was still formulating the question himself, or my ‘admission’ threw him off a bit more than I expected... “WHY!?”

And there, Magic Dowser, is the 64,000 bit question...

Author's Note

one.... whole.... month... Sheesh ... Anyway two more chapters before this arc is finished and we can get back to adventuring,

Also, got a Dragon OC? See this Blog

The All Encompassing Why

Author's Note

Okay there has been some confusion I'll like clear up:
This story is faaaaar from the end... just the first act. Maybe if we where near 200k then...

Also I'm not getting any dragon OC's.. I don't need them as I can make them myself but this is your chance to get your dragon OC into this story see this blog for details.

The All Encompassing Why

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

“WHY!?”

And there, Magic Dowser, is the 64,000 bit question… or more like a series of whys… Magic Dowser had just asked the one question that encompassed a lot of ground. I had a few guesses and thoughts on it, given the book. I sighed. This could get ugly.

“Let me guess: Why you did get that book now, and not earlier? Followed by some whys that aren’t answered in that book, like why she had to become a wyrm? Am I right?”

Magic Dowser didn’t respond, he just glared at me. However, it was clear that the answer would be a resounding yes. I would have to tread carefully on the book question.

“Your mother threw out the copy originally given to your family. Her exact reasons, I can only speculate on…”

“So?” Magic Dowser scoffed. “You could have sent another copy.”

“Yes... I should have…” I admitted as I looked away, still a bit ashamed of what I did, or didn’t do, in this case. “And I’ll have the scars to remind me until the day I die.”

Magic Dowser himself, while not a fan of me by a long shot, seemed a bit uncomfortable. My guess is because of the pain that She of Hourglass had over doing it. I doubt she has any lingering guilt over it now, but, at the time, she was in extreme distress over her actions.

“As for why your sister had to lose her sentience, to explain that, I’ll have to explain what a full wyrm is…” I gestured for Magic Dowser to sit, as I knew that this could take a bit, but he decided to remain standing. After a few seconds, I shrugged and continued on. If he didn’t want to sit, that was his prerogative. “It takes three things to occur for a dragon to become fully wyrm, like your sister or Dragon FireWyrm. One, their inner flame must be very strong. Two, what they hoard must be something that is very... simplistic. Like family or flying... For example, a dragon that hoards, let’s say, clothing could not possibly become fully wyrm. Three, and finally the most important part, the dragon must be willing…”

“No, I don’t believe that.” Magic Dowser interrupted me. “I can get her wanting to mate with Dragon FireWyrm, but being willing to lose her...? No…”

“What would your sister do to protect you?” I crossed my legs as I sat on my haunches.

“What?” Magic Dowser asked, confused.

“Answer the question.”

“Anything…” He admitted bitterly.

“Exactly, anything.” I raised a claw as I said this. ““As for why your sister found Hourglass, I now know who is responsible…”

“Well?” Magic Dowser gestured with one of his forelegs when I didn’t give him the answer right away. “Out with it! Who?”

“I had been wracking my brain, trying to figure out something puzzling. When your sister first arrived in Hourglass, during her rant, she mentioned dragons invading dreams.” I found myself pacing as I explained, agitated. I nearly stopped in mid step when I realized I was doing a Twilight, but managed to continue. “Now, I can see anyone but those from this clan, including Twilight and Captain Phoenix Wave, dismissing that as her making the depth of her frustration known using a wild exaggeration. Sure, there are some who can utilize some form of dream magic, but the amount of power and precision needed to not only enter another’s dream, but also in a form of a dragon, is high, almost impossible. The only being still living that could do that is Dragon FireWyrm.”

“But,” Magic Dowser glanced over at Dragon FireWyrm, then She of Hourglass, confused, saying, “she didn’t seem to recognize him at all…”

“Which confused me even further.” I nodded, glad that Magic Dowser was following along. “It wasn’t until last night, when the one responsible for ‘invading’ her dreams came to me… The ‘Who’ is… in very simplistic terms... the combined spirits of every dragon that has died, Chosen, or Mated, known as The Voice.”

“Really?” Magic Dowser raised an eyebrow. I could see in his eyes that he was conflicted between screaming at me in anger or laughing his head off. “You are going to blame it on some dragon version of the Pasturelands!? Fine. I can probably believe some creep of a dragon that claims to be this ‘Voice’ was responsible for letting Ruby know about Hourglass… But that Ruby is some sort of doppelganger!?”

“Uh, no…The Voice is real, and no, your sister isn’t some doppelganger. Though I could see how one could think that… The soul of a dragon is like a… how do I explain it...” I paused as I quickly tried to come up with a analogy that would help in this case. I could use the one that Dragon FireWyrm used with the Bearers, but I think they had a bit more knowledge than Magic Dowser does, because I doubt that he read the book thoroughly. I snapped a claw when I found one. “I got it! A dragon’s soul is similar to an egg. Not a dragon egg, mind you, more like a ‘normal’ egg, say a chicken's egg. When an egg is laid, it has a shell on the outside, to protect the developing chick inside. A dragon's soul, prior to mating or Choosing, is that shell. It is there to protect the true dragon within during the time it’s developing. Unlike a egg, though, that shell is still living until Choosing or mating… at which point…”

“So…” Magic Dowser drolled, clearly chewing on his words. “A part of her died when…”

“Technically, yes…” I tensed up as I admitted the literal truth. One that could prove problematic enough that I carefully double checked my wards to prevent the possibility of an exploding Magic Dowser from destroying anything, “However, as I said, that was merely the shell that protected her core soul underneath, until she was ready to come out, as it were...”

“Okay, I can accept that…” Magic Dowser said, after an awkward moment of silence. I had to check to see if my jaw had dropped, because that was not the reaction I expected from Magic Dowser. I looked over to make sure that the Pinkie Pie Memory Chest wasn’t doing anything. She may be long gone, but I wouldn't put it past her to somehow transfer her Pinkie Sense to her chest, even though outside that one time, it never did anything ‘weird.’ “However, the losing of her sentience, that is not like an eggshell or skin that dies to make way for fresh new skin underneath. It’s like cutting off a leg, or horn, or wings! That was a huge part of her!”

“Less than you think, actually…” I rubbed the back of my head, knowing that what I was saying would not be taken calmly.

“Less than I think...” Magic Dowser muttered angrily, grinding his teeth hard enough to make me wince. “LESS THAN I THINK!?!”

“Ruby! What the fuck!?” Magic Dowser spun back to face She of Hourglass after she whacked the back of his head with the tip of her tail.

Listen. She of Hourglass growled.

“The wyrm is responsible for Mating, Choosing, growing, and hoarding, among other things… It’s a very large part of an adult dragon. Furthermore, becoming a full wyrm didn’t destroy either her personality, or her memory. She knew the exact spot in which you were ticklish, and she smacks you for being an idiot. Both speak to her memory and personality.” I gestured towards She of Hourglass. “The issue is thought patterns. Basically, dragons can reason and rationalize everything they do, while wyrms use instincts and ingrained patterns.”

“For example, as you may or may not recall, I told you about the Dragon Code, and how it’s written into our minds at Choosing. Now, if I chose to ignore one of those codes, let’s say by stealing a gem from Dragon FireWyrm’s hoard, I can. However, if I ‘mature’ in that code, that code becomes not just written into my mind, but into my heart. I would literally be unable to break that code in thought or action. You could yell into my ear about stealing it, and my brain would not register what you were telling me. That part of me that matured in that code is no longer dragon but wyrm.”

“Are your saying that Ruby is some sort of soulless, cold automaton that can only follow a set of rules!?”

“Of course not!” I snapped, then flinched as I realized I needed to back up and keep addressing this in a calm manner. “As I just said, her memories and personality are intact. As long as she doesn’t break the Code, which, as a wyrm, she can’t, she will follow that code in the way that matches who she is.”

“As for why your sister specifically had to lose that part of her.” I sharply exhaled. “Tell me, have you tried mixing oil and water?”

“What has that have to do with why she had to lose her sentience?”

“Everything. The wyrm and dragon are separate, are they not? If the wyrm is like oil, and the dragon is like water, and in mating, the souls of the two meld together, tell me, how will that be possible, if one is both oil and water, and the other only oil?”

I could see that Magic Dowser’s mind was spinning, trying to find some way to poke holes in my explanation. I was not going to give him that opportunity, however, and, since I still had to pass along a request by The Voice, I told him... “The Voice has asked for me to grant you any boon that is possible, as an apology for putting you through Tartarus.”

“Give me back my Ruby.” Magic Dowser said without hesitation, and it was the answer I knew that he was going to say. She of Hourglass understandably deflated a bit as he said this.

“That is impossible.” I shook my head. “I should know… and even if it was possible, would you subject your sister to something that traumatic?! Would you force her to become something she is not?”

“Then I want to know why! Why did he…this ‘The Voice’...tell Ruby to come here…?” Magic Dowser choked out, tears forming in his eyes. “And I want to hear it from the very mouth of The Voice!”

I almost immediately said that his second request was also impossible, but I stopped before the words came out. I honestly didn’t know for sure whether or not it could be done, but then again, there was that one time…

That startled Dragon FireWyrm, and I got to see something I had not seen in thousands of years: him being very lost and confused. As much as I wanted to relish in it, Magic Dowser clearly wanted his answers, and I didn’t think he would be very appreciative of sibling revelry and ribbing right now. I was a bit surprised that he had not yet demanded my answer to his request.

I added, hoping that it would jar him lose.

Dragon FireWyrm blinked a few times, sighed, then closed his eyes. A moment later, they opened. Thinks possible. Will try.

“Well congratulations, Magic Dowser, Hatcher of Dragons, and Thesējs Tzirüstele Atülāja, you are about to be the very first non-dragon to ever see The Voice. Dragon FireWyrm?”

Dragon FireWyrm slunk his head down and blew a small breath of air at Magic Dowser.

“Dragon FireWyrm? What are you…” Magic Dowser couldn't finish his sentence, as he passed out from the putrid breath of Dragon FireWyrm, much to They of Hourglass’ and my amusement. Dragon FireWyrm quickly collected himself and fell into the same trance as he did before.

“I hope this works…” I muttered.

Agreed. She of Hourglass added.

The Voice in Your Head is Real

ബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐ

Dragon FireWyrm shook in excitement. It was not often that The Voice visited, and it meant a lot to him, to think that The Voice was visiting his brother, though he was concerned about it, as well. This had never been done before, and may very well be impossible. Currently, his brother had not yet fully awoken in his dream, and until then, he had to wait. Thankfully, Magic Dowser soon stirred and groaned.

Good, he wakes. Dragon FireWyrm noted as he laid down to begin the process of helping The Voice manifest.

Magic Dowser suddenly sat up with a gasp. He slowly blinked and looked around. “What the…? NOT AGAIN!” Magic Dowser roared out as he saw that all around them was a swirling darkness, not unlike the astral plane. It seemed to him that someone, or more likely somedragon, had pulled the same stunt that was done during... Magic Dowser shuddered, trying to forget the details.

“Relax, Prey Brother, dream, not Astral Plane.”

Magic Dowser spun around to come face to face with Dragon FireWyrm. His mouth dropped in shock. Did Dragon FireWyrm just talk!? Talked-talked, like in normal speech? Well, it could be a dream… of some sort… He knew that dreams had a tendency to fuck with one's mind, at times. What was especially weird for him, in this case, was that he went right into a lucid dream. He thought that it was next to impossible, unless you were to cast a specific spell beforehoof, and he didn’t know that spell. I didn't think it was possible to have headaches in dreams.

“Okay, but why did my mind drag me here?” Magic Dowser grumbled, rubbing his ‘dream’-headache, “I’m getting really fucking tired of these ‘drag Magic Dowser through shit’ antics…”

“Yeah, sorry about that…” A female voice echoed in and out. Both Magic Dowser and Dragon FireWyrm looked about to try and find the source. To Magic Dowser, the voice sounded like Ruby… the Ruby he grew up with… To Dragon FireWyrm, he knew it was The Voice, and was wondering why he had only spoken. Maybe The Voice was struggling to show up, with the prey here. He buckled down in concentration, in hopes of getting The Voice the rest of the way into his dream.

“Ruby?”

“Yes... and no.” The Voice called out again.

“Even in dreams, never a straight answer…” Magic Dowser grumbled, shaking his head in frustration.

“I know you have been through the wringer, Dowsy… and I’m sorry… I had hoped my children would have not let history repeat itself…” The Voice called out, still in a strange, echoing way, fading in and out.

What is Ruby talking about? Magic Dowser wondered. Ruby has never had children… and I’m damn sure she had never had sex until the other day… and I thought lucid dreams allowed the dreamer to control the dream a bit more than this.

“Not Ruby, The Voice…” Dragon FireWyrm grunted. He could feel the strain, but, if this is what his brother needed, so be it.

“What do you me…” Magic Dowser’s question died as he saw a very familiar red whelp appear out of the darkness. “Ruby!”

Magic Dowser rushed forward and slammed into the whelp, crying. The whelp that Magic Dowser thought was Ruby returned the embrace of the hugging and sobbing pony. A look of sympathy blazed across the dragon's snout as the whelp gently stoked the pony’s back.

“Has this all been a dream? Please tell me this is a dream! ” Magic Dowser begged, his words coming out between choked sobs. “Please…”

“Dowsy…” The Voice sighed, knowing that he was not going to bring about what the suffering pony wanted. “I know you wish it were so, but the events over these past few days have not been a dream.”

“So… so…” Magic Dowser choked out, unable to continue.

“As Dragon FireWyrm pointed out, I am The Voice, or rather, a part of The Voice…”

“But why Ruby?” Magic Dowser whimpered. “Why must every dragon thing have to be mental torture!?”

“Magic Dowser, would you rather I come as Quartermaster, your sister’s biological father? Or maybe as Harmonious Knight, that was once Dragon FireWyrm? No.” The Voice shook his head. “You wanted and needed your sister.”

Magic Dowser slumped as the truth of his situation finished shattering his short-lived dream.

“You miss her.” The Voice sadly noted.

“Yeah, I miss you… I mean her… I mean...”

“If it helps, even my own children have trouble keeping it straight. To make matters worse, I am a he, so, when I manifest as a female…”

Magic Dowser snorted once, then twice, then fell into such a laughter that he was literally rolling on the ‘floor’ of the dreamscape. The Voice smirked and rolled his eyes. He knew this was the reaction he would get. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Don’t make me tell Dragon FireWyrm about that one time I caught you in your room making out with…”

“YOU WOULDN'T DARE!!” Magic Dowser roared, instantly standing up, his face a deep shade of red.

The Voice leaned down, narrowing his eyes. “I am the part of the Voice that is the remnant of your sister’s childhood soul...you tell me?”

“Fuck.” Magic Dowser cursed. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!... FUCK!”

The Voice laughed, and even Dragon FireWyrm managed to chuckle a bit before he went back to his concentration.

“You… You... I am so going to…” Magic Dowser growled out in mock irritation, struggling to not smirk. “For one, claiming to be something else, you sure act like Ruby.”

“That is because a part of her is a part of me, but enough of that.” The Voice waved a paw dismissively. “I believe you wanted to know why I told Ruby of Hourglass, correct?”

Magic Dowser nodded, though he was unsure if he really wanted to know.

“I told her of Hourglass because I wanted the best for her… and I was trying to correct an issue that DragonWyrm Heart had caused by his inaction. He should have made sure a copy of the dragon raising book got to you, or Ruby, when Ruby reached the pony age of responsibility at fifteen.”

“Couldn’t you have... you know… told her about being a dragon sooner?” Magic Dowser questioned, wondering why The Voice waited until a few days ago, instead of eight years ago.

“My abilities, when it comes to manifesting to a hatchling or whelp, are extremely limited… I was able to speak to Ruby because she was within a short time of Choosing… which allowed me entry to manifest to her to give her some advice, and a warning. Normally, I don’t interfere during this time, as interfering with a dragon trying to choose is… well it's similar to telling a pony without an emblem what their talent is… but in this case, I made an exception. Since we are in a dream, I can show you.”

Suddenly, there was a copy of Ruby, startling Magic Dowser a bit, as he had to double check to see which Ruby was which. Along with the other Ruby, there was a bipedal male whelp. “That is Garble, who Quartermaster was, before he became Quartermaster.” The Voice explained.

“So, Ruby’s father?”

“Yes. I try to use dragons that are familiar to the one I’m manifesting to, but, given that Ruby’s only experience with dragons was a negative one, I decided to go with a dragon that would hopefully be less problematic.”

The Voice waited a second longer to see if Magic Dowser had any more questions. When none came forward, he willed the memory to start.

“Ruby, you are at a crossroads…” ‘Garble’ said. “The answers you seek about your parents may have already begun to be answered, but, to get the answers about what it means to be a dragon…”

“Not interested, so fuck off already!” ‘Ruby’ roared in frustration.

“You can either head south to Hourglass City, looking for the mountain that is upside down,
or head home. The answers you seek, about what being a dragon is, will come either way…”

Magic Dowser could see the barely hidden look of contempt on the face of the memory’s Ruby as ‘Garble’ said this. He wasn’t surprised; he probably would have reacted in that way, too. He also knew that she would have gone home, which was the opposite of what she eventually did. So something else must had been said to trigger her going to Hourglass.

“I see that you are hastily making a decision…” Garble noted. “I must warn you, the easy road will still lead you to your answer, but may also led to regret and loneliness, for a dragon’s life is not measured by years. After all, one cannot measure in years the life of one who does not die by age.”

The memory whelps vanished, leaving just Dragon FireWyrm, The Voice, and Magic Dowser.

I see why she came, now. Magic Dowser thought as he went over what he heard. I, too, would have thrown up my legs in frustration and gone to Hourglass, especially if I couldn't escape in my dreams… but that still doesn’t completely explain...

“You saw the pain that DragonWyrm Heart was in, when History Seeker died.” The Voice spoke up, interrupting Magic Dowser’s thought process. “Could you imagine going through that, over and over again?” The Voice asked.

“No…” Magic Dowser shook his head slowly, tears beginning to form.

“She will still go through that pain, when the day comes…” The Voice sighed sadly, “but now, she has family that will never leave her, to help her through the long life that is that of a dragon.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why you interfered in the way you did.”

“I’m a father to my children...” The Voice sighed heavily. “...and I also know the inner workings and thoughts of my children… I want the best for them. So let me answer by telling you what Ruby discovered just prior to mating with Dragon FireWyrm, okay?”

“Okay.”

“When Wanderer went to apologize to Ruby about the bitch comment, he also took the time to explain what had happened in the arena. As he did, something he said triggered a realization for Ruby. Something she had seen before, but didn’t realize... She had seen in Dragon FireWyrm the ability to have a protective zeal, even in a feral, beastly, animalistic state. One that could hunt and use his flame, and yet would protect his own beyond his own desires… she saw in him the dragon she wanted to be, and that, if he could do it, so could she. Furthermore, as DragonWyrm Heart pointed out to you, he has the same hoard as she was considering.”

Magic Dowser burst into tears at the end of The Voice’s explanation as to what DragonWyrm Heart said came rushing back to him.

“Three, and finally the most important part, the dragon must be willing…”

The Voice glanced over at Dragon FireWyrm while he hugged the crying Magic Dowser, and nearly winced. Dragon FireWyrm was in extreme distress. The dream would not last much longer before the strain would force it to end. Sadly, there were just too many threads to maintain and monitor for the one track mind of a wyrm to handle. He made a silent vow right then that this would not ever be attempted or done again, unless another dragon became a dreamwalker. The strain clearly was too costly and dangerous.

“Okay, that tells me why Ruby wanted to mate with Dragon FireWyrm… and I think I see why you interfered…” Magic Dowser said after he finally calmed down enough to speak. “I may not be happy with how you did it, but I am happy that she is happy.”

“Like brother, like sister.” The Voice chuckled in amusement.

“What?”

“That is exactly what Ruby thought...” The Voice smirked as Magic Dowser’s jaw dropped. While it was amusing, he still had some things to go over, and little time. “There was something your sister had been trying to figure out how to do these past few days… She has been trying to figure out how to tell you her name.”

“Huh?”

“I see you didn’t bother to read the ‘how to raise your dragon’ book fully and/or have forgotten some of the things DragonWyrm Heart must have told you.” The Voice raised an eyebrow. “Understandable given the circumstances… however, as to why she has been trying to figure it out, it is because her name is a bit hard to mime, and trying to guess it would only prove frustrating for both of you.”

“But all she would have to do is point out a ruby; besides that, I know her name, anyway…”

“True, but calling a dragon by their old name is equivalent to simultaneously calling somepony a bastard child and a blank flank.”

“Oh…” Magic Dowser sadly muttered. He didn’t want to make her feel that way; their jesting was always one of siblings, never hurtful, and yet... “But why..”

“Why did she allow it? Because you’re family, and, not only that, but the crowning jewel of her hoard. Really, she has always seen you in that light. That, and you were not being mean about it, but doing it in a playful manner ‘Dowsy.’”

“Oh.”

“Now remember, her Hoard Name is a magical ‘true name’, so never, ever reveal it to anyone. That really means not revealing it to your marefriend, wife, child, friend, parent, or anyone else you can come up with. There is, however, one more piece of advice I must give you about her name. It's best to file it in the back of your mind, and continue to refer to her by the name you gave her: Ruby. It will lessen the chance that you may inadvertently reveal it.” The Voice waited a moment for his words to sink in, before he continued. “Her Hoard Name is Lirtzošs Tvēsele Uzuthszrēüs: Glittery Soul Fire.”

“That sounds a bit girly, even for her.” Magic Dowser couldn't help but snort at the name. Though, while Ruby was a bit more rough around the edges then most mares he knew, she wasn’t a tomcolt either.

“Mayhaps,” The Voice smiled impishly, “but there is a very deep meaning to those three words… In broad terms, Soul Fire means she hoards family, as in those that are family. That alone would not allow you in her hoard. You lack an inner fire… the Glittery part, however, does. Now, its meaning is a bit more abstract… it refers to the shine that comes from a cut and polished stone. But when you combine that with Soul Fire, then it roughly means ‘an inner fire that is like a lovingly cut and polished precious gem.’”

“Wait, soul fire means inner fire?” Magic Dowser questioned, “Isn't that a bit redundant?”

“Problems with translating some dragon words and phrases…” The Voice explained, “Soul fire and inner fire refer to the types of fire; the word in front of the word ‘fire’ modify it. For example, while every dragon has an ‘inner fire’, or soul, not every dragon has a ‘soul fire’ between them, as the word soul in front of fire refers to links that one's inner fire has with other inner fires, specifically those that are family.”

“Oh…” Magic Dowser nodded his understanding, though he was still a bit confused. He would have to have it explained, in more detail, later.

“Did you know that in many egg laying species, how warm the egg is kept during incubation determines the sex?” Magic Dowser stared at The Voice, not sure how to respond. The Voice wasn’t surprised, but the information would help in the next part of his explanation. “There is only one time that the inner fire of a dragon can be influenced by one without an inner fire...”

“During childhood…” Magic Dowser whispered. Everything about The Voice’s explanation on soul fire and inner fire, the analogy of the dragon spirit being like an egg that DragonWyrm Heart used, and finally with The Voice telling him about how sex is influenced in incubation of an egg, made it easy for him to make the connection. It left him stunned. DragonWyrm Heart’s assertion that Ruby would make sure that he was in her hoard was right.

The Voice reached out and hugged the now bawling pony, who, in turn, leaned into the hug. Magic Dowser remained like that for several minutes, while The Voice just hugged and stroked him. The Voice knew that Magic Dowser had been struggling with everything, from what he could infer from watching his children. It looked now that the dam of pent up emotion had finally broken, and he could now grieve over the loss of Ruby, as he knew her. Though for dragons, it was not considered a great loss (if anything, it would be a great gain, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly) to a pony, it would not.

“You said that I was her crown jewel…” Magic Dowser sniffed out, as his tears finally gave out. “What about our mother? She raised us both…”

“That is a question that is best answered, I think, by her.”

Magic Dowser’s brows furled. The answer to his question was odd. He wasn't sure if The Voice’ was referring to his sister, or to their mother. Also, the way he said it was almost as if he was uncomfortable in answering the question.

By now, The Voice could feel his hold on this plane of existence fading rapidly, and, as much as he wanted to stay, and as much as he knew Magic Dowser wanted him to stay, he could not. He was proud, however, of the effort on the part of the DragonWyrm Clan in giving Magic Dowser as much time as they did. He lifted Magic Dowser’s head so they could see eye to eye for the last words of wisdom he could give to him directly. “If you get nothing out of this, Magic Dowser, at least get this: Glittery Soul Fire has always been, and always will be, your sister, and you, Magic Dowser, are, and always will be, her brother.”

With that, The Voice pulled out of the hug. His form was beginning to fade away, as his time on this plane was over. He slowly backed away from Magic Dowser.

“RUBY!” Magic Dowser shouted out, panicking, forgetting that this was not Ruby, but the being known as The Voice manifesting as his sister. He could see that Ruby-Voice was fading away, and he had so much more he need to know, to ask.

“Remember Glittery Soul Fire has always been, and always will be, your sister…“ The Voice repeated as the dream finally faded away.

Author's Note

So for I have had one offer up a dragon OC(thanks). If you are interested head over to this blog for a bit more details on it. If you are hesitant I understand. Know that I don't need any Dragon OCs I can create them myself. This is just an opportunity I wish to share for my readers. Also note that I will endeavor to write your character as close as I can to your vision of him/her as possible. ( I have gone as far as having the OC's 'owner' preview chapters with their OC to make sure I have captured their OC correctly. Frostbite4, who has had 2 OCs in my stories can attest to this. )

Brother, My Brother

ബഐബഐബഐ Magic Dowser ബഐബഐബഐ

I snapped awake with the words of The Voice still echoing in my mind.

“Remember: Glittery Soul Fire has always been, and will always be, your sister…”

“He’s fading!” Someone yelled out, which got my attention. What is going on?!

I looked over to see the motionless body of Dragon FireWyrm lying on his side, surrounded by most of the members of the clan. Wanderer and Scorpion stood on either side of him, both looked outright worried. Twilight, meanwhile, was standing on his chest, deep in concentration, her horn glowing brightly. Caretaker was next to Dragon FireWyrm’s head, her claws hovering over it and glowing a light blue. I found that a bit odd, as so far, I had not yet seen any visible dragon magic. The only one of the clan I couldn’t see was DragonWyrm Heart, but, considering his size, it was possible that he was on the other side of Dragon FireWyrm’s huge frame.

“I see that. Twilight, redirect three more magijoules from his extremities to his heart!” Caretaker ordered.

Three Magijoules!? That much mana would cause a heartattack! “What the fuck are you doing!?“ I pressed forward, trying to get through the mass of dragon salces to get to Dragon FireWyrm and Twilight, to stop her. “You are going to kill him!”

“Twilight, remove Magic Dowser, now.” Caretaker snapped, as Scorpion and Wanderer closed ranks, preventing me from getting to either Twilight or Dragon FireWyrm.

“Don’t you dare! I…”

“The weapons are out of power.” DragonWyrm Heart’s voice yelled out. Weapons?! Why would they use weapons?

“Damn it…” Caretaker cursed, and that was the last thing I heard before my world momentarily flashed white from a teleportation spell.

I blinked quickly to get the spots out of my eyes, and, as soon as I did, I twirled upon Twilight, furious. Dragon FireWyrm was in trouble and I could help, but I got kicked out of the library right at what seemed to be the most crucial moment. I tried to teleport, but there was a barrier of some type over the library.

“WHAT THE FUCK!?” I roared. “LET ME BACK IN! Dragon FireWyrm NEEDS ME!”

“Dragon FireWyrm is suffering from severe mental strain and a massive influx and loss of mana… As it is, he may still not survive, and if you want him to survive, you need to stand back.” Twilight snapped, shoving a hoof into my chest. I so wished I had claws like Ruby, so I could give her the middle claw. “Now, if you will excuse me, I need to return and help Caretaker.”

Twilight flashed away, leaving me screaming angrily like a possessed banshee and slamming against the now closed library doors. If DragonWyrm Heart thought that a pair of closed doors and a barrier were going to stop me, he was mistaken. Unlike last time, when he slammed me into the den wall, I wasn’t handicapped by a paralyzing spell.

I tried to teleport again, but whatever barrier was upon the library was still there. I scanned it to see if there was some weakness I could exploit. The problem was that it was clearly dragon based. I didn’t know enough about dragon magic yet to figure out its subtleties, so that meant I was going to have to be blunt in trying to bring down the barrier.

I started off by trying to destroy the barrier with a high powered offensive magic beam, hoping it would overwhelm it. Not the most eloquent of ways, but it would have to do, as I didn’t have time to figure out a more subtle and less likely to be counterable approach. Suddenly, I could see and feel a surge of mana building along the barrier. It was clear that a feedback loop was imminent. As I tried to break off my magic beam, I found that I could not. I desperately tried several ways to sever my connection, but all of them failed. Within moments, I was flung back by a massive explosion.

As I came to, I quickly shook myself off to try again, this time with a different approach. A continuous magic beam would most likely activate the feedback loop again, so this time, I decided to try using the feedback loop to my advantage by hopefully tricking it into feedbacking in on itself. I built up a mana surge to the upper limits of my control. I could feel and see my horn heating and sparking up as I did.

Once I was to the point of near loss of control, I unleashed several large orbs of mana at the barrier. As I had hoped, a feedback loop did occur, and a crack formed on the barrier. I was about to use my magic to wedge the crack open, when an arc of mana lightning bolted from the barrier and hit me right in the horn, knocking me back yet again.

“I wouldn't try that again, if I were you.” An amused voice, mostly likely from a dragon, called out from behind me as I worked to get the built up static out of my horn. “DragonWyrm Heart will not take lightly to you entering the Library uninvited, and when the outer doors are closed, the library, and thus his hoard, is closed, unless you are invited in.”

“I have no plans on taking anything from his library, and his ‘hoard’ could fucking burn to the ground for all I care!” I turned to face whomever was bothering me. When I did, I nearly had to turn away. There, standing nearby, was a large brilliant orange blob of a dragon. The only part of him that didn’t cause me a headache were his eyes, which happened to also be the only part that I could distinguish from the rest.

“Magic Dowser! What has gotten into you now?” The voice of Minty echoed out. I looked around, a bit confused as I couldn’t see her anywhere. “Threat of property destruction is not like you.”

The orange dragon blob’s head turned away from me, as if he was looking behind him. I couldn’t be sure. “Minty, do you need help getting down?”

“No, I’m good.”

I stepped to the side of the dragon to see that Minty was making her way down the dragon’s back. Normally, she hated being treated like a dainty flower, although, in this case… “Minty… are you sure…”

“Yeah…” Minty grunted as she continued to make her way down, “just have to take it slow…”

I immediately backed away. It was clear that she didn’t want to be helped in this case, just as I had thought. It didn’t take long before Minty had finished making her way down, and jumped the last few hooves to the cobblestone street.

“Now,” The orange dragon asked once Minty was safely on the ground, “tell me, why are you trying to incur DragonWyrm Heart’s wrath?”

“None of your fucking business.” I sneered. I wasn’t afraid of some random dragon strutting his supposed superiority over me.

“I am Windjammer, Secondclaw of the Southern Isles Clan,” The orange dragon growled, shoving his large snout right into my face. “Our clans are hatchmates to each other, and, if you think I will allow you to try and burn my friend’s priceless hoard to the ground, you have another thing coming! You will be nothing but soup before you have a chance to fire another magic beam! None of my fucking business, ha!”

As I glared death at the orange dragon, I wished I had been born with heat vision so I could melt that smug look of his. Dragon FireWyrm is my brother, and I hurt him. I’m not stupid. I can put two and two together. Dragon FireWyrm pulls me into his dream and then I awaken to him… dying… At that thought, my facade cracked, and I lowered my head in shame. “I went to DragonWyrm Heart to get answers about wyrms and Dragon FireWyrm… he was hurt… somehow… mental strain and mana drain or something… Because he pulled me into a dream so that ‘The Voice’ uh... could manifest in our dream or something like that… my request and I… I… killed him! If I… I killed him… I wanted answers not death!!!”

Minty pulled me into a hug and stopped my ranting dead in its tracks. I sobbed into her shoulder for some time.

“Wait.” I heard Windjammer exclaim in shock over the sounds of my sobbing. “The Voice manifested himself to you?! How?! But… no… You know what, I don’t need to know. ‘That’s impossible’ is par for the course when it comes to DragonWyrms, and even more so for Dragon FireWyrm than DragonWyrm Heart…”

“What exactly are DragonWyrms?” Minty questioned, stroking me as I slowly began to calm down. “I remember DragonWyrm Heart said something about it before, when he was explaining dragon names and titles…”

“They act as a bridge...” I muttered before Windjammer could answer.

“How the hell do you know that?” Windjammer exclaimed in surprise.

“I didn't, I just guessed.” I shrugged, sniffing a bit as I began to feel better enough to pull away from Minty.

The dragon's eyes narrowed. It was clear that he was scrutinizing me. Probably to see if I’m lying or hiding something. Even though I wasn’t lying about the guessing part, I was not interested in explaining how I could have guessed so correctly. A good chunk of the conversation I had with Ruby slash The Voice was private, and I wished to keep even the parts that weren’t private that way, so that I don’t let things slip that were not to be slipped. I suspect that more than just Ruby’s Hoard Name was given to me in confidence, and I don’t know enough about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable to discuss anything with anyone.

“Fair enough.” Windjammer said after a few minutes, much to my relief. “And it does explain why Scorpion handed Minty off to me while in a blind panic... and I get that you feel responsible for whatever happened... But raging against DragonWyrm Heart’s hoard ward is not going to help Dragon FireWyrm. Caretaker is one of the finest dragon physicians since Scorpan the Hermit. If anyone can save Dragon FireWyrm, it’s her, but she won’t be able to while you rage and butt in. Trust the clan, trust Caretaker.”

“As much as I know you don’t want to hear this, Windjammer is right…”

“Et tu Minty?!”

“Dowser…” Minty shook her head. “I know this sounds cold, but a healer needs a cool head when treating a patient, especially when the accuracy and speed of every decision is a matter of life or death. There was a reason I was not allowed to help treat you, that one time when you had severe mana exhaustion.”

I wanted to protest, but the stern look killed it. She was right, as much as I wanted it to be otherwise. I just felt so guilty that Dragon FireWyrm was hurt by me… If I hadn’t been so selfish...so overprotective. Ruby was right; she was old enough, and strong enough, to take care of herself. And instead of being supportive… I...

“I think I’d rather be alone right now.” I muttered, no longer wanting to look Minty in her eyes. “I won’t try and force my way into the library… I’ll just wait out here until… you know…”

Minty looked like she was to object, and almost did, but closed her mouth. She hesitated a moment longer before turning around and slowly walking off, with Windjammer close behind. Once they were out of sight, I collapsed, crying.

“Mag… ….ser”

“...ake up…”

“Huh wha?” I groggily mumbled as I woke up. I think I must have bit my tongue in my sleep, as my mouth had a metallic taste in it. My jaw was also aching a bit, so I wouldn't be surprised if I had been grinding my teeth, as well. I looked around, and realized that I had fallen asleep next to the library’s main doors. I looked up to see that the yellow and pink scaled dragon mate of Wanderer, Caretaker, was looking down at me.

“Good, you are awake.”

“What do you want, Caretaker?” I grumbled before I yawned and stretched. I groaned in pleasure and slight pain, as I could feel and hear my spine popping. Cobblestone was admittedly not the best of bedding material, if my back was any indication.

“I’m here to escort you to the forge.” Caretaker explained as she motioned for me to follow her.

“The forge?” I looked over to see that the library doors were closed, and the wards, as far as I could tell, were still there. I was not terribly surprised about that, but why would she need to escort me to the forge? I needed to get to Dragon FireWyrm, and the last time I saw him, he was in the room down the central hallway.

“The Library is not the best place for Dragon FireWyrm, so we moved him once he was stable, to someplace more suitable.”

“Is… is he? Will… he?” I asked as I quickened to a trot to catch up to Caretaker, who had not waited for me to follow. Why would they have moved him to a forge? I could see moving him to a makeshift infirmary…but a forge? That was not exactly a logical place for an injured anything to be… or maybe it was where he lived, nested, slept, and they put him there to die in familiar surroundings… I shook my head in a feeble attempt to clear my mind. I didn’t want to...

“He’ll recover, though he will be quite weak for a few days.” Caretaker stopped, then stared down at me, a look of sadness on her snout. “Look, I must apologize for having Twilight kick you out of the library, but Dragon FireWyrm was near death from the combined mana drain and the mental strain from keeping The Voice manifested as long as he did. I couldn’t have a panicking pony distracting me while I worked to save him.”

“But… mana exhaustion is usually not remotely fatal…”

“For most who are healthy, mana drain isn’t fatal, unless the drain is explosive or done incorrectly. The exception is dragons; more so for Dragon FireWyrm, because of what he is, or, more accurately, was…”

“You mean being a DragonWyrm?”

“No…” Caretaker paused a moment and looked up, like she was trying to come up with an answer, “something similar, but not the same…”

Okay… Don’t tell me. I sarcastically rolled my eyes as Caretaker resumed walking without explaining anything further.

“It’s not my place to explain what Dragon FireWyrm was…” Caretaker finally said something, after a few moments. Am I that easy to read, or are these dragons mindreaders? “We all have the right to our secrets, afterall…”

Then quit baiting me… I thought bitterly.

“We are here.” Caretaker stopped in front of a building.

The building was long a rectangular box with unremarkable features, besides the standard colorful geometric designs painted on its side and metal etched strip. It reminded me of a warehouse, which I thought was unusual for a forge, as I would have expected a bit more of an airy design. I continued to examine the building a bit more, as I didn’t want to go in and face Dragon FireWyrm just yet, and, as I did so, something above the door caught my attention.

Is that large a metal bird’s nest embedded in the wall above the door? I wondered. That was something of an unexpected flourish. Why a bird’s nest? It didn't seem to fit into the geometric theme of Hourglass.

I turned my attention away from the bird’s nest, and towards the inside. I could see a yellow orange glow coming from what I could only assume was the forge itself. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel any of the heat that I would expect to come from the open doors.

“This is Quartermaster and She of Hourglass’ forge. It was the only place big enough and quiet enough that was set up to be able to house a dragon of Dragon FireWyrm’s size while he is recovering.” Caretaker walked inside, gesturing for me to follow. “Come inside; Quartermaster and She of Hourglass won’t mind. Just don’t touch anything.”

The forge was darker than I thought as we stepped in. Once my eyes adjusted, I could see the regular blacksmithing implements near the lit forge, as well as various miscellaneous odds and ends of who knew what. No Dragon FireWyrm though, but the forge was towards the front, and the building was quite large, so he could be in the back.

“Can you see well enough to move now?” Caretaker questioned after a few moments.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“The metal strips that run along the side of every building are based on designs that She of Hourglass made. You can see stacks of their originals here.” Caretaker explained as we walked further into the forge and towards the back. I could see the glint of the metal siding, even in the low light provided by the forge and open door.

Past all that was a large metal nest, not dissimilar to the one over the forge doors. Well that explains that… As I got to the nest, I realized that I had a problem. Okay, how do I get up? I could teleport up, but I didn’t know how wide the lip of this nest was, nor how deep it was.

Luckily, Caretaker noticed my hesitation, and held out a paw for me to climb onto. As she lifted me up, I could see into the nest itself. The bottom of the nest had a layer of gems and coins, along with Dragon FireWyrm and Ruby. I quickly jumped down off of Caretaker’s paw, as soon as it was safe for me to do so.

Ruby was spooning Dragon FireWyrm, or as much of him as her much slimmer frame could hold. Dragon FireWyrm himself appeared to be sleeping, but, as I got closer, his two toned eyes slowly opened. I knew he was big, but I didn’t realize until now just how big he really was. Each of his eyes alone dwarfed me, and his eyes, like Ruby’s, were smaller and beadier in comparison to other dragons’… probably a wyrm trait of some type. Ruby’s scales had dulled like Dragon FireWyrm’s when she mated and became a wyrm. No dragon that I had seen so far had dulled scales; every dragon had scales that were like polished gems.

Though Dragon FireWyrm appeared quite tired, he did seem happy to see me, as I could hear a rumbling purr coming from him. I don’t know why he was happy to see me; he shouldn’t be so happy. I nearly got him killed because I just couldn’t let go of Ruby...

“I’m sorry… brother…” I gasped out as I started to cry, once again.

The rumbling purr stopped a second, then returned so strong that the gems below the dragons began to tinkle loudly, and I could also feel the vibration through my hooves. I looked up at Dragon FireWyrm, and when my eyes locked with his, something happened that defied all description.

As my eyes locked onto Dragon FireWyrm’s, they sucked me in, and all I could see and feel was the joy in the orbs of fire before me. The joy was the joy of having a loving brother who would do anything for my health and happiness… Nothing could change it, and all the pain and hurt that I had been under was now as ash in a breeze.

What… What just happened? I thought as whatever Dragon FireWyrm just did ended, and he blinked and shifted his gaze away from me.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't get my answer from Dragon FireWyrm, as he fell back into unconsciousness. My mood, which had inexplicably risen when our eyes locked, fell once again, as fresh guilt came over me. Ruby rumbled in concern and started to lick me, to my mild irritation. I knew that she was trying to help, but all I could think was, Why would my sister try to help me, when I keep hurting her mate…my brother…?

It was then that I noticed something on Dragon FireWyrm’s neck, something that I had missed before. There on his neck were three long, deep linear scars that went clear across his neck. At first, I thought that maybe he had received the scars from a fight, but the scars were too clean and long. He had to have been standing still or incapacitated. Someone, or several someones, had tried and failed to kill him...

“Caretaker, how did he get those?”

Caretaker walked over and slowly touched and stroked along the middle scar. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she was doing it lovingly. Are all dragons sadistic?! “Scars have meaning to dragons, Magic Dowser, either to others, or just to the dragon him or herself… this one… is precious to him and... myself...”

“To become hatchmates, to become siblings with a wyrm...” Caretaker whispered, still caressing the scar, “One has to slit the throat, as if they were trying to kill the wyrm, without…”

As Caretaker admitted this, I seethed in fury. How dare she try and kill my brother, and be pleased about doing it!? “YOU TRIED TO KILL MY BROTHER!?!”

“Magic Dowser, please calm down.” Caretaker flew up and back to get away from me, but I was not going to let her get away that easily, so I teleported up to the lip of the nest.

“CALM DOWN!?” I roared out. “YOU TRIED TO KILL HIM! HOW CAN I BE CALM!? I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”

I was about to unleash my anger against Caretaker, when my mana was suddenly and painfully cut off. I looked up to see that Dragon FireWyrm had short circuited my magic by touching the end of my horn with the tip of his claw. In shock, I fell on my haunches, a single, unspoken word on my lips. Why?!

Brother, stop. I wanted her. She wanted me. Only way.

“I don’t understand.” I whispered out, confused and hurt. Why would Dragon FireWyrm, my brother, allow someone like her near him, after what she did? And what did he mean by ‘I wanted her. She wanted me’? “Why!?”

“Actions, Magic Dowser, actions.” Caretaker sighed. “Words mean nothing to a wyrm. It’s a ‘Do I really mean what I say?’ kind of thing... The bond between loving siblings is one of complete trust, complete faith, and, if necessary, complete sacrifice...”

“To become hatchmates with a wyrm… Do you know what type of faith and trust between two dragons there has to be to be able to do so? One has to allow someone else to slit your throat, and potentially kill you, while the other has to slit the throat in such a way as to almost kill, but yet not kill. The margin is razor thin... All of this, to become hatchmates. To become literally family, in every sense of the word.”

“But… I... he…”

“Dragons are greedy, Magic Dowser. We hoard what we greed after, and we will always want a bigger, better hoard. Dragon FireWyrm’s hoard is family… the ultimate expression of family is being hatchmates…”

“So then...” I gulped, trying to not intricately hold a hoof to my own throat, “Ruby will have to slash Dragon FireWyrm’s throat, or vice versa?”

“No… Your sister and Dragon FireWyrm’s souls are mixed together, as mates… In essence, they are one spirit in two bodies. Nothing, not even death, can separate their souls. There is no need for them to be hatchmates; how can one be hatchmates with oneself?”

“This is so confusing…” I rubbed my head, trying to ease a building headache. Why can’t anything dragon be simple for once?!

“Would you like me to stay, or would you prefer some time alone?” Caretaker asked after a moment of silence.

I blinked in surprise. That was not a response I would expect from a medic slash nurse slash doctor slash whatever Caretaker was, dealing with a patient suffering from mental and mana exhaustion. Usually, they only allow very short, supervised visits, going by the few times that I suffered from it, most of them stemming from trying to fix or mask my scars. Though, from what I’d seen, it could just mean that dragons were made of sterner stuff. Not sure completely, though, as Ruby had never had that issue, given that she had never used her flame, except accidentally, and she couldn't use magic. “How come you are not pushing me out of here, to give your patient rest?”

“And get between a dragon and his hoard?” Caretaker giggled like I said something amusing, before turning creepily dead serious. “What happened to the dragons that died in the arena would be light in comparison. Besides, having you close will aid in his recovery.”

Fair enough. I thought. You’re the whatever afterall.

Caretaker clapped her paws together and walked out before I even gave her an answer. “I’ll be in the other room, if you need me.” Mindreaders… all of them...

“Dragons and/or your family is weird, brother…” I commented as Caretaker left.

Prey weird. Dragon FireWyrm countered.

I laughed. I suppose that to dragons, ponies would be weird… though, now that I thought about it, ponies thought my family was weird. ‘A dragon as a sister!?’ I lost count of how many ponies had mistaken Ruby for a pet… It got to be so common that I had to learn not to rage about it every time a pony ignorantly (and usually innocently) thought Ruby was a pet, and not a sister.

And Dragon FireWyrm… I would be lying if I said that it wasn’t true that I would have been hesitant about calling Dragon FireWyrm brother, even after he healed my scars. A friend, sure, but not a brother. But then, he never forced Ruby into mating with him. During the entire conversation between him and Ruby, as far as I could tell, he never begged or pleaded. And with the book, and subsequent meeting with The Voice…I’m not an idiot... I am a pony, not a dragon, and, even if I knew everything about dragons, I would never be able to help her as well as a fellow dragon.

Then, to risk life itself, just so that I could get some answers, some peace over the loss of a part of Ruby that, to him, was of little consequence…

“The bond between loving siblings is one of complete trust, complete faith, and, if necessary, complete sacrifice...”

“Actions, Magic Dowser, actions. Words mean nothing to a wyrm.”

“Scars can mean a lot to a dragon.”

“Scars, Magic Dowser, have meaning to dragons, either to others, or to just the dragon him or herself… this one… is precious to him and... myself.”

“Dragon FireWyrm.” I locked eyes with Dragon FireWyrm, mentally forcing my body to relax. “Do it.”

I didn't feel the actual swipe, but I could hear Ruby’s cries of distress, and see a wall of yellow fill my vision, as I lost consciousness from the blood loss.

A Sign of Coming Darkness

ബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐ

Gently Soaring Skies tiredly walked into the Council Chambers, her pink head spines drooping more than usual. The migration stop at her home of Hourglass had been unusually tiresome for her. The mating fight that killed nine dragons and gravely injured three was hard. It had taken all of her skill to save those three. As it was, one would be lucky if he would ever be able to fly again. Then, she had to deal with the back-to-back near-death injuries of Dragon FireWyrm, followed by Magic Dowser. That didn’t count History Seeker’s death…

Inside, Gently Soaring Skies could see Eternal Beats, Dragon FireWyrm, She of Hourglass, and her mate, Soaring Skies, all in a circle around the communication array. DragonWyrm Heart was nowhere in sight, which was much to her surprise, as he was the one that called the meeting, and she figured that she was going to be the last one inside.

Gently Soaring Skies walked slowly towards Soaring Skies and leaned into her mate, who pulled her in close so she could lean against him.

“You okay?” He asked as he nuzzled her affectionately.

“Yeah,” Gently Soaring Skies sighed wearily, “just really tired…”

Soaring Skies sighed in turn; he understood why his mate would be so tired. He glanced over at Dragon FireWyrm to see that he was still quite tired, though, from the looks of it, he was starting to recover from his near-death episode, and a bit faster than expected.

“How is Magic Dowser?”

“In a magically induced coma... He nearly lost too much blood…. Another second... A pony’s neck is not meant to be slashed… If he had warned me…”

“He probably thought you would have stopped it…”

The door to the Council Chambers opened once again, silencing the conversation. DragonWyrm Heart quickly walked in and closed the door behind him, adding a sealing ward to prevent further entry and eavesdropping. Not that he expected any, but he wanted to be safe, nonetheless. He sighed heavily as he joined the rest of the clan.

“Okay, now that we are all here, what is going on, DragonWyrm Heart?” Soaring Skies questioned as he eyed DragonWyrm Heart. Something was not right about his firstclaw, more than just tiredness… Hopefully the meeting would enlighten him on the reason. “I would have expected a clan meeting in two days, at the end of the Migration week here in Hourglass, unless...”

Soaring Skies slowly looked over at She of Hourglass, who was leaning against a now sleeping Dragon FireWyrm. The other clan members followed his gaze. None of them knew her Hoard Name, which was normal for females who join a clan by mating, as they don’t Choose in the normal sense of shouting. Usually, though, the female would reveal it at the soonest opportune time. Or, at least, it was expected. She of Hourglass had had several opportunities the past few days, but chose to not take them.

She of Hourglass… are you.. Um... that is… Eternal Beats fumbled as he tried to find the right words to question his clanmate, ones that wouldn’t come off as accusatory.

Glittery Soul Fire. Prey Brother first. Glittery Soul Fire answered, nuzzling Dragon FireWyrm awake.

Forgive me but I don’t see how you could have related the word ‘soul’ to Magic Dowser. Eternal Beats commented.

Did not. The Voice told. Glittery Soul Fire explained, still nuzzling Dragon FireWyrm, who was now awake, and nuzzling back.

That shocked the entire clan, minus Dragon FireWyrm. Glittery Soul Fire was picking up on Dragon FireWyrm’s proclivity to doing things, or having things happen, that should be impossible. They were aware that Magic Dowser had been visited by The Voice, but that The Voice, and not Glittery Soul Fire, would reveal her name, and that she had been delaying telling them becuase she wanted to tell Magic Dowser first. If there was any question to Glittery Soul Fire’s thoughts on Magic Dowser, it died right then and there.

“That is just fucking crazy!” Soaring Skies ranted. “This clan is filled with crazy impossible dragons!”

Come on, admit it. Eternal Beats teased in a sultry manner, eliciting a giggle from Gently Soaring Skies You love it…

“Fuck yeah…” Soaring Skies snorted in mild amusement, “but I don’t love the headaches! Now Firstclaw, are you going to tell us the real reason for this clan meeting, because I don’t think it was just to get Glittery Soul Fire’s name… Nice, by the way, I was wondering if it would reflect DragonWyrm Fire’s original hoard name, or his current one… Eternal Beats, you owe me a rainbow gem.”

Eternal Beats grumbled in annoyance at losing the bet, making a mental note to give Soaring Skies a ‘special’ rainbow gem in retaliation.

DragonWyrm Heart rolled his eyes. There were more important matters to discuss than who won a silly bet. “The Element of Magic has chosen a new bearer: Magic Dowser.”

“Well, duh.” Soaring Skies and Eternal Beats snarked in unison. Thier expression fell a notch when both felt DragonWyrm Heart and Dragon FireWyrm staring at them.

“The manner in which it became official is the issue…” DragonWyrm Heart sat down on his haunches and crossed his forelegs. “I spontaneously uttered in Draconic that he was the Bearer of Magic.”

What was left of Eternal Beats’ and Soaring Skies’ chipper mood instantly evaporated. Both what Firstclaw had said, and the way he said it, were chilling. Memories of the Keeper War, long since put in the back of their minds, rushed forward.

“Should we be preparing for anything, then?” Soaring Skies questioned, hoping that it was going to be nothing.

“It may mean nothing, or it may mean everything…” DragonWyrm Heart shrugged, also unsure; having new bearers for the Elements of Harmony was nothing to panic over just yet. There had been a few times in the years after the mane six bore them, that a single bearer manifested, after which nothing major happened. Though, from what he could recall, none were Bearers of the Element of Magic… Of course, it went without saying that if all six got new bearers, then it would definitely be cause for alarm. “Too soon to tell… for now.”

“And what of Twilight and Phoenix Wave?” Gently Soaring Skies wondered. She knew that both, especially Twilight, would want to know. “Shouldn’t we tell them?”

“No, not yet.” DragonWyrm Heart shook his head.

“Are you sure?” Soaring Skies pressed. He didn’t want his firstclaw repeating the mistakes that he had made with Glittery Soul Fire again, with Twilight and Phoenix Wave.

“Soaring Skies, you spend way too much time in the clouds…” DragonWyrm Heart pinched his brow.

“Hey!” Soaring Skies growled in annoyance. Just what he needed, a heavily overused play on his name and hoard. Managing the Migration was complex and detail oriented. An ‘airhead’ could never have managed it for a week, much less the two millennia that he had.

“How else would you have forgotten when the first post-Equestria bearer manifested? Now add the fact that Magic Dowser really is the Element of Magic’s bearer…”

Soaring Skies, along with the entire clan, minus Glittery Soul Fire, shuddered violently. That was not something he would wish on anyone, and, if it really was nothing, then there was no reason for Magic Dowser to be subjected to crazy Twilight. “Good point… And Phoenix Wave?”

“I need him to be focusing on his guarding duties, not worrying about his homeland.”

Soaring Skies blinked and tilted his head. Why would Phoenix Wave need to focus on guarding duties unless... “Are… Are you saying that you are actually taking up my offer, after being hounded for sixty years?!”

“Of course…” DragonWyrm Heart grinned. “The only reason I remained here was so I could be nearby, to be of help and keep an eye on Glittery Soul Fire… A load of good I was… but now that she’s an adult, and a clanmate, there is no reason to have to stay behind… besides, it will get Merc and Windjammer off my back about never coming and visiting the Southern Isles. ‘Where naked mermaids bask underneath a tropical sun, upon sandy white beaches.’’”

“I believe it was Soaring Skies, not the First and Second Claws of the Southern Isles clan, that said that. I swear there are days...” Gently Soaring Skies rolled her eyes. The claws of the Southern Isles were not ones to make sexual jokes; her mate, on the other claw...

“Well, I was trying to get our Firstclaw to at least try and find a mate, which is way easier out on the Migration, than just sitting here in the middle of the female dragon wasteland that is Hourglass.” Soaring Skies facepalmed.

“Yeah, but without a wyrm half, I don’t know if I will ever be able to find one…” DragonWyrm Heart sighed, “Much less be able to mate…”

Says the dragon that became a first growth adult dragon…after losing his wyrm half. Eternal Beats noted.

“True…”

“Then quit yah worrying, you warty old toad!” Soaring Skies slapped DragonWyrm Heart’s back. “Now that Dragon FireWyrm here has his own squeeze, he won't be distracted… maybe… in finding you a mate…”

“Soaring Skies, man,” DragonWyrm Heart facepalmed, “don’t wind up Dragon FireWyrm until he has time to recover! Sheesh!”

Wait, back up. Eternal Beats held out a claw, wanting to move the conversation back to a more productive topic. Usually, he wouldn’t mind Soaring Skies’ joking around, but, one, he agreed with DragonWyrm Heart. The still weakened Dragon FireWyrm needed more rest before getting wound up. Two, it was setting off his own instinctual itch to find a mate, and though he had no qualms scratching that itch he had other things that he needed to be focusing on first. Why would Phoenix Wave need to focus on his guarding duties? Dragon FireWyrm and I could easily watch your hoard, just like we did when you Slumbered...

“I would like the entire clan to go…” DragonWyrm Heart explained. “One, Eternal Beats, I’m sure you would like a mate, and it’s the easiest way. Two, I would like the opportunity to go, now that I don’t have any pressing obligations. Finally, whether or not a new Bearer of Magic is a precursor to problems local, global, or otherwise, this clan needs to be larger than it is… Hourglass is just too... empty…”

“We would need nearly a hundred dragons to…” Soaring Skies shook his head in disbelief. “No, I don’t see you or Dragon FireWyrm wanting that many…”

“No…” DragonWyrm Heart chuckled as he agreed, but his expression quickly fell. “I don’t, but even if I and Eternal Beats had mates, that leaves six… I have no idea how… you two managed for two thousand years.”

DragonWyrm Heart…Eternal Beats growled in irritation. The entire meeting, DragonWyrm Heart’s soul song had been somber, and he was sure that it had been that way for sometime. Whether it was over Glittery Soul Fire, something else, or both, he didn’t know, and didn’t care; it needed to stop. Can you please stop being depressed?! I can’t stand your soul song being that way, anymore.

“Sorry, Eternal Beats…” DragonWyrm Heart apologized weakly. Eternal Beats raised an eyebrow at the apology, but said nothing. DragonWyrm Heart knew that he had only pacified Eternal Beats for a short while. He would need to end the meeting soon. Luckily, he had only one last thing to address. “I’ll work on it. Anyways, back to the whole clan going on the Migration… Glittery Soul Fire, I know that you are not comfortable around others, so I will not force you to come. But, as you know, Dragon FireWyrm, as the secondclaw, has to come...”

Where mate go, I go.

“Okay, then,” DragonWyrm Heart clapped his forepaws, happy to know that he would get to spend some time with the whole clan, especially with Glittery Soul Fire, as he knew that their relationship would need some work. “It’s settled. Eternal Beats, prepare your hoard as if you are going into Slumber. Phoenix Wave, and maybe Twilight, will remain behind to guard our hoards.”

With that, the dragons dispersed back into Hourglass. Dragon FireWyrm and his mate, Glittery Soul Fire, headed to the forge so that Dragon FireWyrm could rest, while DragonWyrm Heart and Eternal Beats headed to their hoards to prepare them for their absence. Finally, Gently Soaring Skies headed off to check up on Magic Dowser, and Soaring Skies went back to managing the Migration.

ബഐബഐബഐ Magic Dowser ബഐബഐബഐ

I slowly opened my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar place. I had expected to wake up either in the nest in the back of the forge, or in the Pasturelands. This was clearly neither. Plain white walls, and an extremely high ceiling, greeted me. A curtain surrounded the bed I was in. If I didn’t know better, I’d say I was in a hospital. The sounds of the curtain parting caught my attention.

“Ah, good, you have awakened.” Caretaker greeted me as she walked through the opening in the curtain.

“Where…” I croaked out weakly. I must have been out for a while, to have my throat so parched.

“Easy, easy,” Caretaker admonished gently, pushing me back onto the bed and holding out a glass of water with a straw in it. “Drink first.”

“Where am I?” I said after taking several wonderful, soothing sips of water.

“The infirmary next to the stadium.” Caretaker explained as she put the water down on a table, next to the bed.

I was right, I was in a hospital, but why did they take Dragon FireWyrm to the forge, instead of here? Also, why the curtains? I didn’t take the dragons as needing privacy for anything. Having seen waaay too many dragons having sex in the open, and not caring while perverts watched… Maybe they erected it just for me… but why so high?

The biggest question I had, though, was, why was I in an infirmary? The last thing I remembered before waking up was being in the forge with Dragon FireWyrm and Ruby...

Suddenly, everything came back to me, and I remembered why I would be in an infirmary. With a shaky hoof, I touched my neck. I felt a linear, and very tender, scar across my neck. I couldn’t say for sure without a mirror, but, judging from the amount of fur I could feel, the scar should be just barely visible.

“Congrats, Dragonbrother, you and Dragon FireWyrm are hatchmates…”

“My name is Magic Dowser…” I growled out in irritation. What was it, with dragons and being two faced with everything?

“Get used to it, Magic Dowser, Dragonbrother. For one, the title is one of high respect and honor... I could have warned you of the consequences, but something tells me that it would not have deterred you in the slightest...”

Caretaker was right, nothing she could have said would have stopped me.

“Minty,“ Caretaker called out, “he is awake.”

Minty came running in, and I cringed at how terrible she looked. Understandably so, as I had nearly died. Caretaker stepped back to allow Minty full access to me, and she rushed to my side, looking me over. She was particularly interested in my neck injury, given that she was moving my head around, presumably to get a good look at it.

I thought that she was done when she let go of my neck, letting me move my head back into a more comfortable position. What I didn’t expect was my head being slammed backwards and to the side. I knew from the my stinging cheek that Minty had slapped me with her hoof, hard.

“What were you thinking!? You could have died!” Minty yelled at me, tears flowing from her bloodshot eyes.

“He was thinking about becoming hatch…”

“I was asking him!” Minty snapped at Caretaker, who, to her credit, didn’t flinch.

“He wanted Dragon FireWyrm as a true brother, and he will do it one more time.”

Both Minty and I turned to stare at Caretaker. I was looking at her in shock, but Minty had one of murder. I had to suppress a shudder from it. I was so glad I wasn’t on the receiving end of it. Caretaker didn’t seem to be affected by the glare, probably because she knew she was right.

“Minty…” I tried to get her attention, but, for some reason, she didn’t hear me. I shifted to a sitting position and lightly touched her. “Minty!”

“What!” Minty snapped, spinning back to face me, and half startling me. She almost immediately cringed when she apparently realized that she had yelled at me. “What?”

“Caretaker… Caretaker is right…”

“Why!?” Minty finally spouted, after a few moments of shock. “Why would do this to yourself, not once, but twice!?”

“I wasn’t trying to kill myself…” I caressed Minty’s cheek, wiping a few of her tears away. “And I didn’t slash my throat, my hatchmate did…”

“Your... hatchmate…” Minty slowly questioned, her eyebrow raised in disbelief.

“It was the only way to become hatchmates, to be bonded as family… The slashing is some sort of dragon magic catalyst, I guess.”

Caretaker nodded at my correct assumption. Luckily, Minty didn’t see the subtle nod.

“But, why?”

“Because Dragon FireWyrm will do anything for my sister, Ruby, and has nearly died to give me a bit of closure… This scar is the sign of the bond that we share, the trust we share, and what we are willing to do for each other… He didn’t have to heal me of my burn scars, and yet he did… he didn’t have to risk dying just to give me some closure over Ruby, yet he did. I trust him to be there when I can’t be... When it comes to Dragon FireWyrm and Ruby…I would do anything... Anything... We are family afterall...”

Minty blinked a few times. I saw her hoof come up a second time, and I waited for it to connect like I knew it would. I did deserve it, after all. I resisted the urge to rub my face from the second slap. “That is for scaring me again and this is for being a loving brother.”

I was surprised by the kiss, but it wasn’t long before I leaned into it and kissed back. My face flushed hot with embarrassment when I heard a giggle, and realized that Caretaker was still there. Both Minty and I turned to see that Caretaker was already making a hasty retreat, still giggling. “I’ll give you two lovebirds some privacy.”

“Now…” I gently pulled Minty back to face me, “about that kiss...”

Recovery [Edited]

ബഐബഐബഐ Magic Dowser ബഐബഐബഐ

“Okay, you are free to go.” Caretaker finally backed away after examining me for the past few minutes. Or, at least, I think she was. She had used no instruments and, unlike when Dragon FireWyrm was passed out in the library, there was no visible blue mana glow. Though, given the large amount of mana flow, it was possible that dragon magic’s usually invisible aura was overcome by mana saturation.

“That much blood loss...” Minty paled and shuddered. “It’s been barely twenty-four hours. Shouldn’t he rest more?”

“Nah, when I placed him in a coma, I also casted a blood replenishing spell.”

“Then why didn’t you use such a spell to help Dragon FireWyrm?”

“Magic is not a cure all...” Caretaker answered, her gaze turned upward and away, most likely in the direction of the forge. “Mana loss is not the same as blood loss. Also, the mental strain was the equivalent of being up for, oh, about seventy-two hours or more. Rest is the best cure for both.”

I slowly pulled myself to the edge of the bed and slid down. I felt fine, but I knew what it was like to be in a hospital bed for a while. I made a few cautious steps with Minty next to me, ready to help if I faltered. Luckily, I didn’t, though I did think about ‘tripping’ to get some more sympathy and maybe a kiss, but I knew Minty would see through my deception.

“Oh, before I forget.” Caretaker stopped and turned to face me just as we were about to leave the infirmary.

“What is this?” I asked as I was handed a scroll with what appeared to be a spell of sorts. It was of similar design to what was in the council building. It was a pony spell, from what I could gather… just like the spell in the council building... but I knew of no pony spell written in this fashion… even the really old stuff, except for the ones here...

“A healing spell. It’s better if you are the one to heal yourself, when doing the hatchmate ritual.” Caretaker explained.

I raised an eyebrow at this. I had done quite a bit of research into healing spells, after all, and this spell was a very haphazard healing spell. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember any of the ones I researched enough to be able to cast them without… problems. I knew Caretaker could do better than this, so why would she give me a subpar spell?

“Is this the best you got!?”

“Tell me, Dragonbrother,” Caretaker stopped walking momentarily and gestured to my neck. “How did you get that scar?”

I blinked, opened and shut my mouth a few times before groaning. In my rush to assess the spell, I had momentarily forgotten why I needed a ‘haphazardly’ constructed healing spell in the first place. At least Caretaker didn’t gloat or rub it in… yet.

“The truth is, I have several spells that could be used. All of which would have healed you with minimal to no scarring…”

“But it would leave the whole process moot.” I finished for Caretaker, silently berating myself.

“You’re learning, Dragonbrother.”

“Learn what?” I snorted. “You guys make no sense!”

“As a wise one once said, dragons are a contradiction of mysteries within riddles inside an enigma, all wrapped in scales.”

“Only that?” I snorted. I think that the contradictory mysterious dragons could have the whole thesaurus thrown at them.

“If only.” Caretaker giggled as she stepped into the darkness of the forge.

I blinked in confusion when she disappeared into the darkness. Somehow, between examining the spell, and the conversation with Caretaker, we had made it all the way from the infirmary to the forge without me noticing. I looked around for Minty, but didn’t see her. She must have peeled off to go do something else.

“You coming in?” Caretaker questioned me, popping her head out the door.

I took a deep breath, nodded, and walked inside. I was nervous as we made our way back
towards the nest. I was confident I could cast the spell given to me by Caretaker, but my confidence in Ruby, not so much. Not in her ability to slash my throat properly, but being able to do it. I’m still not sure how much of her personality is influenced or overridden by instinct.

As before, Caretaker helped me into the nest, and, as before, Ruby was spooning Dragon FireWyrm, though this time, Dragon FireWyrm was awake, but tired looking. Caretaker was quick to start examining him, feeling him all over.

“Dragon FireWyrm, when was the last time you had food that wasn’t gem based?” Caretaker asked after a moment.

Seven suns before Migration.

“Why is that important?” I questioned in confusion. I didn’t think gems were that important of a part in their diet. Ruby never had a ton of gems growing up, as they weren't exactly cheap and were difficult to find, even in the gem fields a couple hours walk from Castle Town. She never seemed to have any malnutritional problems that we could tell from having gems as more of a treat then a main course.

“Under normal circumstances, a dragon can survive on gems alone for several months, but not indefinitely. Right now, he needs regular food to aid in his recovery, especially with the Migration ending in a few days. But…”

“But what?” I demanded irritability. I was not in the mood for the dragon information dance routine. Especially not when it came to the health of my brother.

“Most dragons,” Caretaker started to wring her claws in clear worry. I had seen that before, and thus was not liking where this could be going, “by choice and all wyrms by biology are... carnivores…”

I snorted in amusement, confusing Caretaker. “Is that all? Before we came, I had told Ruby that she needed to hunt and use her flame… I wasn't an idiot… sharp teeth are indicative of a predator… She was worried about the townpoines, and…”

The rest of my sentence was choked out as the bitter memories replayed in my mind. All those years dealing with the bigotry of the ponies when it came to Ruby, especially those of Castle Town. Quick to label her monster, just because she had claws, sharp teeth, and flames. The pain and shame on Ruby’s face whenever she looked at me. The mistrust and misguided hatred poured on my sister for what was an accident.

“I’ve been nearly everywhere on this globe as part of the Dragon Migration…” Caretaker sighed, her eyes taking on a far off look. “There are some areas where predator and prey species coexist… but usually... They remain separate… mainly due to fear… No dragon would ever kill a sentient being for food… but you try telling that to a mother, who only sees sharp teeth and sharp claws… We don’t fault a mother who is only trying to protect her children… even if…”

“It doesn’t make it right!” I roared out, making Caretaker flinch, which made me flinch. “It doesn’t make it right…”

“No, it doesn’t…” Caretaker sadly agreed as both Dragon FireWyrm and Ruby attempted to calm me down, using their tongues.

“I swear, I will never get used to them doing that…” I grumbled half-heartedly. ”I’m coming, by the way. To wherever you are going to have, I’m assuming, Ruby hunt, as Dragon FireWyrm looks a bit too tired.”

“You want to what?” Caretaker questioned, her eyes large with shock. “You do realize what hunting will entail, right?”

“I want to make damn sure that Ruby knows that her hunting and eating animals for sustenance is not going to change the way I think of her.”

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

The sun had just crested over the lip of Terra Hourglass when I heard the footsteps of a dragon approaching the forge. I didn’t turn to see who it was, as whoever it was was clearly a clanmate. The Migration was in the midst of leaving, and the rest of the dragons had been corralled to the stadium over an hour ago to go over the departure procedures.

“It’s almost time, Firstclaw.” I looked up and smiled as Caretaker came to a stop next to me.

“We’ll be there once our sleeping beauties wake up.” I smirked as I thumbed at the dark forge. The only light inside was the glow of the eternal fire in the forge itself. I figured it had to be either she of Hourglass or Magic Dowser holding things up. Dragon FireWyrm was usually up with the sun, which is not surprising when you sleep outside most of the time.

“Yeah… Probably Magic Dowser… he didn’t seem like the morning type to me.”

“Speaking of Magic Dowser… Between getting my hoard and Hourglass City ready, I didn’t get much opportunity over the last few days to check up on Dragon FireWyrm and Magic Dowser. How are they doing?”

“Remarkably well. The second throat slashing went smoother than the first, and Dragon FireWyrm has made a complete recovery. I checked him out this morning. I do not think he will have any issues on the Migration. As for She of Hourglass, I’m not so sure… and that is only because I don’t know how much flying she has done.” Caretaker paused. By the way she was carrying herself, I knew she had more to say, but was clearly unsure how to tell me. “Also of note, I had ordered Dragon FireWyrm to have a proper meal to aid in his recovery… Minor thing, nothing too surprising or noteworthy, except... that Magic Dower insisted and did witness She of Hourglass’ first hunt.”

I cringed when I heard that. I remembered what Magic Dowser had said about encouraging She of Hourglass to do as her instinct told her, which was great and all, but saying and seeing are two separate things. His race were herbivores, after all, and were not in much contact with carnivores, though pones can eat some meat as long as it’s very lean.

“Only turned green once She of Hourglass and Dragon FireWyrm started eating, though he never saw the actual kill.“

That shocked me. I remember turning green the first time I saw Dragon FireWyrm hunt then eat after he Chose, and I had been around meat eaters for some time by that point. “Even with the way DragonWyrm Heart likes to ‘play’ with his food?”

“He just ate… whether it was because of Magic Dowser, tiredness, or both, I don’t know.” Caretaker sighed. “I have to say, Magic Dowser… He has earned those scars…”

“One does not earn hatchhood Caretaker.” I corrected her as I watched Minty wait patiently nearby, under the shade of a small tree. I had offered to let her wait with me, but she had insisted on not giving off any appearance of hovering over Magic Dowser. “The scars are just the culmination of what already was…”

“Firstclaw, have you been sulking in the philosophy section of your library again?”

“No…” I sighed, shaking my head, “just had a lot on my mind lately…”

“What?” I asked after a minute of being under the scrutiny of Caretaker gaze.

“I have to get back... Don’t wait on them too much longer… If you need to… Well you know how to wake the princess, don’t you?”

“Caretaker!” I grumbled as Caretaker made a hasty retreat, giggling the entire time.

Caretaker was gone for less than a minute when I detected movement from within the forge, and the distinctive glow of Magic Dowser’s magic. A moment later, and She of Hourglass and Dragon FireWyrm stepped out. After Dragon FireWyrm nodded a greeting to me, both dragons headed over to where Minty was, who was now standing up and adjusting her saddle bag.

“Good morning, Dragonbrother.” I greeted Magic Dowser as stepped into the threshold of the forge doorway behind the dragons, blinking at the bright light of the outdoors.

“What do you want, DragonWyrm Heart?” Magic Dowser growled out as he walked away from the forge and me.

“This is a firemail spell.” I held out a scroll with the firemail spell matrix on it. “However…”

“Let me guess,” Magic Dowser grumbled as he stopped, took the scroll, and shifted through his saddle bag, looking for something. A few seconds later, he levitated a stone shaped like a dowsing rod over to me. “An anchor is needed to focus the spell?”

I raised an eyebrow at Magic Dowser’s accurate assumption that the spell needed an anchor. It wasn’t a complete shock, given his talent, but still, he had not even checked out the spell and figured out it needed an anchor. I examined the roughly hewn stone dowsing stick. It looked like it was done with claws, not tools. This was something deeply personal, and I didn’t think he would give me this, at least not this willingly. “Did She of Hourglass carve this?”

“Yes… as much as I loathe giving it to you, I know that the best anchors are ones easily visualized. If this spell works under similar principles to teleportation, then the better I can visualize it, easier it will be to cast the spell without failure.”

He was right, teleportation does work under the principle that the better the visualisation of the destination, the less the likelihood of failure to cast the teleportation spell. It is also why the spell is considered so advanced. Many struggle to visualize their destination clearly enough, while simultaneously gathering the mana necessary, and casting the spell. However, firemail doesn’t follow the visualization principle as closely. “To a degree, you are correct…”

“Yeah, whatever. Anything I should know about this spell, like mana and range?”

“Manawise, it’s about the same as levitating a broom, and it has no terrestrial range.”

Magic Dowser blinked and tried to form words. If I had to guess, he was probably trying to figure out how the firemail spell could be that far reaching without breaking the Starswirl Expenditure Principle, or whatever they call it now. It states that when the exponential growth in amount of mana needed to cast or maintain a spell over an increasing distance affected by the spell becomes too high, the spell either fails, and/or the caster will suffer from mana exhaustion.

“Anyway...” I spoke up, snapping Magic Dowser out of his stupor, “The firemail spell is only if there is an emergency, as Dragon FireWyrm has a better way to communicate with you.”

“Which is…?”

“Dreamwalking…”

“Sure, why not?” Magic Dowser muttered, raising his forelegs in defeat. “Break every known magic law…”

“Um, it doesn’t…”

“No. Don’t.” Magic Dowser raised a hoof to stop me from explaining. “Your impossible firemail spell is enough for one day. Anything else we need to discuss?”

“No.”

“Good.”

I was about to turn to close the forge and check its wards one last time, now that everyone had vacated it, when I was suddenly pulled backwards, hard. I was caught so unaware, and was flung so hard, that I found myself belly up, with Magic Dowser towering over me, his horn glowing.

“Let me make something clear, DragonWyrm Heart.” Magic Dowser whispered, the fire of death in his eyes. “If you hurt my siblings again, I will find you, Pasturelands be damned, and I will make you wish that I had... How did you say dishonored dragons are executed? ‘Skinned, quartered, and left you out to rot’? Got it?!”

I knew that Magic Dowser wasn’t giving me an idle threat; it was a promise, and one that I knew he would find a way to keep. “Understood.” I nodded to him, and the pressure of his magic lifted, allowing me to get back on my feet.

Magic Dowser walked away, adjusting his saddlebag slightly as he did. He joined Minty, who was still waiting in the shade of a small tree. Phoenix Wave was going to be escorting both Minty and Magic Dowser to the edge of the Everfree, where clan friends He of Everfree and River Guardian would take over protection until they reached the other side.

“Captain.” I spoke softly, alerting Phoenix Wave, who I had sensed behind me, to the fact that I wished to speak with him.

“Yes, Firstclaw?” Phoenix Wave stepped out from the shadows.

“When you leave Magic Dowser and Minty Herb at the edge of the Everfree, stress to both He of Everfree and RIver Guardian to keep a sharp, watchful eye on Magic Dowser, indefinitely.”

“Indefinitely?” Phoenix Wave looked at me, a bit confused.

“You recall the reaction Elegant Prose had to History Keeper trying to teach She of Hourglass about her heritage.” I reminded Phoenix Wave as I turned to watch as She of Hourglass nuzzle Magic Dowser goodbye. “With Magic Dowser sporting two linear scars across his neck…”

“You think she might react in a similar matter as before, or worse?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t want a repeat of the mistake I made with She of Hourglass.”

“Anything else I should be aware of?”

“No, nothing.” I lied.

In-flight Entertainment

ബഐബഐബഐ Wanderer ബഐബഐബഐ

Listen up! My amplified voice echoing out in and around the stadium. I had to make sure that every dragon could hear my instructions. The last thing I wanted was a mass of injuries from mid air collisions from dragons just taking off willy-nilly. There were just too many here to allow disorganized takeoffs. I want no repeats of what happened during your arrival here in Hourglass City. Yes, yes I know there was a mating situation, but I don’t fucking care! I want a controlled and orderly lift off.

Those heading east out of Hourglass will be the first to lift off, and you will follow the phoenix PeeWee to the east coast port Hell’s Gate. PeeWee, the little show off, lifted off my shoulder with a caw and rose high above the stadium, a trail of phoenix fire behind him. From there, break off to head in the direction of your hoard, or whatever… Remember Hell’s Gate is within DragonWyrm Clan territory, so you must leave Hell’s Gate by nightfall.

Once all dragons heading east have lifted off and cleared Hourglass air, all dragons heading south or north will lift off. Those heading north must speak with me after these announcements, as the pony nation, also known as Equus Nation, is still under isolation.

Finally, any and all dragons that are remaining on the Migration, or are heading east, will lift off in stages. When the time comes, you will be surrounded by a circle of red light like this... I cast the signal spell, which looked like a column of red light from a spotlight that rose from the ground to several hundred feet into the air, high enough to be seen outside the stadium. When you see that, and feel the temperature drop suddenly, that is your cue to lift off. Fly west in formation at a slow pace until all headed west have left. A Rainboom will be the signal that a more moderate speed may be used until Port Klippfisk. At that point, those continuing on the Migration to the Southern Isles are to land south of the city, near two anchored airships with flags bearing the Southern Isles’ clan emblem: a volcanic island in front of a blue triangle, with the point facing down. As with Hell’s Gate, Port Klippfisk is within DragonWyrm territory, and you must leave by nightfall.

Make your decision now; I will not tolerate disruptions, hang ups, or other bullshit once departure has begun. Departure begins in one hour. Those heading north must meet with me in the stadium infirmary now. Any questions will be answered at the infirmary. No dragons are to leave the stadium and its immediate area unless given express permission by Caretaker or myself. That is all.

With that, I walked down from the top of the stadium, and down into the infirmary. I could already see a few dragons making their way there, as well. Most would most likely be heading north, and not asking questions, as most would have studied the rules and regulations of the Migration from the Dragon Heritage Memories before joining up.

“Two airships? My understanding was that you only employed one.” DragonWyrm Heart smirked as we touched down south of Port Klippfisk, between the two Southern Isles Clan dragoon airships.

As I looked around, I could tell already that the number of dragons that would be remaining on the Migration instead of breaking off like normal would be nearly tripled. When Firstclaw requested that the entire clan to go on the migration, I knew that at least the first few legs of the Migration afterwards would have a larger than normal amount of dragons. I was right.

“Yeah… I had Windjammer bring in another dragoon support airship, just in case.” I said after I did my cursory glance.

“Dragons have become wimps…” DragonWyrm Heart snorted in amusement.

“And what is that supposed to mean, Firstclaw?” I glared at DragonWyrm Heart. I wasn’t too keen on the implication of his statement, even though I knew that it was a jest.

“It’s just that you seem to baby them, which was something He of The Flight never did.”

“This is not He of The Flight’s Migration, it is my Miratigon.” I growled in irritation even as I saw the glint in DragonWyrm Heart’s eye. While it was good to see that DragonWyrm Heart’s mood was improving, he was way out of his league with his low brow, and quite lame, potshots. I had had plenty of experience by this point, dealing with smart jackasses, too much sometimes… “Besides, He of the Flight also used precautionary measures.”

“Of course he did, but his was a just a boring old leaking ‘water’-ship, manned by the ugliest, mangiest, scurviest sea dogs imaginable. Instead,” DragonWyrm Heart gestured to the two dragoon class airships, which, admittedly, were probably the finest airships in the world. Windjammer does take pride in his ships. Every ship was a masterwork of art, along with being a marvel of engineering. “We now have not one, but two slick snob fest airships. Am I going to need to do an audit of our coffers?”

I rolled my eyes. There is a little known secret of gems. Under certain natural conditions they could ‘grow.’ Though the rate is quite slow, and had a limit to size and quality, depending on factors such as, but not limited to, soil type, proximity to leylines or nexus, and ‘foreign’ influences such as gem finding spells… Given the three hundred thousand years the city was abandoned, the particulars of the ley line vortex and the way the “treasury” was constructed, we had more gems than what we knew what to do with.

Besides that, I dug up (with help from Dragon FireWyrm, and occasionally Twilight) all of the initial stockpiles of gems, and then occasionally restocked said stockpiles of gems when needed, with help from my mate Caretaker, for every stop of the Migration, minus Hourglass and Southern Isles. I do use Hourglass’ coffers for the Hourglass stop, and Southern Isles uses theirs for their stop. However, Hourglass’ gems are strictly used for eating and bedding at the Hourglass migration stop only, and are carefully and strictly doled out. Meticulous records are also kept so that the Migration doesn’t put undue stress on the coffers.

Finally, the Southern Isles Clan and DragonWyrm Clan are clan hatchmates. I would only have to ask for a favor, and I would have the airships without needing to pay, thanks to the ‘unpayable’ debt that Southern Isles Clan has to my clan, not that I would ever use it against them. Frankly, Merc and Windjammer are the ones who usually spout about never being able to repay… Either way, it makes it hard for us to ever be able to render anything in return to them.

“So... that’s a yes?” DragonWyrm Heart’s grin widened sadisticly.

“Fuck you, Firstclaw.“ I sneered, holding back a smile. “I can’t help it if Merc and Windjammer are helping out free of charge. You want to be a bitch’s ass about it, then go fucking nag them.”

“I see you haven’t lost your touch when it comes to cursing.” DragonWyrm Heart shook his head, chuckling a bit.

“Of course not,” I grinned. “I only tone it down around the whelps, and the last two times at the Hourglass Migration, as, at the time, I didn’t want to offend History Seeker when he visited, and I was not going to fan any flames, nor start any, with Minty Herb and Magic Dowser... Well, anymore than already had been…”

The brightness that had been returning faded a bit. Damn it... “Enough of this…” I waved a claw dismissively, “it’s almost time to leave Port Klippfisk.”

I watched as DragonWyrm Heart slowly nodded and went back to mingle with the preparing dragons. I could see that his earlier chipper mood was most likely only a fluke uptick. I want the real DragonWyrm Heart back, the awkwardly confident and snarky DragonWyrm Heart… not this… I hate it when those I care about are chained down needlessly, and this was needless. I may have been mad at DragonWyrm Heart for how She of Hourglass's situation was handled, but I would never hold it over him.

Over the next week of island hopping, I tried to keep an eye on DragonWyrm Heart, or did the best that I could. It was difficult for two reasons. One, while we were in flight, Caretaker, Windjammer, and I had to keep any of the dragons from doing anything they shouldn’t, like excessive trick flying, as well as get them onto one of the airships to rest, if they were fatigued too much. Then, when we did land for the day, DragonWyrm Heart ended chatting with one dragon after another. I could chalk that up to the dragons wanting to talk to DragonWyrm Heart, and DragonWyrm Heart indulging them, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was avoiding me.

We were into the second week of island hopping when the dragoons first had to be used, by She of Hourglass no less. Saw a few smirks and smug faces after that. Clearly, several dragons won and lost a bet… should have joined in… I would have won, given that, from what I had heard, She of Hourglass rarely flew. Though making seven days was good, either way. Luckily, the Southern Isles stop was only another nine days away. The central ocean Migration legs were always the hardest. Unless I routed the Migration near the poles, the time it took to cross safely varied from seventeen to twenty five days.

It was early on the ninth day, when I banked away from the migration flight path to do my hourly checkup, to make sure we had not lost anyone, or to get any tired dragon on the dragoon ships, that I saw something that could be a problem. A green and orange sea serpent whelp was lounging on Dragon FireWyrm. This was not appropriate action on my Migration. Especially if he wasn’t being helped, such as resting from fatigue or injury, and it was clear from his body language that the whelp was not in need of any help, other than a swipe from my sharpened claws.

From the looks of it, Dragon FireWyrm wasn’t even aware that there was a whelp lounging on his horns like he was some tropical sandy beach. It was a bit odd, as Dragon FireWyrm was quite a skillful flyer, and, as such, should be able to sense any kind of disturbance inside of his air envelope. Though the air displacement difference between Dragon FireWyrm’s massive form versus the very small whelp’s may have made it possible that the whelp managed to get lucky.

Either way, this could be a problem. I slowly drifted downward so that I could talk up to him in a safe manner. Coming from the sides would get our wings tangled up, and coming from above could buffet the whelp off dangerously.

“Dragon FireWyrm, are you aware that there is a whelp lounging on your horns?” I whisper shouted up to Dragon FireWyrm.

Playing. Dragon FireWyrm countered.

“Playing?” I banked away and up before Dragon FireWyrm could reply to my rhetorical question so that I could see what the whelp was doing. When I looked, the whelp was no longer lounging on Dragon FireWyrm, but was doing what is known in professional stunt flying circles as ‘kiting.’ Kiting was basically flaring one's wings open, like a kite or sail, as if one was trying to slow down quickly for landing, but while in a stationary position, usually on the ground in a wind tunnel or other windy spot, or on the back of another flyer, all while being tied or held down. Kiting was one of the things I had Twilight do to help with her so-so flying. It helped a bit, but, even with all the practice in the world, some will never become the face of flying...

It was clear that this whelp was doing it for fun, as he had his mouth wide open, his tongue out like a dog... I snorted in amusement as I banked away. Given that everything was okay with Dragon FireWyrm and the whelp, there was no need for me to remain, and I still needed to finish my checks. That, and I wanted to talk to Caretaker, who took up the rear of the Migration, about the whelp.

“Caretaker, do you know who the green and orange sea serpent whelp is?” I asked her once I finished up my latest checks. Caretaker usually kept an eye on the whelps, who tended to need a bit more supervision, so she would know more about this whelp who could prove to be a nuisance. That, and I wanted to know who the whelp was that Dragon FireWyrm liked.

“That would be Seaweed.”

“Seaweed?!” I blurted out, glad I was flying and not drinking anything, though my flying did falter for a second, from the shock. I could scarcely believe it; no self-respecting sea serpent whelp would keep a hatchling-like name as Seaweed. “Why would he keep a name like Seaweed!?”

“Keep!?” Caretaker giggled, confusing me further. “More like given. He has a tendency to get into every place he shouldn’t, do everything he shouldn't, and say the exact wrong thing to say… all just to get a reaction... In other words, be a nuisance of a lovable pest.”

“Just like seaweed…” I whispered as I saw the logic of the name. I take it back, it’s an excellent whelp name… “Let me guess, he wears the ‘insult’ like a badge.”

“You got it.”

“Where is he from?”

Caretaker stared at me in such a way that made me very nervous. Never a good thing to have a female look at you in that way. “Southern Isles…” She slowly drew out, a look of concerned surprise on her snout.

“He’s from the Southern Isles Clan!?” I yelled out in shock. Well that would explain why Dragon FireWyrm would allow him to use him as a makeshift airship while he played the part of the makeshift mast. Dragon FireWyrm was usually just indifferently docile around other dragons, unless the dragon was a clan member or a member of Southern Isles Clan. What it didn't explain was why I didn’t recognize him as a Southern Isles Clan dragon.

“Wanderer, come now, you can’t be expected to recall every dragon that you come across...” Caretaker cooed in reassurance, clearly seeing my own troubled expression. Sadly, she failed miserably at making me feel better.

“This isn’t some random Migration dragon!” I exclaimed, frustrated at myself for not knowing, and Caretaker for thinking it was a small thing to forget slash not know. “This is a Southern Isles Clan dragon! Our clans are like siblings, hatchmates even… we are hatchmates! I should know everydragon in that clan!”

“Would it help if I said he used to be called Whitewater, and that he hatched five years ago?”

“Wait, ‘Whitewater’ is five!? It’s been that long!?” I forget sometimes how much time can fly while on the Migration, especially when it comes to the short childhood that a dragon has.

“Sounds like someone needs a refresher with Twilight...” Caretaker smirked and winked before she speed up, leaving me behind to gape, shudder, and nearly lose control of my flying. That was not an experience I would want anyone still alive to have…

Author's Note

Like, comment, (please:pinkiehappy::pinkiecrazy::flutterrage::raritycry:) and fave...

Also prepare for Dragon OCs... I have two from readers so far... One is coming in the next few chapters... now is the time to let me know if you want a Dragon OC of your own within the story... see Dragon OC Time for details

A Chat Between Firstclaws

Author's Note

Dragon names can be confusing so here is a friendly reminder.

'Nickname,' title, etc(used in public)/Hoard Name(used in private): other helpful info
Merc/Reward Seeker: Firstclaw of Southern Isles Clan
Windjammer/Shipwright Sailor: Secondclaw of Southern Isles Clan
She of Hourglass/Glittery Soul Fire: Formally Ruby
Wanderer/Soaring Skies Thirdclaw of DragonWyrm Clan
Caretaker/Gently Soaring Skies: Mate of Soaring Skies
Scorpion/Eternal Beats

A Chat Between Firstclaws

ബഐബഐബഐ Wanderer ബഐബഐബഐ

The final days of the flight to Southern Isles was uneventful. Seaweed continued being a pain from time to time, and several more dragons fatigued out and needed to use the dragoons. The sun was low in the sky as we made our approach to Burning Yaw Island, much to the delight of She of Hourglass, who had to use the dragoons more and more as time went by. I was going to need to train her up a bit while we were here. Luckily, we would have lots of time. The Southern Isles stop is five weeks long, and the Southern Isles Clan usually took care of everything for me so that I could get a break, and time for myself. I get so few times to do so... Now that the entire clan was on the Migration, it would probably be the last time... Though, to be honest, only seeing them once every sixty years, and for only seven days, was sometimes not enough.

Just like it should have been done at Hourglass, the dragons circled high above the island until all the dragons were circling, then, at my direction, six or seven at a time would break away and dive down into the jungle below. It wasn’t long until the only remaining dragons were my clan, and Windjammer in his dragoon airship. We followed him down to a secluded lagoon on the north end of the island.

When Windjammer heard that the entire DragonWyrm Clan was coming, both him and Merc, the Firstclaw of Southern Isles, set this place apart for us, so we could spend our time together without worry of being ‘ambushed’ by Migration dragons.

A large black and green dragon, obviously Merc, was standing next to the lagoon, smiling up at us as we made our approach. It was nice that he was here to greet us, but I would have thought that he would have been with the Migration dragons on the south side of the island, keeping order and making sure that everydragon made it down alright. Fatigued dragons, or any flyers for that matter, sometimes had trouble landing, or in the moments afterwards, and the jungles that covered the island were quite thick, making it so that one could get lost really easily.

Windjammer and his dragoon didn’t land with us as I expected, but instead broke off towards the south. I looked off towards the north worriedly. I trusted Windjammer to handle it, but with the large number of dragons...

“Relax, my friend. Your hoard is in good claws.”

“Sorry…” I stuttered sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head as I turned to face Merc. I knew that Southern Isles would make sure my hoard was taken care of, considering they handled it flawlessly during my Slumber, after all. “It’s just that there are so many more dragons than normal…”

“True,” Merc conceded with a nod, “but the reward of having your entire family with you is worth it, don’t you think?”

I suppressed a groan at Merc’s mentioning a ‘reward;’ it was a bad, bad expression for him to use, considering his Hoard Name, but I also knew he was being very serious, as well. That did not stop DragonWyrm Heart and Scorpion from letting out a snort.

Merc just rolled his eyes at the two dragons. I, on the other claw, sighed in slight exasperation. I did smile inwardly as, for just a second, I could see the old DragonWyrm Heart sparkle through, before it faded away again. Maybe now that I was ‘free,’ I and my clanmates could work on that a bit.

“DragonWyrm Heart! Good to see you; it's been way too long!” Merc bobbed a greeting to DragonWyrm Heart. He then grabbed Scorpion by the shoulder and pulled him close. “Scorpion, a bit of a warning: if you teach the parrots another one of your ‘songs,’ Thirdclaw has threatened to stuff you with more crackers than, and I quote, ’a Polly with a cracker fetish would want…’”

Caretaker giggled at Scorpion’s reddening face. “At least it won’t be apples…”

Hey! I am phat, not fat! Scorpion protested the insinuation.

“Could have fooled me.” I countered, poking Scorpion in the chest and snorting, before joining alongside the rest of the clan and Merc in roaring with laughter at Scorpion’s misfortune.

gaaaAAH! Scorpion shouted, his paws clenching. I knew I was going to pay big time for pushing it as far as I did, but I wouldn't have it any other way, and I knew he wouldn’t, either.

Fortunately for Scorpion, the laughter died pretty quickly. My earlier prediction that Scorpion would come after me was right, as he subtly gave me the ‘I’m watching you’ sign as he moved away, allowing Merc to get a good look at Dragon FireWyrm and She of Hourglass.

As per usual for the last week, She of Hourglass was lounging on Dragon FireWyrm’s back. When she first started doing that, it was because of how tired she was, but now, I think they both enjoy it, judging from the way their tails were braided together, and the way they kept nuzzling each other.

When Merc saw Dragon FireWyrm and She of Hourglass, his eyes lit up. “Dragon FireWyrm and your mate! I...”

She of Hourglass flinched back a bit at Merc’s approach, until Dragon FireWyrm cooed at her. I suspected that she would always be unsure around anyone unfamiliar, due to the whole fear of being shunned or vilified as a monster to be put down.... It made me both angry at myself, and sad at my role in all of it… I really should have made sure that things were really fine, not just a tense okay...

I sighed. There was nothing more that could be done now, but to learn from it… Never ending, soul crushing guilt would not help, especially if ever we need a nondragon dragon caretaker again, never mind that it is a self imposed cage, and I hate those kinds. It’s the antithesis of my name. DragonWyrm Heart, on the other claw, sometimes takes after Twilight… I think. Curse my seeing the clan only every sixty years! (Nevermind the two millennia long Slumber that DragonWyrm Heart had!)

Merc cupped the edge of She of Hourglass’ face, who, with a slight reluctance, leaned into the embrace. “She of Hourglass, don’t be so fearful… I am a friend, Merc…”

With that, She of Hourglass’ eyes lit up, and she started to nuzzle Merc’s paw. I breathed out a breath that I didn’t know that I was holding. It was a relief that the name clearly triggered her Clan Memories that let her know the truth: that Merc truly was a friend.

“So affectionate…” Merc chuckled. “I can see why you are mated with Dragon FireWyrm… ”

Jealous? Scorpion smirked as Merc gently lowered his foreleg back down.

“Just a bit…” Merc admitted, “but after everything Dragon FireWyrm has been through, and all this time…he deserves this...”

Soon… Dragon FireWyrm growled, nuzzling Merc under the chin.

“What?” Merc questioned, confused.

I had to agree with Merc on this ‘what?’ It seemed, though, that Dragon FireWyrm was going to remain cryptic, again, as he did not elaborate on what he said. Of course, it was possible that She of Hourglass, who was now licking of his ear, was distracting him, which she had started right after Dragon FireWyrm had spoken. I shook my head in mild amusement. Yeah, she has definitely been faking some of the tiredness that ‘required’ Dragon FireWyrm to carry her. From the way Dragon FireWyrm was purring, I suspect that he knew. He growled loudly as he pushed She of Hourglass off of him before he then started to ‘attack’ her, nuzzling and licking her belly. I could smell the musk of arousal from both of them, thick in the air. Gah, he is so cruel, teasing her like that… I should watch, for some ideas...

“I’ve always wondered how wyrms did the deed...” Merc commented as the two wyrms stopped the foreplay and began to do said ‘deed...’

I carefully cracked open an eye when I heard the sound of somedragon getting up, just as the sky was beginning to lighten into dawn. I knew who it was before I had even opened my eye, but I didn’t want him knowing that I heard him get up. Luckily, I had fallen asleep with my head over Caretaker’s neck in such a way that her spines covered most of my now opened eye; that, and DragonWyrm Heart, who was the one who had gotten up, was too busy making sure Twilight would fall right back asleep after losing her warm ‘blanket.’ After a moment, Twilight stopped squirming and fell back asleep. DragonWyrm Heart waited a second longer, to make sure she was really asleep, before quietly walking away.

It was clear that from his body language, as DragonWyrm Heart carefully looked over us, that he was not just trying to not wake anyone up, but was trying not to be seen leaving. Three things kept him from being able to sneak off successfully. One, Eternal Beats could hear his downtrodden Soul Song, and had been keeping a sharp eye on him because of that. Two, my ability to sense that he was chained down by something (huge guess on what it was) made me also keep a sharp eye on him, though, until we arrived in the Southern Isles, I was limited on how much time and effort I could spend watching DragonWyrm Heart. Finally, Dragon FireWyrm was guard sleeping, which was a form of restful but watchful sleep that a dragon does when guarding his or her hoard, and would have known the moment that DragonWyrm Heart left the clearing.

“There he goes again…” Caretaker sighed sadly once DragonWyrm Heart had snuck out of the clearing, where we had been sleeping for the past week. If I hadn’t detected her breathing change earlier, I would have been startled.

“Yeah…” I sadly agreed, though a fire was beginning to well up in me.

“What are you going to do, Wanderer?” Caretaker whispered as I quietly rose to my feet.

“Get my Firstclaw back.” I growled back, trying to control the anger that had overtaken my sadness. DragonWyrm Heart had not gotten any better in the past week; if anything, he had gotten worse… and hiding from us clearly was not going to make it better.

I carefully followed DragonWyrm Heart, keeping to the still dark shadows and masking my scent and any noise I was making with magic, though it looked like it would be overkill, as, once DragonWyrm Heart had left the clearing, for whatever reason, he appeared to stop paying close attention to anything around him. I guess he thought he was in the clear once he was sufficiently out of sight.

I followed him for some time as he walked along a path through the thick jungle. When he finally broke through the trees, I stopped and stayed back within the trees. I didn’t want him to know that I had followed him, yet. I looked to see that DragonWyrm Heart had found a rare bare bluff on the island, one that also looked out to the sea. It was a good place to take a flying leap, though, somehow, I don't think he was about to fly off.

He just laid down at the edge of the precipice and stared out. He remained like that for a long time, so long that I was about ready to say ‘screw it’ and walk up to DragonWyrm Heart. I halted when he suddenly started mumbling. I leaned as close as I dared, to see if I could catch what he was saying. Hopefully, I wouldn’t hear anything I shouldn’t...

“...I have your memories, Dragon FireWyrm, but it’s not the same… you to advise me… you were always the better claw then I…” DragonWyrm Heart sniffed out, parts lost to me as his voice was fluctuating at the edge of my hearing. “And without my own wyrm self to help, what am I to do?”

I backed away carefully, as I had all I thought I needed. DragonWyrm Heart wasn’t avoiding us over guilt with Glittery Soul Fire, insomuch that he was doubting his ability to be a firstclaw, our Firstclaw… which was brought on by failing Glittery Soul Fire… If this is true, then I knew with whom I needed to speak about this. Not sure if he could help with the wyrm part, but the firstclaw part, I was sure he would be able to help with.

I made my way to the south side of the island to find Merc. Hopefully, he would be easy to find. I could send him a letter through my fire mail, but, unless he was at or near something easily identifiable, we could end up playing mail tag. Not something I was in the mood to do... at least, not right now. Maybe later… with Scorpion, or against him… yeah, later for sure.

I got lucky that I found Merc wandering the air docks, watching all of the dragoons and dragons flying about in the morning sky. Even though we were a race of prideful fliers, it didn’t stop some from taking a flight on one of Windjammer’s flying dragoons, or sailing on the ocean in one of his sea galleys. It was kind of nice, sometimes, to laze about on the ocean, or in the sky. Plus, it made it easier if one wanted to spend time chatting it up with sea serpents, who comprised, unsurprisingly, nearly two thirds of the Southern Isles Clan. Hovering over water was quite tiring, and no one would want to do that just to have a conversation, and, unless you were a sea serpent, swimming for long periods was exhausting, if you could even swim at all.

“Wanderer, my friend,” Merc smiled as I carefully landed near him, “what are you doing here? I would have expected you down at the beach with your ‘mermaid’ getting all... wet.”

My jaw dropped, and I started to spurt nonsense. I was completely caught off guard by Merc’s lewd remark. It was rare for Merc to speak sexual innuendos unless... “Damn it, Merc, who paid you to say that?”

“Scorpion.” Merc shrugged, grinning maniacally and motioning for me to follow him down into one of Windjammer’s workshops, just off the docks. Which was good, as I wanted to speak to him in private.

“I should have known.” I groaned, facepalming, following Merc into the workshop. Scorpion was always doing stuff like that, teasing and pranks. Usually, Scorpion tended to avoid sexual innuendo, because he knows that, when I get him back, it will sexually frustrate him.

“Seems to me that you are slipping... “ Reward Seeker remarked as he closed the door to the workshop. I inwardly bemoaned getting caught off guard, and I wouldn't normally admit it, but he was right… to a point... The issue with DragonWyrm Heart has been weighing heavily on my mind, and, if what I could see from Eternal Beats and Dragon FireWyrm, them as well. “So what is it you need, Soaring Skies? It's not like you to come to me this early in the morning, especially as we are handling everything for you so you can spend time with your clan.”

“That is kind of why I’m here...” I sighed. “Or more for DragonWyrm Heart than the clan…”

“I noticed something was off about him…” Reward Seeker looked off knowingly towards the south. It came as no surprise that he was aware of DragonWyrm Heart’s movements. Not only were we inside Southern Isles’ territory, but we were on the main clan island. “I had noticed something that I have been wondering about… Do you know why his DragonWyrm mark is covered up?”

“It started as a joke ‘punishment’ by DragonFriend Twilight for messing up one of her scrolls… DragonWyrm Heart decided, in return, to ignore her punishment, to get back at her, but then...”

“Does this, by chance, have any connection to his scars?”

“Most likely… somewhat… maybe...” I muttered in uncertainty. Though I knew that his guilt over his role in Quartermaster’s death had been wiped out during his Slumber, the guilt of fucking up She of Hourglass, Quartermaster’s daughter’s, childhood clearly had reopened his feelings of inadequacy, both of being DragonWyrm and Firstclaw. Losing his ability to mature in the Dragon Code was not helping in the matter, either.

“Okay… “ Reward Seeker sighed, “Start from the beginning…”

ബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐ

Reward Seeker walked up to DragonWyrm Heart, and, from the way he was slumped, it seemed that he was as bad as Soaring Skies reported. Something was definitely troubling him now; whether or not it was over what his hatchmate thought remained to be seen.

Reward Seeker had to hand it to DragonWyrm Heart; this was a good spot to brood and think. He, himself, had used this spot on many occasions, when he needed to mull over a particularly difficult problem. The idyllic and secluded location had a calming effect. Very helpful when he had to make a decision that would make everyone involved, including himself, ticked, even when it was the only right way…

“Hello, Merc, how are things today?” DragonWyrm Heart greeted Reward Seeker, but Reward Seeker could tell that it was done with fake enthusiasm.

“Everything is going well, though nothing exciting like a mating, and we are alone.” Reward Seeker answered, eyeing DragonWyrm Heart carefully. He did appear to be more down than contemplative. “You seem troubled, my friend…”

“I just have a lot on my mind…” DragonWyrm Heart softly answered as he gazed back out to the ocean.

Cleary. Reward Seeker noted. But it’s also clear to me that there’s more going on than just a lot on the mind... “Tell me, friend, why do you cover your honor?”

Reward Seeker’s eyes narrowed as DragonWyrm Heart demeanor dropped even further. He couldn't understand why his friend would be so ashamed of the highest honor a dragon could have.

“Twilight put some special scale polish on it as ‘punishment’ for wrecking one of her scrolls… She hoped that I would panic, but I just ignored it, knowing that it would confound her that I had not ‘noticed’ it.”

“Well, if what my clan has been gossiping over, it’s been well beyond that point, don’t you think? So what is the real reason you are not washing off the scale polish?”

“I just forgot.” DragonWyrm Heart shrugged, not wanting to let on that he was not in the mood for this line of questioning.

“I somehow doubt that…“ Reward Seeker drolled.

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you, as…”

“QUIT LYING!” Reward Seeker roared, startling DragonWyrm Heart. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me the truth about what is bothering you!”

“I screwed up, Reward Seeker!” DragonWyrm Heart screamed out, tears flowing from his eyes. “The Voice said it himself… I failed him!”

Reward Seeker blinked in confusion; as far as he could tell, the only time that he could think of that DragonWyrm Heart could possibly have failed The Voice was when he succumbed to Rage Growth. The problem? The Voice elevated DragonWyrm Heart to DragonWyrm status after that happened. “Failed? I don’t understand… What did The Voice say, exactly?”

“You are a DragonWyrm!” The Voice roared at me, the dream darkening. “Not a fucking average joe shmoe dragon! I shouldn’t have to hold your claws over something as simple as helping Magic Dowser and Ruby, even with your severe mental handicap! You have several clanmates that can help you overcome that, and tried... You knew how ponies can be, sometimes, as you yourself grew up with them. Ruby went through similar things to what you went through, but worse!”

I sighed and looked away, looking down in shame. The Voice was right. I seemed only able to screw things up...

The dream brightened back up as I could feel The Voice licking my head. “My child, I am more disappointed than mad with the way you handled this situation, DragonWyrm Heart… Inaction only lengthened her needless suffering to the point that drastic and more painful measures had to be taken.”

“I see...” Reward Seeker nodded as DragonWyrm Heart finished telling him what The Voice told him. From what Reward Seeker had been told by Soaring Skies earlier, and what DragonWyrm Heart just said, he did not fail The Voice. Mess up, yes… but making a mistake was not the same as failing… Plus, in the end, it seemed all worked out well... “Yes… you made an error in judgment, and yes, you will have to live with the consequences of said mistake, but I fail to see how this error in judgment makes you a ‘failure.’ You are not infallible, DragonWyrm Heart. No one is…”

“I have made several similar mistakes, myself…” Reward Seeker admitted, chuckling at the memories of the things he had done. “Sometimes… Sometimes, no matter what you do, you are fucked… but I have yet to see when indecisiveness was helpful… There were a few times when I had become so uncertain of the best course of action, and was too prideful to ask for help, so that, by the time I did do something, things had became worse than they would have been if I had done the least favorable thing... It was a hard lesson to learn, but I did learn…”

DragonWyrm Heart was suddenly flashed back to a memory long forgotten. Back when this very lesson was learned, back when he was still whole, back when he could still mature in the Code, and when he matured in this very code...

“We were dealing with the problem of hurting our hoards… which we can’t do, but because our hoards are…” Dragon FireWyrm began

“Sentient…” DragonWyrm Heart interrupted in understanding. “No matter how we dealt with the cold blooded murder of Medallion…”

“Our hoard was going to be hurt by us…”

“Damned if we do, damned if we don’t…” DragonWyrm Heart finished at a near whisper.

“Yeah… so did I, once…” DragonWyrm Heart whispered, ashamed. “Matured for it... And, now… I may never…”

Reward Seeker gritted his teeth in frustration. DragonWyrm Heart was being stubborn, and he would not tolerate that. Sometimes, a dragon needed ‘tough love.’ With an angry roar, Reward Seeker slammed down on DragonWyrm Heart.

“Where is my friend DragonWyrm Heart?” Reward Seeker growled angrily at DragonWyrm Heart, some of his green flames licking out. “Who, even against the impossible and unknown, kept going?”

“He...” DragonWyrm Heart struggled against Reward Seeker’s paw, trying to get enough air to speak. “He died on the plains of Hourglass…”

“Really.” Reward Seeker stated in disbelief, looking off towards the sea momentarily as he said this, before he then looked back down at DragonWyrm Heart in exasperation. All this over being wyrmless!? “Really!?”

“‘Even if we find out at the Dragon of Orange Scales and Spikes’ Rechoosing that my harmony magic is unable to start your clan magically, if you still wish to become a clan, if only in name, than a clan you shall be.’”

“You said that to us. Those exact words.” Reward Seeker spouted, still at a loss for the strange forgetfulness of DragonWyrm Heart. True, it had happened well over two thousand years ago, but DragonWyrm Heart had been slumbering for nearly that whole time, so, in relative terms, it wasn’t that long ago. “At a time when there was no precedent for ‘Rechoosing’, or forming a clan, except at an orginal choosing. Hell, this was before it was known that clans, clans, could hatchmate with each other!”

“I fail to see how this has…” DragonWyrm Heart started to protest as he finally managed to push off Reward Seeker’s claw, “anything to do with my ‘problem.’”

“I think it has everything to do with your ‘problem!’” Reward Seeker interrupted, clenching his now free claw in renewed frustration. “Tell me, how did you become quadrupedal first growth dragon AFTER losing your wyrm half? Hmm? I think the answer to your wyrmless ‘disability’ is right in front of you. You just have to be a dragon and have the courage to try, and the wisdom to know that your clan understands, and will be there for you, even when you struggle with the quirks of being wyrmless…”

DragonWyrm Heart’s face furrowed in confusion at Reward Seeker’s words, until suddenly, pieces of conversations echoed in his mind. And, like pieces of a puzzle, formed an answer.

“You and your hatchmate have always been intertwined… way more than normal for hatchmates via the Rite of Guardianship…”

* * *

“Firstclaw…you are one special dragon, you know that?”

“Yeah, I know… but I also know that I would not be as special without those around me.”

* * *

“...even with your severe mental handicap! You have several clanmates that can help you overcome that, and tried…”

* * *

Could it be that maybe... DragonWyrm Heart wondered as he looked off into the sea. Could it be that they, my clan and family, are my wyrm half?

“You draw your strength from your clan, your family. Always have.” Reward Seeker spoke up, unaware of the thoughts that were going through DragonWyrm Heart's mind. “You know... sometimes I’m just a bit jealous of your clan… Not because of your status of being DragonWyrm… Your clan is a close knit family, DragonWyrm Heart. With the exception of your newest member, mate to Dragon FireWyrm, you are all hatchmates to one another, are you not?”

“Yes...” DragonWyrm Heart answered slowly, not fully following where Reward Seeker was going, his mind still reeling from the possible revelation that The Voice hid in his words...

“Being a clan of adventurers and mercenaries…” Reward Seeker looked off to the sea in sadness. “We are not as close knit as your clan is. Outside of Shipwright Sailor and Thirdclaw, no other dragon in Southern Isles are hatchmates with me… furthermore, we are the only ones that have hatchmates in the clan… might change if Seaweed joins… though I doubt he will… even though he is well liked within the clan, he just doesn’t seem… to fit…”

“But you, DragonWyrm Heart… They idolized, loved you not just as a Firstclaw and DragonWyrm, but also as a hatchmate… All those centuries waiting for you to awaken, it wasn’t their Firstclaw they wanted, they wanted their brother... Your clan is probably the only clan that could one day truly act as one…”

Truly act as one… DragonWyrm Heart echoed in his mind. Something then clicked, and all the raging emotions and worries vanished. “I’m sorry, Reward Seeker, but we are done here.”

“What do you mean…” Reward Seeker’s words of protest died as he glanced down at DragonWyrm Heart. He saw DragonWyrm Heart staring back with eyes of fire. It was the same look he had seen long ago. The DragonWyrm Heart of old had returned.

Who Needs Enemies?

I could hear Reward Seeker behind me barely able keep up with me through the thick jungle, but I was not going to slow down from my purposeful pace. As much as it was not helping my friend for me to keep the pace that I was, I needed to get back to my clan, my hoard, and soon.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that my entire clan was still back on the beach, next to the lagoon. Dragon FireWyrm was actually laying in the lagoon itself, though, given its shallowness and his size, it only reached halfway up his barrel. She of Hourglass was, as usual, on his back, lazily staring at the water, or something in the water; I was not sure, from my angle. Wanderer and Caretaker were leaning into each other, and Scorpion was softly playing his metal scorpion ocarina.

As I entered the clearing, the clan turned to look at me. The clan stared at me in silence. I was about to say something to end it, when Merc breathlessly burst through the jungle behind me. I gazed back to make sure that he was alright. While I knew Merc was no slouch, trying to keep up with me through thick jungle at the pace we went would exhaust all but the most athletic dragons. Merc waved off my silent concerns.

When I turned back, Wanderer’s and Scorpion’s eyes had widened, and Dragon FireWyrm was slowly getting up. She of Hourglass remained on his back, though she did position herself to gaze over his head. Once Dragon FireWyrm was fully on his feet, he made his way to me. I could see that there was a questioning look in his eyes as if he wasn’t sure about me.

Once Dragon FireWyrm reached me he sat down right in front of me, his large head nearly snout to snout with mine. His eyes bored into me, and soon, I could see and feel his inner fire through them. If wyrms could cry, I’m sure he would be; as it was, I was struggling to handle the emotions that were racking my body. Though it was hard, I kept up the the eye lock as wave after wave of emotion crashed into me. He had been in immense pain because of the pain I was in. I would have fallen back into depression except that, for all the pain, there was more joy and relief.

Finally, Dragon FireWyrm broke the gaze and began to lick my snout. With each swipe of his tongue, more and more of the ‘golden’ scales ‘pawprint’ on the top of my snout became visible. For the first time in some time, I felt at peace with having the mark of the DragonWyrm, the highest honor a dragon could have. I would have reverted to my original Hoard Name, but couldn’t. My old name just slides out of my mind, no matter how many times I see it written or spoken by someone who knows it.

I smirked as Dragon FireWyrm slowly pulled away. I flicked out my tongue, teasing one of his nose holes. Dragon FireWyrm growled out in pain and rubbed his snout with a paw. The clan groaned in shared pain, but that quickly changed into snickering when I found my legs being swept out from under me by one of Dragon FireWyrm’s tails.

As Dragon FireWyrm turned away, I could fully see the entire clan again, all of whom looked like they were struggling between joyous laughter and tears of relief. Telling them what I needed to say could wait a few minutes longer.

I walked up to Scorpion and gave him a nod of permission that he never really needed. His head slowly snaked down, his headphone ears opening so that he could listen fully. No words needed to be exchanged. I knew that all that Scorpion would need was to listen to my soul’s song. I reached out and ran my claw through his head spines, trying to calm him down as he shook with emotion. Before I could react further, I found myself nearly crushed by Scorpion nuzzling me much to the amusement of the clan.

As I got to Caretaker and Wanderer, neither leaned down to nuzzle me, like with Dragon FireWyrm and Scorpion. Caretaker remained in place, while Wanderer leaned back, crossing his forearms and smirking. “All I gotta say is, it's about fucking time you got your act together, DragonWyrm Heart.”

“Y-Yeah…” I tittered as I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head. “I was struggling with worry over my abilities as your Firstclaw, without having a wyrm half...”

“Like I, or any dragon here, except maybe She of Hourglass, maybe, give a fucking lava shit about your damn firstclaw or dragonwyrm abilities!” Wanderer angrily growled out. He became so agitated that he flapped his wings a few times. “I was talking about you as a brother, a hatchmate.”

It was exactly as Merc had told me. ‘All those centuries waiting for you to awaken, it wasn’t their Firstclaw they wanted. They wanted their brother…’

“See.” Merc gestured to Wanderer.

“Exactly! So stop moping about it, already! We don’t need to hear you explain yourself anymore!” Wanderer added, growling in irritation. “This apologetic shit would be alright in a trial, but you are among family, not judge and jury!”

“Yeah I know I just needed to be reminded of it… However, there are some things I need to explain.” I sighed. “As we all know, The Voice has a tendency to hide a lesson, or advice, whenever he speaks…”

“The understatement of the universe…” Wanderer muttered sarcastically.

“Yes, yes...” I rolled my eyes, smirking. “As Dragon FireWyrm already knows, The Voice admonished me for my failure with She of Hourglass… One of the comments The Voice made was that my clan had tried to help me… at first I thought he was referring to just She of Hourglass, but I think, and now know, that it was more than that… you see that is, uh, um...”

I swallowed hard as I tried to come up with the right way to explain. I started out so well, but then, I just lost it. Stupid judge and jury comment... Thanks alot, Wanderer… The clan just stared blankly at me as the awkward silence continued to build, which only increased the pressure on me to come up with something, anything to say. Gah, this was so much easier when I was still psychically whole; either that, or I’m emotionally drained… I haven’t been sleeping well, after all... Focus, DragonWyrm Heart, focus...

“DragonWyrm Heart, what are you trying to say?” Caretaker questioned, trying to get me to speak.

“I… uh...” Oh screw explaining, just ask it already! “Will you, my clanmates, act as my wyrm half?”

“Jā” The clan, minus Dragon FireWyrm and She Hourglass, who merely growled ‘yes’, quickly spoke as one, much to my surprise. I expected them to blink in confusion, or look at each other, or something, anything, but not an instant yes. What shocked me most was that She of Hourglass was in agreement, and did so without a moment's hesitation. Of the entire clan, I would have expected the most for her to be the one to hesitate.

As soon the clan had uttered the draconic word for ‘yes’, I could feel a crushing, but paradoxically soothing, surge of mana falling over the clearing. My eyes widened in shock and realization. I knew what was happening. My clan was manifesting friendship magic, and, just like with Twilight and her friends prior to when they fought against Tirek and myself, my clan was transforming under the immense power that is friendship magic.

Thier scales and eyes began to glow in the colors of their scales and eyes. Several white horns grew on Scorpion’s head, peeking out of his spiky head spines. Dragon FireWyrm’s sparks, which usually only numbered half a dozen, at most, multiplied to hundreds. I couldn’t see what was happening, if anything, with She of Hourglass, as she was hidden by the bulk of Dragon FireWyrm… It’s moments like this that I don’t like my small size in comparison to the rest of my clan… As with She of Hourglass, for whatever reason, I could not see what, if any, changes were happening to Caretaker and Wanderer.

“Not again!” Merc facepalmed, though I could see that a hint of a smile was beginning to form.

Unfortunately, there was no more time to question why it was happening, or respond further, as a swirling beam of rainbow light rushed towards me from each of my clanmates. Even though I knew it was going to be alright, I instinctively took a sharp breath. That was the last thing I saw and did as the light overwhelmed me. After that, I knew nothing.

“I would gladly take the Dishonored Mark, just to be with you.”

* * *

“Quartermaster, Scorpion, or even I would have gladly laid down our lives, if that was what it took to get you back…even by your own claw or flame...”

“I... buh... I.. Really?”

“Jā.”

* * *

…r… m… rt...

Firstclaw…

DragonWyrm Heart… Are you alright?

I blinked hard, finally getting rid of the pounding in my head, along with the vertigo in my vision and the ringing in my ears. I looked around to see my family and Merc gathered around, looking at me worriedly. Caretaker, in particular, was bent down, looking me over. The friendship magic must have run its course, as everydragon was back to normal.

“Are you alright, DragonWyrm Heart?” Caretaker questioned me again.

“Yeah…” I groaned as I slowly rose to my feet. I have got to say, being hit by friendship magic for real, instead of just having a memory of it, is something else. I mean, I knew how Dragon FireWyrm felt, but wow…

“Wow!” Wanderer exclaimed in amazement. “Remind me to never make friendship magic angry…”

I wondered why he was so shocked about the power of friendship magic, as the same thing happened with Dragon FireWyrm long ago. I was about to question him when I remembered that, while he was a part of the clan at the time, he wasn't there the last time dragons used friendship magic.

So… do you have a wyrm half now?

“No idea…” I shrugged. I didn’t feel anything different. I might have been able to find out more if I meditated. “But I don’t see you chatting up your wyrm half while enjoying a spot of tea and some crumpets.”

Gah! Just because I… Gah! Scorpion growled out in irritation much to the clan's amusement. His frustrated singing voice was always funny. I am not some posh rocker!

“Sure you're not...” I smirked, rolling my eyes.

Scorpion likes all forms of music, with few exceptions, and really doesn’t have a favorite type of music. However, he has used different ‘personas’ over the years to insert himself into whatever the music culture was at the time. That being said, his favorite ‘persona’, which really wasn't a persona, but what he was normally like, was a punk rocker. He did have the look, spiky and wild neon blue head spines, scorpion ocarina choker, scorpion guitar, and headphone cups that were literally his ears. Plus, he even had the wild personality typical of punk rockers. That doesn’t even take into consideration his jacket, which he wore a lot more sparingly than he used to, and the near-constant smirk he usually sported. Still...

“I’m a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout...” I was about to get to the ‘When I get all steamed up’ part of the jingle when I got attacked by a very pissed off Scorpion.

I was knocked to the side, hard, by a claw swipe. Scorpion roared, then stalked closer, growling the whole time. I growled back as I used my small size to my advantage, avoiding the second claw swipe and scrambling up Scorpion’s back. Luckily for me, his guitar was not on his back, like normal, as he had been tuning it up when I arrived in the clearing earlier. Scorpion roared in anger and mild pain as I attacked his wing joints. I was quickly thrown off and onto the ground, belly up. Scorpion gave me no opportunity to get back onto my feet as he spun to face me, faster than I could blink. I could see fury blazing in his eyes as he then attempted and failed to bite me in half, as I kept rolling out of reach several times.

Suddenly, things got really chaotic when Dragon FireWyrm suddenly joined, against both of us. Apparently, he wanted to join in on the fighting. It was no surprise, considering I was having fun, and Scorpion, even in the midst of his fury, was radiating joy.

“Do do do do!” Wanderer trumpeted before crouching down in preparation to jump. “Dragon Pile!”

Fuck! I inwardly cursed. With me being one third the size of even the smallest dragon here, I was in deeeep lava shit, because I could easily become a dragon pancake under the hissing, growling, biting, and scratching pile of now three large dragons….

“Hey! You leave my mate alone.” I could hear Caretaker yell out, though I could also hear a slight giggle struggle to not come out as she yelled.

Ah double fuck… I groaned as Caretaker joined in. I guess I should be glad that Merc and She of Hourglass stayed out, so far.

“Glittery Soul Fire, what are you doing up here?” I questioned her as I walked out onto the bluff that I had been using the past week. I was coming up here to not to sulk, like before, but to check up on Phoenix Wave and Hourglass in peace. Though, with her here, that was going to be put back a bit longer, as this gave me an opportunity to get to know my newest clanmate better.

Last night’s fight reinvigorated the bonds of friendship that my clan had with each other, and thus, my own hoard. Glittery Soul Fire, not so much, as when I examined the golden magic cords that represented the bonds of friendship I have, my hoard as it were, I noticed that my bond between her and myself was a bit weak. I expected as much, as she is bound to me via her mate, not a Choosing… and we were not on good terms at the time of mating… One step at a time...

Watching…

I looked up in the direction of her gaze to make out a pair of dots dancing in the sky, one white, one black. I smiled as I watched. It’s moments like this that made everything worth it.

“Ah I see Dragon FireWyrm is flying with Soaring Skies… That would explain why you are here, alone, and not lazily lounging on his back like normal… Mind if I ask you a question?”

Glittery Soul Fire titled her head at me. Ask.

“Why did you agree to be... I mean, I know we are clanmates... and all… but we aren’t exactly on the best of terms… I think...” Glittery Soul Fire head stayed tilted as she gazed down at me, clearly confused as to why I was asking the question I was asking. Of course, I flubbed it worse then Fluttershy on open mic night…for the second time in two days. I was on a roll, it seemed... “I guess I wanted to know why, without hesitation, you’d agree to help me… well, more than help… To be my wyrm half is not exactly a light thing to do, and, going back to my earlier point… yeah...”

Unlike Dragon FireWyrm, who was an open book, with his inner fire usually visible, so far, Glittery Soul Fire was the opposite. I could not figure out what she was really thinking about, all that well, and thus, my question. I wasn’t too surprised, given that, for the longest time, Glittery Soul Fire’s wyrm half imprisoned itself much more than what is normal. Even though the wyrm is now free and ‘alone’, as her dragon half faded away, she still shows signs of being guarded. Hopefully, she will open up, just like Dragon FireWyrm’s wyrm half did over time when he still had both halves of his psyche.

“Ow…” I grumbled after I got hit by the tip of Glittery Soul Fire’s tail. “Geez, Glittery Soul Fire, I’m not becoming mopey about it, I just want to understand you better… I… made an inexcusable error with you once, and I will not make it again… Not again…”

“Fffffff…” I hissed in pain as I got slapped on the back of my head again. Her tail could pack a wallop when she wanted to. “Must you do that!?”

Yes. Glittery Soul Fire growled angrily. You shit eating. Shit nasty. Eating shit hurts mate, hurts clan.

I narrowed my eyes as I scrutinized Glittery Soul Fire. She was acting the same way that she did when she first arrived. Soaring Skies had a tendency to use ‘colorful’ language and Quartermaster was a bit of a violent hothead… and here she was, cursing, and although not as violent as Quartermaster would be, her hitting me for being ‘stupid’ was exactly what Quartermaster would have done... “You are so Quartermaster’s daughter, and Soaring Skies’ sister…”

Glittery Soul Fire stared me for a moment before suddenly, her tongue darted out twice, sliding into both of my nose holes.

“...and you are Dragon FireWyrm’s mate…” I winced as I scrunched up my snout, trying to alleviate the stinging.

Author's Note

Sorry for the loooong delay editor was taking an unplanned holiday and 'forgot' to tell me...:rainbowwild: It shouldn't be too long for the next chapter after this as the plan is Tuesday after work (with anyluck I might have 2 chapters for editing by then)

Also expect time jumps as we continue....

Finally a dragon OC from a reader is inbound so if you have one and are interested in it becoming a character in this story let me know.

Searching for [BLANK] in All the Wrong Places

ബഐബഐബഐ Twilight Sparkle ബഐബഐബഐ

I sighed as I entered a town named in my self-made map as Dual Springs. So far, my most recent search in an area known as the Eastern Frontier was fruitless and frustrating. Though there were numerous prosperous small outposts, camps, and settlements, I was amazed at the lack of consistent and reliable communication and trade between them, making my search for a blacksmith or machinist of the skill caliber that I needed much more difficult. I was beginning to think that I should have gone to a major population center, like the ones in the Zebra Confederation, or in the lands around Traxti City, skipping the Eastern Frontier all together... However, I did have valid reasons for searching here first.

Searching here first had its advantages. One, it was along the way to those population centers. Two, it would also give me time to build up the self-confidence to explain what I wanted, and why, without blubbering like a fish out of water. Third, I knew from experience that greatness can come from anywhere.

As I walked further into Dual Springs, it became clear that this was a fairly substantial and well-established town. A lot of the town blended into the wooded area around the town, and the construction was of higher quality than typical in frontier towns, where speed and practicality in construction is more important than being of high quality, or pleasing to the eyes. Luckily for me, this meant that it was much more likely to be part of trade lines from the west, and could even have a local, and hopefully skilled, blacksmith.

It wasn’t long before I found a blacksmith near the edge of town. It had a highly interesting design to it. It looked like the chimney of the forge, and possibly the forge itself, was carved into the massive rock. It was quite a unique way of building a forge in an open above ground area. What made it even more unique, however, was a metal relief installed in a carved recess. It was clear that a lot of work went into the building of this forge. Above the opened shop window was a sign reading:

Dragon Flame Forge

As I got closer, I could see that the relief depicted a forge, and that it was also a moving relief, something that I had not seen since before the fall of Equestria, some two thousand years ago… Whether this was magically enchanted or mechanical, I could not tell yet. If it was mechanical, it could very well mean that my search was over.

The animated metal relief depicted a stylized dragon blacksmith. The dragon started off ‘shooting’ out ‘flame’ into the forge, which had ‘smoke’ coming out the top. After a moment, the dragon stopped and slid down a barely visible track to an anvil, and hammered on it. Again, the dragon moved, then stopped, quenching a sword in a barrel, ‘steam’ pouring out as the dragon plunged the sword in. Finally, the dragon sharpened a sword on a wheel. The dragon then went back up the track to begin the whole process again.

I scanned it to see that it was not enchanted, but was all controlled by a series of hidden gears and belts. The air movement from the chimney behind it was used to provide the kinetic energy necessary. Whoever made this was extremely skilled, possibly skilled enough for the ‘project’ I had in mind. That is, if it's not too unappealing for them…

“What can I do for you, miss?” A male voice suddenly called out, startling me. I looked over to see a middle-aged minotaur standing at the shop window.

“Sorry, miss, I didn’t mean to spook you… Alagoas, proprietor of the Dragon Flame Forge, at your service.” Alagoas reached out and we shook in greeting.

“Ah yes…Twilight. I was admiring your moving relief. It is a fine piece of work… I don’t think I have ever seen anything quite like it. If it’s alright, I would like to know how you created it.”

“I wish...” Alagoas sighed. “ but I didn’t create the relief... Rye'lath, a dragon whelp, made it… He was a gifted and astute student… when he wasn’t tinkering or playing chicken with lightning…”

“I had him as an apprentice for close to five years.. During that time, he made that mechanical relief… it originally was only a the dragon shooting flames into the chimney, but it was never enough for him, and he tinkered with it and added the smoke from the chimney and so on... As he tinkered with it, it became increasingly clear that my student, my apprentice, would surpass my skills…” Alagoas chuckled as he leaned on the counter, before sighing sadly. “The day he finally completed the relief to his satisfaction was the day I both dreaded and cheered for. He had surpassed my ability to teach him… So with a heavy heart, I told him that there was nothing more I could teach him. If he wanted to improve himself… to find his place and calling… he would need to leave Dual Springs, and my blacksmith shop...”

“A few days later, he left Dual Springs to parts unknown…” Alagoas sniffed, a few tears falling. “I have not seen him since…”

I struggled, myself, to handle it. The story was quite sad, but I could see great pride in Alagoas’ expressions, as well. It reminded me of something Celestia told me, when I took on my first student: the greatest joy a teacher could ever have was when a student surpassed the teacher...

“Any idea where he may have gone, or where he is now? Any at all?”

“I’m afraid not, miss…it was fifteen years ago…and… and, as I said, I have not seen him since...”

“I...I have some contacts that may be able to help. One moment…” I quickly pulled out a piece of parchment, and my special ink pen with no quill. I quickly wrote and sent off a quick letter to Caretaker, the dragon most likely to know of this whelp, as she was usually the one that dealt with and monitored whelps on the Migration. Hopefully Rye'lath has joined a leg at one point…hopefully...

A reply was not long in coming. I quickly scanned the letter. I read it a second time, and then a third time, just to see if I read it right.

Dear Dragonfriend Twilight,

I’m sorry, but I can’t say that I have heard of any dragon whelp with that name. I talked with Wanderer at length, and he has not heard that name used as a title either… You may want to try with Merc and the Southern Isles Clan, if you haven’t already. Good Luck, Dragonfriend.

Caretaker.

Damn it… I inwardly cursed as I rubbed my forehead in frustration. I knew it was a long shot, but I had really hoped that I would get something helpful.

“I just remembered something! “ Alagoas exclaimed, suddenly getting quite excitable. “Wait here.”

I waited patiently for a few minutes before Alagoas reappeared with an envelope, yellowed with age, which he handed over to me. “This arrived about six years back. The letter probably won’t help, but the envelope might.”

I pulled out the parchment that was inside the envelope and, with a quick, skimming glance, agreed. I turned my attention to the envelope and examined it carefully. It was an unremarkable, standard envelope. The stamp on it, however… I recognized. It belonged to a courier company based out of Traxti City. Though this letter could have come from one of the auxiliary offices… I really hope this won’t turn out to be a dead end.

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

Deep breath…

Dive deep…

Relax and let go…

Deep breath…

Dive deep…

Relax and let go…

I opened my eyes as I sensed someone approaching. I looked out from where I was meditating to see that the sun was closing in on the horizon. It seemed that I had been meditating for six hours… without results... not that I expected much. It had been nearly six months since I was hit by the friendship wave, and I had yet to figure out what exactly happened, or what had changed… My mind, memories, magic, and psyche didn't seem to have changed, at all.

“Hey Dragon FireWyrm, She of Hourglass.” I leaned into Dragon FireWyrm as he laid down next to me, while I kept my sight on the lowering sun. I knew that She of Hourglass was on him. There was a subtle difference in the way he walked, when she was on him.

I sighed as I felt his gentle breathing and heartbeat. I was glad he showed up, as I had been becoming more and more frustrated at the lack of progress with trying to figure out what exactly happened. I knew that raw friendship magic, just like raw harmony magic, could be quite fickle on what it would do, but just maintaining the status quo with an over-the-top lightshow doesn’t make any sense.

I pulled out a blank scroll from my satchel. It was a good time to write down my thoughts in my journal, while there was still a bit of light in which to do so. Now let’s see, what number am I on?

Journal entry 18791:

It's been nearly six months since the Friendship magic wave… and I have had no progress in finding out what, if anything, it did. I’m beginning to wonder if maybe it’s best to just put it out of my mind, for now. I still have a ton of Harmonious Knight’s memories to filter through. At least it no longer gives me a migraine to memory walk them. The alicorn was a master mental multitasker…

Dragon FireWyrm found me today. Not surprising, as it's hard to hide from him, not that I was trying that hard to hide. When I slipped away from the Migration, I only did so so that I could find a distraction-free place to meditate. My clan understood what I was doing, and why. A random Migration dragon may not, and may have ended up disturbing me. On top of that, the Migration is not the most peaceful place.

Don’t get me wrong; I really enjoy the Migration, but I do need time for other things. As I am writing this, there is a fantastic sunset occurring, something that I know I would miss at the current migration location. Also, I wouldn’t admit this out loud, due to the risk of being teased endlessly, but leaning against Dragon FireWyrm, which is better now, with his new size, is always relaxing… especially with his heartbeat and warmth. Wish I had a book to read right about now. I can see why She of Hourglass spends so much time on him.

I yawned hard as I finished up my journal entry, sealing it and sending off with my fire to Phoenix Wave, who would place it my library. When we returned, I would bind it, along with the other journal entries I have been writing, into book form. I sighed as I settled back on Dragon FireWyrm’s side.

Speak.

I sighed. I knew it would be hard for me to hide my frustrations from Dragon FireWyrm and if he wanted me to speak I knew there was no getting around it. “This whole friendship wave thingy… six months with nothing to show, but a fancy light show… while you and everydragon has agreed to be my wyrmhalf… nothing has really changed...”

Why you worried? Clan said help. We will help.

“I know that...” I sighed “But I also don’t want to sit on my butt doing nothing! I just don’t want to ever repeat what happened… never again… not when I can at least be doing something to prevent it!”

You stupid hunter.

“I don’t hunt, Dragon FireWyrm…” I grumbled out in frustration.

Hunter doesn’t think, hunter feels… Dragon FireWyrm growled at me, hitting the back of my head. You think think think, prey slip through claws…

I yawned hard before I had anytime to dwell on Dragon FireWyrm’s words. Meditation can be relaxing, but, depending on the type used and why, it can also take a lot out of you, such as the type I used. I yawned a third time as I tried to get up. I think I overdid it.

We would need to get back to the Migration quickly, so that I could get some sleep. Falling asleep mid-air is not exactly a good thing, and neither is this location, after dark. While I and Dragon FireWyrm were way more than capable of taking care of ourselves, even dragons can be caught unaware and killed by opportunistic predators that are native to this region.

Sleep. I watch. Dragon FireWyrm nuzzled me a bit before his gaze lifted off and up, his tails curled protectively around me.

Always the loving protector… I smiled as I let myself fall asleep…

ബഐബഐബഐ Twilight Sparkle ബഐബഐബഐ

“Well that was a complete waste of a month of my life.” I growled out softly in frustration as I left the GMD Courier Company’s headquarters. Well, I knew it was going to be a long shot, but why is it that every time I get a lead, it gets shot down!? I was hoping to get at least some resemblance of a clue out of the records. But after meticulously searching through fifteen years worth of records, I found that, sadly, Rye'lath only ever sent that one letter. I could check with other courier companies, but that could take another year to check them all. Time is not on my side in this search, if I wasn't already out of time, as he is as least twenty-three years old; three years for being a hatchling, five years as a blacksmith apprentice, and fifteen years since he left Dual Springs.

It a was high probability, in the upper ninety percentile, that the dragon had Chosen, in which case, I would never be able to find him... As much as I wanted to avoid it, it looked like I need to to follow Caretaker’s advice and contact a Southern Isles dragon. Luckily for me, there should be one stationed here, at the local Outfitters Inc.

I wandered the business district until I approached a nondescript warehouse-like building, near the docks. A simple sign above the small attached office building read, “Outfitters Inc. est 984 AK”.

Gah, it’s hotter then Tartarus in here! I nearly collapsed from the oppressive heat as I walked inside. Their heater must be broken, and stuck in the on position. I felt really sorry for the diamond dog clerk, who has panting hard, facing a fan. He was so focused on trying to get some relief that he did not notice me at first.

“Excuse me... but is a Southern Isles dragon here, and available for immediate work?”

The diamond dog clerk turned to face me, panting even harder. “Notth many… rewuesth a drawon... outh of the fenth... unleth they are... plannin’ on woin’... thomewhere dan’erous... or doin’ thomethin’ illethal…”

“I assure... nothing illegal will... transpire.” I panted. It was clear that the heat was too much, even for me, so I quickly cast a cooling spell. It would help, at least for a bit. I sighed in relief as the coolness washed over me.

“Thank you… The heater has been on the fritz all day...” The diamond dog sighed in relief as he momentarily leaned back in his chair, revealing a name tag labeled Buddy. “As I was saying… SIC dragons are quite sticklers about anythin’ that could even be considered remotely amoral or illegal.”

“I’m trying to track down a friend that I lost contact with some time ago.” I lied. Well, it was a partial lie…it was actually Alagoas’ ‘friend’ who had ‘lost contact’, but there was no way in Tartarus that I was going to tell Buddy the reason I wanted to find him. Applejack would not be too pleased with the lie, partial or not, but somehow, I think she would forgive me in this case. “As I don’t know where my friend may have traveled to, I wanted a dragon, for peace of mind.”

“I see…” For a moment, I almost thought that my cooling spell had failed, as I started to sweat again under Buddy’s critical gaze. I tried not to sigh in relief when Buddy seemingly took me at my word, as he hopped off his chair and motioned for me to follow him down the corridor behind the desk. We only traveled down the corridor for a short distance before we reached the end, and a set of doors, where we stopped. “I feel I must reiterate my earlier warning. SIC dragons can be sticklers. Just because you have convinced me, does not mean that he will be convinced, as well.”

“I understand.”

Buddy stared at me for a few moments before he opened the doors. A waft of oppressive heat poured out as he did. I quickly cast the same cooling spell in an invisible bubble around us. I knew that dragons liked hot places, so I had no idea if the heat was intentional, or was because of the broken heater.

It looked like a typical warehouse, or large storeroom, except that there were row after row of the same type of memory crystals that once adorned the tree root chandler in the Friendship Castle, all arranged on the walls, and displayed on wooden shelves. While it was quite beautiful, it gave me no clue as to what this dragon's hoard actually was. Southern Isles Clan dragons’ hoards generally had something to do with adventuring, but that left quite a wide berth of hoards, from shipbuilding, to straight out payment for services rendered.

A large green dragon with white belly scales was snoozing on a modest bed of gems and coins. The dragon’s head was facing away, and his tail was curled around him, preventing me from seeing what, if any, tail weapon he had, and what kind of head spines or horns he had. While I’m friends, or at least on friendly terms, with many dragons, including a good third of the Southern Isles Clan, I don’t know all of them. So far, this dragon seemed unfamiliar to me, but, until I saw this dragon’s more defining features, ie head spines, horns, tail weapon, I couldn’t be sure.

“Yo, Tracker, wake up, ya lazy mutt!” Much to my shock, Buddy accented his insulting wake up call with a gem, which he pitched hard, right to the top of ‘Tracker’s’ head. “You have a potential client.”

I failed to stifle a giggle as ‘Tracker’ snorted awake with a groan of pain. His head popped up high enough that I saw that he had white head spines, similar to DragonWyrm Heart’s, and a pair of white horns, similar to the centaur Tirek. Now those were some unique features, and I vaguely remembered seeing them before, but the memory of when and where was too hazy.

“Ugh, Buddy, you dick, why’d you have to do that!?” Tracker grumbled as he slowly turned around.

“You know the rules, Tracker.” I was impressed when Buddy held his ground without flinching from an annoyed dragon, who had now finished turning around, and was currently pressing his large snout within a hair’s breadth from the diamond dog. “No sleepin’ durin’ business hours… even if it’s temptin’, with it being hotter a sauna in here… stupid heat lovin’ dragons...”

Tracker sneered as Buddy nonchalantly turned to walk back to the front desk. “Bitch…”

“Too hot for makeup today...” Buddy called back.

I blinked hard. Wha? My confusion only increased when Tracker chuckled and settled back on his hoard bed. It took me a moment more to realize that the insults that were leveled between the two were friendly, not antagonistic. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Males.

“Sorry ’bout the insults… Buddy and I have a friendly rivalry, and he was right; I’m not supposed to be asleep during business hours…” Tracker explained. “So... you wish to hire a dragon?”

“Yes I…” I stole a glance to the front of the building, where I observed Buddy easing back into his chair. I then closed the door and cast a soundproofing spell, which caused Tracker to raise an eyebrow. I didn’t want to risk Buddy or anyone else inadvertently overhearing. Normally, I would trust the dragon in his own hoard, but I was not sure if Tracker treated this hoard chamber as personal, or not. Once I was sure we would have some privacy, I dropped the hood of my cloak.

“Dragonfriend Twilight!” Tracker exclaimed in shock. “What brings you to these parts? The Migration’s route doesn’t go by here for another twenty years, if memory serves me right.”

“Nineteen years, four months, and six to ten days…” I blushed in embarrassment when I realized I had obsessively corrected Tracker, who, thankfully, had only raised an eyebrow. “Sorry.”

“Nothing to worry about, Dragonfriend.” Tracker dismissively waved away my apology. “My earlier question still stands.”

“I’m looking for a dragon…”

“Why don’t you ask Wanderer?” Tracker titled his head in confusion. “His hoard is the Migration, after all, and he meets with a lot of dragons…”

“That’s just it, neither he nor his mate have heard of this dragon. Further confounding my ability to find him is the fact that the dragon I’m looking for is a whelp… well, maybe…”

“Explain.”

“The last contact anyone had with the whelp was six years ago, via a letter that was sent from Arc’nai, a small trading village near the Zebra Federation. The last time he was physically seen was fifteen years ago… in a small eastern frontier town called Dual Springs, which he lived in for about five years…”

“You picked a difficult target… If he has Chosen, I doubt he will be found, even with my skills… What else can you tell me about him? Name, physical description, likes/dislikes, hobbies, anything at all? The more information I have, the easier it will be.”

“Rye'lath has dark green scales, with aquamarine spines running down his back Two white horns on top of his head, along with a third one above his nose. According to a minotaur by the name of Alagoas, he is a loner, likes to tinker with machinery, and has a fascination with… lightning.”

“And why, exactly, do you need to find him?”

“Well, you see, I need... that is… Um…I’m looking for someone to .. and I was hoping he… uh..” I could feel my face burn as I fumbled, trying to tell him that I was hoping that Rye’lath could help me create a fully functioning phallus. You would think that I would be used to this, living with hedonistic-leaning dragons, but it's still embarrassing to talk about.

The reason for wanting a fully function phallus was that I really didn’t want to go through another alicorn heat without relief, and, at the moment, Phoenix Wave was unable to ‘perform.’ I knew that if I explained this to Tracker, that he would bend over backwards to help…. Practically any dragon would, especially a Southern Isles dragon, but I didn’t want it to become common knowledge, even among dragons, what I was up to.

“Now I really need to know…” Tracker leaned down, a very sinister grin quickly forming.

I gulped. I was bucked now...

Chasing Lightning

ബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐ

Dear DragonWyrm Heart,

In answer to your first question: this most recent search has been both frustrating and productive at the same time. The technological changes since my last search are encouraging. I suspect that, in the next few decades, the eastern continents may finally be close to where they were, technologically, at the onset of the Keeper War. This is the first time that I felt so close to finding someone with the skills that could help me with my "problem," and could even possibly upgrade the Hourglass defense grid controls for more... robust body sizes. However, the one person (dragon, really) that I think may have the skills has been extremely frustrating to find, though I do hold out hope that Tracker will be able to help me find him.

As for the second part of your letter, I am thrilled to read that you have a new clanmate! And so quickly, too, but then again, I found five life-long friends in the span of one day. I can't wait to meet him personally. (And don't think I don't know what you are doing, mister, by being vague)

Finally, it pleases me to read that you are refinding your center with the help of your clan. (I’m still miffed that I missed

“Dragonfriend...” Tracker’s voice cut through Twilight's thoughts as she was writing the letter.

Twilight looked up and saw that Tracker was motioning to a line of clouds to the north. From the way the clouds were piling higher and higher at a very rapid rate, it would not be long before they fully developed into thunderstorms. So quick was the development that she would not have enough time to finish her letter. The letter could wait until later, anyway. Both of them needed to be watching for any signs of movement, right now. If they hoped to catch a dark scaled dragon against the backdrop of dark clouds from this distance, they could not afford any distractions from now on.

Twilight took a couple of calming breaths in preparation. It had been two months since she had explained to Tracker what she was doing and why, and everytime they got close to possibly finding Rye’lath, she would find herself queasy with adrenaline and anxiety. Tracker, much to her relief and mild shock, did not tease her, but was overly eager to help her find Rye’lath, and, if failing that one, would help her have ‘complete union’ with her mate. She almost wished he had been teasing then excited, almost. Maybe then, she’d just be hot with embarrassment...

Given what Alagoas had told Twilight about the dragon whelp Rye’lath, this location, like the others they had already searched, was a place where thunderstorms were frequent, and were mostly rural. Rye’lath, while not shy, was apparently not really into social interactions, and found crowds of a certain size to be unnerving and/or awkward.

Twilight carefully repositioned herself on the cloud she was on and made some adjustments to get the cloud back in form, as it had been thinning a bit. She needed to make sure the cloud remained stable and steady during what could be a long wait. Clouds outside of the influence of the order magic that saturates the pony lands tended to resist long-term control. Steadiness was essential when and if she used the pair of binoculars currently resting on her chest, and, of course, stability was a given, to prevent her from falling from the sky without warning. Not that she risked falling to her doom, as she was high enough to easily recover, but she was not a daremare like Rainbow Dash. Depending on how long they would be watching, it was possible that she would have to recheck and fix her cloud several times.

Tracker, as a dragon, could not passively cloudwalk, so he would have to glide and use thermals to fly and maintain both altitude and steady sight. Flapping his wings would make his head bob up and down ever so slightly, just enough to make looking for what would amount to a speck that much harder. With Twilight now fully on the alert, he began to slowly glide around her, instead of hovering. If all went well, he would only lose sight of the clouds when he was forced to turn, in order to remain near Twilight, but not too near. The hope was that between the two of them, they could effectively cover the sky ahead.

They watched with no results, long into the mid-afternoon hours. It didn't worry Twilight too much, as they had only been searching in this area for less than two days, and it was entirely possible that Rye'lath could be on the other side of the squall line. They would remain in this area for a week or more, just to be sure, before moving on to the next search area. Twilight was considering having them take a break when something caught her attention.

"TRACKER!" Twilight yelled out using what was used to be known as the Royal Canterlot voice. “I HAVE MOVEMENT!”

Tracker, who was, at that moment, some distance away, stopped gliding and hovered. He looked over towards Twilight, who, by this point, had activated the magic laser on her binoculars. Twilight had added that spell so Tracker could get a better understanding of exactly where she was looking. It took him a few seconds, on account of his hovering, to see exactly what Twilight was seeing, but he did eventually see a dark speck buzzing around near the base of the clouds. Given the distance of the thunderstorms and the apparent closeness of the ‘speck’ to them, it left no doubt that he was looking at a dragon in flight. Whether this was Rye’lath, he could not say. He would have to approach carefully. The winds could be turbulent around a thunderstorm, and dangerous on their own; he would have to be dealing with not only himself, but Twilight as well. Further compounding this was that Twilight was a self-admitted novice, when it came to flying.

“I see him… help guide my flight, if you will… his flight is erratic, and be careful. It is too soon to see if it's from the gust front or not.”

“Will do.” Twilight nodded in agreement. She could keep an eye on the flying speck of a dragon, while Tracker would attempt to intercept. They had felt that it would be better to have Tracker confront any dragons, as Tracker could find out whether or not the dragon had Chosen or not. If the dragon had Chosen, it wouldn't matter whether or not the dragon was Rye’lath before or not, they would move on.

As they got closer, Twilight’s hope and excitement began to reach fever pitch. Tracker had to growl out his annoyance several times to get her back on track. And once they had gotten within sight, and were able to see his distinguishing features, Twilight had to fight even harder to stay flying.

The dragon was dark green; in fact, so dark was the green, that it was almost black in the low light caused by the dense storm clouds. In stark contrast were the light blueish green wing membranes and webbed spines, which went from the top of his head all the way down to his tail weapon. Two whitish horns curved down the back of his head, similar to DFW’s. Unfortunately, the whelp was not currently facing them, so neither could get a good look to see if there was a horn on his snout, as the whelp seemed determined to only face the storm. So far, everything about this dragon seemed to match the description given to Twilight by Alagoas.

Neither Tracker nor Twilight could immediately tell if the dragon was an older adult, a first growth adult, or a whelp. Whelps would sometimes switch to a four-legged stance in running or flying for better stability, and whatever that contraption hanging down from him was, it had to make flying more difficult. It appeared that it would be up to Tracker to find out for sure, as he had several key phrases he could use. He could use magic if needed, but, with so much going on, that would be dangerous, which would not be worth it...

The dragon was wearing a weird leather harness, which was attached to a metal box with various oddities attached to it. Tracker had no idea why he had the strange metal box, but, once she got a good enough glance, Twilight immediately knew what it was, and lost several hoofs of altitude as she squealed in delight, which was drowned out by the wind. The metal 'box' was some sort of crudely and haphazardly gathered collection of scientific instruments. Her head started to swim with ways to make his research safer and more accurate… and also in wondering what he discovered. She never could resist the opportunity to chat with a fellow researcher, even one who was just beginning their intellectual journey.

Tracker didn’t have time to admire what the dragon was doing. It was becoming more difficult to fly, and he did not want to get caught in the worst of the storm. That, and he could tell that Twilight was losing it. “HEY! YOU!”

The dragon nearly fell out of the sky in shock, but quickly recovered. He quickly span around and nearly fell out of the sky for a second time, this time from fear.

“Drraggon of Green and White Scales! I..I.. wasn’t aware thisss wasss y-yourr territory! I-I will leave post haste!”

Tracker was taken aback. While a dragon inadvertently entering another dragon’s territory uninvited was extremely rare, but not unheard of, there were none within several hours’ flight. Not surprising, given that dragons preferred caves, natural or otherwise, and they were over some of the most boring and flat land in the world. So unless this was a ‘careless,’ not paying attention adult dragon, this was very likely a whelp, and, quite possibly, Rye’lath.

“Wait!” Twilight cried out as the dragon quickly dove away. However, the way that the dragon was retreating, it was highly likely that he didn’t hear her.

Hmph. Tracker chuckled in amusement as he recovered from his shock. He now knew for a fact that he was dealing with a whelp, as an adult would have waited for him to respond, and not immediately fled. Unless he was a dishonorable adult dragon, which made no sense, as he correctly addressed him, and there was no dishonor mark on him. He didn't even let me respond before he made a mad rush out of here. He definitely prefers to avoid confrontations... a bit odd for a whelp... but then again...

By this point, Twilight was fighting to catch up to the quickly retreating whelp. Why does... Every... Single… Flyer…. I meet… think they’re Rainbow Dash!?!! Twilight grumbled. Why am I comparing this dragon to my friends!?! She shook off the thoughts as she realized that she wasn’t focusing on keeping up with the whelp. Luckily, he was heading away from the storms.

The whelp didn’t miss a beat as he dropped to the ground, running, the metal box of instruments now hugged to his chest.

“Wait! I just want... to talk with you... about…” Twilight panted out as she landed and ran to try to keep up with the panicked whelp.

"I must leave!” The dragon interrupted Twilight, yelling back while still running. He knew what could happen if he didn’t quickly leave, and he still needed to get to his cart and secure his equipment. “I have intruded, however inadvertently, on a dragon territory, and must leave as quickly as I can."

Twilight was confused; there were no dragon territory wards nearby, as far as she could tell, and Tracker had made no mention of any. "But there are no dragon hoards nearby!”

“No offense miss… uh whatever your race is… but dragons’ magic is not something that can be detected by non dragons… not that I can detect it myself…”

That definitely confirms it… He is still a whelp. Twilight inwardly sighed in relief. Because dragon whelps had no access to their magic, outside of firemail, until Choosing, they couldn't detect magic, either.

“While that may be true, whelp...” Tracker spoke as he carefully landed behind Twilight. “She is Dragonfriend. Furthermore, my hoard and territory are both far from here.”

“Then why did you confront me, so close to the storm?”

“I am under contract by Dragonfriend, here, to track you down…” Tracker smirked as he leaned towards the whelp, his head over Twilight as he prepared to confirm his suspicions. “Rye’lath…. You are Rye’lath, right?”

It took all that Rye’lath had to just gulp and not squeal like spooked prey. He always made doubly sure he remained on the right side of the local populace, and especially when there were dragons in the area. He just hoped that he wasn’t in too much trouble, even though he doubted that. Why else would someone contract a dragon to track him down, if he hadn’t done or seen something he really really shouldn’t have?

“Relax, whelp.” Tracker eased back, facepalmed, and shook his head. “You have done nothing dishonorable… right?”

“No…” Rye’lath couldn't shake his head no fast enough before he realize he may be answering incorrectly… “I mean yes, I mean, NO, I have not done anything dishonorable…”

“Good then, Dragonfriend, you're up.”

“Thanks, Tracker…” Twilight breathlessly thanked Tracker. She just hoped she could quickly get herself back under control, as she began to feel tight in the chest over her excited realization that her search may finally be over... “Well, you see… that is, I heard that you, well, actually saw an-and I figured that you… that is…”

Tracker sighed and rolled his eyes at Twilight’s fumbling. He knew that delaying it would only stretch out the embarrassment, and lengthen the time that Twilight would be without a full union with her mate. The sooner Twilight got the cock made, the sooner she could do just that.

“Dragonfriend wants your help in constructing an artificial ‘fucker.’”

Both Twilight and Rye’lath instantly reddened in embarrassment. Twilight wanted to ease into the conversation, and Rye’lath found the blunt and colorful revelation of the subject to be awkward. Tracker just shrugged at it all.

“Um…” Twilight tried very hard to not let her blush deepen even further. “Rye’lath, can you give Tracker and I a few minutes? I will privately explain everything to you, afterwards.”

Rye’lath took a few seconds to register what Twilight had said. When he did, he nodded in agreement. “Of course, of course… I’ll be over here...”

Rye’lath slowly and uneasily walked towards his cart, which he had parked not too far away. He still had to secure and check his instruments. With any luck, they had worked, and he had some useful data.

Twilight nervously waited for Rye’lath to walk out of hearing range. At least Tracker’s straight and to the point revelation of why she was here had snapped her to a more neutral state, if a bit embarrassed. She was sure she would have hyperventilated and passed out, otherwise.

Once Twilight was confident that Rye’lath was out of earshot, she pulled out a memory crystal that she had managed to enchant earlier and held it out to Tracker. “Here, I enchanted this for your hoard.”

Tracker hesitantly took the crystal. He had told Twilight that there was to be no payment. Given her close relationship to the DragonWyrm Clan, he would not feel comfortable taking anything, as, without the DragonWyrm Clan, there would be no Southern Isles Clan.

Their clan leaders Merc and Windjammer, when they were young, had been forcibly enthralled by dark magic creatures known as changelings, with the use of a very powerful dark magic amulet, which had stripped them of all of their memories and, worse than that, their hoard names. The DragonWyrm Clan had managed to do something that was unprecedented, and even thought to be impossible, at the time. They had managed to restore their hoard names. Without that restoration, the clan would have never even started, much less grown to be one of the largest dragon clans in the world.

Tracker pulled himself out of his inner history lesson to gaze at the ‘memory’ the crystal captured. He could see an image of himself, Twilight, and the dragon whelp Rye’lath, back when they first encountered each other in the thunderstorm, lightning flashing in the background. It surprised and amazed him, as it was an expertly captured memory crystal, especially considering how chaotic things were, at the time.

“Dragonfriend… I…” Tracker was torn between lusting after the crystal and feeling self-conscious that she was giving him a payment which he would never accept. “You didn’t have to give something like this to me… I...you… I can’t take this...”

“Don’t give me the ‘Southern Isles Clan owes everything to the DragonWyrm Clan’ spiel, Tracker…” Twilight smirked. She was used to this from Southern Isles Clan dragons, particularly ones that didn’t know her firsthoof. She learned real quickly how to ‘persuade’ them to be a bit more reasonable. “I’m giving this, not as payment, but because I want to give it to you as a gift… as a friend.”

“Soo…” Tracker began after a thankfully short, awkward pause. “you are good then?”

Twilight took a deep breath, just like she was taught by Cadence. She knew that if she didn’t calm down, that she may end up spooking Rye’lath, and ruin any chance that he would help her, if he could. “I think so…”

“If you need me again, Dragonfriend, send me a letter… and please, let me know if everything works out...”

“Will do.”

Tracker bobbed his head in goodbye and leaped right into the air, heading north, back towards Traxti City.

Author's Note

Sorry for the long delay, my editor had... stuff getting in the way... The good news I have one more chapter ready to go and already edited!

Also on a happy note: Welcome Rye'lath to the story courtesy of Xaldon Ajide! I haven't had so much fun introducing someone's OC since *spoilers*

The Dragon OC invitation will remain open so if you have one see this for more information.

Tinker Builder Dragon Bolt

ബഐബഐബഐ Rye’lath ബഐബഐബഐ

I fiddled with my equipment as the Dragon of Green and White Scales, or 'Tracker', as the creature known to me only as Miss 'DragonFriend' called him, and said creature both did whatever they were doing, out of earshot. Anything to try and ease my racing thoughts. Contrary to what 'Tracker' 'said,' I had huge doubts that they were here just for me to make Miss 'DragonFriend' a dildo.... I mean come on, tracking me down for something like that?! She could probably get what she 'needs' from a shady merchant in Traxti City... There was no need to spend however much money it was (probably a lot), and probably many weeks’ time, just to track a nobody dragon out in the middle of nowhere.

I briefly even thought of trying to flee, but, if they managed to specifically track me down, and in the middle of the Zebrarian Savannah, no less, something tells me that I would fail miserably... unless,maybe, I went to the Razorback Expanse... I shuddered violently at that thought. I had only heard the rumors of that place, and it was enough to convince me that it would be a death sentence to go there, and that was from dragons, who most would consider to be the apex predator of the world!

"Rye'lath?"

"Ahhh!" I jumped over my cart and ducked down at suddenness of the voice of the DragonFriend. I quickly peeked over to see Miss DragonFriend blushing hard. Now that I wasn’t in a panic, I could get a good look at her. I didn’t recognize her race. The only thing that she could be compared to was a colorful winged, single-horned centaur, but her features were not bovine at all. I was not going to ask just yet, as it could come off as rude.

"I'm sorry, Rye'lath," Miss DragonFriend apologized while still blushing and holding a hooved leg over her mouth. Though it sounded sincere, I could see a glint of amusement in her eyes. I suppose I probably did look funny, leaping over my cart like a scared manticore cub. "I didn't mean to startle you."

“It's okay, Miss DragonFriend…” I reassured Miss DragonFriend. It wasn’t her fault that I was so jumpy. I then mentally fumbled when I noticed the lack of a certain dragon. “I... where is the Dragon of Green and White Scales?”

"Miss DragonFriend?" Miss Dragonfriend questioned. Between her tilted head and pursed lips, it was clear that she was confused at me calling her Miss DragonFriend... I mean, DragonFriend is her name... right? I suppose it could be because calling a lady 'miss' might be something that is not done in her culture... Master Alagoas would be upset at me for sure... "OH! Oh! I see. You misunderstand, DragonFriend is a title, one of many, actually, that I have, not my name... My name is Twilight. As for Tracker, he has left for home. I only needed his tracking skills.”

"Please believe me when I say that I didn't track you down because of some fantastically made up and exceptionally evil, illegal, or amoral activity that you may or may not have done. I tracked you down because of the skill you put into creating a mechanical moving relief..."

Mechanical moving relief? I wondered. I had no idea what she was referring to. To begin with, what is a mechanical moving relief? I quickly racked my brain for anything that could match to what 'DragonFriend' meant before it hit me. Oh, the sign from Master Alagoas' forge. "That was nothing special… I got the idea from a music box... that I didn't and still don't want to mess with. It was a way for me to tinker with that, without actually tinkering with it. I'm more of a tinkerer. I usually don't build up from scratch unless I need to."

“Alagoas said as much, but rest assured, your skills, if that mechanical relief is anything to go by, are what I will need.”

“B-but for a didlo!?” I stuttered, trying to find an excuse to get out of this mess in as polite way as I could, without resorting to a forceful no. “Any blacksmith could make a life-like one from a mold!”

“Sadly, a regular didlo will not ease my heat, and with my mate unable to perform…” Miss Twilight sadly shook her head. “Trust me, I have tried every conceivable model and material…”

“I… I’m sorry Miss Twilight I didn…”

“Relax Rye’lath.” Miss Twilight stopped me with a hoof to my mouth. “You would have had no idea...what I was hoping was that one that was life-like in, uh…. movement… would… help.”

“I see… But couldn’t you have magicked up the dildo to do that?”

“Let’s just say that magic during the act is…” Miss Twilight shuddered, “ill advised… and leave it at that.”

I wasn’t going to argue with that, as I had no ability to do magic, outside of my firemail, and I didn’t know what kind of magic, if any, Miss Twilight could do… However, I would assume that she could, from what she said. “Miss Twilight I don’...”

“Rye’lath… please… if you are able...” Miss Twilight whispered as she looked down, a few tears falling. “I am getting to the end of my rope with this. I… I am long lived, Rye’lath, and each subsequent heat cycle is more grueling and longer than the last. I just can’t go another heat cycle without something to relieve it…”

I couldn't stand to see a female in a state like this. It was clear that she was in distress over this ‘heat’ problem, and, if it’s anything like the minotaur rutt, then I could understand. Those few weeks every year were not the most pleasant, at the forge. As much as the idea was a bit awkward for me, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t at least give it a try. “Okay, Miss Twilight, I shall help, though I don’t how much help I can be...”

“Thank you, Rye’lath…” Miss Twilight sniffed, blushing in embarrassment. “I’m sorry… I... It’s just that I have been dealing with it for so long… and…”

“Please, Miss Twilight…” I awkwardly rubbed the back of my head. “Don’t apologize… I said I would help, and by The Voice, I will help… no matter how embarrassing it is...”

“Thank you…” Miss Twilight whispered her thanks again.

“If we are going to do this, we’d best be going…” Miss Twilight, thankfully, quickly switched subjects. I blinked when I saw her horn glow pinkish, as she telekinetically pulled out a large, hobbled together map out of her bags. I have never seen magic like that before… but then again, I was not familiar with her race. The map, from the looks of it, covered not only this area, but all the way to Dual Springs. “Hmm… It would take weeks to get to the Migration, much less Dual Springs...”

“Miss Twilight, why do we need to go to The Dragon Migration?”

“I have a friend that I need to speak to in person.” Miss Twilight explained as she pulled out a new scroll and a strange rod filled with ink, if I’m smelling right, from her bag. I patiently waited as she wrote out a particularly long letter. My jaw dropped when, after reading over her letter, she rolled it up, sealed it, and then lit it. Why would she do that? A second later, the scroll was gone, and its ashes floated away with a glint of magic. Did I just see a non dragon using firemail? How!?

A few moments later, a different stream of ashes collapsed in front of Miss Twilight and flashed, with a pop, into a scroll. Miss Twilight was quick to open and read the letter. “Okay, a dragoon airship is on its way, though it might take a few days…” Miss Twilight sighed as she laid down in the shade of the tree that I had tied my cart to. “While we wait, I am really curious about your metal box of instruments, and what you may have discovered on weather phenomenon.”

I held back excitement as I joined her in the cool of the shade. I was really glad she didn’t want to discuss the didlo. It was awkward when the Dragon of Green and White Scales first mentioned it, and it still is. Her wanting to discuss weather was encouraging; maybe she has some knowledge on lightning that I’m missing. It’s so hard to find someone that can give me information on lightning that is not muddled by myth and misconceptions.

“Rye… wak…”

“Rye’lath! Wake up.”

“I’m up, I’m up,” I yawned, opened my eyes and stretched. Looking about, I saw that it had to be late morning, from the position of the sun. I wasn’t surprised at how late it was, as last night’s discussion, like many over the past week, had gone on quite late. The question I had right now, though, was why I was awakened. “What is it, Miss Twilight?”

“The dragoon airship is nearly here.”

“Thank you Miss Twilight, I...”

When Miss Twilight told me that she was going to contact a dragon to get an airship to be able to transport Miss Twilight, myself and my cart, I was a bit skeptical. I had heard about the dragoon airships from my parents. I had always thought that it was a bit of an exaggeration. I mean, a wooden sailing ship large enough to easily carry two or three fully grown dragons and fly!? But here I was, seeing one quickly approaching from the north. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was clearly flying, I would have thought it one of those large sailing ships that I'd seen from a distance. Unlike those, this one also had a flattish bottom.

“Amazing sight, isn't it?”

I nodded dumbly. That it was. As I watched it descend, I almost wished I had one to make gathering weather information easier, though I did consider Miss Twilight’s suggestion of balloons. The only down side to her suggestion was the risk of losing my equipment. Currently, I really didn’t have the ability to get replacements for some of them.

My awe turned to fearful panic in a flash as a purple and green scaled dragon walked down the ramp that had been lowered. The sparks coming from him, along with a diamond studded bowtie he was wearing, were initially a curiosity, nothing to worry about. That was until I saw on his snout a patch of golden scales in the shape of a dragon's paw. I may have only heard about it from my parents, but I knew exactly what I was seeing: a DragonWyrm! How did I get stuck with a cruel fate like this, that Miss Twilight would have contacted a DragonWyrm?! I can’t, for the life of me, remember the names of any of the living DragonWyrms! Gah! Why didn't I pay more attention?! I was in trouble, I just knew it.

As the Dragon of Purple and Green Scales got closer, I could feel my heart racing as I franticly tried to calm myself down and come up with the right way to address him. How does a dragon even speak to them? Much less someone like me?!

“DragonWyrm Heart!” Miss Twilight called out as she ran right up to the dragon, without missing a beat. “Windjammer said nothing about you coming.”

“What!? I can’t surprised my favorite lil’ pony?” ‘DragonWyrm Heart joked, sticking his tongue out, grinning like a mad dragon.

“DragonWyrm Heart!” Miss Twilight giggled as she reached out and hugged him.

“Rye’lath?”

“Rye’lath!”

“Huh? What?” I blubbered in confusion, looking around until I saw Miss Twilight looking at me with a worried look. “Sorry, Miss Twilight, I, uh, seem to have zoned out… I thought I had seen a DragonWyrm.”

“That’s because you did.” A baritone voice to the right and behind me explained. I slowly, in fear, turned to see the dragon I had seen before, smirking at me.

“Twi, it seems you found a dragon that is a genderbent you, with just a bit of Fluttershy in the mix.”

I get how he could compare me to Miss Twilight, but who, or what, is this Fluttershy!? I wondered, wishing that I could shrink.

“Yeah, just a bit…” Miss Twilight giggled, a hoof covering her mouth. “Would also make Rarity swoon right onto a fainting couch.”

“Yeah, she would…” DragonWyrm of Purple and Green Scales chuckled in turn. “Spotlight and I would have had no chance if he addressed her like he does you…”

“Relax already, Rye’lath!” DragonWyrm of Purple and Green Scales suddenly stared at me, frowning and shaking his head. “Rarity was a pony who had ‘cultured’ tastes, though she would have insisted that you called her Lady Rarity, not Miss…She was… special...”

“Well.” DragonWyrm of Purple and Green Scales clapped his paws, his mood going from sad to happy so fast that I almost didn’t catch that his mood had saddened to begin with. “I have to get back to the Migration and my clan. The Migration will be heading to the next stop in the next few days, and there is a chance that we could get another new clanmate!”

“I’m surprised that you didn’t bring He of Hourglass with you, so I could meet him.”

“Twi…”

“I know, I know.” Miss Twilight waved a hoof, silencing the rest of DragonWyrm of Purple and Green Scales’ admonishment. “He needs time to adjust before adding more to his plate.”

“Anyway, Windjammer has agreed to take you two to Dual Springs and Hourglass… if it comes to that…” Take us to Hourglass? I wondered. Dual Springs, I get, as it has everything we need to make the didlo… Oh, wait, that could be where Miss Twilight and her mate lives… my thoughts drifted away as I watched DragonWyrm of Purple and Green lean down to nuzzle Miss Twilight. “Take care, Twi.”

“I will, DragonWyrm Heart.” Miss Twilight whispered back as DragonWyrm of Purple and Green turned and prepared to take a leap and fly away.

“Oh, and Twi,” DragonWyrm Heart stopped and looked over his shoulder, back at us, grinning. “Keep Mr. Flutterdragon here safe from the big bad Windjammer.”

“HEY!” ‘Windjammer’ roared out in mild anger from somewhere on the airship, though the poorly stifled snort that came right after betrayed his mirth.

I was really beginning to rethink agreeing to help. I didn’t think that I could handle all of this non-stop teasing, for however long it would take us to get to Dual Springs. Well, it wouldn’t be so bad if I knew what was so funny, at least half of the time.

“You ready?” Miss Twilight asked as we disembarked the Spiked Punch, after just over two weeks of flying. I had debated asking why such a strange name, but didn’t, and from experience with sword names, that was probably for the best.

“Yes.” I said, though I really wanted to say ‘not really.’

As we walked into Dual Springs, I felt a bit surprised and nostalgic to see that the town looked exactly as I remembered it. Though, given how little I ever went into town, it was possible that it had changed a lot, and I would not have even known it.

My anxiety rose as we walked through town, the residents watching us, or more like me, as we went. I knew not if it was from recognition or me being a dragon, and the reputation that comes with it. Most dragons had a reputation of being rough around the edges and hot headed, both figuratively and literally. Why couldn’t we have landed on the other side of town? The forge is, or was, on the edge of town, and I could really do without the stares.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before I could see the forge ahead. As soon as I got a look at it, I slowed to a stop. It was clear at a glance that Master Alagoas had taken great care in maintaining the sign. It looked like it had been freshly painted just yesterday, and I couldn't hear any grinding, squeaking, other odd noises that could indicate any wear and tear over fifteen years, just quiet whirring. It was clear Master Alagoas had kept it in top shape.

Why? I stopped and stared down at the ground in shame. Why Master Alagoas... why would you keep the mechanical sign I made?

"Rye'lath?" Miss Twilight put a hoof on my shoulder as she questioned me in concern.

"I can't do this…” I turned away from the forge and walked a few steps before collapsing on my haunches, sniffing. “I got so caught up in my own projects that... I... I forgot Mas… a friend..."

"Rye'lath... I..." Miss Twilight walked up and sat down next to me. “Look, I know how you feel... I, too, made the same mistake, once... I got so wrapped up in studying that I hurt a friend so badly that, in order to spare herself pain, she closed herself off in books, telling herself that friendships only led to pain…”

“Did you...”

"Yes…” Miss Twilight answered my unfinished but implied question with a far off look. “Took a bit of work..."

“What kind of books?” I asked, trying to delay what was coming. I just wasn’t ready to face Master Alagoas yet.

“Anything and everything…” Miss Twilight shrugged before she looked me dead in the eyes. “but that is not important. What is important is that you don't give up on this without giving it your best go. If it fails, it fails. At least then, you can be at peace that you tried your best.

"But..."

"Rye'lath?" The voice was soft and unsure, but I recognized that voice. It may have been fifteen years, and the bass voice may now have some gravelly tones that come with age, but I knew that voice. I slowly turned to see that it was Master Alagoas, who, except for a few streaks of grey and some wrinkles around his eyes, was the same minotaur blacksmith that I remembered.

"M-Master Alagoas! I..." I didn't get any further before I was wrapped in a bone crushing hug, a typical greeting between minotaur friends, the ‘bone crushing’ part of which is not easy, with me being a dragon. But what was not normal shook me right down to my core. His whole body was shaking hard, and I could feel tears dropping onto my shoulder.

In the entirety of the five years that I was apprenticed under him, I had never heard him cry, or even seen his eyes water. He also never cursed or even winced when he got injured, which was quite often. Blacksmithing is not without its dangers. Cuts, abrasions, rashes and burns were all too common, even for a skilled blacksmith, such as Master Alagoas. I had it easy; as a dragon, I was practically immune to heat. I remember giving Alagoas quite a scare when I tripped and fell face-first into the lit forge. Sure, he knew that dragons breathed fire, but he was not so convinced that I couldn't be hurt by it. Also, the only way that a sword could cut me is if it hit me in such a way that it hit my scales just right.

I couldn’t handle it, anymore, and started crying myself, wrapping my wings around Master Alagoas, and nuzzling his cheeks, our tears mingling. Even though he was the Master, and I was the Apprentice, he was also like a second father to me.

“Come,” Master Alagoas said as he pulled out of our hug, sniffing once before turning and beckoning myself and Miss Twilight to follow him into the forge, “you must tell me how things have been for you.”

“See...” Miss Twilight whispered to me as she trotted past me, while I was still in shock.

“Rye’lath.” Master Alagoas called out as leaned out out the forge store window. The tone was one of a gentle command, but I could tell by his eyes that it was more asking than ordering.

“Coming, Master Alagoas!” I blurted out, shaking off my hesitation.

Author's Note

There you go! Best way to flesh out an OC 1st person narration!

Please comment, up vote, fav (especially that first part.... don't make me go all crazy Pinkie on you:pinkiecrazy:) Your comments can be especially helpful to me. Just like that list for evil overlords:pinkiecrazy:... you know that list right? Especially the one that states: "One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation." Except replace one of my advisors with commentators and flaws in plan with flaws in story...

Awwwkward...

ബഐബഐബഐ Rye’lath ബഐബഐബഐ

Master Alagoas led us through the forge and to the attached studio apartment in the back. Master Alagoas would, on occasion, bring a customer back here so they could discuss business in a more private environment. As Master Alagoas gestured for us to take a seat, I wondered if he was going to serve tea or ale. He switched between the two, depending on what race and sex he was dealing with. Ale for males, no matter the race, and female griffons, while, for all others, he would pull out tea, though there had been exceptions to those rules. Master Alagoas always stressed to know your customer, and to anticipate which one was correct. To me, for Miss Twilight, tea would be what I would guess.

My prediction soon proved to be right, as Master Alagoas brought out a tray with a kettle and three cups, already steaming from tea. Master Alagoas would never serve me any ale, not because of my age, but because I could not get drunk, given my biology. There was that one time that griffon and minotaur competitive natures led to… yeah, it was not fun cleaning up after that. I never minded, though, as I found out that unlike ale, or any alcoholic drink for that matter, tea or coffee could be infused with flavor from powdered gems. From the smells wafting from my cup, it was clear that Master Alagoas had remembered this, and had infused my cup with some.

"Hmmm... Thank you, Alagoas, this is just what I needed." Miss Twilight hummed in delight as she took a long sniff of the tea, before taking a sip.

It was silent for some time, as we drank our tea. I knew what Alagoas was doing, as I had seen him do this before. He would do this to relax upset or stressed out customers. Though he wasn't against using his war hammer, if necessary; usually, those were young 'warriors' 'with something to prove, and a chip on their shoulder' as he called it. Quite frankly, for me, it was not really helping; if anything, it was putting me on edge, though I could see Miss Twilight visibly relax. I knew that she had been under stress for some time, but it wasn't until just now that I realized how much stress she was carrying.

"So," Master Alagoas finally spoke up after some time. I fought not to cringe, as I knew what was coming next. "Tell me of your journey to find you calling, your place.”

What came next was the most difficult, and yet the most liberating, talk I have ever had. I told him of my journey, of the places that I saw, of the things I did, and of the knowledge I had learned. By the end of it, I felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted off, even though I was thoroughly exhausted.

"You have yet to truly answer my question." Master Alagoas causally poured himself some more tea, not even looking up at me.

"Master?" I gulped. I had completely forgotten what the original question was, if there was one to begin with. Master Alagoas, while gentle, was not one for repeating himself.

"Have you found your calling, your place?"

"No..." I whispered, and looked away in shame.

Fifteen years of searching, and I had nothing to show for it. I knew Master Alagoas had such high hopes for me, and I failed him. I couldn't even look up as I heard Master Alagoas stand up and walk over to me. How could I look him in the face?

"Rye'lath," Master Alagoas put a hand on my shoulder and lifted my face with the other. I tried to look away, but he would not let me. There was no disappointment in his eyes, just the same hope and pride he had for me the day I left. It only made it all the more painful. "You are still young; you will find it."

With that, Master Alagoas walked into the forge, with Miss Twilight close behind. I just sat there, fighting to keep tears from falling.

Tinkering had always been a passion of mine, and, for me, nothing was more soothing than being so deep in a project that the worries of the world faded away. That, and watching lightning. There was something about lightning, the way it cut through the sky like a hot knife through butter, that sent excited chills up my spine. If only I could combine them, in some way.

Currently, I was tinkering with the Dragon Flame Forge sign, trying to calm myself. I slowly pulled out one of innermost gears, using my special tweezers and custom magnifying monocle to get it out without disturbing or damaging the other gears nearby. It was one of several gears that I wanted to replace. Master Alagoas could not make the gears this small as precisely as I could, and the alloy I was using in the replacements was not one he knew of. Even if he did, he would have had trouble creating it in his forge. At least, not without my help. It required a dragon's flame, or a type of forge that could reach a high enough heat, which Master Alagoas' forge could not.

I could hear a set of hooves walk up and stop some distance behind me. It was most likely Miss Twilight, as the gawkers from town, thankfully, had long since left me to my own devices. I don't usually like people watching me work, as it makes me nervous. I got smart real fast, and did most of my tinkering on the sign in the twilight hours, when most would not be able to see what I was doing. I could do it then because one, I could do it silently, and two, my acute darkness vision could overcome the lack of light. Sadly, right now, I could not do that, as I was checking each gear for any wear that was not easily apparent, and I needed all the light I could get. I wanted the sign to last another fifteen years without needing my attention.

However, I wasn’t going to let Miss Twilight watching me bother me, so I continued my work. But, as I continued, I found myself becoming increasingly uneasy. She had been giving me some space over the past few days, refusing to even discuss starting the project. Why she started to watch me now was of some concern. I knew that she was concerned about me reconnecting with Master Alagoas. Reconnecting, however, so far, was proving to be a challenge. I struggled with even looking him in the face, much less talking to him. Every glance, word, and action said that I failed him, even though I knew that it was false. I just could not get out of my head the thought of fifteen years with nothing to show for it, and only the one letter...

I could hear an odd shuffling from Miss Twilight as she suddenly got up and approached me. I inwardly groaned as she did. I was sure that Miss Twilight was about to initiate what I knew was going to be a very awkward conversation. Not what I wanted right now.

"Please don't stop! I just wanted a better look at your tools..." Twilight stuttered out, stopping suddenly. "They remind me of the ones I've seen earth ponies use, ponies that don't have telekinetic abilities, but I am a bit surprised to see you use them, given your claws’ natural dexterity."

"Yeah, they help me with delicate work..." I responded to Miss Twilight’s curiosity, much to my relief. Maybe all it was, was just curiosity about my custom built tools. She did have a thirst for knowledge, similar to my own. Except her focus was much more broad than mine. I did find her knowledge of weather magic to be fascinating, if a bit fantastical. Apparently, in the pony homelands, the weather, along with practically everything else, was run by their magic. Sure, I had seen practitioners of magic affect the weather, but to have utter control of it seemed a bit too obsessive, and that is saying a lot, coming from me. "Sometimes, my big paws are just too big."

"I've also noticed that you favor the quadrupedal stance... is that why you were so panicky when we first met?"

"Yes..."

"May I ask why? I mean, if it's alright, that is... it's just that, except for sea serpents, I rarely see a whelp favor the quadrupedal stance, outside of speed flying or running."

"I have a really short flame..." I turned slightly and demonstrated by blowing out my flame as hard as I could into the air. Like always, it only extended out slightly longer than my head. "So, in order to maximize my control, when using Master Alagoas' forge, I had to stand on all fours. After so long of that, I just got comfortable with the stance."

"I see. I assume it also made it easier to move your cart, especially in areas without established roads."

"That too..."

"Ran into a few dragons that thought you were an adult, didn't you?"

"Yeah..." I sighed. This conversation was turning very awkward and fast, and I needed to switch this fast... "Miss Twilight, why do you have a dragon title? My understanding was that it was unheard of for a non-dragon to have one."

If Miss Twilight was taken aback by question, she didn't show it. If anything, she seemed contemplative about it. "While it's not unheard of, it is quite rare. It is so rare, in fact, that, if I recall correctly, there have been less than twenty to have a dragon title in the past three hundred thousand years... As for my own, it depends on who you ask, as not every dragon will acknowledge me by that title... and some address me like that for different reasons.”

"Rye'lath, tell me... " Miss Twilight asked slowly. Here we go, the real reason for her approaching me. "Why have you been avoiding Alagoas, these past few days?"

I sighed as I gently picked up the gear that I had removed earlier, and put a new one back into its place. “I really don’t want to talk about this right now, Miss Twilight.”

“Rye'lath, we are friends, are we not?” I sighed as I slowly nodded, still focusing on my work. “Then as your friend, I want to help, but I can't unless you let me know what is wrong. I promise I won't laugh at you, or judge you."

“Master Alagoas…" I put down the gear I was holding so I wouldn't damage it as I clenched and released my paws several times, in anger. "He had such high hopes... and, and what do I have to show for it!? NOTHING! I know that... I just..."

“I see...Rye'lath…" Miss Twilight put an understanding hoof my my shoulder, though I kept my gaze away from her, too ashamed to look her in the eyes. " I, too, once was an apprentice to a master… I, too, have felt the shame of thinking that I was a failure because I had not learned something new within a self imposed arbitrary time limit… I had forgotten that my teacher didn’t care about such measures. Sure, she wanted me to learn, but not by forcing it… I learned that failure wasn’t failing, as long as..."

"Miss Twilight? I..." As I turned to check on Miss Twilight, who had strangely gone silent mid-sentence, my words failed me. Where Miss Twilight had been a moment before, Master Alagoas had taken her place, staring at me with an eyebrow raised. "Master Alagoas! I..."

“Rye’lath, come inside and help me at the forge…" Master Alagoas gently put a hand on my shoulder, smiling warmly. "For old times’ sake.”

"Okay, Master Alagoas." I agreed, even though I really didn't want to... But I never could say no to Master Alagoas.

It was a month before Miss Twilight finally said it was time for us to go. My relationship with Master Alagoas did eventually improve during that time, and, as much as I didn't want to leave, I gave Miss Twilight my word that I would help, and, the sooner I got it done, the sooner I could return to less embarrassing projects... With a promise that once I arrived, that I would find a way to send a letter monthly, we left for Hourglass, which ended up taking nearly three weeks.

"It’s not much longer to Hourglass." Miss Twilight spoke up over the wind as she joined me on day twenty of our journey from Dual Springs. We were finally flying over dry land, after gliding over the ocean for the past eleven days, which was a nice change. "Should be able to see it any minute now."

"Good." I sighed. I like flying as much as any other dragon or griffon (can't say for sure with ponies, as I only had Miss Twilight to gauge by,) but it would be nice to be back on the ground after the endless 'flying'. The Dragon of Orange Scales and Spines had avoided thunderstorms, much to my chagrin. I understood why, but it just made the trip all the more boring. Luckily for me, I made up for that by staying at the front of the ship, so that I would be able to see everything that was coming, including Hourglass.

Moments later, I was glad that my head was resting on what I was told was a bowsprit, as I'm sure my jaw would have reached the ground, many thousands of feet below. I was seeing a mountain that was upside down. I mean, literally upside down, like some impossibly large hand or paw had picked up a mountain, in one piece, and slammed the peak into the ground. I thought I had seen some strange mirages in the Twarizsj Desert, but this blew away anything that desert had ever come up with.

"Miss Twilight, I think that maybe the Dragon of Orange Scales and Spines has flown too high, because I'm seeing something that I'm pretty sure should be impossible."

"It never fails... " Miss Twilight giggled, much to my confusion. "What you're seeing is known as Terra Hourglass, and I assure you, it's quite possible... I could go in-depth on how it's possible, but I think it would only confuse you further. Let’s just say magic, and leave it there, for now."

I nodded in agreement. I didn't think I wanted a headache, or, at least, a bigger headache. So I would assume that Hourglass would be somewhere near ‘Terra Hourglass.’ I just hoped that it was not within its shadow, or on ‘top.’ The ideas of it suddenly crushing me or the ground, or disappearing from beneath me in my sleep, were not something I wanted to be dwelling on the entire time of my stay in Hourglass. My hopes were quickly dashed, and my fears grew, as the Dragon of Orange Scales and Spines made no attempt to descend, but actually ascended a bit!

As we got closer, my unease escalated into full blown fear. On ‘top’ of the mountain was a city! That is a large city! If I hazarded a guess, it had to be nearly a third of the size of Traxti City! This is a big problem; I avoided large cities like Traxti City, because I prefer the quiet and solitude that came from a rural setting.

"Relax, Rye'lath," Twilight put out a hoof to try to soothe me. "Hourglass City is nearly empty; there are only Phoenix Wave, my mate, myself, and the DragonWyrm clan, which has only six... No, wait, seven dragons in it... I forgot He of Hourglass, for a moment..."

"The-the Dd-d-ragonWyrm Clan!?!?" I stuttered. "We are heading right into DragonWyrm territory!?"

“Relax! DragonWyrm Heart is the Firstclaw. Did he seem like the type to burn you to a crisp?"

"N-nno-oo..." I stuttered as I continued to violently shake. I had to get out of here.

"Rye'lath, look at me" Miss Twilight gently pulled my head down so I was looking right at her. "It will be alright! Trust me. Do you trust me?"

I nodded as I fought to suppress my panic.

“Here." Miss Twilight handed me a thermos. “It's a special tea blend that a friend once gave me. It always works miracles in calming me down, when I panic.”

"Thank you, Miss Twilight." I whispered in thanks, as I could feel the tea she gave me working.

By the time the ship moored down next to what Miss Twilight had told me was the Spiral Spire, I had returned to a state of cautious unease. When I looked down, I saw what was a heavily armored pony standing nearby... I think. His entire body, tail and all, were covered in, or more like under, a strange rainbow sheened metal armor. I couldn't see his eyes past the two sapphire lenses where his eyes should be. Stranger still was the rainbow crystal carved into a horn, similar to Miss Twilight's, on the top of the helmet. I could not smell the pony, or anything, really, underneath the metal, but it was possible that the strange armor he was wearing was masking it. I was not sure what to make of it all.

"Phoenix Wave!" Miss Twilight galloped to embrace the armored pony in a hug.

"Twi, my love..." Phoenix Wave embraced her back, which was quite a feat, given how armored he was. I tilted my head in interest, his voice sounded... buzzy. "My mate... my treasure..."

I gulped as Phoenix Wave revealed that he was Miss Twilight's mate. While I was glad to finally meet Miss Twilight's mate, I was not all that thrilled to find out that he was a warrior or guard, if that armor was anything to go by. I would have to be extra careful not to offend him. I was so focused on the two mates that I nearly yelped in surprise when the Dragon of Orange Scales and Spines walked past me with my cart, which he placed down gently on the cobbled street, next to Miss Twilight.

“Thanks for everything, Windjammer.”

"Thank you for bringing her home safely." Phoenix Wave thanked and saluted the Dragon of Orange Scales and Spines.

"It was my pleasure, DragonFriend, Captain Phoenix Wave." The Dragon of Orange Scales and Spines bobbed his head towards Miss Twilight and Captain Phoenix Wave in turn.

“Thank you, Dragon of Orange Scales and Spines, for transporting myself and my cart.” I squeaked out my own thanks as the Dragon of Orange Scales and Spines passed me

“It was nothing, Rye'lath.” The Dragon of Orange Scales and Spines waved off my thanks.

"But..." I began. I really hated feeling like I was some freeloader, and the Dragon of Orange Scales and Spines was insistent on it being ‘nothing,’ which was contrary to everything I was taught about my race.

“You are under contract with DragonFriend here, right?” I slowly nodded, trying to keep myself from gulping. I hated being the center of attention, and the stare I was getting was really not helping my mental state. “That is why I won't request, and won’t accept, anything for my hoard.”

“I don’t understand.”

"Merely a life debt that we will never be able pay back..." The Dragon of Orange Scales and Spines explained as he spun around and leapt onto the dragoon airship. “Now, I need to get back to the Southern Isles. By your leave, DragonFriend, Captain.”

“Of course, Windjammer. Until we meet again, may your claws stay sharp and your fire roar.”

I was stunned. DragonFriend, Miss Twilight was! How else would she have known the formal honorific goodbye? The Dragon of Orange Scales and Spines smiled back at Miss Twilight and bobbed his head. Without another word, he turned his attention to the helm, and the dragoon silently lifted off and headed west.

“Well the day is still young, do you want a tour of Hourglass?” Miss Twilight asked me once I had recovered.

“No offense, Miss Twilight, Sir, but I would feel better if we got your project started, so as to get it done as quickly as possible.”

“Very well,” Miss Twilight sighed. “This way.”

I followed Miss Twilight and Captain Phoenix Wave as they walked north and along the very large, cone-like building. I was so focused on quelling the remnants of my nervousness that I failed to notice that we had walked all the way to the back of the building. Captain Phoenix Wave opened a large warehouse-like door, and we walked in, revealing a very large workshop/armory. On one side was a large section of weapons and armor, and on the other, all the tools and equipment that one could expect to find in carpentry and blacksmith shops, minus, oddly, a forge.

"I do have some blueprints, and, of course, medical models of... pony penises..." Miss Twilight reddened as she gestured to a workshop bench nearby. As Miss Twilight said, there were several penis models on display on the shelves, along with numerous scrolls stuffed around them.

I took a glance at some of the mentioned blueprints and had to suppress a snort of amusement. The designs were laughable, at best, and impossible, at worst. Miss Twilight wasn't kidding when she said she struggled with mechanics. The one thing that I did notice as I glanced through them was that every one of them had indication of being attachable in some way. "Miss Twilight, when you said that you needed me to help you build a life-like cock, I was under the impression that it would be a dildo. These blueprints indicate that you are trying to build an actual 'cock-cock.'"

“Maybe you should take a look at Phoenix Wave, before you rush to judgement.”

I raised an eyebrow, confused. Why would I need to take a look at Captain Phoenix Wave? And what does that have to do with building a dildo? After a moment's hesitation I shrugged as I walked over to Phoenix Wave, who was now lying on his back on a low table, his head resting on a headrest that allowed him to lie flat without his horn getting in the way. This is going to be so embarrassing...

As Miss Twilight pulled on one of the plates on Phoenix Wave’s belly, so I could see inside, I was stunned. “Where is his body!??” I exclaimed as I saw that there was nothing inside except hoses, cables, gears, and other things typical in machinery.

“That is Phoenix Wave’s body.” Miss Twilight countered. “He is what one would call an artificial living golem.”

“Okay… what is an artificial living golem?”

"An artificial golem is a machine or magic construct that, usually, mimics the shape, and sometimes functions, of a lifeform, depending on its complexity. What makes Phoenix Wave an artificial living golem is that his soul is a part of the body. In this case, housed in a special crystal inside his chest.” Miss Twilight opened a panel to reveal the strangest sight I had ever seen: a gem glowing in a shifting array of colors. I knew that gems could glow when magic was applied to them; however, to have the colors constantly shift was unknown to me. “That is a glowstone, the only one of its kind, and it is the only gem capable of housing a soul. The rainbow crystal horn and sapphire eyes allow him to use magic and see, respectively.”

“I see...” I spoke with doubt. I didn’t completely understand Miss Twilight’s explanation. I turned back to Captain Phoenix Wave’s open body and pushed down the weirdness of it all. I whistled as I look a closer look at his inner workings. The complexity, it was amazing! I was not sure where to even begin. If I really was up to… “I don't know if I can do this. I mean, this isn’t just making a sex toy, this is ...building a cock on a living thing!”

"I’m an artificial living golem. How is building a cock on my ‘body’ any different the building a dildo, Rye’lath?”

"Well, you see, I…" I sputtering, trying to push past my embarrassment and stunned amazement. "Why don’t you ask the creator? Surely, he could make the modification you need. And spare me the embarrassment...”

“I would..." Miss Twilight began sadly, "but he has been dead for over two thousand years.”

I mouthed a silent O as Miss Twilight said that. “I'm beginning to see why you were looking for someone with my skills…”

"Will... will you still help, Rye'lath?"

"Of course, Miss Twilight! I gave my word…” I really needed to remember to get the full details, next time. Stupid Rye’lath! Master Alagoas would be so disappointed that I fell for for a rookie mistake like not getting the full details before agreeing to a questionable project! Nothing I could do now, though, but to trudge on through. “Though I must warn you, it could take me some time."

"Take all the time you need, Rye'lath." Phoenix Wave said as I contemplated the complex task laid before me.

Author's Note

First: Take that Spilight! Twilight is paired with an OC not Spike... Actually I'm meh with Spilight... It can get a bit creepy if not written right same with Spike x Celestia...

Second: What do you all think of Rye'lath? I know he's not technically my OC(thanks again Xaldon Ajide) but I still had to flesh him out a bit...

Finally a teaser for next chapter: Magic Dowser returns to the story!

A Long Awaited Family Reunion

ബഐബഐബഐ Magic Dowser ബഐബഐബഐ

"Are we there yet?" My young son Herbal Brew squeaked out, his body half under Minty's heavy winter cloak. His small body, even when wearing a heavy cloak, just could not keep him warm in the extreme cold of the Frozen North. That, and the snow was a bit deep in spots. I had debated waiting until the next time the migration was going to be at the Crystal Empire, in another five years, but I didn't think that I could make it that long...

"Soon, dear, go back to sleep." Minty stopped to gently straighten out her cloak so that it covered up Herbal Brew better. A moment later, I could hear his gentle snoring.

"Dowser, are you sure we are heading in the right direction?" Minty asked me worriedly as we resumed walking.

"Yes, I’m sure!" I snapped. I flinched and sighed as I realized immediately that I had been snippy to my wife for no good reason. While it had been a long trek from Castle Town to wherever we were in this blasted tundra, it was no excuse to snap at my wife's question. It was an honest and reasonable question, and one that needed to be answered. While I made sure we were adequately supplied before, when we left the last known pony settlement, our supplies would only last another week without rationing. The problem was I had no idea how much further we had to go. I just hoped that it wouldn't be too much longer. "Sorry... I..."

"It’s okay, Dowser..."

"No! It's not okay. I..." I stopped looking away in shame for my rashness.

"Dowser…” Minty lifted up my muzzle and gently gazed into my eyes, a tired but genuine smile on her face. “We have been traveling a long time, and we are both exhausted. Let's just focus on getting there..."

I sighed and nodded.

As we started up again, I recalled what my brother had said when I asked how to find him. 'Head north. Feel love, follow. Grass in snow, no snow. Crystal reaches sky.' I just didn't expect it to be so far from the nearest pony settlement... I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. How else would the Equus Nation not know of the Crystal Empire, unless it was some distance away? I just hoped that I was reading the strange pulsating magic that had been getting steadily stronger correctly, in believing that it was the love that I was supposed to follow... It did feel like the love that I felt whenever I stared into the eyes of my hatchmates.

An hour went by, and another hill was about to be crested. I looked up to see the position of the sun and figured that it was early afternoon. We were going to need to stop soon. At least long enough to rest and eat. I was a bit surprised that Herbal Brew had not awakened yet to complain about being hungry.

“Think we could stop to rest at the top of this hill?” Minty panted out as we struggled through a section of deep snow.

“Yeah…” I agreed as I looked back at Minty. I could tell from how tired she was that she badly needed it. I decided that I would take Herbal Brew after we rested and ate, and would give her some rest from carrying him.

"Whoa..." I said, as soon as I reached the top.

"What is it?" Minty questioned as she trudged the last few steps and joined me.

I blinked as I surveyed the plains below. Unlike the snow capped hill we were standing on, before us, the plains where green and lush. Not the strangest thing I had seen, but it was up there. It was exactly as described, sort of. Dragon FireWyrm wasn't the best source of information, given the language barrier, and what little was written on the Crystal Empire didn't have much in the way of actual details on what it actually looked like, outside of, if I could recall correctly, 'nearly everything had a shiny crystal-like sheen to it'. For all I knew, the Empire was also green, and I could be looking right at the city and still missing it! I gazed for some time, trying to see if I could see this supposed 'crystal that reaches sky.' Note to self: Next time I get directions from Dragon FireWyrm, I am going to request that he shows me exactly what it looks like.

“Dowser, I think I see it.” Minty spoke up after a minute of careful searching.

“Where? Show me.”

At first, when I gazed off in the direction of where Minty was pointing, I didn't see anything. I doubled down, going as far as casting a minor magnify spell. It was then that I noticed a patch of pale purplish blue in the middle of the sea of green. No wonder it was hard to see it. The city, I assume, looked just like the mountains in the distance. It would have been easy to miss, if one wasn’t being extra careful.

Another hour or two of walking, and we were down in the grassy, and much warmer, plains, walking towards a curious sight, not too far from the city. Two tall red pillars of crystal stood, with three small diamond-shaped gems flowing between them in a field of magic. Weird, why is there an archway, without a gate or a fence, and out in the middle of a field? I could see that a well-maintained dirt road began at the archway, but it still didn’t explain why they had a road come out this far, just to stop specifically here… If there was a wall or a river, it would have made more sense...

"Afternoon!"

"Gah!" I nearly jumped out of my fur, biting back several choice words that would have gotten me in hot water. Luckily, Herbal Brew was no longer on my back; otherwise, I’m sure I would have bucked him off.

"Sorry, I didn' mean to scare ya. I was just pickin’ some berries... Ya see I..." I tried not to stare at the strange stallion as he chatted away about his day, and, by strange, I mean he looked strange… He was a simple earth pony with a pale greyish blue mane and tail, and slightly darker blue fur, but, unlike anyone I'd ever seen before, his coat was crystalline like. I looked away quickly, before the pony could see that I was staring, to see that, indeed, the bushes that were at the base of the crystal archway were berry bushes of some kind. "Name's Surprise... Well Crystal Surprise, but my friends just call me Surprise.. You know, just like when you hide, then jump out yellin' ‘Surprise!' at a party... Those are the best, an' I should know; I do parties...’"

I rubbed my head, trying to stave off a building headache, ignoring the nonsense chatter coming out of the stallion's mouth. Surprised by a pony named ‘Surprise,’ who is also a party pony. Grrrreat... How do I fucking keep getting myself into odd situations like this!? Oh, right, I hatched a dragon's egg... Totally worth it.

"You have strangely dull fur, not crystalline, just like … just like The Crystal Princess! Are you some long lost relatives?"

“Uh… no. We don’t think so…” Minty hesitantly answered, clearly just as uncomfortable as I was, though I could tell it was more because of our son than anything else, as Herbal Brew was hiding behind her, shaking a bit in fear. “We are just simple unicorns from far to the south…”

"You are from the Southern Pony Tribes!? We don't get many pony travelers from down south..." Surprise rubbed his chin, pausing a moment. "For that matter, I think you are the first ones in like forever... What's it like there? Is summer really as hot as the stories say? Is it true that pegasi control the weather? Do you have a princess too? Oh what am I yammering about? I should be asking what brings you here..."

Surprise suddenly just sat there, grinning like a mad pony, while I struggled to make sense of anything the stallion said within the past five minutes.

"What?" I asked with an edge of annoyance in my voice. If it wasn't for my son and the look I was getting from my wife, I would have long since hoof kicked this jackass to the moon.

“What brings you here?” Surprise repeated, his grin never faltering.

I gulped, as I was not really ready for that question; as it was, I was not even sure about his view on dragons. Hopefully, we wouldn't get run out of town by a mob with torches and pitchforks, but, now that we were here, I needed to find my brother, and I needed some help. "We are looking for a dragon..."

"Ya here to see the Dragon Migration!?” Surprise’s eyes widened as he started up, just as excitable, fast, and annoying as before. “Are you sure? It’s not for the faint of heart. Sure, the dragons are a friendly bunch and all, buuut some of their 'activities' are a bit 'rough.' Then again, joustin' at the Crystal Faire can get a bit bloody, too... Don't get me started on that Cult of the Scale, either..."

"Uh... yes?" Minty answered hesitantly. The bombardment of questions from the enthusiastic pony again overwhelmed her, not that I was in much better shape, though I was really tempted to point out that 'activities' and 'rough' were way too nice of words. I still get nightmares from time to time of that fight in Hourglass. And I really didn't want to know about this Cult of the Scale... it sounded like a more sinister version of a dragon fan club.

"Uh... yes to what?"

I gritted my teeth, trying not to rage. If the bucking pony would shut his fucking trap, we wouldn’t have to repeat ourselves. “We are here to see the Dragon Migration.”

"Oh, of course... Then ya need to head to the Crystal Hotsprings, to the north of the city. I'd be happy to lead you to the edge of the city, if you'd like, but you will need to go the rest of the way yourself. Mating in the open.... Brrrr..."

"Yes, that's fine." I ground out, fighting not to lash out in annoyance. Must every damn thing around here be named crystal 'something'!? Though I strangely wanted to agree with Surprise's shuddering over mating in the open... I was so glad my siblings never did that, as once, in my dreams, was once too many, thank you.

"Of course, a city literally made from crystals," I facehooved as I surveyed the buildings, as our guide led us through the Crystal City. "I should I've seen that coming."

"Dowser, honey."

"I know, I know..." I was needlessly letting my anger get to me again. I don't know if it was the long trek, our guide, or the fact that the Crystal Empire seemed to have a crystal neurosis, where fucking every... little...thing... had to have the bucking word ‘crystal’ in it.

We walked the rest of the way to the city without much fanfare, and in silence. Or, at least, we were silent. Surprise kept spouting gibberish the whole way… when he wasn’t shouting out “Hellos” to passing ponies. It took us nearly an hour to traverse the city. With how large it was, it wasn’t a surprise. If I was to hazard a guess, there had to be nearly seventy five thousand or more ponies here, three times larger than the largest city in the Equus Nation.

“Just follow the road.” Surprise gestured as we passed the last few homes of the Crystal City and reached another archway, just like the one we passed, on the way here. “The Crystal Hotsprings should be about a twenty minute walk from here… if I recall right… maybe it was closer to thirty minutes… maybe I’m thinking by how the crow flies… or was it a raven...”

“Thank you, Surprise.” Minty called out in thanks, as the still muttering pony walked away and back into the city.

“No problem!” Surprise turned and happily shouted back. “Look me up if you are ever in town again, and need a party… I do parties for almost every occasion there is!”

I breathed a sigh of relief once the pony was out of sight. While I was glad for the escort, I was even more glad that he was now gone. He just would not stop talking! With not a word, my family and I turned and walked down the road, towards the north.

Thirty minutes later, I could smell a strange mix of moisture and minerals. I knew then that we had to be getting close. The going had been slow, as, not too long after leaving the Crystal City, the road dipped down into a crevasse filled with winding side paths and tall pillars of mineral and crystal. Luckily, the main path was clearly marked, or we would have turned back. I was not willing to risk us getting lost out here.

As we turned a bend, I stopped and fell onto my haunches in shock. There in front of us was a group of foals that was using a dragon as a slide, to dive into one of the hot springs. I wasn't sure whether to call these crystal ponies crazy or brave. At this point, I had nothing against dragons, per say, but the Dragon Migration and foals? Not so much. At least the dragon didn't seem to mind, though, and neither did what I assumed were the parents, if the way they were smiling and chatting were any indication. A pang of sadness came over me as I watched the scene. If only we had lived here instead of in that town of assholes, maybe Ruby's childhood would have been far better...

“Dowser?” Minty questioned me worriedly.

“Yeah... I'm okay" I reassured Minty. “Let’s see if we can find Dragon FireWyrm and Ruby. Without asking for directions.”

“Okay...” Minty begrudgingly agreed, finally tearing herself from the sight of the dragon and ponies.

I sighed in relief when it didn’t take us long to find the black and pale blue dragon that was Wanderer, comically half sleep in one of the larger pools. It meant that the others of the clan should be nearby. We were about to move on when Wanderer snorted and looked up to see us, waking up fully as he did.

"Magic Dowser and Minty Herb?! I... What? How!?"

"Dragon FireWyrm gave me directions."

"I see…” Wanderer chuckled, shaking his head. “I should have known... wonder why he didn't tell me..."

I raised an eyebrow and gave him the same look that I give Herbal Brew when I thought he was hiding something. In this case, it was something that Wanderer had apparently forgotten.

"Right…of course...” Wanderer sighed, “Magic Dowser..."

“Stop." I raised a hoof before rubbing it. While my... distaste of DragonWyrm Heart and Wanderer had cooled in the years since I last saw my brother and sister face to face, and not in my dreams, I was not in the mood to mar this long awaited reunion by bringing up that shit. "Don't start."

“Come on, then, I’ll take you to where your siblings are most likely lounging.” Wanderer slowly got out of the pool and gestured for us to follow.

I wouldn't say this to Wanderer out loud, but I was glad he was showing us the way, as the maze of canyons and paths got harder to follow. Several times, Wanderer seemed to start down one path, only to stop and take a different one. I was beginning to worry that he, too, was lost, until suddenly he moved to the side to reveal Dragon FireWyrm and Ruby snoozing near a steaming vent. Ruby, like always, was on top of him, much to my amusement. If I told him once, I told him many times, he spoiled her way too much.

Suddenly, a rock hit Ruby right on the head, which caused her to jump up in surprise, waking Dragon FireWyrm in turn. I glared over at Wanderer, who was looking about innocently, before he casually turned to walk away. I was going to do that...

Hatchmate! Ruby roared out in excitement when she saw me, and bounded toward us like a puppy who missed her owner.

Unfortunately, that was enough to fully waken Herbal Brew, who was on my back, tired out from all the walking we had been doing. He took one look and screamed. “Daddy, red monster!”

I cringed as soon as those words spilled out of my son’s mouth. Ruby quickly backed away, fear etched in her eyes. And even faster than before, she flew away.

“RUBY!” I cried out, taking a few steps forward.

Dragon FireWyrm stepped in my way, growling loudly, with his yellow fangs showing, spooking Herbal Brew even further. I could tell that it wasn’t an angry growl, but a warning one, to back off. As much as I wanted to comfort my sister, I knew better than to get in the way. Dragon FireWyrm quickly jumped up and flew off towards his mate. For now, I could do nothing but trust Dragon FireWyrm and wait… until then I needed to be alone...

ബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐ

"Daddy!" Herbal Brew cried out as his father galloped away. He had no idea why his daddy left. He hoped he wasn’t going after those monsters.

“Honey, daddy needs some time alone.”

“But why?”

Minty bit her lip, trying to find the best way to deal with and explain the situation to her son in a way that he could understand. "Daddy is really sad…”

“Why is daddy sad?” Herbal Brew questioned after a moment of thinking. He could not see why his daddy would be sad. The big scary monsters were gone.

Minty sighed. “You remember when we talked about Auntie Ruby and Uncle Dragon FireWyrm?”

“Yeah...”

“Well…” Minty slowly began, unsure how to explain this delicately to her son. Sadly, she could not think of any easy way to ease into it, leaving her nothing but to tell him the cold hard truth, and console him when the weight of his outburst hit him. “You see Herby… the red ‘monster’ is your aunt Ruby…”

“You mean…?” Minty sadly, slowly nodded. At that, Herbal Brew burst into wails as he realised he hurt not only his daddy, but his auntie and uncle, whom he and his father were so excited for him to meet.

“Herby, shhh...:” Minty cooed, trying hard to comfort Herbal Brew “It’s not your fault…”

“Daddy!!” Herbal Brew suddenly broke away galloping off.

"Wait, Herbal Brew!" Minty yelled out as she rushed off to try and catch Herbal Brew. She knew that the dragons would not hurt him; if anything, they would protect him, but he could still get easily hurt or lost.

ബഐബഐബഐ Magic Dowser ബഐബഐബഐ

I collapsed against one of the many pillars that dotted the area, crying. I had failed my sister, once again. The one thing that always hurt Ruby the worst was the one thing my son, in his fear, spouted out. Monster. I knew that the immense size of Ruby and Dragon FireWyrm would likely scare Herbal Brew, and I, thus, tried to explain to him about his ‘aunt’ Ruby and ‘uncle’ Dragon FireWyrm being huge, but huggable. Maybe I should have worked harder at finding a way to produce a life-sized illusion of them. It just needed so much power, power that was impossible for me to achieve. At least alone, and with the currently known spells. Maybe if we had only had more time…

“It’s all my fault!” I wailed out, slamming my hoof down in anger. “I’m a horrible brother!”

“Daddy!” A voice suddenly cried out, pulling me from my sorrow.

I looked up to see the source of the voice, and went wide eyed, seeing my son Herbal Brew galloping like a mad pony after me, crying, with Minty some distance behind, fighting to catch up.

“Daddy I, hic, am sorry! I didn’...” Herbal cried as he slammed into me.

“Shhh, it’s okay, Herby.” I cooed as I tried hard to reassure Herbal Brew, though I inwardly wanted to die. Now I had the failure of being a father to add to the list. All I could think to do was to gently rub Herbal Brew’s back as he smeared his tears and snot into my fur. Minty finally caught up and breathlessly walked up next to me, leaning into me to try and comfort me.

Herbal Brew eventually stopped crying and pulled away, sniffling. I smiled down at him, even though I was still upset, and ruffled his mane. I still had a job to do as a father, after all. “Feeling better?”

“Yes.” Herbal Brew slowly nodded.

It was at this point that I looked up to see that Dragon FireWyrm was nearby, watching, his form hugging the ground… or as close to doing so as he could. I carefully watched as my brother began to creep up behind Herbal Brew, while trying to not let Herbal Brew know that there was a very large and admittedly scary looking dragon approaching from behind. I couldn't tell what my brother’s plans were; I just hoped that whatever he was planning would help, and not make it worse. I knew that he knew exactly what his hoard needed, and would always do what his hoard needed, but it was one thing to know what your hoard needed, and it was entirely another to know how to do it. My concerns vanished the moment Dragon FireWyrm stopped, and his serpentine tongue shot out and barely touched Herbal Brew’s back.

"Hehee, daddy, stop! That tickles!" Herbal Brew giggled as Dragon FireWyrm’s tongue continued to tickle him. I could see why my son thought I was tickling him. I had used my magic in the past to tickle him. Probably didn’t help, either, that I was failing at holding back a smirk. This could work, but I was going to need to help Dragon FireWyrm, for, as soon as my son found out it wasn't me...

"AHHH, he's tasting me!" Herbal Brew squealed in fear as soon as he saw that it wasn't me, but a very large dragon tongue that was tickling him. With a scramble of his hooves, he stumbled away and hid behind me and Minty.

Unlike Ruby, who reacted in fear to Herbal Brew's fear, Dragon FireWyrm had no such reaction; if anything, he was amused by Herbal Brew. Of course, Herbal Brew had no way of knowing that Dragon FireWyrm, while a sadistically playful carnivore, only killed non sentient creatures for food; that, and I saw that the moment that he had seen my son, his joy for me doubled. Wasn't sure if he considered Herbal Brew a part of his hoard or not. The way dragons determined family connections was a bit wonky, to put it lightly.

"Tasting you?! Nah!” I snorted as I tried to not snort in laughter, while simultaneously trying to reassure my son. “More like he was giving you a much needed bath!"

Herbal Brew blinked before his face scrunched up in horror. "EWWWWW!"

Dragon FireWyrm then snorted and shook himself as he rose to his full height.

"Whoa.... he is big." Herbal Brew fell back onto me as he tried and failed to look up at Dragon FireWyrm.

“Yeah, he is…” I agreed as I gently pushed Herbal Brew back onto his hooves.

I instinctively flinched as I saw one of Dragon FireWyrm’s tails reach out toward my son. He quickly stopped, apparently noticing my unease. I knew he would never hurt my son, but his tails, with their very sharp fishing hook like weapons at their ends, had momentarily made me a bit leery. I locked eyes with him, to let him know that I trusted him. He again started, slower than before, to reach out with one of his tails, and slowly curled it around Herbal Brew.

“Ahh! Daddy! Help!” Herbal Brew cried out as Dragon FireWyrm gently wrapped his tail around him and lifted him up.

“Relax, Herby, he just wants to take you for a ride.“ I was beginning to get a better picture of Dragon FireWyrm’s full plan. If he could get Herbal Brew to go from fear to adoration of him, the scariest looking dragon I’ve ever seen, then Herbal Brew should have zero issues with a second attempt at meeting Ruby.

I quickly teleported up to Herbal Brew, who was now excitedly sitting at the nape of Dragon FireWyrm’s neck, the only place we could really sit on Dragon FireWyrm. Unlike Ruby, who had hair spines that we could latch on to, all we had was Dragon FireWyrm’s scales and horns, which were way too sharp for my liking. Once I was comfortable, I cast a spell on myself and Herbal Brew that basically would glue us onto Dragon FireWyrm. I trusted Dragon FireWyrm to be safe, but Herbal Brew was a bit young to fully grasp the need and the strength needed to stay put.

“We are good, Dragon FireWyrm.” I smiled up to Dragon FireWyrm, who had craned his neck to watch us get settled in.

With that, Dragon FireWyrm took a running leap into the air, much to my chagrin, and my son’s delight, as he began to scream. I never could quite get used to being so high off the ground, much less flying high in the air.

Hatchling not scared!? Dragon FireWyrm growled out and slowed down, clearly unsure of Herbal Brew's screaming. Understandable, given that he has not been around foals before, much less Herbal Brew, but I could tell the difference. It was the same scream he gave me when I once let him ride in the cart I was using to get supplies for Minty, and he insisted that I ‘go faster.’

"Faster!" Herbal Brew giggled in delight, trying to use his hooves to get Dragon FireWyrm to go faster.

"You heard the 'hatchling,'" I laughed out. “Brother, faster.”

“I said faster, not spirally.” I slurred out as I stumbled off of Dragon FireWyrm, after my brother decided to not only go faster, but to also start spinning. Luckily for me, Dragon FireWyrm only did it for a short while before he touched down, much to my relief. At least he was kind enough to gently lift the giggling Herbal Brew down, while I was busy trying not to hurl up what was left of my stomach.

Brother...

I looked up and saw that Dragon FireWyrm had landed near Ruby. I could feel my stomach churn again, and this time, not from the flight. "You think Ruby is ready?” Dragon FireWyrm just stared at me, like I was talking nonsense. “Right, of course, stupid question… come Herby.”

Herbal Brew flinched back, clearly still scared. Most likely because he hurt Ruby, more than out of being frightened over her scariness, but I wasn’t going to force him if he wasn’t ready. “Okay, you just stay here with Dragon FireWyrm…”

“No.”

“No?”

“I want to go with you.”

I looked over Herbal Brew for a moment and saw that, though he was scared out of his mind, he also had the look of one that was ready to face his fear. I smiled down at him with pride. “Okay.”

I picked up Herbal Brew and placed him on my back before I slowly walked up to my sister. It was clear, even without seeing her eyes, that she was feeling down. I nearly started crying again, though, when I finally got a good look at Ruby’s face and, more particularly, her eyes, which looked dead. This was bad; she had clearly reverted back to the closed off whelp she once was. Ruby took one look at us and scrambled back onto her feet, sadness being replaced with fear.

“Wait, Ruby…please…” For a moment, I didn't think she would stay, but she paused.

Prey brother hatchling not scared? I could hear the edge of uncertainty in her voice and demeanor. She was not sure what to make of what was going on.

"No." I smiled as I gently stroked what little I could of Ruby's snout. "Ruby... he was more startled by your size. He didn’t realize who you were, he just saw something big and panicked... I tried to prepare him the best I could but… He was so excited to meet you... and I… and I..."

"EWWW… Daddy, do you need a bath, too!?" Herbal Brew questioned innocently, jumping off to avoid Ruby's tongue as she started to lick me, to try and comfort me dragon style.

“Enjoying this aren't you!?” I glared at Ruby, but I couldn't keep up my fake anger. I could see that her inner fire, though not as far out as I knew it could get, was, at least, flickering near the surface. That and, thanks to her licking me, Herbal Brew forgot his fear...

“D-daddy?” Herbal Brew stuttered out as his fear returned at the sudden sound of Ruby laughing. Understandable, given that it sounded like a rock slide.

"It's alright, Herby, it's just the sound of her laughing..."

"Oh..." Herbal Brew’s muzzle scrunched up in thought. "It sounds funny..."

"That it does..." I laughed. In clear sibling retaliation, the tip of Ruby's tail smacked me on the head, much to my sister’s and son’s continued amusement, and my chagrin. Thanks, Ruby, it's much too soon for my son to learn how to sass me back.

"I missed you, Ruby..." I whispered out, finding myself struggling to remain awake. Ruby's rumbling purr felt so good. I was happy that Ruby was feeling better after the less than ideal first meeting with Herbal Brew. Herbal Brew himself was asleep, curled up against my barrel, tired out from all the excitement. Minty was curled up behind me, her soft snores barely noticeable over Ruby. I nuzzled Herbal Brew gently before finally allowing sleep to overcome me, content and happy with being with my family.

Author's Note

... and a long awaited chapter that is long... at over 5.2k and my very first chapter over 5k which I normally tried to avoid. I like to keep my chapters between 2k-4.9k for consistency. It can drive me nuts to have a fan fiction that has 3k in on chapter then 10k the next 6k then 13k...

Anyway this had been ready but unedited for a week but my editor was not feeling well... I have another 5k chapter in the queue for editing and a 4.3k ish nearly ready for editing... so hopefully I will have more chapters for you guys in the next few days and not in 10 days....

Crystal Heart^2

A/N: Clopish scene ahead as before just watch out for this color and bypass it if you wish (but then again M rated...)

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

“Hey Charcoal…” I greeted Charcoal softly as I approached. He was busy with sketching something, and I didn’t want to ruin his work, nor did I want to ruin his concentration. I learned why not to the hard way, as did the rest of the clan, minus Dragon FireWyrm and She of Hourglass.

“Firstclaw, must you call me that!?” Charcoal bemoaned as he continued sketching, without pausing. “I mean, I get that my claws get messy, but really?”

"Hey, its better then Wanderer's and Scorpion’s..."

"Don't. You. Dare!" Charcoal growled out angrily before sighing. I don't blame him; it was not a very flattering 'nickname.' But I also knew that in reality, he truly liked the Charcoal title, but he just didn't want to give those two any more ammo, though he did not want to hurt them, either...

I glanced over Charcoal’s shoulder to see that he was sketching, which was the sleeping family, below. Magic Dowser was snuggling his colt son on the side of She of Hourglass’ curled form, her head facing the sleeping father and son. Dragon FireWyrm, in normal wyrm fashion, was spooning them all, his head looking outward, most likely guard sleeping. I swear that that dragon never sleeps normally. Interestingly, Minty Herb was not in the sketching, although, given that Charcoal was sketching what he was seeing, it didn’t surprise me, as Minty was not really noticeable. Only a few tufts of her mane could be seen.

"You should give that to DragonBrother, when you are done.”

Charcoal stopped and turned to face me, his eyes narrowing. "This wouldn’t be some sort of appeasement gift for your mistakes, now would it?"

“That might have been true five years ago, but not now..." I sighed as Charcoal went back to his work. “DragonBrother is struggling without his siblings, and I think that maybe having something to remember this day would help.”

“So you're trying to bribe him into friendship?“

“Bribe!? To become friends? No…” I chuckled as I looked down at Magic Dowser. I doubted I would ever get him to move past begrudged acceptance. I suspected that Magic Dowser would end up making the same accusation laid on me by Charcoal, if not worse. “Though I would be lying if I were to say that I don't wish for it. I don't expect to ever have him as a friend…”

“Everyone's a critic…”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” I eyed Charcoal thoughtfully.

“It means that not everyone will be won over, no matter how good you are.”

I could hear Twi in my head screaming that that is not the definition of that phrase, but I knew what Charcoal was saying. There was a chance that Magic Dowser would have never been my friend, even if I had made all the right moves…

“That’s odd…”

“What?“ Charcoal questioned.

“Look.” I pointed off to the left. Off in the distance were Thirdclaw and some dragons, along with nearly 30 heavily armored ponies. A platoon of heavily armored guardponies? That is extremely unusual. I would have maybe thought Princess Cadence was coming, but that was way more than I knew her to use, and there was no sign of her, or a carriage. Plus, she would have let us know. “Something isn't right… Stay here.”

As I slowly glided over, I become more and more concerned. The way the platoon and Thirdclaw were looking at each other was not good. I could see just a bit of Thirdclaw’s pink flame leaking out, and several of the ponies had their horns charged and ready. I could see a couple of Migration dragons watching the scene intently.

“Thirdclaw, what is going on?” I ordered as I landed next to him, letting my wings dissipate. I didn't want my wings to add any more tension to what was clearly a critically tense situation. I could easily hold my own without the use of my wings, but I knew how ponies could react in situations like this, and I wanted to end whatever caused this as amicably as possible.

“These guardponies,” Wanderer spat out in anger, with enough venom in his voice to surprise and concern me, as he really liked ponies, “have the audacity to think that one of my ‘dragons’ would dare to violate our treaty!”

“Well, have they?” I asked, keeping my voice flat, though I was beginning to get angry, as well, knowing very well what the answer was going to be. Wanderer, though a free spirit, ran a very tight ship when it came to the Migration, especially when it was in locations like the Crystal Empire.

“You know that answer, Firstclaw.” Wanderer spat, looking like he wanted to bite me in two.

“So you are the leader of these dragons, not him?”

“Yes, I am." I narrowed my eyes at the leader, a lieutenant, if I recalled the rankings correctly. I did not like the his attitude, nor his interruption. Also, the way he said ‘dragons’ and ‘him’ were clear indications that he wanted to say something a lot less flattering. Probably for the best. Wanderer’s rage was very close to boiling over.

“Then by order of the Crystal Princess, you are under arrest.”

"No." I flatly stated, falling back on my haunches and crossing my forelegs. I resisted the urge to laugh at their increased show of aggression.

"I knew it, dragons have no honor..." One of the guardponies growled out under his breath. Though it was not loud enough for the other ponies to hear, the dragons and I could hear it quite plainly.

I resisted the urge to growl, narrow my eyes, or do anything to indicate my extreme hatred for that remark. I knew exactly what it was it was: bait. A quick glance at the offending pony made it clear that this pony not only had a chip on his shoulder, but was a greenhoof guardpony. A rank and file guardpony would keep his comments silent in public. If I were to give a haphazard guess, I would say that his animosity towards dragons has more to do with that irritating Cult of the Scale than some wrong that a dragon might have committed against him, or the Empire. Luckily, a raised claw from me stopped the gathered dragons, who immediately backed off. With that, I could see the tension ease ever so slightly. I was impressed that Wanderer managed to remain ‘civil’ after that remark.

“Contrary to the fantastical tales that refuse to fade away, we are not beasts that kill and take with impunity. Dragons take oaths and agreements very seriously…which apparently you ponies do not. So, come with you? Again, no.” I could see the same pony who made his grumblings known narrow his eyes in further hatred, but I was not going to be influenced by it. “Thirdclaw, gather your Migration…”

“If you mean to start a war the Crystal Heart, our Princess will stop you!” The lieutenant declared.

“War?” I laughed a forced laugh. This pony was an idiot to think he had anything to threaten me with, much less thinking to do so with an artifact of a Keeper of Harmony. “With you!? It would be a slaughter, and I’m fully aware of the Crystal Heart and its powers, along with its limitations. Its loyalty has never been with you crystal ponies...”

“Lies won't save you…”

“ENOUGH!” I roared. With a practiced move of my claw, I lifted the entire platoon and slammed them to the ground, knocking several of them out and dazing the rest. I once again picked up the dazed ponies in my magic and spun them around at high speeds, like a tornado, before dropping them suddenly. The sudden stop knocked out the rest, though they would recover in a few minutes. They would just be out long enough for Wanderer to do what I needed him to do.

“Firstclaw?”

“Just gather the dragons and defend yourselves. Nothing lethal, and no dragon is to engage them, under any circumstances. I shall find out what the fuck has gotten into the Crystal Princess, to send guards… She knows my abilities far outstrip hers, and a small paltoon like this is suicide against all but the most inexperienced dragons, much less the Migration itself…”

“You thinking something happened to her?”

“No idea... “ I clenched my paws in anger. “But I intend to find out.”

As I approached the city from high above, I could see a large gathering at the base of the Crystal Spire. Not an uncommon sight, as it could be a Crystalling, though one of that size was a bit unusual. Plus, Crystal Faire was not for another four months. Maybe a royal proclamation of some type… then again, the platoon of guards...

I quickly dove down under the tower and into the middle of the mainly open court, under the spire. A couple of the guardponies broke off from crowd control and confronted me, with their spears lowered at me. I ignored the guards and looked around to see that this crowd was on the verge of a riot. A glance towards the Crystal Heart told me why. A deep purple and sky blue dragoness was huddled around the Heart. I eyed her for a moment before my mood soured even further.

“Princess of the Crystal Empire, there had better be a good reason for you to send guards to the Migration in such an dishonorable way…” I could see Princess Cadence’s eyes widen ever so slightly. But what I also saw under that surprise was a flash of confusion. She doesn’t know what is going on? It seems she has rogue elements in her guard, then… Great! This could be the start of an insurrection!

“He’s with her!”

“Yeah!”

“Trying to steal our Heart and eat it!”

“Yeah!”

“She’ll burn us all!”

“Crystal Princess save us!”

I ran a paw slowly down my face in exasperation. How did this get out of hand so damn quickly?! Everything seemed fine yesterday, when I flew over the Empire to take in the sights and see how much had changed in the past two thousand years. Shockingly, it didn't appear to be all that different, except there was that modest, at least when it came to size, statue depicting my 'fight' against Starlight Glimmer. Personally, I think it looked much better than the one of me holding the Crystal Heart. I mean, I looked fine and all, but the details were not there... like it was a rush job, which I knew it had to be.

I looked over to see that there was a slightly shimmering dome around the dragoness and the Crystal Heart. I could see why a pony might mistake that to be coming from the dragon, but I recognized it immediately as harmony magic, not draconic magic. The Heart, for whatever reason, was protecting her. No wonder the crystal ponies were in an uproar. Still, this did not excuse their behavior, particularly the ones that had just shouted at me. Actually, I could pick out three voices that seemed to be the main instigators of the waves of insults and curses. If I didn’t stop this, it would end up with bloodshed.

I concentrated hard, as I knew I only had one chance to pull those three out of the crowd. It would not be easy, with dragon magic being less precise than pony magic. Where is Twi when you need her…? I took one more deep breath and pulled. With yelps, the three ponies I wanted came careening right at me, and stopped in a pile at my feet.

“I suggest you tell your guardponies to back off, Crystal Princess. If I wanted them dead, I would have already done so.” I growled out as several guardponies once again approached me with their spears lowered. “I merely wish to have words with these Sombras.”

I could hear gasps from the crowd, followed by a renewal in the calls for dragon blood. No surprise from that, as calling somepony a Sombra was one of the highest insults one could give in the Crystal Empire, even two thousand years removed from his final defeat. But my anger for what these ponies were doing was too great to ‘be nice.’ I could tell that Princess Cadence was momentarily confilcted on how to proceed. She was fully aware that I wasn't going to hurt them. Their comments meant nothing to me... but her ponies were in a state of near riot. She had to walk a very thin line. I just hoped that she was up to the task.

“Your word is no good!” A random pony shouted.

“Is it now?” I called out. I smiled; this crowd was about to get a hard and rude awaking on Draconic, and the inescapable truth that comes from using it, and hearing it. “Words, not death is what I seek; Vārti thav thāve ir tas, üo es leülēju.”

As my words echoed out, the crowd stood in stunned silence. Princess Cadance’s lips remained in a slight frown, but her eyes were smiling. Sneaky, sneaky and a cheater, too, with that veil…

“Now, about you three.” I looked down at the three offending ponies. “I want you to look at the dragoness, and tell me what you see.”

The two mares shrunk back, but the stallion managed to look at me with continued defiance. None of them even attempted to do more than look at the dragoness with fleeting, hateful glances. I sighed at this. If they didn’t take a good enough look, they would not see what a vile thing they had done.

“Go on, take a closer look…” I said with a softer, yet still forceful tone, using my magic to make sure they took the look I told them to.

At first, the ponies resisted, but slowly, and begrudgingly, they complied to my satisfaction, so that I let go of my magic holding them fast. The silence was beginning to become deafening when finally, one by one, the three ponies I had singled out gasped and looked away in shame.

“So, you do see.” I said bitterly, crossing my forelegs. “You verbally attacked and tried to incite this crowd to hurt and possibly kill a scared and blind dragon! Whom, I might add, is a child! All because you think she might eat or steal the Crystal Heart! Are you so daft as to not know what the Crystal Heart really is!? I find that hard to believe, given that understanding what the Crystal Heart is, its role, and power, is part of the standard knowledge taught to every foal in the Crystal Empire. So it should be of no surprise to a school aged foal that the Heart is protecting her from you all... Ain’t that right, Crystal Princess?”

“That is correct, He of Hourglass.” I blinked at her use of that title. I knew she knew my name. Could it be that she was using a title I have not used since becoming a DragonWyrm to let those gathered know that I was the dragon that once saved the empire from Starlight Glimmer’s hatred?

“I’m sorry… I…” The mare on the right squeaked out a barely audible apology.

“Can it, pony,” I sneered at her, not caring that she tried to shrink even further, “you are not sorry, you are merely trying to save face. Now get out of my sight.”

The three offending ponies couldn't move fast enough as they scrambled to get away from me. I turned back to the dragoness after they pushed their way through the shocked crowd and out of sight. With them gone, the crowd would hopefully ease up their hostility enough for me to help the dragoness. I slowly walked up to the edge of the magic dome and sat down. I knew that it might be a slow process to open her up enough to help her, so there was no reason to not get comfortable.

“Greetings, dragoness…” I greeted the dragoness whelp with a soft voice.

If it hadn’t been for a subtle movement of her ear fins, I would have assumed that she didn’t hear me. I waited with baited breath to see whether or not she would greet me. After a few minutes of silence, I sighed, though I was not terribly surprised. She was still way too frightened. I took this time to closely examine her, in hopes of getting a better idea of her state of mind.

Her sky blue spines were out of the ordinary for even hair like spines, as they hugged flat on her head, unlike the usual airy or spiky nature that is more typical of hair spines, though they could be matted down because of how disheveled she was. They were long enough to fall over a pair of tusk-like horns that came out from behind her head and curled forward. Her tail weapon was a spade, just like mine used to be.

I could only guess as to why she was out here and all alone, especially given her handicap. It could have been that her parents were dead, or that she, in a moment of rebelliousness, decided to go on an adventure, and got lost. It was clear that she had been on her own for a bit, and had been struggling, if her disheveled look and her dangerously thin body were any indication. My guess was that she had not had much food for somewhere between three and six months.

“It’s okay if you are unsure of me... I mean, I understand the whole stranger danger deal. My sister was a bit OCD, and, until I could recite by heart her ten page speech on it both forward and backwards, and by backwards I mean backwards, I was not allowed out and about alone.”

“I know we have only met… and we don’t know each other's name, yet, but I would like to be your friend, if you will let me…”

Here would come the tricky part. I didn’t want to let on that I was a dragon just yet, as that could spook her. She was not in the wrong here, but instead, the Crystal Ponies were. Why else would the protection of the Heart be on her?

“I suppose, though, that being a friend would require a name, would it not? I have several, actually.” I leaned in and looked about conspiratorially, even though I knew she couldn’t see me. I was told to act normally, so normally was how I was going to act, even if it did make me look ridiculous. “I even have a secret one that I only allow my friends to call me… Do you want me to tell you that name?”

“It’s Spike. I know it is nothing spectacular, but it was given to me with love…” I smiled, remembering the story of how Twi named me. “Mind if you tell me your name?”

Given the continued silence, I kept going, pausing every so often to see if she would respond back. I knew that it was important to not stop talking for too long. I didn’t want her to think that I might have left. That, and I figured that the more I told her of myself, the more likely it would be that she would open up to me and let me help.

"Azura..." She suddenly spoke up.

"I...uh..." I stuttered to a stop as the dragoness finally spoke her first word. "Come again?"

"My name...It’s Azura."

“Azura… that is a beautiful name… You know, it takes someone truly special for the Crystal Heart to personally protect them.”

“Great, more pity…” Azura bitterly retorted.

“More pity!?” I repeated with fake curiosity. I was not surprised over the reaction. This was, sadly, a typical response; hell, I had, myself, spoken this same snarky offhanded accusation bitterly, when I was subject to yet another cliched ‘I pity you’ line. “I won’t pretend to know the exact details of what brought you here, but what I do know is that we are defined by who we are, not by what limits us... A lesson that I sometimes forget with my own disability... Man, I am really corny today... Maybe my clan is right, and I really shouldn't sulk in the philosophy section…”

"You're funny…” Aurza snickered. “A bit cocky too…”

“You remind me of my sister…” I rolled my eyes, smirking. “But, in all seriousness, the Heart is not protecting you out of pity.”

“I know.” Azura sighed. “It’s just that I’m so tired of being treated so differently when they find out that I'm blind. It's like, suddenly I’m a dainty little flower. I can handle myself… most of the time…”

“I understand more then you may realize, but… between you and me, sight is overrated.” I chuckled offhandedly, which got Azura to giggle.

Azura suddenly walked forward. I was tempted to back up, as I still wasn’t sure what her reaction would be if she found out my race. I noticed that there was a confidence to her steps. She had to have been blind a long time to have that sort of assurance in her movements. She even managed to stop right in front of me before she reached out with her hands and started to examine my face.

“Azura?” I questioned. She didn’t even flinch when she had begun to feel my face. She just slowly went around my head, slowly capturing all my features with a soft touch. If I hadn’t had this happen to me a long time ago, by a blind filly, I would have been uncomfortable. The burning question I had during this, which I failed to get out, was how did she know that I was a dragon? How else would she not flinch? Of course, there was a chance that she was just that good at masking her surprise.

“I may be blind, but I do have an excellent sense of smell…” Azura answered my unspoken question. “Every time you talked, I smelled just the slightest hint of sulfur; that, and the draconic cinched it.”

I breathed a bit of breath into my paw and smelled it. Darn dragon breath… Twi is always getting after me about it. This of course elicited another giggle from Azura. She does have a pretty giggle...

As I thought that, something... weird came over me... something oddly familiar, but I could not place what it was. It was similar to with Charcoal, when I determined that he was going to join our clan. But this felt different, as well as deeper, purer somehow… What in The Voice is going on!? I knew it was possible, as a firstclaw, to tell a possible candidate for clanship, but only when the secondclaw is incapacitated in some way... Like when the clan first began, though, technically, Dragon FireWyrm did choose them, even if no one knew then that he was the Secondclaw...

Suddenly, I could see a heart shaped ball of magic float in front of me, popping as it touched the bridge of my snout. I growled in irritation; Princess Cadance knew better than to interfere with a mating... A mating!? I realized, stunned, for now I knew what the feeling was. So it was that some part of me was letting me know that Azura was my destined mate, just like I knew about Charcoal… whether or not this was related, as well, to the friendship wave, I didn’t know. Either way, I would have to deal with with this all later… after I finished berating Princess Cadence for doing something so foolish.

"Are… are you okay?" Azura hesitantly asked, clearly concerned over my sudden and probably awkward silence.

"Azura..." I forced my voice to be flat, as I didn’t want to give way my excitement. I pulled out from my hidden pouch behind my necktie the two wedding horn rings that Rarity and her mate Spotlight wore, converted into earrings, and her fire ruby necklace. All three had been given to me to give to the right dragon, which I was sure was Azura. "There is something I wish to give to you…”

I put the wedding earrings and the fire ruby necklace into her hands, and closed them. Azura scrunched her eyebrows in confusion as she opened her hands to examine what I gave her. She slowly traced the details in the gold work and sniffed the gems. I was a bit worried that her hunger would overpower her, but she never made a move to eat them. If anything, she had no idea what to do with them.

“I don't understand... Why would…”

I made my move and grabbed her face and kissed her open maw, allowing my green flames to enter her mouth. Though her eyes were sightless, I could see her pupils quickly become slitted. I nearly hiccuped in delight when I saw that, tears welling up. My soul was about to be joined with another dragon’s. Though I had remained hopeful, I honestly had figured that this day could never come. Well at least, not like this. I figured that maybe the only way I would ever get a mate was with the Cktrieüs Šüitruls Ezustācija Ceremony.

ബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐബഐ

DragonWyrm Heart was momentarily caught unaware when Azura lunged forward, knocking him onto his back. With a gasp, all the air in his lungs left him before he was attacked with a full on open kiss from her, a rushing plume of fires flowing deep into his gullet. He managed to maintain just enough of his wits for just long enough to get the necklace around her neck, and the earrings pinned into her ear frills, before he was attacked with another full-on open kiss from her, a rushing plume of her flame flowing deep into his gullet.

Azura’s body began to shift and morph, though DragonWyrm Heart barely noticed as he moaned from the assault, her fire tasting like fully aged and roasted sapphires, his favorite gem prepared in his favorite way. The problem was that he couldn't get enough of it, fast enough. Something clicked within him, and he greedily pushed his own flame out to make room for Azura's. He could only think of her flame, and he wanted it all. It wasn't long before his flame was extinguished from his mouth, forever. Only Azura’s formerly blue flame remained, but he didn't care.

Puffing out a little of his new flame, his attention was drawn to his nether region. His adult penis was showing for the very first time. Like a lot of dragon features, each dragon’s penis was unique to the dragon. His had a pointed tip, with a series of long, sharp barbs that went from the tip to the base, near what appeared to be forming knots. Gah I knew I shouldn't have helped Twi with her phallic research. DragonWyrm Heart rolled his eyes as he returned his attention to his mate, who was growling in frustration at the lack of penetration.

DragonWyrm Heart, with an instinctive ease, pushed right into Azura, the barbs sending waves of pleasure through them both. DragonWyrm Heart himself struggled with the primal urges that were normally taken up by the wyrm half, but he pushed through, after taking a second to collect himself, beginning to thrust back and forth. As he did, he slowly became aware of not only his own body, but that of Azura. With every thrust, DragonWyrm Heart could feel himself, his very essence changing, morphing, becoming not just DragonWyrm Heart, but also the new She of Hourglass. Soon, this sensation of fucking and being fucked was almost too much for him to handle, and, for a moment, he slowed down, taking a moment to collect himself enough to ramp it up.

Suddenly, for an infinitesimal moment, there just a single dragon soul swirling and dancing together. There was no DragonWyrm Heart and no She of Hourglass, just a dragon flaring up in the raw flames of magic. DragonWyrm Heart thrusted one last time into She of Hourglass, and a rush of pleasure and power overcame them both, as he let out a roar before snapping his head forward in reflex and biting down on his mate’s shoulder.

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

As I came down and back, I could feel a soul crushing emptiness within myself, not unlike when I lost my wyrm half. But, when I gazed into my mate’s eyes, I saw the rest of myself reaching out to try and embrace me and become one again. For, in that moment, as I looked into those eyes, I was whole again. Crystal Heart… I smiled as I breathlessly caressed my mate’s cheek. How poetic and beautiful. Doubly so, as she was momentarily looking crystalline. Apparently, during our copulation, we had triggered the Heart.

I inwardly chuckled as I saw that she was lusting for some more sex. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to do more, myself, I didn’t want to make a bigger scene for Princess Cadence to clean up. We would have time later, anyway, all the time we wanted, now that we had found each other. With a groan, I gently pushed myself up off the ground.

My mate’s disappointment was evident only for a moment, before her features morphed to embarrassment. Apparently, she finally noticed the lack of sound. It was so quiet that I'm sure that a pin could have been dropped in the Canterlot ruins, and we would have heard it.

I smirked when I looked over to see Princess Cadence stunned and/or embarrassed; it was hard to tell which, though; maybe both, if the blush and slightly opened jaw were any indication. Of course, she wasn’t the only one stunned, as I took a glance around at the remaining gathered ponies, some of whom were passed out on the street. What worried me, though, was that there were ponies from the Cult of the Scale scattered about in the crowd, easily identifiable by their distinctive scale pattern cloaks. The way they looked at my mate and I sent shivers down my spine.

“We need to talk, Crystal Princess. Now.”

Author's Note

Comment, like, fav... please the first is really nice don't make me sic crazy pinkie on you:pinkiecrazy:

On a side note I had this one and the next one ready for over a week but my editor works for a very well known 'evil' corporation that slave drives their workers so editing has been slow...

Raging Joy

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

“We need to talk, Crystal Princess. Now.”

"Of course. We can speak inside." Princess Cadence nervously nodded before turning away to lead the way. Her guards dispersed without a word to break up the crowd, and to help those who had passed out.

Princess Cadence lead us up and into the Crystal Spire, to a meeting room just off the throne room. I was a little worried at first over She of Hourglass' ability to get around, given her change of stance from bi to quad. However, through all the steps and twisting hallways, she somehow moved with remarkable grace. I suspected that she was using her new ability to use dragon magic to augment her navigational skills. I knew she didn't want to me or anyone to fret over her, but, as her mate, I couldn't help but want to keep an eye on her, just in case she did need me. Even then, I wouldn’t be lying if I said that I couldn't stop eyeing her over. She was quite beautiful.

We had just entered the meeting room when the crystalline effects from the Heart faded away, allowing me to see her in all her glory. My mate’s transformation, much to my delight, had managed to reverse the damage the months of slow starvation had done to her. Her hair spines were no longer matted down, and some even curled around her horns, which were now a pristine white. Just like with my diamond studded bow-tie, the Fire Ruby necklace had grown with her, and was glinting softly in the light. I almost couldn't control myself, and wanted to pounce her and explore her beauty a bit more. The first taste just wasn't enough.

As soon as the door closed behind my mate and I both, I threw up an enchantment of my own to prevent interruptions. While I trusted Princess Cadence to keep this meeting private, given what happened at the Migration, I did not trust her guard. If there was an insurrection in motion, they may have surreptitiously enchanted the room. Unluckily for them, the enchantment I put up was quite a bit stronger than what all but a few had any chance of getting past. Plus, to make it more safe, it had a secondary function of actively suppressing any magic that wasn't draconic.

With that, I stalked right up to Princess Cadance, growling angrily, letting my flames leak out as I unfurled my manifested wings. “You fucking insolent, interfering PREY! I ought skin you and make you parade those streets out there before I slowly slice you into thin slices, starting from your extremities, all while barely making sure you stay alive so you can feel. Every. Last. Slow. Cut. YOU ARE A WORTHLESS PILE OF MEAT! YOU ARE NOT EVEN WORTHY OF A MIDNIGHT SNACK! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE!?!!!! NEVER. EVER. INTERFERE WITH A MATING!”

“I...I…am sorry... I... I… I... I had h-heard-d from Twi about and... and I just thought that without your wyrm half, you...I could see such such a noble dragon...I...I hic sorry I… I was just….“ I don’t think I have ever seen Princess Cadence so scared in all her life, but I couldn't let her continue. I hated doing it, but I had to make sure that she never even thought of doing this again. I needed her to realize how much danger she had put herself, and her subjects, in. If it had been any other dragon... I pushed back those dark thoughts as I rushed at her before she could react and embraced her in a hug.

"Princess, thank you..." I couldn't hold it back any longer and cried. "Without you, I may have not realized that the strange feelings that were clouding my mind were because I was near my mate..."

I held the alicorn for a long time, crying for most of it. I waited until the smell of fear coming off of her had diminished into almost nothing before ending the hug.

“But in all seriousness, Princess Cadence...please don't ever do that again.” I grew serious again as I pulled away. ”I hated scaring you, but it’s so dangerous and vile to interfere with a mating and with magic. Our souls are the same, Princess Cadence, and it’s permanent, even in the afterlife. What you did could have been considered an act of rape, Cadence, and raping a dragon is a forced mating…”

“By the heavens, what have I done?!” Princess Cadence whispered in horror.

“What do you tell everyone about your love magic?” I questioned her, in hopes that she would realize that, while she made a colossal error in judgement, she also did something wonderful, as well.

“Uh.” She looked up to me in confusion, “That I can not create love, only reveal what is... already… there...”

“Exactly, Princess Cadence,” I smiled when she made the connection I wanted her to make, “you merely made it so that I could see what was already there. That she was to be my mate.”

“But I...”

“Princess Cadence…” I lifted her head up and wiped her remaining tears away. “You are already forgiven… let’s just move onto the other thing we need to discuss. Why did you send a platoon of fifteen guards try to arrest Wanderer, and then myself?"

"Arrest? Is that what you meant when you said that I sent guards to the Migration in a dishonorable way?" Princess Cadence facehooved, and then rubbed her forehead slowly. "I told Lieutenant Fast Track to take a platoon to the Migration to request Wanderer's help. I knew that the Crystal Heart was in no danger; it was clear to me that your mate was merely scared out of her mind, and I felt that a dragon could get her to come out out from under the Crystal Heart in a calm and safe manner…”

"And the reason for the platoon?"

"As you saw, my ponies were getting really riled up." Princess Cadence walked over to a window and looked down into the street below for a moment. “I wanted to avoid violence, and I felt that an escort would allay my ponies’ fears, just a bit."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause an uproar. I was just so..."

"No need to apologize, She of Hourglass." Princess Cadence looked down. "It is we who should be apologizing to you. I let the situation get out of hoof."

“Princess Cadence, don't fret about it; as far as I can see, you did an admirable job. However... there is something that has been bother..." I paused mid word, as I could feel somepony trying to break through the enchantment I had on the door. It could be an emergency that needed to be dealt with, so my concerns could wait a few minutes. "Princess Cadence, we have someone trying to get in…”

With that, I released the enchantment on the room, as a glow of her horn released hers. A guardspony burst through the door and stumbled for a moment before steadying himself. I instantly stepped in front of She of Hourglass, with my wings spread wide. I knew immediately that this was the same asshole lieutenant from the hotsprings. I'm glad I did, since, as soon as Lieutenant Fast Track saw me, he let loose a magic missile that I backhanded away. It might have connected if he had put more power into it, and not launched it at me so haphazardly.

"Lieutenant Fast Track, stand down!"

"But Princess! These be-" The guardpony’s word was choked out when I slammed the lieutenant to a wall, with a paw squeezing all the oxygen out of him.

“Please, lieutenant, finish that statement. I dare you.” I growled out angrily, by now, light blue flames were leaking out. I was seriously debating which way to eat him, roasted nice and slow over my flames, or raw and wriggling, my non meat eating be damned.

"DragonWyrm Heart. Please." Princess Cadence pleaded, putting a hoof on my shoulder.

I backed away and let the pathetic excuse for a pony fall to the floor, wheezing as he fought to get air back into himself. I would follow Princess Cadence’s lead for now, but I would be watching him closely, and with my fangs out.

"Lieutenant Fast Track, I am appalled at your behavior. I ordered you to ask for help from the head of the Dragon Migration, Wanderer, not arrest them. You are lucky that He of Hourglass and Wanderer are such staunch friends with us, or you would have brought doom upon us all. You and your platoon are to be confined to quarters until further notice. Guards!”

“But Princess…” Fast Track began to protest until a very sharp look from Princess Cadence cut him off.

“Escort and confine Lieutenant Fast Track and his platoon to their quarters until further notice.” Princess Cadence ordered two guards who had just marched into the meeting room.

“At once, Crystal Princess.” The two guards saluted before they and the lieutenant marched out.

"Don’t be too harsh on them, Princess Cadence. I suspect that the Cult of the Scale may be the reason for his and his platoon’s insubordination." I advised Princess Cadence as soon as the guards left. As much as I was not a fan of the lieutenant, I could also clearly tell that he truly wasn't a racist bigot, just very zealously protective of the Empire and its citizens, if only a bit too quick on the draw.

Princess Cadence groaned. It looked like I was right about them. "Every year, they get more bold, and I swear that every time the Migration comes…"

"Can you send over all your intel on them, including any manifestos, pamphlets, transcripts of any speeches, or interrogations of arrested members?"

"DragonWyrm Heart, you don’t..."

“Actually, I do. By associating themselves with dragons as strongly as I suspect they do, anything dishonorable that they do becomes a dishonor on all dragons. You know how we take honor very seriously, Princess Cadence."

“Yes, I know,” Princess Cadance sighed. ”Just promise me that you won't do anything without at least discussing it with me.”

"That I shall, Princess..." I smiled as twirled a claw in my mate’s hair spines, causing her to giggle. "Now, if you will excuse us, my mate and I didn't really get to enjoy ourselves in the traditional dragon way. When you have gathered all the intel, have a civilian bring them to the hotsprings."

“Yes, of course." Princess Cadence bade us goodbye.

“If you ever need some tips for the bed, let me know.” Princess Cadence called out as we walked out of the meeting room.

I groaned as I led my mate to a nearby balcony. I just knew that she would get the bed into the conversation, like she did. Princess of Love... Ha! More like Princess of Erotica...

ബഐബഐബഐ Magic Dowser ബഐബഐബഐ

The past few hours had been Tartarus. First, the dragons get all spooked and hustle my family and I down a dead end, with Ruby and Dragon FireWyrm curling around us like snakes, growling the whole time and scaring Herbal Brew. As much as I don't mind Dragon FireWyrm and Ruby being protective, as it was in their nature to do so, I was not happy about them needing to get that way in the first place. Especially considering no one would tell me what the hell was going on. They just pushed me back towards Dragon FireWyrm and Ruby. If something is going on that could potentially harm my family, I have the right to know!

Then, to make matters worse, a magically explosive shockwave passed through the hotsprings, and suddenly, every mated dragon was fucking. Thankfully, the sex orgy stopped, at least when it came to Dragon FireWyrm and Ruby, after a short while, and thank the heavens, Minty and I managed to get Herbal Brew asleep, and in a sound and light proof magic shell, eariler. I am so not ready for that discussion.

Though I quickly found that, just because those two had stopped ‘being one,’ that the insanity was not going ease up anytime soon. I had no sooner asked them what the hell was going on, than they rushed out of there. After a second to collect myself and get my brain to restart, I ran after them.

"Where is he, that bucking jerk?! I don't care if he's The Voice himself, I will murder him!" I growled as I struggled to catch up. I just knew all of this was DragonWyrm Heart’s doing.

I finally caught up to Dragon FireWyrm and Ruby as they started to circle around Wanderer and Caretaker, purring and roaring in delight. First they are angrily protective, and now they are celebrating!? What the hell is going on!?

“Ruby... brother…” I breathlessly shouted as I fought to catch my breath. “What is going on!?”

… Four……. Four… Dragon FireWyrm said, though all I could get was ‘four.’ He was talking too fast and moving too much for me to get anything but that.

“What are you saying?! Four what?!”

Four… Ruby added, and again, all I got was the same word.

“Gah!” I shouted in frustration, giving up on trying to pry anything out of the two bouncing and bounding wyrms. As much as I didn’t want to ask, maybe another clanmate would have a better idea. “Wanderer, do you know what they are saying?”

“No…” Wanderer shook his head, pushing Dragon FireWyrm back as the affectionate wyrm tried to nuzzle him to the ground. “I am just as lost as you are…”

All of a sudden, the two wyrms momentarily stopped and looked off to the south. I turned to see DragonWyrm Heart and another dragon, a dragoness from the looks of it, making a landing nearby. Ruby and Dragon FireWyrm immediately bounded over to them, sniffing and nuzzling the dragoness before rushing back to Wanderer and Caretaker.

“YOU!” I roared at DragonWyrm Heart, making my way carefully to him, avoiding the hyperactive wyrms. “I ought to…. Do you HAVE ANY idea what you put my family through?!”

“Please, pony, stop.” A purple and sky blue dragoness begged as she stepped in front of me.

That was the final straw for me. I had had enough, so I prepared my horn with a massive amount of my magic to shove the dragoness to the side, so that I could get to DragonWyrm Heart. I was about to unleash it when my magic shorted out as I lost all concentration. It was in that moment that I realized that the dragoness I was about to shove aside was blind. I fell to my haunches in horror. I had tried to attack a disabled dragoness...

“DragonWyrm Heart was trying to help the scared Crystal Ponies.” The dragoness attempted to explain, though I was only half listening. “They thought that I was going to eat the Crystal Heart.”

“The Crystal Heart?” I repeated dumbly, still in shock that I nearly attacked a blind dragon.

“The Crystal Heart is a powerful artifact, a crystal in the shape of a heart.” DragonWyrm Heart picked up the explanation. “It passively pushes back the icy north and will actively protect the empire from... let’s just say more ‘active’ threats… My mate was starving and lost, and she took refuge under it, as it radiates a sense of love and hope.”

“But why!?”

“One could call the Crystal Empire an all you can eat dragon buffet… So the crystal ponies can be a bit leery when a dragon enters the city, especially if one is as starved as she was… So they...”

“Stop. Enough.” I raised a hoof as I walked over the the dragoness and hugged her, finding myself crying as I did. I understood the pain she went through all too well. “I am so sorry. I know the cruelty of ponies against dragons first hoof…”

After a moment, the dragoness returned the hug. I held her for some time, before I slowly pulled away, sniffing a few times. I turned to see that Minty had caught up to me, worry clearly etched on her face, and Herbal Brew still asleep on her back. I walk over and nuzzled her to let her know that I was okay. I leaned into her for a bit, before I turned to address DragonWyrm Heart, now calm.

"Now, maybe can you help me out, both Dragon FireWyrm and Ruby have gone bonkers. All I can get out of them is ‘four.’"

"Four?"

“Four.” I repeated. “I know they are saying something else, but they are talking too fast for me to catch anything, assuming they are at all...”

With a light chuckle and a smirk, DragonWyrm Heart grabbed Dragon FireWyrm's face in his aura and held him. Now why didn't I think of that!? Of course, my magic was pony based and getting it to work on a dragon, much less a spark dragon, would have been difficult in a normal situation, much less the chaotic one I dealt with, but still, I should have thought about at least trying to do that.

ബഐബഐബഐ DragonWyrm Heart ബഐബഐബഐ

I managed to snare Dragon FireWyrm and gazed deep into his eyes, and was immediately slammed by joy. Joy not only for myself and my mate, but for Wanderer and Caretaker, as well. I broke eye contact, then let go of Dragon FireWyrm, who was finally starting to calm down. I could understand completely his exuberance for myself and my mate, but Wanderer and Caretaker, as well? It wasn't until I thought on the only word that Magic Dowser was able to get out of my brother and sister that it hit me. This was, after all, a glorious day for our clan.

“EVERYONE BACK AWAY FROM CARETAKER AND THIRDCLAW, NOW!” I roared out, trying hard not to give away my excitement. “She of Hourglass, hold your brother and his family as tightly as you can without hurting them.”

“DragonWyrm Heart, what is going on, and I want the truth, now?!” Magic Dowser’s mood turned sour. It was amazing how volatile the pony’s emotions could get.

Without responding, I pushed Magic Dowser with my magic into She of Hourglass, who immediately grabbed him and held him close. Minty and Herbal Brew were already secure in her other paw. From the looks of the young colt, he had been woken up from a nap. I knew that I was going to get it for not responding, but, if I didn't do this right, I could have ended up with a flaming Magic Dowser, instead of a pissed off Magic Dowser.

“Ruby! What the mffph!?” The rest of Magic Dowser’s rant was cut off by an expertly repositioning of one of She of Hourglass’ claws.

I watched a second longer, just to make sure that Magic Dowser and his family were securely in She of Hourglass’ grasp, before I turned back to Wanderer and Caretaker. The two dragons, by this point, were alone, with the clan and a few of the Migration dragons back some distance away in a circle around us. I remained where I was. I knew what was coming, so I knew that I was going to be safe, even with how close I was. Wanderer and Caretaker were looking at me with a mix of concern, amusement, and curiosity.

“Wanderer, Caretaker, congratulations!" I grinned as I paused, which only seemed to confuse the two further. "You will soon have four eggs…”

I readied myself as time seemed to slow down. Wanderer made no response other than for his wings to slowly unfurl, as the mana in the area surged. A single flap was the final warning, before Wanderer grabbed Caretaker in a hug, kissed her, and shot into the sky with her at instant rainboom speed. Just like when he was adopted… I chuckled as everyone was buffeted around by the blast.

“That was totally wicked!” I looked back to see Herbal Brew gushing at the rainboom and the rainbow contrail.

I looked up to see the rainbow contrail spinning and looping around the sky, the aurora borealis from the Crystal Spire adding more color. Yeah, it definitely was totally wicked...

I returned my attention back to earth as I walked up to the pony family and looked straight into Magic Dowser’s eyes, as he was still shooting daggers at me with them. “And now, Magic Dowser, you see why I had everyone back away.”

"And you couldn't, I don’t know, warn us of the rainbow bomb that was about to go off!?" Magic Dowser screamed at me, escaping She of Hourglass' grip as he yelled.

"Magic Dowser… If I...”

“No. Don’t even.” Magic Dowser cut me off. “I will not listen to another one of your lame excuses…”

“I’m sorry, DragonWyrm Heart…” Minty apologized as Magic Dowser stomped off, She of Hourglass close behind. “Things have been stressful for him, lately…”

“It’s okay Minty.” I waved her apology off. “Come, She of Hourglass, let’s go celebrate properly, before the massive workload that’s coming stalls it permanently.”

“DragonWyrm Heart…” I turned back to Minty, who was smiling at me. “Congrats on finding your mate.”

“Thank you, Minty.” I bobbed my thanks as my mate and I turned to find a more secluded spot. It would be nice to not have interruptions, and I didn't need Magic Dowser after me for having sex in front of his foal.

“DragonWyrm Heart…” She of Hourglass whispered to me once we were somewhat alone. “I don’t mean to pry, but there is something more than stress going on with the one you called Magic Dowser.”

"How can you tell?” While I knew that it wasn’t ‘stress’ that was getting to Magic Dowser, I was curious as to how She of Hourglass knew.

“Voices carry emotion,” She of Hourglass sighed as she explained. “And there was worry in his voice…”

“Yeah, I figured that…”

“Worry for you.”

Now that surprised me. I stared blankly at my mate in disbelief. Magic Dowser was not one to worry for me. If anything, he merely tolerated me because I was the Firstclaw and hatchmate of Dragon FireWyrm.

“You're staring at me in disbelief.” She of Hourglass stated as if it was fact, and not a question.

"I’m sorry I…I… it’s just that… I” I stammered, trying to recover from my gaffe.

My mate giggled as she put a paw to my mouth to shut it. “I want to be treated like a normal dragon, DragonWyrm Heart, remember?”

“So you want me to treat you like a normal dragon, but you know what? I can’t.” I grinned evilly at her, knowing full well she couldn't see me. Two can play at this game. I leaned down so I could whisper into her ear my evil reasons for not treating her like a normal dragon. “Because you're not a normal dragon, you're my glistening like a freshly polished gem in the sun dragon.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere.” I gulped as my mate pushed me onto my back. I didn’t know it was possible to look so evil with blank, expressionless eyes. Not that I cared; she was my evil, glistening like a freshly polished gem in the sun mate afterall.

“Well, aren’t you a sexy casanova.” I snapped up to see an all-pink quadrupedal dragoness slinking around me and my mate, batting her eyes, much to our shock. “Tall, dark, and handsome...”

“Medallion? I...” I shuddered in desire as Medallion twirled a claw around my ear frills.

“Close... The Voice.” Suddenly, the dream in which I was ‘frolicing’ in a meadow with my mate faded away to the starry astral plane setting that was typical for a meeting with The Voice.

“Something tells me that you are here to do more than tease me.” I groaned as I now had no way to relieve my lust. “Which is, somehow, more frustrating, because, even though I can now fuck with abandonment, I can’t, because I’m in dreamland talking with my 'father.'”

The Voice giggled. “I couldn’t help myself, especially considering that I’m here because of your mating…”

“Oh? So that’s why you choose Legacy Chaser?” I rolled my eyes.

“I think you have finally found yourself after so long... so…” The Voice clapped happily, “on to the real reason I came.”

With a wave of his claw, the stars around us shifted around, and then were connected together into a spell array. My jaw dropped as the representative of the spell, whatever it was, settled. I had seen the three dimensional spell arrays that comprised the Elements of Harmony, and the seed that grew into the Friendship Castle, from the memories given to me by my brother. Whatever this was, it was on par with those, except that this was clearly dragon magic in the form of a pony array. Furthermore, I had no idea what this spell could do.

“This spell array is made from the soul fire of your clan, and was created and placed into your inner fire by the friendship wave. It, in essence, through the soul fire of your clan, mimics some of the baser roles that a wyrm has…”

I whistled as I looked over the spell array again.“So this is what allowed me to sense that Artful Strokes was a clan candidate, and the reason I noticed that Crystal Heart was my mate?”

At least I knew why I couldn’t detect any change in myself. With the spell array being within my inner fire, it would explain why I could not find it. Plus, even if Dragon FireWyrm had seen it, I doubt he would have even recognized it for what it was.

“Basically, yes. It's also the reason why Crystal Heart didn’t lose her wyrm half.”

I had wondered why Crystal Heart managed to retain her wyrm half, and now I knew. I suddenly felt weak in the knees, and nearly fell over. I would probably have, if it wasn't for The Voice propping me up and putting a wing around me. My clan had given me so much. They gave me a spell that mimics a wyrm, so I could function better, they gave me back my ability to mate, and lastly, they protected my mate from the same wyrmless fate. All without hesitation, without thought of any negative consequences that they may suffer. The dam of emotion burst open, and I cried tears of joy that I didn't know I had. I could see and feel the spell array pulse, and as it did, I could feel my love for my hoard surge. I love my hoard.

“Does it mean that I can mature in the Code again?” I asked after a few moments of getting my emotions under control.

“No," The Voice shook his head, "not unless your entire clan does…”

I sniffed as my emotions started to well up in me again. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“As you know, I am not all-knowing, even when it comes to my children…” The Voice sighed sadly. "I was unable to see this until your mating with Crystal…”

Suddenly, everything seemed to shake, accompanied by a low booming sound, interrupting The Voice. I wonder if this is how fish feel when someone taps on their fishbowl. I wondered as I fought not to vomit from the sudden vertigo.

“It seems you have company... and your mate, understandably, is on edge..”

"What now!?" I groaned. I had had my fill with ponies, at the moment, and that was the only thing I could think of that could put Crystal Heart on edge.

"Well, wake up already and find out." The Voice chuckled as the dream faded to white.

Author's Note

Let the She of Hourglass and She of Hourglass confusion begin MWHAHAHA! :rainbowhuh::pinkiecrazy: Okay it shouldn't last too long... I will get a title for one of them soon...

Like, comment, sub, fav , etc. especially the second one:pinkiecrazy::pinkiehappy: