1
The sun settled slowly in the western horizon, giving the sky a splash of beautiful oranges mixed with the purple and dark blue tentacles reaching from the eastern reach that slowly but surely would turn the day into night. And yet with this beautiful spectacle going on above their heads down in the small earth pony village there were only screams of terror and despair.
The sight in the small village was hellish indeed, burning homes and dead ponies littered the dirt streets as Star-Bell ran holding a small package clenched furiously in her teeth. She was already wounded, an arrow from a Pegasus legionnaire had scratched her leg, just above her cutie mark, the bleeding wouldn’t stop but she had to escape with her precious treasure, so she ran. Numb to the screams of terror from her neighbors and friends who either tried to resist the pegasi using long pikes or were trying to escape. She managed to jump through a hole in the half burned town wall and started running toward the forest.
It was risky, but it was her last hope, the pegasi never entered the forests, it was so close, just a little more. Then she heard from behind a shout, without looking back she already knew they were the legionnaires, her fear was immediately confirmed as an arrow passed close to her mane, very close to her golden comb. Still she ran, hoping and praying that she would manage to get to safety, another arrow passed near her ear, just a few more strides and she would be safe, he would be safe.
And then she felt it, a piercing shock of pain that came from her back, she hugged her package in her arms as she fell. The world started to look blurry for Star-Bell, first she looked at her package, it was safe at least, then she looked at her chest, the point of the arrow wasn’t able to open her hide a second time, but she was sure the damage was deep, a look at her back confirmed it, the arrow had entered through her back, possibly wounding an organ. She began coughing blood as she saw the legionnaires approach, so close to the tree line, she began to crawl on her knees toward the forest until a second arrow went through her ankle pinning her in place. Tears filled her eyes, if not for herself for the treasure she carried. The Legionnaires were almost there. She attempted to free her ankle but it was useless, her forces where leaving her fast and soon the bleeding would finish her. Then her treasure started crying, she opened his banquet and gave her son a last look before the end, his white coat was dirty with red from her blood, and still the pure white horn in his forehead remained pristine, perhaps this was best, if a unicorn was born in an earth pony village he surely would have suffered a lot. Then came the roar.
From the tree line, deafening as a thunder but much longer, came a roar, followed by a huge dragon, its purple scales shining with the sunset and with a green and sharp razor back, it threw itself against the legionnaires, the first tried to run while the other two stood their ground. One found his end in the jaws of the dragon while the other was torn apart by a single claw strike, the one who ran died when a huge gout of green flames burned his wings making him crash against a rock in the ground. The dragon then turned to Star-Bell, it closed on her and as it moved towards her it began to shrink to the point when it was just bigger than a buffalo.
“please” uttered Star-Bell with her last strengths “save him”
The dragon looked at her and at her foal, who was crying in a low tone.
“name” said the dragon pointing at the foal
“no… name”
“name” said the dragon this time pointing to Star-Bell
“Star… Bell”
The dragon then looked at the foal more closely, a white coat and a grey curly mane “Star-Bell” he said pointing at the mare “Star-Swirl” said as it pointed to the foal.
“thank… you” then she looked at her son. She took her golden comb, a rather odd trinket for an earth pony mare, it was solid gold and three small round bells dangling from small chains, she put it in her son’s mane “Starswirl…” then she closed her eyes and stood still.
The Sun Finally left the sky entirely and only a soft orange tint in the westernmost horizons remained. The moon raised herself prideful as always and as such the day came to an end.
******
Fang walked slowly through the woods, little Starswirl had fall asleep soon after the pyre for his mother was lit, it was a shame for the dragon being unable to give her a proper burial, but time was of the essence and Chaken was waiting for him in the tree house. No time to loose, still he advanced carefully and taking special care not to wake the small foal. It had been a while since he walked the forest in such a small form, still the moon was full and the forest was quiet so he decided to try to enjoy this walk, how much time would it be before he saw the forest of this part of the world? They were not as deep as the jungles of Zebrica or as humid as those of the Kirin kingdoms, but still this old and dark forests had their charm.
Then he heard a crack of a stick and the rustle of leaves, he crouched behind a dark tree and waited, the sound of someone walking towards him made him tense, he held the foal closer to his chest and prepared to attack whatever was coming towards him. Another twig snapped and Fang jumped from behind his cover, bearing his claws and prepared to fight. Then he saw the end of the staff approaching at full speed, he couldn’t dodge in time and the smack made him fall on his hind legs, he embraced the baby and prepared to let a fire blast when a second smack made him close his mouth. He began sneezing as smoke went out of his nostrils.
“one of this days, Fang, you have to learn to smell an old goat”
The attacker was a Mountain goat, his hair was white as snow and a huge beard covered his chest, above his head where two massive horns that bended back and out in front of his ears, a blue cape flowed from his shoulders and over the rest of his body hiding the rest of his fur, on his hand he held a staff made of hard dark wood and with a ring at the top.
“Chaken” said Fang raising to his feet
“the one and only, how is your head?”
“Hurts… Fine”
“I’m sorry, but had I not stopped you I would be a goat torch right now” he looked at the foal the dragon was carrying “who is the little thing?”
“Starswirl”
“I see…” he approached and put a hoof on the little foals’ mane, revealing the horn “hello little Starswirl” then he looked at the dragon “were is his mother?”
“dead, I am mother now”
“sad story, well you were always the wisest so I hope you know what you are doing” he looked again at the little unicorn “a magic user huh… I guess its fate he came to us” he tossed his mane and looked at the forest around them “we better hurry to the tree house, we must finish packing”
They moved in silence and reached the tree house in no time, it was indeed a house carved inside of a great tree, they entered to the circular chamber and closed the door behind them, inside various chests were filled with books and magical equipment, in an overhang rested a bed carved into the tree, Chaken reached the overhang in a single jump and took a huge blue hat that he put over his horns, then he jumped down. Fang had already piled the chests and was trying to calm Starswirl who was crying.
“he must be hungry, give me a second” chicken then took his staff from the door and made a bottle of warm milk materialize from thin air, the bottle floated towards fang’s hand and he began feeding the foal “you liked that?” said Chaken looking at the Little unicorn “then check this out” he stood on his hind legs and took the hat in one hand and the staff in the other “pack up!” and at his command the chest started moving towards his hat, they made themselves smaller until they almost disappeared by the point they entered his hat, one chest entered after the other until there was nothing left inside the tree “magic lesson number one kid, magic won’t solve all your problems, but it sure helps a lot to make a lot of them smaller” he turned as he put the hat back on and found Starswirl already asleep “well he looks sweet like that” he looked at Fang “well brother I think its high time we left this war-torn hellhole of a country, now the only question that remains is where are we taking young Starswirl now? I don’t think our trip to the ashen plains of Zebrica is a very suitable one for a baby unicorn”
“no … war”
“true, we need to find a stable place if we are going to raise a baby” he smiled as he saw the dragon “perhaps eternity’s crossing? That place is as peaceful as can be”
“no … white city … very alone”
“indeed” Chaken made the staff float as he caressed his beard “oh I know! Let’s go to Yuna’s house, we haven’t crashed in there in a couple decades and she has already a daughter so she can help with the little one”
“Kirin?”
“yes the Kirin kingdoms haven’t had a war in centuries, I don’t think they will start now, it’s a good solution”
“agreed”
“awesome, then dream of flying and let’s get going, we better get out of this lands before the sun comes and the unicorns decide they don’t want to play nice”
They walked outside of the house and Chaken made a spell that made it look like any other tree, he scratched the usual spot with his horn one last time and then strapped little starswirl to his chest using his cape. Meanwhile Fang had started to change form, his razor back had disappeared and in its place a great pair of wings appeared, he had also grown to the size of the tree house, Chaken climbed through his tail and made a spell to remain safely in the back of his wings, also a magic bubble around him so the great gusts of wind would transform in a simple breeze making it easier to breathe, it was a long trip to hold one’s breath.
“ready when you are Fang!”
The dragon rose with its powerfull wings pressing under him, first directly up, accelerating until the forest was only a spot on the land under the moonlight. Then he turned west, and started flying at top speed towards the horizon in front of him.
Meanwhile Starswirl slept, warm in the beard of Chaken who was silent, deep in thought. Little did he know this little foal would one day become the greatest wizard of the age, a wizard who would not only change the world around him, but who would change the fate of every inhabitant of this war-torn land.
