Dragon's Light

Chapter Two: The Next Day

The next day finally eventually came and they all slowly woke up and then they all eventually went to the kitchen. “Good morning to one and all,” Starlight said with a great big huge wide vast smile on her face now then. “Yes, good morning indeed,” Axel said climbing up the pantry shelves looking for food now then.

“Hey, get down from there, you’re not supposed to be up there,” she said now then. “Sorry,” he said flapping down with his wings very gently now then.

“That’s okay, just try using your wings and flapping them for once, okay then?”

“Alright, fine, you win,” he said now then. “I’ll agree that it is a good morning if the rest of you do,” Leo said very quietly as he gently sat down at the table now then. “You’re not very talkative, now are you?” Axel said looking very closely at him now then. “I can be if I want to be, but I just decide not to be instead.”

“Is there a reason as to why you won’t talk to us at all?” Axel said now then.

“None that you need to know of right now,” he said very calmly and quietly now then. “Alright, fine then, be that way, but what’s for breakfast this very fine and lovely morning?” Axel said now then. “Apples,” Starlight said still smiling now then. “Ugh, boring, but I guess that it will have to do for now,” Axel said.

“I think that apples are fine, because they can keep the doctor away longer than a day, and that’s just one random various fun fact that I have and also know too as well,” he said now then. “Wow, that is both amazing and awesome and cool, but I don’t think that anybody really cares about your radical fact,” Axel said now then. “Hey you two, be nice to each other or I’ll have to split you two up apart from each other,” Starlight said with an angry glare looking at Axel now then. “I’m sorry,” he said now then, “I have a tendency to just blurt out whatever honest thought an idea that I have laying around my head even if it gets me into trouble, and that’s because they all can be just a tiny little bit cold, cruel, harsh and brutal too as well, but I can’t help who I am naturally deep down inside.”

“Yeah, I guess that you can’t, but here you go boys, fresh apples,” Starlight said handing them cut sliced pieces of some apples. Axel bit into one and then smiled as he dove into the rest. “Oh my gosh, these things are delicious, these are the best ones that I have ever had in my whole entire life,” he said now then. “I’m glad that you think so, these apples here come from Sweet Apples Acres, the farm that’s run by the Apple family and is very widely regarded as having the best apples and cider within the town of Ponyville at least, but I would still have to agree that they have the highest quality of any apples I have ever seen yet.”

“Well then I’m sure that the Apple family must be very proud of themselves,” he said smiling now then as he ate the rest of his apples, but Leo ate nothing at all.

“Hey there kid, why aren’t you eating anything at all?” Starlight said now then.

“I’m not hungry, okay?” he said very angrily now then. “Oh come on, you have to eat something, anything at all is still much better than having nothing at all.”

“It actually depends upon the something and how much of it that there is.”

“Well yeah, I guess you’re right, but do you mind telling me why you won’t eat?”

“Alright, fine then, but you have to promise to keep it a secret, okay?”

“Alright, fine then, I promise to keep it a secret if you want me to,” she said now then. “Alright, fine then, very good, here it is,” he said leaning closer to her ear now then. “I secretly also was an outcast even in my own ‘family’ like Axel was, but I also don’t really like apples that much,” he said smiling now then.

“Oh stop being so ridiculous, why don’t you try one out and see if you like it now?” she said still smiling now then. “Oh all right, fine then,” he said biting into one. Slowly a smile came unto his face, “I think that I’m actually starting to like this,” he said now then. “Very good then, you’re learning to try new things, it seems like we’re already off to a very good start,” she said still smiling now then.

“Yeah, I guess so, but so long as we’re here why don’t you take us around the town and show us the sights and let us explore around a bit more then?”

“Well I guess that you’re right, well I guess that today’s a good of a day as any to take you around the town,” she said, “So let’s go now then since you’re done.”

And with that said they all went around the town exploring it very well now then.

“This is the town hall and that is the mayor,” she said pointing towards a mare.

“Well hello there, Starlight, it’s very nice to see you here with…”

“These are my friends,” she said explaining herself to the mayor now then.

“Oh, okay then, well then have fun and stay safe then,”

And with that said the mayor left them uncertain of how to feel about the new visitors now then. And with that they went on their way throughout the rest of the whole entire town now then. “This is the farms, our main source of food and also the town cafeteria, the school, and that’s about all there is to our little tiny town,” she said now then. “Oh, really? Because I felt like there was more, or at the very least that there could have been a lot more, or should be rather instead.”

“It depends upon how much more that you want exactly,” she said now then.

“Yeah, I guess that you’re right, I mean I wouldn’t want a full complete history on this whole entire town, you can skip that part and save it for never instead,” he said as they approached a small tiny little group of ponies now then.

“Woah, what is that thing exactly?” one of the stallions said staring at Axel.

“It’s a dragon, a Night Fury to be exact and precise,” Starlight said now then.

“That’s so cool, but can we touch him?” one of the stallions said now then.

“Well, what do you think Axel?” she said to him now then. “Sure, I don’t mind,” he said. “What did he say? It sounded like growling noises to me,” a stallion said.

“He said that he’s fine with you touching him, just please be gentle and kind, okay?” Starlight said worried for the safety of her new best friend. “Yeah, sure thing,” the white stallion said slowly guiding his hoof along the back spine of Axel. And Axel suddenly let out a very soft purr of great pleasure, joy and delight, he liked being scratched, or at the very least is dragon part and side of him did, and now he wanted more and so he gladly let every pony scratch him and feel his scales now then. “Oh, that feels so good,” he said turning to lie on his back.

All the ponies now suddenly then started to play with him and Starlight smiled as she watched him have fun, but then she finally eventually noticed that Leo was all alone now, completely and entirely too. “Hey there buddy, what’s wrong exactly? Don’t you want to have any fun?” she said coming over to him and sitting by his side. “I don’t know, I just feel like I’m still not a part of the group or family yet, and it’s really hard to let anyone in since I moved around so much from home to home back in my world, and no matter what I tried to do or who I pretended to be no one could ever accept me, and that’s why I gave up hope a very long time ago,” he said now then. “Hey, you’re here with me and us now and we won’t ever leave you, you can feel like you’re really part of a family and group again, you can be yourself since every pony here accepts their own destiny and special talents, and those of others too no matter what it ever is at all too.”

“Thanks for the kind, nice, generous words, but you can’t convince me to stay, I’ll never really be part of a family part group and you can’t stop me from leaving, no one ever can,” he said getting up and ready to leave. “Fine then, alright, go, but if you do then you’ll always wonder what would have happened if you had decided to stay instead, and it doesn’t matter how small or tiny that part is, because it will still be there to haunt you forever in your day, night, and dreams too as well, it will haunt you in shadow and light, and you will not be able to ever escape from it. Think about what you’ll be losing, this is a wonderful incredible amazing cool awesome land filled with the best ponies that I have ever seen before of every race, we have creatures that are probably myth back on your world and so many chances and opportunities for things that you might not have back home, for example, can you tell me what your destiny for your life is right now?” she said now then. “Running away from things, stuff and people?” he said now then. “No, that’s what you think it is, but I don’t think that can every really possibly be your destiny, because you have to be brave to face it in the end.

You have to be ready and prepared to stand up for what you believe in, and if you don’t then that only goes to show how much of a coward that you already really are, so are you ready and willing to take a leap of faith and hope or not?”

Leo sighed, “I guess so, I mean I always do try to do and be my very best, but no one’s ever accepted me before, I don’t know why you would be any different, but if I stop trying to let others into my heart I’ll never know who to really trust.”

And with that said he slowly walked back to Starlight and hugged her then now.

“Thanks for your very kind, nice, generous words, they really meant a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome,” Starlight said returning the hug and then releasing him from her grip, “Now then I want you to go over there and just at least talk with those other ponies okay? I don’t care if you’re a completely new different species, you can’t ever really start making friends if you don’t ever talk with others.”

“Alright, fine then, you win,” he said with a smile as he went over to them now.

“Hey there, want to hear a very funny joke?” he said now then.

“Sure thing, why not?” the white stallion said still rubbing Axel’s belly now then.

“Okay, so two guys walk into a bar and the third one ducks,” he said now then.

Very slowly each pony’s face lit up with great joy and delight as they all suddenly started to laugh out loud. “Oh my gosh!! That is so funny!!!” Party Favor said now then. “Do you have any more of those?” the white stallion said now then.

“Sure thing, but I’ll need all of your names first before I continue.”

“Alright, fine then, fair enough, I’m Double Diamond,” the white stallion said now then holding his hoof out to shake and Leo did very promptly so. “Party Favor.”

“Sky Stinger,” the first mare said now then. “Great, I’m Leo by the way, also known as the only human in this whole entire world and therefore the greatest most amazing and best one too naturally, that includes other adjectives like cool and awesome and radical too as well. Okay, so here’s my next one, so there’s this clock and three mice run up it and it strikes one and the other two escape with very minor injuries.” Even more laughter could be heard from the group this time. “Oh my gosh!!! This is like one of the best things ever!!!” Party Favor said now then. “Yeah, these are great, you really should consider getting your own act together,” Double Diamond said now then. “Well I have considered it before now previously of course, but I never did because my previous former world would and could not recognize my brilliant genius talent, but clearly you do. Now then here’s one of my own personal favorite questions to ask ever at all, so there’s this guy working at an orange factory and he’s fired, but why exactly?” he said waiting to see if any pony else would respond to his question now then.

“Um I really don’t know, but I’m going to guess that you’re going to be telling us exactly that?” Party Favor said now then. “Correct indeed, okay so the guy was fired because he couldn’t concentrate, get it?” he said smiling now then.

Suddenly the whole entire crowd burst out laughing, all except for Axel who never laughed once. “I don’t get this,” he said, “I really don’t get any of this.”

“Don’t worry, you’re from a different world than mine, and a different time period, it would only make sense that some of these you wouldn’t ever understand at all, I don’t blame you, but I will still try to find one that you can laugh at.”

“Well okay then, good luck, but I highly doubt that you’ll ever really find anything at all,” he said now then. “Hey, never doubt anything, even the impossible, because the moment that you do is the moment you admit that you don’t trust what you already know and think, and that is never really a good thing to do at all, ever,” and with that said he continued on with his sketch comedy act.

Eventually he had to finish up his routine as it was then time to go home since night had fallen, but as he did every pony thanked him for the time he had used and spent for all of them, complimented him and then left to go back on to their own homes. “So, what did you think of that exactly?” he said smiling now then at his best friends. “It was very good, you managed to keep your audience laughing the whole entire time, even me, and all except for Axel of course.

But hey, you can’t make all laugh, you can only do your very best, and at the end of the day that’s all that really matters, not the external goal and reward or trophy or whatever, it’s the internal one that counts, because if you didn’t do your very best at something then you didn’t really earn it and its not yours either, you don’t deserve it all, but what would you know about that theme or subject ide matter of course?” she said smiling now then. “Well yes, of course, but I do know rather quite a lot indeed, after all, I’m very wise and smart for my age.”

“Well I don’t care how wise or smart you are because everyone has to have their sleep sometime, it’s the one of the very few things that still unites us.”

“And what are the other things exactly?” Leo said very curiously now then.

“Taxes, life, death, love, kindness, compassion, mercy, hate, fear, pain, agony, sorrow, guilt, sadness, there’s a whole entire list of it for much later on.”

“Note to self, your definition of few is several and many instead.”

“Hahaha, very funny Axel,” she said tucking him into bed very softly and gently now only to have her efforts and time and energy wasted and foiled when she saw him just walk around on his bed three times in a circle. “Why do you do that exactly?” she said very curiously pointing out at his very weird strange and highly odd ritual now then. He glanced over at her and smiled very slowly.

“Because it gets out all the wrinkles and bumps in the fabric and cloth too.”

“Well okay then, fine, alright, I can work with that,” she said now then.

“Starlight, just one question before you read your story tonight, please?”

“Well okay then, fine, alright, anything for you,” she said still smiling now then.

“Do you think that there’s even the slightest chance or possibility that we can ever get to either of our homes through any means possible yet?”

Her smile suddenly vanished now then. “Honestly, I really don’t know, but if you do want to go home you should probably let me know, but for now your home is right here with me until we can finally find you a proper place in society.”

“Well okay then, I’m fine with that, honestly I didn’t really expect you to know the answer and I just really hope that I can learn to live with you eventually.”

“Me too, now then we have yet another great old classic on our reading list for tonight, and our first story I called The Little Mermaid. Once upon a time…”

“…The end,” she said finally finishing up the story at last now then.

“Really? Is that it? That’s just such a sad ending to a book that I have ever heard before,” Leo said laying down in his bed as he very softly and gently closed his eyes now then. “Not all stories get or end with a  happily ever after, especially modern day ones, no, that would just be too easy for the authors to do, no, instead they make the heroes and villains look gray rather than black and white just like these old stories did, but no matter what happens they will never be silly or stupid since they can tach us life lessons, and anything worth knowing or learning bears repeating of it into the mind of course,” Starlight said now then.

“Yeah, well I guess that makes sense, good night Starlight, maybe we can explore somewhere new and different tomorrow,” Axel said as he slowly drifted off to sleep now then. “Maybe, we’ll just have to see then, now won’t we?”

“I really hope that you say yes because I want to impress the others with my comedy skit act,” Leo said now then. “I said that I’ll consider it, I’m not making promises to anybody that I can’t keep, okay then? She said now then.

“Alright fine, I get it, stay out of your hair and business and we’ll be just fine.”

“Don’t forget the mane and tail, those can be very troublesome too at times.”

“I won’t even ask how or when or where or why,” Leo said now then.

“A very good wise smart choice, I guess what others say about you is really true.”

“It depends upon all that they say now, doesn’t it?” he said now then. “Yeah, I guess so, what I meant to say was all the good parts that I have heard.”

“Yeah, well thanks a lot, see you in the morning then I guess.”

And with that said they both fell to sleep suddenly then.

And with that said they both fell to sleep suddenly, and then very slowly, softly and gently Starlight left the room shutting the door behind her with very great care indeed. “Yes, see you in the morning,” Starlight said to herself all alone now then as she slowly picks up a picture of her former previous best friend before all of this, Sunburst, and then very slowly gazed at his face for one very last final time to remind herself of the past. And then once she was finally eventually done she put the picture back, decided to read a book, and then eventually she did finally manage to sleep at last, after all, even very busy ponies need sleep too sometimes.