The frosty night air flew into the mouth of the cave, spectral aurora shimmering and swimming through the deep blue of the sky above. The sounds of the crickets being drowned out by the yawns and growls of dragons just waking from their slumber. One dragon lived in this rather small cave...or were they a pony? Nobody really knew.
She had dark gray scales covering most of her body, green plates on her belly up to her chin. Short fangs protruded from her pony-like maw even when her mouth was closed and her mouth itself was full of razor-sharp teeth. Long sharp horns came from her head and hooked back like a normal dragon's horns, she had a pony-like body with claws that were sharp and long growing from her hooves, red slitted eyes rested in her skull ,a short white mane with a streak that was the same green tint as that of her claws and plates was plain as day, she had dragon-like wings on her back, and no cutiemark was present on her flank.
Her name was Draken, a strange hybrid creature who...never really fit in anywhere she went. This place, Drakarnia also known as the Dragon Kingdom was the only place where she could feel somewhat normal, and that was thanks to...
A claw gently took her shoulder and she was lightly shaken until she finally came to, lifting her head up to see her Mistress:
Princess Ember of Drakarnia.
"Draken, wake up," she said in her normal soft tone, the tone she always spoke in when she wasn't addressing someone as a princess or when she wasn't talking to her father.
"Do I really have to?" Draken asked groggily, noting that Ember was already in her golden armor, the only thing she wasn't wearing was her helmet. But that was to be expected, she usually didn't wear that unless she was on the battlefield or training in the razor mountains with her.
"Yes Draken, after all, who's going to be my bodyguard if you're not there?" Ember asked. Yes, Draken was her bodyguard, First given this duty by ember's father after she accidentally saved Ember from a changeling assassin. Falling on them after falling asleep mid-flight which, caused Draken to break a leg too.
Draken let out a tired chuckle "Okay, I'm getting up." she murmured, as she shakily stood up from the stone landing she had been sleeping on. Her feet wobbled underneath her, and she was already craving the sweet taste of coffee.
Normally, traders and merchants didn't carry coffee with them over the Drakarnia borders considering dragons usually didn't need it. However, Draken absolutely couldn't function without it. Because of this, Ember sent small groups of dragons to the border and sometimes, with the permission of the royalty from the other kingdoms, she would send them into those kingdoms in order to retrieve small packages of coffee for her.
Usually, dragons weren't this friendly. However, Draken had something the other dragons around Ember didn't:
The knowledge that strength isn't the only way to win. It's a very simple fact that surprisingly not many dragons could figure out, Draken though knew this all too well as she had something on her side that proved this: a silver tongue and a manipulative mind.
Draken stepped down from the landing and looked up at her,
"So, the shop then?" she asked, knowing that's where the coffee was always taken.
"Yep," Ember said, walking out to the front of the cave.
They both opened their wings as soon as they were on the edge and in one moment they pushed off the rocky peak and flew through the air like a couple of arrows. Air rushed passed their scales and flew behind them in whips of cool wind.
Ember held the royal staff with her tail, the red glow flowing behind like the aurora lights above them.
Draken's eyes also emitted this glow as they flew, the trails from both capturing the eyes of many dragons below them.
They weaved through the tall and sharp rocks that littered the landscape, the glow of the moon being just bright enough to see them, the light of the harvest moon fell upon their bodies as the moon's glow did every night, but the sight was still glorious. They finally saw their destination before them after a few more moments of flight, surrounded by pointed rocks in a formation that almost resembled a bowl. Burrows in a few of the rock walls and crystalline buildings on the flatter areas of the formation.
They landed in the dead center of the foundation, on a platform made of the same crystalline that made the buildings.
The crystalline was cold on Draken's claws and caused a shiver to run through her, but she ignored it and walked alongside Ember as they walked over to one of the larger buildings. Ember opened the crystalline door and walked in, hearing a familiar ringing as the door opened. As this sound played she saw a blue dragon poke his head out from behind the counter.
"Ember!" he shouted, a smile spreading like a wildfire across his face. "How have you been, love?"
"Just fine, Sapphire" Ember answered, her tail swaying back and forth very slightly.
Sapphire was the owner of the shop, he was a skinny sapphire dragon with purple spines from his head to his tail, his eyes and flames also being purple. He wore a gold monocle on his left eye and had claws so sharp that you would swear he could cut diamonds.
"Draken and I just needed some coffee before we start patrol tonight."
"Ah, yes! Under Nightmare's glorious moonrise eh? Of course, just give me a moment to retrieve it." As he said this he turned around, grabbing a handle in the flooring with his claws and opening a secret trapdoor that led to the storage. After he finished his sentence he dropped down the tunnel, closing the door behind him.
Draken sighed, resting her head on the counter. "Why doesn't he just get it out when this place opens again? After all we arrive every night." Ember rested her claw on the counter
"Because they need to keep all the products in the same place or they'll lose track of their stock, if that happens they'll be in ruins for quite a while." Draken groaned and set her chin on the counter as they waited for sapphire to return.
They heard the door behind them ring. as they turned, Draken could already hear a growl emanate from Ember's throat. "Oh no," Draken groaned.
"And then I said: you have some nerve coming to the dragon kingdom you puny pony-" Garble immediately stopped telling his grossly exaggerated tale to his buds and stopped in the doorway.
"Oh...lookie what we have here: miss hybrid freakshow and the spotlight-stealing weakling!" Draken shrank back a little at Garble's teasing. The growling in Ember's throat grew louder
"You have something to say there Garble?" Ember's wings started to unfold as she said this.
"Oh, nothing my lord, except the fact that you and your stupid freak over there stole that scepter from me!" Garble yelled, "If it weren't for that mutant 'helping' you I would be Dragonlord!"
"HA!" Ember snarled back, "Dragonlord Garble huh? you'd make a terrible Dragonlord! in fact, you'd probably get half of us killed by the first few weeks and I suggest you leave Draken out of this!"
"Oh yeah? and why exactly should I? she's just as much a part of this as you are!"
"Alright you two that's enough!" Sapphire yelled, having come back up from the storage with two boxes in his claws "If you want to fight you do it outside my shop." He threw one of the boxes at Garble who grabbed it before it could hit his face. "There you go Garble, that package arrived for you this afternoon." Sapphire told him. Garble immediately turned, not wanting to look at Ember any longer.
"Anyways guys..." He continued as he walked out as if nothing had happened "That pony guard was shaking in his boots when I said that-" the door shut and Ember watched through the window as they flew off. She snorted, and turned to face Draken "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just wish I could give them a piece of my mind sometimes..." Ember chuckled, "If only."
Ember looked up at Sapphire, "So? Is that the coffee?"
"Well...it's the box at least," Sapphire said, opening it to reveal nothing inside. Draken and Ember looked at each other. Draken had already almost fallen asleep twice, once while they were flying to the shop and the second time when they were waiting for Sapphire at the counter. There was no way they could get through the day without it...or at least no way Draken could.
"Well, how long would it take to get more?"
"longer than I expect you to be able to wait." Sapphire sighed, setting the empty box to the side "looks like Draken will just have to take the night off." Draken frowned, her tail swaying back and forth as she thought.
"Well, maybe I could go get some more!" she shouted,
"What!?" both Sapphire and Ember yelled in response.
"Draken you can't, the ponies know your face! If they see you without me they'll think I sent you as a spy!"
"Well...I guess I'll just have to get a disguise!" Draken said, "Ember I want to be there for you, you're my friend."
"Draken..." Ember looked back at Sapphire, hoping to have someone on her side.
"Well if she wants to go get it that badly I say let her. After all, it is her job as given by your father to be by your side with 100% of her concentration, she really can't do that if she keeps falling asleep."
"Sapphire!"
"What? you keep telling me to be more honest and I'm telling you my honest opinion!"
Ember facepalmed, and looked back at Draken. Ember could see the determination in her eyes, she wanted to do this for her...Ember was just...a little scared of what might happen if she's caught. "Draken are you sure you want to do this...there's a big risk that you could be imprisoned by the ponies."
"Yes, I'm positive!" Ember sighed,
"Alright I suppose you can go but...you have to promise me something."
"What?"
"Be careful..." Ember told her, pulling her into a hug.
"I will don't worry," Draken reassured her, while at the same time trying to reassure herself. Sapphire cleared his throat,
"There's a zebra who lives in the Everfree forest just off the border of the razor mountains, her name is Zecora I believe. she can brew you a potion that can disguise you." Ember released her from the hug.
"Alright, I'll go to this Zecora and get this potion! and I'll be back before you know it Ember!" she yelled, as she raced out the door and to the crystal platform, from there, she took off and headed to the Everfree to meet Zecora.
Ember thought for a moment and took the scepter in her claw, waving it around as the light caught the attention of a teenage dragon outside who was referred to as Fizzle.
"Yes?" he asked in the doorway,
"I want you to follow Draken and make sure she doesn't get into trouble. Once she leaves the zebra's cottage, grab a potion from her too and follow Draken in disguise once within the Ponyland border, got it?"
"Yes ma'am," Fizzle said, immediately running to the platform and taking off after Draken
"And don't let her know you're there!" and with that Fizzle was off.
"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Sapphire asked, with a raised eyebrow
"Sure I'm sure."
Author's Note
So yeah! this is the beginning of the story!
(Edit: Fixed some errors)
Zecora ran as fast as her legs could take her. She heard the sounds of snarling and roaring behind her as she fled, hoping the Timberwolves behind her would lose interest and run the other way, but that sadly wasn't the case.
Her cloak followed behind, nearly being bitten by the wooden creatures. She sharply turned a corner to try and lose the monsters, but they were only stopped momentarily before they realized where she had gone. She suddenly felt something ram into her, looking up, she saw that in front of her and blocking the path...was a boulder. She was trapped. She turned around, praying to the Goddess Faust that she could run past them, only to realize that they were already only three feet away from her. Her life flashed before her eyes as the creatures stepped closer and closer to her, she could already smell their putrid breath and see the leaves stuck between their sharp teeth.
All of a sudden, she saw something fall out of the sky, and land on the back of the largest timberwolf.
The wooden wolf let out a sharp yelp and started bucking around like an apple farmer, trying to get whatever it was off of him. With one loud dragon-like yowl, red flames erupted from the thing on it's back, effectively lighting the Alpha timberwolf on fire. The Alpha let out a high-pitched, pain filled screech as it finally bucked whatever it was off of him and ran into the forest with the others, his tail still on fire.
"Ow..." Draken sighed, once again, she fell asleep and landed on something and once again she broke something, this time granted it was one of her horns.
"Green and black pony of scales! I thank you for answering my prayers!" a voice said in front of her, she looked up to see a zebra in a cloak, a saddle bag around her middle. "If you hadn't come here, I would've been a midnight snack I fear." Draken couldn't help but notice the flowers and other potion ingredients poking out of the saddlebag.
"You...wouldn't happen to be, Zecora... Would you?"
"Ah, yes my friend I see...come I shall give you everything you need," Zecora said, as she took Draken's claw and restarted the trek to her home.
Fizzle watched this transpire from one of the trees, a few times he debated flying in there and stopping what was going on, but then he remembered what Ember told him, 'Don't let her know you're there'. He climbed down the tree trunk and quietly followed them making sure to stay out of sight.
"Now my savior" Zecora started, as she opened the door to her hut. "I shall give you all that you require."
"All I need is a potion Zecora," Draken said quickly, looking around at the masks and different decorations that littered the place.
"Clearly" Zecora muttered, gesturing toward her broken horn.
"OH! No, that isn't what I meant, I meant that I'm in need of a disguise!" Zecora lifted an eyebrow,
"A disguise is what you seek? Well, I guess not getting coffee now would cause a havoc to wreak"
"Yeah, I do need to- wait how did you know about that?!" Draken yelled in surprise, Zecora looked back at her with a completely calm expression
"I am a seer my friend, a pony who can see the future for others, down to their end." Draken frowned,
"I was always told those didn't really exist, that they were just manipulative ponies who needed bits."
Zecora looked back at her with narrowed eyes, "I predict you'll feel a pain in your head" Zecora said bluntly,
"wait, wh-" just then Draken heard a rope snap above her, she looked up and felt something slam into her head. A potion bottle smashed over her head and spilled tree sap all over her face.
"See what I mean? Pony of gray and green?" Zecora asked, walking over and wiping the sap away from her eyes. Draken's ear twitched,
"Okay, I believe you..." Zecora wiped her sap covered hoof off on a nearby cloth before pulling Draken up off the floor,
"Now let's see what-"
Zecora gasped, her eyes glazing over "Ze-Zecora? uh, you alright there?" Draken waved her hoof in front of Zecora's face but got no response. "Zecora?...yoo-hoo..." Draken wasn't even sure if Zecora was breathing.
But just as Draken was about to say something more Zecora woke up with another gasp. "Zecora?" the room suddenly felt very stiff and dark.
"I have something very important to tell you, In a time you will have a choice. This choice will be very important for you to make and will impact everything as we know it. Each path will lead to a new destination for every life in Equestria, this choice...it could mean life or death for everyone." Draken was a bit disturbed that she stopped rhyming, she didn't know why but it...scared her.
"W-what choice is that?"
"I sadly cannot reveal that to you as of yet, but I can give you a hint"
"What?!" Draken Asked,
"It has something to do with Ember and another dragon, one you've never seen before this day," Zecora said darkly.
The air relaxed and the room brightened, Zecora walked over to a shelf and grabbed a potion bottle filled with red liquid. She handed it to Draken as if what just happened...didn't. "Take this one on the border, my friend, this will make sure the peace doesn't end."
"But...wait are you just going to ignore what you just did?!"
"This prediction will not come for a while I'm sure, you need not worry about something so sore." Draken sighed,
"Okay...I guess."
"Now best be on your way or the coffee will already be gone for today."
"Is...that a prediction?"
"Perhaps." Draken jumped and sped out the door so fast that you'd swear she was Rainbow Dash.
Fizzle walked in, but before he could speak he saw something fly at him. He closed his eyes and threw his claws up to grab what was coming. His claws closed around the neck of a potion bottle with more red liquid inside, he opened his eyes and looked up to see Zecora facing him. "Huh?" he breathed,
"I knew you were coming in through that prediction I made a few moments back, better get going or you'll lose track." Fizzle raised an eyebrow but remembered Draken and flew off after her. Zecora smiled and chuckled to herself, as she went about brewing a love potion that she knew she'd need later.
Later, Draken flew through the air like an arrow until she saw the border. She flew down as gently and quietly as possible, feeling shivers go up her spine as she realized what she was doing. She was moving into the borders of another kingdom without the permission of any of the three princesses who governed it. She saw one of the guards' ears turn towards the bush she was hiding behind, oh no. The guard squinted his eyes and stared at the bush. Draken quickly grabbed the potion, threw her head back, and chugged it as fast as she could. The guards jumped when they saw a puff of red smoke from the trees. They lit their horns and held up their spears "Halt! Who goes there?" they yelled in unison,
"Uh, my name is..." Draken had to think fast. "Snake...venom?" she was from the dragon kingdom how was she supposed to know how the pony naming system worked?! "Show yourself!" they yelled, "Okay! Okay..."
A dark gray mare with red eyes and cleft hooves stepped out of the brush. She had large feathered wings and a white mane...her cutiemark was of a snake coiled around a heart and biting into the top.
Both guards immediately jumped and lowered the spears they were holding. "M-my apologies madam! W-we thought you were a trespasser." They once again spoke in unison, right down to the stammer. Both of their faces were red with blush as they stood up as straight and tall as possible.
"Erm...okay?" Draken said, a bit confused, as she walked by the border, a bit relieved that they let her pass but also a bit puzzled by the fact they were so quick to let her through. "Oh, well," she thought as she started hopping along down the road "Maybe they were just having a nice day."
The guards waited and saw another pony walking up, he had a white coat and a pink mane and tail, large feathered wings with pink outer feathers, he had red eyes and had cleft hooves as well, his cutiemark was of a pink flame.
"Say something pony-ish. Say something pony-ish." Fizzle thought to himself, as he walked by he muttered "How are you?" he was met with no response. Though, as he continued down the road he whispered to himself: "nailed it."
Author's Note
Draken you oblivious piece of shit.
also, I think I made fizzle too nerdy and cute 
(edit: fixed the paragraphs and some errors)
(Edit: Fixed some capitalization errors [thank you Explosionmare and metroid_freak for pointing out that I missed a couple)
