Wings of Courage

**Warning:* If you have yet to read Visionary, you may find parts of this story confusing. Though not a direct sequel, this tale follows the events of Visionary and utilizes much of the same world-building content and characters. I urge you to read it first if you have an interest in this story.*

Thank you, and enjoy the adventure!

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T'rahk Enox, the desert wasteland of the world... the black dragon snorted in disgust as he blinked away the spots in his eyes from the harsh brightness of glinting dunes. His saliva did little to quench the sting of dry, burning air against his throat. Swift winds raced across the sandy plains, for no trees or structures existed to halt their advance. The rounded peaks and valleys of the shifting mounds of dust did little to impede their flow, offering their loose grains up to the sky where the gales would carry them to new resting places.

Or into the eyes of visitors who were unaccustomed to such climates, the dragon thought bitterly, rubbing a few such intruders out of his face. He beat his wings harder, spiraling downward for his target; a great castle of black stone, sitting atop a ridge that overlooked a magnificent canyon, carved ages ago by some river that had long since dried up. From his lofty vantage the dragon emissary could see the city on the canyon floor, bustling with activity as small black creatures went about their business.

It made sense to build the city so low, where the canyon walls would shade it from all but high noon. In that blasted hour, nothing was safe from the heat of the sun, though the temperature did not bother the dragon so much as the constant light. With a grunt, he finally alighted at the gate of the castle.

The guards there had been expecting him. Speaking in their foul little language, they called to some unseen gatekeeper high atop a mighty stone wall. Though he was tall by changeling standards, the dragon could not have reached the top of that wall, even stretched out nose-to-tail. Though it would surely stop a creature of the sands, this gate and wall would prove no match against his kind if they chose to attack. Silently scoffing at the changeling's meager defenses, he made his way past the guards and through the gates without a word.

The cool stone within the castle felt much better under his clawed feet than the burning sand as the dragon emissary from the north slithered his way through the narrow, changeling sized halls. The grandeur of this place did nothing to improve his mood; dragons had always had an innate love for precious and powerful things.

That love quickly turns to hate and envy when the dragon in question does not own said riches. The black drake turned his great head to and fro, examining exquisite tapestries, perfectly carved black marble columns, and soaring, silver-framed windows. The ceiling overhead was painted to look like the sky at sunset in the west, a truly beautiful vision that the emissary was quietly jealous his own ceiling back home did not rival.

He paused before a great statue which the thick carpet below him parted around like water. Atop a circular stone platform, the images of two creatures did fierce battle. The largest of the two was a wicked looking beast that oddly resembled a changeling, cast in silver, with a sapphire stone sticking from its brow. The other, smaller and more majestic to behold, was cast in gold. Long arms of magically shaped and cultured emerald reached out from the back of the golden changeling, wrapping through the holes in the legs of the silver one and lifting the larger creature from the ground. There it hung suspended, though by magic or the strength of the emerald tendrils, the dragon could not guess.

Never had he seen such beauty, or respected it so thoroughly; it was everything a true treasure should have been. Powerful, magnificent, resplendent, precious. The value of it was beyond even the greedy dragon's guessing, for all tolled the statue was larger than he was, and made purely from gemstones and marvelous metals. He roved over the image again, looking at the faces of the combatants. The gold one seemed calm, detached; as if he held no fear or hesitation, his eyes made of jade. The silver one's face showed mixed terror and anger, sapphire eyes flared wide, an emerald arm wrapped around his neck. The placard at its base read something in changeling; of it, the only thing the dragon could make out was a date from two years ago.

The drake shook his head suddenly, snapping himself out of the spell that his greed had put him under. "Such wealth is wasted on these fragile creatures," he muttered in disgust, turning his gaze away. He quickened his pace to put distance between himself and the enticing statue, striding along the red carpet towards the throne room, the location of his summons. Though he hated to see it squandered, his nature would not allow him to deface the beauty of this place, and he was careful with each step so that his claws would not tear the plush, crimson rug beneath him.

Two changeling guards stood at attention, neither looking at the dragon nor away from him, but simply prying open the chamber doors with their magic. Unable to resist his cruel nature and the foul mood the statue had put him in, the dragon inched his head low, coming nose-to-nose with one of the guards, letting a low growl shiver through his throat.

His threatening gaze and growl died as he realized the guard was not frozen in fear, but had simply not reacted. Huffing agitated smoke into the changeling's face, the dragon made his way into the chamber. The doors closed gently behind him at the nudging of the same magic that had thrown them wide.

Ahead of him stood a raised stone dais, framed by a wondrously crafted window. The arch soared nearly twenty feet from the foot of the throne, offering a wide panorama of the shifting sands beyond. Though barren, such a grand view of a domain this size could not be scoffed at, even by the superior mind of a black dragon.

A whisper at the base of the steps to the grand, obsidian throne stole his attention from that powerful view. The light glancing off the sands blinded him to the depths of the shadows that the mighty chair cast across the room, and so he could not see the speaker, nor his conversation partner.

"There's no need to be so secretive, Korrick," came a much louder, clear reply. A flash of magic flared in the depths of the throne's shadow, drawing thick curtains into place and dropping the room into darkness. A short span later, torches along the pillars flared to life, green fire illuminating the powerful stone braces that held the roof aloft many stories above.

A changeling strode forth from the direction of the throne, meeting the dragon out on the low floor. "I'm sorry; I had forgotten that your kind prefer the dimmer light, my friend."

A closer look revealed that this changeling was vastly different from the many guards the drake had encountered on his way into the royal castle of T'rahk Enox. He was taller, more powerfully built, and had an air of might about him. His mane was light blue, like the frost that crested the frozen mountain lakes in the winter, and his eyes were as vibrant as the deepest hue of evergreen.

He was identical to the changeling in gold that the black emissary had witnessed only moments before, and he was no less resplendent in his own dark skin.

So this was the changeling king. What his master had said did not do this creature justice, the emissary silently admitted. Though he himself stood twelve feet high, this changeling was nearly half his lofty stature; very unusual for his kind. The thought registered that this was the reason he was here, and that the creature before him had spoken.

The drake curled his lip in a sneer, ignoring the claim of 'friendship' and abandoning any sense of respect he may have been developing for this creature. Even a king of such a weak race was below him, he reminded himself. "Greetings, King Aurus. To what do I owe the displeasure of being summoned to this sandy hell?" the emissary asked snidely.

Aurus' smile shrank by a few teeth, and the old changeling standing behind him and to his right sighed audibly.

"Something the matter, old one?" the dragon asked, sliding his neck out and inching closer to the changeling, his snakelike tongue flicking out between his razor-sharp fangs.

Like the guard before him, this old creature did not react, which frustrated the dragon.

"No problem at all, your excellence, besides old age. Sometimes breath is hard to come by," Korrick replied evenly, inhaling deeply to prove his point further. "Perhaps we can discuss the business you have come to us for, sir...?"

"I am called Zemin," the dragon replied curtly, reeling his great head back from the councilor and turning to Aurus. "Very well. You await the answer of my lord, Nethrezir?"

Aurus nodded, his face a mask of seriousness.

"He refuses your terms," Zemin said flatly. "Perhaps now you will permit me to leave this wretched place?" The dragon looked hopefully to the door.

"For what reason has he declined?" Aurus asked, his voice showing neither shock nor concern. Though the emissary was being exceedingly rude, he kept his composure.

"For many," Zemin growled. "Why should we accept peace? We are not at war. Nor do we desire trade with you; we have more riches than your filthy kind. You changelings are weak creatures. Personally, I do not think you even worth our time. But my Lord Nethrezir respects you enough to at least give you the courtesy of spitting in your face," Zemin replied smugly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aurus saw Korrick shaking his head slowly, signing him not to do anything drastic. With a heavy sigh, the King of the Changelings shrugged away the frustration beginning to weigh on his shoulders.

"We are not so weak as you or your lord might think, Sir Zemin," Aurus said calmly.

"Is that some challenge, little one?" Zemin hissed, raising his neck threateningly.

"My opinion, nothing more." Aurus waved a hoof to placate the dragon.

The drake advanced a few short steps, raising a claw as if to strike. "Let me show you just how much I care for it. Better yet, I'll prove you wrong," he chuckled, swiping down hard.

Aurus sighed as the claw stopped directly in front of his face, green lines of electricity gathering at the tips of the ebony spikes of Zemin's hand. "I'd hoped you would be reasonable... It seems I was mistaken."

Something small and fast hit Zemin from behind. Off-balance as he was, he toppled to the stone floor as thick-shelled forelegs wrapped under his own, pinning them out to his sides with frightening strength. He moved to beat his wings and roll whatever creature dared grapple him under his mighty weight, but the changeling on his back similarly immobilized his aerial appendages with his back hooves.

"What sorcery is this?" Zemin hissed, twisting his neck to try and get at the thing between his shoulder blades. A quick jerk from the changeling there brought such pain that Zemin was forced to stop his advance.

Aurus came into sight before him again, and with hate in his eyes Zemin laid his head down to stop the pain his unseen captor was causing.

"It's no sorcery; just the strength of my people. A strength you underestimated and wrongly challenged. I invited you into my home to discuss peace, and instead you try to bring me a fight. I won't bother indulging you; you're free to leave. I believe you know the way out," Aurus said sternly, his gaze making it clear that Zemin was no longer welcome. He looked up to Zemin's back and jerked his head slightly.

The pressure pinning his wings and legs vanished immediately, a slight buzzing noise filling the dragon's ears. Zemin rose quickly and whirled, fangs bared and ready to attack the creature that had so humiliated him. There was no sign of that changeling though; only the darkness between the grand pillars that not even his night-eyes could pierce.

He spun back to Aurus, his mind full of no desire to challenge this creature's power again; not in his own domain. "You will regret this, changeling," he growled, back-stepping slowly to the doors. With another low growl, Zemin turned and threw them open, storming out of the throne room. The doors slammed shut again behind him, and he was gone.

Aurus sighed heavily, closing his eyes against the light for a brief second as Korrick threw open the curtains once more. "Well, that could have gone better."

"And it could have gone worse," Korrick harrumphed, walking back over to Aurus' side. "Dragons are always hard to deal with, the black-kin of the north even more so. I am not surprised they declined, or that he tried to attack you. An uppity youngster, nothing more."

"He wasn't very strong," came a voice to Aurus' left. Leaning against one of the pillars was a changeling, smiling smugly.

"He wasn't very old or very large, either..." Aurus replied quietly. "Still, good work Malik. Anyways, I've got a bone to pick with you," the king grumbled, turning to face Korrick.

"Oh?" the old councilor asked quietly, confused.

"What was that head-shaking business for? You didn't honestly think I was going to fight him, did you?" Aurus asked, sounding hurt.

Korrick stammered over his reply. "Y-yes, well, I-"

Aurus rolled his eyes and sighed. "Come on Korrick, have a little more faith than that. If I'd fought him I'd have torn him apart, and then how would we continue negotiations?" The king trotted a few steps away, shaking his head.

"You're right, of course; Zemin's not the only one to have underestimated you today, it seems, and I'm sorry," Korrick said sincerely, dipping his head. "You've come a long way from the boy I coaxed into kingship. You grow wiser every year. You might make a decent politician yet," the old changeling said, a sly smile coming over his face as he watched Aurus shudder.

"Ugh, not the 'p' word," he said, shaking the last of the bad vibes out. "I'm not any kind of... politician. I just don't want to start trouble with the dragons. Our first meeting may not have gone as planned, but this 'Lord Nethrezir' can't exactly be blamed for that. It's Zemin that was the problem... A problem smoothly dealt with," Aurus said with emphasis, turning back to face Korrick.

The old changeling was nodding. "True, this will only reflect on Zemin as a failure, not on us. Even the dragons of the north have rules of court, and attacking a diplomat in his own castle is certainly against them."

"So, you mean to keep on them, then?" Malik asked quietly, his scowling expression showing his reluctance with that path. "It could get worse."

"Or it could get better. Nobody said that peace with dragonkind would be easily won, and we're starting with the most difficult of their kin. If we can get the black drakes to agree to be our allies, it will make our dealings with the other dragon clans that much better. The blacks carry immense respect among dragonkind; we can't give up until we've tried everything," Korrick put in, drawing a nod from Aurus and a resigned but concurring sigh from Malik.

"Well, glad we all agree. Now then, I think it's time we had a little chat with this 'Lord Nethrezir'."

"Your emissary attacked lord Aurus. As a gesture of good-will, we permitted him to leave unharmed, though changeling law states that he was to be killed for his unwarranted challenge," Korrick said calmly, his tone civil as he looked upon the countenance of a very badly scarred dragon floating in the massive scrying mirror of the council hall.

Aurus stood behind him within the dragon's view, permitting Korrick to speak on his behalf. The old changeling was always better at starting conversations like this than he was anyways.

The red eyes within the mirror shifted to Aurus for a moment before settling back on Korrick. The deep voice that rumbled out of it shook the floor, but was likewise civil in tone. As much as a dragon's voice could be, at least.

"A token of good-will poorly spent, I am afraid," Nethrezir said quietly. Another dragon's head came into view; the decapitated head of Zemin. "You see, we have similar laws, and are far less forgiving."

Korrick scowled slightly, trying to keep his disgust in check. "I see."

"Accept my apologies for his actions," Nethrezir replied evenly, the rumble of his voice eliminating any sense of sincerity. "Despite his foolishness, he served his use; he did deliver my reply?" The head of Zemin left the view-field slowly, inching towards the floor of some unseen room in the dragon's lands.

"Yes, though he was less than civil," Korrick said, scowling openly this time.

Nethrezir chuckled. "Again, my apologies; the youth can be so insufferable. I should have sent a more capable emissary. A mistake I am glad I will not have the opportunity to make twice. I believe this concludes the purpose of our... discussion?" the dragon asked impatiently, his red eye filling the image in the mirror.

Aurus stepped forward, addressing the dragon lord directly. "Sadly no, your lordship. Despite your answer and the impertinence of your emissary, T'rahk Enox still desires peace with you. Though you see it as a weakness to side with us, there is much my people may be able to offer you, if only you would take the time to listen," he said, his tone not accusatory, but pleading.

The eye faded back, revealing the scaled face once more. Smoke rose from the nostrils as the eyes shifted in thought. "Listen, you say? Perhaps it is better to tell you what I would desire from such an alliance, instead of forcing you to guess," Nethrezir chuckled, his ivory fangs flaring within the mirror's surface.

"That would be very helpful. Tell me, your lordship; what must we do to win peace with your people?" Aurus asked, his tone a careful amount of eager.

"Send me an emissary of your own; I grow weary of this conversation for now. It is only fair that we meet on equal terms. My people have visited your land, and I would very much enjoy for yours to visit mine. I only pray that, for his sake, the emissary you send is more courteous than my regrettable diplomat," the black dragon said, smiling grimly and shaking Zemin's head into view again, the snakelike tongue lolling out of the limp maw below those dead, glazed eyes.

Aurus stomached his distaste, nodding. "Very well."

"You have one month to send me your errand boy," came the calm, grumbling reply from within the silver frame. The image there snuffed out immediately, leaving the council hall dark once more.

"A horrible creature," came a grumbling female voice behind Aurus. "Why you think we need peace with them, I will never know."

"And Gerd was a horrible changeling, yet we have peace amongst ourselves, Morelda. If you could always gauge a civilization by the party in power, the world would be a simpler place to live in," Korrick huffed.

"Fair enough," the councilwoman conceded. She leaned gently on a younger council member. The young female was ever present, Morelda's personal attendant. Since the loss of her horn two years ago, Morelda had been unable to perform any sort of spellwork. Still, as a council member and a respected part of the king's circle of advisors, magical power still came to her.

Green light showed between herself and the younger female as she transferred the magic by touch, eliminating the pressure of the energy inside of her, for a time.

"Who do you intend to send?" Morelda asked quietly. "Malik?"

"No, not Malik... I need him here, and besides, he's too hot-headed. No offense," Aurus added hastily.

Malik just shrugged, standing a short ways off with Korrick. "None taken. It's true anyways. Besides that, I'm not exactly keen on going to deal with that monster."

Aurus just nodded. "I doubt anyone will be. This isn't something I can just order someone to do."

"I need a volunteer."

"Good morning, Aurus!" Twilight chimed cheerfully. "It's been a while since you checked in last."

"Morning Twilight. I know, but I've just been so busy with the arrangements with the gryphons... And lately I've been having a good deal of trouble with the dragons in the north as well," Aurus grumbled, plopping down on one of the library benches. "How are things with you?"

"About the same as always. Having last week off really helped though; I managed to piece together quite a few new legends regarding gems like this one when I came back," she said, laying aside her book and pointing to Zarkoj, the stone of power that had nearly laid waste to the world two years ago.

Before Aurus stopped it, that is.

"Well, I need you to take one more day off," Aurus said with a weak smile.

Twilight knew that look; something was not working out with somebody, and Aurus couldn't handle it on his own. "What happened?" she asked accusingly, giving him a very skeptical look.

"You know me too well..." Aurus grumbled, his smile gaining strength. "Things with the black dragon clan aren't going well. They declined our original terms of peace, and the only way they'll ever agree to it is if they negotiate the terms themselves. They're demanding we send an emissary to their lands to hear their desires about this alliance."

"And you're going to send me?" she balked, looking at him like he was crazy.

"No, no, not that," he said, patting the air with his hoof to soothe her nerves. "I'm gathering the council tomorrow. This isn't something I can order anyone to do; the risk is too great. They killed their own emissary for his behavior here, and there's no telling what will happen to whomever we send... I'm hoping to find a volunteer, but I need you to be there, and the other girls as well. Applejack already agreed to come," he said, his green eyes full of pleading.

"Why us?" she asked. "I'm sure the council can handle this without our help, right?" she asked hopefully.

"Twilight, you and your friends are an honorary part of it for now; Gerd decimated the elders, and I need wise friends with me to help me do this. I can't go to the north myself; there's too much going on here, and I can't leave. I need your wisdom, Twilight. I need you to help me find someone willing to go, someone brave and ready to serve for the cause of peace," he said, the look in his eyes exactly the same as when he had asked her to help him research Zarkoj.

A look she could never say no to.

She sighed and shook her head, settling her mind. "Alright, the girls and I will be there. But you know Rainbow Dash is going to volunteer," she said quietly, looking at him harshly.

He chuckled lightly, hugging her. "Thank you Twilight. I know she'll try, but I won't let her. This isn't a war, and she's a fighter. I only hope her bravery will inspire others to step up to the cause."

Twilight hugged him back gently, patting his shelled back. "I'm sure it will."

"Who among you is brave enough to do this?" Aurus asked loudly, looking around the council hall.

He was greeted only with murmurs and averted eyes.

"Heck, I'll go! Let me at those dragons!" Rainbow Dash chimed, pumping her front hooves in a one-two punch, much as Aurus had expected.

"Thank you, Rainbow; your courage is duly noted, but this one isn't your fight," Aurus said with a friendly smile.

"Aww, why not?" she pouted, scowling at him.

"I need someone who can handle this delicately. Our peace with the dragons is critical, and while they might respect force, that's not a direction I want to go. They've agreed to speak with us and negotiate the terms we set forth; it doesn't seem we have offered them anything they desire, yet we might still be able to. Whoever represents us needs to go with peace in mind, not looking for a fight," he replied seriously. "You're the bravest pony I know, Rainbow, but you're a warrior."

Rainbow settled back down on her hooves, pondering that over. It wasn't exactly all flattering, but he had said 'bravest' and 'warrior', so she couldn't really complain.

"Um, Aurus..." came a call behind him. He recognized the soft voice as Fluttershy, and he turned to her to reply.

"My lord, perhaps it would be best to send someone with some experience in dealing with dragons?" one councilor asked, drawing his attention away from his quiet friend. He turned to the speaker, sighing.

"Yes, that would be preferable. In a room full of diplomats, surely at least one of you has had experience with dragons? Even the timid greens of the east would be a substantial improvement over complete inexperience," Korrick spoke up.

"The only councilor who had had any direct dealings with the dragons was Mixxil," came the tired call of Morelda.

"Was. What happened to councilor Mixxil?" Aurus asked quietly, emphasizing the past tense.

"His experience with the red drakes of the far west did not go precisely as planned," she admitted.

Aurus sighed; he should have known better than to ask. Admitting openly that the work could be potentially fatal would certainly make finding a willing volunteer impossible.

"Aurus..." came the quiet call again.

He had completely forgotten Fluttershy in the last few moments, and so he turned back to face her. "Sorry Fluttershy... What is it?"

"I, um... I have experience dealing with dragons," she said softly, her eyes jerking away from him and staring at nothing in particular.

Aurus just sighed. "Fluttershy, Spike doesn't count..." he began, but she shook her head, looking back at him once more.

Her teal eyes pierced any doubts he had about her next statement. "No, I mean real dragons..."

Aurus just looked at her in disbelief, his fanged jaw hanging slack. Shaking his head and coming to the realization that he wasn't dreaming, he shot a skeptical look at Applejack.

"Don't look at me like that. You know dern well Fluttershy ain't no liar. Anyways, we was all there; Fluttershy drove a dragon out of Lone Peak just by talkin' to him," the orange pony insisted.

Aurus sighed. Even if it was true, this was Fluttershy. Timid, quiet, fragile Fluttershy. He opened his mouth to speak, but  his yellow friend simply shook her head and scowled slightly.

She could see that expression on his face. Aurus, so used to being the protector, was afraid for her. But for once, she didn't want to be protected.

"I know I'm not the bravest pony, or the cleverest, or the strongest. I'm very afraid of dragons... very afraid," she whispered quietly, her gaze suddenly seeming far off. She shook her head though and snapped back to reality. "But I don't want to be afraid anymore. You need my help, and I want to go," she said, her voice gaining strength and resolve. Her slender shoulders were squared, her tiny wings raised just ever so slightly, as if she meant to take off right then and there.

"Fluttershy, please-" Aurus started, his voice thick with worry.

"I want to go."