Wings of Courage

Pools of magma dotted the cavern floor a hundred feet below him, painting the walls of the vast inner-chamber of Ebonhome the same colors as the fiery red of early sunset. Dark lines showed in the shadows of crags and outcroppings, adding a strange contrast to everything that made depth hard to gauge through the haze of heat. Here and there sparkles of color dashed through the flowing, orange light, as the sunlight of morning peeked through the jagged hole above the massive cavern, glinting off thousands of gems and precious metal objects.

It was a marvel; the riches here could barely be conceived, and easily doubled what Malik knew to rest in the substantial vault of the castle in his own nation. Yet here the wealth was simply lying about in piles, neatly arranged. Objects, symbols of power, and nothing more. To a dragon, gold was like love; it would bring him strength, respect, and happiness.

Only one building adorned the cavern, a massive tower of stone that reached nearly to the rim of the opening above, situated directly in the center of everything. Few buildings would serve a dragon's needs; with bodies so large, they tended to prefer the open expanse of the cavern floor. Whatever the tower was, Malik could not guess; likely just one more treasure, perhaps the home of the dragon lord. Neth-something. Dragon names were far too troublesome.

He didn't envy himself the task of trying to reach it. Black drakes of various sizes dotted the floor and the walls in all directions. He watched as one of the massive creatures moved about. It didn't stand, simply slithered like a snake, dropping over the lip of a magma pool and burrowing into the killing, fiery flow as if it were nothing. Its head resurfaced a short moment later, resting atop the thick fluid with what could only be described as a comfortable smile.

"Talk about tough..." Malik grumbled, not exactly pleased with the knowledge that any fire spells wouldn't be helping him if things went poorly. Letting that go, he focused back on the task at hoof. Thinking about how powerful potential enemies were wouldn't do anything for his nerves, and he was going to need them.

The cavern was wide; easily five miles across, from where he was standing to the other wall. That meant at least two and a half miles to that tower. Two and a half miles was a long, long way to sneak in such a heavily-lit environment. Malik's only advantage was the heritage of his homeland. The heat of the air around him didn't bother him, for the sun in the middle of the desert was just as hot.

Flying invisibly wouldn't work; he couldn't make himself transparent for even half of that distance while airborne, and walking wouldn't be much better.

A loud grating sound filled the cavern, echoing off the myriad walls but dulled by the distance. A beam of light split the dim-orange interior for a moment as a dragon and something cream-colored slid through a gap in the mountain stone.

The east gate of Ebonhome was really a system of many doors inside of a tunnel, all designed to keep the air pressure within the cavern from making entry difficult. Even dragons would be hard pressed to fight the current of hot air that would try to escape if all of the doors were thrown wide at once.

Malik watched as Vergoth took to the air once more, picking Fluttershy up again as he carried her across the hot and unstable landscape below. The two made their way towards the grand tower, only confirming what Malik had feared; that it was the dragon lord's domain.

Malik sighed to himself, settling his nerves and rebuilding his resolve. It would be a long flight. Black scales erupted all around him, a powerfully sized illusory copy of a black drake that was sleeping directly below his perch. Though he couldn't hope to fill that skin, it was easier to maintain such a disguise than to make himself invisible. He twisted his hooves here and there, checking to see that the vastly-larger form of the black dragon he wore reacted to his movements.

He thanked any gods that might have existed that he had been born a changeling as he launched into the hot air of the dragons' mountain home.

Fluttershy stared with wide eyes as she and Vergoth glided above the molten expanse of his home. Here and there black drakes slithered about, snaking through magma. Others fought duels over riches or territory within their mountain home. No face was without a scar here; violence was their way, it seemed.

It made her more nervous than ever. While Vergoth seemed gentle enough, for a dragon, it did not seem that all his kind shared his sense of honor and nobility. How could she expect to win peace with a culture so warlike?

Here and there an idle dragon would take note of her in Vergoth's clutches, red eyes locked onto her small frame in the gloom. Each pair of ruby slits unnerved her, and looking into them she felt trapped. That gaze, the gaze of a powerful predator, chilled the blood in her veins.

"Pay them no mind, Dragonspeaker," Vergoth called over his wing beats. "They have never seen your kind before. Neither had I, until today; they are simply curious. So long as you are with me, or a guest in Nethrezir's name, they mean you no ill will."

She couldn't hope to get her quiet voice loud enough to reply, but even so she didn't know what to say. She tightened her grip on his finger, glad that she had him. Of all the dragons she could have met, she couldn't imagine finding one more helpful than he was.

The pair alighted before two enormous silver doors at the base of the tower. Sixty floors comprised its height, reaching nearly three thousand feet tall, and at least a thousand feet wide at its base. Fluttershy had to crane her neck to see the top, but even then she caught herself squinting against the sun that looked through the lip of the volcano's rim. It was as if the structure itself was holding the sun in the sky.

Vergoth called loudly, using a phrase she did not recognize. The silver doors rumbled open, revealing a grand stone hallway. Claw-carved arches supported the walls, each bearing some scene or draconian likeness at its base.

"They're beautiful," Fluttershy said, awed by the work in the black volcanic rock. The silver gate shut silently behind them, leaving them to the light of torches, burning brightly at the top of each archway.

"They are the ancestors," Vergoth said, his own tone similarly quiet, out of respect. Even so, his deep voice echoed in the flame-lit halls. Here the stone was cool and solid, and so he set his charge down on the floor.

Unable to stop herself, Fluttershy made her way to one of the carved stone supports. The statue was twice her size, though barely higher than Vergoth's ankle by comparison; mere floor-molding by his standards. The amount of detail was exquisite. This one showed a draconian face, the eyes open wide with rubies carefully carved to form the iris. The face seemed more slender than Vergoth's, the fangs shorter but no less amazing in their ivory sheen. Entranced, she reached out and stroked a hoof on the statue, feeling the need to experience it and prove that something so beautiful was real.

She withdrew it rapidly, fearing that perhaps touching it were against the law. Something this beautiful was surely a treasure. But looking back, Vergoth only smiled. He too reached out a claw, tracing the jaw line of the face there.

"Who is it?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"This is Sendrana the Grand. She is brood-mother; the first of our kin to ever walk the world, or soar the skies. None of our kind still live who remember her. She guards the gate, and bears the first statue in this tower, the Pillar of History. Her birth was many thousands of years ago," he said quietly. "Oh, to have seen her in her glory; what a sight it must have been."

"Are all of these statues of her?" Fluttershy asked in awe. "And are they on every floor?"

"They are all different. Every dragon who was ever born rests here when they pass away. Their bodies return to the fire we are born from, but their memories are cast in stone. There is no dragon who does not have a tale here."

"Why is that?" she asked, transfixed by Vergoth's ruby eyes. The moment and the setting were profound, almost otherworldly, feeling timeless in the presence of such history.

"Every dragon who is born is worthy of a legend. We are long lived, yet we do not bear many offspring. Every child is a treasure. Each floor of this tower is full of these legends. Hundreds of thousands have come and gone, and more will pass in time. When too many come, we simply build the tower higher. We've held this tradition since the dawn of time. It is our greatest treasure; the only treasure that every dragon willingly shares, no matter the color of their scales. Nobody can claim it. Our legends say that on the day the world ends, we will at last bridge the gap between the world and the edge of the sky."

Fluttershy closed her eyes, trying to imagine that. A tower so tall that it passed from sight, touching the top of the atmosphere. It was beyond her ability to envision, and she was badly startled when Vergoth spoke again, drawing her out of that wild dream.

"I would say more, but I fear I might talk for hours. My lord wishes to see you," he prodded gently, turning to align himself down the hall.

Nodding as if she were still in a daze, Fluttershy followed. Vergoth had to move painfully slowly for her pace to be acceptable as she trotted along, but walking was difficult when one of his legs was occupied with holding her. He seemed not to mind though.

It crossed her mind that a creature that might live to be hundreds, or even thousands of years old might have developed an impressive amount of patience. Even so, she didn't want to inconvenience him, and so she tried to keep up a steady jog.

The pair exited the dim hallway, coming out into a wide, circular area at the tower's center. Fluttershy could see straight through to the sky above, for this central portion had no ceiling. Dragons flew between the levels above her. She realized that the tower probably had no stairs, and that this middle area was the only way to navigate the Pillar.

It seemed that each floor had four similar hallways, going off in the cardinal directions. Below her was a majestic masterpiece of stonework; a scene that showed a black dragon holding the sun in his claws, and what was presumably the world below him, curled in his tail.

"Maltirith, one of the gods in our culture. The father, the one who made this world. Dragons were his first creations; oldest of all the races, designed to master the deep places of the earth and hold it firm. You can see the world cradled in his tail, signifying his divine protection. The sun in his claws is to remind us that he guides us, as he guides the heavens."

The deep voice startled her, and she jumped. It was rumbling and loud, yet oddly soothing; almost hypnotizing. The tongue behind it was lined in silver, she instinctively knew. What worried her was that whoever was speaking had answered the question forming in her mind, long before it had even finished.

Try as she might, Fluttershy couldn't look away from the depiction of the dragon-god. She badly wished to find the source of the voice, but some force held her in place, locked her eyes tightly to the floor. "Where are his wings?" she asked fearfully, her voice going quiet as she realized with horror that she truly couldn't move.

A laugh directly behind her set the hair on her neck to standing. She could feel hot breath on her side, powerful lungs flattening her fur with each exhale as a shadow fell over her. Her eyes widened, and though her mind was screaming for her to flee, her wings latched to her sides tightly. She was frozen as much by fear as by the unnamable force.

"A good question; you see many things, it seems. You cannot see his wings, because they are the night sky. The stars are holes in them, we say. He is all that stands between us and the void of white nothingness beyond him. When a dragon is born, a piece of Maltirith's wing is taken away to serve as his body, and the light of the void shines through. When at last Maltirith's wings are gone, he will return to claim our bodies back for himself, and fly away into the void to create new worlds."

The dire, oppressive force holding her steady vanished suddenly. Straining against it subconsciously, Fluttershy toppled forward, barely catching herself in a stumble. The closeness of the creature behind her was gone as well. Slowly, fearfully, she turned to face whatever it was that had spoken.

A black dragon blocked her view; all of it. Vergoth, standing beside him, came to only his shoulder. He was badly scarred, and some of the wider injuries in his hide had been filled with metal to cover the soft flesh beneath, where no new scales would ever grow. He was terrible, yet amazing. She could see that before the scars he had been a magnificent creature to behold. Even now, with a body so ravaged, he was powerfully and strangely beautiful; like the beauty of a thunderstorm.

His face terrified and awed her. It was as much metal as flesh; many fangs had been replaced with silver replicas. But most unnerving of all was his left eye; a dark socket with an eerie orb of red light burning within. No flesh lurked in that hollow hole in his skull; magic had replaced what his warring past had taken from him. As his real eye roved over her, the ethereal arcane orb followed. She felt as if it could see right through her; into her.

"It does," the behemoth replied idly, smiling as pleasantly as such a monster could be made to.

Unable to gauge or guard her words, Fluttershy blurted her reply in her fear. "Please stop..." she whispered, her eyes shut tightly as she shivered. She felt violated; she could see it looking at her, even with her eyelids clenched shut.

"Of course, miss Fluttershy. My apologies," came the unexpected and oddly quiet reply.

When she dared to open her eyes at last, the red mage-light orb was gone. The grim, empty socket that replaced it did little to console her, but it vanished as the large dragon strapped a patch across its gaping depth, hiding it from sight. Even so, a half-metal grin greeted her. Those fangs unnerved her almost as much as the eye had, and the knowledge that he had read her mind. That he knew who she was, and she had hardly spoken a word.

" I did not intend to frighten you. My only desire was to know you better, emissary," the enormous creature rumbled. She couldn't sense any sincerity in his voice; it felt closer to the opposite. That he was openly lying, but she couldn't be sure. The tone was too deep and resonating. She could feel him speak as much as hear him, for even his softest whisper would set the stone to buzzing.

Sensing no reply forthcoming from his frightened guest, the dragon continued. "I am Nethrezir, Lord of Ebonhome and Master of the North. But I understand that our names do not always roll off rounder tongues so smoothly. If it satisfies you, you may call me Razorwing," he said, his tone going slyly polite as he offered her his name.

As he spoke the last, he fanned one of his wings out for illustration. A web of metal housed patches of thick, black leather, not so different from the membrane of a true dragon's wing. But there was no life in it; no blood flowed through it, no nerves moved it. How he could control it as if it were a part of him was something Fluttershy had no way of guessing.

"I know your name, little one... But it is still your duty to introduce yourself in my home," The large drake said idly, his face showing only amusement as Fluttershy continued to simply stand there, gaping.

That statement snapped her back to the moment. "I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked meekly. "M-my name is Fluttershy. I've come to discuss the terms of peace... with..." she stopped talking suddenly, eyes locked on the floor, as Razorwing began to laugh.

"How delightful! There is no need to be so formal, I was merely trying to see how you would react." The large black drake chuckled, his grin wide and warm, by dragon standards. "I've seen your mind, and you are no diplomat. But then, neither was the boy I sent; there is no need to send a sharp mind and smooth tongue when all that is needed is a messenger; though I admit your mind is far sharper than Zemin's."

"I don't understand, your... eminence," Fluttershy said, hesitating and unsure of what titles she should be using.

"Razorwing will suffice for you, my dear. You are not one of mine, and I am not your lord. Though your respect speaks well of you, it is wasted," he finished flatly, his smile gone. "All I meant by it is that your master, this Aurus, clearly understands what kind of arrangement we are having. There is nothing to negotiate, and so he did not need to send a negotiator; only a messenger. I have already decided that I will offer his people peace with mine." The black dragon smirked at her as her eyes went wide with shock, a small smile coming to her face.

"Oh, that's wonderful news," Fluttershy said happily, her quiet voice going up in tone. Her job had been so easy!

"I didn't say I would offer it to him for free, or when. If he can't meet my demands, then I'm afraid I will have to change my mind about this alliance permanently," the dragon said coldly, cutting her dreams down on the spot. "You're not here to tell him that I offer him peace; if and when that time comes, I will tell him myself. You are here to take word to him of what it is I desire from our alliance."

Fluttershy's heart froze. So she wasn't an emissary? She was just a mail-mare?

"Don't look so discouraged, my dear," the dragon rumbled. "Be glad! You are no politician, no courtier. A dull way of life, to be certain, with so many rules." Nethrezir's long tail circled behind her, bumping gently into her backside and nudging her forward a step. "You're a guest in my home, not a tongue in my court; there is no need to watch what it is you say."

She realized suddenly that he was not trying to talk her down. He had set her free of her largest fear; that she would say something against the rules, or offensive. She didn't know the ins and outs of the court system, was unfamiliar with titles. At her level of experience, it was only a matter of time before she failed.

She let her fears go that her being here was pointless. There was still much left to do before peace was declared, and still the possibility that it never might be, unless she did her best.

Before she could thank him, or even begin to formulate a reply, he was already speaking again. "With that cleared up, I'm afraid I must apologize again. I did not believe that Aurus would actually find an emissary to send, much less so soon. It seems he is more serious about peace with my people than I thought. I do not have the time to meet with you for long, at present. But you will not wait long; my other business can be moved," he said, rolling a claw in her direction. "I am certain you understand."

"O-of course... Razorwing," she said at last, trying futilely for a moment to grab another title before recalling what he had told her to call him.

He chuckled lightly, amused. "I will clear tomorrow evening for you, miss Fluttershy. We can discuss matters more thoroughly in private over dinner. For now, allow me to show you the hospitality of the Lord of Ebonhome. Vergoth," Razorwing said sharply.

"Yes, Lord Nethrezir?" Vergoth replied dutifully, sparing not a second in his reply. Years of experience had honed his reflexes, even for words.

"Show our guest to the fortieth floor. The west end, if you would be so kind; and have your daughter look after her; anything she desires, give her." The dragon lord turned his eye back to Fluttershy, smiling pleasantly.

Vergoth bowed his head slightly, though it still hovered many yards overhead, his eyes closed shut. "Yes my lord."

"Enjoy your stay, Dragonspeaker," Nethrezir said at last. "You will be well taken care of. Now, forgive me, but I must take my leave." Without waiting for her reply, the Master of the North launched into the air, his metal wings thrashing the atmosphere and flattening her fur as he soared up the center of the Pillar.

"Dragonspeaker?" Vergoth said, bringing her attention away from the powerful, massive creature soaring overhead.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." Fluttershy barely spoke, trotting close to the Guardian.

Vergoth laid his clawed hand down for her to climb into. Too confused to hesitate, Fluttershy quickly climbed inside, and the two took to the sky.

Forty dragon-sized floors was a very, very long fall.

"I'm afraid we have only dragon-sized rooms, emissary," Vergoth said quietly as Fluttershy stood gawking up the length of two towering double-doors.

"How do I... open it?" she asked in awe, her voice seeming far away.

Vergoth's eyes widened in surprise, the corners of his mouth shooting down in a worried look. "I'm... not sure," he admitted quietly. "For now, allow me." He gently pushed on the doors, throwing them wide. "I'll see that a guard is posted to assist you, should you wish to open them later."

The two of them wandered inside, Fluttershy's cyan eyes taking in the vastness within. A large basin filled one corner of the triangular room, as wide as her entire tiny cottage. Each wall was at least twenty yards across. There was only one window, which sported a massive bench that overlooked the central drop of the Pillar. This room was right against the opening at the tower's center, and she was grateful for that. It allowed the sunlight to filter in, for with only twenty floors between herself and the top, the angle was just wide enough to see the sky.

The room distinctly lacked a bed, or any real furniture. Dragons had no need for chairs or beds, and wore no clothes to store in a wardrobe. Aside from the basin there was only a massive fireplace with a plush rug before it, and an intricately carved stone table, which was covered with a variety of bowls and vases, all filled with gemstones and various liquids.

The walls were beautifully painted, and even etched in some places. Braziers burned in each corner, lighting the room with a pleasantly flickering orange aura that contrasted with the constant, whitish light of the midday sun.

"It's beautiful..." she said, awestruck. Dragons collected treasure, she knew. But she had never suspected they were capable of making them. This room put many of the regions of Canterlot castle to shame.

"I am glad you like it," Vergoth replied with a dip of his head. "Lord Nethrezir would be pleased as well."

"Dad!" came a call from behind them. Standing in the doorway was a small dragon, smaller even than Spike was these days. Even so, she was much taller than Fluttershy; at least eight feet high.

But she was green, not black.

Vergoth chuckled to himself as the young dragon wrapped her arms around his foreleg, nuzzling him gently. He stroked her neck with his massive, clawed hand. "Hello, my love."

"You've been gone all week!" she grumbled suddenly, her tongue snaking out between her lips as she scowled at the older dragon.

He smiled sheepishly. "I know, but I was assigned to watch the south road, in case an emissary came from the changeling nation. A good thing, too. Lessa, this is Fluttershy. She is the representative for T'rahk Enox."

The green female noticed Fluttershy for the first time, and smiled wide, stepping closer to her. "Fluttershy? I've never seen a pony before, so this is a real pleasure," she said, coming right up to the cream-colored pegasus and snaking her neck around, looking her over.

"Oh no, the pleasure's all mine..." Fluttershy said quietly, her body tense as the green dragon's eyes looked her over. Lessa's eyes were golden, and bright with life, like any young creature's. Fluttershy couldn't see any malice at all, just curiosity, and so she relaxed a bit.

Lessa's tail was significantly longer than that of her father, and her spines were leaf-shaped, working much like the links of a chain. Every other one was split down the center, and anytime she arched her back they could interlink. It allowed her a level of flexibility that the black dragons would never be capable of. Her voice was oddly melodic; not draconic the way Fluttershy had come to expect. It was as graceful and steady as that of any mare.

"Now Lessa, stop that," Vergoth said, his tone stern but not harsh. "You'll have plenty of time to learn about her without invading her space."

The green dragon stopped as if she had simply been frozen in time, her eyes wide. She backed off suddenly, quickly clambering her way backwards. Her golden eyes kept looking at Fluttershy, and then away from her. "Sorry father. And emissary Fluttershy. I didn't mean to be rude."

"It's fine. I've never seen a green dragon before either," Fluttershy replied, hoping to alleviate the tension in the moment.

"Really?" the emerald female asked, her eyes lighting up all over again. She smiled widely as Fluttershy just nodded.

"Well Lessa, I need to get going. You're miss Fluttershy's attendant during her stay here. That means you need to be polite, stay with her, and do whatever she says," Vergoth said, taking on a tone that broached no argument and holding up three fingers for illustration.

"Are you kidding? Why would I leave her?" the green dragon chuckled with excitement as she hugged her father's leg. "You can count on me! Just don't be gone so long this time, alright?"

Vergoth smiled and stroked her neck again. "I'll try not to. Take good care of her. I'll see you soon."

Lessa poked her snout up in the air, stretching her small neck as far as it would go. "Love you dad!"

Vergoth inched his own snout down and nuzzled her gently. Fluttershy would never have imagined a dragon his size could look so serene and peaceful, or be so caring.

"I love you too, little one," he said warmly. They broke their embrace gently, Vergoth turning to Fluttershy. "I have to get back to my patrol, but Lessa will watch over you. If you need anything at all, just ask her. I hope she won't cause you too much trouble." He dipped his head in farewell before turning to leave.

Lessa sat and watched him go, tail twitching like a cat's until the large doors were shut behind him. The minute they clicked shut, she rocketed over to Fluttershy as fast as her legs would take her, eyes full of curiosity. She didn't invade her space this time though, but just curled up in front of her, tail twitching once more. "So you're an emissary?" she asked suddenly.

"Um... Well sort of..." Fluttershy replied slowly. Handling people this forward wasn't her field of expertise, but then Lessa had nothing on Pinkie Pie.

"From where?"

"Oh, I'm from Equestria."

"Where's that?"

The questions exploded left and right, sometimes faster than Fluttershy could answer them. It went on for many minutes, the shy pony slowly but surely working more and more into it. The endless inquiries didn't bother her at all, and in fact helped to loosen her up. Before she knew it she was sitting next to Lessa, simply talking. None of the questions were complicated, and so it was comfortable to answer her.

"So how fast can you fly?" Lessa inquired suddenly, her golden eyes fixed on Fluttershy's tiny wings.

"Not very fast," the pegasus admitted. "Ponies don't fly as fast as dragons, but even by pegasus standards I'm not a very strong flier." She wasn't ashamed of that fact though, so her tone stayed warm and level.

"Not all dragons can fly, actually," Lessa said with a small smile. It was the first thing she had said in over an hour that wasn't a question, and so it caught Fluttershy off guard.

"They can't?"

"Nope. See?" Lessa pointed to her own back, which was completely devoid of wings. "Green ones and gold ones don't even have wings."

Fluttershy nodded, realizing suddenly how stupid that question was. Spike didn't have wings, after all, so it was obvious that not all drakes would have them.

"Okay, you ask some questions now," Lessa said suddenly, her tone no less excited than when she had been running the interrogation.

"Oh... um... alright," Fluttershy replied meekly, unsure what to ask or where to begin. Something that had been bothering her since Lessa arrived cropped to the front of her mind. "I hope this doesn't seem rude..."

"Don't worry about that!" Lessa groaned, prodding her to continue.

"Alright... If Vergoth is your father, then why aren't you a black dragon?" she asked quietly.

Lessa's smile shrank, but didn't vanish. "That's easy... He's not my father," she said quietly, her tone slightly sad.

"Oh, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..." Fluttershy started, but Lessa cut her off with a laugh. It wasn't warm like her other ones, but it wasn't sad either.

"No, it's fine, but that's a pretty long story."

"Well I would love to hear it; if you don't mind sharing, that is."

Lessa smiled more warmly, unable to help herself. "I don't mind. Dragon politics are mostly based on greed; whoever has the most is winning. Of all the dragons, the blacks have the most influence. To keep up a good relationship, the green dragons sometimes offer tribute to them. But my kind live in the forests, and we don't have very much in the way of gold or jewels. So when the Master of the North demanded tribute, my real father offered me to him instead." Lessa shuffled uncomfortably.

"Oh my... that's terrible!" Fluttershy gasped.

"It's not so bad... When I came here, Vergoth adopted me and took care of me. I was so little then, I didn't understand what was going on. At first I thought that Lord Nethrezir was going to eat me. What else could he want me for?" she asked with a wry laugh. "But he didn't. He just collects things. I was something he didn't have yet, and to be honest... I'm beautiful by dragon standards. There's nothing black dragons love more than beauty. I'm just one of his dolls."

"Lessa, I didn't know... I..." Fluttershy stammered. Her real father had sold her away, and now she was just an object to Razorwing.

"It's fine, Fluttershy... I know it sounds terrible, but it's not so bad. My real father never loved me. But Vergoth loves me, and I never would have found him without this. Maybe Nethrezir thinks I'm just another thing he owns, but it doesn't matter. I get treated nicely, I have a father who loves me... Sometimes I can even go outside and see the trees. Dad says it's good for me, because green dragons love trees more than anything. For the most part, I live a normal life here, and I couldn't ask for more than that." Lessa smiled warmly.

The pegasus nodded, understanding a bit better how Lessa really felt. "Why did Vergoth adopt you?" Fluttershy asked.

"He never had his own children. His mate died a very long time ago, and he hasn't loved anyone since. When I arrived, terrified and alone, he sympathized with me. He had always wanted a daughter, and I needed a father. Neither of us wanted to be alone, so he took me in. I couldn't ask for a more loving father," she said with a fond smile.

Fluttershy was glad that had ended on a happy note, but her tale was still terrible. In a way she was trapped here, and her real home had just thrown her away. She decided that she had heard enough, and that any more would just be hurtful to Lessa. It was time for a change of topic.

"So, if you can't fly, how did you get up here?" Fluttershy asked.

Lessa smiled mischievously. "Remember how I said green dragons love trees? We're amazing climbers."

Fluttershy gawked. "You climbed all the way up here?"

"Yup, and it hardly took any time at all," Lessa said smugly, puffing her chest out. "I'm the fastest climber in all of Ebonhome."

Fluttershy giggled at the female's antics. "You remind me of a friend of mine. She's the fastest flier in the world, she says."

"A friend?" Lessa asked; it was clear from her tone that it was a word she didn't recognize.

That broke Fluttershy's heart. "She's someone I love. Someone I spend a lot of time with and like to be around."

"Oh, you mean like my dad," Lessa said with a smile.

"Kind of, but it's a little different. You can only have one dad, but you can lots of friends," Fluttershy pointed out. "Anyone can be your friend."

"Anyone?"

"Anyone."

"Then how about you?"

The question took Fluttershy by surprise. Surprised or not, a warm smile spread over her face. "Of course we can be friends, Lessa."

The young dragon smiled too. She didn't quite understand what it meant to be friends yet, but it wasn't something that could be explained. It was something better experienced. For a child so young, the idea of her not having friends terrified Fluttershy, and she refused to let that happen.

"So you traveled a long way, right?" Lessa asked all of a sudden. "Through the desert and stuff?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?" the pegasus returned, confused by the sudden change in topic. Lessa seemed to be good for that.

"Because you smell like sand," Lessa chuckled.

Fluttershy flushed pink as she realized she hadn't bathed in three days. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, but it seems like you could use a bath. Want me to run one for you?" she asked, heading for the table already.

"That would be nice," Fluttershy admitted quietly, watching her go with a puzzled expression. The basin, which she assumed was the bathtub, wasn't anywhere near the table.

The table had no chairs around it, just a single solid pillar of stone beneath it that held it aloft. Lessa walked directly up to the pillar, and then directly up it, not pausing in her four-legged stride. She went claw-over-claw up the smooth stone surface with amazing agility.

Fluttershy's jaw dropped when Lessa reached the top, arriving at the table's underside. She scaled this too, clinging to the bottom of the table with ease as she continued to walk with her belly pressed to the stone surface. She rounded the lip at last, ending up atop the table some twelve feet above. For a forty foot dragon like Vergoth, the table would be considered small, but it was too high for Lessa to reach without climbing on something.

Once on top she fiddled around with a few vases, grabbing one of the largest ones. She grunted, hoisting it as best she could, unable to see around it due to its size. It was very obviously heavy as she waddled on her hind legs to the edge of the table. Without warning she threw the jar high and leapt off the table. As soon as she had landed, she rolled over on her back directly below the falling vase, which was trailing a stream of water behind it. She coiled her tail like a spring over her chest and held her front claws ready.

The falling water jug dropped into the first loop in her tail, which tightened to stabilize the rest of the fall. The other coils cushioned the impact as the heavy jar smashed home, making it easier for Lessa's strong front legs to stop. The falling water dropped back into the vase with a gentle sloshing sound, with not a drop wasted. Setting it aside, Lessa got back to her claws and brushed herself off before picking it back up again.

She grinned as she caught sight of Fluttershy's half-horrified, half-awed face. "Did I scare you?" Lessa asked, her lilting, feminine voice going up into a teasing tone.

Fluttershy just nodded, closing her mouth.

Lessa laughed warmly, secretly glad to have done something so impressive. She didn't normally have an audience for her stunts. "You coming?" She asked, wandering over to the tub with the jar in tow.

The floor of the basin was covered in variously sized rings of stone, the smallest of which was three times as wide as Fluttershy. Lessa walked down the sloped sides into the level center and set the jar down, huffing with the effort. "Hey, can you bring me the drain plug?" she asked, pointing to something along the rim of the tub.

"Oh, sure," Fluttershy said cheerily, excited at the prospect of her first bath in days. Figuring the slope would do her work for her, she knocked the over-sized wooden stopper over the edge. It slid down the side, rattling to a stop at the bottom.

As Lessa was putting the plug into the hole, Fluttershy went zipping past her, her four hooves scrambling this way and that to balance herself. Her momentum died over the level stretch, and when she at last came to rest her wings were out wide and her eyes were like dinner-plates. Lessa couldn't help herself and burst out laughing as Fluttershy finally started to recover.

"What... what happened?" Lessa asked between fits of laughing.

"I don't think hooves and smooth stone mix..." Fluttershy said quietly, embarrassed beyond all reason. She flipped her pink mane over her face to hide the red streak cropping up on her cheeks.

"Well at least you didn't fall over," Lessa said, giving Fluttershy a break from her laughing. "Though you might want to consider flying down next time."

Fluttershy nodded, focusing on something else to take away the embarrassment. "So how does it work? There's not enough water in that jar to fill even half this tub..."

"Like this!" Lessa declared, wandering along the edge of the innermost ring until she found what she was looking for; a small gemstone set into the ring. She pushed on it lightly, and then backed up quickly.

All around Fluttershy was the sound of grating stone. The ring rose up out of the ground, forming a wall about four-and-a-half feet high, just tall enough that Fluttershy had to tip up on the edges of her hooves to look over it. She hopped up and fluttered over the edge of it, joining Lessa on the outside of the circle. "Oh my... So it makes a smaller tub?"

"Yep. Not all dragons are the same size, after all," she pointed out. She turned to the jar and cocked an eyebrow. "How hot do you want it?" She asked.

"Oh, just warm is fine," Fluttershy replied, watching with fascination as Lessa breathed blue fire all over the ceramic vase. Once she was finished, the dragon took the vase and upended it over the wall, spilling the steaming contents into the modified tub.

"Your bath is ready, emissary," Lessa said, her tone suddenly serious as she scowled at Fluttershy.

The moment hung for a split second as Fluttershy tried to figure out if she was messing with her or not; at last the two of them busted into a giggling fit. As soon as Fluttershy had her breath back, she drifted over the edge of the wall and sank into the warm water, sighing contentedly to herself. It was only about three and a half feet deep; the perfect height and temperature.

"How is it?" Lessa asked, her head resting on the lip.

"It's perfect," Fluttershy sighed, sinking further into the water. "Care to join me?"

"Are you kidding me?" Lessa asked with a scowl, her tone sounding annoyed. Her head vanished from the side of the tub suddenly, and Fluttershy could hear the clicking sound of her claws on the tub as she walked away; a clicking sound that was getting increasingly faster.

"Was it something I sai-" she asked, but her voice caught as a green meteor sailed over the lip of the tub and splashed in, sloshing water everywhere and raising the water level by at least a foot, spilling it over the edge of the four-and-a-half foot wall.

Fluttershy was laughing when she at last resurfaced from the sudden tidal-wave. She had to bounce from hoof to hoof to keep her head above water, until something underneath her helped her up. Lessa's tail was coiled around the edge of the tub, acting as a bench of sorts. Taking the convenient seat, Fluttershy resumed her enjoyment of the bath.

The two girls laughed and talked all afternoon, enjoying their new friendship and exploring it in all its glory.