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                     Wings of Courage                      
                      -by Razorbeam-                       
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                 I: Diplomatic Dissolution                 
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I: Diplomatic Dissolution
**Warning:* If you have yet to read Visionary (http://www.fimfiction.net/story/24343/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."

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               II: Fluttershy, Dragonspeaker               
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II: Fluttershy, Dragonspeaker
The white marble walls contrasted starkly with the black half-pillars that raised the ceiling ten feet above. The master bedroom of the castle had once been a plush room filled with so many rugs, sofas, and curtains that hardly a speck of the floor could have been seen.
Aurus had ordered most of those items removed, opting to open up the room and do away with the unnecessary furniture. When in the hell would he have used six couches? Perhaps if he were throwing a party, but there were entire other rooms for that. All he needed was a rug, a writing desk, the bed, and a sofa in front of the fireplace for when the desert nights grew too chill. He was a simple changeling, and the bright and open expanse of his room pleased him far more than any collection of rich items.
The guards had been plenty happy to take the sofas and move them into the barracks anyways.
Aurus was glad that he'd done away with all of that, for with his six friends present, standing room would have been hard to come by. After Fluttershy's unexpected rise to the call in the council hall only ten minutes prior, an emergency meeting had been called. This meeting was strictly private; the doors to the master bedroom were tightly shut, locked, and even the guards had been dismissed. There was no Korrick, no Malik, and no council.
"I really, really think you should reconsider," Twilight pleaded, placing a gentle hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder.
The cream-colored pegasus scowled and shook her head. "No Twilight. I said I'm going to go, and I will. I'm not going to let Aurus down," she said firmly, stomping her little hoof with as much determination as she could. Even so, it sounded like little more than a standard hoofstep.
"You wouldn't be letting anyone down, Fluttershy. Honestly, I don't think you should go either; you could get hurt, or worse," Aurus said quietly, his concern clear.
"You could have died fighting Gerd, too," Fluttershy replied quietly. "But you went."
"I had to!" Aurus grumbled more loudly than he'd meant to, straining the frustration through his fangs as he did his best to temper his tone. "But you don't, Fluttershy. You can stay here where it's safe."
"Well somepony has to..." she said quietly, her composure melting under the harshness of his concerned and frustrated voice.
"I say let her go," Rainbow Dash said suddenly, walking into the tight inner-circle that was beginning to form around Fluttershy.
Everyone looked to her in surprise, including Fluttershy.
"Why?" Twilight asked, looking at her incredulously.
"Don't ask me that," Rainbow Dash said curtly. "You should ask Fluttershy. All you've been doing so far is telling her she can't do it, but I'm sure she has her reasons. To be honest, I think she's got guts," Rainbow said with a curt nod, tugging Fluttershy close and draping a foreleg over her in a supportive hug. Together the two of them looked at the shocked faces of their friends.
Those were surprisingly wise words for Rainbow Dash. The remaining five companions looked at one another, feeling ashamed. Rainbow was right, they'd only been discouraging Fluttershy, and none of them had even bothered to ask why she was so adamant. They were too busy trying to protect her, when they should have been supporting her, like Rainbow was doing now.
"Why, Fluttershy?" Aurus asked gently, doing his best not to sound concerned. "Why do you feel like you have to do this?"
Fluttershy sighed, pulling herself away from Rainbow Dash slowly. It was clear she was thinking over her words.
"I've always been the quiet one. The weak one. When that ursa attacked Ponyville, Twilight stopped it. When Spike got all big, Rarity stopped him. When Rarity fell out of Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash saved her. Pinkie Pie has never been afraid of anything in her life, and Applejack is so strong... And Aurus, nopony could have ever done what you did..." she trailed off.
"You're all so amazing. I want to be amazing too. I know I'm the element of Kindness... and that's okay. But that's just one of six, and I want to be one of a kind. I don't want to be famous, or loved, or anything like that," she added hastily, quietly. "I just want to know that I can help too. That I can do something wonderful, like all of you," she finished.
"But Fluttershy, you are amazing," Rarity insisted.
"No I'm not!" the cream colored pony declared fiercely, though her subtle voice couldn't carry the weight it needed for such an outburst. "Even when we did the Mysterious Mare-do-well, all I did was fly in a circle! I couldn't save the workers, or stop the runaway cart, or fix the dam... All I'm good at is talking to animals." Tears were brimming at the shy pony's eyes.
"Fluttershy..." Rainbow said, her tone hushed. She didn't know what else to say.
"I don't want to be like that anymore," she sniffed, holding the tears of shame in check. "For once, I want to do something great. Something that will help everypony. Something only I can do," she said quietly.
Her friends had never known. All this time, Fluttershy had been in their shadows, silently wishing she were stronger. Strong like them. It hurt them, to know that they were responsible for her feelings of inadequacy. Though she would never accuse them of it, their accomplishments had been filling her tender heart with the fear that she wasn't good enough.
She finally had the chance to prove herself wrong; to fight the fear in her heart that she would never be anything more than she was. She wanted to change, to grow.
That was something Aurus couldn't help but respect. Something very changeling-like in his dear and gentle friend.
"Then I won't stop you..." he said to her quietly, drawing a look of shock from all the assembled. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit; you're more amazing than you think you are, my friend. But nobody can simply tell you that. No one in history ever discovered their greatness by being told about it. You have to find it yourself," he said quietly.
"Aurus, you can't be serious-" Twilight started, but he cut her off with a raised hoof.
"Why should I stop her? Of course I'm worried for her; you'd all be worried for me, if I went. But would you stop me?" he asked flatly.
All except Fluttershy shuffled uncomfortably, not looking at him. Of course they wouldn't; Aurus was powerful, and he would stand a fair chance against any dragon. To admit that would only be to acknowledge exactly what Fluttershy was afraid of. That she wasn't strong enough.
"Then don't stop her," Aurus said flatly, recognizing their silence for what it was. He turned his gaze back to Fluttershy, smiling softly.
"I'm scared for you," he said quietly, all of his other friends looking in with worried expressions on the conversation taking place.
"I know," Fluttershy replied gently, a small smile on her lips.
"I know you're strong, Fluttershy. You know it too, otherwise you would never take this journey. There's nopony I know who is more suited for a mission of peace," he admitted with a sigh, as if he could hardly believe what he was saying. "Will you go to the north as an emissary of T'rahk Enox?"
Fluttershy smiled and nodded. "I will."
Aurus stood taller, straighter, taking on a majestic look that his friends hadn't known he was so capable of. "Then it's settled. I name you Fluttershy, Dragonspeaker.
And that, my friend, is something truly amazing."
"You're sending guards with her, right?" Twilight asked, slight tremors of mania in her voice.
Fluttershy was away to Ponyville, collecting whatever items she thought she might need on her journey. Twilight and Korrick stood in the throne room as Aurus paced about. Malik idly leaned on a pillar nearby and chewed on an imported apple, a literal fruit of Aurus' labors for peace.
"No, I won't," Aurus said quietly, knowing precisely what reaction that would cause.
"You've got to be kidding!" Twilight cried, looking at him like he was an idiot.
"Miss Twilight, please understand," Korrick said calmly, drawing her attention and defeating her anger with a calm smile. "This is a simple peace mission. It's considered poor courtesy to send a messenger under guard unless in times of war. It would show distrust."
"Good, because I don't trust them!" Twilight huffed, wrinkling her nose.
"The last thing we need is to give them a reason to accuse Fluttershy of being discourteous. She's walking a dangerous road, where any slip-ups in etiquette could cost her her life. Dragons have much stricter laws than we do about their court system and foreign interactions," Korrick explained. "I'm afraid she has to go alone, or we risk aggravating the black drakes; which doesn't bode well for her."
"I know you want her to be safe, Twilight, but I do too. I need you to trust me when I say that she's safer on her own. They're bound by their own laws to welcome her peacefully. They invited her, and unless she does something to dishonor their hospitality, she will be fine. Fluttershy isn't the kind of pony to be impolite, and so I can't honestly think of anyone better to send," Aurus admitted.
"I'll trail her," Malik suddenly put in, his tone nonchalant as he munched around some apple-mush.
"You'll do no such thing!" Aurus growled.
"Why not? You need someone to look after her, and I'm the only changeling you know who has the skills to move completely undetected," he said, scowling.
"I need you here-" Aurus started, but Malik just sighed and shook his head.
"You're a terrible liar, always have been. Maybe you needed me for the meeting with that dragon emissary, since you couldn't afford to humiliate the poor bastard yourself. But you don't need me to be your bodyguard, and we both know that," he said with a small smile. Aurus could certainly take care of himself.
"The pressing issue is still the dragons, right? A long while back I pledged to serve you. And right now, I think the best service I can offer is to watch over Fluttershy," Malik said, his tough tone dropping into that casual note he and Aurus so often shared. "I'll be a shadow on the wall, nothing more," he promised, a small smile coming to his lips.
Aurus couldn't help but smile back. Malik had him cornered, and he knew it. "Alright, fine. But unless it's an emergency, I don't want you involved. Are you sure you're okay with doing this?"
Malik strode over, finishing his apple, core and all, during the short walk. He and Aurus bumped forelegs, as they had often done in the past. "For you, my friend, I would do anything," Malik replied warmly. "And don't worry; everything will be fine."
They broke their display of friendship, Aurus turning to Twilight. "Does that help?" he asked with a small smile.
Twilight nodded. Malik was easily one of the most capable changelings she knew. In recent years he had been training even harder in the assassin's trade; but not for murderous purposes. He'd been conditioning himself to serve as Aurus' go-to changeling and personal guard, completely of his own volition. When the time came for covert actions, nobody was more apt than he was. In two short years, Malik had become an expert in stealth, and his magical powers had considerably improved. Only Aurus seemed to know if and when he was about; to everyone else, Malik was invisible when he chose to be.
He was a far cry from the novice assassin Aurus had captured three years ago in the alleyways of Canterlot, and since then his friendship with his lord had only grown. If anyone were to follow Fluttershy, Twilight couldn't imagine anyone better suited to the task. Loyal, courageous, and powerful, Malik would put her worries to rest.
"Then it's settled," Aurus said with a relieved sigh. "I'd like to say everyone's happy, but the tensions are a little high for that," he admitted.
"When does she leave?" Malik asked.
"One week from now," Korrick said.
"Then I'll prepare myself and leave in three days. I'll watch the road ahead of her until she arrives; I need to familiarize myself with the area in the north anyways," Malik said with determination.
Aurus nodded, thinking that a wise decision. "Just be careful," he called as Malik made his way out of the throne room, clearly eager to make his preparations.
Malik waved a hoof over his shoulder to indicate he had heard, but didn't stop walking.
Aurus chuckled to himself as he watched his friend go. "She'll be safe."
Fluttershy drifted over the sands, glad that the wind was at her back. She had never been a very strong flier, and the south-wind was pushing her along nicely. It also helped to keep the sand out of her face.
She quietly reflected on the task ahead of her; she had one month to try and convince the dragons that peace with the changelings would be beneficial to them. She really hoped that it wouldn't take that much time. Being in front of a dragon for even ten minutes was terrifying. She had trouble imagining what it would be like staying as a guest of one.
Korrick had assured her that she wouldn't be roasted on the spot; the dragons knew that she was coming, and she was carrying an official letter from Aurus that would prove her claims that she was an emissary. Not a single detail had been overlooked for her trip. She would be their guest.
She shuddered at the thought, but hardened her resolve. It would be fine; she was strong.
She was the Dragonspeaker.
Even with that lofty, magnificent title echoing in her mind, she still felt fear. What if she failed? What if they roasted her, or ate her? Or squashed her? Or worse, what if she had to return to Aurus and tell him that she couldn't do it? That she'd let him down?
Below her, she saw a scorpion skittering up the side of a dune. The poor creature wasn't getting anywhere, the sand giving under its spiny little legs and sending it tumbling back down the mound of sand. It scrabbled wildly to flip itself back over before trying again.
Unable to deny her nature, Fluttershy landed near the small creature with a worried look on her face. "Um, are you okay Mr. Scorpion?" she asked quietly, nudging the once-more upside-down scorpion upright with a gentle hoof.
The scorpion didn't seem to acknowledge her, just went back to failing to scale the sand dune. Fluttershy sat by for many minutes, continually righting the creature every time the shifting sands defeated it. No matter how she talked to it, it refused to notice her. The one time she had tried to help it up the hill, it had raised its tail threateningly, backing her off.
The creature's rudeness didn't bother her so much as its helplessness. It was no secret that most bugs weren't very intelligent, so it probably didn't even understand her, or her motives. At last the scorpion crested the dune on its own, and Fluttershy felt oddly proud.
She could have picked the scorpion up and put it on top of the sand pile, but what good would that have done? All of its determination would have been wasted. The scorpion's real strength wasn't its might, or its intelligence. It could have easily gone around the dune instead of over it, but it wasn't clever enough. Perhaps it would have burrowed through the dune, if only it were stronger, but it wasn't.
All it had was its determination. It had a goal, one that no amount of failures would deter it from. She had no doubt it would have tried all day to climb that hill.
She had a lot in common with it, she realized. She wasn't very wise, or very strong. She had a hill in front of her too, one that nobody could simply take her to the top of. She needed to pave the road to peace with the dragons, no matter how long it took, or how many times she had to try. Unless they killed her or threw her out, she would keep trying.
The scowl she didn't know she had been making faded, her mind made up. Fear of dragons or not, she would be tough. Scorpion tough. With a nod to herself, she got a slight jog going and took off again for the north. The mountains were hazy zig-zags on the horizon, blurred by the heat of day. They grew larger every hour, but she knew she had a long way to go.
Aurus had assured her that she would have to spend at least one night in the desert on her own, for the trip would probably take her two or three days.
As strong a flier as she was, Fluttershy figured it would be closer to three.
She flew on until sunset. The air was getting colder, but the thermals rising off the still-hot sand kept her drifting along. This was easily the furthest she had ever flown, and it was taking its toll. Aurus had warned her that once the sun went down, the sand would quickly grow cold, and the temperatures could go below freezing.
Fluttershy decided to call it a night before it got too dark to see. She unpacked a sleeping bag and laid it down, trying to recall what Aurus had said about sleeping in the cold of the desert night. She took a swig from the canteen dangling around her neck, happy to see that it was still half-full.
She recalled suddenly what to do. She started to dig a trench in the sand, pushing it out of the way with her hooves scoop by small scoop. Once she had a hole, she checked to make sure the sand at the bottom was dry. Finding it to be so, she dropped her sleeping bag into the hole. She buried it with a slight layer of sand, careful not to cover the top of it or get any sand inside.
Once she was finished, the last pink tinge of sunset had completely vanished. She slid into her sleeping bag, grateful for the added warmth of the sand-blanket. The soft sand below was comfortable, and the warmth of her body quickly heated the bag around her. Snug and safe, she pulled the little snout-cover up over her nose to keep it warm.
She looked up at the beautiful stars. Here in T'rahk Enox, the specks of light were most beautiful of all. No humidity or city lamps dulled their brilliant glow. She watched them for many minutes, fighting her heavy eyelids as she took in the glory of the night sky. At last the hard day of flying proved too much for her, and she drifted into sleep.
She only wished the rest of her mission could be so peaceful.
The mornings and nights in the desert were simple and short; each day at dawn she would wake up and eat an apple and some dry oats. If her canteen ever got low, she would fight for about half an hour to break an arm off of one of the tough cacti in the numerous cactus patches dotting the sands. They were full of some sort of juice that Aurus had insisted was mostly water, though it certainly didn't taste like it.
Even so, she followed all of his desert survival advice to the letter. Her attention to those details made the nights warm and comfortable, and kept her fit and hydrated during the day.
On the second morning of her desert stay, the mountains loomed close. Fluttershy could have flown the last few miles in the dark, but decided it would be best to arrive early rather than so late. Politeness was key, she had been told, and good guests didn't show up in the middle of the night.
Digging up her incredibly dusty sleeping bag for the second time, she shook it out and packed it away. She ate her simple breakfast and took to the skies a half-hour later, soaring towards the only landmark she had; a forked peak that had a lightning-bolt shaped cleft between the twin spires.
Korrick had called that mountain Jagspire, and it was a dormant volcano. Inside of it and the surrounding mountains was where the dragons made their homes, preferring the warm and dark places of the deep-earth. About an hour later the sands began to give way to stony fields with sparse patches of tall grass. Soon after, the hardier plants faded to make way for grass and shrubs.
The mountains above would stop the storms that formed above them, and the water running down the sides of those peaks fueled a lush forest environment, similar to the Everfree expanse far to the east. Here the forest was predominantly pine, with amber-leaved aspens interspersed between the clearings. Birds sang, hawks soared about, and insects buzzed in the cool shade.
This place was vibrantly alive, and beautiful beyond compare. A stream ran down from the mountains ahead, and so Fluttershy stopped to fill her canteen and admire the beauty. A few squirrels came to investigate her, for likely they had never seen a pony before. She greeted them warmly and obliged their curiosity for a time, but eventually she recalled her duty. Politely excusing herself, she bid her furry friends farewell and continued to soar up the barely visible path towards Jagspire.
She alighted at the edge of a large boulder field that rested at the foot of the mountain. The peak deserved its name, for it was jagged and crags marred its surface. Some of these vented steam into the sunlight above, creating small rainbows that contrasted with its harsh appearance. The gray rock was beautiful in a way, for each boulder and crack was intricately placed as part of the grand design that made up the mighty mountain.
Something to her left drew her attention. She looked up just in time to watch a mighty tail uncurl itself from around a boulder. Wings flared wide, revealing a dragon perched high on a neighboring peak that she hadn't noticed earlier. His wings had been folded around himself, and in the shade of an outcropping, she had never seen it. The dragon didn't roar, simply launched itself from the lofty peak, making its way towards Fluttershy.
Her heart clenched and her breathing quickened as she watched the mighty beast spiral down toward her. This dragon was easily forty feet long!
The creature landed in front of her, the wing-beats that slowed its landing bowing small aspen trees and shaking mighty pines. Its ebony-clawed feet shook the ground as they cushioned its weight. At last on all fours, the creature folded its wings, looking down at Fluttershy with nostrils smoking, fiery-breath clearly prepped and ready.
Frozen in fear, Fluttershy could only take in the grand creature before her. His head was covered in a dark metal helm, the black spikes atop his skull poking through carefully-crafted holes in the armor. His legs sported similar dark, metal armor,  and a line of plates covered his spine all the way to the tip of his tail, which ended in a wicked, barbed iron spike. The wing bones were lined in the same material, protecting the light, hollow structure of the wing's skeleton.
This dragon was clearly a warrior of some sort, outfitted for battle.
She gasped as it spoke suddenly, startling her.
"Your business in the north?" the creature asked simply, lowering its head to better speak with her.
Or to get a better shot, if it didn't like her answer.
"Um... I... eep..." Fluttershy stammered quietly, shaking like a leaf.
"Your business?" the dragon asked again, its tone unchanged.
Fluttershy reminded herself that she had chosen to do this, and that courtesy was key. Cowering in fear probably didn't give the most 'polite' impression. She took a few seconds to compose herself as best she could.
"I-I'm an emissary from T'rahk Enox," she said, her voice barely audible.
The smoke rising from the dragon's nostrils stopped immediately. "Changeling emissary?" it asked in disbelief, looking over the pony before it. "You have proof of this?"
Fluttershy started, fishing around in her pack hastily. She found the letter easily, and held it out to the dragon.
The drake took it tenderly, unfurling the small scroll with practiced care. Its red eyes roved over the paper slowly, taking in every detail. At last it rolled the scroll back up and passed it back. Fluttershy very unwillingly snatched the paper from that clawed hand, careful not to touch the dragon.
"Dragonspeaker, it calls you. A lofty title for a simple emissary. We shall see if you are worthy of it. The seal is official, and my lord is expecting you. You have come sooner than we anticipated," the drake explained casually. "It is my honor to escort you, guest of Nethrezir. I am Vergoth, Guardian of Jagspire," the dragon finished, bowing its head politely in introduction.
Fluttershy was shocked by the dragon's courteous nature and sense of honor. This seemed contrary to everything she had ever heard of dragons. Snapping out of that train of thought, she realized she had not introduced herself yet.
"My name is Fluttershy," she replied, doing everything in her power to keep herself from stammering and make her voice loud and strong. To her credit, her conscious effort paid off, though the dragon's surprising level of professionalism certainly helped.
"Welcome to Jagspire, the Ebonhome, emissary Fluttershy," Vergoth replied, a note of warmth hidden within the rumbles of his powerful, deep voice. "You have traveled far, and you must be weary. Permit me to carry you; I mean no offense, but your small wings cannot keep pace with mine," he said evenly, extending a hand to her slowly, claws spread wide.
Fluttershy's eyes widened and her heart raced as the draconic hand inched ever closer. It stopped before her, easily large enough for her to sit in.
"Do you fear me?" The dragon asked, seeing her hesitation.
Fluttershy's mind panicked. What if she said yes? Would that be rude?
"It is alright, your grace," the dragon rumbled quietly. "You are our honored guest; as such, you are under the protection of the Guardians. I will not harm you, nor will I let anyone else do so," the dragon's eyes stared deep into hers, and within them she could see a clear sincerity. "Please," Vergoth insisted, giving his clawed hand a gentle bounce.
Carefully, Fluttershy climbed into his palm. The claws contracted around her, but not harshly; slowly, securing her in his grasp. She wrapped her forelegs around one of those clawed fingers, holding herself steady as Vergoth launched into the sky, beating his massive wings.
Together, she and the Guardian flew across the face of Jagspire, the rocks racing past them. Vergoth always held her level, no matter the bank or dive he executed, keeping her safe as they sped along towards the entrance of the dragon city of Ebonhome.
Malik watched the large dragon fly away with Fluttershy in its clutches. For now things seemed to be going far better than expected.
From his perch in the heights of a nearby pine, he had watched it all unfold, heard every word. He had already been here five days, and had been actively monitoring Vergoth's patrol schedule and mannerisms.
The skilled Guardian, by contrast, had never even noticed him, much to the ex-assassin's pride.
Even so, Malik had not grown complacent. Spots such as this piney perch were his to command all over the forested lowlands, prepared by hoof over the past week and heavily camouflaged. He had even established other hiding places within the crags and boulder-fields high up the mountain's face, all without ever being spotted.
The trick was a unique control of his innate illusory magic; one that allowed him to perfectly mimic the environment behind him, no matter which angle he was viewed from, effectively rendering himself invisible.
Though useful, it took an absurd amount of concentration and energy to accomplish, and so he could not keep it up for long. He had spaced his hiding places just close enough together that he could keep up such a disguise long enough to travel between them.
His preparations were extensive and thorough, and his skills well-trained. If a situation arose where he had to help Fluttershy escape, there were no shortage of planned routes or hiding places he could take her to. He had mapped numerous ways to enter the mountain through steam vents, side-caverns and more. No detail had escaped his fine-toothed combing of Jagspire and the surrounding area.
If trouble came knocking, he was ready. Scanning the horizon, he noted that all the other nearby patrol points were unoccupied; the other Guardians were elsewhere. Waiting a few more moments, he memorized the route he needed to take to reach the optimal backdoor entrance into Ebonhome. He leapt from his perch, beginning the stealthy jaunt to his destination. If Fluttershy was going in there, so was he.
He had promised to watch over her.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                   III: Strange Company                    
//-------------------------------------------------------//
III: Strange Company
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.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                      IV: True Colors                      
//-------------------------------------------------------//
IV: True Colors
Fluttershy woke to find herself being pressed in on from all sides. It was a comfortable sensation, like a warm hug that enveloped her whole body. It took her a few moments to realize what the green thing ringing her in was, but soon the memories came flooding back.
Vague memories of something holding her tight and a gentle melody hovered on the periphery of the evening's events.
Lessa was lying nearby, her long tail curled around Fluttershy and keeping her warm through the night as the two of them had slept soundly atop the window-seat. The girls had been up late, talking and laughing, but eventually Fluttershy's travels and the stress of meeting with so many dragons had taken its toll.
The rhythmic rise and fall of the leafy spines on Lessa's back was a clear indication that she was still sleeping. Smiling to herself and thinking the dragon looked oddly cute when asleep, Fluttershy thought it best to let her new friend sleep in. The pale pegasus wriggled around, trying to extract herself without waking her companion.
Just as Fluttershy was nearly out of the ring of scales, it loosened and then slowly tightened back around her. Gently, as if in an embrace and nothing more. Fluttershy looked back to see the amber eyes still closed, and so she giggled to herself. It was an automatic reaction, like that of a child sleeping with a favored toy. Lessa could subconsciously feel Fluttershy leaving, and her dreamlike state didn't much care for that notion. Fluttershy smiled gently as Lessa pulled her tail and its occupant closer.
Giggling to herself, Fluttershy realized that she would have to wake Lessa to get free; and the rumbling in her stomach made that notion just a little more urgent. "Lessa..." Fluttershy whispered quietly, gently poking the side of the dragon's head. "Lessa, wake up."
The green dragoness muttered something and inched her head away to stop whatever was poking her.
"Lessa, it's morning," Fluttershy continued, her voice straining with slight effort as she wiggled around to try and get back to prodding her awake. Her hoof wouldn't quite reach though, and so she simply had to resort to doing something she wasn't very good at.
Being loud.
She sucked in a deep breath, and yelled as loudly as she could. "Lessa, wake up!"
The result was startling. Lessa shot bolt upright, her tail tightening almost painfully around Fluttershy as she yanked the cream colored pony closer, wrapping her coiled tail and friend in her arms. Her head zipped this way and that, eyes wide with adrenaline and snakelike tongue flicking as she hunched protectively around her prized friend.
"Lessa, stop!" Fluttershy squeaked, her voice muffled by the wad of dragon pressing in around her.
Lessa gasped suddenly, her tail going loose as she sidled back a few steps. "Oh Maltirith, I am so sorry!" the dragon whined, looking Fluttershy up and down rapidly. "Are you hurt?" she asked with obvious worry, her amber eyes deep with concern.
Fluttershy shook her head. "Oh no, I'm fine. You just startled me..."
"I startled you?" Lessa growled, her worry shifting straight to playful anger once she realized Fluttershy was okay. "What were you yelling for? You could have just tapped on my tail, you know."
Fluttershy flushed deeply, embarrassed that she hadn't thought of that to begin with. "Um, well, you see, I tried to wake you up gently, but I-" she began, but Lessa cut her off laughing.
"I was just kidding. Now come on, let's go get something to eat," The dragon said, crawling over the edge of the window-seat to the floor below.
"Well, don't dragons eat gemstones?" Fluttershy asked, looking to the table littered with bowls of jewels.
Lessa smiled. "Most do, but I prefer to eat other things. Leaves and berries for the most part; don't let the fangs fool you, I'm a vegetarian," she teased, waving at her friend. "Now come on, hurry up! We can go raid the pantry before the older dragons are awake and kick us out."
"Raid the pantry?" Fluttershy asked quietly, not certain that stealing food was on her list of morning activities.
"Poor choice of words I guess," Lessa said with a nervous laugh. "Really we just need to go down to the kitchens and get some breakfast. The chefs won't mind at all, so don't worry, okay?"
"What about getting kicked out?" Her voice still showed trepidation.
"Just a joke," Lessa said with a sly smile. "When the older dragons wake up and decide it's breakfast time, it'd be nice to be long gone. They're grumpier than usual before they get their food. Now come on, stop being such a worrier," Lessa urged, waving her down.
With a sigh to herself, Fluttershy reluctantly followed. As much as she hoped Lessa really was just joking, she didn't want to risk being yelled at or kicked out by some dragon chef, but the grumbling in her stomach and Lessa's carefree spirit were enough to hide her worries for a while.
Malik sighed to himself as he watched the green dragon slither over the edge and down the wall, Fluttershy drifting over after her.
He had made it to the tower with little trouble, but it had been time consuming. A few drakes had recognized the form he wore, but he had simply brushed them off saying that the lord dragon had summoned him.
The reactions he had received didn't lessen his concern for Fluttershy. Anything that made a dragon cringe so badly was bad news. He hadn't arrived in time to catch sight of the great beast himself, but he had been close enough to pick out which room Vergoth had taken his charge to.
Malik had kept vigil over her all evening, hanging upside down from the top of her window frame, where even the most well-placed beam of light could not find him. It was a simple enough spell to form the stone of the tower through the holes in his legs, binding him firmly but comfortably in place; and just as simple to undo. He had long since dispelled the image of the dragon he had stolen, for in a structure as massive as this his own form was not large enough to be noticed.
He smiled gently to himself, allowing a modicum of calm to enter his thoughts. Letting her out of his sight for even those few short minutes during his trip to the tower had weighed heavily on him, for her meeting with the dragon lord was the most critical and potentially dangerous moment. Luckily the majority of it had been postponed, allowing Malik to better position himself.
Lessa was a stroke of luck, as far as the changeling was concerned. He hadn't been able to hear any of the exchange between her and Fluttershy the previous evening, but he had stayed up and watched their interactions with a careful eye, coming to the conclusion that Lessa and Fluttershy were kindred spirits, of a sort. Wherever the green dragon went, Fluttershy would be well taken care of.
Her reaction to being awakened was proof of that. The moment something had alarmed her, Lessa's first instinct had been to reach for and guard Fluttershy, even before spotting any threats. Malik had first thought that perhaps it was some sort of maternal instinct, but realized that the dragon was far too young for such things already.
More likely it was a reaction any dragon would have. To Lessa, Fluttershy was a treasure; her only friend in the world, and dragons protected their treasure, gold or not, to the very end.
Though it pained him to, he knew he couldn't afford to follow Fluttershy this time. His history of patient stalking and staking out had taught him much about when it was good to leave a hiding place, and for the time being the one he had was simply too useful, and too exposed in the middle of the day to vacate it. Fluttershy would return, and when Nethrezir summoned her at last, he would be ready to move with her.
He let the thoughts of business drop from his mind as she vanished from sight, simply taking in the inverted view as he hung upside down from the ledge. His thoughts turned back to his week in the north, and his reasons for this adventure. He hadn't mentioned to Aurus why it was he had really wanted to come. It was true that he wanted to protect Fluttershy, but there were more important reasons than simply alleviating Aurus' worries.
Malik was deeply worried for the shy pegasus of his own accord. She had always caught his eye, always intrigued him. In the recent years since his life changing meeting with Aurus, the six friends of Ponyville had become an intricate part of his life. His fate was tightly wound with that of Aurus and his friends, Malik knew, and so he had not been shy in his interactions with them.
Of them all, Fluttershy was the most important to him; the closest to his own spirit. He knew that it would sound strange to anyone else, and so he had never told anyone; not even her. Who would believe him if he said that he felt a sense of closeness to the shy pony? He was so outspoken, so bold in his decisions. Though he was skilled in silence, his was the quiet of anticipation, the calm before a storm. Fluttershy knew true peace of her spirit, making not a sound unless the world needed her to.
They were so different, and yet Malik felt so drawn to her. She embodied a kindness he had never known existed until he had met her and her friends. She was so delicate, and yet filled with a certain strength that nobody else could see or know. But Malik knew what it was; potential, a desire for strength. He knew that feeling all too well. He had been weak himself once, thinking that he was strong.
But being strong for your own sake would never amount to anything. Fluttershy was on this mission to try and prove that others could lean on her, to show the world that she could be strong for anyone who needed her. Those were much the same reasons that Malik had been training so fiercely, growing stronger every day. He knew that there were few who would willingly lean on him, but that wouldn't stop him from following in Aurus' hoofsteps and becoming a protector.
He sighed to himself gently; that's what he was to her, and how he would remain. She could never know how he felt about her, it would only confuse her and make her nervous. She would shy away from him, and then he could not guard her. Often he had watched over her in secret, staying late into the night and replacing the guards at her door himself whenever she would visit the castle back home. This was not the first evening he had kept a steadfast vigil over her rest.
He sent his gaze down the long central chute of the tower, unable to spot her or the green dot that was Lessa.
"Her protector, nothing more," he said quietly to himself, closing his eyes and allowing himself some rest until she returned.
"So be it."
The afternoon had passed swiftly, the girls playing about the room and taking a short afternoon nap. Evening now ate at the sky through the hole in Jagspire's roof, the rim of the volcano's mouth painted pinkish orange by the light of a sunset neither of them could see. Stars began to flicker into being in the purple expanse above, the brightest of them fighting for their place in the night sky despite the sun's lingering rays.
Their laughter was cut short as the room's door swung open slowly, drawing their attention. Lessa leapt to her clawed feet, hoping that it was Vergoth back from patrol, though she knew that he was often gone for days on end.
That was not to be, sadly for her. The guard standing in the doorway reminded her of him though, clad in the armor of a Guardian. He was much smaller than Vergoth however, likely a trainee or some other lower rank in the proud brigade.
"Mistress Fluttershy," the drake rumbled pleasantly. He had been told very precisely to drop the title of 'emissary', as it implied a sense of duty that wasn't necessary. So said his lord, at least. "My lord, Nethrezir, has cleared the evening and is ready to meet with you in private. If you would be so kind as to follow me?" the creature rumbled, dipping his head low and gesturing through the door behind him.
Lessa fixed Fluttershy with a worried look, but the pegasus did her best to smile it away. "Don't worry, I'm sure everything will be fine. I'll be back later, alright?" The pale pony lifted off, floating gently past the guard, who gently shut the door behind her.
"Be safe..." Lessa said quietly, her fear of Nethrezir filling her head with unwelcome thoughts and concerns for her dear, and only friend.
She never saw the black speck that dropped from the top of her window and into the night.
Fluttershy looked about the grand hall, the ceiling twice as high as that of her room. Everything here dwarfed her; the sconces on the walls were like bonfires, the cracks in the granite tile as wide as she was. This room was built for elder dragons, she instinctively knew, for even the guard next to her seemed small in comparison to everything around him.
Her escort paused at the end of a massive table, and bowed to her gently. "My lord awaits you above," he said quietly.
Puzzled but not wanting to ask questions, Fluttershy flew hard to reach the tabletop overhead.  She landed gently, her hooves clip-clopping on the polished obsidian.
"So good to see you, little friend," a deep voice chimed, sending ripples of vibration through the stone under her hooves. She recognized it immediately as the same creature that had so unnerved her earlier, and with great reluctance she sent her gaze down the length of the table.
He sat like a giant at the far end, everything proportionate to him as he smiled idly at her. His tone had been welcoming enough, yet she could not be calm in such a presence.
"Come, come! Sit here with me, Dragonspeaker. You would not be aptly named if you sat so far from me", he said with a slight laugh that seemed oddly warm to her. He tapped the table next to him, and there she saw a most curious thing. A smaller table and chair, different only in their extravagance from her own furniture back home; both pony sized.
"It would be strange for you to sit openly upon my table; strange also to have two table tops, though," he chuckled, turning his gaze from her momentarily. She was silently thankful that the eye patch was in place, blocking his ethereal, magical orb as his attention returned to her.
Something about him, perhaps the way he was laughing and not menacing, set her at ease slightly. Still, her instincts kept her guard up as she made her way to the table set for her. A wide array of fruits and vegetables adorned it, most of which would never have grown in such a mountainous climate. Where they had all come from was a mystery to her, but she didn't ask. She simply took her seat, doing her best to temper the wavering out of her voice before she even spoke.
"Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Lord Nethrezir," she said politely as she scooted in her chair, trying to inch it forward. She shuddered as a claw pressed against the back of it, pushing her closer to her meal gently.
"I've told you before, Razorwing will do. I've an entire mountain full of dragons who call me lord and master; it grows tiring now and then, but for them it is what tradition demands. It is pleasant to have a new spirit to entertain," he said, smiling at her in such a way that his fangs seemed almost normal.
"Oh... okay," Fluttershy said, flushing in embarrassment, since she had already forgotten that earlier exchange. "So, um, Razorwing... Have you decided what it is you want from the changelings?" she asked with a hopeful smile.
The dragon chuckled once to himself and looked at her slyly. "I have, but let us discuss that after we've eaten. The conversation will flow better from quenched throats and full stomachs," he said, reaching out to his right and grabbing a handful of what appeared to be sapphires.
Fluttershy watched what was surely a fortune being crushed in his ivory fangs. She had seen Spike eat gems before, but never so many. It was very clear to her why the dragons hadn't been interested in trade with T'rahk Enox; there was little in the ways of treasure that the changeling realm would be able to offer them.
It made her nervous, as she came to realize that whatever it was Nethrezir asked for, it was not likely to be something simple like money. Her heart pounded as she revisited her fears of failure; what if he asked for something she wasn't sure Aurus had? Or what if his demands were too great, and she had to refuse?
"Relax, little one," the great dragon hummed, plucking another few gems from a nearby bowl with one clawed hand, and lifting an enormous jug of wine in the other. "You stress the complex, but that is for later; food is simple, and so is talk. Come then, tell me of your home! You are no changeling, and I have seen their lands; wherever it is you hail from, I have never seen it."
"Oh, I'm from Equestria. It's the pony nation to the southeast; we haven't seen very many dragons ourselves," she admitted quietly. "It's very beautiful; my home is full of forests and rivers, but we only have a few mountains. Canterlot, our capital, is very beautiful and is built on the side of one of those mountains," she said quietly, finding it easy to describe her home, regardless of her conversation partner. The truth of his earlier words calmed her; talking was simple, and more importantly not frightening.
"A city on top of a mountain, instead of inside one?" he asked with a smile. "How intriguing. Tell me, does the rain bother you with your homes above the ground?"
The conversation went on like this for what felt like hours, pleasant and simple. Razorwing asked many things, his interest sincere, and Fluttershy answered them to the best of her ability. After only a few short minutes, she had actually begun to enjoy herself. If Nethrezir and Vergoth were anything to go by, perhaps big dragons weren't necessarily mean or evil.
She smiled to herself as she contemplated that. He looked terrifying, all torn up and half metal, but looks could be deceiving. Even the most ferocious animal had a friendly side, and perhaps that's all there was to it. Dragons weren't fearsome, they were just misunderstood. Like bears.
At last the meal came to a close, and servers came to collect the various platters from in front of him. One dragon even took Fluttershy's entire table, leaving her in the comfortable chair. Razorwing sat back and sighed pleasantly, rubbing a claw over his face. He removed the eye patch slowly, noting Fluttershy's suddenly darkening expression.
"I am sorry, little one. But ever since the loss of my eye, it sometimes pains me," he admitted, running a claw tenderly over the edge of the socket as his other hand fished for something strapped around one of his back legs on the floor. It resurfaced with a bottle of some fluid, from which the large dragon poured a small stream into his hollow eye, tilting his massive head back to contain the liquid. He continued to rub his missing eye with his other hand, sighing in relief as some pain she didn't know he had been feeling vanished.
"I understand that my appearance can be alarming; truly it pains me that I terrify you so," he admitted, his tone low with regret. "But you see, my past is not of my choosing. I may be coarse, and I may be angry at times, but there are none of us who can choose our lives. I hope that in time you find I am not so fearsome to look upon," he said with a sad smile.
Fluttershy felt a twinge of guilt in her stomach. So far he had only been nice to her, if a little unnerving with that magic of his in the beginning. But after she had asked him to stop, he had never used it again. She was afraid of his looks, and she was letting that dominate who he was trying to be.
"No, I'm sorry. I never meant to be so rude, and not because of what I was afraid would happen if I offended you. I really am sorry; you shouldn't judge a book by its cover," she admitted quietly, her sincerity clear.
The great beast smiled, replacing the eye patch. "I am glad for that. Now then, I have done nothing but assault you with questions all evening... Surely there are things you wish to know about my world, after so graciously telling me of yours?" he asked with a small laugh.
Fluttershy smiled, for she certainly had a thing or two she had been wondering. "My friend, Lessa... She's a green dragon, and you're a black. How many kinds are there?" she asked.
Razorwing grinned, clearly impressed. "An astute question, friend. There are hundreds of colors to our scales, but in the beginning there were only seven. The others are all combinations of these from generation to generation; a pale green dragon may have had a white mother and a green father, for example. Lessa is pure green, and I am pure black. Dragons with such a proud lineage are called the 'steadfast ones'."
"What are the seven colors?" Fluttershy asked quietly. "And how are they different?"
"My, you are a curious one!" Nethrezir laughed, slapping a hand gently on the table that vibrated her chair. "Full of wonderful questions! What an interesting mind you have; the seven primary colors of our kind are referred to by the gems that match their scales. There are the onyx drakes, who live here in these mountains, at home in the volcanoes," he said, reaching into a bowl and pulling out a cloudy black gem, setting it on the floor before her.
"And then there are the diamond dragons, our cousins even farther to the north. Their scales are pure white, and they bear the power of ice. None of their descendants will ever breathe a wisp of flame in all their days, for they breathe frost instead." A diamond as big as an apple joined the onyx in front of her, throwing the firelight around with its many rough facets.
"The rubies hail far to the east, well past your borders at the edge of the world. They make their homes in the clouds, resting in great castles made of thunderstorms. Of all the fire breathing dragons, they boast the greatest size and hottest flame.
The emeralds of the west reside in lush forests. Though they cannot fly, they create great temples of stone and gold to house themselves, bidding the trees to grow and flourish. They are the only dragons who have no killing breath; instead they sing in such a way that rouses the magic in the earth, causing things to grow.
The amber dragons live on the shores of the far south ocean. They reside in the caves on cliff sides high above the crashing waves, and though flightless they are the fastest of our kin, air or land. Their speed is unmatched, and their breath can turn anything it touches to stone.
And then there are our sapphire cousins; the dragons of the sea. They exist in harmony with the golds, feeding them the fare of the ocean in return for treasures that the depths of the waves don't hold. They trade food for wealth, and their existence has been tightly wound to the fate of their golden brothers since the dawn of history. They bear the breath of lightning, useful in the deep for immobilizing their prey. Though they have legs and wings, after a fashion, they prefer the water to the air and earth. Their wings are really great fins, like those of a fish.
Lastly, and most regrettably, are the amethyst dragons of old," Nethrezir said with a hushed tone. "They existed at the center of everything, the hub of the dragon world, uniting all the others. Though they could breathe fire, it could not kill. Their fire sent their words far and wide, allowing them fast communication amongst themselves, and so they quickly rose to be the pinnacle of dragon society. Every nation welcomed them warmly, for their talent was the most powerful of all; what they lacked in killing breath, broad wings, and brute strength, they made up for in magical power."
"Magical power?" Fluttershy asked, confused. "But wait, I've seen purple dragons before. I know one!" she said suddenly, thinking perhaps to break Nethrezir out of his brooding, melancholy mood.
His countenance shifted suddenly, for a brief instant, into something foul and fierce. The expression vanished so quickly that Fluttershy assumed she had imagined that horrifying look in his eyes, the sinister twist in his smile.
"I am certain you do; they are not gone, of course, but they are no longer pure. No steadfast ones remain from our amethyst brothers. All that remain are the descendants of their kind, scattered and homeless. The great city of the southern sands was destroyed long ago in a terrible magical catastrophe. The earth trembled when Ghindrav, the Royal City, fell into ruin," he said with a sad smile. "All that remain of their bloodline are wanderers. A terrible fate, to have nothing to call home."
"You mean the Great Dragon Migration?" Fluttershy asked quietly.
"Yes, little one. Dragons that are pure live in their respective nations, but those who have descended from multiple lines must find homes of their own. It is in the interest of preserving our bloodlines, and our history; it is not forbidden for dragons of other hues to mate, but to do so they must both agree to leave their homes and make one of their own in the world outside. A sad tradition for our many cousins who lie under the stars, but one by which we all willingly abide."
Fluttershy felt her heart tightening. So the dragons she had seen were all outcasts. Hundreds of colorful creatures with no homes to return to. It was sad, yet joyful; cast out from their own nations, they had ignored their difference in color and created a nation of their own. One that was always moving, relying on only itself to create a home wherever it went. It was a bittersweet culture; noble and strong, yet sad, with a history of sacrifice.
"Do not feel sad for them; none are forced to leave, and only those born amongst the wanderers are without a choice. But for their part, they know it as the only family they have; they are not sorrowful, for they do not know what might have been," Razorwing said quietly, seeing the expression on her face clearly. His tone was oddly comforting, despite its depth.
Fluttershy nodded, taking solace in his words.
"Now then, it is a shame to let it settle on such unpleasant a topic as the wanderers... Perhaps it's time we discussed what I have brought you here for?" he asked, waiting for Fluttershy's nod to continue.
He smirked, an expression that sent a shiver up Fluttershy's spine as he looked at her sidelong. "I want only one thing from your lord, and he will have my full co-operation.
You."
Fluttershy's heart stopped beating, her lungs stopped pumping as her brain reeled to process what he had just said. "You want what?" she asked breathlessly, doing her best to overcome the feeling of sickness threatening to engulf her stomach. "Y-you must be mistaken..."
"I did not say it would be a simple request to grant; nor is it his to agree to. There is a reason that when we first spoke I had told you I had already made up my mind to offer him peace; but before your arrival, I never would have agreed. There is nothing your lord Aurus could have sent to me that would have garnered my favor... save for you," he said fondly, smiling as if his request were nothing.
"I don't understand," Fluttershy said, her voice trembling. "You want me? Why? For what?" she asked, her eyes wide with fright.
"You are beautiful, interesting, and unknown to me. I have never seen your like, never obtained it. You, my dear, are simply something I do not have, and something I greatly desire to possess," he explained, gesturing here and there as if explaining something obvious. "I have seen your mind and your soul; I have peered into your very being, and nothing exists in this world that is so pure. Not the finest sifted gold, not the clearest diamond. When compared to your essence, all things pale by comparison, and I must have it."
Fluttershy shook her head slowly, shock taking hold of her. To stay here, in a world full of dragons? "What about my home?" she asked quietly, her fears surfacing far enough through the numbing disbelief to whisper that question.
"You will not need it. Jagspire will be your new world, my family your new family. Everything you could ever desire will be here," Razorwing said confidently.
Tears began to form in her eyes. It was just like Lessa's story! Trapped here, in this place; far away from her home, and her loved ones. Fluttershy couldn't imagine that for herself, and the fear of losing everything she knew bit deep. "My friends, my home!" she whimpered weakly as she was assaulted by the mere feeling of what it would be like to stay here, and never leave.
"I understand, little one," the enormous dragon said, his voice now full of what she recognized as insincere sympathy. "But here you could be taken care of; free of all the troubles of the world, with even your smallest desire granted and simplest fear cleansed. If your friends wish, they can come to my home; your home," he said, his enormous head swinging low on his thick neck, and settling behind her.
She was still frozen in her chair as his hot breath washed over her, his silver tongue uttering even more of her inner thoughts. She could feel it, that dread eye peering into her. Reading her mind, seeking out her fears and desires, and giving him the words to use them.
"With but a single word, you could open the world of dragonkind to Aurus Marz. With my co-operation, the other steadfast ones will swiftly agree to his call for peace. What better gift could you give your friends than a world free from war, safe on all sides? But alas, you fear me so, and my heart breaks for that.
But can you face the alternative? To return to your friends, so powerful and wise, and tell them you failed? Can you bear the sight of their faces as their dreams for a world united crumble down? How will you withstand the shame when they cry out against you, because you are weak?
I can make you stronger. Stay here, with me, and I will give you all the strength you will ever need. The world will be made to know your purity and grace, far more valuable than power in the era of peace that you will usher in. All the stars of the sky and waves of the sea will hear the name, Fluttershy the Brave," he hissed, wearing a sly grin that she could not see as his red eye peered over her shoulder, and into her heart.
She trembled as his words struck chord after chord in her soul. Each syllable was an urging nudge to one of her fears or insecurities, bidding them to rise and overpower her.
"No!" she cried suddenly, leaping from her chair as it tumbled behind her. She whirled and faced him, his white fangs and eerie red eye showing him for what he really was; all the night he had been acting, playing kind because he wanted her. But she could see the monster lurking in his eye, the little bit of his soul revealed there black and twisted with greed and selfishness. "I'll never agree to that!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face.
"My friends love me, and even if I fail they'd never hate me! Aurus will find some other way for peace without you! He always finds a way! You can't have me!" she sobbed, collapsing from a combination of fear and nerves, her momentum spent.
Nethrezir's face twitched with ire, smoke puffing from his nostrils. "You are making a mistake. I can give you everything!" he growled.
"You'll never love me. My friends love me, and here I'd just be your... your doll!" she said, her eyes clenched shut as she curled up, trying her best to defend herself as a black claw reached slowly for her.
"Then perhaps I'll take the decision from you!" Nethrezir roared.
That roar turned to one of pain as one of his metal wings snapped in two, the steel bones swinging down and gashing the arm that reached for Fluttershy. He swiped at the black speck that flew past his head, but badly missed.
Malik landed in front of Fluttershy, hissing loudly and baring his fangs. "Don't you touch her!" he roared.
Fluttershy opened her eyes, recognizing that voice. "Malik?" she asked hopefully, her voice full of the desire to be saved. She realized that it really was him, and that she wasn't dreaming.
"Fluttershy, run," he whispered quietly. "Fly as fast as you can!" Without another word, he launched into the air, flying hard for Nethrezir.
She was stunned as she watched him rush fearlessly into the fight with the great dragon. Her heart trembled, because she knew that he couldn't win. Even Aurus would have little hope against such a mighty foe, she feared. "Malik, stop!" she cried, her only course of action to try and save him.
Now recovered, Nethrezir began to laugh. "Another guest? I did not know that Aurus was so fond of my company!" he chuckled, even as Malik bounced off his thick-skinned face. The great dragon grinned as Malik stared in disbelief at a scale that should have cracked like glass under that magic-fueled assault after what he had done to solid steel.
"A shame that you broke my wing; that will take some time to repair," the dragon chuckled, his voice thick with sarcasm as the broken wing leapt from the floor of its own accord, glowing a pulsing, reddish glow. The broken shards of metal and torn leather wound back together almost instantly.
"You son of a bitch!" Malik roared, rushing back in. He dashed about, blasting with magic and hammering on scaled hide. Every ounce of his fear for Fluttershy and adrenaline for his own life in this fight pushed him on, made him faster, stronger. He knew that he couldn't hope to beat the dragon on his own, but that was beside the point. All he needed was enough time for Fluttershy to get away, far away and be safe.
That thought distracted him a moment as he glanced back, hoping to find her long gone. His heart staggered as he saw her still standing there, looking up at him with tears in her eyes and frozen with worry.
A moment's delay was a moment too long.
Chuckling to himself, Razorwing reacted like lightning, slapping Malik out of the air suddenly with such force that Fluttershy felt the massive table tremble from his impact with its surface. "I would say you are amusing, but I cannot recall the last time a fly entertained me!" the dragon roared, clenching his fist and raising it high. Fluttershy could not see Malik lying in the crater his landing had created, but she could see that Razorwing meant to crush him.
"Fluttershy, run!" Malik groaned as loudly as he could, even as the fist above him came crashing down, his demise certain under such a powerful blow. The fist came swinging down, and time stood still for the pegasus as she prepared to watch her friend die terribly. Something broke inside her, something urging her to save his life any way she could.
"No!" Fluttershy cried, tears of desperation in her eyes. "Stop! I'll stay!"
The hammer blow stopped stark still, the clawed hand withdrawing slowly. "What was that?" Razorwing asked, his tone cruel, clear that he would accept only one answer.
"I'll stay... Just don't hurt him," she sobbed, collapsing to the table once more. "I'll stay..."
Malik bounced and rolled down the mountain path, crying out as pieces of his own broken shell sliced and pierced his exposed flesh. Even so badly injured and bleeding, he rose to his hooves and snarled at the dragon behind him, standing tall before the east gate of Ebonhome.
Razorwing smirked smugly. "Run along, little one. You served your purpose well for me, but you've a new task. Tell your master that he has my thanks for his gift, and that the co-operation of the black dragons is at his disposal."
"You devil," Malik hissed, his voice strained with pain and eyes squinted against the flow of blood. "You call this peace? You think you can get away with this?"
"Yes, to both," Razorwing chuckled. "By all rights I should have killed you. But as a token of my good will to your king, I will let you live, and if you are lucky, he will do to you what I did to Zemin. You attacked me in my home, and if not for Fluttershy, I would have torn you apart. Hope that you die swiftly by your master's will, and that you never have to face me again. Your end would not be so 'peaceful' then," the great black drake chuckled.
"Then you had better be ready," Malik hissed, stopping the behemoth as he turned to enter the gates.
"Oh?" he asked, not turning back to face his adversary.
"I'll come back for her. And it's you who will be torn apart," Malik said, his voice filled with icy determination.
"A strong declaration of war against someone you now have peace with," Razorwing said quietly. "Perhaps you should speak more wisely, lest you spoil everything dear, sweet Fluttershy has won for you."
"I'm not asking for a war. This is between you, and me," Malik said angrily. "I swore to protect her, and I won't give up on that promise until I've fulfilled it, or I'm not breathing!"
"Protect her? Have you not seen? She is mine now, and I protect what I own. You and all the forces of the world could not scratch me. She has never been safer, and so your promise is fulfilled," Nethrezir laughed darkly. "Do not hide behind the mask of some valiant knight. You do not wish to protect her; you only wish to keep her."
Malik choked on his next words, stunned. His pride wouldn't allow it, but he could feel the truth of that statement in his heart. Nothing could hurt her with Nethrezir, save Nethrezir, who valued her too greatly to damage her. He was right; she was safe, and Malik was just pretending. He could never protect her from something like him.
But whether he was the better protector or not, he had sworn to it, and even if a day came where he could no longer protect her, he would still want her, still need her. He stood on shaking legs, his face a mask of determined anger and hate.
"She's not just some thing you can control. Maybe you're right. Maybe I can't protect her; but I'll never know until I try. But I know one thing for certain, Razorwing," he stopped, panting against the pain for a moment. "I want her back, and you will die."
"A duel, then," Nethrezir said, looking over his shoulder. "Very well; whenever you think you can best me, I will be waiting. Come with numbers, come alone; it matters not. Fluttershy will remain in Ebonhome, and you will fail." Without another word, the Master of the North vanished through the massive gates, enormous stone doors slamming shut behind him.
Malik coughed blood and passed out in the cool mountain air, hoping against all hope that he would eventually wake up and not bleed to death.
He had a dragon to slay.

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                      V: A Dire Need                       
//-------------------------------------------------------//
V: A Dire Need
**Warning:* Zecora will make her appearance soon. In this story, she does not always rhyme when she speaks: only occasionally. I will eventually be writing a story in which this gets explained in great detail, but for now please bear with me.*
Thank you, and enjoy the adventure!
____________________________________________________________________________
Malik stumbled through the desert sands. Hot wind stung his exposed and sensitive skin, and his only grace was that the sand and sun had dried and baked his wounds, keeping him from bleeding to death as he traveled. His wings were badly bent, the thin veins inside burst from his impact with the table and then the hard, stone path outside Ebonhome. Walking the great sands of the Enoxxian Wasteland was taking its toll on his wounded body.
He stumbled, groaning weakly as he fell to the hot sand below. His eyes, half shut from exhaustion, pain, and the bright light of day, finally drooped closed as he panted for air. Many moments passed before he tried to stand again, for he knew that to stay down too long meant he would never get back up.
He cried out as something in his back sent slicing pain through his entire being, locking his muscles up tight. He laid back down, fishing with his magic until he had found the cause of the pain; another piece of his own shell, splintered and sharp from his crushing defeat, jammed between his shoulder blades. Gritting his teeth, he yanked on it with his magic until at last it pulled free. He let out a gasp of pain as the wound was exposed to the blazing sun.
Malik threw the bloody shard aside and rose shakily to his hooves again. It was just one of dozens that littered the sands in the miles behind him. He had already spent two days trying to wander home.
He had few options available to him if he meant to survive. One was to return back the way he had come, staying out of the harshness of the sands until he was well enough to travel. But that could take a week or more, and he simply hadn't the time. Unless he got medical attention soon, his wings might never fully heal. The other option was to continue forging ahead. In T'rahk Enox, the mages would be able to accelerate his recovery.
Only one of those options would save Fluttershy. So, with grim determination, he trudged ahead, his breath hot from his exertions and shallow from pain. His throat burned from dehydration, and his tired eyes scoured the sands for a cactus patch, the only source of water available in the harsh an unforgiving landscape.
Many more minutes of hobbling finally moved him into one. Malik rose to break one of the arms off of the tall, water filled plant, only to find that he hadn't the strength to do so. Push and pull as he might, his legs and his magic were too weak to break the tough stem on their own.
Desperate, Malik had to improvise. He looked over his shoulder, bleary eyes trying to focus on the numerous shards of shell stuck into his back. Many were so small that he could barely see them, but one stuck out that was large enough to fit his purpose. Grunting against the pain, he wiggled the sharp, bloody chunk of chitin out of his back and set to work.
Using his own hide he carved away at the cactus, sawing off one of the arms. At last the water came flowing out, and he drank greedily, ignorant of the taste of his own blood that stained the plant's jagged wound. He had to stop as his stomach wrenched, for he hadn't seen food in days. His gut was empty, and filling it so quickly in his weakened state caused it to churn.
He slowed his pace, drinking more steadily until at last the flow stopped.  Unwilling to hack away at another of the water-filled desert-trees, he decided it was best to forge ahead. The faster he reached Cliffcrest Castle, the better.
He had barely made it out of the far side of the cactus patch when he spotted a hazy silhouette on the edge of the small gathering of plants. It was vaguely changeling shaped, and its appearance caught Malik by surprise. He approached it slowly, noting that it did not seem to move, and appeared to be hunched over one of the smaller, ball-shaped cacti.
"A mirage?" he asked himself quietly. He shook his head, realizing that didn't matter. If someone truly was there and he called out, they might be able to help him.
"Is someone there?" he called as loudly as he could, coughing on the words.
The hazy black outline shifted, the head rising and turning his way. He heard a gasp and the sound of hooves pounding his way.
"Thank all that's holy..." Malik groaned, collapsing once he realized that his company was real. Judging by the sound and shape, his savior was obviously a changeling.
"What happened?" asked a panicked female voice, the accent strange and exotic. "A changeling, so far from his home? You are more broken than whole, to be so lost," she said, her face coming near his. She spoke in the pony language, though it was obvious from the way she spoke that it wasn't her native tongue.
What he had first seen as black hide he now saw was striped with grey, the black lines blurring together in the distance. She was some sort of striped pony he had never seen before, but her familiarity didn't matter to him.
"Please... you have to take me back to T'rahk Enox," he whispered quietly.
"Where? How far?" she asked, her voice thick with concern.
"South... I don't know how far. A great city in a canyon. Take me there, ask for Aurus Marz..." he said, feeling his consciousness fading. "Please hurry..."
The pony nodded as his eyes closed, and he could hear her words through a haze of half-awareness.
"Rest your eyes, my changeling friend. It's not today your life will end."
The moon hung high in the sky by the time Zecora had arrived at her destination. She had spent two days fighting Malik's infections and struggling to feed and hydrate the changeling. Since he had fallen unconscious, he had yet to awaken, and this concerned her deeply. Though she did not know him, she could sense that his survival depended fully on her haste.
She had run as hard and as fast as she was able, stopping only to drink or tend to her passenger. At last the city had come into view, and though the hour was late, manners were the least of her concerns as she had loudly cried for help in the changeling streets, demanding to see Aurus Marz, a name she knew well.
The guards led the zebra and her passenger through the gate with all haste, some flying ahead to fetch Aurus. Two guards took Malik from her back, relieving her of the changeling she had been carrying for two grueling days. To her it was a welcome relief, but she could not rest easy until she knew that he would live. She had taken the responsibility of saving his life, and she meant to see it through.
By the time she and Malik had made it inside, Aurus was already waiting for them, his brow creased with worry. His expression only worsened as Malik's bloodstained, but living, body was laid gently before him. He felt his throat clenching as he looked at his damaged friend, but now was no time for grieving what had happened to him. As badly as his heart ached, his duty was to try and save Malik's life.
Applejack, ever-present at his side, put a comforting hoof on his shoulder. With a heavy sigh, Aurus turned to his guards. "Gather as many healers as you can find. I don't care how experienced they are, get them here," he ordered evenly, doing his best to keep his fear from bleeding into his tone.
"An' get Twi," Applejack added quietly, her tone tender compared to Aurus'. The changelings saluted to the couple and took flight through the halls.
It was at Applejack's request for Twilight that Aurus first noticed Malik's savior. "Zecora...?" he asked quietly, his voice thick with disbelief. His stay in Ponyville those many years ago had introduced him to her, and he had kept acquainted with her at least on some level during his many travels through Everfree on his way to Equestria.
"Good to see you again, Aurus," the Zebra replied with a sad smile. "Though I wish I were bringing you better news than an injured friend."
"I'm grateful you brought him here alive," he said with a heavy sigh of relief. "What happened? How did you find him?"
"I don't know what did this to him..." she admitted quietly. "He stumbled upon me while I was gathering cactus flowers, near the borders of Everfree. Lucky for him; the sand would have swallowed him up before he reached this place. His wounds are well beyond my skill to mend," she said with a sigh. "When he asked me to bring him to you, I ran as hard as I could."
Aurus smiled sadly. "I am glad you did... He's a dear friend, and he never would have lived without your help. He'll be safe now, though," Aurus said, striding forward and hugging Zecora suddenly in gratitude. "Thank you."
She hugged him back after only a moment's hesitation, smiling gently. "You are welcome."
Twilight bolted into the room, her mane a mess and tail frazzled from an apparently hasty wake-up session. "What's going on?" she asked hurriedly as changeling medics rushed around her.
Aurus moved aside, letting the healers take Malik. "It's a very long story, I'm sure... and one we won't know until Malik wakes up." His tone was grave, and Twilight understood why as the medical changelings took her battered friend close by. "But I think I have a few ideas..."
"Zecora? What are you doing here?" Twilight asked, recovering from the shock of seeing Malik so mangled.
"I was gathering cactus flowers for my potions. Your friend stumbled into the cactus patch like that. I did what I could to keep the infections from getting worse, but without my poultices or some bandages, there was little I could do," she admitted with a heavy sigh. "I was not prepared to deal with any injuries."
"You did more than enough; more than I would know to do," Aurus said warmly. "He'll live, thanks to you."
"What's going on?" Twilight asked, her tone shifting to angry as her tired brain began to realize that there was something she didn't understand happening. She hated not understanding.
Aurus just sighed, and shook his head. "I don't know all the details, but I could venture a few guesses. We'll have to wait until he wakes up to know."
It was mid-afternoon the day after that horrible midnight awakening. Malik had finally woken up late in the night, demanding to see Aurus. All he'd gotten for all his yelling was food, water, and bed rest though, which only infuriated him further. Aurus had decided against going to see him, assuming that his presence would only aggravate Malik's condition.
For his part, Aurus was doing his best to piece together what had transpired. He had many ideas of what could have happened to Malik, and none of them were pleasant. He and Korrick had debated over it much of the morning in private, but the two had eventually resolved simply to wait for Malik's debriefing.
Zecora had spent the night in Applejack's room, the farm pony being more than happy to accommodate her. Applejack and Twilight were keeping her in close company, doing what they could to make her stay more comfortable and convenient. Zecora was used to the wilds, so a place with such intricate hallways was a maze to her.
Though the normally isolated Zebra didn't seem at home in the castle, Aurus knew better than to expect her to leave, and he certainly wasn't going to ask her to depart after all she'd done for Malik. She was present along with Twilight, Applejack, and Korrick as the small band did what they could to alleviate the feeling of dread permeating the air since Malik's less-than-healthy return.
"You're more than welcome to stay here until you're ready to leave," Aurus explained to her, smiling at his Zebra friend. "I expect you'll want to stay and hear what happened; you deserve that much at least."
Zecora nodded. "I appreciate the hospitality. I am curious to know what could do such things to a creature as durable as a changeling."
"I know precisely what did it," Aurus grumbled, giving Korrick a knowing look. The old changeling nodded, only confirming his fears.
"It seems you were right in the beginning when you said Malik was too hot-headed," Korrick whispered so that only Aurus could hear.
Aurus was about to berate Korrick for jumping to conclusions, but a commotion from outside the room drew everyone's attention, and all but proved the old changeling right.
"Let me in or I swear I'll blow the door off its hinges," Malik growled loudly.
"But sir, you're not fit to be up and-" one guard retaliated, but even an injured Malik was a force to be reckoned with.
A loud thump and the sound of something skidding across the floor resonated from outside, bringing an automatic smile to Aurus' face as he shook his head. Though the situation was far from funny, he could only imagine the scene beyond the door.
The door finally swung open, and Malik hobbled in, his front-right leg splinted and wrapped tightly. The mages had managed to restore his shelled hide at least partially, covering up all of his now-closed wounds. A great deal of bruising hadn't been fixed yet, and the shell was still thin; even so, it was enough to keep the air off of his skin and any possible contaminants out. His wings were likewise mended, the vein system repaired via magic; a simple and common injury in changeling society.
"I've been asking for you all morning," Malik accused.
"And all night, but I expected you to wear yourself out and get some much needed rest," Aurus shot back, his mood returning to its careful balance of concern and curiosity. "Shows what I know. You shouldn't even be up and about after the beating you took," Aurus pointed out.
"Fit enough to throw that guard around," Malik grumbled, but Aurus' amusement on the subject was already spent. Malik could hardly argue his valid concerns, or the look of stern worry on his face. He was only moments away from being ordered back to his bed, he knew.
"Well, good that you're here, I suppose," Aurus said at last, dropping his warning look with a sigh. "You had me scared to death, Malik. What in the hell happened to you?" Aurus asked, all formality gone in his worry.
Malik moved to answer that question, but he choked on it as Twilight spoke up suddenly, her words beating on his heart as thoroughly as Razorwing had beaten on his body.
"Where's Fluttershy?" she asked worriedly, her tone deep with concern.
Aurus sighed loudly; he had hoped to discuss this subject in private with Malik and guard Twilight from it as long as possible, but clearly that wasn't an option. His clever friend had likely worried over it all night.
"I... I failed," Malik said, standing tall and swallowing his pride and his worry, admitting his defeat.
"What happened to her?" Aurus asked sternly, his own worry building, causing him to be harsh with Malik. He felt a twinge of guilt in his chest as Malik cringed under the accusing tone of his voice.
"The price for peace was too steep... Nethrezir demanded Fluttershy herself in exchange for peace with you," Malik said quietly. "He means to keep her prisoner in the north. She refused his terms, and when the dragon lord grew angry, I feared that he would hurt her. But I was a fool," he said, hanging his head and closing his eyes to hide the looks of shame he could feel coming.
"The dragon wanted her so badly, he never would have harmed her. In my fear for her life, I attacked him," he said, his voice a low whisper. "And when I was defeated, she agreed to his demands so that he would spare my life."
The room fell deadly silent. When Malik could stand the dread stillness no longer, he risked a look at his king, the one changeling whose opinion, trust, and love he valued more than anything.
In those eyes he saw anger, disappointment.
"Aurus, I'm sorry..." Malik began, but the King of the Changelings only shook his head.
"You promised me that you would be careful. A shadow on the wall," he said, his tone clearly on the verge of anger. "Tell me, when you attacked him, did you honestly believe that she was in danger? That he meant to kill her?"
It was clear that Aurus' reaction rested on his response. Malik didn't know the answer to that question himself. Why had he attacked? Razorwing hadn't threatened to hurt her. Had he wanted her dead, he simply would have breathed his killing flame, or slashed her to bits. But he had reached for her so slowly, so deliberately. Nethrezir's words echoed deeply in Malik's mind, only further enforcing the truth.
"Protect her? Have you not seen? She is mine now, and I protect what I own. You and all the forces of the world could not scratch me. She has never been safer, and so your promise is fulfilled. Do not hide behind the mask of some valiant knight. You do not wish to protect her; you only wish to keep her."
His pride begged him to lie; to say that he had attacked for just reasons. To say that he had kept his promise, had only been fighting to keep her alive.
"No... he never meant to kill her," Malik said quietly. "I knew from the moment I launched into the fight."
"Then why?" Aurus asked, the dam broken and his anger free. "You swore to protect her, and because of what you've done, now she's in even greater danger than before!" Aurus roared. He strode up to his friend, the friend who had lied to him, who had betrayed his trust. "Why?"
"I was afraid that he would take her away," Malik whispered, his heart broken by Aurus' rage and his own shame. He could not look his king in the eye after what he'd done, knowing that he had betrayed his promise to guard her willingly for the sake of his own heart.
"Selfish," Aurus accused bluntly, his voice now straining for dominance between rage and sadness. "Do you even realize the damage you've caused?" he whispered harshly.
"What would you have done?" Malik asked, suddenly angry. "What if it had been Applejack he wanted? What would you have done?"
That question didn't faze Aurus, only caused his lips to twitch in anger, the king strongly resisting the urge to bare his fangs. "I would have protected her, not endangered her! Negotiated, and if that failed, challenged him for her life. I would have found a way to free her, instead of forcing her to stay for my sake!" Aurus roared. "I would have kept my promise to her. But in the end, it was your selfishness that forced her to protect you. It was your greed that sold her out to the situation she's in!"
"I did challenge him for her life!" Malik shot back.
This backed Aurus off a step. "You what?"
"I challenged him to a duel for her freedom... I'm in no condition to fight him now, but I'm going back. I'm going back again and again, until she's home or I'm not breathing," Malik hissed.
"Malik-" Aurus began, his tone a clear warning. One the shamed and angry changeling steadfastly ignored.
"I'm not done protecting her. I failed her once, but not again. Everything she set out to do, she accomplished... The dragons offer you their peace. But I won't let her stay there, and this is the only way to get her back without ruining everything she worked for."
"You can't possibly fight him alone," Aurus said flatly. "Look what he's done to you once already!"
"Don't you think I know that?" Malik growled, glaring fiercely. "But what would you know of failure? Or shame? Or defeat? How would you ever know what it is like to see the one you love taken away, and feel as if you can't save her?"
The ex-assassin's eyes filled with tears. "You wouldn't know. You'll never understand the fear, the weakness! I've spent the last two years, striving to be like you. Strong, strong enough to protect everyone I care about. But unlike you, I can't," he said sadly.
Twilight gasped, and Aurus' heart sank with guilt. Love? Who could have known that such feelings dwelled within Malik's heart? He was so quiet, so secretive. He had never mentioned it, never shown it, not even to his closest friends. Yet his confession was clear; his heart ached for Fluttershy's return, for it beat with adoration for the shy pegasus mare.
It was more understandable now. Though not forgivable, Aurus could more thoroughly comprehend the fear and anger Malik had felt. Emotions amplified by love were feelings that numbed the mind to reason and stung the heart like shattered glass.
"Malik, I didn't mean..." Aurus started, his anger petering out in the face of concern once more.
"Of course you didn't," his friend said coldly. Malik sighed deeply though, letting it go. "I don't have time for that now. I did this to her, and I'm the only one who can undo it. But even you never faced Gerd alone. I need your help," he whispered.
"You know that I can't," Aurus said sadly.
"Don't you care about her?" Malik asked angrily.
Aurus glared at him fiercely, choking any further accusations with a look of pure rage. "Don't you ever accuse me of not caring for my friends," he hissed lowly. "If I go, then everything she worked for will be in vain. The dragons will declare war on T'rahk Enox. Even if I were to fight Nethrezir and win, what's to stop him from killing Fluttershy if things begin to look dire? Gerd tried to kill Applejack right in front of me when things turned sour," Aurus reminded him.
"His duel is with you; you are the only one he is honor-bound to return Fluttershy to safely," Aurus said quietly. "When you challenged him, you made a much deeper promise to protect her than the one you made to me. One you can't ever fail, or she will never return," Aurus said sadly.
"We need to tell the princesses," Twilight said suddenly. "They would know what to do. Surely Celestia and Luna would be enough help to beat him...?"
"We can't do that," Aurus said suddenly, taking everyone by surprise.
"Not tell the Princesses? But they're Fluttershy's friends too!" Twilight said, stammering from shock.
"They can't know; not unless we have no other choice," Aurus said quietly, sadness clear in his voice.
"Why?" Applejack asked, her tone angry.
"If we tell them, what will they do? Fly out themselves? If they go, the same thing would happen to Equestria that would happen to T'rahk Enox if I went against him. He will declare war on Equestria..." Aurus said quietly.
Korrick picked up his line of reasoning, nodding sadly. "We are allied with the Dragons now... If a war broke out between Equestria and the black drakes of the north, we would have to stay out of it. Siding with Celestia would get Fluttershy killed, and there is no guarantee we could win such a war, even with our combined might. Dragons are powerful creatures."
"Then who?" Malik asked angrily. "I need allies."
"We can't send anyone from T'rahk Enox, nor anyone from Equestria. You are the only changeling that would not complicate the situation, and ponies will arouse immediate suspicion. Fluttershy's life hangs in the balance, as well as her hard-won peace," Korrick put in quietly, realizing that this was far from good news.
"Then... Then let me take Zarkoj," Malik said suddenly.
Twilight gasped, and Aurus could only glare. To ask for that dread stone was an act almost unforgivable in and of itself. Its history was too dark, and its use too great a sin.
"Do you even realize what you are asking for?" he cautioned. "You know I can't give that stone to you, or to anyone. It has a mind of its own, a corrupting will that can't be trusted. Powerful as it is, we are seeking ways to destroy it, not to use it."
Malik ground his teeth in frustration. "Nothing then? You can offer me nothing?" he asked angrily.
"You caused this, and it was you who pledged to fix it. It's you who has forced me into this position; if I could help you, don't you think I would?" Aurus said sadly.
"I will go," came the unexpected lilt of Zecora's voice.
Those in the room reacted with general surprise. "Wait, what?" Twilight asked suddenly, giving the Zebra a very confused look.
"I am not from Equestria. I live in Everfree, so my actions cannot reflect on you," she said with a sly smile. "In such a dire situation, you must look for those who are strangers to help you; the familiar is dangerous here," she pointed out, drawing a nod from Korrick.
"Who else could we possibly send?" Aurus asked the zebra quietly, and judging by her smile it was clear she had an idea.
"I don't think a dragon would raise suspicion. Young Spike is perfect for this mission."

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                  VI: Journey of the Soul                  
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VI: Journey of the Soul
Fluttershy cried as Lessa held her tightly, her claws showing surprising tenderness as they stroked her back. "I was afraid this would happen to you..." the green dragon said, her voice hushed with regret as she squeezed Fluttershy.
"Oh Lessa!" the cream colored pegasus wept. "I had to stay... H-he was going to kill Malik! I don't even know if he's alive!" she sniffed. Though she and Malik had seen one another only seldom, Fluttershy valued his friendship as much as any of her other companions, and her kind heart couldn't bear to see him in the state she had.
His appearance had shocked her. Why had he come? To watch over her? If that were the case, then she was thankful, glad to know that her friend had been near all the while. She didn't mind the thought that he was with her for caution's sake, for everything she had set out to accomplish she had done on her own.
But it had cost him dearly, and her just as much so. Fluttershy had never seen so much blood in her life, and the fear for his survival still clutched her hear and poured her soul into tears. She wished that, for his sake alone, he had never come to this place.
"I know," Lessa hummed quietly, rubbing cheeks with Fluttershy, emerald scales ruffling her tear-stained coat into damp spikes. "You did the right thing. My father is looking for him. Even though he attacked Nethrezir, my dad would still make sure Malik made it home safe. I just hope he finds him," Lessa said quietly, stroking Fluttershy's mane.
"What am I going to do?" the pony asked, curled into a fearful ball in Lessa's arms. "I don't want to stay here, Lessa. I'm happy that the dragons have peace with the changelings, but I need to go home! I miss my friends. They must be so worried," she said sadly, closing her eyes and nestling close.
Lessa sighed. Fluttershy had been unable to sleep since her meeting with Nethrezir the previous night, and the green dragon feared that if she did not sleep soon she would get sick, or do something she would regret in an effort to escape. "If it helps, think of yourself like... my sister. Not a prisoner," Lessa said cheerfully. "We're together in this now, and I'll look out for you. We'll find a way to get you home, I promise."
Fluttershy hiccupped in the middle of her cry, doing her best to nod though every muscle in her body trembled from the fatigue of extended sobbing and long hours without sleep. "Thank you Lessa..."
"It's the least I can do," the green dragon said warmly, setting Fluttershy down in the coil of her long tail. The cream colored pegasus looked at her with teal eyes as big as the moon, still full of tears. "You need to sleep," Lessa encouraged, doing her best to make Fluttershy comfortable.
Fluttershy nodded. "I know, but I... I can't. My heart hurts. I may never see my friends again, Malik might be dead because of me... I can't sleep, Lessa," Fluttershy sighed.
"Then I will make you," the green dragon said quietly, determination in her amber eyes.
"How?" Fluttershy asked quietly.
"By easing the pain in your heart and bringing your mind into the dream world," the dragoness replied. "I don't know what effects it might have, but I can sing you to sleep. The magic of song is our greatest gift," Lessa said, referring to her green lineage. "It's worth trying. I'm not very experienced, but I think I can," she said quietly, her eyes full of pleading.
"Alright," Fluttershy said tiredly, closing her eyes, wanting nothing more than for this to work and end her heartache for a short time.
Lessa waited a moment, gathering the words she would need, and the magic into her lungs, much as the fire-breathers did before spouting flame. But instead of heat came blessed sound, crystal clear and beautiful.
"Sleep gently now, my sister dear,
Your friends may yet be worlds apart
But even here their souls are near,
Beating loudly within your heart.
Your troubles, they are only here,
So let your tired mind depart,
To worlds where there is naught to fear,
With skies like brilliant works of art.
Soar swiftly into quiet rest,
Linger not where heartbreak breeds,
Your heart is that which knows the best,
Which call it most willingly heeds.
You need not feel such emptiness,
Your soul like wind within the reeds,
Shall seek out a more ready nest,
In lands for which your sorrow pleads.
Fly far away from this dark place,
Upon the wings of word and rhyme,
Dry the tears from your tender face,
And return to me again in time."
The green dragon could not guess the effects such strong magic would have on her dear friend's dreams, for each word was heavy with arcane power. The words were her own, the spell unique, and so she couldn't imagine anything beyond what she had intended. To bring Fluttershy to rest, and to give her peaceful dreams of her home, far away.
"Nethrezir..." Lessa growled. "Is there anything you wouldn't ruin, just to have your way?" She eyed the moon high above through the rim of Jagspire, and fell into a slumber of her own, curses for the dragon who had hurt her friend's heart resting on her lips.
Fluttershy winced as sunlight glanced into her eyes, lifting a wing to shade herself. The beam was bluish, not the usual golden light of the sun. Puzzled, she gazed around as her eyes finally adjusted to the bright, pale-blue light.
All around her heat danced in the air, blurring her vision, though she could not feel it. Harsh winds tossed the sand of the Enoxxian Wasteland around her, and through her. Beneath her, a scorpion scuttled through her right foreleg, causing her to cry out in alarm and leap into the air.
Her voice sounded as if it were coming through water, and flap as she might, her wings would not keep her aloft and she drifted slowly back to the blue-tinted sand below.
She didn't understand. The words of a strange song echoed in her mind, and she could just remember falling asleep. In that case she would be dreaming, but it was far too vivid. Every thought was conscious and real, every motion she made hers to command. It couldn't be a dream.
She watched the black scorpion scuttle away, noting with interest that something glowed white in its tiny body. A little ball of something that followed it wherever it went. She trekked closer to get a better look, unsure of what to make of it. It was obvious that the scorpion didn't noticed her as she pressed her face closer. But even so near she was unable to make out what the white thing was.
She gasped suddenly as something else walked through her, collapsing beneath her.
Something larger.
"Malik!" she cried, but her shout came out only as a watery, quiet echo. She tried desperately to touch him, to help him back up, but no matter her efforts she simply passed through him.
She watched in horror as he cried out in pain, trying to stand. She could see the hundreds of shards of shell crammed into his bloodstained flesh, and tears stained her eyes as she watched him yank out a large spike of his own hide, gasping with agony. His voice, too, seemed faraway and quiet, but she could hear him. Her heart burned with pain for him as she watched him shudder back to his hooves, taking heavy step after heavy step.
He wandered, eyes shut as he concentrated all of his effort simply on moving. Now and then he would lift his head and scan the horizon for something. He collapsed again as he stumbled on something, but once more he rose shakily to his legs and pressed on.
He too had a white ball of something in his chest. It looked like water inside a glass ball, constantly swirling and shifting, but even though it was much larger than that of the scorpion, she could still not comprehend what it was.
"Water..." she heard him whisper. "I just need... water."
Realizing there was nothing she could do for him pained her, but she was determined to try something, anything if only to make herself feel as if she were aiding him. She ran far ahead of Malik, looking through the haze of heat. She searched for many minutes, until at last she found one. A cactus patch, the only source of water in the hellish desert landscape.
She rushed back to Malik as quickly as she could. She shouted, pleaded, urged him to head in the direction of the patch that his tired eyes could not see so far away. If he kept going the way he was he would never reach it.
But scream as she might, he could not hear her, she knew. She couldn't feel the tears she knew to be welling in her eyes as she realized that Malik would die unless he reached that patch.
Desperate, she tried to shove him in that direction with all her might, dashing into him as fast as her legs could take her. As she had feared and expected, she simply passed through him, stumbling to the sand she couldn't feel.
A scream of frustration halted on her lips as she watched something spectacular.
Malik, tired and unable to help himself, stumbled in her direction with eyes closed, as if he had been nudged gently.
Fluttershy watched the sand flying about. The wind was blowing the opposite direction, so there was no way it had been a gust. She had done that.
She ran back to him, and pushed him again. Just as before, he reacted, stumbling slightly to his right, and closer to the direction of the cactus patch. Her spiritual body never seemed to tire, and so she hit him again and again, nudging him closer to the salvation, the water he needed.
At last he was on the proper path, and Fluttershy kept near him, steering him now and again anytime he got off course. At last he wandered into the green expanse. She watched with mixed joy and fear as he sawed the limb off the cactus with the shards of his own body. He must have been in such pain, she couldn't even imagine the agony his broken hide and wings were causing him.
But he drank, and he would live. Because of her, Malik would live.
She stayed by him until he rose again, seeming already as if he had more strength. She didn't know if this was a dream, or something more; all that mattered was that she could help him. She would guide him to water over and over if she had to, until the dream ended.
She watched with shock as Malik called out to somepony she hadn't seen standing there in the distance. She was even more shocked to see Zecora there. She heard Malik ask for Aurus, to be taken home. To the relief of her heart, Fluttershy saw Zecora nod, her look concerned. Silently and gently, the zebra began to tend to Malik even as he passed out, yanking out the bits of shell and washing the blood away with cactus juice.
The zebra did many other things, including grinding up cactus flowers with her hooves and mixing the juice into a paste with sand, layering it on his wounded back. Once her work was completed to the best of her ability, she got Malik onto her back and began to run. She ran like the wind.
And like the wind, Fluttershy followed.
Fluttershy watched as the healers did what they could for Malik, mending his wings and cuts, repairing his shell. She had followed Zecora for two days, and had still not awakened from this strange dream, if that's even what it was called. She didn't mind though, for her concern was too great to leave.
Upon arriving she had tried to speak to Aurus, thinking that perhaps one of her more magically attuned friends might be able to hear her. By now she had at least assumed she was witnessing things happening in the real world, though nopony was able to see or hear her. No matter her efforts, even Aurus had been unable to sense her presence.
She knew there was nothing she could do, and so she left Malik in the care of the healers as she went in search of the others. She could still see and hear them, and she wanted to discover what her friends had to say about all of this. She had grown accustomed in recent days to simply walking through things; walls, tables, creatures.
She had figured out that her passage would cause candles to flicker and other small objects, like papers, to get caught in her wake and move about. She had some variable influence on the world around her, though it seemed that in general her impact was very small in this state, whatever it was.
Though her concern for Malik was constant, her boredom during the times whenever everypony else was asleep eventually took hold. She'd done quite a bit of reflection on the little balls of water in everyponys' chests lately, though she was no closer to an answer. Some creatures had white ones, like Malik and Zecora. Some had golden colored ones, like Aurus and Twilight.
Looking at her own chest, she couldn't say that she had one like everything else, but as far as she knew, that was just because her actual body wasn't around.
She rounded the corner into Applejack's room in Cliffcrest Castle, letting the thoughts of this strange view of the world fade. There she found her friend asleep, though her rest was fitful. Zecora was staying in this room as well, it seemed, though many others were available.
Despite her mad dash to save Malik over the last two days, the Zebra was not asleep. She sat on the floor in a small ring of candles, eyes closed and front hooves held above her head. She was whispering something Fluttershy couldn't make out in a language she didn't know.
Inching closer to get a better look, Fluttershy was startled as Zecora opened her eyes and eyed the candle directly in front of her spirit. She looked slowly to the other candles, whose flames were burning tall and steady. But the flame of the candle before Fluttershy was bent, as if by a breeze, pushing away from her essence.
Fluttershy watch in curiosity as the zebra looked at her; or at least roughly, for it didn't seem that Zecora could truly see her. Only that the shamanistic pony knew something was there.
"A spirit comes, or so I see. What soul wishes to visit me? How far are you from your host? Speak with me, oh wayward ghost," the zebra sang calmly, startling Fluttershy.
"But I can't!" Fluttershy said sadly, shaking her head. "Nopony can hear me."
After many moments of silence, Zecora sighed. "Perhaps you are one I cannot hear. Yet the candle finds you. If you are there, and can understand me, bend this flame instead," Zecora said quietly, pointing to the candle on her left instead of the one Fluttershy was at.
Eager just to be heard at last, for the first time in days, Fluttershy did as she was told, moving to the other candle and poking at it with her hoof.
Zecora watched idly as it danced suddenly, the other going still. "So you do understand. This is good, for even if I cannot hear you, we may speak. I can ask you many things, to better understand you. All you must do is bend the flames to answer me. Use the one you are at now to answer no, the first to answer yes. It is simple, but it will work well, I feel," Zecora said quietly.
Fluttershy nodded, thinking that it was a fine idea. It was easy on the both of them, though it would make it difficult for Zecora to ever gather any details.
Or so she thought.
"Are you ready?" Zecora asked.
Yes.
"Good. I have felt you on the wind behind me for many days. You have been following me?"
Yes.
"Are you from this place?"
No.
"Was it me you were following?"
A moment of hesitation followed, though the answer eventually came. No.
"You follow Malik, then?"
Yes.
"His fate concerns you?"
The signal for yes flashed twice, amusing Zecora.
"You are someone who cares for him. A friend?"
Yes.
"Are you dead?" Zecora asked quietly.
Fluttershy didn't know how to respond. Her hoof hovered ready to say 'no', but she didn't honestly know. Was she dead? Or was she sleeping? If this were just a dream she should have woken by now.
"You do not know?" Zecora asked, when her answer didn't come.
No.
"I see. Do you know me?" she asked, changing the line of questioning.
Yes.
"Do I know you?"
Yes.
"You are a pony spirit?" she asked.
The candle for yes flickered over and over as Fluttershy's excitement built. Perhaps Zecora would be able to understand who she was!
"You are Fluttershy," Zecora said at length, this one not a question, but certain. The answer came anyways, the candle flickering like mad.
Yes, yes, yes!
"Applejack has told me of your trek into the north," the zebra said sadly. "Dragon lands can be dangerous. It worries me that you do not know if you are dead or not, sweet Fluttershy. When last you knew, were you safe?"
Yes.
"Then rest your heart on that, for you are likely well. Your spirit is merely lost from its body, but soon it will return. I do not know how you came to be out of your own skin, but if it is some kind of magic, it will wear off eventually. For now, rest easy. Malik is safe. I do not yet know what has happened to him. There is much Aurus has not said to me yet, and I fear we will not know until Malik wakes. Do you know what has happened to him?" the zebra asked quietly.
Yes.
"I see. I am sorry, Fluttershy, but I cannot ask much more of you. I have traveled far and am tired. In the morning I will tell your friends of your visit here and-" Zecora paused suddenly as a candle flickered.
No.
"You do not wish me to tell them?" she asked, puzzled.
No.
"I cannot ask you why; the candles cannot produce such answers. Are you certain you do not wish them to know?"
Yes.
Zecora was a silent for a time, then sighed. "Very well. I will respect your choice, though I do not understand. But for now I must take my rest; there is still much to learn about this, and I foresee that tomorrow will be difficult. I do not know how long your spirit will remain, but I hope it is long enough for you to discover the secrets to come as well," Zecora said quietly.
"Goodnight, friend Fluttershy," Zecora said at last, blowing out the candles.
"Goodnight, Zecora," Fluttershy replied, though she knew it would never be heard. She didn't want her friends to have to worry about her spirit being here. What if they thought she was dead? She didn't even know that herself, and so she didn't want to stress her friends anymore than necessary. They had enough on their hooves with Malik's horrible return.
She departed as Zecora slid into her bed, making her way to Aurus' chambers. It felt good to have talked to Zecora, to anypony after two days of silence. But though Zecora was a kind pony, she was not one of Fluttershy's closer friends. She knew that Aurus couldn't hear her, but she desired the company of one of her dearest companions. Applejack and Twilight were both asleep, but she had not yet checked on the king.
She found him awake, standing and looking out his window to the north. Her spirit took up a place next to him, silent and saying nothing, following his gaze to the top of the world, where her body remained in Ebonhome.
"Oh Fluttershy..." she heard him whisper, and it startled her.
Could he sense her, too? After many moments she realized that it was just coincidence, as he continued.
"What happened to Malik? What's happened to you?" he asked with a sad sigh. "I should never have let you go. I am the one responsible for all of this," he finished, his tone full of remorse and guilt.
"No, Aurus, it wasn't your fault!" she replied, unable to stop herself.
"My desire to protect can only reach so far, it seems. Even a king cannot help his friends far away. I should have kept you close, to keep you safe," he said, his eyes tearing up.
"Aurus..." she pleaded, but he couldn't understand her.
"I'm so sorry, Fluttershy. Please be safe. If anything has happened to you, too many hearts will break," he said, closing his eyes and turning his head from the view in the north for a moment, before he was compelled to look again. He would not sleep this night, Fluttershy knew, for his heart was too full of worry.
So she would stand with him, all through the night.
Fluttershy stood nearby as her friends discussed things. She'd been present for Aurus' early morning, 'private' conversation with Korrick, and she was saddened to find his guesses of what had happened to Malik to be very close to the truth.
She was startled as Malik barged in on the scene, bandaged and only partially healed. She wanted to call out and encourage him to go back to his bed, but knew she could not. To her surprise, Aurus allowed him to remain instead of ordering him away.
She watched with a pained expression as Malik shrank under Aurus' questioning. The ball of light in Malik's chest slowly shifted to a pale green all through the conversation. She wasn't surprised by now to learn he had been sent to watch over her.
But she was startled when Malik admitted that he had attacked the dragon in haste. Why would he do such a thing? Fluttershy had been terrified at the time, had been so concerned for Malik as he rushed into battle. Her legs had shaken, she had been unable to run like he had asked her to. Was all of that really for nothing?
"No... he never meant to kill her," Malik said quietly. "I knew from the moment I launched into the fight."
"Then why?" Aurus asked, the dam broken and his anger free. "You swore to protect her, and because of what you've done, now she's in even greater danger than before!" Aurus roared. He strode up to his friend, the friend who had lied to him, who had betrayed his trust. "Why?"
Fluttershy cringed from the look of rage on Aurus' face as he yelled at Malik. It pained her even more to know that deep down, Aurus was right. Malik's haste had made things even more difficult, but she didn't want to admit that.
She looked on with an aching heart as Malik accepted his shame, his failure, the orb in his chest a sickly green.
"I was afraid that he would take her away," Malik whispered, his heart broken by Aurus' rage and his own shame. He could not look his king in the eye after what he'd done, knowing that he had betrayed his promise to guard her willingly for the sake of his own heart.
"Selfish," Aurus accused bluntly, his voice now straining for dominance between rage and sadness. "Do you even realize the damage you've caused?" he whispered harshly.
"What would you have done?" Malik asked, suddenly angry. "What if it had been Applejack he wanted? What would you have done?"
That question didn't faze Aurus, only caused his lips to twitch in anger, the king strongly resisting the urge to bare his fangs. "I would have protected her, not endangered her! Negotiated, and if that failed, challenged him for her life. I would have found a way to free her, instead of forcing her to stay for my sake!" Aurus roared. "I would have kept my promise to her. But in the end, it was your selfishness that forced her to protect you. It was your greed that sold her out to the situation she's in!"
"I did challenge him for her life!" Malik shot back.
The orb in his chest began to churn out of control, the green color shifting suddenly to gold.
Fluttershy felt her breath catch. Malik had challenged Razorwing to a fight for her life? He couldn't!
"You can't!" she cried, her voice quiet as ever in the spirit world. "You can't, you'll die!"
Aurus echoed her sentiments, but Malik paid him no heed, his anger only rising. The ball of water glowed radiantly, blazing like a sun in his chest as he swallowed the shame and replaced it with righteous anger.
"Don't you think I know that?" Malik growled, glaring fiercely. "But what would you know of failure? Or shame? Or defeat? How would you ever know what it is like to see the one you love taken away, and feel as if you can't save her?"
Fluttershy's world stopped.
"The one you love?" she echoed, unable to believe it. Malik, quiet, confident Malik... he loved her? Was that why he had rushed to save her? Why even as his own death had been ready to crush him, he had begged her to run?
Fluttershy's spirit sank to the floor in shock, her eyes wide as her brain tried to make sense of it. He had always been friendly to her, always polite and ready to help her. They didn't talk much, but now that she thought about it he had always seemed to be around, as if he were waiting for something.
Her heart sank. He loved her, and she had brought all of this on him! Her own feelings were unreachable right now, lost in her regret. She had no idea what she felt for him, too concerned for his life. He only wanted to save her, to bring her home and away from that awful place, but she couldn't allow that. He would die if he came back!
If she had just known, she could have stopped him from following her. If she had realized sooner, she could have saved him from all the terrible things that had happened. Tears welled in her eyes as she blamed herself for all that had befallen him, the one who had loved her and she had never known.
"Malik, don't..." she begged, reaching out for him. "I don't want you to die!"
He couldn't hear her, and she listened with shock as Zecora offered herself to the cause as well.
"No..." she gasped quietly, images of her friends dying at the claws of Razorwing flitting through her mind. Spike's name was added to the list, and Fluttershy's heart broke.
"Please, don't!" she screamed, but her voice no longer sounded silent as the bluish veil of the world around her collapsed into blackness. It shattered like glass, shards of the images raining down around her as the void left behind filled her vision with awful darkness.
With a gasp, Fluttershy woke at last.
Lessa dropped the bowl she was carrying suddenly, rushing over as Fluttershy shot awake.
"Oh Maltirith!" she cried, picking the pony up off the window-seat and hugging her tight. "Oh Maltirith, you're alive!" the green dragon sobbed, hugging her tight.
"Lessa... Lessa, what's going on?" Fluttershy asked, immobilized by the force of the loving dragon's embrace.
"I cast my sleep spell on you, but you wouldn't wake up!" Lessa sniffed, squeezing her again. "I thought you'd never wake up..."
"Lessa, it's okay!" Fluttershy squeaked, not a speck of her cream-colored hide visible in the living, emerald hug that was Lessa. "Lessa I'm fine!"
Lessa dropped Fluttershy as she wriggled to get free of the crushing embrace. Once the two of them had calmed down a little, the female dragon spoke up again. "What happened to you?"
"My dream... It wasn't a dream, it was real," Fluttershy said quietly. "I saw everything... Malik's alive, but something terrible is going to happen," Fluttershy said, her eyes tearing up.
"What do you mean?" Lessa asked, a cold feeling in her stomach as Fluttershy's tone neared panic.
"Malik and my friends are coming back to try and save me. Razorwing is going to kill them!" Fluttershy wailed.
"Oh gods, no," Lessa replied, her gaze faraway as that though struck home. Their deaths didn't concern her personally, but on Fluttershy's behalf her fear and shock were genuine. "What... what can we do?"
After a long silence, Fluttershy's voice broke the stillness, oddly calm.
"Vergoth," she whispered quietly.
"What?"
"Send your dad out to stop them, before it's too late," Fluttershy pleaded. "He can keep them away from here, keep them safe," she said quietly.
"Fluttershy..."
"Please, Lessa," the cream colored pegasus begged, tears in her eyes. "I can't let them die."
The green dragon sighed, and stroked her mane gently. This could be her chance at salvation. The odds were not strongly in favor of her friends, but if they could kill Nethrezir and save her, she would be free. But their lives were of more worth to her than her own, Lessa knew. Just as Fluttershy's life was infinitely precious to her.
"Anything for you, sister."