II. Chapter 21: A blue dragoness

Actually, I don't know what happened. I remember I was o the chariot, on the way to the Griffon Empire. The sky was very cloudy. Something attacked me and the guards. I fell into the ocean, and then... I remember I was lying on the sand. Someone leaning over me, but I saw nothing but the blue silhouette.

I was very weak and felt that I was lying on something hard. I began to open my eyes slowly, and then I felt growing chest pain. I slowly got up to a sitting position, although it was really difficult because I felt very weak. I looked around the place I was currently in. It was a cave. I lay on something like a stone bed and I was covered with some blanket. In the middle of the cave, there was a dying fire on the fireplace. I rubbed my eyes, but everything was still blurred. I turned my head towards the entrance to the cave and I saw that someone stood there and slowly approached me. I was a bit scared, I tried to get up, but I couldn't. I quickly moved backwards to the wall. I clenched my eyelids because I felt a sudden pain in my chest which was still growing.

I heard then when someone ran up to me. I moaned softly in fear. - "Hey, easy. I will not hurt you. Don't be afraid. " - That's when I looked at her. It was a dragoness. Her scales were blue, she had a pair of wings, she had several spikes on her head, which were in a slightly darker shade of blue. She also had two horns, while her eyes were red-orange. She was significantly higher than me. If I stood by her, my head would be at the height of her arm. - "How are you feeling?" - She asked, smiling at me reassuringly.

"Who are you?" - I asked, staring at the dragoness with a little fear. I remembered what Rainbow Dash was saying about dragons. She said that if I met one of them, I wouldn't be glad. I didn't care so much about her words then, but now I see that she was right.

"I'm Ember. What's your name?"

"Colin..." - I said still being against the wall. Ember seemed to be nice, but I didn't know if I could trust her. Rainbow Dash said that if a dragon is nice, it's only pretending.

"How are you feeling?" - She asked, touching my forehead. - "Wow... You're so cold." - She said looking at me anxiously. I swallowed. I didn't say anything. - "I found you on the beach, you were unconscious and you probably drank some sea water." - That could be an explanation for my chest pain. - "Oh... and I found it." - She said, reaching for something that lay on the ground next to a stone bed. Ember was holding a silver necklace with a half-moon, which I got from Luna. - "It's yours?"

I nodded uncertainly. - "This is a gift from my mom..." - Ember gave away my necklace, which I put on my neck. - "Thank you..." - I started thinking about Luna, who probably thought now that I was missing. If she really thought so, she wasn't wrong, but... She might think I'm dead too. It's exactly the same with Nightmare Moon, who was like a mom for me too.

"So... I asked you how you feel. You should answer." - She smiled a little bit ironically at me.

"My chest hurts a bit, and... I feel weakened."

"I'm not surprised. After all, you've been unconscious for quite a long time."

"How long?"

"I don't know... About thirty hours." - I was surprised. Did I really sleep so long? - "Actually, what are you?" - Ember asked, taking my hand and she beginning to look at it. I took her quickly. She sighed. - "I know that you are afraid of me, but I will not hurt you. Don't be afraid, it's okay, see? I saved you from certain death."

She was right. I decided to loosen up a bit. - "I..."

"Well?"

"I'm a human, you probably haven't heard about something like that."

"Yeah, you're right. How old are you?"

"I'm thirteen."

Ember smiled. - "We are at a similar age. I'm fifteen." - She approached and sat next to me. She picked up the blanket and then she covered me with it. - "Nights are quite cold here, and soon the night will come."

"Actually, Where am I?"

"Well... We're in Dragon Lands, and you... You're lucky that no other dragon found you." - She said, touching my forehead again.

"Why?" - I asked.

"Well." - Ember took her hand. - "Most dragons aren't like me. Believe me, if another dragon found you, he would probably kill you, or... He probably could do something worse. Actually... How did you get here?"

"I was on way to the Griffon Empire. I wanted to meet with my friend Ashley. She is human too."

"Hmmm... And where are you from?"

"I'm from Equestria. I got there about two months ago."

"So... You're not from here?"

"No."

Ember looked at me with a slightly sad look. - "Tell me, who exactly is your mom?"

"I... She was a human too, but... She's dead for two months."

"Oh my... I'm sorry..."

"It is okay."

"And you are alone now?"

"No. I have a new mom."

"Aaand... Who is she?"

I was afraid to answer. I did not know how she could use the information that I was the son of Princess Luna herself. I preferred not to say anything.

"Okay, it doesn't matter, if you don't want to say, fine." Ember looked at the cave entrance, just as I did. It was already quite dark outside. She stood up and approached to the dying bonfire then she took a breath and then she breathed fire, and the bonfire started to burn again. Ember sat down by the fire. I got out of bed and I sat down next to her and she embraced me with her wing. We sat in silence for a few minutes, but after a moment Ember broke the silence. - "My father doesn't know you're here." - She said, looking at me with sadness.

"This is bad?"

"Well... A bit yes. You know, my father is a dragon lord and he rules all dragons." - I looked at her with surprise. I realized that I was in the company of the dragon lord's daughter. Ember, seeing my surprise and smiled slightly. - "Come on. Bow me, I am your princess."

"Uhmm, I..." - I stammered.

At that moment, the dragoness laughed. - "Oh, I was joking. It's okay, geez. It's so easy to embarrass you, little one."

"I'm not little."

"But for me you are. I'm taller than you and... I'm older than you."

"Ehh, okay..."

"But you know what that means?"

I looked at her, my right eyebrow raised.

"It means that you have to listen to me. I'll tell you something, you don't look good, so as your princess, I order you to rest." - She said a bit imperiously.

"But..."

"No, kid. You are much weakened, what I see. If you will feel better, I will lead you to the Griffon Empire, okay?" - I sighed and I nodded. "Okay, we'll sit here a little bit more, then we go to sleep. It's late anyway."

"O-okay..."

"And relax, kid. You're safe, at least... With me." - I nodded lightly. Ember touched my forehead again. - "Well, you're not so cold anymore. Will be fine." - She smiled at me, friendly.

We sat together around the bonfire and this time in silence. After some time, I was a bit sleepy and I don't know when I just fell asleep. When I woke up, I saw Ember lying on the floor near the exit of the cave. The bonfire itself wasn't burning. I uncovered a blanket. I took it and I covered her with it because it was quite cold. I sat next to her, the blanket was quite large, I was able to cover myself too. I was sitting there, I looked at the night sky. I was thinking about my moms. Luna and Nightmare Moon. If they learn that I had an accident while on my way to the Griffon Empire, they were probably worried about me now. The worse thing is that, if they thought I'm dead, they would break down. Several tears flowed from my eyes at the thought. I dropped my head down and I wiped my tears, then I looked at the night sky again. - "Goodnight Luna. Goodnight Nightmare Moon. You're the best moms in the world, I love you..." - I said and more tears flowed from my eyes. I missed them, and at that moment I was helpless. I could say Ember about it. I could tell her that I'm a prince, but I didn't know if I could trust her. She could use this knowledge for her own purposes. For now, I preferred to be quiet. After some time, fatigue took over me. I lay down beside the dragoness and I just closed my eyes. The ground was very hard and uncomfortable, but at that moment I didn't care. I just wanted to fall asleep, and when I wake up, it will turn out to be just a dream.