A Dance of Flamesby Bronze InkwellChaptersMistakes were madeMeeting a Dragon. Best, day, EVER!Meeting SmolderGetting help from pony royaltyWarning: Sleeping HumanMistakes were madeThe two men stood at the base of the volcano, the experimental heat reductions suits or HR suits equipped to them. While it wouldn’t allow them to directly touch magma/lava, it would allow them to get closer than any other HR suit before. “Ready to become the first people to stand inside an active volcano Rick?” Asked the shorter of the two. Under the suit, he had black hair with a pair of contacts that couldn’t be seen unless he took them off. This man’s name Johnathan Ford, he stood at 5 foot 8 inches. He had a slightly tan skin color. He was a scientist that studied, you guessed it, volcanoes. “You bet Johnny Test.” Said the other taller man. He stood at 6 foot even and had flaming red hair. He had a few freckles that spotted his cheeks. He didn’t need glasses but had a bandana around his neck. It was of a blue dragon spitting red-orange flames. This was Richard Morrow, he was an explorer that had been on many expeditions for National Geographic. They were friends since their childhood but had slightly drifted apart when they went to different colleges. John had earned the name Johnny Test from when the two went trick or treating one year. He had dressed as Johnny when a dog that had a similar look to Dukey had come up to him and acted like he was John’s dog. John groaned at the nickname. “Come on dude, that was years ago! Even if I didn’t mutate the dog into talking and extending his life, we didn't keep him.” John playfully nudged Rick. Rick chuckled and began to lead John up the volcano. While they went up, the ground would crumble from small shakes every once in awhile. “Uh, Rick? I think we should turn back now. I think the volcano is becoming unstable.” John said over the radio headset that was in the suit. “Come on, it’s now or never John!” Rick replied to John’s worry. Even if they were rightly placed. The two continued to climb even as the rumbling increased in power and frequency. It wasn’t until a particularly powerful quake did John speak up. “That’s it Rick! I’m going back, I’m not risking my life for this!” John said as he began to climb back down. Rick rolled his eyes and continued going up, the ground getting steeper and steeper the higher he went. When he got to the top he looked down into the bubbling magma that was inside the volcano’s center. It was about a half mile down. If Rick knew anything about volcanoes, the magma should be a lot higher than what it was right now. He got the one of the pickaxes and cable that was attached to his suit that was made to withstand the same temperature as the suit. Rick wrapped the cable around a huge boulder and began to climb into the volcano. He went down, and down, and down. That was, until he came upon an empty magma tube that was in the side of the volcano. He swung into the tube and detached the cable, wrapping it around the pickaxe before he put in the wall. He walked down the tube until he saw something glint in the walls. He smiled and got out the other pickaxe he had. He aimed carefully and began to mine the diamonds. This was one of the reasons he did this. He not only wanted to be the first person to be in a volcano, but the one to get a diamond bigger than the Hope Diamond, the biggest diamond ever found. Distracted with his work, he failed to notice the light coming from behind him. It was only when he got the diamond from the wall did he notice it. He gasped and ran up the tube, running from the magma as it chased after him. He kept running even as the whole volcano began to shake. He turned his head back only to see the magma was right behind. A few more feet and his goose was cooked, lIterally and metaphorically. He pushed himself to go faster when he saw the end of the tube. He ran and ran until the end was covered in magma and began flowing towards him from in front and behind him. His eyes widened and he began to cry. "No... This can't be how it ends!" The suit could withstand magma, but only for a minute before it was incinerated. He clenched the diamond within his hand and pushed himself into the magma. It was like wading through extremely hot clay. If that makes any sense. He could tell the suit was beginning to melt so he stopped. He knew it was over. He looked at the diamond in his hand and clenched it in his gloved hand. Tears began to leak from his eyes as he accepted his death. ~Pov. Change: Dragon Lord Ember~ I sighed as I twisted the scepter in my claw. To most I would seem bored, but in reality, I felt lonely. I guess it was true what those ponies say, 'it's lonely at the top'. I looked at the scepter in my claws and sighed once more. I flew up and through the top of the my den and just flew. If some dragon needed me, they could wait till I returned. I just flew and flew, just thinking about nothing and everything as I flapped my wings. I was so focused on it, I missed the clouds floating towards me. It wasn't until the flash of lightning and sound of thunder did I notice I was flying in the middle of a lightning storm. I turned to fly back but every direction looked the same. I would have flown down but with a flash and a bang, my wing exploded with pain as I was struck by lightning. I began falling out of the sky as I began to lose consciousness. Before I could hit the ground though and possibly fall to my death, I felt something collide with my side and something wrap around me as whatever had saved me was sliding along the ground. But with that, I became unconscious. ~Pov. Change: Rick Morrow~ My eyes fluttered open as I felt something wet drop on my head. I grunted and shrugged it off before there was another, and another, and another, before a whole torrent of rain crashed on my body. My eyes snapped open as I bolted up, now without the suit and wearing my normal clothes. I didn't remember ever taking the suit off and then it clicked. ‘I died... hadn't I? That lava should have killed me.’ I looked around frantically and saw that the diamond I had gotten from the volcano was on the ground, only a few feet away. I didn't care at that moment as I patted myself down. “I'm alive... ha, I- I'm alive, hahahaha! I'm alive! Wooow! Take that Jonathan! Yeah!” I cheered in the rain. I relished the feeling of it till I saw a flash of lightning which was quickly followed by a crash of thunder. “Shit!” I cried out as I snatched up the diamond and ran to find any possible shelter. The only thing I was able to see were mountains about a half mile away. While it was night time the moon still gave off a considerable amount of light that allowed me to see, even with the storm clouds, somehow. I didn't understand science, just survival tactics and such. And lightning was definitely not good for my health. It was then when I saw the figure flying in the sky, carrying something that looked like a weird mace. It was flying frantically in the air as it tried to get away from the storm but the lightning won and struck one of its wings. The wing tucked in, most likely in pain and whatever it was began to fly in a downward spiral. If that thing didn't die from the lightning, it was going to die from that fall. Without thinking, I ran to where that creature would land and I was only a few feet away when it was almost a foot from the ground. I jumped with all of my leg power and tackled the thing out of the air, my arms wrapping around it and the thing it was holding as I turned so my back hit the ground. The air was pushed from my lungs as I laid there with the scaly creature in my arms. The scaly creature that was breathing. The scaly creature that was breathing and had wings. The scaly being that was breathing, had wings, and was unconscious. If the wings and scales didn't tell me this was a flying reptile, nothing would. And that leads to one of two things, a pterodactyl, or a dragon. It couldn't have been a dinosaur as it had a very different shape to the bone structure that I had seen in a museum, so it must be a dragon. Though, now that I was up close, I could see the dragon had a bit of femininity to it. It had a small waist and feminine eyes and her chest was a bit elevated but had no breasts or nipples. Just scales. It's hips were also a bit feminine. But it's scales were beautiful in my eyes. A rich vibrant blue of the likes I had never seen from my world. In total, this was a gorgeous creature. I grunted and picked her up. I heard a thump and saw a crystal scepter. It had a huge ruby, the size of which I had never seen before. It was held in a darker crystal claw that looked like a dragon claw. It was laying right next to the diamond I had dropped so I could catch this creature. This thing must have been important to the creature in my arms so I picked it up and laid it across its chest. I also picked up the diamond and put it with the scepter. With that, I resumed my trek to the mountains, all whilst trying not to be bit by the wild lightning. Meeting a Dragon. Best, day, EVER!Finding a cave was easier said than done. I had to be sure the cave I found wouldn't be covered by a mudslide. These mountains looked pretty bare of trees so I had to be careful. And with the ground being so dry, I had to watch for mud, or flooding. Yeah, a good shelter is hard to come by, especially when it comes to mountains during bad weather. I ran as fast as I dared without dropping the dragon, diamond, or crystal mace/scepter. When I got to the base of the closest mountain, I found a cave a few feet above ground. Still no trees, but it would have to do. I hefted the dragon up onto the ledge before climbing up myself. I got the two of us into the cave and laid against a stalagmite with the dragon on top of me. I would have tried to start a fire, but with no wood, it wouldn't do any good to even try. I wrapped my arms around the dragon. Though, I couldn't tell who was trying to warm up who. The dragon was incredibly warm, even if it was wet. Soon, I fell asleep, forgetting to take off my wet clothes. The next morning, I woke to the sounds of grunting. I looked down to see the dragon trying to remove my arms without waking me, but was having a hard time doing so. When I saw what it was trying to do, I let it go. The dragon jumped up and spun around to look at me. When it saw me, it's eyes widened. We started at each other for what seemed like hours. Then I broke the silence by saying. "Uh, Hi there?" I say a little nervously. It looked around before picking up the mace and diamond. "Is… this for me?" It asked looking at the diamond. It's voice was female and based on the way it's body was shaped, this was a female dragon. "Uh, I mean, I don't know where I am or the value of that thing so… screw it. Go ahead." I said waving her to go ahead and- *CRUNCH* She… she just took a bite out of the diamond like it was an apple. What. The. Fuck. "Mmm, thanks. I really needed that." She said after finishing off the diamond, licking her fingers. I was still brain dead. She just ate a record breaking diamond. I mean, breaking a diamond is almost impossible, but Jesus fucking Crist, how the hell can she eat diamond?! "Are… are you okay?" She asked. I wheezed for a few seconds before finally finding my voice. "You… ate… diamond… like… nothing. But wha-? How-?" Then I fainted. (POV shift: Ember.) I watched as the creature slumped over, fainting. Guess he's never seen a dragon eat diamond before, based on what he was trying to say. I walked closer to the creature and looked him over. He was tall, most likely bipedal, had no fur or scales, a kind of flat face compared to most of the species that live on Equis, he had hair on top of his head and on his face that was a fiery red. A few spots were around his face and he had a piece of cloth around his neck. It had the image of a blue dragon spitting orange red flames. I reached a claw out and cupped one of his… things. It was very soft compared to my scales. The tips had a harder part on top. He had two and each one had five… extensions that had the hard tip. He had a shirt and pants on but the pants had pockets. I reached into one and took out something that felt like leather. I opened it up to see green parchment, a few cards made of a material I don't know of. One had a miniature picture of the creature in front of me but a lot younger. I closed it and put it back before going to the exit of the cave. My wing was fine, my scales protecting me fairly well. The shock of it though was what made me fall. I was about to take off when my thoughts went back to the creature. He had saved me, fed me, and what would I do in return? Abandon it. Guilt began to claw at my heart before I got an idea. I raised the Dragon Scepter and began to focus on calling a dragon. A few minutes later, a rather large green dragon with light green scales comes flying down into the cave. "You called for me Dragon Lord Ember?" She asked. "Yes Emerald, I need you to carry him back to my horde." I tell her. She raised an eyebrow and looked to the creature that was still fainted. Emerald raised an eyebrow and nudged the creature. "This scrawny piece of meat? I fail to see how useful he shall be." I glared at her and she shrugged, picking him up with a claw and setting him on her back. Together, we flew back to the Dragon Lands and to my horde. Emerald set him down on a pile of gold coins before leaving. I sat next to the creature and played with his hair. It wasn't like pony hair as it was slightly coarse. It actually felt pretty good against my scales. A few minutes later, he began to awaken. "Wakey, Wakey, Sleepy head." I teased as I stood. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his back. It was then that I saw he had been laying on a rather pointy gem, that now had some dark red blood on it. I winced as he removed his hand from his back and saw it had some blood on it. I went behind him and saw his shirt now had blood stains. He removed his shirt and wrapped it around him, putting pressure on the wound. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know that the gem was there." I said apologetically. He turned to me and took a few deep breaths before saying. "It's- It's alright. I don't think it'll get infected. Um, who are you? And where am I?" He asked looking around my cave that was lit up by lava falls. Lava poured from the walls into a canal outside that led to pools of lava. "You are in the Dragon Lands or more specifically, my Horde. I am Dragon Lord Ember, and what is the name of my savior?" I ask as I stood once more. "Um, it's Richard, Richard Morrow. But most just call me Rick." He said as he tried to stand but slid down the mountain of gold to the bottom where he stumbled to his feet. I glided down and landed beside him. "You alright?" I asked looking up at him. He was a whole head taller than me, but I was used to that. "Uh, yeah. It's just, I've never talked or even seen a real dragon before." He said looking at me, or more specifically my claws and teeth nervously. "Really? Well what about that cloth around your neck, with the dragon." I said pointing it out. "I had gotten this for my birthday. I think the reason I have never seen a dragon before is because I'm now in a different world." He explained. My eyes widened at that, if that was true, then the pony comic books had it wrong about what aliens looked like. Spike had shared some with me, and I had taken a liking to them. I had them hidden in the back of my horde so nodragon could see them. "Well then, let me be the first to welcome you to the world of Equus." I said smiling. In the back of my mind, I was hoping he didn't have mind control powers or a hidden laser gun. "Well, thanks. I guess. So, your a leader of this world? Guess I can't make that joke." He chuckled a bit. Now I was curious, what was the joke he was going to say. "What is the joke?" I ask, tilting my head to the side. "In movies back on my world, the aliens would say, 'Take me to your leader Earthlings.' or something like that." He had made his voice sound as high pitch as possible when he said 'Take me to your leader Earthlings.' I looked at him and giggled. "Heh, that does sound pretty funny. Anyway, I'm just one of the leaders, if you can call me that. There is King Thorax, the King of the Changelings. Queen Novo and Princess Skystar, the rulers of the Hippogriffs/Seaponies. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight, the rulers of Equestria. Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor, the rulers of the Crystal Empire. Lord Rutherford, ruler of the Yaks. There are some others, but can't think of them off the top of my head at the moment. He blinked at the amount of rulers there are. "That's just… wow. The only Royalty I have ever met were ancient dead ones in tombs and temples." "Tombs? Temples? So your kinda like Daring Do?" I asked a little excited. Rainbow Dash had introduced me to the stories and I was instantly hooked on them. The books were hidden along with my comic books. "If that's this world's version of Indiana Jones, then yes. I suppose you could say that." I squealed in excitement before realizing I had done that in front of him. I blushed and rubbed the back of my head. "Hehe, sorry about that. I've never met somedragon that does things like that and I got a little, uh, what does Pinkie call it? Fanfilly? I don’t know.” He chuckled and waved it off. “It’s fine, I’ve met a few of my fans and they had the same reaction you did.” I nodded in understanding. “So what adventures have you gone on?” I asked like a whelp getting to eat a gem for the first time. “Hmm, well, there was this ancient Aztec Temple. I had accidentally set off one of the few traps that still functioned and found myself trapped inside with less than ideal supplies. Food to last me the night, some Rope, a Flare gun, and a Canteen. I had packed light as I thought it was going to be a, ‘Get in, take a look, then get out.’ kinda deal. So, using what little knowledge of the Aztec architecture I had, I knew there had to be another way out.” We took a seat on some gold and he continued his tale while I listened in earnest. I was so transfixed, that I didn’t notice the dragon enter my cave. “Ha, what the heck is that? Some kind of furless monkey?” Said a quite annoying voice. I groaned upon hearing it. “What do you want Garble?” I asked, annoyance clear in my voice. Too bad Garble was too thick headed to hear it. “There was talk about some new creature you found, and I wanted to see it. But if that,” He pointed at Richard. “Is all it is, then I’m outta here. But first, think fast!” Garble yelled, throwing a lava ball at Richard. Richard put his hands up and to all of our surprise, the lava ball hit him but he was completely unharmed. He had told me he had burned himself on multiple occasions, but that was usually when he was trying to make a fire in the wilderness and it was a very minor burn. Richard looked over himself and seeing there wasn’t any damage, grinned viciously. “Alright, my turn.” Richard went right up to Garble and to my shock, and slight joy, punched him right in the face. Garble stumbled back in pain as he held his muzzle. When he removed his hands, a few teeth were missing with blood leaking from his nostrils. Richard quickly moved behind Garble then put him into a sturdy head lock. “Surrender yet ya red fuck?” Richard growled as he tightened his hold, making it hard for Garble to breath. “N- Nev- ack! Okay, okay, I surrender!” Richard threw Garble to the floor and glared at him. “Next time, I’ll show you what a human can really do when you piss ‘em off. Now get you bleeding varmint.” He said kicking Garble towards the exit in a voice reminding me of that orange pony with that hat. Garble weakly stood and limped outside. He then turned to me with a sorry look. “Sorry you had to see that, I just hate it when someone disrespects someone else.” I smiled and responded. “It’s fine, dragons are used to small fights but next time, try not to actually hurt them. Most of the time it’s just two dragons seeing who is stronger, not actual violence.” He looked at me and smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his next. I couldn’t help but think. ‘How can he be so adorable?’ I had to blink mentally at that. ‘Why did I think that?’ “Heh, heh, didn’t know that. I’ll be sure not to mess his bread and butter up too bad next time.” Meanwhile with Garble and Smolder… “A- And then, he began choking me. I honestly thought I was gonna die.” Garble said looking at his shaking claws. “It’s alright Gar-Gar. Now you know not to piss him off. Still, if that creature can take you down, I hate to imagine making a real enemy of him. It’s best if you try to make things up with him.” Smolder said rubbing Garble’s back. “I know it seems like a pony thing, but trust me, it’s better to have friends than enemies.” Garble nodded at that, agreeing with Smolder’s logic. “I hate it when what they teach you at pony school makes sense.” Garble grumbled. Smolder just giggled and playfully punched his shoulder. “Come on Gar-Gar, let’s go talk to this Richard thing.” Garble let his younger sister drag him to Ember’s hoard, really not wanting to meet Richard again. Meeting SmolderThe entire way back to Ember's horde, dragons stared and pointed at Garble. Whispering to each other. The thing that made them back off was Smolder when she glared at them. When they arrived in the cave, Ember and the human was laughing uproariously. "A- and then, he was thrown off the ship!" Richard and Ember laughed even harder as they held their stomachs. "A- and their s- still friends?" Ember asked as she tried to calm down their breathing. "As impossible as it seems, yes. And that was just one episode! There are over 100 more. Maybe even 200." Richard said as he got his breathing under control. "Wow, if that was just one, I can't imagine what they do to each other in the others." Ember said when she finally noticed the confused Smolder and Garble. "Oh, hello Smolder." Ember chirped as she waved at the smaller orange dragoness. This made Richard look up and wave at Smolder as well, completely ignoring Garble. Smolder waved back with a smile. "So, your Richard, huh?" Smolder asked as she flew around him. Richard nodded with a little smile. "Yep, but most just call me Rick." Richard waved off the use of his full name. "I was just telling Ember one of the comedy TV shows back where I'm from." This confused Garble and Smolder to the max. "TV? Where your from?" Garble and Smolder asked at the same time. Richard just nodded. "Yeah, oh wait, I never explained that stuff to you. Hmm, okay, let me think… So a TV is like a book. But, you don't have to read it because not only does it tell you the 'story', it also shows you what is happening, like a picture. But the picture is always moving. There are multiple types. Animation, CGI, and Live action. "Animation is a bunch of pictures, compiled together into a seemingly seamless image that is always moving. There are 24 frames, or pictures, every second. Each one is a slight adjustment of the last. Live Action is actual people doing actual things that are recorded, edited, and given to some people to 'publish' it to the wide world. "CGI stands for Computer Generated Images. It means that when making a movie or show that is a Sci-Fi or Horror genre, or things like that, they put realistic animations into the final product of the movie or show." Richard's explanation raised more questions than solved them. "I don't think they understand, nor did I." Ember said, looking at him a lot more confused than when he explained it to her earlier. Richard just shrugged. "Eh, I tried. I'm not a scientist so I can't give you an exact explanation. To be completely honest, most of the world's great achievements is because of the people with the big brains. I mean, how do you think we got someone onto the moon?" Smolder was the one to speak up at that. "It can't be that hard, right? I mean, Princess Celestia sent Nightmare Moon, who was really Princess Luna, who was consumed by black magic, to the moon by using the Elements of Harmony over 1,000 years ago." Richard just looked at her and shook his head. "Great, now I have pony Yodas in my head." Richard said as he rubbed at his eyes while he pinched the bridge of his nose. "So let me get this straight, using magic, one pony sent another to the moon because that other pony threw a temper tantrum… Damn, and I thought Hitler was a douche." More weird looks were given to the injured human. "Uh, yeah. I guess. Though I don't think Headmare Twilight would like your summarization." Richard just shrugged nonchalantly. "Well you can tell her that I don't have a fuck to give." Ember let out a giggle at that. Richard let out a chuckle as well. Richard stood and held out a hand. "Either way, nice to meet you." He held out his hand, but it was covered in blood. Richard noticed this and cursed. "Sorry, Smolder." Richard apologized as he looked for something to clean his hand. Seeing nothing, he wided what he could off on his pants leg. He then held it out again, only slightly red as not all the blood had been cleaned off. "Uh, it's fine." Smolder said giving the hand a weary look. Richard saw this and put it back to his side. "It's nice to meet you too. I have to say, I've never met anything like you before, what are you?" Smolder asked, looking over his taller form. "I'm a human, but by that reaction I'm guessing that none of you ever even heard of a human before, have you?" Ember and Garble shook their heads at that. Smolder had a look of concentration though, trying to remember something. "Actually, I might have, but I don't remember from where." Richard's eyes widened at that. "But like I said, I don't know where. I think Sandbar would know better than I do. I'll introduce you to him sometime." "Ah yes, I almost forgot. When I next head to Equestria, I'll take you with Richard." Richard nodded with a smile. "That sounds great, can't wait. But do you know if they have hospitals there? I think I need to visit one soon." He said gesturing to the dried blood on some of his cuts that were still slightly oozing blood. Ember nodded. "They do. But if you need to visit one as soon as possible, I suggest we go now." Ember said before tapping the scepter on the ground. Soon, the same dragon from before walked through the entrance of Ember's cave. "Yes my Lord?" The green dragon asked in a female's voice. "Yes, We're heading to Equestria but Richard is too heavy for me to carry for such a long distance. I hope you won't mind carrying him again." The green dragoness bowed. "Of course not my Lord." She got down so her belly was touching the rocky ground. Ember helped Richard get onto the larger dragon and soon the four of them left for Equestria, Garble staying behind as he had been ordered to watch over the dragon eggs. During their flight, Richard told them about many things from his world. "So let me get this straight." Smolder asked, looking at him in wonder. "Humans have no magic, but to make up for that you advanced in technology. So much so that you have put a human on the moon which is over 300 thousand miles away?" "That's the long short version of it, but yes. Now adays you can't meet someone that has some kind of technology on them or in their home." Ember whistled at that. "Wow, your world sounds amazing." But that only made Richard frown. "Yeah, that's all the good things. The bad side of technology… it's devastating. For an example, we have a bomb that is over a thousand times more powerful than a stick of dynamite." The two looked at him in horror. "Now imagine a set of mountains. Launch that bomb and… no more mountains. "And I haven't even gotten to the after effects of such a powerful bomb. The materials used to create such a bomb leaves what is called, Radiation. A Power Plant that used to make electricity from the same material had a malfunction that made the surrounding area uninhabitable for years. Only now is the area a bit safer to go through. But the effects of the bomb is estimated to last one, if not several lifetimes. "The area from the first bomb is still treated like the plague, no one wants to go there because the Radiation will kill you. If not, then make you so sick that you'll eventually die, no matter what." Even Emerald looked at Richard in pure shock and horror. "Oh Creator above, why would anyone want to make such a weapon?!" Smolder said, tears in her eyes. "Easy, to show how easy it is for one to dominate another. That bomb ended a long bloody war. And everyone has been too afraid to go into another war for fear of nuclear obliteration. In the words of some long dead guy, 'It is better to be feared, than loved.'" They all stayed silent after that, the rest of the flight in utter silence. The only thing breaking said silence was the flapping of Emerald's wings and the rushing wind as it passed by them. Soon they could see the coastal city of Baltimare. They flew over it, Richard looking down as the colorful shapes below blurred by underneath them. "So, where are we going?" Richard asked as they flew towards a distant mountain. If Richard squinted he could barely make out a shape on the side of said mountain. "We're heading to Canterlot, you'll get the best medical treatment there." Ember answered as Smolder's eyes widened. "Canterlot!? But that's where Princesses Celestia and Luna are. Why not Ponyville? Princess Twilight could get him help at Ponyville general." Smolder asked looking up at Ember with slightly pleading eyes. "Sorry Smolder, but this is for Richard. Maybe we can visit after Richard heals up some." Ember said as she put a claw on Smolder's shoulder. That seemed to placate Smolder as she nodded in acceptance. Richard heard none of this as he watched the mountain, the shape on the side growing larger and gaining more detail. Only when they were about a mile away did he exclaim, "What in the fiery depths of Hell is that!?!" while pointing at the city that was on the side of the mountain. "That's Canterlot. You'll recieve the best medical possible there. Aside from the Zebras and their potions. But we have better relations with the ponies rather than the zebras." Richard nodded and looked back towards the city. "I get that, but I want to know how it is hanging off the side of a damn mountain! It makes no sense!" Richard yelled as the three dragoness' looked at him like he was crazy. "Rrriiight. Anyway, Emerald, set down where they have the chariots. Then your free to go where you want. Just try and stay close by." Emerald nodded and began her decent, going down into a gentle glide towards a long landing platform. When she set down, she flared her wings to act as air breaks as she tried not to tear up the runway. After slowing down to a stop, Emerald lowered her self to let her passengers disembark. Emerald then flies off to look for any gems or gold that have been abandoned. When the three went to head into the castle, Richard was stopped by some guards pointing their spears at him. "Halt creature." They commanded, staring at him with slightly terrified eyes. "You are not permitted to enter the castle grounds." Soon realizing that Richard wasn't with them, Smolder and Ember looked back to see spears being pointed at Richard. Ember came up to the guards and glared at them with hellfire in her eyes. "What is the meaning of this? He is with me. Let him pass, or I can just tell Celestia that you didn't let in an ambassador." The guards looked to each other and lifted they're spears. "That's what I thought, come on Richard." Richard nodded and hurriedly followed after them. "That was pretty badass." Richard said once they were a good distance from the guards. Ember blushed and looked away, not knowing how to react to the compliment. "Um, thanks. C- come on, we need to see Celestia." Richard nodded and continued to follow the two dragons. He looked around at all the decor, amazed at how pristine it was and how elegantly it curved. So much so that he didn't notice Ember and Smolder take a turn. He continued to walk, completely mesmerized, till he bumped into someone when he went to turn a corner. Author's Note The TV show Richard was talking about was the Impractical Jokers. The specific episode being the one with the pirate punishment. Getting help from pony royaltyRichard took several steps back and looked to see who he had bumped into. But when he did shift his gaze downwards, he saw a small horse with large wings and a horn that was ¾ of a foot in length. It was a dark blue with a mane and tail similar to the night sky. "Oh, sorry about bumping into you. I was mesmerized for a little bit." The pony looked at him in confusion before gaining a 'come hither' look. "Mesmerized, hmm? I did not think that I had such an effect." Richard blushed and shook his hands out in front of him. "No, no, no, no! I was talking about the castle- er, not that your not beautiful, cause you are. Especially with that whole… night theme you have goin' on there." Richard tried to recover but he knew he was just digging his grave deeper. The pony smiled and raised her head in a matter that made her look like a child who just got praised for their art work. "Thank you, not many are that open about appraising my looks." Richard turned as red as humanly possible as he stumbled over his words. After a bit the pony giggled and looked Richard in the eyes. "I am just messing with you creature, it has been awhile since I have been able to have that effect on males. Glad to see that my new techniques have worked though. My name is Luna, what's yours?" Luna asked as she looked up at Richard. After cooling himself down a bit, he responded. "My name is Richard, it's nice to meet you Luna. Oh, have you met-" Richard stopped himself when he realized he wasn't with Ember and Smolder. "Aw man, guess I was daydreaming for too long. Uh, you wouldn't happen to know where I can find someone named, uh, what was it? Princess Celine? I don't know, something like that anyway." "Oh, you must mean my sister, Princess Celestia." Richard snapped his fingers and pointed it at Luna. "Yeah that's her name. Yeah I'm supposed to go see her and talk to her about getting me some medical care." Luna cocked her head at that. "While I see quite a few scars, I don't see any fresh ones on your body." Richard facepalmed before turning around, showing the impromptu bandages covering the large scar on his back. "I… stand corrected. Oh Creators, what happened to you?" "Would you believe me if I said I got it from sliding down a pile of gold and jewels?" Richard rhetorically asked as he turned back around. "Yes actually. But how did come to be on top of a pile of such?" Richard made a brief summary of his time with Ember and other events. "Ah, I see. Well then, come with me. I shall see to it that you have the best care possible here at the castle." Richard nodded gratefully and began to walk with Luna. "So Luna, what exactly do you do here at the castle?" Richard asked as he saw the sun begin to set from a window. "I am one of the two princesses living here. I usually roam the dreams of ponies and help them overcome their nightmares." Richard frowned and shook his head. "Sounds like an invasion of privacy to me. And a way to extract information unwillingly." Richard said taking a step away from Luna. Luna looked at him horrified. "Why would I do such a thing?! Dreams are a sacred part of any pony, and nightmares can make them scared of the real world. I make it so they don't have to feel scared of everything." Richard rolled his eyes. "Just keep telling yourself that." Luna just growled and continued to walk forwards. Though she silently enjoyed being challenged like that. Soon they arrived in the medical wing of the castle. Entering, a pony in what looked like a pony version of a lab coat glanced upwards. "Ah, Princess Luna. How are you this evening? Is there something you need?" The doctor asked as he smiled at the lunar princess. "Yes actually, My friend here has quite the nasty cut on his back that needs to be healed." Luna had gestured to Richard when she said 'my friend' with her hoof. The doctor looked to him and his eyes widened. "Oh my, what matter of creature are you?" He asked himself in a sort of awe. Luna clearing her throat brought him back. "Hm, oh yes. Please show me where this cut is please." Richard turned and removed the cloth covering the wound. "Oh my, I think I shall need some assistance with this. Nurse Heart, can you come in here please?" The doctor called back towards an office of sorts. "Yes Dr. Eye?" Asked a mare as she walked into the room. She was a light red with a pinkish mane and tail done up in a bun. The mark on her flanks that of a heart monitor line. "I need some antiseptic and suture. And get him an IV of… what blood type are you?" Nurse Heart asked as she looked to the human. "O Negative." He said quickly, remembering it like the back of his hand. "Then this will be a lot harder. O Negative blood is quite rare with ponies. But I think we do have some. Dr. Eye, if you could go into the fridge and get some O negative blood, that would help me out quite a bit." He nodded and trotted through another door in the side of the room. After a few minutes he came back with a surgical tray filled with the necessary items and an IV with a bag of O Negative blood. Richard laid face first on the bed, and felt as the antiseptic was applied to his arm and wound. He felt the slight sting as both the IV was put into his arm. After a few minutes and the nurse asking for her brow to be wiped a few times, he was bandaged up and was told that his bandages needed to be redone everyday so that the wound wouldn't get infected and for a small amount of healing magic. "Thanks Nurse." Richard said giving his respect to the nurse that had helped him out. "And thank you Luna, I don't think I would have made it that long to meet your sister then come here if I hadn't met you." Richard said as he pulled Luna into a hug. Luna let out a quiet 'eep' as she was hugged by the human. After a bit she was released by the human. "Well, I should probably get some rest, see ya later Luna." Richard said as he laid down and Nurse Heart placed a blanket over him. Luna walked out of the infirmary but stopped at the door, looking back at Richard. "I look forwards towards our next meeting my friend." Luna had tried dating but all the stallions, even a few mares, those she had tried either weren't interested in her as a pony or painfully boring. This creature however. Luna smiled and whispered under her breath. "You shall be mine human." Author's Note Hmm, it appears a bit of a love triangle is forming. I think at least. But I know for sure that somedragon is gonna get jealous!~ Warning: Sleeping HumanSmolder and Ember continued through the castle, admiring the decor with Ember wondering if she could incorporate the design with her den. They soon reached the entrance to the throne room, however there was still a line of nobles waiting for they're turn in The Court. It used to be called Day Court, but a year after Luna returned to ruling, she noticed that nopony was awake enough to attend Night Court. The solution, to Luna, was simple: join her sister in presiding over Day Court. It took a bit of convincing, altering, and getting used to, but now they had a smooth system in place. The name however, was still a work in progress, but everypony seemed fine with calling it, 'The Court', so it stuck. Ember walked up to one of the Royal Guards, notifying them they had to see Celestia for an urgent matter. The guard nodded, and walked into the Throne Room, relaying the message to Princess Celestia. "Hmm, I see. Notify the rest of the petitioners that The Court is adjourned, and will be closed until further notice. Then send in Dragon Lord Ember and Smolder." The guard nodded, while the current petitioner was led out of the Throne Room, reacting as one would expect of a snobby noble. Which was whining and shooting glares at the two dragons as they passed by them. "Thanks for seeing us on such short notice Princess Celestia." Ember said, bowing as Celestia stood from her Throne, walking down the Dais her Throne sat on so she was standing in front of Ember before bowing herself. "Of course Dragon Lord Ember, I know you aren't one to exaggerate like most dragons, so when you say it is an urgent matter, I believe you." Celestia said in a serious voice, a bit concerned. "Speaking of which, what is the problem you need my help with?" The two dragons blink, knowing that Richard stuck out like a sore thumb. They pointed where they thought Richard was, but upon seeing the raised eyebrow of Celestia, and no response from Richard, they turn to see the human was no longer there. "What the hay? I swear he was just here." Smolder said, looking around the room for the human, but not finding hide nor hair of him. Beside the Dais, with a night themed mural above an arch way, Luna walked in, catching the end of Smolder's question. "You mean Richard?" The three other occupants of the room whirled around to face the Lunar Princess, each showing a bit of surprise. "You know where he is?" Both Smolder and Ember blurt out at the same time. "Yes, I left him in the Infirmary, he is resting at the moment. I also now know he had cut his back on gold and gems." Luna said, slightly glaring at the two dragons. "It was an accident, I swear." Ember said, putting up an arm in defense. "Does anypony mind explaining what is going on?" Celestia more demanded than asked in a very stern voice. Ember sighed, and told the three how Richard had saved her life, how they met for the first time, how his back got cut up, and lastly why they were now here. "I see. This 'human' must mean a lot to you, for you to be going through all this trouble to help him." Celestia noted, looking at Ember inquisitively. Ember just nodded, firm in her judgement. "He does. In just the short while I have known him, my life has gotten so much more interesting. That, and I still owe him for saving my life." Celestia nodded with a smile. "Yes, he certainly does deserve a reward for that, doesn't he? Still, I would like to at least meet this 'Richard', hue-man, creature." Celestia stated, causing Luna to nod. "And you shall, but later. As I said, he is now resting in the Infirmary." Celestia nodded, trotting past her sister and towards the Infirmary. Luna saw this and trotted after her, soon followed by the human's two dragon friends. "Sister, did thou not hear me? He is sleeping!" "Yes, but that doesn't mean I can't take a peak." Luna teleported in front of her sister, flaring her wings to their fullest. "Sister, leave him be. Would it not be better to see him when is awake and well?" "C'mon Luna, it'll be fine. I'll take a peak and be out before he even begins to regain consciousness." Celestia simply teleported right in front of the Infirmary doors, with another teleport burst from her sister coming soon afterwards, with Luna pushing Celestia away. "Sister, stop. We wouldn't want dear Twilight to hear about that little secret of yours, hmm?~" Celestia froze, now realizing her sister was being serious. "You swore you would never tell a soul!" Celestia shouted, not paying any mind to the sleeping human not too far away. "Well unless you promise not to disturb Richard's sleep until he is awake of his own accord, then I will break that swear." Inside the room, Richard woke with some back pain, and a grogginess that would make someone think twice about trying to interact with him before he was fully awake. Stomping towards the thin double that led into the Infirmary Ward, he prepared a devastating kick. The two sisters began to shoot death glares at each other, until they heard heavy footsteps coming from the other side of the Infirmary doors. Luna was the only one smart enough and quick enough to back away before the doors flew open, smacking Celestia in the face, making her reel back in pain as the force from the door opening caused her a decent amount of pain, and possibly a broken nose if her now bleeding nostril was anything to go by. "Will ye two shut it! Tryin'a sleep here!" Richard yelled in a Scottish accent, before closing the doors and going back to bed. All was silent as the two sisters tried to figure out just what happened. Luna was the first to respond in a quiet whisper. "I told you so." Celestia just grumbled as she used her magic to heal her injuries. "Bite my flank." Luna's response to this however made Celestia grow furious. "I would, but I fear breaking my jaw trying to open my mouth that wide." What soon followed was a giggling Luna as a furious Celestia chased after her younger sister, threatening to send her back to the Moon for treason. Ember and Smolder just stood there, looking at where the two Alicorns had just been. "I, uh, think we should ask a guard for directions to the Infirmary." Smolder suggested, making her superior nod. The two soon found a guard, as most were posted at intersections. After getting directions, they soon made their way to the Infirmary just in time to see Celestia chase after Luna. "Huh, wonder what that was about." Ember thought out loud as she walked to the Infirmary doors, hearing a voice coming from inside. Opening the doors, they see a grumbling and agitated Richard trying to get comfortable once more. "Smolder, stay out here, I'm going to go help Richard." Smolder nodded dutifully, and stood guard at the Infirmary entrance as Ember made her way to the human. "Need some help there?" Ember asked, causing the human to pause. "Uh, yeah actually. Can't quite get comfortable." Ember blushed as she came up with a plan, flapping her wings she glided over to the bed, getting onto it as she nestled close to the human, stopping his fidgeting. "That… actually helps. Thanks Ember." Richard said, wrapping his large arms around the petite yet curvy dragoness. Soon Richard fell asleep, with Ember not too far behind.
Mistakes were madeThe two men stood at the base of the volcano, the experimental heat reductions suits or HR suits equipped to them. While it wouldn’t allow them to directly touch magma/lava, it would allow them to get closer than any other HR suit before. “Ready to become the first people to stand inside an active volcano Rick?” Asked the shorter of the two. Under the suit, he had black hair with a pair of contacts that couldn’t be seen unless he took them off. This man’s name Johnathan Ford, he stood at 5 foot 8 inches. He had a slightly tan skin color. He was a scientist that studied, you guessed it, volcanoes. “You bet Johnny Test.” Said the other taller man. He stood at 6 foot even and had flaming red hair. He had a few freckles that spotted his cheeks. He didn’t need glasses but had a bandana around his neck. It was of a blue dragon spitting red-orange flames. This was Richard Morrow, he was an explorer that had been on many expeditions for National Geographic. They were friends since their childhood but had slightly drifted apart when they went to different colleges. John had earned the name Johnny Test from when the two went trick or treating one year. He had dressed as Johnny when a dog that had a similar look to Dukey had come up to him and acted like he was John’s dog. John groaned at the nickname. “Come on dude, that was years ago! Even if I didn’t mutate the dog into talking and extending his life, we didn't keep him.” John playfully nudged Rick. Rick chuckled and began to lead John up the volcano. While they went up, the ground would crumble from small shakes every once in awhile. “Uh, Rick? I think we should turn back now. I think the volcano is becoming unstable.” John said over the radio headset that was in the suit. “Come on, it’s now or never John!” Rick replied to John’s worry. Even if they were rightly placed. The two continued to climb even as the rumbling increased in power and frequency. It wasn’t until a particularly powerful quake did John speak up. “That’s it Rick! I’m going back, I’m not risking my life for this!” John said as he began to climb back down. Rick rolled his eyes and continued going up, the ground getting steeper and steeper the higher he went. When he got to the top he looked down into the bubbling magma that was inside the volcano’s center. It was about a half mile down. If Rick knew anything about volcanoes, the magma should be a lot higher than what it was right now. He got the one of the pickaxes and cable that was attached to his suit that was made to withstand the same temperature as the suit. Rick wrapped the cable around a huge boulder and began to climb into the volcano. He went down, and down, and down. That was, until he came upon an empty magma tube that was in the side of the volcano. He swung into the tube and detached the cable, wrapping it around the pickaxe before he put in the wall. He walked down the tube until he saw something glint in the walls. He smiled and got out the other pickaxe he had. He aimed carefully and began to mine the diamonds. This was one of the reasons he did this. He not only wanted to be the first person to be in a volcano, but the one to get a diamond bigger than the Hope Diamond, the biggest diamond ever found. Distracted with his work, he failed to notice the light coming from behind him. It was only when he got the diamond from the wall did he notice it. He gasped and ran up the tube, running from the magma as it chased after him. He kept running even as the whole volcano began to shake. He turned his head back only to see the magma was right behind. A few more feet and his goose was cooked, lIterally and metaphorically. He pushed himself to go faster when he saw the end of the tube. He ran and ran until the end was covered in magma and began flowing towards him from in front and behind him. His eyes widened and he began to cry. "No... This can't be how it ends!" The suit could withstand magma, but only for a minute before it was incinerated. He clenched the diamond within his hand and pushed himself into the magma. It was like wading through extremely hot clay. If that makes any sense. He could tell the suit was beginning to melt so he stopped. He knew it was over. He looked at the diamond in his hand and clenched it in his gloved hand. Tears began to leak from his eyes as he accepted his death. ~Pov. Change: Dragon Lord Ember~ I sighed as I twisted the scepter in my claw. To most I would seem bored, but in reality, I felt lonely. I guess it was true what those ponies say, 'it's lonely at the top'. I looked at the scepter in my claws and sighed once more. I flew up and through the top of the my den and just flew. If some dragon needed me, they could wait till I returned. I just flew and flew, just thinking about nothing and everything as I flapped my wings. I was so focused on it, I missed the clouds floating towards me. It wasn't until the flash of lightning and sound of thunder did I notice I was flying in the middle of a lightning storm. I turned to fly back but every direction looked the same. I would have flown down but with a flash and a bang, my wing exploded with pain as I was struck by lightning. I began falling out of the sky as I began to lose consciousness. Before I could hit the ground though and possibly fall to my death, I felt something collide with my side and something wrap around me as whatever had saved me was sliding along the ground. But with that, I became unconscious. ~Pov. Change: Rick Morrow~ My eyes fluttered open as I felt something wet drop on my head. I grunted and shrugged it off before there was another, and another, and another, before a whole torrent of rain crashed on my body. My eyes snapped open as I bolted up, now without the suit and wearing my normal clothes. I didn't remember ever taking the suit off and then it clicked. ‘I died... hadn't I? That lava should have killed me.’ I looked around frantically and saw that the diamond I had gotten from the volcano was on the ground, only a few feet away. I didn't care at that moment as I patted myself down. “I'm alive... ha, I- I'm alive, hahahaha! I'm alive! Wooow! Take that Jonathan! Yeah!” I cheered in the rain. I relished the feeling of it till I saw a flash of lightning which was quickly followed by a crash of thunder. “Shit!” I cried out as I snatched up the diamond and ran to find any possible shelter. The only thing I was able to see were mountains about a half mile away. While it was night time the moon still gave off a considerable amount of light that allowed me to see, even with the storm clouds, somehow. I didn't understand science, just survival tactics and such. And lightning was definitely not good for my health. It was then when I saw the figure flying in the sky, carrying something that looked like a weird mace. It was flying frantically in the air as it tried to get away from the storm but the lightning won and struck one of its wings. The wing tucked in, most likely in pain and whatever it was began to fly in a downward spiral. If that thing didn't die from the lightning, it was going to die from that fall. Without thinking, I ran to where that creature would land and I was only a few feet away when it was almost a foot from the ground. I jumped with all of my leg power and tackled the thing out of the air, my arms wrapping around it and the thing it was holding as I turned so my back hit the ground. The air was pushed from my lungs as I laid there with the scaly creature in my arms. The scaly creature that was breathing. The scaly creature that was breathing and had wings. The scaly being that was breathing, had wings, and was unconscious. If the wings and scales didn't tell me this was a flying reptile, nothing would. And that leads to one of two things, a pterodactyl, or a dragon. It couldn't have been a dinosaur as it had a very different shape to the bone structure that I had seen in a museum, so it must be a dragon. Though, now that I was up close, I could see the dragon had a bit of femininity to it. It had a small waist and feminine eyes and her chest was a bit elevated but had no breasts or nipples. Just scales. It's hips were also a bit feminine. But it's scales were beautiful in my eyes. A rich vibrant blue of the likes I had never seen from my world. In total, this was a gorgeous creature. I grunted and picked her up. I heard a thump and saw a crystal scepter. It had a huge ruby, the size of which I had never seen before. It was held in a darker crystal claw that looked like a dragon claw. It was laying right next to the diamond I had dropped so I could catch this creature. This thing must have been important to the creature in my arms so I picked it up and laid it across its chest. I also picked up the diamond and put it with the scepter. With that, I resumed my trek to the mountains, all whilst trying not to be bit by the wild lightning.
Meeting a Dragon. Best, day, EVER!Finding a cave was easier said than done. I had to be sure the cave I found wouldn't be covered by a mudslide. These mountains looked pretty bare of trees so I had to be careful. And with the ground being so dry, I had to watch for mud, or flooding. Yeah, a good shelter is hard to come by, especially when it comes to mountains during bad weather. I ran as fast as I dared without dropping the dragon, diamond, or crystal mace/scepter. When I got to the base of the closest mountain, I found a cave a few feet above ground. Still no trees, but it would have to do. I hefted the dragon up onto the ledge before climbing up myself. I got the two of us into the cave and laid against a stalagmite with the dragon on top of me. I would have tried to start a fire, but with no wood, it wouldn't do any good to even try. I wrapped my arms around the dragon. Though, I couldn't tell who was trying to warm up who. The dragon was incredibly warm, even if it was wet. Soon, I fell asleep, forgetting to take off my wet clothes. The next morning, I woke to the sounds of grunting. I looked down to see the dragon trying to remove my arms without waking me, but was having a hard time doing so. When I saw what it was trying to do, I let it go. The dragon jumped up and spun around to look at me. When it saw me, it's eyes widened. We started at each other for what seemed like hours. Then I broke the silence by saying. "Uh, Hi there?" I say a little nervously. It looked around before picking up the mace and diamond. "Is… this for me?" It asked looking at the diamond. It's voice was female and based on the way it's body was shaped, this was a female dragon. "Uh, I mean, I don't know where I am or the value of that thing so… screw it. Go ahead." I said waving her to go ahead and- *CRUNCH* She… she just took a bite out of the diamond like it was an apple. What. The. Fuck. "Mmm, thanks. I really needed that." She said after finishing off the diamond, licking her fingers. I was still brain dead. She just ate a record breaking diamond. I mean, breaking a diamond is almost impossible, but Jesus fucking Crist, how the hell can she eat diamond?! "Are… are you okay?" She asked. I wheezed for a few seconds before finally finding my voice. "You… ate… diamond… like… nothing. But wha-? How-?" Then I fainted. (POV shift: Ember.) I watched as the creature slumped over, fainting. Guess he's never seen a dragon eat diamond before, based on what he was trying to say. I walked closer to the creature and looked him over. He was tall, most likely bipedal, had no fur or scales, a kind of flat face compared to most of the species that live on Equis, he had hair on top of his head and on his face that was a fiery red. A few spots were around his face and he had a piece of cloth around his neck. It had the image of a blue dragon spitting orange red flames. I reached a claw out and cupped one of his… things. It was very soft compared to my scales. The tips had a harder part on top. He had two and each one had five… extensions that had the hard tip. He had a shirt and pants on but the pants had pockets. I reached into one and took out something that felt like leather. I opened it up to see green parchment, a few cards made of a material I don't know of. One had a miniature picture of the creature in front of me but a lot younger. I closed it and put it back before going to the exit of the cave. My wing was fine, my scales protecting me fairly well. The shock of it though was what made me fall. I was about to take off when my thoughts went back to the creature. He had saved me, fed me, and what would I do in return? Abandon it. Guilt began to claw at my heart before I got an idea. I raised the Dragon Scepter and began to focus on calling a dragon. A few minutes later, a rather large green dragon with light green scales comes flying down into the cave. "You called for me Dragon Lord Ember?" She asked. "Yes Emerald, I need you to carry him back to my horde." I tell her. She raised an eyebrow and looked to the creature that was still fainted. Emerald raised an eyebrow and nudged the creature. "This scrawny piece of meat? I fail to see how useful he shall be." I glared at her and she shrugged, picking him up with a claw and setting him on her back. Together, we flew back to the Dragon Lands and to my horde. Emerald set him down on a pile of gold coins before leaving. I sat next to the creature and played with his hair. It wasn't like pony hair as it was slightly coarse. It actually felt pretty good against my scales. A few minutes later, he began to awaken. "Wakey, Wakey, Sleepy head." I teased as I stood. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his back. It was then that I saw he had been laying on a rather pointy gem, that now had some dark red blood on it. I winced as he removed his hand from his back and saw it had some blood on it. I went behind him and saw his shirt now had blood stains. He removed his shirt and wrapped it around him, putting pressure on the wound. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know that the gem was there." I said apologetically. He turned to me and took a few deep breaths before saying. "It's- It's alright. I don't think it'll get infected. Um, who are you? And where am I?" He asked looking around my cave that was lit up by lava falls. Lava poured from the walls into a canal outside that led to pools of lava. "You are in the Dragon Lands or more specifically, my Horde. I am Dragon Lord Ember, and what is the name of my savior?" I ask as I stood once more. "Um, it's Richard, Richard Morrow. But most just call me Rick." He said as he tried to stand but slid down the mountain of gold to the bottom where he stumbled to his feet. I glided down and landed beside him. "You alright?" I asked looking up at him. He was a whole head taller than me, but I was used to that. "Uh, yeah. It's just, I've never talked or even seen a real dragon before." He said looking at me, or more specifically my claws and teeth nervously. "Really? Well what about that cloth around your neck, with the dragon." I said pointing it out. "I had gotten this for my birthday. I think the reason I have never seen a dragon before is because I'm now in a different world." He explained. My eyes widened at that, if that was true, then the pony comic books had it wrong about what aliens looked like. Spike had shared some with me, and I had taken a liking to them. I had them hidden in the back of my horde so nodragon could see them. "Well then, let me be the first to welcome you to the world of Equus." I said smiling. In the back of my mind, I was hoping he didn't have mind control powers or a hidden laser gun. "Well, thanks. I guess. So, your a leader of this world? Guess I can't make that joke." He chuckled a bit. Now I was curious, what was the joke he was going to say. "What is the joke?" I ask, tilting my head to the side. "In movies back on my world, the aliens would say, 'Take me to your leader Earthlings.' or something like that." He had made his voice sound as high pitch as possible when he said 'Take me to your leader Earthlings.' I looked at him and giggled. "Heh, that does sound pretty funny. Anyway, I'm just one of the leaders, if you can call me that. There is King Thorax, the King of the Changelings. Queen Novo and Princess Skystar, the rulers of the Hippogriffs/Seaponies. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight, the rulers of Equestria. Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor, the rulers of the Crystal Empire. Lord Rutherford, ruler of the Yaks. There are some others, but can't think of them off the top of my head at the moment. He blinked at the amount of rulers there are. "That's just… wow. The only Royalty I have ever met were ancient dead ones in tombs and temples." "Tombs? Temples? So your kinda like Daring Do?" I asked a little excited. Rainbow Dash had introduced me to the stories and I was instantly hooked on them. The books were hidden along with my comic books. "If that's this world's version of Indiana Jones, then yes. I suppose you could say that." I squealed in excitement before realizing I had done that in front of him. I blushed and rubbed the back of my head. "Hehe, sorry about that. I've never met somedragon that does things like that and I got a little, uh, what does Pinkie call it? Fanfilly? I don’t know.” He chuckled and waved it off. “It’s fine, I’ve met a few of my fans and they had the same reaction you did.” I nodded in understanding. “So what adventures have you gone on?” I asked like a whelp getting to eat a gem for the first time. “Hmm, well, there was this ancient Aztec Temple. I had accidentally set off one of the few traps that still functioned and found myself trapped inside with less than ideal supplies. Food to last me the night, some Rope, a Flare gun, and a Canteen. I had packed light as I thought it was going to be a, ‘Get in, take a look, then get out.’ kinda deal. So, using what little knowledge of the Aztec architecture I had, I knew there had to be another way out.” We took a seat on some gold and he continued his tale while I listened in earnest. I was so transfixed, that I didn’t notice the dragon enter my cave. “Ha, what the heck is that? Some kind of furless monkey?” Said a quite annoying voice. I groaned upon hearing it. “What do you want Garble?” I asked, annoyance clear in my voice. Too bad Garble was too thick headed to hear it. “There was talk about some new creature you found, and I wanted to see it. But if that,” He pointed at Richard. “Is all it is, then I’m outta here. But first, think fast!” Garble yelled, throwing a lava ball at Richard. Richard put his hands up and to all of our surprise, the lava ball hit him but he was completely unharmed. He had told me he had burned himself on multiple occasions, but that was usually when he was trying to make a fire in the wilderness and it was a very minor burn. Richard looked over himself and seeing there wasn’t any damage, grinned viciously. “Alright, my turn.” Richard went right up to Garble and to my shock, and slight joy, punched him right in the face. Garble stumbled back in pain as he held his muzzle. When he removed his hands, a few teeth were missing with blood leaking from his nostrils. Richard quickly moved behind Garble then put him into a sturdy head lock. “Surrender yet ya red fuck?” Richard growled as he tightened his hold, making it hard for Garble to breath. “N- Nev- ack! Okay, okay, I surrender!” Richard threw Garble to the floor and glared at him. “Next time, I’ll show you what a human can really do when you piss ‘em off. Now get you bleeding varmint.” He said kicking Garble towards the exit in a voice reminding me of that orange pony with that hat. Garble weakly stood and limped outside. He then turned to me with a sorry look. “Sorry you had to see that, I just hate it when someone disrespects someone else.” I smiled and responded. “It’s fine, dragons are used to small fights but next time, try not to actually hurt them. Most of the time it’s just two dragons seeing who is stronger, not actual violence.” He looked at me and smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his next. I couldn’t help but think. ‘How can he be so adorable?’ I had to blink mentally at that. ‘Why did I think that?’ “Heh, heh, didn’t know that. I’ll be sure not to mess his bread and butter up too bad next time.” Meanwhile with Garble and Smolder… “A- And then, he began choking me. I honestly thought I was gonna die.” Garble said looking at his shaking claws. “It’s alright Gar-Gar. Now you know not to piss him off. Still, if that creature can take you down, I hate to imagine making a real enemy of him. It’s best if you try to make things up with him.” Smolder said rubbing Garble’s back. “I know it seems like a pony thing, but trust me, it’s better to have friends than enemies.” Garble nodded at that, agreeing with Smolder’s logic. “I hate it when what they teach you at pony school makes sense.” Garble grumbled. Smolder just giggled and playfully punched his shoulder. “Come on Gar-Gar, let’s go talk to this Richard thing.” Garble let his younger sister drag him to Ember’s hoard, really not wanting to meet Richard again.
Meeting SmolderThe entire way back to Ember's horde, dragons stared and pointed at Garble. Whispering to each other. The thing that made them back off was Smolder when she glared at them. When they arrived in the cave, Ember and the human was laughing uproariously. "A- and then, he was thrown off the ship!" Richard and Ember laughed even harder as they held their stomachs. "A- and their s- still friends?" Ember asked as she tried to calm down their breathing. "As impossible as it seems, yes. And that was just one episode! There are over 100 more. Maybe even 200." Richard said as he got his breathing under control. "Wow, if that was just one, I can't imagine what they do to each other in the others." Ember said when she finally noticed the confused Smolder and Garble. "Oh, hello Smolder." Ember chirped as she waved at the smaller orange dragoness. This made Richard look up and wave at Smolder as well, completely ignoring Garble. Smolder waved back with a smile. "So, your Richard, huh?" Smolder asked as she flew around him. Richard nodded with a little smile. "Yep, but most just call me Rick." Richard waved off the use of his full name. "I was just telling Ember one of the comedy TV shows back where I'm from." This confused Garble and Smolder to the max. "TV? Where your from?" Garble and Smolder asked at the same time. Richard just nodded. "Yeah, oh wait, I never explained that stuff to you. Hmm, okay, let me think… So a TV is like a book. But, you don't have to read it because not only does it tell you the 'story', it also shows you what is happening, like a picture. But the picture is always moving. There are multiple types. Animation, CGI, and Live action. "Animation is a bunch of pictures, compiled together into a seemingly seamless image that is always moving. There are 24 frames, or pictures, every second. Each one is a slight adjustment of the last. Live Action is actual people doing actual things that are recorded, edited, and given to some people to 'publish' it to the wide world. "CGI stands for Computer Generated Images. It means that when making a movie or show that is a Sci-Fi or Horror genre, or things like that, they put realistic animations into the final product of the movie or show." Richard's explanation raised more questions than solved them. "I don't think they understand, nor did I." Ember said, looking at him a lot more confused than when he explained it to her earlier. Richard just shrugged. "Eh, I tried. I'm not a scientist so I can't give you an exact explanation. To be completely honest, most of the world's great achievements is because of the people with the big brains. I mean, how do you think we got someone onto the moon?" Smolder was the one to speak up at that. "It can't be that hard, right? I mean, Princess Celestia sent Nightmare Moon, who was really Princess Luna, who was consumed by black magic, to the moon by using the Elements of Harmony over 1,000 years ago." Richard just looked at her and shook his head. "Great, now I have pony Yodas in my head." Richard said as he rubbed at his eyes while he pinched the bridge of his nose. "So let me get this straight, using magic, one pony sent another to the moon because that other pony threw a temper tantrum… Damn, and I thought Hitler was a douche." More weird looks were given to the injured human. "Uh, yeah. I guess. Though I don't think Headmare Twilight would like your summarization." Richard just shrugged nonchalantly. "Well you can tell her that I don't have a fuck to give." Ember let out a giggle at that. Richard let out a chuckle as well. Richard stood and held out a hand. "Either way, nice to meet you." He held out his hand, but it was covered in blood. Richard noticed this and cursed. "Sorry, Smolder." Richard apologized as he looked for something to clean his hand. Seeing nothing, he wided what he could off on his pants leg. He then held it out again, only slightly red as not all the blood had been cleaned off. "Uh, it's fine." Smolder said giving the hand a weary look. Richard saw this and put it back to his side. "It's nice to meet you too. I have to say, I've never met anything like you before, what are you?" Smolder asked, looking over his taller form. "I'm a human, but by that reaction I'm guessing that none of you ever even heard of a human before, have you?" Ember and Garble shook their heads at that. Smolder had a look of concentration though, trying to remember something. "Actually, I might have, but I don't remember from where." Richard's eyes widened at that. "But like I said, I don't know where. I think Sandbar would know better than I do. I'll introduce you to him sometime." "Ah yes, I almost forgot. When I next head to Equestria, I'll take you with Richard." Richard nodded with a smile. "That sounds great, can't wait. But do you know if they have hospitals there? I think I need to visit one soon." He said gesturing to the dried blood on some of his cuts that were still slightly oozing blood. Ember nodded. "They do. But if you need to visit one as soon as possible, I suggest we go now." Ember said before tapping the scepter on the ground. Soon, the same dragon from before walked through the entrance of Ember's cave. "Yes my Lord?" The green dragon asked in a female's voice. "Yes, We're heading to Equestria but Richard is too heavy for me to carry for such a long distance. I hope you won't mind carrying him again." The green dragoness bowed. "Of course not my Lord." She got down so her belly was touching the rocky ground. Ember helped Richard get onto the larger dragon and soon the four of them left for Equestria, Garble staying behind as he had been ordered to watch over the dragon eggs. During their flight, Richard told them about many things from his world. "So let me get this straight." Smolder asked, looking at him in wonder. "Humans have no magic, but to make up for that you advanced in technology. So much so that you have put a human on the moon which is over 300 thousand miles away?" "That's the long short version of it, but yes. Now adays you can't meet someone that has some kind of technology on them or in their home." Ember whistled at that. "Wow, your world sounds amazing." But that only made Richard frown. "Yeah, that's all the good things. The bad side of technology… it's devastating. For an example, we have a bomb that is over a thousand times more powerful than a stick of dynamite." The two looked at him in horror. "Now imagine a set of mountains. Launch that bomb and… no more mountains. "And I haven't even gotten to the after effects of such a powerful bomb. The materials used to create such a bomb leaves what is called, Radiation. A Power Plant that used to make electricity from the same material had a malfunction that made the surrounding area uninhabitable for years. Only now is the area a bit safer to go through. But the effects of the bomb is estimated to last one, if not several lifetimes. "The area from the first bomb is still treated like the plague, no one wants to go there because the Radiation will kill you. If not, then make you so sick that you'll eventually die, no matter what." Even Emerald looked at Richard in pure shock and horror. "Oh Creator above, why would anyone want to make such a weapon?!" Smolder said, tears in her eyes. "Easy, to show how easy it is for one to dominate another. That bomb ended a long bloody war. And everyone has been too afraid to go into another war for fear of nuclear obliteration. In the words of some long dead guy, 'It is better to be feared, than loved.'" They all stayed silent after that, the rest of the flight in utter silence. The only thing breaking said silence was the flapping of Emerald's wings and the rushing wind as it passed by them. Soon they could see the coastal city of Baltimare. They flew over it, Richard looking down as the colorful shapes below blurred by underneath them. "So, where are we going?" Richard asked as they flew towards a distant mountain. If Richard squinted he could barely make out a shape on the side of said mountain. "We're heading to Canterlot, you'll get the best medical treatment there." Ember answered as Smolder's eyes widened. "Canterlot!? But that's where Princesses Celestia and Luna are. Why not Ponyville? Princess Twilight could get him help at Ponyville general." Smolder asked looking up at Ember with slightly pleading eyes. "Sorry Smolder, but this is for Richard. Maybe we can visit after Richard heals up some." Ember said as she put a claw on Smolder's shoulder. That seemed to placate Smolder as she nodded in acceptance. Richard heard none of this as he watched the mountain, the shape on the side growing larger and gaining more detail. Only when they were about a mile away did he exclaim, "What in the fiery depths of Hell is that!?!" while pointing at the city that was on the side of the mountain. "That's Canterlot. You'll recieve the best medical possible there. Aside from the Zebras and their potions. But we have better relations with the ponies rather than the zebras." Richard nodded and looked back towards the city. "I get that, but I want to know how it is hanging off the side of a damn mountain! It makes no sense!" Richard yelled as the three dragoness' looked at him like he was crazy. "Rrriiight. Anyway, Emerald, set down where they have the chariots. Then your free to go where you want. Just try and stay close by." Emerald nodded and began her decent, going down into a gentle glide towards a long landing platform. When she set down, she flared her wings to act as air breaks as she tried not to tear up the runway. After slowing down to a stop, Emerald lowered her self to let her passengers disembark. Emerald then flies off to look for any gems or gold that have been abandoned. When the three went to head into the castle, Richard was stopped by some guards pointing their spears at him. "Halt creature." They commanded, staring at him with slightly terrified eyes. "You are not permitted to enter the castle grounds." Soon realizing that Richard wasn't with them, Smolder and Ember looked back to see spears being pointed at Richard. Ember came up to the guards and glared at them with hellfire in her eyes. "What is the meaning of this? He is with me. Let him pass, or I can just tell Celestia that you didn't let in an ambassador." The guards looked to each other and lifted they're spears. "That's what I thought, come on Richard." Richard nodded and hurriedly followed after them. "That was pretty badass." Richard said once they were a good distance from the guards. Ember blushed and looked away, not knowing how to react to the compliment. "Um, thanks. C- come on, we need to see Celestia." Richard nodded and continued to follow the two dragons. He looked around at all the decor, amazed at how pristine it was and how elegantly it curved. So much so that he didn't notice Ember and Smolder take a turn. He continued to walk, completely mesmerized, till he bumped into someone when he went to turn a corner. Author's Note The TV show Richard was talking about was the Impractical Jokers. The specific episode being the one with the pirate punishment.
Getting help from pony royaltyRichard took several steps back and looked to see who he had bumped into. But when he did shift his gaze downwards, he saw a small horse with large wings and a horn that was ¾ of a foot in length. It was a dark blue with a mane and tail similar to the night sky. "Oh, sorry about bumping into you. I was mesmerized for a little bit." The pony looked at him in confusion before gaining a 'come hither' look. "Mesmerized, hmm? I did not think that I had such an effect." Richard blushed and shook his hands out in front of him. "No, no, no, no! I was talking about the castle- er, not that your not beautiful, cause you are. Especially with that whole… night theme you have goin' on there." Richard tried to recover but he knew he was just digging his grave deeper. The pony smiled and raised her head in a matter that made her look like a child who just got praised for their art work. "Thank you, not many are that open about appraising my looks." Richard turned as red as humanly possible as he stumbled over his words. After a bit the pony giggled and looked Richard in the eyes. "I am just messing with you creature, it has been awhile since I have been able to have that effect on males. Glad to see that my new techniques have worked though. My name is Luna, what's yours?" Luna asked as she looked up at Richard. After cooling himself down a bit, he responded. "My name is Richard, it's nice to meet you Luna. Oh, have you met-" Richard stopped himself when he realized he wasn't with Ember and Smolder. "Aw man, guess I was daydreaming for too long. Uh, you wouldn't happen to know where I can find someone named, uh, what was it? Princess Celine? I don't know, something like that anyway." "Oh, you must mean my sister, Princess Celestia." Richard snapped his fingers and pointed it at Luna. "Yeah that's her name. Yeah I'm supposed to go see her and talk to her about getting me some medical care." Luna cocked her head at that. "While I see quite a few scars, I don't see any fresh ones on your body." Richard facepalmed before turning around, showing the impromptu bandages covering the large scar on his back. "I… stand corrected. Oh Creators, what happened to you?" "Would you believe me if I said I got it from sliding down a pile of gold and jewels?" Richard rhetorically asked as he turned back around. "Yes actually. But how did come to be on top of a pile of such?" Richard made a brief summary of his time with Ember and other events. "Ah, I see. Well then, come with me. I shall see to it that you have the best care possible here at the castle." Richard nodded gratefully and began to walk with Luna. "So Luna, what exactly do you do here at the castle?" Richard asked as he saw the sun begin to set from a window. "I am one of the two princesses living here. I usually roam the dreams of ponies and help them overcome their nightmares." Richard frowned and shook his head. "Sounds like an invasion of privacy to me. And a way to extract information unwillingly." Richard said taking a step away from Luna. Luna looked at him horrified. "Why would I do such a thing?! Dreams are a sacred part of any pony, and nightmares can make them scared of the real world. I make it so they don't have to feel scared of everything." Richard rolled his eyes. "Just keep telling yourself that." Luna just growled and continued to walk forwards. Though she silently enjoyed being challenged like that. Soon they arrived in the medical wing of the castle. Entering, a pony in what looked like a pony version of a lab coat glanced upwards. "Ah, Princess Luna. How are you this evening? Is there something you need?" The doctor asked as he smiled at the lunar princess. "Yes actually, My friend here has quite the nasty cut on his back that needs to be healed." Luna had gestured to Richard when she said 'my friend' with her hoof. The doctor looked to him and his eyes widened. "Oh my, what matter of creature are you?" He asked himself in a sort of awe. Luna clearing her throat brought him back. "Hm, oh yes. Please show me where this cut is please." Richard turned and removed the cloth covering the wound. "Oh my, I think I shall need some assistance with this. Nurse Heart, can you come in here please?" The doctor called back towards an office of sorts. "Yes Dr. Eye?" Asked a mare as she walked into the room. She was a light red with a pinkish mane and tail done up in a bun. The mark on her flanks that of a heart monitor line. "I need some antiseptic and suture. And get him an IV of… what blood type are you?" Nurse Heart asked as she looked to the human. "O Negative." He said quickly, remembering it like the back of his hand. "Then this will be a lot harder. O Negative blood is quite rare with ponies. But I think we do have some. Dr. Eye, if you could go into the fridge and get some O negative blood, that would help me out quite a bit." He nodded and trotted through another door in the side of the room. After a few minutes he came back with a surgical tray filled with the necessary items and an IV with a bag of O Negative blood. Richard laid face first on the bed, and felt as the antiseptic was applied to his arm and wound. He felt the slight sting as both the IV was put into his arm. After a few minutes and the nurse asking for her brow to be wiped a few times, he was bandaged up and was told that his bandages needed to be redone everyday so that the wound wouldn't get infected and for a small amount of healing magic. "Thanks Nurse." Richard said giving his respect to the nurse that had helped him out. "And thank you Luna, I don't think I would have made it that long to meet your sister then come here if I hadn't met you." Richard said as he pulled Luna into a hug. Luna let out a quiet 'eep' as she was hugged by the human. After a bit she was released by the human. "Well, I should probably get some rest, see ya later Luna." Richard said as he laid down and Nurse Heart placed a blanket over him. Luna walked out of the infirmary but stopped at the door, looking back at Richard. "I look forwards towards our next meeting my friend." Luna had tried dating but all the stallions, even a few mares, those she had tried either weren't interested in her as a pony or painfully boring. This creature however. Luna smiled and whispered under her breath. "You shall be mine human." Author's Note Hmm, it appears a bit of a love triangle is forming. I think at least. But I know for sure that somedragon is gonna get jealous!~
Warning: Sleeping HumanSmolder and Ember continued through the castle, admiring the decor with Ember wondering if she could incorporate the design with her den. They soon reached the entrance to the throne room, however there was still a line of nobles waiting for they're turn in The Court. It used to be called Day Court, but a year after Luna returned to ruling, she noticed that nopony was awake enough to attend Night Court. The solution, to Luna, was simple: join her sister in presiding over Day Court. It took a bit of convincing, altering, and getting used to, but now they had a smooth system in place. The name however, was still a work in progress, but everypony seemed fine with calling it, 'The Court', so it stuck. Ember walked up to one of the Royal Guards, notifying them they had to see Celestia for an urgent matter. The guard nodded, and walked into the Throne Room, relaying the message to Princess Celestia. "Hmm, I see. Notify the rest of the petitioners that The Court is adjourned, and will be closed until further notice. Then send in Dragon Lord Ember and Smolder." The guard nodded, while the current petitioner was led out of the Throne Room, reacting as one would expect of a snobby noble. Which was whining and shooting glares at the two dragons as they passed by them. "Thanks for seeing us on such short notice Princess Celestia." Ember said, bowing as Celestia stood from her Throne, walking down the Dais her Throne sat on so she was standing in front of Ember before bowing herself. "Of course Dragon Lord Ember, I know you aren't one to exaggerate like most dragons, so when you say it is an urgent matter, I believe you." Celestia said in a serious voice, a bit concerned. "Speaking of which, what is the problem you need my help with?" The two dragons blink, knowing that Richard stuck out like a sore thumb. They pointed where they thought Richard was, but upon seeing the raised eyebrow of Celestia, and no response from Richard, they turn to see the human was no longer there. "What the hay? I swear he was just here." Smolder said, looking around the room for the human, but not finding hide nor hair of him. Beside the Dais, with a night themed mural above an arch way, Luna walked in, catching the end of Smolder's question. "You mean Richard?" The three other occupants of the room whirled around to face the Lunar Princess, each showing a bit of surprise. "You know where he is?" Both Smolder and Ember blurt out at the same time. "Yes, I left him in the Infirmary, he is resting at the moment. I also now know he had cut his back on gold and gems." Luna said, slightly glaring at the two dragons. "It was an accident, I swear." Ember said, putting up an arm in defense. "Does anypony mind explaining what is going on?" Celestia more demanded than asked in a very stern voice. Ember sighed, and told the three how Richard had saved her life, how they met for the first time, how his back got cut up, and lastly why they were now here. "I see. This 'human' must mean a lot to you, for you to be going through all this trouble to help him." Celestia noted, looking at Ember inquisitively. Ember just nodded, firm in her judgement. "He does. In just the short while I have known him, my life has gotten so much more interesting. That, and I still owe him for saving my life." Celestia nodded with a smile. "Yes, he certainly does deserve a reward for that, doesn't he? Still, I would like to at least meet this 'Richard', hue-man, creature." Celestia stated, causing Luna to nod. "And you shall, but later. As I said, he is now resting in the Infirmary." Celestia nodded, trotting past her sister and towards the Infirmary. Luna saw this and trotted after her, soon followed by the human's two dragon friends. "Sister, did thou not hear me? He is sleeping!" "Yes, but that doesn't mean I can't take a peak." Luna teleported in front of her sister, flaring her wings to their fullest. "Sister, leave him be. Would it not be better to see him when is awake and well?" "C'mon Luna, it'll be fine. I'll take a peak and be out before he even begins to regain consciousness." Celestia simply teleported right in front of the Infirmary doors, with another teleport burst from her sister coming soon afterwards, with Luna pushing Celestia away. "Sister, stop. We wouldn't want dear Twilight to hear about that little secret of yours, hmm?~" Celestia froze, now realizing her sister was being serious. "You swore you would never tell a soul!" Celestia shouted, not paying any mind to the sleeping human not too far away. "Well unless you promise not to disturb Richard's sleep until he is awake of his own accord, then I will break that swear." Inside the room, Richard woke with some back pain, and a grogginess that would make someone think twice about trying to interact with him before he was fully awake. Stomping towards the thin double that led into the Infirmary Ward, he prepared a devastating kick. The two sisters began to shoot death glares at each other, until they heard heavy footsteps coming from the other side of the Infirmary doors. Luna was the only one smart enough and quick enough to back away before the doors flew open, smacking Celestia in the face, making her reel back in pain as the force from the door opening caused her a decent amount of pain, and possibly a broken nose if her now bleeding nostril was anything to go by. "Will ye two shut it! Tryin'a sleep here!" Richard yelled in a Scottish accent, before closing the doors and going back to bed. All was silent as the two sisters tried to figure out just what happened. Luna was the first to respond in a quiet whisper. "I told you so." Celestia just grumbled as she used her magic to heal her injuries. "Bite my flank." Luna's response to this however made Celestia grow furious. "I would, but I fear breaking my jaw trying to open my mouth that wide." What soon followed was a giggling Luna as a furious Celestia chased after her younger sister, threatening to send her back to the Moon for treason. Ember and Smolder just stood there, looking at where the two Alicorns had just been. "I, uh, think we should ask a guard for directions to the Infirmary." Smolder suggested, making her superior nod. The two soon found a guard, as most were posted at intersections. After getting directions, they soon made their way to the Infirmary just in time to see Celestia chase after Luna. "Huh, wonder what that was about." Ember thought out loud as she walked to the Infirmary doors, hearing a voice coming from inside. Opening the doors, they see a grumbling and agitated Richard trying to get comfortable once more. "Smolder, stay out here, I'm going to go help Richard." Smolder nodded dutifully, and stood guard at the Infirmary entrance as Ember made her way to the human. "Need some help there?" Ember asked, causing the human to pause. "Uh, yeah actually. Can't quite get comfortable." Ember blushed as she came up with a plan, flapping her wings she glided over to the bed, getting onto it as she nestled close to the human, stopping his fidgeting. "That… actually helps. Thanks Ember." Richard said, wrapping his large arms around the petite yet curvy dragoness. Soon Richard fell asleep, with Ember not too far behind.
