Alicorns: A Dragon's Taleby RhyzenChaptersA night none could forgetA chance of a lifetimeMemories of friends old and newA night none could forgetI can still remember that fateful night, even after all these years. The emotions swelling up in my soul, the awestruck fear stretching from my trembling claw to my quivering tail, the astonishing beams of light streaking across the sky, and the eerie silence that followed. The night sky bore a reminder of that event that lasted longer than I can remember. But before I go on, allow me to share a little bit about myself. I am a dragon, as you might have guessed, and due to my size I'm not able to write in small pieces of paper. The only reason this is on paper at all is because i had a friend who had decent penmanship. In regards to the story there is a lot to recall, and I only have memories of certain events up to this point. It was the following night of my molting, or on a more easy to understand term, puberty. My wings just grew in and I was searching for a cave to call my home. I made sure to get far enough from the dragonlands so i could have an easier time searching for gems (that and the constant teasing of my horn was driving me nuts). And as fate would have it, Equestria seemed like just the place. At the moon's highest point, the only sound breaking through the silent night was the sound of cracking stone and clattering gems. This soon faded as an echoing laugh spread through the air. The voice was oddly soothing compared to the voices of my kin, yet also filled with a deep menace. This, i later on reasoned, came from the Skymane Warmaiden or, as you are more likely to know her, Nightmare Moon. I had only a faraway view, but it was not hard to spot some of the easier to spot features. Azure armor, black fur, and a mane that embodied the starry night sky. There was another however, one who seemed to be almost the exact opposite. Her gold attire suggested a vast amount of wealth, perhaps more than any dragon has ever collected at any one point in time. What stuck out to me the most was her mane. A bright display of blue, green and pink, colors that seemed to stick out amongst the blackened sky. The events that unfolded were mesmerizing. The beautiful yet destructive beams from their horns streaming across the sky like bolts of lightning striking the earth. The draft from their flight sending dust and small bits of rubble in every direction. This didnt last long, as the white mare was struck down, landing in the castle below. In any other situation i might have just moved on once the fighting ceased, but the fact that beyond my homeland existed creatures with such beauty and power left me too awestruck to even twitch my nose. What followed was perhaps the most bizarre of all, as if it came from a dream. The fallen horse rose again, surrounded by unusual magic, which she used to cast her foe farther than i ever knew was possible. The moon itself bore a symbol that I became obsessed with for many many years. A horse's head cut off by a crescent with a horn nearly reaching the end of the moon. Thus began my thirst for knowledge. I desired it as much as and dragon desired gems for their hoarde. I started by asking about the events I witnessed. Unfortunately, fear was working against me. Most Equestrians i asked either grew too stiff to speak, screamed and ran in fear or fainted on the spot. Rather comically at that too. Those that didn't run resorted to hiding or tried "facing me" in combat, to which i scowled or groaned in annoyance which sometimes lead me to shout at them, causing them to tuck their tails between their legs and run, or I would fly off, and hear screams of joy as i did so. This was getting me nowhere. And so i sought out information outside Equestrian borders. Most of my answers came from books and occasional strangers. The more I learned, the more i wanted to learn. I acquired knowledge of Equestria itself and its founding, of 6 different "pillars" and their adventures. I leaned of three different races knows as earth, pegasi, and unicorns. The pieces started to fit together like shards of a broken gem. But not all the pieces were there. What I knew was that the two I saw that night were Celestia and Luna, who were known as princesses, the highest tier of rule in Equestrian society. They were believed to be in control of the sun and moon, and given what i had seen, I had no real doubts about it. The mare on the moon was apparently banished to the moon for refusing to make way for the sun out of envy of her sister, one she would spend a millennium within until the longest day of the last year. But no matter how hard i searched or how deep i dug, one question was never given a proper answer: What is an alicorn? For all the knowledge available, and info on alicorns was few and far in between. So i did my own research, beginning with basic anatomy of ponies and horses, then studying the physical attributes of each race and comparing them to what I witnessed that night. To summarize, the rulers of day and night rivaled the sturdiest earth ponies, the fastest pegasi, and the most talented of unicorns. Yet even with this knowledge, I still had many questions, such as if alicorns are born naturally, how strong or weak can they become, how old they can be, or how many more are out in our world. The only other thing I could think of was to ask one directly, which was, without a doubt, out of the question. Or at least, that's what I thought. Author's Note This is a story that I hope will be a good starting point for my future, and a story any reader will enjoy! A chance of a lifetimeIt's astonishing what you can find when you are out in the open. Lush, green foliage with a vibrancy that blends almost perfectly with the colorful fruits, flowers, and even some of the animals that inhabit it. The trees would cast dark shadows that provided the wildlife with shelter from the heat of the sun or the heavy rainfall of passing storms. A large river bent and curved through the foliage for longer than the eye could see, the twists of it's body seeming like a bright blue and white serpent smoothing out stone with the sheer force of its shimmering, transparent body. This was the land I had called home for an amount of time I could not measure as keeping track of time no longer seemed as important as it used to be. It was rather peaceful, and had remained unchanged for as long as i can remember living among it. So you could probably imagine my surprise when I noticed scattered pieces of stone and wood as well as a fallen tree leaning it's branches and part on its trunk on the tree next to it. The marks on the fallen tree seemed to be deep gashes that were parallel to each other, as if from the swipe of a claw. What was more intriguing was the marks along the stump and the bottom of the trunk. It was a clean indention that gave off a faint heat, the ends showing no indication they would fit if put back together. I had seen this before, on that one night from so long ago. I looked around and noticed feathers in a small cluster that looked as if they were torn off. The feathers lead to a trail of arch-shapes prints with deep impressions and large spacing that indicated a hoofed creature was in a hurry to get away. As I followed the tracks, i noticed another set of tracks that were lighter and larger, yet not as spaced out in comparison, indicating that whatever was following behind was in no hurry to catch up to the other. To say i was intrigued would be more than a simple understatement. I was near ecstatic or even, dare i say, hopeful. However, if my curiosity were to be sated, I needed to act fast. A lot can happen quickly in the forest, and the idea that whatever made the hoofprints would be inside the belly of a beast or carried away to a larger animal's den was not too far off to consider. And so I made haste, following the tracks at a swift pace on foot, as the foliage would've more than likely blocked it from my view were I in the sky. It wasn't long until I reached the end, however, and the mystery had been revealed. It was an unusual sight to be sure, one I wasn't sure myself if it was real. It was an Alicorn to be sure. He had a yellow-orange body with orange feathers on the edge of his wings, one of which was missing quite a few of it's feathers. He bore a black and orange mane that looks rather unkempt, as if he never had a chance to even groom it. His muscular body shape had armor fitted around the torso that looked worn and cracked. On top of that, one of his front hooves seemed to have a broken bone, which explained why he wasn't making any attempts to flee, along with the heavy breathing that indicated exhaustion. In this state, it wouldn't take much for a beast such as the chimaera between me and the alicorn to overpower him. Thus, I opted to take action, as I knew I wouldn't get another near perfect opportunity such as this to get answers to many of the questions that have been boiling over for years in my mind. The chimaera had already seemed to be in prime fighting condition, as well as a small patch of singed fur on one foreleg so if it were to fight, I would need to deploy caution. I chose to use an intimidation tactic, spread ing my wings and stamping my claws into the ground, leaning my head back as my lungs expanded my chest, before bellowing out a roar that caused many nearby fowl to immediately flee from the brush of the trees. I expected more of a fight, but apparently my voice alone was more than enough for the chimaera to turn tail and flee the scene with haste. My best guess as to why would be that it probably didn't want to fight over a meal that it could easily replace I looked back to the pony, who surprisingly enough was still in the same poise as before, his horn now aimed at my throat. I started weighing my options on what to do, and under these circumstances the best choice made itself abundantly clear. If I tried speaking now, he would only retaliate and blast me with magic. If I left him there, anyone that might come looking for him would have difficulty navigating the forest, not to mention that another beast may come in some time after my departure in hopes of retrieving a morsel to satisfy its hunger. I shifted my body forward ever so slightly before quickly snatching up the alicorn in my claw, turning his horn away from me. However, instead of striking back in self defense, he simply slumped over into a deep sleep, as if he had gone a while without rest of any kind. I spread my wings and flew off toward my home, horse in tow. If this was to work, then it had to be done right. I wanted to make sure he didn't feel trapped in a dragon's lair. Thankfully i had a supply of an item that no one would expect a dragon of my size and bulk to possess. And that is books. I stacked a couple of books around him to provide an environment with a little more comfort. I also went out of my way to gather a few sacks filled with apples and a large container of water. Once everything was set, I placed the items within his reach and sat near the entrance, making sure i wasn't blocking too much of the sunlight. It didnt take long for him to awaken, and once he did his wings slowly flared up as he leered at me. He was on full guard, just like before. I made no attempts to move forward, but instead lowered my head to his level. We soon began speaking to each other. It started out as him slowly advancing as he asked questions, before his hoof stepped onto a pile of apples, squishing a few underneath from the pressure. I immediately began to explain the situation to him. He listened, but he didn't show any sign of backing down as he had stood tall with wings still flared, though his expression softened to one of confusion as I spoke. He looked around as I did so, before looking at a book and levitating it to get a closer look. He seemed to be even more puzzled as he read the title aloud "Sisters of the Sun and Moon". It was that day that I first spoke to another soul of that fateful night, and I am quite grateful that I did. He started to gradually warm up to me after that. Day by day he seemed to be a little more comfortable around my presence, and would open up ever so slightly with each passing sunrise. It eventually got to the point where he was content in me enough to relay his situation to me. His name is Wallace. And he was the leader of a group called the Fearsome Falcons, filled with ponies of different races and backgrounds who dreamed of a brighter future, and worked hard to make that dream a reality. They were fighting against an army of minotaurs who desired nothing but to conquer all the land they could find, and cast anyone they find as slaves under their iron hoof. What really seemed to have left it's mark on him was that their group had been raising a dragon since it hatched into a, and I quote, "Mountainous metal monster that could easily tear it's way through the darkest pits of tartarus". The Fearsome Falcon's efforts were more than enough to keep them at bay, which was why the ruler of Equestria herself was not involved in the effort, save adding a few extra men from the royal guard every now and then. However, things did take a turn for the worse, as their group had been ambushed by the minotaurs. They nearly made it through the assault until the claims of the metal dragon were true, as the beast itself had shown up to aid in the fight, and made short work of incapacitating the Falcons. Wallace tried to fight off the dragon during the assault, but it proved to be too much as the minotaurs were also there, ready to pounce on him as well. He had apparently gotten lucky though, as he was swatted away by the great dragon's tail into the forest i found him in. He had no recollection of how many days had passed as he wondered the land before ending up in the forest. It was sad indeed to hear of how far he had fallen, and it was through stories like these that we told to each other in which we were able to grow together as he recovered, and a new feeling had begun to grow in my chest. A feeling of contentment I cannot quite describe.. Memories of friends old and newSeveral nights have passed, the sun and moon swept across the sky in tune to the ever flowing movement of time, just as my relationship with Wallace had grown significantly. We did a lot together as his injuries healed, one of which would be exploring some of the tamer spots of the land I called home. I would carry him around in a small carriage that I came across at one point. It was quite fun to see him gawk at the thing, and to see his surprised expression, as he probably didn't think I'd go this far just so he can go and see the outside world again, even if from a limited view. It may have taken a bit of tweaking, but we were able to make it work for us. Id bring him low enough to the tress so he could get a good look from above, and he had a better set of eyes than I did, and a more simplistic way of expressing his views. He told me he saw "cute little flowers" in the bushes below, which I usually though were berries. He also described the leaves of the trees as having differing shapes, some rounded and wide, others narrow and pointed. I don't think he knew what trees they were (neither did I really), I just think he enjoyed looking at them. It felt nice to imagine the world from a different perspective. Maybe I enjoyed it because it felt good to talk to someone other than myself. And the more we talked to each other, the more I began to see his tough, military exterior melt away to show a different person underneath. He'd help around the cave by stacking up books I knocked over with my tail or sweep up the ashes from books I burned by accident(I still feel bad about ruining so much written knowledge). One of my favorite things to do with him, though, was sitting down and talking to each other. One of the more memorable conversations we had was when I talked about my mother. She was rather nice as far as dragons go, breaking up a fight if it started getting too out of hand, showing us how to dig up gemstones for ourselves, and she even fought off a roc that had caught wind of us when we were getting ready to leave the nest. I think he enjoyed that story, because soon after he started talking about his cousin. They apparently lived under the same roof, even sharing a room together. As far as personality goes, he wasn't much different from Wallace, having a friendly attitude and being nice to people he trusted. As we talked to each other day by day, time passed rather quickly, and eventually he had recovered completely. I was overcome with joy to see him standing on all four hooves. I wanted to tell him how happy I was that he could stand up again, to show him every part of the forest and find a spot outside the cave to enjoy ourselves. When he looked at me, I thought he would smile, and he did, but not for long. His expression changed to a frown as he turned to me. How could I have forgotten he had a home of his own to return to? He trotted over and told me how grateful he was for everything I did for him. As he began to head out, he told me about how much fun he had as he recalled the sights we’ve seen, and the time we shared together. I walked with him all the way to the edge of the forest, saying my piece as well. And as much as I wanted to go with him to his home, to see the people he grew up with, I knew it wouldn’t happen anytime soon. No settlement in Equestria would open its doors to a dragon like me, and a town at arms against an invasive force allied with an armored dragon certainly wouldn’t be any better. We stopped a ways past the spot we first met, and he turned to face me once more before smiling and raising a hoof to say goodbye. I returned the gesture before watching him disappear into the woods. It was hard to get any sleep that night, as my mind was fixated on the alicorn that was a guest in my home, remembering the color and intrigue he brought into my life. So instead of trying to rest, I got up to watch the night sky, gazing at the set-in-stone image on the moon of an alicorn’s head, a symbol of the one who ruled over the night. I lost all sense of time, looking ever onward as thoughts of that one night from so long ago swarmed my mind. It was almost morning when the silence was broken by loud pops following colored sparks in the sky. They were erupting in the distance, past the hills of stone bordering a section of the forest. Curious (and with nothing else to do), I flew in their direction, finding the source soon after. A stone fort, adorned with banners on all sides, was opening its gates to let out a creature piloting a highly unusual contraption. As I landed nearby, he looked at me with a startled expression on his face, shifting to a nervous smile as he asked if I needed anything. I asked about what he was and what those lights in the sky were. He introduced himself as Sebastian, a traveling showman who comes from a faraway land. Sebastian was a very interesting fellow, an Abyssinian with a taste for the unusual. He enjoyed seeing anything that was out of the norm, and he loved to put on a show displaying all sorts of strange yet fascinating items he came across, as well as tell a wide array of stories about his adventures. The fireworks, as he called them, were for a fun visual appeal, tucked away in a special compartment aboard the machine (The ODD-ysey, as he called it). He wanted to take it with him all around the world, which was a tall order to be sure, but he seemed far too determined to be swayed from the path. It was rather amusing to see him speaking in an energetic tone as he paced around rather quickly, almost at a running pace, interacting with the environment as if he were performing on a stage. Once he finished, he opted to ask me about myself. Seeing no harm in it, I told him my story, hearing him interrupt me at one point to say Celestia herself might blush if she heard my description of her, to which I gave a dismissive chuckle before continuing. As my story came to a close, he gave me a look I couldn’t quite make out at the time, but thinking back, it was likely a look of sympathy. He walked over to me and patted my claw as if to console me. He expressed how tragic it must be for two friends to be separated by war, mentioning a few other things about the idea of it that had me grow a bit wearisome (especially a rather darker story I’d rather not speak of openly) Afterwards he looked at the sky before walking back into The ODD-ysey and flashing me a smile, waving goodbye before heading off. As he vanished from view, thoughts of Wallace returned to me. Thoughts of the alicorn I knew leading a battalion of ponies to the heavy stone gates of the fortress, charging inside to do battle. And then I remembered the dragon he spoke about, a battle-hardened beast clad in metal spewing flames onto the earth below. This dragon, the very thing that turned the battle in favor of the minotaurs, was the deciding factor in which side would win. Even though I wasn’t the strongest of my ilk, I certainly wouldn’t just stand by and hope for some sort of miracle. So on that night, I set out to find the stronghold to see for myself if these tales were true. Author's Note This took me a while to finish. I’m glad I was able to overcome my laziness and get it done though. I’m quite satisfied with the result. I hope you all enjoy!
A night none could forgetI can still remember that fateful night, even after all these years. The emotions swelling up in my soul, the awestruck fear stretching from my trembling claw to my quivering tail, the astonishing beams of light streaking across the sky, and the eerie silence that followed. The night sky bore a reminder of that event that lasted longer than I can remember. But before I go on, allow me to share a little bit about myself. I am a dragon, as you might have guessed, and due to my size I'm not able to write in small pieces of paper. The only reason this is on paper at all is because i had a friend who had decent penmanship. In regards to the story there is a lot to recall, and I only have memories of certain events up to this point. It was the following night of my molting, or on a more easy to understand term, puberty. My wings just grew in and I was searching for a cave to call my home. I made sure to get far enough from the dragonlands so i could have an easier time searching for gems (that and the constant teasing of my horn was driving me nuts). And as fate would have it, Equestria seemed like just the place. At the moon's highest point, the only sound breaking through the silent night was the sound of cracking stone and clattering gems. This soon faded as an echoing laugh spread through the air. The voice was oddly soothing compared to the voices of my kin, yet also filled with a deep menace. This, i later on reasoned, came from the Skymane Warmaiden or, as you are more likely to know her, Nightmare Moon. I had only a faraway view, but it was not hard to spot some of the easier to spot features. Azure armor, black fur, and a mane that embodied the starry night sky. There was another however, one who seemed to be almost the exact opposite. Her gold attire suggested a vast amount of wealth, perhaps more than any dragon has ever collected at any one point in time. What stuck out to me the most was her mane. A bright display of blue, green and pink, colors that seemed to stick out amongst the blackened sky. The events that unfolded were mesmerizing. The beautiful yet destructive beams from their horns streaming across the sky like bolts of lightning striking the earth. The draft from their flight sending dust and small bits of rubble in every direction. This didnt last long, as the white mare was struck down, landing in the castle below. In any other situation i might have just moved on once the fighting ceased, but the fact that beyond my homeland existed creatures with such beauty and power left me too awestruck to even twitch my nose. What followed was perhaps the most bizarre of all, as if it came from a dream. The fallen horse rose again, surrounded by unusual magic, which she used to cast her foe farther than i ever knew was possible. The moon itself bore a symbol that I became obsessed with for many many years. A horse's head cut off by a crescent with a horn nearly reaching the end of the moon. Thus began my thirst for knowledge. I desired it as much as and dragon desired gems for their hoarde. I started by asking about the events I witnessed. Unfortunately, fear was working against me. Most Equestrians i asked either grew too stiff to speak, screamed and ran in fear or fainted on the spot. Rather comically at that too. Those that didn't run resorted to hiding or tried "facing me" in combat, to which i scowled or groaned in annoyance which sometimes lead me to shout at them, causing them to tuck their tails between their legs and run, or I would fly off, and hear screams of joy as i did so. This was getting me nowhere. And so i sought out information outside Equestrian borders. Most of my answers came from books and occasional strangers. The more I learned, the more i wanted to learn. I acquired knowledge of Equestria itself and its founding, of 6 different "pillars" and their adventures. I leaned of three different races knows as earth, pegasi, and unicorns. The pieces started to fit together like shards of a broken gem. But not all the pieces were there. What I knew was that the two I saw that night were Celestia and Luna, who were known as princesses, the highest tier of rule in Equestrian society. They were believed to be in control of the sun and moon, and given what i had seen, I had no real doubts about it. The mare on the moon was apparently banished to the moon for refusing to make way for the sun out of envy of her sister, one she would spend a millennium within until the longest day of the last year. But no matter how hard i searched or how deep i dug, one question was never given a proper answer: What is an alicorn? For all the knowledge available, and info on alicorns was few and far in between. So i did my own research, beginning with basic anatomy of ponies and horses, then studying the physical attributes of each race and comparing them to what I witnessed that night. To summarize, the rulers of day and night rivaled the sturdiest earth ponies, the fastest pegasi, and the most talented of unicorns. Yet even with this knowledge, I still had many questions, such as if alicorns are born naturally, how strong or weak can they become, how old they can be, or how many more are out in our world. The only other thing I could think of was to ask one directly, which was, without a doubt, out of the question. Or at least, that's what I thought. Author's Note This is a story that I hope will be a good starting point for my future, and a story any reader will enjoy!
A chance of a lifetimeIt's astonishing what you can find when you are out in the open. Lush, green foliage with a vibrancy that blends almost perfectly with the colorful fruits, flowers, and even some of the animals that inhabit it. The trees would cast dark shadows that provided the wildlife with shelter from the heat of the sun or the heavy rainfall of passing storms. A large river bent and curved through the foliage for longer than the eye could see, the twists of it's body seeming like a bright blue and white serpent smoothing out stone with the sheer force of its shimmering, transparent body. This was the land I had called home for an amount of time I could not measure as keeping track of time no longer seemed as important as it used to be. It was rather peaceful, and had remained unchanged for as long as i can remember living among it. So you could probably imagine my surprise when I noticed scattered pieces of stone and wood as well as a fallen tree leaning it's branches and part on its trunk on the tree next to it. The marks on the fallen tree seemed to be deep gashes that were parallel to each other, as if from the swipe of a claw. What was more intriguing was the marks along the stump and the bottom of the trunk. It was a clean indention that gave off a faint heat, the ends showing no indication they would fit if put back together. I had seen this before, on that one night from so long ago. I looked around and noticed feathers in a small cluster that looked as if they were torn off. The feathers lead to a trail of arch-shapes prints with deep impressions and large spacing that indicated a hoofed creature was in a hurry to get away. As I followed the tracks, i noticed another set of tracks that were lighter and larger, yet not as spaced out in comparison, indicating that whatever was following behind was in no hurry to catch up to the other. To say i was intrigued would be more than a simple understatement. I was near ecstatic or even, dare i say, hopeful. However, if my curiosity were to be sated, I needed to act fast. A lot can happen quickly in the forest, and the idea that whatever made the hoofprints would be inside the belly of a beast or carried away to a larger animal's den was not too far off to consider. And so I made haste, following the tracks at a swift pace on foot, as the foliage would've more than likely blocked it from my view were I in the sky. It wasn't long until I reached the end, however, and the mystery had been revealed. It was an unusual sight to be sure, one I wasn't sure myself if it was real. It was an Alicorn to be sure. He had a yellow-orange body with orange feathers on the edge of his wings, one of which was missing quite a few of it's feathers. He bore a black and orange mane that looks rather unkempt, as if he never had a chance to even groom it. His muscular body shape had armor fitted around the torso that looked worn and cracked. On top of that, one of his front hooves seemed to have a broken bone, which explained why he wasn't making any attempts to flee, along with the heavy breathing that indicated exhaustion. In this state, it wouldn't take much for a beast such as the chimaera between me and the alicorn to overpower him. Thus, I opted to take action, as I knew I wouldn't get another near perfect opportunity such as this to get answers to many of the questions that have been boiling over for years in my mind. The chimaera had already seemed to be in prime fighting condition, as well as a small patch of singed fur on one foreleg so if it were to fight, I would need to deploy caution. I chose to use an intimidation tactic, spread ing my wings and stamping my claws into the ground, leaning my head back as my lungs expanded my chest, before bellowing out a roar that caused many nearby fowl to immediately flee from the brush of the trees. I expected more of a fight, but apparently my voice alone was more than enough for the chimaera to turn tail and flee the scene with haste. My best guess as to why would be that it probably didn't want to fight over a meal that it could easily replace I looked back to the pony, who surprisingly enough was still in the same poise as before, his horn now aimed at my throat. I started weighing my options on what to do, and under these circumstances the best choice made itself abundantly clear. If I tried speaking now, he would only retaliate and blast me with magic. If I left him there, anyone that might come looking for him would have difficulty navigating the forest, not to mention that another beast may come in some time after my departure in hopes of retrieving a morsel to satisfy its hunger. I shifted my body forward ever so slightly before quickly snatching up the alicorn in my claw, turning his horn away from me. However, instead of striking back in self defense, he simply slumped over into a deep sleep, as if he had gone a while without rest of any kind. I spread my wings and flew off toward my home, horse in tow. If this was to work, then it had to be done right. I wanted to make sure he didn't feel trapped in a dragon's lair. Thankfully i had a supply of an item that no one would expect a dragon of my size and bulk to possess. And that is books. I stacked a couple of books around him to provide an environment with a little more comfort. I also went out of my way to gather a few sacks filled with apples and a large container of water. Once everything was set, I placed the items within his reach and sat near the entrance, making sure i wasn't blocking too much of the sunlight. It didnt take long for him to awaken, and once he did his wings slowly flared up as he leered at me. He was on full guard, just like before. I made no attempts to move forward, but instead lowered my head to his level. We soon began speaking to each other. It started out as him slowly advancing as he asked questions, before his hoof stepped onto a pile of apples, squishing a few underneath from the pressure. I immediately began to explain the situation to him. He listened, but he didn't show any sign of backing down as he had stood tall with wings still flared, though his expression softened to one of confusion as I spoke. He looked around as I did so, before looking at a book and levitating it to get a closer look. He seemed to be even more puzzled as he read the title aloud "Sisters of the Sun and Moon". It was that day that I first spoke to another soul of that fateful night, and I am quite grateful that I did. He started to gradually warm up to me after that. Day by day he seemed to be a little more comfortable around my presence, and would open up ever so slightly with each passing sunrise. It eventually got to the point where he was content in me enough to relay his situation to me. His name is Wallace. And he was the leader of a group called the Fearsome Falcons, filled with ponies of different races and backgrounds who dreamed of a brighter future, and worked hard to make that dream a reality. They were fighting against an army of minotaurs who desired nothing but to conquer all the land they could find, and cast anyone they find as slaves under their iron hoof. What really seemed to have left it's mark on him was that their group had been raising a dragon since it hatched into a, and I quote, "Mountainous metal monster that could easily tear it's way through the darkest pits of tartarus". The Fearsome Falcon's efforts were more than enough to keep them at bay, which was why the ruler of Equestria herself was not involved in the effort, save adding a few extra men from the royal guard every now and then. However, things did take a turn for the worse, as their group had been ambushed by the minotaurs. They nearly made it through the assault until the claims of the metal dragon were true, as the beast itself had shown up to aid in the fight, and made short work of incapacitating the Falcons. Wallace tried to fight off the dragon during the assault, but it proved to be too much as the minotaurs were also there, ready to pounce on him as well. He had apparently gotten lucky though, as he was swatted away by the great dragon's tail into the forest i found him in. He had no recollection of how many days had passed as he wondered the land before ending up in the forest. It was sad indeed to hear of how far he had fallen, and it was through stories like these that we told to each other in which we were able to grow together as he recovered, and a new feeling had begun to grow in my chest. A feeling of contentment I cannot quite describe..
Memories of friends old and newSeveral nights have passed, the sun and moon swept across the sky in tune to the ever flowing movement of time, just as my relationship with Wallace had grown significantly. We did a lot together as his injuries healed, one of which would be exploring some of the tamer spots of the land I called home. I would carry him around in a small carriage that I came across at one point. It was quite fun to see him gawk at the thing, and to see his surprised expression, as he probably didn't think I'd go this far just so he can go and see the outside world again, even if from a limited view. It may have taken a bit of tweaking, but we were able to make it work for us. Id bring him low enough to the tress so he could get a good look from above, and he had a better set of eyes than I did, and a more simplistic way of expressing his views. He told me he saw "cute little flowers" in the bushes below, which I usually though were berries. He also described the leaves of the trees as having differing shapes, some rounded and wide, others narrow and pointed. I don't think he knew what trees they were (neither did I really), I just think he enjoyed looking at them. It felt nice to imagine the world from a different perspective. Maybe I enjoyed it because it felt good to talk to someone other than myself. And the more we talked to each other, the more I began to see his tough, military exterior melt away to show a different person underneath. He'd help around the cave by stacking up books I knocked over with my tail or sweep up the ashes from books I burned by accident(I still feel bad about ruining so much written knowledge). One of my favorite things to do with him, though, was sitting down and talking to each other. One of the more memorable conversations we had was when I talked about my mother. She was rather nice as far as dragons go, breaking up a fight if it started getting too out of hand, showing us how to dig up gemstones for ourselves, and she even fought off a roc that had caught wind of us when we were getting ready to leave the nest. I think he enjoyed that story, because soon after he started talking about his cousin. They apparently lived under the same roof, even sharing a room together. As far as personality goes, he wasn't much different from Wallace, having a friendly attitude and being nice to people he trusted. As we talked to each other day by day, time passed rather quickly, and eventually he had recovered completely. I was overcome with joy to see him standing on all four hooves. I wanted to tell him how happy I was that he could stand up again, to show him every part of the forest and find a spot outside the cave to enjoy ourselves. When he looked at me, I thought he would smile, and he did, but not for long. His expression changed to a frown as he turned to me. How could I have forgotten he had a home of his own to return to? He trotted over and told me how grateful he was for everything I did for him. As he began to head out, he told me about how much fun he had as he recalled the sights we’ve seen, and the time we shared together. I walked with him all the way to the edge of the forest, saying my piece as well. And as much as I wanted to go with him to his home, to see the people he grew up with, I knew it wouldn’t happen anytime soon. No settlement in Equestria would open its doors to a dragon like me, and a town at arms against an invasive force allied with an armored dragon certainly wouldn’t be any better. We stopped a ways past the spot we first met, and he turned to face me once more before smiling and raising a hoof to say goodbye. I returned the gesture before watching him disappear into the woods. It was hard to get any sleep that night, as my mind was fixated on the alicorn that was a guest in my home, remembering the color and intrigue he brought into my life. So instead of trying to rest, I got up to watch the night sky, gazing at the set-in-stone image on the moon of an alicorn’s head, a symbol of the one who ruled over the night. I lost all sense of time, looking ever onward as thoughts of that one night from so long ago swarmed my mind. It was almost morning when the silence was broken by loud pops following colored sparks in the sky. They were erupting in the distance, past the hills of stone bordering a section of the forest. Curious (and with nothing else to do), I flew in their direction, finding the source soon after. A stone fort, adorned with banners on all sides, was opening its gates to let out a creature piloting a highly unusual contraption. As I landed nearby, he looked at me with a startled expression on his face, shifting to a nervous smile as he asked if I needed anything. I asked about what he was and what those lights in the sky were. He introduced himself as Sebastian, a traveling showman who comes from a faraway land. Sebastian was a very interesting fellow, an Abyssinian with a taste for the unusual. He enjoyed seeing anything that was out of the norm, and he loved to put on a show displaying all sorts of strange yet fascinating items he came across, as well as tell a wide array of stories about his adventures. The fireworks, as he called them, were for a fun visual appeal, tucked away in a special compartment aboard the machine (The ODD-ysey, as he called it). He wanted to take it with him all around the world, which was a tall order to be sure, but he seemed far too determined to be swayed from the path. It was rather amusing to see him speaking in an energetic tone as he paced around rather quickly, almost at a running pace, interacting with the environment as if he were performing on a stage. Once he finished, he opted to ask me about myself. Seeing no harm in it, I told him my story, hearing him interrupt me at one point to say Celestia herself might blush if she heard my description of her, to which I gave a dismissive chuckle before continuing. As my story came to a close, he gave me a look I couldn’t quite make out at the time, but thinking back, it was likely a look of sympathy. He walked over to me and patted my claw as if to console me. He expressed how tragic it must be for two friends to be separated by war, mentioning a few other things about the idea of it that had me grow a bit wearisome (especially a rather darker story I’d rather not speak of openly) Afterwards he looked at the sky before walking back into The ODD-ysey and flashing me a smile, waving goodbye before heading off. As he vanished from view, thoughts of Wallace returned to me. Thoughts of the alicorn I knew leading a battalion of ponies to the heavy stone gates of the fortress, charging inside to do battle. And then I remembered the dragon he spoke about, a battle-hardened beast clad in metal spewing flames onto the earth below. This dragon, the very thing that turned the battle in favor of the minotaurs, was the deciding factor in which side would win. Even though I wasn’t the strongest of my ilk, I certainly wouldn’t just stand by and hope for some sort of miracle. So on that night, I set out to find the stronghold to see for myself if these tales were true. Author's Note This took me a while to finish. I’m glad I was able to overcome my laziness and get it done though. I’m quite satisfied with the result. I hope you all enjoy!
