The last eggby PaladinponyTChaptersChapter 1: The palaceChapter 2: Fire and StoneChapter 3: A mother's wishChapter 4:Why?Chapter 5: Battle under the starsChapter 6: A struggle in the windChapter 7: InfernoChapter 8: RecoveryChapter 1: The palacePrincess Celestia waited alone in her private study; it was late and she needed to get some sleep. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. The princess opened it with her magic. A pegasus guard entered looking very nervous. He took off his helmet and bowed. "Please forgive my intrusion princess," He said timidly. "But the doctors need to see you now." Concerned, Celestia slowly got up and left the room, followed by the guard. The two walked down the long quiet hallways, other guards standing in front of doors saluted as they passed by them. After 10 minutes of walking, Celestia and the pegasus guard made it to the double doors of the medical wing. The guard ran up and opened the doors for the princess. Inside, two doctors and two nurses were standing around each side of a large bed. Sunblade, the princess' ranger, was lying on the bed, bound by restraints. Half his face and most of his body was covered in bandages. The head doctor, a unicorn mare with a yellow coat and brown mane, turned to speak with the princess. She raised her round glasses with a hoof and levitated a clipboard. "Sorry for disturbing you princess, but he kept insisting that he need to speak with you immediately." "Why is he restrained?" asked Celestia calmly. The doctor looked uncomfortable for a second, "Well, he appeared suddenly at the front doors, badly burned and demanding to see you. He lost consciousness and we brought him here for treatment. However, he woke up in the middle of us healing him and nearly hurt somepony. I stunned and restrained him for our safety and his own." The princess took a deep breath and kindly asked everypony to leave the room; the medical ponies looked at each other with confusion. However, one by one they left Celestia and Sunblade alone; the princess looked around the room and saw Sunblade's belongings. The Alicorn blade rested atop a burned grey cloak, his saddlebags sat next to the ancient sword. With relief, Celestia watched as Sunblade opened his eye, the other was under the bandages. The princess released the restraints and sat next to Sunblade. He sat up in the bed and looked at Celestia. "My princess," he began. "If I have interrupted your sleep, please forgive me." Celestia shook her head, "I am just happy you are alive, please tell me what is so urgent." Sunblade levitated his saddlebags over and opened them. He pulled out a round object wrapped in a blanket. Uncovering it, the young looking stallion revealed a large purple egg. The princess stared at the egg with shock and amazement; she and her sister had seen a few of these before. She knew it could only be a dragon's egg. "I'm sorry your highness," Sunblade said sadly. "I had no choice but to bring it back with me." The princess closed her eyes, trying desperately to think. This potentially put everypony in Equestria in danger. Taking another deep breath, Celestia calmly said, "Tell me everything." Chapter 2: Fire and StoneSunblade began the tale of his mission; he had entered the dragon lands as the princess asked him to. She sent him there to learn more about the dragons and their kingdom. He had entered at night in order not to be seen by any unfriendly eyes, and in the dragon lands that was nearly all the eyes. He had been very nervous. Young adult dragons he could certainly handle, but full adult dragons were another story. It was hot, and he could see red light coming from small and large pools of boiling magma. The smell of brimstone was bad, but not unbearable. He had found shelter for the night under some large rocks; the stone roof would keep him hidden from the sky. He had slept uncomfortably on the surprisingly warm and hard ground. As the sun rose, there was a heavy cover of smoke in the sky. He did not see any dragons and that was lucky. He started walking, and for two hours, he had seen no signs of life. There had been times when he had to jump from rock to rock or had to use magic to cross a river of lava. As he stopped to take a small break, a loud roar echoed through the air. Sunblade hid himself with the magic of his cloak and saw an enormous dragon fighting with a true wonder of the world. It was an Earth Giant made from the bones of the world, and it threw huge stones at the dark blue dragon. The great beast answered with fire as blue as its scales. Sunblade watched in awe as the battle unfolded, the giant glowed red and orange as it walked through the fire. It grabbed the dragon's long neck and the fire stopped as it squeezed. The dragon attacked with its claws, trying to break free, however, the earth giant hoisted the dragon high and brought it down like a sack of flour. The ground shook and boulders flew high into the air. They crashed down and Sunblade blinked multiple times to avoid getting hit. The shaken pony moved slowly closer to see the battle's aftermath. The earth giant moved away to the east, not looking back at its fallen opponent. The dragon was dead, broken just like the ground under it. Sunblade looked at it for a long time in worried thought; if such forces still wandered the world then ponies would need more power to defend themselves. He spat at the dead creature. Sunblade had no love for dragons, after all one had killed his father. He turned away and began to walk again. Still listening, Celestia was startled by this revelation. She understood anger but not hatred. Despite her disapproval of Sunblade's action, she stayed quiet as he continued. Sunblade continued walking deeper and deeper into the dragon lands, but there seemed to be a lack of any dragons. Besides the blue one, there were few dragons he could see. He watched the sky and the rocks around him, nothing. Sunblade stopped, something was not right at all here. As he stood there in thought, thunder rang overhead, rain started to fall slow at first, but soon turned into a huge storm. Steam rose as the cold water drops hit the hot ground, Sunblade knew he needed to find a safe place to let the storm pass. Lightning flashed over him as he ran trying to see through the fog of steam. Fortunately, he located the mouth of a large cave. He drew out his sword and whispered a spell of illumination; the sword began to glow bright with white light. Sunblade entered the cave cautiously, as thunder boomed outside. He walked for about four minutes before stopping, then he took off his wet cloak and put it on a flat rock to dry. He lifted his saddlebags and pulled out some food and a canteen of water. The storm raged outside as Sunblade ate and drank his small dinner for the evening. Suddenly, a terrible smell hit his muzzle. It nearly made him throw up. It was coming from deeper within the cave. Suddenly afraid, Sunblade put away his food and began to go further inside. He let the foul smell guide him as his sword lit the way. It was really starting to get hot inside the cave, and Sunblade's silver mane stuck to his white coat. The cave immediately widened into a dragon's lair. There were small piles of gems and what looked like a stone bed, however, there was no sign of the owner. As he walked around the lair, Sunblade suddenly stepped in something. He closed his eyes, praying desperately that it was not what he thought it was. He opened his eyes and looked down. His eyes grew wide and he dropped his sword. In front of him was what remained of a small nest, all the eggs had been smashed. Now, he did get sick. Chapter 3: A mother's wishCelestia was horrified at Sunblade's description of the nest; even he wanted desperately to forget it. The room was silent for a very long while. After settling herself the princess spoke, "I could never have imagined that any creature was capable of such vile cruelty." Celestia touched the purple egg lovingly, "At least, you saved this one. Where did you find it?" Sunblade looked down at the egg and continued his story; the shock of what he saw had been terrible. It had taken him a while to pull himself back together. He lifted his sword and reignited his light spell; the cave was now even more unpleasant. Using the light Sunblade looked around again with new suspicions, he then noticed something that he hadn't before. It was a mark in the dirt like something big had been dragged. He followed the mark going further into the cave, two minutes passed and Sunblade discovered a dragon's body. It was the body of a large dragoness, she was dark pink with bright green scales. Sunblade examined her closely and saw signs of battle. She had multiple injuries. Some looked very serious, others looked minor. Suddenly, his light sparkled off something in the she-dragon's left claws. He moved closer and saw a large purple egg, Sunblade realized that she must have used all her remaining strength to save her last egg. Sunblade looked at the she-dragon's face, surprisingly he found himself thinking that she looked pretty. Sunblade had never expected such a huge act of love from a dragon, and he felt very guilty about his actions earlier. Now a very big dilemma was facing Sunblade. What was he supposed to do about the egg? He couldn't leave it, its mother sacrificed everything she had to save it. But he could not take it. If other dragons found out a pony stole one of their eggs there would be Tartarus to pay. Also, what if he took it and the dragon within could become a danger as well. He stood there battling with himself, trying to make a hard decision. Leave it or take it? Just then something remarkable happened; the dragoness opened her eyes. Sunblade jumped back in fear and astonishment. How was she still alive? The she-dragon looked at Sunblade with her weak green eyes, and with great effort she slowly moved her left arm. She gently placed her last egg in front of Sunblade's hooves, she stared at him not saying a word, but the plea was still there. Sunblade nodded in understanding. She was giving him an enormous amount of trust and responsibility. He opened his saddlebags, pulled out a dark green blanket, and carefully wrapped it around the egg. The she-dragon stretched out her neck and kissed her only child goodbye. She gave Sunblade a weak, but happy smile, closed her eyes and drifted away. Chapter 4:Why?Celestia watched Sunblade quietly as tears ran down his face; the ranger looked as old as he was inside. The princess knew and understood the great burden that weighed down the stallion's shoulders. There were things beyond even her power, there had been times when even she wished for the impossible. "I was a complete stranger," Sunblade finally said. "She knew nothing about me, and yet she trusted me enough to watch over her child. Why?" The princess smiled, "Deep down, she knew she was not going to make it. Her one and only concern then was the fate of her baby and with you it had a greater chance of survival." Sunblade stared at the egg letting the princess' words sink in; the she-dragon didn't have any other option. However, she still took a big risk putting her faith in him. On the other hoof, maybe in that brief moment between them she had seen something special inside him. "Judging by your injuries," Celestia observed. "I am certain that is not the end of your journey. Please tell me the rest Sun." "Of course your highness." Sunblade had carefully put the egg inside his bags and walked back to the entrance of the cave. He found his cloak right where he had left it. The cloak was dry now, and he put it back on because the storm outside had died down some. The tired ranger knew he needed to sleep, but there was no way he was sleeping in the cave. He walked out into the soft rain, and surprisingly the egg was very light in his saddlebags. It was going to be a long walk back to Equestria, but he could not continue his mission. He needed to leave the dragon lands as soon as possible. The danger to himself and Equestria just increased. Trying to stay hidden, Sunblade moved through the dragon lands in great haste. After two hours, he stopped to sleep in a sheltered hole. The wind was howling above him as he slept, so he woke up 30 minutes later. The full moon was high in the sky as Sunblade climbed out of the hole. The stars were numberless without the lights of the towns and cities, he smiled at them. The greatest gifts of the night. Suddenly, a shadow passed over and fear caused him to halt. A huge shape hovered over him, then a dragon about three ponies tall landed in front of him. Its body was black and the scales of its belly were purple. It had many scars, some old and faded; others were new. Its eyes were red and fierce as it glared down at Sunblade. "So you were the one inside the cave," It said in a deep male voice. "Tell me little pony, did you take anything?" Sunblade was paralyzed, this dragon had to be the mate of the dragoness. He nodded. Trembling, he opened his bags, levitated out the wrapped bundle, and revealed the egg. The black dragon gave a large smile showing teeth, and he chuckled. "So I missed one," he said reaching out with one clawed hand. "Give it to me little pony, and I will let you go free." At the words 'I missed one' the fear in Sunblade began to disappear. He looked back up into the dragon's eyes; the beast must have seen something terrible in Sunblade's face, because his smile quickly went away. Sunblade drew back the egg and glared at the dragon coldly, "What did you mean by 'I missed one'?" Smoke came from the dragon's nose, "Isn't it obvious pony? I'm the one who destroyed the nest." He said it like it was the easiest thing in the world; a great rage woke in Sunblade. He put the egg back inside his saddlebags, and drew out the Alicorn blade. "Why?" he demanded from the dragon. The huge beast gave no answer at first, then he laughed,"That female should have remembered her place. I am going to be Dragon Lord someday. I can't have anyone, not even my own mate, disrespect me." His large wings stretched out in a grand gesture, "Soon I will rule all of this land, but if the others found out my mate left me and took our eggs with her," His tail smashed the ground, "Then no dragon would follow me." Sunblade's voice was surprisingly calm, despite his rage, "You killed her and your own children, for that? Just because she decided to leave?" The black dragon snorted in contempt, "What do you care little pony? It is none of your business, now give me the egg and go back to your soft little land." Sunblade removed his bags and recited a spell he learned a year ago; white and gold armor appeared around his body. The stars and moon made him and his sword shine brilliantly. "You are no dragon sir, you are a demon, and you will never touch that egg while I live," Sunblade said in defiance. More smoke came from the dragon's mouth, he stood tall and said, "So be it." Chapter 5: Battle under the starsSunblade threw up a shield as fire burst from the dragon's mouth; the heat was incredible, but the magical bubble held. The flames stopped and Sunblade attacked. Dropping his shield, he performed a speed spell. He got behind the dragon and stabbed it in the back just below the wings. The beast let out a roar of pain and struck with his tail, Sunblade blinked, avoiding the blow. He appeared in front of the dragon and cut its stomach, the beast howled and leaped back glaring. He had clearly underestimated this pony; spreading out his wings, he flew into the air. The blood on the Alicorn blade steamed as Sunblade watched the dragon waiting for its next move. It came down on him with tremendous speed, and a huge fireball shot from the beast's mouth. Sunblade fired magic at the flaming ball; it vanished in a flash of light. The dragon landed next to Sunblade and kicked him hard, his armor dented, and he hit a large rock. Nothing was broken, but his armor was badly damaged. Sunblade got up slowly, his sword hovered next to him. The dragon picked up a huge boulder and heaved it at Sunblade; the stallion once again used his magic causing the stone to explode into pieces. The dragon flew down and punched the wall. In the nick of time, Sunblade had ducked. He thrust upward and his horn pierced the dragon's stomach, then he drove his sword into the beast's right foot. The dragon roared with fury, and unleashed his inner fire. Sunblade erupted in pain as he was bathed in fire, without thinking he teleported atop a pillar of stone, and quickly rolled on the ground. The flames were extinguished, but his armor and cloak still smoked. The dragon appeared in the air above him; it still had the Alicorn blade in its foot. In his haste, Sunblade had forgotten the sword. The black dragon pulled the sword from his foot, and suddenly dropped it. He held his clawed hand, a look of great pain on his face. Despite his own pain, Sunblade smiled; no other creature, but him could touch the Alicorn blade. With great effort Sunblade rose, his armor had protected him from the worst of it. However, the pain was still terrible; the dragon landed in front of him again. "Get up," he said angrily. When Sunblade didn't, the dragon kicked him to the edge of the pillar. "I said get up pony! What's wrong? Had enough?" Sunblade took off his helmet, which turned to dust. He summoned his sword to him and caught it in his hooves. Leaning on the sword, Sunblade rose again. The dragon had all the advantages. If the pony was to win, he needed to change the game. A plan began to form in his mind; if he pulled it off the tide would turn. He smiled and laughed at the dragon, who stood back with shock. "Have I had enough? You must be joking , if that is the best you have, then I have nothing to worry about." Rage filled the dragon's eyes, and he charged forward, not knowing his peril. Sunblade focused his mind and magic, imagining the area in his memory. When the black beast was close enough, the brave pony teleported both of them high above the top of Mount Everhoof. The dragon's eyes were now widened in alarm; his wings were useless in this powerful wind. The two plummeted towards the ground. Sunblade paused for a moment in his story, and he stared at the ceiling in silence. Celestia waited patiently for him to continue, since obviously the event still bothered him. Sunblade looked at her and began again, "A long time we fell," he said. "I fell and he fell with me, he grabbed me by the throat as I cut him. His fire was all around us, I was burned and it became hard to breathe. I pierced him again and again; he let go and I got behind him. I bit down hard on one of his wings, and stabbed him in the back. He roared as I held on for dear life, finally we crashed into a frozen lake." Sunblade shivered from the memory, the shock of the cold had been horrible. He blinked out of the water and struggled onto the shore. The dragon burst out of the water. His fire was gone. The cold and water had done its job. Chapter 6: A struggle in the windThe snow and wind swirled around Sunblade and the dragon as the two continued to fight. The Alicorn blade flashed brightly as it met the black claws of the dragon. The sound of their battle was drowned out by the howl of the wind; three times the dragon struck out with its tail. Twice it wrapped around Sunblade like a giant snake, both times, Sunblade broke free with his sword. However, on the third time Sunblade cleaved off a part of the dragon's tail. This time the beast did not roar, no, this time he screamed. His hot blood dripped from the stump, melting the snow below it. Now, the dragon looked on Sunblade with fear, because never before had any enemy dealt such a blow. In terror, the dragon fled further up the mountain. Sunblade pursued him, but the snow was hard to move through; the dragon ran crashing through the trees. The dragon looked back, and his fear grew as he saw the determined pony gaining ground. The dragon desperately wished he could fly, to escape. Sunblade pushed through the wind and pain, he could not let this wretched beast get away. The dragon knew that Sunblade was closing on his heels. The cold had stolen his fire, and without the warmth of the sun, he could not reignite his inner flame. Suddenly, the ground disappeared. The dragon halted at the edge of a huge cliff, he could not see the earth below. Sunblade came up behind him with a look of triumph on his face. "Nowhere to run anymore," the ranger said, pleased that his prey was cornered. "Any last words, murderer?" The dragon looked out on the horizon, then turned to look at Sunblade. "Does it feel good pony? The taste of victory, all the power I know you're feeling." Sunblade felt a heavy weight on his heart, the Alicorn blade lowered some, "What are you talking about?" The dragon smiled, "The thrill of the chase, the rush you feel as your victim trembles before you. Come on pony, you can't say you're not feeling it, at this very moment." Sunblade slowly began to shake, however, it was not from the cold. The dragon's words pierced him as easily as the freezing wind. At this very moment, he was no better than this monster in front of him. He looked at his reflection in the Alicorn blade. This was not why it chose him. He was meant to be a guardian, not an assassin. "No," Sunblade said, putting away the Alicorn blade. The dragon's mouth suddenly hung open, his disbelief was immeasurable, "What are you trying to pull pony? What happened to all that rage before? Don't you want to finish me?" Sunblade looked at the dragon with pity, "I'm not pulling anything, and my rage is gone. I don't want to be like you. A beast with no love in its heart, because that is what you are." Sunblade pointed a hoof at him, "And as for finishing you, that would not be Justice." He turned his back to the dragon, "I don't care where you go, or what you do now. But, stay away from Equestria and that egg. If you don't, I will be waiting." Sunblade was preparing to teleport back to the dragon lands, when a tremendous roar louder than all the others erupted behind him. The dragon poured all his rage and hatred into that roar. The air trembled, the earth shook, and new fire woke within the dragon. Flames burst from the beast's mouth, however, he did not aim them at Sunblade. The trees exploded into dozens of giant torches. The dragon's voice boomed with immense power, "YOU THINK YOU CAN WOUND AND HUMILIATE ME PONY AND JUST WALK AWAY!" Sunblade turned and looked upon his great enemy, for greater he had become. Now, vast shadows were wrapped around him, his purple scales were gone. He appeared as black as sin. He had also grown, he was now four ponies tall and filled with malice. Smoke poured from his nostrils and fire filled his jaw. "I AM BLACKFIRE, THE MIGHTIEST OF ALL DRAGONS," He proclaimed. "AND I WILL NOT BE BEATEN BY A WEAK PONY LIKE YOU!" Chapter 7: InfernoThe princess was both horrified and fascinated by Blackfire's change; this was a phenomenon that she had never encountered. However, when she took a moment to reconsider, she realized that was not true. She had seen something similar, it had been the night of Luna's transformation. Her sister had embraced her darker emotions. Fueled by all that negativity, Luna turned into Nightmare Moon. Now, Sunblade had just confirmed her worst fears, such transformations could happen to any creature. Sunblade stared at Celestia, the princess appeared to be in very deep thought. She needed to consider all the possibilities that this information presented. Sunblade himself was curious about it too. From his view it was as if something had snapped inside Blackfire. Dragons were proud creatures, so maybe his act of mercy had been seen more as an insult. The injured stallion looked past the princess to where his sword sat. "Celestia?" he said, breaking her of her thoughts. "Yes, Sunblade?" she answered. "There is more. After he changed something happened. Something I don't fully understand." "Very well, please continue." The fire spread from tree to tree turning the forest into a sea of flame, Blackfire stood tall and menacing as huge dark smoke swirled in the wind. The ice and snow had melted away, the ground drying from the heat. Sunblade quickly found it hard to breathe and see. Far off for those who could see it, it was like the sun had risen early. The dragon picked up a burning log with one hand and slowly approached Sunblade. The terrified pony was unsure about what to do, here he was face to face with a foe who had grown in might and stature. Then, Sunblade felt something odd, it was like a soft heart beat. He drew out the Alicorn blade and saw that the sword had changed as well. The whole sword was glowing a bright blue, Sunblade had never seen it do that before. Blackfire continued forward heedless of the sword, he charged raising the flaming log high. He brought it down with great force; reacting, Sunblade answered the blow with his own. The burning log and sword met, there was a flash and the log burst asunder. Both were thrown backwards, Blackfire recovered first. He leapt atop Sunblade and beat on the helpless pony over and over. The ranger's armor broke under the assault, he felt bones crack. Without thinking, Sunblade fired a beam of magic into the dragon's face. Blackfire reeled back in pain; Sunblade used the respite to look for his sword. The glowing sword was not far, he blinked over to it. The dragon recovered again, however, his left eye was gone. An enormous fireball exploded from Blackfire's mouth. Using his magic, Sunblade created a five layered shield. The fireball broke through the first two layers, but stopped at the third. After 30 seconds, the third layer shattered, more magic formed around Sunblade's horn as he struggled to hold the last two layers. Blackfire laughed, "It's over pony! Just give it up!" The heat and pain was draining Sunblade's strength; he could feel his magic starting to fail. He dug deep, gathering all he had left. He had one last card to play. Releasing his shield, Sunblade teleported behind Blackfire and threw his sword. The Alicorn blade whistled through the air as it cut Blackfire's right side. The sword got stuck in one of the burning trees. Sunblade collapsed and started coughing, he had missed. Blackfire approached Sunblade and lifted him into the air by his horn, "Game over pony," He said in a mockingly sad voice, "A good effort, but ultimately futile." He chuckled, "It's weird, I want to thank you. I feel amazing, so much power! It's incredible!" Sunblade coughed, "Tell me, even with all that power, what do you have left? Blackfire frowned, "Unlike you ponies, I don't need anyone else. My mate and her eggs were just holding me back. I see that now, so I will rule not just the dragon lands. But all of Equestria!" "The princess will stop you." said Sunblade weakly. Blackfire laughed long and hard, his breath was foul, "That's a good one pony, but nothing can stop me now." "Sunblade, my name is Sunblade," He said trying to stay awake. Blackfire sighed with annoyance, "Fine, tell me Sunblade, what do ponies taste like?" Sunblade was not going to respond to that, he would not feed the dragon's amusement. The tired unicorn looked up at the sky, he wished that he could see the stars one last time. Suddenly, Blackfire dropped him, the dragon held himself as blue web like lines appeared around his body. The cut on his side was glowing bright blue, as the dragon fell to his knees. The shadows around him appeared to separate from him. Blackfire and Sunblade watched as the shadows took on a strange shape and vanished without a trace. The cold wind quickly made the flames go out after the shadows left. Blackfire began to cough violently, still holding his side. He laid on the ground groaning. Exhaustion overcame Sunblade and the victorious pony collapsed into a dreamless sleep. Chapter 8: RecoverySunblade slowly woke up in what appeared to be the room of a large cabin. He looked all around; the cabin was furnished with old furs and carved wooden figures. There were old pieces of armor on the walls, and a lot of them were helmets. Sitting in an old oaken chair was a pony. He was a young stallion, his coat was a red rust color, and his mane was a light blond. He was stirring a pot of orange soup. The smell made Sunblade's stomach growl; he sat up and the young pony stopped and looked at him. "Oh, you're awake," The young stallion said nervously. "Would you like some?" He pointed to the soup. Sunblade tried to moved a little, but his body was pierced with pain. He groaned and bent over, he felt dizzy. He looked at the burns on his legs, chest, and sides. Sunblade could feel the ones on his neck and back, and his horn felt sore from overuse. He was a quick healer, but this would still take days. "Yes, thank you sir," he finally said to the mysterious pony. "What happened?" The rust colored pony poured two bowls of soup. He walked over to Sunblade and placed the warm wooden bowl in front of him. Sunblade leaned down and blew on the hot soup as the young pony began to speak. "Well, I was at my post keeping an eye out for trouble. Suddenly, I heard this terrifying roar and half the mountain lit up like a huge candle. I stood there just watching. Not long after the fire went out, I went inside, grabbed my lamp, and went to see what happened." Sunblade drank some of the soup, it tasted like roots and fish. "I got down there," the red pony continued, "And right in the middle, was you and a dragon." Sunblade finished the soup and raised a hoof for the stallion to stop, "What happened to the dragon?" "Oh, well when I checked it, the dragon was dead." Sunblade took a long moment to let that sink in, he cared nothing for Blackfire. However, he felt sorry for him. The naive dragon had died without love or friendship. Sunblade looked at the red pony, "Thank you for helping me sir, what is your name?" "Rusty Bucket," he said proudly and saluted. "I'm the guardian of this here mountain." Sunblade chuckled a little, despite his pain, "And why are you protecting this mountain?" Rusty Bucket had a look of deep thought for a moment, but in the end he only shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, it's just been my family's job to keep anypony from going up. Beside, only thing up the mountain is dangerous wind, ice, and beasts." Sunblade considered that, to his knowledge there was nothing of any value on Mount Everhoof. He would need to review some of the old lore after he got back to Canterlot. He got up; the burns hurt badly, and he stopped after just a few hoof steps. Rusty Bucket brought some aloe vera that he kept for emergencies. He poured it on some clean rags and gently placed them on Sunblade. The ranger hissed in pain as the medicine stung. Rusty Bucket brought more soup, "I really don't think you should move mister. You are really hurt, and it's not just those burns." Rusty Bucket showed Sunblade some of the bruises that marked where Blackfire had punched and kicked him. The ranger knew he was in no condition to leave. However, he needed to go. The egg was waiting for him and he needed to report back to the princess. He gave Rusty Bucket some clear instructions; the young pony left the cabin. Sunblade drank more of the soup that was given to him. Rusty Bucket returned with the Alicorn blade wrapped in Sunblade's burned gray cloak. "Thank you," said the injured stallion. "I promise to return and repay you someday Rusty, but I need to go. Farewell." Rusty Bucket waved a hoof goodbye as Sunblade used what power he had regained. In a flash of silver light Sunblade disappeared back to the dragon lands. He found his saddlebags right where he left them. Sunblade checked them making sure that they had not been touched. To his relief the egg was still there. Sunblade's story came to its end, after all Celestia knew the rest. They both sat there in silence for a long while. Celestia once again touched the egg lovingly. "So, what now?" asked Sunblade,"What should we do with this egg?" "Do you wish to keep it?" asked the princess. Sunblade shook his head, "This egg will need somepony to look after it, and to love it when it finally hatches." "And you can't do that?" Sunblade looked at the princess sadly, "No, my life is full of turmoil and danger. This unborn dragon needs a home and family." Celestia nodded her head, "I will think on this very carefully and consider what to do." The princess was drawing many possibilities in her mind. Having a dragon live in Equestria could have unseen benefits, but only if the dragon was raised well. Such responsibility, Celestia started to think that no pony would be up to the task. She did not close her eyes to the risks of birthing a dragon outside of its homeland, but they had very few alternatives. "Well, whatever we do," said Sunblade gravely. "It's sad to think that this unborn dragon will grow up never knowing its parents." Celestia smiled with regret, "Maybe in some way that might be a good thing. If it never knows, then it never has to define itself by them." "So we hide the truth from it?" asked Sunblade. "Not forever, but maybe when it's ready." Celestia, still smiling, leaned down and kissed Sunblade's forehead, and her horn glowed a beautiful gold. Sunblade's body felt warm as his bones, cuts, and bruises were mended. He and the princess knew that the burns would take more time, even with magic. Once she finished, Celestia took the egg and left the medical wing. For the next two weeks, Sunblade remained in the castle to heal and rest. He often wondered about the egg and what Celestia had done with it. Finally, the doctors came to remove the last of Sunblade's bandages. The ranger was happy to see his skin and coat back to normal. Suddenly, the whole castle shook. Out of the nearest window, Sunblade and the doctors saw an explosion of colors. Sunblade then felt a powerful surge of magic. Suspecting trouble, Sunblade jumped from his bed and ran. He followed the magical surge all the way to the examination tower; however, as he arrived the powerful surge stopped. Worried, Sunblade ran up the tower. In the exam room he found a strange sight. A group of startled teachers were in a corner whispering to each other. The princess was talking to two unicorns in another corner; the mare and stallion looked very excited as Celestia spoke. But the one thing that caught his eyes most was a small purple unicorn holding a newborn baby dragon. Sunblade slowly walked over to the filly and dragon. He smiled at the young unicorn, "Hello, what's your name?" The filly looked at him with uncertainty, but she answered, "Twilight Sparkle, the princess just made me her personal student." Sunblade now looked at her with astonishment; this child had to be very special indeed. His eyes then fell on the newborn dragon, "And what's his name?" Twilight had a thoughtful look on her face, then she said, "I think, I am going to call him Spike."
Chapter 1: The palacePrincess Celestia waited alone in her private study; it was late and she needed to get some sleep. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. The princess opened it with her magic. A pegasus guard entered looking very nervous. He took off his helmet and bowed. "Please forgive my intrusion princess," He said timidly. "But the doctors need to see you now." Concerned, Celestia slowly got up and left the room, followed by the guard. The two walked down the long quiet hallways, other guards standing in front of doors saluted as they passed by them. After 10 minutes of walking, Celestia and the pegasus guard made it to the double doors of the medical wing. The guard ran up and opened the doors for the princess. Inside, two doctors and two nurses were standing around each side of a large bed. Sunblade, the princess' ranger, was lying on the bed, bound by restraints. Half his face and most of his body was covered in bandages. The head doctor, a unicorn mare with a yellow coat and brown mane, turned to speak with the princess. She raised her round glasses with a hoof and levitated a clipboard. "Sorry for disturbing you princess, but he kept insisting that he need to speak with you immediately." "Why is he restrained?" asked Celestia calmly. The doctor looked uncomfortable for a second, "Well, he appeared suddenly at the front doors, badly burned and demanding to see you. He lost consciousness and we brought him here for treatment. However, he woke up in the middle of us healing him and nearly hurt somepony. I stunned and restrained him for our safety and his own." The princess took a deep breath and kindly asked everypony to leave the room; the medical ponies looked at each other with confusion. However, one by one they left Celestia and Sunblade alone; the princess looked around the room and saw Sunblade's belongings. The Alicorn blade rested atop a burned grey cloak, his saddlebags sat next to the ancient sword. With relief, Celestia watched as Sunblade opened his eye, the other was under the bandages. The princess released the restraints and sat next to Sunblade. He sat up in the bed and looked at Celestia. "My princess," he began. "If I have interrupted your sleep, please forgive me." Celestia shook her head, "I am just happy you are alive, please tell me what is so urgent." Sunblade levitated his saddlebags over and opened them. He pulled out a round object wrapped in a blanket. Uncovering it, the young looking stallion revealed a large purple egg. The princess stared at the egg with shock and amazement; she and her sister had seen a few of these before. She knew it could only be a dragon's egg. "I'm sorry your highness," Sunblade said sadly. "I had no choice but to bring it back with me." The princess closed her eyes, trying desperately to think. This potentially put everypony in Equestria in danger. Taking another deep breath, Celestia calmly said, "Tell me everything."
Chapter 2: Fire and StoneSunblade began the tale of his mission; he had entered the dragon lands as the princess asked him to. She sent him there to learn more about the dragons and their kingdom. He had entered at night in order not to be seen by any unfriendly eyes, and in the dragon lands that was nearly all the eyes. He had been very nervous. Young adult dragons he could certainly handle, but full adult dragons were another story. It was hot, and he could see red light coming from small and large pools of boiling magma. The smell of brimstone was bad, but not unbearable. He had found shelter for the night under some large rocks; the stone roof would keep him hidden from the sky. He had slept uncomfortably on the surprisingly warm and hard ground. As the sun rose, there was a heavy cover of smoke in the sky. He did not see any dragons and that was lucky. He started walking, and for two hours, he had seen no signs of life. There had been times when he had to jump from rock to rock or had to use magic to cross a river of lava. As he stopped to take a small break, a loud roar echoed through the air. Sunblade hid himself with the magic of his cloak and saw an enormous dragon fighting with a true wonder of the world. It was an Earth Giant made from the bones of the world, and it threw huge stones at the dark blue dragon. The great beast answered with fire as blue as its scales. Sunblade watched in awe as the battle unfolded, the giant glowed red and orange as it walked through the fire. It grabbed the dragon's long neck and the fire stopped as it squeezed. The dragon attacked with its claws, trying to break free, however, the earth giant hoisted the dragon high and brought it down like a sack of flour. The ground shook and boulders flew high into the air. They crashed down and Sunblade blinked multiple times to avoid getting hit. The shaken pony moved slowly closer to see the battle's aftermath. The earth giant moved away to the east, not looking back at its fallen opponent. The dragon was dead, broken just like the ground under it. Sunblade looked at it for a long time in worried thought; if such forces still wandered the world then ponies would need more power to defend themselves. He spat at the dead creature. Sunblade had no love for dragons, after all one had killed his father. He turned away and began to walk again. Still listening, Celestia was startled by this revelation. She understood anger but not hatred. Despite her disapproval of Sunblade's action, she stayed quiet as he continued. Sunblade continued walking deeper and deeper into the dragon lands, but there seemed to be a lack of any dragons. Besides the blue one, there were few dragons he could see. He watched the sky and the rocks around him, nothing. Sunblade stopped, something was not right at all here. As he stood there in thought, thunder rang overhead, rain started to fall slow at first, but soon turned into a huge storm. Steam rose as the cold water drops hit the hot ground, Sunblade knew he needed to find a safe place to let the storm pass. Lightning flashed over him as he ran trying to see through the fog of steam. Fortunately, he located the mouth of a large cave. He drew out his sword and whispered a spell of illumination; the sword began to glow bright with white light. Sunblade entered the cave cautiously, as thunder boomed outside. He walked for about four minutes before stopping, then he took off his wet cloak and put it on a flat rock to dry. He lifted his saddlebags and pulled out some food and a canteen of water. The storm raged outside as Sunblade ate and drank his small dinner for the evening. Suddenly, a terrible smell hit his muzzle. It nearly made him throw up. It was coming from deeper within the cave. Suddenly afraid, Sunblade put away his food and began to go further inside. He let the foul smell guide him as his sword lit the way. It was really starting to get hot inside the cave, and Sunblade's silver mane stuck to his white coat. The cave immediately widened into a dragon's lair. There were small piles of gems and what looked like a stone bed, however, there was no sign of the owner. As he walked around the lair, Sunblade suddenly stepped in something. He closed his eyes, praying desperately that it was not what he thought it was. He opened his eyes and looked down. His eyes grew wide and he dropped his sword. In front of him was what remained of a small nest, all the eggs had been smashed. Now, he did get sick.
Chapter 3: A mother's wishCelestia was horrified at Sunblade's description of the nest; even he wanted desperately to forget it. The room was silent for a very long while. After settling herself the princess spoke, "I could never have imagined that any creature was capable of such vile cruelty." Celestia touched the purple egg lovingly, "At least, you saved this one. Where did you find it?" Sunblade looked down at the egg and continued his story; the shock of what he saw had been terrible. It had taken him a while to pull himself back together. He lifted his sword and reignited his light spell; the cave was now even more unpleasant. Using the light Sunblade looked around again with new suspicions, he then noticed something that he hadn't before. It was a mark in the dirt like something big had been dragged. He followed the mark going further into the cave, two minutes passed and Sunblade discovered a dragon's body. It was the body of a large dragoness, she was dark pink with bright green scales. Sunblade examined her closely and saw signs of battle. She had multiple injuries. Some looked very serious, others looked minor. Suddenly, his light sparkled off something in the she-dragon's left claws. He moved closer and saw a large purple egg, Sunblade realized that she must have used all her remaining strength to save her last egg. Sunblade looked at the she-dragon's face, surprisingly he found himself thinking that she looked pretty. Sunblade had never expected such a huge act of love from a dragon, and he felt very guilty about his actions earlier. Now a very big dilemma was facing Sunblade. What was he supposed to do about the egg? He couldn't leave it, its mother sacrificed everything she had to save it. But he could not take it. If other dragons found out a pony stole one of their eggs there would be Tartarus to pay. Also, what if he took it and the dragon within could become a danger as well. He stood there battling with himself, trying to make a hard decision. Leave it or take it? Just then something remarkable happened; the dragoness opened her eyes. Sunblade jumped back in fear and astonishment. How was she still alive? The she-dragon looked at Sunblade with her weak green eyes, and with great effort she slowly moved her left arm. She gently placed her last egg in front of Sunblade's hooves, she stared at him not saying a word, but the plea was still there. Sunblade nodded in understanding. She was giving him an enormous amount of trust and responsibility. He opened his saddlebags, pulled out a dark green blanket, and carefully wrapped it around the egg. The she-dragon stretched out her neck and kissed her only child goodbye. She gave Sunblade a weak, but happy smile, closed her eyes and drifted away.
Chapter 4:Why?Celestia watched Sunblade quietly as tears ran down his face; the ranger looked as old as he was inside. The princess knew and understood the great burden that weighed down the stallion's shoulders. There were things beyond even her power, there had been times when even she wished for the impossible. "I was a complete stranger," Sunblade finally said. "She knew nothing about me, and yet she trusted me enough to watch over her child. Why?" The princess smiled, "Deep down, she knew she was not going to make it. Her one and only concern then was the fate of her baby and with you it had a greater chance of survival." Sunblade stared at the egg letting the princess' words sink in; the she-dragon didn't have any other option. However, she still took a big risk putting her faith in him. On the other hoof, maybe in that brief moment between them she had seen something special inside him. "Judging by your injuries," Celestia observed. "I am certain that is not the end of your journey. Please tell me the rest Sun." "Of course your highness." Sunblade had carefully put the egg inside his bags and walked back to the entrance of the cave. He found his cloak right where he had left it. The cloak was dry now, and he put it back on because the storm outside had died down some. The tired ranger knew he needed to sleep, but there was no way he was sleeping in the cave. He walked out into the soft rain, and surprisingly the egg was very light in his saddlebags. It was going to be a long walk back to Equestria, but he could not continue his mission. He needed to leave the dragon lands as soon as possible. The danger to himself and Equestria just increased. Trying to stay hidden, Sunblade moved through the dragon lands in great haste. After two hours, he stopped to sleep in a sheltered hole. The wind was howling above him as he slept, so he woke up 30 minutes later. The full moon was high in the sky as Sunblade climbed out of the hole. The stars were numberless without the lights of the towns and cities, he smiled at them. The greatest gifts of the night. Suddenly, a shadow passed over and fear caused him to halt. A huge shape hovered over him, then a dragon about three ponies tall landed in front of him. Its body was black and the scales of its belly were purple. It had many scars, some old and faded; others were new. Its eyes were red and fierce as it glared down at Sunblade. "So you were the one inside the cave," It said in a deep male voice. "Tell me little pony, did you take anything?" Sunblade was paralyzed, this dragon had to be the mate of the dragoness. He nodded. Trembling, he opened his bags, levitated out the wrapped bundle, and revealed the egg. The black dragon gave a large smile showing teeth, and he chuckled. "So I missed one," he said reaching out with one clawed hand. "Give it to me little pony, and I will let you go free." At the words 'I missed one' the fear in Sunblade began to disappear. He looked back up into the dragon's eyes; the beast must have seen something terrible in Sunblade's face, because his smile quickly went away. Sunblade drew back the egg and glared at the dragon coldly, "What did you mean by 'I missed one'?" Smoke came from the dragon's nose, "Isn't it obvious pony? I'm the one who destroyed the nest." He said it like it was the easiest thing in the world; a great rage woke in Sunblade. He put the egg back inside his saddlebags, and drew out the Alicorn blade. "Why?" he demanded from the dragon. The huge beast gave no answer at first, then he laughed,"That female should have remembered her place. I am going to be Dragon Lord someday. I can't have anyone, not even my own mate, disrespect me." His large wings stretched out in a grand gesture, "Soon I will rule all of this land, but if the others found out my mate left me and took our eggs with her," His tail smashed the ground, "Then no dragon would follow me." Sunblade's voice was surprisingly calm, despite his rage, "You killed her and your own children, for that? Just because she decided to leave?" The black dragon snorted in contempt, "What do you care little pony? It is none of your business, now give me the egg and go back to your soft little land." Sunblade removed his bags and recited a spell he learned a year ago; white and gold armor appeared around his body. The stars and moon made him and his sword shine brilliantly. "You are no dragon sir, you are a demon, and you will never touch that egg while I live," Sunblade said in defiance. More smoke came from the dragon's mouth, he stood tall and said, "So be it."
Chapter 5: Battle under the starsSunblade threw up a shield as fire burst from the dragon's mouth; the heat was incredible, but the magical bubble held. The flames stopped and Sunblade attacked. Dropping his shield, he performed a speed spell. He got behind the dragon and stabbed it in the back just below the wings. The beast let out a roar of pain and struck with his tail, Sunblade blinked, avoiding the blow. He appeared in front of the dragon and cut its stomach, the beast howled and leaped back glaring. He had clearly underestimated this pony; spreading out his wings, he flew into the air. The blood on the Alicorn blade steamed as Sunblade watched the dragon waiting for its next move. It came down on him with tremendous speed, and a huge fireball shot from the beast's mouth. Sunblade fired magic at the flaming ball; it vanished in a flash of light. The dragon landed next to Sunblade and kicked him hard, his armor dented, and he hit a large rock. Nothing was broken, but his armor was badly damaged. Sunblade got up slowly, his sword hovered next to him. The dragon picked up a huge boulder and heaved it at Sunblade; the stallion once again used his magic causing the stone to explode into pieces. The dragon flew down and punched the wall. In the nick of time, Sunblade had ducked. He thrust upward and his horn pierced the dragon's stomach, then he drove his sword into the beast's right foot. The dragon roared with fury, and unleashed his inner fire. Sunblade erupted in pain as he was bathed in fire, without thinking he teleported atop a pillar of stone, and quickly rolled on the ground. The flames were extinguished, but his armor and cloak still smoked. The dragon appeared in the air above him; it still had the Alicorn blade in its foot. In his haste, Sunblade had forgotten the sword. The black dragon pulled the sword from his foot, and suddenly dropped it. He held his clawed hand, a look of great pain on his face. Despite his own pain, Sunblade smiled; no other creature, but him could touch the Alicorn blade. With great effort Sunblade rose, his armor had protected him from the worst of it. However, the pain was still terrible; the dragon landed in front of him again. "Get up," he said angrily. When Sunblade didn't, the dragon kicked him to the edge of the pillar. "I said get up pony! What's wrong? Had enough?" Sunblade took off his helmet, which turned to dust. He summoned his sword to him and caught it in his hooves. Leaning on the sword, Sunblade rose again. The dragon had all the advantages. If the pony was to win, he needed to change the game. A plan began to form in his mind; if he pulled it off the tide would turn. He smiled and laughed at the dragon, who stood back with shock. "Have I had enough? You must be joking , if that is the best you have, then I have nothing to worry about." Rage filled the dragon's eyes, and he charged forward, not knowing his peril. Sunblade focused his mind and magic, imagining the area in his memory. When the black beast was close enough, the brave pony teleported both of them high above the top of Mount Everhoof. The dragon's eyes were now widened in alarm; his wings were useless in this powerful wind. The two plummeted towards the ground. Sunblade paused for a moment in his story, and he stared at the ceiling in silence. Celestia waited patiently for him to continue, since obviously the event still bothered him. Sunblade looked at her and began again, "A long time we fell," he said. "I fell and he fell with me, he grabbed me by the throat as I cut him. His fire was all around us, I was burned and it became hard to breathe. I pierced him again and again; he let go and I got behind him. I bit down hard on one of his wings, and stabbed him in the back. He roared as I held on for dear life, finally we crashed into a frozen lake." Sunblade shivered from the memory, the shock of the cold had been horrible. He blinked out of the water and struggled onto the shore. The dragon burst out of the water. His fire was gone. The cold and water had done its job.
Chapter 6: A struggle in the windThe snow and wind swirled around Sunblade and the dragon as the two continued to fight. The Alicorn blade flashed brightly as it met the black claws of the dragon. The sound of their battle was drowned out by the howl of the wind; three times the dragon struck out with its tail. Twice it wrapped around Sunblade like a giant snake, both times, Sunblade broke free with his sword. However, on the third time Sunblade cleaved off a part of the dragon's tail. This time the beast did not roar, no, this time he screamed. His hot blood dripped from the stump, melting the snow below it. Now, the dragon looked on Sunblade with fear, because never before had any enemy dealt such a blow. In terror, the dragon fled further up the mountain. Sunblade pursued him, but the snow was hard to move through; the dragon ran crashing through the trees. The dragon looked back, and his fear grew as he saw the determined pony gaining ground. The dragon desperately wished he could fly, to escape. Sunblade pushed through the wind and pain, he could not let this wretched beast get away. The dragon knew that Sunblade was closing on his heels. The cold had stolen his fire, and without the warmth of the sun, he could not reignite his inner flame. Suddenly, the ground disappeared. The dragon halted at the edge of a huge cliff, he could not see the earth below. Sunblade came up behind him with a look of triumph on his face. "Nowhere to run anymore," the ranger said, pleased that his prey was cornered. "Any last words, murderer?" The dragon looked out on the horizon, then turned to look at Sunblade. "Does it feel good pony? The taste of victory, all the power I know you're feeling." Sunblade felt a heavy weight on his heart, the Alicorn blade lowered some, "What are you talking about?" The dragon smiled, "The thrill of the chase, the rush you feel as your victim trembles before you. Come on pony, you can't say you're not feeling it, at this very moment." Sunblade slowly began to shake, however, it was not from the cold. The dragon's words pierced him as easily as the freezing wind. At this very moment, he was no better than this monster in front of him. He looked at his reflection in the Alicorn blade. This was not why it chose him. He was meant to be a guardian, not an assassin. "No," Sunblade said, putting away the Alicorn blade. The dragon's mouth suddenly hung open, his disbelief was immeasurable, "What are you trying to pull pony? What happened to all that rage before? Don't you want to finish me?" Sunblade looked at the dragon with pity, "I'm not pulling anything, and my rage is gone. I don't want to be like you. A beast with no love in its heart, because that is what you are." Sunblade pointed a hoof at him, "And as for finishing you, that would not be Justice." He turned his back to the dragon, "I don't care where you go, or what you do now. But, stay away from Equestria and that egg. If you don't, I will be waiting." Sunblade was preparing to teleport back to the dragon lands, when a tremendous roar louder than all the others erupted behind him. The dragon poured all his rage and hatred into that roar. The air trembled, the earth shook, and new fire woke within the dragon. Flames burst from the beast's mouth, however, he did not aim them at Sunblade. The trees exploded into dozens of giant torches. The dragon's voice boomed with immense power, "YOU THINK YOU CAN WOUND AND HUMILIATE ME PONY AND JUST WALK AWAY!" Sunblade turned and looked upon his great enemy, for greater he had become. Now, vast shadows were wrapped around him, his purple scales were gone. He appeared as black as sin. He had also grown, he was now four ponies tall and filled with malice. Smoke poured from his nostrils and fire filled his jaw. "I AM BLACKFIRE, THE MIGHTIEST OF ALL DRAGONS," He proclaimed. "AND I WILL NOT BE BEATEN BY A WEAK PONY LIKE YOU!"
Chapter 7: InfernoThe princess was both horrified and fascinated by Blackfire's change; this was a phenomenon that she had never encountered. However, when she took a moment to reconsider, she realized that was not true. She had seen something similar, it had been the night of Luna's transformation. Her sister had embraced her darker emotions. Fueled by all that negativity, Luna turned into Nightmare Moon. Now, Sunblade had just confirmed her worst fears, such transformations could happen to any creature. Sunblade stared at Celestia, the princess appeared to be in very deep thought. She needed to consider all the possibilities that this information presented. Sunblade himself was curious about it too. From his view it was as if something had snapped inside Blackfire. Dragons were proud creatures, so maybe his act of mercy had been seen more as an insult. The injured stallion looked past the princess to where his sword sat. "Celestia?" he said, breaking her of her thoughts. "Yes, Sunblade?" she answered. "There is more. After he changed something happened. Something I don't fully understand." "Very well, please continue." The fire spread from tree to tree turning the forest into a sea of flame, Blackfire stood tall and menacing as huge dark smoke swirled in the wind. The ice and snow had melted away, the ground drying from the heat. Sunblade quickly found it hard to breathe and see. Far off for those who could see it, it was like the sun had risen early. The dragon picked up a burning log with one hand and slowly approached Sunblade. The terrified pony was unsure about what to do, here he was face to face with a foe who had grown in might and stature. Then, Sunblade felt something odd, it was like a soft heart beat. He drew out the Alicorn blade and saw that the sword had changed as well. The whole sword was glowing a bright blue, Sunblade had never seen it do that before. Blackfire continued forward heedless of the sword, he charged raising the flaming log high. He brought it down with great force; reacting, Sunblade answered the blow with his own. The burning log and sword met, there was a flash and the log burst asunder. Both were thrown backwards, Blackfire recovered first. He leapt atop Sunblade and beat on the helpless pony over and over. The ranger's armor broke under the assault, he felt bones crack. Without thinking, Sunblade fired a beam of magic into the dragon's face. Blackfire reeled back in pain; Sunblade used the respite to look for his sword. The glowing sword was not far, he blinked over to it. The dragon recovered again, however, his left eye was gone. An enormous fireball exploded from Blackfire's mouth. Using his magic, Sunblade created a five layered shield. The fireball broke through the first two layers, but stopped at the third. After 30 seconds, the third layer shattered, more magic formed around Sunblade's horn as he struggled to hold the last two layers. Blackfire laughed, "It's over pony! Just give it up!" The heat and pain was draining Sunblade's strength; he could feel his magic starting to fail. He dug deep, gathering all he had left. He had one last card to play. Releasing his shield, Sunblade teleported behind Blackfire and threw his sword. The Alicorn blade whistled through the air as it cut Blackfire's right side. The sword got stuck in one of the burning trees. Sunblade collapsed and started coughing, he had missed. Blackfire approached Sunblade and lifted him into the air by his horn, "Game over pony," He said in a mockingly sad voice, "A good effort, but ultimately futile." He chuckled, "It's weird, I want to thank you. I feel amazing, so much power! It's incredible!" Sunblade coughed, "Tell me, even with all that power, what do you have left? Blackfire frowned, "Unlike you ponies, I don't need anyone else. My mate and her eggs were just holding me back. I see that now, so I will rule not just the dragon lands. But all of Equestria!" "The princess will stop you." said Sunblade weakly. Blackfire laughed long and hard, his breath was foul, "That's a good one pony, but nothing can stop me now." "Sunblade, my name is Sunblade," He said trying to stay awake. Blackfire sighed with annoyance, "Fine, tell me Sunblade, what do ponies taste like?" Sunblade was not going to respond to that, he would not feed the dragon's amusement. The tired unicorn looked up at the sky, he wished that he could see the stars one last time. Suddenly, Blackfire dropped him, the dragon held himself as blue web like lines appeared around his body. The cut on his side was glowing bright blue, as the dragon fell to his knees. The shadows around him appeared to separate from him. Blackfire and Sunblade watched as the shadows took on a strange shape and vanished without a trace. The cold wind quickly made the flames go out after the shadows left. Blackfire began to cough violently, still holding his side. He laid on the ground groaning. Exhaustion overcame Sunblade and the victorious pony collapsed into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 8: RecoverySunblade slowly woke up in what appeared to be the room of a large cabin. He looked all around; the cabin was furnished with old furs and carved wooden figures. There were old pieces of armor on the walls, and a lot of them were helmets. Sitting in an old oaken chair was a pony. He was a young stallion, his coat was a red rust color, and his mane was a light blond. He was stirring a pot of orange soup. The smell made Sunblade's stomach growl; he sat up and the young pony stopped and looked at him. "Oh, you're awake," The young stallion said nervously. "Would you like some?" He pointed to the soup. Sunblade tried to moved a little, but his body was pierced with pain. He groaned and bent over, he felt dizzy. He looked at the burns on his legs, chest, and sides. Sunblade could feel the ones on his neck and back, and his horn felt sore from overuse. He was a quick healer, but this would still take days. "Yes, thank you sir," he finally said to the mysterious pony. "What happened?" The rust colored pony poured two bowls of soup. He walked over to Sunblade and placed the warm wooden bowl in front of him. Sunblade leaned down and blew on the hot soup as the young pony began to speak. "Well, I was at my post keeping an eye out for trouble. Suddenly, I heard this terrifying roar and half the mountain lit up like a huge candle. I stood there just watching. Not long after the fire went out, I went inside, grabbed my lamp, and went to see what happened." Sunblade drank some of the soup, it tasted like roots and fish. "I got down there," the red pony continued, "And right in the middle, was you and a dragon." Sunblade finished the soup and raised a hoof for the stallion to stop, "What happened to the dragon?" "Oh, well when I checked it, the dragon was dead." Sunblade took a long moment to let that sink in, he cared nothing for Blackfire. However, he felt sorry for him. The naive dragon had died without love or friendship. Sunblade looked at the red pony, "Thank you for helping me sir, what is your name?" "Rusty Bucket," he said proudly and saluted. "I'm the guardian of this here mountain." Sunblade chuckled a little, despite his pain, "And why are you protecting this mountain?" Rusty Bucket had a look of deep thought for a moment, but in the end he only shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, it's just been my family's job to keep anypony from going up. Beside, only thing up the mountain is dangerous wind, ice, and beasts." Sunblade considered that, to his knowledge there was nothing of any value on Mount Everhoof. He would need to review some of the old lore after he got back to Canterlot. He got up; the burns hurt badly, and he stopped after just a few hoof steps. Rusty Bucket brought some aloe vera that he kept for emergencies. He poured it on some clean rags and gently placed them on Sunblade. The ranger hissed in pain as the medicine stung. Rusty Bucket brought more soup, "I really don't think you should move mister. You are really hurt, and it's not just those burns." Rusty Bucket showed Sunblade some of the bruises that marked where Blackfire had punched and kicked him. The ranger knew he was in no condition to leave. However, he needed to go. The egg was waiting for him and he needed to report back to the princess. He gave Rusty Bucket some clear instructions; the young pony left the cabin. Sunblade drank more of the soup that was given to him. Rusty Bucket returned with the Alicorn blade wrapped in Sunblade's burned gray cloak. "Thank you," said the injured stallion. "I promise to return and repay you someday Rusty, but I need to go. Farewell." Rusty Bucket waved a hoof goodbye as Sunblade used what power he had regained. In a flash of silver light Sunblade disappeared back to the dragon lands. He found his saddlebags right where he left them. Sunblade checked them making sure that they had not been touched. To his relief the egg was still there. Sunblade's story came to its end, after all Celestia knew the rest. They both sat there in silence for a long while. Celestia once again touched the egg lovingly. "So, what now?" asked Sunblade,"What should we do with this egg?" "Do you wish to keep it?" asked the princess. Sunblade shook his head, "This egg will need somepony to look after it, and to love it when it finally hatches." "And you can't do that?" Sunblade looked at the princess sadly, "No, my life is full of turmoil and danger. This unborn dragon needs a home and family." Celestia nodded her head, "I will think on this very carefully and consider what to do." The princess was drawing many possibilities in her mind. Having a dragon live in Equestria could have unseen benefits, but only if the dragon was raised well. Such responsibility, Celestia started to think that no pony would be up to the task. She did not close her eyes to the risks of birthing a dragon outside of its homeland, but they had very few alternatives. "Well, whatever we do," said Sunblade gravely. "It's sad to think that this unborn dragon will grow up never knowing its parents." Celestia smiled with regret, "Maybe in some way that might be a good thing. If it never knows, then it never has to define itself by them." "So we hide the truth from it?" asked Sunblade. "Not forever, but maybe when it's ready." Celestia, still smiling, leaned down and kissed Sunblade's forehead, and her horn glowed a beautiful gold. Sunblade's body felt warm as his bones, cuts, and bruises were mended. He and the princess knew that the burns would take more time, even with magic. Once she finished, Celestia took the egg and left the medical wing. For the next two weeks, Sunblade remained in the castle to heal and rest. He often wondered about the egg and what Celestia had done with it. Finally, the doctors came to remove the last of Sunblade's bandages. The ranger was happy to see his skin and coat back to normal. Suddenly, the whole castle shook. Out of the nearest window, Sunblade and the doctors saw an explosion of colors. Sunblade then felt a powerful surge of magic. Suspecting trouble, Sunblade jumped from his bed and ran. He followed the magical surge all the way to the examination tower; however, as he arrived the powerful surge stopped. Worried, Sunblade ran up the tower. In the exam room he found a strange sight. A group of startled teachers were in a corner whispering to each other. The princess was talking to two unicorns in another corner; the mare and stallion looked very excited as Celestia spoke. But the one thing that caught his eyes most was a small purple unicorn holding a newborn baby dragon. Sunblade slowly walked over to the filly and dragon. He smiled at the young unicorn, "Hello, what's your name?" The filly looked at him with uncertainty, but she answered, "Twilight Sparkle, the princess just made me her personal student." Sunblade now looked at her with astonishment; this child had to be very special indeed. His eyes then fell on the newborn dragon, "And what's his name?" Twilight had a thoughtful look on her face, then she said, "I think, I am going to call him Spike."
