Chapter 44

The sound of cannon fire being fired and hitting not a thing filled the air. The thick fog Draco had Zephyr create was doing its job well, perhaps too well. Even with his enhanced sight, Draco couldn’t make heads or tails where he was. He barely knew up from down, and even then he was only half sure. But then he remembered the compass he grabbed from Lock’s quarters. Pulling it out he saw the needle spinning before pointing to what he believed to be true north. Flapping his wings Draco climbed, hoping to reach the top of the fog bank. Within a few minutes he poked out from the misty fog. He knew for a fact Canterlot was north of where he was of the diamond dog kingdom. Yet as he looked down at the compass he saw the needle pointing in the opposite direction.

“Draco, come in Draco,” a voice called out in his comm link. “This is Dr. Warm Heart, come in.”

“Hey doc, how bad is Fluer?” Draco knew all too well that Fluer could be in poor condition, and was almost afraid to know the answer.

“She…she gave birth,” Warm Heart said hesitantly.

“Is she still alive doc?” Draco asked, also hesitantly.

“Yes, she’s stable, barely, and her new daughters are healthy,” Warm Heart said, sounding somewhat happy. “They’re twin fawns.”

Draco wasn’t sure how to feel. He was happy that Fluer made it, but he feared for her mental health.

“Doc, keep the kids away from Fluer, we should have something they can eat. I’m worried for Fluer’s psychological health,” Draco instructed.

“You and I both, Draco, Dr. Surgical Steel reports that whatever they did to her really broke her mind. And I worry what the crew will say about the babies,” Warm Heart said.

“Listen, tell Shadow to get in contact with Phill, she’ll know how to. Hopefully he can do something about it.” Draco looked back at the compass and moved his hand in the opposite direction, the needle continued to point in one direction that was opposite of North. “I’d do it myself, but I think there is something that might require my attention.”

“With all due respect, this can’t be something more important than me delivering a couple of caribou fawns from a former high valued prisoner, is it?” Warm Heart questioned.

“Doc, between myself and Phill, he is the most qualified to perform miracles. Also what I’m looking into might just be as important, and it’s something I can handle,” Draco argued.

There was a pause on the other line before Warm Heart sighed audibly.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Draco, just get back as soon as you can. I doubt anypony is keen on letting this birth slide,” Warm Heart warned.

“Trust me, doc, that’s why it’s important to call Phill. I gotta go, over and out.” Draco began to flap his wings and flew in the direction of the needle. “Let’s see what you are pointing to.”

For what felt like several hours, Draco flew without rest. He would check the compass to make sure he hadn't flown off course. On the rare occasions when he remained stationary, he saw that needle was changing its direction on its own. Meaning whatever the needle was pointing to was moving. The needle was pointing to an unfamiliar set of mountains in the distance, ones that Draco didn’t quite recognize from the map. They weren’t that large, but they had a sort of mysterious look about them, yet the needle was still pointing towards them.

Draco started to fly closer, hoping that if he did he could look past the clouds that coveted the mountains. But as he got closer, he became shocked. The mountains he was flying to were floating. By magic or some other unknown means, the mountains were floating in the air, covered with great forests and waterfalls falling beneath it.

The closer Draco flew towards the mountains, the more he started to realize how massive they were. It caught Draco quite off guard just how big these mountains were. Draco glanced down at the compass, and it still pointed towards the floating mountain islands. Draco looked at the horizon behind him to see the sun was about to set. Thinking he was already this far, he may as well see it through to the end. Draco flew to the nearest floating mountain island and followed one of the waterfalls up to the ledge. Once he made it to the surface, he morphed his arms back to normal and touched down on the island with a heavy impact. He slowly rose to stand up straight and looked around. There were lush trees and plants everywhere, untouched by the war below which perplexed Draco.

“Were these always around?” He asked no one in particular as he looked around the field. Pulling out his compass, Draco saw the needle pointing in one direction, north-east. “Might as well follow it and see what it's leading me to.”

As Draco trekked across the mysterious floating island, he couldn’t help but admire the beauty and serenity of it all. It was probably the first time Draco had been to a place like this.

“To think a place like this existed.” He spun around as he walked, taking in the lush green grass, the clear clean air. Yet something was nagging him in the back of his mind. “I don’t remember reading anything about floating islands in the library, nor did I see anything like this aside from rainbow falls.”

Suddenly, Draco stopped dead in his tracks when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He was being watched, which made him instinctively grab the handle of his sword and pop the blade out of its sheath with his thumb.

“And here I thought I was all on my own.” Draco smiled as he kept moving forward, his hand never leaving his sword. “Boy, this place sure is beautiful. It would be a real shame if some caribou decided to jump me!” He called out, keeping his senses on full alert.

There was no response, but something was telling him to keep his head on a swivel. He scanned around the area and he swallowed a small lump in his throat. Normally, he was the one praying on unsuspecting enemies but whoever or whatever was stalking him made him sweat a little.

“Geez so this is what it's like to be on the receiving end,” Draco chuckled nervously and kept walking. In the back of his mind he considered his next move.

He didn’t hear a sound beyond the forest ambiance, not even a twig snapping. Ahead he saw a clearing beyond the trees. Without giving whoever was stalking a chance to think, he quickly dashed forward running for the open clearing.

As if letting his instincts take control, Draco immediately spun around while drawing his sword.

CLANG!

Draco barely managed to draw half his sword out of his sheath as an unknown assailant charged at him with swords of his own. The unknown attacker swung both his feet forward and kicked off Draco’s chest and did a backflip in the air and landed. Draco shook his head and got a good look at his attacker. He was covered from head to toe in leather armor and clothing. He wore a leather face mask, a black bandanna over his head, and goggles with red lenses. Draco could tell this attacker was giving him a death glare. In both his hands were two katana blades that looked razor sharp to the touch.

“Wow, someone is going through their Shadow the Hedgehog emo phase,” Draco quipped as he drew his sword and took up a stance. He kept his stance firm and strong as he took a few steps backwards trying to reach the open field.

The attacker said nothing and slammed his foot in the ground and sprinted at Draco. Draco was quick to react and clashed swords with his attacker. The attacker twisted on his foot and delivered a fierce back roundhouse kick to Draco’s face. Draco staggered back and blocked another slash from the attacker’s swords and was pushing him back with each fierce flurry of attacks.

“What, no comeback? I can’t be the only one talking.” Draco kept joking as he began to reinforce his body with powerful scales. The unknown attacker was skilled, more so than any foe he fought before.

Draco dragged his feet along the ground before kicking it up, creating a dust cloud. Once the dust was in the air, he quickly sprinted out from the trees and out into the open field, turning to see if his attacker would follow.

Draco didn’t see the attacker follow him. Draco glanced around the area, trying to pinpoint where the attacker might be. His senses were still on high alert but he couldn’t pinpoint where the attacker would jump out of. It wasn’t until it clicked in Draco’s head did he quickly look up to see the attacker falling down towards him with both his swords aimed at his head.

“Damn, that dude can jump.” Orion jumped forward and rolled as he heard the ground behind get slammed, barely avoiding the attack from above.

Draco front flipped back on his feet as the attacker pulled his swords from the ground. The two combatants slowly circled each other, their eyes never leaving the other’s.

“I wasn’t expecting to fight someone so skilled, at least not this quick. Did Gluttony send you after me?” Draco kept his sword ready and his body prepared for an attack.

Again, Draco was met with silence. Instead, his attacker took a stance while crossing his swords. He lowered his hips and spread his feet apart.

“Very well.” Draco sheathed his sword and quickly stretched his hands out, before turning them into long sharp claws. “Claws of the Therizinosaurus,” he called out before taking an equally threatening pose.

The wind blew through the air as Draco and the attacker stood perfectly still. A leaf was carried in the wind and floated just between them. Time slowed down as the leaf floated just between their eyesight before they made their move. The attacker and Draco sprinted towards each other and both swung their swords and claws as they passed by, slicing the leaf in two. The wind whipped between them from the ferocity of their attacks as they stood with their backs facing each other. It wasn’t until Draco heard a faint grunt that he glanced over his shoulder to see the attacker clutching his arm. He smirked but then felt a draft in his chest armor. He looked down to see a large cut slicing through his armor and clothing down to his skin, which had a sizable scratch on his scales.

“Ah fuck, dude this outfit is new!” Draco shouted, changing his claws back to hands as he examined the tear. “Rarity is gonna kill me when I get back home,” he said with a hint of dread.

Draco noticed the attacker jolt and seemed to glare more intensely at Draco, as if he wanted to rip his eyes out.

“Ra…ri…ty…?” The attacker spoke, his voice sounded hoarse and rough.

Draco, who wasn’t paying any attention to his foe, tried to cover up the tear. “Maybe if I use this cap too....no she’ll definitely see that. Man, when she sees this she’ll have my balls on a pike.” Now there was an ounce of fear in his voice as he tried to find a way to cover up.

“Hey…! HEY!” The attacker yelled, gaining Draco’s attention. “You…said Rarity.”

“Yeah, she’s my marefriend. Or at this point she’s gonna be my executioner when she sees this,” Draco said pointing to the tear his attack made. “She worked really hard on this, you know?”

Draco heard a low growl from the attacker.

“You…you lie!” The attacker snarled. “Rarity…would never…be with…whatever the Tartarus you are!”

“Oh, and I should take this from a caribou?” Draco pointed a now clawed hand towards the warrior in black. “Your kind has raped and killed innocent ponies, don’t act like you know me or my marefriend!”

“DON’T YOU DARE CALL ME A CARIBOU!” The attacker roared. “I’M NOTHING LIKE THOSE MONSTERS! THEY TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!”

This caught Draco by surprise. He could feel the pain and agony in his attacker’s voice. “If you’re not a caribou, then what are you?” He asked this time, sounding less agitated.

“Why do you care?!” The attacker snapped. “I can’t even call myself my own species. No thanks to them.” The attacker lowered his head. “If she saw me, she would be horrified…”

Part of Draco was now curious, this foe before him seemed to know of his marefriend very well. Against his better judgment he changed his claws back to a hand. “Are you another pony? Did you know her and get stuck here somehow?”

The attacker stared at Draco for the longest time until he looked away.

“…not only her, but Twilight and the others would cower in fear of me,” Draco heard him say under his breath.

Draco quickly approached the stranger. “Hey, how do you know Twilight too? Just who the heck are you, man?”

The attacker used his good arm to swipe his sword at Draco, halting his approach.

“Take one more step, and lose your head!” The attacker said. “I may have one arm, but it’ll be more than enough!”

“Just calm down man, I’m not your enemy.” Draco moved his hand to tilt the blade away. “My name is Draco Saurian, I am part of the equestrian army, we are fighting against the caribou. So if you aren’t one of their soldiers, then take it easy.”

This seemed to perk the attacker’s interest.

“The resistance…then you must know that Hand guy I’ve heard about, yeah?” The attacker asked.

“You must mean Lock, yeah, he’s known as the Devil’s hand.” Draco smiled as he spoke. “We have already liberated the whole pony nation.”

Draco saw the cut on the stranger’s arm and reached into his bag pulling out a green sphere. “Let me fix that, it’s my fault that you have it.”

“Wait!” The stranger said, stepping backwards. “Just because you work with the Hand, doesn’t mean I trust you!”

Draco rolled eyes and shook his head. “Listen dude if I wanted to kill you I would have done so. You’re lucky I held back when I did.” Draco moved in closer, keeping the sphere in his hand. “Now stop being a chicken and let me fix that arm, before you bleed out on me.”

The stranger stared at Draco for a moment until he finally relented and reluctantly showed his arm. Draco nodded and took his arm to examine the cut. Draco noticed the stranger’s skin under his armor and clothing was strange-looking. It was rough, very rough, and there were scabs all over his arm. To Draco, it looked like there was something ripped off his skin by force.

Not wanting to be rude, Draco raised the sphere to the cut and closed his eyes. Soon the orb began to glow, and the cut in the stranger’s arm began to heal rapidly. Within a minute it was closed and healed.

“How’re you doing that?” The stranger asked.

“Magic.” Draco smiled as he made sure the wound was completely closed. “Me and Twilight put a lot of effort to make sure this thing could heal almost any kind of wound. But trust me when I say the trial and error test was a pain.” Draco chuckled as he put the sphere away.

“How…how do you know Twilight?” The stranger asked.

“She’s my friend.” Draco said with a smile. “She and I are working on making magical items like the one you just saw. She’s also the marefriend of my bro Lock.”

“She’s got a coltfriend?” The stranger asked, sounding surprised. “She always was so buried in her books to care about finding a special somepony.”

“Haha yeah well Lock made a good impression on her!” Draco laughed thinking about it. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s still buried in them, but just enough that she can still kiss him,” he joked playfully.

“Yeah…” the stranger nodded. “Wait a sec, none of this matters right now. I wanna know how you found this place. These islands should be hidden from all forms of detection and magic tracing.”

Draco seemed perplexed by that, but he reached into his jacket to pull out the compass. “I found this place because of this. I figured these islands were powerful with magnetic energy.”

Draco and the stranger looked at the compass and noticed it was pointing at the stranger.

“That’s a weird-looking compass,” the stranger said and paced away. “Must be a special compass to find this place.”

Draco noticed the needle of the compass was following the stranger.

“Hey stop moving for a second,” Draco called out while holding out a hand to have the stranger stop.

Draco began to circle the stranger and as he did the needle continued to point at the stranger. “The compass is pointing at you.”

“Me? Why?” The stranger wondered.

It was then Draco remembered something Lock told him. That the compass would point to what the holder truly wants most.

“Okay I think it's about time you tell me who you are. You already know me, and it’s clearly obvious that we aren't enemies,” Draco asked with a determined look.

The stranger stood in front of Draco for several minutes. The stranger sighed deeply as he reached up and undid his bandanna. The first thing Draco noticed was the same scarring and scabs he saw on the stranger’s arms, only they were much more severe. There were deeper marks that went from the top of his head and down the back. Next was the face mask he wore, which looked horribly scarred and beaten in, like someone kicked his face in repeatedly, with a single protruding fang poking out of his mouth. When the stranger took off his goggles, the whites of his eyes were red while his pupils were slitted and black. Draco couldn’t exactly make heads or tails who or what this stranger was, but he strangely looked like some kind of reptilian creature.

Draco kept staring trying to figure out who it was he was looking at. Before a thought occurred to him, the being in front of him knew both Rarity and Twilight, and had reptile-like features.

“S…Spike?” Draco dared to guess his name.

“…yeah,” the stranger sighed. “I’m…I’m Spike…the former dragon.”

Draco’s jaw dropped and stayed that way for what felt like hours, before finally tears began to build up in his eyes. Faster than a blink of an eye, Draco dashed right up to Spike, hugged him around the waist and lifted him up and twirled him.

“SPIKE!! YOU’RE ALIVE!!” Draco cheered happily.

“GAH! GET OFF ME!” Spike barked, forcing Draco to let go of him and went back to glaring at Draco. “Now you know who I am, happy?!”

“Of course I’m happy! You’re alive, man!” Draco kept a smile on his face as he spoke. “Twilight has been missing you like crazy, she’s worried you've died or worse. But here you are alive!”

“Well, I’m glad she’s doing alright,” Spike said and put his face coverings back on. “And since you found me, you can leave now.”

“Leave?” Draco seemed confused but then smiled again. “Oh duh, now that I found you, you can come back home with me. Everyone is gonna be so excited to see you again.”

“I admire your optimism, Suarian,” Spike said and sheathed his swords. “But you still misunderstand. I’m not coming back with you.”

“Oh please don’t tell me you are gonna pull a Deadpool on me.” Draco said knowing full well what was happening.

“A what?” Spike said.

“A Deadpool moment. You have been horribly tortured, your body scared beyond the point of recognition, and now you think none of your friends or loved ones will want to see you. Is that it?” Draco asked, standing his ground.

“My physical appearance has nothing to do with why I’m here,” Draco said. “I’m here because I want to protect this place.” He held out his arms. “More specifically, these islands.”

“From what? Tourists? Last I checked they are a bunch of islands that you said no one could find. So why stay here?” Draco asked, looking around.

“Trust me, even you have to admit those caribou are more resourceful than anyone gave them credit for,” Spike pointed out.

“Sure fine, they are resourceful. But that still doesn’t explain why you have to stay up here to protect it.”

“You have no idea where we are, do you?” Spike said, sounding unimpressed.

This definitely stumped Draco. “Well this thing is a compass not a GPS, as far as I can tell we’re on a bunch of floating islands right?”

Spike only shook his head. “Look, it doesn’t matter. You only found me because of that compass, so I doubt the caribou has another one of those things.”

“Until the caribou actually do find a way here, even without a fancy compass.” Draco commented. “You haven’t been seeing what I have, but they are trying to improve their war machines. Given enough time, finding this place won’t be a problem.”

“What, how?” Spike wondered. “These islands are undetectable from any magical means.”

“Technology, my friend. Someone is teaching these fuckers about my world’s military weapons and vehicles.” Draco added as he paced around. “If they invent something that can detect the islands without magic, then you’re screwed.”

“What’s…technology?” Spike wondered. “Is that how they conquered the world so easily?”

“I’m not sure about that? All I know is the Sins teamed up with them, and now here we are.” Draco shrugged.

“Then I need to warn Ember,” Spike said and started to walk off. “Thanks for telling me Twilight and the others are doing well.”

“Whoa, hang on there, dude.” Draco sprinted to run past Spike and stop in front of him. “How about instead of ditching me you let me tag along?”

“Why?” Spike asked, crossing his arms. “You already found me, so there’s no need to stick around.”

“Uh, except I told Twilight that I’d bring you back if I found you. Besides, you and the rest of the dragons share a common enemy with us. We can work together,” Draco argued.

“Look, Saurian, I get Twilight wants to see me again, but I’ve got bigger things to worry about than a little family reunion,” Spike scoffed.

“So, did half of what I said go in one ear hole and out the other? I also told you that we can help each other out. We’ve got an entire nation on our side as well as the diamond dogs. The bigger our army gets the less likely the caribou can win.” Draco felt some sort of rift between himself and Spike.

“I don’t need help!” Spike growled. “And I don’t care what happens to the rest of this fucked up world! My allegiance lies with these islands and these islands alone!”

Draco stood quite for a while before placing his hands on his hips. “Really? Is that what you think?” Draco slowly advanced towards Spike. “You don’t care that the pony who raised you is back down there crying her heart out worrying about you, thinking you’re dead or hurt. The same pony who raised you and considered you as her little brother? Is that what I’m hearing?”

“That Spike she raised died long ago,” Spike said coldly.

Draco’s eyes widened before he glared. “I guess so, because the Spike I know wouldn’t turn his back on his family.”

“You have no idea what I’ve gone through, Saurian,” Spike said and turned his back to Draco. “Now, for the last time, leave this place.”

Draco stopped and took a deep breath. “Shining is dead.”

Spike stopped dead in his tracks. Draco could see Spike trembling a little as the drake contemplated the information.

“…what?” Spike said quietly.

“Shining Armor is dead, but I guess you don’t care right?” Draco turned away and began to walk.

Suddenly, Draco heard the sounds of running footsteps and turned around. Only to be tackled to the ground as Spike glared down at Draco with a fury of anger behind his goggles.

“LIAR!” Spike shouted and grabbed Draco's collar. “SHINING IS THE BRAVEST PONY I KNOW! THERE’S NO FUCKING WAY HE’S DEAD, YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

Draco stared up at the angered dragon, his face never changing. “He died protecting everyone in Canterlot. He used his shield magic to hold up a barrier, so much so that it was killing him to keep it up.” Tears slowly built up in Draco's eyes. “By the time Lock got there it was too late. The capital was saved but at the cost of his own life.”

“That can’t be true!” Spike shouted. He pulled out a large dagger and held it to Draco’s neck. “I’ll kill you if you’re lying to me!”

Draco’s expression never changed. “Before he died he asked Lock to watch over the kingdom. In his final moments he got to hear Flurry Heart say dada, and then he died surrounded by his loved ones and friends. That is the unfortunate end that was Shining Armor.”

Spike’s fists trembled and he lowered his head.

“Please…please tell me it’s a lie…” Spike muttered.

“I wish it was. I’d give anything for it to be a lie or a bad dream,” Draco’s own voice cracked as he shed a few tears.

Spike let go of Draco and slowly stood up.

“Garble…” Spike hissed quietly.

“What about him?” Draco asked as he stood up shortly after.

Spike rolled his sleeve up to show Draco his mangled arm.

“He did this to me, and he enjoyed it. He…killed my innocence,” Spike said before rolling his sleeve back up. “I’m not only staying here to protect these islands, I’ve been going through brutal and hellish training to one day find Garble and rip his wings off.”

Draco said nothing for a moment, wanting to think of his next choice of words. He patted his clothes off any grass that clung to him. “Then convince those dragons here to side with us.”

Draco walked around so Spike could see him. "We’ve already liberated the pony nation, and we have rescued all the diamond dogs. Since joining us our own military might have jumped leaps and bounds. If you guys join us we can fend these antlered fucks off no problem.”

“How can you be so sure…?” Spike asked.

“I’m not,” Draco added without hesitation. “But I know sitting on our hands waiting for them to come to us isn’t gonna do anything good though.”

“But these islands are sacred,” Spike said. “They’re Torch’s last will.”

“Fine, stay up here and twiddle your thumbs. When the caribou come and start slaughtering you guys, don't come asking for our help,” Draco continued his walk slowly turning his arms into wings.

“Wait!” Spike said, halting Draco. “It’s not my say to leave, it’s the new dragon lord’s. Even if I wanted to come with you, I can’t. I’m under oath to stay here by order of Dragon Lord Ember.”

Draco turned to look at Spike. “Then take me with you to see her. I understand you are under oath, but that oath doesn’t prevent you from granting me an audience with the dragon lord, right?”

“I suppose not,” Spike sighed. “Just…please be mindful. Outsiders are not welcome here, and are looked down on.”

“Don’t worry I know how to act around royalty. Heck, I’m constantly in the princess’ presence,” Draco waved off Spike’s concerns as he had the dragon lead the way.

Spike led Draco through the lush trees and grassy plains. The moon had just begun to rise into the sky and the crickets were beginning to chirp. Spike remained silent as Draco followed him and the scarred drake didn't bother to say anything to Draco. One thing Draco noticed about Spike while following him was that he was missing something.

“So, is what Garble did to you why you are scarred but also…bigger?” Draco asked, not trying to remind Spike of a painful past.

“Yeah,” was all Spike said. “Any more personal questions you wanna ask before I tear out your still-beating heart?”

“Yeah, when did you suddenly become such a bitch?” Draco snarked, not the least bit terrified by Spike’s words.

Shing!

Draco blinked and Spike had already drawn one of his swords. He felt the blade press into his skin on his neck as Spike kept his head looking straight ahead. He surprised Draco how fast his reflexes were and how he managed to aim the blade so accurately without even turning his head.

“You said you were holding back during our little bout back there,” Spike said and turned his head slightly to look at Draco over his shoulder. “So was I, way back. You’d do well to remember that.”

Draco said nothing but smiled as he stepped forward, allowing the blade to make a cut around his neck, a slow trickle of blood began. “Oh, did I strike a nerve?” Draco never let his smile falter.

“You really have no common decency, do you?” Spike said.

“Oh, I did, up ‘till you decided to be a disrespectful little twat.” With of a flick of a finger, Draco pushed Spike’s blade away from his neck. “I would have thought being raised by Twilight, you of all creatures would have your own decency. I suppose I was wrong.”

“You have no idea what I've been through, asshole,” Spike growled. “Oh sure, I’m well aware there’s still creatures out there still suffering but they weren’t tortured with unrest. Garble…he fucking tore out my scales, my spines…and even my tail was chopped off. He forced me to fight day in and day out in fight pits. Every day was a battle of survival and staying alive. Have you any idea what that feels like? Do you?!”

Draco stood silent for a moment and shook his head. “No, I can’t say I have.” When Draco looked back at Spike, his look was almost dead. “Have you ever been forced to take bullets for your comrades, pretending like each bullet is nothing at all so you don’t make them worry? Have you ever had to watch a wife and her daughters cry as they watched their father die in front of their eyes, when you had the power to prevent it?”

“We all have our moments when we break,” Spike said and sheathed his sword. “It’s just something we have to live with now, no thanks to Dainn Stonehoof.” Spike turned back around and walked. “Let’s get going, Ember is waiting.”

Draco followed close behind, the wound on his neck had already begun to close. “Since you probably haven’t been down to the surface lately, you should know one of the Sins is dead.”

“That right?” Spike said. “That reminds me, where is that Hand guy?”

Draco wasn’t sure how to respond. On the one hand he could lie and keep the information classified. Yet on the other hand if he wanted their trust, honestly would have to be his best choice.

“He’s currently away, and I was left in charge of the army in his absence,” Draco replied.

“Pity, I’d rather he be here than you so I could meet the stallion dating Twilight,” Spike scoffed.

“Well, too bad for you, you’re stuck with me so sad.” The human rolled his eyes while shaking his head.

“How’s Celestia and Luna?” Spike asked while pushing past some branches.

“They’re okay. Thankfully, all the princesses are still alive and well. If they hadn’t been there, the whole kingdom would have fallen into madness.” Draco added, his eyes looking around the forest.

“Or worse, Dainn’s personal playthings,” Spike said.

Draco shuddered at the idea. “God forbid.”

“I never asked,” Spike said, just thinking of something. “What exactly are you?”

Taking a moment to think of a way to describe himself, Draco decided on the simplest answer.

“Um well I’m a human. I guess you can consider my species as a form of apes,” Draco answered.

“Human?” Spike said, glancing at Draco. “And here I thought you were a pony with a severe birth deficiency.”

One of Drac’'s blood vessels began to pulse in his forehead, as he did his best to stay calm. “Funny, I was just gonna say you look like an avocado had sex older more disgusting avocado, not gently like it was hate fucking. There was something wrong with the relationship, and that was the only catharsis that they could find without violence.”

“I’m not even gonna pretend that makes sense,” Spike rolled his eyes behind his goggles. “So how do you do that thing with your hands? You part dragon or something?”

“Oh, that's just the powers that came with this.” Draco pulled the collar of his shirt to reveal the Amber Gemstone embedded in his chest.

“Is…” Spike glanced at the stone in Draco’s chest. “Is that thing embedded in your skin?”

“Yeah, it melted right in after Discord gave it to me.” Talking about the gemstone made Draco’s chest inch, promoting him to scratch around it.

“That sounds like something crazy Discord would do,” Spike said, then eyed the gemstone again. “…can I eat it?”

“It’s not that kind of gemstone. It’s made of fossilized amber, tree sap that has been petrified over millions of years. It’s what also lets me change my form. What you saw was only me changing my body parts, not my whole body.” Draco moved his shirt back into place as they walked.

“I see,” Spike said and faced forward. The two stepped out of the forest tree line and began walking up a steep hill. “You and Rarity, huh? You some kind of Prince Charming that swept her off her hooves?”

“I’ll be honest, it was kind of an accident. My dumbass drunk brother pushed me into her and we kissed. And I guess my heroics impressed her.” Draco sighed, shaking his head. “Now I have to be strong for her, Shadow and Maud.”

“Color me surprised again,” Spike said as he and Draco stepped over some rocks. “The human has a herd.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t at first. Hell, I didn’t even want to find love.” Draco easily jumped over the rocks and looked around as they walked.

“And why’s that?” Spike wondered.

Draco looked at the starry sky and stared for a few moments. “When you have someone to love, be it a sibling, a partner, you feel as though you are the strongest in the world.” Letting out a deep sigh the young human kept walking. “However, when you make enemies in high places, those same loved ones can be used against you.”

Spike looked over his shoulder again.

“You speak like you’ve got some history,” Spike commented.

“I have, history that I refuse to allow to happen again.” Draco took some deep breaths before walking alongside Spike.

Spike said nothing and they reached the top of the hill. Draco was shocked to see a vast open area with ancient-looking buildings and moments everywhere. Within the ancient-looking city were hundreds of dragons all mingling with one another and torches burning as far as he could see.

“Welcome to Dragonvale,” Spike said. “One of the last dragon safe havens.”

“It may not mean much coming from me, but I find it kinda beautiful.” Draco smiled as he was astounded by the sight before him.

“It is,” Spike said, then turned to him. “Listen, I wasn’t kidding when I said this place is sacred. I may look out for these islands, but my position can hold only so much leverage. These dragons will wonder what an outsider like you is doing here. And don’t get me started on Ember. She…hasn’t been the same.”

“Hmm, then maybe I should try and blend in.” Draco took a few steps back before slowly shapeshifting his body. Soon he began to grow taller than Spike. His mouth turned into a blunt snout, and two horns grew out of his head. His hands shrunk to tiny numbs as he morphed into a Carnotaurus.

Spike looked at Draco with a look of shock behind his face coverings and goggles.

“Uh…damn, how’d you do that?” Spike wondered.

Draco could only grunt and snarl, making it obvious that in a full transformation he couldn’t speak.

“Right…well, follow me,” Spike said.

Spike and Draco walked towards the city and were catching eyes from every dragon from the ancient city. Draco noticed that many dragons bowed to Spike and lowered their heads in respect, which meant Spike wasn’t exaggerating about his position here.

“Are you curious why they respect me so much?” Spike muttered to Draco. “Two reasons. One, I proved myself in combat by beating every dragon you see. Two, I’m Ember’s mate.”

Despite looking intimidating, Draco looked almost comical as his jaw dropped as he followed close behind.

“What? I fought her too, and she and I grew close after I beat her. Things just led to one thing after the other,” Spike shrugged. “I learned to fight and survive while being imprisoned, which I’ll keep to myself how and why, but the point is I’m second-in-command around here.”

Draco nodded his head showing he understood, and made a roar that one would make when sounding impressed.

“Sir Spike?” A few dragons walked up to Spike and Draco. “What’s this thing?”

“Found him in the forest, he’s a little brain dead so I’m taking him to Ember to see what to do with him,” Spike answered.

That little insult didn’t go unnoticed by Draco. He began to twist and turn his body like a fool, and accidentally slapped Spike in the back with his tail, sending him falling forward.

“SIR SPIKE?!” The dragons yelped.

“Ugh, see what I mean?” Spike grunted and picked himself up. “Now then, I want you to fly to the other islands and tell the dragons to increase sentry shifts.”

“Of course, Sir Spike.” The dragons flew in the air and made for the other floating islands.

Spike shot Draco a glare as they made their way to the larger structure in the center of the city. Many dragons looked at Draco with curiosity and confusion but Draco just ignored them. There were two larger dragons with muscle-bound physiques, and even they bowed in respect to Draco. The structure’s walls were decayed and the ceiling had long since caved in, but it still held its majestic appearance. Once inside the building, Spike and Draco entered the center chamber where Ember was talking to a couple other dragons. Draco noticed the Bloodstone Scepter on her hand and she wore the armor she wore when she participated in the gauntlet. Ember’s physique was also quite muscled but also somewhat curvaceous. If Draco was honest with himself, he found the dragoness to be quite pretty.

“Ember? I’m home,” Spike said.

“Spike!” Ember said and dismissed the other dragons before quickly meeting Spike halfway and hugging him. “Are you okay?”

“Of course I am,” Spike said. “You don’t have to keep asking me that.”

“I know…it’s just,” Ember said.

“Hey, I may be rough around the edges, but I’m still somewhat sane,” Spike said, tipping her chin up.

Ember smiled and her eyes landed on Draco.

“What’s this thing?” Embers asked.

Draco, not wanting to be rude, bowed his head while maintaining his current form.

“Wow, a creature with manners,” Ember said. “Where’d you find it?”

“On the edge of the island,” Spike said. “He’s actually more than meets the eye.”

“That a fact?” Ember said, then looked at Draco. “Sit!”

In the back of his mind Draco was debating on what he should do. To sit or not to sit, that was the question. After a few seconds he did so, moving his tail aside as he lowered his bottom to the ground.

“Heh, lie down!” Ember said.

Without hesitation, he did so without breaking eye contact with Ember.

“Roll over!” Ember said with a smile as Spike looked at Draco with a face that wondered what the hell he was doing.

With a smirk Draco rolled over onto Spike pinning him down underneath him, the prehistoric human making a grunting laugh sound.

“Get the fuck of me, man!” Spike barked.

“Ha! He likes you!” Ember laughed.

Draco laughed again thinking back to how he did the same thing, when he first met Lock and the others. Rolling off Spike, the massive Carnotaurus stood back up.

“Dude! Would you cut it the fuck out?! We have more important things to address!” Spike lectured after picking himself up.

“What are you on about, Spike? It’s just a random creature,” Ember said.

Seeing as Spike was spoiling the mood, Draco took this as his que to slowly change back. Ember watched as the massive creature slowly shrank down, until he was around the same height and shape as Spike. “Hey, consider that payback for calling me brain dead earlier.”

“What the?!” Ember shouted as her mood went a complete one-eighty and aimed the scepter at Draco. “Who are you?! What are you?! Spike! Explain yourself!”

“Gee and here I thought you liked me,” Draco chuckled before gently pushing the scepter away from him.

“The name is Draco Saurian, your highness.” Draco gave one more bow to show his respects. “And I assure you, that I mean no harm, you could say we are alike.”

“Draco?” Ember said but then went back to glaring at him. “I don’t care who you are! How dare you set foot on sacred dragon grounds!”

“Well, for one thing.” l Draco quickly stretched out his arms turning them into long webbed wings. ”I flew here.”

Again, Ember was shocked to see the transformation, however was undeterred.

“Spike, you have five seconds to explain why you brought an outsider with crazy transformation magic to Dragonvale! Now our last safe home is compromised!”

“Hey, I wanted him to get lost too, but he’s pretty damn insistent,” Spike said. “Besides, he’s part of that Hand guy’s resistance.”

“The Devil’s Hand?” Ember said, glancing at Spike. “If that’s true, where’s the Hand?”

“I’m afraid he’s elsewhere.” Drack chimed in. “He’s away while myself and the Saint are left with protecting the now liberated pony nation.”

“Equestria is liberated?” Ember said again, but shook her head. “No, that doesn’t matter right now. You need to leave, Mr. Draco, I can’t afford Dragonvale being discovered by anyone else!”

Draco raised his hands up and turned away. “Alright I’ll leave, but only because you called me Mr. Draco,” he said and began to walk away.

“Wait, that’s it?” Spike said.

“But of course, I’ll see myself out.” Soon, Draco had reached the doorway, but stopped as if he had forgotten. “Oh right, did I forget to mention that if someone like me could find this place with just a magic compass that the caribou might as easily find you?” He asked as he cracked the door open. “Ahh, you know what? You don’t need me to tell you, I already told Spike so that should be good enough. Bye.” He waved his hand and slowly stepped through the doorway.

“Hold it!” Ember said, walking up to Draco and grabbing his shoulder. “Magic compass? And how could they find us? It’s impossible to find these islands if you’re not the Dragon Lord.”

Draco turned around and pulled out the compass that he found. “This is the compass I was talking about. And about your second question, as I told Spike. The caribou are working towards advancing all their technology for anything military based. They already have flying airships, and all it will take is one lucky fleet to spot this place, and call for more help.” Draco pocketed the compass and stood waiting.

“But these islands have a special cloaking spell that our ancestors cast with their dragon magic,” Ember said. “I’m not sure how you were able to bypass the spell, but I doubt they would be able to, right?”

“Sorry to say this, Ember, but I think we’re still underestimating those bastards’ resourcefulness,” Spike said.

“I didn’t feel anything that kept me from touching down on this island,” Draco added. “But regardless, if you guys want to stay up here, and twiddle your thumbs and wait ‘till they find a way up here, then be my guest.”

“You make it sound like we’ve cowards,” Ember frowned. “But we have no choice; I have no choice. My father, half of my fellow dragons… they all died so that the rest of us could escape. Our home, far to the south of this continent, we had to leave everything behind. I wanted to fly back to our original homeland, the Dragon Continent, but I figured it would also have been taken.”

Draco shook his head. “I’m not calling you cowards, I just refuse to waste my time on those who rather wait for the end.”

Turning to face the dragon lord, he continued. “I’m not just gonna sit around and do nothing.”

“Their safety is my priority!” Ember argued. “You can’t just walk in here and accuse me of waiting for the end! I’m trying to honor my father’s last request by preserving what we have left. And it may seem like a lot, but it’s not at all much!”

Draco stared at Ember for a good while. “So, is that how it is now? The once fierce and mighty dragon race, reduced to hiding. Is that the legacy you all want to be remembered by during these dark times?”

“Hey, ease up man, her father gave his life for us,” Spike said.

“And so what?!” Draco’s voice boomed as he shouted at Spike. “You think she's the only one to lose a family member?!” A fire burned within Draco’s eyes. “Or did you forget about Shining Armor, or how about Pinkie’s dad who died too, and all the other ponies who lost a wife, a husband, a child!”

Both dragons were taken aback by his outburst and looked at each other before looking at Draco.

“I know the world is suffering…” Ember said with a guilty frown. “But what can we do? We can’t even go back to the Dragon Continent.”

“You can start by at least hearing me out,” Draco said, his voice lowering as he took deep breaths.

“Fine…” Ember sighed and led Draco back into the chamber. They sat down on a few stone boulders together. “Speak then.”

“Thank you.” Draco adjusted his posture. “I would like to offer you all to come back down to Equestria. You don’t need to fight with us, but you are more than welcome to live among us.”

“Go back down to the surface?” Ember said.

“That’s right. Equestria is free of the caribou, and we have magic and forces to keep the caribou away. It is the heart of our revolution and we will protect it with tooth and nail.” Draco spoke as his heart was full of pride.

“Ember,” Spike said, holding her hand. “The Hand killed a Sin.”

“Seriously?” Ember said.

“He speaks the truth.” Draco spoke up. “He was the one who killed Lust. And before coming here, I myself went in alone and rescued all the Diamond Dogs from Gluttony’s clutches, right in his own territory.”

Both Spike and Ember were shocked at how much progress the resistance had made in the time span since the caribou took over.

“It seems we lost hope too soon,” Ember said. “To think there were people like you and the Hand strong enough to do what even we dragons couldn’t.”

“You weren’t the only ones,” Draco sighed, folding his arms. “The ponies were treated as sex slaves and watched as many of their family members were either killed, or turned against them. When you’ve been through stuff like that, it’s hard not to lose hope.”

“So how exactly can the dragons help?” Spike asked. “As Ember said, we don’t have much and can offer little. Not to mention the death of Lord Torch really shook everyone to their core.”

Draco shook his head. “Nothing. I’m not offering you guys a place to stay in exchange for anything. You can help farm, build homes, whatever you want. I just want to make sure you are all safe, for when this is over you can go back to your homeland.”

“But what about Dragonvale?” Ember asked.

“What about it?” Draco asked without sounding like he cared. “Does it have some kind of super weapon, or does it have an endless food supply?”

“No, but it’s…it’s just very sacred to us,” Ember said. “Did you know that this world has five major continents?”

Draco nodded his head and held up five fingers. “Yeah there’s Equestria, Grifforia, Minotaura, Zebrica, and the Dragon Lands.”

“Bingo.” Ember nodded. “Before the caribou conquered the world, no one even knew they existed. Because it turns out there was actually a sixth continent that was hidden in an uncharted area of the world, according to my father.”

Draco found himself curious now. “And I take it that these islands are the sixth continent then?”

“No, the sixth continent was the Caribou Homeland. A place I’ve only heard the name once when I was…captured.” Spike tensed up.

“Spike tells me that it lies far, far near the frozen North Pole. A place called Eucora,” Ember said.

“So, what makes them so important? Besides the fact that hardly anyone can find it?” Draco asked.

“The Dragon Continent is said to be the oldest continent on the whole planet,” Spike explained. “I remember Twilight once told me years ago that geographical texts indicate that the other continents used to be two huge continents that sat next to each other. That is, until a massive earthquake broke apart the two continents into six separate parts.”

“And how do these islands tie into all of this?” Draco was beginning to seem impatient now.

“My father said that there’s an old dragon legend that the two major continents used to float high in the sky,” Ember said out of the blue. “And the first Dragon Lords settled there and dubbed it the first dragon kingdom: Dragonvale.”

“I see,” Draco nodded while listening.

“However, my father also mentioned that there’s a bit of bad history with these floating islands,” Ember continued. “That being the dragons of old used to be in a massive war against one another. The dragons in days gone by once embodied a variety of magical elements. Fire, Nature, Earth, Ice, Lightning, Water, Air, Metal, Light, and Dark dragon tribes. Over time, the tribes grew too prideful which led to the massive interspecies war. Hundreds upon thousands of dragons died during those years. The great Dragon Lords eventually grew tired of seeing dragons killing each other, since they weren’t even the ones who started it. The Dragon Lords then decided to punish the dragons of Dragonvale by bringing the giant floating continents to the surface. They combined their dragon magic together and dispelled the continents’ floating capability. That sheer act of divine dragon punishment shook the dragons to their core as the massive land masses crashed into the surface of the planet, which ceased all fighting indefinitely. The dragon tribes and Lords eventually went their separate ways across the globe, most never to be seen again. The Fire dragon tribes remained on the continent below that would become Equestria.”

Draco took a moment to process the history of the dragons. “So how did the dragons find these floating islands?” Draco wondered.

“Dragon Lord Torch did,” Spike said, sounding somber. “Torch was a descendent of the first Fire Dragon Lord. It was a secret passed down from Dragon Lord to Dragon Lord. When the first dragon lords sent the two massive continents down to the surface, there were smaller pieces of land that still remained floating in the sky. These islands are those last remnants. He was the only one who knew and he…sent the dragons of Equestria to these islands as a last act before the Caribou…killed him.”

Draco stepped towards Ember and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, for everything. I know that's not much, but it’s all I can say at the moment.”

Ember could only nod at Draco’s words. “These islands are what remains of the once great dragon empire of Dragonvale. The Dragon Lords hid them with their combined dragon magic so that no other creature would desecrate their grounds. If there were ever a time when dragons needed a place to go to be safe and secure, these islands would be it.” Ember wiped her eye to prevent a tear from escaping. “I always believed these islands were nothing but a myth, yet here we are. And just as we found it, you’re asking us to leave with you to live and be safer. I understand your intentions are well and good, but put yourself in our claws.”

“So, you’re telling me you’re willing to die here either of starvation, or when the caribou eventually show up, just because these floating clumps of dirt have sentimental value? Is that the excess I’m hearing?” Draco now sounded annoyed again.

“No need to be that harsh about it,” Spike said.

Draco shot a glare at Spike that could kill a lesser being. “I’m only harsh because apparently you are all a bunch of stupid lizards who have no survival instincts.” The fire in his eyes was now burning with a heat equal to his rage once more. “If you guys want to stay here and die, by all means go right ahead! But don’t expect pity from me, because I refuse to pity those who aren’t willing to save themselves!”

“Okay, okay!” Spike said, raising his hands. “You made your point, I get it. These islands are only sacred to us dragons.”

Ember thought long and hard about Draco’s words. She glanced out the window where the other dragons were mingling amongst themselves, but could see most of them were frowning. She only wanted to do what her father wished for her as a final request. True, these islands were a long lost dragon sanctuary, but if what Draco said is true and the caribou were getting more resourceful, it would only be a matter of time before they were discovered.

“If we come with you…” Ember said, still staring out the window. “Will we be safer down there than up here?”

“I believe so. The caribou can’t afford to launch enough forces to try and take back the country, let alone a city with the Hand, Saint and myself around.” Draco stood up and began to pace around. “Not to mention there are plenty of game to hunt as well as gem caves, so you won’t have to worry about food. But more importantly.” Draco turned his head and fixed Ember with a fierce look. “If any of them are stupid enough to approach, I will devour their flesh and soul in a heartbeat.”

Spike stood up and took off his face coverings.

“Didn’t think you’d be this passionate about relocating us for our sake,” Spike said. “Despite the fact that we’ve never even met.”

“While it's true we’ve only just now met, I intend to restore peace to this world. To do that I must save as many lives as I can, regardless of their species.” Draco turned to face Ember and Spike. “But something tells me that’s not enough is it? I need to prove my worth?”

“You could say that,” Ember said, tapping her scepter on the floor. “You’re aware that Spike is both our protector and my mate, right?”

“I am.” Draco turned to Spike and flipped him a thumbs up. “Way to go, man.”

“Thanks?” Spike shrugged.

“Duel him,” Ember said abruptly.

Draco looked at Ember somewhat surprised. “Come again?”

“Duel Spike, one on one, and no holding back. Use whatever you got in your bag of tricks to win,” Ember said and stood up. “If you beat him, I’ll take you at your word and order all dragons to follow you back to your base of operations. But if you lose, then you’d better find a way to move the islands themselves if you still want us to vacate somewhere else.”

There was a long pause as Draco had to think on the terms set before him. “Just to make sure, but this isn’t a death match, right?”

“Of course not,” Ember said. “And frankly, there’s been enough death already.”

“Well…” Draco didn't see many other options available to him, and he knew how stubborn dragons could be. “Very well, then I accept.”

Author's Note

Draco makes a shocking discovery and reunites with a thought-to-be lost friend. Will Draco be able to convince the dragons to join him and relocate somewhere safer?

Side Note:
So sorry this took so damn long. Life and constant procrastinations are a bitch and a half! Hopefully, this chapter and more posts from my other stories will make up for it.

Hope you enjoyed!

~WurkyWilk has left the building…