Tides of Change

Chapters

Prologue
1 - Gifts and Secrets
2 - A Past Once Forgotten
3 - Confrontation

Prologue

652 years before Nightmare Moon’s Return…

The salty ocean breeze mixed with the acidic bite of smoke and the coppery tang of blood, the midnight air echoing with screams of terror as the little village burned. Ponies ran in every direction to escape the oppressive onslaught of fire and destruction, but most were cut down before they were able to make it beyond the town wall. The wooden palisades, once standing strong against invading bandits and other such threats, now lay in splinters with its ballista ripped apart or tossed from the cliffside into the raging surf below. What few guards the town had were little more than ash now, reduced to cinders and molten slag as their enchanted armor buckled and melted in the flames.

It was in this hellish nightmare that two small shadows, unseen or just too insignificant to bother chasing, raced into the darkness beyond the remains of the village wall. They could hear the thunderous wingbeats above them as their foes continued to hunt and kill the other villagers, their eyes swimming in tears as sorrow ripped through their peaceful hearts. The two ponies tried to run into the forest, away from the coastline and what they hoped was towards safety, but in their haste to escape, they had forgotten something vitally important. While the rest of the villagers were trapped in the burning town, it also provided them with places to hide. Out in the open as they were, there was nowhere to escape the watching eyes above, and their hearts clenched in terror as they once again heard the thunderclaps above them, drawing closer before a torrential wave of fire was thrown over their heads. Both mares ducked and screamed as they expected to be boiled alive that very moment, but quickly realized that the fire had not been aimed at them, merely at the tree line in front of them.

Now, faced with a wall of flames before them, and a deadly beast behind, the two mares backed up, the larger shielding her daughter behind her body as the massive snout and horned head smiled down at them in sadistic glee.

“There is nowhere to run little ponies.” Its deep voice was like a rock being ground against bones, sending shivers up the mares’ spines as it advanced on all fours, “You might as well give up. There is no point in trying to escape any longer.”

Morning Dew looked up at her mother, hoping that there was something, anything, that the older unicorn could do to save them. The dark blue mare glanced back at her, their matching ocean green eyes locking for just a moment before a sad smile came over her mother’s face.

“I want you to know that no matter what, I will always love you.” Morning Glory turned her back on the dragon as it drew closer to them, hugging Morning Dew close as she whispered in her ear, “Make sure to stay alive. I do not want to see you in the Golden Fields for a long time. You hear me?”

Morning Dew was confused, terrified, and most of all, very aware of the fact that with the cliffs behind them, there was nowhere to go. “What do you mean mother?”

As the dragon sucked in a final deep breath, Morning Glory simply smiled, lit her horn, and tossed Dew from the cliffside with all her magical might. Morning had just enough time to realize what was happening before the dragon unleashed its fire, incinerating her mother in an instant as the flames shot over Dew’s head. A scream of anguish forced its way from her throat as she plummeted into the ocean water below, the impact driving the rest of the air from her lungs as the ice cold liquid gripped her body in its terrifying embrace. Waves washed over her body as she was tossed back and forth, her lungs screaming for air as she kicked and struggled to get to the surface. And yet, even as she could feel the tips of her hooves breaking the water’s surface, there was nothing more her exhausted body could give. Even if she had the strength to keep swimming, the dragon would surely come looking for her. Either she died now, in the water and on her own terms, on at the claws of the creature that had just murdered her mother in front of her eyes. Survival instinct warred with a losing will to live, and in the end, Morning Dew decided that she had seen enough. One hoof sank back beneath the waves as her lungs emptied, her vision going black before flashing brilliant white. The only thing Dew could think of as her final moments came upon her was that she was at least glad that she would be able to be with her mother again, promise or no promise.

Two years later…

“Princess,” the guard saluted as came to a stop before his ruler, his golden armor shining in the midday sunlight as he looked up upon the radiant form of Princess Celestia, “there’s been another attack. Brookshire.”

The great crown that rested upon her head dipped in sorrow as Celestia gathered her composure. There would be time for mourning after she had properly dealt with the latest afront against her little ponies, “How many?” She did not need to specify to what she referred.

The guard dropped his salute and his head at the same time, bowing low as he choked the words out, “All reports say there were no survivors. Either eaten, turned to ash, or carried off.” The young stallion lifted his tearstained eyes to meet his ruler’s, “What should we do, Your Highness?”

Celestia sighed. There was very little that they actually could do, save for go upon the battlefield herself and slay every dragon that came into her sight. But she was only one pony, and with a threat as great as that against them, the dragons were sure to come up with a countermeasure quickly.

“I will brief the captains of the guard once I have made a decision concerning this matter.” Celestia replied, “until then do your best to keep my little ponies safe. I am counting on you and your fellow guards to get everypony to safety should the unthinkable happen.”

The guard nodded, wiping his eyes with a fetlock before straightening, “Yes Princess. It shall be done.” With that he turned and walked out of the throne room, leaving Celestia alone for a moment as the true weight of their loss came crashing down on her.

“Over six hundred ponies dead or missing, and there was nothing we could do to stop it.” Celestia’s gaze swam as unshed tears fought to fall to the polished marble floors, but she refused to let them go. She had to be strong, to stand stoic for her little ponies. It was the only way to keep hope alive.

“You know it won’t hurt to let some of the soldiers see you have a heart or show emotion other than that motherly love you so often like to mask yourself with.” Celestia quickly wiped her eyes and turned to face the only pony who would ever dare to speak to her in such a manner.

“I must remain strong in the face of these tragedies,” her words sounded hollow even as they left her own lips, “to bolster the minds of my little ponies and to help them feel hope that there will be a better day.”

“But what hope will there be for us if you fall into despair yourself?” Lord Ivory Inkwell, Celestia’s personal aid and one of her only true friends, countered. “You are the beacon of light in our darkness during these times. Do not forget that if you fall then the rest of us will fall with you, but at the same time, we are not tender little foals that you need to shelter from the world’s evils. We have seen enough of them for ourselves to know better.”

Celestia found herself nodding, much as she did not want to agree with her personal aid, “Was there something you needed to tell me, other than to lecture me on showing emotion?”

Ivory nodded, “There have been odd reports coming in about some of our costal towns. Dragon attacks similar to the others, but with an additional element that is not adding up.”

Celestia raised her head, smiling slightly as she turned her full attention towards her aid, “And what additional elements could befuddle even your brilliance?”

Ivory ignored the jab at his ego, the white unicorn continuing on as if nothing had been said at all, “While the raids have been fairly standard in their patterns and frequency, there is something that just doesn’t make sense from what our scouts have been able to report back.” He pulled out a scroll with his aqua magic and listed off several of the report’s key points, “There appears to be a female dragon that is operating on our eastern coastline, alone from what our scouts have seen, but has not attacked any of the local villages or cities. All we know is that the only time the dragon has ever come into a village was during a raid by its brethren, only instead of attacking with them, it defended against them.”

Celestia’s eyes widened in shock, “Defended against them? Are you certain?”

Ivory nodded, “I’ve had several other scouts confirm the information, and each time the dragon appears in the midst of an attack, it always acts to protect ponies. Also, there was one other thing that a scout was able to see before he was forced to retreat.”

“What else could there be to it than a dragon working with ponies?” Celestia mused to herself.

“The one time the dragon attacked without using claws or fangs, its breath weapon wasn’t fire like the other dragons. It was a concentrated stream of water.” At that point Celestia’s jaw dropped to the floor, and an immediate proclamation was made to locate this mystery dragon, if for no other reason than to thank it for saving her little ponies from certain death.

Author's Note

Hello again to all of my faithful readers. Hope you are liking how my newest creation is going so far. Please leave comments in the towel section below and make sure to smash that like button and follow for more amazing content if you enjoy my work.

Thank you so much for my Patron Earthpatriot117 for his continued support through the years, and I hope that others may join the cause later on if anypony feels so inclined.

Once again, welcome back, and I look forward to seeing you next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.

1 - Gifts and Secrets

The coastal village of Riverdale had seen many things over the years, from bandit raids to Ursa Minors causing mayhem. Yet nothing had prepared them for the chaos that had befallen the little hamlet when the dragons had begun their attacks. Up and down the coast, villages were razed or carried off by the greedy claws of the great beasts, leaving little but ash in their wake and sorrow in the hearts of the survivors. Many had fled the coast for safer areas inland, but for some there was no real choice. They had nowhere else to go, and thus they stayed, despite the risks weighed against them. Yet even with the threat of death hanging over them, the ponies of Riverdale had stood strong against the fear in their hearts, and many felt that their strength had been rewarded by their new protector.

While the village had been able to avoid attacks for a while due to its small size and its secluded location in a river valley between two mountain ranges, that luck had run out only three short months ago. Dragons, most likely a scouting party given it was only a quintet of teenagers who found them, had flown into the village from the coast and began torching the hamlet while destroying everything else with tooth and claw. Riverdale had no guard ponies to protect them due to their small size, and most had been ready to flee for their lives when it happened.

From the river, rising from the previously calm waters to over twice the size of their largest building, was an adult dragon. Her sapphire scales had rippled with rainbows from the water cascading down her form while her bright, golden eyes glared down at them with righteous fury. Yet what happened next shocked every being present into a frozen stupor.

“Leave this village alone,” her voice had been soft and smooth, yet held the force of a raging storm within as she stared down the teenage dragons, “or I will see to it you never get the chance to see the Dragon Lands again.”

The younger dragons had only taken a moment to glance amongst themselves, as if looking for a braver soul to lead them against this new threat. When none were to be found, they seemed to reach a single conclusion, quickly taking to the air and fleeing down the coast with their tails tucked in fear. The dragoness had followed their shrinking forms with her narrowed gaze until they were out of sight, before turning towards the ponies that had remained frozen in place.

As her golden orbs landed upon the terrified villagers, most either closed their eyes and awaited death, or outright passed out from terror. A few even tried to hide in their huts, but nopony was ready for what happened next. The dragoness looked at the burning buildings and seemed to feel sadness for their loss, a small smile crossing her muzzle as her head tilted back slightly. Many watched in shock and wonder as a great stream of water erupted from her mouth, dissipating into a fine mist as it settled over the burning section of the hamlet. The flames struggled against the sudden downpour for only a moment or two before slowly dying, leaving half-soaked husks in their wake. A rainbow formed in the droplets once the dragoness stopped, her gaze warm and inviting as it turned to the ponies that now looked up at her in stupefied awe.

“You need not fear me, little ones,” her voice was like a warm stream as it flowed through the ears of those listening, “I am not your enemy. As long as you call this valley home, I will protect you from the other dragons.” Gasps had erupted from the crowd and even more had stuck their heads out of their windows to listen better, “I am not like the other dragons, who only look for personal gain or pleasures. I will be your guardian, for as long as you wish it.”

The dragoness seemed to understand the sudden worry that had swept through the crowd upon hearing her declaration, “You need not worry about providing food or shelter for me, I will hunt for myself and have a home already set up nearby for my own needs.” Her muzzle curled into a soft smile as relief flowed through the still warry villagers, her body disappearing into the waters of the river as she passed on her final words, “Take care now, and I will be here if you ever need me. Just call for Azura should the dragons return.”

With that the titanic beast sunk beneath the rapids of the river, leaving the entire village in shocked silence.

Since the appearance of Azura, Riverdale had been the target of two more dragon raids, both smaller groups of drakes and drakinas that had apparently heard the stories from the first group and had come to investigate for themselves. Two times a raid had been spotted by scout pegasi, two times the call for aid had been cried at the tops of the villagers’ lungs, and two times the attackers had been scared away by Azura, who always appeared from the river’s deeper waters to defend the hamlet from destruction. At first the villagers had been worried that they had been lied to and that they were trading one threat for another. Yet Azura never showed herself except when the village was under attack, and nopony had been able to locate her lair or discover any other signs that she was even living nearby. The mystery of the sapphire dragoness continued to grow, yet what nopony could have possibly imagined was that Azura did in fact live within the village itself, just in a manner that none of them could have foreseen.

Morning Dew trotted through the village square with a pep in her step, a smile warming her cheeks as her saddlebags bounced against the sides of her barrel. She felt like a princess and was doing her best to not burst into song with each passing second. Her long, golden mane rippled in the afternoon sunlight and her sky-blue coat shimmered with moisture just like her namesake as she greeted the various villagers around her. She giggled at the stunned happiness that seemed to shine in every face around her and took pride in the fact that she had been the one to cause those expressions in her neighbors.

And yet, her face couldn’t maintain the same beaming smile for long as she spotted another group of ponies milling around the town hall, their hoof-written signs bouncing above their heads as cries of anger and fear echoed down the street. A sigh escaped Morning’s muzzle as she lowered her head in passing, doing the best she could to avoid being noticed as the mayor tried to calm the raging mob.

“Why do we even listen to that overgrown lizard?!” One pony yelled above the rest.

“Yeah!” Another cried, “All she’s doing is waiting for her chance to take over our village and is keeping the competition away!”

More accusations flew as Morning stepped around the corner of the next street, her heart pulsing a few dozen beats faster than normal. It was ponies like those that prevented her from revealing her secret, mostly in fear of what would happen if she did. She knew that a dragon helping ponies was unheard of, and deep down inside her heart she knew that it would never be easy to reveal what was really happening, no matter how much she may have wanted to. And so, she kept trotting down the street, her destination appearing from the houses on her right while a small wooden sign waved overhead in the afternoon breeze.

Another, smaller smile found its way to her lips as she pushed open the door to the establishment, the chime of a bell ringing through the space upon her entry and a chipper voice calling from the back room.

“I’ll be with you in a moment!” There was a loud crash and a muffled curse before a dusty-brown mare with a pink and green mane trotted into the main room. “Morning Dew! Oh, it’s been a while! I haven’t seen you for a few weeks!” The mare rushed forward and embraced Morning with all her earth pony strength, forcing the air from the taller unicorn’s lungs before she let go.

“It’s good to see you too, Curio.” Morning wheezed despite the grin that still held firm to her lips, “How’s business lately?”

Curio Corner’s rose eyes flashed in glee as she spun around to indicate the somewhat sparsely filled shelves, “Business has never been better! Especially with all the cool things you keep bringing for me to sell!” The petite mare did a small happy dance on her hooftips before returning her attention to Morning, “You have no idea how many ponies stop in just to see if you’ve brought anything new for me to sell. It’s like every other week the little foals are getting another surprise Hearth’s Warming present. I keep telling them you can only find so many treasures at a time, but it just never seems to sink in.”

Morning rolled her eyes as Curio giggled like a filly herself, “You and I both know that the treasures I find aren’t worth that much. Why the foals and mares of this town go nuts over them I’ll never understand.”

Her friend just rolled her eyes and pat her hoof against Morning’s shoulder, “How a mare of your beauty and eye for detail can’t see the value of your work astounds me. You find one-of-a-kind treasures out in the middle of nowhere and don’t visit the village for weeks on end, yet you never stick around to even see the smiles and joy you bring to the others.”

Morning shrugged, “I guess I’m just a hard mare to pin down. I can’t help it if my tastes are different from everypony else.”

A gusty sigh escaped Curio’s muzzle before she rolled her eyes, “Whatever. Anyway, since you’re here, I don’t suppose you happen to have something for me?”

Morning rolled her eyes in return at her friend’s antics, “Yes, I did happen to find something that you might be interested in. Give me a sec.”

Curio bounced side to side in eager anticipation when Morning’s horn lit up with a warm golden light, her saddlebags’ flaps folding open as several small items floated into the air between them. Curio’s eyes widened in awe as Morning’s lips curled into a smirk, both of their gazes locked on the items currently hovering in between the two mares.

Curio slowly lifted a hoof but paused just shy of touching the first item, “Is this what I think it is?”

Morning nodded, “A real life griffin feather. A primary if I remember correctly from a hen that had a raven’s wings.”

In the bright light coming through the shop windows, the feather had an iridescent glow to it that rippled along its two-hoof length as it rotated in Morning’s magical grip. It was well known that griffins fiercely protected their valuables, and the shed feathers of their wings were one of the most treasured things they owned. It was said that a griffin would save every primary feather until they day they died and had the otherwise immortal items burned with them when they were sent to the next world in the flames of a funeral pyre. To possess one was considered either the highest honor one could receive, or a death sentence, depending on the way a pony got the feather.

Curio turned her gaze, with some difficulty, to the next item in Morning’s magic, her eyes somehow growing even wider as they settled onto the small, silver sphere.

Morning preempted her friend’s question with a laugh, “Yes, this is a Morningstar Pearl, and yes I had to dive into the ocean to get it.”

Curio, in a rare moment for the excitable mare, seemed to be completely lost for words, “I-I don’t even know how you do it. You managed to not only swim down to those depths and survive, but actually got the pearl away from the oyster without being turned into a pincushion.”

Morning simply placed the pearl in Curio’s outstretched hooves, her smile softening as she remembered the feeling of the oyster’s famed projectile spines bouncing off her draconic scales and the awesome feeling that had pulsed through her when she had crushed the fiendish deep-water monster with her own claws. She hadn’t been planning to take the stupid thing’s treasure while out hunting for fish in the deeper waters of the ocean, but it had been an opportunity she couldn’t refuse when she had felt the first spine impact her belly and drawn her attention to the otherwise unassuming creature.

The pure silver pearl was about the size of Curio’s hoof and would probably fetch a price worth three times her weight in bits if she found the right buyer, hence the stupefied look the smaller earth pony gave her when Morning simply passed it over without any hesitation.

“I-I can’t accept this.” Curio’s attempt to give Morning back the pearl being blocked by her soft magic grip, “This thing is worth more than the rest of my store combined! And you’re just going to give it to me!?!”

Morning’s smile only grew as she nodded, “I am. I don’t need something like this, and I know how much it is worth. That is why I’m giving it to you. As the first and only friend I’ve made here in Riverdale I would feel like it was going to waste if it didn’t provide something of worth to somepony I care for. I know you will give this treasure a good home and the bits you make will be able to help not only you but the rest of the village as well. I understand if this is a bit much, but as my friend, would you accept this gift as a sign of my gratitude for all you have done for me?”

Curio’s eyes shined with tears as she held the pearl against her chest, “I-I’ll do my best to live up to that glowing review.” A heavy sniff echoed through the space as she wiped her eyes with a fetlock, “G-Give me a moment to put this someplace safe.”

Morning’s eyes sparkled with mirth as she tucked the griffin feather behind Curio’s ear, the smaller mare’s eyes widening even further at the gesture, “Don’t forget this one too.”

A snort escaped Morning’s nose as she tried to hold back her laughter at the stunned look on her friend’s face, “S-Sure.”

With that, Curio turned and stumbled back to the rear of the store, her dazed expression making Morning giggle a few times before her gaze turned to the final item floating in her magic aura. At first glance it didn’t look like much, but if one looked a bit closer, they would be able to see the small runic carvings carefully inscribed into the rippling surface of a navy dragon’s scale. This treasure was of Morning’s own creation and was something she had thought of that would help to keep tabs on the village when she was away. While it wasn’t a very complicated spell to cast if the unicorn had the right technique, it was actually inscribing the spell onto an item that had proved to be the challenging part. Regular stone or gems wouldn’t work, as the power involved would split the medium before it could fully form the spell, but when Morning had experimented with her own dragon scales, she found that their resistance to magic damage was just the ticket to make sure the listening scale wouldn’t tear itself apart.

Morning smiled as Curio came back out from the rear of the store, her stunned face still present as she glanced over at the final item in Morning’s magic, only for her eyes to narrow in confusion as she stepped closer.

“What is that?” Curio asked, her hoof rubbing over the smooth surface of the scale for a moment before glancing up at Morning.

“It’s a dragon scale that I found along the riverbank,” Morning stated plainly, “I think it might belong to Azura, if the color is anything to go by.”

Curio nodded, her eyes narrowing further as she inspected the runes Morning had carved into the scale, “But what about all of these marks? Those don’t look like normal marks from a shed scale.”

“Because those are unicorn runes,” Morning lied, “I carved them into the scale so that you will always know how much our friendship means to me. I didn’t plan on giving this for you to sell, partly because I think it wouldn’t be worth all that much, but mostly it’s because I wanted to give you something to remember me by that wouldn’t end up going into somepony’s collection.”

Curio smiled again, her eyes actually shedding tears this time as she pulled Morning into another bone-crushing hug, “I’ll keep it right on the mantelpiece, so I see it every time I step into my living room upstairs.” She lifted her head and nuzzled under Morning’s chin, the unicorn returning the affection with a nuzzle between Curio’s ears. “Thank you for this wonderful gift.”

“You’re welcome.” Morning whispered, pulling her friend closer for a moment with one of her own hooves.

“Now don’t be a stranger and stay away for too long, you hear me?” Curio jabbed Morning in the chest as she pulled away to playfully glare up at her friend, “Or else I might just have to reconsider our friendship status.”

Morning held a hoof against her chest, as if wounded by the mare’s words, “Oh, Curio, I had no idea you felt that way.” A playful smirk found its way to her muzzle as she quipped back, “If you had those kinds of feelings for me, I would have remembered to wrap the pearl before I gave it to you.”

Curio sputtered as a bright blush bloomed on her cheeks, “M-Morning! Don’t tease me like that!”

The two mares laughed as Curio got her blush under control, “Anyway, I’d best be off. Got things to do and things to see.” Morning nuzzled between Curio’s ears again before turning towards the door, “I’ll see you around, Curio. Try to stay out of trouble.”

“I should be saying that to you!” Curio called after her as Morning opened the door to the shop, “Don’t make me come looking for you, you hear?!”

“Loud and clear!” Morning laughed as she closed the door to Curio’s Curiosities, her smile holding for a few seconds before it dropped into a frown as she walked down the street away from her friend’s place.

“Now if only I could find it in me to tell you the truth, like a good friend should.” Morning muttered under her breath, the weight of her secret falling over her shoulders one again as she made her way out of the village and down the road towards the coast.

She was so wrapped in her thoughts that she missed the golden glint of armored ponies flying in from the coast towards Riverdale, the collection of Royal Guard descending towards the village with one mission in their minds.

Find the dragon protecting the village and learn the secret behind why she was defending ponies from raids.

Author's Note

Aaaaaand we're back!! So glad to be able to write again for you all!! I hope everypony is excited to see more updates for my books, because now that the move is mostly taken care of, I'm going to be putting 110% into my stories so all of you can get to read more horsewords.

Hope you all enjoyed this little addition, and I look forward to hearing what you think in the towel section below!! Remember, comments are food for authors like us! Hope you enjoy and I look forward to being able to write again for everypony!!

See you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.

2 - A Past Once Forgotten

Morning was lost deep in thought as she trotted out of Riverdale towards the coast, her hooves moving automatically down the familiar trail between the trees while her mind was otherwise occupied. Curio meant well with her teasing, it seemed at times that the little mare was incapable of being rude or mean to anypony she talked to, but even still, her teasing had sparked a memory in Morning’s head that she had not thought about for years. A hoof wiped away the stray tears in her eyes before they could fall, but it was not enough to stem the tide of emotion that surged up within her heart.

The trail under her hooves blurred with each step as tears ran down her cheeks, a thick sniff heralding the flow of more as she turned off the trail leading towards the sea and made her way into the thicker woods at the base of the mountains. It was here, in a small clearing, that an unassuming log cabin stood in the short forest grass. It wasn’t much, just a little single room cabin that Morning used for storage and a place to be by herself, but today her goal was not her home but the cliffs further up the mountainside. There, she had placed something precious, and heartbreaking.

The slope of gravel rose steadily under Morning’s hooves, her breath coming in stronger puffs as she gained altitude. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from her tears, and they began to burn as the dry and salty ocean wind began to blow through the thinning branches around her. A ragged cough escaped her muzzle but still she pressed on, following the curve of the mountain up and over a small crest until she reached her destination. There, rested upon the cliffs overlooking the valley and the ocean beyond, was a simple stone slab. Morning’s steps slowed as she wiped her face in a poor attempt to clean up the mess her wild emotions had left there, but it didn’t matter too much. Nopony was here to see her in such a state. Nopony still among the living, at least.

Morning paused as she stepped up to the tombstone that she had carved and placed on the cliffs; the writing still as fresh in her mind as the day she had carved them with her newfound dragon claws. It had been years since that fateful night, but she still remembered the sacrifice her mother had made, and the terrible price she and many others had paid because of the flames or jaws of dragons.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more, mom.” Morning’s voice was soft enough to be almost carried away by the wind, her eyes wandering over the stone before looking beyond into the open skies beyond the cliff’s edge. “I wish you could be here, see the good I’ve been doing for other ponies, but I know you wouldn’t want me to be sad that you aren’t. You loved me enough to give your life for my own, and I try to live up to that gift every day. I just wish, somehow, I could tell you how much I loved you, and show you the amazing things that have happened since you left.”

Morning paused, letting the wind flow through her mane, lifting the long strands into the air behind her and closing her eyes for just a moment. If she listened hard enough, sometimes she could swear that the wind sounded like her mother’s voice, carried from the next world to her on the world’s breath. It was fanciful thinking, but nevertheless the image still formed in her mind every time she came up to visit her mother’s grave. Morning opened her eyes and glanced at the small necklace that was curled up at the base of the tombstone, the simple twine holding fast to the single stone that lay in the center, placed just before the grave as a token from Morning to the memory of her mother.

It was a chunk of raw azurite, and the inspiration for her dragon form’s name when she had first discovered her ability. It was something she had been given as a filly for her fifth birthday, and the last thing she had to remember Morning Glory by. It was in her honor, and as a permanent legacy to her sacrifice, that she carried the name when she changed, and as a reminder that she would never forgive the ones who had made that sacrifice necessary.

Hours passed like minutes as Morning spent time alone, thinking of the past and potential options for her future. She knew that her charade of being the village’s protector would have to end at some point, but she didn’t know what would happen if anypony found out her secret. It was that fear of the unknown, but the drive to help others that had forced her hoof when the teenage dragons had attacked, and the reason she had done whatever she could to keep her oath as the village’s guardian. The only problem was what would she do if other ponies came looking for her? If bigger dragons came looking for her? She had nowhere else to go and nowhere to hide. If somepony really wanted to find her, it wouldn’t be long before Morning Dew was somehow tied to Azura, even if they could never guess the truth.

Morning took one last look at the gravestone, kissing the base of her hoof and pressing it against the wind-worn rock, before turning back the way she had come and working her way back down the mountainside. She had more important things to worry about, but the reminder of why she was doing what she did had been refreshed in her mind, and her trotting steps grew more confident with each moment as she returned to the trail leading from Riverdale to the coast. She debated about going for a swim in the ocean for a bit before returning to town, but her thoughts were interrupted by a small magical buzz that rang in her ears. Recognizing the signal she had built into the listening scale, she paused in place and listened, the voices being muffled but otherwise understandable.

“We don’t care how you do it,” it was a stallion’s voice, one she didn’t recognize from the village citizens, “just summon that big blue monster you yokels call a guardian so we can kill it already!!”

Morning’s eyebrows rose in shock as a crash was heard from the other end of the magical connection, and her teeth ground together as she heard Curio’s desperate voice cry out, “NO!! That was a gift from a friend! She worked hard to bring that back for us to sell!”

A dark chuckle set Morning’s hackles to rise, “Oh? Well then, I guess we can just take this as a token of our trip, then, since you seem unwilling to give us the information we want.”

A harsh slap and Curio’s cry of pain made Morning's mind in an instant. Her hooves spun her around so quickly she kicked up a trail of dust. She sprinted back towards the village, her hoof-falls growing further and further apart as her body grew. Hooves changed into mighty claws while her fur was overtaken by reinforced sapphire scales, the beats of powerful wings taking her airborne as her body continued to change. Her horn morphed from one into many as the location shifted from her forehead to the base of her skull, the four pearly points framing her now broader and longer muzzle. Teeth the size of a mighty shark sprouted from her jaws and a roar of pure fury echoed from her lips as she beelined back to Riverdale.

She hoped that the stallions who had the audacity to harm Curio were ready to meet their maker, because they had just done the one thing that nopony should ever do…

They had harmed a dragon’s loved one and were about to pay the price for their stupidity.

Author's Note

And thus, we have another one!! Hope you all enjoyed this little addition to my newer story, and I am excited to hear your thoughts on the latest installment. I know I've been a bit helter-skelter with my updates as of late, but I am doing the best I can with a muse that loves to take unscheduled vacations at the drop of a hat.

Anyway, let me know what you all think in the towel section below, and don't forget to like the book if you haven't already!! I love hearing ideas and expanded thoughts from my readers, so fire when ready!!

See you all next time,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.

3 - Confrontation

Her wings beat great gusts of wind behind her as Azura flew towards the village, her teeth bared, and her temper ignited into a righteous fury at the audacity the newcomers had for treating her friend in such a way. The listening scale had gone quiet some moments after her hastened return to the village, indicating the stallions and Curio had moved outside of the earth pony’s shop, making Azura worry for the little mare as her wings beat harder against the ocean humidity to get to Riverdale faster.

The town came into view shortly after, thanks to her enhanced vision in her alter form, and Azura spotted several specks of glittering gold among the many ponies gathered at the river’s edge. All eyes were turned towards the water, most likely because that was where she had appeared before when she helped the village in its time of need. Her already burning anger rose even higher when she spotted one of the newcomers, a young guard in freshly polished gold armor, kick Curio to her knees and place a sword against the side of her neck. Her roar of fury drew all eyes upward as she came into land, the villagers backing away in haste and fear when her murderous expression came into view. Curio, still knelt beside the stallion holding her hostage, had tears running down her face and a large bruise on one cheek, although her lips curled into a small smile upon seeing Azura landing on the riverbank.

The guards numbered ten in total, with a collection of pegasi, earth ponies and unicorns among their ranks. The idiot holding a sword against Curio’s neck was a unicorn, with a smug expression and a haughty attitude that was obvious to Azura at a moment’s glance.

Must be a noble’s son. She mused to herself, “Release the filly immediately,” her voice rang clear and loud, despite her anger, “or you shall not walk away from this village alive.”

“I don’t think so.” The stallion was either stupendously brave, or just plain stupid, because his grin only grew in confidence at her declaration. “You see, I’ve got you all figured out, you monster. You’ve tricked these simple villagers into believing that you are some kind of guardian, protecting them from other dragons and keeping them safe. But I understand the truth. You aren’t protecting them, you’re enslaving them. Weaving clever lies and tricks, so they follow your orders and bend a knee to you without so much as lifting a claw against them. It would be almost genius if it wasn’t so obvious.”

Azura growled, low and deep as the unicorn lifted Curio’s chin with his magic, “And as for this one, this poor little mare has been convinced that you are not dangerous, not a monster like the rest of your kind. She even had a scale she claimed was from your hide on her mantle, saying it was a gift from a fellow pony!” A sarcastic laugh escaped his muzzle, echoed by some of his comrades, “What a farce! At least have the decency not to force these ponies to lie on your behalf when you claim their lives like gems in your hoard!”

“You’re wrong!” Curio cried, even as she struggled feebly against the stallion’s magic, “Azura would never hurt us! She’s been protecting our village from other dragons! My friend Morning Dew gave me that scale! The runes were carved by her as a sign of our friendship!”

The guard rolled his eyes, “And even now, under charges of treason, she still defends you.” The stallion’s gaze traveled up to meet Azura’s eyes as his blade hovered closer to Curio’s neck, making the smaller mare squeak in fear, “so sad that you killed her in your fury before we had the chance to cut you down.”

Azura’s fury rose to unfathomable heights at the callous mention of murder that had just escaped the stallion’s lips, “You would threaten your own kind, even kill them, all in the name of some twisted ideal that dragons are monsters? I know my kind are your enemy, but to kill your own and place the blame on another? That is a low that no dragon has ever reached. I see you for what you are, monster, and I will be happy to cut you down to size for threatening my friends.”

The stallion’s grin curled into a twisted sneer, “Friends? Who would ever want to be friends with common trash like this?” Curio yelped as she was hoisted into the air by the unicorn’s aura, her legs uselessly flailing in the air as her eyes widened in terror, “She’s nothing but a common dirt pony, not pure like the great noble families of Canterlot! She is nothing more than a nopony who will die amongst obscurity, her life is meaningless unless put to a greater purpose serving those who are her betters. If I say that you killed her, then it must be so, because who would ever believe that a dragon could truly be friends with a pony?!”

Two things happened in rapid succession following his crazed declaration, the stallion’s sword rapidly swung to impale Curio’s stomach, while the other guards closed ranks and readied their weapons to strike. Neither action could have taken more than a second, but ultimately both were too slow when compared to a dragon’s reflexes.

Azura was already moving before the stallion had even begun to swing his blade, her claws gleaming in the afternoon sun as her hand reached over the gathering soldiers and clasped around Curio’s body. The unicorn’s aura sputtered out as her magic-resistant scales encountered his grip on the mare, and his blade screeched in protest as it skittered along the curvature of her wrist. Nicks and small cuts were the furthest thing from her mind as Azura pulled her hand back, lifting her hand far above the reach of the ponies as she opened her fingers to inspect the mare within.

Curio was shaking, her eyes wide in terror and her breathing rapid, but otherwise appeared to be unharmed. She didn’t seem to realize where she was now, but that was okay so long as she was safe. Azura breathed a sigh of relief before closing her fingers around the mare again, her scales providing the most effective defense available against the soldier’s weapons. She made sure to keep her grip gentle and held her hand close to her chest so she could focus on the matter at hand without worrying about her charge.

Azura’s eyes narrowed, and her teeth bared threateningly as a deep and murderous growl echoed through the air, “Last chance, little ponies. Leave now and never return, or I’m going to send you home in pieces.”

The stallions smirked to themselves as the leader lifted his sword high in the air, “For Equestria!!”

The melee that followed was about as one-sided as one might expect. Azura had no combat training while the guards had been instructed by the best of pony kind on how to combat dragons. She was protecting Curio and thus unable to use her full strength for fear of harming the little mare, along with having to keep her attacks from damaging the nearby settlement or its inhabitants. There were ten guards against one of her, with no qualms about causing collateral damage in their pursuit of her head.

She handed them their plots on a collective platter in under five minutes.

While Azura had no experience fighting a trained opponent, let alone ten, that didn’t really matter much when one strike from her claws or tail could break bones like twigs. Sure, they might have the numbers, but when the swords and spears they wielded couldn’t penetrate her scales it didn’t matter how many times they got a strike to land. The earth ponies alone took a single swipe of her tail to lay flat with the unicorns following soon after. The only ones that had given her even slight trouble were the pegasi, and that was primarily because they were hard to pin down when they were flying around her head and body like a trio of gnats. Unfortunately, all three made the mistake of trying to attack her belly with their spears in a coordinated strike meant to gut her like a fish, but when their blades failed to penetrate, she was able to swat all three at the same time like mosquitoes that had dared to try and bite her.

Groans and pained wheezing were the only sounds from the battlefield as Azura lowered her hand to the ground, allowing a dazed and slightly green Curio to stumble out of her grip and onto the grass. While she had tried to keep the mare in her grip as still as possible, it appeared that she had still jostled the earth pony a bit more than intended, even protecting her life as she had been.

While Curio was dragged out of harm’s way by another of the villagers, Azura turned her attention back to the guards who were still conscious, the leader first among them to fall under her scrutiny. The stallion was forcing himself back to his hooves, his sword glowing with his magic but failing to rise to his command as his hateful gaze burned into her own. Pathetic as the actual fight had been, it still hurt the dragoness to harm other ponies, but in this case, she was more than happy to make an exception. Her steps shook the ground as she stepped up to the downed soldiers, her hand reaching out and picking up the unicorn before lifting him into the air before her. He struggled but against her iron grip it did absolutely nothing to free him, leaving him at her mercy as her other hand lifted to hover above his head.

His lips parted in a bloody grin, “Go ahead, monster, show these ponies what you truly are inside. Kill me, and they will never trust you again. Let me go, and I will never stop hunting you until the end of my days. Either way, I win.”

Her lips formed a hard line as she gripped his horn between the tips of two claws, “While I would love nothing more than to prove you right, I’m not that kind of dragon. You will live this day, but you will never threaten my friends again. You said that you are among the noble elite of Canterlot, and that the lives of your fellow ponies do not matter unless they serve one better than themselves? Well, now you will see what life is like for those you have trod upon for so long.”

A quick application of pressure and a cry of absolute agony later, and the newly minted earth pony in her grip stared up at her in horror as his horn was tossed into the river like so much trash, leaving a perfectly smooth stump as the only reminder of his former pride.

Azura lowered the stallion to the ground, having tossed the other ponies’ weapons into the river moments prior, and stood to her full height on all fours as she spread her wings over the cowering stallions, “Hear me and listen, you worthless scum! I am Azura, Guardian of Riverdale, sworn protector of this valley and the one who defeated you this day! Leave this place and tell your masters that if they wish to take my head they shall come and take it for themselves. I will defend this valley from any threat, be it dragon or pony in nature, and next time I won’t be so merciful. Go, and never return here again.”

The group gathered what little remained of their strength and ran for the hills, their armor clanking as bent plates rang against each other. The former leader stared balefully back at her from the back of one of his comrades, the hatred and pain the last thing she saw before they disappeared into the woods. A great gust of air escaped her lips as the excitement finally left her system, the dragoness turning to face the gathered villagers as several cowered in fright. Seeing the fear her imposing stature was causing, Azura lay down on the riverbank and lowered her head to be even with the ponies before her, her eyes finding a woozy but unharmed Curio among them.

“Are you alright?” Her voice was soft and soothing, a sharp contrast to the fury and rage she had felt moments before.

Curio nodded, her cheeks no longer having the green tint from before as she looked up at Azura in awe, “Thank you, for saving my life.”

A toothless smile was Azura’s reply, “You are welcome, but you need not thank me. I only did what was right. No creature should ever have to go through that kind of terror, the fear for one’s life being in the control of another.”

Multiple nods followed her statement as one of the village elders stepped forward, “What will you do now, after driving off those soldiers?”

Azura lifted her head as she stood once more, “For now, I will leave you to your lives. Should you ever need my protection again, the scale that young Curio possesses is magically tied to me. Call for me in the presence of that scale, and I shall hear your words as if you were standing right beside me.”

Curio’s eyes widened, “You mean those runes, they aren’t unicorn magic?! But why would Morning lie to me?”

“She did so at my request.” Azura stated, a slight twinge of guilt pulling at her heart for yet another lie to one she cared for, “I wished to have a more direct means of protecting your village and so I sought out the unicorn in hopes that she might help me. I gave her the scale and told her not to share its true purpose unless it became necessary.” Her gaze turned to the tree line where the guards had disappeared, “Evidently it was more of a problem than I had imagined. For causing you such trouble, and for deceiving you through your friend, you have my utmost apologies.” A slight bow of her head followed her words, the ponies around her muttering amongst themselves for a moment or two in shock and awe.

“Then, you really meant it?” Curio was looking up at her with innocent hope in her gaze, “You really are here to protect us?”

A smile found its way to Azura’s lips, “Yes, little one, I did. And I stand by the words I told the stallion before. I will defend this valley from any threat, be it dragon, pony, or wild beasts. All who live here are my friends, and I will protect those I care for until my final breath. This, I swear to you.”

A cheer rang through the village as she turned around, spreading her wings once more as she spoke over her shoulder, “Until we meet again, little ponies. Farewell, and good evening.”

With that, she pumped her wings and flew into the air, following the road towards the sea and then turning towards the mountains once the village was no longer in view. She landed amongst the rocks above the tree line and changed back into her pony form, taking several moments to calm her racing heart as she held a hoof against her chest.

“Did I just beat up and threaten some of Princess Celestia’s guards?! What kind of stupid idea was that?!” Her hooves paced around in a circle as she muttered to herself, “Now they’re going to go back to the capital and raise a huge fuss over the horn-breaking dragon that has taken over the valley and laid claim to Equestrian soil!” Her hoof impacted her face several times in rapid succession, “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Might as well paint a huge sign and spell it out for everypony, ‘Here is the big bad dragon, come and kill it!’”

A shaking sigh escaped her mouth as her nerves faded slowly, “I guess there wasn’t really anything I could do about it at the time. That plothole was going to kill Curio! What exactly was I supposed to do in that situation?!” Another sigh, “I guess now I can head back and face the music for my lie, which was exposed by making another lie.” A hoof found its way to her forehead in frustration, “Why does it always have to be so complicated?”

A grumbling unicorn wound her way back through the forest and towards the village, muttering to herself about the absurdities her own lies had created, hoping against hope that her friendship hadn’t been damaged by the deceptions she had created. She only hoped that Curio forgave her in time, even if their friendship might not survive the process.

Author's Note

Oh, the tangled web we weave... I'm sure Curio will forgive Morning, I think, but what about the rest of the village? And what about the guards once they return to Canterlot? Well, you'll just have to stick around and find out next time!!

Thank you all for ready my story and providing such wonderful feedback in the comments. I love hearing from my readers. It makes me fell all warm and fuzzy inside to see you like my work.

Hope you all have a wonderful day, and I'll see you next time,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.