Of Burning Hearts, of Rising Shades

Home.

Home is where the heart is, that is what was said.

Home is where the birth and the death should be.

Home.

He did not know what home was, for he never felt it since the beginning. At his hatching, his parents lived near the edge of the dragon lands, where little could be found and not much else. When they first held his fragile onyx form, it was not out of love, or warmth, but of dread and disgust.

For an onyx scaled dragon was an omen, a curse and fear driven motive. What was love but a foreign concept, unrealized by a false dream from his sire and dam, both who showed none to him. He was fed enough to survive but never more. Fear controlled them more than the instincts to care for their young and it was that vexed mindset, that he knew that the world was full of bitter black hate.

He learned on his own, studied from afar, the teachers that instructed the young. Not ever showing his face, nor coming near the others. If he was discovered, he ran, for many would fear him.

As he grew older, his sire and dam threw him out before his first molt to fend for himself. The first bite of the cruel world and heartless acts of dragons unfit to be parents. Starvation, cold, emptiness and isolation were the first lessons he learned on his own. After that, he believed that self preservation is above others, even those that were supposed to be your hearts.

Yet years later of returning to his parents, he witnessed their heartless deeds. Their fear of what they once had for him reached down to his unhatched siblings and they allowed… ponies to take their eggs.

If there was a crueler or more horrific way to call ones ‘monsters’, he hadn’t found it yet. And for what? Fear of more like him? Traded for polished gems? He never knew true anger and rage like that until he witnessed it. An unfiltered hate born from the neglect and heartless creatures that were disguised as dragons. He roared at them, calling them every horrible word that he could, going as far as to physically attack them albeit with less than deadly force. His father, twice his size, repelled him but he was smaller and agile, quickly nailing him twice on the face and leaving him horribly scarred. His mother; he spat a hot glob of inflamed liquid saliva at her face. She screamed as it damaged one of her eyes and flew away before his father could recover.

He vowed vengeance and swore he would finish the job later should they ever show their faces.

Following under the darkness of the night, the ponies took the eggs back to a camp many leagues out of the land and to a remote part where dragons never ventured to.

What he witnessed was something that burned into his mind forever and would break any sense of moral he had left at the time. Egg-shells, lots of broken egg-shells and ripped forms of scales and flesh of what would have been his siblings.

A roar strong enough to wake the dead, he charged that camp of ponies and set it ablaze with the fiery intensity of an exploding volcano. An eruption of hate and rage, born by the cold world and the dark hearts that inhabited it. The screams and cries of the many echoed in the night, but none of which were heard for his roar was louder.

The blazing fires of black, red and orange danced around his form as he walked on the many corpses of those that fell. And despite knowing that this was but of a few, he made it his mission to end them all.

The next town over he made it a show of power by demanding the first son was to be given to him. If they did not, he would set this town ablaze, just like the one before. He even showed them the black smoke seen in the distance.

The fearful refused at first but when he ignited several buildings on fire, they reluctantly agreed. However before he could end them, Torch had arrived and demanded he stand down. Defying the dragon lord was a bold move and even dangerous, yet when he explained his actions, Torch brought him down through force and growled at him.

“What you are doing is far worse!” His giant paw pinning him to the floor beneath them. “If you continue this path, those who ‘Guard’ the ponies will come down and strike us all! The very ‘heavens’ will burn us!”

‘The heavens’ he had called it. As in their pony gods would aid them and cause strife for dragons. Yet, he believed Torch was merely playing him and only pushed further.

“Egg-breakers!” He growled, struggling against the giant palm. “My sire! My dam! And you do nothing!?”

Torch continued to force his giant palm on his neck. “They will be punished for their crimes but your transgressions have only cost us peace! Now I have to negotiate with their demi-goddesses to reclaim our borders!”

And with that, Torch exiled his parents, but he was imprisoned and was probably going to repeat the process yet again. He was declared a disgrace to his kind, for attacking innocent ponies and for hurting his own kind.
A black plague amongst dragons, a dragon unworthy of a name or alias. It was not long after that did he vow to himself to remain silent and secluded, knowing that no one cares to hear him speak.

He had no home and no one…

Yet, his heart for the first time sought something kin to kindness. An alien feeling that had snared him and seeing ‘her’ made him express something he never knew of.

Now came the moment of trying to prolong that exposure, to ensure that it lasted as long as possible and despite the odds against him, he would pour a grand effort to keep it close and never lose it.

Even if it killed him…

“Shard?” Ember broke him from his standing silence. “Are you alright? We are back in the Dragon Lands and you’ve been standing here for a while.”

Shard continued to stare at the Dragon Lands right outside of its main border. He didn’t respond right away because he was trying to find a calming response without trying to give off anything to her. “I-I don’t know how I feel.” He half answered truthfully. “This is not my home. Instincts tell me it is, but I was born near the edge further south. My sire and dam never made me feel at home, at least not in the way a hatchling should feel," A pause and he looked down at Ember. "Should home be like this or should it be something much more… ?"

While it was true that he had no inkling of what a home should feel like, he knew that this was something that Ember would try to rectify. No dragon should feel this way to detach to their home and this broken off, especially with their parents destroying what value of it he had for it.

Ember was in no way heartless. After befriending Spike and Thorax, whom she still receives occasional letters from, her mind and heart has been more open and sympathetic. Her father once called that, ‘weakness’, but yet was love truely a weakness? He loved her, for she was the only thing in this world that he had left and he would destroy mountains, part seas and rip anyone to shreds if any harm came to her. Yet, he still saw ponies and other non-draconic creatures as weak.

The meaning had confused her but so did the word ‘weak’ elude her father in proper form. Here was a dragon who went through Hel and back but remained civil as can be.

She pushed back any doubts she had on him. “Then perhaps we can make it your home once more.”

The drake slowly looked at her, his gaze emotionless. Ember nodded. “If you truly want, I can help you make this feel like home again. Perhaps if we do this, you can forget about the past and move on with your life.”

His gaze seemed to remain fixed stoically, though a glint in his eyes showed… gratitude and perhaps it softened those beautiful eyes of his. “I… I would appreciate that much more than you realize, Lord Ember.” She wanted to correct him but he moved on. “Though I must ask, what is it now that we are in good relations with the Equestrians, that is required of us?”

She pondered the question for a moment before responding. “For the last year, Princess Twilight and I have come to an agreement that if we can provide a source of minerals or materials from the Dragon Lands, in turn they could provide us goods and services in return. These range from polished gems, melted ores, exotic food, pillows, and more.”

Shard took that in and gave a small cock of his head. “Luxury and practical items to live more than what we already have?” A reasonable response though the question was relevant.

“Well… I know that we dragons don’t do things nice and frilly but ever since the Great Change of Harmony, dragons have been experiencing more luxurious things from ponies. But I have also encouraged our kind to outreach other areas and even live amongst the ponies.” She then added with a small pause. “Also, our luxurious items also stem from other nations as well like the Hippogriffs, Abyssians, Griffins, Yak, and others.”

“And you have stated that they reside outside of the lands? Will they eventually live amongst us?”

Ember gave a small shake of her head. “No I don’t believe so, but they do have a few homes and stations on the borders to allow those to come and go as they please, so long as they listen to our rules like we would theirs. From this, we have started receiving healthier ors and melted irons from other nations that are far easier to acquire from them than doing it on our own.

He gazed at her a bit longer before focusing on the lands once more. “Admirable. Truly incredible feat in such a short time.”

Ember felt pride at hearing this, a rare compliment not given by other dragons since this great time of change. Not even her own father acknowledged it…

"I would love to know what other dragons lords of the past would think of knowing you succeeded where they failed at establishing something even akin to peace. Their own low intelligence to be dwarfed by one as young as yourself."

This somewhat hid a nerve but not in a bad way. In fact, she felt like it was another compliment but the fact that he was mocking her father, as if he knew personally that she was…

"Do your sire and dam approve of any of these changes?" He asked her, breaking her from her memories.

Ember furrowed her brow in thought, though she gave a vague response. "My father… thought this would be a big mistake and has no real care for it. My mother is… absent." That ended that bright mood of her boasting and accomplishment.

"Apologies Lord Ember, I didn't mean to bring any depressing or sorrowful memories."

The sapphire dragoness shook her head. "It's fine, you were not aware." A small pause before she gave the bearest of a smile. "Though I would like to think that my mother would approve of the peace that has been established."

He gave a small bob of his head. "If her wisdom is where you received it from, I am sure she welcomes peace and would be proud of the Dragon Lord you have become."

Once more, his words sent her heart aflutter and her emotions were set ablaze with delight. He could tell his words had its intended effects, knowing full well he was aiding in securing her confidence.

After the small moment, did he finally ask, "Then please tell me Lord Ember, how would one proceed to make this home once more?"

Ember gave a small smile and reached out with her claw to him, "Like my best friend Spike once showed, through Friendship."

Despite the size difference, he slowly reached out and took her claw into his larger one. It felt… magical, if that was the right word, for both of them, as not only was he shaking her with the claw he had marked himself with. The burn had returned but it was more warmth and comforting then before, as if to tell him, this would lead to more.

Ember on the other claw felt her cheeks flush as she felt the larger male gently grasp her claw, as this also translated to something more to her then when Spike had done it. This even surpassed it to something she couldn't describe.

A bond beyond a normal bond would be made after this.

And so Ember guided Shard to the heart of the Dragon Lands, unseen to his eyes. The colors and sizes of dragons were all different and unique, each with their own character. Volcanoes and lava rivers made the areas hot and dry, filling the air with rich sulfur fumes and toxic brimstone, something he took in deep breaths of and found so much comfort in. Ember noticed his calmer breathing, even his relaxed posture as he walked by her.

The few dragons that passed them by, gave short nods to Ember, instead of bows most Dragon Lords demanded. However, when they saw Shard Obsidian, they moved on pretty quickly. This had Ember questioning it.

"Huh, they normally ask or chat with me when they see me, what gives?"

"Perhaps it's who accompanies you now." Shard pointed out, with uncare of their fear or attitude towards him.

Ember gave a grunt. "You are not the only dragon here in black scales and-"

"It's perhaps not the scales themselves but the story of the scales," The black scaled drake then gave a small lift of his head. "Perhaps the story of a Rogue Dragon In Black Scales, was told to be a warning or omen of sorts."

In that moment, she had a severe flashback of what her father warned her about when she was still a hatchling. A poem of sorts warning her the darkness of a dragon with onyx black scales.

‘Beware of the shade in Blackened scales, a terrible blight amongst these horrid tales.

The Blackest Night, buried in hate, only to burn and set upon the world in fate. To be tempted by cold gray eyes dead, to capture your heart in sorrow and dread.

Lest he be the one to eventually bleed, the scales of purest white, will they succeed. To rise above the Blackened Scales, the light of white will send his ashes to the gales.

Shard noticed her mouth twitching to form words but no sound left her.

“May you tell me what the tale is?” He asked her. “I know you are aware of it.”

She blinked, stricken from her memory before shaking her head, since her hatchling-hood was a bit more rough than she could remember. While she didn’t actively know what her father was pertaining to, the sheer fact that Shard was the dragon her father was speaking of.

Shaking her head, she responded in a neutral tone, “I would rather not and like I said, it matters not. You are not evil, you are not wrong and I would ask that you try your best to ignore them. If we can prove or show other dragons you are no threat, then like the Magic of Friendship, it can save anyone.”

“I trust that if the Princess of Ponies and the Dragon Lord can form alliances and bonds of friendships, then I trust your words.” He answered evenly. “However, if nothing has changed about my past being told in the present, then what hope do I have for a future.”

She frowned. “As long as you stand by me, I will help. No dragon who went through what you did, should be treated ill. It is my duty to make sure you and others have a fair chance at Friendship and happiness.”

“But I am not innocent,” He reminded her.

Ember shrugged. “If the ponies can forgive the God of Chaos, the Princess of the Moon, Evil Unicorns, or convince a race to Change into their better selves, then I am sure we can be just as forgiving.”

The words made him ponder if truly things have really changed in the near century since his sleep. The more he heard from her, the more it felt like he never woke up and stayed in a dream. A dream where happiness and hope could be so… close.

He followed Ember further in, welcoming more and more to his view. The few dragons that did see the Dragon Lord and him, gave a chance to study afar without fear, but none dared approach.

It just so happens that the adults seemed more at ease, though they eyed the onyx drake with curiosity more than fear.

Ignoring the stares, he focused on what he could do to better anoint himself to Ember and her ways. In truth, it all seemed so alien that it bent his cold hearted nature to a different skewed from his original path. Even now as he walked alongside the Dragon Lord, his motivations and temporal need to hurt those in his past slipped further and further down. The feeling of his heart to open up and to bleed out his vengeance grew if only to get closer to her heart. Never had a dragon even tickled his heart to a point, like young Ember had. Her joy, her conviction, her tenacity and more are slowly changing, something he could never foresee with any dragon.

His purpose was becoming more profound as he continued to interact with her.

She showed him more of the land until it came time for a meal. Once more, her kindness flashed brightly to him by sharing a part of her hoard with him.

The Dragon Lord had apparently had a perk of earning the largest hoard in all of the lands and she had enough gems to give to him without pause.

“Are… are you sure you wish to-”

“Yes!” She strained with much emphasis on how little it meant to be sharing her hoard with him.

He still felt inadequate to eat from the hoard of the one he was supposed to serve. Yet the larger hoard that she held from her cave was definitely worth its value and it showed how much change has come to the Dragon Lands, including the value of friendship can do to several species.

For the first time in almost a century, he ate like a true dragon and he has never felt closer to the one he swore loyalty to and his heart slowly bloomed open more and more.

It was something he was not preparing to do fully, rather. Fate seemed to have other plans.

He did not know how it happened but he remained free for his doration with Ember. The dragon lord had kept her word for him to remain so and the moments he was with her, time seemed meaningless and absent.

As it would pass for them, days slowly turned to a week, then that week turning to several. His oath to her left him with such a task to cherish her that it felt now like a survival and need, rather than what he swore to her as a means to keep his vengeance at bay.

The days flew by with her, a scene of serenity blending into the abstract nature that he never would have dwelled with if not for her. She filled his life not just with care and tame nature, but she showed him what it meant to be with someone, to be with another creature and to show love and care.

She let him sleep in her cave, though far from her and near the entrance. It was a sort of identity to sleep within the entrance to keep those away so no raids come to fruition during the night. Not only that, but being so close would be an unease to her, despite the comfortability they had with one another. Yet this closeness to her was all the more reason why his need to seek further retribution slowly bled out like a wounded animal, and opened up something else inside of him.

When it came time to spend time with her friends, it was so surreal that she showed him off casually to them. The few dragons here, Garble a red drake taller than Ember but shorter than himself and the younger sibling of his, Smolder, an orange dragoness. A bit of an envious feeling he had for them and their closeness for one another but he was happy that dragons could love their siblings more than ever.

However the true shine of her friends was two of the youngest and oddity of them all, Spike and… Kindle. He noticed that young dragoness was different in many ways but couldn’t quite place it yet. It wasn’t her scale colors of light brown and eggshell white belly, but her shy personality. She hung behind Ember or Smolder more often than not, as if uncomfortable being just anywhere, which was queer in dragon standards. Spike on the other claw was the most known and famous dragon across the lands. His fame came after saving Equestria and other parts of Equus before, yet his status as a famous dragon was not a bravado of his most would boast about… much. The hatchling was very rambunctious but also chivalrous in nature.

While Garble was a bit apprehensive of the Black Drake, his sister and Spike held a great sense of awe for him, both basking him with praise at how shiny and wonderful his scales were. Kindle meanwhile was in quiet awe of the dragon.

“You look so freckin cool!” Spike exclaimed as he looked up at the larger drake. Smolder also seemed to agree though her cheeks would indicate that she was studying the drake a bit more in detail. “I have never seen a dragon with all black scales that look like armor!”

His lack of fear and high enthusiasm somewhat vexed Shard, not really understanding how he found him so fascinating. He zipped around him, studying his anatomy and glossing over how shiny he was, or how he was able to pull off being bi-pedal and quadruped easily.

Smolder also seemed to be very studious with the dragon, though she kept glancing back at Kindle who looked like she was mentally taking notes.

“What… is it that you find me… ‘cool’ as you speak?” He asked the hatchling.

“Like he said,” Responded Smolder. “We have never seen a dragon with your kind of scale colors. At least, not in a perfectly flawless onyx color or so smooth…” A small dreamlike flutter came from her mouth.

A small twinge of anger came from both Garble and Ember but for different reasons, yet none dared try to stir the young ‘ness’ away from him. This was probably the first positive attention he has ever had from dragons.

Kindle also came up to observe the dragon up close. “It is so rare to see a dragon like this, especially with how overlapping your scales are. They’re also no flaws or damages that I can point out nor are there differences in each one.” She added to their observations.

Something about her seemed off and she even had an odd scent. Not like a dragon but as if she had the form of a dragon but no other trait. He gave a small squint and noticed she had a soft aura around her. Spike had one too since, as Ember had clarified, was raised by ponies. He smelled like them too but he was still a dragon below it all. Kindle on the other claw was…

“You are not a dragon, are you?” Kindle ‘eeped’ and jumped back, frightened by being discovered. Ember was quick to defend her, standing in front of her.

“Relax, she is… a friend.” She turned to her. “It’s alright, you can show him. He will not attack.” Her tone made it clear that it was a command, so he just watched.

In a flash of baby blue fire, replacing the dragoness was a baby blue… bug pony hybrid. She had larger blue eyes, a red beetle back cover where he could see pink frilly insectoid wings as well as a head frill in the same pink color. A short stubby horn adorned her little head.

He blinked at the reveal, a small twitch of his tail, still witnessing her still hiding behind Ember. “A shifter?” He questioned, though he was more confused than angry or annoyed. Something she was apparently picking up on and slowly withdrawing from Ember.

“Her name is Ocellus and she is a friend of ours. I told you how the ponies can ‘change’ an entire race and she is that race that ‘changed’ for the better. They are the newly reformed, ‘Changedlings.’ She was one of the first young ones to join Equestria when it fully opened up its borders for education.”

He blinked more, his emotions not in any way negative for her to pick up, but they were also static and controlled, making it difficult for her to gauge his true feelings. She managed to lean out and saw him study more before his focus came back to the other two younger dragons who have been rubbing or touching his scales for the last few moments. He ignored that part and settled to a more neutral stance by lowering himself to be less intimidating to her.

“Then, I suppose they are also going to be amongst us in disguise as dragons?” he asked Ember.

The Dragon Lord opened her mouth a bit though she had pondered that and looked towards Occellus. The changedling gave a small shake of her head. “Uh…they are still shy creatures and right now she is the first. Plus, they have to adapt a bit to the heated environments before they could be accustomed to it. She took a few months to get used to the area.”

Occellus nodded. “It is very difficult right now since heat is not one of our highest attributes to adjust to yet when it comes to adapting in hostile environments.”

Shard was a bit intrigued by her and lowered her level, so as to not cause anymore intimidation. “Will you tell me more of your kind then? I have never encountered them before. Can you truely shift into anything?”

With an ecstatic flutter of her wings, Occellus merrily loved the idea of teaching others, especially since her role as a T.A. and future role as a teacher at the school was a planned career for her. She began a quick studious lecture of her species' history. While some parts she didn’t like to bring up, it did help that Smolder and Spike helped her get out of those dark areas of their history by stating that none of them had anything to do with it. Their origins and near extinction are blamed on the ‘former queen’ and such.

And so he sat through Ocellus’s tale of their grand ‘changing’ and how they have incorporated into Equestrian society and slowly outside of the borders. Some already lived in Yak, Griffin, Seapony, and other areas willingly and without ridicule in those areas. Ember, upon opening the borders for ponies, did give a few the advantage to try and adapt their bodies to the extreme heated environments.

While it would take years, he was assured that they too could live and interact with dragons on a physical level one day.

He would come to learn about how everything came to fruition between Twilight and Ember and even Spike adding to the tale. He learned about pony culture in history in the few hours he spent with them then anywhere else opening up his views to how things really worked in this modern age.

His need to stay angry with ponies was quelled by Ember and his interaction with the current Princess of Equestria. But tales of ponies with other creatures, these stories and history in the making, only missed by months ago, had him wondering if perhaps… fate is a benevolent goddess, for bringing him in a time of great peace amongst the greatest of nations in the world?

His attention for the younger ones truly filled Ember with hope and perhaps admiration. As Smolder, Spike, Ocellus and even Garble joined the mix, he absorbed their tales and stories with admiration and perhaps even a bit of joy. The silver of his eyes sparkled and like a hatchling getting their first hoard piece by their sire and dam, he was entranced by them.

Soon it became apparent that he had found a piece of his heart in the young ones, especially how they never once looked at him with fear or danger. Even Garble and Occellus had quickly forgotten their cautiousness of him and learned to enjoy the company of the drake in black scales.

They laid around him, easing into his larger frame as they enjoyed telling him more tales of their many adventures. The School of Friends by Ocellus, the trials of the Young six by Smolder, the odd and perhaps weird tapping music by Garble, the amazing advancements in technology for the last century by Spike and so on.

The first few emotions he had shown since his awakening were subtle but perhaps the highlights in Ember’s eyes. The more questions he asked, his tone was positive, his gaze studious, the taps of his claws as he waited for the next amazing story and the soft wag of his tail tip. These all showed signs of emotions even when his face couldn’t. While he dared not show his true heart, she knew that this was a start and she would damn sure try her best to get him to open up.

When it came down to the night, Ember had invited them all over to stay in her cave for the night and just like a sleepover, the group kept the stories and cave festive with joy and heart.

They hung around a small fire pit with gems shared amongst them though the changedling brought her own snacks. Shard meanwhile was just as attentive to their stories as earlier. He had many queries and received favorable and long feedback for each one. The flare in his mind of how much has gone from species exclusion to cross-species mingling, had truly been a boon to the lands. Though he half wondered that if not for this recent ‘rise to power’ of Princess Twilight Sparkle, would peace have begun at all, or would any other dragon outside of Ember, continue this same process of keeping everything as is?

It did surprise him to know that Spike was the original interceptor of the Bloodstone Scepter, having taken it when Ember and Garble were fighting for it. But, he gave it up to return home by giving it to her because he trusted her in keeping the peace between the species. While it was unheard of for a dragon to willingly give up the Scepter, in known dragon history, he did understand that the young drake’s true home was with the ponies. The family he grew up with and the one he chose over remaining to rule.

Ember felt ashamed for leaving that part of the story, but he nonetheless was still happy with the result, especially since she was the one who freed him, not Spike.

Another silent thankful prayer to the fates and gods for giving him this beautiful angel. This… light to his darkness that plagued him. And he would never know how to ever repay her back other than his blood oath, except by him giving her his heart.

It was a dangerous move, but he knew if fate brought her to him, then it was perhaps more to be than this. He was willing to bet his life on it. And so when tonight of all nights ended and tomorrow would begin, he would give her his heart, to move beyond the sorrow pit of hidden pain and quelling vengeance to see a brighter and more hopeful future.

It would not be long after her friends left, when the evening had come, that it was just the two of them and the mood was to say… blissful and calm. He had her to himself in her cave, listening to her about everything and anything, taking it in. And from this, he knew with how close they were to one another, that there would be no other moment, no other chance than now to express this beautiful feeling he had for his rescuer. His emotions would no longer be quelled and restrained as he stood in her grace.

“Ember?”

“Yes?”

A small pause as he lowered himself and leaned close to her. She didn’t flinch nor did she step back, in fact leaning closer to him and his larger form.

“I-I appreciate everything you have done for me, for giving me a chance I didn’t know I could obtain or have.” His eyes betrayed every emotion to her, not holding anything back as his soul was open to her, showing her what he truly felt. “I have never felt such care and joy in myself before meeting you and whatever it is that makes me feel this way about you, I pray for it to never end. Which is why I must speak my heart before you, else I could never speak again if given a moment’s notice.”

Ember’s heart was pounding, her voice almost lost as the dragon before her laid it all out before her. He was so close to her now, that she could see her reflection in his eyes. They had gotten close now, closer than she dared admit, daring to push a boundary that was behind a wall she hoped that she could help him break.

“When you speak, it makes my heart beat faster. When I see your form, I feel weak and young. When you smile or express joy, it radiates so I wish to do the same. And whenever I see your eyes, I see…I see beauty beyond imagination.”

Ember’s breath hitched, as those words left her breathless, never expressed to her by any other. By now, their jaws were just inches away.

“Ember… I cannot express my heart any further to you because of this concept of lo-'' He froze as the word nearly left him, but not like a mistake but an impossible word to phantom. He left his mouth open just enough to finish what he had to say. “-love itself was never something I thought I would find and yet, my heart yearns for yours. In this short time, you gave me that ability to open it and I, already in your service, would bend and break to your will; I can be ever yours and beyond that if you accepted me.”

Ember was speechless, her eyes dancing with awe and pure emotion. Her heart was now beating excessively, to a point that she couldn’t even speak or answer him. In truth, this was the first time she had ever felt like this before with anyone. None have ever approached her with an open heart like this and the fear of her title always quenched the bravery of those who have tried to court her.

Yet his loyalty came first, as a test of his will to appease her and her word. His sage-like intelligence filled her with confidence and without questioning her actions. The quick adaptation of her friends and other dragons alike told her he was willing to try to brush past it all. And the fact that he opened his heart to her, unsolicited and with fear of what she would say or do, spoke volumes that no other dragon ever could.

Yet, all it would take is a single word, a single phrase to not only change her life, but his own. To bring someone she had just met into her world and experience far more happiness, joy and love than he had ever received. But was this love or merely infatuation with how little he has interacted with others?

In truth, she no longer felt the fear or ridicule that would come from this, only that she was willing to give it a shot to someone who was not afraid to open their heart.

She didn’t respond directly but rather pushed her head to his own, pressing up against it while keeping her eyes to his. “I am… new to this as well,” She began truthfully, her voice low and bashed with warmth akin to like her first heat, but from her heart. “but I have enjoyed our time together, more than anything. You have treated my friends like… well friends. You have given other dragons a chance, even though I see they are still weary of you and you haven’t fully given back your trust yet.”

She rubbed his head with her claws. “You hang onto every word I say, not questioning my command or… that I might make mistakes.”

“A good leader makes mistakes, but a great leader learns from them.” His words displayed the wisdom he so elegantly shared. “Leaders of the past never admit to it, which is where they fail short. You have made a few but are quick to find out the flaws and you have even apologized to those you have wronged, even though you don’t need to.” He lowered his head to her neck and inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. “And you are far smarter than your successors. Which is why I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my days under your rule, under your wings and…” He gave a small lick across her neck. “In your heart.”

That sent a powerful shiver down her spine and followed by a strong tingle down to her legs. Despite being half his height, she felt like a hatchling like this. The touches, his tongue, the size that he was to cover her completely and that was just the physical aspect.

The emotional one was just as strong. His words breached her in ways that no dragon ever could. Efforts to treat her like a Dragon Lord were minimal but he respected her with genuine kindness and like a normal dragon. She could blame the Blood Oath he had sworn to her but this felt… natural.

Natural in a sense where she felt his breathing on her chest and a palm in her back, holding her. He was taking in more of her scent; a rich copper tone, a strong form of female musk that rivaled even the strangest of flowers that resided here and a touch of… lust.

By now, he was nipping her or tickling her with his snout, hitting those sensitive spots she never knew she had. His palm held her back as she leaned backwards, pressing himself further and further. She didn’t even remember giving him permission to do so, but she knew that if she asked him to stop he would.

She didn’t. Not now, not right now at least.

In fact, a small bit of encouragement came from her. “By my hoard,” She softly sighed. “I’d rather it not be uncomfortable for both of us.”

“As you command,” He said so smoothly against her scales, sending further shivers down her spine. This time however, it was triggering her lust factor that even he took notice of. Each moment he held her in his grasp, was like holding a piece of something that had remained absent in his life, waiting to put it back in.

When he brought her to her hoard, he gently placed her on top of her large pile halfway so his reach to her was just to his head level. Upon laying her down, he pressed his slightly larger head to her. He continued to inhale her wonderful scent, her absolute toxic aroma that he craved. It was the first time he had ever craved a female and despite the size difference, he was gentle. His claws barely left the most abundance of touches on her, making her shiver.

Yet his exploration was just that of lust, echoed by her own. But he didn’t want her to believe it was all lust. It was more than that. It was… a need that he never knew he could understand or believe in having. Her eyes, those beautiful amber colored eyes that burned like a warm sun and burned away that darkness he was burdened with. To open his eyes and soul to a possibility of happiness and love that he never experienced in his life.

And she was allowing her heart to open to him. As each moment passed, it felt eternal, with a burden of quaking shivers for it was the first time they ever experienced this kind of intimacy. For both of them, yet the need to break that nervous passage was quickly fleeting. All it took was for him to press his snout near her nethers, near her personal treasure that broke that final barrier.

Her body twitched, like a small jolt of electricity running from down up. The heat of his breath brushed her outer slit with gentle graces, the only soft part of a dragon capable of feeling ticklish feelings.

It took most of her will not to shake as he pressed it directly on her private region. Her legs spread by his larger head, giving him unrestricted access to her body, something she didn't think she would give some drake so soon.

He continued to blow soft breathes on her until he stopped and his silver eyes met her own. He still felt a moral need to ask if he could touch her, but it was a silent communication, a non-verbal question that would forever break any normal bond they had before and change it to something far more.

A very pleading nod came from her but she quickly became irritated with, "Please… go slow."

He didn't counter her gentle plea negatively. He started slow, as slow as he could. His lust was not as strong as most males, but he also wished for both of their first times to be memorable. Even if he would dare not use his whole body to please them both, he would do what he could to make sure that she would enjoy it more than he could, though her pleasure was his own as would it be to bring them both that much closer.

One more, he continued his soft breaths upon her slit, giving into a slow pass upon her area. As he did this, slowly her arousal became far more potent as her slit slowly spread open and those heated winds of his tickled her entrance. The pink within glistened and moistened more as he stimulated her senses from just his breathing.

Her soft moans are the most beautiful thing he could ever hear from a dragoness, let alone her. It was so surreal that he was doing this to her and not only that, but just inhaling her wonderful scent was like an aphrodisiac that he burned into his mind.

After enough moments of breathing on her, did his tongue finally leave his mouth, parting just enough to leave between his teeth and press just right outside of the outer nethers.

Ember let out a gasp and pushed her hips forward, meeting that tongue further. She didn't hide her blush, she didn't hide her heightened ecstatic state and she dare not hide the fact that she wanted more.

Given non-verbal permission, he pressed it directly on her slit, giving a single lap across the short surface. She gave another gasp as he did so over and over again until she was quaking with pleasure.

As he continued to lick the lithe dragoness before him, for the first time in a long time, he felt his arousal fully hit him hard but with purpose. It began a slow spread of his own slit, the pointed curved cone tip barely peeking out. Each inhale and each lap of her beautiful body slowly pushed up further out, spreading larger and longer.

Ember by now was a mess, twitching and bucking against his larger head. Her slit was assaulted by his strong tongue, giving him a taste of her nectar without pause. The need for an orgasm and an endless pursuit of it had her gripping his head with her whole body as she wrapped legs and arms around his muzzle.

Feeling indifference to the embrace, he further pushed into her mound and finally buried his tongue into body. The reaction was like lightning for Ember, as a powerful course of endorphins ran from her head down to her spine and south, as unrestricted pleasure ran through her body. Her moan was loud and strong, her eyes closed as all thoughts left her mind and her body reacted like never before at its peak.

This was just him penetrating her with his tongue, he hadn't even begun to wiggle or sample her fully. Yet her moan was enough of him to continue without more verbal confirmation. He was still pretty big, tongue included so he could only wiggle the tip of it within her core but that was Ember's highlight.

His forked tongue split allowed him to touch her inner moist depths that have never been breached while attacking her in two areas simultaneously. She tightened her grip around his head, trying to bury him deeper into her smaller form. Meanwhile the blacked scaled dragon had fully grown out of his own slit, the larger organ which was half of Ember’s size, he no doubt wouldn’t fit with. His own tip oozed onto the floor in a demand to breed, but his will to protect and cherish, beyond that of his oath, was stronger than his want to mate with her.

Being a bipedal being however allowed him to reach down with his other claw and grasp his shaft. He gave a few of his ridges small rubs before beginning a slow stroke on himself. Small grunts left his mouth, sending vibrations from his jaw to ember, further making her twist and buck against him. He had only ever stroked himself a few times in his life but this time it felt purposeful and without shame. His grunts soon morphed into growls as Ember’s fluids forever burned onto his tongue like the most powerful aphrodisiac cocktail. By now she was practically leaking and from the way her body continued to thrust against him told him she was close to her climax. A feat he would ensure to be done. With a goal now fully in mind, he pushed himself to bring his partner into a beautiful and fruitful climax. He wasn't going to waste such a precious moment for both of them.

He stroked himself to match his tongue lapping or penetrating, bringing forth gulps of pre-seed from his tip onto the floor. His eyes watched as she withered and squirmed in her position, making sure that he was pleasing her in every way possible. He may not have experience with it before, but he knew that what he was doing was working well.

As his tongue buried itself within her in a deep push, she finally cried out in ecstacy, her voice echoing in her cave as she finally climaxed. Ember squeezed every inch of her body around him, begging him to not stop as she came for the first in her life with such conviction that it almost felt like she would pass out.

Shard stroked himself at a quicker pace as Ember fluids ejaculated into his mouth, fueling his own climax to come quicker too. Her whole body clamping on his head, her walls tightening around his tongue and her screaming out to him, “Lo-Love, don’t stop!”

That was a trigger word he never knew he had, but it had the effect he never knew that would help him achieve a quicker climax. He gripped his base hard and with a few strokes more, gave a grunt as he fired powerful bursts of white hot seed to the bottom pile of the hoard. This happened as he continued to prolong Ember’s climax upon his face.

Both dragons were in the clouds, unable to really process anything outside of their world and pleasure. It was a few moments, but lasting almost eternally in their minds, burning vividly a glaze of lust and perhaps something that would echo more.

Ember slumped from his head, her body relaxing and no longer clenching him from her orgasmic high. Slowly, she pulled back and allowed her body to become calm, a small soreness forming from how hard she had braced on him but allowing her body to recuperate. Shard meanwhile eased his own body though he was not as tense as the dragoness before him. He slowly laid her onto her hoard, letting her rest right away.

Carefully placing her down, he looked down to himself and saw that he had made quite the puddle of his own seed. While the bottom of her hoard was covered in it, he felt like it could be cleaned off… maybe.

Using his tail, he scraped the dirt over his seed to cover the larger ground, hoping it would dry quickly. Once done, he noticed that Ember had her eyes closed and was softly snoring. His organ slowly retreated and he felt like his time here to spend her was over. Despite this intimate moment, he didn’t wish to over step his boundary.

The moment he tried to move away, Ember’s voice called out to him. “Please stay, Shard.” It sounded like a plea, but it was so much more than that. He slowly approached her, leaning in forward as if hoping it was true.

Her tired arm reached for his head. “For tonight, you can stay with me.”

It was more than just the night for him. It was a signal, a sign, a blessing from the heavens above and beyond that he was being cared for, being touched by someone that didn’t fear him. That tonight and perhaps more nights to come, he wasn’t going to sleep alone and cold.

As he wrapped his larger frame around her, she snuggled in closer, feeling his larger form surround her smaller form and she sighed peacefully. Settling more, her soft breathing touched his ears, the tales of a sleeping dragon comfortable and at peace. He stayed focused on her for a moment longer before closing his own eyes to sleep.

For the first time, in what felt like a lifetime, in what he prayed for to be a dream come true, he slept happily. A tear leaving his ducts, falling down his eyes as pure hope and love filled his heart, making his world much brighter.

The morning was warm, dusk breaching the cave and filled it with light. His eyes were the first to open; his hope emerging once more and seeing her form before him ignited the flames of love. Her soft breathing indicated her undisturbed rest and he left it at that.

She was so beautiful, so wonderful and while it felt like just a moment ago that he emerged from the cave, it was not a slow and fading memory that is being replaced with boundless love and care.

He gently brushed a claw over her form, caressing her in a gentle manner. It was like touching a piece of the heavens in physical form. He could just lay here and do it all day…

But fate needed to test him…

A distant rumble echoed, what he thought had been an erupting volcano or it was close to one. However this one had a voice and it sent a powerful sharp and dangerous chill down his spine. The very heavens seemed to shatter, as the voice erupted with the fury of a volcano.

“EMBER! YOUR FATHER SUMMONS YOU!!!”

Author's Note

This one was a dozy and practically hard to write due to how complex certain details were to be added. Most of this was the heavier core of the story and should be the help to ending this short series to a hopefully satisfying ending. The final chapter awaits and I hope that you all enjoyed it.

I would also like to thank Barstool for hosting me on their show on Saturday night. It was really fun and hoped that it made their time. The video should be posted soon and i hope you guys will enjoy it as much I did. I will post the link here and in other stories too.