Cynder is 'not Spikes special somedragon'

By: Black--Soul

Inspired by:
harlock5399 now Silas5399

From the story: Reborn as a dragon

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Chapter 30 - Meeting Harmony, face to Tree 3/3

The Alicorns backed away from the Tree of Harmony, what caused the Tree to send out it uncut vines to block the stairs, so they could not leave the cave by hoove.
Further did she made sure escape by magical means was not without danger by emanating magic distortion in the area. Noone could teleport or otherwise use magical means to leave or enter the cave without a threat to health and life.

Harmony demanded to have the dragon welp be given to her for extermination.
The shock of the Alicorn sister changed like Chrysalis to angered defiance.
Chrysalis narrowed her eyes and stepped back further using the bodies of her sister as additional cover, with them extending their wings in a aggressive posture.

Harmony repeated her demand and warned them that it will not ask again. They needed to put that threat down as soon as possible.

Celestias horn flared and a magical shield against any magical attacks flickered under difficulty into existence.
Nightmare Moon added a layer with her horn that would prevent physical dangers to pass through her shields layer.
With Luna using a anti magic teleportation or conjured area of effect, with Celestias shield a telekinesis grip would be prevented as well.

The Tree of Harmony was effectivly stopped in its tracks to gain the dragon welp by force for the near future.
Perhaps a verbal conflict would hold a resolution.
They are all reasonably towards one another in the past, reminding them of the threat of dark magic might change their uncooperative posture.

Harmony lifted its cut off vines into the air and remerged them with its main body. Just good its pain sensation works differently from fleshy individuals or this might become unnecessary personal.

Chrysalis tilted Cynder right side up with the vines having hold her upside down so she flailed reflexively as further distraction, until the dragon welp could have been dealt with.
Harmony would have liked to simply pluck that threat on four legs from the shape shifting queen hold, eventually crushing it in its grip after having destroyed it in magical means first, but it was not to be... yet.

Chrysalis bring the terrified dragonness closer to her face and inspected the young female body closer, to see if any damaged had been inflicted yet.

While Chrysalis was examine Cynder, did Celestia ask with a forced calm voice that Harmony needed to explain her actions from moments ago.

Harmonys metaphorical eyes widened in fear, how could Celestia have missed the matter at vines? That welp was a dark magic incarnation, something that had caused countless deaths for centuries. They had after all concluded together that dark magic infected individuals needed to be incarcerated into Tarterus if not killed on the spot or thrown into a vulcano to burn its physical remains.

Harmony had a strained voice like Celestia, a voice that told of supressed aggression for the goal of a comprehensive conversation.
Still did its intend boomed in their heads with all its murderous goal.

Meanwhile did the guard all over the Everfree Forest fall back to the old castle, this pure murderous intend briefly to feel all over the Forest had given them more than enough reasons to be on high alert and expected the unexpected troubles soon coming their way.

Harmony briefly ignored the Alicorn and shapeshifting equine insectoid to inform the whole castle stationed personal to be cordoned off with no one being allowed to get out of the Forrest.
It shared her want to every pony who has had any contact with the dragon welp or any member of the royal family in the last month.

This threat needed to be isolated from the rest of Equestria, otherwise it might cause the dark infection to be spread and causing more death and suffering for her protected charges.
Until further notice they all needed to be kept under lock down. They had managed to contain previous outbreaks and would do so in time again!

Harmony just was happy that they know by now not to do unnecessary things like halt all shipments to and from the effected area. Not anything could spread dark magic infections, only infected individuals and magic artefact purposefully made or manipulated to do so.
Everycreature within miles of the Forrest in the area needed to be scanned and put in contagion lock down if found out.
One could only hope no wildlife was effected.

That spread particular virulent in some cases.

The magic around the not so harmonious Tree flared less aggressive, when conversation started.
Though the immortals horn did still light up in blazing protective magic, with Chrysalis having joined them after Cynder was found out to be unharmed physically.

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes looking at the Tree, less brightly as she prepared to cast in case the entity had plans to catch them off guard.

The queen of the shapeshifting race turned her attention back to the Tree, after having Blueblood and Cadance reunited with Cynder on her back, having shaped her mane into a protective fluffy cocoon for the younglings convinients.

Harmony spoke up to the immortals, no longer projecting outside the cave:

"Dark magic is like a virus, a very difficult to contain or even healing illness." Harmony could be felt to focus on Luna & Nightmare Moon, "In your time in banishment did the world medicine and science have seen a progressive strong development, many illnesses could be cured these days unlike in the far past, were it was not possible and it merely could be contained, if not needed to be aggressive destroyed alongside the infected.”

Celestia shuddered when Harmony said it, with Chrysalis giving a mental hug to Celestia via the soul link they shared thanks to the magical core of Cynder.

Before giving time for unnecessary questions, did it not let itself get stop in its monolog to make a example or two:

“Non magical Flesh-eating sicknesses and dark magic infection, both results in lethal outcome for mortals afflicted by it.” Chrysalis nodded at the examples, even if she wasn't sure why Harmony mentioned them now, there seem to be a missing vital information that was misplaced, perhaps hearing the Tree out could shed light on the situation.

“A sickness be it non magical or magical in nature can spread very - very fast. It is in most cases very deadly as well. Unnecessary to mention that a sickness like that is very messy in its presentations, due to all the internal and external bleeding it causes.
In the past most have been very contagious without mutch option for anyone to stop its spread. That has not changed to drastically, though quarantine this day can buy time and mitigate the spread when enforced quickly.

Though at least medications have developed so far that it can be cured eventually and the consequences to the body in general can be reversed for the variations that can be healed, at least partially."

Chrysalis and Celestia started to suspect where Harmony was going with this, but they leave her to explain herself, after all one often started to slowly calm down from very strong emotional outbursts usually over time, especially if the satisfaction of getting a aknowledge for ones arguments is given. Something Luna & Nightmare would provide.

Harmony continued after a moment of letting it sink into its audience, already satisfied that Luna and Nightmare seem enthralled into the facts:
“Such a thing had in the past wiped out villages worth in population, to this day did some of them could only be contained, leaving only the options to let the victims die painfully in hopes they develop a cure within themself or deliver a mercy killing."

The Tree pointed with one of its vines at Celestia:

“Celestia had the last outbreaks before Tarterus was made the default answer to anyone infected with serious sickness like a flesh eating virus often under many day on watch, she kept the infected in solitary isolation for years if the victim managed to hold out that long, thanks to medication that supressed the viral progression and partial restoration of the body.

In some cases a cure was found while they lived, sometimes after they had died to the sickness.
But most time did only the extermination of afflicted was the only clear solution to something like it.

Before Celestia let cured individuals go to any sort of environment else than medical facilities,
did it was often a full year of on rotation working medical staff to ensure someone was truly healed and wasn't just a silent carrier of any disease, alongside the medical staff working on the patient.

There is to be made a strong distinction between physical and magical outbreaks, they effectively influence both aspects, but their origin makes the difference if it can be even attempted to be researched.
Physical manifestation of illness that has no magical origin is very hard to research and heal, but there is roughly a 50% chance.
But dark magic infections is impossible to heal to this day, all attempts stopped quite some time ago."

A feeling of melancholia came over the room, seemingly emanating from the Tree of Harmony.
After a short break did the harmony construct continued:

"I had Celestia crying to me for hours over 300 years ago, because healing dark magic infections was found out to be impossible to cure.
Unfortunately often even costing the brave researchers their lifes, when a single mistake lead to them becoming afflicted as well.

I am not to proud to admit that i failed to be anything but something to hold on in a situation like that... though i improved in that regard over the centuries, when i made good acquainted individuals here with the stationed ponies and soothed their pain verbally. For the day Celestia needed someone to lighten to her pains, one thing i learned over the years was that listening to someone to talk about their troubles in life often already had a healing element."

Celestia & Chrysalis are sure by now to know where the misunderstanding come from, but just to make sure, they had to let Harmonys monolog run out on is own.

Harmony continued:
"Celestia wiped whole blockes filled with population out of existence in village centers to spare others lifes, if she saw even a sign the infection could spread beyond conventional quarantined areas, that serious is that matter.
Ponies, Griffons, Minatours, Abesinian, all of them no matter of their respective races.
Because infection made them equally dangerous and made them targets of extermination with extreme precautions."

The Tree of Harmony stated with mimics of a shoulder/arm shrugs of her crystal vines and continued her monolog.

“They are all supposed to be dead and gone outside Tarterus, at least every Nation is trying it very best to keep it that way.
The ones in the Nations that gotten found out always was exterminated or imprisoned, because after the declaration that healing is impossible, there simply was no other option, no other choice to make.

Any of you should realize the danger of this dragon, Celestia your mortal colt unlike the young Griffon deity Cadance could be infected any moment, yet they are body to body hugging one another... have you gone mad?
We could lose your firstborn!
I would have been expecting that you of all creatures are ready to do the same i just attempted, destroying a threat to the world and its inhabitants!

At worst in needs seconds of exposure, at best hours. Lets hope it is not to late already!

But the only one i see injured was myself, who still showed the only indication to eliminate the imminent threat to prince Blueblood.
I can just hope that there will be no signs of infection once the welp is destroyed.
You cried for hours for the lost citizens and other sapient infected, i hate to imagen the idea that you lose your own flesh and blood born colt!"

Silence echoed throughout the Cave.

The Tree of Harmony was taken aback when all adults before her suddenly give her a deadpan look, when they all practical simultaneously wingpalmed themself, did the Tree of Harmony had the feeling she was missing a obvious punchline of a joke. The joke was most certainly on it.

But that would be silly, it was with exception of Discord and this dragon welps area of magical range able to see all that happened in Equestria if it focused herself on doing so, even if it needed hours to process everything experienced.

"My dear Tree of Harmony... you have it all wrong... Cynder is not a threat, she is the solution to the threat!"
Celestia smiled patronizing towards the Crystal being, a small encouraging smile that things are unlike they seem to be.

"You don't feel the same way a parasite dark magic infected individual does, there is no shame you acted prematurely before you actually read her magic right, your vines seem to always act out when in contact with dark magic on the past.
I will come with Cynder to you, please examine her dark magic properties properly this time, be gentle to her, she already is frightened."

The Tree of Harmony was extreamly confused about what Celestia told her, what was missed by getting into contact... wasn't all dark magic the same in general?

When Chrysalis floated the shaking Cynder to Celestia and Nightmare Moon. They both hold her gently together with telekinesis in the air, to the struggling dragonness displeasure, especially when a crystal vine come towards her.

Like instructed did Harmony slowly extend a crystal vines towards the welp.
Again did her vine was emanating smoke when contacting the dark magic being, but this time the discomfort was tolerated and the Tree in depth analyze the dragon welp magic, every layer of its magic.

It was fascinating!
So many unknown properties, many familiar, but changed beyond comprehensive experiences of the past.
Most importantly:
There was no parasite nature at all, no attempt to spread or feed on external magic mana.
This dragonness was unique, so alien was the realization that for a very - very - VERY long time... the Tree of Harmony had made a huge mistake in its judgment beyond the shadow of a doubt.

This little troublemaker was still a paining thorn in its carefully improvised plans, but with adjustments would its little scaled rump might become a major asset, if hold at range and away from the Dragonlands.

This might actually be a solution for the poisoning of the world she was fighting for millenia!
Perhaps she could even for once hope for a longer vacation and created a worthy offspring seedling, if she had no longer to suppressing the influence of the parasitic dark magic in the world...
o damn root rot...
she almost destroyed the solution to her parasitic dark magic problem plaguing the world.

Discord would never let her life it down.

Ssshhhiiiiittt!

Well... that happend so the Tree of Harmony facepalmed metaphorical speaking internally.

Luna brow narrowed when she hear the vines behind them move, but relaxed when the crystal vines no longer obstructed the staircase. She spoke up:
"You clearly had been fitting the evidence of the past to your assumed facts of the current situation, when in fact it was a wrong theory, rather than seeing if your facts fits the evidence before you, here right now.
Though with Cynder being the first and only exception to the rule it is somewhat understandable.
Still did you forget a simple fact of life, things change eventually. Keeping a open mind is never wrong. Suspicion is fine if warranted, but nothing should be dismissed in general.
Well... you know what i mean."

The Tree emanating feeling of shame answered:
"That is sure one way of putting it, just like Celestia's lack of judgment cost you a extended banishment, did i almost doomed us all.
Thank you for setting things right, apparently am i not as infallible as i always belive to be.
A truly humbling experience."
So Harmony honestly admitted.

Luna satisfied reply:
"You have not changed for a long time, in part to us keeping you busy with to many task at your vines, to distracted to keep up with the current developments of the last years. It is time we help you adapt to the modern age, Nightmare and myself know from experience that it is a time costly process, but together do we catch up eventually."

Luna moved over to hug her old friend, eventually joined by Celestia and the reluctant queens Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon.

"Nopony can look at you now and see the infallible immortal, who would close her eyes when she got into any sort of contradiction, you are willing to accept confrontation through differently running opinions. Yet you are willing to change your mind, if shown to be wrong.
It takes strength to admit mistakes, especially to beings like us. Though it begs the question what the others in the castle will think about it.
We did made quite a fuss about this situation."

After the group hug was over the Tree of Harmony significance misunderstanding was explained to the guards, visibly relaxing everypony.
Though Chrysalis was still slightly on edge, they needed to watch out for Cynder more thoroughly in the future.
She was to important for the world to die off before she could breed many hatchlings with her affinity for curing of parasitic dark magic.

With her becoming of age with her 30th birthday/hatchday in a few years decades, unless her dragon subspecies matured differently.

Harmony tried to mend the damaged bridge between it and the others:
"For the peace of your minds, i can try my best to help you out. I can not exactly observe the dragon welp in detail, but should she ever be obducted, than I will inform you where her distortion inside Equestrian territory is obstructing my field of vision."

With a understanding of mutual benefishal support did they parted ways in retreat into the castle to relax, while some castle staff pampered the crystal tree with extra layers of crystal polish shortly after.

The Tree sighed in relaxation while getting serviced by the Thestrals, perhaps the dragon would not be to hard to tolerate after all.

That inconvenience of a individual would pay it effort in time, perhaps fixing most of its problems eventually. That internal said to itself, if the dragon would ever find its end after the parasitic dark magic was removed world wide, is would only regret it gone because it probably grow accustomed to it, just like one could grow accustomed to some creature like Discord eventually.

The next day Bright Mac and Cynder come along the rulers to make a statement, after a hour or two of catching up and Cynder accepting the Tree of Harmony apologies, did Bright Mac insisted to have a short conversation with the entity that tried to kill his adopted daughter.

Bright Macintosh spoke up in his unbuffed state, with a nearly emotional empty voice.
"I am the father of Cynder, i hear what happened yesterday and let me tell you... you are lucky Cynder was physically unharmed, otherwise we would have no pleasant conversation, all we would have is a pile of crystal rubble."

The Tree of Harmony was radiating amusement, she answered the imputent pony:
"You don't know what your talking about mortal, i could kill you where you stand, no consequences would hit me. For Equestria fertility and healthy magic field is my doing. Would i to perish by anyone doing, Equestria would become what it was before my creation, a lifeless patch of dirt.
To strike me down, as impossible as it would be to somecreature like you, it would mean the end of Equestria as a hole."

A crystal vine moved to pat the pony admonishing on its head, only to be stopped by the stallion suddenly practically exploding in size, squeezing down hard enough to make the vine crack and splinter that got gripped by the fetlock of the stallion.

A very unamused farm pony spoke up to the mighty Harmony:
"My name is Bright Macintosh of the apple-pear family clan, you tried to murder my family adopted daughter.
Blood related or not, should anyone including you threatening her life again, than they are better prepare to die."

Harmony wasn't exactly intimidated, but her consequently followed answer had no mockery in it:

"Your life for your daughter well being? That can be arranged, you better pick fights you can actually win little pony. Otherwise it might cost you your mortal little life."

Bright Macintosh wasn't in the mood for ideal threats, so the pulled at the vine, ripping it of the Tree of Harmony trunk and crushing what he was holding in his fetlock to crystal powder, not flinching despite the blood his fetlock was losing slowly.

Bright Mac tossed the ripped of blooded crystal vine at its owner and said:
"Last time I was killed it didn't stop me from coming back to life in order to defend my clan and family, you better talk to Celestia about it.

Next time you will see that i do not make ideal threats, I am very proficient in bucking trees... have a nice day lady Harmony."

When Bright Mac had via the staircase left the cave, did Harmony tried to ignore what happened and reattach her blooded crushed crystal vine, only to find it impossible to re-attach and further starting to break apart.

Harmony throw away the afflicted vine and shuddered in real fright, when it started to hardening and splinter until it was crystal rubble without magic running through it anymore.

Maybe there was more behind Cynder than one magical perception could see, because her adopted fathers blood was saturated in magic harmony properties damaging elements.

Beyond expectations for the first time in millenia... Harmony learned to fear a little mortal it... she... feared with honest respect that previously insignificant looking pony.
Maybe Bright Macintosh of the apple-pear family was just like King Sombra, a mortal of exceptional danger.

Author's Note

Next chapter of this story will not come for some time, other storys need my attention.

Stay snuggly ♡👍