MAR 2 Friday.

I flip to another empty page of the new notebook I've spent two hours writing in.

Yesterday while exploring the city I bought a pair of blank notebooks so I could categorize and organize all the information I obtained during my trip to the Dragon Lands. I've got a lot of information to go through and even with a very boring train ride ahead of me, it will take me a week or two after I get home to finish all this.

It will take around another full month of work after that to get it all together and ready to be released in some fashion. I'm definitely not releasing this research under my name, I don't think I can release it under Veil Winter either, that could be traced back to me with enough effort.

I could just ask Celestia to say it was a combination of several ponies traveling to the Dragon Lands over time? It would make it seem less suspicious and notable to be a combined effort over a longer span of time like a few years, either way, I have time to think about a plan.

This notebook will have an edited version of everything I've learned, it will be for the public and as such I'm omitting several things I learned while on my trip. Things like anything I learned from my fight, and the true nature of the Bloodstone Scepter, I don't want anyone getting some stupid ideas from this.

Even with all the edits I'm trying to portray Dragons as much more than what ponies normally think of them. I do make sure to heavily emphasize that Dragons are still very dangerous and you can get into some very bad situations if you don't handle interacting with them properly.

A main focus is actually on the younger Dragons, the ones who visit Equestria to trade with ponies often, it seemed like the best area where a thorough explanation could do some good. The other notebook I got I'm going to be filling with a far more comprehensive version that also contains a few guesses and theories on my part.

This second notebook will be for Celestia and probably Twilight as well. I'm not going to be giving a book to Twilight though, I'm going to run everything past Celestia first so she can remove or change anything that she wants. Twilight is not great at secrets and I don't think she should know a few things about how Dragons live until she's older.

I am the furthest thing from an expert on raising foals and Dragons though, so that's why I'm using the tried and true method of dumping the responsibility onto Celestia. This second notebook is much easier to work on as I can use the copy spell to copy from my notes directly to speed things up.

Speaking of Celestia, I've been thinking about how to talk to her about everything that happened in the Dragon Lands. The main point is the fight I had, but I don't think that will be too much of a point of contention between us. She knew the risks I was taking and knew I was probably going to get into at least one fight, then again she's still going to be displeased.

What I really need to explain is the need for me being so, brutal. I drew out that fight and made it bloody to prove a point and make a statement, the Dragons understand and respect that as they have done just that for as long as they can remember. Ponies are different and Celestia is likely to not see it that way.

At least I have today to think about how to go about that, and a few more with my train ride. On that topic, I've confirmed my train ride will arrive tomorrow in the early morning. After that, it will be a four-day ride, mostly because the train track we need to go along is busy this time of year.

I should arrive on the sixth in the morning if things go as planned. My writing and thoughts come to an abrupt halt as I hear a knock on the door. After playing with Phelix for a while he led me to the same room as last time and I was brought dinner, today seems to be more interesting already.

I sense outside while putting my things away and notice a single Griffon outside the simple room. "Come in." A second later I'm a little surprised as Thelis opens the door and greets me with a small nod. I stand up a bit and give a quick bow, something he waves off immediately. "Thelis, a pleasure to see you again, thank you again for letting me stay." I greet him with a happy and slightly surprised tone.

He chuckles a little and shakes his head. "You don't need to bow, you're a friend and a good one at that." He says in fluent Pony despite my Griffon greeting. He turns and looks at Entropy as she rests on a bedpost, watching everything silently. "I came to get you for breakfast." He doesn't even seem to consider the possibility of me saying no and looks over a few things I took out of my saddlebags and placed on the bed.

It's a few of the gem carvings I got from Aurora along with a few of the books, which I was doing some maintenance on to make sure they would stay intact during my journey home. "It seems you passed near the Dragon Bridge then." He comments while looking at the carvings with some interest.

I tense a little but calm down quickly, several cities near the land bridge to the Dragon Lands trade with Dragons and you can sometimes find goods from the Dragons there, at least that's what I believe from listening to the Dragons at the market. I nod, "I did, it was an interesting sight. I didn't know there was a name for it though, it certainly fits." I agree without providing any context to lie by omission.

He eyes me for a brief moment and nods back slowly, agreeing silently while looking over a few of the books, careful to not touch them. "A few really old ones, I don't even understand most of that Griffon." He remarks while looking at the really old Griffon book I got from Larimar, so old I couldn't read it beyond a few recognizable words.

I finish putting my things away quickly and Entropy jumps on my back in anticipation for a meal. "So, breakfast then?" I ask, to change the subject from the previous one. I would rather not deal with so many questions from him, but it seems my hopes are in vain.

Something in him shifts and he gives me a knowing smile along with pointing to a certain book I have. "Magical Herbs and Remedies, a very rare book." He points out very bluntly while chuckling. "Breakfast? Yes, a few of my traders came back from the Dragon Lands a few weeks ago with some rather good spices to try, they also saw something rather interesting." He says with a slightly amused tone.

:Shit: At this point, I know I've been made, I remember that small group of Griffons trading in the Dragon lands when I first arrived at the market, and it seems they unfortunately remembered me. It's clear he knows but he is not holding it over me, what does he get from bringing this up?

I stay silent for a moment looking over the Griffon king that's caught me. I just nod slowly, "I think I've told you I don't like attention, I make it a habit to not mention my involvement with things unless I need to. I mean no offence to you, or your hospitality." In the end, I decided to be blunt about not admitting anything, instead explaining why I wouldn't be telling him anything.

He keeps his smile and chuckles a little as I blatantly don't answer him. "Neither did I, you're a guest and I should leave your private business alone. I was merely curious, not many earth ponies go to the Dragon Lands, it is a dangerous place after all." He surprisingly takes it in good faith and drops any tension rising between us, but he also shows he knows the unspoken truth of the situation.

I'm not really sure how to react to that, so I stay silent, still not admitting to a single thing. "It is interesting, I have met a few Dragons in Equestria, and they were interesting, not very friendly though." I bring up a related but different situation to move us along. I also want to gauge his reaction around Dragons as his city is near them and his perspective would be interesting to see.

He opens the door and starts to lead me down the hallways to the dining room while nodding in agreement. "They are just as elusive as they are dangerous. If you know how to deal with them they can make for a great problem solver, sometimes we give them permission to hunt some of the larger predators if their population becomes a problem."

He turns down a hallway and looks out a window as we pass by, the serene scene outside proving to be very majestic. "That hasn't happened in a few decades though." His tone shows some interest but neither disdain nor any likability and he drops the previous topic without a fight, thankfully leaving it alone.

He seems mostly neutral to Dragons, which I suppose makes sense. Dragons have had a no-killing rule for over two hundred years, with Torch introducing the rule not long after he took the crown. And even before that, most Dragons would rarely become a problem for other races.

Still, the idea of offering Dragons a place to hunt to deal with a high predator population is interesting and an inventive solution to the problem. "Huh, that is interesting. In Equestria, we get a fair few coming across the sea to trade, mostly the young ones though." I share a little knowledge in return as we enter the dining room with the table already covered in food.

As we enter the room I notice Phelix is watching Silvis draw on the table and they both seem to be waiting for us. "Eat until you can't walk, your journey must have taken a lot out of you." He offers, again hinting at my trip, and takes a seat at the table while Phelix greets me with a smiling nod, which I return in kind.

Silvis is a bit more vocal when seeing me, and once she spots Entropy her eyes light up. "Hello, Entropy!" She greets very happily and holds out a piece of fish. "Want some?" She says while putting a different piece in her beak and seemingly remembering I exist. "Hi, Shade." She adds after a moment while chewing.

I slip into Griffon and smile at the excited Filly. "Hello, Silvis. And I think she'd love some, just a warning, she doesn't like being touched." I encourage the excited filly and place Entropy on the table, who promptly runs over to the side with Silvis and takes the offered piece of fish with a few soft chirps.

I start to pile a few things on my plate and glance over as Silvis watches Entropy eat from her talons with a massive smile, seemingly on top of the world. Silvis places the piece of fish down and brings her paper close so she can draw Entropy just as she did last time.

I start to eat and things stay pretty silent for an amount of time, the silence occasionally broken up by Silvis asking a question to one of us, Entropy included. Entropy just caws or chirps in response and plays dumb with the filly, I should try to find a way for Entropy to talk to someone besides me, maybe Celestia?

By the time we're done eating, Thalis is the first to stand up, he walks over and gives Silvis a hug and a large smile. "I have work to do, and you have lessons my little feather." Thelis reminds her in a slightly amused tone as she pouts a little. "None of that, you can draw later but your lessons are important." He uses a little more of a firm tone but he also offers a pastry of some type as a bribe to her.

Silvis looks reluctant but puts down her drawing supplies and shoves the small pastry in her beak before sitting up with a nod. I hold in a chuckle at the small filly's adorable pout as she holds the pastry in her mouth, I nod to Thelis as he looks at me. "I believe my father has some plans, something or other, I hope to see you at lunch." He gives me a casual goodbye and walks out of the room.

I turn to Phelix as he stands up from the table, I follow his lead silently as he picks up Silvis to ride on his back and starts to leave the room. Entropy jumps on my back as I follow behind him, we pass through a few corridors and arrive at a door in a few minutes. Phelix turns to Silvis, "Say goodbye, I'll see you later." He gives her a small smile and shows some gentleness in his tone.

Silvis has already happily devoured the treat she took with her and smiles at me with a few crumbs visible in her feathers. "Bye! I'll see you both later." She shows one of her beaming smiles and slides off of Phelix before walking into the room and closing the door behind her.

Phelix turns to me and motions with his head. "Come on." He doesn't elaborate on where we are going but I have nothing better to do and Thelis's words have made me curious as to what Phelix has planned. We move through several hallways and down a few flights of stairs before going through a large door and walking out into the morning sunlight and fresh morning air.

We're at the back of the palace down in a very large courtyard-like area. The branch the palace is on top of continues for a few more hundred feet past the palace and that extra area stretches out in front of me. The space to the left and right is taken up by two large paths that extend to the end of the branch.

The paths are lined with plant pots and stone garden boxes, breaking up the stone's gray color with different flowers and bushes, even some small trees. At the very end of the branch, a few hundred feet in front of us is a large flat balcony with a railing to look out over the world from the tip of the branch.

At the center of it all is a large stone reservoir, filled with water and dirt forming an artificial lake at the high elevation. Phelix pauses for a moment to let me look around before descending some stairs to enter the courtyard. "Have you ever been fishing?" He asks as I catch up with him a moment later.

I shrug a little as I did do it on occasion when I was younger, but that was literally a lifetime ago. "A few times, but it's been a long time since then." He doesn't question me more and nods before leading me to a side area with a small storage shed made from stone.

Inside is a box of fishing supplies and a few rods, I take one when he offers it and start to look it over. The rod is mostly made from wood and it is not as complex or engineered as the ones in my last life, but it seems to work the same beyond that. "A private lake for fishing? I got to admit this is one peaceful place for it." I say while following him over to the artificial lake.

It's not a massive lake but it's more than big enough to fish in and I can sense plenty of fish swimming around inside of it. He leads me to a bench placed right in front of the edge of the water and takes a seat while inspecting his rod. "It is, and if you throw the fish back they learn not to be caught as easily, it makes it more challenging." He explains while looking through the box of supplies.

He spends a few minutes explaining how to work with the fishing rod he gave me and not long after I cast my line out into the water. Once it's inside the water I just hold the fishing rod in my magic and start to relax, enjoying the peaceful and quiet location.

After a minute Phelix also casts his rod and settles in. He turns to me and looks me over for a moment, "That day in New Trotten. How did you know?" He asks a little abruptly, suddenly speaking Pony. I wasn't expecting such a serious topic and for the second time that day, I am surprised by this family.

I shrug a little, hiding my slight nervousness at the sudden change in topic. "I have good eyes, and I'm told I can be a bit paranoid, I tend to keep my eyes focused on the world around me," I tell another half-lie and joke a little to keep the light mood. He just keeps staring at me for a long few moments before looking out into the water.

He takes a breath and huffs a little. "I can't tell if you're telling the truth or not. I can't even tell if you are a threat" I can't help but raise my brows as that seems completely out of nowhere. "It's a guessing game with you." He states and keeps his friendly tone along with a small smile. "Are you a threat?" He asks, looking back at me slightly more serious but still oddly friendly.

I'm a little overwhelmed form the unexpected topic and stay silent for a few moments. I knew Phelix had had some suspicions of me for a while, and Thelis also seems to have some now. I keep eye contact with him for a moment, "No, I am not a threat to you in any way." I keep a level expression to match the now noticeably more tense mood.

He nods and seems to stay completely relaxed, once again looking out at the water. "Thelis doesn't like prying into others business, but family comes first. He talked to you I assume?" He keeps his less serious tone and cuts down on the rising tension by being clear and none hostile with his tone. I nod slowly in response. "You have done us good, but you have many secrets, you can't blame me for being concerned." He smirks at me knowingly.

I feel a few things at the sudden confrontation, but I suppose it's overdue in a way. They have always had questions about me and they never forced out any answers, even if they could have, something I am grateful for. Even they can't go forever without real answers and I have been staying in their home so it's within their right to question me even if it makes me uncomfortable.

I reel my line in a little while thinking, Phelix staying silent and not pressuring me to answer. "I do have a lot of secrets, and I'm going to give few answers. I am sorry if that feels deceitful. Entropy spotted the two following us in New Trotten, she's very well trained." I give him as honest an answer as he's ever likely to receive.

He looks me in the eyes, his expression just as unreadable as mine. "Good enough." He reels in his line and puts on some new bait. "You are a good friend to us, haven't caused trouble or asked for anything but hospitality. But if you bring trouble here, you tell us." He seems to accept that he won't get many answers from me.

I stay silent before trying to relax and not feel as uncomfortable. I really should have expected something like this, they learned I've been to the Dragon Lands and have connections to the Equestrian crown. For all they know I could be bringing trouble to their door by staying here. "I don't like trouble myself, and I know what it's like to be dragged into it. I'll do more than tell you, I'll drag you back out." I say with a serious but more relaxed tone.

I don't blame Phelix for confronting me like this, he's just trying to keep his loved ones safe from the unknown. I am also being completely honest, I don't like dragging others into my problems and if I do I have a responsibility to drag them back out again.

He nods and we both look over as my line goes tight and the fish is hooked, I spend a moment fighting it. The fish isn't large and is easy enough to reel in, I look at the bright red-scaled fish and unhook it before tossing it back. "That's all I ask. That, and keeping Silvis entertained, she spent days talking about your friend there." He breaks the tension completely by changing the subject.

I chuckle a little at the reminder of the little filly and her personality while casting my line out again. "She certainly is energetic. At least your little fledgling doesn't enjoy bathing in glitter." Entropy lets out a caw in protest and Phelix laughs as the lingering tension is shattered.

As we fall into silence I gather my thoughts. They may have their suspicions and worries, and I may have mine, but I can trust them enough to not trouble me and I am more than willing to do the same for them. After all, I think I'll need all the friends I can get in the days to come and the uncertain future they hold.

Time stretches as I sit on the bench and talk with Phelix in a much more relaxed manner, my mind occasionally thinking of my life. After a few hours of occasional talking and calm fishing, along with many caught fish, he looks at the position of the sun in the sky. "Time?" He looks at me and asks.

I look up as well and cast a Temporis spell. He looks at the time and nods, "Silvis will be done soon, lunch?" He offers in a happy tone and I nod as he picks up the box he brought. I turn back and look out at the calm water and distant mountains. I think I might visit here more often, this view alone might make it worth the trip.

I shake my head and stand up to follow him for lunch. Friends may have problems, but all friends do, it's how we deal with such problems that matter most.

time skip

POV shift Thelis

I stand up from my seat and glance at the clock before looking out of the large window in my office. Outside, down on the branch, I see Shade and Father gather their things and head back inside. I put my quill down and grab a single piece of paper before quickly leaving my office, heading for the room adjacent to this one.

I pass through the room and move to the window, the closest window that can open and let me fly outside directly. I spread my wings and glide down to the ground a few minutes after I'm sure they are inside and not near this side of the palace, the dining room is near the front so I shouldn't be seen.

I land next to the bench they sat on and move to the edge of the lake, reaching a talon inside I push it into the muck right under the water. I make sure I have the right spot and a moment later I grab hold of what I'm looking for, I pull it out and shake it around the water to clean off most of the mud.

I pull it out and see a small blue gem, the size of my clenched talons. The gem is covered in intricately carved gold that flows in vine-like structures over the surface and a ring that lets the gem float in the middle of it. It is something my family has had for generations, but that we rarely ever had a use for, not that it would do much good regardless.

I sit on the bench and place the piece of paper down before placing the artifact on top of it, waiting with slight impatience as it works slowly. Shade Evergreen, is a mystery Father and I can't seem to unwind no matter how much we try, and a mystery I am somewhat concerned over.

So many things about him make little sense, but despite that, he has been a curiosity that has popped up time and time again. First, he stops an assassination, something I am very thankful for, then the trade deal, and now the Dragon Lands. I am curious and this may provide an answer, of a sort at least.

I do not hold a grudge against him, but after what the last friend we let in did... I miss you, Vella, if only you could see Silvis now. I let out a long and slow sigh as I feel the weight of the past for a moment. I glance over at the piece of paper and see what I expected, three words.

It's only ever three words, no matter what creature the artifact is used on you only get three words, never more or less. Those three words, a glimpse into who they are and what they mean. It can be so many different parts of them, a belief, a past tragedy, sometimes it seems to show what may come in the future, it is very inconsistent.

It has always been something of an oddity for my family, a mostly useless but interesting thing we kept secret. And now I have the three words of Shade Evergreen, a tiny fragment of who he is without all the lies in the way, a way to try and understand him better even if just a little.

I look away for a moment taking a deep breath. I hope he would understand if he knew, I must protect my family.

I hold up the piece of paper and read three simple words.

Change. Fear. Earth.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading. :}
Current year is 996

In the end, I couldn't come up with too much for them to talk about, so I added a POV shift and some interesting magical stuff. I like the idea that there are many magical items out there, different in so many ways, both weak and powerful.

I'm not sure I gave Thelis's thoughts enough difference to make him feel different from Shade, but I tried. Tell me what you think, if you like.