“Raaaaaaaaaa! Why you little shrike! I will destroy you!” roared a large dragon of the deepest of velvets, while swiping in the air at the smaller dragon flying through the air.
“If only! You’re so old you couldn’t even see me coming a mile away!” taunted the smaller orange dragon flying around the head of the bigger dragon. The red dragon took a deep breath sucking in as much air as it could then it blew fire, a fire so hot the intensity of it was making the grass on the ground dry and catch on fire. Crying out in surprised the orange dragon dived trying to avoid the flame that would have caused the end of him. While distracted by trying to avoid the flame the large velvet dragon pounced. Spreading its wings, it gliding toward the “shrike” as he called it faster than the smaller dragon could react.
Landing on top of the orange dragon, the larger one began to shred everything within reach like paper, letting instinct take over, going into a numb state of mind. Few minutes passed as the velvet dragon did the deed of finishing off the nuisance, but at that moment it felt like hours were taking place. The screaming of the young dragon was blood curdling. It seemed like the younger dragon would never die as the older one did its work. Eventually, however, the screaming ceased and silence enveloped the land for miles. Nothing was making a noise, not a creature was making a peep. It had seemed as if the world had stopped for this moment, the season finale of the death of the young one. There was a quiet ragged breathing coming from the youthful dragon, barely audible by the velvet dragon. The dragon leaned its head down opening its maw towards the others head. Picking up the head with its mouth it jerked, the dragon had snapped the others neck.
Taking flight quickly the victorious dragon thought, my son, my only son. Why? What would ail your mind to do such a thing? He began to flap his wings harder; trying to get away from the scene as fast as he could. He then saw some movement in the rocky plains but was too tired to investigate and so he flew onward. I believe I am getting old. Such a duel used to excite me, not get me tired like this. Of course not every dragon must fight their only son. I think I will take a rest a long rest.
***
In the place where the dragon saw movement stood two figures, both hiding under a make shift shelter.
“How odd,” Tibris said more to himself that anyone else as he pulled away from his binoculars.
“What was that Valiant?” said the inquisitive young unicorn.
“Nothing Curious, and besides I asked you to stop calling me that,” said Tibris. I hate it. It wasn’t exactly the first part of his name that he hated, it was the other part of his name that came after it that he hated, Wary. Valiant Wary was his real name. What kind of name is that? Seriously I can see the Valiant part but Wary really? What were my parents thinking? So what, am I supposed to do? Just be wary of bravery that’s ridiculous? Tibris thought to himself. Turning around he saw a light purple mare with a white mane and tale stare at him with such brilliant blue eyes. She was his only friend and he was okay with that. The only problem he had with her was that horn she had. Unicorns, he thought bitterly. Always thinking they’re better than everyone else. Although I will admit Curious’s magic did have its use fullness out in the field. “Come Curious we must investigate this anomaly,” Tibris snapped trying to sound more like in authority. He began to trot down the hill. They reached the dead carcass within the hour.
“This thing is really big. I’d hate to actually have met the other one,” Curious announced with a sense of awe.
“Curious, remember this “thing” as you call it is not just a thing. It is a beast worthy of our respect and so we should call it by its proper name,” Tibris said with a voice of a teacher trying to teach a young pupil.
“Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I get it. Jeez, how long have you been studying these thi- um… dragons again?” She asked staring at the dark blue stallion.
“Well ever since I was a colt. That’s why my cutie mark is in the shape of a dragon. Honestly though, I think you ask that question every time we go out on the field,” Tibris said as he spread his wings and took flight to begin taking measurements of how big this dragon was.
“Why do you think they were fighting?” Curious interrupted as he was taking calculations.
“Well you haven’t been out here long enough, but over the many years I’ve been studying them, apparently it is a rite of passage,” He began to explain irritably; taking another note on the piece of paper he had in his hoof.
“Why’d you mumble about it being odd then?” She asked looking at him up in the sky.
“Come we must begin to take samples from this,” Tibris said trying to change the subject. Why does she always question what I do?
“You didn’t answer my-”
“Enough!” he interrupted. “I will explain everything later, but for now we are deep in dragon country and so we must be quiet, and work quickly,” sounding rather exasperated. Curious took the cue and silenced herself.
“At least answer me this. Why haven’t you gotten any samples before this one?” She finally asked after a long silence.
“Because all the other times they were chard to bits that you couldn’t even recognize,” he said sighing. Tibris then began to get his knife out of his saddle bag and began cutting pieces of skin, bone, and other such things. He then proceeded to get an empty vile out and drew blood from the dead dragon. He then put everything back into his bag and walked off. “You coming Curious?”
Suddenly the unicorn realized they were done and started to walk back to where they came from.
***
Back at the lab Tibris was examining the piece of hide he had collected from the orange dragon, under a microscope. “Fascinating, the cells are much larger than to be expected. Only about ten percent larger, but still larger than even I would have thought,” Tibris said to himself.
After taking a few more notes he took the piece of hide and put it back into the refrigerator underneath the table to keep if from decomposing and the like. “Curious will you go and get me the blood sample we got?” Tibris asked turning around.
“I am most definitely not putting that into my mouth!” Curious Exclaimed. The thought disgusted her to no end.
Sighing Tibris began to say, “Curious aren’t you forgetting something? You’re a unicorn use magic then.”
“Oh yeah. Kay I’ll be right back,” Curious trotted out the door and into a much larger holding room. After a few minutes Tibris began to wonder where she was. What in all of Equestrian is keeping her so long? He thought to himself. Probably locked herself into another cooling station. He chuckled at that and walked into the storage room.
“Curious, what’s taking you so-” Tibris suddenly stopped seeing Curious just standing in front of the vile of blood, perspiring. “What are you doing?” He asked beginning to find this as some sort of joke.
“I… c-can’t… pick it… up,” She said straining herself.
“Is this some kind of joke Curious? I mean yes, dragons are resilient to magic as they age but it was young and not to mention dead. That alone should have stopped its resiliency,” Tibris began to think of all the possibilities this blood could do if it truly was resistant to magic. Why with this, many of the magical ailments many ponies suffer with could be gone. Also no Unicorns, or… or Alicorns for that matter could use magic against non-magic type ponies. If this is truly happening and Curious isn’t messing around I could use this for so many things. “Curious are you messing around?”
“What? Why would I be messing around?” She sounded rather offended at that.
“If that’s the case and you’re not messing around then we are going to have to move to another lab. One with more machines that are able to test what I’m thinking about using this blood for. Curious, take a letter I’ll need you to send this to Princess Celestia.”
“But she doesn’t like you already,” She said to him with a look of surprise on her face.
“Ah! Good point. Send it to Princess Luna then if you don’t think Celestia will except it, and once you’re done writing the letter explaining out predicament and where we must go, go pack your things we’re leaving,” at that he trotted off; feeling rather good about what they had just discovered.
“Umm. Where exactly are we going?” Curious said beginning to realize they were leaving. The shock of what they were doing hit her hard. She needed to sit down and think about this.
“Ponyville,” Tibris said happily trotting off to go pack his things.
