//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: Shadow Seeds // by Orsuros //------------------------------// Orsuros awoke the next morning to a soft weight on his chest. He rubbed his eyes. The blue feathers and rainbow mane meant it was only one very special pony. “Rainbow Dash?” He yawned and reflexively gave her a soft hug. “Oof… and Luna said you might be weak after all that. That’s quite a hug.” She blushed a little and looked away. Rainbow Dash hopped off him and pulled open the curtains. “There’s going to be a ceremony tomorrow to celebrate our victory. Celestia wanted to give you enough time to rest a little. How are you feeling?” “I guess I feel pretty normal.” Orsuros rolled over and slipped off the bed to go look out the window. The warm sunlight felt great, but the damage from the battle was everywhere outside. Ponies were already hard at work fixing things up, though. They worked surprisingly fast. He turned to face Rainbow Dash. “Maybe we should go for a little walk or find some food.” “The last thing Canterlot needs is a hungry dragon terrorizing ponies. Come on! I’ll race you down to the kitchens!” She zipped out the door. Orsuros tried to follow, but she was already way ahead. Orsuros couldn’t even run fast without slipping on the tiles or snagging his claws on the carpets. Rainbow Dash already had the cooks working on something and had a tray of snacks for the two of them by the time he caught up. While they enjoyed the food, Orsuros thought things over. “What happened during the rest of the battle while we kept Siega busy?” Rainbow Dash mumbled then swallowed so that she could actually speak. “It was close. The shadow ponies had begun to push into the castle. After Siega was defeated, they were no longer coordinated. The guards had to just be careful and round them up. Twilight made sure we got them all. We’re lucky Siega had them all gathered in one place. Everypony should be back to normal.” “Thank goodness. Even leaving one of them could cause similar problems later.” “Yeah, but it was exciting to fight them. I hardly ever get to go all-out.” Rainbow Dash made a few acrobatic kicks in the air. The cooks gave her nervous looks and went back to their work. Orsuros quietly ate some sort of breakfast sandwich. He felt good sitting here with Rainbow Dash, yet now that all the parts of him were back, he couldn’t help but see how Siega’s plan had been a genius one for gathering the power from this world even if it was evil. His own plan was to do it the hard way. He’d have to study this world and travel in it. One thing Siega had forgotten is that they needed more than mere power to save their world. Some of the strongest and best had tried and failed to remove the darkness from his homeland, but he felt there was something here with the goodness and friendship of these ponies that might be able to do more than mere strength and power. Rainbow Dash poked his nose with her hoof. He scrunched his face up and looked at her to figure out what was going on. “Hey, I was saying that Luna and Celestia want to see you right away. But you seemed busy thinking.” “Well, I was just thinking about how you and the others helped against Siega. My world could use that sort of unity and friendship.” Rainbow Dash dumped their plates in a sink and led the way up to the main throne room. A few of the ponies still seemed afraid to see Orsuros, but more of them looked at him with something more like acceptance. Ahead, the princesses were wrapping up their current business. “I get bored at these government things,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’ll catch you later. I’m sure somepony could use my help here.” “Don’t overdo it.” Rainbow Dash snorted as if his suggestion had been an insult and flew out the main doors. He knew she was just acting, though. The guards ushered him into the throne room until he was sitting before Celestia, Luna, and Twilight. “There you are!” Twilight nervously stamped her hooves on the carpet. “I have so many tests ready to make sure you’re okay.” “There will be plenty of time for that later today,” Celestia said. “I just wanted to personally thank you for your help with this.” Orsuros wanted to smile but felt like it something was still weighing him down. “I just did what I should. It was my fault it happened in the first place.” Luna yawned. “I think it’s about time I turn in, but I stayed up to be here to tell you a few things. I’ve seen your dreams and most or all of your soul. Don’t discount your sense of honor or your goodness. A lesser pony, or dragon, would have given into selfishness or fear and retreated to safety. You stood with all of Equestria. You chose to help strangers and the new friends you met in this world. That is a great thing.” “I… I… you’re welcome.” Orsuros felt a bit hot now. He wasn’t used to praise. “I think that’s all I have for now, but do come visit me this evening. I have much I’d like to talk to you about.” Luna stood up and left. Twilight seemed to be taking some sort of notes at the moment. Celestia continued to smile at him. “My sister is correct. I feel much the same. I’m glad you’ve learned of friendship from your time in our world. Twilight tells me you plan to stay until you find something that can help you fix your own world. You have my permission to travel freely about Equestria. While a few ponies have great knowledge of magic, flying, or strength, you will find many more who have simpler but more powerful lessons to teach you. Learn them well.” “Of course, Princess Celestia.” Orsuros gave a bow. “I can’t help but notice a few other friends are missing. Where are Spike and Thorax?” “Spike is recovering,” Twilight said. “Much like the many ponies that were taken by the shadow beasts, he found that final fight unsettling.” “To lose all but the core of your soul is something that can never be forgotten. It takes time to feel like yourself again. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to visit Spike.” “I’m sure Spike would like that,” Twilight said. “Thorax is busy helping with the cleanup and reconstruction. The changelings really are working hard to help. It seems they want to repay us for when we helped them. Now if you have a little time, I really do want to try those tests.” Celestia held up a hoof. “That will wait until after lunch. Give the tired dragon a little time to relax with his friends. No tests yet, but you can take him to see Spike.” “Fine. Tests will come later. Hmm… I guess I have some other things I could do for now. There’s a lot to do.” Twilight began to talk to herself and started walking slowly toward the door. Celestia laughed softly. “She never outgrew her habit of muttering like that. Just follow her.” Orsuros nodded and followed Twilight. She had a few scrolls floating around and was marking off or rearranging some lists. Eventually they got to a room up near the top of the castle. Twilight opened the door and then hurried off to do something from her many lists. In the room, the bright sunlight shone through the stained glass and the windows. A huge depiction of Twilight and her friends in stained glass dominated the far wall. Spike sat in the middle of a smaller bed next to the much larger bed that was obviously Twilight’s. Spike had an unreadable expression, but Orsuros could guess at what the little dragon might be feeling. He had felt the same range of emotions when the same thing had happened to him. Spike’s time in such a state had been mercifully short, but even a short time cut off from everything usually felt like an eternity. Orsuros approached slowly and put his front paw around Spike. “The feelings will fade. Just focus on being you.” Spike smiled weakly. “Yeah, that’s what I keep telling myself, too. I should feel great. I held them off until the end, and you and Rainbow Dash managed to win.” “It might be hard to feel anything for a bit. I remember how numb I felt when the same thing happened to me. But don’t let that stop you from trying to be yourself and enjoy life again. I wish I could have stopped Siega before that had to happen to you.” “That’s true. I guess I should get back to helping Twilight.” “She did seem busy. Maybe I can come with you. I don’t have much else to do until Twilight needs me later.” Orsuros gave Spike a little nudge, pushing the little dragon out of his bed and onto his feet. Twilight had left a little list for Spike. She hadn’t expected much of him today, so they easily got through what was on the list. After that, Orsuros bid Spike farewell and went for a brief flight to clear his head. Now that all the parts of him were here, he could feel more of the darkness or selfishness beneath the surface. He had never been one to give into such feelings except during his worst moments. It felt different from the optimism he had felt since coming to Equestria, but it felt more real, too. His wings caught the updrafts and he climbed the wind up to a sunny ledge on the mountainside above Canterlot. He spread his wings and began to sun himself. It was nice to enjoy the little pleasures like this again now that there was peace. Down below, the ponies were no more than little dots in the streets and courtyards of Canterlot. The worst of the damage to the city was already being repaired. With the magic of unicorns and the strength of earth ponies, it was easy to fix the broken walls. Some of the more colorful dots were the changelings. They helped eagerly. Orsuros felt the strongest magic of Equestria was this common bond of friendship and positivity. It was wonderful to watch it unfold down below him. Orsuros must have dozed off at some point in his musings. The sun was almost straight overhead. Twilight would be annoyed if he messed up her schedule a second time, so he descended to the castle for lunch. Twilight found him before he had finished his meal, so he followed her to some magical laboratory. “There aren’t any good spells for checking someone’s soul, but Luna explained what happened and me and Starlight came up with some. I can’t wait to try it.” “I feel fine,” Orsuros said. “It’s best to be sure, though. Now hold still while I cast this.” Twilight’s horn glowed and her magic surrounded Orsuros. It almost felt like it tickled as it whirled around him. The colors of the magic shifted to a green before the spell faded away. “Yep, you were right. You are as normal as a dragon from another world can be. I'm ahead of schedule, so maybe I could learn more about your magic.” Orsuros agreed, but he didn’t anticipate that Twilight would have such a long list of questions. There were many he couldn’t even answer, since he had learned his magic more naturally rather than through theories or books. Twilight seemed happy with the answers he gave. He was getting a little tired when Rainbow Dash came to save him from answering any more questions. “Sorry Twilight, but Rarity said she needs to see him at her shop,” Rainbow Dash explained as she held the door open for him. “I guess that’s okay. I really left off doing other things because this was so fascinating. Now I’ll need some time to finish up all my notes.” Twilight began to furiously write on her different papers. “Pff, still an egghead. Come on.” Rainbow Dash motioned for him to follow. They left the castle and flew down to one of the city’s shopping districts. They landed in front of a building full of rather complicated looking dresses and other clothes. Rainbow Dash went in first and he followed. He looked at all the clothing, but there was nothing here that seemed like it would be good for him. He usually didn’t wear more than he had to, which was usually nothing. Rarity came out after a brief conversation with Rainbow Dash and looked him over. “This would be so much easier if you were still a pegasus. I’ve done plenty for ponies, but the only dragon I’ve ever done anything for is Spike. But Celestia did say to make sure you look good. Maybe… we should start with the basics? I hope you don’t mind. Let me get a closer look at you.” Orsuros crouched down and watched Rarity as she poked at his scales with her hooves. She levitated a tape measure and took some measurements. She looked carefully at his crest, wings, and tail before stepping away with a disapproving sound. “I finally convinced Spike to take care of his scales. Looks like I’ll have to do the same with you. We’ll figure out clothes later. What you need is a trip to the spa.” “Rarity, that’s not the answer to everything,” Rainbow Dash said. “Well, in this case it is. He’ll look twice as good once they remove his dead scales and shine up the healthy ones. Tell them I sent you, and ask for the special dragon treatment. I finally got them to come up with one for Spike. It should work for him.” “Fine, fine. I’ll take him.” “And you better tell them you’ll need it in a larger size. Now I’ll just need to plan what he can wear. A hat? No. Maybe a scarf? Or a sash?” Rarity trotted off to her design pad at the desk in the back. “You heard her. I guess we’re off to the spa. It’s a nice place to relax, which is really what I feel like doing after all that fighting. I could use a good massage.” They walked outside and went down the crowded street. Many of the ponies still gave Orsuros plenty of room, so it was easy to walk down it at the pace he chose. They approached a larger building that smelled of scented oils, fresh linen, and a few other pleasant scents Orsuros couldn’t quite place. As they entered, Rainbow Dash approached the desk. The ponies behind it stared at Orsuros until Rainbow Dash got their attention. “Rarity sent us,” Rainbow Dash said. “He’ll need the special dragon treatment but bigger. I’ll take the deep massage with some extra wing care.” The ponies behind the counter led them both to a large hot tub and they both got in. Orsuros soaked up the pleasant heat of the water and purred. Rainbow Dash chuckled and looked at him. “I’ve never heard you sound so happy. You sounded almost cute.” “Cute? That’s not really a bad thing to be. It’s just not what I think most see in me. Anyway, it seems like everyone is nervous about tomorrow, but it’s just a ceremony and a party, right?” “Yeah, but it’s with all the most important ponies and the princesses. But I guess you or me don’t need to sweat it. We talk to them all the time. But Rarity or Twilight might flip out if we don’t look our best, so we’ll have to put up with a little bit of the fuss.” “Hmm… sounds alright.” Orsuros had sunk deeper into the water so just his face was sticking out on the side of the hot tub. He rolled over and stretched out. He pulled his foot back suddenly when he accidentally bumped Rainbow Dash with it. She said nothing but just gave him a friendly smile. They relaxed quietly until the spa ponies came back. Rainbow Dash went off for her massage while the ponies led Orsuros to a separate room. They had him stretch out. One started plucking dead scales off of him. He usually did that himself, but there were always a few that were hard to reach. The other pony had a bucket of some sort of mud, although it seemed to sparkle a bit. “Mister dragon, we’ll start your mud and gem scrub. After that, we have the perfect oil for your scales. Don’t worry about the bill. Princess Celestia said it was covered.” “Very well. Go ahead.” They had him lay down in a large tub and filled it with the mud. When he looked carefully, he could see bits of ground up gemstones in it. Perhaps for a dragon like Spike, the gems would have been special. Personally, he rather would have just saved the gems and used regular sand. The mud was warm, so it was easy to close his eyes and relax except when they scrubbed any sensitive parts unexpectedly. It took a while, but he just let his thoughts drift slowly. He didn’t want to admit it, but Siega had proved that the shadow beasts could be controlled by something. There had been rumors of a shadowy dragon controlling them back home, too, but when he asked the other dragons, they all denied that rumor. There seemed to be some things the dragon empire either didn’t know or didn’t want to admit, and that made him uneasy. It might mean more danger when he returned home. The sudden change from scrubbing to being bathed in hot water shook him out of his thoughts. The ponies hesitated until he nodded and told them to continue. They washed the mud off quickly and brought in a stack of towels to dry him off. After that, the ponies got to work on massaging the oil into his scales. His contented purrs surprised them at first, but they grew used to them. He was surprised at how expertly their hooves could reach into even the more difficult places. The oil smelled faintly of mint, lavender, and some other herbs. After they got his wings and back, they had him roll over and worked on his belly. Before long, he was feeling refreshed. The spa ponies completed their work and had him look at himself in a mirror. His scales were looking especially shiny now. He wasn’t sure he liked smelling like flowers, but it wasn’t a bad scent. Out in the lobby, Rainbow Dash was looking through a sports magazine about running and flying but put it down when he came out. “You look great! Now you’ll really shine on the stage. I guess we better go see if Rarity finished whatever she wants you to wear.” “I hope it’s nothing too strange or complicated.” “I told her you don’t like to wear much, so she’ll keep it simple.” They returned to Rarity’s shop. She had a simple vest made for him. She fussed about showing him how to wear it. “I hope this fits right. With your wings, it’s a lot like making clothes for a pegasus. I made it a nice white and gold to match your eyes. And that should go along with the guards armor and Celestia’s coat. I think it’ll look great. I’m sure you can get the buttons with those claws of yours.” He finally got it on and turned to Rainbow Dash. “How does it look? I hope I don’t look silly.” “You look ready for something fancy,” Rainbow Dash replied. Rarity waved a hoof in the air. “Come now. There are far better ways to describe it. He looks regal, stately, maybe even handsome.” She gave Rainbow Dash a teasing poke when the pegasus started blushing. Orsuros looked it over. It didn’t feel too loose or too tight. He especially liked the gold buttons and how they shone in the light. After he had carefully took it off and put it on one more time for Rarity and walked around with it on, she had him take it off and boxed it up carefully. “I’ve never had a vest before,” he said. “Thank you, Rarity.” “It’s nothing. Besides, what other designer can claim they’ve made a dragon look so good? I’m glad the spa made you look so much better, too. Now I have some other orders to work on for tomorrow. Celestia didn’t say to wear anything special, but some ponies still want to look their best.” The rest of the day went by quickly. They returned to the castle for dinner. Luna had her own questions for Orsuros. They chatted quietly until she had to deal with her normal nightly duties. He stepped out onto his balcony to watch her weaving her dream magic for all the ponies. One of the things he admired most about Equestria was just how much its princesses cared for and were connected to the normal citizens. They were such different rulers than the dragon emperor back home. When he curled up in his bed, he dreamed very happy dreams. He could feel Luna influencing his dreams and shaping them to prepare him for the next day. In his dreams, he got a medal for helping Equestria, and all the ponies celebrated with him. The blaring of trumpets in the distance sounded and Orsuros stirred. He heard some distant noise that sounded like a lot of voices. Rainbow Dash burst into the room. “Hey, sleepyhead! Get up or you’ll miss the celebration. Everyone’s waiting.” He blinked. “Oh, the celebration! Did I sleep too long?” “Almost. Now get that vest on and let’s get out there.” She just kept hurrying him until he was dressed and they arrived at the waiting room before the throne room. Luna approached. Her shoes had been polished to a shine, and her mane also seemed recently brushed. “So there’s our final hero. Let’s not delay this any longer. Celestia and the others are waiting.” She opened the door slowly that led out to the throne room. A few cheers erupted followed by a tense silence. Rainbow Dash gave him a push as he hesitated at the door. “Go on!” He stepped out. The bright light shone through the stained glass windows. The guards looked exhausted but still stood in their polished armor. The entire room was full of all sorts of ponies. Celestia and Luna sat at their thrones while Twilight and her friends stood to the side. Spike ran up. “Stand over here by me and Thorax. Celestia has a speech to give.” Orsuros stepped carefully over to where Spike indicated. He was right by Luna’s side. She glanced over and smiled, but she looked as nervous as he felt. He looked back over at Thorax and Spike, who both looked rather tired, despite trying to look their best. Thorax smiled even though his side was bandaged up. Celestia stood and the room quieted. “Citizens of Canterlot and Equestria, I thank you all for your endurance and bravery during the recent attack on our homes. The monsters that attacked are now gone forever, thanks to the brave actions of many. We have many great soldiers and ponies who all did their parts, but a few brave souls played an especially important part in bringing us peace again.” An armored unicorn guard stepped out. He brought out a long box and opened it up to reveal a set of medals. Celestia continued her speech. “For braving unfamiliar magic to become a key part of our defense, I award Spike a special medal. Spike, come forth.” Spike ran over and knelt in front of Celestia. She placed one of the medals around his neck and motioned for him to stand to the side. “As a representative of all the changelings that helped us in this fight, I award Thorax and his people with this medal.” Thorax stepped forward. Luna stifled a laugh as Celestia struggled to get the medal around the changeling’s horns. When it was finally in place, Celestia motioned for him to step to the side. “For valuable services and research into this threat, I also award Luna, Twilight, and Starlight with medals.” Luna stepped off her throne and knelt as her sister placed the medal over her neck. Celestia gave her a big hug before turning to slip medals around the necks of Twilight and Starlight. The three of them stepped to the side. “And many of you know her as a wonderbolt, but Rainbow Dash fought hard and helped us strike at the heart of the enemy.” Rainbow Dash trotted quickly up to Celestia and accepted the medal. She posed a little by spreading her wings before settling down. “There are many others who helped, but our last medal goes to Orsuros, the dragon.” Orsuros stepped forward. He bent down  in front of Celestia until he felt the medal slip down onto his neck. Celestia stood in the center of the stage and looked at the ponies, dragons, and changelings to her sides. “Each of these heroes showed exceptional bravery in the face of a threat. Many of them would have been justified in remaining outside of the fight, but they rose up and faced their fears and overcame their darker sides to help keep Canterlot and ponies everywhere safe. Equestria is in their debt.” The room erupted into applause. Hundreds of ponies stomped, cheered, and clapped. Pinkie Pie jumped up on top of her party cannon at the front of the crowd. “Now let’s party!” She fired off her cannon and streamers and confetti shot out. The castle servants wheeled out food and drinks for the celebration. Twilight’s friends surrounded her and Starlight. Spike went over to join them. Luna and Celestia sat on their thrones. Orsuros approached them. “Thank you. I really don’t deserve this.” Celestia put a hoof on his shoulder. “But you do. Even if you caused this, you didn’t abandon us to face it alone. And you helped Luna face some difficult things, too. Really, we’d like you to spend some time here in Canterlot with us when you can. I feel there’s a lot we could learn together. And it seems Luna has taken a liking to you as well.” “Thank you, Princess Celestia. Thank you, too, Luna. Without you, I could never have reclaimed that part of myself. I apologize for putting you through so much in trying to reach me. I think I can trust you with my dreams from now on.” Luna smiled. “Seeing dreams is a good way to get to know somepony. I’m glad you trust me so much now. It was difficult to face Nightmare Moon, but you gave me the strength I needed for that. Even though it’s only been a short time, I feel like we will be good friends very soon.” “If there’s anything I’ve seen more of here than anywhere else, it’s friendship.”