//------------------------------// // Episode Two: Vi Et Animo // Story: Committed! // by Canvas_Shade //------------------------------// Canvas Shade lay awake upon his saddlebag in solitude, pondering continuously over how he would always wake up on his back after falling asleep on his front. There was a calming rustle in the leaves amidst the silence of morning, thanks to a soft breeze that graced the forest. The unicorn daydreamed about the impending journey, mind wandering to the farthest reaches of Equestria. However, the jarring echo of a broken tree pierced the quietude of early dawn, disrupting the colt’s thoughts. Canvas lifted his head in curiosity without budging the rest of his body. But when the unicorn returned to his original position, there was a sudden and very loud snapping of another tree, followed by a stag jumping into the clearing. The deer nearly knocked Canvas from his rudimentary bed in a frenzied bolt for the opposite side. Soon the faster, more precise steps of a confident predator joined the hoofsteps. Nyvena leapt from amidst the foliage with outstretched forelegs and claws. Time seemed to slow down for Canvas as he witnessed her flawless landing with awe. Watching the rippling muscles in all four of her legs, along with the stony determination in her face made him silently thank Celestia that he was neither her enemy nor prey. Without warning, his admiration was interrupted by her whip-like tail swiping him clear off of his saddlebags. The sound of shattering glass and another vivid flash of golden light appeared where her tail would have collided with his muzzle. The unicorn lay on his back meters away, dazed. He was certainly relieved, although asking himself how his face and teeth were still intact. The answer lay in the form of mysterious golden shards scattered all around Canvas. His mind blocked out all that was happening around him as he cautiously reached toward the magical substance. However, it dissipated before his hoof could touch it. Canvas briefly cried out in agony as the sting of magical overexertion sent waves of pain through the unicorn’s head. Fortunately it did not last very long, so that he could finally relax. I… made this? Could it be what saved me from Nyvena’s fire? He whispered to himself before trickles of warm blood jetted onto his cheek broke the self-induced trance. “AAH! GROSS,” he yelped while leaping to his hooves and darting to the nearest tree to off the deer blood that splattered onto his coat. But as soon as he finished, the poor unicorn was met with the horrifying sight of the deer, hanging limp from Nyvena’s mouth by its neck. Canvas was never squeamish at the sight of blood, but such a violent demise of a fellow herbivore was enough to make his legs collapse from under him. That’s probably what would happen if I anger her! What if there is nothing else to hunt and it’s only me who’s around?! I’m screwed! Nyvena brusquely dropped her catch when speaking. “Surely this is not the first time you have seen a carnivore hunt! Ugh, why am I even asking that? Look at you!” Canvas grew aggravated by the dragon’s derision. His frustration was made clear by a much louder tone. “No, we ponies don’t particularly see that kind of thing as a normal occurrence, Kenanshar!” He quickly realized his mistake when the bloodstained huntress stepped toward him in a menacing fashion. Her pupils were narrowed, and a quiet rumble was in her voice. “I do not believe you are in the position to raise your voice, Little Horned One!” The slightest of smirks betrayed her indignant façade. After all, she did take pleasure in scaring the unicorn half to death. Canvas cringed; he could smell the sickening aroma of the half-dried blood on Nyvena’s maw. Once again his tone shifted from emboldened to meek, but much quicker than the last time. “I-I’m sorry.” He relaxed with a sigh once she snorted and returned her focus to the deer carcass. “That is quite better.” Nyvena chuckled to herself, relishing in her new position of authority. At least there would be some enjoyment with having Canvas around—besides, he could make a nice plaything for her children when they hatched. But that was a matter for another time. Canvas’ appetite, however, went out the window when the difficult dragon resumed her noisy eating. He found it a challenge to keep his stomach contents down, much less add to them. The uneasy colt quickly changed the subject, lest he complain and offend Nyvena—and even possibly share the deer’s fate. “So, I think I’ll go into town. It’ll take me a few hours, but we should be able to catch some good daylight when we leave.” With a dismissive flick of the wrist, the ravenous dragon nodded, keeping her attention on her food without so much as looking away from it. Canvas hated feeling ignored, so he snorted and trotted away without saying anything further. As he sauntered back to Baltimare, the art pony could not help but second-guess his hasty decision to travel with a creature with such an abrasive personality. *** For a few seconds, Gold Rush the jeweler simply stared with his jaws slightly ajar. In front of the off-white Pegasus stallion were two ancient coins of the purest platinum and three of solid gold, all laid out in a neat row. Beside them were an emerald, ruby, and diamond of a quality that rivaled some of the best jewels in the shop. The small pile of treasure both puzzled and fascinated Mr. Rush the more he examined each piece. It pained Canvas that he could not just tell where he acquired the objects. After all, a low-income pony with an unkempt mane, disheveled coat, and priceless valuables in a partially burnt saddlebag would seem quite lacking in legitimacy at first glance. Fortunately, Canvas had never been in trouble with the law. But he silently conceded that his record might not last long if misunderstandings prevailed. With a very audible ping, the jeweler set his metal refractometer onto the glass counter, with a rather cynical glance. “I’ll be straight with you, Mister…” “Canvas is just fine.” “Canvas. I don’t know how you got jewels that would make Rarity of Carousel Boutique trade her horn for, and I’m not going to ask. These are untraceable because they are older than Celestia herself!” At that, Canvas imagined the circumstances under which the original owner was might have been forced to part with the small bit of wealth. “That’s quite fascinating, Mr. Rush,” was all he could think to respond with. The Pegasus shook his head while awkwardly scratching his ruby-red mane. “I don’t have enough to give you for all of this. All I have on me right now are 5,000 bits, and I can take only one of these coins off your hooves.” The art pony was certainly not a beggar, but he knew that he could not be a chooser, regardless. His worried expression gave way to a glowing smile. “That would be just fine, sir.” “I don’t want to make any negative assumptions, so it’s best that you don’t show up with any more of this stuff. Authorities are keeping a close eye on jewels and artifacts, now that the Triumvirate has been exposed.” The Triumvirate… that word had been uttered on the Baltimare airwaves more than the infamous Canterlot wedding and Grand Galloping Gala of three years ago, combined. However, Canvas was not fond of the news, especially since there were so many other things he could be doing with that time than to have depressing current events narrated to him. He felt too embarrassed to ask what this ‘Triumvirate’ was exactly, so he let the topic pass over. “I’ll keep that in mind, Sir.” “So, I hope your saddlebags can handle this,” the jeweler said with noticeable strain while heaving the contents of his cash register over the counter. Canvas expertly slipped his head under the straps and placed the carriers onto the counter to help facilitate the transaction. “Not to worry. These can handle pretty much anything.” “All things considered, you made a very fortunate find. I appreciate your visit,” Gold Rush said with hesitant geniality, sliding one of the ageless coins toward himself with a hoof. *** Panting at his apartment door sometime later, Canvas learned the hard way that his saddlebags could handle much more than his body could. He was not obese by any standard, but a lack of regular exercise certainly did not help his cause. The unicorn reeled at the thought of going to other jewelers all over town to redeem the rest of his treasure piece by piece. The exhausted pony bucked the door shut with a single hind hoof, then collapsed onto the hardwood floor without taking off his burden. After a few minutes of catching his breath, Canvas spotted an empty drawer and proceeded to empty the golden contents of his saddlebag. Afterwards he staggered into the cramped washroom for a much-needed shower. The steady thrum of the water upon Canvas’ back lulled his mind into a state of comfort for the first time since his last shower. The relaxed unicorn exited the steamy room toweling his mane firmly using both his horn and hooves before jumping onto the sofa. A sudden thump from beside the couch compelled him to look over the side where it had landed. Ah, yes, that… Canvas gingerly placed the heavy portfolio onto the cushions, staring at the folders and parchment inside with regret. “I won’t be seeing you for a while, will I?” He sighed and turned away from the sofa with a depressed groan. But wait…! He shouted in his mind with an expression bordering on an epiphany. Canvas slowly turned to his collection once more. He hugged the black portfolio as if it were somepony close to his heart. How could I have missed it, even for a second?! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for unparalleled inspiration for my story! I’m traveling with a dragon, for Luna’s sake! My work will be known all over Equestria, for sure! A clever smile grew across his muzzle. There would be so much that could be accomplished with this journey that his mind raced faster than the Wonderbolts in their Derby. Canvas pulled out his last good quill to jot down a list on the back of a discarded drawing. After finishing with that, the temporarily vigorous colt pulled out a fresh piece of paper to write the note that would be left for the land-pony. The quill moved so fast that its feather was nearly bare by the time he was finished. Equipped with just enough bits to get all that he needed, Canvas headed straight for Mr. Hue’s art supply shop as fast as possible (without putting himself through heart failure, of course). Inside the shop, there were no customers or helpers at the time, so Mr. Hue decided to rearrange some of the products to stave off boredom. The shopkeeper jolted slightly when hearing an enthused Canvas burst through the front doors. He exhaled quietly with a hoof upon his chest to calm himself before greeting his first customer of the day. “Oh, it’s you, Coffee. But… two days in a row? From the look of that smile, it seems that you caught your big break!” “You could say that, Mr. Hue… you might not be seeing me for a while, though.” Canvas replied while sprinting throughout the shop, searching high and low for specific items. Hardcover-bound lockable sketchpad, 100-count colored pencils, waterproof stationery set for travel, griffon-feather quills… A golden aura surrounded the items as he listed them under his breath. Mr. Hue tilted his head slightly with a look of concern, rather than mutual enthusiasm. And he was downright shocked when noticing that the unicorn’s signature sunglasses were missing. Figuring that it would be a subject too sensitive to pry, the earth pony sticks to the topic at hoof. “Is it that big? Are you traveling or something?” “Yes, I am,” replied Canvas with a detached quietness. “Might I ask where to?” Said the shopkeeper, trying his best to keep products from crashing to the floor each time the overly focused unicorn bumped past them. “Sorry, I can’t say. My… patron would rather not have anypony know.” The hesitant response raised red flags for Mr. Hue. “I don’t like what’s going on here. What aren’t you telling me?” Canvas’ hooves skidded to a stop upon the linoleum tile. His eye twitched ever so slightly before hanging his head with a sigh. “I… wish I could tell you everything, Mr. Hue. It’s just better if you don’t know.” The shopkeeper was the closest thing to a paternal influence in the fatherless unicorn’s life. A pang of guilt surged through Canvas’ conscience for having to hide the details of Nyvena and everything relating to her. “Canvas Shade,” Mr. Hue stepped closer to him and placed a somber hoof upon his shoulder, “you’ve let me in on everything that’s troubled you. Heck, you talk with me more than my own son does. But if you go and do anything reckless, I’d rather know now than find out from an obituary.” “I’m sorry, I can’t this time… but I’ll be careful, I promise, Sir.” “You’d better. If you get killed, I swear by Celestia, I’ll haunt your spirit!” Canvas chuckled heartily, “That makes no sense, Mr. Hue. Thanks for being here for me. I promise that I’ll come see you as soon as I get back, to let you know that I’m okay.” The shopkeeper chuckled also, with a joking tone, “And to purchase more of my fine products as well, right?” “Heh, I wouldn’t dream of going anywhere else.” *** Later that day: After a long eight hours of handling of the rest of his errands, Canvas returned to the clearing to find Nyvena lying on her side. She picked her teeth with a jagged bone out of boredom, and the end of her tail thumped with utmost impatience. “The sun is almost in the western sky, Little Horned One!” She growled. “My name is Canvas, Miss Kenanshar,” he replied with forced politeness. “I am not that familiar with you.” “Can’t you at least call me ‘Shade,’ if we’re not on first name terms? ‘Shade’ sounds much cooler!” Nyvena smirks cleverly. “That is where there your logic falters. You must be ‘cool’ for me to deem it an appropriate name.” “Ugh, then can’t you call me ‘Unicorn,’ or something generic like that? Surely there’s a better name than ‘Little Horned One!’” He countered with gritted teeth. “If there is, you must earn it. But I suppose that ‘Unicorn’ will do for now.” This dragon is impossible! Canvas scoffed to himself while holding in his frustrations. “Shall we get going, then?” Without warning, she rose to her feet and snapped her wings open. Canvas had to jump back to avoid the tips of her bladelike feathers. For such a small dragon, her wingspan was nothing to laugh at, as it covered nearly half the width of the clearing. Nyvena craned her head backward impatiently, “Well, are you not coming?” “Wait, aren’t you going to fly while I follow you on hoof, or something?” Canvas was very unsure of himself. Flying with a dragon was always one of those unattainable dreams. However, it did not seem likely to him that Nyvena would be willing to let him travel with her in such a manner. The unicorn suppressed a smile of both joy and anxiety. “Not if we want to cover significant distance. This is not easy for me to do, but I will do anything for my children,” replied Nyvena with valiance. Canvas could not help but admire her devotion as he climbed onto the dragon’s back by way of her tail. He took off the saddlebags and gingerly placed them between his hooves and her scales to serve as padding. The art pony’s muscles tensed up, expecting anything but a smooth ride. However, he was not ready for the sudden upward jolt as Nyvena pushed off of the ground. His lower jaw collided with a force that nearly knocked him out. Fortunately, the saddlebags provided an effective buffer. Her wings made a loud ‘whoosh’ each time she moved them up and down, along with a visible shockwave of dust and leaves below. Nyvena tucked her forelegs close to her body while maneuvering her legs like ballasts. The long tail behind them provided a rudder for nearly unmatched agility for when such would be needed. In the meantime, Canvas held on with his entire body. He braced himself for an abrupt increase in speed, but surprisingly, the forward motion was pleasantly gradual. Despite her brazen disposition, she was quite the graceful flier, finding currents to glide on ever so meticulously. He let his head rest upon the saddle, but felt her blue eyes looking at him. “Yes, Miss Kenanshar?” “I am curious: surely my metals and jewels were more than enough to replace what you lost, and with much left over. Why are your carriers so light?” She raised an eye ridge inquiringly. “I’d rather travel light for when I have to walk long ways. If I tried selling all of those pieces, I would’ve been in town for days. I brought ar—er… travel supplies, food, and about 50 bits to spare, but I have the rest of the treasure with me, just in case.” “And your dark-spectacles?” Canvas grinned excitedly. “I’ll put them on when we get to our first stop. They’re really an improvement over the last ones!” “As long as it will help you focus on our task,” she huffed with disinterest. Buying the new shades was the highlight of his day, and he was sure to not let her detachment dampen his excitement. “I-WHOAAA!!” Before he could complete the retort, Nyvena executed a swift barrel roll nearly as fast as a blink of an eye. The motion nearly gave him whiplash, but the only thing lost was the unicorn’s composure. “I… apologize. There were birds headed our way.” “And there was no alternative to that?!” he shouted over the wind noise with labored breaths. “You are still upon my back, are you not? By the stars, I have had prey that complains less than you.” Before the exhausted unicorn could say anything further, he swooned and fell forward with a painful thump on her scales. The impact finished off what remained of his ability to stay awake. Nyvena let out a relieved sigh. “At least he will not be complaining about how I do every single thing. My own parents did not nag as much!” *** Canvas slowly opened his eyes to an evening sky tinged with red. He slowly arose to a sitting position and rubbed his head, wondering why he was so close to a sheer drop. However, the pure splendor of the land beyond the cliff captivated his awe as soon as he noticed it. Never before had he seen such a beautiful, immeasurable landscape. Lain out like a vast bed sheet was the intense red clay of the mountainous Macintosh Hills. Highlights of bright orange from the setting sun added a sublime depth to textured reds and browns of every sort. Even the reds and purples of the cloudless sunset sky reflected the radiance of the mountain range. It was a sight more than worthy of being drawn, and luckily, the saddlebag was placed within reach of the magic from his horn. Canvas pulled out a rugged jar of black ink and a griffon feather quill, one of the most rare and travel-proof writing tools available in Equestria. Levitating with it was a sketchbook bound with the strongest of acacia wood native to the San Palomino Desert. The small mechanism holding the book closed unlatched, the wind flipping over the cover and a few pages. Just before the quill could be dipped, a bone-chilling roar pierced through the tranquility. He slammed his hoof on the ground in annoyance while audibly shouting to himself. “Ugh, can’t I get a moment of peace with this creature around?!” “Unicorn! Get over here! We’re moving out!” The dragon called out from behind a giant outcropping very audibly, and very furiously. The uneasy unicorn quickly slammed the book and stuffed the art supplies into his saddlebag, intent on not letting her see him unfocused on the task at hoof. “Coming, Miss K.!” He donned his saddlebags and followed the sound of her movements. Who he approached was not the ill-tempered reptile he was expecting. In front of him was a grieving mother on the verge of an emotional breakdown, leaning upon the rock formation with her head lowered. She sat upon a claw-made crater lined with once-soft dirt. The peak of the outcropping stood imposingly over the west side of the nest, with a tapering wall encompassing most of the circumference. The wall gradually reduced to an opening that would face the eastern sun. This structure took most of the damage with claw gashes and burn marks all over its surface, clear signs of Nyvena defending against very powerful unicorn magic. “No clues… we must move on.” She said in a much quieter tone. “If I may ask, what is this place?” Inquired Canvas with a compassionate softness. “This was my home.” “It certainly is a beautiful place to raise a family.” He quickly looked around to see if he could spot any other dragon nests in the area. Thankfully, there were none in plain sight, at least. Nyvena looked into the sky broodingly, speaking quietly as if talking to herself. “I wanted to raise a family in serenity, away from the bad influences of my kind. I wanted my children to come into this world and see its beauty from the very start. But now that is impossible. There is no telling what they intend for my children.” A certain question ate away at Canvas ever since Nyvena told him about her eggs being stolen. Despite the risk of an outburst, the question needed to be asked, nonetheless. “Wasn’t their father around to help you?” The word ‘father’ made the mournful dragon cringe and bare her teeth. “Without the decency of even a warning, their father… Feoras… left us only days prior. That made easy work for the thieves. The sort of magic I can do could not counter the power of theirs.” Nyvena lowered her body to stand on all fours as she calmly exited the nest. He climbed onto her back once more and looked back. He wondered if the abandoned nest would ever be a happy home. *** As they flew, it briefly occurred to Canvas to ask where they were going next. But he quickly decided against it. After all, Nyvena showed a side of herself that he did not know existed, and he thought it best to not burden her with more questions. His eyes welled up with tears as he laid upon the saddlebags as painful recollections of Mahogany, his father’s, unforeseen desertion came to the fore. Canvas remembered the times when he speculated that it was something he did or said to cause his father to leave—all the times of sobbing in the darkness, asking himself why he could not have a complete family like other foals. Why did so many fathers have to hurt their families like this? Was Canvas just not worth it for Mahogany? Were Nyvena and her children not reason enough for Feoras to be a good father? The self-loathing colt covered his face with both hooves, silently sobbing until falling asleep upon the dragon’s back once again. Nyvena watched the clouds pass by in the distance as Luna’s slowly waxing moonlight illuminated Equestria. It was enough to allow for safe flight, so she decided to keep going as long as it persisted. The winds were calm and there were no storms in the distance. Furthermore, she could sense Canvas dozing off so that she could be left to her meditations. It was the kind of night that any dragon could enjoy—that is, if she knew that her eggs were safe. For a second, Nyvena turned her gaze behind her to the slumbering pony. A twinge of gratitude surged through her heart for a moment, but she still maintained the stony façade. *** The next morning: Canvas awoke with a start and a slight yelp of pain. He found himself tightly nestled within a curled-up Nyvena, and the blood flow was cut off from the lower half of his body. The constricted colt struggled out of the tight coils before still sleeping dragoness stirred with a groan. He covered his mouth with both hooves, hoping to not awaken Nyvena. Canvas continued with slow, discrete movements when she calmed down. As soon as he could peek from under her wings, he gasped at the wicked location in which they had slept. The light of dawn could barely penetrate the thick canopy of the marshy forest. Low hanging vines and sheets of moss hung from nearly every surface, adding to the swamp’s ominous atmosphere. The stagnant water surrounding the stone plateau they rested on bubbled with swamp gas that replaced Canvas’ hunger pangs with nausea. Fortunately, there were patches of ground that looked solid enough for walking around on. Canvas carefully pulled his second hind leg free, but it released with a lurch that sent him tumbling to lower ground. After shaking his mane free of dirt and mud, he proceeded to pace back and forth to get the feeling back in his hind legs. Wondrous creatures—most of which he could only study in books before—crossed his path and flown overhead, but there was no feeling of awe. An eerie shiver coursed through his spine as he realized that the animals were fleeing from an abysmally dark area across the water. It was a unnerving tunnel-like formation of trees where the light filtering through the rest of the canopy could not reach. There was not much solid land in front of the entrance, but Canvas could see the faint outlines of rather large footsteps leading from there into the murky waters. An alligator, perhaps… a rather large alligator? The discordant sounds of the swamp threw off the apprehensive colt’s train of thought. He shook his head several times in an attempt to remember what he was thinking about before. The colt’s attention was stuck on that area that the native fauna seemed to fear. Canvas could have sworn that he heard voices coming from that direction, and his muscles began to lock up out of rising fear. There’s something about this place… can’t even think straight! He carefully inched toward the still-slumbering Nyvena without taking his eyes off of the impossibly dark cove. He reached out to nudge her awake, before— GRRRRRRAWRRR—CRASH! “WHAT IN THE—AAAAUGH!” Like an electric blue flash of lightning, a large flying creature sprung forth from the cove. Using his hind legs and rapid reflexes, Canvas propelled himself backward in just enough time to avoid the set of jaws that snapped shut in front of him. He could see the streak of gleaming teeth as he tried to regain his bearings. The creature, which was considerably larger than Nyvena skidded to a stop, gouging two deep trenches into the semi-solid mud. The dragon’s striking blue scales were of a radiance that made it look out of place in its home of greens and browns. The formidable body was at least twice as large as Nyvena with a lean build. Instead of horns, its head was covered in webbed fins, forming a crest that tapered along its back. The wings matched its fin-like design with the same color of sea foam green as the webbing. The monster glanced back at Canvas with a voracious look in its eyes while slowly doubling back. The colt could not keep his fearful gaze off of the menacing eyes as he unsuccessfully grasped at his saddlebags with frenzied surges of magic. He muttered to himself in an attempt to coax the mysterious magical barrier that saved him twice before. “Come on, golden shield… thing! If there’s any time I need you, it. Is. Now!!” Meanwhile, Nyvena’s head snapped upward in response to the ruckus near to her. Just like any dragon, she hated to be disturbed from her rest. Small bursts of flame arose from her nostrils as she spoke. “Unicorn!! Do you MIND?!—!” The dragoness had only milliseconds to turn around before a second dragon attacked from behind. His scales were red-orange like the setting sun, and its limbs were almost as wide as Nyvena’s torso. The body was slightly bulkier than his blue-scaled cohort. Large black horns sat atop its head and spiraled around stubby, partially torn ear-fins. He held her wrists together and roughly placed his hind foot upon the small of her back. With an outraged gasp she fell onto the same plateau where she was resting only seconds ago. The draconic brigand let out a sultry, confident growl through its clenched triangular teeth. Despite the circumstances, Nyvena maintained a calm tone of voice and did not bother to struggle. “I will ask of you once, and only once, to release me.” However, her captor only tightened his grip defiantly and laughed. “You shoulda considered a better travel partner than a pathetic unicorn, haha!” Canvas saw that Nyvena’s strength did not come close to matching that of either dragon. Never before had the colt felt so hopeless; he could not even find the strength or faculties to run. The blue dragon caught Canvas by the hind leg in only three quick strides. He held his prey upside down and lifted him to eye-level. The slit pupils and green-tinted eyes looked as if they want to devour his soul and not just his body. Canvas was convinced that there would be no sign of the unintentional burst of magic from before, no matter how much he begged for it to appear just one more time. “Thanks for being so easy to catch, you stupid equine!” the dragon sneered with a smooth yet malevolent tone. He spread his wings to intimidate the unicorn even further. Canvas whimpered, not being able to see Nyvena, who was the only hope for their survival. Suddenly the scratchy voice of his accomplice called out to him. “Sc-ACK! Scrawl, I-I… can’t… she’s-UGH!” “Quit flirting with the female, Gnaw! Drown her so we can eat in peace!” growled Scrawl with a roll of the eyes. The cruel command sent adrenaline surging through Canvas. “That isn’t even necessary! Why would you do that to one of your own?! Don’t do this!!” Scrawl shrugged and apathetically ignored the pleas of his quarry. “This is taking much to long. Gnaw, end her!” Part of Canvas wanted to simply concede to his fate, but another part still longed for a way out. ‘Nyvena, you can get past him! You’re stronger than this!’ he thought over and over with his eyes shut tight. There were several heavy splashes caused by the two reptilian bodies, followed by a painful thump and the loud crackle of snapping wood. Quadruped footsteps joined Scrawl soon afterward. That was it. His mind could not take it any longer. Their journey had ended, along with Nyvena and himself soon to follow. Just… whatever. I don’t care anymore. I shouldn’t even be alive right now, anyway. Just make it— BRRRRRRRAK!! FWUMP… Canvas felt the grip around his hind leg suddenly release. He quickly used a weak magical force field to lessen the impact, but the fall still hurt quite a bit. When the stars in his vision cleared away, he could see Nyvena standing on her hind legs. She was hunched over and breathing heavily with a heavy tree branch firmly held in both paws. She drew back all the way, with the end of the branch touching the ground before swinging one more time. The heavy impact upon Scrawl’s head echoed throughout the marshes. Nyvena’s breaths sounded almost feral as she clung to her weapon for a few seconds. But she quickly regained her composure and released the branch. Meters behind them, Gnaw lay unconscious on his back beside the rocky platform where he held the mother dragon. A deep indentation on the edge of the plateau was evidence of how hard she had slammed Gnaw’s head into the stone. Meanwhile, Scrawl was still breathing, but his body did not so much as twitch. His pointed tongue lolled from the slightly open muzzle, and his eyes were half-closed in a way that was quite comical to the art pony. “How’d you get away from Gnaw?! That was incredible!” he inquired excitedly while jumping up and down. Nyvena swayed her tail with self-satisfaction. “This tail of mine has its uses other than for flying. His neck was thick, but not too thick to strangle—” She paused to gasp as her attention shifted to Canvas, who was suddenly hugging her around the torso. At first her paw wanted to shove him away, but instead she patted his head with a nervous chortle. “Now, there is no need for that, Unicorn.” Canvas raised his sight to meet hers. “Are you kidding? I can’t thank you enough!” “Thank me? I only did what it made sense to do,” objected Nyvena with crossed forelegs. “Of course! I gave up so quickly, but you pulled through! Even if I was in your position, I don’t know if I could have pulled off what you did.” Canvas released the hug, and his saddlebag levitated toward him so he could slip it on once again—his way of saying ‘let’s get the hay out of here, ASAP!’ This had puzzled Nyvena. It was never in a dragon’s nature to thank one another, as far as she knew. She certainly had never been thanked for anything before. Although her instinct called for spurning the gratitude, the relenting dragon found that she was not as willing to do so. Although it was just to be polite, Nyvena returned Canvas’ smile for the first time since they had met. Now, what was that expression that ponies would say in response…? “You’re… welcome, Unicorn.”