//------------------------------// // Chapter 24: The God Dragon's Farewell // Story: The Bridge Between Worlds // by Artemis Orion //------------------------------// The God Dragon's Farewell "Alright! I think we can stop now!" "You're tired already?" "You try doing it for two hours!" I rested on my knees, panting. It wasn't really from physical work, but from the mental pressure that pounded away at my head every time I made my Aura do something. Twilight had been watching us the whole time, accompanied by Rarity and Rainbow Dash. They hadn't lost any attention during the entire session. Twilight was subconsciously scribbling away on scroll, with the knowledge we had gained from the experience so far. I looked back up at the white silhouette that opposed me. He wasn't sweating and gasping for breath like I was. But then again, he couldn't do such things. "Okay, so what have we learned...?" I asked it, trying to summarize everything as easily as I could for Twilight and myself. "Our thoughts are joined, leaving no need for any real verbal communication..." "Go on..." "I can only touch physical things if you focus enough, further pushing mental capacity. Otherwise, I'm just a ghost." "Which means...?" "I'm a constant pressure on your mind, and the longer I stay outside, the harder it gets for you." "For how long exactly?" "You've managed to carry me on non-stop for about... 5 minutes now. Longest you've gone so far without breaking." "True. Speaking of which, get back in or I'm going to get a migraine!" Almost reluctantly, Arty started to fade into the white ethereal smoke that he consisted of. The mist moved on its own, sucking itself into my body, and as it did, I felt some invisible burden disappear. The more of it returned, the easier it was to recover. It was almost a relief. "I say it again... this is amazing!" Twilight exclaimed. The scroll magically rolled back into her satchel. "This is definitely going back to Trotter!" "That's if we get back in time..." added Rainbow Dash. "How long has it been anyway? One week? Two weeks?" "Patience, Rainbow Dash. We'll be home soon." Rarity spoke over her shoulder, following Twilight back to the cave. Rainbow Dash bolted after her Unicorn friends soon after. I was left, standing under Celestia's beating sun. Honestly, I was hoping to go back soon as well. Ponyville seemed like a distant memory, and the more time spent away meant more time the people I had left behind were worrying about what had happened to me. If only there was a way, to just tell them everything is alright... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applejack was finishing the final touches of the newly repaired Air Balloon. It took less time than expected. "Pinkie Pie, could ya go get the others back?" "Don't have to! They're already here!" Applejack spun round to find Rainbow Dash zooming in, and Twilight and Rarity hopping back into the cave from the platform of clouds. Keith strolled in soon after. "Glad y'all are back! Good news! We're all patched up and ready to go! Ah couldn't really find a matching colour though..." "That's great, AJ! We'll set off after lunch!" Twilight deposited her satchel back into basket, examining the new rope that tied the Air Balloon. There was a darker patch of purple stood out over the balloon's material, where the hole used to be. "Keith, darling, where are you going?" Rarity first spotted Keith walking off deeper into the cave. He seemed distant, only half paying attention to everything that was being said. "Hmm? Oh, just going to see The Baron. I'll be right back..." his voice echoed back at the Mane Six before disappearing into the depths of the mountain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Leaving soon are we?" The blue and purple dragon was curled up. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't asleep. I began to wonder how he managed to live like this for more than a thousand years. "How'd you know?" I sat down on a pile of gold, hearing the clinking sounds of the bits and gems around me. "I can hear you from in here." He said plainly. "So is there anything else I should know before we set off?" "Little man, I cannot tell you what only can be told through experience." He spoke with a low, hoarse voice. "What's left is for you to go and see for yourself." "So you're not telling me something?" "What is there left to tell?" I propped myself forward on my elbows. It was midday, but a yawn still managed to escape my lips. "I don't think this will be the last time we see each other, Baron..." "I should think so." The Baron reached for another gem, and casually tossed it into his mouth. "One does not simply wield Harmony and expect no trouble from it." After that, we just sat there, as we were, stuck in our own thoughts. The Baron didn't seem to rush conversation, and didn't seek attention. He was like a source for answers alone. It would be something helpful in the future. I looked around at the treasures of his life, and yet, he seemed to no longer find an interest in them. And now I wondered why humans are drawn to such material possessions, and why I wasn't affected by it. And in thoughtful contemplation, we said nothing, in the high, grey darkness of the cave. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Tents?" "Check!" "Satchels?" "Checkity Check!" "All linked up?" "Checkity Check Check!" Pinkie Pie pulled the final strap on her cable, along with the rest of the Mane Six. It was about three in the afternoon, and everyone was almost ready to go. Rarity magically fired up the catalyst that inflated the Air Ballon. Applejack stretched out the balloon, allowing the hot air to rise, and bring the balloon into its shape. It was pushed outside of the cave, away from the confines of the cave and sharp rocks. "All's good up here!" Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy inspected the clear surroundings, looking for any sign or a dark cloud. I threw on my backpack and sword, linking all of it back to our caravan. We all stood back on the Sky Desert, ready to depart... Only to be stopped by the rumbles that came from the cave. The mountain shook more strongly as a giant shadow emerged from the cave's entrance. The shadow emerged, with blue and purple scales that glinted in the sunlight. It was The Baron. "You didn't think I wouldn't see all of you off now did you?" He chuckled, stopping at the edge of the mountain. All seven of us shared a surprised smile. "Keith, come here... and bring an empty sack, I have something to give you... all of you." A little confused, I grabbed an large, empty sack from the basket. It once held supplies, supplies we had already finished. I brought it up to the Baron. He removed his hand from behind his back. his hand was curled into a fist, but something was inside it. "Open it" I pulled it wide open. The Baron raised his clenched hand above it, and out of it trickled a stream of shiny, valuable treasures, of bits and gems. It took all of us aback. Baron seemed to be expecting it. "Oh no, Baron! We're not taking that from you!" Twilight protested sheepishly. "Oh please do! It only takes up space anyway!" The Baron insisted. "Oh, Twilight, dear! Let's not argue with the kind old dragon now!" Rarity said happily before Twilight could speak again. "If The Baron insists, then we cannot decline!" A wide smile spread across her face. "Just think of it as a parting gift." The trickle of treasures soon stopped, but there was no need for more. The sack was almost filled to the brim with bits and precious stones. It was really heavy. "Gosh, Mr Baron! Thanks!" Pinkie Pie managed to only hug a fraction of The Baron's leg. "How can we every thank you?" "I can only wish we had more time to talk. Like I said, it's not everyday I get visitors, nor every year, nor decade... what I'm trying to say is, if you ever have any trouble at all... you know where I am, and where I always will be." His long craned neck bent down, coming face to face with me. His eyes staring deep into mine. "... But I have a feeling this won't be the last time you see me." He laughed menacingly. "Until next time, Baron!" I threw the sack of treasures over my shoulder, lugging it back to the Air Balloon. I had no idea what to do with it now. We began down the Sky Desert, in the direction of the Lost Civilization once more. We turned back one last time, waving goodbye at the God Dragon. "Goodbye!" "Farewell, good sir!" "See ya!" "Might nice to meetcha!" "Um... bye!" "BAAAIII!!" The God Dragon waved back, and was about to turn back into the cave. "Oh and say hi Princess Celestia for me!" "Wait...what?!" Twilight stuttered. But it was too late to ask. He was no longer there. We continued on our way, away from the solitude of the God Dragon's home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Well... here we are." Twilight stopped looking at the map. "We're on the border of the bounded lands. The lost Civilization should be just up ahead. "But we can't see anything from here." Fluttershy flew down beneath the clouds. She returned a few seconds later, a newfound motivation on her face. "Girls, you might want to come down here..." Those without wings immediately jumped into the basket, and the balloon descended beneath the Sky Desert. As we went lower, we could see everything we couldn't see above the clouds. And it was more than breathtaking. "Holy crap..." Those words escaped my lips. We weren't staring at the empty green fields that covered this part of the map. We were looking at yellowed ruins of stone and buildings encrusted with metals and rock roads that made a web through the buildings. We were looking at the aged ruins of an enormous city.