The white marble walls contrasted starkly with the black half-pillars that raised the ceiling ten feet above. The master bedroom of the castle had once been a plush room filled with so many rugs, sofas, and curtains that hardly a speck of the floor could have been seen.
Aurus had ordered most of those items removed, opting to open up the room and do away with the unnecessary furniture. When in the hell would he have used six couches? Perhaps if he were throwing a party, but there were entire other rooms for that. All he needed was a rug, a writing desk, the bed, and a sofa in front of the fireplace for when the desert nights grew too chill. He was a simple changeling, and the bright and open expanse of his room pleased him far more than any collection of rich items.
The guards had been plenty happy to take the sofas and move them into the barracks anyways.
Aurus was glad that he'd done away with all of that, for with his six friends present, standing room would have been hard to come by. After Fluttershy's unexpected rise to the call in the council hall only ten minutes prior, an emergency meeting had been called. This meeting was strictly private; the doors to the master bedroom were tightly shut, locked, and even the guards had been dismissed. There was no Korrick, no Malik, and no council.
"I really, really think you should reconsider," Twilight pleaded, placing a gentle hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder.
The cream-colored pegasus scowled and shook her head. "No Twilight. I said I'm going to go, and I will. I'm not going to let Aurus down," she said firmly, stomping her little hoof with as much determination as she could. Even so, it sounded like little more than a standard hoofstep.
"You wouldn't be letting anyone down, Fluttershy. Honestly, I don't think you should go either; you could get hurt, or worse," Aurus said quietly, his concern clear.
"You could have died fighting Gerd, too," Fluttershy replied quietly. "But you went."
"I had to!" Aurus grumbled more loudly than he'd meant to, straining the frustration through his fangs as he did his best to temper his tone. "But you don't, Fluttershy. You can stay here where it's safe."
"Well somepony has to..." she said quietly, her composure melting under the harshness of his concerned and frustrated voice.
"I say let her go," Rainbow Dash said suddenly, walking into the tight inner-circle that was beginning to form around Fluttershy.
Everyone looked to her in surprise, including Fluttershy.
"Why?" Twilight asked, looking at her incredulously.
"Don't ask me that," Rainbow Dash said curtly. "You should ask Fluttershy. All you've been doing so far is telling her she can't do it, but I'm sure she has her reasons. To be honest, I think she's got guts," Rainbow said with a curt nod, tugging Fluttershy close and draping a foreleg over her in a supportive hug. Together the two of them looked at the shocked faces of their friends.
Those were surprisingly wise words for Rainbow Dash. The remaining five companions looked at one another, feeling ashamed. Rainbow was right, they'd only been discouraging Fluttershy, and none of them had even bothered to ask why she was so adamant. They were too busy trying to protect her, when they should have been supporting her, like Rainbow was doing now.
"Why, Fluttershy?" Aurus asked gently, doing his best not to sound concerned. "Why do you feel like you have to do this?"
Fluttershy sighed, pulling herself away from Rainbow Dash slowly. It was clear she was thinking over her words.
"I've always been the quiet one. The weak one. When that ursa attacked Ponyville, Twilight stopped it. When Spike got all big, Rarity stopped him. When Rarity fell out of Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash saved her. Pinkie Pie has never been afraid of anything in her life, and Applejack is so strong... And Aurus, nopony could have ever done what you did..." she trailed off.
"You're all so amazing. I want to be amazing too. I know I'm the element of Kindness... and that's okay. But that's just one of six, and I want to be one of a kind. I don't want to be famous, or loved, or anything like that," she added hastily, quietly. "I just want to know that I can help too. That I can do something wonderful, like all of you," she finished.
"But Fluttershy, you are amazing," Rarity insisted.
"No I'm not!" the cream colored pony declared fiercely, though her subtle voice couldn't carry the weight it needed for such an outburst. "Even when we did the Mysterious Mare-do-well, all I did was fly in a circle! I couldn't save the workers, or stop the runaway cart, or fix the dam... All I'm good at is talking to animals." Tears were brimming at the shy pony's eyes.
"Fluttershy..." Rainbow said, her tone hushed. She didn't know what else to say.
"I don't want to be like that anymore," she sniffed, holding the tears of shame in check. "For once, I want to do something great. Something that will help everypony. Something only I can do," she said quietly.
Her friends had never known. All this time, Fluttershy had been in their shadows, silently wishing she were stronger. Strong like them. It hurt them, to know that they were responsible for her feelings of inadequacy. Though she would never accuse them of it, their accomplishments had been filling her tender heart with the fear that she wasn't good enough.
She finally had the chance to prove herself wrong; to fight the fear in her heart that she would never be anything more than she was. She wanted to change, to grow.
That was something Aurus couldn't help but respect. Something very changeling-like in his dear and gentle friend.
"Then I won't stop you..." he said to her quietly, drawing a look of shock from all the assembled. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit; you're more amazing than you think you are, my friend. But nobody can simply tell you that. No one in history ever discovered their greatness by being told about it. You have to find it yourself," he said quietly.
"Aurus, you can't be serious-" Twilight started, but he cut her off with a raised hoof.
"Why should I stop her? Of course I'm worried for her; you'd all be worried for me, if I went. But would you stop me?" he asked flatly.
All except Fluttershy shuffled uncomfortably, not looking at him. Of course they wouldn't; Aurus was powerful, and he would stand a fair chance against any dragon. To admit that would only be to acknowledge exactly what Fluttershy was afraid of. That she wasn't strong enough.
"Then don't stop her," Aurus said flatly, recognizing their silence for what it was. He turned his gaze back to Fluttershy, smiling softly.
"I'm scared for you," he said quietly, all of his other friends looking in with worried expressions on the conversation taking place.
"I know," Fluttershy replied gently, a small smile on her lips.
"I know you're strong, Fluttershy. You know it too, otherwise you would never take this journey. There's nopony I know who is more suited for a mission of peace," he admitted with a sigh, as if he could hardly believe what he was saying. "Will you go to the north as an emissary of T'rahk Enox?"
Fluttershy smiled and nodded. "I will."
Aurus stood taller, straighter, taking on a majestic look that his friends hadn't known he was so capable of. "Then it's settled. I name you Fluttershy, Dragonspeaker.
And that, my friend, is something truly amazing."
"You're sending guards with her, right?" Twilight asked, slight tremors of mania in her voice.
Fluttershy was away to Ponyville, collecting whatever items she thought she might need on her journey. Twilight and Korrick stood in the throne room as Aurus paced about. Malik idly leaned on a pillar nearby and chewed on an imported apple, a literal fruit of Aurus' labors for peace.
"No, I won't," Aurus said quietly, knowing precisely what reaction that would cause.
"You've got to be kidding!" Twilight cried, looking at him like he was an idiot.
"Miss Twilight, please understand," Korrick said calmly, drawing her attention and defeating her anger with a calm smile. "This is a simple peace mission. It's considered poor courtesy to send a messenger under guard unless in times of war. It would show distrust."
"Good, because I don't trust them!" Twilight huffed, wrinkling her nose.
"The last thing we need is to give them a reason to accuse Fluttershy of being discourteous. She's walking a dangerous road, where any slip-ups in etiquette could cost her her life. Dragons have much stricter laws than we do about their court system and foreign interactions," Korrick explained. "I'm afraid she has to go alone, or we risk aggravating the black drakes; which doesn't bode well for her."
"I know you want her to be safe, Twilight, but I do too. I need you to trust me when I say that she's safer on her own. They're bound by their own laws to welcome her peacefully. They invited her, and unless she does something to dishonor their hospitality, she will be fine. Fluttershy isn't the kind of pony to be impolite, and so I can't honestly think of anyone better to send," Aurus admitted.
"I'll trail her," Malik suddenly put in, his tone nonchalant as he munched around some apple-mush.
"You'll do no such thing!" Aurus growled.
"Why not? You need someone to look after her, and I'm the only changeling you know who has the skills to move completely undetected," he said, scowling.
"I need you here-" Aurus started, but Malik just sighed and shook his head.
"You're a terrible liar, always have been. Maybe you needed me for the meeting with that dragon emissary, since you couldn't afford to humiliate the poor bastard yourself. But you don't need me to be your bodyguard, and we both know that," he said with a small smile. Aurus could certainly take care of himself.
"The pressing issue is still the dragons, right? A long while back I pledged to serve you. And right now, I think the best service I can offer is to watch over Fluttershy," Malik said, his tough tone dropping into that casual note he and Aurus so often shared. "I'll be a shadow on the wall, nothing more," he promised, a small smile coming to his lips.
Aurus couldn't help but smile back. Malik had him cornered, and he knew it. "Alright, fine. But unless it's an emergency, I don't want you involved. Are you sure you're okay with doing this?"
Malik strode over, finishing his apple, core and all, during the short walk. He and Aurus bumped forelegs, as they had often done in the past. "For you, my friend, I would do anything," Malik replied warmly. "And don't worry; everything will be fine."
They broke their display of friendship, Aurus turning to Twilight. "Does that help?" he asked with a small smile.
Twilight nodded. Malik was easily one of the most capable changelings she knew. In recent years he had been training even harder in the assassin's trade; but not for murderous purposes. He'd been conditioning himself to serve as Aurus' go-to changeling and personal guard, completely of his own volition. When the time came for covert actions, nobody was more apt than he was. In two short years, Malik had become an expert in stealth, and his magical powers had considerably improved. Only Aurus seemed to know if and when he was about; to everyone else, Malik was invisible when he chose to be.
He was a far cry from the novice assassin Aurus had captured three years ago in the alleyways of Canterlot, and since then his friendship with his lord had only grown. If anyone were to follow Fluttershy, Twilight couldn't imagine anyone better suited to the task. Loyal, courageous, and powerful, Malik would put her worries to rest.
"Then it's settled," Aurus said with a relieved sigh. "I'd like to say everyone's happy, but the tensions are a little high for that," he admitted.
"When does she leave?" Malik asked.
"One week from now," Korrick said.
"Then I'll prepare myself and leave in three days. I'll watch the road ahead of her until she arrives; I need to familiarize myself with the area in the north anyways," Malik said with determination.
Aurus nodded, thinking that a wise decision. "Just be careful," he called as Malik made his way out of the throne room, clearly eager to make his preparations.
Malik waved a hoof over his shoulder to indicate he had heard, but didn't stop walking.
Aurus chuckled to himself as he watched his friend go. "She'll be safe."
Fluttershy drifted over the sands, glad that the wind was at her back. She had never been a very strong flier, and the south-wind was pushing her along nicely. It also helped to keep the sand out of her face.
She quietly reflected on the task ahead of her; she had one month to try and convince the dragons that peace with the changelings would be beneficial to them. She really hoped that it wouldn't take that much time. Being in front of a dragon for even ten minutes was terrifying. She had trouble imagining what it would be like staying as a guest of one.
Korrick had assured her that she wouldn't be roasted on the spot; the dragons knew that she was coming, and she was carrying an official letter from Aurus that would prove her claims that she was an emissary. Not a single detail had been overlooked for her trip. She would be their guest.
She shuddered at the thought, but hardened her resolve. It would be fine; she was strong.
She was the Dragonspeaker.
Even with that lofty, magnificent title echoing in her mind, she still felt fear. What if she failed? What if they roasted her, or ate her? Or squashed her? Or worse, what if she had to return to Aurus and tell him that she couldn't do it? That she'd let him down?
Below her, she saw a scorpion skittering up the side of a dune. The poor creature wasn't getting anywhere, the sand giving under its spiny little legs and sending it tumbling back down the mound of sand. It scrabbled wildly to flip itself back over before trying again.
Unable to deny her nature, Fluttershy landed near the small creature with a worried look on her face. "Um, are you okay Mr. Scorpion?" she asked quietly, nudging the once-more upside-down scorpion upright with a gentle hoof.
The scorpion didn't seem to acknowledge her, just went back to failing to scale the sand dune. Fluttershy sat by for many minutes, continually righting the creature every time the shifting sands defeated it. No matter how she talked to it, it refused to notice her. The one time she had tried to help it up the hill, it had raised its tail threateningly, backing her off.
The creature's rudeness didn't bother her so much as its helplessness. It was no secret that most bugs weren't very intelligent, so it probably didn't even understand her, or her motives. At last the scorpion crested the dune on its own, and Fluttershy felt oddly proud.
She could have picked the scorpion up and put it on top of the sand pile, but what good would that have done? All of its determination would have been wasted. The scorpion's real strength wasn't its might, or its intelligence. It could have easily gone around the dune instead of over it, but it wasn't clever enough. Perhaps it would have burrowed through the dune, if only it were stronger, but it wasn't.
All it had was its determination. It had a goal, one that no amount of failures would deter it from. She had no doubt it would have tried all day to climb that hill.
She had a lot in common with it, she realized. She wasn't very wise, or very strong. She had a hill in front of her too, one that nobody could simply take her to the top of. She needed to pave the road to peace with the dragons, no matter how long it took, or how many times she had to try. Unless they killed her or threw her out, she would keep trying.
The scowl she didn't know she had been making faded, her mind made up. Fear of dragons or not, she would be tough. Scorpion tough. With a nod to herself, she got a slight jog going and took off again for the north. The mountains were hazy zig-zags on the horizon, blurred by the heat of day. They grew larger every hour, but she knew she had a long way to go.
Aurus had assured her that she would have to spend at least one night in the desert on her own, for the trip would probably take her two or three days.
As strong a flier as she was, Fluttershy figured it would be closer to three.
She flew on until sunset. The air was getting colder, but the thermals rising off the still-hot sand kept her drifting along. This was easily the furthest she had ever flown, and it was taking its toll. Aurus had warned her that once the sun went down, the sand would quickly grow cold, and the temperatures could go below freezing.
Fluttershy decided to call it a night before it got too dark to see. She unpacked a sleeping bag and laid it down, trying to recall what Aurus had said about sleeping in the cold of the desert night. She took a swig from the canteen dangling around her neck, happy to see that it was still half-full.
She recalled suddenly what to do. She started to dig a trench in the sand, pushing it out of the way with her hooves scoop by small scoop. Once she had a hole, she checked to make sure the sand at the bottom was dry. Finding it to be so, she dropped her sleeping bag into the hole. She buried it with a slight layer of sand, careful not to cover the top of it or get any sand inside.
Once she was finished, the last pink tinge of sunset had completely vanished. She slid into her sleeping bag, grateful for the added warmth of the sand-blanket. The soft sand below was comfortable, and the warmth of her body quickly heated the bag around her. Snug and safe, she pulled the little snout-cover up over her nose to keep it warm.
She looked up at the beautiful stars. Here in T'rahk Enox, the specks of light were most beautiful of all. No humidity or city lamps dulled their brilliant glow. She watched them for many minutes, fighting her heavy eyelids as she took in the glory of the night sky. At last the hard day of flying proved too much for her, and she drifted into sleep.
She only wished the rest of her mission could be so peaceful.
The mornings and nights in the desert were simple and short; each day at dawn she would wake up and eat an apple and some dry oats. If her canteen ever got low, she would fight for about half an hour to break an arm off of one of the tough cacti in the numerous cactus patches dotting the sands. They were full of some sort of juice that Aurus had insisted was mostly water, though it certainly didn't taste like it.
Even so, she followed all of his desert survival advice to the letter. Her attention to those details made the nights warm and comfortable, and kept her fit and hydrated during the day.
On the second morning of her desert stay, the mountains loomed close. Fluttershy could have flown the last few miles in the dark, but decided it would be best to arrive early rather than so late. Politeness was key, she had been told, and good guests didn't show up in the middle of the night.
Digging up her incredibly dusty sleeping bag for the second time, she shook it out and packed it away. She ate her simple breakfast and took to the skies a half-hour later, soaring towards the only landmark she had; a forked peak that had a lightning-bolt shaped cleft between the twin spires.
Korrick had called that mountain Jagspire, and it was a dormant volcano. Inside of it and the surrounding mountains was where the dragons made their homes, preferring the warm and dark places of the deep-earth. About an hour later the sands began to give way to stony fields with sparse patches of tall grass. Soon after, the hardier plants faded to make way for grass and shrubs.
The mountains above would stop the storms that formed above them, and the water running down the sides of those peaks fueled a lush forest environment, similar to the Everfree expanse far to the east. Here the forest was predominantly pine, with amber-leaved aspens interspersed between the clearings. Birds sang, hawks soared about, and insects buzzed in the cool shade.
This place was vibrantly alive, and beautiful beyond compare. A stream ran down from the mountains ahead, and so Fluttershy stopped to fill her canteen and admire the beauty. A few squirrels came to investigate her, for likely they had never seen a pony before. She greeted them warmly and obliged their curiosity for a time, but eventually she recalled her duty. Politely excusing herself, she bid her furry friends farewell and continued to soar up the barely visible path towards Jagspire.
She alighted at the edge of a large boulder field that rested at the foot of the mountain. The peak deserved its name, for it was jagged and crags marred its surface. Some of these vented steam into the sunlight above, creating small rainbows that contrasted with its harsh appearance. The gray rock was beautiful in a way, for each boulder and crack was intricately placed as part of the grand design that made up the mighty mountain.
Something to her left drew her attention. She looked up just in time to watch a mighty tail uncurl itself from around a boulder. Wings flared wide, revealing a dragon perched high on a neighboring peak that she hadn't noticed earlier. His wings had been folded around himself, and in the shade of an outcropping, she had never seen it. The dragon didn't roar, simply launched itself from the lofty peak, making its way towards Fluttershy.
Her heart clenched and her breathing quickened as she watched the mighty beast spiral down toward her. This dragon was easily forty feet long!
The creature landed in front of her, the wing-beats that slowed its landing bowing small aspen trees and shaking mighty pines. Its ebony-clawed feet shook the ground as they cushioned its weight. At last on all fours, the creature folded its wings, looking down at Fluttershy with nostrils smoking, fiery-breath clearly prepped and ready.
Frozen in fear, Fluttershy could only take in the grand creature before her. His head was covered in a dark metal helm, the black spikes atop his skull poking through carefully-crafted holes in the armor. His legs sported similar dark, metal armor, and a line of plates covered his spine all the way to the tip of his tail, which ended in a wicked, barbed iron spike. The wing bones were lined in the same material, protecting the light, hollow structure of the wing's skeleton.
This dragon was clearly a warrior of some sort, outfitted for battle.
She gasped as it spoke suddenly, startling her.
"Your business in the north?" the creature asked simply, lowering its head to better speak with her.
Or to get a better shot, if it didn't like her answer.
"Um... I... eep..." Fluttershy stammered quietly, shaking like a leaf.
"Your business?" the dragon asked again, its tone unchanged.
Fluttershy reminded herself that she had chosen to do this, and that courtesy was key. Cowering in fear probably didn't give the most 'polite' impression. She took a few seconds to compose herself as best she could.
"I-I'm an emissary from T'rahk Enox," she said, her voice barely audible.
The smoke rising from the dragon's nostrils stopped immediately. "Changeling emissary?" it asked in disbelief, looking over the pony before it. "You have proof of this?"
Fluttershy started, fishing around in her pack hastily. She found the letter easily, and held it out to the dragon.
The drake took it tenderly, unfurling the small scroll with practiced care. Its red eyes roved over the paper slowly, taking in every detail. At last it rolled the scroll back up and passed it back. Fluttershy very unwillingly snatched the paper from that clawed hand, careful not to touch the dragon.
"Dragonspeaker, it calls you. A lofty title for a simple emissary. We shall see if you are worthy of it. The seal is official, and my lord is expecting you. You have come sooner than we anticipated," the drake explained casually. "It is my honor to escort you, guest of Nethrezir. I am Vergoth, Guardian of Jagspire," the dragon finished, bowing its head politely in introduction.
Fluttershy was shocked by the dragon's courteous nature and sense of honor. This seemed contrary to everything she had ever heard of dragons. Snapping out of that train of thought, she realized she had not introduced herself yet.
"My name is Fluttershy," she replied, doing everything in her power to keep herself from stammering and make her voice loud and strong. To her credit, her conscious effort paid off, though the dragon's surprising level of professionalism certainly helped.
"Welcome to Jagspire, the Ebonhome, emissary Fluttershy," Vergoth replied, a note of warmth hidden within the rumbles of his powerful, deep voice. "You have traveled far, and you must be weary. Permit me to carry you; I mean no offense, but your small wings cannot keep pace with mine," he said evenly, extending a hand to her slowly, claws spread wide.
Fluttershy's eyes widened and her heart raced as the draconic hand inched ever closer. It stopped before her, easily large enough for her to sit in.
"Do you fear me?" The dragon asked, seeing her hesitation.
Fluttershy's mind panicked. What if she said yes? Would that be rude?
"It is alright, your grace," the dragon rumbled quietly. "You are our honored guest; as such, you are under the protection of the Guardians. I will not harm you, nor will I let anyone else do so," the dragon's eyes stared deep into hers, and within them she could see a clear sincerity. "Please," Vergoth insisted, giving his clawed hand a gentle bounce.
Carefully, Fluttershy climbed into his palm. The claws contracted around her, but not harshly; slowly, securing her in his grasp. She wrapped her forelegs around one of those clawed fingers, holding herself steady as Vergoth launched into the sky, beating his massive wings.
Together, she and the Guardian flew across the face of Jagspire, the rocks racing past them. Vergoth always held her level, no matter the bank or dive he executed, keeping her safe as they sped along towards the entrance of the dragon city of Ebonhome.
Malik watched the large dragon fly away with Fluttershy in its clutches. For now things seemed to be going far better than expected.
From his perch in the heights of a nearby pine, he had watched it all unfold, heard every word. He had already been here five days, and had been actively monitoring Vergoth's patrol schedule and mannerisms.
The skilled Guardian, by contrast, had never even noticed him, much to the ex-assassin's pride.
Even so, Malik had not grown complacent. Spots such as this piney perch were his to command all over the forested lowlands, prepared by hoof over the past week and heavily camouflaged. He had even established other hiding places within the crags and boulder-fields high up the mountain's face, all without ever being spotted.
The trick was a unique control of his innate illusory magic; one that allowed him to perfectly mimic the environment behind him, no matter which angle he was viewed from, effectively rendering himself invisible.
Though useful, it took an absurd amount of concentration and energy to accomplish, and so he could not keep it up for long. He had spaced his hiding places just close enough together that he could keep up such a disguise long enough to travel between them.
His preparations were extensive and thorough, and his skills well-trained. If a situation arose where he had to help Fluttershy escape, there were no shortage of planned routes or hiding places he could take her to. He had mapped numerous ways to enter the mountain through steam vents, side-caverns and more. No detail had escaped his fine-toothed combing of Jagspire and the surrounding area.
If trouble came knocking, he was ready. Scanning the horizon, he noted that all the other nearby patrol points were unoccupied; the other Guardians were elsewhere. Waiting a few more moments, he memorized the route he needed to take to reach the optimal backdoor entrance into Ebonhome. He leapt from his perch, beginning the stealthy jaunt to his destination. If Fluttershy was going in there, so was he.
He had promised to watch over her.