Dragon's Tale: The city of Darkrise

by IMN

Hospital of Darkrise: Mara

Tenacity is a virtue I often appreciated in others. My husband, Bookwyrm, was particularly tenacious during his younger years when he was asking me out, I refused him no less than a hundredth time, experimented on him countless of other times as well. And yet he always returned back.

So for me, this little purple hatchling is particularly intriguing to say the least. When our house was at view, my son, Starlight, saw him jumping off the window of our second story corridor. Of course, Starlight being Starlight, managed to catch him and immediately, although knocking him out cold almost instantly was a bit rash in my opinion, but that’s how he works, not that punishing him will make him change his ways.

My husband went to check on the kids, they could be such a clawfull at times, but that is the way I like it to be.

All that was left for me to do was to take the hatchling toward the local hospital to treat his wounds, or so I thought.

He stirred in his bed, already an infusion in place. The rune underneath his bed were especially potent in removing excess magic from his system, but they should also tire him a lot more than this. His magical health is in an abysmal state, and don’t get me started on his physical health as well.

“Where am I?” he asked, his tiny voice quivering from his treatment. Yet the simple fact that he can speak is astonishing to say the least.

“Hush now, you are in the hospital, you need some rest,” I do hope he would listen to me.

“Hospital?” he asked, however one glance at the window he reputed hesitantly, “Am I still in Darkrise?”

“Yes,” I answered calmly, “but the werewolf district is much calmer than the rowdy dragon district, so no need to be frightened.

He looked at me tentatively, “Will Frost o-or,” he gulped, “Wound be here?”

I almost laughed, honestly, leave it to my two daughters to make a drake swear of the females of his kind.

“Why? Do you want them to come?” I swear seeing his aghast face was more than enough to make me laugh.

“Mo~m, you’re too loud,” shuffled the sleeping whelp in the room, who was silently snoozing in the corner until now.

“I’m sorry hun, go back to sleep,” he turned the sheet and return to his sleep, “And you should sleep too little one, my daughters won’t be bothering you anymore.”

“Your… daughters?” I guess I shouldn’t have mentioned that, his eyes became narrow, his claws shivering, he started to hyperventilate.

With a bit of my magic, I inject one of my poultries into his infusion, I watch with remorse as he forcefully slumped back into a less agitated state.

“Guess my daughters were up to their normal shenanigans huh,” tsk, for once I wished they would learn some manners, but I guess it is my fault, I was so like Wound when I was little, “mind telling me what they did so that I can draw a proper punishment?”

“Frost threatened to behead me, and Wound did… things,” from the look on his face, I can guess, “Things I don’t think are possible to do.”

“Heart, lung, kidney or brain?” I asked, him placing his claws between his legs were more than an answer, “Ouch. If it’s yours I’ll give them back with interest.”

“No,” he said urgently, though I think if it wasn’t for the drug in his system he would have jumped, “not mine, but in front of me, that is.”

“Just sleep for now,” I kneeled and gave him a kiss on his head.

He turned toward me his eyes surprisingly wide awake, “But I don’t feel sleepy at all, though I do feel I can’t panic anymore, what did you inject me with?”

Shock doesn’t describe what I was feeling right now, “An anticonvulsants, but it should have at least made you sleepier than this.”

“I’m fine, honest,” he said while removing the drapes on top of him and standing up, I am pleasantly surprised to say the least.

“Well then, if all is good, I need to take sleepyhead over there back to the house,” I said while standing up, “Someone from the adoption agency will be coming to pick you up. And don’t worry, we have a good system here at Darkrise, you’ll be well treated here, you’ll be fine.”

I stand up and head toward the snoozing hatchling on the floor, only to feel a small tug on my hand, “But I don’t want to stay here, I want to go home.”

“You mean you want to go to Equestria,” I could feel him stiffening all over, “I’m afraid that is impossible. I can’t in good conscious send you back, not even after you heal.”

“But why?” he asked with a sniff, “Is it so wrong for me to be raised by ponies that you’d go to such length to keep me away?”

My heart aches. This is true sadness I’m seeing from someone too young to experience it, “No it isn’t,” I replied with more sadness that I ought to, but I do think a cheer is needed, “But no matter how good were their intentions, ponies cannot raise a dragon on their own.”

“But one of them hatched me,” he pleaded, “She would never do me any harm.”

“I don’t know how your egg came to the possession of the Sun bearer, but it is a serious crime to keep a dragon egg away from its flight,” he didn’t seemed convinced by my words, “It is a miracle that you hatched at all.”

“But they love me!” he finally bellowed.

“And does loving you stopped you from growing out of control? Destroying everything around you and nearly killing yourself? Does the simple act of loving you makes them aware of the dangers you pose to them? And more importantly to yourself?”

He looks at me wide eyed, tears flowing freely, “I don’t understand.”

“Greed, young one, is our bread and butter, it is also our poison and crucible, we cannot live with it nor can we live without it. And to tamper it, you need not only the wisdom, but also the experience of every other dragon he meets.”

“I don’t think I understand,” His tears led to a full out bawl, “Why can’t I return back to my family?!”

“Will you stop screaming already? She’s trying to explain it to you.”

I look at the other side of the room, Starlight was standing up, clearly annoyed from the frown he is portraying, the sheet that covered him now laying on the floor.

But before I could say anything I hear Spike whispers “Wings… and a horn, “You look just like an alicorn.”

“Close, but no,” Starlight replies with his usual demeanor, “I am a kirin, the dragon equivalent of an alicorn.”

Spike seemed transfixed for a moment, “What did you mean, trying to explain things to me?”

“I think before that, introductions are in order,” Starlight said while stretching his wings, “Spike the dragon,” Spike gulped, “meet my mother, Mara Obelisk of Lumia,” he gestured palms open toward me, then placed his palm on his chest, “And I am the fifth king of the dragon race, Starlight Athenaeum of Darkrise.”

Something wells up in Spike eyes, I am not sure if it surprise or anger.

Starlight picks up on it just as quickly, “And yes, you have guessed correctly, I am the one responsible for your predicament.”