//------------------------------// // Everything is Water // Story: The Tale of the Three Sided Medallion // by FlareGun45 //------------------------------// When the next day arrives, Ember, Spike, Scorpan, and a couple of dragon guards fly over to the water dragons’ nest a few clicks away. “Whoa!” Spike said impressively as he sees the water dragons playing in the water or hanging out on the rocks. Spike sees a big water dragon dive from a high rock, and the water splashes on the guests. Spike laughed as he got wet, but Ember and Scorpan felt annoyed. “This place is so cool!” Spike said excitedly. Spike then gasps as he sees a dragon nest filled with purple eggs with purple polka-dots on them. He runs over to them to see the eggs hatching. “Oh my gosh! Ooooooh my gosh!” Spike’s eyes grow as he sees the baby water dragons. “That is soooo cute! They look like mini-mes!” “Oh thank you, little fella!” The mama dragon said. “Oh you’re the mom? I’m sure you’ll do an excellent job as one!” Spike gives the mom a thumb up. The mama dragon giggles and blushes as she said, “Oh you’re such a sweetheart!” “Ooooh! Look at these hatchlings!” Spike spots another nest of baby dragons. “Awww, they’re so adorable!” “Yes, they’re very adorable, Spike.” Ember said, feeling annoyed. “Don’t we have things to do?” “Come on, Ember! Look at them!” Spike requests. “How come I don’t see many baby dragons over at your area?” “Because the water dragons REALLY like to have a good time, if you know what I mean.” Ember said as she rolled her eyes. “Oh I do know what you mean! I love swimming! These dragons know how to have a good time!” Spike said. “Now come on, Ember! Look at these cute little hatchlings!” Ember sighs as she leans over towards the baby hatchlings. She smiles and says, “Hello! Hello little guys!” One of the baby dragons sneeze fire on Ember’s face, which starts to make Ember steam, literarily! “Why you little-!” Ember was about to lay a claw on one of the dragons, but Spike immeditaly stops her and says, “Uh heh, Ember, don’t we have, you know… stuff to do?” “Hmph.” Ember groans. “This place looks like a tropical paradise for dragons!” Scorpan commented. “It is!” Spike agreed. “I prefer lava myself, but eh, it’s okay.” Ember shrugs. “Probably because you almost drowned in water, and I had to save you?” Spike snarks. “S-shut up!” Ember blushed in embarrassment. “DRAGON LORD EMBER!” A very large water dragon shouted from the distance. “That’s him.” Ember whispers to Scorpan and I. “That’s the water dragon king.” “Dragon ‘king’?” Scorpan asked. “Water dragons prefer ‘kings’ while us flying dragons prefer ‘lords’.” Ember explained. “Dragon Lord Ember.” The dragon king said as he walks over towards us. The dragon king is blue with green scales, and he kind of looks similar to Spike’s greedy form. “Dragon King Thales, I apologize for intruding.” Ember said. “Don’t apologize; just give me a reason why you’re here!” Thales ordered her. Ember paused for a moment, unknowng of what to say, as she started to get a little nervous. “You look well today!” “Cut to the chase, Lord Ember. It’s a very busy day today.” Thales informed her. “I have to sleep, I have to divide the gems for the rest of the colony, and I promised my younglings I’d be their water slide today.” “Very well, King Thales, I do not wish to waste your time.” Ember said. “You wasted my time just by saying that.” Thales informed her. “King Thales, I wish to discuss with you terms of a neighboring alliance.” Ember said. “We already had this discussion, Lord Ember.” Thales said. “We can’t be friends with those who are friends with ponies.” “So? What’s wrong with ponies?” Spike asked. “Excuse me, young dragon, but this is a matter between lords!” Thales informed Spike. “Also, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here before, or… what’s is THAT?” “THAT is a gargoyle. Have you not seen one before?” Scorpan asked. “How dare you speak to me like that?!” Thales asked feeling offended. “I am the proud leader and protector of this colony, and I should be treated with respect!” “Look, all I’m saying is that ponies aren’t so bad.” Spike informed him. “I can prove it to you too if-“ “You should run back to your mother now, young dragon.” Thales informed him. “If you haven’t realized it, ponies are evil creatures who keep back on their word and steal from us! So just run along now.” “So what did the ponies do to offend you?” Spike asked. “Maybe it was just a misunder-“ “BEGONE, BABY DRAGON!” Thales yelled. “THALES!” A purple female dragon with yellow stripes yelled at the king. “Is that really any way to speak to a baby water dragon? He’s just lost.” “Wait, ‘water’ dragon?” Spike asked confusingly. “Aquarius, I thought us dragons teach our young ones to respect their elders, as they have far more experience in life, and know what’s best.?” Thales reminded her while glaring at Spike. “I realize that this little dragon might’ve had spoken to you the wrong way, but it’s nothing to yell at him about.” Aquarius said as she walked over to Spike to check up on him. “Are you okay, little guy?” “Uhhh… yeah! Yeah, I’m… I’m fine.” Spike said, feeling uneasy. “My name is Aquarius.” She said to Spike. “What’s your name?” “I’m Spike!” He said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aquarius!” “Yeah, a far better welcome than our first one!” Scorpan teases. Spike elbows him. “Ow! Sor-ry!” “It’s a pleasure to meet you too… Spike!” Aquarius said as she smiled at him, and Spike smiles back. “How touching.” Ember said sarcastically. “Really, Ember?” Spike asked curiously. “I thought you didn’t know what sarcasm was?” “That was sarcasm?” Ember asked. “No, that was just me mocking you.” “Please do not talk to this young dragon like that, Dragon Lord.” Aquarius requested Ember. “Don’t worry, Aquarius! She’s with me!” Spike informed her. “Or, I’m with her, as I’m accompanying her on this mission to start up an alliance between the flying dragon and the water dragons!” “Really now?” Thales asked surprisingly. “Well… that changes everything. I knew I never seen you here before. You live among the flying dragons?” “Well… not exactly.” Spike said. “I’m staying with them temporarily, but I mainly live in Ponyville.” “Ponyville?!” Thales asked surprisingly. “That can’t be right. Dragons don’t live among pony kind. How long have you lived with them for?” “All my life, ever since I was hatched!” Spike said. “Really now?” Thales asked curiously. “That’s… really strange. Are you… a slave?” “Wha- NO!” Spike yelled. “I’m a friend of the Princess of Friendship! I’ve been by her side for all my life! Well… except for… recently.” “Huh.” Thales began to think. “This is a very odd scenario we have here, Aquarius.” “Indeed.” Aquarius agreed. “Are you happy with them?” “Of course!” Spike said. “I’ve got a ton of pony friends back in Ponyville: Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Starlight Glimmer, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, Sunburst, Cheerilee, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Snips, Snails, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon-“ “OKAY, wow!” Thales interrupts him. “That’s… a lot of pony friends!” “I got some non-pony friends too!” Spike said. “Ember, Scorpan, Discord, Thorax, Zecora-“ “Okay, we don’t need to hear a whole list.” Thales interrupts again. “Wow.” Aquarius says feeling impressed. “You’ve lived among pony kind for so long, and you adapted to their lifestyles?” “I sure did!” Spike said. “I come to learn the magic of friendship, and because of that, I became Equestria’s ambassador!” “How wonderful!” Aquarius said excitedly. “Mommy!” A young dragon whined as he tugged on his mom’s tail. “I’m feeling hungry! Can I have a sapphire please?” “Of course, Scales! Help yourself!” Aquarius accepted. “Just ONE though!” “I will!” Scales promised. As he passes by Spike, he whispers to him, “I always take more than one.” “I like your style!” Spike whispers to Scales as they fist bump. “Hmm, well, I suppose I can start an alliance with the flying dragon if you vouch for them, Spike, but I will NOT accept the ponies under any circumstances!” Thales said. “They’re nothing but bad news! We’ll discuss the dragon alliance at dusk. For now, my younglings need me. So please, excuse me.” Thales walks off towards the nearby shore where his kids are waiting for him. “Please, enjoy your stay! We’re always happy to have guests!” Aquarius said as she joins her family. Spike, Ember, and Scorpan all decide to enjoy themselves in the colony by sitting down on shore eating gemstones. “This is relaxing!” Spike said as he takes a bite from a ruby. “This should’ve been our FIRST stop!” “Yeah, but if we didn’t stop at the Crystal Empire or the Changeling Kingdom, we wouldn’t have helped Sunburst and Thorax with their problems.” Scorpan reminded him. “That’s true!” Spike agreed. “But there’s no use denying that this is a vacation luxury!” “Well, we can’t get too comfortable here, you two. Don’t forget, we still have to make the alliance.” Ember reminded them. “I’m glad Thales decided to give your dragons a chance, Ember,” Scorpan said, “but I don’t understand what kind of problem he has with ponies.” “Probably no different than the problems we use to have with them.” Ember said. “I don’t know.” Spike said. “He seemed very personal when it comes to them. He said they broke their word and stole from him. Why did your dragons hate ponies at first, Ember?” “Because they think they run everything around here.” Ember said. “I mean, the pony princesses control on when day comes or when night comes. Plus, never share their rainy weather. Why else do you think the Dragon Lands is a desert wasteland while plant life is growing all around Equestria?” “Gosh, I never thought of it like that.” Spike said. “You don’t have your own weather around here?” “We don’t know how to control weather like those pegasi do.” Ember said. “We don’t know how to control magic like the unicorns do; and we also don’t know how to grow crops like those earth ponies do. After a conversation I had with Thorax during the last summit, he tells me the changelings go through that problem as well. Plus the griffons, and the yaks, they all live in desert wastelands. Only difference is, the yaks have snow, which they cannot control. The ponies hog all the weather. If that dark forest outside of Ponyville can control it’s own weather, why can’t the ponies do anything about our homes?” “Why haven’t any of you said anything before?” Spike asked. “Because the ponies have been really good to us.” Ember said. “We don’t want to let them down by complaining.” “But the ponies would really want to help you!” Spike said. “You just have to ask for it! They don’t care if you complain that your land is a lifeless patch of volcano and rock! They would want to help! You should really bring this up in the next summit!” “Well… I guess, if the other races would be alright with that.” Ember said. “We love our lands, but sometimes we would want life growing around as well, you know?” Just then, as the three of them watched as Thales’ children slide on their dad’s tail and into the ocean, Aquarius walks over to the guests and says, “Afternoon, you three! I hope you’re enjoying your stay!” “We are, thank you!” Scorpan said. “These the best tasting gems I’ve ever tasted! What’s your secret?” “I think you know the answer to that, Scorpan!” Aquarius said. “Is it some kind of magical cave that produces these, or is it the kind of dragon that grows them?” Scorpan asked. “My answer is: it’s a secret, and I can’t tell!” Aquarius says snarkily. “Ooo, she got you good, bro!” Spike laughed. “Yeah, well, I’m glad you enjoy my humor, Spike!” Aquarius said. “I’m a very snarky type! I might’ve been a late grower, but I never lose a chance for a little snark every now and again!” “I like your style, Aquarius!” Spike said. “I’m kind of a late grower myself!” “Really now?” Aquarius asked. “Guess the ponies made you too generous, huh? Well I wouldn’t blame you! I have to spoil my kids to make them grow, you know? These younglings were only born last week, and they’re all already three feet tall and 120 pounds!” “How many kids do you have?” Ember asked. “2,398!” Aquarius said. Scorpan spits out the gem he had in his mouth in surprise. “That’s an army of kids!” Scorpan said surprisingly. “It’s not very surprising! Sooner or later, the world is going to be overrunned by water dragons!” Ember said. “Well, when most of my kids grow up, they decide to go out into the ocean and live their lives.” Aquarius said as she stares out into the ocean and let’s out a deep sigh. “Most of the time, I never see them again. But that’s just life. Even if one forgets their origins, they all have to achieve their destiny sometime.” “Yeah, I hear that!” Spike agreed. “So really? Over 2,000 kids!” “2,398!” Aquarius said. “I’m really good at keeping count! I would’ve had 4,452, but 2,083 of the eggs were duds.” “2,398 plus 2,083 doesn’t equal to 4,452. It equals to 4,451. What happened to the other egg?” Spike asked. “Wow! You really know your math! I am impressed!” Aquarius said. “Yeah, I lost 1. It was when the ponies invaded our previous nest. Most of the younglings that year were hatched, but…” Aquarius paused to hold in her tears. “…I left one behind. We were so busy being on the run that… well… I didn’t realize that, one was left behind. I regretted it ever since. That’s why Thales hates ponies. They used to be there for us. They betrayed us and kicked us out of our own land. That’s why we came here.” “Uhh, that doesn’t sound anything like the ponies.” Spike said. “I agree.” Ember said. “Us flying dragons weren’t always a fan of ponies either, but they never stole from us. That sounded more like the old changelings.” “Changelings?” Aquarius asked. “Wait… Aquarius where was your land colony at?” Spike asked. “South of Equestria by the Macintosh Mountains, why?” Aquarius asked. “Ah ha! Ember, I think I might know how to start an alliance with no just between your dragons and the water dragons, but with Equestria and the water dragons too!”