//------------------------------// // Season 2 Epilogue // Story: The Witching Hour - Chaos is Change // by Chaotic Ink //------------------------------// “Truly, “the hits keep coming”, sister,” Luna said as she and Celestia, along with most of the royal guard, flew around to the backside of Canterlot Mountain. It was only a week after the wedding and Cadance and Shining Armor were on their honeymoon and, hopefully, away from any new crises. Like this one might turn into. “Agreed,” Celestia said unhappily. Up ahead, they could see the vanguard milling about one of the larger holes in the mountain. Seeing which one it was, she let out a silent sigh of relief. At least it hadn’t been the other one. The project in that one needed to be ready soon, she just knew it. As they approached, a chariot pulled by two pegasi guards came to meet them. “Anything to report?” Celestia asked. “Only that it… she is still inside,” Acting-Captain Holly said with a salute. “You went close enough to recognize gender?” Luna asked. “She came out, your highness. At least, her head did.” “And what did she say?” Celestia asked. It was rather unusual for a dragon to tolerate others flying around right outside “its” cave. Holly looked uneasy. “She… asked to speak with the two of you, actually.” Celestia and Luna shared a look. “Very well, we will speak with her,” Celestia said. “Is there any chance she gave her name?” “No ma’am,” Holly said. “Very well.” Both princesses swooped down to the mouth of the cave with most of the guard taking up positions right outside, ready to shoot in to rescue them both if need be. They spotted her as soon as they entered: a large, light blue dragon with light purple belly scales and sea green colored eyes and two horns spiraling out from the back of her skull. She was chewing a mouthful of gems and when she saw them she quickly swallowed. “My, that was fast,” she said, moving her bulk as to look directly at the two alicorns. “Though I shouldn’t be too surprised; I picked this cave specifically to get attention.” Both Celestia and Luna nodded. “We are Celestia and Luna, the rulers of Equestria,” Celestia announced. “May we ask who you are and why you wished to see us?” The dragoness smiled. “A diarchy? Don’t see many of those; interesting. I am Shoal, recently released from my duties for the Dragon Migration and here in Equestria to look for a certain individual. I hoped you could help with that.” The royal sisters shared another look. This wasn’t exactly how interactions with dragons normally went. There was usually a lot more fire and smashed… everything. “We will… do what we can,” Luna hedged. “Who is this individual you speak of?” “I’m not exactly sure where to begin,” she admitted, scratching her chin with a claw. “I met her during the dragon migration but she was an odd one. The first time, she was a wyvern and said she was from the Storm Clan. Are they here in Equestria?” Celestia and Luna blinked in surprise. “I’m sorry to say that, no, the Storm Clan is no longer in Equestria and haven’t been for quite some time.” Shoal hummed thoughtfully. “That would explain the confusion… well, to continue, the next time I saw her, she… wasn’t a wyvern. As near as I could tell she seemed to be a mix of a pony and a dragon.” “Her kind is called kirins,” Celestia supplied. “Kirins…” Shoal tried the word. “Interesting… this is the first I’ve ever heard of them.” “There were never very many and they all but disappeared nearly fifteen hundred years ago,” Celestia told her. “The one you seek is the first we’ve met after all that time.” “So you know her then?” Shoal asked interestedly. “She is a great hero of our land, well known and loved by many,” Luna said, a bit defensively. “What business would you have with her?” “Luna,” Celestia hissed quietly. “She is a dragon, sister!” Luna shot back. “You know the rivalry between dragons and wyverns; why else would she be here if she didn’t see Captain Midnight’s entering of the migration as a slight!?” “Dragons also don’t normally act so civil! Maybe she would continue to explain herself in such a manner as long as we act so as well?” Luna “hmph”-ed and nodded for Celestia to speak. “What my sister means is,” Celestia continued apologetically, “is that, yes, we know her. Did she do something to offend during the migration?” Shoal waved a claw dismissively. “No crime worse than a wyvern showing up to a gathering of dragons. Otherwise she was perfectly respectful. No, I’d like to know more about her because she didn’t seem to know anything about the rather foolish feud between our races. That, and the fact that she is the offspring between a pony and a wyvern from the Storm Clan.” She picked up a small clawfull of gems. “I’d like to hear her story, if you know it.” Both sisters hesitated, looked to each other, then turned back and Celestia began. “It started with a letter my student sent to me some time ago…”