//------------------------------// // And You Thought You Were Alone // Story: My Little Kirin: The Lost Tribes // by Soothing Stone //------------------------------// Streaming Sea managed to keep it together for an hour, but everyone had their breaking point. Once he got inside his home, he couldn’t contain his excitement. He sat down on the nearest chair and let it all sink in. This was really happening. Another Equestrian Kirin was here in the village with him. It was an incredible discovery, and one he did not take lightly. Despite being a tribal leader around here, his house was modest. It was one of the very few two story houses in the lands, and it had several bedrooms in case he ever decided to start a family. He made sure the stone they used to build it was lightly colored, so it would be lively to look at. And it was. It didn’t help that one of the rivers was a mere twenty feet from the front door, perfect for his meditations and love of fishing. Still, despite the peaceful surroundings he called home, he felt anything but peace in his heart. He reeled from the knowledge and tried his best not to lose it. As much as he grew comfortable with his Nirik form, it was probably not a good idea to do it inside his home. Not like this place needed more light around. He remembered the bookshelf near his study table, where he owned books chronicling the history of Equestria. It went all the way up to Luna’s return and reformation. That made his curiosity grow, and he picked out a handful of volumes. Was there more on Kunzite than what he knew? Was this a common thing that happened and he just forgot about it? Before he got too deep into the texts, he heard someone open the door behind. Judging from the heavy footsteps, he could tell who it was already. He turned to see this person come into the study room with him, a little ragged and dirty, but otherwise okay. This kirin was at least six inches taller than him, with more muscle to boot. His coat was a faint hint of white, and the fur around the neck was brown. Well, when he wasn’t in his Nirik form, which he was. Then it was almost all fire. “You know I don’t like being a Nirik in my own home, Ivory Steam,” Sea mentioned. “Sea, your home was built to be fireproof,” the Nirik pointed out. “But you just had to fall in love with books, with their flammable paper. Very well.” He powered down into his kirin form, and he lowered the spear in his hand. “It was a good hunt, and we should have enough food to last for several months. However, I’ve heard rumblings about a very special guest in town. What do you know of it?” “You wouldn’t believe it unless you’ve seen it with your very eyes. I think we found another Kirin. Not like you and me. Like her.” Ivory was a stern man in his stature, but a thing like that left him astonished. “You must be joking. There hasn’t been another one in centuries, if ever. You’ve told me yourself. Are you certain?” “I’ve seen her myself. She’s one of the guests in town. They can’t stop talking about her, partly because she’s not trying to hide from us. I was going to introduce you to her once you came back. This is no rumor. They do exist.” Ivory scoffed and sat down next to Sea. “You’re no liar, that I’ve learned over the years. But we might be playing with fire. If there is another Equestrian Kirin and she’s here, it’s not merely a visit. You’re aware that they have special destinies, and it burns in their hearts until they’ve fulfilled it. That means she’s here to see it fulfilled.” “What I was thinking. I think we should introduce her to...you know who.” The older kirin leaned back in his seat and peeked at the river out the window. It was soothing and still, but every now and then, a fish would jump out of the surface to snatch a fly. “Who else came with her? They don’t act like she is.” “Right. She brought four guests with her. Two of them are pony guards, and another is a kirin from a different tribe. They told me they came out here to find us, because we are apparently lost in the eyes of Equestria. But the last guest backs your theory. What do you say when you find out one of them is a teenage dragon?” The mere mention of it sent Ivory back to his Nirik state. “Where. Is. He?” “Calm down, I don’t think he’s here for a fight just yet. He didn’t like our play, but really, would any dragon like it when they’re forced to confront the dark side of their history?” Ivory grabbed his spear and ignited the tip with his magic. “I’ll ask you again. Where is he?” Streaming Sea rubbed his forehead and stood up. “He’s with our little kirin. They seem to be friends.” If the mention of a dragon was enough to ignite Ivory, the mention of this friendship was enough to calm him down to get back to normal. “Are you certain?” “He was defending her when the villagers didn’t care much for him. It couldn’t be more clear if it was under the surface of a clean river.” “I’ll decide that for myself. If they’re expecting me to see them, that will be the ultimate judgment of their character. You never know with dragons. Even the smaller ones could burn down towns and raid our belongings. I remember seeing it for myself when I reached adulthood. Still, they are waiting for us right now?” “They are. Just be careful about this. She’s not going to be happy if your first reaction is to push him away. We have to gain their trust if we want to discover the true reason why they are here.” “That’s for me to decide. You find out what you can in your books, and we’ll go out to see them after you’re finished. I hope you know what you’re doing.” “Don’t we all wish that for ourselves?” ------ “And that should be it. Did you get everything?” Kunzite inquired. The guards were hard at work, getting every single detail down on the letter. Silverstrike assisted Kunzite with the illustrations as best she could, while Marine Wind got all the words down when the princess got blisters on her hands. She always thought there was a more personal touch, writing things by hand rather than her magic. By the end of it, they were pretty sure they got blisters on their hands, too. “I hope to Celestia that’s everything,” Silverstrike noted. “Are you finished, or do we need to get a third sheet of paper?” Both scrolls were covered in writings, front and back. “Nope. I think that’s everything.” Kunzite gathered the letters in the meadow and cast a spell over them. They turned into wisps of magical energy, drifting off into the winds. It wouldn’t take long for them to reach the town her parents were staying. “I hope Dad doesn’t mind two letters at the same time. If anyone could make his throat sore, it would be my letters.” Before the letters could even get out of the village, another wisp of magic arrived to greet her. It turned into a scroll with the seal of Twilight’s cutie mark. “They must have been waiting to hear from me!” She broke it and went over it right away. Dear Kunzite, I got your first letter, and I’m so happy for you! If anyone could find the village, it would be you. Only Fluttershy rivals your love for nature. Still, we’re very concerned about some of the things you noted, and there’s more guards staying in town with us in case something really bad happens. Still, it’s amazing that you found the tribes like that. Autumn must be over the moon. We’ve known her for over twenty years, and the enthusiasm she showed when we found out was unlike anything I’ve ever seen from her. Still, it’s our hope that these tribes are kinder than what we feared. If what you’re saying is true, you need to keep an eye on Moonstone. He might not be the kindest person in the world, but he’s never left your side. Something I’ve learned over the years is to never judge a book by the cover, and I’m sad to hear that these kirin are doing that. No matter what, write to us right away if something else, no matter how small, happens. We’re confident that you’ll be fine, but if we need to come in, tell us. Oh, and Dad says hello. He’s wondering how you’re able to draw all that stuff, because he almost gagged when he got your letter. That was the biggest letter I’ve ever seen from you. Love you more than anything else in the world, Your Mom and Dad Kunzite read over every word carefully. The words were written in detailed cursive, which made it a little hard to read at times. The message still got across, and she was a little concerned. If there were more guards staying with her parents, things were going to go south in a hurry once they started. Maybe she should have left a detail or two out. No, they would have been upset if she was holding secrets from them. Nevertheless, she rolled up the scroll and put it away in her knapsack. “Thanks for the help, guys. There’s more guard staying with them, but is it really that bad?” “Look around you. This village is full of people I wouldn’t want to mess with.” Silverstrike motioned to all the Niriks in town. “We don’t want to provoke them, but we should be ready in case we get on their bad side.” “Not that they’re bad people. Just don’t go around poking them in the chest. Kinda like a bear,” Marine Wind mentioned. “Personally, I don’t think they’re bad. They just had a bad rub-in with some of the worst dragons in the world, and that was it.” She nodded. “That’s true. Good thing they like Autumn and I so far. Just gotta convince them that Moonstone’s a nice friend, too. Speaking of which, has anyone seen him?” The guards pointed him out to her. He was sitting over by a riverbank by himself, and he had a sheet of paper in his hands. His feet dipped below the surface of the water as he sat down on the ground(thankfully, without any grass there). The letter was toyed with in his claws, like he wasn’t sure what to do with it. Even though he didn’t say or do much, she could tell he was still having a rough time. She sat down next to him and brought her feet into the water as well. There was a flash of recognition in his eyes before he carried on with his thing. He drew the letter closer to his face and blew it away with his fire breath. It vanished into magical smoke, and it went on its way to the Dragon Lands. “You don’t have to stay here with me,” he sighed. “I’ll be fine.” “I know. I wanted to be here with you.” She clasped her hands and rested them on her lap. Fish swam by their legs and didn’t seem to mind the invaders to their homes. “Was that a letter to your parents?” “Yeah. Just letting them know I’m okay. And I am. Really. This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten crap from others, and I’m still here. I’m not the one you need to be worried about.” Despite not having the most street skills compared to her dragon friend, she knew what he meant. “You’re scared because they seem to be freaking out about who I am.” He nodded quietly. “Mom told me that before either one of us was born, ponies would freak out about dragons, because our kind tended to threaten you guys. If you ask me, this is more creepy. They don’t know anything about you, but they’re treating you like royalty. That’s not always a good thing.” She sighed and couldn’t disagree with that. Still, either one of them knew what to do at that point. Something was off about this place to them. When Moonstone didn’t know what it was, though, there wasn’t much they could do to act upon it.   Instead, Kunzite leaned in and gave Moonstone a hug. It caught him off guard, and his instincts told him to pull her off, especially with all the Niriks in the rivers staring at them. Yet, he felt strangely comforted by it. He wanted nothing more but to get out of the situation, but with a friend comforting him like this, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. After all, his mother told him dragons do hugs now. It might just take a while before he figured out if he liked hugging people back or not. “Ah, that is so sweet of you,” a familiar voice warmed up to them. “See, I told you they were friends. They seem nice enough.” The sudden intruder made Kunzite and Moonstone jump out of the river. They were greeted again by Streaming Sea, along with a kirin that was new to them. He was ashy white and brown, and Moonstone could tell he was a contender for the toughest kirin in town just by looking at him. “So your report was true after all,” Ivory Steam remarked. He gazed all over Moonstone, and yeah, that was a dragon. “You’re must be the visitors I’ve heard so much about.” Then he got a look at Kunzite, and he was intrigued. The Equestrian Kirin and dragon were equally concerned. “Oh, my apologies. I didn’t realize how rude it was of us to interrupt like we did. Kunzite, Moonstone, this is my friend, Ivory Steam,” Sea introduced him. “He rules over the other tribe in town. As you can see, whatever he lacks in subtlety, he makes up for in strength.” “If that was meant as an insult, that had the opposite effect,” Ivory commented. He took a step closer to the welcoming party, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. This little kirin appeared to be studious with that knapsack on her back, while he could sense the dragon’s power just with one image. Given they weren’t already fighting, this was a good sign. “I can guess where this dragon comes from, but where do you reside?” he asked Kunzite. “Ponyville. I’m kind of a junior princess over in Equestria,” Kunzite explained. “Why do you think you know where Moonstone comes from?” “He’s already guessed I’m from the Dragon Lands, and he’s right,” admitted Moonstone. He crossed his arms and stood his ground against Ivory. “I’m not here for trouble. If I was, I would have done it a long time ago.” Ivory smirked and glanced over to Streaming Sea. “Let me guess, our kirin friend is a fellow academic like you, while this dragon boy is well trained in fighting, even if he’s not enjoying his field of work right now?” His eyes turned sideways to Moonstone to observe his reaction. The dragon wasn’t sure how to read this kirin just yet. “You could say that,” Sea observed. “Personally, I view them both as potential allies we could learn much from. Speaking of which, you two must be hungry if you came all the way from Autumn’s village. We haven’t been there in years, but we remember that it’s a long trek.” Right on cue, Kunzite’s stomach growled so loud that everyone could hear it. She covered her belly and blushed, only to be interrupted by an even louder growl from Moonstone’s stomach. He slapped his forehead when he realized he might actually have to eat with these people. “I’ll take that as a yes. Don’t worry, we have all the gems you could want,” Ivory offered. Now that got him on Moonstone’s good side, and his eyes twinkled from the offer. “On top of that, we have something in mind only we could offer.” ------ “A dinner cruise? Okay, that has to be a pony thing. It has to be,” Moonstone balked. Two canoes rested by one of the riverbanks. They were both large enough to carry four people, with a couple of paddles on the side for rowing. One canoe was stuffed with enough gems to feed a teenage dragon for a day, the other had typical Equestrian faire. Autumn was invited over to join them for it. She took the scent of fresh water from the river and gave out a joyful exhale. “Ahhh, how much I missed the sea without actually being in the sea! Nothing wrong with a beachside town, but it takes three days to get all the sand out of my fur.” Kunzite smiled and went over to examine one of the boats. The cushions on the seating was a nice touch. It sure helped that this seemed to be a wooden boat, but with tiny pieces of metal to reinforce it. It was likely there to avoid burning down in case of Nirik emergencies. Meanwhile, Moonstone noticed some of the dragons were gathering together downstream. They seemed to be having a good time, sharing stories and gems. It felt surreal exactly because it wasn’t like home at all. They seemed to be...tranquil here. “So how are we doing this?” Kunzite wondered. “There’s two boats here, and I can guess one of them is for Moonstone with all those gems, but we can’t all fit into one boat.” “That’s because we’re splitting into two parties,” Sea explained. “I was thinking that you’d join me on one boat, and Ivory would travel with Moonstone. Autumn’s free to choose between either one. How does that sound?” “Uhh...give us one moment.” Moonstone knew Kunzite was ready to climb on board, so he guided her by the hand to a spot far away from Ivory and Sea. They both raised an eyebrow at his antics. Autumn was even further confused, given she was already starting to climb into Kunzite’s boat. “Okay, what’s your problem this time?” Kunzite sighed. “I don’t want you alone with either one of them,” Moonstone explained. “If I can convince them that we should share the same boat--” “We’re going to be out in the open, and I can fly if they do something bad.” She fluffed her wings to cement her point. “I got this.” Moonstone crossed his arms and snorted a wisp of smoke from his nostrils. “Can Autumn go with you, at least? Just to be safe?” Her eyes widened at the suggestion, but she nodded her head. “I can do that. I’ll be fine either way, but I’m sure she’ll want to stick with us. You going to be okay?” “You’re not the only one that can fly, either.” He extended a wing as a reminder that they were bigger than Kunzite’s. “Let’s get going before we make it worse.” “Hey, be careful out there. I’ll have your back if you need someone,” she told him. It left him stunned, and he didn’t know how to answer that for a moment. Before he could, she already found himself back with everyone else. Sea and Ivory seemed to be talking amongst themselves when they saw their guests coming back again. They stopped their little conversation and went back to their own things. “Are we ready to depart? Don’t worry, there is still plenty of daylight left if you need a moment,” Sea offered. “No, we’re ready. Only thing is, can Autumn ride with you and me?” Kunzite asked. “Well…” He turned to see what Autumn was up to. She had already climbed into their boat, and she waved over to the two of them. “I figured she would want to come in the first place, so I see no problem in it.” He nodded over to Ivory. Ivory nodded back knowingly. Autumn squealed in delight. “I just can’t wait to get going! I mean, my village is really nice and I never want to move, but this village is awesome with the rivers, the fish, and all the Nirik fire everywhere. It’s like the opposite of that time we took the Oath of Silence and nobody would ever say anything and...okay, I’ll stop talking.” Kunzite giggled under her breath. “It’s quite alright. I think we’re all looking forward to this.” With that out of the way, both groups got together for the ride. Moonstone and Ivory went to their own boat and made the final preparations. Ivory literally leaped over the side to get onto the boat, while Moonstone was content to simply climb on board like most passengers would. At least it seemed like this kirin was agile. He noted that Ivory observed him carefully, as if he wasn’t sure what this dragon would do next. Almost like he still didn’t trust him. Things were calmer on the other boat. Autumn gave Kunzite and Sea a helping hand with getting the boat off the ground, and the ride rocked gently on the banks of the bay. Kunzite was a little on edge, because she knew Moonstone was paranoid for justifiable reasons. Still, Sea was relaxed and calm, like he had gotten to know both kirin over a long period of time. That certainly helped her feel more comfortable with this arrangement. Now that they were all on board, they all passengers picked up a paddle and pushed their boats deeper into the river. It took some effort, but Ivory and Moonstone’s boat left first. One could chalk that up to them being physically stronger. “No fair, you have a dragon on your side!” Autumn teased. “Push ups, Autumn. It’s all in the push ups,” Moonstone snarked. Ivory was indifferent to the little exchange, but he gave Sea a knowing smile while they drifted down into the currents of the river. Their boat was ahead of Kunzite’s, but Kunzite put everything she had into the paddle. It wasn’t long until the bay was far behind them. They were still behind Moonstone’s boat, but they weren’t going as slow as snails anymore. “So you are strong after all,” Sea noted. “That must be because you’re half dragon. Even a half dragon would be stronger than a normal kirin or pony.” “How did you know I was half dragon?” Kunzite commented. Sea paused for a moment, and Autumn swore she saw a drop of sweat go down his face. Or maybe that was just water from the river. “I can tell from your features alone. Being surrounded by dragons, I can pick up on the dragon features on you, just as your scales.” “Fair enough. All the dragon blood is on my dad’s side, so I guess I can see that.” She dipped the paddle below the water and pushed them forward. “Moonstone could still beat me in a fight, though.” “Nah, you got magic on your side. Just use it for a magical fist or something, and there you go,” Autumn grinned. “He can’t top that if he tried.” “I heard that.” Moonstone lifted his paddle and splashed the water on Autumn. Her neck fur matted down to her skin, and she couldn’t believe he just did that. “Come on, she was just trying to be helpful!” Kunzite splashed water back at Moonstone, only to get some on Ivory by mistake. He stood perfectly still as he realized he was soaking wet. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to...oh,” she said in awe. He ignited into his Nirik form for a brief second, and when he went back to being a kirin, he was completely dry.  “That is pretty cool.” The river widened as they drifted further down its path. The village took up occupancy on both sides, and Moonstone, Kunzite, and Autumn noticed all the kirin walking around down there. Some of them took advantage of the beautiful day by going fishing. A few houses stood nearby, but it was still an open air feeling. Up ahead, they grew ever closer to the company of dragons. They were chatting and seeing how far they could send their fire breath into the air. Now that was something Moonstone could get behind. It got to the point where he debated on getting out on the boat to go see them, but Ivory had other plans. “Why don’t you eat before you meet them?” he asked. It wasn’t hard to judge where the dragon was staring. “If everyone in a mile long radius could hear your stomach, you must be hungry.” Moonstone’s stomach growled again, and he remembered the spread of gems Ivory gathered for him. The gems weren’t as big as the ones he usually ate, but they still looked delicious. He picked up a few green emeralds and helped himself. “Thank you. Really, I don’t care if you hate me or not, just as long as you give me a chance.” “A chance? Hmm. Just what I was thinking.” Ivory leaned back into his cushioned seat and guided the boat to their destination. “Tell me, then. Have you ever taken anything that didn’t belong to you?” The dragon stopped in the middle of his emerald. He struggled to swallow it, especially when he got a certain glance from the kirin. “I have a hoard, but every dragon has one. But I don’t steal from ponies or kirin. Most of my stuff came from lost treasure, like shipwrecks and stuff like that.” “So there really is buried treasure in the world, even after all these years of treasure hunting.” Ivory kept his thoughts to himself for a while, and the boat drifted ever closer to the flock of dragons nearby. “And not every dragon has a hoard. If you didn’t learn that already, you will once you get to know the dragons that call this place their home.” That made Moonstone curious, and he wondered about the mountains up to the skies. The caves above seemed to be rather large. Yet, he noticed that with the way these mountains were designed, there couldn’t be much room inside. That means less rooms for hoards and collected treasure. “Let me guess, your dragons are different?” Ivory was treating himself to a simple salad, albeit mixed with some meat on the side. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I’ve heard you saw our little play and didn’t respond well to it. What was going through your head when you witnessed it?” Whatever was left of the Emerald grinded into dust in Moonstone’s hand. He took a moment to let it pass. This was nothing. He could get through it without losing his temper. “I hated it. Torch isn’t the nicest dragon in the world, but he wasn’t that bad. Was he?” For the first time in a while, he saw someone else snort smoke out of their nose. “I was a child when the raids happened. We didn’t add anything to enhance the drama there. It was all as it really happened. And I hated all dragons for years because of it, until I learned better.” His paddling went a little faster. “Just a pity he still rules over the other dragons with an iron fist.” Moonstone tried to ease his mind with another gem, but he nearly choked again on his meal. “Still rules? What do you mean?” “He might be getting old, even for a dragon, but he’s going to be around for a few decades longer, if not more,” Ivory noted. “I’m sorry if he’s given you a hard time. I can tell you’re not like him at all. You’re listening to what I have to say, for one. He wouldn’t even get that far.” The young dragon couldn’t believe it. He long suspected with the way Ivory and Sea were talking, they didn’t know Torch had stepped down from his throne a long time ago. But it was another thing to have his suspicions confirmed like that. The other dragons were right by him, and it dawned on him that they didn’t know about it, either. That left his mind reeling; did they all think the same thing? How long had they been cut off from the rest of the world? At the same time, he wasn’t sure how to break it to them. Not like they were going to respond well to finding out he was the former Dragon Lord’s grandson. They already didn’t trust him too much to begin with. This wasn’t something he could just drop on them. He had to be careful about it. “He doesn’t rule over me,” he replied. “That much I can tell you.” “I figured he doesn’t. You share a lot of his traits, I’ve noticed, like his burning strength and that burning rage that smolders underneath it all. But you’ve learned to channel it, haven’t you?” Ivory though. “From someone who learned how to harness the strength of the Nirik, that can get you far in life.” That only served to get Moonstone more uncomfortable. He needed to do something fast before Ivory really caught onto who he was. “Mind if I get out so I can hang out with those guys?” He motioned over to the dragons close by. “Not at all. Go on and learn how dragons live around here,” Ivory offered. “You have those wings of yours to catch up when you’re done. Don’t worry. I don’t think I could eat those gems, even if I wanted to.” “I’ll hold you to that.” Moonstone wasted no time getting out of the boat, using his wings to lift him out of the river. His heart was beating in his chest, though not from fear. It was more like he realized the risk he just got himself into. Maybe it was a good thing Kunzite’s parents were nearby, after all. Ivory drifted along the river while he kept his eyes on Moonstone, while the teenage dragon went off to join the other dragons. Kunzite’s boat went along with Ivory’s, and she caught how on edge the dragon seemed to be. This wasn’t a good sign, but she had a feeling she needed to just keep paddling. He likely wanted it that way. The dragons near the river were of various shapes and sizes. Some could rival Torch in their size, but a few were smaller than Moonstone. A few of them might have accidentally set a tree on fire, but they were quick to help the kirin put it out with a gust of wind with their wings. Others were chatting away and having a good time. At the very least, this seemed to be one of the more friendly groups of dragons he had seen in a while. Well, save for that time he met Smolder. When he approached them, the mood of the area changed. They all stopped what they were doing to stare at him. Nobody seemed upset about it, but they could pick up that this was an outsider. “Hmm, he must be from the Dragon Lands.” “He seems friendly enough. He’s not trying to set us on fire, so that’s a good start.” “You think he has a hoard? I can pick up a faint scent of gold on his scales.” “Yes, I have a hoard,” he shrugged. “I’m from the Dragon Lands. Is that a big deal? I’m not gonna hurt you or anything.” One of the teenage dragons, a green one, came up to see him. “Sorry, we’re just not used to seeing a dragon from outside the village. My name’s Emerald. Kinda weird seeing dragons and kirin co-existing like this, huh?” “Actually, I’m kinda used to it. Name’s Moonstone. Ponies and dragons are starting to get along in Equestria. Still feels like a weird fever dream,” he explained. Okay, this is a good step. Tell them things are changing, but not enough that they find out who you are. Just find a way to break it to them slowly and you’ll come out okay. Emerald gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. “That’s a thing now? Wow, that really does sound like a fever dream. It sounds like paradise to us.” “I’ll say. The ponies in Equestria didn’t seem that bad,” another teenage dragon commented, a purple one that was slightly bigger than Moonstone. “Still, I wouldn’t want to leave here. The kirin are pretty cool and they like us. We don’t even have to breathe fire to make the gems hot. They’re willing to help out with that.” As much as Moonstone should have been happy that things were smooth between the dragons and kirin, he couldn’t help but think this was boring. Where was the fight? Where was the desire to go higher and further than ever before? Then he got an idea to fix that issue. “That sounds cool and all, but I got something in mind. Anyone up for some arm wrestling? Look, there’s even a rock we could use for it.” He pointed out a rock with a flat surface, and it almost looked like a table. It was tempting to just eat it instead, given it had a few gems embedded along the surface. “What do you say?” All the teenage dragons looked at each other in confusion. Some were even wondering where that rock came from. Emerald came up to him and broke the bad news. “We really don’t do that kind of stuff around here.” “WHAAAAT!” he balked. “But...but...everyone likes arm wrestling. I even arm wrestled Autumn, and she’s a kirin! That means it’s not just a dragon thing. Don’t you all like doing stuff like that? Showing the world just how strong you are?” The dragons stood silently around him. Emerald shrugged and shook her head. “Why would we do that? It’s all good around here. Maybe you like doing things your own way, but I like some good old peace and quiet.” That left Moonstone in shock and awe. His jaw dropped from the sheer surprise, and he had to take some time to absorb the blow. “You...you don’t like...doing tests and strength...and you like the...the...QUIET?” One of the elder dragons, the blue one from the play, leaned her head down to face Moonstone. “My apologies, but it’s clear you’re not used to our way of life. What’s the use of showing your strength off when you don’t need to? Here in this village, we only use it when we have to defend ourselves.” Did he hear that right? Was Moonstone hearing that in the real world? He couldn’t believe it, and his confused expression told the story to the rest of the dragons. Emerald was pretty sure they broke the poor dragon, and gave him a tap on the shoulder. He just stood there, wondering what kind of alternative dimension he was in. At least he was giving the elder dragons a chuckle. “I guess things never changed back home if that’s how he feels about this,” they commented. ------ The other boat ride was much more peaceful. Kunzite grew ever more concerned about her friend, but Autumn’s mood was anything but down. She helped herself to the exotic salads and foods of this village. In the meantime, Sea kept an eye out for where they were heading. There was nothing but blue rivers and sea life for miles to come. It helped that they ended up on the scenic route, with a few bridges connecting the two sides of the river. Autumn waved over to the kirin crossing the bridge. “Hey, everyone! No wonder you’re all outside today. It’s a really good day. It’s like...the perfect day, and…” She didn’t try to hold back the tears this time. “It’s just amazing. I spent a few years wondering what it would be like when I found you guys, and now it’s real.” “LIke I said, I’m happy for you, Autumn. You finally got to meet everyone,” Kunzite smiled. She wondered about the food Streaming Sea provided for them, namely the… huge amounts of meat he brought on board. Was it wrong to eat it when it used to be an animal? Probably. She just went for the salad and helped herself. “I still can’t believe we were ever considered a lost village,” Streaming Sea pondered. He pushed the boat forward and kept a lookout. “Then again, the world will always change around you.” He was in his Nirik form, and the flashes of fire reflected across the surface of the water. Eventually, Kunzite couldn’t help but wonder the burning question--literally, burning--that was in her mind. “Hey, Sea, do you think you have to be on fire all the time like that? I imagine it has to hurt every now and then.” “Is that a problem? We’re not setting the boat on fire, are we?” Sea examined the vessel, as if he actually needed to check if he caught it on fire. “Oh, nothing wrong. You still wonder if it hurts to be on fire all the time? Autumn, tell me, does it hurt when you’re a Nirik?” Autumn shook her head. “Everything gets hot around me, but I feel fine. I’ve been through waaaaay worse than that.” “My point, exactly. Not to mention, the form has its perks.” His hands went back to normal, and he picked up a glass of milk. With a simple wave of his hand, he sent heat inside it from his Nirik magic. In no time at all, the milk was boiling over, and it sizzled in his grasp. He handed it over to Kunzite. “Give it a try.” Kunzite had no idea what hot milk fired up from a kirin would taste like, and she made sure it looked safe to drink. Nothing looked wrong here. She gave it a few sips and focused on how it tasted. It was...pretty delicious, actually. It was just the right temperature, and she helped herself to a few more sips. “That is pretty good,” she noted. “So you use it for cooking, too? I could see the use in that. I’ve been trying to do the same with my fire spells, but...I almost burned down the house the last time I used it.” That drew the first laugh she ever heard from Streaming Sea. “Yes, that’s one use for it. Personally, I’m guilty of using it to light candles in my study room every now and then. We haven’t found a way to fireproof the books yet, but we’re looking into it.” “And look over there!” Autumn noted more Niriks all around them on both sides of the river. “They’re really getting creative with it.” Some of them were crafting their own little plays on mini stages they had built, and fire was used for dramatic effect, like sending a ring of fire into the air. It brought a tear to her face, and she thought about doing that herself when she had another play going on. “It is pretty amazing,” Kunzite noted. It was strange to her. She never thought an entire installment of civilization built around fire and strength could be so peaceful, but it worked. It was a unique place, with the mix of fire in the air and water on the ground, but she couldn’t deny that she enjoyed it. Of course, that was that little twinge of guilt in the back of her head, reminding her that what they did to Moonstone was wrong. Judging from the frown on her face, her guilt was becoming visible to all. “Is something wrong?” Streaming Sea asked. “We’d be the first to understand if you’re seasick.” “It’s nothing. Just thinking about my friends,” she replied. “I’m really happy to hear you found your own way of life out here.” Despite that, her face was down, and she had a lot of thoughts swirling in her mind. “Yes...your friends. You must really trust them if you brought them all the way out here,” he trailed off. Before he could continue his train of thought, he heard a gagging noise behind him. “I think I might be getting seasick,” Autumn whined. Her face was a dark shade of green, and she had to do everything in her power not to hurl. “Can we stop at the next bay? I’m so sorry.” “No no, it’s okay. We can make a pit stop right now, in fact.” There was a bay right coming up, and he tilted the boat to head down that way. Kunzite gulped when it dawned on her that Autumn was leaving. Moonstone would have told her to get off the boat if he found out. Yet, she felt an urge to stay on board, as if something would happen if she kept going. Something that would make the ride worth it. Maybe that was just her curiosity speaking for her. They arrived at the bay soon after, and a few kirin were waiting in case of emergencies like this. “Please help Autumn back to solid ground. She’s not feeling too well,” Sea informed them. Autumn nearly fell down on her belly as soon as she reached for the bay, but the kirin grabbed her arms and helped her back on her feet. “Whew, what a ride!” she rambled. “I might not be one for boat rides, but that was one hay of a scenic route. Go ahead without me, I’ll catch up with you later!” She already started to feel better, and she slowly found her way back to the village. “Take care, Autumn. I’ll tell you the rest when we get back!” Kunzite waved her on. Then she noted just how eager Sea seemed to be to continue. “I’m ready whenever you are.” “Very well. There is something I wanted to show you, and I think you’re going to like it.” He pushed the paddle off the bay, and it got the boat back into the deep end of the river. They were off to continue their journey, and it was late in the afternoon by then. Celestia would be setting the sun at any minute, if she wasn’t already getting ready for her duty. The boat drifted off into the deeper parts of the river. The village still enveloped them on both sides, but the buildings were becoming more and more scattered the further they went. Kunzite noticed it slowly but surely, and she had no idea what was in store for them. If Streaming Sea said she would like it, that means this was going to be significant. The kirin took a few small, deep breaths as he led the boat to his destination. Whenever he noticed the lily pads on the surface of the river, he knew what it meant. Kunzite wasn’t the best mind reader, but thanks to Wildfire’s lessons on meditation, she could pick up on heartbeats. And Sea’s heart was going haywire. It didn’t take a genius to realize it wasn’t from the amount of force he put into the paddling. “The truth is, we haven’t been honest about how this village works,” he started. “I do have jurisdiction over my tribe, and Ivory overlooks the other with a lot of authority. Our titles have some merit to them. But we’re not the ones in charge, not really. I figured you’d want to meet the real leader of the tribe for yourself.” “...real leader? What are you talking about?” Now Kunzite’s heart was going crazy. Her mind raced from the news, and she had no idea how to take it. “That’s what I mean to show you. This isn’t a secret we need to keep from you any longer.” He drove the boat into the riverbank, and he got out before the boat even stopped. He offered Kunzite a hand to help her climb out as well. She wasn’t sure if this was something she needed to be part of, but her curiosity went through the roof the more she thought about it. She grabbed his hand and got back to solid ground.  Of course, she minded the grass as she touched down, which there was a lot of. Everywhere, in fact. She had to hover on the ground to avoid breaking a single strand. He brought her to a garden of some sort, on an island separated from the rest of the village. It brought back memories of Wildfire’s own garden, but this one had waterways in some lanes of it. It was like the river was slowly invading the area, but it was kept in check with boundaries. The smells from all the flowers present were stronger than anything she had ever smelled before. Maybe it was all the water everywhere, but she couldn’t deny that she loved it. Sea motioned for her to go on ahead of him. She made an effort not to stop on the curated grass as she went deeper into the garden. Sweat started to go down the kirin leader’s face, something that didn’t go unnoticed by her. Whatever this was, she started to get nervous about it. Right in the middle of the garden, however, there was a section where the river overtook the ground. It almost resembled a crescent moon, with the way the land curved around it into a smaller bay. But that wasn’t what grabbed her attention. No, it was something that would shock her to the core. A person was standing in the shallow end of the river. She was at least a foot taller than Kunzite, yet she seemed to only be in her twenties, maybe the end of her teens. Her clothes resembled oriental robes, but she had claws on her hands. Her skin was a combination of dragon scales and pony fur. The fur was dark red, and the scales were noticeably lighter. Her eyes seemed to be bright orange, and her mane went down past her shoulders. And then there were the two horns on her head. They were a bright, electric shade of orange, and the magical aura on them was almost pure white. She waved her hand across the water in some kind of ceremony. Within the span of just a few seconds, the algae and other contaminants in the river vanished from her spell, like they were never there. Despite Kunzite never making a sound, the woman in the water felt something change in the air behind her. She turned around and noticed Streaming Sea there, bowing on one knee and lowering his head. But that was nothing compared to the young girl she spotted. She greeted the awestruck kirin with one of the most heartwarming smiles she had seen in a long time. “Hello there, young one,” she greeted. “I’ve heard the stories about you. Never in a million years would I imagine that I’d find another one of my kind.”