"I should tell you this takes place before I was Queen, Before I had ever even seen the dragon lands" Valstrax began
"Wait, yer a queen?!" Aj Exclaimed
"Shhh"!" Hushed the children as Val chuckled. "Lets see... It took place about three days after I met dragon Lord ifrit....."
I woke up with a yawn and a stretch, my scales creaking slightly as my wings splayed behind me. "Good morning Lady Valstrax. I take it you are going hunting for breakfast this morning?" Asked the butler that the princesses assigned to me. Funnily enough, the old Pegasus was the only one who was willing to take the job.
"Thanks Jasper. Yeah, the stores are running low anyways, and I cant maintain this figure on gems." By then I had figured out that I could indeed eat gems, though not after a visiting dragon all but forced me to try them. I still prefer being a carnivore, but gems could tide me over for a time.
"No, I am not about to eat your family Honesty."
"But you're-"
"Pegasus need to eat fish to maintain their physique. Even grounders need to help themselves at least once a month"
"...."
"As I thought. NOW, no more interruptions."
After bidding Jasper a good day I didn't immediately leave through my balcony, instead I decided to walk through the castle Evergreen, perhaps even stroll through the town. Didn't take me long to dismiss that last one however...
"Do you see that beast there?"
"Isn't that the monster? The one that caught discord to a standstill?"
"Where is it's leash? Something like that shouldn't be allowed to just roam about."
"I heard it claims to be a dragon, has the scales for it."
"But nothing else. I bet Discord made it, and just lost control of the creature. We can't trust it."
"The princess's monster... You don't think it eats ponies do you?"
I tried to ignore them, I really did. But I was young, lost, confused... And on so hurt. I kept quiet and kept walking, even as a tear fell from my face.
I don't know how long I walked the halls until, either by luck or Fate throwing me a bone, I came across my only friends in the world. "Valstrax! Good morning dear friend!" Greeted Celestia, having by now gotten over her suspicions of me and accepted me.
"Val, is something the matter?" Luna asked, the only pony to have accepted me in a heartbeat. "You're crying."
It was at that moment that I noticed my tears and quickly wiped my face, trying to play it off. "Y-yes, yes I'm fine, thanks for asking Lulu." I said with a smile, genuine dispute my tears.
The sisters shared a look, neither convinced but neither pressing either. "If you are sure Val. Luna and I are always here if you need somepony to talk to." Celestia said with a nod from Luna.
"Thank you, but I really should be going. The meat stores are low today and I need my morning meal." I said trying to step past them, a feat not made easy by my size. And the sisters didn't help.
"Actually Val, We've been meaning to ask, but could you take us with you to your nest?" Luna asked. "We rarely get days off ruling a country, much less rebuilding it, and You made mention of a hot springs once?"
"Besides, gives us a fine excuse to get to spend time with you. Away from all the stuffy nobles and skittish townsfolk." Celestia piped in.
"Wait, you have a nest?"
"Yes watashi no kodomo, I do."
"Where is it?"
"Look up there."
".....When the heck did that mountain get there?!"
"You mean it left? Huh, Celeatia's list just keeps growing daily. Back to the story."
We headed out to the front of the castle for my lift off, my body being enough to just barely fit both princesses at that time.
"See, it even acts like a beast of burden."
"What a ugly thing."
"Maybe the princesses are keeping it around to breed it. I mean, That monster brought the god of chaos to a standstill, imagine a entire platoon with domesticated monsters like that."
It was then that I learned my hearing was well beyond that of most creatures, because the princesses seemingly didn't hear a word, though I would never know if they did. Always lost at poker to those two.
With a roar I sucked in air through my chest. "Hold on... I'm gonna be letting out some pent up emotions here soon." I warned my passengers before, with a strangled cry, the damn broke, and I took off. All my anger, my sorrow, my frustrations, I poured it all out into my wings. "The lose of my friends and family. The lose of my home. The agony of discrimination. Of being seen as nothing short of a beast. The unfairness of it all, all boiling over and into my wings. In no time we reached my home, where I did a loop, landed by the springs, and broke down crying. I cried and cried, even as the sisters hugged and shushed me, not understanding, but knowing what I needed.
"I'm sorry, it's... Been rough." I said once the snobs finally calmed down.
"There is no need for apologies" Celestia comforted.
"There are times where even we can't handle the weight of the crown, and we just need to cry." Luna said gently.
"So much has happened, so much as changed... I miss my home. I miss my family, I miss being treated fairly by strangers. I-I miss everything." I said, hikuping half way through.
After a few more minutes of shakey breaths and comforting words I stood up. "Thank you again. Now, I didn't bring you hear for my problems, let's relax yeah?" I said, gesturing to the hotspring.
We all slowly let ourselves into the spring, one side deep enough for me with plenty of room to grow, and it was relaxing. With a collective sigh, all three woman let their muscles, all tight for verging reasons, lossen under the warm spring. "I needed this." Celestia said in bliss.
"We all did sister." Luna said, her eyes closed in relaxation
"You're welcome." I said with a small smile, the bitter words of the ponies below at the castle still stinging, but lessened under the relaxing waters.
"I thought you said this was a cool story, but it's so... Sappy."
"Scootaloo!"
"What?"
"It's fine little one. Besides, the climax will be soon, don't worry young Scootaloo."
After our relaxation, and a few hour of companionship and hunting, it was time for us to return. It was around four in the afternoon if memory serves, when the first of many attempts were made.
"So, Luna was so jellous that you got your cutiemark, than she exploded, and the resulting explosion made the moon, as well as the Badlands?" I asked. I had found out that the sisters, regardless of appearance, were already many ages old, just aged at a much slower rate due to their magic and biology.
"Sister, you swore to never speak of that again!" Luna exclaimed much to our amusement. It was during this laughter that time seemed to slow. I heard it, the click of a crossbow being pulled back. With speeds even I rarely see, I covered the sisters with my wings, to realize too late that they were not the targets. With a cry, the bolt was lodged in my neck. With a roar I turned to where the sound originated work another to hit one of my weak points. The air vents that are my chest cavities. I became enraged and flew at the attempted hunters, hell bent on capturing them, or killing them, which ever came first. I could tell they were unprepared for me to survive as the scrambled to run. I followed, blasting through segments of the recently repaired castle to hunt the hunters. I followed them to the court yard where they cried out. "The monster has gone insane! Put it down, kill it!" Many guards took their word and readied their weapons, spells you name it. I took a step back. I was out numbered, out gunned, and my would be killers were escaping. But I was faster. With a burst of speed I plowed through the ranks, careful not to harm any permanently before I caught the two, young nobles I recognized through the castle. "Help us! It's gonna eat us!" They cried. With a growl I was tempted to do just that when a voice rang out.
"Now, the net!" A guard rang out, a net of iron being magicly thrown at me. I roared even as the net was pulled down by a team of unicorns. "The rope!" Another team started to tie down my legs and wings, even as I tired to burn through them.
"This is the end monster!" Spoke the guard Captain as he leveled a Lance of pure magic to my head. I stoped resisting, closed my eyes, and cried. Why must I suffer...
"That's enough of that." Celestia said, stepping down the ruined castle doors, her name, tail, and eyes abladze with fury.
"Princess, I apologise but you must leave, that monster-"
"That Dragon just had a attempt on their life and used themselves as a shield over my sister and I, protecting us before herself." Celestia glared, the grass around her turning brown and blackening. "Could you say the same Captain? Where you there, protecting us like you swore? And even if you were, would you, without a single hesitation, without a single thought of your family, your friends, those who mean the world to you, thrown yourself before us. No, I think not. Release her."
"But-"
"Release her, or I will, and trust me Captain, you won't enjoy that choice." Celestia said coldly.
"Yes your Highness." The Captain said, looking down. "Release the be- the dragon"
Slowly one by one the different nets, ropes and shackles came off, all backing away quickly to see if I would attack them, yet I just laid there, humbled, broken... And thankful to Celestia. Once I was clear of the various chains and nets, Celestia spoke to me. "Valstrax, head inside. Luna will need to know her friend is alright, and she and Jasper will tend to your wounds."
"Thank you Celly." I croked out, the bolt in my neck making it a bit harder to talk before I made my inside, soaring a glance behind me as Celestia walked towards the cowering nobles and smiled, knowing justice will be done.
"That's enough story for one day little ones." Valstrax said to the children plus Applejack.
"So cool!" Scootaloo cheered.
"Ah think yah were brave Miss Valstrax." Appleblood said happily.
"It was Soo sad..." Sweetie Belle sniffed
"It was a age ago young belle. A hard time to be sure, but there were other trials ahead, ones that mean more than a single instance of 'Noble' stupidity." Valstrax reassured the young filly.
"I hate nobles... Doesn't matter the day or age, they only cause problems." Spike growled, much to the surprise of the ponies present.
Valstrax however, "None of that watashi no kodomo. You are better than that. They are unworthy of anything you do, of anything you feel. They are unworthy of your ire." The Elder Dragon spoke to the hatchling. "Now, run along you four. I will meet you at the castle Spike, insure Honesty wishes to speak with me."
With a round of awes, the crusaders and spike left the two adults alone. "You didn't tell them the full truth, did you?" Applejack said, going straight to the point.
"No, young ears need not hear what else happened. How I stood at the door and watched with a sick satisfaction as the two were burned alive. Of how other attempts included bribing a dragon ambassador to not only... Relieve himself with my body, but to make me suffer the whole time, of how it came to be that I ended up leaving the lands of Equestria not out of choice like I will tell them, but out of fear of those ponies and all they could do, dispute the princesses trying everything short of killing them all needlessly." Valstrax said before looking the horrified and surprised farmer in the eyes. "You ponies enjoy peace now, enjoy preaching harmony, forgetting what caused the other races to regress into themselves in the first place, forgetting what caused Luna to become that monster of a mare, Nightmare Moon. So no, I will not open their young, innocent eyes to the horrible truth, even if it is such a truth." The dragon said, before turning and walking, leaving the apple farmer to her thoughts.