//------------------------------// // Inferno // Story: My Little Kirin: The Lost Tribes // by Soothing Stone //------------------------------// The air around the Dragon Lands that day was tense, thin to the touch, and not pleasant at all. The Dragon Lord spent most of yesterday telling the dragons what happened with her son, and what could soon happen. As a result, there was a lot of murmuring and gossip around the land. Whatever was going to go down, they had a feeling that they wouldn’t forget it. It only intensified when a unit of pony guards came into their home. Once upon a time, this was a sign that they were going to war with Equestria. This day, it was a sign that they would be standing together against whatever would come. Many of the guards carried swords and spears by their sides, all carried the banner of Twilight and Spike, and none looked at the dragons with contempt. In fact, some of them looked concerned for their scaly counterparts. Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Spike would be among them. As soon as they arrived, they came to see Dragon Lord Ember and Fizzle. Even though she knew it wouldn’t go over well, Twilight went over to hug Ember. For once, Ember didn’t seem to mind it. Maybe it was because Spike warmed her up to the idea of hugging, but it was most likely because of what they were going through. Along with the rest of them, Wildfire tagged along. Still, when he noticed the royal couples coming together, he stayed back a bit. He didn’t need to be part of their personal conversation right now. “I don’t care what’s going on. I’m going to get Moonstone out of there,” Ember warned. “There’s no way I’m going to leave him alone with people like that.” “But he already left from the sound of it,” Fizzle pointed out. “He’s probably coming this way. I don’t think we don’t have to worry about him to begin with, he’s stronger than me. Kunzite, on the other hand…” “I know,” Twilight sighed. “There’s another unit of guards coming to get her now, some of our best. I just really feel bad for everyone involved. If I knew it was going to be like this, I wouldn’t have let her go.” “That’s how we’re all feeling right now,” Spike sighed with her. “Let’s just keep our heads up and do the best we can right now. We can get out of this safe and sound yet.” “He is wise about this,” Wildfire noted. “If you spend too much time beating yourself up over your past mistakes, you’re just left beaten up. The best way to move forward is to go after your current problem with all you’ve got. Oh, and bring your friends, too, but you’ve already done that in spades.” Despite all that was going on, he managed to calm them down. Ember still looked ready to tear a volcano to pieces with her bare hands, but that was nothing compared to where she was just a minute ago. A lot of the dragons and guards gathered around the five of them, to listen in and guard them in case things went south. The sun blazed down on the lands, leaving not one shadow to hide in. Whatever was going to happen would be as plain as day. A cool breeze kept the environment around them bearable, but it was still tense to the feeling. However, all of them noticed a small blue blur off in the distance. It was coming their way, and it came alone. It didn’t take much to guess who it was, and everyone knew it. Ember and Fizzle immediately spread their wings and flew up to meet the person halfway. Moonstone’s eyes were dark red from the tears he let out, and his cheeks were still a little wet.. No matter what kind of person he was, he gasped when he saw his parents coming out to see him. He couldn’t get a word out, and he didn’t fight it when they hugged him for dear life. That was the thing he needed most, and he hugged them back. All the strength was gone in his bones, and he trembled. “I was so worried about you,” Ember admitted. She pulled back and held his face. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” “No, they didn’t hurt me,” he replied, his voice gravelly to the ears. “I missed you guys so much. All that time, I just wanted to be back home. Sorry. I should be stronger than that.” “Stop that. You don’t have to be the big, silent guy all the time,” Fizzle corrected him. “You were brave for going through all that, and you were the better man when things got rough. That’s all that needs to be said.” Moonstone nodded slowly, and he looked down below. All the ponies over there got his attention, especially a certain kirin’s parents. “Is Kunzite okay?” Ember and Fizzle looked at each other for a moment. “She’s safe. Twilight just got a letter from her an hour ago, and they’re going to get her out of there. Nobody’s going to be hurt.” “Good. That’s all I needed to know.” He hugged them again, and it was clear he didn’t know what to do at that point. It was getting harder and harder to think, but simply hearing that his friend...if he didn’t force their friendship to an end...was okay, that was enough to put his heart at ease. Twilight and Spike watched them in the meantime, and they were clutching each other’s hands tightly. “I just hope we can do the same with Kunzite…” she trailed off. “We will. I believe that she knows how to handle it, and she wasn’t alone. We left her with those two guards for a reason,” Spike pointed out. Even then, they were both thinking about her all the time. It’s terrifying for any parent to go through that when they’re separated from their children like this, especially with the circumstances they were going through. This wasn’t going to be a picnic of a day, that was for sure. Right when they thought they had a quiet moment, they would see even more people coming in from the horizon. These weren’t just tiny figures, either. A lot of them were elder dragons, some of the largest they had ever seen. And they were coming right in the group’s direction. “Ladies and gentlemen, let the games begin,” Wildfire said to himself. “May the stars help us all.” “Everypony, get to your stations and prepare for battle!” Twilight waved them off. The guards got together into battle formation, and they divided up into three groups. The Earth Ponies acted as the vanguard with spears ready to throw, the unicorns backed them up with offensive spells at standby, and the pegasi had swords glistening against the sunlight. There were a few dragons around them, and they knew what this meant. A lot of them rose up and joined the pegasi in the formation. The smaller ones growled and extended the claws on their hands, while the bigger dragons stood by. They were ready to launch into the air in case it came to blows. With Spike joining the guards and Twilight standing out in front of them all, it was an impressive show of force, one that could and would not easily stand down or crumble in battle. In the middle of all this commotion, Moonstone could feel a shift in the environment around them, even before the “visitors” came in. His demeanor changed right when he saw the party coming their way. “No...why won’t you all leave me alone!” An inhuman growl escaped his lips. It had been a long time since his parents saw him that ticked off. Ember and Fizzle turned to see what it was, and they soon shared Moonstone’s sentiment when they spotted a few kirin riding the dragons. “That’s them, isn’t it?” Ember asked. “Those are the guys from the village?” “I think we know the answer to that already,” Fizzle responded. “It’s time to put an end to this, once and for all!” The three of them stayed where they were, roaring together against the threat at their doorstep. The roar rang throughout the area, going for miles in all directions. This was war in their eyes, and they came prepared. They were still in for a surprise. When Moonstone saw the party come closer, he recognized Ivory Steam, Streaming Sea, and a lot of kirin riding on the backs of the bigger dragons. There were a few teenage dragons along with them. The more he read the faces on them, the more he saw Sea waving his hands frantically, as if to say “STOP!” And then there was the other noteworthy thing: None of the kirin were armed, or even in their Nirik forms. “Those two over there? They’re the ones in charge,” he pointed out to his parents. “But...that’s weird. Is it just me or does it look like they’re not here for a fight?” “No, I see it, too,” Ember agreed. “We should check it out, but keep your guard up. It could be a trap.” “What should I do if it is a trap? I don’t want to see either one of you get hurt,” Fizzle said worriedly. “Nothing’s gonna happen. If it’s a fight they want, we’ll take them down together,” she said, as a matter of fact. “That’s right,” Moonstone nodded. “I’m doing it for Kunzite.” The three of them went up as a group to greet the kirin. Twilight saw what they were about to do and turned to Spike. She tilted her head their way, and he got the hint right away. They went up together to join Ember and her family, united to face whatever future that was about to unfold. Wildfire didn’t need to be told anything, and he joined them right away. Sea and Ivory’s dragons were at the front of the pack, and they had the largest dragons of them all. Well, from their group. They stopped right on the outer edges of the Dragon Lands’ territory. From the looks of their faces, they were waiting for the others to meet them halfway. Even with the feeling that they weren’t here to fight, it didn’t ease the tension around here. There was still a sense that one wrong move could lead to disaster. Moonstone, Ember, Fizzle, Wildfire, Twilight, and Spike all felt it amongst themselves. They went up to meet the kirin, and Twilight already knew what spell she would hit them with if it came to that: A water spell that would turn the area around them into a monsoon of destruction. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to use it. If only she knew it was like a pea shooter compared to what Wildfire would use... The dragons looked carefully at Ember, seeing how tiny she was in comparison to them, but noticing her similarities to Moonstone. “Are you the Dragon Lord that they call Ember, daughter of former Lord Torch?” “Yeah, I am. And I heard what you did to my son,” she snorted. “You’re not on our good side right now.” “As we expected. Before we begin, we apologize for what has happened in the last few days,” Streaming Sea began. “It was not our intent for things to come to this, but it doesn’t change the fact that we played a hand in it. That means you, Moonstone. We...should have been better.” Moonstone grumbled under his breath. “That doesn’t change how you treated me like a parasite!” Ember held an arm in front of him, fearing he would lunge at the kirin right away. “That’s why we’re here,” Ivory continued for his friend. “We had no idea Torch stepped down with you taking his place, Ember, as I’m sure Moonstone might have told you. And judging from what we’re seeing, dragons and ponies are closer together than we’ve ever seen before, with so many ponies among you. And…” He noted Wildfire there. “...that there’s another one of Cinder’s kinds in the world. We’re learning a lot about the world in a short matter of time.” Wildfire crossed his arms. “From the sounds of what they told me, we should have been involved a long time ago. But it doesn’t matter. What matters the most is what we’ll do at this very moment. Choose wisely.” Twilight took note of Ivory and Sea’s demeanor; it was probably bizarre to come out to a scene like this. “Ponies and dragons have been getting along for a while now. I can’t believe you guys never found that out for all this time. It’s been a while.” “It’s because we were afraid of what came before, and we felt like the best course of action was to hide,” one elder dragon spoke, the one Ivory rode on. “Your father, Ember, was one of the worst Dragon Lords we ever served, and history might reflect on it. But you...I sense a different spirit in you, as we expected. Perhaps our decision concerning you was wise after all.” “And what would that be?” Spike asked up. “You’re kinda being weird about it.” The other elder dragon, acting as Sea’s ride, snorted and grinned. “This one smells more like a pony than a dragon. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is why we’ve come here. We came to open a dialogue between our village and the new Dragon Lord. Perhaps that’s the best way to overcome our mistakes, to look beyond the past and try to reconnect, like we should have done before.” To say that everyone in the group was surprised was an understatement. Ember tilted her head to make sure they weren’t pulling her leg. “You serious right now? It’s really hard to believe, given, you know, everything you’ve done to this point.” She tilted her head over to Moonstone to show what she meant. “That doesn’t always mean they’ll act the same way,” Wildfire butted in. “Shouldn’t it say a lot that they’re willing to talk to you to begin with? Although, I’m sure Moonstone feels differently, and for good reason.” “Yes, we dropped the ball with him,” Sea conceded. “But we want to do differently. That’s why we came here, to try to right a wrong and see to change. That is, if you’re willing to take us up on the offer. We’ll hold no secrets from you.” That got Ember’s attention, to put it lightly. She noticed Twilight and Spike glancing at each other, wondering how to take it. Fizzle was puzzled, but Moonstone? His frown said it all. Sea was the most nervous when it came to how the teenage dragon would react, though it wasn’t without a good reason. Even the kirin knew that at this rate. “If you’re here to change things, then why isn’t Cinder with you guys?” he asked. “She’s the one really calling the shots back at your place, or so I heard. So what’s happening with her?” Sea and Ivory could feel the stares coming their way. Twilight watched quietly and carefully; she knew it was best to see their cards before she played a more active role. There wasn’t any fighting so far, so that was a plus. “If you didn’t hear about it, she ran away after we suggested a dialogue, Dragon Lord Ember,” said Ivory. “She thought it was the wrong course and...we don’t know where she is now. She used her magic to vanish without a trace, and there’s no telling where she went.” Twilight gasped. “She VANISHED? Oh, that’s not good. Equestrian Kirins are always good at magic, so she might literally be anywhere in the world. What do we do…” She started biting her fingernails, and Spike placed a hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her. Barely worked. Moonstone clenched his fists on his hips. He scanned the whole area with his eyes to make sure she wasn’t here right now. There wasn’t a sign of her out there. That got him to relax for a little while, but he was still on edge. To everyone’s surprise, Ember was the most relaxed out of all of them. “So you’re not working with her right now. If I find out you’re lying, we’re breaking it off. Is that understood?” Sea gulped and nodded. Ivory stood his ground and nodded as well. “Understood. We wouldn’t expect anything less from you.” Moonstone interrupted things by getting in front of Ember. “Are you sure about this? You heard the stories. They never liked me to begin with. So what are we--” “I can hear you,” Ivory cut in. “And yeah, we gave you no reason to trust us, haven’t we?” “But here’s the thing: We’re here partly because of you. If anyone showed us how much things have changed in recent years, it was you,” Sea explained. “Huh?” Fizzle piped in. “What happened over there again?” “Let’s see....after all we’ve been through, he’s not fighting us or anything like that. There used to be a time where dragons wouldn’t even want to talk to us before they burned our houses down. He’s nothing like that at all. That’s a pretty good start already,” Ivory explained. “Then we meet the Dragon Lord, and she’s kind enough to hear us out. If nothing else, we want to see if things changed. If it doesn’t unfold the way you want, you can cast us out for good,” Ivory’s dragon piled on. “We just ask for one more chance. That is all.” Once he was finished speaking, the space around them grew silent. The kirin awaited the answer, but everyone in Ember’s group wasn’t sure what to make of it. Twilight waited to see what she would do, and Spike was waiting to see what role he would need to play in this. Fizzle was quiet, as he was still anxious over what his son just went through. Wildfire observed all the players in this little game, curious where the next chess piece would move. The most interesting reaction of all, however, was the Dragon Lord herself. She had listened to all of those words, but she spent a lot of time studying how Moonstone reacted to them. Seeing him flinch, get worried, and just being down in general got most of her attention. Maybe it was the experience he had that she didn’t when it came to these tribes. Either way, she had a feeling what the right course of action was. So when it got quiet like it did, she leaned into his ear. “It’s your decision, Moonstone. You and Kunzite know these people better than anyone. Do you think they deserve a second chance?” He blinked a few times. Was she really giving him this much power? Then he realized she was fully serious. It really was his decision in the end of the day. You’ve got to be kidding me… All eyes in the group turned to him. Ember didn’t hide what she was saying, and everyone else could hear her. Twilight gulped while Spike tried to rub her shoulders to calm her down. Fizzle was openly nervous as well, knowing the weight of the world was on the shoulders of his son. Realizing his student was in a tough place, Wildfire went up to talk to Moonstone. “I hate that we’re putting all our marble to you, when you’re just a kid. But you’re not just strong of body, but strong of mind. Whatever you choose to do, we got your back.” Moonstone gulped. Now that he was in this spot, the easiest thing in the world would be to turn the tribes away. After all, their history spoke for itself. It didn’t help that their true ruler wanted to fight him, push him away, and wanted nothing to do with him. That was another thing to consider. But then something came into his mind. He recalled the whole picture, how things changed the longer he was there at their village. With that in mind, he came to a conclusion. It surprised him, but the more he thought about it, the more it felt right. He went up to the place between Ember’s group and the kirins. Fizzle reached out a hand to grab him, but Ember shook her head at the move. “We have to trust him,” she whispered. He frowned and pulled his arm back. And so Moonstone came to the moment of truth. Nobody would stop him from making his decision, and it was time. He took a deep breath, exhaled, and looked to the kirin. “I hated you with all my guts for most of the time I knew you all. It was awful, being rejected before you ever got to find out one thing about me. And I still stand by that. “But something changed over time. You treated me differently when you found more about who I was. In a good way. You were willing to give me a chance to change your mind, even though you didn’t have the best history with my granddad. When you did that, I could tell I was growing on you. You trusted me the longer we hung out. And when Cinder acted the way she did, you decided to come over here to fix things anyway. “That’s why I’m gonna do the same for you.” He turned to his mother. “We should give them a chance to prove they learned from their mistakes, like we learned from ours. That’s what we did before, we used to hate ponies and now we’re friends with them. We should do the same thing to the kirin.” Then his gaze turned back to Ivory and Sea. “But we’re only gonna do this if you treat us right this time.” There was an audible gasp from both groups. Twilight gasped the loudest, while Streaming Sea couldn’t help but gasp as well. Everyone was surprised to various degrees, but Moonstone wasn’t fazed by it. He made his point. No use in getting an ego about it at this point. Once the decision was made, Sea and Ivory bowed their heads before the group. “There are no words in the dictionary that can express our gratitude for this,” Sea said warmly. “I promise we’ll make the most of this chance. It’s the least we can do.” “Well, other than making sure the rest of the village hears about this,” Ivory pointed out. “If we pull the trigger on this, things will never be the same again. That’s for the best anymore.” The dragons serving as their ride bowed with them, and Twilight couldn’t stop smiling from the sight. She turned and saw Spike smiling as well, which was enough to warm both of their hearts. Even then, they weren’t fully comfortable with this situation just yet. There was still one last element to deal with... Still, what got Moonstone’s attention the most was the hand that went over his shoulder. He turned to see Ember there, watching him with the proudest smile. “Moonstone...that was amazing. It took a lot of maturity to do something like that. Something only a wise king or queen could do. Maybe when my time’s over, you should take my place.” Moonstone tilted his head and smirked. “Yeah, I got a lot of growing up to do if that ever happens. I got a really bad temper, you know?” She chuckled. “And who did you get that from? Another Dragon Lord. Come on, we dragons still gotta show who’s boss once in a while.” “Listen to your mother on that, that’s where you got all the brains from,” Fizzle laughed. “Seriously, though, I am so proud of you right now. That must have been tough, and talking to all these kirin…” He peered over his shoulder at the visitors. “...well, we might need some help with that, and you know these guys better than we do.” “Yeah. But I’m not the only one around here who knows about them. There’s also Autumn and…” Moonstone paused when he realized who was missing out here. He noticed Twilight and Spike hovering right behind them, and he could see the worry in their faces. A reminder of someone he left behind. Ember and Fizzle noticed how worried he was. “What’s wrong?” Ember asked. “I gotta get back to the village. Kunzite is still there. Stupid, stupid, STUPID! Why did I leave her there alone with HER?” “Moonstone, we sent a unit of guards down there to make sure she’s okay, and there’s a reason why we had two guards come with you to begin with,” Twilight noted. “It might not have been right to leave her like that, but we were prepared if things went south.” “Not to mention, Cinder’s still out there,” Sea warned. “You know how she feels about you. If you two cross paths again, I don’t want to imagine what will happen.” “IT DOESN’T MATTER! I’m going to find her right now!” He spread his wings as far as they could go, and he dashed out of there before any of them could stop him. The dragon flew as fast as he could to the village. “Moonstone! No!” Ember reached out an arm for him, and she went off to catch up to him. Yet, she learned the hard way that he was already faster than her. In mere seconds, he was just a speck on the horizon. “Noooo! Come back!” “Don’t worry. I’ll get him back. Spike, take my hand!” Twilight shouted. Spike grabbed her hand right away and hanged on tight. Her horn blazed with a magical aura, and they both disappeared with her teleportation spell. Flashes of white dust sprinkled the air where they once were. “And I thought this would be uneventful,” Wildfire commented. “Don’t worry, I’ll get him before you worry too much.” Right when he was finished speaking, he was gone with a spell of his own. “I don’t care what they’re doing. We’re going after him, too,” Ember snarled. Fizzle didn’t need to be told to follow her, and they went off to get their son back. “We’ll come with you,” said Ivory. “Cinder might be out of control, but she’s not a monster. We refuse to believe that. She can be reasoned with like anyone else.” “Shove it, we’ll deal with that later!” Ember retorted. And with that out of the way, a search party formed for Moonstone. Kirin, elder dragon, and younger dragon alike, they were all out to look for the poor guy. But there was one chess piece left in this situation, one that would reveal itself shortly… ------ The forest went on for miles in all directions. Up in the clouds, it looked like a sea of green, rustling against the wind in all directions. Unlike the sea, it wasn’t fish that broke free from the surface, but birds. Much like the sea, however, it was quiet or thrashing in all directions, depending on the weather. Today, it would be thrashing against the gust. A huge wind current came into the area that day, and all the trees would be pushing against it. Kunzite was one of those people. Her wings strained as she tried to fly opposite of the current, and she wasn’t sure why she was doing this anymore. She had no idea if Cinder went this way or not. Yeah, this path led up to the Dragon Lands, but there was no hint that this was Cinder’s destination. All Kunzite had to work on was a hunch, and she learned many times recently that hunches could be misleading. Still, she kept flying that way for a while. Her breathing grew more ragged as she could feel the fatigue in her wings. Not always the best sign. She remembered that she had magic to work with, so she tried using her own teleportation spell to get some distance in. The results were a mixed bag: She went forward another hundred feet, but a sudden gust in her face caught her off guard. It was too much, and she needed a breather. She made herself dip down below the trees and land on the ground. Of course, she went for a dry patch of dirt for a landing spot. Even while she was this upset, she would not break one blade of grass. She didn’t have to destroy nature to save the world. Once she touched down, her wings folded against her back. Her breaths were short and frequent, and she must have gone on for an hour. Was this a good idea? It didn’t matter. Sometimes, it didn’t matter if she had a smart idea or not. What mattered more was whether or not it was the right thing to do. Sweat poured over her face, as she leaned her hand against a tree stump for support. Her clothes pressed against her body as the wind pushed them forward. Even with all these trees around, the wind was cutting through the forest unimpeded. This was getting annoying. She took a seat on the stump, and she thought she’d give herself a few minutes. When she would be back on the hunt, she’d get her strength back. At least she wasn’t alone in searching for Cinder. This is all my fault. If I just kept my mouth shut, Cinder and Moonstone would be the best of friends already. But she would have found out who he was sooner or later...oh, Celestia, Luna, and whoever I’m forgetting, this was going to happen no matter what. But it’s my fault it happened when it did. Still, she remembered what Wildfire taught her about meditating. She was surrounded by nature now, so maybe if she closed her eyes and concentrated, it would help her calm down. Not like there were any better ideas on the table. So she picked up her legs, crossed them across the tree stump, and closed her eyes. With a touch of magic, she started to meditate. In the place she was, the sounds of nature were louder than ever. The wind had a mind of its own and carried itself for long distances. A few birds abandoned their nests when the currents knocked them down, while others fortified their homes to make sure their homes would stay intact. Any animal that had four limbs didn’t care about the winds. It was weird to feel. Maybe she should do things like that. Even when things got tough, maybe she should be like the birds that fortified their homes against the threat, or be like the critters that didn’t care about what happened. Just go with the flow. And then she heard someone else in the forest with her. The way this figure carried itself, she could feel it all. Two legs, walking slowly through the fields. It was moving away from her to the south. The footsteps were heavy and deliberate, and she could tell this person was working hard to avoid the grass with its steps. There was no doubt who it was. Once it dawned on her, her eyes shot open in fear and anxiety. It couldn’t be. The odds were slim that she was here. But there was too much evidence to suggest that Kunzite found the right spot. She hit the jackpot, one she wasn’t sure she wanted to win. She slowly got off the stump and walked very, very slowly to the person. Whatever was going to happen, she had a feeling it was going to have repercussions that lasted years, not just days. But there was no going back to begin with. She had to do this. As she kept going, she started to see the figure starting to come into view. There was no mistaking who it was. The tattered robes on her frame, the weeping face she carried, the way her limbs shook as they clung to the bushes, it was her. Cinder didn’t seem to know Kunzite was there yet. She kept moving forward one step at a time. Judging from the way her wings were folded tightly against her back, she was just as winded from flying as her younger counterpart was. She tried to wipe the tears away from her face, but new ones took their place right away. Despite all they had just gone through, Kunzite felt her heart soaring for Cinder. She ran towards the former chieftain, and her steps echoed throughout the forest. A few birds scattered away from her moves, and it was the telltale sign to Cinder that she wasn’t alone here, either. “It’s you,” she said softly, not even bothering to turn to see who it was. She already knew. “Why did you come here to see me? Shouldn’t you be with the others? With Moonstone?” Her voice was raw and quivering. “I came here because I’m worried about you!” Kunzite shouted. “What you did to Moonstone was wrong, but I could tell you’re scared. Please, don’t run away again. We don’t have to fight like this!” Cinder stopped in her tracks, and she couldn’t stop staring at her younger counterpart. “He...he was your best friend, wasn’t he? And I hurt him. He’ll say it was nothing, but no, it was supposed to hurt. And yet, you’re still here, talking to me…” Kunzite sighed and nodded. “Because it’s my fault. You were almost friends with him before I opened my big mouth. That’s why it’s just me. I feel like I’m the only one that can fix it, because it’s a problem I made happen.” With that in mind, the older kirin’s eyes started to well up, but this time, she managed to keep the tears at bay. She grew closer to Kunzite and shook her head. “No. It was inevitable. Sooner or later, we would have clashed. And the way I acted, it would have happened no matter what you did.” That almost drew a gasp from Kunzite. “Why would you say that? Please, give him another chance. He didn’t want to fight you. If he did, why did he run away when I showed up? Because it was the wrong thing to do, and he knew it!” “It was inevitable!” Cinder shouted back. “You have a kind and loving soul, and that’s something you should be applauded for. I did terrible things to someone you care about, but you still reached a hand out for me. But…” The words didn’t need to be said for Kunzite for her to see where this was going. “No. Don’t do it. There’s no turning back if you do.” “I have to. I-I can’t risk anyone getting hurt again. Not this time. Trust me, I don’t want to do this. But I feel like there’s no choice anymore. The first punch was from me. There’s no way to undo that…” She took off the ground and aimed for the sky. Before she could get far above the canopy, she felt her head sear in pain when she collided with something. She tried it again, only for the same thing to happen again. That’s when she saw what got in her way. It was a force field. That’s when she turned to see Kunzite holding her ground down below. Her horns were shining bright with the spell at hand, and her arms were trembling from what she was doing. Both of them knew what this meant. And it was about to get ugly. “There has to be…” Kunzite begged. “It doesn’t matter what you did, there has to be a way out…” Given the size of the force field, Cinder had no choice but to go back to the forest floor. A gust flew up into the clouds from the impact her landing created. It wasn’t just Kunzite on edge now. They were both emotionally raw at that point. “Stop the force field,” Cinder demanded. “It has to be done! For the safety of every kirin and dragon back home. And...for my safety…” “No! I can’t let you fight Moonstone. There has to be another way. Whatever you do, please don’t hurt him again!” “I told you, I don’t have a choice!” She launched herself back into the air, and she hit Kunzite’s force field with a shot of pure magical energy. The force was enough to break the field into dust, and Kunzite gritted her teeth from the feeling in her horns. It felt like they were breaking from the inside. Cinder soared through the hole made in the spell’s wake and tried to go against the wind again. Realizing this was a do or die situation, Kunzite went up above the forest to find Cinder. The older kirin was flying as fast as she could to the Dragon Lands. There was no way this could be allowed to happen. Kunzite countered by casting a teleportation spell on herself again, and this time, she wouldn’t need to go that far. When she reappeared, she showed up a few hundred feet in front of Cinder, her eyes tearing up again. “PLEASE STOP!” she shouted. “I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU TWO FIGHT!” A force field showed up again in front of Cinder. It was larger than the one before, and the dark purple light along its surface shone brightly against the rays of the sun. Cinder gasped from the sight and stopped on her path. Rather than use the previous spell again, she countered with a force field of her own. It was bright yellow in comparison, and she launched it against Kunzite’s force field. They clashed violently, and the tug of war put a huge strain against their horns. Kunzite groaned from the huge drain on magic this put on her, and she had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to keep this up. She was right. Her field broke up into a million pieces as Cinder’s magic won out. They both disappeared as she zoomed past Kunzite right away. Kunzite almost crashed from the near collison, and her heart was pounding when she realized she couldn’t slow Cinder down at all. Something still had to be done. So she changed her approach. Her wings flapped hard against the wind, and this time, she was able to fly hard enough to catch up to Cinder. Only a few hundred feet separated them, and then it was just a few dozen feet. Cinder could feel her coming up from behind and tried to fly harder to break away. But it wasn’t enough. Cinder would be facing the wind directly, while her path left an updraft for Kunzite to catch. Before she could dash away, she felt a hand grab her ankle. She was tempted to kick it away, until she felt a surge of energy wash over her. It was another teleportation spell. She found herself back into the woods when the spell was over. Thankfully, Kunzite picked an area that was wide open with a river next to it, so neither one of them would collide with the vegetation. After it was over, Cinder came down and dragged her feet against the dirt (and sadly, grass) to stop before she hit a tree. Kunzite came to a complete stop right behind her, and both of them were panting from the amount of energy they just unleashed. “Leave me alone!” she shouted at Kunzite. “Every minute we waste out here, they’ll be getting their forces ready to attack. I can’t let that happen!” “They wouldn’t do that! They’re not that kind of dragon,” Kunzite shouted back. “I’m only doing this because I’m afraid you’ll start a war with the dragons!” “That’s exactly what we need to do. I hate the idea of it, too. There’s no joy or pleasure in it. But it’s a necessary evil. Just get out of my way. I don’t want to hurt you, either!” “You don’t have to hurt anyone to protect the village. And I won’t let you go any further!” “In that case, if you won’t get out of my way, I’ll have to push you out of the way. Please forgive me!” Kunzite wanted to stop her with another retort, but she saw a ray of magic launch right at her face. It was a really slow ray; Cinder wanted her to be able to dodge it. She caught that and jumped off to the side before it hit her. It collided with a bush behind the kirin, but it barely had enough force to whistle the leaves on it. Just the fact that Cinder was willing to do that shocked the younger kirin to the core. The way she crossed that line made Kunzite tremble for other reasons. This really was a do or die situation. She didn’t want to do this, either, but what Cinder just did? That was a point of no return. At that moment, there was a visible shift in the way Kunzite stood. Almost like she was standing more upright, despite the heavy emotion coursing through her veins. Then the air in the forest appeared to be...swirling around her. Only a little bit, but enough that Cinder noticed. “I see what you’re doing, and I’m sorry I did that,” Cinder apologized. “But I feel like my back’s against the wall. When that happens, sometimes fighting is the only thing you can do.” “I know,” Kunzite sighed. Even when she was sighing, there was a certain...energy to her words. “And I don’t want to hurt you, either. But I know one thing for sure.” “And what would that be?” “I have to stop you.” Her horns buzzed with a fierce energy, and she shot a ray of fire at Cinder to answer for the attack. Cinder cast a shield over herself to block it, but she observed the intensity of the ray. It was surprisingly strong, and she could feel it even inside the shield. She glanced up at Kunzite and couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Eventually, the shield disappeared as well, and so did the ray. Cinder was worried what Kunzite would do next, and she got her answer when another force field tried to form all around her. This was taking the shape of a cocoon, a way to trap her for good. Instead, she used just one more teleportation spell to get out of the prison before it formed. She lunged at Kunzite with a kick down at the left leg, just strong enough to get her off guard but not enough to seriously damage her. That was the last thing she wanted to do, hurt the one person that would reach out to her. Instead, she hit nothing but air. Kunzite got out of the way when she needed to. Before she could protect herself, Kunzite used the opening to hit her with a snow spell. Cinder found herself deep into a huge snowball, enough to send her flying a few feet into the air. She crashed with a thud, and the snowball softened the blow. It wasn’t just Cinder trying to use spells that would stun and not hurt.. Kunzite didn’t want this to get fatal, either. “I knew you were good at magic for your age, but I’m impressed,” Cinder noted as she got up to her feet. “Give or take a century, there’s a good chance you’ll exceed me. But you’re still young and full of unrealized potential. You still won’t match me at full strength. Just let me go.” “No, not until you say you’ll stop fighting Moonstone, too,” Kunzite warned. “I don’t want things to get that bad.” “Then there’s only one way this will go. I just hope I’ll be able to live with myself after this, even if I already have a feeling I won’t…” “That’s because you won’t listen!” Kunzite’s eyes glowed from the surge of magic hitting her horns, and the river almost scattered from the power coursing through her. She prepared a spell to stop this for good. While it was hard to tell what it was, Cinder saw it coming, and knew there was only one way to stop it from potentially ending her. “I’m sorry…” She extended her hand out and cast a spell quickly before Kunzite could finish hers. It was a simple gust of wind, harder than the ones breezing through the forest. It was enough to not only stop Kunzite from going forward, but sent her flying. She gasped loudly when her back hit the side of a tree. It wasn’t hard enough to do serious damage, but the wind was knocked out of her, and her back was searing in pain. She fell down on all fours and gasped for air. The pain in her back was the worst she had felt in a while, and she knew how vulnerable she was getting. Cinder could see it as well, and she slowly approached the younger kirin. “Once again, I’m sorry,” she spoke softly. “That wasn’t hard enough to cause any injuries, but I need you out of the picture for a moment. When you wake up, it will feel like nothing happened at all. I mean it when I said I don’t want to hurt you...because you’re the closest thing I have to a sister.” A single tear rolled down her face. “I know you won’t forgive me anytime soon, but Equestrian Kirins do have long lifespans...maybe in a century…” Her horns started to glow with an energy that rivaled Kunzite’s. It was enough to send the birds nearby scattering, and Kunzite could feel the power within. She scrambled against the tree and tried her best to make another force field, but it never came. That impact not only knocked the wind out of her sails, but it left her without enough strength to cast another spell. The aura on her horns sputtered out into nothing. She was finished. Then she looked up to the sky. What she saw made her heart soar for the best reason. She didn’t have to worry about a thing anymore. More tears rolled down Cinder’s face as she started to unleash the spell. “I hate myself for this. If you hate me for the rest of your life, it’s probably deserved.” The spell took the form of a huge ball of water, large and energetic enough that it would likely put Kunzite to sleep. Not permanently, of course. Just enough to get her out of the way. The water ball went for Kunzite and was about to hit her… ...when a blue figure came out of the clouds and kicked it hard on the top. The water scattered everywhere from the brute force, and a rainbow formed briefly from all the moisture in the forest. Once the person touched down on the ground, it was like the spell was never there. “MOONSTONE!” Kunzite gasped. She tried to crawl towards the dragon, but she was too weak to do even that much. “I couldn’t be happier to see you. But how did you know we were here?” “Once we heard all the magic out here, it was really obvious who was doing it.” Moonstone rushed to her side and helped her back up to her feet, giving her the support she needed. “What did she do to you?” “She knocked the wind out of me, but nothing serious beyond that. And what do you mean by ‘we’?” “Turned out that I didn’t come here alone.” As Kunzite struggled to get back up to her feet, she saw the cavalry arriving. Ember and Fizzle came in first, the former holding the scepter in her hand. A lot of dragons came in right behind them, with Ivory and Sea coming in as well. The legion of pony guards came in as well, their swords and spears pointed right at Cinder. Wildfire joined them and had his horns on standby with the most deadly spells imaginable if things came to that point. Everyone was here to put an end to this charade. The last one to arrive were Twilight and Spike. “KUNZITE!” Twilight screamed. She saw how badly her daughter was doing, and went in to check on her. “Oh Celestia, Luna, what happened to you? Are you okay?” “I’m okay now,” Kunzite smiled weakly. She caught Spike checking up on her as well, and she hugged them both as tight as she could. “Oh my gosh, I thought I was going to die for a moment there…” “It’s okay now,” Spike comforted her. “We’re all here for you, and she’s not going to lay one more finger on you. We’ll make sure of it.” He turned, along with Twilight and Moonstone, back to the kirin that started it all. However, the reaction they got with Cinder would surprise everyone. Rather than continue to fight, all of her attention was drawn to Moonstone. Her eyes were wide and wild as she tried to process what she just witnessed. “You...you protected her...when I was about to harm her…” “Damn right I did,” he growled at her. “I don’t care what you think of me, but the moment you hurt my friend, you became a dead kirin walking. Nobody touches her and gets away with it!” “You...protected...her…” It was like her mind was spinning, just trying to process that her head. She glanced at Moonstone, then Kunzite, then Moonstone again. It was like a child learning algebra for the first time. She couldn’t figure out the logic behind it at all. Almost like she couldn’t put it together. Then she turned to the rest of the group. Ivory and Streaming Sea were standing behind her, along with Ember. One look at that red scepter in Ember’s hand, and Cinder recognized it right away. She was in the presence of the Dragon Lord. This dragon, one she acknowledged was Torch’s daughter, was nothing like him. She wasn’t attacking Cinder right away, despite having every reason to do so. Instead, she was...observing the kirin. Prepared for battle, but not launching right away. And that other dragon with her, that white and vaguely red one, that was clearly Moonstone’s father. Along with them was another Equestrian Kirin. This one she would soon know as Wildfire, it must have been the other kirin Kunzite mentioned. And he was united with them. Not with her, despite the fact that they were members of the rarest species on the planet. And then Cinder caught Ivory and Sea standing right behind Ember. They were standing with the Dragon Lord, not with the kirin they stood with for so long. And there was no strife between them and Ember. The elder dragons were with them as well, and it was the world against her. Sea was the first to step up. “Cinder...it saddens me that you were willing to go this far. Between you, Ivory, and I, we all deserve some of the blame for this. But to do what you just did...I’m scared for you. Let these people help you. I can say from recent experience, things really have changed as much as we hoped.” “What he said,” Ivory noted. “He was always better with words than me. But it’s true. I think this dragon lady, Ember, could be someone worth talking to.” Ember stood still and bared her teeth at Cinder. “Are you the one that hit my son?” she snarled. The kirin was perfectly still for a good while. All around her, she saw a picture that she didn’t know how to feel about: Dragon, kirin, and pony, all united together. All safe and sound. There wasn’t going to be any fighting between them. The kirin tribes wouldn’t need to hide anymore. There was no monster to fear at this point. Well, not a dragon one... And then she realized there were two children among this group, and she struck them both. It was all over their faces how terrified and angry they had become of her. She earned that contempt. Now... When it hit her, she collapsed on her knees and held her hands over her face. She wailed so loud that it could be heard for a good distance. “Oh gods, I’m sorry, so so sorry! I was terrified for my village and did whatever I could, but I hurt innocent people because of it! You didn’t do anything to deserve this! Just take me away, it’s what I deserve…” As she continued to weep, Ivory and Sea glanced at each other. None of them could find the words to say to this. Ember merely shook her head. At least Cinder saw the extent of her crimes. Fizzle hung back quietly and remained silent. This was out of his league. Wildfire turned his head to the side and grimaced. He found another one of his species, and she turned out to be like this... In the meantime, Twilight and Spike had a different feeling about this. Maybe it was their history, but they saw a poor soul that could be redeemed. After all, how many dictators, tyrants, and would be conquerors did they reform over the years? But something felt different about this one. Cinder threatened their daughter. That changed things. The most interesting thing was how Moonstone and Kunzite felt about it. They had tons of history with this kirin, most of it not good. But Kunzite, very slowly, pulled away from her parents and started to come to the dragon. Twilight meeped and tried to reach out for her ailing daughter, only for Moonstone to come in and pick her up before she stumbled again. “I got you. It’s finally over,” Moonstone told her, clutching her tight. “I know. And I’m so glad that it is. But...I don’t think we’re supposed to leave her like this.” He nearly dropped her from the surprise. “Are you kidding me? After what she did to us? If we didn’t come sooner, I don’t want to imagine what would have happened to you.” “I’m mad about it, too. But...look at her now.” At that moment, Cinder was down on all fours and refused to let anyone see her face. She was too ashamed of herself. “She saw that she did the wrong thing.” “So? I read the stories of ponies doing bad things in your history books. Saying you’re sorry doesn’t mean they could just walk away.” “And they shouldn’t have. But if we leave her like this...I think we need to do something.” “What would that be? I’m doing everything right now to stop myself from kicking her flanks right now.” With that in mind, she leaned into his ear and whispered some words his way. He heard every little bit, and to his surprise, he liked. He turned to Twilight and Spike and waved them in. Kunzite shared what she was going to suggest, and Twilight nodded in approval. Then they saw Wildfire not far away from them, and they brought him in the huddle to hear his thoughts. “Well...err...that is quite the undertaking, but I could do it,” he responded. “That is surprisingly mature of you guys.” Twilight pulled away and came to see Cinder. She bent down so their eyes were at the same level. Cinder cringed and covered her face with her hands. “Don’t let me get away with this. I might get even worse if you let that happen.” “Hear me out before you say anything,” Twilight interrupted. “We talked about what we should do with you, and this is a very serious matter. But Kunzite suggested something to us, and I think it’s the right thing to do.” The offer was enough to have Cinder come out of her shell. She lowered her hands very carefully. “Is this my sentence? If you lock me away for life, I will have no complaints.” Twilight rose back up to her feet and addressed the crowd. “We’ve come to an agreement on what should happen to Cinder. Under the decree of Kunzite, Princess of Equestria, I have a sentence to deliver to you.” Everyone in the forest stopped to see what this pony princess would say and do. Ember took note, while Ivory and Sea seemed to be the most interested in what would happen to their now former ruler. “Cinder will be placed under house arrest for fifty years under the watch of Wildfire, a fellow Equestrian Kirin. She will be kept under watch by our guards at all times. As long as she sticks to the boundaries of Wildfire’s forest, she will be allowed to do what she wants inside. And we’ll have our own force field to make sure she doesn’t leave.” The kirin whimpered under those terms. “That is too much mercy for me...it doesn’t matter if I’m allowed to be free in a set area...I’m a monster. Moonstone and Kunzite saw it. You’re a fool for giving me such a light sentence.” “It was my idea to begin with,” Kunzite corrected her. “Everything you did, you did it because you were scared. You even said that just now. This is another chance for you to change your ways before it’s too late. And Wildfire’s one of the wisest people I’ve ever met. If anyone can help you, it’s him.” “Yes, this is sound to me,” Sea agreed. “Cinder might have been in the wrong, but she was courageous and willing in a time when she had to do that for us. I will agree to these terms if everyone else will.” “I’m on board with it,” said Ivory. “That is, if the Dragon Lord is, as well.” Ember huffed from being put on the spot, and she came face to face with Cinder. “Alright, but if she acts up or does anything else, we should lock her up. And don’t ever touch my son again.” Cinder cried once more and shield away. “I swear! You can kill me right on the spot if that ever happens! You should have done it already.” “Don’t think I haven’t thought about it…” Ember pulled away and found Fizzle holding her tightly. “Very well. If everyone’s on board, that’s the sentence I’m giving Cinder right now. Guards, you know what to do. Wildfire, she’s in your care.” Wildfire nodded and knelt down in front of the kirin girl. “Cinder, I know you’re terrified right now, and you should be. But here’s the thing. That’s just fifty years of your life, and you’re still young for one of us, right? You still have time to change the road you’re on. And that’s what I’m gonna help you with. You don’t want to end your life this way, right?” Cinder slowly lifted her head to meet his. “N-No. But I don’t deserve mercy like this. I don’t deserve your help.” “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it. I heard them out, I want to do this for you. There’s still time for you. You want to make the most of it?” “Yes…” She got back up and couldn’t stop crying again. “I don’t want to be like this anymore.” “Very well. Let’s get to it, then.” A few guards, all of them unicorns for obvious reasons, came over and escorted Cinder and Wildfire out of there. Her face was drenched in tears and sweat, and she didn’t resist as they handcuffed her to make sure she wouldn’t do anything. There were a few rings placed on her horns as well, ensuring she wouldn’t use her magic to get out of this jam. She looked over to Kunzite and Moonstone, the two people she would remember most of all. “Why did you do this for me, when I deserved so much worse than this?” “Because I think you can still change,” Kunzite explained. “And my parents taught me what can happen when you give your enemies a second chance. They can be your best friends in time.” “Whatever you do, don’t blow it,” Moonstone warned. “This is your last chance.” “One more chance than I deserve. Moonstone, Kunzite...there is one thing I want to thank you for.” She witnessed Ivory and Sea standing with Ember and Fizzle. “Thank you for doing the one thing I couldn’t do. You brought us back into the world.” She went with Wildfire and the guards to her new home That left Ember with Ivory and Sea. “I dunno about you two, but it sounds like you got a lot of catching up to do. You guys treated Moonstone pretty well, so you’re on my good side for now.” Sea sighed in relief. “Thank you so much. It will be nice to see the world for what it is, rather than what we feared it to be. Who knows. I personally want to see how the other kirin tribes are doing.” “Did someone mention other kirin tribes?” Out of nowhere, Autumn jumped in and tackled Ivory to the ground. “I was hanging in the back because it sounded pretty scary, that and the guards told me I should stay away. But you’ll totally love our other tribes. Believe me, if you ever had a reunion party, ours will blow yours away!” “...this one is stronger than she looks…” Ivory muttered. “At least she’s friendly…” “Heh, sounds like some of us are having a good time,” Fizzle chuckled. His attention turned to Moonstone, and the teenage dragon was still supporting Kunzite on her feet. “I couldn’t be prouder of you two right now. Really, I couldn’t.” “Same here,” Spike nodded. “It’s really hard to tell if this was your special destiny because you’re not getting cutie marks out of it, but a lot of people would have turned tail and ran way before this. But you stuck in there, and...oh. Maybe we should stop talking?” As they were talking, Moonstone and Kunzite fell down to their knees together. They pressed their foreheads together and cried endlessly. Unlike past times, they were tears of joy and relief. Much deserved after all they had just been through. “Let’s give them a moment or two,” Twilight explained. “I think they deserve some quiet time after all that.” She went on her way to give the teens some space. “Still really proud of you!” Ember shouted. When they were gone, Kunzite kept her face pressed against Moonstone’s, holding onto him support. “Are we still gonna be friends after this?” “Kunzite…” He snuggled up on her forehead. “That’s what I was about to say. I thought I screwed it all up back there and--” “You thought the same thing?” she interrupted. “Yeah. Guess we’re both a couple of screw ups.” He sighed. “But I wanna stay friends with you. You’re the only person who stuck with me through all that, and I don’t care what happened. I still like you.” “Me too.” She hugged him a little tighter. “Let’s stick together no matter what, okay? I dunno how long Equestrian Kirins live for, but it’s obviously for centuries. Wildfire’s older than Celestia and Luna. And you’re a dragon, so you’re gonna live a while. And I wanna be your friend for all those years.” Another tear trailed down Moonstone’s face. “Oh man, so do I. It wouldn’t feel right without you. No matter what happens, at least I know you’ll be there with me.” Kunzite laughed softly and closed her eyes. “Best friends, then?” “Yeah, best friends. Dragons do the best friends thing, right?” “If they don’t, they should. You’re awesome like that.” He smiled and closed his eyes with her. “Yeah. They should.” They would spend a lot of time together after that point, and there was finally peace and quiet around Equestria again. A war was averted, two long lost kirin tribes were found at last, and an Equestrian Kirin began the long road to recovery with a companion there to help her. Twilight and Spike found out that their daughter might just be the Princess she was born to be. Ember and Fizzle discovered that their son could be the next great Dragon Lord in time. Ivory and Sea saw a whole new world opened in front of them, and they were eager to explore it. Everything that just happened, it concluded a crucial chapter in all of their lives. Now was the time to start the next chapter.