Dear Twilight,
How are things in Ponyville? How's Peewee's egg? Is it being kept warm? Do you think it will hatch soon? I tried to find his parents, but the nest was abandoned.
I've been learning a lot about dragons and what it means to be a dragon. Luke and Ember were right, dragons are so much different than Garble and his friends.
They do value strength and stuff more than kindness or friendship, but it isn't just being strong. It's about being strong enough to survive.
Dragons don't have the princesses' protection, or anyone else's. They have to protect themselves. That's why they need to be strong.
But there's so, so much more to dragons than that. You won't believe what I learned just today.
Dragons are the first intelligent race on Equis. Seriously, like, so old, they actually created the sun and moon! Yeah, crazy, huh?
Apparently, the first dragons were born from the Weave, what dragons call the thing Equis' magic field comes from. So, because they were born from magic, they were ridiculously powerful. Like, outmatch-Discord-with-their-little-claw powerful.
I wish I could show you the murals. They're from way before the Age of Discord. I had to swear to keep where they are secret, but Star said I can sketch them. I have two already and I'll bring the rest back with me.
One is where dragons made the sun and moon and the other is the Creator and his servants, the Unknown Ones.
I'll tell you all about it when I get home.
Thanks again for letting me stay. It really means a lot to me.
Still, I miss all of you and can't wait to see you all again.
Your #1 assistant,
Spike
After giving the letter a quick reread to make sure he didn’t make any mistakes, Spike rolled it up and sent it off to Twilight.
“Alright, that’s that, then,” Spike said, getting up from the stone desk. “Thanks again for the paper, quill, and ink.”
Star gave him a motherly smile. “I’m glad you had use of them. Too few dragons even know how to read and write. So then, shall we go meet Ember and Luke?”
“I’m ready if you are,” Spike replied. Star picked him up and placed him on the back of her neck before heading out of her cave. “Still, you really should reconsider letting Twilight see the murals. She would never do anything harmful and would keep it secret if you asked.”
“I will consider it,” Star said. “But only if she and I can sit down and talk before. I would have to get to know her a little before making a decision like that.”
“That makes sense,” Spike said. “Besides, I can already tell you, she would love to meet you. I mean, you’re like a living history book.”
Star grinned. “Why, are you calling me old?”
Spike froze in shock. “Wh-what?! No! I didn’t mean it-”
Star busted out laughing. “Relax, child. I am old. I’m literally the oldest sapient being on the planet. Heck, I remember when that little upstart Grogar decided to cause trouble. That’s how old I am.”
“Wait, that guy was real?” Spike asked, wide eyed.
“That’s right,” Star said. “He was a pain in the tail, too.”
Spike’s eyes went even wider. “Wait... Are... Are you the dragon from the old stories? The one that helped bring him down?”
Star gave a smug smile. “Oh, they still talk about us, do they? Oh, yes, Gusty, Yonnie, Amber Wave, and I showed that goat what for. I’m surprised the ponies remember that.”
“Why wouldn’t they?” Spike asked. “It was one of the greatest victories of pony kind.”
“Oh? A victory of ‘pony kind’ is it?” Star asked, slightly irritated.
“Well, I mean, of course they give credit to you and the Yak - I’m guessing that’s Yonnie - but two of the four were ponies,” Spike explained.
Star grinned. “Except that none of us were ponies. Amber Wave was a kirin, and Gusty was a changeling.”
“A what and a what?” Spike asked.
Star laughed. “A lesson for another time. We’ve arrived.”
“Welcome back,” Ember said as she approached the duo. “Did you like the murals? Pretty awesome, weren’t they?”
“Heck, yeah they were!” Spike said. “I never knew how awesome we dragon’s are.”
“Where is Luke and Smolder?” Star asked.
“They went hunting,” Ember replied.
“Oh?” Star said with a grin and a glint in her eye. “Are they finally going to bang?”
“Doubtful,” Ember replied. “Smolder went because Garble’s missing. According to Haze he threw a tantrum and stormed off into the woods yesterday and never came back.”
“Is that unusual for him?” Star asked.
Ember cocked an eyebrow at Star. “It’s unusual for any dragon to not listen to Haze.”
Star paused for a moment. “Good point. Why don’t you go help them look. I can take Spike to the other side to play with his friends. This will be the last full day he has to spend with them, so he should make the most of it.”
“Wait, what do you mean?” Spike asked.
“The Gathering ends tomorrow,” Ember explained. “Most of them will be heading back to their own lairs.”
“Oh...” Spike’s face fell. “Then, I guess I’ll have to say goodbye.”
“Hey, don’t worry, Spike,” Star said. “I’ll find out where your friends are staying and let you know. Maybe you can send letters or visit each other?”
Spike seemed to perk up. “Yeah, that’s a great idea. Maybe they can... actually, their parents visiting Ponyville might be a bad idea... But maybe I can visit them?”
“I’m sure they would like that,” Star said.
“Alright, well, I’ll see you two later,” Ember raised her claw and in a flash, a bird of pale blue light burst into being and started flying off, leading Ember in the direction of Luke.
“Man, I wish I could learn magic,” Spike said. “I would love a spell like that.”
Star just gave him a curious look.
“Damnit, no,” I said, glaring at Smolder. “You are not coming. Dingoneks specialize in hunting dragons and you have no experience or training in fighting.”
"I don't care!" Smolder shouted. "That's my brother out there! I'm not going to just do nothing!"
“The only thing you're going to do if you go is die. What will your brother think if you die trying to save him?”
"So, what? I should just sit here, worrying about not only my brother but my friend?" She was trying to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes.
“Yes,” I said, plainly. “I understand that it's hard, but sometimes we have to do what's hard. I'm sorry, I really am, but I won't be able to fight if I'm busy worrying about you. Please, I know it's hard, but I need you to go back to the volcano.”
Smolder grit her teeth. "But... I-"
I pulled her into a hug, holding her close. “Please, do this for me. I can't fight at my fullest if I'm worried about you. Please, go back. I'll bring your brother back.”
Smolder shivered in frustration. “Fine, but you better come back. I... don’t want to lose you, too.”
With that, she took off, flying as fast as she could back to the volcano. When she disappeared, I was able to breathe a little easier.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to fight a dingonek. The last one was like an unstoppable killing machine. Of course, I had gotten much stronger than before, and I wasn’t protecting an injured dragon, so I figured I could probably take it down.
Still, I wasn’t looking forward to this. I said I would bring her brother back, but there was no doubt in my mind that there wouldn’t be much to return. Even if Garble was alive when he was taken, this happened the previous evening. It had been well over half a day since then.
Still, if there was any chance he was alive, I would take it. I had to.
With that, I took off in the direction the tracks of the dingonek went. With any luck, I would catch it while it napped.
“So... how are you able to use that sending spell?” Star asked Spike.
“Hmm?” Spike looked up at the elder dragon. “Oh! Well, Princess Celestia used a spell on me. She made it so I can send anypony I’m thinking of whatever I burn with my breath.”
“Oh, so it isn’t actually a spell you use?” Star followed up.
“Nope,” Spike said. “I know how the spell works, though. That’s why I thought I could teach Ember, but I think her magic works the same.”
“If Ember is able to connect Smolder to the Weave, would you like to as well?” Star asked.
“Really?! You could do that?” Spike asked, his eyes lighting up.
“I don’t see why not,” Star said. “Though there are a few things we will have to check first. Then of course, we would...” Star trailed off, looking off toward Ember’s cave.
“What is it?” Spike asked.
“I think something’s wrong,” she replied. “Come. Follow me.”
Star felt a strong sense of pain and loss coming from the forest, approaching the cave.
She hurried as quickly as she could without leaving Spike behind and soon enough, they entered the earthen abode. Coming from the back, the sounds of sobbing could be heard.
“Smolder? Is that you?” Spike asked. “What’s wrong? What happened? Where’s Luke?”
Smolder took a second to calm her tears before she replied. “He’s hunting a dingonek.”
“A dingonek?!” Star said, shocked. “Why would he do such a foolish thing as that?!”
“B-because... it... it killed Garble.” She couldn’t keep herself from wailing her despair.
Spike was immediately by her side, hoping to comfort her. Smolder accepted his embrace, crying into his shoulder.
“So, what, Luke ran off in a fool’s attempt to avenge him?” Star asked.
“And to bring back... back his...” Smolder couldn’t even finish it, but she really didn’t need to.
“Are you saying a dingonek carried Garble off?” Star asked.
Smolder only nodded.
Star turned toward the forest, looking out of the cave.
That can’t be right. Dingoneks never carry their prey off. They devour it on the spot.
I followed the tracks as far as I could, only to be brought up short not far from the site of the attack.
What the hell? Where did it go?
I searched around, looking at the nearby trees, searching for marks that would suggest it climbed any.
Nothing.
It was like it just disappeared.
“Luke!” called Ember’s voice.
I turned to see her approaching. An ethereal bird preceded her, flying right at me before disappearing in a puff.
“Nice to see the tracking spell worked.”
“You have a tracking spell?” I asked.
“Yeah, but I have to know who I’m looking for really well,” she explained. “So, what’s up? Did you find the missing idiot?”
“Kind of,” I said. “He was attacked by a dingonek.”
Ember’s mood shifted in an instant. I felt fear coming off her. She was still quite frightened by those monsters.
“I’m trying to track him, but it’s like the thing just vanished,” I said. “You learn any tricks that can help?”
Ember thought for a second. “Maybe, but I haven’t tested it. Where did the attack happen?”
“This way,” I waved her back the way I came. When we came to the clearing, I pointed to the blood stains and the scale. “We found this. The scale smells like Garble, and the prints look exactly like the ones the one that attacked you left. So, what are you going to do, anyway?”
“Well, I found some pretty cool stuff in a couple tomes Star has. One had a spell that might help.”
Ember closed her eyes and lit up her claws. She poured a massive amount of energy into the spell as a dome of pale blue light surrounded us.
“That was neat,” I said as I took a few steps away. “But what does it... do...” I trailed off as I turned around to see myself. Or, more accurately, a ghostly blue image of me as I was when she cast the spell. “That’s a lot more than neat.”
“This is only the start,” Ember said, her breath slightly labored from the effort of casting the spell.
She raised her claws and twisted her claws around as if turning a dial. When she did, it was like the images started going backwards. I saw the image of Ember and me leave the clearing backward, then myself return, Smolder un-fly away, and our exchange before I sent her off.
She sped it up and time went by quickly. Finally, we saw the blur of other beings and Ember stoped the flow.
“Gah!” Ember fell back at the sight of the dingonek leaping as if it were pouncing on her. She suppressed a shudder. “I hate those things.”
I, meanwhile was only staring at the monster. More specifically, the scar on its face.
“It’s the same one,” I said. “It’s the one I knocked into the fissure. That scar’s where I shot it.”
“No way,” Ember said. “You said that fissure didn’t have a bottom. Even if it survived the fall it would have been stuck down there.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. Can you play it forward?”
“Yeah.”
Ember let it move forward in time. We watched as the thing viciously attacked Garble. There was no sound, thankfully.
When Garble was helpless, the thing picked him up and started into the forest.
“Can you follow it?” I asked.
“Uh... I think so,” Ember said. “It should follow me.”
We started to follow the reptilian cat. Thankfully, the dome of the spell kept centered on Ember. When we arrived at the place where I lost the trail, we saw exactly why it seemed to have disappeared.
A dark wave of magic shot from the creature and opened a portal through which it leapt, taking Garble with it.
“What the heck?” Ember said, rewinding it and watching it again and again. “Those things can use magic?”
“Go back,” I said. “To the exact moment it cast the portal spell.”
She went back and stopped it just as the beam of magic was let loose.
I stared. Trying to figure out what what I was seeing could mean.
“What is it?” Ember asked stepping up beside me.
She saw it immediately.
In that brief moment, as the spell was cast, the dingonek’s face was not its own.