//------------------------------// // Green Orb // Story: Rise Of the Dragon Queen // by Mystic Sunrise //------------------------------// This, River Breeze, decided as she settled down for the night, was exactly what she had needed. Nothing out here but nature, and she couldn't be happier with that. Her trip south from Vanhoover had been boring. Nopony on the train had bothered her and the hours had flown by, and soon she was in Canterlot. While seeing Equestria's capital would normally be exciting, it had taken a back seat to the feeling that had begun to grow in her. Something was drawing her west. It had begun when she had gotten off the train and nearly ran over a lavender unicorn. While both had apologized, the feeling had really stared when they had parted. For some reason, it felt like River should've known the mare. It seemed she wasn't the only one to think so either, for more than once she had caught the unicorn giving her an odd look from a window. Nothing about them had been hostile or rude, but there seemed to be more to them than simple curiosity. River had felt the same as well. Once the train had pulled away though, the feeling had ended, and for the time she put it of her mind. Her attention had soon turned to what was drawing her west, but the Canterlot Archives didn't have much to go on. All the maps called it the Unexplored West. Very little was known of it and few had ever been that way she had read. Yet something was drawing her out to that area, and the feeling was growing stronger with each passing moment. A part of River had been hesitant to go out that far. If something happened to her, there was nopony to help her. But a larger part of was anxious to go and explore the region, to see things nopony else had ever seen before and return. In the end, River's curiosity had won out and she had made up her mind to go and follow her heart. Finding what she needed in Canterlot had been a bust. So she had made a quick trip down to Ponyville to see if she could have better luck. Quaint as the town had been, River hoped she never met Pinkie Pie ever again. That mare had way too much energy, though she had been as friendly as the rest of the town. But how the locals handled her was beyond River. Though the local fashionista Rarity had said it was better not to think about it too much. And she couldn't agree more. But that was beside the point. From Ponyville she had been able to get all she had needed to survive in the wild for quite some time, so from there she had gone west. Now she was deep in unexplored territory. River was on her own. And that suited her just fine. She needed alone time. College life, while exciting, was exhausting and she needed the long break. This area was perfect. Plus whatever was calling her out here was close, she could feel it. She didn't know how, but she was sure it was close. Maybe within the next day if she was lucky. And to be honest, River hoped that was the case. Something else had begun to grow within her in the last few days, something that couldn't help but want. It reminded her of the dream from a few months back. That song had never left her. Her cutie mark wasn't a musical note for a reason. Its green color stood out next to her deep blue coat and served as a nice contrast to her blond mane and tail. The faces were becoming clearer as well. All five of them were connected. They wanted to be together. No. They needed to be together, in a way River couldn't explain. But it felt right all the same as she put her book down and soon passed into a dreamless slumber. *** The next morning, after an early start, River found herself walking along a path with no real destination in mind. It was a beautiful sunny day without a cloud in the sky. The feeling that was drawing her this way was growing stronger with every step. It was almost impossible to not break into a run and rush toward whatever it was. But River kept her head about her. It didn't do her any good to go rushing off madly, no matter how much she wanted to. Her parents had taught her better than that. Growing up as an only child and as the only unicorn in an eath pony family, she had learned early on to think things through and not rush into them. Her parents might not've been able to help her with magic, but they had taught her to be smart. Despite being a unicorn, they had never shunned her and loved her no matter what. It had paid off many times. While Vanhoover's Academy of Magic was nowhere near as prestigious as Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, it was still a top tier school and highly rated by the E.E.A. Which River would be lucky to get back into after this. She hadn't exactly had free time, or at least not this much, and the school was very strict on students leaving for no reason. As the thought crossed her mind, she suddenly saw what looked like a break in the tree line ahead. Maybe it was a clearing? It would be a nice change of scenery at least after all these trees. A moment more brought her to the break in the trees. It was a clearing. Nearly a mile across with trees on all sides, and in the center was the largest tree River had ever seen. Even fallen on its side it was still huge and majestic. Walking up to it, she couldn't see what had caused it to fall. No scorch marks or axeman's cutting marks, so what had caused it to fall? Walking around the fallen giant, River was surprised at how healthy it looked for having fallen over some time ago now. Near the midpoint, she came across a hole in the side. It looked natural, as though something had fallen out. But what and where could it have gone? And why did it feel like she should know this place? It didn't make any sense though. She had never been here before in her life, and yet it felt like she belonged here. Her mind swirling with odd thoughts, River suddenly became aware of something she had missed. Whatever was calling her, it was here, in this clearing. But where? Looking around she didn't see anything, but the feeling was still there. Seeing no other option, she began a slow circuit around the edge of the clearing. For a time she found nothing, and her frustration grew. As she came to another spot though, her hooves bounced off something hard in the grass. Jumping back in surprise, River looked down to see what it was. There, next to a tree, was a green orb, just big enough to fit in her hooves as she picked it up. Whatever it was, it was beautiful and a masterwork of craftsmanship. But why was it out here and who had left it here? River shook her head. Maybe somepony in Equestria could help her figure this out. She wasn't going to leave it that was for sure. But something told her that it was hers by right, whatever that meant. As she was thinking things through, the orb began to glow, and before River knew what was happening, it changed shape slightly, with two dragons now encircling the orb with their snouts touching at the top. Before she could react more, it fastened itself securely around her neck. She gave it a bemused look as she played with it a moment. "Guess that means you do want to come with me huh?" The dragon's eyes glowed. She giggled at the feeling as she turned and began to walk back the way she had come. Whatever this thing was, she liked it, and maybe she would keep it once she got back to Equestria. *** In the regrowing temple, another head on the mural filled in, this one gree in color. Now only one head remained to be filled in. The temple itself was almost fully rebuilt now. The island it was on was now several feet above the surrounding swamp. It too could feel the end was in sight. *** On a train north to Ponyville from Appleloosa, Twilight and Pearl felt their own orbs begin to glow. Looking down, they saw the eyes of the dragons glowing slightly. Pearl poked hers. "Is this a good thing?" Twilight nodded. "I think so. I don't know how or why, but it feels like we're almost complete now."