//------------------------------// // 14: Dragons and Gatherings... // Story: A Pact to Live // by OblivionShadow //------------------------------// “You’re sure this isn’t going to blow up in our faces?” Nix questioned as Twilight’s magic held a small vial of purple liquid. “It’ll be fine. I am certain that this will mix well and create a glue-like consistency.” Twilight replied to him. He blinked and looked uncertain as she tipped the vial and it flowed from the vial into the beaker glass container and he watched as it mixed and turned a green color. He gave a quiet sigh of relief and couldn’t help but wonder what had possessed him to agree to help her with an experiment. “You are a glutton for punishment and she promised you dinner.” Kahl informed him. “Shush.” He replied quickly, even though the dragon was technically right. He looked back to the mare as she picked up a red vial and his eyes widened. “No, no don’t…” BOOM! Nix was pushed off his chair from the small explosion and he coughed as he pushed himself into a sitting position and patted his chest and forelegs. “Are we in one piece?” He asked Kahl as the dragon laughed. “Yes. We are fine.” He assured him as he chuckled. “Everypony alive?” He called out as he pushed himself to his hooves. “I’m okay,” Twilight said as she got up from the ground as well. “I was not ready for that. But you did try to stop me.” “Yeah. We can see how well that worked.” He complained. “I was going to say that, that chemical will explode when put in contact with the current mixture.” She looked sheepish and his horn lit as he began to clean up the table with her. He looked up as Spike came down the stairs and looked at them both. “What did she blow up this time?” He asked, his voice tired. “Nothing…big.” She defended. “This time?” Nix repeated. “What does he mean this time?” “It’s nothing. Just an accident.” She replied. “You okay Nix?” Spike asked as he came around the table to regard the stallion. “Yeah. My fur is the same color and I think I have all the fur on my face still so it’s already better than the last time I was involved in a science experiment with her.” He answered as the baby dragon giggled behind his claws. Nix’s magic picked up the chair he had been sitting in and replaced other small items that had survived the blast. He was careful of the broken glass as Twilights magic began to clean it up and he stayed out of the way so she could see. “I would advise against allowing her to mix chemicals again. Unless you are tired of your fur not being on fire.” Kahl said to him. “If you wish your fur to be on fire I can teach you how to do that.” “Yeah no.” He said. “No what?” Spike asked him. Nix was quiet as he realized that he had spoken aloud and he heard Kahl laugh in his mind. “I was just telling myself that she’s not allowed to mix the chemical again. Two explosions is a trend, not a coincidence.” He covered quickly as he looked at the sheepish mare. She gave a nervous smile and picked up her own chair and set it in place. “It was an accident.” “If you had listened to me this would not have happened.” He argued. “Ugh.” She groaned and glared at him. “I am sorry I knocked you out of your chair. But you’re in research and development. Experiments are part of research. Accidents happen.” “Don’t drag my job into this. I don’t mix things without thinking about what they could do. Maybe if you had stopped long enough to ask my opinion then I would not have needed to shout and neither of us would have been tossed out of our seats and to the floor.” He countered quickly. “Easy.” Kahl said to him, a chuckle in his tone. “You were never this sensitive to it before.” She argued. “I don’t think us being in grade school counts. You blew things up then to if you recall. Though this time you did manage to not burn my nose or change my fur color so this is a noticeable improvement over last time.” “Ugh.” Twilight grained again and her horn moved the broken glass into a trash bin. “Don’t ugh me.” Nix groaned. “You asked me to help and then you blow things up. I think I’m allowed to be a bit miffed.” Twilight put her hooves over her face and dragged them down her face to look at him. “I’m sorry.” “Forgiven.” He said and sat down with a grin. She blinked several times at him as he regarded her cheerfully. “You…What…Ohh.” “Yeah not mad. I just wanted to argue with you and see what happened.” He admitted. Spike laughed as he patted the stallion on the leg and made for the stairs again. “He got you Twilight.” “Yeah, he did.” She admitted and began to laugh. “Now what?” He asked her. “Now I think I owe you dinner. Any preference?” She asked him. “Nothing comes to mind. I’d eat my chair at this point though so I’ll eat anything.” “Alfalfa curry?” He blanched and looked over to her. “How spicy is it?” “Spike doesn’t like really spicy so it’s pretty mild.” She admitted. “Oh perfect. If he can eat it so can I.” He replied with a smile. “Come on.” She smiled and motioned for him to follow her up the stairs and out of the lab. Nix walked quietly back home after having dinner with Twilight and Spike. “Feel better after overeating?” Kahl teased. “You’re just jealous you can’t eat it.” He replied. “I can taste it through you if I choose. I just have no desire to eat hay.” He countered. “And I don’t like heavily seasoned meat. But I eat it every now and then for you.” “And I appreciate that. But I still have no desire to taste hay.” The dragon replied. “You’re missing out. That was delicious.” “Somehow I’ll get over the disappointment of not tasting it.” Kahl replied, sarcasm in his voice. He was about to tease the dragon further when a chill wind made him freeze in place and he shivered as it went over him. He waited as the air warmed up once more and he took a few halting steps. “That was really cold.” “That was actually Suki.” Kahl said to him. “Really?” “Yes. It seems he finally decided to reply to the message we sent two days ago.” Kahl replied. “Did he have to freeze me solid?” “Probably not but I knew he would. He knows I hate that.” “Well I second that I hate that too.” Nix said and he began to walk forward. “So what about the others?” “We should be getting their reply within the next twelve hours or so.” “Goodie.” Nix replied as he began to walk forward once more. “I just want to flop down on the couch and die for a minute.” “I tried to tell you that you were eating too much.” “I know you did but I didn’t listen since it was good.” He heard the dragon sigh as they got closer to home and he unlocked the front door and walked inside. He pushed the door closed and it locked behind him as he made his way to the couch and flopped down on it and sighed, contentedly. He was about to speak when the sound of rain caught his attention. He rolled up to sit and looked at the closest window as the rain drummed against it for several seconds. It faded as quickly as it had come and he blinked for a second afterward. “Ice?” “Yes. He is asking for a meeting.” “He probably doesn’t like that somepony grave robbed his relatives.” Nix pointed out. “I seem to recall how you reacted.” “Imagine it in a dragon my size or slightly smaller.” Nix shuddered and gave a little squeak of apprehension. “That would be terrifying.” “I imagine it would have been. It makes you glad you did not deliver the message personally.” “I’m thrilled we sent a note.” He admitted and laid back on the couch. “Now we just need Mitsu to say hi.” “He will in time.” “NIX!” Phoenix sat up abruptly with a loud gasp and looked around the room. “What happened?” “A slight tremor went through the world.” “Oh?” “Mitsu has sent word.” “Oh well, that’s good then. Hang on.” He said and breathed out a breath. “Give me a sec to put my heart back in place. Did you have to scare the hell out of me?” Kahl didn’t reply and Nix sighed as his heart rate calmed and he scrubbed his face with his hooves. He pushed the blankets back and moved his legs off the side of the bed. “Have you recovered?” Kahl asked him, sarcasm in his voice. A sour look crossed Nix’s face and he sighed. “Yeah. I’m good.” “Mitsu is specifically asking about my location. I think it is time we simply met with them and crossed the bridge about telling them our circumstances now.” Kahl replied. “You’re kidding?” “No. I think now is the best time. We have the information they need about the Dragons Tears and the odds of us being turned to ash are slim at best.” “But we still could.” “It’s a slim chance. But do you wish to send repeated short messages about them or alert them in person?” “Can’t be one big message?” “No. It doesn’t work that way. The message we sent was short which was a good thing since I had forgotten to mention it.” Kahl admitted. Nix sighed and fell back onto the sheets and laid still. “So we really need to go to them?” “Yes. They are also calling on a meeting. Unless you wish them to come to us.” Nix sat up with a gasp and shook his head. “Yeah no. Hell no. That would get us caught so fast.” “Precisely. Now what do you wish to do?” “Okay, so we need to go to them. How?” “We would use the same method as before to go to my lair. From there it is easy enough to meet up with the others. It seems they will already be there ahead of us. That will give us time to speak with Mitsu and have him on our side before we meet with the others.” “Okay, that makes sense. You’re going to have to guide us this time around though. I don’t know where you live.” “Understood. I will take care of getting us there.” “Can we leave in the morning?” “I assumed that we would ask Twilight to watch the house while we are gone. I am not sure how long it will take.” Kahl advised. “Good idea. I forgot all about it.” He turned and crawled back under his blankets and tried to go back to sleep. As he laid in silence he could not help but feel a bit of fear in his stomach as he considered that he would be meeting with a group of dragons that were older than him and far more powerful. While he had Kahl he was afraid that the dragon within him would not be able to stop them from killing them. “Don’t worry about that. All we need to do is get Mitsu behind us and the other two will defer to him. I may be the youngest but Mitsu does not allow in fighting if he can prevent it. From what I can tell from his message he is upset by what we have found. Normally he is pretty mellow but when riled he will act quickly. It will be fine.” Kahl assured him. “What do I tell her?” “A version of the truth. We are going to be out of town and we need her to watch the house until our return. If she asks what you are doing tell her that you are researching something and will be back later.” Kahl supplied. “Okay, that sounds fairly accurate at least. I don’t like lying to her.” He replied. “I know. Normally I would say for you to tell her the truth but she is meant to be kept in the dark for now.” Kahl commented. “When the time comes I will help you explain to her about our circumstances.” “You will?” “Of course. There are two of us and we are to be one mind in our choices. In time we will both be ready, to tell the truth to her and others.” Nix sighed and he felt himself begin to relax thanks to the dragon's words. “Sounds good.” Nix slid the Dragons Tears into his saddlebags and then buckled them into place on his barrel. He rolled his shoulders to get the bags to sit in the right place and made for the basement stairs. He glanced at the locked vault and made his way back to it to put his horn in place to lock it further. He was pretty sure Twilight would not invade it but he knew that she had a deep love of anything Starswirl so he was cautious. “Do not trust her to leave it alone?” “It’s not a lack of trust. She tends to lose sight of things when it comes to Starswirl and all things about him. I just don’t want to try to explain to her why I have a failed research project of his that deals in blood rituals.” He countered. “Can you imagine that conversation?” “It would be amusing for me to hear.” Kahl replied with a laugh. “Glad to know one of us would be amused.” Nix groused as he went up the basement stairs and locked it behind him. The midnight blue Unicorn made for the front door and his magic enveloped his horn as he checked all the windows and pulled the blinds. Their magic pushed open the door and he locked it tight and kept the key in his saddlebag to give to Twilight. His hooves carried him at a brisk trot to the Library and he rapped his hoof on the front door. It swung open a few moments later to reveal the purple Unicorn. “Hi, Nix. You’re out early.” She observed. “Yeah. Usually, I’m working but I‘m heading out of town for a while to do some research and I was hoping you could watch the house just in case.” He said to her. She smiled and nodded at him. “Sure. Do you want me to stay in it or…?” “Nah. You don’t need to stay in it if you don’t want to. It’s pretty bare at the moment so you would need food if you did. Just check it every now and then to make sure the door is locked and the windows aren’t broken and we will call it good.” Nix informed her. “What are you out looking for this time? Last time it was volcanic rocks.” “Oh. Yeah I got what I needed that little trip. No, this time it’s for the same project just different locations.” He lied smoothly to her even as he cringed on the inside about the lie. The mare nodded and smiled. “It’s no problem to watch the house. I think you’re a little paranoid about ponies going into it but I will watch over it for you.” “Thanks. I’ll owe you one.” He said to her. “Just let me use your lab every now and then and we are even.” She laughed. “I can agree with that. Just give me a warning so I’m not needing that day. Otherwise, I have no issue with you using it.” He assured her and backed up to leave. “Thanks again Twilight.” “Good luck.” She called out as he broke into a trot and made for the Everfree. “Okay so once we get to the Everfree we can use clearing to move through the world okay?” “Or you can teleport there and make things simpler.” Kahl pointed out and the stallion came to a halt with a sour expression. “Right.” His horn lit up with their shared magic and he vanished in a flash of magic and sparks. Nix opened his eyes and found them to be at the edge of the Everfree and he broke into a trot as he followed the main path into the forest. “Okay, how deep do you think we need to go into it to stay out of sight?” “Not too far. If you reach out with your senses you can sense if another pony is close by.” “Oh right. I forgot all about it.” He sent out his senses and he could sense deer and other creatures around them but no ponies. He gave a relieved sigh and trotted onto a game trail and followed it for several minutes until it came into a clearing. “Here we go. Will this work?” “It should work fine. Open the earth and I will take over from there.” Kahl said to him and he nodded. Nix came to a stop and he pushed back his Unicorn magic and pulled Kahl’s flames to the front. He focused on the inner roads that Kahl had described and he watched as the earth began to open slightly and he could feel Kahl adding in his own power to help him. Once it was open his magic pulled back and his horn went dormant. “Okay, your turn.” He said to the dragon and he closed his eyes to make it easier for the dragon. Kahl opened his eyes and he could see the rent earth in front of him and he could sense Nix’s mind had been safely pushed back. He called on the flames of the world and they flowed over him. He could sense a bit of fear from Nix as they flowed over their body and into the ground under his hooves. He pitched their body forward and into the earth. He could feel the fear in Nix’s mind and he reached out to soothe him as he closed his eyes to keep the pony calm. He could feel the warmth of the earth on his fur and though he wished to open his eyes he did not want to cause Nix to panic. AS they came to a stop he opened his eyes once more and he looked around them to see the wide cavern that he had called his lair for many years. “Wow.” Nix spoke to him. “You could have warned me that it was huge.” Kahl chuckled as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to fade into the background to give Nix control once more. Nix opened his eyes and he looked around them as a whistle pulled from his lips as he looked around him in awe. He walked slowly forward and he looked up to the ceiling that was well over a few stories above him. The cavern was wide and he paused at the sight of a fire monster across the room. He felt fear pulse through him as it turned toward him and began to move in his direction. “You are in no danger from it. You carry my blood and I created them. They are meant to guard my lair and will not permit any within it. You and I are the same being so they are no threat to you.” Kahl assured him. Nix gave a quiet noise and began to walk slowly toward it. It veered off to the side and went in another direction from him and he breathed out a sigh of relief and kept walking. “Veer slightly right and you will see a grand door in front of you.” Kahl instructed. “Got it.” He replied and did as the dragon instructed. He broke into a lope and covered more ground at an easy pace. He looked up as a pair of doors loomed above him as he approached them. He slowed to a walk as he reached them and he placed a hoof against the door and gave a slight push. When nothing happened he was not overly shocked and he waited for Kahl to tell him what to do next. “You will need to use my flames to send a message to him asking him to let us in. It’s simply a courtesy but one that we all uphold.” Kahl said to him. “Take my flames within your horn and focus on the Element of the Earth and he will hear you.” “Right.” Nix did as he was instructed and he focused on the Element of Earth and he startled at the sound of stone grating against itself and he opened his eyes as the doors began to open. He walked inside as they opened enough for him to fit through and he trotted inside. He could see the cavern was the same size as Kahl’s but there were Earth elementals rumbling through it. He felt apprehension spike through him at the sight of them but they ignored him due to the dragon with him. He looked up at the sound of something large moving and a dragon came into his view. Mitsu stood across from him and the dragon tilted his head at the sight of him. Nix watched as the dragon came more into his view and it eyed him warily. Its scales were a mud brown with what looked like rocks moving over his scales at all times. Nix was about to speak when a look of rage crossed the dragon's face and it roared as it charged him. “NIX!” Kahl’s voice echoed through him as he froze. Kahl pushed Nix’s mind back as he took control once more. His body was covered in flames as the other dragon charged him. Flame flowed over his body as he sent a command to the flames in the world to protect him and they erupted from the ground under Mitsu’s body, throwing him off his paws. The other dragon roared and looked at the flame covered pony and a look of curiosity crossed his face. He rolled to his paws and once more regarded the flame wreathed stallion. “Kahlem?” “I am here, Mitsu,” Kahl replied, his voice loud and it echoed against the walls of the cavern. The dragon came toward him and lowered his head to look at the pony in front of him. Kahl said nothing and stayed still as the other dragons' warm breath went over his fur. He could feel Nix in the back of his mind and he kept the pony’s mind safely pushed back as he worked on the dragon in front of them. “You have some explaining to do, I should think,” Mitsu said to him as he pulled his head back, satisfied that he was indeed speaking with the Element of Fire. “I know. That is why I came here first.” Kahl admitted and sat down on the stone floor. “If you will indulge me I will explain how I came to be in this form.” Mitsu backed up and laid down in front of him. “Please.” Nix opened his eyes and he reeled back onto his back at the sight of the dragon laying quietly in front of him. “Holy…!” “You’re safe. He knows.” Kahl said to him as the pony scrambled backward. “Oh.” He stopped and regarded the silent dragon ahead of him. “Welcome to my domain Arisen Phoenix,” Mitsu said to him, a slight smile on his muzzle. “Thank you.” Nix squeaked out and cleared his throat as he got o his hooves and walked back toward the dragon to sit closer to avoid yelling at him. “You are safe in my domain and you are forever welcome here.” The dragon said to him. Nix went quiet as a smile began to tug at his mouth at the dragon's welcome. “Thank you for that. I’m sorry for intruding earlier.” “That was not your fault. I did not know that Kahlem had been reduced in his size so the sight of you was startling to me. I ask you to forgive my attack on you earlier.” Nix smiled as the dragon apologized. “No harm is done. I assume Kahl did something to stop it since I’m not dead.” “He threw me off my paws with the aid of the world’s fire. A move that I had taught him when he was young. It assured me of who he was and ended the fight before it began.” Mitsu disclosed. Nix cringed and he heard a chuckle from the dragon in his mind. “Well it worked but I think there are easier ways to tell you who we are.” “Perhaps. But a demonstration of power is often the fastest and carries the most weight.” Mitsu said top him. “But enough of that. I trust you are the one that sent the message to us about our honored dead?” “Yes. I was the author once Kahl taught me how. I have the gems with me to prove it.” Nix said as their magic pulled the box of gems from his saddlebags. “I believe you. Kahl spoke of them and I do not require proof of their location. The others might but the fact that they are with you lends much credence to your claims.” Mitsu said with a dismissive wave of his paw. “The fact that a Princess of yours has them is concerning. How she came to possess them is something that we will need to look into. Did she say anything about them?” “No. They came to me in a box of other gems that I was going to use for a project. When I picked them up there was a note from Princess Celestia and it told me that Princess Luna thought they would be helpful to me so she had them sent to me.” Nix explained. “I see,” Mitsu said and leaned his chin into one of his paws. “I would greatly love to know how she came upon them.” “I’m sure you would.” Nix agreed and set the case of Dragons Tears on the ground in front of his hooves. “Kahl mentioned you had written down how many came from each of us. May I know how many of mine are missing?” Mitsu asked. Nix could hear the sadness in the dragon’s voice as he nodded and reached into his saddlebags for the scroll with the tally marks on it. “Umm. Seven. Of the eighteen gems, seven of them are yours.” Nix provided. Mitsu inhaled at the number and sorrow crossed his face as he closed his eyes. “How many altogether?” “Eighteen.” He replied and waited as the dragon processed the information. “There were seven from you, three from Ice, six from Suki, one from Joren, and one from Lomen.” “So many escaped us without our knowledge. Be thankful you do not feel this pain yourself Kahlem.” Mitsu said as he opened his large eyes and regarded the pony. “I feel for you Mitsu. While I may not have descendants of my own they are mine through you and the others.” Kahl replied and Nix parroted the dragon’s words. “We must let others know what has happened and bring this knowledge to them now. I will stay with you when they come to my lair. You will have the strength of the Earth to add to your own. I do not doubt that Kahlem can keep them under control if needed. But I will be there as well.” Nix nodded as Kahl gave an assenting noise. “Probably a good thing,” Nix admitted. “I have been told a few things about Suki and Ice from Kahl but that’s just from his perspective.” “Kahlem is a good judge of character but he is also as fiery as his element. He tends to clash with the others.” Mitsu replied. “They start it but I finish it,” Kahl growled and Nix spoke for him. Mitsu sighed and shook his head. “I advise allowing your Pact mate to speak for you. He seems to have a calmer temperament.” Kahl grumbled as Nix tried to avoid looking at the mud scaled dragon. Mitsu opened his mouth to speak and then stopped as he looked to the great doors behind them. “They are here.” He said to them. Nix felt dread edge into his mind and Kahl overlaid his own calm over the stallion's mind. “It is time for this to begin.” He said and Nix gave a little nod in reply as his horn lit and the Dragons Tears were placed back in his saddlebags. “Stay by my side little pony and I will help you as I can,” Mitsu said as he got to his paws and looked at the great doors. “Are you ready?” Nix loped into place beside the dragon and looked up and gave a short nod. “Yeah.” He whispered out and his eyes stared as the doors opened.