//------------------------------// // 16: Testing Magic // Story: A Pact to Live // by OblivionShadow //------------------------------// Nix focused on the elemental in front of him as he concentrated on how to tell it how to view other ponies. In the back of his mind, he could sense the dragon within him as their magic faded and the elemental shuddered as it turned and was sent back to its patrol. “Kahl?” “It is done. That was the last one we needed to alter.” Kahl informed him. Nix breathed out a sigh and his shoulders sagged as he considered what his next move should be, the sound of heavy paws caught his attention. He looked back at the open cavern doors as Mitsu came toward him. The dragon had stayed close to him over the past couple of days. The stallion stayed inside the Earth dragons cave at night to avoid being stepped on by the other dragons if they moved through the cavern that belonged to the fire dragon. Kahl had assured him that they would not come in uninvited but the stallion had chosen to remain close to the Earth dragon just in case. “Hi, Mitsu.” The midnight stallion greeted the dragon as he stopped by him and laid down on the smooth cavern floor. “I apologize for interrupting but I have questions for you if you have the time,” Mitsu said to him. “Just finished so it’s no problem,” Nix assured him. “I would like to know more about the abilities of your fellow Unicorns.” Nix cringed at the request and the Earth dragon waited as he sat down opposite of the dragon. “I’m not a Unicorn to use as a base.” “What do you mean?” “I spent years in school for magic and my abilities are beyond a normal Unicorn. Most Unicorns only have enough magic to be great at one thing. For example, a Unicorn might be good at gardening or something like that. That would mean they have the magic at their disposal to accomplish basic tasks. It takes focus and the magical ability to do more than that.” “You are exceptional then?” “I’m not exceptional, that would be Twilight. But I do have more of an edge over the others.” “Explain.” “For example, teleportation takes focus and an abnormal skill in magic itself. I know of only a few Unicorns who can do it. Twilight I know can and I can as well. A friend of ours can’t.” “Is she not schooled in the skill?” “No. Her magical ability is not advanced enough for it.” “She does not have the magical capacity. Her well of magic is not strong enough to accomplish it.” Kahl clarified and Nix parroted his words for the other dragon. “I see.” Mitsu nodded as he thought it over. “So what would it require to damage the doors to our catacombs?” “Telekinesis. A huge amount of it.” Nix replied. “It would require a group of Unicorns that are at least somewhat skilled at it. Otherwise, all they would accomplish is to drain their magic.” “We should also consider the abilities of an Alicorn like Luna. We would be stupid not to consider her abilities.” Kahl added and Nix cringed as he spoke for him. “I agree,” Mitsu said back to him. “How do her abilities compare to your own?” Nix barked a laugh as he shook his head. “She could have buried me a hundred times before Kahl,” Nix admitted. “Now I might be able to stand against her but she calls on the powers of the moon as well.” Mitsu shook his head and looked at the pony in front of him. “But in comparison to you before?” “She would have trampled me. An Alicorn is the pinnacle of magic and it would take a hundred well-versed Unicorns to compare. We would need a hundred Unicorns like me and Twilight.” Nix admitted. “Do you think she might have taken the Dragons Tears?” “I want to say no,” Nix replied. “But I do not know her very well. I’ve met her a couple of times and those were not times that it was just the two of us talking.” Kahl was quiet as Nix waited for the dragon to comment. “Kahl?” “We would be foolish to count her out simply because it is inconvenient.” Kahl sounded annoyed as he replied. “But is not possible for it to have been done before her banishment.” Nix spoke aloud and Mitsu nodded in agreement. “We were in there recently for burial so it's not possible that they were stolen so long ago.” Nix nodded as Kahl made an agreeing sound within his mind. “How long ago was it?” “Fifty years ago.” Kahl informs him and Mitsu nods as Nix speaks for him. “So fairly recently.” Nix corrected. “But in terms of time for a very long-lived dragon that’s pretty short in terms of time frame.” “Indeed. We live far longer than most and time does slip past us.” Mitsu said to him. “Recently to us may be fifty years to you.” Nix leaned back on his flank and thought about what it could mean if Luna had stolen the tears. He didn’t want to think that she could have stolen them but at the same time, he knew the dragons were right about not discounting her so easily. She had sent the gems to him and that meant she was a suspect in their theft. “Do not discount her simply because she is a Princess of Equestria.” Kahl said to him and Nix bit back a cringe as the dragon hit the nail on the head. “She is more than capable of committing a crime like any other pony.” Mitsu shifted his weight and waited as Nix finally looked up at the mud-colored dragon. “Is there any way to check if she was the thief?” Nix was quiet as he thought it over. “I send letters to Celestia through Twilights dragon, Spike. But that is the only way I get in touch with her or her sister for…What?” Nix stopped at the wide-eyed look he was getting from Mitsu. “What do you mean her dragon?” “Spike. He lives with Twilight and he can send letters directly to Celestia through his flames.” Nix informed him. “Is there any way we can speak to this dragon?” “I guess. I have no idea honestly. I have never seen Spike hang around other dragons and he seems to be okay with being around only ponies. We would need Twilight to be okay with it though since he is a baby dragon.” Nix looked over his shoulder as the sound of dragging scales caught his attention. Ice came up behind them and he paused behind the stallion. The Water dragon said nothing as he walked around them to join Mitsu in front of the stallion. “What are we talking about now?” The Water dragon questioned. “We were discussing Unicorns and the power they carry within them and the skills that come from it,” Mitsu informed him. “We were just now discussing the dragon that is owned by a mare he knows.” Ice’s eyes went wide as Mitsu spoke and Nix got to his hooves as he looked between them. Nix could hear Kahl groan as he waited for the Water dragon to speak up. “He serves them?” He snarled. “NO!” Nix shouted and both dragons looked down at him as he went on. “No, he doesn’t serve her. He’s a baby dragon that lives with her. He is her assistant and lives in the library with her. He works with her and he is more than well-loved by her.” Ice seemed to calm and his posture relaxed. “I see. So he lives among them and they see him as one of their own?” Nix thought it over and nodded. “Close enough.” He replied and sat back down. “So why do we need him?” Ice asked. “Through him, we can send a letter to Celestia and Luna. If we want to ask her how she got ahold of the Tears. We would need Twilight as well if we want Spike.” “Will there be an issue with speaking to the mare?” Ice asked. Nix was quiet as Kahl barked a laugh. “Well…” “What is it?” Mitsu asked him quietly. Nix sighed and looked at the dragons. “Nopony knows about the Pact with Kahl.” Mitsu’s eyes widened and then they closed as understanding went through him. “I see. And you wish it to remain a secret?” Nix didn’t say anything as he scuffed a hoof over the smooth floor. “I would rather it stay secret, yes.” “If we must choose a pony to know then I would suggest her first.” Kahl admitted. “She is most likely going to be able to keep it to herself.” “Doesn’t mean I like it.” Nix replied to him through their connection. “True enough. But for this situation, we may need to put aside our preference in favor of necessity.” Nix sighed and looked back at the dragons after talking with Kahl silently. “If we need to I will talk to her about it.” He said to them and Mitsu nodded. “I would like to have as much information as possible and have our other options looked over.” “Understood. We will exhaust our options before we rely on her and her baby dragon.” Mitsui agreed and Ice agreed after a second’s hesitation. “Is it possible for you to find any scent or anything on the doors that might tell us anything?” He asked and Ice pulled his head back, an annoyed look crossing his face. “I mean that will tell us how many scents are involved and if we need to involve more than just us in the investigation.” “We are not your hounds.” Ice scolded. Kahl barked a laugh and chuckled in Nix’s mind as the pony gave a quiet sigh. “You have a better nose than I do.” Nix countered. “You will be able to tell more than me if there is more than one scent there or not.” Ice growled as he got to his paws and began to walk away from them. “I will check them for any scent. Mitsu shall remain here and I will check since a pony’s nose is never as good as a dragon.” “Our nose is just as good. You have my sense of smell.” Kahl informed him with a snort. “Oh.” Nix cringed as the dragon spoke. “I know that now.” Kahl chuckled. “On the upside, we did just send Ice on an errand like a common whelp. So there is that to brighten my day.” Nix barked a laugh and covered his mouth with a hoof as Mitsu waited for them to finish speaking. Mitsu snorted and gazed at the pony in front of him. “How amused is Kahl that Ice is doing as you have said?” “Oh, he loves it,” Nix replied. Mitsu leaned his head down lower to the stallion and his large eyes gazed at him. “You fear what might happen should others find out about your Pact?” Nix jerked and looked away from the dragon. He nodded after several seconds and looked up at the dragon. “I am worried that they will be afraid but mostly I am afraid of what they will do. I’m worried that they will think it is something that they need to ‘fix’ and that will hurt both of us.” Mitsu nodded in understanding and the pony waited for him to speak. “You are not alone in this young stallion.” He responded. “You have the flames of the world that will defend you should you have need. I will also stand with you should the need come.” “I know. But still...” “The others would stand with you as well. While we clash at times we do not abandon our own. Each of us is vital to this world and we do not allow it to fall so long as we can defend it. You are one of us now and we stand with you.” “He is right. Do not doubt that you are well defended and we do not fall easily.” Kahl said to him. Nix nodded as they spoke and he tried to relax the tension in his shoulders. He got to his hooves and he began to pace as his mind went over what they had said. His eyes scanned the ground and walls as he paced and his mind raced as the dragons both waited for him to speak. He stopped in his tracks and looked at Mitsu with a sigh. “What do you think?” Mitsu looked at him for a second before he spoke. “Why would you ask me and not your pact Partner?” “I know what Kahl will tell me. He will stand with me no matter what I do. He’s stuck with me.” Nix replied. “I’m looking for another opinion that isn’t mine or his.” “I see,” Mitsu replied and looked thoughtful as he considered what to say in reply. “What exactly do you fear so much that makes you question your fellow ponies so much?” “I’m afraid of what I don’t know.” He replied. “I fear what it could mean for us when they find out.” Nix began to pace again as the dragon was silent. Mitsu remained quiet as time ticked past and Nix grew more anxious as he paced. Mitsu suddenly put a paw in front of him to stop his frantic pacing. “You have every right to fear the unknown. You are allowed to fear and you are allowed to question the future and your fate. But at the same time, you must look ahead and see the future and all that it could hold.” Mitsu said to him as he pulled his paw back. “Thinking of only what-ifs will lead you into madness and that will hinder any progress you have made in life.” “He is right.” Kahl said to him. “We can only look ahead of us and hope for the future. Try to calm down and think of what we do know. You know Twilight and you know how she will react to the information.” Nix parroted Kahl’s words and Mitsu nodded in agreement with the other dragon. “I do know her fairly well. We weren’t friends when we were foals though.” “The past is the past and should not have any bearing on your future. You know her now, do you not?” Mitsu commented. “Yeah. We’re not the best of friends but I guess it’s better than what it once was.” Nix admitted. “How do you think she will react?” Mitsu questioned. “Pretty sure she will want all the details and she will want to talk to Kahl directly at least once,” Nix replied. Mitsu barked a laugh and shook his head as he chuckled. “Sounds as if she is one who craves knowledge.” “You have no idea,” Nix replied with a laugh. “She lives in a Library and loves every second of it.” “Give your kind credit where it is due and trust those close to you. If you fear what the masses will do then keep the information to only one. Trust her and her alone, if you must limit it.” Nix came to stand in front of the Earth dragon once more and he sat down heavily. He looked behind them as Ice came back into the room and laid down beside them once more. Nix waited for him to speak as he looked down at the pony. “It seems that there was only one scent on the first three doors and many on Kahl’s door.” Ice informed them. “The scents were mixed but the magical scent was either one or many on the doors.” Nix felt his eyes go wide as he looked at the Water dragon. “There is no way one pony could have torn those doors apart like that.” He argued. Ice scowled at him and lowered his head to look closely at the stallion. “Are you going to argue with me about what I can scent? Focus on what I have told you and adapt to it.” Nix cringed as he was scolded again by the Water dragon. “I’m not trying to argue with you about what your nose tells you. I just find it hard to believe.” He looked back to Mitsu and waited as he considered what to say next. “How strong are those doors?” “They can withstand the attacks of a dragon if the need calls for it,” Mitsu assured him. Nix was quiet his mind went over what he had been told. He looked at the doors behind them and then back to the ground as he tried to stay sitting and not get up to pace again. “What are you thinking of?” Kahl asked him after am minute of silence. “I have an idea.” He replied. “Oh? And what would that be?” Nix looked at the other dragons who were waiting for him to speak as he got to his hooves. “Is it possible to make another set of each door?” “It is possible,” Mitsu replied, his head giving a slight tilt at the question. “Why?” “I am trying to think of how much force a Unicorn would need to exert to rip apart those doors.” “What will that accomplish?” Ice questioned, interrupting the stallion. “You happen to have a strong Unicorn here in front of you. If I can rip those doors apart then we know that a single Unicorn can as well. That means we know what we need to look for. Anypony like me or an Alicorn.” Mitsu nodded as he understood what he meant. “I understand. We will get Suki to make a set of doors and bring them here to you to test them.” “What?” Ice asked, his tone annoyed. “We will each make a set of doors and Nix will attempt to break into them. That will tell us how much force is needed to shatter them.” Mitsu clarified. Ice nodded and got to his paws. “I will find Suki and inform him of what we are doing.” “Will this allow us to find out how many were within our lands?” Mitsu asked him. “Maybe. I will act as the one unicorn and we will see how much magic would have been needed to break through them. An Alicorn would be able to break all of them I think. A regular gifted Unicorn might be able to do two in my opinion. But if I can get through three of them then that narrows our search to an Alicorn or a very strong Unicorn.” “Which means that the chance of such a strong Unicorn being unknown to Celestia or Luna is remote. Then we find out what they know.” Kahl finished for him. Nix nodded and spoke aloud for Mitsu. The Earth dragon nodded as they finished speaking and he got to his paws and looked down at them. The Earth dragon’s eyes closed as Nix looked down to the Earth as it began to shudder under his hooves. He looked up as an area of the ground ahead of him began to raise from the flat cavern. The stones parted as a set of doors came from within the ground. His eyes went wide at the sight of them and he looked at the Earth dragon as his eyes opened and he regarded the stunned pony before him. “My apologies for not warning you of what I was doing. Are you all right?” Mitsu asked as he laid back down in place. “I’m fine.” Nix squeaked out to him. “No you’re not.” Kahl teased. “Shush.” Nix didn’t reply further to the Fire dragons teasing as he sat back down. “So those doors are the same as the ones in the catacombs?” “Yes. They are identical.” Mitsu assured him. Nix looked up as Ice and Suki came back into the cavern, each with a set of doors in their teeth. He got to his hooves as they each set them to stand next to Mitsu’s doors. Nix looked at them as they joined the Earth dragon and laid down to wait for him to play his part. “Okay, Kahl. Your turn.” Nix said aloud and closed his eyes to allow the dragon to take over. Kahl opened his eyes and he could see the three dragons standing ahead of him and he spun to face the three sets of doors and he walked down to the end of them and paused as he called on the flames of the world to answer his call. He focused on the doors and they began to form within the world itself. Like the others, he used his natural element to craft them within the soil closest to his element and then bring them above the ground. The dragon called on them from within the world and the stones cracked open as the doors were brought above ground and lined up beside the others. He turned back to the other dragons and walked back to rejoin them to allow Nix to work from the beginning. “Can he hear us Kahlem?” Ice suddenly asked him. “No. His mind has been pushed back to allow it to transition between us easier. Why do you ask?” Kahl replied as he sat down before them. “Do you…wish it had been different?” Ice asked, his tone careful. “Do you mean if I wish things had been different in how it happened or do I wish I had not put my nose in where it didn’t belong?” “The second one,” Suki replied. “There are days. Mostly I miss flying as I wish. Our magic has been merged and there is no sense that there is something missing any longer. Mostly I miss my wings.” He admitted with a depressed sounding sigh. Mitsu nodded in understanding as the Fire dragon lamented the loss. “Do you regret giving up your form? You surely had the choice to either be the bearer or allow him to be.” “I did. But it would have left his mind…damaged at best. It was either keep my word to him or not. I told him that we would be intact and I chose to honor that.” Kahl went on. Suki huffed but nodded in reply. Ice leaned back and looked thoughtful. “You always were the one to stick your nose where it did not belong, Kahlem.” Suki finally said to him. “True. I will not argue that fact with you.” Kahl admitted with a shrug. “While it is true I do not regret my decision. I regret not calling on the world to help in their defeat. Had I made that choice then things might have been made different and both of us would have been intact and separate.” “You know that now you have the lifespan of a pony.” Ice growled. “We do not.” Kahl clarified. “He shares my lifespan. While we can be killed it has been made rather difficult. We are the same as you are, simply just in a different form.” Suki stared as Kahl spoke, his tone calm. Mitsu chuckled as the Air dragon gawked and then blinked and looked away from the pony. Kahl waited for them to speak further and when his waiting was met with silence he closed his eyes to allow Nix to regain control. Nix opened his eyes and the three dragons were sitting in front of him once more and he shook his head to clear the slight fog that lingered when they switched places like that. He got to his hooves and turned to look at the first set of doors that had been made by Mitsu. His eyes went over the thick doors as they towered above him. He breathed in a deep breath and looked over his shoulder as Mitsu reached out his nose and budged him forward. “We will wait for when you are ready to begin.” He assured the pony as he pulled his head back and waited. “Right.” Nix said with a nod to them. “Okay. Is it possible for you to limit our magic down to what it would have been before?” “Do you mean for it to be limited back?” Kahl asked. “Yeah. I want it to be my magic from before you.” “That is doable.” Kahl assured him. “Go ahead and light your horn with your Unicorn magic and I will pull it back until it is what it once was.” Nix nodded and his horn lit as he summoned their magic and he pushed back the flames until only his azure aura remained. Nix stood in front of the doors from Mitsu and his magic reached out to grip the set of doors. He breathed out a slow breath and focused on the doors and finding a way to crack them. He began to pull on the doors and his ears flicked forward as the sound of cracking stone began to fill the air around them. He stayed focused on his task as the sound grew louder. Cracks began to show against the doors deep brown coloring and then began to grow into the body of the door. “Keep going.” Kahl urged him on. Nix heard him speak and he poured a bit more magic into the door and he wrenched his head back as he gave a magical yank on the doors and they crumbled under his magic. He released the pieces and they fell to the ground with a series of heavy thuds. The Unicorn didn’t say anything as he looked over his shoulder to the dragons. He nearly barked a laugh at the wide-eyed stare he was getting from all three of them. He looked back at the broken door and they looked almost identical to the broken doors in the Catacombs. Nix breathed out a deep sigh and shook his head as he waited for his magic to level back out after such a large amount being used. “I must admit I was not sure this would work.” Kahl said to him. “What?” Nix yelped to him. “I was not sure you would be able to break them without more magic than what you used. They are…weak in the face of a Unicorns magical pull.” “Mitsu said they can fend off a dragon though.” “Dragons and ponies are very different obviously.” Kahl replied. “In terms of magic ponies have more. Even Earth ponies have some magic and that means they are made of magic in a way. While we are made from our Elements a Unicorn is a different creature and our doors are no match for them.” Nix was quiet as he moved to the next set of doors and stared at it before his horn lit. “Keep going?” “Yes. We need to see if it is possible or not.” Kahl encouraged. “This will give us an idea of the numbers if you can go through them all or not.” Nix’s horn stayed alight as he reached out and gripped the doors from Suki in his magic. He began to place the same amount of force against the doors and like the others, they began to crack and break in response. He was able to hurry up the process since he now knew how much force to use. He was able to quickly shatter the doors and then lean back on his haunches to recover. He looked back and Suki was staring at the crumbled pieces of the doors. He moved to the next set and he could see nervousness go through the Water dragon as his magic reached out to grip them. He set the same amount of force against them and they began to crumble. He could feel the drain on his magical pool as it happened and he was cautious as he slowed down his use and crumbled the doors slower than the second set. They fell to his magic and he panted at the magical drain. Nix moved to stand in front of Kahl’s set of doors and he looked back at the dragons. Mitsu was watching him intently and Ice and Suki were still shocked at how quickly the doors fell. His magic reached out as he looked back at the doors and he gripped them in his magic. He pushed his magic as far as he dared and he could feel the backlash coming as it lashed back at him and he dropped his magic and his horn went dormant. “I can’t break this one.” He admitted and turned to face the dragons. “I could if I drained my magical energy completely and if I do that I might end up damaging my horn. I would need help to finish it.” He told them as he tipped his horn back at the remaining set of doors. He could see the shock that still went through the dragons as they scanned the remains of the doors they had made. Nix sat down with a sigh as he waited for his magic to level out again. He could feel the drain on his magic and he could feel a headache starting that would have grown worse if he had continued. “Could you have broken them all at the same time?” Mitsu asked, his voice quiet. “Its not impossible. But it would have probably caused injury if I did. It’s unlikely though.” He replied. “Why?” Suki asked. “It could cause permanent injury to my magical pool or worse to my horn itself.” He responded. “Are you certain that a single pony broke all three doors but needed aid for the final door?” Ice replied. “Your nose told us that it was one pony that was near those doors.” Nix countered and Ice nodded. “Only one pony broke those doors. Kahl’s doors were not as damaged as these. I think they did not have as much time as they thought when they went into that catacomb. They ran out of time.” Suki snorted and looked at them each in turn. “We need to start thinking outside the box when it comes to our security.” Ice and Mitsu nodded and Kahl gave an assenting nose and Nix nodded for him. “For once he is right.” Kahl said. Nix pulled Kahl’s magic back into its place and he felt it begin to recover. He lit his horn and fire soared over his horn and he shouted and reeled back as his horn went dormant. “It’s all right.” Kahl soothed. “Your Unicorn magic is less than normal so my flame took over to balance it out while it recovers.” The dragon informed him. His breathing slowed as he nodded to the dragon. “Right.” “Why did you panic at the sight of your shared magic?” Suki asked him as he brought his head down to face the pony. Nix looked at the ground as he got to his hooves and then at the Air dragon. “I am a bit afraid of fire.” He admitted. He watched as Suki stared at him for several seconds and then pulled his head back as he began to laugh loudly. Nix clenched his jaw as Ice joined in and Mitsu simply looked at them as the pony hung his head. “Can I melt into the floor now?” He asked the dragon within him. “Do not take any stock in them.” Kahl snarled. “Ignore them as best as you can. They do not know why you are afraid and I doubt they would be willing to listen.” Nix looked up as Mitsu raised one paw and slammed it into the ground. Nix yelped as he managed to keep himself standing, despite the ground trembling. A loud growl sounded from the Earth dragon as the others fell silent. He turned to look at them and Nix watched as they cringed back under the intense look from the Earth dragon. “You have no right to laugh. It is not your place to laugh at his fear when I can recall both of you once being frightened whelps.” Mitsu growled. “If I recall you, Suki, were once afraid of…” “No,” Suki said to him and nodded. “Understood.” “And you Ice. Shall I remind you of your fears?” Ice shook his head and lowered his head. Nix looked at each of them as Mitsu turned his head to look at the midnight blue pony. Nix felt a slight smile tug at his mouth as the dragon’s large eyes watched him closely. “Kahl laughed as well but he apologized.” He admitted. “He admitted that he was laughing at the irony, not that I was afraid of fire.” Mitsu nodded. “It is ironic but it is not something to be mocked for,” Mitsu assured him. “Kahl was right to apologize. I was surprised to hear what you said of the flames but I was once afraid of the fire as well. When I was young and Kahl’s predecessor was in power I feared the flame he wielded. I understand where that fear can come from and you do not deserve to be mocked or teased about it.” Nix felt his eyes go wide as Mitsu admitted that he had once been scared of fire as well. “I’m surprised to hear that you were scared of fire. I just assumed all dragons were fine with it since they breathed fire.” “I do not have any control over the world’s flames and that is where my fear came from. Cold can be biting but it is usually a gradual freeze. Fire burns all that it touches and it can be slow when it wishes.” Mitsu replied. “My apologies, Phoenix,” Suki said to the pony as he lowered his head to Nix’s level. “It was unfair of me to laugh at your fears.” Nix nodded as Ice lowered his head as well. “Accept our apologies for our actions.” “Forgiven,” Nix said to them. “Just think before you laugh next time.” Both nodded in agreement and they both raised their heads back to tower above him. “Thankfully they were wise enough to apologize for their laughter.” Kahl said to him and Nix nodded. “Now what?” He asked as he got to his hooves. “Are you willing to speak to this mare in our stead?” Mitsu asked him and he saw the pony look nervous as he went on. “Or we can bring her to us and tell her some story about the Dragons Tears. We wish to speak to her about the baby dragon she uses…asks to send letters for her.” Nix stood up and stretched his back as he thought it over. “I admit I would rather gargle glass then tell her or anypony but I see the reasoning behind it. I will do what I can to help find out what happened.” “Should we bring her here or go to her?” Ice asked quietly. “Her coming here might take a long time. I can’t bring her through the Earth…Can we?” He asked the dragon within him. “No.” Kahl replied. “Nope. We would be coming over land so it might take how long Kahl?” “Approximately a week or so.” Kahl supplied. “A week or more.” He related to the others and they blanched. “And going to her would be a problem.” “Why?” Ice asked. “Ponyville is a really small town and the sight of three enormous dragons will send the entire town into a panic. Plus it might alert the city of Canterlot since we are close by it and they might react badly.” He reasoned. Suki snorted and looked at the pony. “They should be honored to see the dragons that guard their world and…” Nix glared at him and the dragon fell silent and didn’t say anything more. “Our only option might be to bring her to you,” Nix admitted. “Is there anywhere that is safe to bring her…?” “I have an idea.” Kahl said to him and the pony fell silent as he tilted his head to the side and waited. “What about Ghastly Gorge? It is secluded enough to remain unseen and large enough for them to meet her within it.” “Kahl. You’re a genius.” He said aloud and he heard the dragon chuckle. “There is a gorge near Ponyville that could be what we need.” “Oh?” Mitsu said to him. “Yeah, it’s large enough for all of you to fit and not draw too much attention,” Nix informed them. “Where is it?” Mitsu asked him. “Umm.” Nix looked thoughtful as he tried to figure how to describe it to them. “All ow me to answer that.” Kahl said to him. “Oh thank Equestria you know,” Nix admitted and closed his eyes to allow the dragon to take over. Kahl opened his eyes and reached out to the flames of the world at his command. The stones cracked open and flames pulled free of the world that held them. He focused on navigating the others to the gorge and they leaned forward as the flames showed them their path to the gorge. He knew that they could travel through their respective Element and it would take them very little time to reach the gorge. “Meet us there late morning and we will speak to the mare in the meantime,” Kahl said to them and they each nodded in turn. Kahl rescinded the map he had made for them and closed his eyes to return their form to Nix. Nix opened his eyes and he shook off the fog and he watched as Suki and Ice got up and began to leave the cavern. He assumed that Kahl had said something to them about meeting up in the Gorge later. “They will meet us there tomorrow in the late morning.” Kahl assured him. “Late morning?” “Did you want to blindside Twilight with them in the gorge or warn her before them?” Kahl replied. “That’s a good point.” Nix admitted with a sheepish glance around him. “Are you going to be all right with this, young pony?” Mitsu asked. His voice quiet as Nix tilted his head at his question. “It is a deep secret to you and I can see that it upsets you to let it free.” Nix twitched at the reminder and he sighed as he sat down in front of the dragon. “I won’t lie and say that I’m totally fine with it. I know it’s needed though so I will make peace with it.” “What do you mean?” “Without it, we might not be able to find a way to get Twilight and Spike to work with us about the Dragons Tears. If there is a Unicorn out there that can break three out of four doors then we need to find out who knows about him or her.” “So you are all right with others finding out about your Pact with a dragon?” “I’ll live with it. Like I said I’m not happy about it but it is needed. I can ask Twilight to keep it to herself as well. I hope she will understand and keep it quiet, otherwise, I will be in for a lot of questions.” “Do you still fear others harming you for your Pact?” “In a way. I’m afraid that she will tell one pony in particular.” “Oh?” “Yeah, Celestia.” He admitted. “Why would she tell her?” “She is Celestia’s student. Her bond to the Princess is strong and I am afraid that she will let it slip to her and that the last thing I want.” “Is there a way to impress upon her that you wish it kept secret and are not ready for it to be known?” “Hopefully we can convince her to keep it quiet,” Nix admitted with a shrug. “Trust your Pact Partner to help you. You two are one being and being of two minds will not help you.” Mitsu said to him. Nix nodded in agreement and sighed deeply. “We don’t have much choice if we want to find out what happened and who stole them. We need to know what Luna and Celestia know by getting Twilight on board.” “Thank you for all that you have done. You did not have to bring the Tears to our attention and yet you did. I am sure Kahl impressed upon you how important they were but you still can disagree.” “He was furious at first but he calmed down when I admitted that I didn’t know why he was upset. When he told me what they were I…may have gotten sick over it since I had handled one of them.” “Kahl did mention that you had been bitten by one of them.” Mitsu chuckled. “Yeah. I got bit by one and that was how Kahl knew there was something wrong when he woke up a little while later.” “Still. You are owed our thanks for all that you have done and will do.” “Thanks for caring about my opinion on it,” Nix said to the Eldest dragon and the dragon nodded as Nix turned to leave the Earth dragon’s cavern. “We could only have Twilight find out about the two of us.” Kahl said to him and he nearly stopped in his tracks. “Really?” Nix asked him in reply. “How do you figure?” “We could ask her to meet us at home and speak to her in private without Spike.” Kahl explained. “The odds of the baby dragon being able to keep a secret is slim.” Nix was quiet as he considered what he had said. “Go on.” “We can ask her to leave Spike out of it and speak with her privately. We can write or she can write the letter to Luna and then send it through Spike without him reading it.” Kahl responded. “That’s true. I like that idea. Less chance of him blabbing if he doesn’t know.” “Precisely. It could alleviate some of the stress off of you if there is only one pony who knows.” “You’re a genius.” He replied and he heard the dragon chuckled. “Now I just have to think about how to tell her.” “I will do what I can to help. It will be difficult to get her to believe us without proof.” Kahl admitted. “We will have to work to show her the proof she asks for.” “Yeah. That’s gonna be the hard part. She is knowledge hungry at the best of times. Hopefully, she will let me explain it all and only ask what I can answer.” “If you cannot answer her questions about the Pact itself then I can step in to tell her what I know.” Kahl assured him. “We are of one mind about this and I will back you up.” “Thanks,” Nix said back to him as they walked back into Kahl’s cavern. “So should we go home now or in the morning?” “I would advise in the morning.” Kahl advised. “It gives you a chance to rest before we travel home. Your magic is still recovering and we need to give it time to recover.” “That’s a good point,” Nix said as he walked off to the side and sat down with a sigh.