Lord Torch pondered what he’d done to make Tiamat curse the end of his reign with nigh-endless worries and tragedies. First, dragon slayers had invaded his territory and shattered an egg. Now, the oldest shaman in the land had revealed that not only had she consorted with ponies for centuries, but that someone, likely Gemstone Steelspine herself, had borne witness to the act.
Topaz Goldwing currently stood before him in his cave, an unannounced petitioner, while Torch sat on his hoard. It was much like that fateful audience with Amber Ironscale years ago, when she had presented him the foundling Heathspike. Only at the time, he remembered, he’d been lounging lazily upon his bed of precious stones, treating the matter as just an inconvenience. Now Torch was sharply upright, his posture indicative of how deeply the news had cut into his system. It merely added to his chagrin that on this occasion, his petitioner should be one of those few dragons whose stature matched his own and upon whom the Dragon Lord’s voice held no magical sway.
“I don’t know what’s worse,” growled Torch, drawing himself up to his fullest height, “the fact you and your apprentices have been going behind the back of every Dragon Lord for the past millennium, and going into Equestria, or that you were followed. Celestia will not take it lying down.”
“She assures me she won’t,” Topaz said dryly, recalling the princess’s promise to defend the town.
If there was a bright side to everything, it was that Squires Gate had been evacuated, save for a small handful of stubborn citizens, and countless guards both from the town and the barracks of Canterlot had taken position to keep watch for any interlopers who might threaten the community, especially rampaging dragons from across the sea.
“You spoke with Celestia?” Torch said, glaring at her.
“I did,” Topaz replied, unintimidated by the huge dragon’s piercing glare. “And that’s of little consequence to our current predicament. No matter who followed me, a dragon found out about my trips when they shouldn’t have.”
“Are you sure it was Gemstone?”
“No. Which is why I ask that you summon her,” Topaz explained. “She was temperamental the other day, in desperate search of something to do. I wouldn’t put it past her to follow me, if it gave her something to take her mind off–” Topaz paused to think of the right word. “Her loss. The way I see it, either I reveal the town’s existence to her, and I explain why this is a beneficial relationship– or I find out she followed me, and we proceed from there.”
It was sound reasoning. If Gemstone wasn’t their mystery dragon, Torch could just order every dragon in the land to stay away from Equestria.
He focused his thoughts, and before long, a glowing Gemstone Steelspine entered the cave. The beat of her wings was feeble and drooping, her demeanor hunched. She did not look at either elder dragon as her scales dimmed.
She wore no jewelry. From this, Torch surmised she had not attended today’s gathering. He silently wished Blaze were here right now, listening from the shadows. Her advice on how to deal with a soul in mourning would have been welcome.
“Gemstone,” Topaz greeted, with false cheer. “How good to see you,”
“Topaz.” Now Gemstone looked at them, her voice dripping with venom. “Torch.”
“You watch your tone,” Torch ordered. She could have fit in the palm of his hand. Crushing her would have been no trouble for him, were he so inclined. Yet the last thing he needed was to give Clan Steelspine an excuse for a blood feud, particularly with the end of his rule soon to come. “I am still Dragon Lord, and you will address me as such.”
Gemstone merely shot the Dragon Lord a dirty look. “I do apologize, Lord Torch,” she said mockingly, bowing to him in an exaggerated manner.
“You called me Topaz,” Topaz noted, taking a deep breath. “Not Master. So, you did follow me.”
“I did a lot yesterday.”
That sounded vague, and Torch despised vagueness. “Gemstone Steelspine,” he intoned, “I order you to tell us in clear terms if you followed Topaz Goldwing to a pony village.”
Gemstone did not wait for her scales to glow again.
“I did. I’m glad I did. If I’d known what being a healer meant that we’d need to consort with those things, I would have never become her student.”
“You don’t mean that,” gasped Topaz.
“Believe what you like. Did you ever tell that town about me?”
“I did,” Topaz said, still recovering from the bluntness of her student’s answers. “I’ve told them about all my apprentices. In every generation, a new dragon healer has formed bonds with the citizens of Squires Gate, under my watch. Many ponies were looking forward to meeting you next.”
“I just wanted to know,” Gemstone said softly. “I hereby resign from the position of your apprentice. Topaz, may you burn with Tiamat.”
Her face betrayed no sign of emotion. With her piece said, Gemstone turned around.
But Topaz could not let it go like this. “Gemstone!” she called after the retreating dragon. “Listen to me. Celestia’s stationing guards all around the town. Whatever you think you’ll accomplish, it won’t go the way you think it will.”
Gemstone kept her eyes looking forward, her expression flat. She didn’t care how many there would be. All that mattered were the criminals, Air Break and Short Fuse. The rest could burn with them.
“Very interesting.”
Seeing a master lose control of her student, Torch chose to intercede. “One last thing before you go, Gemstone Steelspine,” the Dragon Lord spoke, in an unusually low voice. “You are not to set foot in that pony village. If you disobey me, I shall banish you from these lands, and let Celestia decide your fate. I hope she shows you the mercy she’s famous for.”
Gemstone glanced back. “You’re that convinced I’ll attack that little town?”
“I do not know,” Torch admitted. “But, I have been wrong before. As my mate likes to say, prudence is the mother of virtue.”
Gemstone let out a combination of a scoff and a giggle. “As if I’d be dumb enough to go there alone! Your little village is fine, Topaz, you have nothing to worry about. Now, if I’m no longer needed, I will bid you both adieu.”
She gave a low bow, not in the direction of her elders, but with her silhouetted in profile against the cave’s mouth, before she truly made her exit.
“I’ll be keeping tabs on that one,” Torch snarled. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Topaz, but please, next time you need supplies, send someone that isn’t in charge of an apprentice.”
He had felt the silent wrath emanating from the young dragon. He had no clue what she was planning, but time was on her side. So long as a drake did not succumb to the headstrong impulse, so common to their kind and their most common cause of natural death, they had the benefit of long life. Be it a month, be it a year, a decade or a century, Gemstone could enact her vengeance.
Torch shuddered at the thought of what that would bring to his lands and to Equestria.
Dragon Lords would routinely leave behind instructions for their successors. Illiterate as even the wielders of dragonkind’s greatest title often were, the missives were seldom recorded on paper or parchment – neither of which were likely to remain intact for long in the volcanic Dragonlands, anyway – but engraved in simple imagery upon a secluded cave wall, preserved by the priests and scribes of Bahamut, to whom a translation of their meaning was also entrusted. The most frightening of these missives had been left by Dragon Lord Meliek and his successor, Dragon Lord Erupt. Both had told of a time of war, yes, but also a time where dragons, broken and maddened, took out their rage upon Equestrian villages. Such fallout had very nearly brought about greater conflict. Fortunately, Bahamut’s Paladins had taken care of those rogue dragons.
Yet Equestria never truly forgot their crimes. The tales had survived in legends, so he’d heard, and in a land where the written word grew commonplace, storybooks as well. Tales of savage beasts looking for treasure to steal, kingdoms to burn, and princesses to take as unwilling mates. It was to be expected from those who fell for Tiamat's whispers.
Standing beside the present Dragon Lord, Topaz Goldwing didn’t know what else she herself could do at this point. With Princess Celestia defending the town, and Gemstone kept under discreet surveillance, all that was left to do was to wait and see. To bide one’s time.
For Gemstone, that was the only course of action as well. The young dragon had foreseen that the elders’ worry would drive them to spy on her, day and night. She would be patient. As she had told Torch, she wasn’t fool enough to assault a village alone.
Arriving at the cave of Clan Steelspine, Gemstone entered and sat before her mother, letting out a sigh.
“What did he want of you?” Pala Steelspine asked her daughter.
“I was caught following Topaz,” answered Gemstone. “She let Torch know about the village, and she warned the pony princess.”
“Wretched traitor,” Pala sneered. She began to raise from her spot, growling low. “I say we go now and raze that speck off the face of the map. Then we see how Topaz fares if one of her precious whelps is skewered.”
“Mother, let’s not act hastily,” Gemstone urged. “Lord Torch and Topaz will be breathing down my neck for the time being. Let us wait. We’re dragons, after all. Time is on our side.”
The Steelspines waited an agonizingly long while. Two months slowly crept by in the Dragonlands.
Torch was no slouch during this time. Since his numerous responsibilities kept him from observing Gemstone himself, he had coerced Braft, a younger member of Clan Shadowhide, to stake out and tail the troublesome Steelspine every day. In exchange, Braft was given gems, and his immediate family were exempt from paying Topaz for her services until the Embertide passed. From the teenager, Torch received several detailed reports about what Gemstone did. Nothing too unusual for a dragon of her age. Gemstone still foraged for gems, played with and fed her brother, and would help her mother crawl out of the cave every so often. Clan Steelspine appeared to have welcomed a new, honorary member with little Scales Sunwing, whom Gemstone showed little visible animosity towards. A bit pushy, but the family hadn’t been disrupted any further by Scales’ presence.
The Dragon Lord simply filed away that piece of information and felt glad Ember didn’t go chasing boys. He’d learned from Blaze about their daughter’s new acquaintance. While it made him feel uneasy after how he’d told off young Garbuncle, he couldn’t deny the value of maintaining bonds of alliance between Clan Brightcrest and Clan Ironscale.
Meanwhile, Gemstone went about her days, doing what she could. Foraging, providing her aid to injured whelps, getting back to mingling with other girls and attending gatherings. It was all to make it seem like everything was normal. She still allowed herself bouts of anger, as any dragon would, especially against those that deserved it. When she and Smolder crossed paths, her demeanor was colder towards the younger girl, and any interactions came with a noticeable bite – not literally, yet still, a snap of the teeth.
The sight of Smolder nowadays made Gemstone’s blood boil. All that prattling about books and how great the princess was, it irked her more than she could describe. But Smolder was out-of-bounds, as she could retreat to Garble’s side when possible. Or Ember’s, what with the two having grown a lot closer over the past month.
Conversely, Gemstone needed to mind her own brother more, now his little ‘friend’ Scales had forced her way into his life. Scales was demanding, to say the least, and relentless in her pursuit to push Slicer out of his comfort zone. Every day she forced him not just to play with other boys his age, but to win.
Today was no different.
It was an easygoing afternoon, a day to while away under a soothing red sky, and Gemstone had hoped she could bring Slicer outside without unwanted interference. She took him to a quiet corner, not far removed from the nesting grounds, where most dragons would not be present at this time of year. But Scales possessed an uncanny ability to track her prey. No sooner than Gemstone had landed, carrying her brother on her back, did Scales spring up like a bat out of Tartarus. Apparently, the girl had been lounging behind a rock when they arrived. It was too convenient to be coincidence, yet Gemstone had not seen Scales tracking them, either by air or by land.
Had it been Scales who’d followed after Topaz, the older dragon would never have known. It made Gemstone shudder to imagine what a hunter she’d make one day.
“You’re here!” Scales said happily, grabbing Slicer’s spare hand. “Thanks for bringing him!”
Gemstone sighed, reluctant to let go of Slicer. She had tried employing subtlety with Scales, telling her as kindly as she could to stay far away from her brother. After which she had tried to be direct and forceful. She was the larger dragon, and had the advantage in a contest of physical intimidation. But Scales was too stubborn to take the hint.
“Scales,” Gemstone growled. “Now’s really not the time. What were you doing here anyway?”
To Gemstone’s disgust, Scales did that thing where a female pressed her cheeks together and cooed. She had seen Smolder do it once or twice, seen Amber Ironscale do it, even a few girls like Ballista Axebeak. It was one of those things she found too sickly-sweetly “girly” for a dragon, almost like something a pony would do. She only found it to be a marvel that Lord Consort Blaze, with her perfume bottles and painted eyelashes, never partook in the action.
But apparently, not all dragons thought it crossed the line. And Scales was the worst of the lot.
“Can’t a girl dream?” Scales sighed blissfully. “Sometimes I like to come here alone, you know, and imagine what beautiful eggs we’ll have, my future mate and I.”
By Bahamut, the girl was no older than Slicer. She shouldn’t be thinking about laying eggs. At least Gemstone felt slightly relieved to know that, whatever Scales was trying to pull with her brother, he couldn’t be the “future mate” she kept waxing poetic about. All the girls knew Scales had eyes only for Garble Ironscale.
What irritated Gemstone was that Scales had crafted a plausible lie on the spot.
“Can’t you give us time to ourselves, my brother and I? You keep doing this, pushing Slicer around. He really doesn’t need you.”
“Nonsense!” Scales chirped, pulling Slicer harder. “Being alone is the one thing he doesn’t need. Least of all with his family, feeling sad and all. I’m making sure he won’t mope all day. You should be thanking me.”
“B-but I really don’t want to do much today,” Slicer mumbled as Scales dragged him from his sister.
“You never want to do anything any day!” Scales cried. “And then you start playing with the boys, and you get better for a bit! Where’s your bounce, Slicer? You gotta get your bounce back!” She pointed towards a crater, off in the distance. “Garble and the lads just found a bunch of gems. They’re fighting over who gets the biggest pile.”
Gemstone felt helpless as she saw a dim spark in Slicer’s eyes. Scales couldn’t make him do anything that he didn’t want to do, but the girl had it sussed that deep down, he really did still enjoy getting into a proper fight with his friends over loot.
“Slicer,” she asked, resigned. “What do you wanna do?”
With his hands held between his sister and new friend, Slicer’s head darted back-and-forth, until he finally turned to stare pitifully at Gemstone.
“I-” Slicer said, looking strangely small. “I think I wanna go fight, Gemstone.”
Sighing, Gemstone released his hand. “Alright.” She glared at Scales. “But I’m coming along. You let that girl spend too much time with you, all to herself.”
Scales squealed delightedly, a noise which pierced Gemstone’s eardrums. Still, there was nothing for it but to allow Scales to take the lead on foot, pulling Slicer over to the disputed crater. Gemstone trailed behind them in the air, her wings beating listlessly.
A familiar blur of ruby-red and earth-brown caught her eye as she glided past the crest. Like Scales said, the fight was well underway, both Garble and Arrow making short work of their respective contestants, moving towards that climax where they’d face each other.
“You’re winning third place,” Scales declared loudly, “so we can have a snack.”
Slicer’s mood quickly shifted from apathy to indignation. “Third place?” he exclaimed. “Hey, why am I settling for third place? You should want me to get first.”
There was nothing a dragon hated more than being told they couldn’t do something. Staring at the two, Gemstone began to wonder. Was Scales manipulating her brother? Was she even smart enough to? But what would Scales want to manipulate Slicer for?
“Because Arrow’s fighting and he’s taking second,” Scales explained, tugging Slicer harder, “and if you managed to beat him, there’d still be Garble to think about!” She paused to think. “Garble’s a bit less obsessed with winning, though. If he quits, you could get second place.” She shrugged her shoulders. “My daddy says he never leaves anything to luck. Let’s go in assuming you’ll get third.”
“I could take on Garble and get first!”
“No!” Scales snapped. “Do not even think about hurting him! I forbid it!”
“Why?”
Gazing from atop the crest, Gemstone wondered the same thing. Slicer was usually told to win when Scales told him to fight. Being forbidden from fighting someone wasn’t going to sit well with him.
“Because he’s my future mate, silly,” Scales confided in a sing-song voice. Weirdly, she seemed to think this was the appropriate moment to boop Slicer on the snout. From the dreamy look in her eyes, it was painfully clear she was picturing her future with Garble. “Someone as amazing as me deserves the toughest drake there is, after all. So, I need to make sure nothing happens to him!”
To everyone’s surprise, Slicer wrenched his hand away from hers, fists clenching as he huffed.
“He’s not that great. All he has is tough scales. I–in fact, my dad tells me that I can cut through his scales, no problem! Plus, I have a merged ability! Does anyone know how rare this is?”
Slicer pointed to the sickle-like blade on the end of his tail to emphasize his point, but Scales didn’t seem to understand. Grunting, he moved away from her and approached a nearby boulder. One quick slash of his claws left a clean cut in the rock. His next swipe did the same. To round off the trifecta, he twirled and used the blade on his tail to tear a long, straight gash through the whole rock, breaking it apart.
“See?” Slicer panted, wiping his brow. “H-he’s not even that good-looking. I have him beat there too!”
“I can admit when you’re right,” Scales nodded, causing Slicer’s cheeks to turn a slight shade of red. “But he beat Arrow! No-one else has done that.”
Slicer shot Garble and Arrow a dirty look. “I’m getting first!” he snarled, as he dashed towards the group.
Scales’ eyes went wide in horror. “Slicer, no, you’re getting third! I told you to get third! Slicer!” she yelled, chasing after him.
But Slicer ignored her, joining a group that had only just noticed him. While the boys were still surprised to see him, he’d been fighting again long enough for them to accept him wordlessly.
He fought quite well. Gemstone herself was on edge, since this was her brother fighting, yet she could contain her worry. Scales, however, twitched and gasped any time he was hit, cheered when he won, and would scream unsolicited advice.
Soon, many of the drakes gave up. Which left Garble and Arrow, and Slicer, and Spear. How Spear could fight with that unruly mop covering his eyes, was one of the great mysteries of the Dragonlands. He often made the top five.
Lots were drawn. To Scales’ relief as well as Gemstone’s, Slicer had to fight Spear, leaving Arrow to Garble. Meaning that Slicer was sure to earn a nice snack, when he came in second. Of course, this would require honorably forfeiting the final round.
“Beat him up, Slicer!” cried Scales.
However, Slicer glared at the drawn lot in his hand, then at Spear, and then towards Garble and Arrow.
“Wait,” Slicer said, walking up to Arrow. “I want to fight you.”
“What!”
There came a string of reprimands and insults thrown at him, but Slicer utterly disregarded Scales.
Although Arrow and Garble each stared at him with a raised eyebrow, neither of them objected. Garble went off to limber up, while Arrow cracked his knuckles. It did not matter who Slicer fought. They would end up fighting each other regardless. The one who looked downcast was Spear, his mop of hair seeming to droop more than ever now he was sure to fight Garble next.
When the fight began, Slicer managed to get four hits in. But on his fifth strike, Arrow blocked his attack, knocking Slicer off-balance. From the audience, an audible feminine gasp was heard as a follow-up punch collided with Slicer’s eye, sending him sprawling on the ground. Just as Slicer was about to stand up, Scales ran between him and Arrow.
“That is enough!” Scales yelled at Arrow.
Arrow gazed at her dully. “He’s getting up.”
“And I’m saying he’s done!”
“So what, he needs his girlfriend to tell him what to do?” Arrow gave Scales a soft shove.
From above, Gemstone’s eyes widened at the offense, while Slicer released a fuming growl and Scales gave a shocked and disgusted gasp.
Scales’ face hardened and she marched back up to Arrow. “First off, I am not his girlfriend. I’m spoken for. Right, Garble?” she asked, fluttering her eyelashes at the red drake, although she didn’t seem to care that Garble turned his back to her, nor did she hear Slicer’s annoyed growl. “Secondly, Slicer has been out of practice for months, because he’s been mourning his little brother! If this were any other time, he would have beaten you easily! He’s out of practice, so there must be some rule that the fight ends a little early. And thirdly–”
She got as close to Arrow as possible and smirked, whispering to the drake.
“Your mom will be mad. I got in trouble just for being nice to him. What’s going to happen to you, since you punched him?”
The warning was enough to cudgel Arrow into a semblance of submission. Normally, he would have done something to Scales, or anyone that sneered at him, but one mention of his mother told Arrow that it was best to let it go, settle for the gems he’d won, and forgo the rematch with Garble until another time.
“I’m pulling out of the fight,” Arrow grumbled, collecting the second-biggest pile of gems.
“You earned every last gem!” Scales called after him cheerfully. She turned and helped Slicer to his feet. His cheek carried a large welt, and his eye was swollen shut. “The things I have to do for you,” she grumbled, letting him lean on her. “It is not the lady that’s supposed to help a drake. And because of you, we’ve now gotta settle for third place. You really should have just fought Spear! Then we would have gotten a bigger haul.”
“Wait, b-but you said– me and him haven’t fought yet–”
Scales pulled him close, glaring at him with the most intense look she could muster, before turning her fiery gaze right onto Spear. Dragon or no, the searing heat in her eyes would have burned right through his shaggy mop. Spear was actually scared to meet her gaze.
“I-I think I hear my mom calling. You win, Slicer,” Spear said, edging away nervously.
So Garble had won the king’s pile once more, but he was frowning. This wasn’t merely the easiest victory he’d ever claimed, it was also the least earned. Rather than gloat, Garble didn’t say a single word as he watched Slicer and Scales collect their gems. He shared a glance with Gemstone when the pair moved off hauling all they could carry between them. It was brief. Gemstone broke the stare, focusing on eavesdropping what Scales and Slicer were up to now.
Having moved far enough from the main group, Scales began to berate him. “What were you thinking? Fighting him was super dumb!”
She was helping him towards his sister, but was going slowly so that she could properly shout at him.
“I don’t know. I just wanted to punch him. Did you really mean it?”
Scales looked at him, confused. “Did I mean what? That what you did was stupid?”
“That I could beat Arrow,” Slicer clarified. “Did you mean it?”
“Of course I meant it! I’m only friends with the most exceptional dragons,” Scales said haughtily. She failed to notice the small smile this brought to Slicer’s face. “Once I get you back in fighting shape, you can put that jerk in his place. Did you see how he shoved me? Doesn’t he know who I am? You can’t just shove someone like me! And Garble just stood there! He breaks Arrow’s nose for putting Little Miss Princess in her place, when she literally asked for it, but lets a poor girl like me get shoved because she’s worried about her friend? There’s no justice in this world!”
“I wanted to punch him for that,” Slicer muttered.
“At least someone has a sense of honor,” Scales said with a smile. “You just need to listen to me more.” The pair soon made it to Gemstone, and Scales eloquently surmised the situation. “Slicer was stupid and got beat up. Can you fix him?”
After Gemstone promised to do what she could, she sent Slicer back to the cave ahead of her.
Her brother could wait. His injuries were hardly life-threatening. She needed a word with Arrow’s mother first. Despite her dislike for Scales, the girl was right about one thing. The problem was that in this case, Gemstone did not want her to be. Word of the fight would reach the parents’ ears. So far, the boys had tried to keep it secret that Slicer was back to fighting. However, now that Arrow had openly mocked Slicer after his little friend interfered, someone was sure to spill the beans. She had to step in before this got out of hand.
For better or worse, Gemstone was about to give her blessing to Scales as her brother’s own Paladin.
It took hours to convince Arrow’s mother not to punish her son.
Gemstone saw the burning fury in the huge dragon’s eyes, and felt conflicted. Dragons, deep down, could care for one another. The rare occasion when a dragon chose to pull their punches was what made it stand out all the more. A family that had experienced such a tragedy was to be shown some kindness – but part of Gemstone hated the empathy. The looks of pity. The way the others seemed to tiptoe around her and her family. It made her feel as if they saw them as something else.
“Ma’am,” said Gemstone, “my brother literally asked to fight your son. All his pain is self-inflicted.”
“W-well,” Bow spluttered. “It hardly seems appropriate for him to–”
“My brother isn’t some fragile hatchling, he’s a dragon,” Gemstone said with a growl. “He’s starting to play with other boys again. He’s starting to socialize again, little twits aside. I don’t need you to set an example that they’re to treat him like he’s made of glass.” She took a deep breath and calmed herself, needing to keep up appearances. “If you want to help us move past our tragedy, the least you can do is let my brother be a normal drake. That means taking hard knocks.”
Bow still looked as if she wanted to protest. “And what about the girl? Sunwing?” she said. “He shoved her when she wasn’t in the fight.”
This was when Gemstone knew she stood at a crossroads. What she said next would define everything.
“I’m not going to fight my brother’s battles for him,” Gemstone said at last. “And nor do I particularly care for Sunwing, that’s true. Still.” She took a deep, deep breath, working up the conviction to speak the words. “Perhaps I’ve been too hesitant to encourage Slicer to move on, as well. Too afraid of him getting hurt. The Sunwing girl’s been doing everything to get him out of his funk.”
“She’s the only one who tried standing up for him,” Bow remarked. “I thought you said-”
“I know what I said.” Yet Gemstone didn’t snap. Her words came out softly, in a small sigh. “Slicer doesn’t need someone to coddle him, ma’am. He needs to take his punches. Also, I think now more than ever, he needs someone who’ll be there to pick him up, too. And maybe-maybe that can’t be me.”
This Bow must have understood, for she fell silent. Possibly she felt ashamed of herself. Gemstone could not tell. The situation had been defused, and this was all that mattered to her.
Defused, not only today, yet for all the days to come after. Yes, after.
Back at her family’s cave, Gemstone tended to her brother. If there was one positive to him being hurt, it was that it gave her a chance to put what she’d learnt during her apprenticeship to good use. She lightly cut the spot above her brother's blackened eye, letting the built-up fluid leak out, and giving him back the use of both eyes. A cold, wet cloth was pressed against his remaining bruises.
“Feeling better?” She was happy to receive a nod. “Slicer, you do know you don’t need to let that girl push you around. You know you can say ‘no’ to her, right?”
“I know, I know, sis,” Slicer grumbled, as if this were the hundredth time they’d had this conversation. “I like spending time with her, though.”
“Are you sure?” Gemstone asked gently. “Because she seems to upset you sometimes.”
“Well, I get a little mad when she talks about Garble. Like he’s so great. And she makes my stomach feel weird, like when she grabs my claw. Or– or like today, she was saying that I could beat Arrow, and it felt like there were butterflies in my stomach.”
Gemstone let out a pained groan. “No, Slicer, no. Oh please, no,” was all that she could say as she buried her face in her claws.
Reclined upon his pile, their father simply smiled, and lightly chuckled. “She is a cute girl.”
“Whu-?” Slicer murmured. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“You’ll know when you’re older.”
Truthfully, neither Kalamet nor Pala minded the girl much. It was something any normal drake would experience. Not tragic, not something that would leave him jumping at shadows, nor something that would make him mourn for months on end. A simple instance of a boy meeting a girl and developing a little crush on her
The Steelspine parents had heard that Scales’ parents weren’t pleased at their daughter’s approach, yet they dismissed it as idle talk. It was true Scales could be bossy and demanding, but she was also nine. Pala knew that once she grew up, she’d likely feel embarrassed by her past actions and would never really be able to live it down, despite it being so small. Then there was what Scales actually was doing. Remove her ego, remove her tactlessness, and what was left was a girl helping Slicer to see the world hadn’t ended, that there was still a life he could live.
While Gemstone felt concern over her brother putting himself on the line, she also felt a bit happier for the first time since the tragedy. Provided Scales didn’t overstep any boundaries, having a friend in his life was just what Slicer needed right now, especially if the young girl got him back into fighting shape. Gemstone was of the opinion that the sooner Slicer honed his fighting skills, the better.
With what was about to happen, he might need them someday.
As evening fell that day, Braft Shadowhide was growing frustrated watching Gemstone Steelspine.
He felt like a creep. Had his daily activity not been Torch’s direct order, he would have gone to see someone about his stalking problem. Secondly, he wished he could just talk to her for a minute. She was an attractive dragon. Many drakes his age often found themselves gawking at her, himself included. Several had already tried, all of them were sent away. Some theorized that she was stuck-up, but most realized that she just wasn’t in the right headspace to court, and needed time to heal. Gatherings were a perfect place to talk with other girls, if not to have an excuse to come outside.
Creepy as it sounded, if he ever did try to court her, he did know a few of her likes and dislikes. Her favorite gems, favorite spots to visit, even her favorite activities. He silently thanked Bahamut that the reason for his stalking was because of Torch’s orders and not because he was a freak. He let out a quiet groan, and turned back towards the spot, and saw that Gemstone was gone.
A hand suddenly wrapped around his snout and a claw was pressed to his neck. He let out a muffled cry of surprise before Gemstone’s voice gently cooed at him to remain calm.
“A young girl might feel threatened when she’s stalked for months by some creep. In a fit of fright, she might attack, maybe even kill her pursuer.”
He warbled in surprise. She had seen him? But he was a Shadowhide, his clan's ability made it almost impossible to see them. “How–”
“I’m not deaf. I’ll admit seeing you is hard, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t hear you.” Gemstone applied pressure against his neck.“Try anything I don’t like, and I slit your throat. You’re going to leave me alone, you understand? If I find you following me again–”
She removed her claw from his neck, and slashed a nearby wall. She made sure that Baft saw the deep, clean gash left. Gemstone threw him to the ground, and silently slipped away. At that moment, Braft realized that any chance he’d had with Gemstone was now reduced to ash. Perhaps it was for the best.
He retreated and returned to Lord Torch.
After Torch had thoroughly chewed out Braft for being made, the drake was dismissed for the day, and told to cease shadowing Gemstone. With him gone, Torch snorted to himself. Perhaps with everything that had happened, having lived through one of the worst tragedies to begall the land in centuries, Gemstone had decided to move on with her life. She had lost a sibling, but still had another who lived. Her parents were alive. She herself still had a life to live. Moving on was the best thing she could do for herself, so why stop her? Why stalk her?
Best to let her be.
Meanwhile, Topaz had begun to wonder if she’d felt frightened for naught.
She had visited the town of Squires Gate only once since her talk with Celestia. A guard on duty had informed her the common folk were evacuated for three whole months, leaving a town empty save for the patrolling guards, of which the local guards were all familiar with her. It wasn’t a state of affairs which could last forever, however. The problem was that the town’s economy had grown to rely on their best-paying customer. Although temporary, the townsfolk’s relocation to other communities put a dent in not only their lives’ routine, but their trade. Herbal plasters and concoctions, burlap figures and custom-made toys, none of these brought in the same without a dragon overpaying for them.
And there was the future to consider. Word would spread that the people of Squires Gate had been forced to leave town for fear of a rampage. Even if that never happened, Equestrians would now be looking at Squires Gate as a town threatened by dragons. How might this affect her future visits?
With these thoughts swirling through her mind, just as they had for two months, Topaz was trying to calm herself before she lay down to sleep that night.
In the dark of her cave, Topaz’s drooping eyes saw all the hypothetical scenarios of what Gemstone might do, if allowed to return to the town, none of which ever ended well for the young dragon. Gemstone could kill perhaps three armored ponies, but prepared and bearing weapons as they were, legions more would descend upon her, and her assault would scarcely last an hour.
The Steelspine girl was too young. She would need to be at least three-hundred years old before she became a sizable threat. And that was long off. Gemstone was no fool, surely she wouldn’t gamble her life on a fool’s errand like this.
‘Like I’d be dumb enough to go there alone.’
Her words echoed as Topaz was on the cusp of falling asleep. What if she wasn’t alone?
Topaz’s eyes snapped open, as it dawned on her what she had overlooked. She was so focused on Gemstone, she’d forgotten about the girl’s family. Including her mother and her father.
Forcing her old body to move, she quickly flew towards Torch’s cave.
It was the middle of the night when Topaz rushed inside, shouting Torch’s name. He was quick to leap in front of Blaze, who curled around Ember, but the Dragon Lord calmed his nerves when he saw Topaz. She was breathing heavily.
“What are you doing, barging into my cave!”
“The Steelspines. Call them now,” Topaz said with a frantic wheeze. The flight had taken much out of her, her old body feeling its age as she pushed herself. “The entire family, call them now!”
“Why? Gemstone hasn’t done anything out of the ordinary.”
“It’s not Gemstone I’m worried about. I’m worried about her parents.”
Not long after Topaz had arrived did Torch quietly explain things to his mate. Fearing that their daughter might see or hear something she wasn’t yet prepared for, Blaze decided it best she spend some the night with the Ironscales, to which Torch reluctantly agreed, and Topaz set off into the dark with Ember. Once Torch was alone with Blaze, he called forth Clan Steelspine and waited.
Kalamet came to the cave, scales aglow from receiving the Call, and voiced his displeasure over being woken up at such a dreadful hour, but was more displeased that his son had been called as well. He wondered loudly what business Torch had with them.
Slicer arrived straight after him. He bore bandages, yet neither Torch nor Blaze batted an eye. No doubt the little drake had gotten into a fight with his peers.
“Where are your mate and daughter?” Torch asked when only the father and son appeared before him.
“That’s none of your concern,” Kalamet said with a sneer.
“I order you to tell me where they are!” Torch bellowed.
At this, Kalamet fell silent. His hide began to glow brighter and itch, but he held fast. The two dragons soon found themselves in the middle of a glaring contest, a contest of wills. Seeing as her mate wasn’t likely to get far with Kalamet, Blaze decided to ask little Slicer.
Blaze got down on her belly so that she was nearly at eye level with the whelp.
“Little one,” she said in a gentle voice, “would you mind telling me where your mother is?”
Slicer was taken aback by the question, only because of how very different it was from the growls exchanged by his father and the Dragon Lord.
“Slicer,” said Kalamet. “Stay quiet.”
“No. I order you to speak,” said Torch.
“Lord Torch! Why are you harassing my son now?”
“Both of you, enough!” Blaze said loudly. “A shaman was your daughter’s teacher, Kalamet, and she’s worried about her. I think she had a nightmare earlier tonight. Silly, I know, but she was kind enough to fix my daughter’s ankle when we needed it. I’m just trying to give her some peace of mind.”
A bold-faced lie, but Blaze considered it to be a necessary evil.
“I shall ask again. Do you know where your daughter is?”
Kalamet stayed silent, but his glare now lacked that same intensity from earlier.
The Lord Consort moved herself between the whelp and the two dragons, keeping Slicer’s focus squarely upon her.
“Just look at me, sweetheart,” Blaze urged the little drake in a soft, soothing voice. “You’re not in trouble. Neither are they, we just want to be able to tell a friend of your sisters that she’s safe. Do you know where your sister is?”
Pala had let father and son know earlier today, after Gemstone had returned with Slicer from the fight, that both females of the family needed to take some time for themselves, time to mourn and to come to terms with what had happened. Kalamet hadn’t argued, but Slicer was very vocal about not wanting either to leave. However, they’d assured him they’d be back before he knew it.
“I dunno, honest,” Slicer finally whispered. “She just said that she was going on a trip with my mom.”
To Torch, it didn’t matter where they actually were. All he needed to know for sure was that they were both unreachable and not in their cave.
“Both of you are dismissed,”
Kalamet was surprised. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” Blaze said with a smile. “It’s not ideal, but at least we have something to tell.”
After giving them another jeer, Kalamet took Slicer back to their cave.
Once they were alone, Blaze’s smile faded. “Torch, is it fair to jump to conclusions like this? For all we know, they could have gone someplace calming. Bahamut knows that if anything like this happened to me, I’d need time to process it. I wouldn’t be off attacking a village!”
“Blaze,” Torch said lowly. “If you were in my place, would you take the chance, knowing that there is a town full of guards and soldiers? What can Celestia do if they’re wiped out in a night?”
“I know, but, Torch–” Blaze let out a sigh. It wasn’t often Torch made such a strong point. “You forget, Pala is only a Steelspine by marriage. Her skills lie elsewhere, in ways that trump even her mate’s. Her tail is lethal. Say you go out there and this comes to blows. Are you sure you can remember that?”
Torch saw what she was saying. True, he could easily beat Pala into the ground, but that was only if he treated her like any other dragon. One single oversight, one single lapse in memory and caution, and he would be buried. Torch knew that he would easily forget, as most dragons would. And they were no match for Pala.
Besides, at times like this, the most dangerous option for a Dragon Lord was to leave their lands behind, up for grabs to the least scrupulous. So the question became, how would someone overcome a weapon that most dragons, even he, didn’t even start to consider?
“Which Ironscale is without a mate and children?”
Smog didn’t like being woken up in the middle of the night, especially when he saw Topaz Goldwing and Dragon Lord Torch standing above him.
“Come with us, now!” Torch barked, dragging the dragon out of his cave by his tail.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
“Smog,” Topaz said, “you’re going to prevent a war.”
“W-what?”
“Quiet!” Torch snapped at him. “You are to follow Topaz. She will explain everything along the way. Succeed, and you and your clan will be rewarded.”
Smog reluctantly agreed, following Topaz as she took to the skies.
Their flight was long, and silent. Every inquiry that Smog made was met with a sharp ‘We’ll discuss it when we’re closer’ or ‘Not now. Focus on flying.’
Topaz pushed herself to speed through her usual route. Across the seas, headed North-West. She didn’t take time to check anything but her direction and landmarks. Smog followed her without issue, nearly overtaking her at times. When this happened, Topaz would snap at him to stay behind her, lest he get them lost. As time passed her breath grew labored, and she soon found it difficult to breathe. Eventually, they came to the shores of Equestria.
It took only a few moments for her wings to stop flapping. Fatigue had finally taken her and she was forced to glide towards the ground, followed by Smog.
“Damn it,” Topaz said as she collapsed, upon the sand of the shores. “Of all times for me to feel my age, why now?” She tried to stand, but crumpled under her own weight. Smog tried to help her up, yet the elder dragon was quick to shake his claws off her. “What are you doing? Don’t stop for me, keep going!”
“Not until someone tells me what’s going on!” Smog yelled. “I think I deserve to know what I’m supposed to be doing! Torch said you would tell me, so I’m not flying an inch, until I know why I need to be flying into Equestria in the dead of night!”
Silence reigned shortly, broken only by the crash of waves upon the beach.
“Damn you Ironscales, stubborn whelps,” Topaz wheezed. It took her a moment to catch her breath, while she dug her claws into the sand, trying to force herself up. “Smog… You are to remain calm when I tell you this. Know that I have never once scavenged for any of my medical supplies. There is a village, not far from here in Equestria, called Squires Gate. It’s there that I obtain my supplies and the books the children enjoy.”
His eyes became wide upon hearing the confession. “You’ve been consorting with ponies?”
“I have, and I’m not sorry for it,” said Topaz. “Those supplies help us dragons. Remember the wound your brother sustained? You can thank them for me being able to treat him. Unfortunately, Gemstone followed me there one day, two months ago. Now she and her mother are gone. I don’t know if I’m right, but they may be attacking the village even as we speak. If they are, and something in my bones tells me they are, someone has to stop them. I can’t do it, but you? You’re one of the few dragons that’s capable of stopping this with little risk to life and limb.”
Smog was at a loss for words. Anger began to rise, the more he processed her request. Did she not know his clan? Did she not know what it was she was asking him to do?
“You want me to help the ponies, after what they did to that egg and my clan?”
Topaz’s face twisted. “Yes, because no-one in that town did anything to anyone, most of all your clan!” She slammed her claw on the sandy ground. “Not a pony alive had anything to do with the attack on the Steelspines, nor your clan’s slaughter a thousand years ago. Barely any of their kind lived past forty back then! Magnus and his ilk have all been dead for over a millennium. In Equestria, their actions and their names have been lost to time. You’re frightened of phantoms and despise corpses that have long since turned to dust, holding a grudge that is not yours to have! These ponies that are being attacked, they’re innocent. You must help them.”
“Why should I?” Smog demanded. “I am under orders to follow you, and you don’t seem like you’re going anywhere. So what if a town burns? Good riddance!”
“Because if you do nothing,” Topaz warned, “if you let their wrath roll across Equestria, it’ll lead to war. You think the ponies will take this lying down? A single dragon can eradicate whole cities, and that’s just what they both plan to do. What are the ponies to do, but demand blood for blood? There are dragons even stronger than Pala, and with things as they stand, they are just waiting for an excuse to invade Equestria. Ask yourself, what will happen to Heathspike and Garbuncle if you do nothing? How long will it be, before they have to face the next Magnus or Grimhoof and they become the next Coal Ironscale, platinum shield and all?”
Smog scoffed and was about to answer, but he found himself unable to speak.
He had heard stories of Coal Ironscale from Furnace. The drake was said to be the best of a generation, an example that all dragons should strive for, yet he was felled before he turned thirty. His thoughts turned to his happy little nephews, playing in the quarries. Heathspike was only just starting to play with other drakes. Just the other day, he had run into his cave to describe his first little fight, how his friend Jade had hugged him when he won, and how he found a rare emerald not long after. Then there was Garbuncle. Furnace often told Flare how much the lad reminded him of Coal. Strong, proud, eager to prove himself. If war broke out, if it lasted long enough, what would become of them? Was he really going to risk their very lives just to spite some ponies he’d never met?
What about Smolder? Smolder may be safe to some extent, but all it took was one rogue sneaking into a cave and finding a defenseless whelp with her terrified mother and then–
“What if they attack me?”
“Tell them you’re a friend of Topaz Goldwing. The common folk have been evacuated, but the town guards know me well. If you say that you’re with me, they will trust you. Keep flying North-West, and please don’t stop until you reach the town!”
Flying as fast as he could, Smog soon came to the town of Squires Gate.
What greeted him was a town set ablaze, the night sky illuminated with a pale orange hue, accented by a pillar of thick, black smoke billowing into the sky. A roar echoed throughout the valley, and Smog could scarcely make out a familiar dragon, spewing fire in the air as her tail swatted at the defenders. He cursed to himself. Armored pegasi wove through the air, evading her swipes, slashing at her whenever they could. He saw some others in armor carrying their wounded to safety, coughing as they inhaled smoke from the fires. These ones seemed to ignore him, more concerned with saving their comrades than dealing with a second dragon.
Smog stopped near the entrance of the town, when a sickening sight caught his eye. Face down on the ground lay Topaz’s apprentice, several spears embedded into her back. His arms tensed in rage, but then they loosened. Several corpses surrounded her, deep gash wounds strewn about their bodies. In the light of the fire, he could see that Gemstone’s claws were stained red.
Smog wanted to lie to himself and say that Gemstone had been just an innocent girl, that she didn’t deserve this, but what else were the ponies supposed to do? Gemstone had attacked, and they defended themselves. Nothing more, nothing less.
Another roar caught his attention as a pillar of fire was shot into the air.
Now was no time to mourn. He needed to stop Pala before any more damage could be done. As he approached her, Smog could see the pegasi swarming her more clearly. He could tell by their maneuvers, the way they wove in flight across the skies, how they handled their weapons, that these armored creatures were soldiers. He paused for a moment, wondering if he was walking into a death trap, that one of the defenders would see him and attack, skewering him before he could reach Pala. However, when he saw that their weapons lacked the starlight shine of platinum, he wondered what an Ironscale like him had to fear.
If he hurried, if he could restrain Pala, perhaps he could stop this madness before any further tragedy befell the Steelspines. What would happen to Pala then? He didn’t know, nor was it his place to know. Smog took a deep breath and let out a deathly roar, alerting every combatant to his presence. He heard the defenders curse and scream upon seeing him, however, he stunned them as he charged at and tackled Pala. He could hear the ponies’ shouts of fear turn into cries of confusion and relief.
Smog grabbed the dragon’s wrists, only for Pala to quickly kick him off of her once the shock of his attack wore off. When she got back on her feet, she unleashed a ferocious roar of her own directed at him.
“What are you doing?” she snarled.
“Putting an end to this! Have you lost your mind?”
Pala began slashing at him wildly, but Smog was quick to evade when he could, blocking with his arms when needed. Parrying a slash, he saw an opening, and delivered a hit to the side of her face, sending her to the ground. As she picked herself up, he was quick to put his arms under her’s, bringing her into his chest.
“Let go of me!” Pala shrieked, unleashing a torrent of fire into the air. “Wretched traitors, the lot of you! Consorting with these fiends, defending them. You call yourself an Ironscale? This speck of rock deserves to burn! You of all dragons should know that!”
He wasn’t going to engage with her on her terms, there was no use. This was madness, pure and simple.
“This won’t go the way you think it will, Pala,” Smog said, struggling to keep her still. “Do you think it ends here? How many fathers did you kill today? How many sons? How many brothers? Think, how many monsters did you create by killing them?”
Smog snarled as he tried to wrestle Pala to the ground. He suddenly felt something sharp try to pierce his hide where his neck and shoulder met. He peered over and watched as Pala tried in vain to use her sickle tail against him. To an Ironscale like him, however, it was little more than an accessory.
“You’re a Steelspine in name only,” Smog sneered.
He shifted his weight forward and pinned her to the ground. One claw held her down where her skull was attached to her neck, another held an arm behind her back. Her tail flailed, her wings flapped, feeding the surrounding fires, but any time he was hit or made uncomfortable, pressure to her arm was added, causing her to shirek and curse him and his clan.
“Think about what you’re doing.” His grip on her head tightened. “Damn it, Pala, think about your son! He’s lost his siblings, do not make him lose his mother. You need to–”
It happened in a flash. Their movements were too fast for him to see until after they had done it.
Three pegasi dove down and embedded their spears in Pala’s skull. Smog’s eyes went wide in horror as he felt the dragon’s body seize. Her fins and spines stood on end, her face froze with a look of shock, before the dragon went limp. Smog let his grip loosen, and stepped away from Pala’s lifeless body.
She had been detained. He could have sworn it was over now. He saw a swarm of stallions approaching him with their spears drawn.
Smog hesitated to speak to those who’d slewn Pala. Only for a moment. He held up his hands.
“I’m a friend of Topaz Goldwing!”
Topaz arrived not long after the battle had concluded. To her horror, most of the village had been reduced to a smoldering pile of cinders. Guards assisted the injured, laying them down someplace comfortable as they tended to their wounds. The remaining guards gathered up their fallen comrades. She saw Smog off in the distance, thinking to himself, and Pala lying still in the middle of the town. She felt her dinner try and force its way up her throat, but managed to keep it down. One question still echoed in her mind. Where was Gemstone?
“Did you help stop them?” came a heavenly voice.
Topaz looked down and saw Princess Celestia herself, followed by several ponies wearing white garbs with red crosses on them. Once they saw the injured, they quickly rushed to help, leaving her alone with the Princess.
“No. I couldn’t get here in time.” Grimacing, Topaz felt her side, where her ribs still ached with the pain. “Did you stop them?”
“No,” Celestia said. “I came as soon as I received word there was an attack, but I made it a priority to bring doctors with me. That red dragon there, I’m told he helped fight her. Was it you who sent him?”
“Partly. You can thank Torch for thinking of the idea.”
Celestia slowly approached Smog. When she felt she was close enough, she cleared her throat, gaining his attention.
“Greetings. I am Princess Celestia. On behalf of Equestria, and this village, I thank you for your help.”
She bowed her head to the dragon.
“Don’t thank me. Don’t you dare thank me,” Smog said bitterly. “I didn’t want her dead. I-I thought I could–” His fist clenched and he started to quietly growl, smoke spilling from his maw and nostrils. He turned away from the princess. “Just leave me be.”
“I know how you must feel, but they made their choice. This wasn’t your fault.”
Celestia shut her eyes and inhaled deeply. She could see the anger and confusion welling up inside of him and obeyed his request. She bowed her head to him one last time, before taking her leave and returning to Topaz’s side.
“Who is he?”
“Smog Ironscale.”
His last name brought a frown to Celestia’s face. In the archives, there were reports written by the likes of Flash Magnus, Bella Breeze, Commander Ironhead, Nimbus Dash, and Grimhoof, detailing dragons that prided themselves for having the name Ironscale. One stood out above the rest, however. The soldiers said there was no demon more cruel nor vile than he. Scales red as blood, eyes of burning coal, a soul and heart black as a new moon, nor larger celebration once he was finally slain. Still, to see that an Ironscale had defended one of her villages was heartening.
“Please let him know Equestria is as open to him as it is to you. Neither of you will need to worry about guards or soldiers bothering you while within these borders.”
“I'd much rather know where my student is,” Topaz said.
“I think we may need to search amongst the fallen.” Celestia slowly made her way towards the dead. “Stay, I’ll bring her if I find her.”
Topaz forced herself to remain composed. She prayed that perhaps Gemstone had been spared by some miracle, that her brush with death had cleared her mind. It would be a long road to recover, but she would recover, grow up, have a family, and put her teacher’s lessons to good use.
Once Celestia stopped before a draped over body, she could feel her insides twist. When she saw Celestia’s horn ignite in the distance, retrieving a body draped in a white cloth, she prayed silently.
‘She’s going to be alive,’ Topaz thought. ‘Badly injured but alive. She can return to her father, her brother, they can mourn their loss and then move on.’
Her hopes were shattered the moment Celestia drew back the sheet, revealing to Topaz her student, Gemstone, motionless, colorless.
“Gemstone, oh Gemstone, no,” Topaz said, as she hovered over her student. Tears soon fell from her eyes and she apologized to her student. “I should have done more, I should have told you about this place sooner. I’m so sorry, Gemstone, I’m so sorry.”
“I'm sorry for your loss,” Celestia said. What more could she say?
“I’m taking her back with me, and letting Torch know you wish to speak with him,” Topaz said once she was able to keep her tears at bay.
“Thank you.”
Reaching down, Topaz carefully picked Gemstone up into her claws, before flying off into the night.