Apparently, the original Equestria from a pocket universe overlaid the new one, though this new world was far superior to the rest of this reality, as it had magic and the rest of it did not. With friendship, magic would grow and grow until one day it would fill the universe. There was talk of mirror realities, parallel and fictional universes, the distinctions between those and other worlds of the chain of creation, of creation stones and the elements of harmony, harmony trees, the nature of chaos and harmony, the breaking of physical laws, gravitational sheer and stars orbiting planets at 22% of light-speed - whatever that is. They discussed the use of metaphysical automata for performing magic, spells, and the differences between thaumatons, photons, neutrons and humons and if they were all related. Causality and locality were discussed and dismissed as was the nature of the idea of experiment and observation. The discussion grew more and more bizarre, until Luna threw up in a potted plant and Celestia put her to bed.
—Pena “On the Origins of Ponies*(*and Others) and Magic”
The trail they soon picked up led straight through the fens, to drier ground. In no time at all the kobold and griffon had reached a low set of hills that rose out of the wetlands. The correct path was obvious from the air and Gwen directed Rizi from above. Rizi trailed below and gaffed a pair of frogs, a turtle, and a muskrat. Then she just stopped hunting. Every few yards led to more and more wildlife. At noon they stopped at a clearing where another old campfire lay. The bones of many small creatures and a fish lay in the ashes. Rekindling the fire, they made a quick meal and were on their way. They talked little but the hum of insects and the songs of birds kept them company. They made good time and had passed two more campsites, each fresher than the last by the time the evening came.
It was plain from the way the ground was disturbed that at least one and periodically probably two of the griffins had been walking at this point.
“It's dark Rizi, we should stop, so we don’t miss the trail.”
“Gwen, we won't, Rizi sees it.”
“How?”
“Kobolds see heat in the dark. Outlines, grass, trees, path, dirt and water.”
“You can see the path?”
“Yes, better now that it's dark.”
“Well, I'm not tired just yet. If you are willing to press on, I'll follow you from up here.”
Rizi nodded, then realizing Gwen couldn’t see her gesture in the moonless black said aloud “okay, yes”.
They went straight on till morning, passing a campsite with warm coals just as the sun was rising. A small brook fed some quiet pools where some wild birds were hunting fish. It was a beautiful place.
“We have to stop Rizi, my wings are falling off. I need sleep.”
“Is okay, Rizi takes the first watch.”
“Aren’t you tired?” Gwen began to dress their dinner.
“Work long hours, sometimes two, three days. If tribe or dragon, ask no problem.”
“That's some work ethic. No tribe or dragons around here.” Setting a brace of rabbits to cook, she sprinkled some herbs and salt on.
“Not so, Scorch order, inner dragon too.” Rizi flattened the embers of the fire. “Doriz, Prioress asked also.”
“Is that like a priest?” Gwen began to strip out of her gear as the meal cooked.
“Priestess answer to All-Watcher only, yes.” Rizi paused. “Probably Rizi’s mother.” She continued quietly, “Same color, same eyes, same size.”
“You don’t know?” Folding her clothes carefully Gwen sharpened and waxed the steel.
“Hatchery is communal. Not important, only tribe and dragon matter.” Rizi adjusted her rapier a notch.
“Kobolds and griffons are very different. Even though we both come from eggs.”
“Not so very different. Virtues are the same as ours. Friendship, loyalty, kindness, joy, helping, and truth. Griffons are just like kobolds. All-Watcher says all creatures are same.”
“That so?” Gwen scraped the bones off her plate into the fire.
“Rizi can prove it is so. Ever hear of tiny Dragon Lord Spike?” Rizi paused in building up the campfire from embers.
“Another Dragon Lord? How many do you guys have?” Gwen laid out her bedroll.
“Only one at a time… usually? Six in thousand years Is not many. Spike hatched and raised by ponies. Shortest reign ever, less than an hour.”
“Did he die or something?”
“No, changed dragons forever, quit. Spike brought friendship to dragons.”
“Seriously?”
“Was called Spike the Brave and Glorious. Friend to all creatures, legend.”
“Kobolds and dragons sure like your leaders.”
“Not called by us, by crystal ponies. Save from evil unicorn.”
“What, those see-through guys who supposedly lived in the frozen north with a magic heart gem?”
Rizi nodded.
“Hate to break it to you. There was a great big expedition there two hundred years back. There was nothing. Just ice.” Gwen rolled over and became quiet.
The fire crackled and popped. Rizi sat in silence and thought about nightmares. She was going to say more, but Gwen was already snoring.
Rizi missed her clutch mates and the dragons. Her little blue inner dragon was silent as well. Rizi looked up into the sky. It was cold and dark. In that moment she felt every step of the canters between her and home. Gwen was nice company, but she wasn't a kobold. Rizi felt very small looking up at the constellations. Immortales Alicornis was particularly bright tonight, but she stared up at Draco, which hung over the mountain range southeast now. Rizi wondered if Doriz or any of the others was looking up at the same stars.
Her bedroll seemed to have shrunk in the night. She cleaned her rapier, polished her petrel, bathed, and trimmed her claws and spines. The kobold that looked up at her from the little brook near their camp looked a little more careworn and older than the one that had set out. Soon she had polished her scales as well and repacked. Maybe she should try and rustle up a fish or some birds? Dawn was not too far away now, and it would be wise to get a jump on the day tomorrow.