Sky kept his head down for most of the walk to the so-called dormitories. His senses were driving him crazy, the smell of sulfur making his head hurt. But what caused his headaches to burst in his head was what the Dragon Mother said about him. Was his family keeping secrets about him? And if so why would they hide it.
Shaking his head quickly he smirked. No, sis never held anything from me. That ol lizard probably just couldn’t take seeing a pony as awesome as I am.
“Here, rooms,” the lanky blue dragon grumbled as he pointed to a set of stone doors before striding away quickly, but not before almost knocking Sky to the floor with his shoulder.
“Hey watch it grumpy!” Sky shouted as he stood up.
The small blue swiftly turned and breathed out a bolt of lightning striking the young colt in the chest.
“SKY!!” Twilight and Pearl shouted as they watched him roll backward into a wall. All while Summer just stood there with a smirk.
Sliding down on all fours Pearl helped Sky up to his hooves. “Sky are you okay?”
Shaking his head a few times he felt the electricity shoot through his body as all the lightning moved up to his horn in little arcs. “That’ll clear the sinuses,” he chuckled.
“Lightning won’t bother him. His element is air after all.” Summer chuckled and touched Pearl’s shoulder. “Come on. I know a better place to rest than here.” The dragoness walked onward down the halls. “Unless you three like the smell of sulfur? Because I sure as hell don’t.”
Twilight, Pearl, and Sky looked at each other for a moment and shrugged before galloping after her.
Twilight Pearl and Sky all stood there with their mouths agape. After a half-hour journey to the outer edges of the Dragon Queen’s domain, the four came across a massive ocean-side garden perched on the edge of a massive cliff. It wasn’t until Summer had invited them in that they were truly surprised.
From the outside, the house appeared to be a cave built on the side of a cliff, but on the inside was a lavish far eastern home, several stories high.
“Welcome to my home away from home. I stay here whenever I am forced to come to these lands.” Summer sighed contently as she flopped herself down on a large sofa in such a way that made Twilight laugh hysterically.
“And what’s so funny?” Pearl smirked.
“Now I see the resemblance. She flops herself down just like you do.” Twilight chuckled which earned a snicker from Sky as well. “I have to say. Your home is not like what I would have expected from a dragon.”
“Well, my kind like comfort and serenity. Unlike our unruly brethren. They think that such comforts make you weak.”
“Say what’s this?” Pearl pointed up at a large scroll hanging from a wall. “It looks like Draconic but I can’t read it.”
“I would be surprised if you could sis, that's old Eastern Draconic. Hardly even spoken anymore.” Summer almost purred as she laid her head back on her massive chair. “Well, at least in these lands.
Sky moved up and looked at the scroll as Pearl moved away. “Forget it kiddo, if I can’t read it there’s not a chance in Tartarus you can.”
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” Taking a step back he looked at it again and turned around. “Sounds cool and all but what does it really mean?”
Quirking his eyebrow he saw both Twilight and Pearl looking at him oddly. With a mixture of shock and confusion. His focus too much on them, Sky didn’t even notice the knowing smile on Tsunami’s lips.
Pearl shook her head. This was too much for her, on top of everything else. Speaking of which, she looked up at her new horn. "So how the hell are we going to explain this?" She asked, tapping it. "There's no way I can hide this. And I'll be damned if I tried."
Twilight's ears fell. "I'm not sure. This was not part of any plan I am sure. Princess Celestia has never said anything about more alicorns."
Summer snorted. "Her ability to see the future is not as good as she makes it out to be, Princess Twilight. Need I remind you that her blind trust in Discord nearly led to disaster? On top of many more times that you do not know about."
Twilight frowned, while Pearl gave the dragoness a look. "So what. You're saying Celestia can't see the future?"
Summer shook her head. "No. She can. But to a very limited degree, and she cannot see the true future. Only what might come to pass. She is no Seer. Being in close proximity to the Abyss only confounds it further."
Twilight's eyes widened in shock as Sky's brows rose. "What do you mean? No one knows where the Abyss actually is. We just got unlucky with that Gargoyle over the Everfree."
Summer frowned as she looked at Twilight and Pearl, who was silently begging her to say no more. But she only smiled. "How little you know, young one. Have you ever wondered why the Everfree is so dangerous? Why none who have ever sought the Heart have ever returned? It is far more than the wildlife."
Sky shrugged. "It's a big forest. I always thought Aunt Applejack and her family were crazy for living so close to it. You're saying there's more to it? The only way a Lesser Abyssal can go far is if a portal is close by, or..." He paused as Summer bowed her head. "No way."
Summer nodded, as Twilight bowed her head in defeat. "The Everfree Forest sits directly above the Abyss. It is in fact Valendor's final gift to the world before he fell to Winter. Domivar started it, but Valendor crafted the forest to contain the Wicked Ones and their servants."
Sky looked to Twilight, hoping she could prove her wrong, but the alicorn shook her head sadly, confirming that what Summer said was true. He sank down in confusion. "Can I just stay here from now on, then? Ponyville is flat-out insane for living on the edge as it does. Even I'm not crazy enough to try my luck."
Pearl placed a wing around him with a small smile. "How do you think I feel? I just barely stayed with Twilight when we found out. It's why we're taking a long way home. I don't care if it takes longer."
Twilight nodded. "We only found out about this right before we met you, Sky. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna must know of this. They only think there is a portal in the Everfree. That's what that letter was about. To watch out for Abyssals. They do not know how bad it really is."
Summer nodded gravely. "A wise choice. I was not keen to go through the forest myself, but even I cannot fight an order from my queen for long." She smirked. "On the bright side, taking the long way home will give you two plenty of time to read what she has given you."
Pearl's smile would have made Pinkie proud as she wrapped a wing around Twilight. "Well. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested. I know alicorns can have kids. Look at Cadance. She's pregnant. But two mares can't. Honestly, I was afraid only adoption was what we would have to do."
Twilight nodded. "Indeed. Not that I ever minded adoption of course. But this feels more real. Assuming whatever Tiamat gave us works of course." She sighed irritably. "This is going to cause an uproar in Canterlot. Our marriage was already causing an uproar among some of the more conservative families."
Pearl snorted. "Backwards idiots who can't get with the times. Two mares getting married, one of them a princess? You'd think it was the literal end of the universe according to some."
Sky rolled his eyes. "Ponyville at least doesn't give a flip. Or at least the ones who matter."
Summer shook her head sadly. "Honestly. Someponies cannot stop living in the past. You both come from good families. You've known each other since you were fillies. What does it matter if some do not like it?"
Twilight nodded. "It doesn't, and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have made it abundantly clear that they fully stand behind us and that anything more than just loud grumbling will be treated as crimes against the Royal Family." She shook her head, tenderly caressing Pearl's horn, earning a moan from her fellow alicorn. "But this? This is something else. I'm not sure what will happen now. I didn't even believe it was possible."
Summer only chuckled. "Worries for another day, princess. For now? Relax, and enjoy something very few before you ever have. You will be here a while."
That, Twilight thought with a contented sigh as Pearl led her away, was something she could get behind.