Author's Note: Keep in mind, the entire time I wrote this, I had no Internet. Some details may not be 100% accurate.
Chapter 1: Departure
It had been four months since Taro had returned from Equestria. All of his pony friends had been left in Equestria, Cadence and Shining Armor happily married, and, while he was gone, the new Dragon Rider had been found: Jarden, the rider, and Chalmen, the red dragon. Jarden was 15 when he discovered his destiny as a Rider, unlike Taro, who was 17, and is now 19.
Jarden ducked. "Fight back!" Taro shouted. It was his first lesson in sword fighting.
Jarden stabbed at Taro's gut. Taro jumped and slanted his body parallel to Jarden's sword.
Taro grabbed Jarden's head and flipped over him, landing safely behind him. Jarden spun around, swinging his sword in a circle. Taro stopped the attack and flipped the sword up over him, and knocked Jarden down on his back.
"Not as bad as I thought you'd be, but don't get me wrong, you were still terrible." Taro said, helping Jarden to his feet.
"Well what did you expect, it was my first time!" Jarden shot back.
Is something wrong? Chalmen asked, her voice trailing in and out of Taro's thoughts. She had just started to learn how to enter others' minds.
She walked up to her Rider. "No," Taro replied, "Your rider is just being a bad fighter."
Chalmen looked at Taro menacingly, at which point Thatch landed at his side and returned the glance.
"Taro, there you are!" Isron shouted from afar. "Good day to you all. Taro, you have another mission."
Taro turned his head. "Great, just what I wanted."
"What's wrong? You always loved missions. What's been going on lately?"
"Nothing, what is it?"
How big is this mission? Thatch asked.
"Hopefully not too big, Thatch, because you won't be going with."
"What!" they both shouted.
"Chalmen needs to learn how to fly better, project thoughts and almost everything else. Thatch, you need to stay here and teach. Taro, I will teach Jarden what he needs to know."
"Alright, what's the mission?" Taro asked sourly.
"Remember four months ago when you had to save Equestria from a disaster? Well, it's happening again. Well, sort of. Princess Celestia fears something is about to happen, and wishes you to be there incase her suspicions come true."
Taro perked up. He could finally go back to see them. "I don't have to hide who I am, right?"
"No, everyone already knows. Are you ready to leave now?"
"No, let me go instead!" Jarden shouted.
Isron looked at Jarden. "If it's alright with Taro, it's alright with me."
"Please!"
"Sorry, Jarden. You're too inexperienced. If you want to, you can come with me to watch, but you can't take over."
"No thanks..." Jarden said, hanging his head. Taro felt a presence in his mind.
The answer is the same in here as it is out there, Jarden. And don't you EVER try to do that again!
Sorry.
"I'm ready, let's go!"
Isron lifted out his hands, and Taro was once again flashed to Equestria.
Before Taro could open his eyes again, he was tackled by, none other than, Pinkie Pie.
"WELCOME BACK!" she shouted, jumping on him.
"Pinkie Pie, you're hurting him!" Rainbow Dash said, pushing her off.
"Sorry."
"No, no, it's totally fine, I love being jumped on by pink ponies obsessed with parties," Taro said, getting up.
"Hmm, that's rather specific," Pinkie Pie said walking back to the group.
Taro shook his head. "Thanks Rainbow Dash."
"Four months and you still remember our names," Twilight said, walking up to Taro to greet him.
"I can't just FORGET the names of my best friends."
Rainbow Dash nudged him, a smile on her face.
"Are you hiding Thatch again? Why isn't he here?" Spike asked, looking around.
"Remember when I said there was another egg, and it would hopefully hatch while I was here? Well it did, and it's Thatches job to train the dragon while Isron trains the rider."
"So Taro, since you left before we even left Canterlot, I didn't get a chance to study Dragon Riders," Twilight stated.
"No!" Taro protested.
Everypony started to laugh.
"Hey Taro, let's go for a fly," Rainbow Dash suggested.
"Sure." Taro jumped into the air and flapped his wings.
They flew for a while, leaving everypony to find something to do on their own. They came to a rest on a cloud, lying down. It was night.
"We flew for quite a while," Taro said, smiling at Rainbow Dash. He looked down at Rainbow's wings. "You put my ring on your wing?"
Rainbow Dash looked down at her wing. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that."
"It looks good on you." Rainbow Dash blushed. "I knew it wouldn't take much to make you blush like that."
Rainbow Dash nudged him with her hoof as they laughed.
Rainbow sighed. "Beautiful night."
"Yeah..."
They lay there for hours, exchanging comments and, mostly, laughs, before Rainbow Dash suggested they go home.