Author's warning: Some more Drama, but the end chapter letter explains his scars. Please be warned.
The Kirin lay in a bed at the hospital. His breathing was under magic-assistance, but he was still declining in health very slowly. The doctor and nurse ponies had gathered all the information from the various ponies he had came into contact with, but a certain group of girls were still not present to assist on some missing relevant information.
Pinkie Pie was sent some time back to call the girls over to the hospital, but she didn't wish to upset them on who was there, until Rarity and Twilight heard from the staff what exactly happened. She just told them something important was happening, and needed them right away!
As they waited the results, Princess Luna appeared with a small number of her Opliptera guards at her side. She had written to Twilight in response to the colt's condition, and came directly, as there was something she needed to discuss with Twilight regarding the nature of the Dragon hybrid. "Twilight, if I may share a word in private" she motioned to her sister's student, and they talked alone in an isolated room.
After discussing the details on what had happened during the day, Luna was prepared to share the bit of news that would become relevant to the colt's past. "You see Twilight, I fear my Sister did not tell of the Kirin, because the Sister of lil Blitzen harbors great resentment toward her. I am unsure what my sibling did, but I know she blames her entirely for an old emotional scar. On top of that, she also recently left him alone, while she laid her partner's ashes in the Griffon land. Marron Flame, sadly, had succumbed to a recent Changeling attack on the Sanctuary near Ponyville." Luna paused, and let Twilight process this.
"Wait, you mean the Changelings that attacked at the Wedding attacked 'Hope's Asylum' as well? Why would they do that?" she asked. Luna had no answers, as her investigation showed that the local Opliptera and Griffons left no prisoners alive, and the only Changelings alive were ones like Mimic who had lived there for many years prior, under their protection.
"I am unsure what caused it, but around that attack, is when that white Manticore appeared. At first, he attacked all invaders, and left everypony else alone, but Blitzen, and his innocence, is the cause that calmed the beast. He wrote about it some months ago, and we had only discovered it recently, as the letters from the refuge had been sent...somewhere else. It twas not my Sister's fault, but they used an old arcane communication system. It seems Blitzy was the one to correct the error after meeting his friends." Luna paused, and motioned for one of the guards to enter, and he handed something to his Princess. "My sister does remember and care for them," she said as she looked at the item.
She floated it to Twilight, and inside, was a picture of the father and mother of Blitzen, smiling together in the Canterlot Royal Gardens, along with a much more fluffy foal Blitzen. Twilight was stunned, as they looked so happy together! She gave the picture back to Luna and cautiously asked about something both Cheerilee and Rarity had seen on Blitzen. She framed her question as a question about dragons. "Prin...I mean Luna, how long does it take for Dragon, or even Kirin scales to heal? I am just curious about something I may have seen on Blitzen's..."
"You speak of the scars? Rest assured, my ears have been informed, not by you, but a former guard, one Silhouette Shields. She wrote me sometime back, and after hearing from others as I came in, I can confirm whatever caused those was a deep tissue damage to the Kirin. Scales are naturally tough, and to injure them..." Luna bowed down, holding back anger. "If my sister were to see that evidence, I fear his beloved Sister would be banished not to the Moon, but to the Sun itself. Celestia does not take kindly to...abuse of her subjects. My own opinion, is more..." She spoke with hidden rage, but stared over at the small colt to diffuse her anger.
"I cannot stay for very long. Please give this to Sweetie Belle, his object of affection. You may read it as well, but I fear you may have to restrain Rarity, for what it ask of her sister, may upset her. Don't worry, I think she will eventually agree with what it asks. It is something of a last resort though, but most Dragon Magic is. I also informed the staff of Our old calculations on how to treat Dragon hybrids, and HippoGriffs, should anymore come from their Sanctuary. I expect an update when my second most faithful colt has recovered. Farewell, Twilight," and she beckoned her guards to escort her out a rear exit.
Meanwhile, in a fountain near a certain sleepy Kelpie, a letter materialized of Royal parchment. Kellie woke up, and looked over the letter. She was very happy that the Princesses had remembered her, but once she read the contents about Blitzen being in the hospital, and especially about his flank scars, she was greatly saddened. The memory behind that was a sad one. She read over a few paragraphs at the bottom of the letter, and signed her mark on it, and used her water magic to send it back, and also wrote two long letters to the caretakers in Ponyville. "I hope he is ok. She is coming back soon!" she sensed, and went back to sleep, praying to the stars for Blitzen's care.
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The Cutie Mark Crusaders finally arrived at the hospital just around the time Princess Luna had made her egress. They were unsure why they were brought there, but Sweetie was hoping that a certain colt didn't get hurt. The truth was, she had completely forgotten to tell the others about her colt-friend coming to visit, and Scootaloo would at least, be very upset about it. As it turns out, Blitzen was in a bed as they entered, and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo simply rushed to his side, and greeted the still unconscious colt. Sweetie started to cry, and eventually confessed to her friends the events of the previous night.
Apple Bloom, as it turned out, was the most upset. "I thought we were friends, Sweetie! I know you and he are going to be each o'thers special sumpony, but he's our friend too! You caant hide him from us, just because you want to kiss him all the time!" she said, as she hugged the colt gently, and pet his mane with her hoof.
Scootaloo sort of understood why she kept it secret, but said nothing to her friend directly, but did something Sweetie did not expect. She went up to him, and hugged him very tightly, and for a moment, it looked like she even snuck a kiss on his side. Scootaloo said "You are still cool, even in the hospital!"
Sweetie didn't say anything, as she knew she had lied to her friends. She approached her colt friend, but Twilight directed her to come with her. Sweetie followed her sister's friend, and let her friends have a moment with her special Kirin. Twilight read the scroll, and told Sweetie she needed to kiss the colt to wake him up. But not a mere kiss, but something very emotional. Rarity had already objected to this solution, but the colt was recovering so slowly, she decided to let it happen, albeit if she was not present. There was more to this solution, and Sweetie read it herself, and Twilight made sure she understood what it meant. She thought about it for a while, but soon nodded, and urged Twilight to leave them alone.
Twilight escorted the other Crusaders out, and Sweetie stood over her friend. "I know I am too young to have a special somepony, and I so want it to be you, but what if I am not good enough? What if I am a blank-flank forever? But, I know you want me to be yours, because you wrote me so many times! I so wish I could have written you more!" she held back tears, but swallowed her breath, as she leaned over, and did that kiss they talked about a night before.
At first nothing happened, but then she felt something kissing her back, and soon two hooves held her tightly against his body. Blitzen was up, but still a bit out of where he was, and what Sweetie was doing there with him. "Please tell me Spike is ok? I am so sorry I hurt him!" he asked. Sweetie nuzzled him, and just laid with him. He teared up, but soon talked about his day with Sweetie, and told her about being sorry about the meat, scaring her sister about sex with Griffons, which thankfully she did not ask about in greater detail, and his fight with Sillie. He told her about the feelings he had about Derpy, and Rainbow, but Sweetie hugged him and said it would be ok, and told him about how she looked at Big Mac, Mr. Fancy Pants, and Truffle a few times. She even giggled and told how she wanted to look like Cheerilee when she grew up!
They stared at each other, and kissed one more time, when the door creaked open, and a pile of two fillies and four colts fell through. Of course, rather than saying nothing, Rumble nudged Featherweight and said "I told you he wasn't a liar!" and Snips and Snails cheered them on. Sweetie ran out of the room, and the colt simply hid under a pillow hiding his growing blush. Featherweight asked him, with a notepad in his hoof. "So Blitzen, what do Sweetie Belle's lips feel like to you?"
URGENT PLEASE READ!!!
Dear Guardian(s) of my dear Blitzen,
I am the Great Kellie, Guardian Kelpie of Hope's Asylum. I write this magic parchment to you to ask of the condition of my most dear nephew (by town, not by blood relation) Blitzen. I understand that his nature as a 121 year old Kirin may have been a shock, but rest assured, he is very much a child in mind, and even in body still. I implore you to assist me, in this one favor. I am aware you have discovered scars on my nephew. I don't wish to bring up old stories, but Blitzen DID hurt others greatly, and one poor griffon chick nearly lost a wing, due to his anger. In response, I planned on keeping Blitzen from enjoying his favorite pass times, and make him write and visit everypony and others who he harmed, and help with their recovery. In the end, Rapi Dash, his Sister Kirin (but of no blood relation) rejected that punishment, and struck his flank with, not a mere implement, but a fiery attack from her own natural elemental magic.
I never heard a child scream the way he did, and I saw so much fear in his eyes, even the might Griffons and a Minotaur who was visiting, dared not provoke Rapi's ire. She justified to him, as he screamed and begged for his life it seemed, that he was an evil pony who nearly killed, and not a Protector like herself. He cried many tears as she struck only once more, before I attacked her. I know Celestia may see this letter, but I assure you, mine Princess, I truly feared for the colt's life! I used my Elemental connection of water to cool her flames, but she attacked me as well, saying I was a carnivorous Genocider of her Sea-Pony kin.
I finally bit her in defence, and she calmed, and forced the colt to sleep outside the town for over a week. I visited him everyday, and treated his wounds, but the scars ran far deeper than the physical and I honestly believe his emotions were hurt as well. While I confessed my Sins to the Great Princess Celestia all those year back, I did not act alone. I also confess, to Luna at this very moment, my crimes of the capture, and devouring the creatures known as Sea-Ponies. Forgive me, as I shall never forget their fear as I consumed them selfishly with that accursed Sea-Dragon.
There was also a third scar on my dear Blitzen, and the reason that the "Blitzy Laws of Protection" were written about 73 years ago. This is more hidden, but to the very special somepony that may find it, I urge you not to tell him why they are there. Long ago, a greedy Unicorn came to our refuge, and convinced Rapi to sell her and Blitzy's old scale moltings to him, to use as materials. He found a market for them as accessories to the Canterlot ponies, and even as preferred lining to guards. The problem was, there was only a limited supply of old moltings. He foal napped Blitzen sometime after the supplies ran out, and held him hostage in exchange for Rapi's scales, and her sobs. While she did as she was asked, he kept the colt, and was removing the fresh scales himself as the grew with tools!!!
Rapi informed Celestia about this, and she managed to ban the Kirin scales from official sales, and even destroy the Guard's suit that had them, but didn't find the stallion behind the trade. The poor colt was missing for over six months, when a group of Opliptera, in exchange for a place to call home, were chosen to investigate, and found him hiding in a small settlement. Rapi herself went to retrieve him with the night-Ponies, but came back changed, and extremely protective over him ever since. He still has a series small scars near his underside. Should he ever marry, perhaps the lucky mare will find it, but I urge her to never bring it up, as he repressed the memories long ago.
I urge you, that find of this letter, to appeal to your Princess to let him care for himself. There was an ancient law, before the banishment of Nightmare Moon, that Dragons, and their kin, have full rights to Equestrian Laws, so long as they swear allegiance to one or both Princesses, and lived over a century in Equestria, or more. Please seek this out, as I cannot do much away from water. I have my own Sins to bare, and I don't need an innocent creature to pick up my old habits.
I thank you all for your time, and please, keep this away from foals, colts, and/or fillies. They need not be burden with the truth of my dear Blitzen.
Yours in the Waves of Time,
The Great Kellie, of the Hope's Asylum