//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: Light Wanderings // by ed2481 //------------------------------// Edited by TacoTown Chapter 13 Ethan and Twilight walked side by side up the steep path towards the large cave. “So Sparky, do you think that he’s going to be pissed that I brought you along?” Ethan asked. “If he is, I’ll explain that I’m here to make sure that this is a nice, fair duel. Try not to kill him please.” She replied. “But I’ve always wanted a dragon scale duster.” Ethan complained. “Yes, but dragons are technically endangered.” Twilight countered. “Fine. If I can I’ll make him surrender.” Ethan said with a shrug. “Oh, and that goes for you too. Don’t die.” Twilight added. “Sparky, it’ll take a lot more than an overgrown reptile to kill me.” Ethan told her with a chuckle. “Ethan, that overgrown reptile is at least, and I’m guestimating here so it’s probably not exact, seventy five tons!” Twilight told him. “That can fly and breathe fire!” She added. “You worry too much. Hey look, that must be his cave!” Ethan told her, pointing at a large cave carved into the mountain by a larger set of claws. The cave mouth had been sanded down over the years by the endless passes of a large, scaled bulk. Much to Ethan’s disappointment, there were no skeletons decorating the outside. “Hey, get your scaly ass out here and fight me you overgrown salamander!” Ethan shouted at the cave mouth. The response was immediate and rather surprising. Instead of a viscous red scaled head, a large black scaled face that appeared to have flesh-like whiskers growing out of its cheeks, along with a fringe of some kind came into view. The head was twice as big as Ethan’s body, inquisitive blue eyes the size of dinner plates regarded Ethan for a moment and a mouth full of sharp teeth opened. What came next was even more unexpected. “I’ll certainly fight you if you’d like. However, I doubt that it would last long, you are rather small.” The dragon told him. Adding to Ethan’s growing bewilderment, the dragon spoke in an English accent. “Umm…” Ethan began but then trailed off; for once in his life he had no idea what to say. “You did want to fight me, correct?” The dragon asked tilting his head (it was obviously a male) to the side. Ethan was still flabbergasted. Luckily, Twilight was there to answer. “Actually, no. We’re looking for a large red dragon.” Twilight replied. “Do you mean Izy?” The black dragon asked. “What does Izy look like?” Twilight asked. “She’s red and extremely violent, also rather selfish.” The black answered. “No, we’re looking for a male, about seventy five tons, has a really stupid son named Garble.” Twilight told him. “Oh, you’re looking for Jonathan. He lives at the top of that peak over there.” The black dragon replied while he pointed his head towards the next mountain over. “His name is Jonathan?” Ethan asked flatly, finally regaining his ability to talk. “Well, technically Jonathan is his middle name. But he prefers that to us calling him Dreadfire or Blackclaws, his first and last names.” The black dragon said with a light chuckle. “Wait, then why did he name his son Garble?” Ethan asked. “He didn’t, his mate did.” The black replied. A quiet moment passed when no one talked, then the black spoke again. “So why are you fighting Jonathan?” “I may have stabbed his son in the chest, and then told him that his father was a sea serpent and his mother was a wyvern.” Ethan said, looking a bit embarrassed. “Heh. Well, good luck with that fight, you’ll need it. Oh, and try not to hurt him too bad before you die. If he goes, then his son inherits his cave early and I or one of the others will be forced to eat the good for nothing brat before his head gets too big.” The black dragon said, narrowing his eyes. “I’ll take it into consideration.” Ethan told him. “Thank you, best of luck.” The dragon said before his head retreated into the cave. As they were walking away they heard the dragon say. “Apparently they’re off to fight Jonathan… Oh they’re certainly going to die… No Laurence, it’s not our fault… why would I have stopped them…?” “I’m so happy that everyone seems to have such confidence in my fighting abilities.” Ethan told Twilight. “Are you really surprised?” Twilight asked. “Not really, I guess. I just wish we didn’t have to climb another mountain.” Ethan replied, looking at the next peak with a sigh. “We could sing a song to pass the time.” Twilight suggested. Ethan turned to stare at her. “That’s actually a great idea Sparky! Why didn’t I think of that?” Ethan asked her enthusiastically. “Because I’m smarter then you.” She replied with a smirk. “Oh, look who’s up on a high horse.” Ethan said with a chuckle. “Then again, you do ride Sunny all night, so I guess the analogy is appropriate…” He added, trailing off. Twilight blushed crimson as they headed towards the next peak and Ethan began to sing Blue Moon. *** Prince Shining Star awoke to the sound of voices. He looked around blearily. He was in a simple, wooden floored room with walls of solid grey stone. His body had been lying on a bed that was surprisingly soft and warm. There were no windows; there was only a single door that was made of thick metal bars. The voices interrupted his inspection of the room, echoing off the walls outside his apparent cell. “Yes, he will do nicely, very nicely indeed” The voice was deep and bold, the kind of voice used to giving orders and having them followed to the letter. It scared him, but not as much as the second voice. “Good. These contracts have been difficult to create, even with my power.” Another voice purred. Shining Star shivered. Something about that voice made him want to throw up. It was an infectious kind of sick sounding delight that tried to wiggle its way into his body. “The first domino has fallen. Are the others in the appropriate positions?” “Yes, things should go smoothly. They’ll be disposed of by sundown.” The second voice said with a soft purring giggle. “Good, that should keep them occupied. How go the… other preparations?” “Very well. It is surprising what you can accomplish in a very short amount of time when you’re corporal. I’d almost forgotten what it’s like.” “Which is why we have the boy, I shall use the ultimate force in this universe to smite Sparkle. Irony!” The voice said before it dissolved into evil laughter. “My, someone is feeling maniacal today.” The voice said with a soft laugh that made Star’s insides crawl. “I’ll have a body again in ten days; I have but to wait for my plan to reach fruition and then I shall crush them all!” The voice roared. “He is awake you know.” The other voice said dryly, and Star froze as a shiver sped up his spine. “What of it? It matters little.” The first voice said dismissively. A black cat walked into Star’s view. She was tall and elegant, with glowing yellow eyes that seemed to be looking through Star’s body instead of at it. A black slimy magical aura surrounded her, and she let out a purring chuckle. “Hello there little one, I’m glad that you’re awake.” She told Star with a wide, sharp toothed grin. “Where, where am I? Where’s my mama and papa?” The young prince asked timidly. “You’re in a cell. As for your parents, well, they’re still alive unfortunately. It would make things much easier for us if they were dead, but nothing changes if they aren’t.” The cat answered with chuckle. “What-what do you want with me?” “Oh, I want nothing with you. As for my partner…well, I can’t tell you. That would ruin the fun.” She told him, baring her fangs as a cloud of dark magic flowed around her paw and slipped through the bars of the door. The magic deposited a plate of bland looking food along with a glass of water. “Eat up, can’t have you starving to death, can we?” She walked away, leaving Star shivering and scared. He was too young to deal with something like this happening to him. So he did the only thing that he could. He got off of his bed and ate the food. *** They neared the top of the mountain, and Ethan saw the entrance to Jonathan’s cave. It was huge, not just huge, but massive. Larger than the gates to both Megaton and the Citadel combined. Jonathan himself was lounging right outside, although lounging may have been subjective considering how big the dragon was. Ethan had no idea how the red scaled dragon could even move, let alone fly with the immense weight that he had to be carrying around. Then again, it was probably magic. Up close, Ethan could see the individual scales of the dragon and his eyes widened significantly; each scale was taller than he was. Rippling chords of muscle flowed beneath the dragon’s scales, and Ethan was suddenly given the oddest feeling that the dragon could throw him off the mountain with a simple twitch of its tail. Where the black dragon’s head had been twice Ethan’s size, Jonathan’s was at least five times that with eyes the size of Ethan’s chest, a clear barrier suddenly arched down to cover the one that was looking at Ethan before just as rapidly retreating. A mouth full of sharp teeth, the largest of a little taller than Ethan, opened and let out a tiny burst of flame that radiated heat with a white hot intensity. The massive eyes glared at Ethan and Twilight for a few seconds before the dragon decided to speak. “I told you to come alone.” Jonathan rumbled deeply. “I’m his guide; he wouldn’t have been able to find his way here without me.” Twilight answered matter-of-factly. “Then so long as you do not interfere with the combat, short though it may be, I shall tolerate your intrusion.” Jonathan said, his voice shook the earth underneath Ethan’s feet. “Now Wanderer, shall we begin?” “Yeah, we might as well; I want to get home in time for dinner.” Ethan replied with a smirk. Now that the initial surprise at the dragon’s size had passed, Ethan’s mind had begun to prepare a plan. “Ha, I like your attitude monkey. It’s almost a pity that I will be eating you shortly.” “I wouldn’t suggest it. I’d probably give you indigestion, the explosive kind.” Ethan said with a glint in his eye while he unhooked his gauss rifle from his back. Jonathan wasted no more time with talking and immediately jumped into the air, throwing Ethan off of his feet with the sheer displacement of his wings moving the air. Ethan rolled to his feet and let off a shot from his gauss rifle that slammed into one of the scales on the dragon’s right side. The scale looked none the worse for wear except for a small black mark. Ethan quickly reloaded and rolled the side as Jonathan swooped down at him, clawed hand held open, planning to catch the man and then gobble him up early. The hand passed over Ethan by barely a hair, but it was enough for Ethan who rolled on his stomach and brought up the rifle. His next shot sped out of the barrel and smashed into another of the dragon’s scales doing just as little this time as it had the last time. Ethan reloaded and fired again, this time aiming for the pale underbelly instead of the red scales. The shot smashed into the softer flesh, blasting open a large bloody patch. Jonathan let out a pained screech and came barreling down at Ethan, flames shooting from his mouth as he came. Ethan didn’t have time to dodge or roll away, so he crouched with his back turned to the dragon and hoped for the best. The dragon’s flames rippled over the duster but found no purchase and died away. Rarity’s enchantment had thankfully stopped both the flames and the effects of convection. That did not however, protect Ethan from being thrown to the ground like a ragdoll by the dragon’s passing. He was sent rolling towards the edge of the mountain but stopped just in time; this wasn’t working. It was time to change things up a little. Jonathan came in for another pass this time Ethan stood his ground and stared into the large, anger-filled draconic eyes as they swept towards him. He holstered his gauss rifle, and drew his blue bladed bowie knife. The dragon’s talons racked towards him at blinding speed, and Ethan found himself quickly parrying each claw in a flurry of motion. He wasn’t perfect however, and one of the talons slashed into his left shoulder tearing a large hole through both the duster and his shoulder beneath. Jonathan jerked his claw up, and Ethan was thrown into the air as he slipped free of the claw. The dragon caught him in the other hand and started to crush Ethan between his mighty taloned fingers. Ethan stabbed deep into a gap between the scales that covered the dragon’s palm. Jonathan let a bestial roar and his grip receded, allowing Ethan to take a running leap and land on the dragon’s forearm. Jonathan let out a screech of annoyance as his prey once again evaded him and did the one thing that every flier knows will work in such a situation. He did a barrel roll. As the shifting mass of red scales rolled beneath him, Ethan stabbed deep into the tiny cracks between scales along the dragon’s forearm and held on for dear life. The world shifted several times and Ethan thought that he might pass out from the G-force, but it ended too quickly for that to happen. With a wide grin Ethan began to once again run up the dragon’s extremely long arm. Twilight, who was watching this from below, looked on with wide eyes, she’d seen Ethan do impressive, impossible things before, but this took the cake. “You impress me Wanderer; never before have I had such experienced such a challenge killing someone so small!” Jonathan rumbled, causing Ethan to almost lose his footing as the man scrambled onto the dragon’s wide back. “And I’ve never had to try this hard to kill something so big!” Ethan shouted back as he pulled out his gauss rifle and began to fire it into the tremendously large scales surrounding the dragon’s spine. Sadly, it did nothing as well. The dragon shifted in the air again, this time flying completely upside down and forcing Ethan to let his gauss rifle fall from his hands and towards the earth as his hands reached for the knife at his belt. He slammed his knife into the dragon’s back seconds before the dragon had completed its rotation, and was left hanging onto the hilt of the knife for dear life. As he hung there, Ethan’s brain was working in overdrive. The only part of the dragon that he’d managed to wound was the underbelly, which just wasn’t an option at this point. That left three possible weak points. Either wing, along with the head. Once gravity returned to normal Ethan took off at a sprint towards the dragon’s head. Unfortunately, Jonathan had apparently had enough of having Ethan on his back. Suddenly, the dragon landed with a loud crash that sent Ethan flying off his back and into the dirt below. On the bright side, he landed next his gauss rifle so there was that going for him. The dragon stooped over the man and let loose a gout of flames that ate away at the flame shielding of his duster, and before he really realized what was happening Ethan began to burn as he looked straight into the dragon’s fire. He was in too much pain to turn over or move in any way. Finally, the dragon’s flame stopped and Ethan was revealed to Twilight once again. His body was covered in white burn marks where the skin had been seared away and the flesh below had become squishy and malleable. A firm layer of ash also covered him, obscuring the places where the duster hadn’t been burned away. Twilight let out a shocked gasp as she began to run towards the downed form of her friend, horn glowing fully intending to avenge Ethan’s death. She was stopped however, when Ethan’s blackened cadaver stirred. “Unbelievable.” Jonathan said as Ethan slowly got back to his feet while his wounds healed before their eyes. “So, was that all you’ve got?” Ethan asked as he cracked his neck once. “Ethan, you’re alive!” Twilight shouted. “And you’re stating the obvious Sparky.” Ethan replied with a cocky smile, although he winced slightly when he spoke. Then, before anyone had time to react Ethan sprinted forward and opened a long slash across the unarmored underside of the dragon’s neck. Red blood poured out of the cut, but the dragon only chuckled. “You do realize that my neck is thicker than your body don’t you?” Jonathan asked him dryly. “You do realize that I don’t give a fuck, right?” Ethan replied before jumping backwards to avoid the incoming dragon’s claw. He grabbed his gauss rifle and with one quick motion fired into the open wound in the dragon’s neck. Jonathan cried out in pain as the metal round slammed into the hole, practically vaporizing flesh as it went. The shot didn’t pass all the way through however. It didn’t even make it to through half. The dragon looked down at Ethan, and the intense anger in the dragon’s eyes would’ve made most men turn tail and flee. Ethan however, wasn’t most men, so he did something that could actually help his cause and fired a shot towards the dragon’s eye. To the man’s extreme annoyance, the clear lens that he’d seen before slammed down blocking the shot completely. “Oh, now that’s just not fair!” Ethan shouted. “I’m sorry, but I don’t give a fuck.” The dragon replied with a toothy smile. “Fucking cheating crocodile wannabe.” Ethan muttered as he rolled away from an incoming claw and drew A Light Shining in the Darkness. He inserted a clip of armour piercing .45 into the gun and opened up on the dragon’s head. Bullets whizzed off of the large reflecting plates of scales that seemed to be harder than most all of the types of steel that Ethan had encountered in his travels. His mind was moving quickly, there was no way that he could take another roasting. Even his body would give out and die after two blasts of that fire, add to that that his duster was pretty much toast and he was fighting in his underwear and well… It was fair to say that this fight wasn’t going as well as Ethan had planned. Ethan dodged to the side as another talon slammed into the ground next to him. Then something occurred to Ethan, the dragon was toying with him. “You’re just fucking with me aren’t you?” Ethan asked the dragon as he parried a talon swipe with his knife. “I could be, why?” Jonathan asked with a light chuckle as one of his claws made it through Ethan’s defenses and slashed him across the chest, opening a huge cut that quickly began to heal. “Because I DON’T like being fucked with!” Ethan shouted as he unloaded an entire clip into the nearest eye which was easily deflected by the lens. “Would you prefer me to end this?” The dragon asked as his massive tail suddenly shot out of nowhere and launched Ethan into the air; the dragon caught him with surprising grace for something the size of half a town. The dragon held him with all five fingers, completely enclosing Ethan’s body and making it unable to move more than an inch. “Would this be a good time to say that I’m sorry for stabbing your son?” Ethan asked. “You stabbed my son?” The Jonathan asked in confusion. “Yeah he was beating up Spike, so I stabbed him in the chest with my knife. Not too deep mind you, but still deep enough to get the point across.” Ethan told the dragon. “I didn’t even notice that you had.” The dragon said with a frown. “Wait, then why did you challenge me to a battle to the death?” Ethan asked. “Because my son told me that you called me a poor, thin-scaled, blunt-clawed, infertile, lizard who couldn’t find a mate who wasn’t over a thousand.” The dragon rumbled angrily as he remembered his son’s narration. “Why that sneaky little shit!” Ethan exclaimed angrily. “The only thing I ever said about you was the stuff that you heard when you came to the village, along with what I said during the fight!” “You mean to tell me that I spent so much time and effort in a meaningless attempt to defend my honor?” The dragon asked in a low growl that seemed to make the very air vibrate. “Yeah it seems that way.” Ethan agreed. Jonathan let Ethan fall to the ground and turned to face his cave. “GARBLE, GET YOUR THIN SCALED ASS OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!” Jonathan roared, causing snow on one of the nearby peaks to tumble off in the beginning of an avalanche. Twilight heard a loud bit of feminine cursing coming from the other mountain, something about wanting a pavilion. “Geez dad you didn’t have to yell, what is it?” Garble asked as he came into sight. “Did you ki-” Garble began, until he saw that Ethan was standing next to his father with black anger in his eyes. “-oh shit!” The teenaged dragon shouted as he began to run. Ethan’s pistol barked once and the dragon ended up eating dirt as his kneecap shattered “Please allow me to discipline my brat.” The dragon told Ethan, he didn’t sound to upset however. “Garble, you lied to me.” Jonathan began slowly. “I would never lie to you fa-” Garble started to say, but he was interrupted by Jonathan’s next sentence. “And you lie to me again, was this some attempt to get rid of me Garble? Or did you think to use me as a TOY?!” Jonathan roared. “I’d neve-” “Silence! It was rhetorical!” Jonathan told him. “I have done my best to teach you the value of truth and respect. I seem to have failed, so I’m going to send you to someone who I know can teach you it… My mother.” The elder dragon told his son, who screamed in horror. “No, dad! Seriously, don’t send me there! I’ll do anything!” The younger dragon begged. “You almost got me killed fighting this… are you called a stallion?” Jonathan asked, turning to Ethan. “You’re looking for man, or human if you’re not being gender specific.” Twilight supplied before Ethan could open his mouth. “Thank you unicorn. You almost got me killed fighting this man, I have no choices left, you must go.” The dragon continued. “But dad, grandma is-” “Extremely good at beating young idiots like you into shape, you’re leaving tomorrow morning at dawn.” Jonathan said with finality. “But dad!” Garble protested. “You can have the rest of the day to hang out with your friends, but after that I’m flying you to your grandmother’s cave and that’s where you’re staying until she says that you’re a functioning member of proper draconic society. Now go, I have guests to attend to.” Jonathan told his son before turning back to Ethan. “I have ruined your armor; would you like to browse the rather large selection that I have acquired over the years from various bipeds, and then join me in a meal of deer and ale?” The large red dragon asked Ethan who shrugged. “I don’t see why not, what about you Sparky?” Ethan asked Twilight. “I’ll have grass or something else, but I’m game.” Twilight replied with a nod. “Excellent, I have much to make up for!” *** The pegasi pulling the carriage sent to pick up Twilight and Ethan were getting antsy. They’d arrived at exactly noon, and they’d been waiting for half an hour without even a sight of the purple unicorn or her tall friend. “Dude, this is ridiculous. Screw it, I’m going to knock.” Adamant told his partner Resolute, who nodded. “I was just about to suggest it.” The other pegasus agreed. Adamant went up to the door and politely knocked. The door was answered by a purple dragon wearing an apron. “Umm, can I help you?” Spike asked. “Yeah, we were sent to pick up Twilight Sparkle and Ethan Smith, where are they?” Adamant asked. “Oh, they went to fight a giant red dragon who lives over in that mountain.” Spike answered with a jerk of his thumb in the direction of the appropriate mountain. Adamant didn’t say anything else to Spike, and instead sprinted back towards his partner. The two took to the skies a few seconds later, and sped away into the sky, bound once more for Canterlot. *** Princess Celestia was in the middle of a diplomatic meeting when Adamant burst into the room and rushed over to the princess. He quickly related his news and Celestia’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, but I have to go and keep Ethan from being eaten by the biggest dragon in the country.” Celestia told the two ambassadors, who nodded as if this were an everyday occurrence for them. The princess then vanished in a flash of light. *** “So then they say ‘…the aristocrats!’” Ethan said with a wide grin, Twilight looked like she was about to puke but still managed a weak smile while Jonathan let out a great belly laugh that shook the walls of the cave. “That is truly one of the best tellings of that joke that I have ever heard!” The dragon told Ethan before biting into another deer body. “Thanks, a man named Arcade taught it to me.” Ethan replied with a grin before he took a small sip of is ale. Suddenly, Princess Celestia flashed into existence wearing her full golden war regalia. She looked fierce enough to kill most things on sight, but the second that she saw the group she let out a long sigh and willed the armor away. Ethan was still half naked, but a new sword laid on the ground next him in a sheath of black stained wood. The cross guard was a simple straight line above the hilt, with no unnecessary jewels or other ornamentation. The grip was made of black leather and the pommel was inset with a small ruby. “Sunny, you made it! Would you like some ale?” Ethan asked her with a grin as he offered the alicorn a mug from a nearby bench. Celestia stared at the mug for a second before accepting and taking a polite sip. Then she turned back to the massive red dragon. “Should I even ask what happened here?” She asked Jonathan, apparently they knew each other. “Worry not sun guardian, they’re both alive. And this man has earned himself a friend.” The dragon told Celestia with a deep chuckle. “If for nothing else then for the sheer amount of balls it took for him to challenge me to a one on one fight. Not that it was all that smart, but it certainly took a great deal of bravery.” The dragon added. “I think I’m never letting him leave Canterlot again.” Celestia said as she closed her eyes in annoyance. “Aww, come on Sunny. It’s not that bad, no one got hurt… Well I almost died and he got a little scratched up, but that’s not really important.” Ethan replied, giving her a grin before taking another sip of his ale. “Aren’t you supposed to be avoiding alcohol?” Celestia asked him with narrowed eyes. “This is my first mug and I’m taking it slow. Besides, you can’t just turn down free ale when your host offers it.” Ethan replied with a shrug. “I suppose that that would be rude.” Celestia said with a sigh as she took a seat next to Twilight. “So judging by the state of your armor, the burn marks on your skin, and the hole in your shoulder that’s still healing that you lost?” She asked Ethan who nodded. “It would’ve been different if I had my powerarmor. Or hell, if I had one of my heavy weapons. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to grab much from Cassandra’s armory.” Ethan told her. “And the one thing that I did have time to grab is too special to be used on a dragon. No offense.” Ethan said with a nod towards Jonathan, who chuckled. “None taken. However, I would like to know what’s more special than a dragon.” Jonathan replied. “I don’t know, but if I waste it then my wife will literally castrate me.” Ethan said with a fond smile. “Well I need to get back to Canterlot if you’re not in danger of being eaten; I’ll send a carriage to pick you up. Do NOT go anywhere else.” Celestia told Ethan flatly. “Sunny, I’m the Lone Wanderer. I go where I want.” Ethan told her with a grin. “Twilight, be a dear and hold him in a magic field so strong that he can’t move a muscle if he tries to leave.” Celestia told, Twilight who smiled. “Of course Tia, it’ll be fun.” Twilight replied, while giving Ethan a sweet smile at the prospect. Ethan’s eyes widened, but he kept his mouth closed sensing that this was one of those times that talking would result in something bad happening to him. “I’ll expect you shortly then.” Celestia told them before turning to Jonathan. “And it’s always a pleasure to see you again Jonathan, I’ll be looking for your next report by the end of the month.” She added before she flashed away. “Report?” Ethan asked the dragon, who shrugged. “I have to send her reports on the dragon population, we’re endangered after all.” Jonathan replied with a shrug. “You don’t sound too worried about that.” Ethan said. “Well, I’ve been alive twenty thousand years. That’s long enough to know inevitability when it’s staring you in the face.” Jonathan said with a shake of his massive head. “Wait, you’re that old?” Ethan asked in confusion. “Yes, how else would I get this big?” Jonathan asked with a chuckle. “Well that makes sense.” Ethan agreed with a shrug. “So how close to killing you did I come?” “It would’ve taken you another two hours or so at the rate you were going.” Jonathan told him. “Hey Sparky, this reminds me. I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” Ethan told the purple unicorn. “What is it Ethan?” Twilight asked. “Well I’ve been thinking, and honestly I came here a little under armed for this place, getting my ass kicked by Jonathan here kind of reinforced the point. So I was wondering if you could take me to my house in Megaton and then get back without anyone noticing.” Ethan said. “Hmm… Yeah, I don’t see why not. It’ll take a little energy, and if you’d asked me yesterday I would’ve said no, but I should be able to manage it today.” Twilight said with a smile. “Perfect, because I’m going to need some new toys to use.” Ethan told her with a grin. “Didn’t the Sun Princess tell you not to leave the cave?” Jonathan asked. “Technically we won’t have left the cave, only the dimension.” Ethan replied with a sly grin. “Sound logical by my reckoning.” Jonathan said with an agreeable chuckle. “Alright Sparky, let’s go.” Ethan told Twilight, who shook her head once before they vanished in a flash. *** They appeared in Ethan’s Megaton home to find that a firm layer of dust had settled over everything. Ethan let out a sigh and made his way to his armour locker. “You’re not getting that armour you used to fight the supermutant army, are you?” Twilight asked in concern, she didn’t want to know how Equestrians would act if they saw him walking around in that suit. “Nope, that’s overkill for pretty much anything Sparky. I’m just going with my Winterized T51B.” Ethan replied with a shrug as he began to pull the white suit of powerarmor out of the locker. Twilight still had no idea how he managed to fit all of his weapons and armor in two lockers, but she’d already decided that it didn’t really matter. “Didn’t you use that to make that other armour though?” Twilight asked. “No, I based it off of the design for this suit.” Ethan said as he began to struggle into the overly large armour. “So what weapons are you getting?” Twilight asked. “My special Anti-Material rifle, a heavy machinegun, a 12.7mm sub machinegun, Vengeance, and my shock sword.” Ethan answered while he finished getting into his armour; he’d left out the helmet, preferring to forgo it. “Didn’t you just get a new sword?” Twilight asked, pointing to the sword in question. “Yes Sparky, but that sword is for fighting in a battlefield, not for clearing out buildings or tight spaces.” Ethan replied with a shrug as he slipped the sword that Jonathan had given him over his back. “Didn’t you already have a knife for that?” Twilight inquired. “Sparky, please stop questioning me. I’ve already had a very long day.” Ethan told her with a long sigh. “Sorry Ethan, it’s in my nature to question things.” Twilight told him, looking at her hooves. “I know that Sparky, it’s just that I got my ass brutally handed to me today and I’m not in the mood for it.” Ethan told her grouchily. “Alright Ethan.” Twilight consented with a simple nod. Despite how energetic he’d appeared in the dragon’s cave, Ethan now looked tired and beaten. Half of his hair had been burned to a crisp and had yet to grow back, leaving him half bald. A new scar ran along his jawline from where one of Jonathan’s claws had done more than it originally seemed. His blue eyes had taken on an almost bloodshot sheen, and they looked wearier than Twilight had ever seen them before. “Just how close did you come to dying today Ethan?” Twilight asked softly. “Too damn close Twilight, I wouldn’t have been able to go another ten minutes, let alone another half hour.” Ethan said quietly. “I’ve been burned before Twilight, but that dragon’s fire… It scorched me in places I didn’t even know that I had; I can still feel it eating away at me. The, the worst part is that I can’t tell if it’s just my imagination, or if it’s actually still there.” Ethan told her. He looked scared; this experience was completely new to him. He had no way to know what it meant, no way to fight down the growing panic inside him as he felt the enchanted flames of the dragon wash over him again, and again, and again. “Ethan, you can’t keep this up.” Twilight told him. “Really, you don’t fucking say!” Ethan snapped angrily. “Ever since I left the goddamned Vault people have looked to me as beacon of hope! I’m just one man Twilight, one very tired man.” Ethan said with a shake of his head as a few tears began to trickle down his face. “I know Ethan.” Twilight said softly as she went over and leaned comfortingly against him. Ethan sighed. “I know you do Twilight.” He shook his head and wiped away the tears. “Come on, we have a war to prevent and a prince to rescue.” He added. Twilight nodded, and they vanished. Lucas Simms burst in a few seconds later, looked around, and grumbled something about his ears playing tricks on him. Ethan hadn’t been seen in near on eight months now, how would he have gotten into the house without anyone noticing him entering the city? “Least the Brotherhood has things secured.” Simms muttered as he closed the door. Silence reigned over the house once more, awaiting its master’s return.