Chapter One
Part II: Searching and Reconstructing
“Don't worry, you will never become like her. We will protect you. FOREVER.”
~Story of the Blanks
Flint began reliving past events spent with his family: Hearth's Warming Eve pageants, Candycostume Nights, Hinawa leaving for Alec's, Summer Sun Celebrations, Winter Wrap-ups, Hinawa leaving for Alec's, Running of the Leaves, Hinawa leaving for Alec's--
Quit going back to that, Flint told himself.
But I can't help it... another side seemed to say, It was the last time I ever saw her as herself...
He gave in and subconsciously allowed himself to remember those memories from just a few days ago.
Laughing at his awkward joke and his wife's silly sarcasm, while the half-mechanical dragon's face rose out of the deep violet sea—wait, that's definitely not right.
No. This is no memory, he thought, transitioning into a scary half-conscious-half-vegetative state. I'm dreaming right now, aren't I?
The second he formed his thoughts, the dragon's head was towering over them, its neck itself was taller than his house. It was flashing its razor-sharp fangs in a wicked smile directly above Flint.
No, not even a dream...
The sky turned a dull gray-green hue as clouds quickly circled around the ponies' heads. Flint glanced back at his family only to find Luca and Claus had disappeared, leaving Hinawa looking up in horror, hooves trembling.
Flint followed the twisting path of the dragon's neck from the water to just above Hinawa, glaring down at her with fear in its eyes. Two mechanical unicorns burst out of the clouds above, landing on its large forehead easily. Whether they had shrunk or the dragon's head grew larger once again, Flint wasn't sure but believed it was the latter.
The mechanical unicorns had been leering down at Hinawa, then turned their attention toward Flint. For a moment Flint could see nothing but a tunnel vision of blackness with the glowing yellow eyes focused on him.
When he snapped back to, the unicorns looked back at Hinawa and stood up on their hind legs, raising their forehooves above their shiny metal-plated heads. Their metal wings flared out to the sides with a hiss and pop and spread completely out.
They swiftly and powerfully brought their front hooves crashing down onto the forehead of the dragon together, which caused the fearful dragon to cry out in pain as a fang was knocked loose. The mechanized unicorns immediately repeated the same action, shooting its left fang out at an alarming speed straight down.
Flint already knew which pony was directly under the dragon, so he turned and faced the other direction, not needing to see what happened next. There was a scream coming from directly behind him, followed by a thud.
This was a nightmare. I'm stuck in a nightmare, why did I just let go of reality I don't want to be here anymore let me OUT...
He tried to close his eyes to escape this new reality but was only greeted with the images the eyes in the back of his head were bearing witness to. Nowhere to look, nowhere to run away to, nowhere to hide...And then screams.
There was screaming...but not from Hinawa anymore. Some kind of distorted howling now, a mixture of the dragon's cry and ponies cheering victoriously, with interjections of indiscernible ordering between, cutting the noise off sharply for a quick second before returning to the sounds.
“MOM--!” Luca's high voice rang out louder than she ever used it before and echoed throughout the forest.
No...This isn't...I'm not seriously...
“MOM, QUICK-- RUN! JUST RUN!!” Claus' voice screamed in desperation before gasping into short sobs.
I can't take this...How am I hearing this? That's impossible...
“No, you two go! Get to Ponyville now!” Hooves running quickly on the grassy forest floor for a minute followed by a yelp of shock and splashes of water.
This is worse than dealing with the present...this is over with! I don't need to hear it anymore!
The last few sounds happened quickly, almost happening all at once.
Cheering and shouting.
A loud computerized roar.
A heavy swing and a stab.
A short cry.
Metallic puffing and hissing, growing quieter along with the cheering.
A couple unrecognizable voices calling for help, then telling some twins to go with them.
More unrecognizable voices, collectively planning.
The twinkling of unicorn magic.
A wet suctioning sound and a dull thud of something hitting the forest ground.
The slow, steady clip-clop of hooves working their way back to Ponyville.
Anything's better than living like this...I'd rather live to see anything after this instead of being forced to relive what made me want to escape reality in the first place. Even if it would be Hell for me to live on, I always have a chance to make things better in the future...Unlike here.
***
“...gratulations...You...the honor of be...” A familiar voice drifted and echoed around Flint.
Finally...I'm awake?
Flint opened his eyes halfway and realized he was laying on his stomach on a cold concrete floor. The voice spoke again.
“So, yeah. You're the very first. Nopony's ever been thrown into Ponyville's jail.” It was Bronson.
I'm back! Oh, thank goodness...But did he mention something about jail? Flint thought, silently thanking anything and everything he believed in, in the back of his mind.
“I mean, we're finally putting it to use after all these years. We built it and then just never had any reason to use it!” Bronson gave a friendly laugh.
Flint stirred, twitching his hooves around the cement, but Bronson hadn't noticed.
Bronson continued, “Anyway, I can't say I know how you feel, but just take it easy here for a while. Abbot's recovering fine after last night, and I'm sure he has no hard feelings against you. We all offer you our deepest condolences.
“So just take it easy here for a while, maybe get a little more rest if you have to...”
No. Not again.
Bronson trotted over to the door and pushed it open with a hoof. Flint opened his eyes long enough to watch Bronson walking out of the prison, noticing his cutie mark. It was a golden sheriff’s badge.
Right, he's the only law-pony in Ponyville...I suppose I understand why he would throw me in here...I lost it last night...but for a good reason.
Flint stood up and took in his surroundings. He was in a small rectangular concrete cell with a wooden table in it all within a bigger room that was the jail. There was a window to Ponyville outside and another open window opposite the other, both with metal bars running up and down so nopony could sneak out of them. The only door in the concrete cell had a rusted lock on it, as it had never been used before.
Hoofsteps began to trot around one wall from the outside, then turning and walking the length of another. They stopped just outside the door to the jailhouse, and a little hoof slowly and carefully pushed the door open.
A little blue colt walked in, and to Flint's surprise it was Claus! Flint couldn't be any happier than he was now, just to see his little colt! Unless of course Luca was here too, but Flint didn't see her.
“Pssssst! Dad!” Claus said, acting secretive.
“Claus! Great to see ya!” Flint said, beaming. “Did Luca follow you here?”
“No...last I knew, she was at Mom's grave all day crying...” Claus looked down at the floor and swept a hoof.
“I see...” Flint sighed. “I understand. Just let her know if you see her--” Flint started, but was interrupted by Claus sticking his hoof between the bars and over Flint's mouth.
Claus turned his head around toward the door and Flint realized there was somepony walking near the jailhouse, but trotted past.
“There isn't any time just yet, Dad...Bronson's nearby and I don't want him to catch me talking to you. Just take this.” He slid an apple he was holding between two bars onto the ledge of the window.
“Apple cores aren't meant to be eaten because apples are really tough in the center.” He said, emphasizing the two words strongly.
Claus trotted over to the door, stopped and added, “I'm gonna get real strong. Stronger than any dragon...strong enough that even an army of dragons couldn't stop me!”
He turned and looked in Flint's general direction, but not into Flint's eyes.
“Dad...I just...” He hesitated a moment before he took off galloping.
Flint was alone again, left to wonder what this apple was all about. Really tough in the center, huh?
Flint checked the window to make sure there wasn't anypony around the jail as he picked the apple up in his mouth. He tossed it up in the air, turned on his front hooves and bucked the apple as it came falling back down.
It splattered against the wall, and Flint didn't realize anything different about it at first. He began licking the mess off the wall, cleaning it so Bronson doesn't become suspicious. His tongue licked something hard and rough, like sandpaper.
He spat the object out onto his hoof and realized it was a hoof file, what ponies use to dull the sharpness of their hooves, usually used at a spa during a pedicure.
Flint looked at the rusted door lock and back at the hoof file. After a quick putting-two-and-two-together, Flint took the hoof file in his mouth and began sawing back and forth for a while until the lock gave and broke.
The hoof file became whittled down to an unusable nub now, so Flint threw it aside and cautiously stepped outside into Ponyville.
As long as I'm not seen by Bronson I should be fine...
Flint began walking toward the center of the village when Duster stopped him.
“Hey, Flint...I just wanted to let you know that your wife's burial went smoothly...” He said with a look of sorrow in his eyes. “Sorry you were out cold, but we had to get it over with before it becomes chillier outside. Autumn's just around the corner...”
“I understand, Duster...it's fine.” Flint said, sincerely. “But have you seen either Claus or Luca around here lately?”
Duster looked up, thinking for a moment and said, “Well...Luca is still at Hinawa's grave up north I believe, but I haven't seen Claus around.”
Probably still being secretive...Flint figured.
“Alright, thanks...I'll go talk to her.” Flint said, and the two ponies waved a hoof at each other and went on their ways.
***
Alright, so...north of Ponyville, huh? I never knew we had a graveyard to the north... Flint thought, passing the time as he trotted up to where he thought just Nippolyte's house stood.
He spotted Nippolyte, a unicorn pony levitating a chisel and rock to carve words into tombstones. Nippolyte was the tombstone-carver and gravedigger, who did his job for Hinawa's final resting place today. Nippolyte had always carved messages into tombstones as a hobby and always set them up near his house, but to Flint's recollection nopony has ever died in Ponyville before.
“Hey, Nippolyte...could you tell me which grave is Hinawa's?” Flint asked, looking around at the many tombstones sitting around Nippolyte's shack, all empty save for one now.
Nippolyte set his carving tools on the slab he was working on and answered slowly, “Yeah...up around the bend to the right and due north. Y'know, the cliff overlookin' the Equestria Islands.” Then he added with a wink, “I figured you'd appreciate that, seein' as you'll someday – 'n' hopefully not soon – be restin' there alongside her, both keepin' watch over the ponies livin' on the Islands that love y'all with all their hearts...”
“Thank you kindly, Nippolyte. Yeah...that is a wonderful gesture you did for h-- us...” Flint answered with an appreciative smile, almost choking back tears. “I'm heading on up to visit her and Luca now. See you later!” He waved a hoof in departure and a tombstone caught his eye. There was only one thing written on it, which couldn't have been engraved by Nippolyte anytime recently.
“I leave the rest to you now.”
It was almost too strange a coincidence...was she with him right now?
Honey, would you like to accompany me to see our daughter?
Silence. Flint believed what he wanted and began walking around the hill, as Nippolyte pointed out. On the other side Flint saw a line of most of the ponies from Ponyville in small groups, having paid their respects earlier at the funeral. As he began walking past the long group, he caught their mournful looks and nodded occasionally to show he thanks them for coming.
He finally made it to the end of the line and saw Alec and Luca still bowing on their forehooves in front of the tombstone marked, “Wife of Flint, Mother of the twins Claus and Luca, Daughter of Alec. May the beautiful mare Hinawa rest in peace here for all eternity.” It was surrounded by lots of sunflowers from all the ponies in Ponyville. Sunflowers were her favorite...
Flint walked up behind Luca and bent down on his forehooves alongside her. He saw tear stains under her eyes, being touched-up by fresh tears.
He sighed and asked, “How're you doing, Luca?”
Without looking up Luca responded in a slow, depressed tone, “Dad...I thought you said anything can come true if we pray to Celestia from the bottom of our hearts? I kept praying that we would all get out of there safely...” she turned around and snapped, “But not even that helped! There is no Celestia!”
Flint, taken aback with mouth agape, was too bewildered and sad for his daughter to yell back at her for saying that. Luca turned back around after catching some of the other ponies' eyes nearby. Flint stood back up and walked over to Alec's side. He had a saddlebag packed with things for his trip to Ponyville, no doubt. Before Flint could begin talking, Alec started.
“She doesn't mean it, Flint...she's just upset like the rest of us. By the way, have you seen Claus anywhere? He said he was going to get you wherever you were and come right back.”
Flint realized Alec was still at his house last night, so he didn't know Flint was thrown in jail. “I saw Claus when he got me, but he took off somewhere after. He didn't come back here?”
“No, I've been here the whole time.” Alec answered, “Haven't seen him.” Luca's eyes snapped open fast but she tried to hide it.
“Luca...do you know where your brother is?” Flint asked cautiously, knowing she did but also knowing she was very fragile at the moment.
“N-no...” she answered, still trying to hide her tear-stained wide eyes.
“Luca...I know you know where he is...it's not the right thing, to lie.” Flint said softly.
“But I don't!” Luca said, turning to face Flint, “I promise I don't know anything about Claus taking revenge on the dragon that killed Mom!”
“...I never said anything about taking revenge on that dragon...” Flint said slowly. Then snapped, unable to control himself any longer, “How does he think he can do that?! Which way did he go?!”
Fresh tears began forming in Luca's eyes again and she said, shaking her head violently, “I DON'T KNOW! HE DIDN'T WANT ME GOING WITH HIM AND I COULDN'T STOP HIM...” She whimpered a little and, unable to take any more, she galloped off.
Flint didn't chase after her, but was determined to find his colt. Just before he could take off, however, Alec spoke again.
“I'll go with you, Flint. That's my grandcolt we're talking about! And I know some ponies that may be able to help us to locate Claus.” He gave a determined smile and began trotting away from the grave, Flint following closely behind.
Before they were too far, Flint spotted Bronson talking amongst the groups of ponies around Hinawa's grave site. He tried to steer clear of his view, but Bronson saw him as they ran by and never said a word.
As they entered Ponyville, Flint bumped into Caroline, an earth pony who works at her family-run bakery in town. He ran into her so hard they both fell flat on their backs, and sent a loaf of nut bread into the air. Caroline sprung up fast and caught it with a hoof and offered it to Flint.
“I was just looking for you! I was going to give you this nut bread as our family's condolences! It was the same bread Hinawa and I used to bake when she came to visit...” She helped Flint up, gave it to him, and without another word trotted away.
Flint asked if he could use Alec's saddlebag to keep the nut bread in, and Alec obliged. Flint felt eyes watching him from behind. When he swirled around, he saw two of Ponyville's best friends and comedians, Bud and Lou watching him.
“Can I help you two?” Flint asked, as they began grinning widely.
“We just wanted to know if you could tell us what you think of our new comedy routine?” Bud asked.
“Yeah! It's a new joke I came up with!” Lou laughed.
Bud smacked Lou. “We came up with...”
“Oh yeah, anyway...” Lou turned towards Bud and put a hoof on his face.
“Hey there Lou...” Bud began, slightly muffled by a hoof covering his mouth, “Um...are you feeling okay today?”
“Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just feeling a little hoarse.”
They both turned back to Flint and bent their heads to the ground in a bow.
“So...” Bud began.
“Whaddya think?” Lou asked.
“It's uh...good. Pretty funny.” Flint said, wanting to get moving, but not act like a jerk.
“'Pretty funny'?” Bud asked and smacked Lou again. “I told you we need better material!”
As they began arguing Flint leaned in close to Alec. “Let's go, quick!” And both stallions took off toward the Foreverfree Forest.
***
Upon entering the Foreverfree Forest, Flint had noticed throughout the flat space that creatures he used to find in the forest had started to return. However, something was different about them. He remembered the field mice...but didn't recall them flying awkwardly with big wings crudely attached.
All of the animals had some new quirk to them the more he observed his surroundings. The squirrels had new feelers that they twitched all over the ground and the fallen acorns; birds were catching worms from deep in their holes with tentacles; and the bats that were sleeping in a cave nearby were almost impossible to recognize, since their bodies were enveloped in large elephant ears.
Near the other end of the forest was a river in which lay a few frogs. Alec gave a whistle and the frogs lined up single-file, and Alec hopped onto their backs one at a time slowly. The frogs didn't sink for some reason. Flint followed Alec and hopped across slowly, crossing the river before the frogs swam off again.
Just up ahead, Flint noticed a house sitting in the middle of a lake shaped like a six-pointed sparkle. Alec looked over his shoulder and explained where they were to Flint.
“These are my good friends, the Uniments. They're seven powerful unicorns, taught by a legend long ago, but they were chosen one day – long before you and I were even thought of – for something not even I know. They lived isolated from the rest of the Islands, doing whatever it was they had been chosen to do.
“Mind you they are probably thousands of years old now, but I'm not sure of their exact age. All I know is that their youth has stayed intact throughout these hundreds or thousands of years. They're sort of all-knowing, so I'm sure they can help us find Claus.”
The two stallions walked up the stone steps to the oddly-shaped house. Alec knocked, opened the door and entered with Flint following behind him.
Flint saw six rather tall, but still very young unicorns turning around to greet their friend Alec. Near the door was an orange stallion with a turquoise mane that slept on a bed; a yellow mare with an orange mane sipping tea; and a gray stallion with a shiny silver mane to their right. Across the room there was a dark-pink mare with a violet mane and white highlights sitting in a chair; to her right there was a black stallion with a hint of blue, and had a red-and-yellow mane; and to the left of the chair sat a white mare with a light-violet and pink mane.
The midnight-blue one ran right up to Alec and Flint and welcomed them both.
“Alec! Hey, long time no see! We were just having our monthly tea together! How're you doing? And who's this with you?” he asked.
“Hi there, Triheart!” Alec said, “This is my son-in-law Flint, and we just needed some help finding somepony and thought y'all could help us.”
“No, no no! Not before we properly introduce ourselves to a new friend!” The mare sitting in the chair yelled across the room with a smile, “This is my home and I feel obligated to do so before we can help you!”
She pointed a hoof at each pony around them, giving Flint their names, though Flint couldn't be sure he would remember them all immediately.
The sleeping orange stallion was Snails, “Soooo sleepy, eh.”
The yellow mare closest to the door was Pumpkin, “Welcome, my little ponies.”
The silver-maned one was Spellswirl, “Nice to meet you.”
Triheart, the one that greeted Alec and Flint.
The one with the white coat sitting to the left of the chair was Sweetie Belle, “Hi, Alec's friend!” She waved a hoof frantically at Flint.
“I am Cyder Sparkle,” the dark-pink one said, pointing a hoof at herself, “And the only Uniment not attending is Snips. BUT – now that we're all acquainted, what did you need to know? Who's missing?”
“It's my son, Claus.” Flint said simply, “He went off to kill a dragon a short while ago.”
“Oh, yes! He actually stopped in here not long ago. Um – little blue colt, an orange mane?” Cyder asked, animating her hooves to help describe the pony.
“Yeah, that'd be him.” Flint began getting impatient, tapping a hoof slightly on the ground.
“He mentioned something or other about avenging his mother and asked me to teach him a new spell. I figured if it's to avenge one's mother it's rather important, so I taught him one I knew he could handle.” Cyder smiled proudly, then saw Flint glaring at her.
“Well, he can't just run off trying to use spells he just learned to kill a dragon just for a clear and proud conscience! Something's going on with the creatures around here, and it isn't safe for him!” Flint realized he began to feel angry again, the same feeling as last night.
I can't afford to lose it now, just calm down... He told himself, Let's just get Claus back safe and sound and then we'll all be a family again...no more going after dragons or investigating the creatures...we'll all just live peacefully and let things play out as fate intended.
Cyder was taken aback by Flint's outburst, but understood there was no time to waste.
“He ran toward the plateau through the cave behind my house. I'm sorry to waste your time, but if you go now hopefully you can catch him; it wasn't too long ago that he left.” She explained.
Without a word, Flint ran out the front door, leaving Alec shocked for a moment before he said goodbye and left quickly to catch up.
Most of the Uniments had a hoof hanging in the air from trying to wave goodbye, but the two earth ponies were too sudden in their departure to notice their gestures.
***
Just as Cyder had said, there was a hole to a cavern behind her oddly-shaped house. Flint was dashing quickly to get through it and out to the plateau on the other side.
“Wait up, Flint!” Alec called out, following his son-in-law, “Be sure to check for him inside the cave too!” On the inside it was dark, but shortly after entering Alec heard hoofsteps slowing down just up ahead. He caught up with Flint just around a corner and was able to see more of his surroundings.
Flint was inconspicuously watching someone from behind a rock. Was it Claus? Alec peeked his head around Flint's.
“Did you find him? Why are you hiding?” He asked.
“Shhh!” Flint hissed quietly, touching a hoof to his mouth then towards two ponies laying on the cave floor, resting. Except Alec hadn't seen pony accessories like the ones these wore...or, more accurately, ponies like them at all.
They had metal helmets with two protrusions on them. One for a magical horn, the other...to look like it had a large tumor of some kind or something? So they were unicorns, no doubt. The other thing that struck him as odd was that they had mechanical wings splayed out to their sides that seemed to be welded or surgically implanted into their skin. Ponies with wings? How does that even work?
As Alec tried to figure out who or what these ponies were, he snapped out of it to realize Flint was walking slowly and silently toward them.
“Flint, what are you doing? What are they?” Alec whispered, but Flint ignored him. “Wait for me!” Alec called out in a hush. Flint checked the ground for a moment and picked up a good-sized stone in his mouth.
Before Alec could object to what he noticed Flint was preparing for, the mechanical unicorns seemed to be able to sense the two stallions closing in and immediately sprang up. This caused the eyes of their helmets to light up, which cast a white-yellow glow around the cave walls as they moved their heads around.
One spotted Flint just as he attempted to hurl the rock at its metal head. It caught the stone inches from its face with a levitating spell and returned it with an even faster force. Flint jumped out of the way with a shout and it ended up striking Alec on his back, right where his saddlebag strap was.
Able to catch the two earth ponies off guard, the mechanized unicorns used their gained seconds wisely and took off throughout the many twisting halls of the cave. Flint and Alec – even through a sharp pain on his back – followed close behind until they reached the exit to the plateau.
Outside there sat another alien machine connected to a circular platform with odd objects around it. It would have been just like the one Flint saw electrocute a boar to life the night before, if it wasn't for the noticeably larger size. It looked big enough to hold an Ursa Minor, but Flint didn't want to believe that. A metal bear from the stars? That would probably be the worst possible outcome of this machine.
The mechanized unicorns tried as quick as possible to gather their belongings with a levitation spell and this time snatched all of their possessions. They once again took off with their crude wings to the sky, but not before Flint leaped higher than he ever had before and grabbed one by the tail with his mouth. The second unicorn either hadn't noticed his partner fell or didn't care and needed to get out of there, speeding off towards the clouds. They both came crashing down just as Alec left the dark confines of the cave and ran over to help Flint. He fell on the unicorn with all his weight as Flint scooped up another stone with a hoof and raised it threateningly, back hooves holding the unicorn down.
“WHERE'S MY COLT?!” He yelled, the anger rising once again.
“No Flint, wait!” Alec called out desperately and reached out to hit the stone out of his son-in-law's hoof before he did anything he would regret. “We're just looking for Claus, not killing these ponies!”
Flint looked down at Alec disbelieving, “Are you serious?! You call these things ponies?! After what they did to our peaceful forest and the creatures that lived there?! And I know is this one had to have seen Claus around here some short time ago!” He went to body slam the unicorn but was held up by a levitating spell, immediately followed by being thrown across the plateau with a great force. Flint slammed into the outside wall of the cave and saw Alec being tossed next to him just as he opened his eyes.
The mechanized unicorn dropped one more item but didn't bother picking it up and flew off successfully this time. Upon trotting up to it, it seemed it was a Mr. Smartypants doll. Claus' Mr. Smartypants doll. It was one Flint had given to Claus when he was younger along with a Miss Smartypants doll for Luca. Claus' was in rather poor condition, being almost as old as he was. Only this one was neat and tidy. And had a pointy stalactite stamped on the bottom of its stitched hoof.
Those... Flint began cursing the unicorns in his mind, They take Claus' security doll that I gave him, fix it up and label it as theirs?! What kind of ponies do something that insulting and weird?! Flint kept gazing at the doll in his hoof until Alec's voice called for him up ahead.
“Flint, I found something! It looks like Claus' horseshoe!” This made Flint snap out of his inner thoughts and rushed ahead. Upon trotting up beside Alec, it was Claus' horseshoe. Alec scooped it into his saddlebag and remembered the nut bread inside, so the two ponies shared the loaf. There was a tiny roar nearby. Flint and Alec reeled their heads around and saw a small, green baby dragon hiding behind one of the boulders nearby. One that couldn't even speak. It gave an anguished growl and walked further up the plateau.
“Do you suppose that baby dragon has seen Claus?” Alec asked, as the two ponies began following their last and only lead ahead. Nearing the edge of the plateau the baby dragon stopped and ran off to the side behind another boulder. What is it hiding from?
Another two horseshoes. Claus' next two missing horseshoes were in front of them. Flint looked around but saw no sign of his colt. He called out, but still no answer. Flint decided he would take the missing horseshoes and keep them with the other for now. He walked up to them and--
STOMP.
...What in the hay was that?
STOMP. STOMP.
Oh, sweet Celestia... Flint believed he had witnessed all the horrors he could imagine in the past day, even in his mind's eye, but this... This was a true nightmare come alive.
What stood before Flint and Alec now was somehow even worse than a mechanical Ursa Minor, and it wasn't an Ursa Major. It was a dragon. No, the dragon. As it gave out an earth-trembling roar Flint saw the hole for the missing fang in its open mouth on the half of its body amateurishly created from metal.
This is the dragon that killed Hinawa... Flint let that sink in for a moment. And the one that could have Claus! His anger rose higher than before and he blindly chucked rocks as fast as he could at the dragon, which all bounced off its metal-plated head. The dragon turned its attention toward the onslaught of rocks and stones, locking eyes with Flint.
He noticed its left eye – the side of its body made of metal – was gone, only to be replaced with a red glowing light like the mechanical unicorn's helmet lights. It seemed to focus on Flint before breathing artificial fire from a tank lodged in its throat, which Flint ran out of the way of. He quickly jumped over a boulder and covered behind it, the flames licking the left and right sides of the large rock, but not touching Flint.
Alec was unsure if he should stop Flint or help him. This dragon was out of control, but it had a baby right here and was still somewhat alive. He noticed the baby dragon cowering behind a boulder near him and Alec went over to comfort him before he would stop Flint. Before Alec could reach the baby dragon however, the mecha-dragon swung its tail around and knocked the wind out of him, throwing him up against a rock wall on one side of the plateau.
Flint was still behind a boulder, gathering rocks and avoiding the mecha-dragon's attacks. Alec was too busy being concerned about his lower-back pain. Flint peeked over the boulder and saw the dragon bending its neck under an overhang of a stalactite sniffing Claus' horseshoe...With Alec incapacitated, Flint acted quickly and gave the weakest point of the overhang three quick strikes with a hoof, dropping it on the mecha-dragon's head and knocking it out cold.
Alec regained his senses and galloped over to stop Flint from doing any more damage to the mecha-dragon, now that it was unconscious. Flint had already menacingly walked up next to it with a sharp rock in his mouth.
“Flint, don't do it! You'll just make this baby go through what Luca and Claus had to!” He called out desperately, trying to reach Flint's lawful pony senses. The baby dragon ran over and began licking his father's face. Flint didn't care. This was the edge of the plateau and no Claus. Perhaps he was in the dragon's belly. Was it made of metal too? ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT...
Flint slowly walked up to the two dragons, father and son, and stopped. He swiftly raised the stone in his mouth...then was knocked on his back by the baby dragon.
“NO!” It yelled at him, fear, anguish and hatred in his eyes and voice. His first word? He walked back over to his father and continued licking his face until the dragon's right eye opened. The metal half of its body seemed to have malfunctioned from the strike of the stalactite and nothing on his left half was moving. Still, Flint noticed the right eye of the dragon blinked one tear out, which for some reason pierced Flint deep into his soul...
The baby dragon gave a little loud roar with its tiny voice that cried out for his father which echoed throughout the plateau and all around the crevices of Gorgeous Gorge which surrounded them. Flint didn't want to leave the dragon just lying there, but the baby dragon was determined to keep Flint and Alec away with all it could. Flint decided to leave the dragons alone and go back into the cave to look for Claus, let nature do what it does...although in this new era, what is nature anymore?
“Come on, Alec,” Flint said, dropping the stone from his mouth and motioning a hoof to go with him, “Let's give the cave another look-through.”
“Right behind you.” Alec responded, hesitating by watching the two dragons have their moment together.
If only Flint had looked over the edge of the plateau, where the mangled body of his only son lay lifeless, last horseshoe still on his hoof...
~
Until now, the ponies of Ponyville never knew true sadness.
Sunny or cloudy days, they always greeted each other with smiles.
They had literally lived in harmony with both each other and the creatures in the forest.
Strong would help the weak, and those ponies fortunate would always help those less fortunate.
Now it appears Ponyville has learned all too much about sadness.
Everything suddenly changing for the worse...
When did this change begin? Where? What set the string of events in motion? Why?
Like toys, the peaceful animals of the forest are slowly being tampered and transformed into indefinable creatures that attack ponies
Ponies have lost houses, families or sanity already, like the case of Flint, among others.
Who is the mysterious group that wears pointy metal helmets?
Why are they able to soar in the sky unlike anypony else, muddying up the once-beautiful blue skies of the Equestria Islands?
The mysteries have begun to pile up.
And this tale begins...
...as a tragedy.