//------------------------------// // Chapter 71 - Mission Accomplish // Story: Quest For Harmony // by destinedjagold //------------------------------// I could not believe how hungry I was. Spike turned his head and noticed that I was already awake. I smiled at him as I was about to stand up, but he tackled me into a hug. I suddenly remembered that dream I had when I subconsciously rubbed his scaly head with a hoof as I carried him with the other. But, as soon as I let him go, my vision became darker, and my senses went dead for a short while. When I came back, I was lying down on my side, and I saw faces of panic. It wasn't cold, but I shivered of how cold I was feeling. My head was too heavy and I was too dizzy that I wobbled when I went to four hooves. I sat down the instant I felt like I wanted to puke. Ugh... I've felt this before...twice even, back in my high school days. I knew what to do, but I don't know if I can do that now though. I mean, I've never seen the ponies from the series ever listening to nature's call. Pinkie Pie was an exception. Come to think of it, I've never actually listened to it until now. Finally, my hearing was slowly returning to me. “—re you okay?” Spike's voice echoed the most from the mixed sounds of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' worried voices. I nodded, though weakly. “Y-yeah...” I brought a hoof up on my forehead as I clenched my teeth at suddenly feeling how painful my stomach was... I really hate feeling this way... I shivered again. “You don't look okay...” Sweetie Belle spoke. Gee, you don't say? I wanted to roll my eyes, but I shivered again. “Oofff...” I groaned as I lowered my head near Spike's ear. “I think...nature calls...” I whispered, and hopefully, he'd get the id— “I don't get it...” Spike spoke with uncertainty and worry. I sighed frustratingly. “Never mind... Help me up.” He did, and I wobbled a bit, but he helped me. I started walking towards the forest, and I think I saw Xelene's head from the corner of my eyes, but that doesn't matter. After Spike and I reached the closest tree, I stopped and whispered, “O-okay... You can go back now...” “What? No, I'm not going to le—” My stomach growled harshly, and it was too loud that the others might have heard it as well. Spike eyed my blushing face. He smiled apologetically. “Y-yeah, I think I get what you mean now...” He slowly backed away as I weakly glared at him. Grr... Ugh... Better get this over with... I started walking further, to save myself from further embarrassment... --- Ung... I'm glad I got that out of me. I'm still feeling quite sick, but I know I'll get back to normal after a few short minutes, and after I have something to eat. I wanted to cover it up with earth, but it was too dark for me to see it...thank goodness. The forest will be happy of my contribution. After I moved away from my deposit site, my dizziness was too overwhelming that when it settled for a bit, I found myself lying on the forest floor. Up ahead, I could see the faint light from the campfire through bushes and trees. I wanted to continue but, lying down here is just oh so comfortable right now... If the others will get worried, then I'll just be lying down here to be found. Hm... If Xelene really was there, then I suppose I could talk to her about her exhaling black smoke. Maybe I could ask her to stop snoring smoke or exhaling smoke or whatever it's called in the pony-dragon dictionary. I sighed in relief. If I could talk to her about that then, I guess my quest here is complete. I could finally go back home. I'm sure it'll probably take some time for the sky to recover, but it will return to normal, since Xelene already stopped exhaling smoke during her sleep. “Gold?” I heard Spike's voice from the forest. “Here...” I tried to yell, but I was too tired to do so. I tried to pull myself back up, but then I felt small claws helping me up. I opened my eyes and saw Spike was helping me. I smiled. “Thanks.” As we walked back to the camp site, I started thinking of how to say goodbye to Spike and the others. It seems like I won't be coming back. That is yet to be confirmed though, as we came out from the forest and found Xelene was lying down, her huge head behind...Cloud Strike? What's he doing here? Cloud Strike noticed us first, and smiled. “You're finally okay, Gold?” “Land sharks...” I suddenly said, and I have no idea why I said that, but it came to my head when I saw him. Pretty weird, and Cloud Strike frowned at me. I suddenly remembered the first few bits of my dream before the Rainbow Dash one. Let's see... A burning town... Desert... Wrecked ships... Lightning bolts... Land sharks... Sword... Whatever... Spike let me sit around the fire together with the CMC and Cloud Strike, and Scootaloo then gave me a wooden plate with a few apples. I nodded my thanks as I took one and started eating. I sighed in relief after I realized that I was starting to feel better. “It would seem,” Xelene's voice echoed, and all our attention were turned to her lying form. Her eyes were closed, yet her mouth was slightly open for talking. “...that you could access the mind of others.” “What?” I asked before taking another bite. “I sensed a strange magical aura from you while you were unconscious.” She opened her good eye, and stared directly at me, the fire's light was reflected on her eye. “It was a strange magic that I've never felt before... It was...peaceful.” I arched an eyebrow at her, and shook my head. Whatever, I don't want to deal with another mysterious things. Now that I know she's actually here, and conveniently awake, I changed the subject. “Ca—may I ask you a favor?” I took the silence as a signal for me to continue. “May I ask of you not to...uh...snore out smoke?” Her features quickly turned into anger. “I don't snore smoke.” She growled, making Cloud Strike to stand and looked like he was about to strike her. “Yes you do...” a soft voice echoed, making Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom to jump and rush towards Fluttershy, who was lying down on a think blanket. Cloud Strike settled down beside me though. My ears drooped as I saw her. She was full of bandages. Seeing her made me remember our fight. I looked down, and saw my chest, stomach and back were wrapped by bandages as well. Fluttershy smiled at the young mares before carefully pulling herself into a sitting position. She winced, but managed to calm herself down. She then turned to us, and then to Xelene. “You've been kinda...snoring smoke...ever since you...um...started sleeping...” I looked back to Xelene, and her angry features were gone now. I think she's shocked to hear the news though. “Why didn't you tell me this before?” “Well, um... Because you were sleeping...” I slowly brought a hoof on my face. All of this would have been avoided if Fluttershy just woke her up and told her about it. “...and I didn't want to disturb your sleep, so...and...” I turned back to Fluttershy, and her gaze was on the ground. “...you said you were dying an—” Xelene coughed, and it actually made me jump as I turned back to her. “Who told you such nonsense?” Fluttershy, shocked, turned to the dragon. “You, of course. You said that you're going to take a long and peaceful sleep!” Xelene closed her eyes and sighed long and hard. “I have chosen the wrong words before my slumber then...” Wait... Does that mean I've been fighting a non-dying dragon? Cool, I guess... At least I survived. Xelene opened her eye tiredly this time. “Snoring smoke is a rare disease for us dragons.” She rose up on all four, and grinned at Cloud Strike. “It would seem as though you have given me quite a powerful blow, Strike. The usual cause of such a disease is when we receive powerful physical harm on our chests.” She grinned wider, and Cloud Strike glared at her as Xelene spreads her wings. She turned her head to the dark sky. “This is goodbye, little ponies.” She gazed at Fluttershy and smiled. “Thank you, Fluttershy...for everything. It was because of you that I was able to see that not all ponies are as bad as...” she grinned at Cloud Strike, and the pegasus stallion scrowled. “Wait,” I called her attention. “Does this mean you won't be snoring smoke again?” “Snoring...smoke...as you ponies like to call it, is a rather embarrassing thing that could happen to us dragons.” She nodded. I smiled. Finally, mission accomplished... “T-thanks...” She then flapped her wings hard, and soon, she took flight, roared for the final time, and was gone. I sighed in relief. Finally, my world, and this world as well, will have normal skies again. Except for the Everfree Forest, I guess. I smiled to myself as I turned, and I quickly noticed Spike's sad frown as he stared at the fire. Oh... Right...