//------------------------------// // Chapter 17: A Different Kind of Diamond // Story: Stairway to Equestria // by AlexUk //------------------------------// Chapter 17 A Different Kind of Diamond Twilight ran a hoof over her cheek, brushing away a few tears that had managed to fall despite her outstanding restraint. Her magic held the second of the two letters she had received unexpectedly while packing the few thing she had brought to Canterlot. The first one was from Spike, and despite her being upset at him for leaving home like he did, she managed to cheer up after reading about their travels. Somehow, it reminded her of their own adventures and the realization that he was growing up was finally starting to sink in. Spike had apologized numerous times throughout the letter for what he had done, but in the end Twilight realised it was, after all, his decision. She always knew that ‘finding himself’- as the young dragon had put it - would be an issue they would have to go through at some point. However, she never imagined she wouldn’t be there for him, especially when he was emotionally weakened the most. Twilight took a couple of deep breaths and then rolled the messages up, placing them in her saddlebags. She went downstairs and after saying goodbye to her parents, she headed towards Canterlot’s train station. During her train ride her mind was mainly set on the previous day’s events, namely the unsettling memories of Celestia. She always considered the royal sisters as the most special of ponies that ever existed, deities among regular ponies. However, in that specific memory they seemed somehow normal, apart from the last bit that showed Luna’s darker side. The whole experience did little to settle her mind and only raised more questions: who was the ‘Queen’ the younger Celestia talked about? Why was their language that different? Who were the others ponies and why was being an alicorn such a common thing at that time and place? All those questions never gave her a moment’s rest during the ride home. In Ponyville, Dash was the first one to see her while handling a few scarce clouds. Soon, all her friends were at the library, going over everything they heard after listening to Twilight. The news that Spike was not going to come back soon brought everyone down, and even finding out about Shining and Cadence’s future foals couldn’t lighten the mood for the six friends. “It’s all right, sugarcube, our Spike will be home soon, you just wait and see,” claimed Applejack, giving Twilight a strong, comforting hug. “So will Blinky, and you two will be back to smooching in no time!” Pinkie drew the blushing unicorn into a bone-crushing hug herself. Between all her friends, Rarity was the most quiet. She stared at the floor, watching as a tear fell and hit the floor. Truth was the sadness in her eyes never went away ever since the young dragon had left Ponyville. Drenched in her thought, she suddenly felt a warm touch engulfing her. “It’s not your fault, Rarity . . .” whispered Twilight, clutching her tight. The white mare stifled a sob, returning the gesture. She was out of words and soon, the rest of her friends were around her, their close presence bringing a soothing calm into her troubled mind. And so Rarity’s thoughts were a little less dark, because between her naked tears she could tell that no one was judging her, no one was mad at her. She could only see the five other ponies and the sturdy bond of friendship between each of them. The Elements were once again shining bright. *** *** *** The fire burnt eagerly, cracking and throwing a few dozen sparks every now and then as Chaser placed another small log over it. I was absently staring into the dancing flames, throwing Spike and the pegasus an occasional look. An empty can of soybeans laid in the dirt besides me, while my traveling partner was already on his third. “Why are you here? Why are you living in a forest between Zebra and Dragon lands?” I finally found the courage to ask. Chaser looked at me, eyes glistening in the camp’s fire. “Because here, I’m free.” I stared at him a few moments, trying to figure out what he meant by that. However the night was not young anymore so the tug of sleep kept me from asking more questions. “I’m going to sleep; I suggest you do the same, especially you,” he said, looking at Spike. “Your wound needs rest and tomorrow we’re waking up early if you want me to lead you towards the Dragon lands.” “Lead us?” I asked, surprised by his gesture. “The least I can do is guide you on a safe way towards your destination. That is, if you accept my help.” “We do,” I muttered slowly, watching him strip down his quiver. He gently grabbed his bow with a hoof and a couple of blades with the tip of his wings, slowly placing them on the ground between him and the fire. I took it as a gesture of trust however I was still unsure whether to trust that total stranger. I made myself comfortable on the ground, using the saddlebags as a pillow but keeping the holster in the cup of my hooves. Spike had shifted closer to me and was already fast asleep, probably tired from the sustained injury. Peewee was resting on one of his spiked scales, vigilant for his master. Raven was just above us on a branch, her eyes fixated on the fire. Sleep inevitably took me after a couple of lazy blinks. After what felt like seconds a distant, spine-chilling screeching sound woke me up. I sprang up and to my horror, Spike and Chaser were missing. My heart started racing and I tried to pierce the darkness of the forest around me, but couldn’t see anything or anyone. My lips trembled as I was about to call after Spike, unsure if it would be a good idea to make any loud noises. A whisper from behind me froze the blood in my veins. I was exposed, illuminated by the only light in sight as it shone like a beacon in the dark. I showered the low-burning campfire in dirt, extinguishing it, and then slammed my back against a nearby tree, trying to calm my loud breathing. In complete silence, I scanned the forest for any movement. My eyes were slowly adapting to the perpetual darkness around when I noticed a pair of white orbs deep into the tree line. They looked awfully familiar to eyes and I gulped, not knowing whether that thing was aware that I noticed it. I shut my eyes close and focused, recalling the training session I had with Luna. The cold air of the night started piercing through my body as I became a shadowy form, blending with the darkness around. I felt lighter and more agile, but at the same time colder, as if my heart had become a deep void. As I was about to head to whatever was watching me, I picked up the same whispering sound, but it was coming from another direction. “You should have killed him,” a strange voice came from my side. “Like this . . .” I spun around and managed to recognize the floating shape of a pony, engulfed in a deep blue aura. It jumped towards me and I instantly raised a shield between us. The pony however didn’t lounge at me but crashed in the dirt, a couple of feet away. From the faint glow of my shield, I managed to recognize him. It was Chaser, and he was dead. Looking back up, I could tell that another pony, a unicorn, was there. “Where’s Spike?” I asked, unsure. “Why didn’t you let me kill him?” he answered with a question, his head hung low. The deep night didn’t allow me to notice anything else other than the fact that he was a unicorn stallion. My eyes darted from the dark figure to the distant eyes I initially noticed, and found out that they were closer. I didn’t know what the hell was going on and started fearing for my companion’s life. “Who are you? And where’s Spike?” I asked again, that time louder and firmer. “Why didn’t you let me kill him with our gun?” came his rebuke. His head jerked a little and I suddenly felt something hanging around my waist. I looked down and saw the holster, which wasn’t there before. The eerie sensation felt right before arriving at Chaser’s camp returned and I noticed how the revolver was yet again trying to get out. It was then that I realised the faint aura around it was coming from the dark stallion. My heart froze: it was the same magical aura as mine. The weapon eventually came out and floated in front of me, its hammer coking up. “W-what are you doing?” I asked, seemingly unable to do anything in response to my own weapon being pointed at me. “What am I doing? What are you doing?” He came closer, close enough for me to see him better. He raised his head and to my horror, I realised he was me. “How-” A fast blur of smoke collided with him, smashing him against a tree. The black cloud materialized between us, taking the form of a tall, familiar alicorn. Throwing me a quick glance, I saw the same eyes that were watching me earlier. I had never seen Luna like that, and that scared me even more. “You won’t be able to watch over him forever,” my strange clone spoke, letting out a pained laugh and fading into the forest’s decor. As I was about to ask Luna what the hell was going on, a loud caw right next to me caught my attention. I turned my head and saw Raven, close to my face. The lights in my head went out for a brief moment, and then I heard her again. Opening my eyes, I found myself lying on the ground, daylight creeping through the thick forest. Raven was nibbling at my forehoof, occasionally throwing me tilted looks. I got up and saw Spike rummaging through his bag. “Morning,” he said, continuing his search. So it was all a dream. “Hey . . . uhh- where’s Chaser?” I asked. The images of his cold, dead body were still fresh in my head, drawing chills down my spine. Although there wasn’t much light in my dream, I remembered his mutilated, bloody shape as if it was the most real thing I had seen in my life. “He said he went out to get some supplies. Said he’ll be back soon and we can then leave.” “How’s the wound?” I looked at the fresh bandages around his chest. “Aching a bit. He helped me with it this morning though, changed the dressing. What happened to you?” he asked, probably noticing my faster than normal breathing. “Just a dream, don’t worry,” I dismissed it. I grabbed my saddlebags and got ready to leave. Chaser arrived after a while, landing near us in perfect silence. “How do you do that? Land without making any sounds?” Spike looked at him questioningly. “It becomes a necessity if you want to live in the wilderness like I do. Come on now, we need to head out.” We followed him through the dense forest, checking my map regularly. Every now and then a noise would make me flinch, the dread of seeing the clone from my dream never leaving me. It seemed we were on the right path and after a couple of hours, a few mountain peaks could be seen in the distant horizon. “That be Razerclaw’s Valley, nearest path that leads through the narrow portion of their land,” Chaser explained, stopping for a small break. “So you two’re heading to Issac’s Port?” “Yes,” I muttered, pulling out my water canteen and taking a sip. “You don’t look the kind.” “Pardon?” “Issac is where you can find outlaws of all races and types. And you don’t look the kind. So, either taking a boat to the Great North or the Griffin Lands. Which one?” “Griffin Lands, official matters,” I answered sharply, not wanting to reveal more information than needed. I studied him again, seeing that it was the first time I could clearly observe him in the daylight. His cutie mark was visible enough for me to figure out that it was an arrow, similar to the ones he had in his quiver. I could also notice that his coat was traced by several scars and there was a small portion on his hind leg that had no fur on it. “What about you? What were you doing before taking refuge in these woods?” I questioned, not wanting to be too forward and ask about the scars and the more than likely burn patch. “Hunter of the Canterlot Woods.” “But ponies don’t eat meat,” Spike intervened. “Ponies no, the rest yes. There are quite a few gryphons and minotaurs in Canterlot that need meat in their diet.” “Seems like the perfect job for you. Why did you leave?” “Because of reasons. Let’s go now, break’s over,” he said, getting up and heading towards the mountains. *** *** *** “I’ll be off now, sugarcube; my brother’s at Fluttershy to repair a chicken coop so I’ll need to do his chores as well,” said the orange mare, giving Twilight one last hug. “Take care now, ya hear?” Evening was creeping over Ponyville, with the sun beginning its descent across the cloudless late-autumn sky. Rarity and Applejack were the last ones to remain at Twilight’s library. The rest of her friends had gone home one by one, and after AJ closed the door behind her, there was only Rarity left. “You should go too, you’ve been here almost all day,” Twilight urged her friend. “Are you sure, dear? I could stay if you want,” Rarity said rather nervously, her eyes darting around, searching for a reason to be there. “It’s all right. I’m fine, really-” “I’m not,” Rarity interrupted, her eyes getting misty. “I just can’t get that image out of my mind,” she continued, curling up on the couch. “The disappointment on his face. I broke his heart, how can you still consider me a friend?” Twilight rushed to her, wrapping a hoof around her neck. “You’ll always be my friend, Rarity; and I know you didn’t mean for that to happen, I know you would never harm him. He’s going to be fine, I know that.” She gently rocked back and forth, calming the fashionista with her close presence, as her tears eventually stopped and her heart had calmed down, much to her relief. After a few more moments, Rarity gave Twilight one last hug and then left without saying anything else, rushing to her boutique in the hope that she might find solitude there. Twilight, let out a deep sigh and plopped on the couch, feeling exhausted after the emotionally-draining day. However from out of nowhere, something drew her attention, her ears involuntarily perking up at an absent sound. She got up and made her way to a window facing the outskirts of Ponyville, where she started outside, looking for whatever had caught her attention in such an unusual way. Scouting the distant edges of the forest and Kazooie’s farm, she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary, until she caught something with the corner of her eye, right by the small lake and the wooden house near it. A purple flash filled the library and Twilight was gone, lone sparks of magic falling onto the library’s floor. Along with warnings of the impending winter, the wind outside also brought chills to the unicorn mare standing outside of Blink’s house. She stared at it curiously, wondering if she probably imagined seeing the strange pony that went in. It was, after all, a fairly great distance from her library and her subconscious might have played a trick on her. Twilight went to the door and hesitantly pushed it open with her hoof. The noise made by the old hinges filled the small living room and was soon followed by the unicorn’s hoofsteps. The house looked exactly the same as it did the day Blink left. Twilight stared at a particular spot on the floor, recent memories resurfacing from her mind. “Blink,” Twilight uttered, getting close to the stallion and magically checking up the straps of the two heavy satchels on his lower back, “promise me . . . promise me you’ll be back,” she said in a low voice, the weight of those words making her eyes tremble with emotion. “You have my word Twi’, I will return,” came his promise. The unicorn let out another sigh but before she had the chance to delve into other memories, a sudden feeling ticked her off. Going on a hunch, her horn started glowing as she cast a spell to detect nearby presences. It became clear to her that there was magic inside the house, a somewhat strange type of magic, but she was definitely not alone. The only other room in the house was the bedroom so she approached it cautiously. When she got close to the door, Twilight stopped and listened. There was nothing but silence in the whole dwelling. Curiosity tipped her over the edge so she opened the door, clenching her teeth and preparing for anything that might happen. What Twilight saw however, was nothing she could have been prepared for. Right near the old writing desk there was a white mare dressed up in strange garments. It wasn’t the clothes that caused Twilight’s heart to come to a complete stop; it was the fact that the pony standing in Blink’s room was translucent. Twilight took a few steps back, the apparition seeming as surprised as she was. The lavender unicorn immediately attempted to trace any kind of magic links that would explain what she was seeing. A few seconds were enough for her to realise that it wasn’t a magic trick of any kind. In front of her was an autonomous, sentient source of magic, very similar to other sources of magic she saw on a daily basis: a unicorn; the ghost of a unicorn, to be more precise. “Dator vitae . . .” whispered the white mare, staring back at her. Right before Twilight could say anything, the ghost headed straight towards a wall and galloped away, passing through it without even flinching. “Wait!” Twilight yelled after her, her hoof suspended mid-air. Another flash of purple light and Twilight was outside the house, scanning the edge of the nearby forest for movement. A bright, distant flicker in the tree line caught her attention so she galloped towards it, determined to find out who exactly was the pony she had seen. After a few moments of chase, Twilight was starting to catch up with the white mare. They were heading deeper and deeper and as the trees around her became darker and darker, Twilight realised she had entered the untamed territories of the Everfree forest. Every step into the dark, tainted land made it harder and harder for Twilight to make out the branches, moss and slippery rocks standing between her and the unknown pony. After a while, the white mare was nowhere to be seen, as it was expected since she had the advantage of passing straight through the obstacles the forest provided. Twilight slowed to a canter, then a trot, eventually stopping to take her breath. A few head turns and she realised it would be impossible to continue the chase. The daylight’s end was drawing closer and closer with the Everfree letting even less sunlight pass through its rich corona. She took one last look into the forest’s heart and turned around, slowly heading back towards Ponyville. A lot of mysterious creatures came from the Everfree, but not once had she ever seen or heard of ghosts or spirits other than from fantasy books. Whoever that was, she knew that it showed interest for her friend’s house and that had to be for a reason. *** *** *** Meanwhile, several miles away, in a small, cozy cottage near the edge of the same forest paced Fluttershy, her heart racing like it always did when he was around. Angel was scolding her, to no effect whatsoever. No matter how much he pushed and pulled at her mane, it was never enough to make her actually do something about her feelings. Outside, Big Mac was finishing repairs on the old chicken coop, wiping away a few beads of sweat. He placed his trustworthy hammer back into a satchel and went to the cottage’s door, giving it a couple of firm knocks. Inside, Fluttershy’s heart jumped. Did he finish already? But, it’s so soon, that means he’ll have to leave now . . . She rushed to the entrance and opened the door, hiding most of herself behind it. And there he was, the large red stallion, with his thick shoulders and messy, short mane. He smiled at her, and her heart went even faster. “I finished fixin yer’ coop, miss Shy,” he said, looking quite pleased of himself. “Is there anything else ya might want me to help with?” Fluttershy just stared back at him, turning a blank face. The most perfect of statues, if it wasn’t for her fur that gently swayed in the outside’s nippy breeze. “I’m- I’m okay, thank you for the help. . .” she squeaked in a barely audible volume. Big Mac smiled, understanding. He always knew she was the shyest of his sister’s friends and never wanted to make her feel uncomfortable. So he did like he always did: a nod of his head and a gentle salutation. With him on his way back to the farm, Fluttershy was still not moving at all, staring at Mac as he left. Her chest hurt from the beating and her mind was a storm. Nothing out of the ordinary considering he was still in her eye sight. She tried to remember when that started happening. It was probably at one of Pinkie’s parties when he asked her what she thinks about the event. Nope, she clearly recalled her heart racing the same back then. He was crossing the small bridge, still in her yard. Why can’t I just do it? What if I will never be able to say it? She was quivering in place, a low squeak escaping her lips. Obviously, it wasn’t loud enough to catch his attention. He was still walking, almost near the gate. I have to do this, I have to . . . but I can’t, I just can’t! He reached the gate and nudged it open with a hoof. Big mac was soon to be out of her sight, and she would have to wait again for something to break or find a reason to visit Applejack’s farm. She wanted to see him. She liked seeing him. Even the almost-conversations she had with the big, red stallion were a thrill for her. The gate swung open and he went through it. That was it, the last she would see of him for Celestia-knows how many days. No . . . not this time. “Wait!” she gushed, her legs carrying her forwards at a surprising speed. His hoof froze on the gate, just about to close it shut from the other side of the small fence. She didn’t know how it happened but soon she found herself over the small bridge, slowing down as she regained control over her legs. He was close again. “Yes, Fluttershy?” he turned his head, the same lazy smile on his face. She froze again, but that time something pushed her out of that state. Her eyes quiver slightly as she took a quick, small breath. “Would you- uhm, like to come inside for some- herb tea, or just some water? Or food?” she said in an almost whimper. Did I just invite him to dinner? At my place? Now? She couldn’t believe that she actually managed to say that. And she was definitely not ready for his answer. “That’s mighty nice of ya’, miss Fluttershy,” he responded, his smile never wavering. “But I’ve to . . .” Mac paused, taking a quick look behind him, towards the farm. His leftover chores could probably wait a bit more. And his sister did insist on him staying there as long as he needed for some strange reason. “That would actually be lovely,” he decided, his grin somewhat brighter and warmer. Fluttershy smiled back, blushing madly behind her mane. Inside her head, she was leaping with joy. *** *** *** “Spike, are you all right?” I asked in a hushed voice, slowing down. The dragon several feet behind me was almost dragging his feet, drained from all the walking. The day before that Chaser left us at the edge of the forest, having fulfilled his promise of guiding us towards the safest passage through the Dragon Lands. With each step, less and less trees filled the toughening soil beneath our feet. Soon enough mountains and cliffs loomed over our heads as we made our way through the narrow valleys and passages between the old massifs. “Okay, time for a short break,” I decided despite Spike’s look of protest. “I can do it; really, I’m fine,” he said between gritted teeth, his head lowered as to hide his pained expression. He brought his claw to the bandage wrapped around his chest, cringing slightly when touching the area around it. “Spike, you’re not fine. That wound is not healing at all and the closest thing we have to a hospital is in Issac’s Port. That’s almost two days away, at a normal pace.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Things were not looking good at all for either of us, and the journey was beginning to take its toll on me. “I should have never let you come with me in the first place,” I murmured, shaking my head. We ended the break after half an hour, almost double the time the last break was. The valley we were crossing was wider and small pathways lead up to its edges or to different, smaller pathways. I remembered Chaser’s advice to not climb up higher and stay as low as possible. Although dragons weren’t common in that part of their territory, some still flew above it every now and then, so minimizing our exposure was a must. A strange, distant noise caught my attention. I turned my head around and scanned for anything suspicious. “You hear that?” I asked Spike, coming to a stop. “What?” “It was like-” A sudden pink light flashed across the right side of the mountain, above us. I lowered my head and hugged the left wall, thinking that it was another dragon passing over us. The ground beneath my hooves shook slightly, more of a jolt than anything else. Raven, which was perched on my shoulder let out a faded caw. Peewee was also smart enough to turn herself off, not to attract any unwanted attention. But then I felt it: magic. Somehow, I could sense another magic source. It was something I started getting the hang of during my studies with Twilight. Then it hit me: the pink flash might have been a spell. I signaled my companion to be quiet as I moved ahead, tilting my head up to get a better glimpse of what was above us. I didn’t like our situation at all: we were traveling through a deep valley between large cliffs and mountains; we couldn’t be more vulnerable than that. Another shake, this time stronger. A cracking sound erupted from above and the ground started trembling as more pink flashes filled the valley. “RUN NOW!” I shouted, my upper field of view clotted by large boulders rolling down towards us. I dashed ahead as fast as I could, throwing quick glances behind my shoulder to make sure Spike was following. Fortunately, he was keeping up; barely. Raven had bolted up and Peewee was close behind her. So much for our loyal companions . . . Large chunks of displaced mountain crashed down behind us, and more kept coming down ahead of us. The path behind was blocked, leaving us no option but to pray we were fast enough to outrun the avalanche. A larger boulder bounced off the left side while rolling and smashed against the right walls of the valley, shattering in a multitude of fragments, all coming down right in front of us. As I ran, I clenched my teeth and shut my eyes, letting the pure energy erupt out of my body as I tried to channel as much magic as possible in the shortest of time. Large, translucent plates formed out of almost pure magic materialized above us, crudely stacking on top of each other to cover ourselves as best as possible. The rain of boulders started hitting the shields, each hit sending nerve-racking jolts through my horn. Some of them started cracking, and others that I couldn’t manage to focus properly on simply faded away. My heart froze as a larger boulder smashed through one of the cracked shields, hurtling towards me. A bright, golden light flashed across the sides of the shaking valley and the rock exploded in a fiery burst, sending smaller fragments everywhere. Some managed to hit me across my back and legs, but the adrenaline blocked out the pain as I kept galloping. My horn however felt like it was about to burn into my skull. The avalanche seemed to have ended, the sound of the rockslide ceasing all of a sudden. Spike was fortunately right behind me, apparently uninjured. With the corner of my eye I spotted the one that probably saved my life: Peewee was gaining altitude, her flame stronger than I had ever seen before. Seeing that no more rocks were tumbling down, I slowed to a crawl, eventually collapsing on the ground, taking large gulps of air to calm my heartbeat. “Spike- you okay dude?” No answer. “Spike?” I asked again, turning my head. The dragon was laying on the ground face-up, right behind me. His chest was rising and lowering slower than expected after an event like the one we went through and he seemed to be in noticeable pain. I got up and rushed to him, craning his head up with a hoof. “Spike? What the hell, you all right? Talk to me Spike!” “My- my chest,” he mumbled, his eyes barely opened. I looked down where the wound was and noticed a small strand of blood coming from under the soaked bandage. I gently removed it and to my horror noticed that his injury was dribbling puss and dark blood. I started panicking. “It’s infected. Damn it, I don’t know what to do. I don’t have any meds, I can’t even, I . . .” I froze, the thought that my friend could very well die in the next day if he wouldn’t get any help creeping slowly in my mind, clouding my judgment. I went through my bags and pulled out the last bandages I had on me. I also retrieved a scroll and started searching through Spike’s backpack for his quills and ink. Peewee and Raven had returned to us and the phoenix took his place at Spike’s side, gently nudging his chin with its head. “Spike, I’m going to write a message to Luna,” I started, furiously scribing an urgent message onto the piece of paper. “I need to you to send this to her, can you do that?” Spike opened his eyes and looked at me. He drew a couple of pained breaths and again I heard the sound of his liquid chamber. A violent cough fit overtook him and he ended up spitting to the side the clear, flammable liquid that he used to breathe fire. “I can’t . . . my flame- too weak.” My panic attack got even worse. I started thinking about everything I could possible do that didn’t end in Spike dying on me. My mind came blank. The path behind us was blocked by large boulders, so that ruled out the possibility of going back and seeking Chaser for help. A small tremble of the ground followed by a loud roar that echoed against the valley’s walls made me spring back to my hooves. When I thought that things couldn’t get worse, they did: a large bird-like shape came down towards our position, landing twenty feet away from us. I backed off until I met Spike’s body, my mind a storm as I realised I couldn’t flee and leave him there. In front of us was an actual dragon, which was slowly approaching us, its eyes focused apparently on me. It wasn’t as big as I expected, probably a head taller than Spike, but its wings were slightly larger and looked more worn-out than his, for obvious reasons. The tail was also longer and it had larger fins on the side of its head and on its back. Its body was a washed-out red, with lighter, purple-tinted scales on the belly. Its golden eyes were elongated and locked onto me, smoke coming out in puffs out of its nostrils. I focused, trying to block the tremendous pain in my skull. A pale shield emerged in front of me, separating us from the approaching menace. The spell caused the dragon to stop for a moment, the blue light apparently surprising it at first. But just a moment. It resumed its approach and the spell eventually failed as I was unable to keep the magic channeled properly. With my last powers, I pulled the gun out of my holster and pointed it at the dragon. I knew I probably couldn’t cause any damage to it but it was everything I could do to protect my friend. Raven was standing on my head, cawing aggressively. Peewee was also by its master’s side, her flames a bright red. The magic grip on the weapon was weak and the weapon shook, barely floating ahead of me. “Stay away, I’m warning you!” I shouted. The approaching dragon didn’t seem to mind my warnings, its look remaining stern and smoke still pouring from his nostrils. It looked a lot like Spike, but something about its body and shape made it different from him. Its head lowered as it sat on all fours, craning to the side, as if it wanted to get a better look of my friend. I got in the way, still holding the gun pointed at it. The dragon however ignored me and was staring at the angry phoenix, showing a particular interest in the bird. The strangest thing then happened: after the red dragon blinked a couple of times, Peewee’s flaming body ‘calmed down’. It then approached Spike, continuing to ignore me, and grabbed his arm with its claws, running them up his scales with great curiosity. Without even a warning, it strafed to the side, pushing me away with its body. I almost fell to the ground but managed to regain my balance and pointed the gun at the dragon’s head, cocking the hammer. I didn’t expect to see that the red one had lifted Spike onto its back, holding him by his arm, all in an instant. It stared at me for a few moments, puffing dark smoke through its nostrils. “Ponies . . .” it huffed, turning around and going down the valley, shaking its head in discontent while carrying my friend onto its back. “Excuse me?” I asked, surprised that the dragon had actually spoken. “Just be quiet and come with me. He needs care,” the red one spoke, and somehow its voice betrayed a hint of femininity. “Where are you taking him?” I insisted, following the dragon. “To one of my caverns. I thought I told you to be quiet, pony.” I held my tongue and followed him, despite all the alarms in my head telling me to run away or man-up and fight the imminent danger. I had no idea what that red dragon was going to do to him but it seemed that he meant no harm, otherwise I wouldn’t be standing there in one piece. I quietly followed her through narrow ways between the mountains, hoping that it wouldn’t be too late for my friend. A few junctions later and we found ourselves in front of a cave, which was nicely hidden by a few dried-out bushes. I went inside, staying close to her and for the next few minutes we walked through a large, dark tunnel. Just as I was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable from the darkness and narrow tunnel, I found myself in a large dome-shaped area under the mountain. Sparks, followed by bright flames, pierced the surrounding darkness and I couldn’t believe my eyes as I looked around the cave. The walls had torches at regular distances and a large chandelier was hanging from the cavern’s ceiling. A huge pile of gold pieces and diamonds at the back of the ‘room’ caught my attention, the precious gems glistering in the joyous dance of the torch’s flames. My mouth hung open at the whole display of riches and I couldn’t help notice other unusual things in there: a large shelf covered a small part of one of the cave’s tall sides, and there was even a pile of fabrics that looked like they served the purpose of a comfortable bed. They were by no means ordinary rags, but looked very much like the finest silks and sheets I had ever seen. Something under my nose caught my attention and looking down I noticed it was a large, gold coin, similar to the bits back in Equestria. I reached a hoof to touch it, but a deep growl made me jolt. “Don’t touch anything,” the dragon snarled, coming towards me without Spike on her back. It grabbed the coin with its claws and tossed it far away towards the large pile at the back of the cavern. Behind her I could see Spike laying on what seemed to be a long table, his bandage gone. The dragon returned to him and started fiddling with a few jars, searching for something she needed. After finding it, she placed it near Spike and started studying the wound. My companion was probably unconscious for a while, as he didn’t react at all at the dragon’s touch. The red dragon then started breathing fire around the wound, carefully spreading the flammable liquid with her claws. “This wound is at least a day old. Why didn’t he cauterize it earlier?” she asked, focused on her task. “I . . . we used a bandage, changed it every few hours,” I answered, getting closer to them. “It wasn’t good enough. The infection would have killed him in a couple of days, and it would have been very painful as well. I need to cauterize it, I suggest you stay back,” she warned. “Didn’t you just do that?” “Don’t be foolish, pony; that was just sterilization. The scales are resilient to fire, especially his for some reason. I have to burn between them to cleanse the wound. Luckily for him I have a special cream that will heal the injury, but I need to make sure it’s clean on the inside first.” She closed in on Spike’s chest and drew another breath. Using her claws, she parted the scales and exposed the injury, then started breathing a steady, thin stream of liquid flames into the wound. Almost immediately Spike came to and started screaming from the pain. It was then when I noticed she had chained him to the table, keeping him in place. I approached him and held his shoulder with a hoof, while trying to ignore the vile smell coming from the smoking wound. Moments later, she stopped, apparently satisfied with the ‘operation’. Grabbing the jar she had previously found, the red dragon scooped a claw-full of the green paste and applied it directly into the small hole in Spike’s chest, drawing another pained scream from him. “He’ll be all right. The wound should heal in a couple of days and the scales will cover the scar,” she said, returning the jar from a shelf nearby, completely unfazed by my friend’s discomfort. “Just a few days?” I asked, taken aback by the rather optimistic prospect. “Yes. Now stay here with him, and don’t touch anything of mine; I have to go and check something outside,” she said, storming out of the cave. As I watched her go, I felt something wrapping around my hoof. I turned around and noticed Spike was holding on to it, his eyes now open. “Wh-what happened?” he mumbled. “Some random dragon just saved your life. Now shush, you need rest. You’ll be fine; she fixed up your wound,” I explained. “I thought he was killing me . . .” he muttered, his eyes closing again. “She. Now rest, we’ll talk after; you’re safe here.” His pet phoenix huddled next to him, keeping him company as I resumed studying the cave. It wasn’t long before the red dragon returned but unfortunately for me, she was somewhat angrier than usual, her eyes resembling the one of a killer whose prey just insulted him. She went straight at me and wrapped her hand around my neck, bringing me close to her smoking nostrils. “Who else did you come with here?” she snarled in a low voice. “No one! Only me, Spike, and our pet birds, that’s it!” Her eyes elongated and I would have even appreciated their beauty if it wasn’t for that fact that they were drilling holes into my soul. She released the grip, puffing black smoke through her nostrils. “I’ve found the tracks of another four-legged creature, most likely a pony,” she said, pacing around nervously. “They were right where those cliffs ripped apart. Are you sure you don’t know anything about that?” Of course, the flash of light. My mind exploded with the implications, and immediately I realised that the same kind of magic was the one used to anger the drunken stallion back in Dodge. “I saw a pink light across the valley above us right before the avalanche started, must have been a unicorn.” “Do you have anyone that would be out to get you?” the dragon questioned me, underlining her last words by poking me with a claw. “Or him for that matter,” she added, nodding towards where Spike was resting. “I uhh- could think of some, mostly gryphons though. That’s why I’m on the road; need to right some wrongs, according to Celestia’s decision and orders,” I huffed, having reminded myself of that stupid incident a couple of weeks before, from which that whole journey had started. “Well, that was not a gryphon.” She went to Spike and checked his wound again, then went through under a rag curtain that covered the entrance to a small storage room of some sorts. She returned carrying what seemed to be like ragged cushions and threw them on the ground, near the table Spike lay on. She then picked a smaller one and, to my surprise, gently raised his head and tucked the pillow under it. “You can make yourself a nest here and rest for a few hours until he’s better. Then you and your friend can return to your path. And if you tell anyone about my home, I’ll make sure you both die,” she said sharply, retreating to her own ‘nest’ made out of fancy cushions and the purest of silk sheets. I smiled, for the first time in days. It was clear that she meant well, despite her strange social skills. I shrugged it off as just being the way ‘normal’ dragons behave, although I still had my doubts, having never seen another dragon except Spike before. I made myself comfortable on top of the cushions and fell asleep within minutes, exhaustion having overcome me. *** *** *** When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was Spike standing beside me, staring at the sleeping red dragon from across the cave. “Hey, feeling better?” I asked him in a low voice, glancing toward our host. “Yeah, I feel awesome,” he said excited, but still not taking his eyes off the other dragon. ”What happened? I can barely remember anything after the mountain crashed on top of us.” “That was apparently the work of a unicorn. Don’t know why someone would want me dead, save for a gryphon, of course. She found us, the avalanche probably waking her up, dragged your ass here and fixed you up. Don’t touch that!” I scolded him, as he was about to scrape off the top layer of that cream that had hardened in the meantime. “What is this stuff? It’s really good, I can’t feel pain anymore.” “Some special cream of hers. You’re lucky she found us, I was starting to lose it a bit when I saw you like that-” “She?” His fins stood up and his expression betrayed even greater curiosity than when finding out about the cream. “Yep. Seemed weird at first when I thought it was a ‘him’, but it explains her color and voice.” Spike resumed his stare, his breathing apparently more elevated than before. “Guess someone got his fire back, and what a fire that is,” I quipped, letting out a chuckle at his stern, but ashamed reaction. “She’s a- she’s a dragon. Beside some jerks I met when I was younger, she’s the first one that was actually good to me. And she’s also the first girl dragon I’ve ever seen.” We both watched as her beautiful, yet solid red frame went up and down peacefully as she slept. “What’s her name?” Spike questioned after a few minutes. “No idea, didn’t get to that part. I’ll have you know, she’s not the most sociable of creatures.” “I don’t even have anything to give her as a thank-you for saving my life,” his fins dropped, sadness overcoming him. “Unless . . .” He grabbed his backpack and started going through it. There no more diamonds in there, the whole supply gone the day before. There were only a few scrolls, quills, a couple of canned beans from Chaser and a small wrapped object left. His face dropped as he stared at the cloth covering something that seemed important. *** *** *** In Ponyville’s library, Twilight was starting off the night surrounded by tons of books spread all over her study. Her horn glowed slightly under the faint light coming from a nearby candle, pages of a large book about Equestria’s history turning every few seconds as she desperately tried to remember where she had seen that pony before. She didn’t have a lot of leads, but she did remember the strange garments and knew for sure she had seen them somewhere else. Flipping through several pages mentioning Starswirl, Twilight finally remembered. She closed the book and grabbed another, smaller one, opening it exactly where she needed. A few worn-out pages into a particular section and she had found exactly what she was looking for. “Bellona the Wise,” she whispered, running her hoof over an old picture showing the familiar mare wearing the strange, white outfits, but over armor. “Captain of the Royal Guard and Starswirl the Bearded’s research assistant,” Twilight continued, reading the caption. She then instantly remembered Blink’s particular interest in her, back when he was still living in her guest room. She knew he found her notes on a variety of improved spells, but never found out why the sudden interest in herself personally, given that she was dead for over a thousand years. At the end of some of her personal notes, a paragraph caught her attention: “These personal notes belonging to Bellona the Wise were found after her death. They are written in an unknown language and nopony has yet managed to translate them.” Under the paragraph, Twilight tried to read the text: “Equestria sideras sunt ita lucidum et pulchra, sed ego deesset quos a domum, a Roma...” She stared at the text for a few moments, trying to figure out what it meant. Since the previous caption warned that the note was never translated, she gave up on it; but not on the whole mystery. Levitating an old record to her, she opened it and started going through the pages that detailed all the captains, generals and noteworthy military figures in that timeframe that served under both Princesses as well as under one of them after the Nightmare moon incident. Owlowiscious was perched on the window frame, silently watching over her master as the moon started rising across the midnight sky. *** *** *** “So we should be around here somewhere.” My hoof circled a spot on the map within the Dragon Territory. “Without any other interruptions and if we leave tonight, we should be able to arrive in Port of Issac by tomorrow evening.” “That means we’ll have to spend the night there,” Spike intervened, frowning at the prospect. “It’s okay. If we find a ship at that time, we take it, if not, we’ll have to wait. I know Twilight said we shouldn't stay long in that town and with that damn unicorn out to get us, I don’t really know what else to do.” “How do you know he’s out to get us?” “That night in Dodge, when that stallion almost killed me. I remember the same pink magic that hit his brother and started the whole fiasco. It’s the same guy. If I find him, I’m going to take care of his sorry ass, but we still have to go on with our journey-” A low growl caught our attention and we turned our heads towards the approaching dragon. Spike gulped, his feet getting weak. “Hey there!” he greeted, nervously thumbing his fingers. “You are better. That was fast, even for the cream,” she stated, her eyes focused on his wound. “Well, I always was a fast healer. Aren’t we all like this?” She returned a quizzical look. “You- don’t live among other dragons?” “Uhh no. I was hatched by a unicorn, and have been living with her for the past years in Ponyville. I’m sorry, I’m Spike,” he introduced himself, extending his hand. She gazed at it for a moment before reluctantly returning the salute. “I’m Ruby. You really are raised by ponies, aren’t you?” “Yeah, why?” “Haven’t seen any dragons do that before,” she said bluntly. As much as I liked seeing Spike behave awkwardly as hell in the presence of the first dragon of the opposite sex he had ever seen, I had to remind myself that we had our journey to return to. “I’m Blink by the way. Uhm listen, I really wanted to thank you for saving my friend’s life and I understand that you’re probably not used to others hanging out in your home so we can leave now if you want us to.” Spike stared me down, but he had soon realised that not only did we have somewhere else to be, but also that we were in the residence of another dragon. From his past experience, he knew dragons did not take kind to strangers invading their caves. “You can stay longer if you want,” came Ruby’s unexpected response. “At least until morning. It’s a cold night and the valley is pretty dangerous at this time,” she continued, her eyes darting across the cavern’s floor. Is she . . . nervous? My mouth hung for a while, trying to figure out how to respond to that offer, given the circumstances. “It would be cool, I guess,” Spike quickly made the decision for me. And so Ruby invited us to sit down around a fire she quickly set up in the middle of the cave for me, since I wasn’t blessed with having my own cozy source of warmth inside my chest as they did. They did most of the talking and I found it interesting how curious Ruby seemed to be about Spike being raised in a complete pony environment. Throughout the hours that followed, Ruby mostly behaved the same, distant way she did with us before being introduced to Spike, however every now and then she would smile or let out a chuckle at Spike’s adventures with the six mares in his life. She seemed knowledgeable of the major recent events in Equestria and she even knew about the new bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I found that odd but then again I wasn’t expecting a bookshelf filled to the brim in a dragon’s cave. Spike continued with an interesting story about how he and his friends -but mostly him- saved the fate of the Crystal Empire from a dark lord named Sombra. Ever since we sat down in front of that fire, it occurred to me just how much living with ponies had changed Spike’s behavior and how different he seemed for his own kind. Despite his rebellious nature, he only meant well for his friends, and kindness overcame his blatant laziness most of the time. There was still the issue of modesty however . . . “And right as I was about to hit the ground, Cadence came flying and saved me! You both should have seen it, it was amazing. Obviously I still had the Crystal Heart in my hands and in the end I got a window painting in the Royal Castle back in Canterlot with me on it,” he finished, grinning proudly. “I think I heard about that a couple of years ago,” Ruby spoke with excitement, reminding herself of the time she heard about the return of the Crystal Empire. “That sounds quite awesome. Yet still, you almost died on me twice since we left; that is, if we consider the arrow and infection as separate events.” “So that’s how you got that wound, who did that to you? The zebras? Hunters?” “It was Chaser, a pegasus living back in the forests we came through a couple of days ago.” “I’ll kill that pathetic mammal once I see him again,” Ruby snarled, eyes elongating again as she revealed a row of sharp teeth. “Don’t, please! He didn’t mean it; he just thought Spike was going to attack me. He actually took care of us and led us to the border between lands.” The red dragon calmed down a bit but remained irritated, her fins perked up and smoke pooled from her mouth and nostrils. “I know about him. He resides in the forest south of here, in the Zebra Lands. When I fly high over the peaks, I often see him scouting from here.” “He is a lonely pony. From what he told us, he came to those woods a while back. Don’t know exactly why he left but, I don’t think it really matters. He meant us no harm,” I explained, trying to get over that particular incident myself. Silence filled the cold cavern for a few moments before the red dragon raised her head at us, eyeing us curiously. “Where are you two heading anyway? It’s rare to see travelers coming through these parts,” Ruby inquired for the first time about our intentions. “Port Issac, then the Griffin Lands for official business; which reminds me, we should really be going. There’s a lot of ground to cover until we reach that city and we really don’t want to impose,” I said, getting up and starting packing up. “Well, it’s actually been interesting having you as guests. Older dragons would probably kill you if you even set hoof in their home, so don’t get near any caves until you get a fair distance away from these lands.” Spike got up half-heartedly and followed me and Ruby as she showed us out. The cold air of the early morning hit me in the face, drawing a shiver from me. I wrapped my cloak around me tighter and pulled the hoodie over my head. “You should head that way,” Ruby advised, pointing a claw towards a small pathway. “Keep walking until there are no more mountains to your sides, then a few more hours. You should see a small city and the great ocean in the distance at that point.” “Thanks Ruby, we owe you big time,” I said, giving her a small bow of my head. She smiled back at me and returned the gesture, then turned to Spike, who was nervously scratching the back of his head. “I- I want to give you something,” he reached into his backpack and retrieved a small object wrapped in a simple, white piece of cloth. “I know it’s not even a rare one, but it’s the only thing of value I have and it means a lot to me.” Uncovering the object, Spike revealed a blue diamond, large enough to fit comfortably in his palm. Ruby’s eyes went wide and her blush must have been fairly strong if I noticed it despite her red scales. She darted her eyes between the diamond and Spike, her mouth slightly opened as she tried to find her words. “Are gifts not a good thing in your culture?” I asked, the tension in the air reaching uncomfortable levels. “Uhh well, no, but when you give a precious stone to- uhh, I don’t really-” “Please, I want you to have it,” Spike insisted. Ruby stared at him for a moment before finally taking the diamond. “Thank you,” she uttered, her face still somehow redder than the rest of her body. “Okay then, we’ll be off then. I guess it’s okay if we visit on our way back?” I asked, breaking the silence of the moment. Hearing that, both dragons turned their sight towards me, their faces lighting up, especially Spike’s. “That would be okay. Good luck; to both of you,” she said rather coyly and then returned to her cave with great haste. Spike stood there for a while, looking absently at the cave’s entrance as the night’s cold air started nipping at my exposed hooves. His fire might have started burning stronger for the first time since we left, but mine was only getting weaker with each step I took further away from Ponyville, further away from her. “Come on Romeo, we’ll visit Ruby on our way back. If we’re still alive by then,” I chuckled, jabbing him with a hoof. We set out into the end of night, our pet birds scouting the way ahead, gently gliding in the valley’s updraft winds. The sun’s rays were giving them a little warmth in the otherwise cold, late-autumn morning. I couldn’t help but look at Spike every few minutes, making sure he was all right. The arrow wound healed almost completely but he seemed changed. He was still lost in his thoughts, but somehow a barely noticeable smile resided on his face. Probably because another wound had healed a little bit that day as well. I liked to think that it did. End of Chapter 17