//------------------------------// // Scaleside // Story: A True, True Friend // by canonkiller //------------------------------// The orange mare who had half-rescued her, Twilight had learned, was named Shock. She said that a dragon name honored her heritage and that, since her mother had died shortly after giving her such a name, it would be sin to change it. Shock herself was a natural Kirin of the prettier variety. Her wings were small but complete, folded up against her back most of the time. She had a thick stripe of green scales running down her back, and three out of her four hooves had scales over her fetlocks as well. The green was certainly an odd contrast to her orange coat, but her scarlet mane made a color scheme that brought the garish down to a tolerable level. She was also a member of Applejack's division, restricted to the ground when her wings proved too small for the flight needed to be in the Pegasi units. Shock had complained continuously until she had realized that wouldn't have helped and she toughened up. She also believed, now, that the ground units were ultimately the most helpful and it would be an honor to serve in them. She had also given each race nicknames because saying Earth Dragon Pony was too long and you can't be all of those things because that's cheating; Twilight was an Alikirin, winged Kirins were Pekirins, horned or magical Kirins were Unikirins, and the others were just Kirins. The rest of what the mare had babbled on about for the past hour Twilight had trouble remembering. "...and that's why my Cutie Mark is a spark instead of a sandwich!" She finished grandly, slamming her hooves down on the table. Cheers and clapping rose from the table, as well as a few snickers from tables who could see the blank expression on the Princess's face. "Good for you?" Twilight replied. "It is good for me!" Spark grinned, "could you imagine having sandwich as your special talent. 'Hey there new friend what do you do?' 'I sandwich.' Like, c'mon, where's the fun in that?" "Spark, look at her! Give her a little while to digest!" A pale blue Unikirin laughed from another table. "Not all of us are used to your excitement!" One of the few pure-bred ponies in the room turned around, smiling. "Say, Princess Twilight! How's it like in Canterlot? Most of us have been stationed out here for quite a while." "Some from before you were even a Princess!" Another voice called out. "Or never there at all!" A Kirin laughed back. Twilight laughed, blushing. "Well, there's been a lot of change. You know how Canterlot used to be almost all Unicorns? "Well, I introduced a social network into the city that gave grants to non-ponies of exceptional talent. With permission from Princess Celestia, we introduced a diversity-friendly school for arcane, flight and natural magic education. I personally review the student applications and choose who is let in. "Because the school is near the center of Canterlot, the economy around it is bustling! There's new housing and park development, and other schools and cities are picking up on the prosperity of the project and starting up their own version too! The school is a great addition to Canterlot, and it's helping the population become more open-minded too! It took a while, admittedly, but the Royal Guard didn't mind actually taking on a job to keep watch on street corners and stop closed-minded Unicorns from assaulting any of the newcomers. "And on top of that, Celestia managed to redesign a spell to safely transform ponies into Kirins without affecting their talents! It lets Unicorns keep their magic, and works in reverse on Unikirins - and me - to restore magical power lost before the spell was perfected. At first it was mostly in support of my Princess-hood, but now it's become as common as getting a tattoo or plastic surgery; which don't happen often, but they happen enough." Twilight broke off her train of thought as she noticed she'd been rambling. Intense stares and mutters followed her silence, as well as a few suspicious glances being passed her way. "You're saying," the Unikirin who had spoke before said, "that us half-Unicorns can be the equals of the Unicorns?" "And that a Pegakirin can match a Pegasus in flight?" Spark grinned, "and that a Kirin can grow crops like an Earth Pony?" Twilight nodded cautiously. "Cider all around, on me!" Spark yelled, standing up on her hind legs. "For Princess Twilight!" "For Princess Twilight!" The crowd echoed. ----- Rainbow Dash passed her hoof through the fire, grinning widely as she made it through. "Beat that, farmpony!" "Ah'll see your scorch and raise it tenfold!" Applejack replied, standing at the opposite side of the pit. With a growl, she jumped through the flames, leaving black soot along her belly and legs. "Beat that!" "Applejack, you knocked my marshmallow off!" Pinkie frowned, leaning forward until the flames flickered over the scales on her muzzle. "Sorry, sugarcube. Hey, where'd you even get those?" "So, we're heading out tonight." Twilight interrupted, her horn glowing as she levitated Pinkie's burned treat of of the flames. "The dragons will be sleeping now that the sun's gone down and they can't bask. If we strike now, they won't be expecting us. After all, we just arrived." "Do I have to attack?" Fluttershy asked. "Can I just wait behind?" "We'll be scouting this time around. We have to learn our way around the Hold, and possibly find the source of the 'darkness' the letter was talking about. Does everyone have their buddy with them?" The Elements of Harmony nodded; beside Applejack, Spark sat ramrod-straight; Pinkie Pie was accompanied by a Kirin mare with a green coat and blue mane; Rainbow Dash was accompanied by Sky Drop, the chariot-puller; Fluttershy had a scarlet-coated, yellow-maned Pegakirin mare beside her; Rarity had a Unikirin mare with an orange coat and a red mane; Carbon lay relaxed in the dirt beside Twilight. "Well, then," Twilight levitated the Element's armor over to them, which they quickly busied themselves with putting on, "we'll set off." Twilight looked down at the Nightmare's helm before sliding it back into her saddlebags. She got to her hooves, armor silent as it flickered in the firelight. She nodded to the two guards watching over the flames and the border, and the group set off into the night. ----- Twilight brought up the rear as they reached the Hold's entrance, a gaping maw in the sheer stone of the mountain. She waited until Pinkie's companion struggled over the ledge before flapping her wings and finishing her climb. "Is the coast clear?" She muttered, glancing at Carbon. His eyes glinted as he nodded. Twilight looked up to the sky, eyes closing in focus as she dimmed the star's light. "Can everyone still see? It'll just keep our armor from shining too much." There were nods all around, the Kirin's eyes glinting in the dark as they did so. Twilight crouched down, flicking her wingtips to bring her companions to her sides. With a glance to make sure everyone was near, she set off at a crawl into the darkened tunnel. She felt the warmth of the ponies around her as she bit the tip of her tongue, a habit she had acquired a few months after being Princess. She tasted brimstone and chalk in the air, and hints of gemstones. Without a doubt, this was the sleeping place for many dragons; it was the same way Spike smelled when he told her he was too old for baths. A wingtip tapped her shoulder, and she looked back to meet glinting pink eyes through Rainbow's armor. "Twi, something's up." "Rainbow, be quiet." Twilight muttered. "We're in enemy territory." "I know!" Rainbow snapped, voice breaking a whisper. "Don't you think there should be more enemies?" Twilight felt an unnerving prickle as the hair on her back rose. "Now that you say that... everypony! Retreat! Run!" Her party exchanged glances, unsure of what to do. As Twilight started herding them away with her wings, a dark shape blocked the door. Torches lit as a jet of flame surged around the cave. The shadow in the doorway wavered weakly in the light, fading around the edges. Two gleaming red eyes shone from the shadow's head. Before Twilight had time to react, adolescent dragons dropped down from the ceiling, pinning her and her friends to the ground. Metal armor gleamed on their bellies, and the plates screeched across the pony's spikes. The shadow walked up to them, each step making a hollow 'thud' where it should have connected with the floor. This close, Twilight could see the denser bones of the creature, and a chain of faintly glowing gold lights around its' neck. "Take the useless ones to the mines." It ordered, looking up at the dragonets. The Elements watched in horror as the dragons atop their partners hauled them up to their hooves and half-walked, half-shoved them away. The shadow demon watched them go before turning his - his voice had made the definition - burning red eyes to the remaining warriors. "The Elements of Harmony." He huffed, pacing in front of them. "How does it feel, to be pieces of history? Of course, I would know, if nobody had forgotten me. "Nonetheless, you all seem fine specimens of these... half-dragon mutants that live around here. Pray tell, how did you walk into a trap this easily? I'd rather like to know." "Who are you?" Twilight shouted, knocking her captor off-balance. "Why have you done this to the dragons?" The golden glow around his neck intensified as he smiled. "I've done nothing. This is all their own free will. With a little persuasion, of course. Guards, take all but her to the mines. I feel like she should be tested before she's put to work. Save their armor." As her friends struggled, she felt herself getting to her feet. There was something else in her mind, dark and conniving, and it slithered to her memories like a leech. "Ah, Celestia's student. Has she stopped with that banishing habit yet? No? Ah, well." The aura disappeared, and Twilight followed the shadowy beast as it walked down a smaller hallway. "I apologize for the mind control, but I'd rather you didn't slip away." "Why are you doing this?" "To do what I've always wanted to do. Rule Equestria. And Flutter Valley, and Tamberlon. Everywhere, really." "Flutter Valley and Tamberlon don't exist." Twilight protested. "They're just foal's tales." "Then I'd like to ask how the Bell of Tamberlon broke, finally letting me free. Or how I was ever there at all, actually." "You were-" Twilight cut off with a muffled scream as the dark presence jabbed into her memories. Images of fights with her parents, the wedding, her friends; the scenes faded out to the miserable cave, and she felt tears running down her face. "Don't interrupt me again." He warned. "It's much to draining on the both of us." Twilight nodded. "I was once the King of Tamberlon, which I can assure you is very much real. The ponies were... more or less pleased with how I ran the place. Some human girl showed up and rang the Tamberlonian Bell, sealing me back into limbo. Not a pleasant sensation. So now I'm back, seeking revenge, the usual. Although, seeing as the Bell is broken and the humans have left, it's probably going to be much easier this time." He tilted his head, turning two gleaming red eyes in Twilight's direction. "My name is King Grogar. This is Scorpan." A creature dropped from the ceiling, covered in some ragged mixture of scales, flesh and fur. It hissed with an elongated beak, hovering beside it's master on all fours. Two wings were folded at it's back, but Twilight couldn't tell if they were large enough to carry it or if they were just for show. A small red cloth was tied around it's neck ruff, and an even smaller golden bell was hung from it. "He will be your guard, sparring partner and probably your death." Grogar continued. "But for now, he'll be your chauffeur. Scorpan, take her to one of the dungeon cells. I don't care which. Oh, wait, not the one with the corpse in it. That thing's got more plague than a devil's boil. Oh, and Twilight, do enjoy yourself. After all, you won't be leaving." The same dark aura as before took hold of Twilight's muscles, forcing her to walk after the creature that Grogar had summoned. The dark King watched for a few moments before dissolving into a shadow on the floor and darting away.