//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: Long Distance // by Ezn //------------------------------// Chapter Eleven Clouds of dust blew up behind the wheels of a small wooden caravan drawn by a two expressionless zebras, who came to a stop a few metres before the end of the road. The dust settled. Sky looked out of the window of Mr Drifter's caravan, at the cliffs of the Dragonian border. The foreboding walls of stone rose as far as the eye could see on both the left and right horizons. A steep, narrow, winding pathway starting from the end of the dirt road formed the only visible way past the wall. Hearing the sound of a door opening behind her, Sky turned away from the window and followed her companions outside. "Thanks for the lift, Mr Drifter!" said White Noise, turning around to face Drifter, who still stood in his caravan. "It must have cut our travel-time in half at least!" "It's really my pleasure, Mr Noise," came the reply, as Drifter stuck his old head out of the caravan's back door. "You did a sterling job of recharging all my machines, after all. Oh, and you lot also saved my life… almost forgot that part! My, my, I am getting old!" Sibwashie bowed to the caravan. "Good father, we are forever in your debt Your kind deeds are ones we shan't forget." "And it was super nice of you to help out Siela's family and donate all the clouds you did!" Sky added. Mr Drifter chuckled. "That's only the beginning of it, Miss Wave! If anything good came out of our ordeal, it's that it helped me realise that I've been too reclusive these past few years. I may be old, but I'll do some good in this world still – you'll see!" A few more rounds of goodbyes later, the three travellers graciously thanked the caravan pullers and watched their ride disappear into the distance. Sibwashie looked out at Zebrica one last time before turning around to face the winding Skandar's Pass. "Say, White, who was 'Skandar' anyway?" asked Sky, as the three trotted from the dusty road to the rocky one. "Probably a dragon from ancient times," White replied. "I'm afraid they didn't teach us much about dragons at school, even though we worked alongside a whole bunch of them every day. I don't think there's much knowledge regarding dragons in Equestria at all." "Zebrica fares no better," interjected Sibwashie. "Although we share a border with the dragons, and have favourable relations with their country, the amount we know about dragons might fill a slim pamphlet." "They're a reclusive bunch," concluded White, "but that's why we're on this journey, after all. Maybe we can ask somedragon about who Skandar was." "Speaking of somedragon..." Sky's words trailed off as the three rounded a bend in the pass and found that the road had widened considerably – enough to accommodate a massive wrought-iron gate that stood at least ten metres tall, next to which was the most enormous guardhouse any of the three had ever seen. More interesting than any of that, however, was the long snout of a red, beady-eyed dragon that was poking out of the guardhouse's service window. Two columns of smoke wafted from his nostrils, and a great big blue conductor's hat sat upon his scaly head. As the travellers' eyes widened at the sight of this great dragon, the dragon's own eyes narrowed at them. A loud rasping sound cut into the ears of everypony present. "State your business, outsiders." The travellers looked at each other. Sky pushed White forward a few inches before moving behind Sibwashie. He nodded at the pony who, despite being a close friend at this point, was still technically their employer and the one in charge of the expedition. Clearing his throat and puffing out his chest, White Noise looked up at the dragon and said, "Greetings, sir. My name is White Noise, and I and my companions have travelled here from Equestria on a scientific mission. I am a magical scholar, specialising in communication, a topic which owes much to the innovations of your proud species. We wish to enter your land in order to learn from your own great magical scholars, and perhaps share some insights of our own." The dragon blinked. "Um, if you need a toll of some sort, then I've got some bits, or maybe a gemstone, if that's the accepted curr–" "NO!" A spurt of orange flame erupted from the dragon’s mouth as he roared at White. The travellers shrank back at this display. Was it something I said? wondered White. "I cannot accept your currency, traveller," the dragon continued, composing himself. "But do not worry, I will still open the gate for you to pass through. Your cause seems noble... but if you are lying about it..." A chill ran down White's spine as the dragon's snout twisted into a menacing grin. "If you are lying – if your visit is ill-intentioned – then I do not think you very wise. Three puny ponies cannot hope to wrong a dragon in his home and live to tell of it." The dragon turned his face down and another column of fire shot out from his mouth, scorching the ground a few scant metres from where the travellers stood. Laughing at their terrified reactions, the dragon pulled his face into the guardhouse and, within a few minutes, the wrought iron gate slowly slid open. White was already taking a few tentative steps towards Dragonia when the guard stopped him with a warning. "Little ponies, you are the first visitors to Dragonia in a very long time. Tread carefully. Do nothing to upset my countrydragons, or you will be very sorry. Do not disrespect them, do not speak ill of the Dragon King, and – above all – do not make the mistake of offering bits or gemstones to anyone. Trust me on that." The three travellers nodded solemnly, at which the dragon smiled. "Go forth, outsiders. May you return here satisfied." With that, the dragon retreated into his guardhouse, and the three travellers marched passed the gate, White Noise leading. *** The steep, winding path up to the elevated surface of Dragonia was long and winding. For much of their journey, the three travellers were hemmed in at both sides by oppressive grey cliff-faces, but in time they reached a point where the path became level with the northern cliff. Taking a slight detour off the demarcated path, the travellers trotted across the surface of the northern summit to peer over its edge. The rocky, bumpy land of Dragonia stretched out before them. "Hey! I think I see a green valley somewhere waaay over there!" Sky exclaimed. "I can see a few more," White Noise replied, deadpan. "Some lakes and rivers, too – you know dragons need to drink, right?" "Jokes, White." Sky rolled her eyes. "I do not see any buildings," said Sibwashie. "Perhaps the stories about dragons only living in caves are true." "Well it makes sense," White replied. "Imagine how many trees they must've had to cut down to make that guardhouse!" "My father would call it uncivilised. He does not believe that anyone who lives in a cave can be anything but an animal." White and Sibwashie stood and stared out at the land before them in silence. Sky flapped her wings and took off, signalling to the other two that she was going to have a quick look at the lay of the land and would be back shortly. "Sometimes I wish I could do that," White Noise said, as Sky flew off into the distance. "I tried to levitate myself once, you know?" Sibwashie nodded. "Ten seconds and two feet off the ground later, I lost it. Fell on the ground and slept for the rest of the day; pretty irritating waking up on Monday morning and having to go to class again when you've only had half a weekend." Sibwashie chuckled. "I always wondered why I had never seen a unicorn try that." Sky soon returned, a faint smile on her face. "It feels great to really fly again! Travelling with a pair of landlubbers like you guys kinda cramps my style sometimes." "And?" White enquired. "Well, there are a whole lot of rocks and cliffs and stuff. I didn't see any dragons, but I saw a bunch of caves. In fact, there's one just a little further up along Skandar's Pass." "Maybe that's where ‘Skandar’ lives." "Only one way to find out! Race you guys up there!" Before White or Sibwashie could protest, Sky shot up into the air like a bullet, leaving them to slowly amble back to the path. *** "What took you so long?" Sky sat in front of the yawning mouth of a cave, tail curled around her body and a bored expression on her face. White and Sibwashie had just rounded the corner of the path and were huffing and puffing from exertion, as the last quarter of the way had become quite steep. White sighed at Sky, who smiled wryly. "Is anydragon home?" he asked. "I haven't checked yet," Sky replied, picking herself up. "Y'know, just in case it's a bad dragon who eats ponies. I was hoping he would be more eager to eat you guys than to eat me." Sibwashie chuckled dryly, and White joined in with some more nervous laughter. "I, uh, really doubt that ponies taste as good as gemstones," White said. "They taste better!" The travellers started as they heard a loud, rumbling voice from inside the cave. Sky's wings flicked out. Sibwashie lowered himself into a defensive position. White caught sight of a large rock and hid behind it. "Nothing like fresh ponies for dinner! That marshmallowy taste is sooo good!" White's legs quivered. Sibwashie's eyes narrowed. Sky soared into the air, arcing around to face the cave from a position where she figured she would be face-to-face with the dragon who was about to emerge. A plume of dark black smoke billowed out of the mouth of the cave. It was soon followed by another, and then another. The air outside just outside the cave became thick and black, and the three travellers coughed and batted at it with their hooves, tearing up and blinking as it got into their eyes. But then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the smoke was dissipated by a mighty gust of wind. The travellers' eyes were all closed, but they could hear a leathery beating of wings. Sky was the first to open her eyes. She blinked a few times before realising what she was looking at. Her eyes shot wide open. Standing in front of the cave, wings spread at her sides, was a rich purple and deep blue dragon. She was the size of five ponies and had a smile on her face. At first glance, Sky might have called it a wicked smile, but upon closer inspection, it seemed almost friendly. An ear-bursting sound erupted from the dragon's mouth as she threw her head back and laughed. "You should see the looks on your faces!" she boomed. "Such scaredy-ponies! Scared of being eaten by a dragon! Ha ha! How rich!" White Noise emerged from behind his rock and promptly slumped onto the ground. He wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to think. "Oh, queen of dragons, I beseech you; do tell us your intent Is this really a joke, or are is relaxing us part of your hunting bent?" asked Sibwashie, his voice unwavering. "Ooh! A striped pony who talks in song!" the dragon cried. "I really like those ones! They have a certain… exotic flavour." The travellers stared at the dragon, their terrified expressions slowly giving way to bewilderment. After a few moments of silence, the dragon sighed. "You guys are no fun. Obviously I don't want to eat you! I don't even like marshmallows!" A great weight lifted off the shoulders of the two earthbound travellers, allowing them to raise themselves up and relax their tense muscles. Following her companions' example, Sky descended and tucked her wings at her side. All three travellers looked up at the dragon expectantly. "Oh! How rude of me!" she exclaimed. "I never introduced myself!" Instead of continuing, the dragon extended her leathery wings and shot up into the sky, doing a number of twists and somersaults in the air. Sky found herself surprised at how such a big creature could be so graceful in the air. "My name," the dragon called out from a way above her visitors, "is Venkra: second daughter of Skandar the Great!" Venkra tossed her head back and breathed a long, straight column of green flame into the sky directly above her, and then another two to her left and right. "Welcome to my home, little ponies!" *** The interior of Venkra's cave proved surprisingly homely, or at least more so than any of the travellers had expected a dragon's cave to be. Enormous Sheepersian rugs covered the cave's rock ground, and a series of evenly spaced lamps managed to light the cave up like a regular home. The thick legs of a coffee table and some sofas rose above the travellers' heads. "You have a wonderful home, Ms Venkra," Sky complimented, thinking back to her mother's advice about the correlation between someone's conduct and the upkeep of their living space. "Why thank you, little pony!" Venkra replied, quite delighted. "Some of my kind are content to pile their treasures into a cave and call it a day, but we're not all that unsophisticated. All of these delightful furnishings only cost me a few feet, anyhow." Feet? White wondered, his ears perking up. That's an odd measurement to use for currency. Do dragons...? White shuddered, shaking off the thought of dragons cutting of the feet of rabbits and monkeys to use as currency. He had heard that the superstitious llamas of the southern mountains of Andia weren't opposed to such practices, but decided not to make too many negative presumptions about dragons while travelling through their lands. Sibwashie cleared his throat. "I would like to ask a question I have been pondering, if I may be so bold? Who is your father, this Skandar the Great? What stories of him are told?" he asked. "Was, dear zebra," replied Vrenka, her voice faltering ever-so-slightly. "I'm afraid he passed away recently – snatched from the earth at a mere thirteen thousand years old!" "I'm... sorry to hear that," Sky said, casting her eyes down at the rug. "It's alright, dear one," Venkra replied, smiling gently at Sky. "Although it's only been about forty years... feels like just yesterday." A wistful look came over her features and she seemed to drift off for a moment. "You know, my father had a little pony friend..." Hmm, interesting, thought Sibwashie. Dragon–pony relations in Dragonia. I should ask about that. "Um, how old are you, Ms Venkra?" asked Sky, dragging Venkra away from her thoughts and speaking before Sibwashie could fully compose a rhyme. Venkra raised an eyebrow. "They say you should never ask a lady her age. Of course, it's ponies who say that, and I've never understood why. I'm going to be exactly three hundred in a few months, Ms Wave, but I shan't ask you the same question." "Wow..." Sky said. "I had a great, great granny who passed away at one-hundred-and-fifty, and we thought she was old! You must have seen so much in your life already!" Venkra put a claw to her chin, amused. "I suppose you could say that. I have certainly 'seen a lot', but a lot of that lot has been terribly similar to the rest of that lot, to coin a phrase." I don't think that's gonna catch on, thought White. Venkra turned her head in White's direction. "What did you say your name was again, Mr Unicorn?" "White Noise, ma'am," he answered. "Your... what do you call it... uh, flank-picture-thing... what is it? I know your friend Sky's is a ribbon, and I've quite given up on interpreting those impressionist paintings on zebra flanks, but yours..." "It's a speech bubble, ma'am," White responded. Venkra stared blankly at him. "Um, like in comic books?" Venkra's facial expression remained unchanged. White sighed inwardly. "It's a visual representation of speech – if you draw a pony on a piece of paper and then draw a bubble like this one with its tail leading from her mouth, it's accepted that the words in the bubble show what she is saying." "Ah, so that's why you've been so quiet up until now!" Venkra exclaimed triumphantly. "Your 'speech bubble' is empty!" Sky stifled a snicker. "I've... never thought of it that way," White said, his face clouding over slightly. "But anyway: my cutie mark is a speech bubble because my special talent is communication – not communicating myself, but enabling others to communicate – communication magic, to be more precise." Venkra nodded sagely. "Ah, so that explains your reasons for being in Dragonia. And here I thought this was a social visit! Oh well..." "Well, um, yes," White replied. "We're here to do some research into dragonfire and how it's able to transport things between any two points in space instantaneously." "Green dragonfire, you mean." "I guess...? Is there another kind?" Venkra hid her face in her claws. "I will take you to the University." "Oh!" White asked excitedly. "You will? That's great! But I simply can't allow you to do something so kind without recompense! What's your fee?" The room went silent. A horrified look came over Venkra's face and jets of fire streamed out of her nose. White could see her claws twitching as she forced them to stay at her sides. "Ms Venkra, are you –?" White had to jump back as Venkra shoved her snout in his face a blew a breath of hot air over it. "Never offer a dragon money, Mister Noise," she said coldly, narrowing her eyes at him. "Especially not me." White jerked his head up and down in the fiercest nod he'd ever given. Satisfied, Venkra straightened up and her face regained its usual friendly expression. Sky and Sibwashie gave White sympathetic looks, but decided not to press the issue. "Now then," said Venkra. "I will take you to the University, and on the way, I will explain some important things about dragons to you. Pay attention." Venkra's guests nodded firmly, and the four creatures left the cave. *** Wind whipped around White Noise's ears as he clung onto Venkra's back, trying to keep himself from being sick. Just behind him, Sibwashie had his head turned up and was focusing very intently on a puffy white cloud just above them. "Woo-hoo!" shouted Sky, who was corkscrewing in the air to their left. "Air is the only way to travel!" "Haha, yes indeed, Ms Wave," agreed Venkra. "I still remember the day my wings began to grow with much fondness... the day they were finally big enough to fly with was even better." "S-so," asked White, "what did you want to exp-plain about d-dragons, Ms Venkra?" Venkra's eyes lit up and she twisted in the air, nearly expelling White's breakfast. "Ah yes, dragons! We certainly are remarkable creatures, if I do say so myself. What many non-dragon folk don't realise is that we're actually a highly magical race, even though we don't have horns. But you see, the magic is in our fire. Apart from the run-of-the-mill orange stuff that we burn things with, we dragons have five types of magical fire: green flame, purple flame, pink flame, blue flame and black flame." "What do the different types of flame do?" asked Sky, flying closer to Venkra's snout. "The most common type is green flame, which is used for teleporting small objects between dragons. 'Most everydragon can make that stuff. Less common is purple flame, which works like unicorn telekinesis – I can't make it myself, but I've heard those that do need some really fine tongue control. Blowing still-less-common pink flame against a barrier creates a temporary portal through it. Blue flame can melt the very earth, and is used to carve out caves and mountain passes. Black flame... well, I'm not really up on what that does, but only one or two dragons have ever used it." "That's really interesting," said White, forgetting his sickness for a moment. "I can't believe I never learnt this stuff in school. What types of fire can you make, Ms Venkra?" "Only boring orange and common green, I'm afraid," Venkra sighed. "A little over half of all dragons can make two different types of magical flame, and most of our magic scholars boast at least three. I'm afraid I've never really had an aptitude for magic. Not like my father..." Venkra was silent for a moment before continuing. "Skandar's Pass isn't just called that because he was a great dragon. My father carved the pass you walked up with his own blue flame and in doing so created the first and only geographical link between Dragonia and the lands that surround it. He had a great vision of better integrating dragons with the outside world, but I'm afraid that most of that seems to have died along with him." "I'm sad to hear that," White replied. "All is not lost, though. Dragonfire is the preferred internal communication method of Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and I'm working to make it the preferred communication of Equestria, through Dragonfire Delivery – my independent mailing business." Venkra smiled knowingly. "Ah, so you are here not only as a scholar, but also as a businesspony. The ancient secrets of dragonfire will no doubt be able to bolster your bank balance quite nicely." A chill ran down White's spine, and he could feel a sudden tightening in the atmosphere. He glanced worriedly a Sky and Sibwashie, the latter of whom failed to return his glance, as he was still staring straight up. "It – it's not like that at all, ma'am!" White protested, beginning to sweat. "Believe me when I say that I started my business out of a love for communication – a desire to bring Equestria – and even the world – closer together! My special talent is communication, not greed." Venkra said nothing. For a moment, White pondered mentioning how he was prepared to strike up a business deal with anydragon prepared to help him. He swiftly bit his tongue upon remembering Venkra's earlier outburst at his attempt to pay her for the trip. White wisely said nothing, and the rest of the journey to the University was spent in relative silence. *** Half an hour later, Venkra landed in front of a small, non-descript cave entrance somewhere around the middle of a large mountain. Sky alighted next to her, and her passengers tumbled thankfully to the ground. Sibwashie collapsed on the stone surface, rapturously pressing himself against the solid ground. Shaking off his naseau, White glanced at the small cave entrance. "Who lives here?" "No-one lives here," Venkra replied, chuckling. "Although, judging by the amount of time some of the scholars seem to spend holed up in their research chambers, they actually sort of do." "Wait," White said incredulously, furrowing his brows. "So this is the university? I was expecting something... bigger." "And flashier," added Sky. Venkra tossed back her head and laughed heartily, her powerful voice in echoing in the wide-open spaces all around them. "I did suggest that they invest in some signs once, but that caused an argument about which script to use. You would think they'd just use dragonrunes, but apparently a number of world culture professors made a convincing case for zebrascript, of all things. Once that had nearly been agreed on, the decision shouted down by clamours for the Equestrian alphabet by the literature professor, followed by further arguments for everything from ancient ponyglyphics to antelopescratch. It got quite nasty, or so they told me." "But how do they fit all of those arguing professors into such a tiny cave?" asked White Noise, who had been staring intently into the mouth of the cave in front of them. "You don't think this is the only entrance do you? And you can't think that this cave is the entire university... can you?" White stared blankly at her, blinking a few times. "Uugh, do I have to teach you ponies everything?!" Venkra groaned, sliding her claws across her face. "The university has many entrances, all over this mountain, because it is this mountain. The intricate network of tunnels and caves that fill Mount Jilthor – that's the name of this mountain, by the way – and extend miles beneath it are a result of some of the most elaborate blue flame work ever done by dragonkind. Once we get inside, you'll see." Not giving her companions time to ask how they were going to get inside the university, Venkra swiftly marched into the cave, signalling for them to follow her. The cave was small enough for White's horn to light up its every nook and crevice. The walls were crude and featureless, and the ceiling was low enough that Venkra had to stoop a little. She wore a concentrated expression on her face and had shut her eyes. "What no–" White's question was cut off as the center of the floor suddenly flashed pink, turning slightly transparent. He heard a loud WHOOSH as the ground seemed to disappear from beneath his hooves. There was a flailing of legs and two startled cries, followed by a loud THUD. Groaning, White picked himself up off the hard stone floor. He gave Sibwashie a sidelong glance as they watched their two winged companions land gently next to them. The cave they found themselves in was tinted a violent shade of pink by a great gust of fire shooting up to the ceiling – but only momentarily. Warm, flickering yellow light replaced the pink as the flame died away. A soft coughing was heard from the far corner. Much to the annoyance of White and Sibwashie, a matted purple carpet began mere inches from the hard stone they had fallen on. This, coupled with the rows of wall-mounted lamps and occasional fern or painting, made the cave they had landed in feel more like an entrance hall than a cave. The young, tie-clad dragon who approached them reinforced this feeling further, to the point where White Noise could almost pretend he was back at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. "Hey Jangro," greeted Venkra. "I've brought some pony travellers to the see the guys in Communication." "Ah, that you have," croak Jangro, leaning down to glance curiously at the three travellers. "And for what purpose?" Venkra grinned and nudged White forward with a scaly elbow. "I think Mr White Noise here and explain that better than I." "Umm, yes," White said, glancing up into the judging eyes of the dragon Jangro, desperately trying to maintain eye-contact. "Well, um, I myself am a student of Communications Magic. Although technically I'm not a student anymore, because I already graduated... from Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Although I guess one is always a student in some way; there's always more to learn, more to discover..." Jangro cleared his throat loudly. A tiny pink flame flickered on the end of one of his nostrils. "Right, yes, the point," White continued, straightening up. "Dragons know a lot about communication magic. Green flame is the most advanced form of we ponies have yet discovered. I've been using it as the basis for a delivery business in Equestria, but I don't actually understand how it works, or why it works. They could never teach me that at school, because they didn't know either. I want to learn. Communication magic is my special talent, and my entire livelihood comes from using a form of it I don't understand. As a learned dragon, I'm sure you can understand that frustration." Having finished his speech, White breathed deeply before looking up at Jangro's large dragon eyes, waiting for a response. "I was going to say 'no'," replied Jangro, after a time of silent contemplation. "When you mentioned the word 'business', I was very tempted to deny you any audience with the University's scholars. We cannot support greed as a motive for the seeking of knowledge. However..." Everyone in the room held their breaths as Jangro paused. "...I do not think that anything you have said is indicative of greed. A greedy pony would be content to make money off something he can use but does not understand. A greedy pony would not, I don't think, come all this way in the name of discovering something that would not service their greed. You have nothing material to gain by understanding green flame, so I will grant you an audience with our foremost Communications Magic scholars." The room breathed a collective sigh of relief, and an enormous grin spread across White's face. That was easier than I expected, he thought. "Now, they're very busy at the moment, but they should be ready to speak with you just as soon as they finish their current project." "When would that be?" asked White. "I'm perfectly happy to wait a while." "Oh! You're in luck!" Jangro smiled. "They're in the final stages of the project and will be done in a mere seventy years!" The three travellers' jaws all dropped in unison. Jangro and Venkra both stared down at the travellers, the quizzical expressions on their faces very slowly turning into looks of realisation. “That’s a really long time,” said Sky. “Relatively speaking, of course,” White added quickly. “I’m aware that dragons have a somewhat... more drawn-out lifespan than ponies do, and I respect that, but...” “...But by the time they finish up, you’ll all be very old ponies,” Venkra finished. “Precisely. Isn’t there... another way?” Jangro put a claw to his chin, scratching it thoughtfully for a few moments before turning to Venkra and giving her a knowing glance. Venkra gasped. “You don’t mean –” “I do,” said Jangro gravely. “Ponies, there is one other way to find the knowledge you seek and to do it in a more appropriate timeframe.” “Yes?” White asked, his eyes lighting up with the hope that his entire trip hadn’t been a complete waste of time. “You must meet with the Dragon King,” said Venkra, her expression turning very serious. “He can tell you everything you need to know about green flame.” “But be warned,” Jangro continued, “for not everyone is worthy of an audience with our great ruler. You will be judged, and if you are found wanting...” “...you will be banished from Dragonia forever,” finished Venkra. Sky leaned over to whisper something White. “No pressure...” *** Time passed in silence as the five creatures looked around the cave and at each other, all waiting for a decision. White Noise had a decision to make. Would he give up on getting assistance in his magic research from the dragons after travelling all the way to their country for it, or would he seek an audience with the Dragon King and risk said king's wrath in the process? The biggest problem was that he wasn't only gambling with his own health and safety. He had the welfare of Sky and Sibwashie to think of as well. They had travelled all this way with him, and he knew that he probably would not have made it to Dragonia this quickly or in this good a shape without their aid. Of course, they would both receive payment for their services after the journey was over, and so what did it matter to them if he didn't accomplish his goals? White glanced at his friends with an uncertain expression on his face. They beckoned him over, and the three formed a tight huddle. "This 'Dragon King' stuff sounds dangerous," said White. "If you don't want to go through with it, we can turn back now and go home. I'll still pay you what we agreed on before we left Fillydelphia." Their momentary silence told White that his offer was tempting. "No," Sibwashie replied decisively. "We came to Dragonia so that you could learn more about communication magic. I remember the story you told me about Princess Celestia's speech. This is important to you, White Noise." "Sibwashie's right," Sky added. "It's not about the money. It's about dreams! Friends don't let friends give up on their dreams, White! We can't just give up and go home empty-hoofed." "We are as invested in you achieving your goals as your are, because we want you to be happy and satisfied," Sibwashie continued. "Remember also that you may not ever have an opportunity like this again." That's true, White thought. I can turn around now and go back home and just let everything go back to the way things were. Dragonfire Delivery may even do well for a while – at least until somepony else does what I couldn't do and actually completes this research. A shiver ran down his spine as White thought about his finances for the first time in days. This expedition of his had been conducted on company money, and despite every cost-cutting measure he'd taken, the transportation and lodging fees added up. He owed Dragonfire Delivery results. White's mind was made up. "We'll take our chances with the Dragon King. Thanks, guys..." he said, feeling a bit of moisture in his eyes. The huddle lasted a few seconds longer, and then broke. "What have you decided?" asked Jangro, lifting an expectant eyebrow. White took a deep breath and looked back at the smiling faces of his friends for support before saying, "We would like to seek an audience with the Dragon King, if that is the only way to complete our quest." Jangro and Venkra gave each other a look, and the latter shrugged. "Fine with me. I'll even give you ponies a lift to the palace."