//------------------------------// // Peace Talks // Story: That Which was Lost // by LadyRFC //------------------------------// “Princess Twilight!” Lily ran up towards the alicorn as she landed, Spike gripping her mane hard from the shaky flight. Although she looked a bit rushed, the alicorn princess seemed unharmed and even calm. Lily may have looked more composed, but Rarity and Sally had been gone too long. “I'm fine,” Twilight urged in a low voice before Lily could ask the numerous questions nearly leaping from the tip of her tongue. Rising her tone as loud of she could, she addressed the wide-eyed crowd. “Forgive my tardiness, everypony. I as escorting one more group to our peace talks. A group that, until now, was little represented.” She looked up, drawing all eyes upward towards the distant shadows darkening the starry skies. Slowly they became larger as they dropped in altitude. Soon it became apparent what they were. Immediately murmurs and gasps filled the forest air and many of the civilians of Sheon began to bow, hiding their heads between their front hooves. There was hardly enough room for all the dragons on the ground, so more than a few smaller dragons began to drape themselves over the large rocks near the caves, careful not to land over the entrance. The larger, heavier dragons moved themselves carefully through the beginnings of the dense trees of the forest, pushing them this way and that to accommodate. “What's Timber gonna do?” Spike asked Twilight in a hoarse whisper, bug-eyed. The alicorn flinched and watched as the largest of all the dragons began to descend. As it was, there truly was no room for him. A gentle wave of deep laughter washed over the crowd. “I know I am late, but perhaps a few of you might clear me a bit of space? I am not as small as I once was.” Frightened and shocked eyes turned towards the hovering dragon, finally leaving the safety of the dark ground. “They talk?” Somepony exclaimed in amazement. Soon the crowd was sizzling with chatter as the entire back of the crowd bunched towards the caves, opening up space for the dragon to land. He did so carefully, yet even so, his weight rocked the earth, causing some in the crowd to lose their footing and stumble onto the grass. “You brought them here,” Lily whispered to herself in awe, eyes wide as she watched Timber shift around in the small spot, sitting upright so as to take up as little room as possible. “You really did it!” “This should be the finally shove,” Chrysalis murmured, walking up to Lily's other side and nodding towards the dragons. The Sheon princess nodded numbly. “My father,” she whispered, “he's not... coming... is he?” “I don't know,” Twilight answered honestly. “We scared off a bunch of guards before flying over, so they definitely know the dragons are gone now. But I have no idea if we were followed.” Her brow furled. “Where's Discord? His fireworks are what brought us back here in a rush.” Lily looked worried again in an instant, her mouth pulled into a frown and her eyes dropping. “They are behind the caves. I think... I think we were being attacked from behind.” “Behind and in front?” Twilight asked a bit too loudly. A few eyes flickered over. She smiled gracefully and whispered, “how long have you guys been surrounded?” Lily's eyes grew large. “Surrounded?” She hissed in a panic. Twilight flinched and looked over at Chrysalis, who nodded. “I'll take the front. I can't match magic today. Can you manage the back?” Before Twilight could reply, Princess Lily broke in, her face worried. “Wait, I should go. I've done nothing but stay here with the crowd. Rarity and Sally left to help Discord awhile ago and haven't returned. I have to help them. Please.” Twilight bit her lip, indecisive. “We can't all suddenly leave here...” Chrysalis was eying the crowd curiously. “Perhaps you can,” she murmured. She looked down at Spike. “You are one of them, yes?” “W-what?” Spike gazed up at the changling queen nervously, still unsure of her. “You're a dragon?” She asked again, patiently. “Oh,” he nodded quickly, “yes, I am... Why?” The queen looked at the two alicorn princesses. “You two look to our front and back. I'll handle this crowd with this small dragon as my aid.” She waved a hole-riddled hoof in Spike's direction. “After all, this peace talk has lately been missing voices from two groups. We'll buy you time.” Twilight looked over at Lily. “Can you-” “I can handle our magic users. I know how they work,” she replied confidently, her chin set. Twilight smiled. “Then I've got our front.” Turning towards the crowd with a smile, the alicorn thought fast and announced loudly, “As we gather our last few guests, Chrysalis, queen of the,” she paused for half a beat as she recalled their regional name, “darklings and Timber, leader of the Sheon dragon clan shall speak to you of their plans for peace with your nation and with all of Equestria.” She backed up, Lily matching her, both princesses spread their wings and simultaneously took to the sky, spinning around one another artfully for the sake of the crowd before splitting up to go their separate ways. A murmur began stirring the crowd again, but Chrysalis properly silenced it by walking towards the head of the small platform and gazing over them all with an air of authority. “Ponies, fellow changlings and dragon-kind. I welcome you personally to our peace conference, the first in many centuries and, I pray, not the last.” Timber held his spiky head high and bowed it down gracefully, despite his size. “Indeed,” his voice rumbled, “we have been silent long ourselves, cut off from you all.” He rose his head again and took a deep breath, the sharp sound of the intake filling the field. “But your world has changed as our kind slept. And as you have changed, so much we. Change is not to be feared nor avoided. But change, the best change, should be encouraged and embraced.” He smiled down at Chrysalis, an odd look for a fierce dragon. “And what better change can be made than that of friendship?” The changling queen bowed her head and looked over the crowd. “A new era of friendship and prosperity between all races, tribes and ponies. Where there is no judgment on differences, nor condemnation from past fear.” She looked over and nodded towards Spike, who walked up to her side and waved at the crowd with a shaky smile. “Young Spike,” Timber bellowed with a grin, “has lived alongside pony kind for his whole life. Safely and in good health. I long for the day when our youth shall stand by your own,” he looked over the crowd and then looked towards the queen. “And yours as well, your highness.” As the queen smiled and bowed her head, Spike looked into the forest, forcing himself not to shift his weight from claw to claw in worry. The day had felt long, but this night felt like an eternity.