It was as if Fate herself hung over the forest, laying claim to all that she saw, leaving only two young dragons and one little filly to bear witness to the Shadow Dragons' wrath. Moments earlier it was beautiful, full of greenery and singing birds. Now a dull, dead wasteland spread out before them as the brittle grass crunched under Spike's feet.
He took a few seconds to let the grisly scene sink in and pat himself down. “I gotta check myself. Am I still alive?”
“We were lucky, that's for sure,” Sapphire said, looking around at the lifeless woods.
Sunset Breeze trembled. Her glossy but focused eyes were telling: for such a young thing, she was doing her best to be brave and keep the tears at bay. “What are we gonna do now?”
The craggy tip of the Shadow Dragons' fortress jutted up in the distance, above the dead forest which would serve as a grim reminder of the consequences of crossing Zog and his empire.
“Well, we can't go back there, that's for sure,” Spike said. “I think we'll be safest back in Equestria.”
“I think so, too,” Sapphire said.
Sunset's lower lip stuck out noticeably further from her upper lip as she took these words in. “But what about my parents?”
Sapphire sighed. “I know, I made a promise and it's Dragon Code to keep that promise. I just don't know how we're gonna do it.”
“Let's think about it back in Buckington, before any more Shadow Dragons show up and find out we're not as dead as they think we are,” Spike said.
Letting her head droop, Sunset dropped to her haunches. Tears started to run down her cheeks and Spike went down on one knee so he could look her in the face. "Hey, buck up, kid. We'll get them back. Everypony. I promise."
Sunset sniffed and threw her forelegs around Spike's neck. He patted her on the back and returned the hug, noticing Sapphire smile at this.
"For now, we've really got to get out of here," Sapphire added. She, too, kneeled down in front of Sunset and gently caressed her face. "So we need you to dig deep down and be brave, okay?"
Sunset sniffed and wiped the tears away. "Okay," she said, smiling.
"Alright, up you go." Sapphire stooped low so Sunset could mount her back. “Ready?” Sapphire asked once Sunset wrapped her forelegs around the dragon’s neck.
"Ready!"
"Hold on tight!"
Both dragons beat their wings, took to the air and soared over the desolate, craggy Dragonlands, heading back for Equestria. Neither one dared to look behind until they passed over Buckington, where they knew they were back in Celestia's jurisdiction. They kept going until they reached the old church where Sapphire made her home, the broken stained-glass window glittering in the dying sunlight acted as a sort of beacon.
When she touched down in the dark attic, Sapphire allowed Sunset to dismount her back just as Spike entered. Only then did he feel his heart start beating again.
"Home sweet home," Sapphire said.
"You can say that again," Spike replied. Now that he had time to do so, he doubled over to catch his breath, paws placed on his knees for support. His legs and digits were still trembling from the danger he’d just been exposed to. "I can't believe we made it out of that one."
"If it weren't for Sunset, we might not have made it!" Sapphire gave Sunset Breeze a gentle praising noogie.
Sunset Breeze giggled. Spike thought she was taking all of this very well for such a young thing. Then again, it could have been shock or simply the ignorance of youth.
Yawning, Spike stood on his toes and stretched his arms high above his head with a gaping yawn. “Well, I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day. Let’s get some sleep. We’ll figure out what to do in the morning.”
“I could use some shut-eye myself,” Sapphire said, rubbing her eyes. “Tomorrow we’ll see if we can find a way to get your parents back, okay, Sunset?” No answer.
"Sunset?"
Spike and Sapphire looked over their shoulders at the nose of the attic. Sunset was curled into ball, already asleep. Spike unzipped his backpack and removed his tattered old blue blanket. Quietly, he walked over to the filly and placed the blanket over her. She didn't move.
"Good night, Sunset," Spike whispered. Then he walked to the center of the room where Sapphire stood.
While Spike was tending to Sunset, Sapphire had already taken the liberty to remove two blankets, one for her and one for Spike, from one of her storage boxes. They both lay down on the floor, side by side, and threw the blankets over their bodies. For a few moments, they gazed into each other’s eyes, smiling. Spike felt himself tingle even more. Those blue eyes were as beautiful as they were ten years ago.
“Good night, Spike,” Sapphire said.
“Good night, Sapphire.”
***
A gentle nudge at his shoulder woke Spike from a deep sleep. Clamping his eyes shut tight, he flung his blanket over his head and pinned it there.
"Spike, wake up!" Sapphire's voice said.
Moaning, Spike curled himself into a tight ball under the warmth and security of his blanket. "Five more minutes."
"Sunset's gone!"
It took a few seconds for those words to sink in Spike's sleepy brain, but when they did he threw his blanket aside and sat up to find Sapphire kneeling beside him. A moment's glance around the attic proved that Sunset’s blanket was flat against the floor, empty. She had indeed disappeared; only Spike and Sapphire were present.
"Oh great," Spike groaned as he rubbed his eyes. "Where could she have gone?"
"She always liked to pick berries in the forest near here. Maybe we should check there."
Spike stood up and flapped his wings to stretch them, also stretching his arms as he did. "Well, we'd better go look for her."
Sapphire nodded in agreement before the two dragons flew out the broken stained glass window and descended to the floor of the forest below. Spike looked around, but there wasn't much more than a rabbit snacking on the leaves of a low bush and a few insects buzzing about the cool morning air.
"Sunset!" Sapphire yelled. "Where are you?"
"Sunset!" Spike echoed Sapphire.
No sound except for the leaves rattling and birds singing as the dragons walked deeper into the forest. With all the trees obstructing his view, Spike knew he'd need to rely on more than just sight to find Sunset. He'd need to listen closely for little hoofbeats or for Sunset Breeze answering their calls. If she even was in the forest, that is.
"Sunset!" Sapphire shouted again.
Only the sounds of the forest fell on Spike's ears. Nothing that remotely sounded like hoofbeats and the only voice was Sapphire's when she called out, "Spike, look," and pointed to the ground.
Filly-sized hoofprints trailed along the dirt, which drew a path through the woods and led Spike and Sapphire straight into Buckington, where the filly tracks stopped. Spike sighed and scratched the back of his head. If she was there in Buckington, she could be in any one of the buildings or houses arranged in a crescent shaped pattern.
"Sapphire, you know Sunset better than I do. If you were a runaway filly, where would you be?"
Sapphire rubbed her chin as she twisted her head left and right, scanning Buckington. "Hmmmm. Probably at a friend or relative's."
"Spike! Miss Sapphire!"
They turned to find Sunset Breeze standing on the porch of a building with a wood sign nailed above the front door. It read "Lucky Charm's emporium of relics, trinkets and magical items." From the porch, Sunset waved for the two dragons to enter. They did and shut the door behind them.
"Sunset, you can't just run off like that!" Sapphire scolded. "You had me scared to death!"
"I'm sorry, but I just had an idea and I ran over here to find Lucky. I was gonna come back."
"Lucky?" Sapphire asked.
"He owns this store and he says he can help us get everypony back!"
"Indeed I can," said a voice softened with age, yet still bearing a hint of youthful enthusiasm. A bony, wobbly unicorn stallion wearing a decorative velvet cape stepped up to the counter, carrying a shallow bowl with his magic. His face was thin and shriveled from many years of living.
"How?" Spike asked.
"Do you know what these items are?" Lucky asked as he let the bowl drop to the counter.
Spike simply scratched his chin in thought. Inside the bowl was a rainbow of roundish fruits the size of apples.
Sapphire gasped at the sight of them. "Those are Chameleon Fruit!"
Lucky nodded. "Native to the mountains of the Dragonlands. Smart girl."
"What are they?" Spike asked. "Just looks like plain old fruit to me."
"These are magic fruits that can change the color of a dragon’s scales," Sapphire explained.
Not even Twilight had told Spike about Chameleon Fruit.
"Yes,” said Lucky, “they change a dragon's scales to the color of the fruit eaten. And it just so happens I have a couple of black Chameleon Fruit in here."
"Sunset, you're a genius!" Spike shouted, suddenly feeling glad she’d ran off to Lucky’s shop. The little filly giggled at the compliment.
"These just might work!" Sapphire added as she reached for a piece of the fruit.
A sparkle surrounded the bowl as it lifted back into the air and into the safety of Lucky's forehooves. "Oh, they're not free, of course. I'll need 300 bits a fruit."
Spike's maw hung open and his eyes widened as he threw up his arms. "That's outrageous!"
"So is the danger of collecting such fruits. Dragons don't exactly like it when ponies come to the Dragonlands and help themselves to some of their native fruit. I paid the picker 150 bits for every piece, so I'm making you a pretty generous offer. I'd normally sell them for 500 bits a fruit."
That number thickened Spike's wall of disbelief. "Sheesh," he answered, folding his arms across his chest. "And they call us dragons greedy."
"Everything has a price, my reptilian friend," Lucky explained as he placed the bowl of Chameleon Fruit back behind the counter.
Now Spike pointed a claw at him. "How's this for payment: we're saving your village and we can't do it without those fruits!"
"Which is precisely why I'm giving you a discount on them."
"I don't have that kind of money!"
"Is there any other way you'd let us have them?" Sapphire butted in to stop the argument.
Spike kept quiet, realizing she had a point. If money wasn’t an option, maybe something else could pry the fruit from Lucky’s hooves.
Lucky scratched his chin for a few seconds, and then his eyes seemed to light up. “Since you'll be in the dragons' abode, you'll have access to their Dragon Spice, which as you know is a rare and guarded commodity. If you swear by the Dragon Code to bring me a pound bag of that spice, we have a deal.”
Both Spike and Sapphire looked down at Sunset Breeze, who didn't say anything, but stared up at them with wide pleading eyes. Eyes Spike couldn't find it in his heart to say “no” to. He turned back to Lucky. “By my Dragon Code, I promise to bring you back a bag of Dragon Spice.”
“Me too,” said Sapphire.
A few tense seconds passed as Lucky gazed into their eyes, probably to see if they were lying, Spike thought. Twilight often used that tactic on him, and more often than not, it worked. The bowl appeared from under the counter once again and now Lucky was smiling. He placed two pitch-black fruits on the counter.
“One black Chameleon Fruit for each of you. Bon Appetite!”
Spike trembled with anxiety. Now they at least had a chance, for all it was worth.