In the dining hall, there sits a gold and silver male Caelan at one table, with a snow-white female sitting directly across from him. The male has his eyes trained downward at the table, while the female sits upright with her eyes closed. Both dragons have impassive looks on their faces. Smaller wingless dragons in armor stand at attention on the both sides of each entrance to the room.
“Heros.”
The gold male looks to his left slightly to see Nox standing next to him.
“What did you find out about the disturbance Nox?” Heros asks.
“Apparently, we have new neighbors.” Nox replies.
“Come again?”
“Those new shadows I told you about. They belong to another planet’s inhabitants. They figured out a way to travel between dimensions, and ended up in the training courtyard of Center Command. Your nephews, and their squad mates made first contact. As they were bringing them here I listened in on the conversations they were having and decided they didn’t seem like an immediate threat. After your daughter and Falx met up with them I revealed myself and told them where you are. You’re going to have to act as a diplomat for our planet pretty soon, Heros.” Nox finishes.
“*sigh* Alright. Can you go and let Lady Night Flare know about our guests? She needs to know about this. And after that, can you go and retrieve Gladius? Anan is going to need all of her squad present for this.” Heros asks Nox.
Nox nods and sinks into the floor. The white dragoness across from Heros finally opens her eyes.
“What about Starry, Veritas, and Conlisus ?” She asks Heros.
“Flare will probably ask them to come with her. And if she doesn’t, then she doesn’t want them here.” Heros answers her.
The dragoness nods her head at Heros’s words, before looking around the empty dining hall, her eyes softening. “It used to be a lot more crowded in here by this time of day.” She says nostalgically.
Heros lets out a deep breath. “Yeah.” He agrees.
The two Caelans sit in silence as they wait for the Knights to arrive with the extraterrestrials. Heros is looking down at the two pendants dangling from around his neck. One shaped into a diamond with the two side corners cut off, the other shaped to look more like a flame. “I know.” The female says.
Heros looks up slightly to be able to look at her.
“I miss her too.” The she says sadly.
Heros looks back down at the table without a word.
“Hey dad, you in here? Oh, there you are.”
Heros sits up and looks over his shoulder to see his daughter walk into the dining hall with the group of Caelans and the newcomers Nox told him about.
Heros smiles.
“Anan, thank you for brining them here.” Heros stands up to face the newcomers. “Hello, welcome to Lume. I am Heros, Sentinel of the fortress-city Animusix, and your humble host for your stay on this world. Nox has already informed me about some basic things that have occurred already, and I sent him to retrieve a few more dragons we’ll need before any diplomatic discussions can take place. In the meantime, how about everyone sits down to join me and Sentinel Glacia for dinner.” Heros says to the group of Caelans and ponies.
“We would be honored Sentinel Heros.” Luna says to Heros. The rest of the group sits down around the two older Caelans.
“Alright, it’s about time we ate, I’m starving!” Rainbow Dash says aloud.
“Rainbow.” Twilight says with a slight frown.
“That’s not very polite there Dash.” Applejack says.
“Heh, sorry.” Rainbow apologizes while rubbing the back of her head.
“Don’t worry about it, we’re used to those kinds of outbursts from Ictus. So, what would everyone like to eat?” Niteo asks the group.
“I’ll have a hayburger with hay fries.”
“Could I get a light salad?”
“Ooh! Ooh! I’ll have a dozen cupcakes, with an apple pie!”
“Do you have any daffodil sandwiches?”
“Ah’ll have..”
“Whoa wait, what? Hay-whatnow? Daisy? As in like the flower or some…. Oh wait. Are ponies… herbivores?” Niteo asks.
The ponies nod their heads at that. Some of the other dragon’s eyes widen slightly in realization. For a moment, Luna’s eyes widen slightly, as if realizing the same thing the Caelans have, before softening, as if knowing what Niteo is going to say.
Niteo sucks in some air between his teeth. “Eeeehhhh…. yeah, um… I don’t know how to say it nicely, but… *sigh* yeah, dragons are omnivores here. We mostly eat a combination of meat and fruit.” Niteo explains.
The ponies look at him, not getting what point he’s trying to make.
“Yeah, and?” Rainbow Dash asks.
The other Caelans look at Rainbow, confused at her response.
“Uh, you’re not grossed out?” Ictus asks.
“Well, yeah, I guess it might be awkward watching you guys eat meat, but we don’t see a reason to judge you on it. There are other meat eating races in Equestria so it’s not like we’ve never encountered it before. So were you trying to make another point with telling us you’re omnivores or something?” Rainbow asks.
“Well… I guess we were just expecting you to be a little skittish around us. Herbivores tend to avoid predators. And dragons are kind of the top predators on Lume, sentient race and all.” Niteo says.
“Well, I don’t know abou’ everypony else, but ma’ judgements about ya’ll lasted a total of two seconds after comin’ outa’ that portal that burst outa’ Metuo’s chest.” Applejack explains.
“WHAT?!?!?”
Most of the ponies and Caelans at the table look to the source of the outburst to see Nox standing at an archway with four other smaller dragons. One, of which, is wearing an absolutely furious expression on her face.
Heros, however, saw Glacia’s face at the news of how the ponies arrived. It quickly morphed from shocked, to something very hard, very sharp, and very cold.
‘Oooooooohhhh fuck.’ Heros thinks to himself.
‘Oooooooohhhh fuck.’ Metuo thinks to himself when he sees his younger sister, Starry Night, standing in the doorway with a furious expression on her face.
“WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BROTHER?” Star asks Applejack fiercely.
“Wh-wha…?” Applejack says, intimidated by Star’s anger.
“YOU JUST SAID THAT YOU CAME OUT OF A PORTAL THAT BURST OUT OF MY BROTHER’S CHEST. SO WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!?!” Star asks again while stalking towards the orange pony.
Rainbow Dash jumps up and hovers in front of Applejack defensively. “Hey! Back off!” She says to Star.
“OH, ARE YOU FRIENDS WITH HER? DID YOU HELP HER HURT MY BROTHER?” Star says, turning her anger on the cyan pegasus.
Metuo gets up and moves between his sister and the ponies. “Star, calm down. I’m fine, and what happened was an accident. They didn’t mean to hurt me.” Metuo says to Star, trying to calm her down.
“But they still hurt you.”
Metuo thought he felt the temperature drop… no wait, it actually did drop.
“They hurt you, after everything that’s happened to you. After everything you’ve struggled through… after everything you’ve suffered… they still hurt you.” Glacia says, slowly standing up from her seat, mist coming off of her from the frigid cold she’s radiating.
“A-aunt Glacia...?” Metuo says nervously.
“And yet you still forgive them… you forgive everyone… you forgave the Fortis for killing Night Sky and Siren Song, for killing Caleo… for killing Aquarus… and for nearly killing you countless times…” Glacia continues.
“Mom, you need to calm down.” Niteo says, standing up and moving in front of the ponies next to Metuo.
“And now you’re forgiving yet another race for nearly killing you? Is there anyone else who can try to kill you that you’ll just eventually forgive? Huh Metuo? How many times do you have to almost die before you realize that whoever succeeds will not be forgiven? I won’t be able to find it in my heart to forgive them Metuo! Not a single one! I can’t bear to lose anyone else Metuo!!! So why do you keep giving them chances to keep on trying to kill you?!?!” Glacia finishes loudly.
The room is silent after Glacia’s rant, every being looking at her in varying degrees of shock or fear.
“I’m sorry for disrupting this meeting. Lady Night Flare, may I have permission to leave? I don’t feel like it would be wise for me to be present right now considering I’m… emotionally unstable, as of this moment.” Glacia says briskly to Heros and one of the smaller dragons standing by Nox.
“Very well, permission granted.” Night Flare answers before Heros can answer.
“Thank you Lady Night Flare.” Glacia says to the smaller dragon. She then turns and walks briskly out of the room, all the while avoiding eye contact with anyone in the room.
After Glacia leaves the room, Night Flare walks over to the space next to Heros, Conlisus, and Veritas slowly following. Night Flare sits down next to Heros. “Well. Now that all of the drama is over for now, I believe now would be a good time to get some food into everyone’s stomachs.” Night says to the gathering of dragons and ponies.
Night turns her head to look at Metuo and Niteo. “Metuo, Niteo, Starry, since you’re already standing, would you mind going to the kitchen and getting everyone something? Veritas, Conlisus, you two can help them carry everything.” She says to the orange and blue dragons behind her.
“Yes mam.” They say in unison.
“A-ah’ can help them too. We were talking abou’ the differen’ diets we have before ya’ll came in, so ah’ can help carry the stuff we ponies are able to eat… mam.” Applejack adds after thinking for a moment.
“Uh, yeah, I can help too, since I’m up anyway.” Rainbow Dash adds.
Night tilts her head slightly. “… Very well. If you wish to help, that’s fine.” She concedes.
With the permission of the small dragoness, Applejack and Rainbow Dash move to walk beside the dragons as they head towards the kitchens.
“Psst, hey, Niteo.” Rainbow Dash whispers. Metuo looks sideways at her. “Who was that? She’s just barely smaller than you, but I got this weird feeling when she talked that made me think that she’s really dangerous. And that angry white dragon that just left called her ‘Lady’.”
“Also, please don’t insinuate my mentor and aunt is ‘dangerous’ like she’s going to snap at any moment. She’s powerful and she knows it, that’s all. She’s used to giving orders as well as protecting those she cares about.” Star says irritably to Rainbow, still miffed about learning Metuo got hurt, but not really angry after witnessing Glacia’s reaction.
“Uh, sorry about that, didn’t mean to offend.” Rainbow apologizes to Star. “But my question still stands, who is she exactly.”
“Night Flare, the Lupaein you’re talking about, is the ruling Lady of this stretch of territory in the Lupaein Kingdoms, and is also one of thirteen members of the Council of Magic. She’s also the one of the younger members, but also one of the most powerful, physically, and magically. Heros is the one she leaves in charge of the city for the most part though. The city itself is critical to the Kingdom as a whole, both economically and martially, so it in and of itself needs a lot of focus to maintain and watch over it. Night Flare stops by the city pretty often to discourage attacks on the city, but she can't be around that often, since we're so short on Sentinels and Knights, so she leaves a lot to do what she can in the other parts of her territory in the Kingdom.” Niteo explains to the two ponies as the group reaches the end of the room with the kitchen staff just opening the food up at the serving station.
“Soooooooo, she’s really importan’, is what yer sayin’.” Applejack simplifies.
Metuo snorts in amusement at the orange ponies comment. “That’s an understatement.” He says with a smile.
“Understatements are just truths bein’ modest.” Applejack responds.
“Heh, I like her, she’s deceptively clever.” Star says.
“Well, uh, thanks… wait, wadduya mean ‘deceptively’ clever?” Applejack asks.
“Hi Roast! What’s on the menu today?” Star says to the female Lupaein behind the counter, dodging Applejack’s question.
“Hello Star, it’s good to see you back. And it’s always a pleasure to see you four as well.” Roast says to Niteo, Metuo, Veritas, and Conlisus. “And today we have grilled Cassowary as the main meal, with the usual sides of fruits and mushrooms, you know, the stuff that never changes.”
“Thanks, we’ll have two full meals, eleven half portioned meals, and can we also get seven meals without the meat? These girls are herbivores.” Niteo says pointing at Applejack and Rainbow Dash with his thumb claw.
“No problem, I’ll be right back, just gotta put the food on plates.” Roast replies before moving back to go prepare the meals.
“Half portioned meals? What, are you guys not hungry or something?” Rainbow Dash asks.
“Gee, I wonder, it couldn’t possibly be because we’re half the size of Heros and Nox, now could it?” Star says sarcastically.
“Star, come on, be nice.” Metuo says.
“Well I’m sorry, I was looking forward to seeing you again after three months of intense training with our aunt. But as soon as I walk into the same room as you, I hear that seven ponies walked out of a hole in your chest. But I’m sorry for caring about you, dear big brother of mine.” Star says to Metuo, sarcasm dripping from her words, before her eyes travel down to Metuo’s chest area. Her eyes linger for a moment before widening.
“WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO YOU?!?!?!?!?!!?” She cries out.
“What?” Metuo asks, surprised by his sister’s sudden outburst.
“Your chest, Metuo! There’s a giant scar on your chest! How did that happen?! Your healing ability has never left a scar before.” Star says less loudly, still looking at his chest distraught.
Metuo’s eyes widen upon realizing what she’s surprised about. ‘Oh crap, she wasn’t here when I first got back. She doesn’t know.’ He thinks.
“Oh, that… it’s… something I’ll explain later, Star, when there are less eyes looking at us from a distance.” Metuo says while looking at the group of ponies and dragons sitting around the table looking in their direction. Star follows Metuo’s line of sight and sees the group looking at her specifically.
“… Fine, but you better explain everything I want to know about.” Star threatens.
“Don’t worry, I will.” Metuo assures her meekly.
“Alright everyone! Order up!!” Roast says, returning with several plates held in her levitation tether.
“Thanks Roast!” Niteo says to her while taking two plates to balance on one foreleg.
“No problem Niteo, just keep on doing what you guys do best, and I’ll keep doing what I do best.” Roast says with a wink while handing Metuo two plates as well. “And your new herbivore friends can keep on doing what they do best too.” She says, giving a smile to Rainbow Dash and Applejack.
“You can count on that!” Rainbow Dash says with a salute.
“Thank ya’ kindly.” Applejack says with a tip of her hat, taking two plates and placing them on her back.
Once they have their food, the group of dragons and equines walk back to the table. Metuo sees Gladius and Lucerna finally joined the group at the table. Metuo also notes that the older members of their group, Luna, Heros, Night Flare, and Nox, all seem to be nodding their heads in agreement, as if they’ve already reached some kind of decision.
“Ah, it seems we finished up just in time, the food’s here.” Nox says with a smirk.
“So it is.” Night Flare agrees.
“Finished up with what?” Rainbow Dash asks Twilight.
“They just finished discussing what to do now that our two cultures have met. While both nations could benefit from trade with each other, it’s also not possible to keep an inter-dimensional portal open for extended amounts of time.” Twilight explains.
“So, there’s peace between our two nations, but no chance for benefits for either side?” Niteo asks.
“Not necessarily.” Heros says. “Congratulations Niteo, you, your squad, Anan’s squad, and Star’s squad are going on vacation to Equestria.” He says with a cheeky smirk.