//------------------------------//
// Knowing Drakos 
// Story: Of Dragons, Drakos, and Ponies 
// by newHelm 
//------------------------------//

	Rainbow Dash flew at incredible speed, looking beside her, her opponent was keeping up. A blue tinted grey drakos kept pace with her, running down the track at incredible speeds. The drakos rolled, falling back a bit, before springing forward in a leap, passing Rainbow by a nose. Rainbow smirked and shot forward with a burst before settling down, a head in front. It didn't last as fatigue finally got her and Rainbow slowed down, the drakos stopping as well.

The drakos spoke in an aged gravelly voice as she sat in front of Rainbow Dash, her breathing even. "Better, twenty more laps then last time."

Rainbow heaved as she nodded. "Yeah, thanks Blue Tail. I'm getting the hang of this distance thing."

"You already had the hang of it, now you are just improving it beyond that."

Rainbow rubbed her wings. "Ya know, I never asked how you got so good."

"Still haven't." Blue nearly cried as she laughed at the look she received. "Young today, so serious. I'll tell, I was a scout in the zebra war, lots of plains, lots of running. Didn't help that the zebras used potions to enhance their selves. Once spent three days just running in that war."

An amazed look crossed Rainbow's face. "Wow, you must have been amazing!"

"What! Still am kid. Kept pace and did just as much as you did today. In fact I could go another couple-" Blue stopped, her eyes wide. She clutched at her chest and fell forward, holding her head just an inch above the track.

Rainbow Dash grabbed her friend and screamed. "Help, somepony help me! My friend needs help!" No pony answered, no pony came.




Fluttershy stood outside of the Canterlot General Hospital, waiting silently for White Spine, her friend, to come join her on their way to meet Twilight and the rest for lunch. When he finally came out, he was exhausted and actually walked into the door before he opened it and joined her.

"Sorry to make you wait so long. Rarity is doing great by the way. She's almost completely recovered, they're just waiting for her to wake up."

She smiled sweetly at the white drakos. "Wonderful, I'm sure the girls will love to hear that. How was your lecture?"

"Tiring, somepony took offense when I compared drakos and ponies anatomically, but the rest was fine. Most of the doctors had a blast. Unfortunately, we all had a lot of practice treating drakos last night. It seemed a few ponies got it in their head to terrorize the drakos who just moved here. It got bad, then a couple drakos fought back and tore up a few ponies. Ugh, so depressing, let's not talk about work."

Fluttershy was pale as she nodded. "So, any cute ponies like you hopped?"

White Spine whined. "Yeah, and we hit it off great. I had hope till his fiancée showed up."

"Sorry to hear that. Maybe the next one will be open for you."

"Thanks but I have a feeling I'm going to be an old cat guy. Just me and all my cats, no sex around."

Fluttershy blushed deeply. "Um, let's talk about something else."

White Spine had an evil smirk as he bumped her. "Aww, I had forgotten how that word made you blush. Have you ever done it though? It's quite fun."

"Oh no. I'm not like that, I don't just sleep with anypony. I want it to be with the one I love, and only them."

"How sweet, a virgin on your wedding day. That's romantic, to late for me, but still romantic."

Fluttershy looked away, a pained expression. "Yeah, virgin."

White stopped and stood in front of her. He chased her eyes until they met his. "You're not, are you. You ok?"

"Yeah, it's just a bad memory."

"Rape?"

She shook her head furiously. "Oh no, nothing like that. We were dating back in school, it was graduation. We were at his house, his parents were gone. We kissed, and well, you know."

"Did you want it?"

She just stared at the ground for a moment before she shook her head. A tear fell to the ground.

Spine covered his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut. He reached out and squeezed her into a hug. "I'm sorry, I'm an ass for bringing it up. Whatever the case though, I'm here for you, I'm here."

Fluttershy sobbed hard into his shoulder, releasing years of sorrow.

They sat in the road like that for a long time, a friend comforting another.




Twilight sat quietly in a tea shop, a pile of books on the table. She took a sip of her tea and looked at the steaming cup on the other side of the table. The bell on the door rang and she smiled as Red Claw entered the shop. He waved and smiled at her, a twinkle in his eyes. "Princess. A pleasure as always to see you."

"Please, my friends call me Twilight, and you are a dear friend of mine. Sit, I ordered for you."

He sat across from her and sipped his tea. Bliss in his face. "Mm, just the right amount of honey and milk. Thank you."

She put a hoof to her chest and looked haughty. "I am the princess of friendship. I take pride in knowing my friends."

"You know that's not why you are the princess of friendship."

"Oh, do elaborate."

"You care. About your subjects, about your enemies, and especially your friends. No matter what."

A sad look came across her face. "How can you tell?"

"You are having tea with a grizzly old war veteran drakos who desperately needs a friend and teacher, when you could be learning."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you. I got you those books you were interested in. I figured it would be best, the librarian said you were starting to stink her library up with your sweaty self in the mornings." She giggled and looked up at him.

He smiled sadly. "Thank, but that was not the reason. She is a dear, but not all of the occupants of the library feel I deserve to be there. Tell her thank you for me, and thank you as well."

Twilight lowered her head and sighed. "I'm sorry. It must be hard for all if you here. Prejudice still consumes most ponies, and apparently the dragons too. How do you stand it?"

"The Shadow Tome says to embrace the fear for it shows your strength and their weakness. With it so, conquest and rule becomes indomitable. I chose to follow another source for guidance though."

"That would be?"

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."

Twilight cocked her head sideways as she listened inquisitively.

"A pony long ago had spoken out against hatred, he was unfavorable in his time, even assassinated for what he had done. Because he stood up though, Equestria is what it is today. Pony philosophy of love and friendship has become my guidance. That my friend is also why I fight for his Majesty. Not because he is the rightful king, but because I believe in him and he is a good king."

Twilight looked solemnly into her tea. "Do you agree with this Ragnarok?"

"Yes, I was the one to offer the choice to the duke. It was from there we addressed the other drakos to put it through."

She looked up in shock and saw his dark, stoic face. "But why!? It goes against everything you just said?"

He sadly shook his head. "No, it doesn't. It is not out of hate I choose this, but love. Love of your species and mine. It shows that we are still warriors, no force can or will stop us. You can either be a friend who we defend to our last breath, or an enemy who will fall."

Twilight slammed her hoof into the table. "That's too excessive! You are talking about kids killing kids! No mercy! Starvation on both sides! How is that in anyway okay?!"

"War is inevitable for us. We will go to war with the dragons, no its ands or buts. The drakos as a whole, me included are just hopping to scare them into leaving ponies alone."

Twilight began to cry, but before she could respond, an explosion and jets of flames erupted from around the castle.