The lavender mare could only watch in shock as her friend, the one whom she would die for, leapt forward and sank his claws into her neck. The pain only lasted a moment. A second later a brilliant cerulean light sent the creature flying back, where it landed in the sand with a heavy thud. The wounds stung, but thankfully they weren’t too deep, but the mare could already feel the blood pooling itself around the wounds and making its way down her long neck, staining her lavender coat a deep shade of purple. She watched in horror as her friend struggled once more to his feet and charged at her again before being caught in a blue aura by the alicorn.
The unicorn called out the drake’s name, but the wild creature was oblivious to her calls. Did he not recognize her? Did he know it was all her fault? The animal struggled against his bonds, but could not loosen them.
“What!? Afraid I might hurt you? You tyrant! Go on! Torture me again and strip me once more of my freedom!”
The lavender mare averted her gaze and looked over to the alicorn who looked terrified of what she saw, as though she were reliving a nightmare for a second time. Her normally regal posture and proud stance had been overshadowed with the cowering stance like that of a young filly. Turning back to the enraged creature, the mare opened her mouth and was about to try to plead with it, but was interrupted by its shouts.
“What? You brought a friend this time? Am I not enough for you?! Why can't I be all that you need? Do you really think so little of me? You simply can’t allow me to have me freedom? Is that it? Is it really too much to ask for? To accompany you? Clearly you want me dead, so why won’t you just let me die already?”
The drake regarded the two monstrous figures before him as they looked at one another once more in confusion -- no, not in confusion! They laughed at him! Mocked him! Thought him a child!? The first figure, the once which now bled from his attack took a step towards him and he attempted to lash out and bite the creature. The drake had missed, but the monster kept its distance from him now. Why were they just staring? Get it over with already! Why did it look at him with such pitiful eyes? It’s red, no -- lavender eyes continued to stare down at him. They were familiar to him, but they weren’t the eyes of his oppressor… No, these were from long ago… Foreign, yet familiar…
The being said something. A word. Again. And then there it was again! He tried to listen to the words it spoke, but they were drowned out by the deafening silence that surrounded their haven. The dragon looked closer, and saw tears falling from the lavender eyes of the mare. She spoke that word over and over again. He felt anger within him, and knew that she was to blame, and yet… There was something else. A reason not for hate. But for change? For forgiveness? Love?
“Spike.”
He heard the word this time, truly heard it. Not just from his ears, but from his soul. His friend. Friend! The dragon felt the magical bonds loosen from around him as he rushed forward to embrace the lavender mare. Tears were in their eyes as the storm around them subsided, and the air became clear. The clouds faded away revealing a brilliant blue sky, and a golden sun which radiated down upon them. Joy flooded his heart as grass grew from around their feet, birds began to sing their joyous songs and-
Silence. The silent roar echoed throughout the valley, bringing the two friends out of one another’s embrace. The entire air was thick and the smell of ozone permeated the air as a great cloud came charging from far away. A terrifying, dark, ominous cloud that tore across the sky, opening a deep gaping wound across the land as it bared down upon them and screeched out the dragon’s name. The trio all froze as the towering smoke rose higher and taller, filling every last spot of the open sky.
Then, came the eyes. Two serpentine green eyes with red irises opened, blanketing the sky and bathing the land in their sickly green glow as they leered down upon them. A purple mist rose up from the eyes as it came together in order to reveal a towering blood-red horn that curved up though the sky like a sword ready to come down and slice the three all in one blow. Finally, a wicked gray face emerged from the clouds as the dark lord’s pointed grin opened up and let out a hollow and mocking laugh that sounded more like wind running through the limp branches of a dead tree than a sound of joy.
“You. Miserable. Insect!”
The drake cowered at the voice, taking cover behind his two friends. As the booming voice continued:
“You consider these pathetic fools your friends? A mare, who raised you since your hatching only to have you act as her slave? To do her chores and and cooking while she has adventures with her friends? Leaving you behind, while she goes off to become a hero? While you do what? Shine dishes and organize books?”
The drake tried to cover his ears against the voice, but could do nothing, already feeling the icy grip of his words sting at his heart.
“And this naïve alicorn, that thinks she can master the true power of an emperor? A god? That is so afraid of her subjects that she hides knowledge from them? Steals their privacy and meddles in other ponies affairs? That decides who may live and who may die?”
The dragon clawed at his scaly ears, trying to pry them off, anything to stop the horrible to block out the sound of that horrible monsters words… But he had a point. Were these two ponies really the drake’s friends? Ponies that stood by and mocked him while he was left to rot in a small library, spending every waking day performing menial house chores?
“Ask yourself. Do these ponies honestly care for you? You saw them, they barely even batted an eye at the idea of you dying. Their only reason for coming here was to save themselves, not you. Surely you must realize this…”
The dragon hated the words, was revolted by the words, and yet they rang true in his heart. These ponies cared nothing for him… Would replace him in an instant if they could. The dead laugh of the king rang out across the landscape as a bolt of lightning shot out from his horn throwing the alicorn back into a nearby dune. Unmoving. Then came a second one which send the lavender mare back into the hole from which he had come. From where he had been free. Before she ruined everything!
The king descended from the sky and trotted up to the young dragon. His devilish grin smiling as victory was his. The drake moved towards the shallow pit where the pony he thought was his friend lay dying. Splinters ran through her legs, and blood was slowly pooling out from her mouth as it was expelled from within her pierced lungs. She looked up weakly, pleadingly at the drake, begging him not to do it. How pathetic.
This pony and her friends had used the drake. Made him think that he was one of them. That he had… a family. Had shown him that somebody did care about him. All of them… They had shown him friendship no matter what happened no matter what he did… and now… this? Betrayal? After all of that he was throwing it away? Based on the words of the sadistic monster that had tortured him for months? No… no this was not how it should be. It was an injustice that needed to be avenged.
The dragon leapt forward, plunging his teeth into the ponies neck. Felt the fur and muscle in his mouth as he bit with all of his strength. The dragon used its claws to slash at the face of the pony. He felt hooves weakly push against him, attempting to pry him from his victim’s neck, but he just bit harder, and harder. Never letting go…
The old tyrant collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood. The old king’s chest slowly rose and fell one final time as he died for the last time. The air around the drake was quiet, but not silent. A familiar hum had returned to the air. The hum of creatures singing, rejoicing, laughing, crying, yelling, cheering, and dying… But more importantly, living.
The peaceful meadows faded into blackness around the trio and they found themselves awaking in the hospital. The young drake lifted his head and awoke to the sounds of activity resonating through the air. The lavender mare rushed to his side, embracing him, there eyes wet and warm as they cried in relief. They were soon joined by their friends who echoed their emotions, and together the seven friends rejoiced and reveled in the beautiful sounds of life which crescendoed throughout the land.