Rising from the Ashes

by Doctoroctagonapus21

Chapter 1: More Introductions

Sparky felt strange as he looked around in a field of colorful flowers, he tried walking but his right hoof wouldn't move.

"Whatever." He thought. "I have all I need right in front of me"

He bent his neck and started chewing on a couple tulips and a daisy. Things seemed calm when all of a sudden he heard a mighty roar in the distance. He swallowed his food and quicklt turned around and saw a terrifying dragon flapping it's obsidian black wings, flying toward him at top speed. He tried to run but his hoof was stuck. He stuggled as the dragon flew closer and closer. The field started disappearing, turning into nothing but emptiness as the dragon closed in on him with its glowing red eyes and razor sharp claws. He tried to scream but he couldn't make so much as a peep. All of a sudden, the dragon froze in place as if time had stopped. The red eyes blazing, sharp fangs ready to tear him to shreds just stood there frozen in time. A strange sound could be heard cutting through the darkness, bringing light to combat the shadow of this horrid sensation. It sounded like a violin or a cello. Whatever it was, it sounded absolutely beautiful. At his feet, a white and blue rose sprouted and grew... then he woke up.

It was the middle of the night, and the moon was full and shining through the windows. A dream... it was all a dream... and yet here he was in the house of that kind young pony, Melody. The one who took him in, a total stranger, when he had nowhere else to go. "Wait... that sound..." he thought to himself. He could still hear the instrument playing, and likely played by a sweet, soulful Melody. Sparky closed his eyes as he listened to the song and drifted to sleep, the image of the field returning but with no dragon in sight...

When Sparky next woke up he saw Melody at the stove heating up what was probably leftover stew from last night and humming. He yawned and her head turned in order for her gentle eyes to meet his gaze, her white coat shining like an angel's in the morning light.

"Good morning sleepyhead." she said.

"Hi, Melody." he replied.

"Sleep well?"

"I had this crazy dream last night." he said, rubbing his eyes.

"By chance, did it involve a big scary dragon?"

"How did you know?"

"You kept mumbling about a dragon in your sleep when we tried to bandage up your hoof."

Sparky looked at his right hoof it was covered in bandages as she had said. "Oh, that explains that. Well, anyway, then it just stopped like it was frozen or something and I heard an instrument playing... It was a pretty song."

Melody put some stew in a bowl and set it on the table in front of him. "Thank you." Sparky said. He sipped a bit of the stew when all of a sudden a pink earth pony with a green mane popped her head out of the bowl and said, "Hi!"

Sparky spit out the stew in his mouth and fell backwards, freaked out by the reality defying pony bathing in his stew. He pointed a shaky hoof and stammered "W-w-who- how did- but- what- what's going on?!"

Melody walked up to the bowl and said, "This is Flora. She's pretty... energetic. She's also the one who put your bandages on."

"You're welcome! And don't worry. That mean old dragon's gone now." Flora said wiht a giggle. "Seriously though, it's okay for you to walk around on that leg. The injury wasn't too bad.

"How... how are you sitting in that bowl?" Sparky asked.

"I dunno. It just kinda happens... Oh! Speaking of dragons..."

"Yes, I was just thinking about that myself." Melody replied.

"What?" Sparky asked.

"We need to introduce you to our village elder. He's a dragon, but he's nice and doesn't eat ponies." Flora explained.

"Okay, let's go then." Sparky said.

Melody and Flora led Sparky throught the village, the grass glowing with sunlight reflected of the dew, light filtering through the trees, the sky blue without a single cloud. The led him to the cliff in the back of the village and walked through an opening just big enough for a pony to go through. When he made it through Sparky couldn't believe his eyes: gems as far as the eye could see. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds, to name a few.

"Wow! Look at all these! He must be a big eater." Sparky exclaimed.

"Actually he's pretty small compared to most dragons his age... I think." Melody replied. "I've never seen an actual dragon besides him but I've heard they're supposed to get pretty big."

"Don't take any gems though. He'll know. He has eyes all over the caves... watching..." Flora warned him.

Eventually they came across a set of stone steps leading to the top of the cliff. They climbed slowly and Sparky started getting nervous. He had never met a dragon before, and despite what these two had said, he still wasn't too sure. After reaching the top, Sparky looked around and noticed that he could see the city from where he was standing. More scanning and he saw a big black dragon with white skin looking out over the forest behind. He turned and started walking slowly towards the trio of ponies. When he got close enough that Sparky could see his eyes, he thought about running but something about the dragon's blue eyes was comforting.

"Hello Flora, Melody. I see we have a new friend."

"Yes, sir." Melody and Flora said simultaneously.

"My name is Percival. What is your name, little one?" he said, addressing Sparky.

"Uh, Sparky, sir."

"Sparky. Cute name." he said with a chuckle. He was an odd dragon to be sure. For starters, he couldn't have been more than nine feet tall, but he was still pretty big.
"Sir, may I ask you something? How old are you?" Sparky asked.

"It's been so long I must have lost count... Let's see... I'd say about some sixteen-thousand years. I grew up during the reign of an evil chimera named Discord. But that's a story for another time. Welcome to our village, Sparky. Please make yourself at home."