A Dragon's Heart

by Derpyx0

Chapter 5

"So...This is The Migration Gathering." Twilight said as we looked over the volcano's top. Over the years, this volcano's lava had hardened at the surface, leaving a thick shell of obsidian on the top. A few places had holes that led to some not-so-hardened lava beneath it, casting off a red glow on the surface. The obsidian surface was huge, covering the whole top, and multi-colored dragons covered the rim and top. "Now, are you ready?" I asked Twilight. She nodded, and we glided down to the fray of dragons. Almost immediately after we touched down, a few dragons noticed me, and one ran my way. "Hey Igneous!" I groaned. "Hey Sunburn..." I said roughly. Sunburn was a tan dragon with amber eyes and the most annoying personality to walk the planet. "What are you doing here? I thought you said you hated company." He asked, tilting his head. "I said I hated your company..." I muttered quietly.

"What was that?" He asked. "Nothing!" I said quickly, changing the subject. "Do you know where Scout is? I only came here to see him." Sunburn smiled and said, "Yeah! Right over there!" He pointed with a claw towards an older light brown dragon with a spiny back and brown eyes. "Thanks." I said, signaling Twilight to follow me. We walked up to Scout getting a few uneasy glances from other dragons. I had earned my reputation with fear, not kindness, so it was normal for other dragons to feel uncomfortable around me. When we finally reached Scout, he turned our direction and noticed Twilight beside me. "Who's this?" He asked with a smile. I hoped he wouldn't see through her disguise, so I quickly came up with an answer. "Um, this is my cousin, coming to visit...her name is Twilight." "Of what?" Scout asked, examining Twilight.

"Hmm?"

"What power does she have?"

"Oh! Um...she's Twilight of...the swirling skies."

Scout looked back into my eyes, finally acknowledging my existence. "So, what brings you here?" He asked politely. "Well... I actually came here looking for you." I replied, ready for a gasp from anyone who had been listening. It's not often that I actually look for someone. But Scout was not surprised. "What for?" He asked. "Twilight wanted to know....not me, of course..where any ponies are located?" Now this got a gasp from some people, fortunately it didn't drag the eyes of the whole pack. "Don't worry...she's not going to befriend them...it's just for some hunting training." Scout nodded at this and the tension in the air subsided. "Alright, a few days ago, I saw a small group of ponies on the Trail of Mist, heading up the mountain." He took a raggedy breath before continuing. "There was an orange one, a white one, a pink, a yellow one, and a light blue one with a rainbow mane. But they look tough, I don't think your cousin could handle them if it's her first time."

"Thanks, now I think it's time to leave." Before I could take off, I heard an all-too-familiar voice. "Igneous!!" I looked behind me to see a black dragon with piercing purple eyes blundering straight towards me. "Time's up! It's time to pay." He boomed, his black scales rippling under his muscles. This was Nightmare of the Sudden Death, the only dragon I was almost afraid of....almost. Long ago, Nightmare and I had fought over who was the rightful ruler of this pack of dragons. He had won, and I stopped interacting with other dragons, I was preparing my skills for a rematch. When he had won, he made sure I paid for doubting his rulership, every gathering he would demand half of my gold hoard, which is why I placed my gold furthest away from the entrance, and why I didn't attend gatherings. Now he was here, his breath in my face. Maybe they should've named him Nightmare of Rancid Breath... I thought, snickering at my own joke. "Well?" Nightmare said, his patience growing smaller.

"Fine... send someone to collect it, then we'll see." I took off, Twilight catching up behind me. Before we were out of earshot, Nightmare yelled, "You can never avoid your mistake!"