The Last Healing Dragon

by Gearsmash King

Chapter 17: Thousand Year Reunion

"Can this night get any better?" Lazarus asked himself as he flew above some clouds.

It was a cool night, with only the faintest of sounds. From where he was, Lazarus was close enough to the ground to hear trouble, but high enough to not disturb any sleeping animals. However, tonight was one of the few nights where danger was nowhere to be found. Slowly, his eyes lifted from the ground and looked to moon. Bathed in moonlight, Lazarus felt at peace, because it reminded him of himself when he was the biggest light amongst others. It also made him feel empty inside. However, that was for two reasons. The first was because he believed that when he had lead the Healing Dragons to safety, he lead them to their end. And so, he partially blamed himself and lived with regret. The second reason was because he once watched someone that he cared about turn into a monster and be sent there.

"Hello, Lazarus." A voice greeted, breaking the silence.

Lazarus snapped out of his thoughts and dove for the forest. He gently landed in a big clearing and scanned the area, looking for whoever spoke his name.

"'tis been a long time." The voice said, making Lazarus cautiously moved forward.

"Yes." The dragon replied, suddenly recognizing the voice, "But I thought you were more open to conversation than hiding. Or are you playing a game?"

"Why not make it a game?"

"Alright, but you know I'll win."

"We shall see."

Lazarus relaxed and listened carefully for anything that might give him a clue as to where to go.

Rustle, rustle!

He heard the sound of something moving behind some bushes and crept forward.

Sniff! Sniff!

"No cheating." The voice chimed in a sing-song manner.

"You never said the rules, so I'm technically not cheating." Lazarus chuckled.

Rustle!

Almost as quiet and as slow as a turtle, Lazarus crept towards the bush. Then he changed directions and walked along the treeline.

"Giving up so soon?" The voice playfully mocked, "Aw. I was just beginning to have fun. Guess I win."

"Not quite."

Looking at a different shrub, Lazarus used his tail to reach into the bush from before and captured his unsuspecting opponent.

"AAAHHH!!!" The voice cried, "Snake!"

Feeling his tail wrap around something, Lazarus gently tugged.

"Get it off! Get it off!" A startled Princess Luna shrieked as she was pulled from her hiding place.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Lazarus laughed, holding her as she began to relax, "You should have seen yourself! Hahahaha!"

"That is not amusing, Lazarus!"

"Oh, come on, even you have to laugh at that."

"No! 'twas not amusing a thousand years ago and 'tis still not amusing now!"

"A thousand years and you still talk like that? Come on, you can give it up now. If memory serves me correctly, wasn't it you who spoke so unprofessionally and laughed at the simplest things?"

"That was a long time ago. I have matured since then."

"Oh, really? Then you won't laugh if I do this?"

The tip of his tail went under her wing and began assaulting her side gently. The Princess of the Night wriggled and twisted as the dragon lightly tickled her. Luna did her best to keep a straight, formal expression, but it was a losing battle. Shortly after, tears began to form in her eyes and a stifled smile appeared on her muzzle.

"Hmhmhm." She giggled, which escaladed quickly, "Hehehehe! Hahahahahaha! Alright, you win! You win! Just stop, before I hurt myself! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Lazarus stopped his assault and set her on the ground.

"A thousand years and your laugh still brings a light to my heart." The dragon smiled as his eyes faded to blue and lowered his head.

"It's so good to see you again, my old friend." Luna chimed, running a hoof along his snout and speaking casually.

There were some secrets that Lazarus kept locked away in his mind. They were too valuable to just dismiss and make jewels out of them. One such secret, both him and Luna had actually known each other, long before the banishment of Nightmare Moon. Granted, his family was a very valuable memory, but they were no secret. The only reason that this was a secret, was because Luna had asked Lazarus to keep it a secret.

At the time, she believed that if anyone found out about Lazarus, they would either be frightened by him or she would be humiliated by her sister and subjects. However, Lazarus was sometimes the only one that Luna could talk to. There were times that she wanted to tell Celestia about him, but her fears and suspicions would get the better of her. Plus, it felt nice to have a friend that had shadows hiding in their mind. The difference was, Lazarus managed to keep his shadows under control, while Luna's consumed her. And that was something that Luna regretted. Of course, Luna managed to forgive herself, after she helped defeat the Tantibos.

"It's good to see you too." Lazarus smiled as Luna hugged his snout, "I've missed you."

Luna released her hold and smiled back at him.

"How have you been?" She asked, "I'm sure after a thousand years, you've had some adventures."

"Actually, no." Lazarus sighed, remembering some of the past, "After...what happened to you, I retreated into the forest and hid myself."

Luna cocked her head as confusion entered her mind.

"Why? What happened, wasn't your fault."

"No, it wasn't. But I should've sensed the change in you when your spirit was replaced with something else. It was a hard thing to do, staying away and watching you from afar. It was an even harder thing to do when you turned into that..."

"Monster?"

Lazarus closed his eyes and turned his head away from Luna, trying to avoid the pain the word carried.

"Ironic, isn't it?" He rumbled lightly, "A monster trying to avoid the term 'monster' from someone who doesn't deserve such a title."

"You are no monster, Lazarus." Luna countered, "I looked into Princess Twilight's dreams and saw you playing with some foals, who didn't seem afraid of you. She's also how I managed to find out that you were still about and well."

"Funny, I would've thought your sister might've mentioned me."

"She did say something about meeting a dragon recently, but I never would've realized that it was you that she was talking about."

Lazarus opened his eyes again and looked back at her.

"What else did she say?" He asked, "About me, I mean."

"Well, she mentioned that she met you before," Luna replied, "but she never said when. Why?"

Lazarus rose to his normal stance and looked down at her, before going into thought. After a while, Lazarus smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll tell you what." He beamed, "Let's play a game. If I win, you have to tell Celestia the truth about us."

"I can't do that!" Luna exclaimed, "What if she loses trust in me?"

"She won't, because I'll be right there with you. I'll help you explain everything, as long as you remain truthful. Plus, it's something that can't stay hidden forever."

Luna paused and thought for a moment. She still feared what might happen if it was revealed that she was friends with a dragon. However, since Lazarus had made himself known in Ponyville, it was only a matter of time until all of Equestria knew about him.

"Alright." Luna grinned, after a while, "But if I win, then you have to tell me about one of your best moments, while I was gone."

"Are you sure? Some things are harder to believe than others."

"True. But I know that you have the ability to prove such things. For example, your memory gems."

Lazarus could see that it was a fair arrangement. But felt hesitant in sharing possible life-changing information.

"Very well, Luna." The dragon agreed, "Let's play, Shadow Dance. I'm sure you remember how to play."

"Remember?" Luna beamed excitedly at him, "How could I forget? It used to be my favorite game!"

"First one to my cave, wins."

"I'll see you there."

And with that, Luna shot into the darkened forest, followed by Lazarus. Shadow Dance was a game that they both invented and enjoyed. The point of the game was to move from one shadow to another until someone reached the end, which was whatever their destination happened to be. However, whenever someone had to jump between shadows, they would have to spin or roll, in order to make it count. Otherwise, they would have to go back to the previous shadow and try again.

It was a fun game, because it amused them whenever the other would make a mistake. For Lazarus, it was difficult because of his size. So, to fix that problem, he would stay in the shadows of larger trees. Luna, also, had a flaw. Since she could go faster than Lazarus, she would sometimes be going faster than she could react to her own movements. She fixed that problem by planning her next movement long before she made it. However, she would still make a mistake, but it was still fun to try.

Quickly, the two of them raced through the forest. They weren't far way from Lazarus' cave, but it was far enough to make it an interesting game. After a while, Luna reached the mouth of the cave and cheered victoriously.

"Ha, ha! Victory is mine!" She said as she pranced in circles.

Lazarus emerged from the forest and smiled at her.

"Alright, alright." Lazarus murmured, "Let's go inside and I'll make you some black leaf tea. If memory serves me correctly, that was your favorite whenever you came to visit me."

Luna smiled at him and entered the cave. Lazarus looked over the forest once more, before entering the cave as well. As they walked along, Luna's horn lit up and illuminated the cave's corridor. Above them, she saw a small figure hanging from the ceiling. Upon focusing on what it was, she realized that it was a small bat, barely a few weeks old. The bat stared down at her as they passed by it.

"I don't remember you having bats in your cave, Lazarus." The princess whispered, trying not to disturb any other bats, if they were around.

"Actually," Lazarus explained, "They're relatively new, same as the crows you might see around the forest. They help me by keeping watch on certain parts of the forest, whenever I'm somewhere else in the Everfree. And as a way of showing my gratitude, I let them live here. The crows, however, wished to stay in the trees."

"So, you've kept busy?"

"Yes. Someone's got to keep this forest safe from danger and make sure that no one gets hurt if they get lost."

They entered the jewel chamber and Luna made herself comfortable on a sturdy rock shelf. Lazarus made a blue fire and used his magic to create a crystal teapot and a cup. The end of his tail was small enough to pick up pony-sized objects, so he used it to take the teapot and fill it with water, from the shimmering pool. Next to the wall, was a black bush with some moist leaves growing on it. Using only the tips of his claws, Lazarus cut five leaves off and put them into the pot, before bringing the teapot over the fire.

As he made the tea, Luna marveled at how well he managed to be gentle, considering his large form. After a moment of waiting, the water in the pot bubbled lightly and Lazarus poured it into the cup. Luna used her magic to take hold of the cup and bring it to her lips.

"Mmmm." Luna moaned in satisfaction, "Just as I remember it. Perfect."

Lazarus smiled as he watched her drink the warm and sweet beverage.

"Not bad, for a dragon who's over six thousand years old." He beamed.

Luna finished her drink and looked around at the memory jewels. Lazarus knew that she was selecting her prize for winning. The only one that Lazarus didn't what her to see was...

"That one." Luna said, pointing at a memory that contained Celestia, "I choose that one."

Lazarus looked at the jewel in question and felt his heart skip a beat. It was the same memory that he had shown Fluttershy only a few days ago. The only memory that held Celestia's image in it. And the one memory that might break Luna's heart.

"Er... Why not pick a different one?" Lazarus countered, "Maybe, there's something else you want to see."

"No." Luna said, "That memoey shows my sister. Which means, you've met her before. I personally believe that this is what she was talking about. And I want to know how you two met."

Lazarus winced, before sighing in defeat and grabbing the jewel. His eyes faded to white as he rolled the jewel in his claws.

"Before I show you this, Luna." Lazarus said, looking back at her, "There is something you should know."

Luna stood up and looked at her oldest friend. Something about his expression told her that something wasn't right.

"After I lost my family," Lazarus began, "I always thought I'd never have a family ever again. I feared that happiness was taken away from me forever and that I'd live for nothing. Until, I met you."

"What are friends for?"

"Exactly, but whenever I look at you or Celestia, I don't see you as my friends."

Luna took a step back and bumped into the wall. She braced herself for something that might be heartbreaking. However, the next thing Lazarus said, nearly made her jump off the shelf and onto his head.

"Instead, I see you as my daughters."

A still silence filled the chamber as Luna stared at Lazarus with wide eyes. It certainly wasn't what she was expecting to hear, but she could see how he managed to feel that way.

"When you were changing into Nightmare Moon, I felt like I had failed you and your sister. All because I wasn't around as much as I should've, when you needed me."

Lazarus turned towards the pool and looked at his reflection. Luna flew off of her shelf and landed next to him, before wrapping her front hooves around his free arm.

"It wasn't your fault, Lazarus." Luna stifled, "I let my jealousy get the better of me and turned into that...thing."

"Even so," Lazarus continued, "after you were sent to the moon, I was willing to risk my life in order to save Celestia."

Luna released her hold and looked up at him with worried eyes.

"S-save her from what?"

"From this."

Lazarus tossed the jewel into the water and watched it transform. As the memory played, he watched Luna's reaction. When it reached the point where Celestia had collapsed on the ground, Luna broke down into tears. Instinctively, Lazarus wrapped his tail around the dark alicorn and held her tenderly. After a moment, Luna looked back at the memory, in time to see that Lazarus was telling Celestia about what could happen if she didn't return to the land of the living. As it continued, Luna's tears slowed as she watched the memory change from a starry plain to a broken castle and saw life return to her sister.

The memory faded away after they saw Lazarus' vision blur and crash to the ground.

"You were running to stop her from banishing me, weren't you." Luna sniffed as Lazarus reached into the water and retrieved the jewel.

"No." Lazarus replied, "I was running, because I believed that if I intervened, you two might've found a better solution."

"Why didn't you fly?"

"Because part of me knew what was going to happen and chose to stay under the trees. That part of me wanted you to be punished for what you did."

Luna's expression changed to shock as the words entered her mind.

"After that, I couldn't bring myself to look at the moon the same way I used to." The dragon sighed as a single tear rolled down his face, "Can you forgive me for not being there when you needed me?"

Luna released herself from his tail and flew up to the top of his head and landed on him. Laying comfortably, Luna planted a kiss on his head and used her magic to wipe away the tear.

"I forgive you." She smiled, "And do you want to hear something intriguing?"

"What?"

"I love you as much as any daughter would love her father."

"I love you too, Luna."

With that, the pair of them shared a moment of silent embrace. Until Lazarus looked to the entrance of his cave and saw sunlight shining off the wall.

"Alright." Lazarus said, "Let's get you home. I'll take you there."

"But aren't you afraid of being spotted?"

"No, I'm sure that some ponies in Ponyville probably started spreading word about me. If not, then I have you to help keep them calm. Besides, you look too tired to fly all the way to... What's the name?"

"Canterlot."

"Thank you. Now, hang on."

Lazarus lifted himself off the cave floor and ascended into the air, before surging forward and out of the cave. He adjusted his course and sailed through the morning light towards Canterlot.

Author's Note:

Before you ask, no, this is not meant to be a romantic setting. My aim here was to show the bond between two very good friends. This chapter took some thinking but I believe I managed to pull it together nicely.

Comments

[Gearsmash King]

7252780 You didn't watch the episode "Bats!" in season 4, did you? They do have flashlights in Equestria.

[Radioactive Dragon]

7253042 Oh

[Radioactive Dragon]

7253350 Somebody already told me