The Last Healing Dragon

by Gearsmash King

Chapter 21: Old Wounds

Knock, knock, knock!

Fluttershy awoke to the sound of somepony knocking on her front door. Opening her eyes and looking over at her mantle, where a clock sat, she saw that it was six o'clock in the morning. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, Fluttershy rolled out of bed and stretched her wings as far as they would reach.

It had been a few days since Fluttershy and her friends took the gems to the mines. All of them were very relieved when Applejack and Starlight emerged from the abyss, standing on the platform. However, they were curious about the four gems that Starlight had been holding in her magic. When they asked what they were, Starlight told them that she wanted Lazarus to see them as well. But when Spike burped out green flames and a message from Celestia, they learned that Lazarus had made himself known in Canterlot. So, they decided that the gems could wait until another time.

Knock, knock!

Another knock echoed through her cottage, making her groan and roll her eyes.

"Now, who would be at my door, this early in the morning?" Fluttershy grumbled as she left her room and went downstairs.

Reaching the door, Fluttershy pulled it open and saw Applejack looking somewhat suspicious.

"Good morning, Applejack." Fluttershy yawned, "Do you need something?"

"Yeah." Applejack replied, "Could ya get Lazarus?"

Fluttershy cocked her head and looked at her friend in confusion.

"Why?" She asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Well, no." Applejack said, "But there are some... questions that we believe he might be able to answer."

"We?"

Applejack could tell that Fluttershy wanted an explanation, but she wanted all of their friends to know at the same time.

"Just get Lazarus, please." She said, "I'll round up everypony else."

Fluttershy nodded hesitantly, before Applejack tipped her hat and left to gather their friends.

The morning sunrise glowed above the trees as Fluttershy approached the Everfree Forest. Looking from one tree to the next, she spotted one of the crows that she had met before. It stared at her as she stepped closer to it's tree.

"Good morning." Fluttershy greeted.

Caw!

"Um, has Lazarus come back yet?"

Caw, caw!

"Oh good, because we want to see him again."

Caw?

"I'm not sure why. My friend said that there were some questions that need answers and she thinks Lazarus might be able to answer them."

The crow shrugged and turned towards the forest.

Caw, caw, caw!

The crow called out and several more responded. The sound of crows communicating with each other, echoed through the dense forest. After a while, Fluttershy could see something large moving through the trees. The sun rays shined through the branches, much like yellow ribbons being draped in the forest.

Fluttershy watched as Lazarus was washed in streams of light. The morning sun made him look grander than he had the last time Fluttershy saw him walking through the Everfree.

"That's a very good look for him." Fluttershy mumbled to herself as she watched.

He approached her and smiled.

"Good morning, my little friend." Lazarus greeted, "You wish to see me?"

"Yes." Fluttershy replied, "Applejack was saying something about you."

"Really? What kind of something?"

"She said that you might be able to answer some questions. But I'm not sure what kind of questions."

Shortly after, Applejack returned to the cottage with their friends in tow. Starlight, wearing a set of saddlebags, followed behind her, with the gems wrapped in her magic.

"Good morning, my friends." The dragon said, looking behind Fluttershy.

Everyone, except Applejack and Starlight, waved and smiled back at Lazarus in response. They were still unaware of why they had been called together.

"Lazarus?" Starlight asked, floating one of the gems up to him, "Did you know a dragon named, Korg?"

The dragon's eyes widened upon hearing that name. It was a name that he hadn't heard in over six thousand years, but it was a name that he knew well.

"W-what did you just say?" Lazarus asked, staring at the unicorn in bewilderment.

Starlight stared back at him, as did everyone else. The gem that she had floated up to him, hovered in just in front of his snout.

"When Applejack and I hid the Crimson Fury and Poisoned Mind gems in an old mine," Starlight explained, "we found a chamber that almost resembled your cave. We even found six memory gems in it. We watched two of them and heard your name from the host, in his final moments."

Lazarus' focus changed from Starlight to the gem that floated before him.

"Did the memory show how he died?" Lazarus asked, reaching and grasping the gem in his claws.

Starlight looked back at Applejack and frowned.

"Is that really something you want to know, Lazarus?" Starlight asked, turning back to face him, "It's not very good."

"No." Lazarus replied, "But there are many things in this world that aren't good. And I've lived long enough to see and hear almost everything."

Then Applejack stepped forward and took off her hat, before hanging her head.

"It did show how he died." She sighed, lifting her head and looking into the dragons eyes, "But the way it happened, might be upsettin'."

"Just say it, then." Lazarus rumbled, becoming a little impatient, "I'm sure you won't cause anymore damage than what's already been done."

A worried look appeared on Applejack's face as she held her hat against her chest.

"It was that Dragon Lord." She said, sounding very regretful in telling Lazarus about what happened, "He used his claws and stabbed Korg in the chest. We watched as he bled out. But before the memory ended, he said somethin' about wantin' to see his king again."

"Did he say the king's name?" Lazarus asked, rolling the gem in his claws.

"Yeah. But I think ya already know, your Majesty."

Lazarus stopped rolling the gem and stared at the farm pony. Everyone else, except Starlight, was just as surprised.

"What did you call me?"

"That's who ya used to be, right? 'King' Lazarus?"

The dragon lowered his head down to their level and stared at her as his eyes faded to orange. After six thousand years, Lazarus believed that his former title had been long forgotten. But when Applejack addressed him as "King," everything that he thought he had lost to time and history came rushing back to him like a flood.

"There is no 'King' Lazarus." He said, lowering the rest of his body on the ground, "He died in the battle of Blood River Valley and 'Guardian' Lazarus was created."

"Created?" Twilight asked, tilting her head in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"

Lazarus closed his eyes and pondered, before holding out his free claws and presenting a green memory gem.

"This will explain." He said, opening his eyes and revealing a tear.

Feeling hesitant, Twilight took the gem and brought it to Fluttershy's pond, before dropping it into the water.

---

"Today, my fellow Healing Dragons," Lazarus called out as several dragons surrounded him, "we have a choice to make. Recently, I spoke with Dragon Lord Stag, in hopes of finding peace in this war."

"Does he agree?" A dragon called out.

"He has given us a choice. Either we surrender or we fall."

Many dragons murmured to one another, while others stared.

They were in the middle of a large valley with a clear river running through it. On the far side of the valley, they could see more dragons. But they were winged dragons. However, they weren't moving, they only stayed and watched from a distance. And Dragon Lord Stag stood in front of them.

"What should we do, your Majesty?" Another dragon asked.

Lazarus lifted his gaze and looked at a collapsed cave entrance. The same cave that his family had been murdered in. Then he looked back at the faces of the dragons that respected him and sensed fear. He knew that they didn't want to be enslaved and abused. But Lazarus also knew that if they didn't surrender, death was the only other option.

"I will give you all as much time as I can," Lazarus said, sweeping his gaze over the crowd of dragons, "while the rest of you flee."

"Your Majesty?" A dragon asked, stepping out of the crowd, "Why?"

"Because I am your king. None of you should have to pay for what I started."

"But, what if-"

"Enough talk! I will sacrifice myself, if I must, to keep the rest of you alive."

Before any of them could say another word, Lazarus rose up and stood on his hind legs. He turned and faced the enemy forces.

RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lazarus roared loud and long before falling back down to all fours and charging towards the Dragon Lord.

Rain fell from above as he ran across the valley floor. But as Lazarus ran, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Looking to his side, he saw another Healing Dragon running alongside him.

"I told you to flee!" He growled.

"We will fight to the last breath. And I would be honored to die alongside my king!" The dragon replied.

Lazarus looked around him and saw several more Healing Dragons running and flying alongside him. All of them appearing to be driven by the same motivation.

RRRRRRRRAAAAAAARRRRRRRRHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRHHHHHH!!!!

One after another, they roared loudly, sending a battle cry to their enemies. Then the dragons that were standing with Stag, ran and flew passed him, preparing to fight. As they got closer to each other, they could see that the other dragons had the larger numbers. Lazarus' forces were a hundred and fifty strong, while Stag's were five hundred.

GRRRAAAAAAA!!!!! CHOMP!

RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRHHHHHHHH!!!!!

They made contact and the battle began. Healing Dragons fighting against almost every other species. They knew it was a losing battle, but they still fought with the determination of fighting and dying with honor.

Lazarus grabbed and threw two winged dragons to the ground, before breaking their wings and stabbing them with his claws. He looked around him and saw chaos unravel everywhere he turned.

Kra-BOOM!

The next thing Lazarus saw was a bolt of lightning that hit the ground and then blinding light, before turning dark.

After what seemed to be mere minutes, but it could've been hours, Lazarus opened his eyes. He was laying on the shore of the river, which was now dark red. Slowly, he rose to a normal stance and looked around him and nearly fell back to the ground.

All around him was death and blood, with no sign of life. Several bodies of dragons littered the valley floor, while some laid in the river. Lazarus approached one of the bodies and saw that it had once been the same dragon who wanted to die by his side. He walked further and scanned the battlefield that had once been a peaceful valley.

Suddenly, Lazarus stopped and whipped his head around to look behind him. Wrapped around one of his legs was the tail of a Healing Dragon, which meant that there was still one who had survived. He quickly approached the head of the dragon and saw a blue eye with a slit pupil looking at him.

"Hold on, my friend!" Lazarus pleaded, lowering himself, "I will make you strong again."

But the dragon reached out and rested his claws on one of Lazarus' shoulders.

"No!" The dragon coughed, "Let me...rest. Let me see...my family again, please."

"I know your pain. But I can't just leave you to die a slow death."

"Then, please, grant me...a proper...passing."

The dragon grabbed Lazarus' claws and pulled them to his chest, directly where his heart was.

"I-I can not." Lazarus said, pulling his claws free, "I refuse to kill my kind."

"Please! I would...rather die by...the claws of my king, than...a monster's magic."

Lazarus looked into the deep blue eyes of his follower. After a moment, he raised his claws back to where they had been.

"What is your name?" Lazarus asked, placing his free claws on the dragon's head.

"Darius." The dragon replied.

"To the fields of Paradise, Darius."

"Thank you, your Majesty."

Shinkt!

Lazarus drove his claws into the heart of his follower and watched as the dragon's eyes widened, before rolling back and closing forever. He waited a moment, before pulling his blood soaked claws free. He watched as the drops fell from his claws and dotted the ground, but it didn't measure up to the amount that had already been spilled.

Then Lazarus' vision began to blur as tears fell from his eyes and mixed with the blood around him. His gaze lifted back to the bodies surrounding him and knew that he was the only Healing Dragon that was able to walk away alive.

Blue flames seeped from his mouth and nostrils as he looked up at the moonlit sky.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS, STAG!!!!"

RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHH!!!!

Blue flames erupted from his mouth and into the air, glowing far brighter than the moonlight above him. Then the flames subsided and Lazarus began to leave the grave site of his followers and family.

---

The memory ended and the ponies looked back at their dragon friend.

"A true king fights and dies alongside his followers." Lazarus rumbled, tossing the gem back to them, "But I didn't, so as a result, I abandoned my title and left, knowing that everything I knew was taken from me."

"What about your home?" Fluttershy asked, wiping away a tear.

"I watched it change as the years passed. However, Blood River Valley remains the same as it was when I left."

"Why?"

"Because I planted a rare tree there, that keeps the land from changing drastically. I called it the Tree of the Dead. I'm actually amazed that no one has found Blood River Valley yet. It's not that hard to miss."

The ponies exchanged looks, before they approached Lazarus and gathered around his head.

"Thank you for telling us the truth, Lazarus." Twilight said, putting a hoof on his chin.

"And thank you for listening, my friends." He replied.

For a while, they enjoyed each others company. However, the day began to come to an end and it was time for everyone to return home.

One by one, the ponies ventured back to their homes. Starlight was the last to leave, but stopped and turned towards Lazarus.

"Here." Starlight said, tossing the gem that they had just seen back to him, "There are some things that shouldn't be kept in a castle."

"Thank you, Starlight." Lazarus replied, giving the unicorn a gentle smile, "You know, I like to think your destined for something great."

"How do you mean?"

"Even though your spirit has some dark stains in it, I can tell that you try your best whenever you make up for a mistake. And that is something many beings tend to ignore. But you don't and that is how I know that I can trust you."

Starlight smiled at him and bowed her head in respect, before leaving.

The moonlight illuminated her way back to Twilight's castle. Starlight was traveling alone, with the memory gems from the mines tucked away in her saddlebags. She would've left with Twilight, but didn't because she wanted to clear her head of any suspicions that she had.

"Excuse me." A voice said, making Starlight stop in her tracks.

Starlight looked around and found that the voice had come from a unicorn stallion who was standing near a building.

"Could you help me?" He asked, "My cart is in need of some repair, but I can't fix it by myself."

"Um, sure." Starlight replied, sounding a little hesitant, "Where is it?"

"It's around back. Follow me."

The stallion walked around the building and Starlight followed him. As they rounded the corner, she saw a cart that was tipping at an odd angle. The stallion stood next to it and waved her over.

"I'll lift it, while you straighten the axle." He said, using his magic to lift the cart, "It's mount bent out of place, but I can't hold it and fix it at the same time."

"Alright." Starlight replied, crawling under, "You sure you've got it?"

"Don't worry."

Several minutes later, the mount had been fixed.

"I'm coming out now. I think I fixed it." Starlight said as she started backing out.

"Good."

Just as Starlight emerged from under the cart, a shadow loomed over her. She looked up and saw the stallion standing close to her.

"Do you need anything else?" She asked.

"As a matter of fact," The stallion said, his horn still glowing, "yes."

Whack!

Starlight fell to the ground, after she was hit in the back of her head by something. Her vision blurred as the stallion looked down at her and changed his form.

"We need you, Starlight." Was the last thing Starlight heard before the Changeling was joined by two more ponies and her vision went dark.

Author's Note:

Let's turn up the flames here.

Comments

[Gearsmash King]

7338721 It all fits in the end, trust me. It's getting there, that's the trick.

[caloricmango]

7253350 nothing can explain that but flash lights do apear in several episodes including that one