Friends Tll the End

by Mystic Sunrise

New Family (Rewrite)

Pearl grumbled with the pencil in her mouth. Writing down her answers to her homework. Her eyes glanced off to the side at Twilight whose pencil effortlessly danced across the page, wrapped in unicorn magic, then rolled her eyes as the weight against her side shifted. Next to her was the dragon who had yet to leave her alone. But no there he was, resting up against her flank munching on a large piece of bark he had taken from a tree.

School had been over for hours now. Twilight was assisting Pearl with her homework like always. As much as Pearl hated homework, she savored time like this because she knew what awaited her back home. Another night without her favorite foods or snacks and silence in her room. No music at all. All her favorite records, games, and toys having been confiscated by her mother.

She had to admit he wasn’t bad-looking now that he wasn’t chasing her all around town. He was, exotic. That was the only word she could say. He was probably the first hybrid dragon pony around. Having looked through the libraries she found no records of any other hybrid ever being born or hatched.

“I don’t understand it. Why does he like hanging out with me so much?” Pearl sighed spitting out her pencil.

“I don’t know, but like you, I’m learning book loads of information about him. So far we now know he loves fish, bark, and fruit, and has a distaste for gemstones.” Twilight smiled. “I should probably tell you, yesterday I overheard Miss Sunflower say she was going to inform Exarch Amber about him."

“Why did she do that? What if she kills him?” Pearl bit her lip. Her raised voice caught her dragon friend’s attention. Now looking at her with a confused look. His bark stuck in his mouth bobbing up and down as he chewed. Pearl giggled nervously and leaned into Twilight. “Dragons aren’t really allowed in these parts.”

Twilight lightly pushed Pearl back and shrugged. “Yeah, but you know it was the right thing to do. What if he has a family that’s looking for him? Do we really want dragons running amok? ”

Pearl sighed and nodded looking at her friend who had now gone back to giving full attention to his bark snack. She loved learning more about dragons. The subject sparked something in her that fueled her desire for learning. “I guess your right. I’m just worried.”

“Oh, and this from the filly who not more than a few hours ago was complaining about him?” Twilight teasingly poked Pearl with her hoof.

“Yeah well…” Pearl blinked and looked off to the side at the young drake who had started to prod her sides and pointed down toward the river with a smile.

Pearl and Twilight just shared a look as Pearl waved her hoof. “Yeah yeah go ahead.” which she guessed he understood as he just strolled away into the distance.

“I still don’t think he can understand us.” Twilight smiled as she watched the drake disappear down the hillside.

“Not verbally at least, thankfully this it gives me a break from his annoying habits.” Pearl crossed her forelegs and sighed.

“Let me guess he’s still trying to share his lunches with you.” Twilight giggled remembering the fish fiasco a few days ago.

“The fruit I don’t mind. But he’s been offering me pieces of bark he pulled from a tree now.” Pearl narrowed her eyes as Twilight almost burst out laughing. “Laugh it up. Do you know how horrible that stuff tastes?”

“And why would you be eating tree bark my little Pony.” another voice rang out. Smiling, Amber looked down at the two fillies who quickly bowed. “Oh enough of that my dear girls. So Twilight I just finished talking to your teacher. She stated that there was a dragon about here? I find that difficult to believe as we keep excellent eyes on the Dragon lands.”

“Well, we, or I should say Pearl found this particular dragon in the old forest just outside of Ponyville.” Twilight smiled.

“You mean the remanence of the old Everfree? That’s a very long distance away from the Dragon lands, young ones. No dragon has ever been there.” Amber quirked an eyebrow.

“Honestly I found him there. He’s been pestering me to no end for the last few weeks.” Pearl bowed her head, a bit of movement from off to the side caught her attention so she glanced. “And speak of the devil here he comes now… oh gods he has another fish.” Pearl shivered.

Rolling her eyes Amber glanced over, to humor the young fillies, there was certainly a wingless dragon now strolling up to the group. A fish hanging limp between his teeth. She quirked her eyebrows as she noticed not only claws but a set of hooves and a pony-like appearance.

“This is the drake Miss Sunflower talked about?” Amber walked up and circled the boy who, while still holding his fish. Followed Amber's movements. “He’s certainly a unique one to be sure. There hasn’t been a hybrid dragon for over a thousand years.”

“You mean there’ve been others?” Pearl’s head perked up as both she and Twilight shared looks.

“OH yes. Not many, as few dragons could tolerate mating outside their kind. And even fewer mares or stallions could give or produce offspring from such a union.” Amber watched as the drake set the fish down in front of Pearl who grimaced a sight that made the exarch giggle a little.

“How come we’ve never heard of them before?” Pearl asked looking at the drake who now seemed to have lost interest in all of them, and was now silently stalking a butterfly.

“Other dragons don’t care much for mixed blood almost their own kind. Sadly, they are hunted and killed. Many never live past twenty to thirty years after the Dragon Lords discover them.” Both girls looked over at the dark blue drake who looked up. A butterfly wing sticking out of his mouth.

The Exarch watched as the dragon looked over his shoulders and set his amber eyes directly up at Amber.

Amber looked into those eyes and in the span of a heartbeat, her own eyes went wide, and felt her blood run cold. “By the makers!!!!” Leaping back Amber gulped and shivered. “Th... it can’t be… It’s impossible!”

Both Twilight and Pearl looked at each other before looking back up at Amber.

“What’s going on, what’s impossible?” Twilight scratched her head with a hoof.

“Does this have anything to do with him being a dragon hybrid?” Pearl bit on her lip a little. Slightly worried for her new friend who amply nosed the fish closer to Pearl.

“Girls, you don’t understand. He’s impossible.” Amber quickly caught her composure and stood up straight. “No, this is not about him. It’s about… no it can’t be her. Not after all this time. She’s gone, but those eyes. There can be no doubt.”

Pearl tilted her head. “Um, Miss Amber your not making any sense.”

Amber looked at the two girls and quickly regained her composure. “I’m sorry girls. It seems I got a sudden glimpse into the past is all. His eyes remind me of a mare I knew so long ago.”

“Could this mare be his mother?” Pearl stood up excitedly. While the idea of any kind of romance made her cringe. The thought that ponies and dragons could in some ways be related excited her.

“I don’t know. She never had children as far as I knew. And I was still a young mare back then and I wasn’t the most attentive of her students.” Amber blushed remembering her old mentor.

“The only one I know of who might know anything is the Empress. And even she might not have all the answers.” Amber blinked as the young drake walked up to her. He stood there silently with a few barks and growls and one or two huffs. Amber looked at him for a moment and sighed. “And what's worse I can’t take him with me to the palace. Dragons are forbidden unless invited by the Empress herself. So unless she asks for him personally my own hooves are tied.”

Looking at the girls she smiled. “Miss Sunflower said he’s been staying here at the school house. Which is no good for a dragon so young.”

“How old is he?” Pearl scratched her head as she looked at the drake. Who looked back at Pearl.

“If I had to guess,” Amber leaned in and taped the fridges on the side of his head. Which made the drake giggle. “He’s a year or two younger than you two fillies. Far too young to be out on his own. I’ll have to find a suitable family to place him with until I hear back from…” Amber blinked as the young drake finally stomped his front claws and barked loudly. Then proceed to make many low growls and grunting noises.

“What’s going on?” Pearl asked moving away slowly. “He’s looking rather annoyed.”

“Apparently he just asked if I’m the reason you are ignoring your lunch that he spent so much time getting it for you.”

If the world had opened up and swallowed her, Pearl could not have been more surprised. “He talks?”

“And you can understand him?” Twilight smiled wide.

“Yes to a degree I can, one moment.” Amber leaned in and started speaking in what seemed like low barks and growls. The dragon returned in the same apparent language.

After several minutes Amber fell over laughing aloud. “OH this is too cute, I don’t believe it” the Exarch's laugh half echoed down the hillside.

“What!” Both fillies called out.

“He doesn't know that you two girls are ponies. Well, he doesn’t know Pearl is a pony. He thinks she’s a dragon like him. He has no clue what you are Twilight. or Earth ponies ether.” Amber giggled “And what’s more, he just told me he’s taken it upon himself to care for his nestmate who can’t fend for herself.”

Pearl’s eyes twitched. “I wish I was a dragon,” she muttered under her breath. “And what the hay is a nestmate? None of my books ever mentioned something like that.”

“In simple terms, he thinks you’re his sister. It’s the closest equivalent we ponies have,” Amber shrugged. “He found you in his nest, so it is not too surprising.”

Pearl sighed. “Great. Just great. I’ve always wanted a sibling, but not like this.”

“Hmm really? Well, I’m glad to hear you say that. Because you just answered my question as to which family I’m placing him with.” Amber took a deep breath and turned serious as Pearl wished she had just kept her big mouth shut.

“Your mouth is going to get you into trouble one day young lady.” Pearl’s mother Cirrus always told the young filly each time she ran her mouth off. It was one of the many habits she inherited from her father.

“I’ll have a talk with your parents to see if they won’t mind being temporary foster parents for little Kohaku here. At least until I hear back from Cosmos about what to do with him. Which could take some time.”

“Kohaku?” Pearl blinked.

“That’s what he said his name is.”

Pearl made a mental note to remember that. If she remembered her Far Eastern correctly, his name meant ‘Amber’. “Great. Not like my life can’t get any weirder. Now I’m the foster sister for a dragon. Sure. Why not?”

Amber giggled before taking off once more. Leading the girls off to Pearl's house, with the young drake in toe, holding the fish between his jaws once again.

---

Cosmos sat there silently as Amber finished her report. She didn’t know what to make of it. It had been over a thousand years since she heard that name. So lost in her thoughts she barely heard the commotion that old name brought back.

Princess Luna.

“I thought she died,” Diamond called out at Amber. “We all did, alongside her sister that dark day.”

“I’m finding this as difficult to believe as you are Diamond,” Amber called back. “But I swear to you. He had Princess Luna’s eyes. A different color yes but they were hers. Of that, I cannot be mistaken. How often did we all fall under her strict gaze during our lessons?”

“But she never had children. Nether her or Celestia.” Ocean Breeze folded her front legs in front of her chest. “We would have known if they had. The Princesses cared about us so much they would have wanted us to share in that joy.”

“Could we have been mistaken? They were both prone to keep secrets, even from us.” Ivy voiced out. “And they were both taken from us so quickly. We knew they called us to what would have been their home that day. Perhaps this was the announcement they had wished to share with us.”

“Well, we’ll never know, will we? Not after what HE did” Moon Petal closed her eyes. All the memories came back bringing a tear to her eyes. Looking up she saw Cosmos had one leg across her chest and her left hoof covering her face. “Is everything okay Cosmos?”

“Yes, Moon Petal. Just memories of the past is all and this talk of secrets has been buzzing in my skull. I knew this day would come.”

“What day?” the five exarchs asked in unison.

“I have to be truthful with you now. And reveal something I have not told anyone for a thousand years.” Cosmos looked at her Exarchs sadly. “Princess Luna did NOT die on that dark day. She lived, she fled the scene before the battle had ended.” Cosmos sighed.

“Impossible.” Diamond stomped her hoof. “Luna would NEVER abandon her sister like a coward.”

“Your right, she wouldn’t. Unless Celestia ordered her to do so.” Cosmos felt everything fall onto her shoulders. She felt the weight of her old mentor’s decisions and a promise she was forced to keep.

“For what reason would Celestia order her sister to leave? Together they may have well defeated Chaos without your intervention.”

“Yes, they could have taken him. Eventually, and only if they had not held back. But it would cost their lives. And though it pained Luna to run. She had a reason to keep on living that out-weighed her sister.” Cosmos lifted her eyes and looked at her five exarchs. “At that time, Princess Luna was pregnant.”

Had any other pony been in the room, they could have heard a pin drop from the moon itself for the bombshell that had just been leveled on the five of them.

“It was almost a year to the day after I had ascended to Empress when Luna finally came back. She was weary and tired. She had little strength in her. The loss of her sister took much from her, and her difficult childbirth took the rest.” Placing both hooves together in front of her mouth, Cosmos continued.

“Inside a swaddle of clothing, stuck inside of her saddle bag, was an egg of Asian design. No larger than a small melon, yet glistened like diamonds and with Luna’s own coloring and mark on it.” Cosmos smiled at the memory as it came flooding from her.

“Why didn’t you tell us about this?” Amber asked sitting up, her face narrowed. Feeling slightly betrayed.

“We could have helped her.” Moon Petal called out.

“What happened to the egg? Does it relate to this dragon Amber found?” Diamond voiced through heavy breathing.

“We must bring this child here at once.”

“The child is the princess’s legacy. We must protect it at all costs.”

A single wing raised silenced the room. Her exarchs returned to their seats.

“Luna begged me not to tell anyone. She was afraid for the life of her child. Though Chaos was gone. She knew others would be after her. And what better way than to strike where she is MOST vulnerable? Her offspring.” Shaking her head, Cosmos sighed. “I knew what would come of this secret and I promised to keep it, even from all of you. My closest friends and council. Together she and I placed the egg in the old ruins inside of what remained of the Everfree Forest. In a part of the palace Luna herself finished. Which was to be his nest.”

“Thus I made that area forbidden to all. Even as the old forest died, I protected that one area and continue to do so today.” Cosmos bowed her head slowly.

“What happened to Luna after that Empress,” Lilly asked leaning back.

“With my help, Luna shed her corporeal form and took residency in the Dream World.”

“Is she still there? What if she decides to come back?” Diamond leaned into her chair.

Cosmos closed her eyes, reaching out into the very fabric of Equis itself, in a way earth ponies could only dream of. There she looked into the night and found the dream doors.

Thunder erupted in the throne room. Lights flickered and went out. Through the skylight, the moon shed its glow on the floor showing an Image of Luna who just eyed the six girls, shook her head, and walked away. Returning to her duties.

“That answers that. She has no desire to return. Not even for her son.” Cosmos smiled.

“Did she have to be so dramatic?” Ocean Breeze huffed.

“Oh lighten up. We could use a little drama from time to time around here. Luna always was one for dramatics anyway," Cosmos giggled.

“What about the Dragon Lands? What if they hear about this?” Diamond looked out the window. Toward the areas past the sea, the dragons build their homes.

“As he was born of these lands, and is the child of a pony princess. He is an Equestrian. And thus belongs here. We’ll also send a message to the dragon lord, just so there’s no mistaking our intent.” Cosmos turned to the side. “Amber I’ll leave that in your capable hooves. You also mentioned you have placed him with a family?”

Nodding Amber smiled. “Yes. he seems attached to young Pearl. So I have placed him with her family. Cirrus said she would be pleased to take the boy in as a foster child. Until we can find him a permanent home.”

“Well, I say we should just let him live there then. No need to uproot him more than is necessary. As he is part pony, he can be covered under pony laws of adoption. If Torch doesn't like it or decides to get physical, then I will happily remind him of why none have ever lived through a fight with me." Cosmos leaned back. Putting this issue to bed. “Now. Diamond, your report on the upcoming trials for the school of gifted ponies? You mentioned you have chosen a filly for the test with the egg we have here.”

“Yes Empress. A young filly of extraordinary potential.” Diamond and the others quickly went back to their council attitudes. “Her name is Twilight Sparkle.”

Author's Note:

So this is Kohaku by the way. The red in his mane is based on Pearl's own mane. The light azure is based on Luna's Season 1 look.

Comments

[Valtyrian]

and yes, the stars in his mane DO move. a gift from his mortally absent mother.