5. Nightwatch's Discovery
“Chrysanthemum, please lead our guest into the archives,” ordered Emperor Antirrhinum.
“Yes, sire,” said one of the guards as he opened a smaller set of doors to the right side of the entrance.
Nightwatch walked back through the throne room and turned to his right, bowing as he passed the guard. Antirrhinum got up from his throne and crawled into a space in the wall that opened up. Nightwatch first entered a short hallway connecting the throne room to the archives. The guard then used his magic to open a second set of doors. Nightwatch walked in and his jaw dropped at the sight of numerous shelves full of books. Most of the books were very large, but he figured the Emperor would use his magic to downsize them like he did with the scroll. He spent so much time staring at the books, he almost forgot about Antirrhinum. The Emperor had already made his way into the library through his own personal entrance. He slowly hovered between the shelves toward Nightwatch and then turned to his right.
“Follow me. The section on other dragons is right ahead,” he said.
Nightwatch waited till Antirrhinum’s entire body had slithered through and then followed after. The colossal dragon finally stopped in an area with a dome window at the top where light shone down. In the center was a large cushioned seat. He got on all fours and walked over to the seat, curling himself around in it like a snake. In front of Antirrhinum sat a large table with several books and giant quills, indicating that this was his study. As he began shuffling through some books with his magic, Nightwatch saw that this area had statues and beautiful architecture everywhere. He couldn’t help but gaze in awe. This library was so huge; it was more like a castle hall with books in the walls. It had to be big enough for Antirrhinum and other great longs to get through.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” asked Antirrhinum.
“It is,” said Nightwatch, “Sorry for staring. I’ve just never been in a building this big. Before I graduated from high school, I went to Canterlot for my senior trip, and even the biggest halls of the palace are nothing compared to this!”
“Many dragons come in here each day to do research. The archives are open to the public at all times.”
“Amazing. So there are books about Northern Drakes in here?”
“It has been a long time since I picked one up, but this book has information on all four dragon tribes. It tells plenty about Northerns.”
A huge book floated in next to Antirrhinum and shrank down to a size appropriate for a pony to read. The front side read The Four Tribes of Dracos: An Abridged History of Dragonkind. On the back were several paragraphs of smaller text and a few pictures of dragons.
“Man, that’s quite a spell. The book says Abridged so it’ll probably be a quicker read than the full history book I’m sure.”
“There is still a lot to go through. Would you like me to summarize some of the history for you and show you some visuals of these dragons before you leave?”
“That would help. I don’t want to be away from Butter too long.”
“So be it.”
Antirrhinum used his magic to bring in a large portrait with four dragons on it, lined up with the Cardinal directions and flying around in a circle. The one on the left was birdlike and had a very long neck, two legs, two immense wings with claws, two long horns and spines around its head and jawline. The one on the right had a serpentine body, antlers, four legs, no wings, and hair in place of spikes. The one on the bottom had a more simian build with two curly horns, four legs, and two wings. The one at the top was round and plump, had four beefy legs, two wings, and large dorsal spikes going down its head and back. Nightwatch listened as Antirrhinum told him about these dragons.
“It is said that in the ancient times, one primordial species of dragon existed. We do not have any recorded history of what they looked like. All we know is there was one ancestral species which eventually branched out into many breeds, most of which kept the same common genes. This explains why most of the different dragons are able to crossbreed to produce young. When records began, four primary types of purebred dragons existed. First there are the wyverns: bestial titans of the volcanic west; the longs: serpentine magic-wielding drakes of the tropical east where we are now; the ceros: tough horned drakes of the arid south and expert craftsman; and lastly, the behemoths: large brawlers that dwell in the cool north and have rarely been known to have magic fire.”
“I see. That last one is where Butter comes from, right?”
“Correct. These are commonly referred to as the Western, Eastern, Southern and Northern Drakes respectively.”
“So why does the book I have back at home talk about other types of dragons like amphitheres, lindworms, wyrms, quetzacoatyls and leviathans? I’ve heard of things like wyverns and wyrms in my book, but do those other ones not actually exist?”
“No, they exist. Most of those are related to Eastern and Western dragons and some lesser species like wyrms are not as intelligent nor can they intermingle with us. Northerns and Southerns are close in relation, but purebred Northerns do not grow horns while Southerns do. Northerns are characterized by the large, dorsal pikes on their heads and some have a rotund physique to help insulate from the cold. The family tree of dragon breeds is a bit confusing, but you’ll find more information about them in that book I gave you.”
“Is the book I’ve been reading back at home inaccurate?”
“If it was written by a pony, it could be. Some Equestrian libraries may have omitted literature about us due to paranoia and prejudice. Any information they have on us could be anecdotal.”
“So why exactly do they go by North, South, East and West?”
“The dragon world started off as a single continent, but it cracked during a cataclysmic event and drifted away into four separate continents over the years that each of the tribes claimed. Some believe their modern physiologies grew in correlation to the regions they live in. Those tribes still rule the continents to this day.”
Antirrhinum’s antlers glowed. Several bookshelves to his right moved aside, revealing a wall with four portraits of different dragons and statues depicting the breeds. He turned his head to the wall, while Nightwatch walked around to the other side of the table to get a closer look.
“These portraits on the wall show the current leaders of those continents. In the West is Lord Ignis; in the East is me, Emperor Antirrhinum; in the South is King Cudgel; and in the North is King Rubble.”
The rays from the sunlight in the dome window made it difficult for Nightwatch to see, so he stepped out of the light and walked toward the portraits. Antirrhinum’s portrait showed him as he appeared now, while the others were new to Nightwatch. Lord Ignis’s portrait showed a huge, black wyvern with yellow glowing eyes. He had two long S-shaped horns growing out of the top of his head. There were spiny barbs all over his jawline and going down his back and tail. Like all wyverns, his wings were just his upper arms. They were long and powerful with huge gangly talons, wrapping around stalagmites. His legs were not visible, but his tail was long enough to wrap around the mountain he was standing on. He appeared to be emerging from a volcano and had fire in the backdrop, giving him the appearance of a frightening silhouette. King Cudgel was a muscular, blue dragon with a yellow underbelly. The spikes on his head were just small nubs that were the same color as the rest of his body, but he had two large horns that curved upwards like a bull’s, and one smaller horn growing out of his beaked snout. He wore a crown adorned with jewels and carried a massive axe made of blue crystals. Next to him was a brown dragoness that also wore a crown. She had red dorsal spikes and an orange underbelly. Her figure was voluptuous much like Hosta’s. Her horns were shaped more like unicorn horns and pointed upward at an angle in the back of her skull. She also had fins on the side of her head, so Nightwatch assumed she could be part Northern. As Cudgel proudly lifted the axe, she stood next to the king, wrapping her arms around him lovingly. She was undoubtedly Cudgel’s bride.
Lastly was the one that concerned Nightwatch the most. King Rubble had a wide-chested, muscular build and wore a silver crown with red crystals on it. He was a muted shade of blue with a green underbelly and had maroon dorsal spikes. He sported a slight scowl on his face and had his arms crossed. In contrast, the dragoness to his left appeared very friendly and approachable. She was a brownish shade of yellow with a brighter yellow underbelly and aqua green spikes. She was chubby and round like Daisy was. Down at the bottom of the portrait was something else that caught Nightwatch’s eye: a tiny baby dragon standing on top of a rock in front of them. He looked just like Buttercream, only his spikes were longer and he was purple with a yellow underbelly, green dorsal spikes, and yellow eyes. The little dragon appeared as happy as his mother. He looked back proudly at his father, crossing his arms like him. In the background was a large mountain that appeared to have a face.
“So…that’s the king of Butter’s tribe?” Nightwatch asked, nervously.
“That’s him.”
“Is he…all right?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s that look on his face. He doesn’t look too friendly.”
“He tends to have a rather stoic demeanor, but Northerns are quite docile. Rubble is a good leader from what I’ve heard, though I should warn you, he sadly isn’t fond of ponies.”
“Oh dear. And these other two…I’m guessing that’s his wife and son?”
“Yes: Queen Pebble and Prince Smite. Behind them is the living mountain known as His Elevated Eminence.”
Nightwatch thought heavily about the image in front of him. He grew scared just seeing it. He noticed how similar Buttercream appeared to some of them.
“Is there something wrong, Nightwatch?”
“I’m…I’m sorry, it’s just…you say the king of this tribe hates ponies, but I think…I think Buttercream might be related to these dragons.”
“She does bear a resemblance to Queen Pebble.”
“Yeah, and Prince Smite too. If that’s Smite’s mother, I wonder if maybe Smite and Butter are siblings and they’ve been looking for her egg all these years.”
“I doubt Buttercream is his sister. This portrait was painted decades ago. Smite is probably as old as Rubble is in this portrait right now.”
“So she could be Smite’s daughter then. Either way, Rubble is the king and if she’s related to them, imagine what’s going to happen when he finds out his granddaughter is in Equestria being raised by ponies…”
Nightwatch hung his head and sat down. Antirrhinum turned his head to the young unicorn.
“You’re worried they will take her from you,” Antirrhinum said.
“I have a bad feeling that’s what’s going to happen, even if she isn’t related to the royal family. I thought we’d be able to visit Nordo Dracos someday and befriend dragons like her, but I don’t even want her near that place. I’m actually hard-pressed to tell her anything about Nordo Dracos…not after what I now know about their king. Emperor Antirrhinum, I hate to say this, but I can’t let Buttercream find out.”
Nightwatch looked back to Antirrhinum. He looked very worried, while the emperor didn’t change his expression at all. Nightwatch could tell he was sympathetic, but maybe still confused.
“Look, I know it’s wrong to keep this from her, but you don’t understand: before I found Buttercream, I was going to have a unicorn sister of my own, but we lost her at birth. It was the saddest day of my life. Every day after that, I kept wishing for a new sister and I finally got one when I found that egg in the forest. Since that day, I’ve been so happy to have Butter as a sister. I love her, your highness. I care for her like she was my own flesh and blood and so do my parents. I can’t lose her if those dragons come and find out we’ve had her all these years. I just can’t. I’m sorry.”
Nightwatch tried to speak calmly but progressively grew more frantic until he reached the end and slowed down. His voice sounded grating and his eyes were misty. He brought his head back down and paused. Finally he spoke again.
“I don’t want to ask you to do this for me, but…”
“Your secret is safe with me, young Nightwatch. I understand why you don’t want her to know. I hear Nordo Dracos has had trouble with rocs in the past. Those are giant birds of prey that go after dragon eggs and younger dragons, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles just to find some for their young. She could have been taken by one and dropped in Equestria. If she were related, Rubble would certainly come for her if he found out. I haven’t met Rubble yet, but if it is true how he feels about ponies, you are right. I will not say a word.”
“Thank you.”
“Tread with caution though. Your sister will find out about this one day, and you must confront her when she does. It cannot stay secret forever. It is up to you to know when to tell her the truth.”
“I understand.”
“Do you still wish to take the book with you?”
“I’m a little scared to, but maybe just in case. It’s small enough to fit in my bag and I don’t think she’ll notice.”
Nightwatch put the book in his satchel. They both turned away from the portraits, and the shelves moved back into place. Antirrhinum spoke to Nightwatch as they left the archives.
“I apologize if this didn’t work out as you expected,” Antirrhinum told him.
“It’s okay. If there’s anything more I need to know about dragons, maybe I’ll come back to visit someday.”
“Better yet, take this.”
Antirrhinum handed Nightwatch a tiny tube with a scroll inside. It looked like the one with the paperwork for him earlier; only it was a royal shade of blue and had different dragon designs.
“Write on the scroll and then place it back in the tube, and it will be sent to me instantly by magic. We can use it for back and forth correspondence and I can send you more parchment when we run out of space on the page.”
“Thanks. Well I think we still made progress today with the talk about opening trade. I’m sure Princess Luna will be happy to see you.”
“You’ve done admirably in her place. Once she has signed the agreement, our differences shall be cast aside and we can start anew.”
“Just sorry I had to go through all that back there in the archives. I guess now’s not the time to really worry about Butter’s origins. I’ll tell her someday, but when I’m ready.”
“Like I said earlier, you and your sister serve as a symbol of our union, and I would hate to break that.”
Nightwatch smiled and walked out of the door, while Antirrhinum stayed behind to return to his study. He looked back to the dragon emperor once more to bid him farewell.
“Thank you, your highness.”
“Farewell to you, young Nightwatch.”
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Oh Nighty Nighty Nighty, I know he loves Butter but to keep this info from her it's the equivalent of stabbing her in the back (so to speak) This plus what's happening to Butter growing greed at the moment....yeah I get the feeling that when she finds out her big bro kept quiet about this it's gonna blow up on his face big time!
11844925
He's doing it because he loves her, but it's still not right of him to keep it all from her...
We know how much Twilight likes big, well-stocked libraries. If she saw how massive the royal archives of Ester Dracos were, I think she'd straight-up faint from excitement and shock, lol
That said, a very interesting history lesson about the four species of dragons, and the hint, for Nightwatch, at least, that Buttercream might be related to King Rubble's family, if she and Smite look so similar.
I hadn't thought about Nightwatch being worried that Buttercream's dragon family might want to reclaim her if they knew she was alive and well. Of course, future stories have given us the benefit of hindsight with how well Butter stays connected with both her pony and dragon families, but it hurts to see Nightwatch think he might one day have to say goodbye to her, when he and his parents had already experienced the heartbreak of losing another child...It wasn't brought up very often in the show, but I'm sure Twilight must have worried about the same possibility for Spike, regardless for how much the two loved each other as a family, and I'm also reminded of how Hitch felt when Sparky started reconnecting with his dragon roots.
It might feel like a wrench keeping the truth from Buttercream, and she might feel like it's a betrayal of a trust to keep it from her, but Nightwatch just can't bear to break the news to her yet, when she's so happy with her life. I don't think anybody could blame him.
11844931
For a while, it seemed like a plothole that Butter went all this time without finding Spike during the events of the show or finding her own family, but this helps to explain it. We of course know King Rubble is her granddad and Spike is her brother, but a lot of time will pass with her life in Daleshire without her knowing that or knowing much about Nordo Dracos at all. Nighty will unfortunately be keeping a lot of secrets and telling a lot of lies to his sister, but that can happen when you are scared for someone you love.
I understand Nightwatch wanting to keep his adopted sister, especially after the tragedy of losing his first baby sister at birth, but like he said, keeping this from Butter is wrong. A lie of omission is still a lie, and right now he's making a decision without considering how she might feel about it.
I am sure it is probably hard for someone to have two families, especially one they have never met before. But at least we know from other stories Butter finds a way to balance her life with both her pony and dragon families.
11845007
This story introduces a flawed side for Nightwatch: how his attachments to those he loves can be his undoing and will eventually get the best of him.
"So she could be Smite’s daughter then..." My first reaction to this was, "Are you serious, Nightwatch!?
You knew this entire time and didn't say anything to Butter!?"
Though I admit it does bring out his flawed side and shows that he's not perfect, like Twilight (those 2 really are made for each other
).
Also, I have to say I was a bit skeptical at the casting choice for Chris Pratt playing Nightwatch, but after thinking back to his performance in The Lego Movies 1 and 2, I don't think you could have picked a better option. I can totally see him being both a fun character and emotional when the time calls for it, especially the part when he was being vulnerable about the possibility of losing his sister.
It really goes to show just how much he loves Butter, maybe even to a fault.
That being said, I didn't expect this chapter to be this deep, and it really does explain why Butter and her family didn't reunite for so long, and also Butter's nervousness to Twilight's comment at the end of "Go North, Young Dragon." I can only imagine her reaction when she finally found out, and how much time actually passed between that time and finding her family. All in all, this was an amazing chapter and I look forward to reading more, both in this story and upcoming stories with Nighty and Butter. Kudos to you!
11845135
Yeah, this is how it happens. Butter will eventually find out, but there are more reasons why she doesnt' get in contact with them till much later and that part with Rubble hating ponies is definitely a factor. Nightwatch ends up keeping a lot of things secret in this series. It's not just to show his flaws but explain how this series is set apart so well from FIM without ruining its canon. Things run alongside the show in this series but make sense of things. You will hear about certain events from the show happening during this series and it helps to line things up. We obviously know when Spike and Butter do eventually meet and good job remembering how Butter was nervous when Twilight mentioned not getting to see Nightwatch all these years. That will make sense as time goes on.
And that's part of why I chose Chris Pratt. He has a high-energy friendly voice, but he can get deep and emotional or serious when the time calls for it. This is obviously a very serious time for him and things are going to get even more serious in the next chapter when he reflects on his past with his dead sister and how he cannot lose Butter.