Chapter 10: The Winds of Fate
Chapter 10
The Winds of Fate
"May the winds always be at your back, the air under your feathers lift you up, and the sky be your guide under moon and sun. Let your heart lead you through these treacherous winds of fate to the destiny you create." —Unknown author
“Will you put that down already? I told you we aren’t adding flames to it!”
“How do you expect them to deal with the legion of darkness then? You took out every defense I put into the blueprints-.”
“I let you keep the masthead’s protocols didn’t I?”
“After decreasing the efficiency…”
“You mean making it safe for the seven ponies who were going to be stepping onto a deathtrap because you wanted to test their reaction time to dealing with nerve gas and fireballs?”
“We need to know if they’re ready to handle the dangers. And I need to know I’m not letting seven incapable ponies set foot on my warship.”
“Tool, first off, it’s not a warship. Secondly, you didn’t want to know if they could handle the dangers, you wanted to make sure they weren’t a part of your conspiracy and you know it.”
“It is not a conspiracy, Nero, it is a known fact! The dark herd is out there, perhaps even among us now!”
“You still aren’t going to be adding a flamethrower to the ship! Where did you even get that anyway?”
“Found it.”
Heart Shield and his friends rounded the corner from the spot the guards had accompanied them to and stared at the two stallions – a light-tan unicorn and a blue pegasus – who were busy bickering with each other in front of a massive, tarp-covered object. The latter was in the air holding what looked like, to Heart Shield, an oversized faucet and puffed his wildly untamed, vibrant red mane out of his eyes, which were narrowed in annoyance.
“Excuse us,” Twilight called out, “we’re-.”
“Minions of the darkness!” the pegasus cried, dropping the nozzle. “I told you they were among us!”
Before it could hit the ground, a light-green glow surrounded the metal and moved it safely to the side.
“Ah, you must be Miss Sparkle and her friends, Princess Celestia told us you would be here soon,” said the unicorn who had been arguing with the pegasus. He walked over to them and shook hooves with each of the group. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my name’s Nero, and the conspiracy theorist up there is Tool.”
“Likewise,” replied Twilight.
“Mind if I ask what that was all about?” Heart Shield asked Nero.
“What, him?” Nero said, nodding to Tool. “Just some nonsense he’s gotten into his head about some army of darkness that plans to crush us all.”
“The changelings?” Rarity guessed.
“The changelings are nothing compared to what the dark herd has in store for us,” snapped Tool as he landed beside her. “But you all know that already don’t you?”
“What dark herd? Nero, please tell me you know what-,” Heart Shield began.
“This one is obviously a spy for them,” said Tool, popping up behind Heart Shield. “Of course, I’d have expected more, they should have made him look more like a pegasus.”
“Looks like Pinkie’s been giving lessons,” snorted Rainbow Dash, seeing the pegasus appearing from nowhere like her friend.
Heart Shield huffed and turned around to face Tool only to find that he’d vanished.
“Although, they would have known I’d be onto them if they sent such an obvious trap,” Tool continued, now beside Nero. “The wings and mark give him away… so if they knew I’d know, then they’d have him as an unwitting decoy. Unless they knew I’d know they’d knew and set the decoy as a trap to throw me off guard…”
“I am not part of some dark herd,” Heart Shield said.
“That’s exactly what a minion of darkness would say.”
“I can assure you, none of the ponies who are here are a member of the horde you speak of.”
Everypony looked up at the voice. Lady Celestia walked towards the small group with Lady Luna in tow, smiling at the odd pegasus.
“These are the ponies who are on a mission to find one who may be a leader of that enemy force,” she continued, flashing the seven ponies who’d arrived a look that told them not to contradict this.
Tool frowned, pondering her words before walking around the group, studying them. “The orange one and the one with the rainbow hair appear to be the ones who could possibly be of the most use, in good shape, look strong and fast… The pink one seems like an excellent idea for a diversion. The purple appears to be strong with magic, she would be best for backup, perhaps even strategizing. However, the other three do not look like they’re up for the task. The male stands out too much and would only be useful if they were to believe him a member. The yellow is too timid, she would do nothing more than hold them back, and the white one does not strike me as of any use whatsoever,” he said bluntly.
“How dare you!” Rarity snapped. “I’ll have you know that all of us are more than capable of handling ourselves, and neither I nor Fluttershy are useless!”
“I think that’s enough,” Nero said quickly, moving forward to cover Tool’s mouth. “Tool, how about you do some final checks on the ship, make sure everything’s in working order, I can handle things here.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea,” said Rainbow Dash, who had gone over to Fluttershy to comfort her friend, who looked like she was about to burst into tears from Tool’s words.
Tool nodded and flew towards the object under the tarp.
“And don’t you dare think of modifying anything!” Nero called to him before turning to the group. “My apologies. Tool did the same assessment of me when we met; he does so with every new pony he meets it seems, trying to determine their use in case that obsession of his actually happens.”
“Well whatever the cause, there was no call for his blunt rudeness,” Rarity said disapprovingly.
Heart Shield looked at the Princesses skeptically, wondering why she had asked Tool to work on the ship, but he kept his opinion to himself.
“I promise you, as… odd as Tool may seem, he is a genius at what he does,” Nero said to the group. “I wouldn’t have finished nearly as fast as I did, with the quality in such a short amount of time, if he hadn’t been here to help.”
“How much longer are you going to drag this out?” Tool called from under the tarp. “We have a warship to sail and the longer we delay, the greater the chance of discovery and sabotage from the dark ones!”
“For the last time there are no dark ones!” Nero groaned, putting his hoof to his forehead. “But he does have a point. Come on, it’s time for you to get acquainted with your new home for the duration of your trip.”
His horn glowed lightly as he magically lifted the tarp away. Heart Shield’s jaw dropped as he stared at the boat. It was as big as Twilight’s tree, maybe even larger! The masthead was an intricately designed gold and ivory alicorn, he guessed. There was the head, which, if it hadn’t been for the runic designs carved into it and the sheen from the smooth surface, he would have believed it was almost alive, with its majestic curves and long, brilliant horn, the ears shaped to perfection. From there, stretching back until it connected with the ship, were two large wings, flanking either side of the bow. Extending down the boat’s prow, the masthead was carved with more runes; parts of it flowed back into the ship in small tendrils that made it appear to be embracing the sea vessel. The base of the masthead connected with the keel, which had extended forward as if it were an extra rudder, though it remained solid rather than on hinges. The ship’s hull was a brilliant mix of Lady Celestia’s royal colors for the upper half and melded into Lady Luna’s starry mane’s color scheme towards the bottom. On either side of the stern was what appeared to be exhaust pipes attached to blade-like fins that looked as if they could rotate 360° parallel to the ship’s sides. Windows lined two portions of the upper hull, to what Heart Shield assumed were the rooms he and his friends would stay in. He could clearly see a dome-like cabin on the deck towards the rear, and three sets of masts with oddly sparkling sails attached to them, and a crow’s nest atop the center mast. A single flag with both Lady Celestia and Lady Luna’s cutie marks rose up out of the middle of the crow’s nest. Nets lined the port and starboard bulwarks, and a gangplank was currently lowered to the ground, inviting the party aboard.
“If you’ll follow Tool and me on board, we’ll give you the rundown of what you’ll be dealing with,” Nero said. “Much of the ship is controlled differently than how you would expect, and a firsthoof look at everything would be simpler than trying to follow a long explanation.”
“It looks like it’ll be fast,” Rainbow Dash commented, flying up to one of the fins. “Whoa! Are these-?”
“Jets? Yes,” Tool said, a pleased look on his face from where he hovered. “As time is of the essence I believed modifications to the original design Nero created were in order, specifically this propulsion system.”
“Jets on a boat? Isn’t that dangerous?” Twilight asked.
“Only if you don’t know what you’re doing,” Tool replied. “Now get up here, you all have a lot to learn about this if you’re to take on the legions of darkness.”
Everypony obeyed without comment, even the Princesses climbed aboard their old ship to see everything the two ponies had done to it, after all, Nero and Tool had transformed a broken, rotting sailboat fit for two into this massive creation. Nero and Tool led them throughout the ship, going into great detail every single aspect of it. The cabin was a control room for the entire boat, with a large counter covered in panels and buttons lining the front of the room, maps and sea charts hung on the walls, and a giant crystal held between metallic spikes that jutted from the floor and ceiling. The counter, Tool explained, was the navigational system and controls for the ship. A red button in the center, when pressed, released a large sphere of green magical energy, which developed a point soon after appearing. This sphere was to be their compass, and housed the magical traces that Celestia’s unicorns had collected from the changeling’s attack, locked onto the changeling’s signature and should point them in the direction they needed to go. Another button released the crystal, which hovered between the spikes. Nero told the group that this crystal was to be the power source and fuel for the ship, and ran on magic. It allowed the jets to be activated for faster travel and folded the sails to the masts so as not to destroy them, as well as powering an automatic navigational system for night travel so that everypony could sleep and be assured that the ship would stay on course. As with any fuel source, the crystal’s magic was limited, but luckily housed enough power to run the ship constantly for five days before it needed to be recharged with a more magic. The sails were designed to withstand even the harshest storms without tear, and, as Nero explained, were coated with a special lining of miniscule crystals provided from the Crystal Kingdom for the journey, which allowed the ship to continue sailing should there be no wind present by harnessing the power of the sun and moon.
Below decks were four levels. The first was lined with eight doors, seven of which were rooms for the ponies who were to be traveling, and the last held fresh sheets, pillows, blankets, and all sorts of other necessities for their comfort. The second level contained a dining room and kitchen to the front, food and other supplies on either side of the hall, and two sets of bathrooms fully decked with everything they could need, including showers and sinks. The third level was stocked with tools and extra planks and supplies should they need to make repairs to the ship, not that they would need to, Tool said, if they knew how to control the ship. Nero also had a small library on this level, filled with a manual for the boat, along with books dealing with sea travel, and ones taken from both the Canterlot and Ponyville libraries for the enjoyment of the ponies onboard. The final level had a single room built into the middle. Heart Shield was the last to reach it, as he had been distracted by the selection in the library, and found himself stopped by Applejack’s outstretched hoof.
“Maybe y’all should steer clear of this room sugar cube,” she said to him, blocking his view inside.
“Why?” he asked, trying to get around his friend, but she kept moving between him and the room.
“Trust me, it’s not somethin’ for yer eyes,” she said, now moving him backwards toward the stairs they’d all come down.
“What are you talking about? Let me through,” demanded Heart Shield.
“Applejack is right,” Twilight spoke up from near the entrance to the room. “This isn’t a room you should be looking at.”
Heart Shield stamped his hoof on the floor. “Let me see it,” he demanded. “Why are you trying to hide it from me!”
“Heart Shield,” Lady Celestia spoke up, “perhaps your friends are right. I, too, believe that this room is one for you to avoid.”
“Don’t treat me like I’m a foal!” the young pegasus replied. “If I don’t see it now, it’s not like anypony can stop me from looking at it later.”
“Sister,” said Lady Luna to Lady Celestia, “he is right. Besides, he is the one who agreed to your terms. Do not try to hide this place from him.”
Celestia looked at her sister and sighed, nudging her student away from the door. “Let him pass, Applejack.”
Before his friend could object, Heart Shield jumped over her and trotted to the open door, determined to find out why nopony wanted him to look at the room. Twilight reached out to stop him as he neared, but Luna placed her hoof on the unicorn’s arm and shook her head. Twilight bit her lip as her friend poked his head inside. It took Heart Shield only a second to take in the large room, which had no windows, a small cot built into one side of the room, and was otherwise bare of anything save for runes carved into the ceiling, floor and walls. It took another second for him to grasp what the room truly was, and he backed out quickly as soon as he had.
“It’s a prison,” he said, stating the obvious as he looked at Lady Celestia, keeping his anger out of his voice and clear of his expression, “for Chrysalis.” He rounded on Nero and Tool, who stood off to the side of the hall. “You two built a prison cell.”
“Heart Shield-,” Lady Celestia began.
“No,” he interrupted, turning his gaze back to her. “Don’t. I fully understand why it’s here, and will use it if it is needed. I told you already, if she turns out to be behind this all, I will not hesitate to bring her to justice, whether that results in imprisoning her or bringing Equestria’s forces to her location and waging war. I will not go back on my word.”
He said nothing else through the remainder of the tour, barely paying attention to whatever else was said. He remembered Nero and Tool mentioning something about defensive protocols, and a button to be used only if they were in grave danger, but it was as if he were listening through water, so lost in thought was he.
“Heart Shield!”
The pegasus snapped out of his thoughts at the eldest princess’s raised voice.
“Wh-what?” he asked, shaking his head.
“We have been trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes,” Celestia said, quieter this time, a faint smile on her face as she looked at the young pony. “Since you are the one who requested this journey, it has been decided that you shall be this ship’s captain, and, as such, it falls upon your shoulders to grant her a name.”
Heart Shield took a step backwards, startled. Captain? But he knew nothing of ships, he hadn’t even paid attention to what Nero and Tool had said about it! “C-couldn’t somepony more knowledgeable be in charge?” he stammered. “L-like Twilight? I’m certain that she would be more suited for this task. I cannot read sea charts, nor do I know how to understand the ways of the stars; we would be as lost as a deaf and blind bat if I were to lead us.”
“Do not doubt yourself so,” Lady Celestia replied. “As long as I have watched you grow, from the tiny foal found outside the sweets shop, into the young stallion who stands before me now, you have filled yourself with doubt and fear. But look at yourself now. You have more friends than you had ever believed you would possess, you have found a home where nopony judges you for the size of your wings, nor the state of your flanks, and you have found yourself more courage in the past year than I have ever seen in you.”
“I second this opinion,” said Rarity.
“As do I,” agreed Twilight.
“Y’all have my vote,” Applejack said, tipping her hat to her friend.
“We all think so,” Fluttershy spoke up.
“Yeah!” said Pinkie, her cotton candy-like hair bouncing as she nodded in agreement.
“You’re no Daring Do, or fearless pony like me,” Dash said, placing her hoof on her chest with a smug look, “but you come in a close third place.”
“Gee, thanks,” Heart Shield grumbled, rolling his eyes.
“Aw come on Large Wing, you know I’m just teasing.”
“Your friends have spoken,” Princess Luna said, stepping toward the pegasus. “And I believe that if they trust you to lead them, you should trust yourself.”
“Besides, it’s not as if you’ll be on your own, remember?” Twilight said with a smile. “The six of us are here with you. If there’s something you’re unable to do, then leave it to us, okay?”
Heart Shield looked at each of his friends. Not a single one of them showed an ounce of doubt in their eyes. He sighed and looked to the princesses.
“What name did your ship once hold?” he asked.
“Dreams of the Solstice,” answered Luna. “Our mother named it for us, but I do not believe this ship should share the same name. This is a new ship, for a new adventure, and should not be tied to the fate of its past.”
“Well spoken, Sister,” said Celestia, smiling at her sibling. She turned to Heart Shield. “Well?” she asked. “It is ill fortune to sail on a ship that has no name, and I see no better pony to grant her one than the one who wished for her to return to the sea.”
Heart Shield studied the ship. There were plenty of names that came to mind, but none seemed to fit, or seemed to be worthy of its grandeur. Lady Luna and Lady Celestia had valid points; this new ship shouldn’t be tied to its old self with its previous name, even if it had been granted a second chance to sail through the ocean. He would not burden it with the memory of its past, nor did he wish it to share the same fate.
Wait a minute… Fate, he thought, the word catching in his mind. The princesses’s old boat hasn’t been used for over a thousand years, and nopony has left the continent since. If those changelings hadn’t come, who knows if anypony would ask to travel the world like this? And we were lucky that Dreams of the Solstice was still around when we needed it most. Sure Nero and Tool could have built a new one themselves if Lady Celestia and Lady Luna no longer had it, but they rebuilt it. It’s as if fate wanted this ship to have a new journey.
The more he thought about it, the more that one word felt right, though incomplete. He couldn’t simply name the ship Fate, that would be ridiculous. He studied the ship more, his eyes wandering over every inch of it, from the starry pattern at its base, to the flag at its top which fluttered now and then, catching a wisp of a breeze.
Wind, fate… Why do-? Wait, that's it!
“I’ve got it,” he said at last, finally finding the words that seemed worthy of this boat. “Fate’s Winds.”
“Where’d you come up with that?” asked Dash, sounding a little disappointed at his choice.
“There’s an old farewell pegasi used to say. ‘May the winds always be at your back, the air under your feathers lift you up, and the sky be your guide under moon and sun. Let your heart lead you through these treacherous winds of fate to the destiny you create.’” Heart Shield turned to his friends. “Winds of fate. In other words-,”
“Fate’s Winds,” Lady Celestia finished with a small smile on her lips.
“Exactly.”
“A fitting name don’t you agree Sister?” Luna said, looking up at the ship.
“I could not have found a better one myself,” agreed Celestia, her horn glowing brightly. “Very well, I hereby christen this ship, Fate’s Winds, may she serve you well.”
Along the side of the ship, golden letters blazed into being, until the ship’s name glowed brilliantly against the metal and wood.
***
“Captain’s Log. We have been sailing for three weeks now. Food has begun to become scarce, the others are growing restless. I fear that a mutiny may soon be at hoof. There has been no sign of land since we left the shores of Equestria, and no indication of when we might find any. Everything looks to be the same in this desert of water, and for all I know, we may have been going in circles. I have begun to question my decision to set out on this journey. What if this is a waste of time? Should we return to Equestria and prepare for the next attack? If we do not find land soon, I fear that we may-.”
“Rainbow Dash, what are you mumbling about up there?”
Heart Shield sat on one of the center mast’s beams, looking up at the mare who had claimed the crow’s nest only minutes after they left the shores of their homeland.
“Nothing,” she replied quickly. “Just talking to myself.”
“Already? It’s only been an hour since we began sailing,” her friend said with a grin, “I would have thought the sea madness would have taken longer to set in.”
“Oh can it Large Wing.”
Heart Shield laughed and hopped off of the mast, gliding down to the deck. Fate’s Winds bobbed up and down as it sailed smoothly through the ocean. Occasionally, a spray of salty water would reach the top of the ship whenever it landed over a particularly large wave, coating whoever stood near the bulwarks with beads of glimmering salt. Rarity had immediately taken refuge in her cabin, complaining about the water creating clumps in her mane and coat. Applejack stood to one side of the ship, leaning over the side of the railing, a queasy look on her face. Pinkie was currently hanging upside down on the mast head, cheering into the wind. Fluttershy stood nearby in case her friend lost her grip. Twilight was somewhere inside the wheelhouse, studying the sea charts that had been supplied by the Canterlot library the last time Heart Shield had checked. As for the stallion, he made his way starboard, looking out at the endless, glittering, aquamarine sea. For some reason, he found the sight of the small waves, the schools of fish that ventured close to the hull curiously only to scatter moments later, the reflection of the afternoon sun wavering in the surf, comforting and welcome. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of the wind rushing through his mane. He allowed himself to drift back to moments just before Fate’s Wind had left the hidden harbor deep in the side of the mountain Canterlot rested upon.
“Heart Shield,” Lady Luna called as the pegasus moved to join his friends on the ship, “we would wish to speak with you for a moment before you leave.”
Heart Shield turned around curiously and walked over to the princess. She waited for him to reach her before she walked away from the ship, the curious pegasus following her. She stopped when she was certain they were out of earshot of the young ponies who had already boarded the ship and her sister.
“Lady Luna?” Heart Shield asked. “What is it you wished to speak of?”
The princess turned to him, silent for a few moments as she pondered her words. Finally, she spoke.
“At the royal wedding, I was not in Canterlot when Queen Chrysalis’s deception was made clear. I had left to tend to other matters, and I was unable to be there when my sister was injured, when my home was threatened.”
Heart Shield looked at her in silence, his face a mask of polite patience.
“All I know of the mare you seek, are the tales I have heard. I have not seen her true heart with my own eyes, and so, of everypony in Equestria, I alone am able to stand unbiased on all subjects related to her. I have heard both sides of the stories you and your friends have told. I know of the evil she caused during the wedding, and of the kindness she showed for you, the one who tended to her and trusted her when nopony else would… I do not know which side of the Changeling Queen is her true self – the cruel mare who sought destruction of an entire land, or the mare who gave up the last of her power to heal a pony who had lost something dear to him by protecting her – but there is one thing I do know, and that is this: there is nopony in this world who would go to such lengths for the sake of her when all others would seek their vengeance unless they believed in their heart, with utmost certainty, that there was good in her.”
Lady Luna paused, studying the silent pegasus.
“You once gave me some comfort with your words on behalf of those who have come before you and those who still remain among us, and so I would offer a small piece of wisdom in return that will hopefully bring you comfort. No matter what you may see, no matter what you may hear, no matter where you may go, always follow your heart. Despite what others may say about the heart’s judgment, I have found that it knows the truth more often than not. I say this from experience, young Heart Shield. A thousand years ago, as my jealousy began to take over, I knew in my heart that what I was doing was wrong, and that my night was not as unloved as I believed. However, I did not listen to it, and allowed myself to fall into anger and hatred. Listen to your heart, for it can connect with those of others and find the truth that may otherwise elude you.”
“Heart Shield? We’re ready to leave!” Twilight called out from the ship.
“Your friends are waiting for you,” Lady Luna said, nodding to the ship. “Please, heed my words.”
Heart Shield nodded. “I shall, Lady Luna. Thank you.”
***
The days and nights after the journey through the winds of fate began soon blurred together. Twilight marked each one on a small calendar she created. She sent daily letters to the princesses, using a runic spell Princess Celestia had taught her to deliver her messages. After a week of sailing with no sign of land, Twilight called her friends into the wheelhouse claiming she had urgent news.
“Twilight Sparkle,” Rarity said with a yawn, “for what reason did you call us here in the middle of the night? Can’t whatever be said wait until morning, a lady needs her beauty sleep after all.”
Rainbow Dash snorted. “With all that mud on your face, I’d say you could use all you can get.”
“Forgive me for wanting to keep my pores clean,” Rarity retorted.
“That’s enough you two,” Applejack said, stepping between her friends.
“Thank you Applejack,” said Twilight. “The reason I woke you all is because Pinkie spotted land not too long ago. It’s still a ways away, we won’t be able to see it without the telescope until sunrise.”
“That’s all well and good,” yawned Heart Shield, “but I fail to see why this couldn’t wait until then.”
“Perhaps this will clear things up then,” she replied, pulling down the old map from Canterlot and floated it over to her friends. “If this map is correct, and the ship has been sailing in the right direction, then that island is Dragon Isle.”
“Did you say D-Dragon Isle?” Fluttershy squeaked, cowering behind Rainbow Dash. “With all of th-the dragons?”
Twilight nodded.
“But ain’t that the place that nopony is allowed to go?” asked Applejack. “Didn’t Princess Celestia tell us that them dragons forbade anypony from steppin’ on their island?”
“We can’t go there then!” Rarity said, now wide awake.
“We don’t have much choice,” Twilight replied solemnly. “The crystal is about to run out of magic, and the changeling’s trace points straight in its direction.”
“What?!”
“Of course,” Heart Shield said. “If I were a changeling I’d hide in the one place where nopony would find me.”
“Exactly,” Twilight agreed.
“But we’d be insane to step hoof there! Princess Celestia told us that the dragons said that if anypony landed on the island, they would attack Equestria!” Applejack said.
“I agree with Applejack, we cannot go to Dragon Isle,” agreed Rarity, moving to stand next to the earth pony. “It is foolhardy to do such a thing.”
“If the compass points to the island then we have to go there,” Dash interjected, standing beside Twilight.
“Dash is right,” Twilight said. “Besides, it’s the only option we have. We have no other leads to go on.”
“M-maybe we shouldn’t,” squeaked Fluttershy. “Maybe the changelings are on an island somewhere behind this one?” She looked at her friends with a hopeful expression.
“The dragons could be nice ones,” Pinkie Pie offered. “Like Spike! Plus nopony can stay mad forever, and Princess Luna isn’t Black Snooty anymore.”
The group fell silent and all eyes fell on Heart Shield. He took several steps back.
“What? Why is everypony looking at me?”
Twilight stepped forward. “Well, you are our captain, and there’s three votes each. It’s up to you.”
Heart Shield looked at his friends, his eyes shifting nervously from one mare to another.
“Heart Shield, what say you?”
He was silent for a long time.
“Heart Shield! What is your choice?”
“Are… are you certain that the changeling’s magic points to the island?”
“I would not have called you all here otherwise,” Twilight said. “I’ve tried sailing the ship in a direction that would lead us around it, but the sphere keeps focusing on the island.”
Heart Shield closed his eyes and sighed.
“Then we have no other option. We sail to Dragon Isle.”
I pray that this isn’t a bad idea…
***
They reached Dragon Isle sooner than they had expected, and not as unnoticed as they would have hoped. For just as the band of ponies had spotted the island, so had Fate’s Wind been spotted by those who inhabited it. Five massive dragons, covered in sharp scales, wings as large as the ship’s masts, with fangs large enough to skewer Princess Celestia if she stood on two hooves and sharp enough that they could easily rip through flesh and bone, stood at the shore as the ponies landed. The dragons easily towered over the ship, and the earth shook with each thundering step they took. They looked at the boat that had washed upon their land and spoke amongst each other in their ancient tongue.
“What have we here?” said the tallest, a fierce looking black dragon, whose voice came out so loud it rocked the entire boat.
“It looks like a ship, Aolraûn,” said a smaller blue dragon, green stripes lining its back and arms. “And look! There are tiny deer on it!”
“Don’t look like no deer, I’ve ever seen,” grumbled a thick, deep violet dragon, who walked around the ship, looking at the creatures who stood on deck through two squinting eyes.
“Bah, what would you know Ëaundïr, you fat oaf?” scoffed a green dragon who inspected his claws. “Your eyes are so bad you’d think a boulder was a boar.”
“You take that back Nnôrusk!” Ëaundïr roared, whipping his head around to glare at the green dragon. “I’m not so blind that I can’t smack some sense into that thick head of yours!”
“I’d like to see you try.”
“I’ll knock you both senseless if you don’t stop your bickering,” snapped the smallest of the great dragons, a lithe, young looking fiery red female. She sauntered between the two, flicking her tail tip along their snouts and looked at the ship. “Ëaundïr is right though, these are not deer.”
“Well what are they then Dæos?” asked the green-striped dragon.
“Whatever they are Vvraün’gst,” Aolraûn said to him, “they look as if they would be good sport for the younglings.”
“Wh-wh-what do you think th-they’re saying?” Fluttershy asked her friends quietly, trying to appear as small as she could.
“I don’t know,” whispered Twilight, “they aren’t speaking like the ones back in Equestria, nor in any dialect I’ve ever heard.”
“I bet them dragons are fixin’ to eat us,” Applejack said, her voice quiet. “Ah told y’all this would be a bad idea.”
“Well there’s not anything we can do about it now!” Heart Shield hissed.
“Don’t sweat it, there’s only five of them, we outnumber them easily,” replied Rainbow Dash. “I say we take ’em!”
“Don’t be a fool Rainbow Dash!” Rarity snapped, keeping her voice hushed. “Don’t you remember what happened the last time you tried to ‘take’ a dragon?”
“W-well that was a fluke, I wasn’t at my A-game!”
“Shhh!” Pinkie said to her friends. “Don’t interrupt them, that’s rude.”
“The younglings would have little sport with these things,” Dæos sniffed, “At least, not except with the winged ones. The others don’t look like they’d put up much of a challenge.”
“Eh? Those things on the blues and the yellow are wings?” Ëaundïr said, squinting at them. “Poor things. We’d be doing them a favor if we just ate them now.”
“Wh-why is that one staring me like that?” Fluttershy asked, pressing herself down onto the deck.
“Ëaundïr stop that, you’re scaring the poor thing,” Dæos said, thwacking him with her tail. “So,” she said, turning her attention to the creatures on the boat, “what exactly are you, little ones?”
“They are called ponies.”
All five dragons turned around and parted, their heads low as a new dragon approached. If Aolraûn was tall for a dragon, then this newcomer was a giant. The great golden beast was easily twice the black dragon’s size, and walked with long, thundering steps.
“Ponies, Lord Æundrïl?” Vvraün’gst asked.
“And young ones at that. You are a long way from home, young ponies,” Æundrïl said as he neared the ship, switching from his native tongue to one he had not used for centuries. “For what reason have you washed upon our shores?”
Heart Shield gulped and stepped forward, somehow managing to keep his knees and voice from trembling. Before they had landed, he had been confident that they could handle whatever happened here, but now that this dragon, whose head was as large as the ship and looked like he could easily swallow it whole, stood before them, all he wanted to do was turn the ship around and sail back to Equestria as fast as they could. The golden dragon leaned down until his head was level with the ship and watched the pegasus make his way to the bow. The sun caused his scales to shimmer, and showed telltale signs of aging along the mighty creature’s face; wrinkles could be seen nearing his brow, and a long, faded white scar wound its way down the left side of his head like somepony had carved it into his scales. The old wound went right over his eye, which Heart Shield realized must no longer exist. He walked to the edge of the ship, stopping only when the dragon narrowed his remaining amber eye.
“We do not mean any harm,” Heart Shield said, his voice was calm and confident, the exact opposite of how he felt. “We have traveled from-.”
“I know exactly where you have sailed from,” Æundrïl said with a low growl. “The years have not been so long that I would not recognize that flag.”
Heart Shield gulped again.
“Of course not, I meant no offense,” he said, bowing to the dragon.
“Has Celestia forgotten her oath in these past few centuries? Or does she no longer care for the safety of her people?”
“Neither, Lord dragon. It is true that my friends and I have journeyed across the seas from Equestria with her permission, but Lady Celestia knows not the path we have taken, nor our arrival upon your island,” Heart Shield said, addressing the aged dragon with the respect the noble beast deserved.
“Whether or not she knows shall not save her nor your friends. All ponies have been forbidden from coming within sight of our shores. Give me one reason why I should not roast you and yours where you stand.”
“Because the six ponies who accompany me are the ones who put an end to the mare who attacked this island, defeated the lord of chaos, saved an entire race that had been thought lost for over a thousand years, and not a single one of us would do harm to you and yours. We did not come here to start a conflict, we came to prevent one, one that could be the end of everything and everywhere, including this land.”
Æundrïl raised a horned eyebrow. “I’m listening youngling.”
Heart Shield took a deep breath before launching into the story of how Equestria had been attacked by the changelings, the events leading up to the attack —from the royal wedding, the discovery of Chrysalis in the Everfree Forest, her recovery, and her forced departure— and his request to discover the truth behind the attack. The dragon listened silently with the patience only one who had lived a thousand lifetimes possessed. When Heart Shield finally finished his tale, he bowed low to the great golden giant.
“And that is why we have come here, even if it breached the treaty of old. Please, if our arrival has angered you, do not force our loved ones to pay the price. We would not have dared such disrespect if we had another option, but time is not our ally at the moment and the lives of many rests upon our shoulders and our shoulders alone. I humbly beg forgiveness for our trespass Oh Mighty Lord dragon.”
Æundrïl remained silent as he studied the young pegasus for a long time. Finally, after many minutes, he spoke.
“You speak as though you were raised in a royal court; it is rare that one so young manages to convey such simultaneous respect and humility in face of death. Your words, if they are true —and your innocence in face of these conflicts gives me no reason to believe them anything but— are grave indeed. However, you have broken the pact your princess had accepted by coming here, no matter what your reason may have been, and I cannot allow this to go unpunished.”
Heart Shield’s heart stopped mid-beat and a cold shiver ran down his spine.
“Are you nuts? So what if we broke some dumb treaty, we’re on a mission here!” shouted Rainbow Dash, flying up to land on the dragon’s snout angrily. “Equestria is in danger and no stupid dragon is going to stop us from saving our home!”
“Dash, what are you doing!” Heart Shield hissed through gritted teeth.
“I don’t know what that deer, pony, thing… said, but I don’t like its tone,” Ëaundïr growled, a plume of black smoke billowing out of his nostrils. “I say we eat them.”
“That’s your answer to everything,” Nnôrusk replied, inspecting his reflection in his now polished nails.
“That’s because it works. If there’s something that’s a bother, you eat it, problem solved.”
“Silence!” Æundrïl roared, plucking the pegasus from his face.
“Yes Lord Æundrïl!” both dragons said in unison.
Æundrïl returned his attention to the ponies. “Your friends,” he said to the one he had been speaking to, “do not seem to share your respect for others.”
“Hey! Let go of me you giant lizard!” Dash shouted, squirming to free herself from the dragon’s grasp.
“Rainbow Dash, you are not helping!” Heart Shield called up to her. “Please Lord dragon, we didn’t mean any-.”
Æundrïl leaned down and sent a puff of smoke out at the youngling, silencing him immediately.
“As I had been saying, young pegasus, I cannot allow your trespass to go unpunished, and not a single thing any of you say will be able to stop that.” He pulled himself up to his full height and looked down at the ponies, his eye narrowing. “Whether or not you intended to, you broke the accord, and considering the terms of it, I can see only one solution…”
“Twi, can y’all manage to teleport us back home?” Applejack whispered, fearing the worst.
“No, it’s too far away, and we don’t know anything about this place,” Twilight replied.
“Well what about that defense thing Tool and Nero were talking about?”
“I might be able to…”
Æundrïl fixed his eye on the two ponies, halting their conversation.
“The only solution to your misdeeds is this,” he said, smoke coming out of his mouth as he reared back.
Heart Shield and his friends closed their eyes, hoping that their end would be quick and as painless as possible.
“We shall create a new treaty.”
Heart Shield opened an eye and looked warily up at the dragon, unsure if he’d heard correctly. Æundrïl was once more leaning over so that his head was close to the ship, a glint of amusement in his eye.
“Wh-what?” the pegasus asked.
“You did not think that after all these centuries, we would not have gotten over our anger did you?” Æundrïl said, chuckling a little. “No matter what had happened, a thousand years is much too long to hold a grudge over something such as that, even for those as long lived as we dragons. And even if it wasn’t, even we could tell that Nightmare Moon was no more, and thus the pony who had devastated our kind and island was no longer around for us to vow vengeance against.”
“You were going to forgive us this whole time?!” cried Rainbow Dash. “You scared us half to death!”
Æundrïl let out another chuckle. “A being as old as I am must be allowed to amuse himself when he can.” He smiled at the looks of astonishment and annoyance that came over the young ponies’ faces and chuckled again. “All humor aside though,” he said, growing somber, “this news you bring me is indeed grave. As few of us that remember Nightmare Moon remain, even less remember the changeling race. Only ten of those are still living, myself included. But this is not something to discuss out here by the sea. Come, we shall convene with the rest of my kind; they must be made aware of the changelings’ reemergence.”
***
“…and that’s how we came here,” Heart Shield said, finishing his detailed tale to hundreds of dragons that had come together after receiving Æundrïl’s summons.
He and his friends stood atop a large plateau overlooking a canyon filled with all sorts of the fierce creatures. The dragons had come from all over the island and were as different from one another as he and his friends were from everypony in Equestria. Here and there in the crowd were dragons as tall as, and even taller than, Æundrïl. Some dragons had ancient battle scars carved into their scales, some looked as though they had just left a spa –their scales reflected the sun’s rays into beautiful single-colored rainbows, some were old, others young, there were fat dragons, thin dragons, large-winged, small-winged, horned, hornless, males, females; and all of them were looking up at the ponies. Because nopony had stepped onto the island in centuries, there were many dragons who couldn’t understand the pegasus’s words, so Æundrïl served as a translator and, by Pinkie’s suggestion, Twilight and Rarity’s magic provided stunning visual aids to help the other dragons fully grasp the situation.
Silence filled the cavern as the last of the magic faded and Æundrïl finished translating, stretching on for what felt like hours before each and every last dragon began talking and shouting over each other all at once.
“What are those things going on about? Changelings? Here?”
“Those are just old wives’ tales! Changelings aren’t-.”
“I saw one two months ago racin’ o’er the sky.”
“Like hell you did. That was one of Oeursa’s younglings chasin’ your ’nette and you know it.”
“I told you they existed! I told you they existed! Y’all’ve been callin’ me crazy for eons-.”
“That’s because you ARE crazy! Ain’t no such thing as-.”
Æundrïl sighed as his kind began to argue and bicker and turned to Dæos.
“Take the ponies to my cave, I shall deal with things here,” he said.
“Yes my Lord,” she replied, bowing her head to him.
“Dæos will be taking you to my residence,” Æundrïl said to the ponies. “I will remain here to handle things before I meet up with you.”
Heart Shield looked up at the golden dragon, then out at the roaring hoard.
“I get the feeling that our news hasn’t been met well,” he said.
“That remains to be seen. Go, I shall deal with this.”
The pegasus nodded slowly and turned around to join his friends atop Dæos’s back.
“What do you think is going to happen?” Fluttershy asked as the female dragon took to the sky.
“I don’t know…” replied Heart Shield, looking back at the dragons below them. “Let’s hope that it’s something good though…”
***
Æundrïl didn’t return to his cave until late in the night. Heart Shield sat outside, watching the sky while his friends slept, and nodded to the dragon when he landed silently at the entrance.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“It took a long time, but I managed to convince them that you spoke the truth,” replied Æundrïl. “We shall assist Equestria should another attack take place; I’ve already sent a message to Celestia explaining everything.”
“That’s a relief,” Heart Shield said, letting out a sigh. “Now all we need to do is search this island for-.”
“My kind are already on the job, youngling. If the changelings are here, we’ll find them. However, I believe that your compass has pointed you in the wrong direction. If I were to hazard a guess, your search should lead you to their homeland, a land far from here that has long been forgotten.”
“Their homeland? Do you know where it is?” the pegasus asked, looking quickly up at Æundrïl. “Where is it? How do we get there?”
Æundrïl sighed and shook his head. “Alas, any who could answer your questions are no longer amongst us. I am sorry.”
Heart Shield sighed and hung his head. “Should have known it wouldn’t have been that easy to find her…”
Æundrïl studied him for a moment. “You speak of Chrysalis do you not?”
Heart Shield nodded.
“Your own personal reason for taking this journey is different than what you claimed it was to my brethren, no?”
“I… If she really is behind the attack, I will keep my word to Lady Celestia.”
“That is not what I asked.”
Heart Shield raised his head to stare at the moon in silence for a long time before he spoke again.
“I’m worried about her,” he said. “I don’t believe she’s behind this, and I think she’s in trouble, and if she is then it’s all my fault.”
“And why would that be? Did you put this idea in her head if she truly is behind everything? If she is not, then did you force these changelings to attack?”
“No, but-.”
“Then this is not your fault, youngling. From what I understand, you did something that no one of your race would have done, and certainly not what your friends would have had they found her first. You did nothing but care for someone who needed help; there is no way you could have seen how things would unfold.”
“But if I hadn’t gone to Twilight for help-!”
“She would have found out eventually. Do not put blame where it is not due, that is a road that leads to your own destruction,” Æundrïl scolded.
Heart Shield sighed and nodded. Æundrïl was right, there was no way he could have predicted any of this would happen.
“If I might ask, what is Chrysalis to you, young one, to make you travel so far from home for her?”
“She’s…” Heart Shield hesitated. What was Chrysalis to him? The first thing that popped into his head was Twilight’s accusation and he shook his head to clear his thoughts immediately, his cheeks growing warm. Twilight’s wrong, it’s nothing like that! “She’s somepony I care very much for, just like I care for my friends… And, like my friends, if she’s in trouble, I have to help her. I’m going to help her, no matter what. I will find her, and I will discover the truth.”
“And should this truth turn out to be that which you do not wish it to be?”
“Then I will do what is necessary… If… if Chrysalis has to be stopped, then I’ll be the one to do it…”
Æundrïl nodded slowly. “Your heart is in the right place youngling. I pray, for your sake, that you are correct. Your Chrysalis-.”
“She’s not my Chrysalis!” Heart Shield interrupted, his cheeks burning. “She’s somepony I’d do whatever it took to make sure they were safe, but there isn’t… I’d do the same if one of my friends was in this situation!”
Æundrïl chuckled. “Very well then, your friend sounds lucky indeed to have someone go to such lengths. She sounds like someone I myself would aid had I known her.”
Heart Shield sat still, grumbling to himself about everypony’s misconceptions. Æundrïl laughed quietly at the pegasus’s reaction and watched the moon’s progression through the sky for several minutes.
“You should rest with your friends,” he said at last. “In the morning, my kind should have finished searching the island for any changelings that may be here.”
Heart Shield nodded and looked up at the dragon.
“Lord Dragon… Æundrïl…?”
“Yes?”
“You mentioned the homeland of the changelings before. Is there any way for us to find it? Any hint at all in where it might be?”
Æundrïl remained silent for a very long time. Heart Shield was about to ask him again when the dragon spoke.
“We dragons are a long-lived race. Once, this world was ours to explore at our leisure. Our ancestors traveled everywhere they could, and, like all travelers, they created maps for future generations. Many of them have been destroyed over time, but we do still have a few maps and star charts remaining. I shall take you and yours to them come morning, mayhap they’ll be of some assistance. As for anything more, I cannot assist you.”
Heart Shield thanked him and entered the cave to join his friends, falling asleep within minutes. Æundrïl remained outside watching the stars, his mind straying to the past. Yes, the Changeling Queen certainly was someone he’d have aided in the past, before everything had gone so wrong. He fought down a pang of guilt for having lied about none remaining who had remembered her kind completely, but that had been many many centuries ago, and he was no longer the drake he had been back then. No, this journey was not his to make, nor were these secrets his to share. He would help these ponies as much as he was allowed, but no more than he should.
“I had hoped that the fates created by your fiendish design so long ago would finally be at peace,” he said to no one, “but it seems like even in your banishment, your schemes still bear fruit… If only those two had been strong enough to finish you on their own, perhaps none of this would have happened.”
***
“These maps are amazing! There’s so much more than what we were provided with. I knew the world outside Equestria must be vast, but this goes far beyond what I had been expecting! Oh wait until Princess Celestia sees these!”
Twilight’s cry of delight rang throughout the ship. She had immediately taken to the maps Æundrïl provided them. While she busied herself with studying the landmasses and translations of the names thanks to Æundrïl, Heart Shield joined the others in restocking their supplies; the dragons had been kind enough to provide them with plenty of fruit and herbs for their journey to the next island. There had been no changelings on the island after all, but, as Fluttershy pointed out, their time spent amongst the dragons was not a waste.
“Now we can have a more accurate map, and the dragons are going to go to Equestria soon to help the princesses,” she said.
“Yeah, but I still hoped Queen Evil was here,” replied Rainbow Dash, sounding rather disappointed.
“I know what you mean Rainbow Dash,” agreed Rarity. “If she was here, it would have made things all the more easy for us.”
“Well if she isn’t here then we just need to go to the next island. Ooh! What do you think will be on that one?” Pinkie said. “Maybe we’ll find some gnomes, or there’ll be a giant volcano filled with chocolate!”
“I doubt we’ll find somethin’ like that,” said Applejack, putting the last of the fruit away.
“What do you think we’ll find Heart Shield?” Pinkie asked.
Heart Shield been looking out the window while his friends had been talking, and turned around when he heard his name.
“Sorry, what was that?” he asked.
“On the next island silly! I’m hoping for a chocolate volcano. Ooh! Or a taffy river!”
“Yeah, that sounds great,” he mumbled, glancing back out at the window. “I’m going to go check on how Twilight’s doing with the maps.”
He started to walk up the stairs when Applejack called out to him.
“We’ll find her sugar cube,” she said, looking at her friend. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her soon.”
“Yeah, I know…” the pegasus replied as he climbed the stairs. I just hope that it’ll be before something else happens…
Heart Shield slowly made his way out onto the deck where Twilight sat over the dragons’ maps and star charts, scribbling away at a canvas with a quill.
“Astros Arcadia, odd name for an island, what’s on it Æundrïl?” Twilight asked as she put the finishing touches on their new map. It had taken a while, but with the help of those star charts she’d been provided with, she was able to create what should be an accurate map for modern times.
“I couldn’t say, that is one of many islands I’ve never visited,” Æundrïl replied. “This note beside it roughly translates into Secrets may be learned here.”
“Secrets? What kind of secrets?”
“Perhaps the true location of the land of which you seek.”
“I take it that the maps didn’t show where the changelings are,” said Heart Shield, walking over to them.
Twilight looked up from the maps and nodded. “We have a lot of sea to cover, and, even if none are their home, a lot of islands to check.”
“Well then, what are we waiting for?”
“Just the ink to finish drying.”
Heart Shield nodded and looked up at Æundrïl. “Thank you for everything,” he said, bowing low.
“It is the least I can do for you,” replied Æundrïl.
“Will you come with us? We could use the extra help.”
“Alas, this is a journey you all must take alone,” Æundrïl said, shaking his head. “Our youngest and strongest will be flying to Equestria, while old fogies such as I shall remain here in case anything should happen.”
“I understand.”
“Heart Shield, I wish you and yours the best of luck. May the winds always be at your back, the air under your feathers lift you up, and the sky be your guide under moon and sun. Let your heart lead you through these treacherous winds of fate to the destiny you create.”
Heart Shield smiled at the dragon’s use of the old farewell. “And you as well.”
“Before you leave, I want to give you some words of warning. These islands you will be visiting, there are some that are dangerous for any who would land. Should you end up on them, stay only long enough to gather supplies, then leave.”
Twilight nodded, rolling up the new map. “Thank you Æundrïl, we’ll remember that.”
***
Æundrïl watched the fading figure of Fate’s Winds as it slowly sank into the horizon. He had done all he could for the ponies, at least all he could with his claws bound as they were by his oath not to interfere. Not for the first time, he regretted his decision to make that oath; it may have saved his kind from destruction, but what good was it if it meant not being able to protect innocents such as the younglings he had just sent away?
“Lord Æundrïl, are you certain you do not want any of the younglings to watch over them?” asked Dæos, walking down the shore to meet him.
“They must do this on their own… perhaps they could be the ones to wash away the sins of the past.”
“What sins?”
Æundrïl sighed and looked to the sky; clouds were forming in the distance.
“Ones that we could never make up for.”
He watched the clouds, not going into further details. There was something odd about those clouds, something he couldn’t put his claw on. They were moving closer to the island faster than they should, especially with the wind blowing towards the clouds.
“What are you looking at?”
“Those clouds… do they seem strange to you?” Æundrïl asked.
Dæos looked up at the ones in question and studied them intently.
“Not in particular; just storm clouds. Why do you ask?”
“I’m not sure… I’m getting an ominous feeling from them though…”
“Perhaps all this changeling business has-. Wait! Where did they go?” Dæos said, stepping back.
The clouds, which had been creeping ever closer to the island had suddenly vanished without a trace. Æundrïl narrowed his eye, scanning the sky for any hint of what had happened. Suddenly the sky turned black, dark clouds covered the island, blocking out the sun completely. The two dragons looked up at the sky, alarmed.
“Lord Æundrïl, what are these? What’s happen-.”
Dæos never got a chance to finish her sentence. A bolt of green lightning shot out of the clouds and struck her down. Æundrïl watched as her body fell limp to the ground.
“DÆOS!” he roared, starting to move forward.
Before he could take a single step, another bolt rushed from the sky, striking the ancient dragon in the head, joined by two more. Æundrïl’s eyes rolled up as his mind began to go blank. He looked to the sky as he fell. The last thing that went through his head was that he could have sworn there was something moving in the clouds. The dragon landed on his side with a resounding thump. All over the island, the dragons shared the same fate as him, each struck down by the lightning, until, at last, the final dragon fell to the ground, dropping through the sky like a stone. The clouds vanished. If any dragons had been left alive, they would have noticed the bright green flashes in the dark clouds.
Dragon Isle and its inhabitants were no more.
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I am enjoying the grey morality of this fic. Keep up the good work.
2446243
Ah! Thank you!
Poor draggies.
i Just hope some of them left before the Attack.
7374010 I felt that this bit would be a good way to fully show off the strength of the new changelings, able to dispatch so many fully-grown dragons with complete ease and speed. I believe that in chapter 14 we learn the fate of the dragons that had left before the attack.