The nature of the beast.

by Kintra

(77) Our life: Ull.

-----Eclipse (2:43 AM) -----
I had been out here all night. I let rainbow leave to tell everypony. I had my fire burning as hot as I could make it go comfortably without burning down the forest. I had managed to remove maybe eight feet of the ice over the past…Forever. Rainbow was nice enough to bring me my vinyl-pod after a suggestion from moon mist. She’s also been bringing me food. And this fun little object misty gave her, it’s like…An anti-sleep orb, it was a clip on earring. But it constantly fed energy into the wearer by drawing extra energy in the atmosphere, and I was pushing out a lot of energy. Meaning that essentially I was my own battery. How cool is that? But one of the worse side effects of this little ball feeding me energy. I had time.
Time to think.
We all know that that’s dangerous.

And through it all. You know what I thought of the most?
Human. Mother. Fucking. Techno. Equestrian techno was cool! Don’t get me wrong! But you just can’t beat Blood sugar, or Sandstorm. Fucking CLASSICS! I mean, shit! I’d even take Clubbed to death! Of course I would take clubbed to death, that song was my shit. I loved it. Everything about it was like….YEAAAAAA. Oh! And Transformers. Something about them is just cool! Aside from that, I miss watching MLP. Weird I know, I’m living in Equestria. I’ve met, and hit on, all but one of the mane six. I have successfully hit on both princesses, and I now have a mare friend. A house. And a life! I am living damn near every brony's dream! Yet still it feels…Wrong. It just feels… Off! Like even though I’ve done everything I needed too, it’s still very… Wrong, like I’m forgetting something. I don’t know.

Have I mentioned how much I hate thinking?! I stopped the flames a moment and unclipped my energy tank (HA!) My ankles were now soaked. The melting ice was causing a small flood. I didn’t care. I took out the headphones and stretched.

“`Tis mighty impressive seeing a stranger out here. Especially one with some true fire power.” The voice was gruff. Amused, certainly. But sounded heavy, toned. Experienced. I turned to find something that truly caught me off guard. A dragon. Not a little spike oh he’s so cute dragon, I mean a full-fledged fucking eat me whole dragon. He had Black scales, with crimson spikes and claws. His eyes were a pale, almost glowing yellow in the moonlight. His head was on the ground he was smiling and staring at me.
My response?

“Holy shit it’s a dragon!” I think there was less fear and more excitement in my voice because this dragon laughed. And just so you know, how serious I am, Let me put it this way, His jaws spread like this? From tip to tip, at least twelve feet. His laugh was deep and rumbling. Scared me shitless, but to be honest all I wanted to do was feel the scales.

“Yes! I am indeed a dragon my boy. And you?” That’s cool.

“Uh... Eclipse, I’m sorry but, can I touch you? I know that’s a weird question but you look really smooth.” Again the ground seemed to rumble with his deep laughter. It was unsettling, but contagious. I ended up laughing as well.

“Yes. You may touch my scales. You entertain me fledgling, of what species are you?” He turned his head so I could see him eye to eye, I laid my hand against his cheek I was right, they were really smooth. Not a single blemish or bump. But they seemed impenetrable. I ended up laying my own face on his and laughing.

“Uh. I guess now that the weird introductions are out of the way, my name is Eclipse, and I’m a human. How about yourself?” He pulled from my head and looked at me. His yellow eyes were… unsettling.

“My name has not been asked for a very long time fledgling. When I was young, they would call me Ull.” Ewl? Right.

“Well… Ull, it was certainly a pleasure meeting you! Don’t have many dragon friends around here. So, was certainly nice you didn’t eat me!” again he laughed.

“Spoken like one whom enjoys his work. Do you wish to remain undisturbed? I will not consume you, I do not consume…Humans, and so I can say you will be safe.” I shook my head.

“It’s not me I’m worried about Ull. I don’t want you hurting my friends. I’m not sure when they will be here though. So...” He just nodded and laid down.

“More like you?” I laughed.

“No no, I’m unique to this world. My friends are ponies.” Again that laughter.

“The skittish children? You befriend them?” That was… an arrogant comment.

“Yes, I befriend them, and if you don’t mind, I would rather you not insult my friends.” He eyed me a few moments and laid his head on the grass a few feet behind me.

“Very well. They must mean a lot to you. You stood up for them. I wish to meet these ponies who have captured your heart. I will keep you company while you work.” I just nodded and clipped the orb back onto my ear; I turned off my vinyl pod. No reason for it now.

“Well, thanks for the company. It certainly helps.” He smiled as I turned back to the ice.

“I have spent many nights alone fledgling. I quite enjoy having conversations; Most of my species are…” He seemed to be searching for a word.

“Irritating? Obstinate? Stubborn?” I offered. Even though all three are the same damn thing.

“Uneducated.” OUCH.

“So your species are stupid?” He laughed for a moment.

“Yes. I suppose they are.”

“Hope you don’t mind, but, I’m gonna turn up the power, I want this done.” He nodded.

“Do as you wish. I am merely an observer.” I smiled at that and doubled the power on one of my streams. Turning the other to ice in case the forest ignites. The light from the flame was almost blinding. But I couldn’t feel the heat.

“Your fire is quite strong. You are very much alive. But… Your fire itself is cold. Heartless.” Great, now my flame thrower had feelings.

“What do ya mean Cap`n?” he laughed a moment.

“I mean, your fire is not fire. It is merely heat. There is no life in it.” Right.

“Listen, Ull. I know you’re a dragon and all. But fire doesn’t live. It’s just fire.” It seems like everything I do makes him laugh. I’m either really good, or he’s easily amused…I vote both.

“I know not where this world you are from is eclipse. But things here are not always as they seem. Magic can be found in the smallest of objects to the largest. Never doubt something, simply because it is as it looks.” With this he stretched his head next to mine, and let out a small puff of fire. The puff landed on the ice and sat there. Never extinguishing. Just… there. I stopped spraying and stared at it.

“How did you?” I reached my hand over the ball. It was… warm, not hot at all. I picked it up. Smart right? But it was okay. The fire was black in the center, the area that looked like it was burning was crimson, and the flame tips were green. It was… Mesmerizing for lack of a better word.

“It’s beautiful.” He nodded and laid his head back down. Then he huffed and the air from his nose blew out the flame.

“You are young still eclipse. There are many things in this world you have yet to grasp. You have power certainly. From looking at you, I would say you have barely scratched the surface of your potential. But your control is… Weak and you force things. You need to let the energy flow. You do not control. You are merely a channel.” He shut his eyes as I contemplated that. Don’t control, guide? Well… I suppose I have time… Dammit.

Ull started snoring. Like a dick.

------Bulls-eye (8:46 AM) -----
“Why am I walking again? I have WINGS!” Rainbow dash hadn’t stopped complaining the entire trip.

“Because you’re keeping me company while we drop off eclipse’s breakfast! And you’re not flying because you CHOSE not to!” The forest was too thick for her to break through now that we were in it. And she did nothing but sulk the entire time!

“Ughh! We’ve been walking for like…Forever!” I sighed. We had only been walking, maybe twenty five minutes. And Rainbow dash hadn’t even been helping me carry things!

“We’re almost there dash. Then you can take off or whatever.” I heard her sigh. I understand her restlessness. Pegasi are built for clouds. Not paths.

“Yea okay.” Eventually we reached the clearing, but our path was blocked by a large obsidian rock.

“Really?” Was all I could say as I started climbing. Rainbow just flew over it.

“See you over there!” She is really annoying sometimes!

------Eclipse (8:49 AM) -----
My arms were dead. I was sitting on the last ten feet of ice. I couldn’t feel my arms at all. Not a fun feeling. I had made a lot of progress on the ice. But no progress on “Guiding” the fire. Bah.

“Eclipse!” Rainbow swooped down to great me, and I hugged her. My arms can be un-dead for a hug. Ull was awake and watching with interest. He hadn’t moved from his napping position in a while now. But I could tell he was smiling.

“Hey Dashie! How’s it going?” I let her go as she hovered in place.

“Pretty good, once Bulls-eye gets over that rock over there it will all be better.” She pointed at Ull's side with a hoof. She still hadn’t noticed he was a dragon. That’s amazing.

“Dashie?” She looked at me and smiled.

“I want you to look around this area really hard.” She just frowned at me.

“Why? You want me to pat you on the back for melting a good three quarters of the ice? You’re the one that put it here!” I just shook my head. I knew that!

“Nope. Look around the clearing.” She started looking just as Bulls-eye cleared the top of Ull’s side. She slid down and galloped up to me. I resurrected my tired arms again for another hug as she jumped at me.

“Hello Be!” She just laughed as I set her down. She then turns and lifts a small box wrapped in pinkies familiar pink bow and places it on my lap. My stomach growled in response. I didn’t realize I was so hungry.

“Okay, so. Good job on getting this much done over the past night and here is your food. Some brownies and a wad. Or frusplosion, I don’t know pinkie named them both I don’t know what they are.” I took a moment with that.

“You don’t know what a brownie is?” She just shook her head and sat on my coat tails. Understandable. Ice is cold on pony butt.

“Well, here try mine then.” I opened to box and laughed.

“Never mind, pinkie packed enough for all three of us, here” I passed a brownie and a wad to both Be and dash. They both accepted them happily.

“Okay. I don’t know how pinkie did this, but this is by far the best wad ever.” Be just laughed as she finished her wad. Rainbow actually tasted and then demolished all of her food.

“So dash, I suppose now that you’re done eating, you notice something weird about the clearing?” She sighed and burped, which totally killed the sigh. We laughed about that but now be was looking as well. Be spotted Ull immediately. He just winked at her. She sat completely still.

“Eclipse… Don’t make any sudden moves.” I wanted to laugh. But then dash noticed.

“DRAGON!!!” She immediately planted herself in front of me in a defensive pose. I DID laugh at this. So did Ull. This of course made both of the girls look at me like I was crazy!

“Eclipse! That’s a dragon! This is NOT a laughing matter!” Be was panicking. So I did what I could to comfort them.

“Hey Ull, This is rainbow dash, she’s a weather pegasi. And this is Bulls-eye she is a scout.” He raised he head and extended a single talon at be, the tip was almost as big as her.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, friends of Eclipse.” Dash backed away from his claw and looked at me.

“Girls, this is Ull, he is a dragon, and he is also a pretty cool guy. He won’t hurt you.” Rainbow looked to me, and I’m pretty sure she tried, and failed to whisper.

“Okay, why is he hanging out with YOU instead of other dragons?” I just sighed as Ull retracted his claw.

“Most of my species are hoarders; they care not for anything but their own personal collections.” Be was next to speak.

“Most of your species? So what are you?” He lifted his claw in thought a moment.

“I suppose… I am a librarian.” Dash started laughing. Ull took the opportunity to poke her with a claw.

“An ancient DRAGON librarian, young pony.” She stopped laughing.

“So, now hang on, you’re a librarian, so you don’t collect jewels, you collect books? Aren’t there others of your species that do that?” I was curious now. He nodded.

“We are few, and far between. Those that are raised by unicorns tend to become knowledge seekers. There is a city, Dramind. In the untamed zebra lands. We take our knowledge there… Most of us take our knowledge there. My library is a personal collection. Not to be shared.” I seriously wanted to grill this dragon on everything cool he just said.

“You said ‘those of us raised by unicorns’? Does that mean only some of you are raised by unicorns?” He nodded.

“You seek knowledge, this is good. Yes eclipse. I myself was raised by a powerful alicorn; she however disappeared… one thousand and one years ago now. Truly, when she had abandoned me, I felt lost. But I became a knowledge seeker. Others may choose to abandon their unicorns, or out last them, some die. Some dragons become knowledge seekers. Others become hoarders. There are lesser groups as well. But most born wild are hoarders.” Wow, okay. So… This dude was Luna’s dragon maybe?

“So, how old ARE you? And for that matter, what’s the average dragon age?” He smiled at this. He likes answering questions.

“I as of last month, have been hatched for one thousand and twenty seven years. As for the average age, it depends on the type of dragon. Most hoarders don’t live much longer than three hundred years. And if they do, they tend to do something stupid. Like attack me.” Ten twenty seven. Not bad. But attack him?

“Why do they assault knowledge seekers?” I looked at be, she smiled at me. I looked to rainbow and found she was sitting next to me, on the other side of my coat tails listening intently. Ull had an audience.

“They assault us, and fail. Because we do still consume gems for sustenance. Hoarders are greedy, selfish creatures. They do not care if you are friend or foe, if you possess something they want, they will attempt to take it. By force if nessacary.” WOW. So that’s cool. I guess…

“And what about that city, the uh... Drenie? Was it?” He laughed again. I felt the girls tense up. I wasn’t worried. I was used to it.

“You mean Dramind. Young Rainbow.” She puffed a little.

“I aint young!” She thought about that. “Okay fine. Yea that.” Again the low rumbling escaped his throat.

“Dramind is a city of wonder. For those who seek knowledge it possesses books from across thousands of years. Magical tomes, histories, myths. It is a draconic library, only so many can gain entry however.”

“So, this city, can YOU gain access?” He nodded.

“Yes Eclipse, I was one of the founders. I choose not to participate in their collections however. I have my own goals.” Right.

“What kind of goals?” be was actually smiling, she found this very enlightening.

“Well, I suppose my goal is simply to learn. The goal of Dramind is to collect. Not research. I enjoy researching things, magic, plants. Even strange creatures.” He poked my chest with a claw. It was surprisingly gentle. At this point I was getting kind of bored.

“Well, girls, I appreciate you coming and dropping this stuff off, I was just resting here until I could feel my arms. And I can. So, can you get off my coat?” The laughed and stood while Ull looked at me indifferently. I hopped down into the slush that used to be dirt and turned on the ice. Ull plucked Be from the top, she screamed. Then she apologized after she was put down unharmed away from the ice.

“It is no problem young pony. I was simply assisting you. I understand your fear of my species.” She just sat as rainbow took off to town; I ignited and started working on the rest of the ice.

Comments

[Kintra]

Touching up and finishing this chapter tomorrow. for now I really need sleep. enjoy this half.

[NotATree]

Hmmm I wonder how Ull became educated as opposed to other uneducated members of his race,

[Sven]

222221 Most likely time.

[Kintra]

222221 He is one of the oldest of his race, ill explain it here soon, not to mention most dragons tend to go the "Horde and dont give a shit" route

222417 I KNOW!!! I cant spell it right! Bronie just sounds better as a plural!

222736 Dah!

[Kintra]

223319 Yea, he feels that way too, but lets be honest, if the only was to spend time with your friend was to remove your shirt, would you do it?
I would.

[MyLittleBurger]

I need to catch up with all 70 of these chapters... it took me a day or three to get through all 90 of the Second Life fic....

[Hannible Lecter]

am i the only one reading this and hearing Sean Connery's voice for the dragon

[justindashsparkleshypie]

2933685 not at all my friend not at all